Nightfall

Ning Que vaguely understood what Eldest Brother had meant. However, he was not certain if what he had understood was what should be understood. A myriad of emotions rose within him and he fell silent.

Eldest Brother looked at the expression on his face and could guess how he was feeling right then. He smiled and changed the topic. “Youngest Brother, would you be willing to give me the big black umbrella by your side?”

Upon listening to this, Ning Que could not help laughing as he thought back to the time when he had just entered the Academy. He had met a scholar in old robes then. The scholar had said that he was willing to give up the ladle by his side in exchange for the big black umbrella.

Who would have thought that the scholar would one day become his Eldest Brother?

The night had grown late. The bonfire by the winter forest jumped wildly, like a passionate dancer clothed in red. The Big Black Horse that had gone for a walk at twilight had returned. His steps were lively and looked as if he was dancing.

Accompanied by the scent of grilled sweet potatoes and the crackling of firewood, the three and a horse spent a night on the empty filed by the winter forest. Ning Que and Shanshan’s injuries were healing, and they didn’t feel bad when enveloped in the warmth of the bonfire.

They began their journey back to the south when they woke up the next morning. Eldest Brother had found an old carriage and a few nooses. Ning Que and Shanshan looked at the carriage before them and grew curious. However, they knew of Eldest Brother’s capabilities and did not think anything else about it or ask any more.

Only the Big Black Horse stared incredulously at the carriage that had appeared miraculously. He guessed that he had to shoulder the responsibility of getting everyone back on the long trek to the south and kicked his hoofs around in annoyance. However, his natural fear and submission towards Ning Que did not allow him to disobey the scholar who had brought him from the northern foot of the Tianqi mountain.

The wheels of the carriage made a completely different sound when it rolled over the hard frozen ground as compared to the loose snow. The Big Black Horse snorted and breathed out tufts of hot steam accompanied by these sounds. The three seated in the old carriage gradually left the winter forest and made their way to the palace of the grassland tribe in the south.

Traveling could be interesting, but could also be boring. Even though Ning Que could not ask Eldest Brother about the internal cultivation practices within the Academy due to Shanshan’s presence, there was sufficient time to ask him about the stories of the cultivation world.

Ning Que had not completely understood the cultivation world in the past. He did not know the origins of the Devil’s Doctrine, nor the history of the “Ming” Handscroll of the Tomes of Arcane. He did not know the Academy was a legendary Unknown Place, and did not know that he was the legendary World Wayfarer. He was the butt of many jokes because of this and had once put down the World Wayfarer before Mo Shanshan. It was like slapping himself in the face.

This had left an impact on his psyche and he craved to know more about the history of the cultivation world. He would not miss the opportunity to ask Eldest Brother who seemed to know everything about the world.

Stories about the cultivation world continued in the carriage for the next few days. This was the perfect return trip to Ning Que, barring all the time he almost fell asleep because Eldest Brother spoke too slowly.

They were nearing the Left-Tent palace of the grassland and the Blue Water Battalion of the frontier fortress of the North of Yan Kindom was not far away. They would enter the borders of the Tang empire as they head further south. They would see Chang’an and he would finally be able to eat noodles with fried eggs once they passed the second northern county through the north river. The life was good.

The cultivation stories that Eldest Brother told Ning Que were not great secrets, or at least, they weren’t to someone like Mo Shanshan, the Calligraphy Addict, who came from a famed sect like them. That was the reason why she was unable to be as excited as Ning Que as there were many stories that she had heard as a child repeatedly. When she looked at Ning Que’s excitement, she really pitied and admired Mr. First of the Academy for his patience for his role as Ning Que’s first teacher.

Other than the occasional thoughts, Shanshan was also in charge of watering and feeding the Big Black Horse. She would lean on the windows and cradle her chin in her hands and look out at the Wilderness in a daze most of the time. The winter scenery of the Wilderness was really lackluster, and there were no green grass or clear water to look at, so her admiration of the scenery eventually turned into blank stares.

Ning Que finally noticed the girl’s oddness one day. He was startled by the faint troubled look on her beautiful face, and he asked, “Shanshan, what are you thinking about?”

The two had long become close. Shanshan was no longer silent and girl who used her silence to hide her shyness and anxiety. She did not turn back to look at him when she heard that, but continued looking at the thick snow outside the window. She said softly, “I do not have any siblings or family, I wonder how it feels like to have one.”

Ning Que did not know how the Master of Calligrapher had accepted her as a disciple and had never heard about her life. Her lament had not only surprised him, but he felt slightly ashamed too. He thought about that rainy day at the Lin 47th Street and realized that he did not know what other wishes Blackie had other than killing Xia Hou. He could not help thinking that his apathy in this lifetime did not really make him a good friend.

After a moment, he emerged from his thoughts and smiled at Shanshan’s beautiful face. He knew that the girl had such thoughts and troubles because of what she had seen by the Hulan Sea.

Mo Shanshan was the Calligraphy Addict and was comparable to the Tao Addict, Ye Hongyu, as well as Tang Xiaotang, the girl from the Devil’s Doctrine. However, the other two girls had a strong elder brother who had their backs. And when they appeared, nobody had noticed her existence. How did she feel? Was she envious, jealous, or sad?

“I have once had a family, but never any siblings. So I do not know what having an elder brother is like. But if you have an opportunity to visit the one I have back home in Chang’an, you can ask her.”

In order to comfort her, Ning Que smiled and said, “But if you really wish to have an elder brother, I can be yours. I’m not joking. Even if I can’t get to Eldest Brother’s state in the future, I will still be stronger than the other two.”

Mo Shanshan’s long eyelashes fluttered like willow branches floating on the lake surface when she heard Ning Que mention “the one back home”. She only turned around when Ning Que completed his sentence. She looked at Ning Que’s familiar and yet distant face and fell silent for a long while. And then she suddenly smiled and said definitely,

“No.”

Ning Que was startled, and he scratched his head, asking, “Why not?”

Mo Shanshan grinned and explained seriously, “Because you’re too weak.”

Ning Que looked at the girl’s beautiful face and pursed his lips. His heart wavered, again and again, thinking that her words were really hurtful to his self-esteem. Did he have to bear the name of the weakest World Wayfarer of the Academy’s history for life?

His long-suffering self-esteem was exceptionally fragile. He looked at Shanshan bitterly and said, “I believe that I will be as strong as those two one day. If you’re not satisfied with that, I’ll have Eldest Brother acknowledge you as a younger sister. Where would you find a stronger elder brother than Eldest Brother?”

Eldest Brother had been looking at the two from his spot across them with a warm expression on his face. He looked like an experienced senior looking at his juniors. He could tell that there were many hidden meanings in the conversation but could also tell that neither of the two was sure of what they wanted. He ruminated over the situation for a moment before coming to a decision.

Other than thinking of the Academy’s stand when making the decision, he also wanted to thank the girl for taking care of Ning Que. He liked the way how the girl thought and did things. It was also because he had some suspicions about a certain thing after traveling with the Headmaster of the Academy over the years, and also because of his past.

Shanshan thought to herself that it was alright that Ning Que joked around with her since they were close, but how could he bring Mr. First, whose status was beyond reach, into the conversation, and even have him acknowledge her as a younger sister?

The suggestion was so ludicrous that Mr. First would of course not bother with it. However, it wouldn’t be interesting if he ignored it, how could they bore him? She felt even more troubled as she thought about it and glared at Ning Que viciously. However, her attempt at making her eyes bigger to look scary did not work due to her lazy eye. In fact, it made her look even more adorable.

Suddenly, Eldest Brother looked at her warmly and said,

“Sure.”

Silence fell in the carriage. Ning Que looked at Eldest Brother puzzledly. He did not understand how he had garnered such a response from his random joke. However, he would not assume that Eldest Brother was joking as well. Because… would Eldest Brother still be the Eldest Brother if he could joke around?

Shanshan was speechless with shock and at a loss for what to do. She lowered her head, and hid her face with her hair, trying to hide the myriad of emotions laid bare on her face and the blissful expression that did not dare to emerge. She stared at the toe of her shoes and did not dare to move.

Eldest Brother laughed at their reactions and added seriously, “It is my honor.”

Mo Shanshan finally understood that it was really happening. She lifted her head to look at Eldest Brother speechless from all the emotions welling up in her. She knew that it was a Lucky Chance to be able to acknowledge Mr. First of the Academy as her elder brother and that it would be very beneficial to her. A sudden fear struck her along with gratefulness as he looked at her with his warm gaze.

Eldest Brother looked at her and asked calmly, “What are your plans next?”

Mo Shanshan sat rigidly and wiped off the expressions on her face before answering solemnly, “I had wanted to meet my Senior and Younger Sisters at the Yan territory Military camp before heading back to the Great River Kingdom through the Capital Cheng and South Jin Kingdom.”

Eldest Brother grinned. “You have to pass through the South Jin Kingdom if you wish to return to the Great River Kingdom. But you do not have to pass through Capital Cheng. If you come through the Tang border and pass Chang’an you can travel a little more. What do you think?”

Mo Shanshan did not know why Mr. First had invited her to Chang’an. She looked at Ning Que surreptitiously. Nobody knew what she was thinking about, but her face flushed prettily after that.

“Are we going to his Chang’an?” She lowered her head as she thought about it. However, what she said was completely different. Her voice was softer than the mosquitos in the winter Wilderness. “I’m just afraid that it’d delay Mr. First’s travels.”