The epic and legendary tale of an extraordinary young man rising up from the masses, traversing his life in the pursuit of quantity over quality. His inquisitive voice echoes infinitely through the hills of the immortal Academy: "I am one who would rather suffer an eternity of destined calamities than beg for solace from thy saints..."
Oddly shaped clouds often appeared above the Wilderness. Ning Que did not see the cloud above the horse carriage, and even if he had seen it – he wouldn't have paid attention to it. It was because such an image was too common, and also – because he was completely focused on Sangsang.
He would grow more anxious every time she coughed. He thought about what Master Qishan had said in Lanke Temple and asked Sangsang to continue reciting Buddhist scriptures – cultivate Buddhism in hopes that it would quell the cold aura in her body temporarily. However, he had a bad feeling about it.
In the next couple of days, there were no sightings of cavalry from the Palace or sadhus from Xuankong Temple. Their journey was peaceful and Ning Que had finally noticed the cloud above the horse carriage. The sky was clear for miles and was the color of green tiles. There weren't any other clouds, other than the single bud hanging above them, making it hard to go unnoticed.