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Chapter 907 - Those No One Could Understand
Chapter 907: Those No One Could Understand
Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
Although the Great River Kingdom was far from the Tang Empire, the two countries had kept friendly diplomatic relations for generations. People in the Great River Kingdom admired Tang culture. They had sent numerous delegations and students to Chang’an throughout the decades. Its political system, architecture, culture and even lifestyle were greatly influenced by the Tang Empire.
Jingdu was the capital of the Great River Kingdom. The city was surrounded by snow mountains. Most houses in the city had black eaves. Flowers bloomed in people’s gardens as well as along the rivers. The imperial city set off among the blossoms. It was picturesque.
People living there were very good-looking. They had peaceful and tender smiles and looked persistent and devoted. They wore light colored robes with flowery waistbands. Most of them bore long swords in black sheaths by their waists.
Entering Jingdu, Ning Que found the people and sceneries familiar yet strange, but mainly familiar. He felt more excited upon seeing a Chenjinji Cosmetic Store next to Chongwen Gate.
He turned to Sangsang and asked, “Wanna take a look inside?”
Sangsang darted a look at the plaque of Chenjinji and replied, “My skin being fair like this, do I even need cosmetics?”
Ning Que said, “There’s no harm in taking a look. Maybe you can buy some rouge.”
Sangsang thought for a while then went into Chenjinji.
Ning Que and the big black horse looked at each other cheerfully.
This branch of Chenjinji in Jingdu was the biggest branch throughout the world outside of Chang’an, which showed how passionate the girls here were about products from the Tang Empire. It should have been very busy and showcased a great variety of cosmetics. Yet today there were only few visitors.
Ning Que and Sangsang entered the store only to find their shelves surprisingly empty. Sangsang squinted her arched eyes which meant she was about to get angry.
If Haotian were to get angry here, then Jingdu would probably be flooded in no time and the blossoms would be all washed away. Ning Que tried to comfort her and asked the store keeper for a reason. It turned out that all of their seasonal products had been sold to the imperial palace a few days ago. The next shipment would arrive in a month from Chang’an.
“Why do they need so many cosmetics in the imperial palace? How many maids are there?” Ning Que recalled a sentence from some poem and recited, “Grease floats on top of the Wei River. It was the perfumes and cosmetics abandoned by the maids from the imperial palace.”
Sangsang recited suddenly, “The other maids became pale.”
She learned that from Ning Que when she was a kid.
Ning Que was very worried. If you were to break into the imperial palace, then of course they will become pale. He said helplessly, “Nonsense. They were not even by the same poet.”
Many other girls were as disappointed as Sangsang by the empty store. Two girls from the Great River Kingdom worried about their makeup for the Spring Offering and complained, “What was our emperor thinking about? Just because of his wedding we can’t find any cosmetics throughout the city.”
Her companion wondered. “Does he really dare to marry her?”
The girl answered, “Who else would be eligible to marry her other than our emperor?”
Her companion seemed worried. “Everyone knows that she likes the Mr. Thirteen from the Academy. Even if she was willing to marry the emperor, does he dare to marry her? Aren’t they afraid of offending the Tang people?”
Ning Que and Sangsang were about to leave but stopped upon hearing these words.
He did not turn around to ask, but just stood there to listen. That was when he figured out that a grand wedding was about to take place in Jingdu — Mo Shanshan would become the empress.
Ning Que looked at the blossoms across the street, paused for a while, then left the store. He grasped the rein on the neck of the big black horse and walked toward the outside of Jingdu.
Outside the City of Jingdu, flowers were also blooming. A creek ran through the woods and some high poplars stood on the other side of the creek. Ning Que let the big black horse run loose and sat down against a poplar.
He seemed calm. Sangsang knew that he had always been indifferent but still found it unexpected because she thought that the marrying woman meant a lot to him.
She came to the tree by the creek, held her hands behind her back and watched the reflections of clouds floating in the water. She asked, “Why are you not angry?”
Previously in the Chenjinji Cosmetic Store, even the two girls from the Great River Kingdom were worried that the marriage of their emperor and Mo shanshan would probably offend the Tang people. How could Ning Que be so calm?
Ning Que replied, “I was a bit irritated upon hearing that. However, after walking through the blossoms and trees I realized that I have no reason to be angry. The blossoms and trees have always been there. None of them belong to me.”
Sangsang turned to him and said, “You humans are indeed hypocritical.”
Ning Que stared at the ordinary looking Sangsang and felt agitated. He asked, “You knew this. That was why you dragged me here?”
She was the almighty Haotian. Of course she knew it. However, she did not know that the cosmetics were all sold out in Chenjinji.
Ning Que looked into her eyes and asked, “Did you do this?”
Sangsang replied calmly, “You think I would care about such trivia?”
Ning Que agreed with what she said and apologized. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have thought the worst of you.”
Sangsang said, “What you think does not matter to me at all.”
Ning Que stood up by the tree and walked to her. He stared into her eyes and asked again, “But you knew this and you wanted me to witness it. What is your plan?”
Sangsang said, “Throughout the cyclic existence, I looked down at the human world from the Divine Kingdom. I saw your happiness and sorrow, partings and reunions, as well as intriguing against each other. However, there are still things that I couldn’t understand.”
“Like what?” Ning Que asked.
“Such as love. The sentiment you treasure now and abandon later like some worn shoes.”
Sangsang kept her hands behind her back, looked over the woods, blossoms, creeks and city walls and watched the boys and girls inside the City of Jingdu. She asked indifferently, “You said you loved me. Then what is love?”
Ning Que replied after a while, “Some things are hard to be explained.”
Sangsang said, “It should be visible, so I came to take a look.”
Ning Que frowned slightly and asked, “What are you trying to see?”
Sangsang looked back at him and said, “I want to see what is love.”
Ning Que asked, “Does that have anything to do with their wedding here?”
Sangsang said, “Of course. I want to know whether or not you love her.”
Ning Que did not know how to answer, and asked, “What’s the point?”
Sangsang continued, “In books and records, people described love to be blind, persistent, and exclusive. If you do love me, then how could you love her at the same time?”
Ning Que was stunned and could only remain silent.
Sangsang’s curiosity was formed when they were in the foul fog in the abyss. It kept growing until now. She was eager to find answers to questions she could not understand.
She looked at him, as if she was looking at those young lovers walking hand in hand under blossoming trees inside the City of Jingdu. She asked seriously, “Can love be given to two people at the same time?”
Ning Que could only keep quiet.
Sangsang continued, “What are the criteria for love? You love me or her? Or do you love me more? If it is beyond words, then how could there be more or less? How could one love someone more than others?”
Ning Que could do nothing but keep quiet. Her question was too big for anyone.
“I can tell that you are not feeling calm. You are even angry. That’s what I don’t understand. I know you don’t want her to marry that man, but to me that is different from love. That is because you are not going to marry her regardless. As you are not marrying her, why can’t she marry someone else? Why would you feel disappointed and want to destroy her marriage?”
Sangsang was confused. “According to my understanding, your reaction comes from a male instinct of possession over females. It is a strong instinct to multiply. In that case, how is your love different from sexual intercourse?”
She seemed calm without any jealousy. As if she was one of the diligent students from the Academy, always seeking for an ultimate answer.
Ning Que was irritated by her calmness and asked helplessly, “What are you trying to say?”
“I’m saying that since there is no such thing as love, your love for me is hypocritical,” Sangsang said calmly. What she did not finish was: Or is my love for you is also hypocritical?
Ning Que asked, “What’s the point of such non-sense reasoning?”
He had asked what was the point previously. Sangsang laughed at his reply. After leaving Peach Mountain, she laughed more frequently.
“Maybe nothing at all, but very interesting.”
Ning Que looked at her and said, “I think you are more like a student of the Academy than I am.”
“Strangely, I do not resent that claim.” Sangsang wondered. “Is it because I lived in the Academy for some time?”
Ning Que looked toward the greenish Mogan Mountain and said nothing more.
…
…
Mogan Mountain was situated not far from Jingdu. Halfway up the mountain, there was a tranquil lake. It was said that the Sage of Calligraphy used to wash his brush pen by the lake when he was young and the lake water became black in a few years time. Therefore the lake was also called Brush Washing Fountain, or more famously, the Ink Fountain.
Nevertheless, it was just a legend. The water in the lake was still clear and the Black Ink Garden was established many years before the Sage of Calligraphy was born. Hoever, that did not harm the influence of the Black Ink Garden to the Great River Kingdom or in the world of cultivation.
It was exceptionally lively in the cottage of Black Ink Garden today. Lanterns and streamers were decorated everywhere. Before the evening lights were lit, the streamers and brush pens were already hanging along the corridor, which announced the approaching of the wedding.
Newly grown green lotus floated on the Ink Fountain, swinging their freshness. The Cat Girl sat by the lake and frowned to the green lotus, feeling very wronged.
Zhuo Zhihua came to her Youngest Sister and asked with concerns, “What are you thinking about?”
The Cat Girl saw her Senior Sister and leaned on her. She uttered a question after a long pause, “Senior Sister, what do you think love is?”
Zhuo Zhihua smiled and mocked her. “You just got engaged. Now you are thinking far ahead?”
The Cat Girl frowned and asked sadly, “Don’t people get engaged because of love?”
Zhuo Zhihua asked instead, “What are you trying to say?”
The Cat Girl stared at the green lotus and the streamers around the cottage, and sighed vulnerably. “I just don’t understand why our master would marry the emperor while she is obviously in love with Ning Que.”
…
Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
Although the Great River Kingdom was far from the Tang Empire, the two countries had kept friendly diplomatic relations for generations. People in the Great River Kingdom admired Tang culture. They had sent numerous delegations and students to Chang’an throughout the decades. Its political system, architecture, culture and even lifestyle were greatly influenced by the Tang Empire.
Jingdu was the capital of the Great River Kingdom. The city was surrounded by snow mountains. Most houses in the city had black eaves. Flowers bloomed in people’s gardens as well as along the rivers. The imperial city set off among the blossoms. It was picturesque.
People living there were very good-looking. They had peaceful and tender smiles and looked persistent and devoted. They wore light colored robes with flowery waistbands. Most of them bore long swords in black sheaths by their waists.
Entering Jingdu, Ning Que found the people and sceneries familiar yet strange, but mainly familiar. He felt more excited upon seeing a Chenjinji Cosmetic Store next to Chongwen Gate.
He turned to Sangsang and asked, “Wanna take a look inside?”
Sangsang darted a look at the plaque of Chenjinji and replied, “My skin being fair like this, do I even need cosmetics?”
Ning Que said, “There’s no harm in taking a look. Maybe you can buy some rouge.”
Sangsang thought for a while then went into Chenjinji.
Ning Que and the big black horse looked at each other cheerfully.
This branch of Chenjinji in Jingdu was the biggest branch throughout the world outside of Chang’an, which showed how passionate the girls here were about products from the Tang Empire. It should have been very busy and showcased a great variety of cosmetics. Yet today there were only few visitors.
Ning Que and Sangsang entered the store only to find their shelves surprisingly empty. Sangsang squinted her arched eyes which meant she was about to get angry.
If Haotian were to get angry here, then Jingdu would probably be flooded in no time and the blossoms would be all washed away. Ning Que tried to comfort her and asked the store keeper for a reason. It turned out that all of their seasonal products had been sold to the imperial palace a few days ago. The next shipment would arrive in a month from Chang’an.
“Why do they need so many cosmetics in the imperial palace? How many maids are there?” Ning Que recalled a sentence from some poem and recited, “Grease floats on top of the Wei River. It was the perfumes and cosmetics abandoned by the maids from the imperial palace.”
Sangsang recited suddenly, “The other maids became pale.”
She learned that from Ning Que when she was a kid.
Ning Que was very worried. If you were to break into the imperial palace, then of course they will become pale. He said helplessly, “Nonsense. They were not even by the same poet.”
Many other girls were as disappointed as Sangsang by the empty store. Two girls from the Great River Kingdom worried about their makeup for the Spring Offering and complained, “What was our emperor thinking about? Just because of his wedding we can’t find any cosmetics throughout the city.”
Her companion wondered. “Does he really dare to marry her?”
The girl answered, “Who else would be eligible to marry her other than our emperor?”
Her companion seemed worried. “Everyone knows that she likes the Mr. Thirteen from the Academy. Even if she was willing to marry the emperor, does he dare to marry her? Aren’t they afraid of offending the Tang people?”
Ning Que and Sangsang were about to leave but stopped upon hearing these words.
He did not turn around to ask, but just stood there to listen. That was when he figured out that a grand wedding was about to take place in Jingdu — Mo Shanshan would become the empress.
Ning Que looked at the blossoms across the street, paused for a while, then left the store. He grasped the rein on the neck of the big black horse and walked toward the outside of Jingdu.
Outside the City of Jingdu, flowers were also blooming. A creek ran through the woods and some high poplars stood on the other side of the creek. Ning Que let the big black horse run loose and sat down against a poplar.
He seemed calm. Sangsang knew that he had always been indifferent but still found it unexpected because she thought that the marrying woman meant a lot to him.
She came to the tree by the creek, held her hands behind her back and watched the reflections of clouds floating in the water. She asked, “Why are you not angry?”
Previously in the Chenjinji Cosmetic Store, even the two girls from the Great River Kingdom were worried that the marriage of their emperor and Mo shanshan would probably offend the Tang people. How could Ning Que be so calm?
Ning Que replied, “I was a bit irritated upon hearing that. However, after walking through the blossoms and trees I realized that I have no reason to be angry. The blossoms and trees have always been there. None of them belong to me.”
Sangsang turned to him and said, “You humans are indeed hypocritical.”
Ning Que stared at the ordinary looking Sangsang and felt agitated. He asked, “You knew this. That was why you dragged me here?”
She was the almighty Haotian. Of course she knew it. However, she did not know that the cosmetics were all sold out in Chenjinji.
Ning Que looked into her eyes and asked, “Did you do this?”
Sangsang replied calmly, “You think I would care about such trivia?”
Ning Que agreed with what she said and apologized. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have thought the worst of you.”
Sangsang said, “What you think does not matter to me at all.”
Ning Que stood up by the tree and walked to her. He stared into her eyes and asked again, “But you knew this and you wanted me to witness it. What is your plan?”
Sangsang said, “Throughout the cyclic existence, I looked down at the human world from the Divine Kingdom. I saw your happiness and sorrow, partings and reunions, as well as intriguing against each other. However, there are still things that I couldn’t understand.”
“Like what?” Ning Que asked.
“Such as love. The sentiment you treasure now and abandon later like some worn shoes.”
Sangsang kept her hands behind her back, looked over the woods, blossoms, creeks and city walls and watched the boys and girls inside the City of Jingdu. She asked indifferently, “You said you loved me. Then what is love?”
Ning Que replied after a while, “Some things are hard to be explained.”
Sangsang said, “It should be visible, so I came to take a look.”
Ning Que frowned slightly and asked, “What are you trying to see?”
Sangsang looked back at him and said, “I want to see what is love.”
Ning Que asked, “Does that have anything to do with their wedding here?”
Sangsang said, “Of course. I want to know whether or not you love her.”
Ning Que did not know how to answer, and asked, “What’s the point?”
Sangsang continued, “In books and records, people described love to be blind, persistent, and exclusive. If you do love me, then how could you love her at the same time?”
Ning Que was stunned and could only remain silent.
Sangsang’s curiosity was formed when they were in the foul fog in the abyss. It kept growing until now. She was eager to find answers to questions she could not understand.
She looked at him, as if she was looking at those young lovers walking hand in hand under blossoming trees inside the City of Jingdu. She asked seriously, “Can love be given to two people at the same time?”
Ning Que could only keep quiet.
Sangsang continued, “What are the criteria for love? You love me or her? Or do you love me more? If it is beyond words, then how could there be more or less? How could one love someone more than others?”
Ning Que could do nothing but keep quiet. Her question was too big for anyone.
“I can tell that you are not feeling calm. You are even angry. That’s what I don’t understand. I know you don’t want her to marry that man, but to me that is different from love. That is because you are not going to marry her regardless. As you are not marrying her, why can’t she marry someone else? Why would you feel disappointed and want to destroy her marriage?”
Sangsang was confused. “According to my understanding, your reaction comes from a male instinct of possession over females. It is a strong instinct to multiply. In that case, how is your love different from sexual intercourse?”
She seemed calm without any jealousy. As if she was one of the diligent students from the Academy, always seeking for an ultimate answer.
Ning Que was irritated by her calmness and asked helplessly, “What are you trying to say?”
“I’m saying that since there is no such thing as love, your love for me is hypocritical,” Sangsang said calmly. What she did not finish was: Or is my love for you is also hypocritical?
Ning Que asked, “What’s the point of such non-sense reasoning?”
He had asked what was the point previously. Sangsang laughed at his reply. After leaving Peach Mountain, she laughed more frequently.
“Maybe nothing at all, but very interesting.”
Ning Que looked at her and said, “I think you are more like a student of the Academy than I am.”
“Strangely, I do not resent that claim.” Sangsang wondered. “Is it because I lived in the Academy for some time?”
Ning Que looked toward the greenish Mogan Mountain and said nothing more.
…
…
Mogan Mountain was situated not far from Jingdu. Halfway up the mountain, there was a tranquil lake. It was said that the Sage of Calligraphy used to wash his brush pen by the lake when he was young and the lake water became black in a few years time. Therefore the lake was also called Brush Washing Fountain, or more famously, the Ink Fountain.
Nevertheless, it was just a legend. The water in the lake was still clear and the Black Ink Garden was established many years before the Sage of Calligraphy was born. Hoever, that did not harm the influence of the Black Ink Garden to the Great River Kingdom or in the world of cultivation.
It was exceptionally lively in the cottage of Black Ink Garden today. Lanterns and streamers were decorated everywhere. Before the evening lights were lit, the streamers and brush pens were already hanging along the corridor, which announced the approaching of the wedding.
Newly grown green lotus floated on the Ink Fountain, swinging their freshness. The Cat Girl sat by the lake and frowned to the green lotus, feeling very wronged.
Zhuo Zhihua came to her Youngest Sister and asked with concerns, “What are you thinking about?”
The Cat Girl saw her Senior Sister and leaned on her. She uttered a question after a long pause, “Senior Sister, what do you think love is?”
Zhuo Zhihua smiled and mocked her. “You just got engaged. Now you are thinking far ahead?”
The Cat Girl frowned and asked sadly, “Don’t people get engaged because of love?”
Zhuo Zhihua asked instead, “What are you trying to say?”
The Cat Girl stared at the green lotus and the streamers around the cottage, and sighed vulnerably. “I just don’t understand why our master would marry the emperor while she is obviously in love with Ning Que.”
…
Nightfall
Updated to Chapter 1099 - Eyes Red
100Chapter 100
101Chapter 101
102Chapter 102
103Chapter 103
104Chapter 104
105Chapter 105
106Chapter 106
107Chapter 107
108Chapter 108
109Chapter 109
110Chapter 110
111Chapter 111
112Chapter 112
113Chapter 113
114Chapter 114
115Chapter 115
116Chapter 116
117Chapter 117
118Chapter 118
119Chapter 119
120Chapter 120
121Chapter 121
122Chapter 122
123Chapter 123
124Chapter 124
125Chapter 125
126Chapter 126
127Chapter 127
128Chapter 128
129Chapter 129
130Chapter 130
131Chapter 131
132Chapter 132
133Chapter 133
134Chapter 134
135Chapter 135
136Chapter 136
137Chapter 137
138Chapter 138
139Chapter 139
140Chapter 140
141Chapter 141
142Chapter 142
143Chapter 143
144Chapter 144
145Chapter 145
146Chapter 146
147Chapter 147
148Chapter 148
149Chapter 149
150Chapter 150
151Chapter 151
152Chapter 152
153Chapter 153
154Chapter 154
155Chapter 155
156Chapter 156
157Chapter 157
158Chapter 158
159Chapter 159
160Chapter 160
161Chapter 161
162Chapter 162
163Chapter 163
164Chapter 164
165Chapter 165
166Chapter 166
167Chapter 167
168Chapter 168
169Chapter 169
170Chapter 170
171Chapter 171
172Chapter 172
173Chapter 173
174Chapter 174
175Chapter 175
176Chapter 176
177Chapter 177
178Chapter 178
179Chapter 179
180Chapter 180
181Chapter 181
182Chapter 182
183Chapter 183
184Chapter 184
185Chapter 185
186Chapter 186
187Chapter 187
188Chapter 188
189Chapter 189
190Chapter 190
191Chapter 191
192Chapter 192
193Chapter 193
194Chapter 194
195Chapter 195
196Chapter 196
197Chapter 197
198Chapter 198
199Chapter 199
200Chapter 200
201Chapter 201
202Chapter 202
203Chapter 203
204Chapter 204
205Chapter 205
206Chapter 206
207Chapter 207
208Chapter 208
209Chapter 209
210Chapter 210
211Chapter 211
212Chapter 212
213Chapter 213
214Chapter 214
215Chapter 215
216Chapter 216
217Chapter 217
218Chapter 218
219Chapter 219
220Chapter 220
221Chapter 221
222Chapter 222
223Chapter 223
224Chapter 224
225Chapter 225
226Chapter 226
227Chapter 227
228Chapter 228
229Chapter 229
230Chapter 230
231Chapter 231
232Chapter 232
233Chapter 233
234Chapter 234
235Chapter 235
236Chapter 236
237Chapter 237
238Chapter 238
239Chapter 239
240Chapter 240
241Chapter 241
242Chapter 242
243Chapter 243
244Chapter 244
245Chapter 245
246Chapter 246
247Chapter 247
248Chapter 248
249Chapter 249
250Chapter 250
251Chapter 251
252Chapter 252
253Chapter 253
254Chapter 254
255Chapter 255
256Chapter 256
257Chapter 257
258Chapter 258
259Chapter 259
260Chapter 260
261Chapter 261
262Chapter 262
263Chapter 263
264Chapter 264
265Chapter 265
266Chapter 266
267Chapter 267
268Chapter 268
269Chapter 269
270Chapter 270
271Chapter 271
272Chapter 272
273Chapter 273
274Chapter 274
275Chapter 275
276Chapter 276
277Chapter 277
278Chapter 278
279Chapter 279
280Chapter 280
281Chapter 281
282Chapter 282
283Chapter 283
284Chapter 284
285Chapter 285
286Chapter 286
287Chapter 287
288Chapter 288
289Chapter 289
290Chapter 290
291Chapter 291
292Chapter 292
293Chapter 293
294Chapter 294
295Chapter 295
296Chapter 296
297Chapter 297
298Chapter 298
299Chapter 299
300Chapter 300
301Chapter 301
302Chapter 302
363Chapter 363
374Chapter 374
375Chapter 375
376Chapter 376
452Chapter 452
485Chapter 485
487Chapter 487
489Chapter 489
499Chapter 499
500Chapter 500
526Chapter 526
528Chapter 528
529Chapter 529
535Chapter 535
552Chapter 552
558Chapter 558
559Chapter 559
563Chapter 563
578Chapter 578
596Chapter 596
598Chapter 598
606Chapter 606
611Chapter 611
622Chapter 622
623Chapter 623
635Chapter 635
642Chapter 642
643Chapter 643
664Chapter 664
712Chapter 712
763Chapter 763
764Chapter 764
881Chapter 881
921Chapter 921
929Chapter 929
1035Chapter 1034.1
1085Chapter 1084
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