Nightfall

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

Ning Que took Sangsang out of the crowd, but not to leave. They stood in the corner of the stone ground of the Academy, watching the bustling scene at the screen wall, and a sense of remorse stuck to his heart. He felt that the previous conduct showed deliberately was meaningless. He didn’t know whether it was the big dark horse or those arrows that seemed to make him return to the grassland and to the lakeside of Shubi Lake. At this moment, he subconsciously felt much rougher. In fact, he was unsure if his total scores were enough to pass the exams, which made him anxious and restless.

Academy entry exams today assembled lots of young talents all over the world. Ning Que, plain-looking, had caused no attention without black lightning appearing during course of Driving in the exam. Now he stayed far away from the crowd, and naturally no one would care about him. The candidates’ attention was still on their results, as well as on those names which had been quite famous before the academy entry exams.

Like Wang Ying from Linxchuan, he who was sent back by the instructor of the academy from the remote and vulgar area was only fourteen, but his courtesy and literal production had caused a sensation in Chang’an city in the past few days. After all, he was too young compared with scholar Zhong Dajun from the famous school of Yang Guan, was well-known in the south of Tang by poems and essays. Thus for the majority of candidates, the most promising one was the third son of Xie family of Ruyang in the South Jin Kingdom.

The Xie family in the South Jin Kingdom were big surnames along thousands of years, being renowned for their poems and literature. Their third son Xie Chengyun was intelligent since childhood. He could write articles at the age of three and poems at five. There were no commoners that Xie family contacted with, so Xie Chengyun grew up communicating with celebrities. Elders in the family cherish his talent, and spared no expense to hire great talents of other countries for him. Therefore, his tutors came and changed in succession. All above contributed to today’s reputation.

Xie Chengyun was just eighteen this year, but his reputation had been justified. He had already become Tanhua, third rank of Royal Examination, of South Jin Kingdom. After the Royal Examination, he resigned from the imperial court to make the trip north to Tang Empire for the purpose of being admitted to the Academy.

The criteria of the Academy for enrollment were critical, but it might be too improbable if Tanhua of South Jin Kingdom was not qualified. Thus no one would doubt that Xie Chengyun could pass the exams, and they only concerned about if he could become the top slot.

Xie Chengyun, Zhong Dajun and Wang Ying were standing under the screen wall, watching the list with hands crossed on the back. Zhong Dajun dressed in black seemed indifferent, and he knew that he could not be the NO.1, because he might only get the average results on the courses of driving and toxophily. While fourteen-year-old Wang Ying inevitably seemed nervous on his tender face. In contrast, Xie Chengyun in a white robe looked calm and smiled with a cool confidence on his handsome face that suited his fame.

The girl in the arrow robe, the one named Wu Cai, and several boys and girls from noble families of Chang’an city were standing behind them, laughing in a low voice. Even some straightforward girls were pointing at Xie Chengyun and kept talking without shyness.

The crowd consciously left large space around these young boys and girls, as if they were afraid to disturb them or bumped into them. Law of Tang Empire was strict, but differences among classes were not too harsh. However, these young boys and girls standing under the screen wall were not merely from extraordinary families but also with a good reputation, with whom the rest of the people would keep a distance in subconsciousness.

Oohs and ahhs could be heard from time to time. And a burst of whispering would be caused when names of those three persons were seen at the top of the list. They looked at the three wits in front with envy.

Wang Ying turned around to greet the candidates undemonstratively by bows with hands folded. In addition that he got a C in the course of toxophily due to his young age and poor health, the rest subjects were all A+. It was said that he had received high praise from Qingyu, instructor of the academy, when playing guqin during the music exam.

Zhong Dajun saluted other candidates with hands joined casually, lifting his chin, which made him look a bit proud. Yet people of Tang Empire were so free and easy that they would not grudge their praise on those who were entitled to be proud. For Zhong Dajun, the rest four courses took the A except that chariot-riding got a B, and especially the course of calligraphy also took an A+. Such good results were really worth of applause.

The most enthusiastic applauses and hot eyes of girl candidates were given naturally to Xie Chengyun. His six courses were all at A, including which courtesy and calligraphy were at A+. Such perfect results could help him rank the top few at the academy entry exams even during these ten years.

Xie Chengyun greeted bows with hands folded to the surroundings with a smile. The twilight seemed extremely dazzling shining on the young boy’s white robe and his handsome and humble smile. The girl in the arrow robe and others kept clapping and jumping for joy, as if this glory belonged to them, too.

Ning Que and Sangsang were standing on the stone ground at the distant side by side watching the lively scene. He could not help but ridicule. “I really can’t explain why. Is the so-called Mr. San much more beautiful than others?”

This was just a common saying in the City of Wei. For example, if a soldier had drunk two more bowls of wine than their companions did, he might be ridiculed. “Do you look better than others?” Ning Que scoffed offhandedly, but he did not expect Sangsang looked up at him with her willow eyes full of dazzling stars as the twilight fading away. “He is beautiful indeed, ah.”

Ning Que did not dare a response. He looked down at the surface of his boots out of the front of the robe as if ants were climbing over them.

There was an excited candidate below the list on the screen wall, saying, “Six courses are all at A, two of which are at A+. This shall have been the best results for academy entry exams in the past ten years. Mr. San of South Jin Kingdom deserves the reputations sure enough.”

One of the upset candidates replied, “Whoever said these are the best results in the past decade? A candidate from West-Hill got the A+ in six courses five years ago. All the instructors of the academy ran out to the crowd, because that’s the best in the past century.”

After this remarks, it suddenly turned quiet below the screen wall. Xie Chengyun and other two persons frowned looking at the place where the sound came from. It’s unexpected to get A+ in all six courses in academy entry exams. This statement was too astonishing. The unknown candidate who could get the best results in academy entry exams in the past hundred years was enough to kill the so-called genius of the whole world!

“Why didn’t we hear of that candidate from West-Hill before?” The previous man asked reluctantly.

That candidate glanced at him ironically and said, “That West-Hill candidate didn’t attend any other assessments after completing the academy entry exams. He was directly and specially recruited to the Second floor by the dean. He might have been studying at the Second floor for the past five years. How can the secular mortals like you and me hear of him?”

Candidates made oohs and ahhs neatly, guessing who the unknown West-Hill candidate was. He first got the best results in the past century, and then directly recruited to the Second floor without studying in the Academy for a day!

Hearing that the West-Hill candidate had been in the Second floor, Xie Chengyun raised higher his eyebrow, with stateliness in his eyes. One always had aloofness and arrogance as long as he became famous in young age. Last year he became Tanhua that he could not accept, thus he chose to come to Academy for proving himself. His final goal was absolutely the Second floor of the Academy that was extremely mysterious in rumors, but he never thought that he was much slower than that guy.

The young girl beside the arrow robe girl, named Jin Wucai, was the youngest daughter of Chancellor of Commission for Education. She had a sweet temper and loved poetry and calligraphy, and had long heard about Xie Chengyun. She had met and talked to him during the poetry gatherings in Chang’an city these days, and found that he was talented. Now she saw him having a gloomy expression, and then she said with a smile, “Your six courses are at A. Two of them are at A+. It is quite rare, and at least there is no one higher at this time.”

“It is true. For the academy entry exams, Zhong Dajun gets an A in the course of calligraphy, Wang Ying an A+ in the course of music, while Xie Chengyun the A+ in two courses, who can be better than the three candidates?”

Candidates under the screen wall agreed one after for another. Xie Chengyun looked slightly depressed. He self-deprecatingly smiled and once again greeted bows with hands folded in front to the crowd.

That girl in arrow robe was preparing to accompany her fellows to have a good talk with Xie Chengyun. Suddenly she thought of one thing, thinking the guy’s cool declaration as he left. Then she raised her head and looked up again at the screen wall subconsciously. She thought to herself that the guy must be afraid of losing his face, so he gave a lie. However, when she came up with the black lightning in the exam of the course of Driving, somehow she actually believed that the name of that guy would be at the top of the list.

That guy’s name was not at the top list for the course of music. No, his name didn’t appear on the whole list for the course of music. This guy seemed plain ignorant. “Lanlan you idiot, how could you believe him!”

Situ Yilan, daughter of yunhui general, the assistant marshal, pulled the bottom of the robe angrily. She didn’t mean to find his name, but her sight just landed on sides of the lists without control — hey!

She looked with her round eyes at the top of the lists for courses of mathematics, driving and toxophily. She saw that exactly same name, thinking that her eyes might be dazzled, and her lips slightly whispered, but she read out subconsciously, “Ning Que, Upper A+! Upper A+! Upper A+!

With her voice, the words of congratulations by other candidates became smaller and smaller. Previously the candidates would only find their own names, and then those of the renowned talents, but few people will pay attention to nobodies on the lists. In that case, they did not notice those same names.

“Three courses grade at upper A+?” Some were shocked looking up at the screen wall, and said out loud in surprise.

Jin Wucai covered her lips, face flawless and thinking of the previous words she had heard, and said incredibly, “What the guy said is true. He knew he must be able to get the A+!”

Earlier everybody was still admiring Xie Chengyun who had received the A+ in two courses, regarding that he must be the best in the academy entry exams this year. No one could have ever imagined before the stop of words of praise, a guy gotten A+ in three courses… bounced like this.

“Who is Ning Que?”

“Who is Ning Que?”

The candidate who didn’t see the scene of the black lightning previously asked his companions anxiously, while Candidates who had seen that scene began to talk about with great relish the legendary picture of how the big dark horse was turned from a ferocious wife to a docile attendant.

Situ Yilan was looking around for Ning Que, and found that he was standing at a far spot. She hurriedly pulled Jin Wucai’s hand, pushing the crowd away to run over towards him.

Xie Chengyun and other two youths were as if forgotten at this time. He laughed at himself, with his eyes flashing an indistinguishable expression. He bowed to ask Zhong Dajun and Wang Ying to leave with those noble girls.

Candidates under the screen wall automatically separated apart as the tide to form a path, and then gathered together, walking to the corner of the stone ground, to the candidate named Ning Que whom they had never heard of.

Ning wasn’t aware of what had happened at the screen wall. He was discussing with Sangsang what they would eat when back to the shop tonight. He suddenly found a stir among the crowd, and then the arrow robe girl rushed to the front of him.

Situ Yilan stared at him, and asked: “A+ in three courses… you… you, how did you make it out?”

Ning Que was stunned, looking at the more and more people gathering in front. He replied, “Uh… I have been reviewing diligently.

Sangsang lifted his little face and looked at him, with her willow eyes full of confusion, thinking that “you really know what the review means, young master?”