Chapter Eighty-One: Uproot
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无罪 update:2022-07-21 15:26
The anxiousness of the Master of Fire came from his terror of the Ba Mountain Sword Field and the Nine Death Silkworm, but his violence came from his extreme confidences. He thought if the Nine Death Silkworm really had the ability to come back to life, and if even the fire he cultivated could not destroy the Nine Death Silkworm, no matter how many cultivators came to destroy the remains, it was useless.
When the red-robe encountered the white-robe, and he saw the face of the cultivator, he paled and shouted, “Crown Prince Yugou!”
Even Ye Xiao, on the verge of unconsciousness, heard the great shock in the Master of Fire’s voice.
Even he came?
This was Ye Xiao’s first thought.
This white-robed cultivator was similar to Yuanwu in features and figure, because he himself was Yuanwu’s brother, just from another mother. He was the eighth son of the previous emperor of the Qin. After the imperial son, the one who had been the most favored by the Qin emperor, died after fighting with Yuanwu, Yuanwu had not easily become the crown prince.
Originally, the previous emperor did not want to make Yuanwu the crown prince, and in an edict which had been created, Cheng Jiao had been the crown prince candidate he had chosen, to restrain Yuanwu and the Ba Mountain Sword Field.
There were many stories about this crown prince among the people. They said that he was born with jade in his mouth and received Heaven’s blessing. But regardless of the stories, he had been defeated even faster than Yuanwu’s previous enemies.
Before the edict had even been sent out, he disappeared from Changling.
There were two reasons that the Master of Fire was so shocked. First, he had been one of the old people of Changling who had experienced the many battles back then. As one of Yuanwu’s closest confidants, and the person who cleaned up in the end, he knew the reason that this Crown Prince Yugou had been defeated was because he cultivated a powerful but evil ghostly path, and because he was in such a hurry, he went mad.
The other reason was, regardless of the story, this Crown Prince was dead. But now he was alive. Clearly, the Crown Prince was the other cultivator he was waiting for to make sure the Nine Death Silkworm was killed.
Regardless of whether it was him or this Crown Prince Yugou, the reason that they appeared so quickly outside the formation was because of Zheng Xiu and Yuanwu’s arrangements. The spring war against the Chu had just been a trap to lure out the Nine Death Silkworm. If there were any surprises, it was that Fu Su was also trapped in here.
Strictly speaking, Crown Prince Yugou was Yuanwu and Zheng Xiu’s enemy. Why was he being used by Yuanwu and Zheng Xiu?
“Do not doubt my intentions in coming.”
When Crown Prince Yugou came close, it was possible to see that the white bamboo staff in his hand was made from fine white jade carved like bamboo. His expression was calm, but his presence was like all other cultivators who cultivated the ghostly path, dark and cold. He looked at the Master of Fire, two dots of white energy flashing in his eyes like two small skeletons were talking. “Since I am able to appear here, it means that Yuanwu and Zheng Xiu trust me, so you do not need to worry.”
After a pause, this Crown Prince Yugou looked at the dust mountains and said icily, “In terms of hate, I hate Wang Jingmeng and the Ba Mountain Sword Field far beyond everyone else.”
The Master of Fire slowly nodded. He took a deep breath so he could quickly calm down and said, “To have both of us come, we must have our own uses. What should we do?”
“The essence fire you cultivate can find any drop of blood from a cultivator, and burn everything that had the cultivator’s presence into dust. Even the ash would be burned up.” Crown Prince Yugou said coldly, “If that is not enough to destroy the Nine Death Silkworm, then we will stop the Nine Death Silkworm from leaking out. You can find every drop of flesh and blood, turning it to dust. Then I have a way to gather all the dust. I do not believe, when the dust is trapped in my staff, the Nine Death Silkworm will have something left in the world. Even if the dust can come back to life in my staff, I will destroy it. If it comes back to life a hundred times, I will kill it a hundred times.”
When the Crown Prince said the last words, his expression was still very cold, but everyone heard the great hatred in his words.
The Master of Fire did not know what had happened in the past to make the Crown Prince hate so much. But the flesh, blood and vital energy of the cultivator was accumulated through energy. When there was no energy left, no matter how magical the Nine Death Silkworm was, there naturally was no possibility of coming back to life. If there were no more hidden dangers, he would feel assured.
“You can enter formation,” the old woman in yellow robes from Jiaodong Commandery urged coolly.
She was just an old woman, but she was the most senior person in Jiaodong Commandery, she was Zheng Xiu’s great-grandmother. She had lived longer than any expert of the same generation in Jiaodong Commandery. She knew whether or not something would succeed would depend on being timely and not having any other troubles.
Right now, many cultivators had not arrived, and many cultivators were blocked outside. While Qing Yaoyin had killed an academian of the imperial palace to enter, he must not have had an easy time to win. So many serpents had entered. Other than Qing Yaoyin, who else in the formation still had the ability to fight?
On her side, there were three people who could enter the formation to win, the Master of Fire, Crown Prince Yugou, and her. Regardless of other cultivators who may come later, that would be after victory was determined, and there was no more meaning.
“Enough.” Crown Prince Yugou looked at her and the Master of Fire, nodding and expressing his agreement. He had come here originally just to see if the people who should come here had arrived.
In the next moment, white waves appeared under his feet. A very uncomfortable dark energy formed the shape of a bone ship under his feet. It moved along the waves like it was sliding along the wind and moved at astounding speed towards the dust mountains.
It was hard for other cultivators to get close to this kind of ghost energy. The Master of Fire frowned slightly. Flames shot around him, and he stayed several dozen feet away from Crown Prince Yugou.
Above them, there came the cry of a crane.
The yellow-robed woman rode a red-crowned crane, and looked like the immortals in the stories, shrouded in clouds.
The red-crowned crane’s feathers were as bright as platinum, and the clouds were surging out of its body. Its energies were so strong it was equal to the soaring snakes, and it was also a rare being.
There was a muffled bang.
The dust mountains shook, and a hole seemed to be torn open in the formation. Dust sprayed out, but as the three entered, the dust pulled back, and the dust mountains returned to stillness.
Volume 3 81 - Fear
“You woke up at least eight hours earlier than I expected.”
An ordinary voice reached Ding Ning’s ears when he woke up.
The person who had spoken had ordinary features, the kind that would not attract attention if he walked on the streets outside. However, he had an illustrious yet terrifying past. He was one of the strongest people in Min Mountain Sword Sect, the “Person Chef” Geng Ren.
Ding Ning slowly turned his head. He looked at Geng Ren who stood by his bedside without much expression. He said seriously, “Thank you very much.”
Geng Ren nodded and said, “You are welcome. You can call me Sect Uncle.”
Ding Ning nodded and said, “Sect Uncle.”
Geng Ren gave a small smile, and then pointed to the left side of Ding Ning’s bed. “Ordinarily, reading when seriously injured is very harmful, but you are not ordinary so you can read this first.”
There was a thin book placed next to Ding Ning’s pillow. It was made out of ordinary silk pages, clearly a handwritten copy, not a rare ancient book. But if any other cultivator of Changling saw the name of this book, they would be stunned.
“Seven Booktrunks of Cultivation”, Ding Ning saw the name on the cover of the book but did not show the joy that Geng Ren had expected.
He thought for a moment and then looked at Geng Ren. “I want to return to Changling first.”
Geng Ren looked with surprise at Ding Ning. He thought that Ding Ning did not know what this manual was and explained gently. “This Seven Booktrunks of Cultivation is the introductory cultivation manual of Min Mountain Sword Sect, and also the main manual for vital energy. The most profound cultivation methods of Min Mountain Sword Sect are all based on the movements of this main manual.”
Ding Ning shook his head and said, “I know what kind of manual this is…… I also know the Seven Booktrunks of Cultivation is one of the most secret records of Min Mountain Sword Sect. Even in Min Mountain Sword Sect, only some disciples have the opportunity to study it, and come into contact with the secret manuals that truly represent Min Mountain Sword Sect’s spirit.”
Geng Ren was even more shocked. But he did not know why Ding Ning wanted to return to Changling. He looked seriously at Ding Ning’s eyes and said, “You should know you do not have much time.”
“Right now, all of Changling is shaking because of your victory, but this has allowed them to miss a truth.”
Geng Ren paused and then said gently, “For other people, winning the Min Mountain Sword Trials means a golden future, but they have missed the fact your energies are too strong and you have to hurry.”
Ding Ning looked calmly at him and said, “I know.”
Geng Ren nodded and said patiently, “I know with your understanding, it may be fast to comprehend a method like this, but you may not know some things…… some of the Min Mountain Sword Sect’s arts are not the same as other ones, or very different.”
Ding Ning looked at him but said nothing.
Geng Ren looked at him and said slowly, “While Min Mountain Sword Sect has many means that other sects cannot rival and have accumulated many things ordinary cultivation places do not have, some things are limited by one’s strength. Based on your present physical condition, there is only one method to resolve your illness.”
Ding Ning knew the method he spoke of. The meaning of this method to him surpassed even the legendary Lonely Mountain Sword Hoard. So, even when he guessed that Geng Ren was going to speak of this method, when he truly heard Geng Ren speak, his breathing grew faster, and his body trembled minutely out of his control.
Geng Ren looked at Ding Ning’s eyes and said in an even more serious and slow tone, “This method is unique in creating another energy sea, and that energy sea is used like the organs of the body, and even replace some of the utility of one’s organs. Yet it is not just hard to cultivate, its cultivation method must open many meridian points. Opening each meridian point requires time.”
“There are only a few people in Min Mountain Sword Sect who have managed to choose and comprehend this method.”
Geng Ren grimaced and said, “Even more importantly, not all Min Mountain Sword Sect cultivators qualify to choose this method. There are nine levels on the Sword Tower. One must make enough contributions to Min Mountain Sword Sect in order to go up a level.”
Ding Ning took a deep breath and said, “Since this method is so important, it must be in the tallest level of the Min Mountain Library. So…… I must achieve a great contribution to Min Mountain Sword Sect to see it?”
Geng Ren nodded.
Ding Ning said, “An exception cannot be made?”
“These are the rules of Min Mountain Sword Sect.” Geng Ren grimaced. “In Min Mountain Sword Sect, only what cannot be broken are called rules.”
“Everyone abides by the rules. Min Mountain Sword Sect is much better than Changling,” Ding Ning said after a moment of silence.
Geng Ren thought that Ding Ning would have such a lament due to the history of White Goat Cave. He did not discuss it and said, “Since you know this, you should take care of your time.”
Looking at the book, Ding Ning said, “If possible, Sect Uncle, please prepare a carriage for me. I will start reading on the carriage.”
Geng Ren stilled and then nodded. “You have a different status now. Since you are determined to return to Changling, you need more than just one carriage prepared.”
Liang Lian slowly sat up on his bed.
His breathing had calmed down not long after he woke up. As his expression turned cold again, his breathing deliberately turned disorderly. Then, he coughed violently until bloody foam came out.
Footsteps sounded.
A deputy general in black armor lifted the curtain and entered.
Liang Lian looked at this deputy general who should have been waiting outside the tent. His gaze did not change. He waved his hand and said, “Have the advisor come in.”
This deputy general bowed his head, eyes flashing as he retreated.
A few moments later, the tent was opened again. The flapping of the war banners outside grew louder as the black robed Qi Pomo appeared in front of Liang Lian.
Liang Lian stopped coughing and looked coldly at Qi Pomo, saying, “What about those two?”
Qi Pomo gave a respectful shallow bow and said, “The unknown cultivator has entered the Great Floating Water Prison, Bai Shanshui escaped.”
Liang Lian stopped breathing and then coughed violently again. He threw up another mouthful of bloody mist.
Qi Pomo looked up and was about to speak when he seemed to feel a coldness from the deepest part of the world attack his mind. His expression immediately changed. He pushed off with his feet, his body flying backwards. At the same time, a multi-colored thin sword that looked like a plum branch with snow shot out of his right sleeve!
The large tent swelled up due to the sudden power, and gave off a tremendous explosion!
Liang Lian’s expression was cold as he sat motionlessly.
There was a clanging sound in front of him as his lifebond sword flowed like a black dragon out of the sea, immediately pushing away the thin flying sword coming out of Qi Pomo’s sleeve and stabbing into Qi Pomo’s body.
With a clatter, dozens of tears appeared on the tent as visible waves of energy spread.
With a scream, Qi Pomo’s body fell through the air and fell in front of the tent entrance along with the curtains.
Plop!
Liang Lian vomited blood again.
The blood was bright red. It had brought along more serious injuries.
Qi Pomo’s chest had been torn apart by this blow, his shattered bones and organs exposed to the air. Yet he had not died. He looked with great disbelief and unwillingness, pieces of flesh and blood pouring out of his mouth as he said, “Why?”
“I understand you too well,”
Liang Lian looked coldly at the bright red bloodstains and then looked down, “You and I are the only survivors of many battles and the most skilled at pursuing survival.”
“You are also familiar with the places I am familiar with. If I kill you…… I am the only person familiar with the places outside the forts. She wants you to replace me. Now that I have killed you, I am the only person who can lead an army at a place like that.”
“I die, you live, or rather, you die, I live.”
“You are a very smart person but you are not vicious enough and too slow. Even more importantly, your cultivation is far lesser. So, for these many years, even though we both survived, I am a general, and you are still just an advisor.”
Hearing this cold voice, Qi Pomo let out his final painful breath.
Liang Lian did not even look at his corpse nor at the soldiers who had come at the noise and were shocked speechless. He thought coldly of that perfect and cold woman.
He said to himself, I climbed out of the corpse pile. I managed to walk that kind of bloody path in Changling in those years…… I have a dogged life. It is not so easy to make me die.
The war banners flapped in the wind and covered his voice.
Volume 5 81 - The Elixir of Life
The highest commander of an army would have a decisive role in the outcome of a war. This was not just about cultivation or courage, but temperament. Sometimes, slight hesitation could affect key battles. Increasing morale and having an army willing to fight to the death was dependent on the confidence the general gave his soldiers, and his own personal charisma.
Even in the Chu Dynasty, many people did not have confidence in Tang Mei who had been in retirement for many years now.
The Qin Dynasty armies had been famed for their bravery many years ago, especially during the time when the generals of the Ba Mountain Sword Field led them. The Qin Dynasty had not been as strong as now, nor had such vast lands and abundant supplies. Their population had been much less. That had shown in the military. Even though they used all their power to feed the army, they were much less than the Han, Zhao and Wei dynasties, even in ordnance.
So, in the multiple battles of the Ba Mountain’s rise, the Qin armies mostly relied on powerful cultivators, and they usually were at a disadvantage in terms of numbers. The classic example of thousands winning against tens of thousands had occurred many times.
Now, in the thirteenth year of Yuanwu, Ba Mountain Sword Field had been gone for many years, but the number of powerful cultivators in the Qin Dynasty far surpassed other dynasties. Changling seemed to have the fate of heaven, and possessed countless talented cultivators.
People in the world could not imagine, when the ratio of powerful cultivators was higher than before, when the Qin army was of the same number as the enemy, how the Qin armies would perform. At least, in the battles against the Wuzhi, even though the Wuzhi started with a mad initial attack that took the Qin armies off guard and won a great victory, when large numbers of Changling cultivators arrived in later battles, the Wuzhi armies quickly could not hold on, and used the cold to retreat deep into the tundra.
Not many had good outlooks on the Chu Dynasty. The direct reaction was on the long Chu-Qin border. There were many border cities and inspection points on the Qin side. There were also some small towns that armies and carriages could not reach and were only known to horse bandits on secret paths. Each day, they received many caravans returning from the Chu.
There were only a few caravans returning from the Qin Dynasty to the Chu. This meant that in the view of these caravans and some of the border residents, when the war started, the fires of war would spread inside the Chu borders. The Chu Dynasty armies would not be able to withstand the invasion of the Qin army, so it was safer to move their home to the side of the Qin Dynasty. Otherwise, where the two armies fought, there likely would be nothing growing there.
The mountain town of Hongyan was one of the northernmost by the Yan Mountain. This town was named for its red salt. Ordinary carriages could not reach this place. Only the horse bandits moving along secret paths created on the steep cliffs could come here.
This mountain town had no fields to farm and had inconvenient transport. They were connected to the outside world through climbing the mountain on foot, or walking the goat path created on the steep slopes. The reason they became a settlement was due to the underground red brine.
The red brine could be used to make salt. Salt was extremely important for people and animals. Within hundreds of miles, there were no other places that could produce salt. So Hongyan Town relied on the women pumping and carrying salt and creating salt fields to dry salt. The work had continued for thousands of years.
The herders and farmers transported meat and grain here through the horse bandits, and traded for large amounts of red salt. Hongyan Town was a very secret trading post. Even though it was hard to reach, but because there were no better places within hundreds of miles, so many of the horse bandits may rest here and get some supplies, even if they did not trade here. If they had enough space, they would even carry some red salt. Once the red salt was carried out, they would be worth at least double.
The war was about to start. Most herders had driven their animals to the high plateaus of Yin Mountain and so few horse bandit caravans were passing by. Ding Ning, Zhangsun Qianxue, and the old monk who came here from the Donghu border seemed very unusual.
But in this northernmost area of Chu, because it was a poor area, traded with Donghu and Wuzhi so the customs were similar. In the eyes of the ordinary people, most ascetic monks had extraordinary power due to their cultivation. These ascetic monks, during their travels, would use valuable energy to heal the people if they were asked. So the ascetic monks were respected in the eyes of the border people. Some people would use their best things to support these ascetic monks.
The older the monk, and the more extraordinary the air they had, they seemed to have higher merit in the eyes of these people. So when the old monk guided Ding Ning and Zhangsun Qianxue here, they received the highest treatment.
The people of Hongyan Town did not just give them snow salt — a very pure salt crystal formed on the top wooden slats of the salt wells. The snow salt had some of the primal energies of the universe, and in Changling, would sell for an astounding price. Hearing the old monk was just passing by, these people also gave many of their best horses, and enough food and drinking water.
The old monk refused the guide for he himself was the best guide. In his earliest years of cultivation, he had walked over many places of Yin Mountain, entering Chu or Qin from this place.
These devout people chose horses that were used to the little paths on the steep inclines and walked steadily. It was very dangerous at many places, just inches away from hundreds of meters of empty space with stones or white water near the bottom.
Ding Ning’s body moved up and down with the horse, but his hands were steady as he opened a large silver box filled with snow salt. His right index and middle fingers went into the salt, then he took out a piece of paper and read it.
Hongyan Town was a place he had to pass through. One was because this was the shortcut to reach Chu the fastest. Also, this was an intelligence center of the Wuzhi. There were Wuzhi people among the horse bandits that passed through here, and would bring some military intelligence here. To make the best judgements about the situation, one needed as much information as possible, and to calculate the possible changes that would occur during the time the information reached them.
Ding Ning carefully read the packed characters on the paper, and then handed it to Zhangsun Qianxue.
Zhangsun Qianxue read it quickly and nodded at his back. “The higher the status, the more they know, the worse their outlook on the Chu Dynasty. In a few short days, there have been several rebellions in the Yan and Chu. While the previous rebellion and these minor rebellions are just ones that Zheng Xiu was purposefully showing the people, this lets everyone know that she also had preparations in the Yan and Qi. While Chu, Yan and Qi have an agreement to move together, Yan and Qi would be wary. Even if they sent large numbers of cultivators, the Yan and Qi emperors will keep the most powerful ones by their sides.”
“Zheng Xiu is very skilled at assassinations, but this is not the key to such a situation forming.” Ding Ning turned to look at her and said, “I think the Yan and Qi will not send strong reinforcements because the Chu Dynasty is also strong. In their view, the Chu Dynasty cannot win this, but due to the power of both sides, no one will be able to consume the other. So they feel in the end, both sides will suffer heavy losses in their armies. The Chu Dynasty will not be able to last, and will give up land for peace. Giving up a few commanderies will harm the Chu Dynasty, but the Qin will also be harmed. This is the chance for Yan and Chu to rise.”
Zhangsun Qianxue frowned and said directly, “If everyone proceeds according to your expectations, even if the Golden Dagger Axe Army arrives on time, it will be dangerous because the Qin has put in much more than you had imagined.”
Ding Ning knew that she was saying that even if he did all he could, he could not help the Chu win this war. But he did not think so.
He shook his head and said, “The four marquises look like they have the upper hand against a retired old general like Tang Mei, but in my view, we have a chance like this.”
Translator Ramblings: I absolutely hate it when the author uses approximate numbers sometimes. Could you not come up with a concrete number like 120,000?
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