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Chapter Ninety: Unchange
writer:无罪      update:2022-07-21 15:26
  Tantai Guanjian rarely showed his emotions so openly, but right now, he was very happy. Of course he did not want to die. To him, Fang Xiumu was the person who, if he could arrive in time, could guarantee that they would not die. The person who could send a sword light order on behalf of the Fang Marquessate Establishment could only be Fang Xiumu.

  Meng Fangying was silent for another moment. He knew of Fang Xiumu’s importance, but he still raised his head higher. He looked at the light coming from the dust mountains, and his lips curved stubbornly. “Back in the past when I raised eagles on the border, I never thought so much. I came from the border army, I just wanted this dynasty to be like the You Dynasty, to conquer the world, and create a peerless empire. If I could become a general, then I would be famous in history. Back then, I did not care about who among Changling’s powers would win. Even now, my thoughts have not changed. You care about getting revenge, but I just want to kill you, kill the Chu Dynasty, so the Qin Dynasty will not have any more enemies. The grievances of gods are different from what mortals think about, and there are always more mortals than gods. So back then, since you lost, you cannot win now.”


  After a pause, he looked down at Ding Ning and Li Daoji, saying slowly, “What can Fang Xiumu do? Since you can see his sword light, then the three eagles under my command can see his sword light. Also…… the key is, how long can you obstruct me?” As he spoke his last words, his gaze stopped on Ding Ning.

  This was a kind of wariness. He had seen how Ding Ning borrowed the vital energy of the Master of Fire. In his view, since Li Daoji had been Ding Ning’s sect uncle during his time in the White Goat Cave, Ding Ning would have a great understanding of Li Daoji’s power and vital energy. There was the chance that he could borrow Li Daoji’s vital energy. But since he had seen Ding Ning’s move, he would not allow such a thing to occur again.

  Tantai Guanjian understood Meng Fangying’s meaning so he immediately became nervous. Li Daoji was just a cultivator of White Goat Cave in the end. How could a cultivator from such a place stop Meng Fangying? Even if Xue Wangxu had won against Liang Lian back then, the latter’s cultivation then could not compare to Meng Fangying at this time.

  But at this time, Ding Ning’s expression grew strange. He met Meng Fangying’s eyes and said in an odd tone, “Old Man Xue felt that he could not teach him and sent him away. Of course it is to find a powerful teacher for him. Old Man Xue was too old, and while he could not win against other people, in terms of knowledge and the sword manuals he knew, how many are better than him?”


  Meng Fangying’s brows unconsciously furrowed, and he had a bad feeling. In the next moment, a sword hummed in front of him. He still did not feel that Li Daoji could pose a threat to him, but every word Ding Ning said would affect his confidence. So he did not want to say more.

  As the sword hummed, there was an ocean of primal energies of the universe ringing out. But they did not flood into the sword that appeared in his hand, but into his body. His body suddenly grew large, and he appeared to be looking down at the world. He slashed his sword at Li Daoji!

  There was no finesse. This sword was like a giant stone, brutal and domineering, carrying all his mind and vital energy, smashing towards Li Daoji. The simpler the sword move, the more it could force a simple move in response.

  This would turn into a collision of pure power. Meng Fangying had reached realm seven twenty years ago. While twenty years was not enough for him to enter the door into realm eight, his vital energy had been refined under it was very pure, like metal reforged over and over. How could a realm seven cultivator who just entered compare to him?

  Tantai Guanjian took a deep breath. He was very nervous. This sword move was a very simple test for Meng Fangying but it may be a killing blow.

  At this time, Li Daoji slowly exhaled. He focused, taking a half step back, and then gripping the small white jade sword at his waist.

  A loud boom sounded between Li Daoji and Meng Fangying. There were echoes sounding at the same time from within the dust mountains, like there were countless enormous swords colliding.

  In the wake of these sounds, everyone saw a slightly curved sword light firmly holding in front of Li Daoji. And Meng Fangying’s lofty figure was sent flying back!

  Other than the crashing sound, it was entirely silent.

  Tantai Guanjian’s eyes were wide. He was surprised but not shocked. He immediately understood this move. The White Goat Hanging Horn, to lock into stalemate. Li Daoji had the sect master sword of White Goat Cave, and what he used right now was the strongest move of the sect.

  Meng Fangying was very shocked. He was not wounded, but the vital energy rippling through his body caused him to feel more uncomfortable than he ever had before. His sword move caused him to feel like he had hit a wall at a sprint. His lifebond sword finally showed its true appearance.

  This was a silver white sword, like it was made from moonlight, giving people a serene yet mysterious feeling. He was retreating, but he was swinging his sword at the same time. The turbulent vital energy in his body immediately calmed down as they flowed out.

  His lifebond sword shone white light, hot but not blinding. The silver light turned into a crescent moon, and obscured his figure. The sword essence filled this space, giving off a very profound feeling, and made it hard for people to sense where this blow would land.

  This sword was called, “Moonlight,” and was one of the Seven Swords of the Meng Family. The Seven Great Swords were the ultimate manual of the Meng Family, recording seven sword moves with completely different energies but were all powerful and mysterious.

  Li Daoji’s gaze was shocked. But his figure did not change. His left hand held the long sword which crossed his chest and created a sword wind. The wind had no power to speak off, and just made people think of a spring wind blowing past willow branches. But in the next moment, the white jade sword in his right hand moved up.

  An enormous boom erupted from the world and dust mountains around him, like thousands of swords colliding. The slightly curved goat horn kept on shining in front of him. And in front of the sword light, Meng Fangying’s figure retreated again, this time even further.

  Now, even Tantai Guanjian could not help but exclaim in shock. Another White Goat Hanging Horn!

  But the same sword managed to defeat one of Meng Fangying’s mysterious seven swords.

  Volume 3 90 - Riddle

  “If I lose my wager, and Ye Celeng is one of Yuanwu’s people, would we be able to escape Changling like Bai Shanshui?”


  “No. If your true identity is exposed, and I won the Min Mountain Sword Trials, Zheng Xiu will certainly make connections…… Us added together is more important than the entire Lonely Mountain Sword Hoard.”


  “You and Shao Sharen encountered an assassination attempt from two Nanyue cultivators coming here?”


  “Not two Nanyue cultivators, one Nanyue cultivator, and one Yelang cultivator. Wang Taixu managed to get such information. This means the officials performing the investigation are not good enough.”


  “It’s Zheng Xiu?”


  “She will not be so unskilled. She is just borrowing the sword to kill others. This is what she is best at. This time, she is not borrowing someone else’s sword to kill me, but Min Mountain Sword Sect’s sword to kill these two cultivators.”


  “Who wanted to kill you?”


  “A person able to use Nanyue and Yelang’s grandmaster is likely no one else except that Chu person who came to Falling Parasol.”


  “Li Lingjun?”


  “.…… ……”


  In Ink Garden, Ding Ning and Zhangsun Qianxue would have discontinued conversations every day.

  The duration of their conversations was short, just like usual, but they concerned the matter of life and death.

  The two’s emotions calmed down.

  After the rainstorm, Changling was unusually calm. The sky was blue, and coldness seeped into the rooms. This was rare cold weather in the summer.

  In the morning, Ding Ning ate pickled cabbage and intestine noodles. He pulled out a copper shovel from the side room that the former servants of Ink Garden used for storage. He walked into the garden, and slowly started to turn the soil and move some plants around.

  “You also know how to use formations to make improvements to the situation?”


  Zhangsun Qianxue hung wet laundry on the rope. It was an odd feeling when a beautiful woman like her did this menial chore. It felt like this scene should not occur.

  Ding Ning looked at her and after a pause said, “Cultivators are improving and changing. One cannot look down on other methods.”


  “I fear what killed him in the past was not just the sword, but many methods he looked down upon back then,” Zhangsun Qianxue looked down and said coolly.

  Ding Ning nodded after a moment of silence.

  “No wonder he always dreamed of obtaining the Min Mountain Sword Sect cultivation method back then. Other people will not be able to stand and walk after three months with these injuries, but you healed to such a degree after several days.” Zhangsun Qianxue looked at Ding Ning and said, “It appears that you know the results of his cultivation method and Min Mountain Sword Sect’s method coming together. If he was not too proud back then, not wanting to use lowly meaning to obtain the method and if Baili Suxue was not so small-minded to close the gates of Min Mountain Sword Sect to him…… if he had obtained the cultivation method of Min Mountain Sword Sect back then, maybe the result would have been different.”


  Ding Ning looked down at the copper shovel in his hand and said, “There are not so many ifs.”


  Zhangsun Qianxue turned around to walk towards the small courtyard. “Did Baili Suxue really become unwilling to interact with him because he was criticized for his sword forms and said that some were not good to use?”


  Ding Ning paused slightly and said, “I do not know.”


  Zhangsun Qianxue did not speak. Their conversation ended just like it used to.

  Ding Ning put his head back down and continued to dig. He made some gullies and moved some plants and stones.

  Countless little silkworms in his body spat out thread-like vital energy to form an unique circulation. the energies of his body flowed according to the vital energy method of Min Mountain Sword Sect.

  Any cultivator who would be able to sense the subtleties in his body would be absolutely shocked, even ignoring the Nine Death Silkworm method.

  This was cultivating simultaneously using two methods.

  In the span of several days, he had merged together the two methods perfectly and almost created a new method.

  His vital energy was increasing at an incomprehensible speed in his body. This was likely a cultivation speed even the You Emperor reached.

  Ding Ning was certain that, if he continued to cultivate peacefully in Changling, he would become the youngest realm seven cultivator in history. Yet, as Zhangsun Qianxue entered Ye Celeng’s sight, even the fastest cultivation speed could not compare to Ye Celeng’s attitude.

  No army appeared to surround Ink Garden, but it did not mean her intentions were clear. This may mean a bigger and stronger net.

  The hot wind of summer blew away the wetness and coolness in the alleys.

  As time went on, Changling seemed to become calmer after the Deer Mountain Conference and Min Mountain Sword Trials.

  Many days after Ding Ning started to dig and move around stones and plants in the courtyard, a carved carriage slowly drove in through the main gates of Ink Garden. Behind this carriage was an ordinary carriage.

  A beautiful palace boot stepped out of the front carriage.

  Palace Attendant Rong stood on the slightly hot floor with a calm expression. Against a background of cicada cries, she bowed slowly to the Min Mountain Sword Sect carriage that had been parked outside Ink Garden for a long time and said, “I have been commanded to meet Ding Ning.”


  There was no movement from the carriage.

  But this Palace Attendant Rong knew that this did not mean that the cultivator better at killing than Yantai Guanjian was not present. This just meant he did not refuse.

  Palace Attendant Rong bowed again with an unchanging expression and entered the garden.

  Two female attendants walked out of the carriage behind her, each of them carrying multiple boxes, and followed her nervously.

  Wang Taixu had arranged for servants in Ink Garden already. So before Palace Attendant Rong even truly entered the garden, Ding Ning received the gatekeeper’s report, washed his hands, and waited for Palace Attendant Rong at the entrance to the inner garden.

  Seeing Palace Attendant Rong walking in, Ding Ning’s expression was calm but he did not speak.

  Palace Attendant Rong looked at Ding Ning who was standing on the steps. She walked until she was near him and then bowed. “The empress has issued an imperial decree. Because the White Goat Cave students performed outstandingly, Green Vine Sword School will be changing its name to White Goat Cave. Your sect uncle Li Daoji will be in charge of all duties.”


  “Cave Master Xue taught so many pillars of the country for the Qin. He will be buried with honors in the tombs. The empress remembered your wounds, and sent me to deliver some items for healing and rejuvenation.”


  Ding Ning looked at her without any response.

  After seeing her stop talking, he asked calmly, “You finished talking?”


  Palace Attendant Rong frowned slightly. She hesitated and said, “You are a smart person. There is no need to say more.”


  Ding Ning nodded. His gaze passed over her to the boxes the two attendants were holding. “Those are for me?”


  Palace Attendant Rong looked at him and said, “Yes.”


  Ding Ning did not even look at her as he walked by her and took the boxes from the two palace attendants. Then he continued to walk towards the gates of Ink Garden.

  Palace Attendant Rong frowned deeply. The two pretty attendants paled as they looked at Ding Ning, not knowing what he was doing.

  Ding Ning calmly walked out of the gates of Ink Garden.

  There was a stream not far from the gates. It had originally been clear, but because many shops had moved over to Ink Garden from Falling Parasol, the water had grown dirty.

  Looking at the dirty water with the leaves and foam, Ding Ning opened all the boxes. He did not even look at the things inside before he turned the box. Everything inside fell into the dirty water.

  Two uncontrollable gasps sounded behind him.

  The two attendants completely paled. They had never thought Ding Ning would do such a thing.

  Palace Attendant Rong had followed Ding Ning out of the gates and was just several meters away from Ding Ning. Her brows creased slightly and she said in a cold voice, “This is equivalent to the tax of a capital city for multiple years.”


  Ding Ning calmly turned around. He looked at her and said, “So what?”


  Palace Attendant Rong slowly said, “Even if this counts as compensation, do you feel this is not enough?”


  Ding Ning looked at her expression that she tried to make gentle and her apologetic gaze. He laughed. “He’s dead, can you compensate?”


  “If we speak of compensation.” He did not look at Palace Attendant Rong as he walked back to the gates of Ink Garden. “Unless you can revive the old man so he sees me win.”


  “I did what I promised him, but he cannot see. What is the meaning in the compensation? Sect Uncle Li Daoji will not return. Let him be responsible for the funeral. He will respect my attitude if he hears what I did today.”


  Ding Ning’s steps paused in front of the gate. He turned slightly, looked at Palace Attendant Rong and said seriously, “Also…… You should remember what I said to you before Min Mountain Sword Sect.”


  After saying this, Ding Ning passed through the gates towards the inner courtyard without never looking at her.

  Palace Attendant Rong also did not look back at Ding Ning. She still did not feel much anger. She just felt Ding Ning was stupid.

  But she could not help but think back to what Ding Ning had said to her before the Min Mountain Sword Trials.

  “After the Min Mountain Sword Trials, I will challenge you…… I will kill you!”


  She thought of what Ding Ning had said, and she felt a flow of coldness she had not felt for many years.

  Volume 5 90 - Agreement

  Yu Yan Shan’s chest was moving greatly. He did not immediately answer.

  Ding Ning was not in a hurry, putting his hands behind his back and looking silently at the other.

  After a few dozen breaths, Yu Yan Shan managed to catch his breath. But he still did not answer Ding Ning’s question. He slowly bowed respectfully to the other, and said, “I hope that I will learn Sir’s name in the future.”


  Ding Ning bowed in return like a tacit agreement.

  The Qin troops started to withdraw, taking away the remains of their fellows who had been killed in front of Xuegu Pass.

  When they left like the tide from Ding Ning’s sides, many people silently bowed to him. Even though they did not know his identity, they knew that this was a young and powerful cultivator. And since he had appeared with Zhangsun Qianxue, and was so familiar with the sword manuals of Changling, he could only be a cultivator of Ba Mountain Sword Field.

  All the records on the deeds of the Ba Mountain Sword Field in the past had been burned, but the Qin people, especially the military members of the Qin army had their own opinions on the Ba Mountain Sword Field, and its grievances with Yuanwu and Zheng Xiu. They could not comment on wrong or right, but they had high respect towards the cultivators of Ba Mountain Sword Field.

  At least tonight, Ding Ning was naturally an enemy. But this was an enemy that they respected.

  The battle between Ding Ning and this cultivator of the Clear River Sword School had not just won over the Qin troops, but also the Chu military at Xuegu pass.

  Zhangsun Qianxue’s attack could be described as terrifying, but that was pure cultivation and power. What Ding Ning’s attacks show were fresh new things that many cultivators had never seen before.

  For example, using the fragments of the Chu weapons as a flying sword. This did not just contain astounding knowledge and technique, but also a very important thing called talent. The pieces of the seal weapons after they exploded were irregular. Even if one could sense and have their own energy meld with the remaining energy and seal scripts on the piece, such a piece was just a remnant sword that a cultivator had never been in contact with before. It was like how a cultivator could pick up someone else’s flying sword on the battlefield, and use it immediately, showing great sword essence and control technique. This had nothing to do with usual cultivation, but just knowledge and talent.

  When all the Qin troops had retreated out of the valley, the sound of their departing footsteps still in hearing, multiple Chu generals walked out of the city as the gates of Xuegu Pass opened and went to Ding Ning to thank him.

  But Ding Ning did not give them much time. Looking at the Chu generals, he said directly, “If you trust me, you must go and help reinforce Anhu Pass as fast as possible.”


  “Reinforce Anhu Pass?”


  These Chu generals were all surprised.

  “Why?” The leading general quickly recovered and asked.

  Ding Ning looked at him and shook his head. “Do not ask why.”


  This Chu general was silent for a moment and said, “There are five thousand troops stationed at Anhu Pass, and only seventeen hundred here. If I go and send reinforcements to Anhu Pass now, I have to split my forces.”


  Ding Ning looked at him and said, “The more the better. If I am leading, I will take all the troops of Xuegu Pass.”


  “All?” These generals were shocked again.

  “Sometimes, victory is not determined by the numbers of troops but by cunning troops.” Ding Ning nodded calmly and said, “Anhu Pass has five thousand. If ten thousand Qin troops go there, even if all of the Xuegu Pass troops go there, the Qin troops will be doubled. Anhu Pass will not hold. But if you go as reinforcements and pretend that there are many times the reinforcements coming to help, you may be able to hold Anhu Pass.”


  Only now did these generals understand and broke into cold sweats.

  The leading general took a deep breath, his voice trembling. “You mean, if the Qin army will mount a sudden attack on Anhu Pass?”


  Ding Ning did not answer directly and said seriously, “To take Dayong Pass, and then the cities of Juyong and Zhushan is not something that the Qin troops who came here today can decide.”


  **

  “Why did you lie to them?” Zhangsun Qianxue walked next to Ding Ning and looked at the noisy Xuegu Pass, asking in a soft voice.

  Other people did not know, but she and the old monk who travelled with Ding Ning knew that there were no ten thousand troops heading to Anhu Pass like Ding Ning said.

  “It is Mo Ying leading the Qin army here. I am familiar with his style. After this Qin troop retreats, he will send many more people to flatten this place.”


  Ding Ning turned and walked in the direction of Xuegu Pass, patiently explaining softly, “These Chu people will undoubtedly die here if they stay, and there is no meaning to guarding Xuegu Pass. Tonight, we just had to stop the Qin troops here. After this time passes, there is no meaning if Xuegu Pass is held or lost. It is better to go retreat close to Dayong Pass.”


  Zhangsun Qianxue had no objections and then asked, “Where do we go now?”


  Ding Ning said softly, “We will go kill Mo Ying. He will send many more troops with seal weapons here. His camp will be emptier than usual and it would be easier to kill him.”


  Zhangsun Qianxue frowned slightly. Each marquis among the thirteen marquises of the Qin did not just represent military merit now, but the head of an enormous power. Each marquis had many advisors, death warriors and powerful cultivators. Marquis Wei Wu Jiu had two terrifying grandmasters under his command. One was Xiao Yan who led the vanguard for Wei Wu Jiu, and the other was the Mo Ying who Ding Ning spoke of. Xiao Yan had three thousand death warriors under his command, all people from his hometown. Mo Ying had a more mysterious background. Other than being very cunning, he led more troops than Xiao Yan and supposedly had all kinds of assassins. To kill this kind of person, it was just a bit simpler than usual, but not easy at all. In her view, this was a very daring and dangerous plan.

  “You will still not have him act?”


  She glanced at the slopes to the left. She could sense the old monk walking there, following her and Ding Ning.

  “No need.” Ding Ning shook his head firmly and said, “He is our last lifesaver. At least, he should not appear now for people to know he is on the battlefield.”


  Zhangsun Qianxue nodded and made a sound of acknowledgement. This was something she would not have done before. Yet after learning of Ding Ning’s true identity, everything about her changed. She seemed to turn back the years to that young girl who hid her cultivation to avoid the senses of the Gongsun Family guards, going over the wall to get onto Changling’s streets.

  War, especially this kind that even Ding Ning could not grasp, was very heavy, especially one between two great dynasties. One had to search for chances to win among the many battles. But some of her changes made Ding Ning very happy.

  Thinking of the years in Changling where the two of them hid and cultivated together, thinking of that wall he used to stop his memories from disappearing, Ding Ning turned to her and said softly, “Originally, in my plan, Mo Ying was ranked after Liang Lian. And if I did not learn of Liang Lian’s news in Fish Market, the first person in Changling I wanted to kill was Mo Ying.”


  Zhangsun Qianxue stilled. “Why?”


  “Yan Xinlan.” Ding Ning took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “Yan Xinlan once taught him swordsmanship. Strictly speaking, he is Yan Xinlan’s only direct disciple.”


  Zhangsun Qianxue grew silent. This was another old matter of the past. She was a person with clear love and hate, so she could understand Ding Ning’s hate.

  Compared to many of the famous people of Ba Mountain Sword Field, the master of the Last Flower Sword, who stayed behind to guard Ba Mountain Sword Field, was not famous during the wars against the Han, Zhao and Wei. Even Zhangsun Qianxue did not know much about Yan Xinlan. But during the battle of Ba Mountain Sword Field’s destruction, everyone knew that the master of the Last Flower Sword should be one of the strongest people of Ba Mountain Sword Field.

  “In reality, without Mo Ying, she would have made the same choice and died in battle at Ba Mountain Sword Field.” Ding Ning looked at the night ahead and slowly said, “But if he did not leak some of the secrets regarding Yan Xinlan’s sword ahead of time to Zheng Xiu, at least she would have killed some more people in that battle.”


  Translator Ramblings: I know museums did not really exist in ancient times, but I really want to sometimes get a character who is a cultivation collector, just goes around collecting things of famous cultivators, like here is a pipe from so-and-so, a hairtie from so-and-so.