The One Who Enters the World

The Eldest Senior Brother didn't understand the meaning of the word "hudong", but Ning Que had been so hoodwinked by him that he felt a mix of grief and bitterness. A surge of malice rose in him, and he wished he could steal the staff from the Second Senior Brother's head and knock him out to vent his anger.

He thought to himself, *You and Fu Zi travel and enjoy the scenery every day, while the others in the Back Hill play the zither, blow the flute, admire flowers, and play chess, living such happy lives. Yet you throw me, the youngest disciple, out to suffer in the wind and rain. What kind of logic is this? Looking back, the Academy changed my practical cultivation to the wasteland, where I took every step with trepidation, entered the Devil's Doctrine gate, and inherited the legacy of the Youngest Senior Uncle...*

Ning Que cried out in grief and indignation, "This is a trap!"

The Eldest Senior Brother smiled and said, "Where did this saying come from?"

Ning Que said angrily, "Why couldn't the other senior brothers and sisters do it? Why must I be the one to enter the world?"

The Eldest Senior Brother sighed and said sincerely, "You know Beigong and the others. They spend their days lingering among the mountains and forests, obsessed with music, chess, calligraphy, painting, blacksmithing, and talismans, completely ignorant of worldly affairs, like innocent children. Letting them enter the world is truly unsuitable, unless you want to see them beaten black and blue within two days, crying all the way back."

"What about Second Senior Brother? He is so strong."

"Jun Mo? He seems to strictly adhere to ancient etiquette and keep himself upright, but his gentlemanly aura is too heavy. He doesn't understand worldly socializing and is easily backed into a corner. His personality is actually a bit..."

The Eldest Senior Brother paused slightly, then smiled wryly. "A bit stubborn. Plus, he worships the Youngest Senior Uncle too much. If we let him enter the world, he might cause a bloodbath in Chang'an City."

Ning Que asked again, "What about Chen Pipi? He is the youngest Knowing Destiny cultivator. Parading him around the streets once would instantly suppress anyone who dares challenge the Academy. He wouldn't even need to fight. He is much more suitable than me."

"The Twelfth Junior Brother's background is a bit special, so it's not convenient for him to represent the Academy." The Eldest Senior Brother looked at Ning Que. "Junior Brother, you are different. The worldly aura on you is the thickest. You probably can't stay peacefully in the mountains like us anyway, so you are the most suitable to enter the world. This is also the opportunity I told you about in the wasteland."

"Don't give me that useless talk."

Ning Que said in great anger, "Senior Brother, you've said so much, but I've already caught the main point. You're basically saying that in my life, I've seen too much life and death, have rich combat experience, and my heart has been soaked in dirty water for years. I'm not innocent like the other senior brothers and sisters; instead, I'm extremely insidious. I'm not stubborn like Second Senior Brother; I'm as slippery as an eel, knowing when to yield and being thick-skinned enough. Most importantly, I don't have a special background or a good backer like Chen Pipi."

"Although that is indeed the truth, I didn't actually think of it that way. Besides, this matter really isn't as troublesome as you think," the Eldest Senior Brother said honestly, though his honesty dealt a second blow to Ning Que.

"The Youngest Senior Uncle also walked this path. Back then, he rode his little black donkey into Chang'an City, consecutively defeating thirty-seven cultivation experts in the world, causing such a storm. Did he ever fear anyone?"

Ning Que was not inspired by this conversation at all. Compared to the legendary Youngest Senior Uncle who destroyed the Devil's Doctrine with a single sword, he felt he wasn't even worth a single hair of his. Where would he get the confidence to stir up trouble?

He suddenly thought of a way and asked, "If the enemy is too strong, will the Academy help me?"

The Eldest Senior Brother said seriously, "If the opponent challenges you face-to-face, inviting you to a duel, the Academy cannot afford to lose face like that."

Ning Que said in shock, "If Sword Sage Liu Bai comes, do I have to fight him too?"

The Eldest Senior Brother comforted him, "He wouldn't want to lose face like that either... I think those who come to Chang'an to challenge you in the coming years will mostly be young people. However, the cultivation sects are full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Although your progress is fast, you entered the path late, and your realm is still low, so you must be cautious."

"Senior Brother, you know my realm is low, yet you still say that. What am I supposed to do?"

"Realms go from low to high. There is no need to rush."

"Why is it that in the wasteland, when they heard I was a disciple of the Academy's Second Floor, they were all terrified and didn't dare challenge me, but now that I've entered the world, they dare to?"

"Because that was the wasteland, not Chang'an. In the wasteland, you could refuse their challenges, and their challenges could even be seen as a provocation to the Academy. But in Chang'an, you must accept, because this kind of challenge is no longer a provocation to the Academy, but an opportunity for cultivators to show their courage and glory."

"Why?"

"Because you are a Tang, and you are a student of the Academy."

Ning Que found it hard to adapt to this unspoken rule, which lacked logic but carried a touch of grandeur. After racking his brains, he asked in confusion, "I even defeated Long Qing. Is there still someone who doesn't know life from death coming to challenge me?"

The Eldest Senior Brother said, "But no one believes you defeated Long Qing with your own strength. Besides, in Ye Hongyu's evaluation after returning to Xiling, her assessment of your true strength wasn't very high."

Ning Que stared blankly. "This Ye Hongyu, we're somewhat acquaintances. Why must she be so honest?"

Then he began to calculate. If powerful cultivators like the Dao Addict came to Chang'an to challenge him, how should he handle it, or rather, how should he concede while still looking cool?

Just then, the Eldest Senior Brother warned with a grave face, "In any case, you cannot lose, because Master cannot afford to lose face like that either."

Three consecutive "cannot afford to lose face" completely stripped Ning Que of any respect for his Eldest Senior Brother. He said huffily, "Senior Brother, you seem to have forgotten the most important thing. The issue I discussed with you by the woodpile earlier still hasn't been resolved. What if others discover I've entered the Devil's Doctrine? Will the Academy admit to harboring a remnant of the Devil's Doctrine?"

"That is indeed a problem. Although being accused of harboring a remnant of the Devil's Doctrine isn't a massive deal to us, it is still rather troublesome. We must find a way to cover it up."

The Eldest Senior Brother pondered for a moment, then said, "Then just don't use the Youngest Senior Uncle's Haoran Qi."

Ning Que had thought he would come up with some brilliant plan, but received such an answer. He couldn't help but recall the scene outside the Devil's Doctrine mountain gate when the Eldest Senior Brother apologized for being late, bitterly thinking that his Senior Brother was indeed irresponsible.

...

After ending his conversation with the Eldest Senior Brother, Ning Que sought out the Second Senior Brother to complain, hoping to find some sympathy or martial support. To his surprise, the Second Senior Brother not only didn't sympathize, but solemnly expressed that this was a rare cultivation opportunity. He even lamented that if he hadn't already made a name for himself under heaven, such that no one dared challenge him and no enemy was worthy of his action, he would have gladly entered the world in Ning Que's stead.

Hearing the Second Senior Brother's words, Ning Que finally understood that entering the world wasn't the Academy throwing him out as a watchdog to keep their peace, but was also a form of cultivation. However, since his best skills in life were hunting in deep forests and cutting off heads in the dark, he felt some resistance toward this kind of cultivation.

No matter how much he resisted, he eventually had to accept his fate. Thus, he began to seriously consider how to face the challenges he might encounter at any time in the coming years. According to his past character, casually conceding might result in Fu Zi grinding his bones to ash, so that was out. According to his past character, sneaking out at night to cut off a strong enemy's head would result in Second Senior Brother beating him into mush, so that was also out. He realized he truly needed help.

Sangsang was naturally the most suitable candidate, but he thought fighting those powerful cultivators might be dangerous, and he didn't want to drag her in. He thought if Chao Xiaoshu of Spring Breeze Pavilion were still in Chang'an, there would be nothing to fear. With their combined strength and combat chemistry, let alone the Dao Addict, even if a Great Divine Officer of the Xiling Divine Temple came, they might have a chance to make a name for themselves.

Pity Chao Xiaoshu wasn't here.

Fortunately, at least during these days, Mo Shanshan was in Chang'an. As Ning Que was supposed to play the host, in the following days, every day after leaving Lao Bu Zhai, he would go to the residence of the Mochi Garden disciples, taking Mo Shanshan to sightsee everywhere, sometimes bringing Tianmiaonü along for a feast at some famous restaurant.

Thinking they had developed a good chemistry in the wasteland, Ning Que didn't explain too much to the Calligraphy Addict. However, not explaining often led to issues. In the eyes of those Great River State girls, the Academy's Thirteenth Mr. showing up on time every day clearly had special feelings for their Valley Master.

Chang'an City was sometimes gloomy with snow, sometimes bright with winter sun. Ning Que and Mo Shanshan strolled side by side, sometimes sharing an umbrella, sometimes watching a fish together by the moat. When passing Spring Breeze Pavilion, he told the story of that rainy night's slaughter; when climbing Wanyan Tower, he mentioned the many stone statues behind it; sometimes they discussed calligraphy and talismans, and time passed slowly and peacefully.

After some time, Ning Que didn't encounter any burly men blocking his path, nor did any Daoist swords fly at his face. The so-called challenges of entering the world were nowhere to be seen. He thought to himself, *This is how it should be. The Academy has such a grand reputation; what cultivator would be so free as to challenge me?*

No longer worrying about this, and having vaguely understood the Academy's attitude toward his entering the Devil's Doctrine from the Eldest Senior Brother that day, with a beautiful female talisman master by his side, his mood couldn't help but improve. He felt the title of the Academy's representative in the world had some grandeur. According to the Eldest Senior Brother, the Academy was responsible for helping the Great Tang transition orderly. Didn't that mean in a few years, he could even have a say in who became the Emperor of the Great Tang? Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel smug.

On a day when the winter snow was gradually melting, Ning Que held his large black umbrella, waiting outside the Ministry of Rites. He had agreed to take Mo Shanshan to see the calligraphy of past sages at the Forest of Stone Steles today. However, not long after Mo Shanshan walked out of the Ministry of Rites, a young monk wearing a thin robe also walked up to them, extremely politely clasping his hands and asking, "May I ask if this is the Thirteenth Mr. of the Academy?"