Nightfall Chapter 20

After hearing this, Ning Que remained silent for a really long time before he looked up to the old man. He raised up his right hand and pointed his index finger to his temple, like using a arrow to commit suicide, queried seriously, “Psychic Power, or spirit, isn’t it formed in the brain?”

The old man Lu Qing Chen looked at him kindly and answered slowly, “Such saying is not really incorrect. However, even though Psychic Power formed from the brain, how does it connect and interact with the Qi of nature outside of the body?”

“The so called Xiu Xing, is to keep mental power in the Mountain of Qi in the front chest, and the Sea of Qi in the back waist. The Mountain and Sea of Qi are surrounded by seventeen acupoints of Qi, like the holes in the Zhong Li Mountain that allow the movement of wind and flow of water, that corresponds to the Sea and the Mountain of Qi, thereby allowing you to communicate with the nature.”

“The inner organs and acupoints of Qi within people’s body are inborn. No matter how you Xiu Xing, you can’t change it. Therefore there is a saying that, the so called Xiu Xing … is simply taking back the present gifted from the Heaven.”

“I observed your seventeen acupoints of Qi surrounding the Mountain and Sea of Qi, eleven of them are inaccessible. So no matter which stage your Psychic Power is, you can’t interact with the nature.”

“However, you don’t have to feel disappointed. There are billions of people, it’s already really rare for one to have even thirteen accessible acupoints of Qi. So your body is just as common as others….”

The old man consoled softly but Ning Que looked down and gave a bitter smile.

In Wei City, he had consoled himself for countless times telling himself that only the real geniuses can Xiu Xing. Now his saying is confirmed. According to such saying, the elites who had fifteen or sixteen accessible acupoints of Qi were really favored by the Heaven, like one walking on the street and suddenly see gold raining down.

“Why did I not have such fortune?”

He sighed in his heart, thanked the elder sincerely, then walked out of the wagon with Sang Sang.

The light inside the wagon was dull. After some time had passed, the curtain was being opened up again, the Tang’s fourth princess Li Yu sat in front of the old man, asked, “Is there really no possibility at all?”

It’s true that Lu Qing Chen really liked Ning Que, but for a Psychic Master who already went to the Seethrough Stage to waste his Psychic Power to observe Ning Que’s body obviously needed other reasons, such as the princess’s command.

“The people who have solid and pure spirit, usually can obtain strong Psychic Power through meditation. Ning Que is undoubted such a person, so I originally had some expectations on him too, thinking that maybe he only has ten accessible acupoints of Qi, is at the edge to Xiu Xing. Yet unfortunately there are eleven unaccessible acupoints of Qi inside his body. Heaven does not favor him, so no matter how outstanding his potential is, there is no use.”

The old man felt very disappointed and unfortunate as well. He thought that if Ning Que can Xiu Xing, even if he only had ten accessible acupoints of Qi, the worst talent, because of his personality and excellent handwriting, he would have a bright future. Unfortunately, the youngster had a bad luck.

“If so, then don’t waste any energy anymore.” Li Yu looked tired due to the continual hurried journey, she looked down and pondered for a while, said calmly, “Sorry for giving you more work because of this thing, I should not have told you to do so.”

Old man Lu Qing Chen’s white eyebrows raised up slowly, looking quietly at the princess. He understood that the previous words had already decided Ning Que’s future. After knowing that Ning Que did not have the ability to Xiu Xing, she stopped thinking about training and cultivating Ning Que.

The old man remained silent for a while then advised, “There are so many elites in Chang An, maybe youngsters like Ning Que is not so special, but I believe that after several years, this young man will become Tang’s most outstanding soldier.

Li Yu never expected the old man to have such high evaluation on Ning Que. Her eyebrows frowned, explained softly, “The youngster’s fighting skill and personality are all really good. If he is still in Wei City, or as long as he stays in the army, I will do my best to make him serve for me, yet now he chooses to take the entrance exam to the Academy. Since he chooses the path to become a government officer, it will take him decades to climb high enough to influence the court. At that time we both are old already, then what’s the point?”

The elder remained silent for a long time, then suddenly he opened his mouth and said, “Normally he wouldn’t be able to xiuxing because only six acupoints of qi are open in his body out of the the total of seventeen, but……. there is no set destiny under the Mandate of Heaven.”

“My understanding of the Way is still too low. But the Academy that he wants to enter is a magical place filled with miracles. In the future, if…… I’m just saying if he is able to enter the Second Floor of the Academy, then who knows what kind of miracle will land upon him. Perhaps he will be able to enter the way of xiuxing?”

“The Second Floor?” Li Yu shook her head and said, “How many people in this world is able to enter the Second Floor of the Academy? Although Ning Que isn’t too bad, your confidence in him seems to be overwhelming.

Lu Qing Chen looked at her and smiled, “Just a moment earlier Your Grace said that he is able to enter the Academy and become a court official after he graduates. Everyone knows the difficulty of the entrance exam of the Academy, but you still had confidence in him. Who knows that this soldier from the borderline city won’t in the future…….climb up to that Second Floor?”

Li Yu was stunned for a moment, she didn’t know how to answer the question from the elder. After thinking thoroughly, she actually never had thought that Ning Que would fail the entrance exam to the hardest school in this world. Where did her confidence come from? Was it from the stories she heard around the campfire or the calm expression on the youngster’s face when he jumped through the wall of fire into the battle?

She instinctively looked out of the carriage’s window and watched Ning Que and Sang Sang’s shadow passed by as they walked around the campfire. She fell silent once again.

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Ning Que knew his personality and strong will was suited for xiuxing, but he wasn’t qualified. In fact he was used to been treated as a precious material for the way of xiuxing but then been behind left in dust because his acupoints of qi weren’t clear. Seven years ago when he met his dark faced friend and his master in the Eastern Min Mountain he was treated as such, and two years ago when he was checked out by the military because he obtained an army medal, he was disappointed again.

If he was able to enter the way of xiuxing, he did not need to struggle to kill all the bandits to earn military contribution to get a permission for the entrance exam to the Academy. Just by using the achievements he made in Wei City he would be a major character to be brought up by the entire military force of Tang Empire.

Since Ning Que was expecting bad news, he didn’t feel so bad after hearing it. But Lu Qing Chen was the only powerful xiuxingist he encountered, so he still had a little bit of hope left. But that hope was just like the two or three leaves of peach flowers hiding in the corner of the garden. It was all an illusion.

Just when he was ready to cheer up and gave up his illusions, the elder once again invited him to the carriage while he was practicing his knife combats at the second night.

This time Sang Sang did not follow him. Perhaps the princess missed the time when she chatted with the maid during the trip, or that child barbarian prince missed Sang Sang, anyway Sang Sang was summoned to the princess’s carriage.

“My conclusion couldn’t be wrong because I believe you memorized the entire book of Extreme Senses by heart, but you still couldn’t sense the presence of the qi of nature.” The elder smiled and looked at him.

Ning Que scratched his head and smiled bitterly, “Sir, I’m sure the reason you invited me today wasn’t to scold me again.”

“After you travel to Chang An you will be taking the exam to enter the Academy. I’m old now so I will probably stay at the princess’s palace to rest and meditate. It will be hard for us to reunite, so I wanted to chat with you.” Lu Qing Chen looked at him kindly, “I know of regular people’s interest and wonder in the way of xiuxing. Although you aren’t able to enter the Way, but maybe there are some things you want to know.”

“I have a lot of things that I want to know.” Ning Que answered honestly.