Nightfall Chapter 22

It was already very dark outside when Ning Que walked out of the wagon. Lu Qing Chen lifted up the curtain, looking at the youngster’s shadow, listening to the frontier ditty fainting coming from the field and smiled.

As a Xiu Xingist who just entered the Seethrough Stage, he was practically a beginner. Having entered the Seethrough Stage is enough for him to be extremely respected by any country at any city. He didn’t have to communicate with people and be humble. Psychic Master needed more time to meditate than others so to Lu Qing Chen time was money.

However, he would still like to spend an extra night or a few to chat with Ning Que, talking about seemingly pointless things. This is because he really liked Ning Que. He liked the youngster’s calmness and self-esteem hidden under his immature appearance and his bold and generous characteristic that was revealed occasionally. Boldness, generosity, self-esteem, and calmness are Tang people’s most admirable personalities and old man Lu Qing Chen is an indigenous Tang civilian.

Tonight the things he told Ning Que were the entry lesson to the North Gate of the Great Sky Way. Even though they were not considered top secrets, they were still not open to commoners but he still revealed it because he believed in one thing:

“I will always believe that you will be a great Xiu Xingist in the future.”

Although he knew that Ning Que’s acupoints of Qi were inaccessible and that there is no way for him to Xiu Xing, the old man still had no doubt. He just believed that the youngster can get on the path that he was currently walking himself and he wished for this youngster to walk far and stable.

The old man looked at the view of Ning Que’s back “It took me almost my whole life before I start to carelessly follow my instincts, maybe …. maybe this is Heaven’s enlightenment to me.”

…….

Back to the Shabby tribe, Sang Sang had already returned. Ning Que asked Sang Sang the reason that the princess had invited her to the carriage. Unsurprised he received an unclear answer. He was used to the maid’s laziness for remembering events. Ning Que teased her jokingly and then the two drank a few cups before they fell asleep.

The next day, the carriages continued to advance toward Chang An under the protection of the heavy riders but the days that passed weren’t as boring for the young master and the maid as it was before.

Before dusk, the elder would invite Ning Que to talk in the carriage. The princess would also often invite Sang Sang to her carriage to chat. Luckily Peng Guo Tao sent a guard to drive the carriage or Ning Que would have to autopilot the horses of the carriages.

During the conversations in the cart, Ning Que learned more about xiuxing. For an example, he learned ways that xiuxingist used their mind power to control the ki of nature and how xiuxingists were able to use certain items to reinforce the connection between their body and the world. He also learned how swordmasters were able to use their spiritual power to compress the qi into a shapeless string and control the sharp handleless flying sword.

There were no specific requirements for the items that can help reinforce the connection between the xiuxingist and the nature. Xiuxingists of the Great Sky Way often use wooden swords, Buddhism normally use prayer beads and wooden fish. Talisman and flying swords were common equipments of xiuxingist. Sometimes the great xiuxingists would use strange items such as staffs or brush pens.

*Wooden fish = not litterally wooden fish. It is those wooden instruments that monks use to hit with a small stick. Chinese temple block is the name that can also be referred to. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wooden_fish for more details.*

“The people, who use mental power to put Qi into talisman, are the charmists.”

Old man Lu Qing Chen held a cup of tea and spoke slowly as he leaned on the window.

“Wait, wait, wait, are you kidding me? Then what if I put Qi of nature in a toilet? What do I call that? Toilet master?”

As they chatted, the elder and the youngster naturally got familiar with each other. As a result, Ning Que gradually revealed his lazy and impolite side. He was biting a brush pen with one side dipped in ink, waving his right arm, to show his strong doubt.

The old man put down the cup, staring widely at the youngster and criticized, “It’s the convention. Don’t you understand what convention is? We used these names for tens of thousands years, what’s the problem? Convention means easy to remember. Stop caring about those literal stuffs!”

“Fine.” Ning Que could not argue against the tens of thousands of years of convention. He continued to take notes on the shaking wagon.

“Now let’s talk about Xiu Xingists’ fighting methods. What Sword Master specialize in is sword techniques. Charmist specializes in talisman technique, and what I, a Psychic Master, specializes in is psychic technique. However, it’s really hard to categorize the fighting methods of the Xiu Xingists who entered the Fate Seeker stage. I had heard that some of them practice divine spells…. I don’t know much about the more specific info.”

(TL Note: The names of the techniques may sound clichéd or like so unconventional… but the author wanted to have the names of the ways of fighting to sound stupid)

“These names…..sound childish.” Ning Que’s facial expression became somewhat rigid, biting the tail of the brush pen, looking at the old man “Feel like they all, in general, can be called sorcerers, and what they use are simply sorceries.”

Old man’s white eyebrow suddenly frowned tightly and looked at him sternly “The problem is, how would you define the word sorcery?”

Ning Que, who lost his argument again, shrugged his shoulder to show innocence.

“Besides the above Xiu Xingists, the most common Xiu Xingists in the world are Fight Masters. They are not that good in sensing the Qi of nature but they are still good in fighting. When Fight Masters fight, they can juxtapose Qi throughout their body like wearing a layer of heavy armor. When they practice Xiu Xing, they will use Qi to stimulate their own body and blood, in order to build up an iron body.”

“Is the giant guy at the way of North Mountain a Fight Master?”

“Correct but that guy’s stage was not very high. The four Great Generals in our Tang Empire all are top level Fight Masters. Arrows may stab through their armors but they can’t break through the guarding Qi around their body. Even if the arrows were really sharp that they could break the guarding Qi, the arrows will not be able to deal any damage to their iron body. To such elites, no matter how good your archery skills are, it’s no use.”

Hearing these words, Ning Que’s brain automatically thought up of the two words Xia Hou. He looked down to take notes with a calm expression but in his heart, he was constantly thinking about methods to fight against such elites.

“Yet if you choose to combat these elites in close range fighting, then you are committing suicide. You may have lots of strength but comparing to them it’s like a mouse trying to beat a lion. Even if you use your full power, you can’t even push them back. Yet they only have to move their fingers and they can easily twist off your neck.”

“What if I put Qi on the arrows…will they damage the Fight Masters?”Ning Que suddenly lifted his head and asked seriously.

The old man pondered for a while then slowly shook his head “Xiu Xingists will rarely attempt to put Qi on the arrows because arrows are different from swords. In order to keep the speed, they have to be really light. Therefore, they can be influenced by environment easily. And you can’t really carve talisman on it either because Qi attached on the arrows dissipates too fast…Of course, if anyone can solve the Qi dissipating problem, then arrows obviously can be an extremely terrifying long ranged attacking method.”

Ning Que looked as if he was absorbed in thought.