Chapter Eight-Nine: Sect Uncle
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无罪 update:2022-07-21 15:26
“Is Ye Xinhe stronger or you are?” Ding Ning looked calmly at Meng Fangying and asked.
Meng Fangying’s expression changed again and he said harshly, “What do you mean?”
“You came in, I die, you live and leave. Have you thought about what will happen after today?” Ding Ning’s expression did not change, he seemed to be just narrating a truth. “If you and Ye Xinhe duel, the one who will die is you and not Ye Xinhe. Then, why did you come and not Ye Xinhe?”
“Do not tell me that Ye Xinhe has other matters in Changling. There is nothing more important than destroying the Nine Death Silkworm.” Ding Ning looked at Meng Fangying whose lips were trembling, and did not give the other a chance to speak. He said directly, “You said that I understand Zheng Xiu very well. In my view, in order to completely destroy the Nine Death Silkworm, she will only use one method, to have everyone who was in contact with the Nine Death Silkworm die.”
Meng Fangying’s eyes narrowed and he said coldly, “This is absurd.”
“Zheng An is already so old she is about to die. The Master of Fire does not count as one of her people. As for Crown Prince Yugou, it is best for him to die,” Ding Ning said with slight scorn. “If you believe that these people are pawns who must die, but you alone can live and live well, then it is up to you to convince yourself.”
Meng Fangying took a deep breath, his expression dark. But before he could react more, the Master of Fire who was listening from the side broke out in a cold sweat. He felt that Ding Ning was very right, and very thorough. It was just he had never thought at this level before.
Meng Fangying was silent for a moment and then looked up. He said, “Then according to you, I came to see you just to die?”
Ding Ning looked calmly at him and did not directly answer the question. He said, “Isn’t there something that you have really not thought of in these years? Most of you people among the thirteen marquises chose to side with Zheng Xiu but not with Ba Mountain Sword Field?”
Meng Fangying’s heart jumped, but he did not immediately speak.
“If the marquises exist for a long time, how are they any different from the old powerful nobility? After finally managing to win against the old nobility, then form some new nobility?” Ding Ning said slowly and clearly, “Even the You Dynasty, which conquered the world, had seven vassal kings who rebelled to start with. While they were suppressed with military power, the You Dynasty suffered a great blow, and gave more rebels hope. Back then, Ba Mountain Sword Field only wanted a centralized dynasty, and not many marquises. So most of you worked with Yuanwu to mutiny, and fight the Ba Mountain Sword Field. But in these years, have you not seriously thought, while Zheng Xiu and Yuanwu have eliminated the Ba Mountain Sword Field, are they following the path of the Ba Mountain Sword Field? Because only a centralized dynasty like that can help their power reach a peak, to create a foundation that will last.”
“In this war, even if the Nine Death Silkworm is truly destroyed, How many marquessate establishments will be left?” Ding Ning smiled faintly. “On the Yin Mountain and Yangshan Commandery battlefields, how many marquessate establishments will disappear?”
The flickering light of the dust mountains fell on Meng Fangying’s body. His eyelashes trembled. He was silent for a moment and then spoke, “I admit that what you say makes sense.”
Ding Ning looked at him. “And then?”
“And then you still have to die, and I still have to kill you.” Meng Fangying took a deep breath, saying seriously and with great emotion. “No matter what Zheng Xiu thinks, many years ago in Changling, you and I were enemies. We are like day and night, and cannot tolerate each other.”
Ding Ning looked at him and did not speak.
“So after saying so much, I will still kill you.” Meng Fangying looked at Ding Ning and said, “But what was said was not all meaningless. At least, you reminded me to be wary of some things, so I must thank you.”
Ding Ning suddenly laughed and said, “Other than this, there are more important meanings.”
Meng Fangying stilled, and had a slightly bad feeling.
“These things that I finally mentioned were able to delay you for a while, delay enough for someone to arrive, and a person I like to see.”
Ding Ning breathed in relief, his back was soaked. When he had been speaking earlier, he had been very close to death.
Meng Fangying suddenly turned around. In this moment, he still had the confidence to kill Ding Ning, but he sensed true danger. He did not want to die, so he had to make sure of his own safety.
From the flickering light behind him, accompanied by a wave of energy, a tall and thin figure appeared.
Ding Ning had two swords, Last Flower and Great Punishment. This tall and thin figure also had two swords. One had a very long hilt that crossed in front of the chest. The other was an ordinary small white jade sword that hung from the waist.
Meng Fangying did not recognize this person, but when he saw that small white jade sword, he immediately thought of this person’s identity.
At this time, Ding Ning had moved far away behind his back and then bowed to the incomer. His voice was very happy. “Sect Uncle.”
“Li Daoji.” Meng Fangying shouted this person’s name.
This person and the cultivation place he had come from had not been famous before. In Changling, they were not even mainstream. But in the winter of a year, the sect master of this place, Xue Wangxu, entered realm seven, and defeated General Liang Lian. This cultivation place was White Goat Cave.
White Goat Cave which Zheng Xiu had ordered to merge. It produced a genius like Ding Ning and was famous for a time. Zhang Yi, Su Qin, Li Daoji, these important figures of White Goat Cave were learned by the cultivators of Changling.
“Just you?” Meng Fangying suddenly sneered.
While Ding Ning had managed to delay for time by talking to the point that someone came, this was just a mere cultivator of White Goat Cave. When leaving Changling, the other was just realm six. Now, even if the other was realm seven, how was he even a match?
“Since I have the sword of the White Goat Cave sect master, I am the sect master.” Li Daoji appeared thinner compared to back when in Changling, slightly older, and slightly colder. “Since I am his sect uncle, I will fight. Also, I may not just have to rely on myself to win against you.”
“Before I entered the formation, I saw a sword light in the distance.” After a pause, Li Daoji looked at Meng Fangying and then said, “While I have been away from Changling for a long time, I still recognize that the light is the Bright Light of Fang Marquessate Establishment, the light that Fang Marquessate Establishment uses to pass on orders.”
Meng Fangying’s breathing suddenly stopped.
“Fang Xiumu!” Tantai Guanjian shouted in joy.
Volume 3 89 - What Is He Doing
The tall woman in the rain was naturally Bai Shanshui.
Seeing the cold murderousness in Ye Celeng’s features, she simply passed straight through the courtyard to stand under the same eaves as Ye Celeng.
She said, “What dare or not? I cannot even withstand one of your blows now. So what if the rain stops or not?”
Ye Celeng looked expressionlessly at Bai Shanshui. Before she could speak, Bai Shanshui said tiredly, “Give me a bowl of noodles. Best if you give me some pills to replenish energy and blood.”
Ye Celeng frowned and said, “You think I will help you?”
Bai Shanshui passed through the curtain of rain and walked in front of her. She did not stop and as she passed, she said calmly, “You will help me.”
Ye Celeng laughed coldly. “I, the honored bureau chief of the Qin, will help you, a great rebel?”
Bai Shanshui’s face was pale, but at those words she laughed until her cheeks turned slightly red. “You were not just his student. Just like Zhangsun Qianxue, you were also in love with him.”
Ye Celeng’s eyes suddenly narrowed. She said in a cold voice, “Bai Shanshui, you really think I will not kill you?”
“If you wanted to, you would have done it a long time ago.” The unusual flush on Bai Shanshui’s face spread. She looked scornfully at Ye Celeng. “It seems that in your mind, he is still more important than Yuanwu.”
Ye Celeng took a deep breath as though she was going to erupt but then abruptly calmed. She said after a moment of silence, “How can Yuanwu compare to him, how could he be more important?”
“It seems I guessed correctly or rather, I gambled and won.” Bai Shanshui walked towards the room behind Bai Shanshui, rebelliousness and pride appearing on her tired face.
Seeing Bai Shanshui walk into the room and start to change into clean clothing, Ye Celeng did not speak and walked into the kitchen to boil water for noodles.
Ye Celeng’s clothing was tight on Bai Shanshui. Bai Shanshui struggled a bit and still felt uncomfortable. She ended up taking off all her clothes only to put on a black official robe of the Astrology Bureau as her attire.
“Fortunately, I am a woman.” Ye Celeng said coldly as she saw Bai Shanshui’s white legs when she moved. She had finished making the noodles and carried it to the table inside the room.
“Pity that I did not think of myself as a woman before this.” Bai Shanshui smiled, and started to eat. After a bit, she praised sincerely. “Bureau Chief Ye is good at the sword and also making noodles.”
Ye Celeng looked coldly at her and did not speak.
Bai Shanshui finished the noodles without any ladylike manners. She drank the soup and then casually wiped her mouth with her sleeve. She looked at the downpour outside and said, “I am probably the first person to eat noodles Bureau Chief Ye has cooked?”
Ye Celeng sat down on the mahogany chair next to her and said as she gazed at the downpour, “The second.”
Bai Shanshui stilled. She immediately realized who the first Ye Celeng was, and then went into a small daze.
“Keep the green mountain, do not fear no firewood. You sang and fought in the streets of Changling previously, and appeared very arrogant. But you were only so arrogant just once in these years. Other people do not know, but I know you can endure,” Ye Celeng said slowly without looking at the other, “With your personality, since you escaped, even if you want to return into the city, you do not have to wager so much and put your life in my hands.”
“Why not?” Before Bai Shanshui answered, Ye Celeng slowly turned her head and said, “Because of the man in Shen Xuan’s hands?”
Bai Shanshui nodded and did not deny it. She said, “Feeling is the hardest. At the very least, I owe him a favor.”
Ye Celeng said after a moment of silence, “Not someone from Cloud Water Palace?”
Bai Shanshui shook her head.
Ye Celeng nodded. “Then that is even more rare.”
Bai Shanshui smiled. She said, “Tell me about you and him?”
Ye Celeng bowed her head slightly and said after a moment of silence, “When I first met him, I had not yet started cultivating. I was an ignorant child.”
“Yes?”
Bai Shanshui brushed her hair and listened quietly to the story.
“The first time I met him, he was sparring on the shore of the wei River. With one blow, he defeated the most famous young swordsman of Changling at the time, Dongfang Su. I felt that he was so handsome and elegant. I started to think of cultivating, wanting to get close to him.”
“My father was an ordinary merchant, and my mother a mistress. Hearing that I wanted to learn the swords, my father beat me half to death. I left home, and went to find him directly.”
“I reached the military base he was in. The soldiers of the base laughed when they saw my bony state. But he did not laugh at me when he saw me, and seriously taught me the sword.”
The rain continued to sound. Listening to Ye Celeng’s narration, Bai Shanshui seemed to think of many things in the past. She thought of that person’s style back then. She could not help but think if she had been in Changling, she may have fallen in incurable love with that person too.
But Ye Celeng stopped talking for a long time. She took a sip of cold tea and asked, “Then after?”
“Then after, there was no after.”
Ye Celeng looked coldly at her and said coolly, “Yuanwu and Zheng Xiu worked together and mutinied in Changling. Other than a few experts, all of Ba Mountain Sword Field was trapped in Changling. He died in battle. He had taught me the sword but I had just reached realm six at the time. What was the use?”
Bai Shanshui thought of the bloody storm that year in Changling, and the three years of cleansing that followed. She was silent for a long time before saying, “He trusted Yuanwu and Zheng Xiu too much.”
“Yuanwu is able to conquer the world, but not people’s hearts. How could he rival him? As to my business with him, it is so bland. Nothing secret like you imagine. There were many women who admired him back then. He was so devoted. How could he have had feelings for anyone else?” Ye Celeng brushed her hair back and gazed at the distant black tiles. She said, “But he misjudged people, he cannot blame anyone else.”
Bai Shanshui said after a long silence, “The true story is usually plain but cruel.”
Ye Celeng turned to look at her and said, “What do you want to do next?”
Bai Shanshui said, “Only your place will not be searched by the Astrology Bureau and Divinity Bureau. I want to live here.”
“I know you went to Falling Parasol that night so you can be more honest.” Ye Celeng looked at her with a calm expression. However, her gaze was extremely sharp.
Bai Shanshui stilled and frowned.
“That is Eldest Miss Gongsun.”
She took a deep breath and lifted her head. She looked at Ye Celeng and said, “The one with Ding Ning is not some Zhangsun Qianxue, but the eldest miss of the Gongsun Family.”
Ye Celeng’s body suddenly froze. Her blood drained from her face, and her hands trembled minutely.
“You should not have done that,” Consort Zhao Xiang said slowly with a hint of coldness.
In front of her was Li Lingjun, who was pale and also trembling like Ye Celeng.
She and Li Lingjun were standing in the most magnificent room in the Chu Palace. Pieces of many cultivator corpses were scattered around. The curtains were covered in crushed flesh. Dozens of palace attendants were quietly cleaning.
She looked athe curved orange longsword stuck in the ground next to Li Lingjun. She said, “I do not know what events happened between you and the wine shop youth from Changling…… I only know there is a great disparity between you and him. I only know that if you did not persist in using so much power to assassinate him, those people would not have been so angry with you. Maybe this assassination would not have happened and General Jin would not have died here.”
Li Lingjun’s lips started to tremble and parted.
“Do not use an excuse of intuition and fate. This only concerns your emotions and mood,” Consort Zhao Xiang said directly before he could speak, “I only hope you understand. Originally, many people do not accept you and I…… All of your decisions must be for the Chu, and not your personal emotions. Otherwise, you, and even I will be killed.”
“I know,” Li Lingjun bowed his head and said after a moment.
In truth, he did not understand why he wanted to kill Ding Ning. This was an obsession that was illogical, like a poisonous snake that always curled in the corner causing him anxiety and making him feel an inexplicable danger.
Consort Zhao Xiang said nothing else.
The bloody scene was quickly cleaned until it was as good as before. Incense was burned, and even the air quickly grew fragrant.
Consort Zhao Xiang walked towards Li Lingjun, her clothing slowly sliding down to expose her perfect and flawless body. Her hand fell towards Li Lingjun’s icy chest, and quickly turned his chest hot. Her movements were demonic, but her eyes were clear.
Both she and Li Lingjun did not actually have this kind of physical desire. But this was a holy ritual that could connect her and Li Lingjun, so they were on the same side.
Translator Ramblings: Three guesses who likes noodles.
Volume 5 89 - Convince
Ding Ning did not look at the shocked Yu Yan Shan in the air but just at the spinning metal piece, his index and middle finger pointing and swiping down.
There seemed to be an invisible line in the world that was pulling. The seemingly out of control metal piece suddenly sank, cutting down, the sharpest edge accurately cutting into a seal script on the flying sword.
There was a loud explosion. The metal piece was easily shattered, but the corner that stabbed into the seal script snapped off and was embedded in the seal.
The flow of energy on the sword was interrupted and went out of control. The energy coming off the blade turned the flying sword into a madly flying leaf in the wind that swept up into the sky.
Yu Yan Shan’s body shook slightly. After losing the connection to his flying sword, the backlash of the energy affected the movement of vital energy in his body, but not his mind.
His flying sword was just to control the piece. Now that the piece of metal could no longer be Ding Ning’s weapon, he did not care about his flying sword.
As his body shook, he forcibly controlled the vibration of vital energy in his body. Then waves of vital energy, at a special harmony, flooded into the metal long sword in his hand. Indigo ripples appeared on the black sword.
The ripples became countless sword shadows that covered up Ding Ning’s entire figure. Ding Ning had no sword in hand, but as he raised his left hand, it was possible to see the glint of metal from his fingers. At some unknown time, perhaps when he was walking down the slope towards the rear of the Qin troop, he had used vital energy to pick up many metal pieces from the ground. These metal pieces were even smaller, and some did not even have a complete seal. They would not count as seal weapons at all, or act like flying swords like the previous metal piece.
But facing the many sword shadows coming down at him, Ding Ning turned his hand and flicked gently. With a buzz, he flicked up a metal piece, and a ruler straight and sharp essence stabbed straight in front of him.
A shocked and furious shout sounded. The indigo sword shadows were shattered. Yu Yan Shan, who had just taken a step, went flying back. There was a red mark coming out of his left shoulder. A wound had been created by the metal piece.
Yu Yan Shan opened his mouth. As he breathed, the coldness that came up through his body and his disbelief were things only he could experience.
Ding Ning had flicked a finger to attack with the piece. This was a blow without any sword form. But this had stabbed through the only weakness in his move.
It could be said, before Ding Ning attacked, he had not realized that his sword form had such an opening!
Ding Ning did not take the chance to attack, and looked calmly at him.
Yu Yan Shang took a deep breath, and howled again. His sword flicked up, the many sword shadows moving upwards to attack Ding Ning’s chest like dancing seagrass in the water current.
Ding Ning took a step back, and flicked out a piece with his left hand again.
The howl turned into a shout, Yu Yan Shan’s advance stopped. His body twisted. Another wound appeared on his sword holding right shoulder.
Yu Yan Shan could not understand. He gritted his teeth, one sword turning to three, three sword lights heading directly down at Ding Ning’s head.
With a buzz, a metal light broke through the air. Yu Yan Shan’s three sword lights disappeared. Then there was an explosion. His sword was held in front of his heart, and there was a spray of golden sparks coming off the sword.
It was deathly quiet in Xuegu Pass.
The Chu military cultivators on the walls and the Qin cultivators were all silent. Some people’s hands could not avoid trembling.
Anyone could see that Ding Ning was much stronger than Yu Yan Shan. But from start to now, Ding Ning had not used his vital energy to suppress the other. From the start, he used sword form to defeat sword form, and was even using the moves of the Clear River Sword School against Yu Yan Shan. At this time, in some people’s eyes, Ding Ning’s performance in this battle was like a Clear River Sword School elder teaching a junior by demonstrating sword forms in front of him.
Yu Yan Shan stopped moving. His sword was trembling restlessly. His wounds were all light, but the ripples in his emotions caused his body to tremble constantly.
He and Ding Ning were just a few dozen feet away. The scene froze. But at this time, he sensed a thin lifebond presence forming in front of him.
This thin lifebond presence came from Ding Ning’s hand. Sensing how this thin lifebond presence created a mountain of pressure on him, Yu Yan Shan was certain that the other was a whole realm stronger than him.
**
Ding Ning slowly released a wave of lifebond presence. The pieces that he held in his palm were swept up, and blew in the direction of the energy, mixing with the lifebond presence in his hand, and becoming a sword made from metal pieces and energy. Without any pause, he slashed at Yu Yan Shan.
Many indigo sword shadows appeared in front of him. This sword move was the Clear River Sword School’s “Cleansing Clear Ripples” that Yu Yan Shan had just used.
Yu Yan Shan lifted the sword in his hand but could not meet the blow. The great pressure on his chest forced him to take a dozen steps back!
There was no flaw in this move. Compared to his previous move, the opening that he had not realized that it existed was not there. And as the other changed the path of the sword slightly, the spreading ripples were more powerful!
Ding Ning advanced. Yu Yan Shan retreated. Then he took a step forward and attacked. Suddenly, there were glittering ripples in the dark night, and bright light spread, the sword shadow opening like a blooming flower.
Yu Yan Shan had a bloodless fade. He was very pale, but his heart was beating rapidly and uncontrollably. He had never used this “Flower in Water” before, but this was still a sword form of Clear River Sword School. At this time, in the other’s hand, it had never been so perfect, and it was more than double the strength.
In other words, he had never thought that this sword move would have such power. He could not stop it, and kept on retreating. But as he was retreating, his mind was blank. There was no shock or terror, just a thought in his mind. So the sword forms of Clear River Sword School contained such changes and could be like this.
Ding Ning pulled away his sword. The faint lifebond energy disappeared. The “sword” that was not very stable immediately scattered and fell to the ground in pieces, colliding with the stones and giving off clear sounds. He looked at Yu Yan Shan who had retreated to the edge of the Qin troop before he stopped and asked calmly, “Do you still want to die?”
The words did not mention victory or withdrawing the troops. It seemed to be a very strange and abrupt question. But at this time, some people understood the meaning of his words.
From the start, Yu Yan Shan did not think that he could win. He decided to lose here, and he would die here. Then the Qin troop would leave according to the promise. He would use his own death for the reason the Qin troop had to return. Before the duel started, he had the resolve to die.
But the cultivators who could understand the battle could see Ding Ning’s intentions.
Ding Ning did not want him to die. He used some of Clear River Sword School’s sword forms to show more refined and powerful versions to Yu Yan Shan, like he was teaching the other and showing him a new world.
Yu Yan Shan had decided before this to take over as the commander of the troops. He had to be responsible for the defeat this time, and needed a reason for the troops to withdraw without embarrassment. But when he saw the new world of his sword manuals, would he allow this new world to die and be buried with him?
Ding Ning’s meaning was clear.
You should not die. You should live, and take this new world to the other cultivators of the Clear River Sword School.
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