Chapter 2: The impoverished youth who is both eloquent in writing and speech
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This book, purchased during childhood while accompanying the grain transport team to Kaiping for the market, is, as that noblewoman's maid said, a common item found everywhere. He is well aware of this fact, yet he still never forgets to recite and study it, as if this book were the legendary seven volumes of the heavenly scriptures enshrined in the unknown realm of the Supreme Heaven.
Ning Que fell silent for a long time, then quietly said: "General, that noble person probably does not like me very much"
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That soldier merely possesses a superficial skill in writing. Initially, upon a casual glance, it was striking due to its novelty, but upon further reflection, it is nothing more than a collection of peculiar techniques and abrupt strokes. How can one speak of a proper path? In the future, he will likely end up as a calligrapher outside the capital's incense shop.
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The pages of the book have long been dog-eared and worn, appearing quite tattered. If it were not for the fact that Sang Sang had tightly stitched the spine with cotton thread, it is likely that a casual flip would turn it into a few bundles of paper money, carried away by the wind to honor the impoverished sages of the past. Unfortunately, after so many years, the pages have become tattered, and the phrases inscribed upon them have long been ingrained in his mind, yet he still cannot find the way in. Not to mention the initial stages of cultivation, he is unable to even achieve the simplest resonance described in the book.
"Does the noble not like you?" Master Xiang reprimanded sternly, "It seems you have forgotten your identity. You must remember that you are not yet a student of the academy. As a soldier of the Empire, you must obey superior military orders and follow my commands! Whether the noble likes you or not is not something you should be concerned about! As for whether you like that noble, it is of no concern to anyone! You only need to accept orders and then carry them out!"
Mashi Xiangna, feeling helpless towards the young man, sighed and said: "What exactly do you want? Why are you unwilling to return to the capital with them?"
Ning Que replied earnestly: "As long as you, General, need it, I can give up this face at any time"
The noble person responds with indifference
Mashi Xiang responded with increasing humility: "Among the three hundred subordinates of Weicheng, Ning Que is certainly not the one who has killed the most enemies. However, I dare to guarantee with my life that no matter how brutal the battlefield is, in the end, among those who survive... there will definitely be this young man."
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Are you dissatisfied with that guide? he asked in confusion: Why?
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"Weicheng is so poor, the barbarians on the grasslands have long been frightened by His Majesty the Emperor, and they haven't dared to come over for many years. Therefore, military achievements cannot accumulate too quickly. It is certainly good to be able to return to the capital; I have no feelings of discontent whatsoever."
The maid had likely never encountered such a brazen and shameless person in her life. As her fist slowly clenched in her sleeve and her expression turned icy, she was about to erupt when her gaze fell upon the patch of mud beside the bamboo lounge chair, resting on the characters drawn by the branches. Her thoughts stirred slightly, and a strange color flickered in her eyes, causing her to completely forget what she had intended to say.
Even if that person never comes to understand, just by virtue of that handwriting, he can make the esteemed individuals in the academy and the Daoist temple regard him with new eyes; at the very least, he can impress those scholars and calligraphers.
If she were truly your maid, that would be one thing, but are you not the one who picked her up from a pile of corpses? Was it not said that the two of you rely on each other for survival? Even if we were to take a step back and say she is your maid, do you not think she is still too young to bear such heavy and arduous labor? Why does this young boy have such a lazy disposition, and why can he not do some work himself?
Once he had experienced disappointment and even despair, but later he came to understand that the vast majority of normal people in this world are unable to perceive the essence of heaven and earth. His mood then became much calmer—indeed, those legendary recluses are not normal individuals; they are outliers, for only extremely rare individuals can grasp the breath of heaven and earth. Otherwise, with so many texts on the Supreme Response circulating in the world, why have we not heard of flying swords darting about in the night sky of the capital, Chang'an, or of recluses floating here and there?
The convoy was attacked, the grassland faced a spring drought, the Chanyu has died, and the maid's face is dark; these seemingly unrelated words, when fragmented and combined by him, became his reason for silently and stubbornly opposing leaving Weicheng.
The old man smiled but did not say anything further. Although he was a practitioner and earned great respect along the way, the disparity in status and identity between the two parties was too significant. The so-called respect was merely a form of pity for the elderly and appreciation for talent. Given this, it was better not to say certain things.
In the dimly lit military camp, Ning Que respectfully saluted the general in front of him and earnestly explained: "There is still some time before the enrollment date for the academy, so I thought it unnecessary to leave so early. Although I cannot say I have made remarkable progress under your command over the years, I have certainly been taught by you to become a more refined person; otherwise, I would not have been fortunate enough to gain admission to the academy. I truly wish to stay in Weicheng for a few more days, by your side, to listen to your teachings... Even if it is just to sit for a while and chat idly, it would be good."
Ning Que furrowed his brow in confusion, following the other person's gaze to Sang Sang, who was standing by the window with a cloth in hand. He understood the sharpness in the other person's words and a dimple appeared on his left cheek as he smiled and said: "You seem to be older than me; otherwise... you can just consider me not a man, but a boy."
In the best barracks of Weicheng, an elderly man dressed in tattered robes was resting with his eyes closed, while Ma Shixiang was half-bent over, conversing with the nobleman inside the tent. Beneath his humble demeanor, there was an unmistakable expression of surprise.
Ma Shixiang coughed lightly twice and explained in a low voice: "To the best of my knowledge, although Ning Que is still young, he has beheaded quite a few barbarians on the grasslands over the past two years. If it is just to tie up a few chickens, I believe it should not be a big problem"
The old man spoke of another matter, his expression showing some confusion: "Previously, I went to see the characters he wrote in the mud. They were copied from the 'Taishang Ganying Pian' and the third section of the 'Tushu.' The strokes were concise yet extremely vivid. Clearly, he only used a tree branch, but the way it fell on the wet ground gave a sense of a blade cutting through the mud. This soldier named Ning Que has already entered the right path of calligraphy... I truly do not know how he practiced this, nor where he learned it from."
Ning Que raised his head and said with great seriousness: "I have seen their convoy outside. They have encountered attacks on the grasslands, and recently there has been a spring drought in that area. Moreover, last year the Chanyu of the Left Gold Tent died, and that nobleman's maid has somewhat dark skin, so... I do not dare to go with them"
It has only been a year since leaving the country, yet I never expected that such a sacred place as the academy would begin to recruit such ruffians.
Are you referring to the divine talisman
The Tang Dynasty established its nation through military prowess, placing the utmost importance on military achievements. Although the person behind the tent held a position of the highest nobility, once the honor most valued by the army was touched upon, Ma Shixiang did not hesitate to choose to retaliate, seemingly offering an explanation but with an undertone of sarcasm and rebuttal.
Yet, it is quite normal for him to feel a sense of lack, or perhaps one could say it is very ordinary. However, when one suddenly discovers a wondrous treasure mountain before them, only to return empty-handed, or when one suddenly realizes that the world is filled with a marvelous essence akin to invisible white clouds, yet one cannot grasp a single cloud, it is inevitable that there will be some lingering dissatisfaction, is it not
Mashi Xiang looked at him and sighed, asking, "Did you guess it long ago?"
The tone remained cold and disdainful, yet the actual attitude had changed. That noble figure at least no longer opposed Ning Que serving as the guide for his team—just a single name was enough to sway a significant person’s opinion. The place simply called the Academy must surely be anything but simple
Ning Que did not respond, instead lowering his head to look at a stubborn blade of grass growing in the mud between his military boots, silently expressing his dissent
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Upon hearing the words "Academy," the nobleman suddenly fell silent behind the curtain and did not speak again
The voice of the noble within the tent was extremely dissatisfied, reprimanding: "What I want is a shrewd and capable guide, not a lazy youth whose mind is filled with dreams of cultivation and who is so weak that he can only carry a roast chicken."
Ning Que helplessly spread his hands, gazing towards the military camp under the night sky, and said: "Only that foolish princess, who grew up in the palace of Chang'an and married into the grasslands, living in luxury without even noticing when her own husband died, would be stupid enough to think that this has always been a colossal secret"
"Speak the truth." Masixiang's expression turned cold, and he asked seriously, "Why are you unwilling to be this guide?"
Mashi Xiang looked at the young man before him, his chin's beard slightly fluttering, whether from the night breeze or as a result of great anger. He said with irritation: "Ning Que, oh Ning Que, when did you become such a shameless fellow?"
Who in the entire Wei City has not guessed who they are now
The maid clearly did not expect the young man to respond so naturally and casually, leaving her momentarily speechless. She then turned to the little maid by the door who was sweeping the ashes, and said with displeasure: "How could there be such a man in our great Tang dynasty"
Perhaps it was triggered by unpleasant memories from childhood, or perhaps the imagination of certain beautiful emotions in my heart was thoroughly destroyed by some fellow. The maid directly pushed open the fence and walked in, her gaze falling on the bamboo lounge chair, on the old book that the young man had been reading intently. With a faint mockery, she said: "Did you think you were reading some great work of sages that could make you forget everything happening around you? I didn't expect it to be merely the 'Taishang Ganying Pian' that can be found everywhere in the market. Could it be that someone like you also aspires to step onto the path of cultivation?"
After Ma Shixiang left, the old man in the worn robe slowly opened his eyes. A rare glimmer of interest appeared in his aged and calm gaze. He looked at the curtain and said with a gentle smile: "In this remote small town, it is truly unexpected that there are soldiers who can gain admission to the academy. Given this, the young man must surely be an excellent choice in terms of both character and ability. Having him serve as a guide would not be a bad idea"
After a brief pause, the cold voice behind the curtain expressed its displeasure: "If one can kill, can one also be a good guide?"
The old man shook his head and said, "The freshness you mentioned is indeed the key. I do not understand calligraphy, but looking at where the military soldier's brush has fallen, I can faintly perceive the essence of gold and stone. Such a style in characters is extremely rare, and it somewhat resembles the techniques of those masters of talismans in the Daoist altar."
Ning Que set down the book in his hands, shook his head, and walked towards the door, his face still bearing a faint expression of disappointment and reluctance
Then he raised his head and smiled, saying: "Due to his accumulated military achievements, he received a letter of recommendation from the military department. This young man is indeed impressive; he passed the preliminary examination six months ago, and this time upon returning to the capital, he will report to the academy."
Ning Que sat up, curiously glancing at the elegantly dressed young lady who seemed to belong nowhere in Weicheng, then looked at the awkward expression of the captain. After a brief pause, he explained: "This is the only book I could buy, so I have to make do with it. It's just curiosity; there are no extravagant hopes."
The nobleman behind the counter was taken aback for a moment, then immediately mocked, "In this world of billions, there are only a handful of true masters of the Dao. Those great individuals either hide within the palace or sit quietly in the temple, spending their entire lives in deep meditation and arduous cultivation to condense the essence of heaven and earth into their golden hooks and silver strokes. That young man shows no signs of any aura; he is merely an ordinary mortal. Even if he were to study the 'Taishang Ganying Pian' for another fifty years, he would likely not even step into the initial realm. How could he dare to be mentioned in the same breath as those great masters?"
Certainly, he did not agree with the words of the nobleman behind the accounts regarding the soldier named Ning Que. The elder had his own judgment: in the mundane world, all are mortals, and those who can perceive the breath of heaven and earth and thus step into the initial realm can truly be said to be one in ten thousand. The initial perception is the most difficult barrier, far from an easy task. However, if Ning Que could truly enter the academy for study, and by chance one day ascended to the legendary second floor due to fate, embarking on the path of cultivation, his peculiar and powerful calligraphy would undoubtedly be of great benefit to him. Those who can perceive the breath of heaven and earth and thus step into the initial realm can truly be said to be one in ten thousand. The initial perception is the most difficult barrier, far from an easy task. However, if Ning Que could truly enter the academy for study, and by chance one day ascended to the legendary second floor due to fate, embarking on the path of cultivation, his peculiar and powerful calligraphy would undoubtedly be of great benefit to him