Nightfall
chapter-557

The mountain stream was silent as the wind caressed the green trees. Everyone was shocked speechless. The cloth surrounding the Buddhist chariot fluttered, revealing a glimpse of the figure in monk robes.

The high monk from Xuankong Temple remained silent. He had only realized that the arrow was much scarier than rumored today, as he faced the ice-cold iron arrow in person.

The bowstring separated the world before Ning Que into two. He looked at the monk in the chariot who was, in his view, split by the bowstring and aimed at by the arrowhead. He said, “To those of the world, Xuankong Temple is a holy Unknown Place. You guys reside in the faraway Western Wilderness and rarely enter the human world, so you seem more mysterious. However, you seem to have forgotten that I am from the Academy. To me, you all from Xuankong Temple are not that mysterious.”

“I knew you were from Xuankong Temple since the beginning. But, so what? I have seen two monks from Xuankong Temple. I killed one of them, and the other is now blind and roaming somewhere in the world. I heard that the Wayfarer of the Buddhism Sect had once gone to Chang’an. Is he your Senior Brother? He must be way stronger than you. But he was still chased away by my Eldest Brother, wasn’t he?”

The cultivators were all surprised when they heard that Ning Que had once killed a monk from Xuankong Temple. Their expressions were extremely complicated when they realized that the Buddhism Sect was involved in that battle in front of the bun shop at dawn. Quni Madi’s face was exceptionally pale. It looked like she was in pain and about to faint.

Ning Que ignored the crowd’s reactions. He looked at the hazy figure in the Buddhist chariot and continued, “So I do not understand. Even though you are president of the Commandment Yard of Xuankong Temple, what makes you brave enough to say such nonsense? What right do you have to criticize the way our Academy works?”

He had shocked the crowd without shooting his arrow, and forced the high monk in the Buddhist chariot into silence by displaying his iron bow. The Academy had already gained much glory in this confrontation. It seemed that the outcome was clear. Ning Que’s prideful questions had undoubtedly brought shame upon Xuankong Temple and even the whole Buddhism Sect.

The Tangs would rather break than yield. They were not afraid of failure, and were not beyond enjoying the pride they gained from victory. These unique characteristics of the Tangs often made their opponents feel stifled both on the battlefield and in social settings. It made the Tangs look crude and boorish.

Due to Youngest Uncle and Mr. Second’s reputation, image of the back of the mountain of the Academy in the cultivation world was extremely proud.

That was why the cultivators by the mountain stream were not surprised when they heard Ning Que’s words. While they were shocked and even felt embarrassed and bad for Xuankong Temple’s high monk in the Buddhist chariot, they also felt that this was the way the Academy should react.

The truth was far from this. The two girls in the black horse carriage, who understood Ning Que well, as well as the confused Big Black Horse before the carriage, all felt that Ning Que was very different today.

Ning Que had never been the typical Tangs, as he grew up in darkness and bloodshed. He was also very different from his peers in the Academy. In Ye Hongyu’s words, he was the shame of the Academy.

Ning Que might seem lazy on the surface, but he was extremely cold-blooded beneath. He would do anything to stay alive. However, he would not pursue the glory that came with victory. He would’t do anything that could cause danger to his person after gaining victory in order to show off.

In the past, even if he had been in the Wilderness, had his opponent been a high monk from Xuankong Temple, he would never have said these words to provoke his opponent after gaining victory and benefits.

It showed that as he grew, Ning Que had been gradually changed by the ferocious Tang’s attitude and the powerful Academy. Under the influence of Second Brother, he had begun to grow proud without even knowing it.

Second Brother’s attitude was simple. One’s head may be cut off and blood may flow, but the high crown on his head must never be askew because that was an embarrassment. It embarrassed the Academy.

Today, at Tile Mountain, Ning Que had shocked and awed the crowd without showing his hand. It could be said that he had brought utmost glory to the Academy and did not embarrass it. He had not damaged the reputation of Youngest Uncle.

However, his words were not simply to show off the Academy’s pride.

He really wanted to anger the Xuankong Temple high monk in the Buddhist chariot.

Because when he aimed at the chariot and shocked the crowd, forcing the high monk into silence, he felt a shiver down his spine. It was a warning sign.

Cultivators who had entered the Knowing Destiny State would have a slight but accurate sense of precognition. It was vague and hard to capture, but was sufficient to alert.

Ning Que did not know what the warning was, but he could vaguely sense that he would encounter plenty of trouble today on his journey to the Tile Mountain. Then, he would not mind getting rid of his strongest opponent right from the start.

The crux of the matter was, the sign had something to do with finding a cure for Sangsang. And it pointed vaguely to the Buddhist chariot. He did not even need to think before deciding to get rid of that warning.

The iron arrow in his hands was infused with his spirit and thirst to kill. He knew that if he did not release the arrow, then it would be difficult to shoot an arrow with the same power today. This was his best chance.

Even so, Ning Que would definitely be heavily injured if he were to kill the high monk from Xuankong Temple. He might even have to pay a high price for it, but he did not wish to regret it later.

…

…

However, the monk in the Buddhist chariot did not react. It looked as if the high monk from Xuankong Temple, who sat behind the curtains cross-legged, did not hear what Ning Que had said at all. He did not seem angry.

Ning Que’s brows rose. He froze slightly when he recalled the Buddhism Sect’s specialty and how Master Lotus had described them at the Front Gate of the Devil’s Doctrine— Buddhism Sect’s high monk was indeed tolerant like a turtle.

Anything done to the extreme would make it strong. Ning Que had seen countless deaths and knew the importance of tolerance. He would, of course, know that the more the monk could bear, the scarier he was.

It was extremely silent by the stream. Some cultivators looked at Ning Que, who was on the black horse carriage, aiming at the Buddhist chariot. They were frightened, uneasy and nervous. No one dared to make any sounds, and even their breathing had slowed down, afraid anything would cause the bowstring to relax.

The atmosphere was tense. Someone had to break the invisible battle of wills between the black horse carriage and the Buddhist chariot if they did not want to see bloodshed between the Academy and Xuankong Temple.

There wasn’t anyone by the stream who could avoid Ning Que’s iron arrow. But someone could stop it. He couldn’t stop it with a flying sword or with prayer beads, but with his physical body.

Monk Guan Hai positioned his chest before the dark iron arrow. The color in his face was even darker than the arrows. He said gloomily, “Thirteenth Brother… is this necessary?”

Ning Que had admired the young monk when they first met in Chang’an. The monk had a truly serene aura that belonged to the Buddhism Sect. However, he did not pretend to be profound and enigmatic like other Bhandantas of the sect. Furthermore, Monk Guan Hai’s skin was tanned and he looked like how Sangsang had as a child.

It if was any other thing, Ning Que would definitely hold back for Monk Guan Hai’s sake. But not today.

He aimed the iron arrow at the Buddhist chariot, not even looking at Guan Hai, he said, “My arrows do not have eyes.”

Monk Guan Hai said bitterly, “Arrows do not have eyes, but everyone present does. The president of Commandment Yard had already admitted defeat by staying silent. Do you still have to shoot your arrow?”

Ning Que said, “I have not yet shot my arrow.”

Guan Hai sighed and asked, “Then what are you waiting for?”

Ning Que replied, “I’m waiting for the high monk in the Buddhist chariot to speak.”

Guan Hai asked, “If he remains silent, what would you do?”

Ning Que did not know what he would do, so he stayed silent.

Even though the monk in the chariot made him uneasy, and even though he was a core disciple of Headmaster, he could not kill the man without any reason before so many cultivators.

While aggressiveness and pride did look similar at times, they were completely different. In Second Brother’s words, pride was reasonable aggressiveness, while aggressiveness was unreasonable pride.

No matter what kind of reasoning it was, Second Brother had always been reasonable. That was why he thought he was proud but not aggressive. He hoped that Ning Que would become someone like that as well.

The high monk in the Buddhist chariot of Xuankong Temple had criticized the ways of the Academy and lectured Ning Que with the tone of an elder. No matter how Ning Que shamed him, it would have been thought to be reasonable, and would at least pass Second Brother’s examination. That was why it would not have been an issue of contention even if many were shocked by it.

However, the situation right now was different. The high monk from Xuankong Temple had been shamed, but had borne it and remained silent. He did not grow angry or tried to attack. If Ning Que insisted on shooting, the Academy would seem aggressive and not prideful to others.

Monk Guan Hai looked at Ning Que and said pleadingly, “Senior Brother, if you insist on battling the chief monk, then kill me. Do not say that killing me isn’t a big deal. Washing Lanke with blood might not be a big deal to you either. But I assume you have brought the Lady of Light to Tile Mountain for an important reason. What would you do then?”

This was not a threat, but sincere persuasion. Ning Que did not have the ability to kill everyone on Wa Mountain and charge to the cave with his black horse carriage. Even if he were to possess such an ability like Younger Uncle, would Master Qishan still heal Sangsang if he killed everyone in Lanke Temple?

It wasn’t that Ning Que hadn’t thought of this point. He just hadn’t understood the freezing warning sign that he received when he aimed his iron arrow at the Buddhist chariot.

The Xuankong Temple monk in the Buddhist chariot remained silent. He did not dare to fight Ning Que’s arrows, so even if they fought in the future, the monk’s Buddhist Heart would also be affected. The high monk from the Buddhist Sect was indeed powerful and terrifying, but he would not pose any hindrance to Ning Que’s journey on the Tile Mountain any further.

However, the warning signs remained, and even became stronger, causing Ning Que to feel very uneasy.