The Dilemma about Rage and Courage

Ning Que didn't go back to the palace after he left Yanming Lake. He went to the Building of Pines and Cranes for a drink and to the Vermilion Street for a walk. He hadn't drunk much or walked too far. Spring rain fell upon him gently on his head; his face and his clothes became slightly damp.

The drink sped up his blood circulation; the walk eased his temper; the rain cleared his heart. Finally, he turned calm again and accepted the dramatic change of the world's situation which made the Tangs and the Academy outrageous. Later he reached the Sanyuanli area.

The neighborhood was preparing dinner. The smell of cooking oil in pans was mixed with the smell of damp wood burning. It smelled nice, making him even more calm.

He was waiting beneath the stone steps in the yard. Soon, there was a creaking sound of the door opening and Second Brother came out, then the creaking sound kept echoing in the darkness of the night.