Nightfall

An aura wafted from the yellowing papers as Ning Que flipped through the book gently by the bonfire. The aura was calm and collected and did not seem like it existed on the earth. It floated right up to the skies as if it would disperse into the gloomy clouds of winter and never return to the page again.

However, the aura was too calm and was incompatible with all that was in the winter Wilderness. It couldn’t merge even with the clouds that barely existed. There was no active resistance, but just silence and an unwillingness to even make a contact.

There would be no interactions should there be no contact. In the frost covered forest in the Wilderness, not even the cultivator with the strongest Psyche Power could discover the aura emitted by this tome.

However, the sky could. The blue or grey sky was like a mirror belonging to Haotian that reflected everything. That was why it could reflect the image of the aura clearly.

The winter clouds gathered closely together were puffed up like winter blankets soaked in water. They reacted immediately after the “Ming” Handscroll of the Tomes of Arcane was opened. The thick clouds rolled and twisted and ensnared each other. They eventually separated and became thousands of puffs of clouds.

The distant blue sky could be spotted among the thousands of clouds. The clouds looked as if they were dangling, like silent stones suspended in the air.

Ning Que lifted his head and looked at the cloud-stones. He recalled the hundreds and millions of odd rocks in the Great Blockage Formation outside the Front Gate of the Devil’s Doctrine and seemed to have understood or felt something. He sighed with emotion.

…

…

Somewhere in the dark Wilderness.

Ye Su looked at the clouds with his hands put behind him. He seemed to have already grasped that thin wooden sword. His head was held up high, as if he was leaning on the sword. His clothes were thin and looked as if they would fly with the winter wind of the Wilderness. The emotions of self-mockery and indifference appeared on his face.

Somewhere else in the dark Wilderness.

Tang was also looking at the clouds, but with his hands by his side. He held onto what seemed to be two strong rocks with his head held up high like a giant rock that was about to fall off the cliff. His leather robe was thick and was not affected no matter how the winter winds blew. The calm expression that came from knowing the truth appeared on his face.

Somewhere else in the dark Wilderness.

Xia Hou lifted the reins lightly. He raised his right hand slowly and gestured for the armored cavalry behind him, which looked like a patch of dark clouds, to stop. Then, he looked up at the numerous clouds that looked like suspended rocks and could not help remembering the Front Gate that could once be seen in day and night. He remembered many things, and a trace of pain flashed past on his solemn face.

There were many people in the Wilderness at this moment. They did not have the ability to make contact with the calm aura that the Tomes of Arcane emitted. But they could see the odd happenings in the sky and could see the silent clouds that did not merge with the sky.

They were surprised and fell into silence.

The Great Divine Priest of Relation’s prophecy had come true.

The “Ming” Handscroll of the Tomes of Arcane had appeared in the Wilderness.

It was a pity that they could find out that the Tomes of Arcane had appeared, but did not know where.

…

…

“Senior Brother, why did you not tell them that you have the Tomes of Arcane?”

“They did not ask me. Also… I really didn’t want to tell them.”

“That’s true, we shouldn’t tell anyone other than those from the Academy.”

“Indeed. They’d come and steal it from us if we told them. I do not want to fight with them. I’ve also said before, that I am not good at fighting. Xia Hou and the others are so strong. It’d be hard work defeating them.”

Ning Que noticed that Eldest Brother did not say that it would be hard, but that it would be hard work to defeat them. He laughed out loud once he got over the shock.

“Younger Brother, what are you laughing about?”

“Nothing, Eldest Brother, I just think that you’re a very interesting person.”

“Oh? What’s so interesting?”

“Everything.”

“Alright, I don’t really seem to understand what you mean.”

“Eldest Brother?”

“Youngest Brother?”

“How do we close this Tomes of Arcane? We can’t leave it open. The skies react so violently to it. What if someone tracks us down with the traces it left behind?”

“There are three steps to close the tome. Firstly…”

“Eldest Brother.”

“Youngest Brother?”

“This tome is really odd. My sense of perception was severely impacted when I took a look at it. I want to close it because I felt like vomiting blood. However, what you’re saying right now makes me want to vomit blood more. Could you please help me?”

“I understand.”

“Eldest Brother?”

“Youngest Brother?”

“Why are you not saying anything?”

“Didn’t you ask me to help? When we were young, Jun Mo used to get angry really easily when we spoke. He said he felt like vomiting blood just like you. And I could help just by shutting up.”

“I was talking about the book… But, I will remember that when I chat with you in the future.”

“I understand.”

A hand emerged from the red light. It was Eldest Brother’s hand. To Ning Que, the cover of the tome was extremely heavy. It intimidated him, and just a glance of it had shattered his sense of perception. However, it did not react abnormally in Eldest Brother’s hand. He closed it easily.

With the gentle shutting of the tome, the dangling rock-clouds slowly fluffed up and merged into one. It reverted into that gloomy patch of damp cotton and covered the entire Wilderness.

The powerhouses in the Wilderness who sensed the change looked up at the clouds silently for a long while. Then, they left with a myriad of emotions silently.

Twilight was closing in on them. The faint glow of the sunset shone through the clouds and onto the winter forest of the Wilderness. It flowed like the hair of a young girl and a gentle stream, reflecting numerous threads of gold. The Big Black Horse by the side of the stream looked like an awkward monster that jumped like a sparrow. The beautiful young female Talisman Master chased after it in her white dress. The shade of the bonfire by the forest grew darker.

Eldest Brother moved the peel of his potato to the side. He asked gently, “Have you picked up the Haoran Sword?”

Ning Que did not pick up the actual Haoran Sword that Youngest Uncle had used in the Front Gate of the Devil’s Doctrine. But he knew what Eldest Brother was actually asking, so he nodded and replied. “It’s not a physical sword, but I have picked it up.”

Eldest Brother looked relieved and happy, he said with emotion, “That’s good.”

Ning Que fell silent for a moment before asking seriously, “Senior Brother, why was I chosen to inherit Youngest Uncle’s mantle?”

The “Ming” Handscroll of the Tomes of Arcane had always been in the Academy. The Academy would of course not fight for it with the other sects. They had wanted the mottled sword marks and the aura that wished to return to their sect left behind by Youngest Uncle. Those sword marks and aura that represented Youngest Uncle’s spirit and mantle had been left wandering around outside since it had been hidden by the Front Gate of the Devil’s Doctrine.

The Front Gate of the Devil’s Doctrine had opened once more decades later. And it was at this moment that the empire and the Academy had changed their plans for the autumn practice and had Ning Que bring a team to the Wilderness. He now understood why this was so.

However, there were many Senior Brothers and Sisters in the back of the mountain of the Academy. His state was the lowest, and he was the most inexperienced. He had never met the Headmaster of the Academy, so he was of course not the most favored person. So why did he inherit Youngest Uncle’s mantle?

“Because it is your Lucky Chance.”

Eldest Brother looked at him tenderly. His gaze looked as if he could see through Ning Que’s innermost thoughts.

Ning Que muttered to himself over and over again. “Lucky Chance?”

“What is a Lucky Chance? According to our teacher, it means that it is something that happens without rhyme or reason but has causes and effects. He does not believe in it, but I do. I think that Master Lotus, the Divine Hall, the Desolate Man heading southwards, these are all Lucky Chances. And it is so for you too.”

Eldest Brother said, “You entered the Academy because you wanted to. You came here because His Majesty needed you to come to the Wilderness. You could sense Youngest Uncle’s aura, so you went. The night was arriving, and the Front Gate of the Devil’s Doctrine that had been sealed for decades answered Heaven’s call and opened once more. And you were there, so you went in. There is no need to explain this with reason, and it cannot be explained. However, there is both cause and effect in it. That is why this is your Lucky Chance and not mine or Jun Mo’s or other Younger Brother’s and Sister’s.”

Ning Que looked at the mountain with the Snow-capped Peak afar. He thought that he had left Chang’an when he was very young and had grown up amidst great sufferings on the south foot of the Min Mountain. He had come to the northern foot of the Min Mountain ten years later as the youngest disciple of the Academy and had inherited Youngest Uncle’s mantle. It seemed that something had played a role in his life.

He emerged from his thoughts after some time. He turned back to meet Eldest Brother’s gaze that was as clear as water. He could not help being surprised and then grew sad.

He did not mention the most secret parts when he told Eldest Brother about what had happened in the Front Gate of the Devil’s Doctrine. That was the reason for his sadness. When he had first met Eldest Brother last spring in the Academy, he had feared Eldest Brother’s cleanliness and aura that made one feel so close that one was unable to hide one’s true thoughts. Now that he knew that the other was his Eldest Brother and would treat him well, he no longer feared Eldest Brother, but felt the struggle and pain within him.

Should he tell Eldest Brother about him joining the Devil?

The skies had darkened and the stars appeared and darkness was about to blanket the Wilderness. The bonfire by the snow forest seemed even brighter. As the winter wind blew, the flying embers lit up the uncertainty on Ning Que’s face.

Ning Que lowered his head and looked at the bonfire before him. He did not speak for a long while. Then, he made up his mind and said tightly, “Eldest Brother, did Youngest Uncle join the Devil then? Was that why he was punished by Heaven?”

Eldest Brother looked at him quietly and said, “That’s right.”

Ning Que looked up and asked, “I have inherited Youngest Uncle’s mantle…”

Eldest Brother smiled. “The Great Spirit exists in the Haoran Sword. And the Haoran Spirit exists in the Haoran Sword. I have also studied the Haoran Sword.”

Ning Que shook his head and said, “I didn’t mean that.”

Eldest Brother seemed to know what he was struggling with. He waved his hand to stop him before continuing with a slight smile. “Youngest Brother, if there are things that you do not know how to face, speak with the teacher when you have a chance.”

…