1090 The Banquet IV

If we couldn't be born on the same day, then we shall choose to die together, a saying which was often used by couples who were deeply in love with each other. Somehow it could also be used to describe two enemies in extreme rivalry, with a little twist, that is to fight till the bitter end. In fact, when the enemies have reached the stage of only one of them could live, they would usually die together in the end.

Ning Que decided not to bother about the black peach blossom which was launching toward him but instead swung his cutlass toward Long Qing. He was inviting Long Qing to die together, though he himself did not have the intention to die. Ning Que believed Long Qing would not compromise himself just like that, therefore he would retreat and Ning Que would have gained an advantage.

Ning Que was confident, because he wasn't born rich. He had to struggle through everything since young and this made him understand that if one wasn't afraid of death, death will not come looking. As for Long Qing, he was born rich, and it took him some hardships before reaching where he was now, how could someone give up their life when he had only enjoyed it for a short moment? 

Long Qing had learned a few lessons after getting out from the Abyss, he had new understandings about death and lost. He knew, better than anyone, if he was to contest Ning Que in terms of strength, he would have lost because of Ning Que's undeniable power. This decision would cost him everything, that was why he shall make a retreat instead of an attack.

No matter how much I consider, Long Qing should retreat, he should choose to keep himself away from my iron cutlass. That was what Ning Que thought.

However, when the black peach blossom hadn't been affected at all but instead held steady as it cut through the air, making a full swing toward his chest along with the Breath of Heaven and Earth, he was utterly confused. 

The shocking pain erupted from his chest, spreading to all parts of his body, as if it was going to tear everything apart. His ribs were broken, his blood gushing out, as the world in front of him turned bloody red. 

He could have prevented his death at that moment, but Long Qing took the initiative and did not choose to run. In fact, he was continued to attack silently, but he had no idea how the black peach blossom had landed on Ning Que's chest. 

Bang. Ning Que's black uniform was torn into pieces, his blood splatting to every corner. His lips, nostrils, eyes and even ears, were all bleeding. 

At the same time, Ning Que's iron cutlass fell from his palm. Coincidentally, it landed exactly on Long Qing's forehead! A terrifying noise was heard! 

He wasn't wearing his Silver Mask, but it was as if there was an invisible one shielding Long Qing's face from the sharp blade piercing through. The mournful and shrill noise was heard everywhere! 

Long Qing's expression was twisted together, his face pale, as if he was in agony. A blood-curdling bellow came from within his lips! 

The limitless Breath of Heaven and Earth was summoned by Long Qing through his black peach blossom, as it headed for Ning Que's chest! 

Ning Que was soaked in blood. Though his eyes were bloodshot, he was still as calm as glass. He was in an unbearable amount of pain while putting the strength of his whole boy on the iron cutlass!

The keen edged blade moved another inch toward Long Qing and that was when his blood streaked down!

Long Qing's bellow was even more mournful, just like how the wolves howl, or it could be defined as some sorrow moan. His eyes turned dark, while his brows had gone with the wind. Between breaths, his appearance was changing, he was turning into someone else! 

Ning Que knew some unseen danger was approaching, but he was still silently launching his cutlass at Long Qing.

Long Qing's bellow continued, his appearance was changing continuously, as if he could turn into multiple people at once! 

Following his continuous change, a horrific force suddenly shielded his face, obstructing the iron cutlass!

...

The black peach blossom relinquished, and the black iron cutlass fell. Although there was no way to say who was facing life or death, they were already at the edge of knowing. The process seemed lengthy, but in fact it was quite short. The cultivators standing on both sides of aggressive river couldn't lend Long Qing a helping hand, because among the two of them, the battle was decided, and naturally, the winner was decided.

A deafening sound pierced through the sky, when the river started to act like a reverted waterfall. About four hundred feet curtain of water shot up, stones covered in moss from the water rolled and collided against each other, before breaking down into pieces.

On the left shore, a deep hole emerged and inside it lied Ning Que, who was covered in blood, ribs broken. Long Qing stood outside the hole, his face solemn but full of fresh blood, like a devil.

"You think I'm afraid to die?" Long Qing's expression was still. After finishing the sentence, his face changed, agonised, coughing two mouthful of blood out while bending his body. However, he straightened his posture again and repeated his question, "Do you think I'm afraid to die?"

"Betraying my own belief, I'm better off dead. The various Psyche Powers in me right now are clashing with each other and I'm forced to live like this every single day and you thought… I will be afraid of death!" He was yelling with rage at Ning Que, as if he was trying to unleash his anger.

"But you're still scared of dying." Ning Que relied on the edge of the hole and pulled himself up, looking at Long Qing when he said that. He didn't give up, after suffering injuries this serious. This had nothing to do with state power, it was his belief. 

As predicted by Long Qing, Ning Que's Haoran Qi had turned into the wind of Qinghe Prefecture, but his belief was still alive.

Long Qing didn't know he could still stand, as he remarked, "I admire you for this."

At the same time, the cultivators standing at the shore who wasn't sent to death were still able to fight. When the two were talking, they had all made their way toward Ning Que, surrounding him with their swords and cutlasses.

The battle today seemed like something between Ning Que and Long Qing only, but to be frank, it was the cultivators who weren't in the same state as the two of them who caused the differentiative factors. They were like the maggots who fed themselves on the corpses.

Ning Que wiped his face with the back of his palm and when his palm fell back to its original position, it passed across his chest. His palm was again stained with even more fresh blood. He extended his arm forward and separated his fingers.

The blood flew with the movements of his fingers and they slowly dissolved into droplets, floating in the air. 

As the wind blew, he wrote using his own blood in the wind. His face turned pale suddenly, not even the bright red blood could cover it up. 

Countless extremely fierce and sharp Talisman Intents filled the sky and the river abruptly.

The Talisman Intent went across where the cultivators were standing and this caused them to scream in pain, like stumbling war horses, legs and arms dislocated, falling onto the ground immediately.

Their cries were mixed with the sound of the river, unusually ear-piercing. 

Long Qing's expression was still. He extended his arm to summon, as the sword from one of the dead Taoism Divine Priest came flying into his palm, turning into a line of clear light, cutting off the last Talisman Intent which was coming silently.

His surprise attack failed, but Ning Que was calm, talking while his eyes were fixed on Long Qing, "You see, I can still fight."

Long Qing extended his right arm in the wind, "Please."

The angry river suddenly turned quiet. This was because the shore was full of raging Talisman Intents and lights of swords. No one knew how much time had passed. 

Ning Que's Talisman Intents had finished writing. 

In front of Long Qing, there were hundreds of swords broken without their hilts. They were looking at each other from a distance, both soaked with blood, face white, and exhausted.

In the world of cultivation, it was rare to see a battle like this. Two persons with the same level of state power, who knew each other so well until they could only forcibly fight till the last moment to decide who was the better one out of themselves.

Until the very end, there was a long silence.

The river was streaming, singing a song with no definite meaning. 

"Shall we continue?" Long Qing asked, his voice hoarse.

Ning Que did not say anything, and only looked down at the pool of blood beneath his feet. 

"I've heard for long, that your Psyche Power outweighs Liu Bai's, but I've never believe it until today. I've planned this for so long, so many of my people have sacrificed but you're still standing."

Long Qing looked like he was smiling and said, "But… eventually I will exhaust myself, won't I?"

Ning Que raised his head, staring at him. "How about your Psyche Power? Do you have any left?"

Long Qing knew he was exposed, but he kept his expression straight. "It was a shame that your cutlass didn't kill me, because that means you've failed."

Ning Que started to laugh. This was the first time he laughed ever since the battle began. 

"It just meant that your skin is a little bit thicker than usual." Long Qing replied peacefully, "That is an advantage."

"Now the problem is, without our Psyche Power, how could you be so sure that you'll defeat me? You have to know, before I started practicing cultivation, I've been very good at killing people."

Ning Que untied the steel bow, staring Long Qing in the eyes, "When you received my cutlass' attack just now, your ankle had shattered into pieces, that was why you're fixed at where you are now, so how can you escape now?" Finishing the sentence, Ning Que bent and nocked an arrow into the bow, ready to shoot. His Psyche Power was used up, so he couldn't fire the Thirteen Primordial Arrows, but he could still shoot.

Just as he said, when he was the Academy's Mr. Thirteen, he could kill by snapping his fingers. Or when he was a soldier in the City of Wei, he was also an expert in killing. To kill someone, it had nothing to do with Psyche Power.

He wasn't far away from Long Qing, their distance were less than a hundred yards, and there were no obstacles between them. Long Qing's bone was broken and he was standing motionless for a long time, how could he escape from Ning Que's arrow?

If this was Long Qing's plan, then Ning Que was the sabotager. The way for him to sabotage Long Qing's plan was to follow Long Qing's plan, follow Long Qing's way to fulfill his own intentions.

Even from the very beginning, he knew what Long Qing wanted. He was cooperative, he took the risks, the pain, cooperating all the time in order for Long Qing's plan to work. They had both used up their Psyche Powers, they were ordinary people now. 

When they were ordinary, Long Qing was the prince of Yan Kingdom. And him? He was the Wood-chopper of Shubi Lake.

Looking at the steel bow in Ning Que's hand, Long Qing narrowed his eyes and his emotions turned complicated. However, Ning Que was at peace, he was ready to draw the bow. 

To him, the phrase "draw the bow" was a very nice thing to do. 

His rivalry with Long Qing had begun since the banquet and until today, a few years had passed. For all the previous battles during the years, he had claimed the final victory but he knew that his did not come naturally. He wasn't born stronger than Long Qing and he was definitely not his natural enemy, it was the chances he took and the will of God which made him the winner. 

Ever since Long Qing's crushing defeat to him, there were plenty of people who started to despise Long Qing, except for Ning Que himself. Though he seemed not to care about Long Qing, he was actually the one who cared the most because he had won before, he didn't have the intention to lose to Long Qing anymore. He knew Long Qing was strong in every way he could think of. 

Among all the enemies he had met in his life, Ning Que cared about Long Qing the most. Since he discovered Long Qing was in Red Lotus Temple, without second thoughts, he fired up to seven arrows toward Long Qing. This was something none of the other enemies have had the chance to experience.

Many years ago, their rivalry was kicked start because of the Steel Arrow on the Snow Cliff. While many years later, he decided to end this rivalry with the same steel bow at the Mad River. 

Long Qing started to laugh all of a sudden. Ning Que finally realized the complicated emotions in Long Qing's eyes were none other than the combination of hoax, mockery, disdain, sympathy and a tiny bit of confusion. 

Someone who ran out of Psyche Power, who was motionless and who could only await death would not be feeling these because these feelings belonged only to the winner. However, these feelings dissipated in the next second. 

Feelings were meant to be colorful, but the colors were drained from Long Qing's eyes. They weren't black or white. They weren't any brightness or guilt. They were shadily grey. They looked like the sky of City of Cheng Jing during the winter, when each of the families warmed their house by burning coal.

They were like scrolls that could not be dry again after water was spilled onto them. They were cloudy, dark, evillish and scary. 

His right arm was lying beside him. There were a few Taoism Divine Priests who were dying on the shore just in the direction of where Long Qing's right arm was. 

In a sudden, the Divine Priests' facial expressions were tormented. 

Long Qing closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if he was enjoying himself. When he opened his eyes again, multiple souls had filled the Grey Eyes. He waved in the direction of Ning Que.

The sand on the shore flew toward Ning Que, slicing through the wind loudly like countless sharp blades. 

Bang bang bang bang. They fell densely together and a loud noise was heard. There were uncountable amount of blood holes on Ning Que's body!

The steel bow dropped to his feet. He could no longer hold himself up and he fell onto his knee. 

"The biggest mistake you've made is being overconfident about yourself." 

"You really think that you rank world's number one in terms of Psyche Power ratings?" 

"You could have been, a long time ago, but after I've mastered the skill of Grey Eyes, and you'll never be one." 

"I can turn into anyone, my Psyche Power is beyond control. How could you still stand against me?" 

Long Qing was pacing toward Ning Que. His broken ankle seemed to have recovered. 

There were a few blurry faces appearing behind him as he walked. 

He stopped in front of Ning Que, opening his arms to point toward both the shore where the cultivators who were seriously injured and some dead bodies were lying. "If I were to permit myself, I can get as much Psyche Power as I want." 

"The reason why I brought them to kill you was to use up your Psyche Power, besides allowing myself to recover at the last moment. They were my food, and they could have been yours." 

Long Qing was staring at Ning Que. "I've prepared banquet for you and I don't know why, until the very last moment, you still don't want to settle for it. That's why you can only become the last main dish of my feast."

"Why didn't you compromise? Is it because that cannibalism isn't your thing?" Ning Que coughed out blood painfully and he realised where the confusion in Long Qing came from. He must have wanted Ning Que to utilise Devil Doctrine's Practice of Taotie to go against his own Grey Eyes, as if what happened during the autumn rain in Red Lotus Temple a few years ago but he didn't expect Ning Que decided against the tactic. 

Ning Que looked at Long Qing, continuing, "I've tried your meat, but it wasn't tasty either."

Long Qing had prepared himself even if Ning Que was to use Devil Doctrine's Practice of Taotie. He had been putting up with the cultivators on the shore but Ning Que hadn't made a move at all. His preparation was deemed a waste. 

"Tasty or not… is it important?" 

"Extremely important."

Ning Que said, "I've learned a lot from my teacher but I can only remember this principle." 

Long Qing stayed quiet. He raised his right arm and immediately the river was covered in a distinct foul atmosphere. The hundreds of cultivators whether dead or alive started to tremble as his eyes grew in greyness. 

During the short amount of time, he regained his strength again. From his ruined gown, he retrieved his Natal Sword. The sword with the hilt looking like a black peach blossom. This sword, or in other words, flower, had grew from the hole in the middle of his chest. He finally won the battle against Ning Que. Ning Que was going to die very soon. This made him very excited, he was overjoyed. That was why the black peach blossom on the hilt was blossoming, in a beautiful way.

… 

When the black peach blossomed and fell, it reminded Ning Que about a lot of things. 

This wasn't the recap of his memories, because he knew he wasn't going to die instantly.

He was reminded about the mountaineer exam in the Academy, near the Firewood Door. What Long Qing saw was a gentleman should not wrangle, but what he saw was a gentleman should not be just a tool. 

What does it actually mean that the Academy shouldn't be just a tool? 

He had consulted Chen Pipi about this question, but only to discover it was an absurd concept, where everyone will have a different understanding about it. If things could be explained, they were philosophical reasonings. While those which couldn't be explained, they were merely talents. 

If it wasn't a tool that gave play to a particular talent, does it mean it was only a reasoning? Or we should follow the footsteps of the Headmaster of Academy by being lenient on rules… by being blinded by freedom? Ning Que still had a long way to go if he were to reach the level of ultimate liberation. 

However at this very moment, he finally understood a part of the principles. There were way too many things that were beyond control in this world. Just like Long Qing, no matter how well his plan had been, there were many unexpected incidents which would prompt along the way, for instance, the banquet, because he still refused to lift his chopsticks.

On the contrary, if one had chosen to follow their hearts, paying as little attention as they could for what was to come, it may end up having a better ending. What was the plan in his hand, what was his next move, what's the point of thinking so much? 

When Ning Que was thinking about all these, his head was still lowered, half of his body in the hole.

His right arm was drenched in blood, as he gripped hard onto the steel bow. Then, he swung the bow forward. 

He didn't have a target. He just swung his arm as he wished, poise and natural. 

Long Qing wanted to dodge but realized that he couldn't. 

Ning Que swung the bow, as if how he had written those Talisman Intents back in the City of Chang'an. So, writing felt the same as filling up a Talisman Intent. The less attention you pay, the better it will become. That was why the comforting posts were best when they were written unintentionally. 

His unintentional swing was never meant to be dodged. A loud bang erupted! 

The freshly recovered ankle of Long Qing was broken again, with his body slowly falling to the ground. The steel bow which was in Ning Que's hand just seconds ago was now on Long Qing's neck! 

Long Qing yelped and raised his Taoist sword, using the natal black peach blossom on the hilt of the sword to stop the bow from killing him. The two of them fell onto the shore, the blood on their bodies covered in mire. 

With lightning speed, Ning Que landed his right knee on Long Qing's back and started pulling the bow, trying to strangle the latter to death. 

Long Qing was carrying the inverted black peach blossom sword, with its blade nearly touching his own chest. He used all his Psyche Power collected from the ocean, combining with innumerable amount of Breath of Heaven and Earth, but he still couldn't break free. 

The current strength of Ning Que was exceptionally terrifying. There were only two choices left for Long Qing: either to die from strangling or to die from stabbing. 

A silent sneer was heard. The blade had made its way through the ruined gown into Long Qing's body! But he wasn't dead yet, because of the hole in the middle of his chest. This black sword had made its way through Long Qing's body by passing the hole! 

Puff! 

Ning Que's chest was stabbed by the sword, blood gushing out from his body. The hole in the middle of Long Qing's chest was the result of the arrow wound done by Ning Que many years ago. Now, he had made use of this hole to tear open Ning Que's chest. Or should this be, karma?

… 

The bowstring was one inch away from Long Qing's neck. 

And the black sword was also an inch away from Ning Que's heart. 

The options were clear and they were up to Long Qing. If he chose not to resist, the blade of the sword will definitely go deeper into Ning Que's body, but he would have to sacrifice himself in the process. 

The options were given to Ning Que too. If he chose not to strangle Long Qing with the bowstring, he would not have to pay the price by having the sword going deeper into his body. 

This was the real deal of dying together. 

In the mire on the shore, there were only the sounds of respite and continuous struggles. 

The two of them were like stray dogs, no matter how far they went, they would need to fight against each other like this till the end. 

Long Qing couldn't turn around, but he asked, panting, "When you swung your bow just now, which method were you using? Why couldn't I dodge your attack? It must have nothing to do with Psyche Power, but why didn't you do it earlier?" 

Ning Que replied behind him, "The Academy doesn't care about the meaning of the method." 

Long Qing continued sarcastically with a question, "Now what? Shall we die together?" 

Ning Que replied, "I don't really mind." 

In what seemed to be simple conversation, they were still exerting force on their actions. 

The bowstring was squeaking, while the blade was slowly entering Ning Que's body. 

Suddenly, Long Qing remarked, "You don't have the courage, because you don't want to die. You still want to look for her." 

Ning Que replied, "Not having the desire to die doesn't mean that I'm afraid of death, and you, who had made that statement proves that you're afraid of death." 

Long Qing felt like he had been insulted. He shouted angrily, "I'm not afraid of death!" 

Ning Que continued, "In the beginning, you had attacked me with your natal peach, it failed to hit me in the face and landed on my chest. This was because you've lowered your head, you are only brave enough to receive my attack with your forehead, not your neck." 

Long Qing was panting. "So what about that?" 

"You lowered your head, and I didn't." 

Ning Que breathed in a few mouthfuls of air with fishy smell, before continued with a straight face. "So, you're going to die and I'm going to live." 

Just as the sentence was finished, Ning Que used all of his remaining strength, and pulled the string backwards!

Long Qing roared with rage!

The string was on his neck, leaving a clear red line. 

The blade of the black sword went deeper into Ning Que's chest, toward his heart. 

An indescribable pain took over Ning Que's body, and it made him trembled involuntarily. His face was pale as snow and his lips were black like the color of ink. He was screaming in pain! 

"Ah!!!" Ning Que was screaming in agony, his arms pulling backwards unceasingly! 

A small squeak was heard! Long Qing's neck was broken. His spirit left his body and he fell onto the shore like a disintegrated doll. 

Ning Que was breathing hard. His focus was blur and both of his hands were shaking. After some time when he had regained his consciousness, he only let go of the bow, where it landed some distance away from him. 

There was a huge hole in his chest, and a seriously damaged heart. His body was curled up, wretched. He was hugging himself, trembling non-stop. The cold breeze of the river entered his heart because it was exposed through the deep hole. 

Long Qing was just beside him, as he stared at the dark grey sky with disbelief. Right now, his eyes were no longer grey in color. 

If this ending was compared with their rivalry, the ending had come rather simply and quick. 

Just as what Ning Que had said, if Long Qing was not afraid of death, by combining both of their strengths, the black sword would have killed Ning Que easily but Long Qing would need to sacrifice himself in the process. 

All these years, Long Qing wasn't happy but he didn't want to die either. Until that final moment, he still didn't have the desire to die. And so he was dead.

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