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Chapter Five Fairness
writer:无罪      update:2022-07-21 15:26
  Zhangsun Qianxue woke up.

  She did not wake up normally. Her consciousness woke up in her energy sea.

  She saw herself standing in the energy sea.

  The five colored energies in the ocean underneath her had completely frozen. Even the vital energies falling from the celestial aperture were in a frozen waterfall.

  She started to realize that she had previously lost control of her body and vital energy. She had walked on the edge of life and death. However, she did not rejoice because she knew the threat of death had not passed.

  She saw a hidden red light at the top of the vital energy waterfall where the celestial aperture was.

  That was Ding Ning’s energies.

  While she did not know what Ding Ning had used to wake up her consciousness, she knew she could only rely on herself to survive.

  Her emotions sank into absolute calmness again. She did her best to immerse her thoughts into the jade palace under the frozen energy sea.

  The jade palace shook.

  With a shudder, countless cracks appeared on the frozen surface.

  The frozen waterfall also formed countless cracks and vital energy started to flow.

  Like a land coming back to life, small flows of water melted the ice, and then became bigger flows to gather into a sea.

  The five colored energies started to flow.

  All of the blue cold energies were pushed down by the vital energy to the deepest part of the jade palace.

  The sea water underneath her feet became clear, a faint and hard to describe blue.

  As the energy sea cleared, a thread of unusual color in her jade sea appeared.

  It was a blue-black sword!

  She had a blue-black sword resting in the center of her jade palace!

  That dark blue-black color that could almost consume people’s minds was ferocious.

  Zhangsun Qianxue’s body did not stay cold. Blue ice particles containing terrifying cold energy stopped coming out as she breathed.

  Her eyes opened. She finally woke up and returned from the border of life and death to the mortal realm.

  Then she saw Ding Ning who was tightly embracing her.

  Her eyes filled with shock, anger and murderousness. Her hand raised up slightly and was about to land on the head of Ding Ning who was in her arms.

  This hand strike appeared soft, but it contained a profound power, and gave off an indescribable destructive presence.

  Ding Ning slept sweetly.

  He was extremely weak and tired. The moment he detected Zhangsun Qianxue’s vital energy had started to circulate in her body, he was reassured, and he sank into the deepest of sleep.

  He did not feel death coming close to him at all.

  Zhangsun Qianxue’s expression grew colder. But staring at Ding Ning’s overly pale face and calm expression, her hand slowed.

  In the end, she took a deep breath. Before her hand landed on Ding Ning”s head, the destructive presence became a gentle and warm flow of energy.

  The humidity created by the melted frost was pulled out of blankets, and even more minuscule droplets were shaken from the blanket.

  She pushed aside Ding Ning’s hands, stood up and walked to the window.

  The sky was already light. The storm had ended, and day was about to come.

  Ding Ning woke up with the clucking of the chickens and the howls of the dogs.

  The window of the bedroom facing a patch of taro was open. Even through a wall covered in gourd vines, Ding Ning could feel the fresh presence emanating from the taro field.

  The sound of pots and bowls in the alleyway, the carriages moving, the shouts of merchants, of wife and husband fighting entered his ears.

  After the storm, Changling seemed to immediately recover and become even more refreshed.

  Zhangsun Qianxue stood at this window.

  She did not turn around but she immediately knew when Ding Ning woke up. She said coldly, “You offended last night. Next time, I will not hesitate to kill you.”


  Ding Ning looked at her beautiful figure. His expression did not change. He said in a low voice, “You should know that my cultivation is far from yours. To save you, I only had that one method. Also, based on last night’s situation, the power of the Nine Hell Sword is far beyond my imagination. You should be more patient in your cultivation.”


  Zhangsun Qianxue turned around and looked calmly at Ding Ning who had just gotten up. “Don’t you feel you are laughable saying this.”


  Ding Ning frowned slightly. “What is laughable?”


  Zhangsun Qianxue said, “If you do not feel that these things are more important than life and death, why did you find me, why do you conspire to rebel against your emperor?”


  Ding Ning shook his head and said serious, “It is not the same.”


  “There is nothing different,” Zhangsun Qianxue said back coldly. “To you, getting revenge for you teacher is more important than life and death. To me, this is also more important than my life and death.”


  Hearing this, Ding Ning was silent for a moment. Then he said seriously in a low voice, “I told you before I am not his student. Also, if you have an accident like this in the future, I will still choose to save you.”


  Zhangsun Qianxue’s brow raised up slightly. A hint of true anger appeared at the corner of her eyes.

  “Do not say useless words to me. If you are not that person’s student, you will not know what method I cultivate. If you are not that person’s student, you cannot have learned the suicidal Nine Death Silkworm Divine Skill, nor possess your cultivation and knowledge at this age.”


  Her eyes once again became murderous. “I only want to remind you once more that the fact you are that person’s student is enough for me to kill you. I do not kill you because your existence will make my cultivation faster.”


  Ding Ning was silent for a long time. He raised his head and looked at her. He asked seriously, “You hate him so much?”


  “Who in the world doesn’t hate him? Even you Qin People hate him,” Zhangsun Qianxue said expressionlessly “The people who don’t hate him have pretty much all died.”


  Ding Ning looked at that pair of peerless eyes and asked even more seriously, “If that’s so, why did you come to Changling?”


  Zhangsun Qianxue glanced at him, her anger disappearing, her face becoming cold and calm again. “You think that I am in Changling because of my past with him? I only feel it is unfair …… …… I just feel that he did so many things and ended up like that, I feel it is unfair. Because it is unfair, I want to kill your emperor.”


  Ding Ning calmed down. He did not argue anymore, only saying, “I’m going to Fish Market today. I will return after killing a person.”


  Zhangsun Qianxue frowned slightly. “You have just attracted the interest of the Divinity Bureau again, you are sure this is a very good time?”


  Ding Ning nodded. “Zhao Zhan just died. The Astrology Bureau and Divinity Bureau’s more powerful people have more important things to do.”


  Zhangsun Qianxue glanced at him and asked, “Who are you going to kill?”


  Ding Ning rubbed his face and said softly, “Song Shenshu.”


  Zhangsun Qianxue thought carefully. Her memory was not very good. However, the total number of cultivators in Changling was low, and this name was connected to the history library of the Qin Dynasty so she immediately found this person in her memory.

  She looked at Ding Ning as though she was looking at an idiot. “A cultivator who just reached realm two third class wants to kill a cultivator who is realm three first class?”


  Ding Ning softly responded, “Anyone under realm four is the same.”


  ” Anyone under realm four is the same?”


  Zhangsun Qianxue’s eyes became fierce as she looked coldly at Ding Ning. “You still say you are not that person’s student? Only he would dare to say such a thing. But if other people truly believe this, they are just giving their life away.”


  Ding Ning was silent for a moment. He said, “I will be careful. If I have not returned by midnight, think of ways to leave Changling on your own.”


  Zhangsun Qianxue turned her head to not look at him and said coldly, “Don’t worry, I’m not so stupid to stay and accompany you to die.”


  She said this emotionlessly, yet Ding Ning smiled, looking at her side profile.

  He knew, better than the great majority of people in the world, some people looked affectionate, but were actually ruthless, but others looked ruthless, but were affectionate.

  Translator Ramblings:

  Realms in this story technically go from one to nine, and each realm is divided into first, second, and third class. This somewhat mirrors the nine rank official ranking system used for most of history in Imperial China as outlined here except that system usually has an upper and lower class for each rank and this story has three grades for each realm.

  Also, how do people know which suffix to attach to a nationality/group? Canada becomes Canadian, China becomes Chinese, so what does Qin become? Qinese? Qinian? Qinish?

  Volume 3 5 - Time

  Time passed steadily. This was perhaps the most just thing to every being in the world.

  But for most of the powerful in Changling, the spring this year seemed to have slipped by faster than in the past years.

  The reason it felt this fast was due to their urgency towards the great event that was the Deer Mountain Conference.

  The Min Mountain Sword Trials was a proxy battle for countless nobility in Changling and a show of power and experience for the Qin Dynasty that all dynasties paid attention to, but it could not be talked about in the same manner as the Deer Mountain Conference that could determine the fate of the entire dynasty.

  In the twilight, Fang Marquessate Establishment did not look any different than usual, but due to Fang Xiumu disobeying the Holy One and leaving without a farewell, it showed signs of decline in many people’s gaze.

  In the military port of the Wei River, Ye Celeng stood on the deck of the enormous metal ship that had accompanied her out to sea. She looked into the distance at the Fang Marquessate Establishment and suddenly spoke to Han Sanshi, the old servant who followed her constantly, in a whisper. “The one who replaces Fang Xiumu to accompany the Holy One to the Deer Mountain Conference will be Fang Xiang.”


  “Why?” Han Sanshi asked.

  Her words were something that almost no one in Changling could understand.

  Accompanying the monarch to the Deer Mountain Conference was a great honor. Now that Fang Xiumu had disobeyed the Holy One, even if Fang Marquessate Establishment was to use merit to make up for their mistake, moving the important Awesome General that was stationed at the passes was too great a move.

  “Just wait and see.”


  Ye Celeng shook her head and smiled coldly.

  She was one of the few who understood Emperor Yuanwu. No one was clearer than her that the once most powerful of the thirteen marquises, the Fang Marquessate Establishment, would likely be the first to be destroyed.

  —


  As time passed, amidst the twilight, a beautiful mountain shrouded in mist appeared before Li Lingjun’s caravan.

  The mountain was so clear, it felt like an entire world was pressing towards him. Li Lingjun’s eyes suffused with mist.

  This was Mount Wu; this was the Chu lands.

  After years of separation from the Chu lands, not to mention this great mountain, just a grass or a tree on this mountain would astound people.

  In Li Lingjun’s caravan, naturally, there were many people from Chu who had followed him to Changling.

  The way home was long, over many mountains and rivers. They had planned for the way home for more than a decade, and were prepared along the way with change of horses. They travelled day and night and reached this destination at half the usual time. Needless to say, everybody in the caravan was extremely exhausted.

  Yet, at the sight of the lofty mountain, and the flora carpeting it, all of the people from Chu were thunderstruck. Their bodies trembled uncontrollably, and many started to sob.

  The Wu Mountain was a natural barrier with many rapidly moving rivers. An army could not muster an ambush here. Usually, only merchant caravans traversed these roads, so on Li Lingjun’s journey back home, the last barrier of the Qin Dynasty was this Wu Mountain Fort guarded by hundreds of people. The Qin Dynasty and the Chu Dynasty’s most important strategic point was Yangshan Commandery, a breakpoint in the Wu Mountains. It cut deeply into the plains of the Chu Dynasty. The Yangshan Commandery had belonged to the Chu Dynasty since Yuanwu Year Three. Right now, the most important Qin military fort near the Wu Mountain Fort was the Cold Valley Fort, located just sixty miles from this place.

  Unhindered, they had travelled from Changling to here. This checkpoint too had clearly received the relevant orders. When they saw the exit document of this caravan, they were allowed to pass, no one even inspected the baggage of the accompanying members.

  When the caravan truly entered the path of the Wu Mountains carved by the passing horses and carriages, smelling the moist air of the Wu Mountains, Li Lingjun finally gave in to his emotions. He lifted the curtain and felt an impulse to kiss the earth of his homeland.

  Yet, the moment he lifted the window curtain, a grey-robed old man sitting in a carriage at the front of the caravan suddenly opened his eyes. The clouds above the caravan seemed to spin as though a dragon was about to burrow out.

  The expression of Li Lingjun and many other people in the caravan froze.

  Even as the clouds changed color above the caravan, a patch of clouds ahead was as still as a rock.

  It seemed that place had turned into a world belonging to one person. A middle-aged man dressed in blue gold patterned robes with a refined white jade hairpin in his hair appeared before everybody’s line of sight.

  The moment he appeared, all the dust in the forest seemed to be blown away and everything became unusually pristine.

  Feeling the flawless presence this person emanated, Li Lingjun’s breathing paused slightly. He deboarded the carriage without any hesitation and bowed slightly to this person. “Greetings to General Fan Wugou.”


  As soon as Li Lingjun’s words were heard, the expressions of all the cultivators in the caravan changed. They knew that if this person came with the intent to kill Li Lingjun, even the elder in the first carriage could not stop him.

  Fan Wugou was the master of Unsullied Palace, and also one of the strongest generals of the Chu Dynasty. His reputation and status was extremely close to the sect masters of the Qin Min Mountain Sword Sect and Spirit Void Sword Sect. And yet, he had appeared here today.

  “Do not be nervous. I came on orders to take you to meet someone.” Powerful people naturally possessed their own aura. Fan Wugou nodded in greeting and said as he turned around, “Come along with me.”


  Li Lingjun took a deep breath and nodded at the surrounding people. The spinning clouds above the caravan quickly disappeared as he followed Fan Wugou’s footsteps into the forest on the side.

  Fan Wugou showed no hint of murderousness, but the presence he gave off put tremendous pressure on Li Lingjun. After a few breaths, Li Lingjun’s hands started to sweat.

  “You have a good reputation in Changling, and I have also paid attention to your cultivation progress. In the past years, your progress has been exceptional, and surpassed almost all the disciples in my sect. But since five years ago, your cultivation progress has been unusually slow. Otherwise, by now, you should have entered realm seven. But you have not entered realm seven, and your energies are unbalanced …… Since you have returned, do not worry so much. You have to know, your cultivation is your foundation for whether you can survive in the world.”


  As he spoke slowly, Fan Wugou never once turned back.

  His slight tension, was evident on Li Lingjun’s face even as he sincerely said, “This junior has learned.”


  Fan Wugou stopped talking and continued to advance.

  He passed through the forest without any paths. The surroundings grew more wild. After a quarter of an hour, he and Li Lingjun appeared at a meadow in the mountain.

  With the mountains surrounding on three sides completely blocking off the cold wind, this place, clearly, was untouched by cold even in the winter.The unnamed grasses stood wait high here.

  At the center of this alpine meadow was a small pond. Around the pond were several enormous tents that appeared unusually bright and warm with lanterns inside.

  “The person who wants to see you is inside. You can walk over.” Fan Wugou said, coolly. He walked to the edge of the meadow and stood with his hands behind his back.

  How important a person would have Fan Wugou act as the welcoming committee?

  Li Lingjun thought of a possibility, but then dismissed it as impossible. His breathing accelerated. He did not dare to linger, and quickly walked into the meadow.

  The closer he got to the tents by the pond, the more shocked Li Lingjun was.

  The grass within thirty meters of the tents had been neatly cleared. The precious flowers covering the ground gave off a refreshing fragrance.

  What shone with light inside the tents were not lanterns, but bright pearls.

  Even the tent itself was pieced together with the hide of a white animal. Li Lingjun had never even seen this kind of animal before that would give off a unique fragrance.

  A retinue of maids dressed in palace attire walked out of the nearby tents when he came close and bowed gracefully to him. They then held open the curtain to one of the tents for him to enter.

  Li Lingjun’s breathing completely stopped.

  These tents were connected together, as if a courtyard.

  The interior of the tent was extremely beautiful, better than the best room in his establishment in Changling, and all the beautiful places in Changling.

  This kind of beauty could only appear in the Chu Dynasty’s imperial palace.

  Everything inside these many tents were the exact same as the beautiful palaces of the Chu Dynasty.

  In the centermost tent, a beautiful woman with a breathtaking figure , stood with her back to him.

  In front of the woman was a hot spring pool, whether man-made or natural, that emitted an enchanting white mist.

  Li Lingjun finally confirmed that what he thought was impossible had come true.

  He lowered his head almost in fear and after a moment’s hesitation said, “Mother-Queen.”


  “When you left the city of Cheng, you were still a child ……” A beautiful voice sounded. The stunning woman said slowly with a hint of emotion, “.……you do not have to hurry back to Cheng City right now. What you need to do is to accompany me to Deer Mountain and wait.”


  Li Lingjun’s breathing paused. He finally understood why this woman, who possessed endless power like Zheng Xiu, was here. He said in a trembling voice, “Is Father-King’s cavalcade about to arrive?”


  The stunning woman did not turn around. She only nodded and said, “It’s about time …… attend me into the bath.”


  Li Lingjun’s body trembled all over. His mind was blank.

  In the next moment, he started to understand what had happened.

  He finally understood what method Su Qin had employed for him to return to the Chu so easily.

  Yet, this kind of thing …… Su Qin hadn’t even told him!

  His mouth grew dry like he had swallowed sand.

  As the stunning woman waited for him, her soft body slowly became hard and cold due to his hesitation.

  Li Lingjun was filled with unspeakable emotion, but he knew what he should do at this moment.

  “Yes.” His heart was brimming with the desire to kill Su Qin, but his expression was just as warm as usual. He slowly walked forward, and his hands landed on the stunning woman’s shoulders.

  As the mist thickened, night started to gradually envelope the Wu Mountain.

  In the hot spring pool inside the tent, the water sounded like whispers.

  Translator Ramblings: I’m not sure if there’s a historical example of an emperor’s consort having relations with an emperor’s son but that feels like it is quite likely ……

  Volume 6 5 - Spend Money

  The bloody cloud dozens of feet wide and the headless corpse of the general landed behind Consort Zhao Xiang.

  Consort Zhao Xiang’s fist had no blood on it at all, as clean as white jade. She just kept steadily walking forward, towards the furiously charging cavalry.

  Three flying swords came howling down, attacking her forehead, chest, and back. As the flying swords came, so did four cultivators at the front. They jumped off the horses, the primal energies of the universe around them burning like flames and they were almost as fast as the three incoming flying swords. The three flying swords and the four cultivators formed a powerful formation, sealing off all paths of retreat.

  Facing the attacks from the three flying swords and the four cultivators, Consort Zhao Xiang’s steady steps did not change. However, the power surging off the ground from under her feet changed greatly, and caused her body to speed up.

  There were no extra movements. She just crashed forward. Her body collided with the flying sword, and then crashed into the four cultivators in front of her.

  The sword broke and the bone and flesh was destroyed. The three flying swords were all snapped in half, the bodies of the four cultivators turning to pieces of bone and flesh that flew outwards.

  Consort Zhao Xiang’s body passed through the bloody mist and kept on walking at her previous pace. Her face did not change at all, as though all this had nothing to do with her. Her skin appeared especially white and tender in the light of the bright phoenix robe, glowing and fragile like jelly. No one could relate this to the strongest metal alloy in the world.

  “So it is really her!”


  But the scene in this instant caused many cultivators who had still had doubts to dismiss them. Because all of the cultivators with some knowledge in the world knew that Consort Zhao Xiang cultivated the “Celestial Heavy Metal Body.” This method had once been thought of as very stupid and useless, just one for someone to get beat down, but she cultivated it to the extreme. Her body was her most terrifying weapon. She cultivated her body.

  Seeing the three flying swords snap when they hit her, and the four cultivators get crushed into flesh and bone, the Chu people behind her seemed to wake up.

  “Holy Empress Dowager!”


  The shouts that came at this time were like an avalanche.

  All of the Chu people who had stopped previously because of their shock started to run again. Their bodies were in a state of hot bloodedness where they forgot their tiredness and pain. Their feet stepped on the ground of cooling magma, the soles of their shoes burning, but they did not seem to feel the smoke coming from beneath their feet.

  The Chu army who was in a hard battle also shouted. At this moment, the tens of thousands of Chu soldiers and the seventy thousand “Chu refugees” seemed to merge into one.

  Consort Zhao Xiang crushed the incoming cavalry. Her fists attacked casually. As she moved, she was like an enormous scythe, easily cutting the troops apart from the middle and creating two waves of blood from the center.

  More sounds of blood and flesh being torn erupted.

  As the Chu people behind her flooded in, many Chu people fell down, but the elite Qin cavalry troop disappeared and drowned in the flood of people.

  Consort Zhao Xiang looked up. Her expression finally changed and showed a hint of pride. Then she raised her head and shouted, “Wei Wujiu! Old Wei, do you dare to fight me!”


  Her cultivation method was different from all other cultivators in the world. Her body was her lifebond item, and her body was peerlessly strong. When she shouted at the top of her lungs, her voice was enormous, and roared in the world like thunder. It even felt like it drowned out all the sounds of the battlefield.

  Other than the volume, her spirit was also vast. Her spirit was one of looking down on the world. She even dismissed the countless Qin soldiers below.

  “This woman is mad.”


  At the rear of the Qin troops, on a hill not far from where she was now, a troop slowly appeared. At the very front was an old and thin horse. On the old horse was Wei Wujiu, who she called Old Wei.

  After cursing, Wei Wujiu looked down, and seemed to say to himself scornfully, “This is a battle between armies. Do you think this is a conflict between gangsters just playing house?”


  The roar was like thunder, and carried far.

  No one responded.

  A scornful smile appeared faintly on Consort Zhao Xiang’s lips. Then she shouted again, “Wei Wujiu, Old Wei! Do you dare to fight!”


  “Wei Wujiu! Old Wei! Do you dare to fight!”


  “Wei Wujiu! Old Wei! Do you dare to fight!”


  Her three shouts echoed into the mountains. Her voice mixed together, and it sounded like there were countless people pointing and shouting at the battlefield. As she shouted, she did not stop walking. Her figure drew away from the seventy thousand Chu people madly running after her, and even Ji Xingbai was far behind.

  No one accepted the challenge.

  A great movement occurred in the Qin flank army she was facing. An enormous troop left the flank, and headed towards the lone woman like a giant tentacle.

  Ji Xingbai paled.

  Many of the small things on the ground in front of him started to jump off the ground due to the vibrations of the ground, and even small beads of blood were shaken off. Other than heavy things hitting the ground, the cause of the vibration was the vibration of energy.

  This was an enormous group of seal chariots. The energy contained in the chariots had been completely activated, and pulsed out freely from the seal scripts, and forming shadows of dragons and tigers around the chariots. These chariots seemed to be shrouded in dragons and tigers. They did not seem to be moving on the ground but flying in the air.

  The Qin chariots had been better than the other dynasties, and were made to fight against the powerful weapons of powerful cultivators. The battle was already so intense, but in the flank, there was such a strong troop that had been hidden so well. It was shocking.

  But what caused Ji Xingbai to feel cold all over was that there were iron chains behind these chariots pulling on multiple statues of celestials. Those were Chu weapons, the strongest Chu weapons of the Chu army.

  The appearance of these celestials were slightly different from the Chu’s strongest seal weapon “Flying Heaven” but were very similar. Even more importantly, even from far away, even with his cultivation, the primal energies of the universe coming off these celestials were almost the same as “Flying Heaven.”


  Volume 2 5 - Fierce Sword

  This chapter has been brought to you by me, and larkspur.

  The younger cultivator was a disciple of a certain hidden sect of the Qi. While young, he had already entered realm six and was a rare once-in-a-decade genius. He had just left his sect a short time ago so he could not avoid being proud, but as an expert, he managed to use full power as he shouted. His entire body seemed to wither like a flower.

  Black flames as thick as ink surged out of his hand. Within the black flame was a fist-sized black skull that appeared to have been pieced together from countless small crystal stones.

  As he shouted, this black skull seemed to come alive and give a sharp scream.

  The insects, birds and animals within the forest seemed to be given a fright. Still unknown of what had happened, they died due to this sharp sound. Their energy naturally left their bodies, and gathered towards the black skull.

  Countless sound waves turned into tangible lines in the air and fell towards the flying indigo figure like dancing zither strings.

  The indigo-robed cultivator flying in the air wore an aloof expression. Seeing the younger cultivator wither and the lines of sound flying through the air, he gave an extremely dismissive smile.

  "Blood Sacrifice Method. Fatal Sound of the Ghost King. You are from the Ghost Sound Sect."

  His body did not seem to move obviously. As he spoke, his breathing turned into tangible sword essences that carried astounding waves of energy which cut through all the sound lines charging towards him.

  The younger cultivator’s body shook. He seemed to be smashed by an invisible mountain. The black skull within the flames gave off repeated terrifying screams, and jerked around before hitting his palm.

  This black skull had originally come from the palm of the younger cultivator. It clearly had merged with the vital energy of his body already and become a lifebond item of his vital energy. But at this time, for some inexplicable reason, it could not merge with his body. With a snap, this skull collided fiercely with his palm like it was someone else’s weapon. His sleeve shattered into pieces and flew around his arm.

  The meridians in the young cultivator’s arm exploded like a piece of rope that could endure the weight.

  Before he could even scream, this young cultivator’s body flew backwards. Like a stone shot from a catapult, he smashed into the forest behind him.

  Only now did this indigo-robed cultivator, who was faster in the air than ordinary flying swords, finally reveal his sword.

  A thick sword shining with black light appeared in his hand. Its surface was covered in uneven patterns that appeared like dragon scales.

  The moment the older Qi cultivator saw this sword, he realized this person’s true identity.

  He knew that with the power he had just used, he would not be able to withstand this person’s sword blow. So the moment the two strange black flowers that were as tall as him formed, he threw the black bone staff in his hand towards the ground in front of him.

  The black bone staff exploded the moment it touched the ground in front of him to become countless triangular-shaped bone fragments. Each piece spun furiously and charged upwards.

  Black threads of light flowed in the cracks of these pieces. They criss-crossed to form a black beam of light with countless facets that charged towards the indigo-robed cultivator.

  The indigo-robed cultivator was still aloof, but the dismissive smile had disappeared.

  His longsword slashed without any finesse. Each scale on the sword lit up in succession like a lantern.

  When all the scales were lit, his sword gave off a dragon’s roar.

  A light that looked like metal sand appeared on the tip of his sword. A terrifying presence erupted.

  The metal sand expanded into a golden dragon.

  The golden dragon was enormous. It did not seem like those forms that were usually formed by seal scripts gathering the primal energies of the universe. This one seemed alive. Its scales were as bright as the purest of gold and also slightly transparent, giving off terrifying presence and lines of light.

  "This is the Dragon Scale Sword of the Fang Marquessate Establishment …… this person is the great Awesome General Fang Xiang …… how can he be so strong?"

  The younger Qi cultivator who had crashed through more than a dozen trees had just landed. He depressedly sat among a pile of scrap wood, his skeleton shattered. Looking at this golden dragon, he didn’t dare to believe his eyes and senses.

  The golden dragon dove down and consumed the black ray of light and the two black flowers.

  Its enormous body slide along the ground. The older Qi cultivator was drowned by golden flames. As the golden dragon brushed the ground, there were explosions and two thick balls of smoke erupted.

  "To be able to withstand my blow, it seems that you are Luo Chenkai of the Qi

  Energy Sect." The indigo-robed cultivator said slowly, as he landed on the ground and looked at the smoke.

  The older Qi cultivator’s figure slowly appeared amidst the smoke. Although he still stood upright, there were numerous tears in his clothing with streams of blood oozing out.

  As the indigo-robed cultivator’s calm and aloof voice made its way to his ears, the older Qi cultivator wiped beads of blood from his face. Emotionally, in a low voice, he said, "I thought that it may be a marquis or the Awesome General that would come, but I hadn’t expected you to be so strong."

  The Qin Dynasty only had one Awesome General, Fang Xiang of the Fang Marquessate Establishment. This indigo-robed cultivator was naturally Fang Xiang.

  Fang Xiang looked at this older Qi cultivator and said coolly, "The Fang Marquessate Establishment has been the leader of the thirteen marquessate establishments in Changling for many years. We did not rely on my younger brother who sat there for more than a decade."

  At this explanation, this older Qi cultivator stilled slightly and seemed to have a realization.

  "I received imperial orders to travel through here to Deer Mountain. This is a secret." Fang Xiang looked at him and said, "I want to know whence your information came."

  After a pause, Fang Xiang looked at his eyes and said seriously, "It is not easy for you to possess such cultivation. I am not greedy. If you reveal the source of your information, I will let you leave."

  The older Qi cultivator smiled slightly. The smile was exceptionally proud and determined.

  As a realm seven cultivator, he naturally possessed his own pride. Even though, due to some reasons, he had underestimated the strength of the incomer, he was well-aware of what the Qi Dynasty needed the most.

  For people like him, his own life was not as important as the glory and prosperity of a dynasty.

  "If you want to kill me, you will also pay a great price."

  The older Qi cultivator smiled as he looked at Fang Xiang and said, "You also know that since I came here, it is not just a simple test. The Deer Mountain Conference is about to start. Your emperor doesn’t need a general who cannot be at full power. He needs your support at your peak. So it is not a question of whether

  will let me leave, but if

  will let you leave."

  Fang Xiang nodded. Seeing this Qi cultivator who treated death as his home, he said calmly, "You speak some truth. But you are wrong about one thing. If I want to keep you here, I do not necessarily have to be the one to fight."

  This Qi cultivator seemed to suddenly sense something and looked in disbelief at the mountain path behind Fang Xiang.

  Fang Xiang had flown through in moments, but now the carriage that had carried him was on the mountain path not far behind Fang Xiang.

  The two racing horses had eyes shining with blood light. Their hooves started to burn with blood red flame.

  Even more shockingly, they were still dragging the carriage.

  There were countless black insects on the two charriage wheels. The wings of the black insects vibrated powerfully, their power enough to support the weight of the carriage.

  This carriage was completely floating in the air, several inches off the earth and racing ahead.

  "Peculiar Insect Path!"

  At the sight of the scene before him, the older Qi cultivator finally sensed the power source behind the unusual change of the carriage - the carriage-driver.

  The younger cultivator who was sitting among the pieces of wood shouted in pain.

  He watched in tears as his chest erupted like a split watermelon. A dark red insect buzzed out of his split flesh and charged towards the back of the older Qi cultivator like a flying sword.

  The older Qi cultivator furiously inhaled.

  As he breathed, the air around him suddenly produced black

  energy visible to the naked eye.

  The black

  energy furiously flooded his body. His body did not expand, but turned even more compact. His flesh shrank back, turned black, and wrapped tightly around his bones.

  The large dark red insect attacked his back, but he did not move at all. Instead, the dark red insect that had the power of a flying sword was crushed into powder.

  At this time, the two mutant horses whinnied as the entire carriage flew over his head.

  Thunder seemed to roar through the air. Suddenly, the driver wrapped the whip around the older Qi cultivator.

  The black energy outside the Qi cultivator’s body vibrated and the black whip shattered into pieces.

  However, the pupils of the Qi cultivator contracted. He saw that the split pieces of the whip were long black insects the thickness of a finger.

  "Corpse Feeding Demon Insects!"

  The Qi cultivator recognized these long black insects, but had no time to make any movements. Dozens of long black insects leapt towards his body that was stronger than metal. In a flash, many holes appeared on his body as black energy burst out.

  He looked in disbelief at the holes in his body and slowly fell forward.

  Fang Xiang’s body had already landed back on the carriage.

  he said, coldly to himself as he entered the cabin.

  Translator Ramblings: Sometimes this third-person limited pointed of view narration really confuses me because the author refers to characters by physical appearance and not the names. It makes sense not naming people if they are going to die within 5 chapters or so, but then you get into situations where there is "Qi/Chu/Qin cultivators" in different chapters referring to different people.

  Also, I usually wouldn’t translate a general’s title but …… awesome.

  Volume 4 6 - Willing to Lose

  “Celestial Pivot! Seven Wheels!”


  A harsh military order sounded.

  Dozens of blinding blue light exploded among the army. Dozens of swordsmen seemed to become weightless in these blue rays, immediately falling down around Bai Shanshui. Dozens of sword lights, carrying sharp killing intent, illuminated the air around Bai Shanshui like it was made out of crystal.

  “They say that no dynasty can compare to the Qin army in terms of fearlessness.”


  “Supposedly, when the Ba Mountain Sword Field fought back then, they were fearless and always charged at the front, creating this style of yours.”


  “But in the end? You people destroyed the Ba Mountain Sword Field yourselves.”


  “In the past, you were the weak Qin. Everyone fought desperately so they would not be destroyed by stronger dynasties. But after the Qin destroyed three dynasties, you have become the strong Qin. You are fighting with your lives now for Emperor Yuanwu or that Jiaodong woman who stole the fruits of the Ba Mountain Sword Field?”


  Bai Shanshui ignored them as she spoke mockingly and walked forward.

  All these swords lights, that came from different directions and sealed all the space around her, landed behind her.

  She swung her sword forward. A ruler-straight green light charged forward against the ground like the tail of a shark, and cut through the entire army. A deep sword mark was left on the ground.

  In the next moment, astounding sounds of water came from this sword mark.

  Boom!

  An enormous white wave formed out of air like a white dragon. It charged forward while Bai Shanshui, hand behind her back, stood upon the wave.

  This enormous wave knocked away countless fearless Dongling soldiers as it advanced. Even the heavy seal chariots spread to the two sides like floating wood in water.

  The dozens of swordsmen behind Bai Shanshui had extremely unpleasant expressions. All of their attacks had missed, and they were even able to withstand the power of this wave. They could only watch as Bai Shanshui broke through the formation without being delayed at all.

  “Official Shen, you will still not act?”


  The commander saw his Dongling Army seemingly cut in half and turned around with an ugly expression. He knew that Bai Shanshui was more terrifying than in the rumors, and the Dongling Army would not be able to defeat her now.

  Even the most fearless subordinate would not let all his subordinates fall by Bai Shanshui’s sword. There was no meaning.

  Shen Xuan knew how this Dongling commander felt now. But facing the request, he shook his head and coldly said, “Changling does not belong to my jurisdiction. My only duty is to guarantee the safety of the Great Floating Water Prison, prevent the prisoners from being rescued, and stop them from dying before the execution order.”


  Before the Dongling commander could become angry, Shen Xuan’s cold face disappeared from his sight. The heavy gate fell down between him and Shen Xuan.

  Many gates were said to be thirty thousand catties heavy. Yet in Changling, and even in the Qin Dynasty, no gate was as secure as this Thirty Thousand Catties Gate of the Great Floating Water Prison.

  So when the gates landed, and the dust brought by the wave of air hit his face, the commander did not even have the fury to pull out his sword and slash at the door. Bone-chilling cold spread through his heart.

  Bai Shanshui was coming on the wave. He was right in front of Bai Shanshui.

  The commander took a deep breath. A blue lifebond sword appeared in his hand. He tightly gripped this sword, but then his hand and body trembled violently. Not because of terror and the arrival of death. But he was certain even if he died, the Dongling soldiers on the two sides of the wave would constantly charge towards Bai Shanshui. They would all die.

  At this moment, he hesitated about sending a military order for the army to retreat. He would use his death and the humiliation he would surely endure in exchange for the lives of his subordinates……

  Before the soaring sword essence reached him, his clothes were already soaked. This was purely a difference in strength. He could not understand how the moisture could reach his body with the energy of his lifebond sword shielding him.

  He finally decided to speak and have this already crippled army retreat before his death.

  But then the enormous sword essence did not land directly. Bai Shanshui’s voice sounded softly by his ear.

  “Just a moment, I will not kill your subordinates, you will not stop me.”


  This Dongling commander stilled. Before he could understand the meaning in the words, the terrifying sword essence arrived.

  Boom!

  His eardrums felt pain. Then his mind rang with an explosion. His body was thrown backwards without being able to resist. He hit the gates hard, and then was bounced into the air. He threw up a spray of blood.

  Even so, the commander felt he was not dead.

  The blow had been enough to kill him, but he had not died.

  **

  Shen Xuan walked slowly inside the Great Floating Water Prison. Behind the Thirty Thousand Catties Gate was another door closing behind him. As he passed on the path, water seeped out of the cracks in the rocks on the sides and covered the stone path he was walking on.

  The water from the stone on the two sides inexplicably flowed upwards, and flashed with silver light. His steps were measured.

  The cart carrying Zhang Shiwu had been sent deep into Great Floating Water Prison. When the Dongling commander hit the gates, it was like a bell had rung out inside the prison; the sound waves constantly moved, rushing into its depths.

  There were three gates to the Great Floating Water Prison. One was an invisible gate, transparent light flashed in the darkness and blocked the external sounds. Yet this light could only block the sounds that people could hear with their ears, and protect the messages passed in, but could not stop the sound from spreading elsewhere, for example …… deep underground……

  In the dim underground yin river, the surging and pressurized black water seemed to wash away everything in its path.

  But in this yin river, a figure like scorching metal stood quietly.

  When the sound of the crash reached the underground, when a burst of strange vibrations appeared in the underground river, this small body as vast as a mountain suddenly moved.

  With one movement, it was like an enormous furnace had been set up in the yin river. An enormous ball of fire stood in the pitch black yin river, expanding rapidly as though it was going to consume the yin river.

  The scorching fire and steam slapped away all water. A blinding fire charged towards the hard rock in front of the figure.

  In the black rock, there was a small vent that occasionally would give off one or two bubbles. When the fire charged into the small vent, and made contact with the bubbles, it formed a terrifying power that charged inwards at unimaginable speed.

  Countless red hot cracks appeared on the hard black stone. The cracks spread outwards and rocks started to fall! The cut surface of the falling rocks flowed with fire red liquid, magma.

  The rock layer collapsed upwards like an enormous mountain. The red-hot shadow passed through the falling rocks as it moved upwards.

  In front of her, when the rocks stopped falling, was a patch of metal. Iron pillars as thick as a child’s arm stopped her path.

  Without any hesitation, she passed straight through.

  She was like an enormous sword of fire that cut through these iron pillars.

  The pillars were broken!

  Zzt zzt zzt zzt ……

  At the same time, the water in each of the dim dark cells in the Great Floating Water Prison started to make unusual sounds and bubbled. The fiery red figure continued to advance. Blinding silver light appeared ahead of her.

  The silver light illuminated her thin and lonely figure.

  She was naturally Zhao Si of the Zhao Sword Furnace.

  Volume 5 6 - Make Her Lonely

  Wu Lianzi was shocked as were Li Xixing and Hu Jingjing.

  Seal scripts, pictures, and the characters of sword manuals were the hardest to understand. Yet if someone could annotate the true essence, then even some profound sword manuals would not be hard for cultivators with lesser comprehension to understand.

  In many of Changling’s cultivation places at present, many sword manuals were cryptic and hard to understand because they were the secret treasures of their sects. Many of them were passed down through a single line, from master to student. If something were to happen, either to the master or the student, then even if the sword manual were passed down in writing, the future members of the sect may not be able to comprehend it. For example, the Treasure Light Temple Hu Jingjing was from. The true essence of the most important sword manual of Treasure Light Temple had been passed on to Hu Jingjing. If Hu Jingjing were to die on the plains, even if other disciples of Treasure Light Temple saw the sword manual record, they may not be able to comprehend it.

  In reality, from ancient times to now, many great skills, kept secret so they would not be spread, were lost in the end. The past Tianliang was a stunning empire. Just from the remaining power of the Peerless Wind and Rain Sword, they could know just what wealth the sword manuals left behind by the Tianliang experts were.

  “This is indeed enough.”


  Wu Lianzi could not stop his voice from trembling. He had wanted to ask why Ding Ning would do this, but when he thought how the other was the Nine Death Silkworm, he immediately knew the question was unnecessary. He hesitated for a moment and took a deep breath. He tried to make himself calmer and also so his voice would be more respectful. “Then, Sir, what do you wish for me to do?”


  “Keep the secret for me.” Ding Ning looked at him and said, slow and serious. “Do not let anyone know that the Nine Death Silkworm is in me, unless I announce to the world myself.”


  Wu Lianzi nodded. Even though his injuries were extremely serious right now, and every drop of blood was precious, he still used a small dagger to slice his palm and swear to the heavens. Having taken the most solemn oath of the Wuzhi, Wu Lianzi kept on looking at Ding Ning. To him, for his life and a great treasure like the ancestral mountain, just purely keeping a secret for this man was clearly not enough.

  Ding Ning looked calmly at him. Of course he understood the meaning in the youth’s presently simple database. But he did not say what he wanted, instead asking Wu Lianzi, “As an imperial son of Wuzhi, what do you want the most?”


  The stories about that person in Changling, even in the distant Wuzhi and Donghu, were legends. After seeing people like Gu Huai and Zhan Moke die in front of Ding Ning, he felt even more awe. So he did not think of anything else. After a moment of daze, he started to seriously ponder Ding Ning’s question.

  “I want Wuzhi to continue to survive, so our people can live without fear on the plains. So they do not have to worry about being consumed and enslaved by the Qin Dynasty or others,” he thought for a moment and said first.

  “If I can win against Yuanwu and Zheng Xiu, I can guarantee this,” Ding Ning said.

  No one felt that Ding Ning was joking. In a sense, Ding Ning did not just represent the Nine Death Silkworm, but also all of Ba Mountain Sword Field. Especially, in a sense, the lands of the Qin Dynasty were Ba Mountain Sword Field’s.

  Wu Lianzi started to understand Ding Ning’s meaning. He struggled to lift his head and met Ding Ning’s calm gaze. He said softly, “So Sir hoped I …… the Wuzhi will give enough support in the future fight between you against Yuanwu and Zheng Xiu.”


  Ding Ning met his gaze and said sincerely, “I do not just hope to become friends with you, but with all of Wuzhi. But your will now is not the will of all of Wuzhi. You must guarantee that the future Wuzhi will listen to you, and not people like Zhan Moke.”


  Wu Lianzi understood the meaning of Ding Ning’s words. He thought for a moment and said, “You mean that I must first take control of all of Wuzhi.”


  “The sword manuals in the ancestral lands are not just a gift to the Wuzhi queen dowager but also to you.” Ding Ning looked at Wu Lianzi whose expression grew solemn and said slowly, “I hope to put some of the most important sword manuals on you.”


  Wu Lianzi had seen many shocking things today, but he was still stunned at hearing Ding Ning’s words.

  “The Peerless Wind and Rain Sword was a powerful and careful person, and also a great one.” Looking towards to sky, Ding Ning slowly said, “The reason we were able to defeat the Peerless Wind and Rain Sword was because his sword manual was on the stone beasts and steles outside.”


  Hu Jingjing could not help but say, “Then why?”


  “Essence.” Ding Ning said simply and then added, looking at her, “Only those who can comprehend the essence of the sword path can truly comprehend his sword manual. Those who are able to comprehend his sword manual naturally are close to his state of mind, or rather, through the vast sword essence, understand him.”


  Hu Jingjing immediately reacted: “So he did not fear people comprehending his sword essence, because those who did will understand him.”


  “Those who agree with him will not be like Zhan Moke, wanting to take the elixir of life.” Ding Ning nodded. He looked at Shen Xuan and Wu Lianzi, saying “Many people in the world actually want recognition and life and death together.”


  “But — ” Hu Jingjing glanced at Wu Lianzi, hesitant to speak.

  Li Xixing glanced at her and said, “Say it.”


  “My master said to me, people will always change. At different stages, people will have different ways of thinking and some people will even grow unfamiliar.” Hu Jingjing paused for a moment and said, “Even a blood oath, I still feel uneasy. Because we have paid, yet he has nothing he bet on our side.”


  Wu Lianzi had lost a lot of blood, but at Hu Jingjing’s words, his face still turned blood red. As he was about to argue, Li Xixing shook his head and said coldly, “No need, I believe him.”


  Hu Jingjing was stunned. Wu Lianzi was stunned as well.

  Li Xixing sneered. “He’s the queen dowager’s most favored royal prince, and may become the crown prince. An important person like him, for a mere steed, put himself in danger, and chased me. Of all of Wuzhi’s royal sons, who, other than this idiot, will do that?”


  Hu Jingjing was stunned for a long moment. She recalled why Li Xixing had been chased here. She realized, Li Xixing’s confidence came from the fact he and Wu Lianzi were the same kind of people.

  Wu Lianzi was not angry at all at being called an idiot. He felt moved for some unknown reason. His hate of Li Xixing faded, replaced with another indescribable feeling. He had a deeper understanding of the “agreement” that Ding Ning spoke of.

  “Your Changling has a saying, gentleman die for those that know them.” He looked up at Ding Ning and Li Xixing, saying seriously, “I can die for you.”


  Then he leaned forward, touched the ground and bowed to Ding Ning, saying, “Teacher.”


  For him, regardless of whether Ding Ning recognized him, Ding Ning taught him the Tianliang sword manuals, and taught him the Peerless Wind and Rain Sword. So in his mind, Ding Ning was his teacher.

  Translator Ramblings: Li Lixing is really the same…… he got exiled over the death of a dog.