The First Lesson 

     Si Tu Yie Lan widen her eyes and stared at the lawn under the sunset like burning wildfire. She stared at the master and maid duo in the road between the lawn started to get further and further away. She couldn’t endure it, while putting her hands on her waist she mumbled, “This guy is interesting.” 

    Ning Que didn’t thought were there any meant in doing this stuff. Arguing with a bunch of kids other than wasting time, it is pointless. Right now he should focus more on the bigger picture. According to lesson arrangement from the academy, Students have a lot of free times. These extra times should be use to do some meaningful things, for example; kill some people and earn some money. 

     An oil paper was lying on the bed, Ning Que looks at the name on the oil paper before asked, “Ready?” 

    While Sang Sang was waxing the well grinded blade, she lowered her head and answered, “The old s.h.i.+rt and the new cloth cover are ready, but young master, what hair style do you want to prepare this time?”. Sang Sang looked puzzled, “Still Yue Lun (Luna/ Full Moon) nation style?” 

     Ning Que shook his head and said, “you can make the choice, this is just such small matter.” 

     Sang Sang looked up, she questioned. “When do you want to kill?” 

     “That guy lives at east of the city, is not far from here, any time can be done.” 

     Ning Que stared at Chen Tong Cheng’s name on the oil paper, a.n.a.lysed the basic info below and began to explain, “We don’t even need to know when to kill.” He paused,”By the time the officer investigate the case, they can’t easily predict our time pattern or extract info from it.” 

      “There is no law or pattern in these world, but once we kill a lot of people, naturally there will have a pattern.” 

       Sang Sang put back the s.h.i.+ning blade inside the sheath, she walked to the corner of the bed and looked at Ning Que’s face, her voice sounded serious. “This is what master told me when I was still young; no matter how hard you hide it, the officer will find out your killing reason from the deaths by you. 

       “General’s house was filled with death, the villages at Yan border were slaughtered.” Ning Que smiled and answered, “Even if the royal court finally found out the killer’s motive is because of the revenge of these two cases, how can they find me?” 

       “Maybe they can’t find master, but the royal court knows who is your next target, then they can specially protect the target, even set bait by using their names. At that time, even if master knows there are imperial guards around the target.. will you still go?” 

         Ning Que looking at the maid’s eyes quietly, he smiled and suddenly said, “You rarely thinks so much.” 

        “I am not stupid, just lazy to think.” Sang Sang mumbled with a silent voice. Even she herself doesn’t understand why today she was willing to consider things she usually thought too troublesome. While herself doesn’t quite understand, but Ning Que certainly understand it. His eye’s pupils turn gentle and warm, looking at her then smiled and said, “I promise, after I kill two or three more then I will rest a while, then I will conscientiously study in the academy.” 

         Sang Sang started to smile, her micro black face finally shown relaxation, she said, “Ya, Academy is such a great place, master can be acquaints with many  gifted  scholar with the same age, you should cherish it.” 

        Ning Que was not used to Sang Sang became offensive suddenly, he can’t bear it  and turn his eyes white, watching the roof,. His right hand that stretched inside the blanket was counting his finger. The so call same age, actually aren’t I be seven or eight years older than them (ba)? 

          The second day of the Academy’s official lesson. Ning Que and Sang Sang, this two was once again wake up in the early morning. After brus.h.i.+ng teeth and taking breakfast, Sang Sang stand at the store’s door giving goodbye to each other, Ning Que alone board the carriage. The two master and maid now already is worth 2 thousand 2 hundred rich family, although their lifestyle still frugal but they don’t mind extravagantly hire a permanent carriage. 

      When the day is dawning, the south gate of Chang An city open, ten few carriage branded with Academy logo come out, watching the number of carriages, most of the students don’t like come and back trip, they choose to stay in the Academy. 

         Follow the Liu Yin Road southbound rapidly, on the road there are flowers, fields and water shadow, he lifts the window, then watch the steep mountain and the meadow flower sea at the foot of the mountain, although it is second time to view this scene, Ning Que get emotionally again, such beautiful paradise actually appears in the world, appear in this bustling and noise Chang An outskirt. 

      A dozen of black carriages climbing on the green meadow field, just a moment we reach the Academy’s gate, students get off the carriage one after another, they shake hand, bow and talk, in front that common looking jade gate is surrounded by the students who took the same test, they greet to each other, the silent gate suddenly become lively. 

        All young students wear the Academy’s green left lapeled robe, males wear black towel scarf, and females use ebony bun as hair pin to tie up their hairs, matches with green lawn and the jade door, it seems refres.h.i.+ng, then match with the vigorous and vibrant teenager’s faces, the morning welcomes the east new students, a scent call youth scatter and spread around. 

        Ning Que sort out his left lapeled green uniform form up to down, then take up the small bronze mirror that Sang Sang put in the bag last night, checking his black towel scarf on his head, after he confirm there no mistake only then he gets off the carriage. 

        The admission exam yesterday, other than Xie Chen Yun three people (gang), counting him the big black horse that tame the big black horse is most obvious, the students chattering at the gate notice him, they do not evade him due to jealousy, instead welcome him enthusiastically, it is other conversation about each other, self-introducing kind of conversation. 

        The bell sounds quietly form the Academy, students stop chatter, the sun gaze from above, the morning wind blows the side of the green uniform, the scarf and hair bun vibrate viciously, but some students show a few sadness. 

          Ning Que at the most backward intentionally slow his footstep, rise his head in the sunny exposure, viewing this scene, his heart slightly moves, but not accelerate his speed, instead attentively look at the three simple stone pillar at the front door, and the floor on the stairs those unusual Academy’s structure. 

        Yesterday His Majesty arrive at Academy, require to show respect to the king and prepare for the exam, but he did not scrutinize seriously———The Academy give people such rich unusual impression, the half of the big mountain is hidden by the cloud which place at the back and give people such intense oppression, but why until this morning, he did not find anything special? 

           A few years ago, Ning Que do not know about the Academy, he only know how to differentiate the smell of monster’s pee, calculate the arrow’s projectile, until Ma general from Wei city register for him, he started to gather knowledge about Academy, like those glorious history, numerous virtuous and famous people. 

       Don’t know why, he insists that the Academy shouldn’t seem normal, shouldn’t be just an educational inst.i.tution for the Da Tang empire, it should be carrying a larger purpose——–To have such image, probably because of info heard from the trip. 

           “A random dropout student form Academy is big sword master, the elderly Lu Qing Chenand the princess said that the Academy is an extremally respected place, but why students here is similar from me, and doesn’t seem extraordinary?” 

           He touches his black scarf, and mumble to himself. 

          At this moment, he is already walking alone toward the front door, through the pillar, far away from the main building, towards a roadway which the sun ray has not spill here, not much far in front of the roadway is a lively room, he can faintly hear excited students discussing, but this roadway is very silent. 

         The silent roadway suddenly sounds a voice. 

        “There is no special place in the world, even the palace, Hao Tian G.o.d Temple, those unknowable places are the same, then what is particular about Academy?” 

        Hearing this voice, Ning Que do not change his expression, but the right hand in the sleeve is tighten strongly, prepare to take the big black umbrella at the back, he has a hard to survive environment since his childhood, this let him able to judge the threat of any sudden change. 

        A student appears instantly at the front of the roadway. 

        The scholar has a pair straight eye brow and big eyes, seem simple and amiable, wearing an old robe which seems to be too thick to wear in spring, wearing a broken gra.s.s shoes, weather the old robe or the broken shoes both are full with dust, it is like haven’t been wash for years, but the guy seem unusually clean. 

        From body to heart, extremely clean. 

      The scholar’s right hand holding a book, a wooden scoop tie at the waist. Ning Que watching in between the book and the scoop up and down twice, finally stop at the book, Ning Que’s right hand in the sleeve relax slowly. 

        This is Academy, no one in the world dare to do anything stupid here, even this scholar is full with dust, but give me a clean like a child impression, regardless who meet him, their conscious would like to trust him, seem like what he says or what he does is logic to be trust. 

        Ning Que’s muscle are loosening, oppositely his emotion is getting tension, because he found that himself believe in a scholar who appear suddenly, since youth he is been struggling in life and death situation, he decides never to trust anyone, this irresistible trust came from nothing, is very terrifying. 

         He can’t even have a hostility toward the scholar, what he fears more is, he has a very clean feeling, even he takes his big black umbrella from his back, he can’t even make a threat to the scholar. 

        The scholar with the cotton robe smile gently, looking at the top of the cloth bag located at Ning Que’s back, seem like he can guess what is in it, he claps gently at his wooden scoop and ask: “You have a great umbrella, want to exchange?” 

          How this guy knows the cloth bag at my back contain an umbrella, or a big black umbrella? Ning Que feel his tongue dry up, he can’t even say a word, after a long silent, he firmly shakes his head. 

           The scholar feels a little sad and sigh, holding his book and walk pa.s.s him, he didn’t even like back on Ning Que, he walks out through remote side door. 

            At the outside of the side door, a lonely cow carriage stopped there. 

           The scholar walks to the car front, he salutes to the coachman very earnestly, then he sit on the shaft and the whip. 

           In the wagon, there is an unusual old man sound with an intense liquor scent flow out: “He don’t want to exchange?” 

         The scholar smile and shake his head, then he waves his whip, the cow carriage start to move slowly. 

          Apocalypse thirteen years spring, the master brings his eldest apprentice start a world trip again. 

         Wonder how many liquor he going to drink on the trip this time. 

          Cut how many plum flowers on how many mountains.