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Chapter Ninety-Four: Assassination
writer:无罪      update:2022-07-21 15:26
  Bai Ying vomited blood again, many transparent crystals mixed with the blood like gems.

  These were the purest vital energy crystals, yes some of them separated from the blood, flowing with the primal energies of the universe, landing on Fang Xiumu’s body and then disappearing.

  Most people were unable to clearly see such a scene, but some cultivators in the three armies and on the plains could sense this. These people were shocked. Adding on Fang Xiumu’s display in battle before, this kind of “devouring” of other people’s vital energy to use as his own was no different from a demon in the legends.

  Yet Fang Xiumu’s presence was pure and natural, and his sword light even had a holy presence. So all these people, including Bai Ying, had a new realization, and thought of some things not recorded in the history books. Yet Fang Xiumu’s presence was pure and natural, and his sword light even had a holy presence.

  On the plains between the three armies of the Meng Marquessate establishment and the dust mountains, there were naturally other grandmasters. But even the three eagles working together were unable to stop Fang Xiumu who did not even seem to be wounded. This evoked shock and even hopelessness.

  Starting from the battle before Yuanwu ascended the throne, the cultivation world had been relatively calm. But since the Deer Mountain Conference, there were stunning things occurring in the world. The Donghu monk had killed his way into the palace, and now Fang Xiumu instantly defeated the three eagles, like he was invincible. This caused the cultivators of the world to realize that even between realm seven grandmasters, there were great disparities.

  Now, the despairing cultivators on the plains knew that they could not change anything if they fought. They could not stop Fang Xiumu from advancing. But after seeing these battles with their own eyes, these seeds in their minds would cause great changes to the cultivation world.

  No one stopped him, the dust mountains were right ahead of him. Feeling the sword essences in the dust mountains, Fang Xiumu’s eyes showed great respect, and then he did not hesitate to enter.

  Some uncontrolled cheers came from the plains.

  These people were the friends of the Ba Mountain Sword Field, or rather enemies of Zheng Xiu and Yuanwu. But they had been stopped by their enemies or were powerless to get close to the dust mountains. In their view, Fang Xiumu’s arrival could decide the fate of the battle.

  **

  When Fang Xiumu entered the formation, his energies naturally attracted the energies in the dust mountains, and caused an odd rhythm.

  “Fang Xiumu has arrived,” Ding Ning immediately sensed this, and said emotionally to Zhangsun Qianxue, Tantai Guanjian and the others.

  At the same time, the enemies in the formation knew of Fang Xiumu’s arrival. Welcoming him was a profound and violent sword energy. This sword energy was like an enraged giant, roaring and tearing at the sky.

  Fang Xiumu did not even have the time to see what was in front of him before a corner of the dust mountain ahead of him was broken open. This profound and violent sword energy sealed all his retreat and advance paths, sweeping him within.

  Fury itself was a terrifying power, the soul of this sword energy. But when swept in, Fang Xiumu was not nervous at all, because his own breakthrough had been because of fury.

  A cultivator like a stone Buddha would not be angry, but when they became angry, few could rival the fury. So Fang Xiumu naturally returned a blow. His sword vented his fury at losing his respected and beloved older brother.

  As he swung his sword, golden flames lit up in the air. With a giant boom, the sword energy in front of him was unable to endure and was torn apart like cloth.

  The cultivator who had sent this sword appeared in a depression not far from Fang Xiumu with a disbelieving scream. The depression came from the impact of this sword.

  This cultivator was Meng Fangying. Blood stained his teeth. While he was still standing at the bottom of the depression like steel, there were astounding sounds of impact within his body.

  After being hit hard, Meng Fangying seemed to have reached his limit, but he did not stop and gave a scream again. Sword light flashed in front of him, and his body gave off the feeling of coming out of his cocoon. The power of this sword light was even stronger than the previous one.

  This sword was the best of the seven swords of the Meng Family, Breaking the Cocoon. This sword essence did not just break through the limits of many meridians, when one was injured, they could express more power. Even more importantly, there were some rules in the sword energy that could stop the enemy from gathering energy.

  As his scream and sword light formed, a remnant body suddenly appeared from the dust mountain to Fang Xiumu’s left side.

  This was the old monster of Jiaodong Commandery who Ding Ning had cut half of her body. When the remaining vital energy in her body sprayed out, she could no longer suppress the wounds in her body. Blood flew out of her body in a seemingly endless stream, and mixed within were pieces of organs. The last power coming out of her body pulled on the energies in the formation and turned into a crimson light. This light had a rotten scent like corrosion due to age.

  Fang Xiumu took a deep breath and attacked.

  Thunder rang through the dust mountains. But it did not spread and instead gathered into his body. A holy sword light lit up in front of him and then split in two.

  There was a dull shake. The body of the old Jiaodong Commandery monster was shattered into countless pieces, like many bright flower petals flying in the dust.

  Fang Xiumu fell into a hole hundreds of feet away. There were countless bloodlines on his body. The crimson light shone from his skin, and caused his body to give off a rotting scent.

  Meng Fangying relapsed into depression. He looked at the seriously injured Fang Xiumu. Other than shock, he felt it was absurd.

  At this moment, he could not understand why Fang Xiumu dared to receive the combined attack from him and Zheng An. Then he started to vomit blood in great gulps.

  A small sword energy that he could not stop attacked his heart at this moment and cut off one of his main blood vessels. He could not stop the bleeding in his body. He could only keep on uncontrollably vomiting blood like he was going to vomit all the blood out of his body.

  The hot blood was bitter in his mouth. Now he understood.

  When he had been assassinating the other, Fang Xiumu had assassinated him.

  Volume 3 94 - Embarrassment

  Winning and killing were two different concepts in the cultivator’s world.

  Ever since last year’s battle on the Wei River, Bai Shanshui had been defeated in succession, like Changling was a city full of misfortune towards her. Yet today, her cultivation went up another level.

  “Congratulations!”


  Ye Celeng shook her head and said, “The Great Floating Water Prison is not as simple as you imagine. Just killing Shen Xuan is not enough.”


  “I am not able to act.”


  Ye Celeng said after a pause and looked at Bai Shanshui, “I am not like you. I must guarantee that i can stay in Changling.”


  “I understand,” Bai Shanshui smiled and said, “if I fight, I will not let people detect your One Sky Water. I know that me by myself is not enough so I will find the eldest miss of the Gongsun Family.”


  “Let’s call her Zhangsun Qianxue. She owes me a life, my senior sect brother’s life,” Bai Shanshui inhaled deeply and said, “she cannot refuse me.”


  Ye Celeng calmly turned her head and said, “I hope you can succeed.”


  “How many people are left who can oppose Yuanwu and Zheng Xiu?” Bai Shanshui smiled self-deprecatingly. “If we cannot succeed like this, then Changling will be a tomb where I bury myself.”


  The cruel heat had arrived and only the mornings were slightly cool.

  Because the carriage from Min Mountain Sword Sect remained outside Ink Garden, cultivators rarely passed by. The area where the Falling Parasol neighbours were living was busier and slowly turned into a vegetable market.

  Wang Taixu got off his carriage and shook his head as he looked at the busy market.

  Only that youth inside the garden could do something like turning a cold place like Ink Garden into something so approachable.

  He had entered Ink Garden many times. Many of the people responsible for matters of daily life inside were his subordinates, but this time Wang Taixu’s expression was especially grave.

  He quickly walked past the visible courtyards into the small courtyard where Ding Ning and Zhangsun Qianxue lived.

  When he saw Ding Ning waiting for him, he frowned and said, “Something you do not even trust to a letter…… what is it?”


  “Another day passed.” Ding Ning looked at Wang Taixu’s hair dusted with white and then looked up at the rising sun. He said slowly, “I want you to go to the Yan Shangdu.”


  Wang Taixu raised an eyebrow and did not speak. He just looked at Ding Ning.

  Ding Ning slowly described the conversation between him and Geng Ren, including the fact he had made a decision for Wang Taixu without asking his opinion.

  After Ding Ning finished, he looked at Wang Taixu and said, “This sounds like a transaction. I used you for my self-interest, but you know it is not the case.”


  “I will go prepare.”


  Wang Taixu did not show much expression. He looked quietly at Ding Ning and said, “Since the letters are not safe, I will try to leave someone in Changling. While it will take multiple months to go to and come back from the Yan, it may be useful.”


  Ding Ning also looked quietly at him and said, “After we part, I do not know when we will meet again.”


  On the distant Changling streets, there was a group of soldiers leaving Changling. Along the way, many people were sending them off, and shoving all kinds of pastries and fresh fruit into the chariots.

  A horn sounded, accompanied by faint cheers which even reached Ink Garden, and Wang Taixu and Ding Ning’s ears.

  Ding Ning frowned slightly. “What is that sound?”


  Wang Taixu tried to make out the direction. “It’s Song Ren, a general of the Northern Tiger Wolf Army. He has been rewarded and is leading the army to guard the borders. Previously, he was famed for his bravery, skill in nocturnal ambushes. People called him the Flying Leopard General. He is formally leading the army out of the city, and the city is sending him off.”


  Ding Ning thought for a moment. “Liang Lian’s close subordinate?”


  Wang Taixu nodded.

  “It appears that she is completely disappointed in him.” Ding Ning laughed softly. “He should be leaving Changling soon.”


  Flames rose in Wang Taixu’s eyes as he said, “Last time, in the ambush of Bai Shanshui, he should have been seriously injured.”


  “Do not think you can take care of this matter before leaving Changling. Zheng Xiu does not want him to die, just to send him somewhere else. No matter how injured, he will not be easier to kill than at any other time.” Ding Ning quickly saw his intentions and shook his head. “Also, your thoughts are also his thoughts. He also wants to get rid of some things that displease him before leaving Changling. You and I are different. I am a direct disciple under the protection of Min Mountain Sword Sect. You are a gangster leader. Zheng Xiu will not be more disappointed in him if he kills you, and will not change the fact that he has to leave Changling. So, you must leave earlier. Leaving at this time will cause people to feel you are avoiding a calamity, and not that people want you to go to Shangdu.”


  “You were right previously. I will leave very soon.”


  “The person I leave behind is Bai Nanxi. His shoes are different from other people. Other people cannot see, but I believe you can.”


  Wang Taixu did not linger after saying his parting words and quickly walked away.

  Once someone like him needed to leave Changling, a lot of time was needed.

  “Liang Lian is the person you once spoke as having betrayed Li Guanlan back then?”


  Zhangsun Qianxue was like Ding Ning’s shadow. Once Wang Taixu disappeared from Ding Ning’s sight, she appeared behind Ding Ning.

  Ding Ning was used to this. He did nott turn back to look at Zhangsun Qianxue, just nodded.

  Zhangsun Qianxue looked at his back but seemed to see through his body. She said coldly, “You want to kill him before he leaves Changling?”


  Ding Ning did not deny and said, “If he goes to a far off place, I do not know when I will be able to kill him.”


  Zhangsun Qianxue heard his slightly melancholic voice and said, “But you just said he is harder to kill than usual.”


  Ding Ning sighed softly. “So I can only wait.”


  “If there is an opportunity,” he returned around and said seriously to Zhangsun Qianxue who no longer wanted to speak, “I will first kill Palace Attendant Rong. She is easier to kill.”


  Zhangsun Qianxue was too familiar with Ding Ning. She could see flashing lights in his eyes and knew that plans were brewing in his mind.

  “Then just continue to wait,”


  “Wait to be killed or to kill.”


  “I do not want to wait any longer.”


  She said three sentences that did not connect at all. Then she pressed her lips together and returned to her bedroom.

  “Who wants to wait long?”


  Ding Ning sat down on the steps and looked in the direction the noise came from. He said to himself, “Speaking of waiting…… No one will have waited as long as I, or waited as painfully as too.”


  He could still not understand why Ye Celeng had not yet appeared in front of him.

  When he was waiting in Changling, Zhang Yi was travelling towards the border of Qin and Chu.

  For some reason, while the old nobility had promised him that Celestial Seal Sect would definitely accept him, he had not arranged anything along the way. Without a proper border document, Qin cultivators like him could not go through the cities of the Chu Dynasty, and then travel to the Yan lands connected to the Chu Dynasty. When he was moving around the border of Chu-Qin, and living outside for a few days, he finally encountered a caravan.

  This caravan was a legitimate business, but did not belong to a large merchant house. So in the Chu, they could not compete with the Chu businesses and could not make a living. They could only use manpower and time to get some small profits, and transport the tea and brocade produced in the Qin to the Yan through the Chu-Qin border. At the same time, they would also accept payment for transporting Yan people in Qin who wanted to return to the Yan.

  Because this caravan was too small, it could not take back escaped criminals or important people back to the Yan. They frequently only took old soldiers and craftsmen who had been left behind in the Qin during the wars. A caravan like this would not have anyone powerful, only some warriors skilled in blades and archery.

  So, when they discovered Zhang Yi was a cultivator, the caravan easily accepted Zhang Yi, even though they did not know what level of cultivation he had.

  The possibility of encountering horse bandits on the desolate border was low, but they could encounter soldier-bandits pretending to be horse bandits, and also some wild beasts.

  It was uncomfortable to travel in the scorching heat, especially to the elderly in weak condition.

  So this morning, an old person who had paid for this caravan to take him back to the Yan border started to vomit. While the leader of the caravan had arranged for the tamest horse for him, the old man still constantly vomited.

  The vomit covered the front of the old person’s clothing, and even the saddle and other items on the old man’s horse.

  Seeing this scene, the people around the old man could not help but cover their noses, and tried to stay away, except for the caravan leader who frowned and threw him a damp towel. Yet, Zhang Yi walked over, patted the old man’s back, and started to clean and feed the old man water.

  Volume 5 94 - Yuchang

  The camp was absolutely silent. All the cultivators were certain Ding Ning had not reached realm seven, especially those fighting Zhangsun Qianxue. They were certain Ding Ning’s presence was very young. In other words, he had not been in realm six for long.

  The difference between realm six and seven was even more terrifying than the differences between lower realms.Realm seven was Mountain Moving Realm, was grandmaster, was the enemy of ten thousand.There were also differences among realm sevens. For example, Liang Lian had been defeated by Xue Wangxu’s blow, Zhao Zhan had died by Ye Celeng, and Bai Shanshui and Zhao Si could win against most realm sevens in the world. Some of the realm seven grandmasters who had attended the Deer Mountain Conference had the ability to kill multiple realm sevens.

  Mo Ying was a realm seven. And he had received the true teachings of Ba Mountain Sword Field, and was not a realm seven of an ordinary sect.

  Simply speaking, vital energy was the primal energies of the universe purified through different cultivation methods, and sword manuals were different ways of using vital energy to kill people. There were high and low among the vital energy methods, and also in the methods of killing people. There were also differences among realm sevens, and Mo Ying was among the top. A realm six saying they would win against a realm seven was a false statement, much less a high level realm seven.

  But when Ding Ning said such words at this time, no one wound it laughable. Because he was Nine Death Silkworm. He represented Wang Jingmeng’s legend. In the past, Wang Jingmeng had several examples of winning against those stronger than him.

  Mo Ying pressed with reason and righteousness. Ding Ning returned with reason and righteousness and responded like this. And with the pressure from the fact the legendary Nine Death Silkworm had turned from myth to real life, he was even more significant.

  Mo Ying’s pupils contracted. He looked at Ding Ning with some appreciation. “You will collect?”


  Ding Ning did not repeat his words. He looked calmly at the sword that Mo Ying held and said, “This sword is an item of the Ba Mountain Sword Field. Today, since I represent Ba Mountain Sword Field in exiling you, then you have to first return this sword to me.”


  Mo Ying bowed his head slightly. He looked at the short sword in his hand and was silent for a moment. He said, “The army is attacking, the center of the army is empty. Eldest Miss Gongsun is here. The two of you have the confidence to kill me, but now, you come to collect. If you want to get back this sword of Ba Mountain Sword Field, it is fair.”


  After saying this, he looked up. A gentle presence came out of his hand, and flew up carrying this sword to Ding Ning.

  Ding Ning reached out and received the short sword.

  “Since you told some secrets of the sword manual to Zheng Xiu, you felt afraid of being controlled so you did not have the confidence to use this sword, much less forge it into your lifebond sword. As a result, this sword is so dim. In your hands, this sword is useless.”


  Ding Ning looked with complicated feelings at the sword. When his voice sounded, the sound of silkworms munching on mulberry leaves emerged from his body. Heavy breathing formed a flood in the camp!

  There were no powerful primal energy fluctuations, but a pale white light came from Ding Ning’s right arm.

  The pale white light was faint but suddenly grew tangible. Many rays came out of Ding Ning’s skin under his robe, through the clothing, and entered the dim short sword. The sound of silkworms feeding grew clearer. Everyone could see the tangible rays of energy. Limited by their sight, they could not see the details. But even the non-cultivator soldiers in the camp could sense, just by the sound, these rays were made from countless minuscule little silkworms.

  The dozen cultivators who had formed the formation had fear in their gazes, they felt agitated.

  In the past Changling, everyone knew the legendary Nine Death Silkworm had ended up in Wang Jingmeng’s hands, but he had never displayed it. As a result, no one knew the secrets lying within. Many even speculated with certainty that Wang Jingmeng had never cultivated the Nine Death Silkworm.

  This was the first time Nine Death Silkworm was appearing openly in public. Even just seeing it was enough to make the feelings of these cultivators fluctuate.

  The pale white rays clearly were different in quality compared to normal vital energy as they flooded into the dim short green sword’s seal scripts. The blade seemed so excited it was trembling, but Ding Ning’s hand was extremely steady.

  When the white seal scripts on the blade were filled by the white rays, the dim color faded like snow melting. The short green sword immediately shone with stunning light, the energy coming off the sword a bright yellow, forming blossoming bold yellow flowers.

  The bright color lit up everyone’s sight. Even Ding Ning, dressed in dark robes, looked very dazzling under it.

  “This sword is called Warm Spring.” Ding Ning looked at this bright and hot sword, slowly putting it across his chest. There were colors in his gaze. To him, this sword was a reunion, as such his feelings were not calm either.

  When Ding Ning took the sword, the sound of silkworms feeding drifted from within his body, Mo Ying’s expression grew unusually cold. Putting the sword across the chest horizontally meant an invitation for battle. This meant that this battle could start.

  The other was realm six, but

  person’s heir, and he cultivated the Nine Death Silkworm. The other being excited now was a very good chance to attack so he acted without any hesitation.

  With a buzz, a powerful lifebond presence burst out of his sword, and a long shadow appeared. Mo Ying cultivated the sword, but the lifebond item that appeared in his hand was a spear. It was a long black spear that spewed black smoke which had red flames floating within like flowers blooming in hell.

  “Demon Dragon Spear.” Zhangsun Qianxue’s gaze flashed and she frowned.

  This was a weapon of the old aristocratic Zhanggui Family. It had come from the ruins of a sect from the You Dynasty. Disregarding the meaning, the weapon would not be any weaker than the famous swords of Ba Mountain Sword Field in terms of the energy it could gather.

  Mo Ying held the spear with both hands, fine beads of blood flying between his fingers. his vital energy had not moved violently for many years. The skin of his hands were unused to this, and had split. His expression was solemn. Just as this long spear appeared in his hands, a wild presence crashed towards Ding Ning.

  The sound of mountains moving erupted through the sky. This was the natural sound created when Mountain Moving Realm grandmasters attacked with an ocean of primal energies. At the same time, the wild presence formed a true mountain and slammed down.

  Large amounts of invisible primal energies of the universe mixed with the black smoke and fire spewing from the spear to form the shadow of a mountain. It locked down any place Ding Ning could use to dodge. The power of this mountain surpassed Mo Ying’s cultivation limit as Mo Ying’s spear was like a crowbar, and it could be used to lever with strength one never had.

  Ding Ning’s clothing flapped loudly. The enormous shadow was about to tear his clothing and body apart and crush into powder. His feelings were very turbulent right now, but he was not terrified. He followed his heart and passed his turbulent emotions into the sword.

  The sword form was one of reunion. A reunion after many years, with love and hate, and the power of life and death. His emotions were very complicated. The rays that were flowing on the sword started to vibrate.

  The bold sword he was gripping started to vibrate violently.

  Translator Ramblings: Between Mo Ying and Liang Lian, I’m not sure which one is the most dislikeable.

  Volume 7 95

  Meng Fangying was not willing to give up. He persisted in standing up in the depression. His body uncontrollably swayed, like a child just learning to walk. He spat blood, vomiting up the bitterness in his mouth. He kept on walking towards Fang Xiumu, walking across hundreds of feet until he reached the pit that Fang Xiumu was in.

  “Do you know how long it took to plan this killing trap? In order to make the Nine Death Silkworm appear and get trapped here, what price the Qin Dynasty paid? How many lives were lost just in this spring war against the Chu?”


  He had vomited out almost all the blood in his body. Meng Fangying was paler than paper. He knew that he was in his last time. His expression was very complicated. “Such a killing trap will end like this. How can I reconcile myself?”


  Fang Xiumu looked up at him and did not answer. His breathing was difficult, some blood entering his lungs. Also, there was no need to answer this question.

  “In a match, this is an exchange of pieces.” Meng Fangying could no longer hold on and fell down, sitting by the pit. But his voice grew more harsh. “You just had your breakthrough, and you could easily come into this dust mountain formation. This means that you are realm seven but have abilities near realm eight. You must have defeated my three eagles. With such confidence, you must be very proud. So why directly use this method of one piece for another?”


  “Should you not attempt to defeat us without putting yourself into desperate straits? With the breakthrough, a fish turning into a dragon, all things in the world are likants. You defeated several grandmasters to come here. Should you have thought that it would be easy to defeat us? If you did that, in my plan, it would have been me and Zheng An wearing down your power, and in the end, you would die and I would live.”


  “Why did you do this!”


  As the shouts increased in volume, Fang Xiumu grew more bored, but could not avoid feeling sympathy for this marquis of the Qin.

  He watched Meng Fangying speak and then said, “At this time, you were still unable to kill the Nine Death Silkworm. When I came in, I encountered an assassination like this. Even an old ancestor of the Jiaodong Commandery put her last power onto me. In my view, this is the final battle. If I am able to kill you, I can resolve this trap. Why care about the process?”


  “But your cultivation!”


  Meng Fangying shouted with the last of his power. “Your meridians are all broken. Even if you do not become a cripple like your elder brother, you have lost decades of hard work. You can only heal, not advance to realm eight!”


  Hearing this shout, Fang Xiumu’s expression grew strange. He slowly closed his eyes, saying softly and seriously, “There is something I fear I did not understand from the start…… I have appeared here for my brother. Because of fury and revenge, I came here. My brother and father fought for the Qin Dynasty for many years. I do not know how many brothers in their command died in battle. But in the end, they became sacrifices for a killing trap like this, just for Zheng Xiu and Yuanwu’s ambitions?”


  “As to revenge, as to something like going into realm eight, there are people in this formation more skilled at that than me.” Fang Xiumu closed his eyes and smiled with some bleakness. “If he enters realm eight, how can Zheng Xiu and Yuanwu win against him? If such an exchange of pieces can decide the final victory, why should I not do this?”


  No one responded.

  He heard the sound of Meng Fangying’s body rolling down.

  Meng Fangying died and rolled into the pit not far from him.

  Then there was the sound of piercing flapping. He opened his eyes, and the flickering light was slightly blinding. He first saw a special golden little insect, and then the figures of many people.

  Among the people, he saw Ding Ning.

  Facing Ding Ning’s calm gaze, he nodded in greeting and said, “First, when I saw you in Changling, I thought you were a cripple who could not cultivate. But today, seeing you, I know it is you, but you…… are really different from before.”


  Ding Ning understood his meaning and nodded back in greeting. He said softly, “After dying and coming back to life, no one can be the same as before.”


  In the dust mountains, all sounds disappeared, and it was completely silent. The turbulent energies settled. The sword essences which formed the dust mountains, because of Fang Xiumu’s arrival, started to slowly loosen. The streams of dust turned to wondrous flows which flew up and disappeared into the wind.

  They had survived.

  But from Ding Ning’s words, no one heard much joy and excitement, just unspeakable sorrow and emotion.

  **

  The people who dared to enter the dust mountains had done so already. Those who had yet to do so would have a hard time finding the chance.

  But in the wilderness, there were still some people who did not want to give up and were still trying. Following a cold wild wind, in a small lake not far from the formation, half of the water was swept up by a white figure.

  This was a white python, which carried a strange saddle. The saddle was connected to a small temple. The saddle and the temple were the size of two carriages, made from special half transparent crystal stone. For some reason, they were able to let the cultivators within survive for a long time underwater.

  There was a taoist in the crystal hall, his sleeves empty, his hands having been cut off long ago. But the presence of the white python could rival a realm seven grandmaster and this taoist was a rare expert.

  The cultivators closer to this small lake saw this scene but were not too shocked. When they were certain that the cultivator trapped in the formation was the Nine Death Silkworm’s heir, or as Yuanwu said, the Nine Death Silkworm reborn, it was normal for any grandmaster to appear around here.

  In the last ten days, there had been countless realm seven grandmasters who died here, so many people were numb, and dazed at how there could be so many realm sevens in the world.

  Just like back then in Changling, the grandmasters who came from the dynasties formed a small mountain. This grandmaster was not very old, but gave off an aged presence. He had hid in the lake for a long time but did not enter. Clearly, he did not want to rescue the Nine Death Silkworm within.

  At this time, he decided to enter the formation to see but did not expect someone to have waited a long time for him. A ruthless killing intent appeared behind him, and came close to his crystal hall without him noticing. Then the killing intent broke his crystal hall, he sensed it, and through the intent, he knew who it was.

  “Bai Qi?”


  When this killing intent pierced his body, he shouted in shock. He had never thought that such a person had been silently waiting for him, and never expected that this person was not on his and Zheng Xiu’s side.

  Volume 3 95 - Stab

  Sympathy and compassion were emotions ordinary people had. But long trips were full of danger. Even some cultivators would pay attention to their endurance and mental state. No one wished for accidents and with that an increase in their burden.

  Seeing Zhang Yi walk over to care for this old man, most people in the caravan felt no admiration or shame. They had dismissive or scornful expressions.

  Everyone could see that this old man was not vomiting because he had eaten something bad or he had sunstroke. This old man was too weak of health. And because of his weak state, this kind of situation would occur repeatedly in the upcoming long journey. He could even die here.

  Since he had started taking care now, then he could not give up in the future. Taking care of this old man would become his own matter.

  Even more importantly, this old person’s temper was strange. He may have been an old Yan veteran forced into hard labor after being captured in the old war. He was extremely disrespectful to the people of the caravan, and frequently used his age as a weapon. He was very dislikable.

  Zhang Yi, however, had no other thoughts. An old person was unwell and needed care. If he was able, he would help. This was just as simple to him as eating when hungry, drinking when thirsty.

  He did not show any displeasure due to the stench, carefully wiping away the vomit from the old man’s chest.

  After taking several swallows of warm water, this old man was finally able to breath. He was dressed in grey robes and had a withered appearance. His hair was as dry as grass. As the water turned in his stomach, he felt suffocated in his chest again, and started to vomit again, disregarding that Zhang Yi was still wiping him clean.

  With Zhang Yi’s present cultivation, even if the old man was a cultivator of his level and the two of them so close, he would be able to react even if the other stabbed him. Yet, he was supporting the old man with a hand on his back. Because he feared abrupt movements would cause the old man to fall off the horse, he only pulled his hand back, and turned slightly. As a result, his sleeve and the side of his robe were splashed with the old man’s vomit.

  Even so, Zhang Yi felt no disgust.

  Unexpectedly, the old man grew angry. He looked at the water sac and said angrily in a Yan accent, “I feel so uncomfortable but you still feed me water. You think I am not vomiting enough!”


  Hearing the old man’s angry speech, the caravan members who had been staying away frowned, and thought that this old man was senile.

  Zhang Yi also stilled. He was not angry and bowed slightly to apologize, then explained softly. “If you vomit too much, you will lose water easily. In humid heat like this, it would be more unbearable for your body.”


  The old man retched, the sound coming from his abdomen and throat making the people travelling with their heads low uncomfortable. Yet the old man sneered and said unclearly, “Since that’s the case, you should find me herbs or salted water. Why only this lukewarm water!”


  Many people grew angry at the old man’s tone, but Zhang Yi had no anger. He stilled and said, “Sir is right.”


  “I will first clean you and then make salt water for you,” he said apologetically and then wiped the old man’s clothing and the saddle.

  Seeing Zhang Yi so respectful, the old man’s expression grew stiff. But he was not in a good mood due to the discomfort of his body. He made a mixed sound in his throat, and then turned his head away from Zhang Yi.

  Qin people, especially those from Guanzhong and Changling, did not have much tolerance for people they disliked. The leader of the caravan, Luo Zhongjing, was in his forties, had a healthy body, short cropped hair, and a clear scar on his left cheek. He sneered when he saw this old man’s response. “Cannot distinguish between good and bad. Why care for him. Have we Qin not killed many Yan people in these decades?”


  Hearing this, the old man, whose eyes had been growing heavy due to exhaustion, became furious. He yelled. “You accepted my money. Are you Qin untrustworthy people?”


  Luo Zhongjing looked directly at the old man and sneered. “Do you need me to return you your money right now and leave you here?”


  The old man paled, and could not speak.

  Zhang Yi grimaced at Luo Zhongjing and said softly, “We should respect the elderly.”


  Luo Zhongjing said, “I think the elder is disrespectful.”


  Zhang Yi opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but the caravan leader turned away crisply and said coldly, “We have just met. I respect Sir for your abilities and want to rely on them, but this person has frequently insulted the Qin and now does not distinguish between good and bad. We cannot stay with him. If Sir wants to take more care of him due to his age, then everything about him has nothing to do with us.”


  Zhang Yi felt slightly bitter inside. Looking at the old man’s ashen face, he could not bear it, so he hesitated and nodded.

  Luo Zhongjing’s expression did not change visibly. But he and the other members of the caravan pulled away from this old man.

  The old man from Yan saw that he was being cut away from the rest of the caravan. His spirits fell, and he appeared faded. But as his gaze moved around, his eyes were filled with cold and dislike as he looked at Zhang Yi who constantly followed him.

  The evening grew darker, and vision became obstructed. The experienced caravan leader led the caravan to a camping site to rest and cook food.

  Knowing that the caravan disliked this old man greatly, Zhang Yi set up his tent away from the outskirts of the caravan tents, and then spread some herbs around to repel insects.

  Seeing Zhang Yi take care of this Yan old man so carefully, most people in the caravan did not understand. But out of respect for a cultivator, someone still brought two servings of food to Zhang Yi’s tent after food was prepared.

  The food during the trip was naturally simple. The main meal was boiled dried sweet potatoes, and a soup made from dried meat scraps and wild vegetables.

  “I want the meat soup, not the potato soup.”


  Seeing the food presented, the Yan old man who had been resting for a while showed his aggressive and unreasonable side. He took over one bowl of meat soup, and then poured the other bowl into his hand before he started to drink.

  Zhang Yi frowned for the first time. He was not angry and said worriedly, “Your stomach is weak. You need to eat less and nurture yourself. It is not best to eat meat like this.”


  This Yan old man seemed to not hear Zhang Yi’s words. After drinking all of the meat soup, he turned around and said coldly, “You are Qin, I am Yan, why do you help me? Who knows what thoughts you have…… but no matter what thoughts you have, I urge you to be at peace. I do not have extra money, I just want to die in my homeland so I am suffering with your Qin caravan.”


  “Sir misunderstands,” Zhang Yi looked at this cold-eyed old man and said sincerely, “Respecting the elderly is one’s duty.”


  “There are no free meals in the world.”


  The old man sneered and said, “Since you say respecting the elderly is your duty, I am uncomfortable now and want to have hot water to bathe. I see that they seem to be slightly afraid of you, you must be a rare cultivator. You should be able to get me some hot water to wash. You should know, based on my physical condition, I will get sores if I do not have hot water to bathe. Dying during the trip is inevitable.”


  Zhang Yi glanced at the old man and still did not get angry. He felt that the old man spoke the truth.

  He turned to look around and nodded. “Sir, please wait.”


  “What does he want to do?”


  People in the caravan looked with bewilderment at Zhang Yi who started to get busy.

  They saw Zhang Yi borrow the metal pot the caravan used for cooking, walk to a hard stone on the hill, and then started to move his sword.

  As sword light flashed, large pieces of rock flew.

  As the water in the metal pot started to boil, Zhang Yi poured in filtered cold water into the rock pit, and then poured in hot water.

  After testing the water temperature, he walked towards the old man.

  Everyone in the caravan finally understood that he had used all this effort, and even the precious vital energy to help this old man bathe.

  “Is something wrong with his head?”


  The caravan leader Luo Zhongjing could not help but swear.

  Translator Ramblings: Zhang Yi oh Zhang Yi.

  Volume 5 95 - Unexpected Person

  The short sword gave off hundreds of different colored energies due to the strong vibrations which flew upwards and faced the mountain shadow coming down from the sky. The sword energies charged at the enormous shadow and exploded like fireworks at the bottom of the mountain.

  The Demon Dragon Spear in Mo Ying’s hand started to shake, and then his body started to shake. His extremely solemn eyes were filled with a complicated emotion. He immediately understood the shaking was not due to the collision of power, it was not that Ding Ning’s sword was powerful enough to stop his “Demon Dragon Levers Mountain” but because inside of him, his own emotions were agitated. The emotion of the opponent’s sword intent was perfectly transmitted to his perception and mental world, and affected his heart.

  At this moment, he was like a flying sword thrown out of its path. He could not avoid being affected. There were many scenes of reunion in his mind, like the sword had just left him appearing in front of him after many years. It caused him to think of the first time he met Yan Xinlan, and the first time he saw “Warm Spring”.

  That was a very warm spring. In a certain battlefield in the south, the yellow canola flowers bloomed on the hills. He had been passing through the flowers with a bucket of blood stained bandages, to the stream to wash them. A woman had been washing her face there.

  That had been Yan Xinlan.

  She had a sword on each side of her waist, one was Last Flower, the other Warm Spring.

  Yan Xinlan and the other swordsmen of the Ba Mountain Sword Field were the same, her presence like a sharp sword. Yet she did not wash the same way as ordinary women. Even when she sensed him coming, she did not change how she washed, slow and steady.

  Many years later, he knew this was a calm mind, and also a stubbornness that would not change for others. He had been stunned back then. Yan Xinlan casually turned and said, “From your walking pace, breathing, and your power in carrying this bucket, you must be cultivating some of White Deer School and Huangchong Sword School, but were not taught, and just learned pieces. But you are a genius to have learned even this.”


  He had been surprised for a long time. He did not know his own emotions. Later, he said, “Then could you teach me?”


  She was noncommittal. But in the end, she did teach.

  The world had been golden. The scene caused his mind to shake, his attention momentarily lost and even dazed.

  This was enough to Ding Ning.

  A sword shadow led Ding Ning out from the shadow of the mountain. The mountain fell behind him, the ground silently exploding with the sound not even having the time to spread. He had defeated Mo Ying’s spear attack.

  Unrepressed gasps sounded among the camp like a tide. The cultivators could not believe their eyes. They did not believe that someone in the world could use a move to defeat another move, ignoring the rules of power to break such an attack.

  “This really is a miracle.”


  Mo Ying took a deep breath. The rippling emotions in his eyes were gone. His spear tip touched the ground, and the lingering power on the tip easily broke through the vibrations coming from the ground, and stopped the energy from affecting his body and vital energy negatively.

  He was not in a hurry to attack and looked at Ding Ning, saying expressionlessly, “In the past, Wang Jingmeng fought all the sects, and knew the moves of all the sects, and most of the moves of the world. He did not know just how to use them, but defeat them, so he possessed the ability to fight beyond his level. I had not thought that you, his heir, can also do so.”


  Ding Ning looked up slightly at his cold and murderous eyes. He did not answer, but lifted his sword, so Mo Ying could see more clearly. He asked softly, “Had you ever thought why she took you as her student?”


  “Why?”


  Ding Ning’s question did not make Mo Ying’s heart ripple as he had been preparing to attack and also on guard for Ding Ning’s attack.

  At this moment Ding Ning attacked.

  He released the sword hilt. The sword flew away out of his hand with a buzz, so fast the sword became a faint shadow. In the next moment, the tracks of the sword and the sword essence it gave off caused the flying sword to become even lighter, like it had disappeared into the air, but with an indescribable aura. It was like on a drunk night in early summer, one person came to the willow tree, and met a woman that he had met before and loved, but did not know where she was.

  Ding Ning’s sword expressed this meaning fully. The move was called “Meeting Fate.”


  Some things were called destiny, and that was solemn and grave. Some things were called “fate” and that usually was sweet and warm, or slightly bitter and sad.

  Mo Ying’s spear gave off a loud sound like a dragon’s roar. As his power surged out, the spear tip surged with a red flow hotter than lava. This was the “Demon Dragon Roar,” a secret move from the cultivation records of that past aristocratic family that they gained from the ruins of the ancient sect.

  The spear presence was powerful and unrivaled, with the power of the supposed dragon’s breath, and its great volume had the ability to enchant a cultivator’s senses and mind.

  But at this time, as his move started, he was not able to affect Ding Ning because of Ding Ning’s previous words and sword essence, his mind once again sank into a violent shock.

  Unconsciously, he had started to consider Ding Ning’s question. But the answer was like a pebble in the water, and floated out of the water when carried up by Ding Ning’s sword essence.

  He was a talented cultivator. Otherwise, even with the true teachings of Ba Mountain Sword Field, he could not have become so strong so quickly. Yet Mo Ying, who understood Yan Xinlan and her personality so well, knew why she had taught him. One was that she had rarely left Ba Mountain Sword Field, rarely communicated with others, and she was very young. Because she was very young, when he mentioned her teaching him the sword, she had never had thoughts of having students before, so she had not taken on talented cultivators as students.

  But the most important reason was because she was young enough to believe in fate. When one person was in a good mood, and on a spring day with blooming flowers, she saw a likeable young person. Then this slightly shy and dumb young man asked her to teach him so she did.

  This was fate.

  What else?

  If there was, it was that he had been young back then, so his eyes were clear and he had no desires. He had just been an ordinary pharmacist.

  Mo Ying received the answer. His emotions became more turbulent, and a hint of chaos appeared in the sound of the Demon Dragon Roar.

  A light sword light passed through the red energy flames to fall towards his forehead. He was between being conscious and dazed. A hint of viciousness flashed across his brows. His left hand left his spread, and he grabbed the sword light with two fingers.

  With a woosh, the sword slipped past his fingers like slippery loaches. His body slid back, the bottom of his shoes making rubbing sounds just like the sound of the flying sword and his fingers.

  A sword mark appeared on his forehead, deep to the bone, and blood flowed down his nose.

  Volume 3 96 - Fight Together

  Even though powerful cultivators could quickly fall into meditation, the transformation of physical energies and primal energies of the universe into vital energy would take a long time. Especially in a situation like this when one could be attacked by horse bandits, soldier-bandits or beasts at any moment, ordinary cultivators would not waste vital energy. They would maintain abundant vital energy in their bodies.

  The caravan leader Luo Zhongjing was not a cultivator but had seen many cultivators fight before. Just from how Zhang Yi had used the sword to carve stone, he was certain that Zhang Yi was not someone so strong that he could waste vital energy as he pleased.

  So Zhang Yi’s actions appeared very stupid in his view.

  Yet, to Zhang Yi, this was not the same.

  Just like how in Min Mountain Sword Trials, something that looked meaningless to Zhang Yi was more important to him than his life. Because of this, he was himself, he was Zhang Yi.

  Before having the old man take off his clothes and enter the bath, he considerately tested the water temperature. He even gathered some herbs that could help rheumatism and sores from the surroundings and added to the water.

  He even started to clean the clothes the old man had taken off, and then used precious water energy to shake off the moisture from the clothes. The old man’s clothes were as clean as new.

  Seeing his gentle presence and the old man’s clean robes, even Luo Zhongjing slowly grew silent as the stench disappeared. He felt something different.

  The old man made a comfortable sound after soaking in the hot bath and putting on clean clothing. Even so, he still did not thank Zhang Yi. He just burrowed into his tent and quickly fell asleep.

  Zhang Yi inspected the tent, and confirmed the cold mountain wind would not blow directly at the old man’s face before he started a fire in the rock pit the old man had bathed in.

  When wood turned into red charcoal and the smoke was no longer pungent, Zhang Yi carefully took out the sword manual that Baili Suxue had written and started to study it.

  The sword essence on the sword manual was extremely proud and cold, like the ice on the highest peak of Min Mountain. He could not help but feel a piercing pain when he read. Needle-like coldness stabbed through his skin.

  This sword essence was very inconsistent with his elegant and gentle character. But for him, this sword manual represented Min Mountain Sword Sect’s recognition and admiration of him. At the same time, it was a heavy burden. So, he would do his best to learn this sword manual.

  With true respect and gratefulness rather than fighting back against the sword essence, he quickly fell into every stroke and brush like he was following in Baili Suxue’s footsteps.

  If the Min Mountain Sword Sect cultivator who had delivered him this sword manual saw his cultivation state clearly, he would be greatly shocked at the speed.

  Zhang Yi’s mind moved along the strokes on the manual. Unknowingly, he forgot the passage of time, and even his present environment. He forgot the meaning of the characters of the sword manual.

  His mind flew along the brush strokes like a mountain wind passing through the valleys, like a meteor flying across the sky, like a fish suddenly jumping out of the water, creating a splash and disappearing.

  These brush strokes seemed to jump out like swords, and turned into profound marks in his perception. It flowed so smoothly like it was natural.

  In reality, the cold glacial sword essence this sword manual gave off only represented Baili Suxue’s individual personality and mood. This was only the sword manual’s appearance but not the true essence of this sword manual.

  The true essence of this sword was for the mind to be illuminated, and for the sword to be a matter of course.

  The truths many people told you were not the true truth. Only the truths you thought were a matter of course were your own truths.

  A true gentleman would not be influenced by outside factors, and would not go against his own way. When what he did was in accordance with the truths of this sword manual, then he would be able to use this sword essence as a matter of course.

  If Zhang Yi was like those hypocrites in Changling, and what he did was not the same as what he thought, even if he had this sword manual, he could not comprehend the true meaning.

  So Baili Suxue had chosen the correct sword manual and the correct person.

  When his consciousness jumped along the stroke until the last stroke when it shot into the sky, Zhang Yi felt light in his body like his soul had jumped out of his head, charging into the sky and looking down at his own body. This feeling was both profound and novel, but also terrifying.

  Zhang Yi was startled awake. He found that his clothing was soaked through. The distant sky was turning white. A night had passed silently.

  All of the sharp strokes faded from his mind like a tide. But they left behind a mark in his mind like his mind was a beach. A clear sword path appeared in his mind. He had comprehended a sword.

  He started to comprehend the first move of this sword manual. A new passage seemed to appear deep in his heart. His eyes widened in confusion. He clearly sensed some rapid energy vibrations in front of him, but he did not sense energy leaving his body. His vital energy had not been used at all.

  A very comfortable feeling spread through his body.

  At this time, the Yan old man in the tent rolled and woke up. His blurry eyes had turned clear in this moment as though the energy that had just rippled in front of Zhang Yi had gathered in his eyes.

  But in the next moment, his eyes grew muddy again.

  “I want to drink water,” he shouted rudely in a hostile tone at Zhang Yi.

  Hearing the old man’s shout, Zhang Yi put away the sheepskin scroll without thinking and walked in front of the old man’s tent.

  “I want to drink hot water, not warm water,” the old man said angrily as though he thought Zhang Yi had been too slow.

  “All right.”


  Zhang Yi did not say anything else, but he walked faster towards the caravan camp.

  As the eastern sky turned white and Ye Zhengnan woke up, he found a handsome man with strong brows standing next to the carriage by Ink Garden’s gates when he left his residence.

  Ye Zhengnan did not fear strong enemies. He was a youth who did not fear death. But when he saw this handsome man, he still felt nervous and wary. He still felt awe.

  This handsome man was Yantai Guanjian.

  For a long time, Yantai Guanjian had been recognized as the strongest person in Min Mountain Sword Sect next to Baili Suxue. Many realm seven cultivators could not understand why Yantai Guanjian could be so fast. How could his sword be many times as fast as a cultivator’s flying sword, faster than common sense?

  Yantai Guanjian was not talking with Shao Sharen who was sitting on the bamboo mat. He also was not in a hurry to enter the garden, and seemed to be patiently waiting for the sunrise.

  Ye Zhengnan had seen Yantai Guanjian before during the trials, but inexplicably, at that time, he did not feel that Yantai Guanjian was as serious and solemn as today.

  While Yantai Guanjian stood there quietly without any complicated rituals or procedures, Ye Zhengnan still clearly sensed that a great event was occurring.

  The sun rose in the east. Thousands of rays descended. The sky was completely bright.

  Ye Zhengnan looked dazedly and saw Yantai Guanjian was edged in gold.

  Then Yantai Guanjian nodded to him in greeting and then bowed slightly to Shao Sharen.

  A gentle presence flowed out of his body, causing his body to become exceptionally clean. Even the smallest mote of dust was blown away.

  Then, Yantai Guanjian stepped towards Ink Garden.

  Volume 5 96 - Great Gamble

  Blood dropped into the dust by Mo Ying’s feet like early plum blossoms. He looked down as the two mixed together, holding the spear with one hand in silence. The wound on his forehead was not enough to affect his fight, but it did affect his state of mind.

  The dozen cultivators blocking Zhangsun Qianxue were the strongest of the camp next to him. Even facing an opponent like her, they were fearless and absolutely calm. Yet seeing the wound appear on this forehead, these cultivators were shocked, and some people’s lips involuntarily trembled.

  When vital energy cultivation was far below Mo Ying’s, the other used a sword form to create such a wound on his brow.

  The sword essence was too perfect. The sword form was exquisite and profound, but the black robed youth was at an extreme in the display and understanding of this sword form, enough for them, as swordsmen, to revere him.

  Many of Changling’s old records had been burned after Emperor Yuanwu ascended the throne. But they could not help but think back to the records of Wang Jingmeng fighting a Zhao swordsman at the Zhao Ping Lake. Back then, Wang Jingmeng only showed one move, just one for the other to see, and the other admitted defeat. The emperor of swords caused all swords in the world to worship.

  Now the Nine Death Silkworm had officially appeared under the sun, it caused “that person” who had died to slowly come back to reality.

  The countless little silkworms in Ding Ning’s body were released completely for the first time, unspeakably joyful and restless. The fine sounds clearly reached Mo Ying’s ears. The boldly colored sword sort was spinning around Ding Ning’s body, creating blinding streaks of light, showing off arrogance.

  Sensing Ding Ning’s calm presence, Mo Ying slowly said, “You want to show your power.”


  His voice spread through the camp. Everyone immediately understood his meaning.

  Many years ago, there had been news of the Nine Death Silkworm in Changling. Only Wang Jingmeng knew of it and had it. It’s emergence into the world meant his heir.

  In these years, the Nine Death Silkworm had hidden, wandering between legend and reality so people could not distinguish the truth. But since he had to appear, whether as an invincible cultivation method of the Nine Death Silkworm or the heir to that person who had been an invincible legend of the Ba Mountain Sword Field, he could not appear at an ordinary time and place. Fighting above his level against someone like Mo Ying was the best debut.

  Back then, many people had stood on the other side from the Ba Mountain Sword Field because that person was dead, and they thought he had no heirs. Now, they were certain there was an heir, and was just as powerful as that person had been. Many people may change their minds.

  “Win against me, announce the official return of the Nine Death Silkworm, start to take back what belongs to Ba Mountain Sword Field …… Have the people of the world know. That is the deeper meaning of this battle.” Mo Ying slowly looked up at Ding Ning who did not respond. He shook his head. “But you have to win against me first. I do not believe sword forms can surpass cultivation.”


  When he said this, the tip of his spear flicked off the ground. His body seemed to be levered by this Demon Dragon Spear, and he flew with the spear towards Ding Ning. There was no release of vital energy. The surroundings boomed, and the moving primal energies of the universe all rolled into his body and the spear he held. He merged into one with the spear, and crashed at Ding Ning in a commanding manner.

  There were no moves. Just a collision and crushing. When everything was very simple, it was harder to defeat.

  Seeing him attack, Ding Ning knew the dangers involved, but his eyes did not change at all. He had predicted that Mo Ying would attack like this.

  Because he was not who Mo Ying and the people in the camp thought he was.

  He had experience that Mo Ying and the others would find unimaginable, and had faced similar scenes before. So he had prepared for this already.

  The flying swords drew bright streaks of light in the air around him and then shone. The thin layers of sword light were tightly attached, and spun together like thousands of little swords spinning in unison.

  The sword lights spun around his body and shrouded his figure completely. All the sword lights were spinning in one direction. At this moment, it was like an enormous top or a stone mill. The spear tip bursting with red flame stabbed hard onto the spinning sword light.

  The sword light wrapped around Ding Ning’s body and retreated, but the tip could not enter! It continued to grind against the sword tip, the black smoke and red flames of the tip scattering, and even creating golden sparks!

  “Stone-Grinding Sword!”


  One person in the cultivators of the formation could not control himself and shouted.

  Mo Ying pressed his lips together. His Demon Dragon Spear was starting to vibrate. Not because of the turbulence in his emotions, but due to real friction.

  The Stone-Grinding Sword was like the Nine Death Silkworm, a symbol of Wang Jingmeng. It had been praised as the best defensive sword manual in the world, and also the one that could wear a person down to death. In the past, when Wang Jingmeng faced powerful opponents with high cultivation, he used this sword manual to wear many of them down to death. In the entire Ba Mountain Sword Field, only he had mastered this sword manual, because this sword manual concerned the fine control of countless sword lights, like inscribing countless seal scrips in an instant.

  Today, the Stone-Grinding Sword appeared again, and his simple Demon Dragon Spear attack could not advance. This move did not just defeat his move, but also broke his confidence.

  Within the sword lights and flying fire, blood made its way up Ding Ning’s throat, but he viciously swallowed down the blood. At the same time, the fingers on his left hand moved like he was pulling invisible strings. Many silk like sword lights appeared behind Mo Ying and attacked multiple meridian points.

  Mo Ying suddenly sensed them, and cried. His spear was still pushing but he was flying backwards. Hiss, hiss hiss, blood sprayed out of his feet. There were a few more wounds.

  Ding Ning looked up. At this moment, his eyes showed great anger. The flying sword spinning around him accelerated, no longer like a flying sword, but a giant stick flying horizontally through the air to chase behind Mo Ying who was a black dot in the sky.

  This move was called “Heaven Wrath.”


  His attack was purely power. His vital energy all surged out, controlling the primal energies of the universe that flooded in from all directions. The countless little silkworms in his body moved furiously and spat out their power. Rays made from the silkworms erupted towards the sky like silk threads reaching into the air.

  “How is this possible!”


  The cultivators in the camp looked up at the sky, their mouths wide but unable to breathe, looking like suffocating fishes. They could not understand why Ding Ning would use such a sword form. There were many ways of giving chase, but his attack was pure power. No matter how strong a realm six was, how could he benefit against a realm seven’s power?

  Mo Ying’s mouth was convulsing slightly. The sword threads had cut through many muscles in his feet, and the great pain caused his mind to have a momentary dizziness. Sensing the sword chasing from below, he turned this pain he had not experienced for so long into a furious howl. With a thunderous roar, he held the spear with two hands, and smashed it down.

  The pitch black spear bent, and then straightened, the enormous power hitting the flying sword coming up by his feet with an enormous roar.

  Volume 3 97 - Water Flower

  Ye Zhengnan did not know why Yantai Guanjian had reached Ink Garden early but waited until the sunup to actually enter.

  But Ding Ning knew.

  He had bathed and changed his clothes when he learned of Yantai Guanjian’s arrival. He put on a clean new robe and then waited quietly for the arrival of the sun.

  The reason for such solemnity was because this matter was more important to him than anyone else. This meant his new life.

  From the first day he started cultivating in Changling, he must obtain the Heaven Replenishing Divine Art of Min Mountain Sword Sect. Otherwise, everything was meaningless. The only thing waiting for him was death.

  The Heaven Replenishing Divine Art was the highest skill of the Min Mountain Sword Sect. It was a symbol of the entire sect and sacred in a certain manner. How could this be given to a disciple to learn before dawn, like a rat sneaking through the street in the darkness?

  “You know why I am here?”


  Yantai Guanjian saw Ding Ning waiting for him when he slowly walked into the garden. He bowed to Ding Ning and then queried gently.

  Ding Ning nodded and said in a melancholic tone, “Wang Taixu has left already?”


  Yantai Guanjian looked at him, undisguised appreciation in his eyes. He said, “He has departed for Yan.”


  Ding Ning immediately recovered his calm. He looked up and said, “Was it not going to be me going to the Sword Tower of Min Mountain Sword Sect? Why have you brought it here?”


  “Min Mountain Sword Sect cares about the rules, but not the minor details. We are all astounded at your abilities to have such a powerful gangster of Changling listen to your every word.” Yantai Guanjian looked at him. “Originally, something so difficult became so easy to solve in your hands. The sect master decided to have me take this manual to you as you do not have much time.”


  Ding Ning stopped speaking.

  He bowed his head and stood. While there were no extra ceremonies, he waited for Yantai Guanjian’s teaching with a solemn air.

  Inner respect was more important than ceremony.

  Yantai Guanjian was even more satisfied with Ding Ning. He said nothing else. He solemnly pulled out a green jade box from his sleeve, held it with both hands and presented it in front of Ding Ning.

  Ding Ning took it with both hands. Even though the jade box was small, just a square little box that Changling people used to hold fans, and very light, his hands still trembled uncontrollably.

  “When you finish, you can hand it to Sect Uncle Shao at any time.”


  Yantai Guanjian looked at Ding Ning’s trembling hands and thought this was a normal response for excitement. He lightly patted Ding Ning’s shoulder and said, “This method is really hard to comprehend, so you need to hurry.”


  Yantai Guanjian paused and then looked at Ding Ning’s eyes. He said, “If there is something hard for you to do, you can tell me, and I will help you.”


  An unspeakable bitter smile appeared at the corner of Ding Ning’s mouth. He thought and said, “Make sure Wang Taixu and my sect uncle Li Daoji are safe. And also…… guarantee the old man will be buried with glory.”


  Hearing Ding Ning’s request, Yantai Guanjian nodded and said harmoniously, “You do not have to worry about these things. Just cultivate with peace of mind.”


  Ding Ning bowed.

  Yantai Guanjian looked at Ding Ning with anticipation. He, Jin Liuli and the others had the same opinion. He was filled with confidence Ding Ning could comprehend the Heaven Replenishing Divine Art.

  Unlike usual, Zhangsun Qianxue did not appear like a shadow behind Ding Ning like she usually did after Yantai Guanjian left.

  Ding Ning knew that this was because Zhangsun Qianxue was too proud and stubborn.

  Many years ago, that person had never gotten the ability to enter the Min Mountain Sword Sect and could not make up for some shortcomings in his cultivation. Zhangsun Qianxue had never shown any attitudes towards Ding Ning about this, but Ding Ning knew well that she could not forgive Baili Suxue.

  In her view, the lack of the Heaven Replenishing Divine Art had been one of the greatest reasons for the obstruction of that person’s advancement and his death from battle in Changling.

  Even though she could not forgive that person, this was her love and hate.

  She would not come to look at the Min Mountain Sword Sect’s Heaven Replenishing Divine Art, even if it was one of the most brilliant methods in the world.

  Ding Ning went into his own bedroom in the innermost little courtyard.

  A loquat tree outside the window scattered the morning sunlight. Ding Ning had moved this loquat tree here many days ago from outside the courtyard. While the move time was not correct, it lived well and gave off life. The little courtyard, which had been dark and cold before this, became alive.

  Ding Ning looked at the green jade box on the red table for a long time in silence. Yes, if that person had obtained this method many years ago, maybe many things would not have happened.

  Maybe he would have reached the peak of realm eight early or even realm nine. Transcendent power would have caused Yuanwu and many people to give up on their later ideas. Yuanwu may have still become the emperor of the strongest empire, but would listen to that person’s ideas like before.

  Ba Mountain Sword Field would not have disappeared and grown stronger. Zheng Xiu would not have shown her ruthless and cruel side. She would have become that person’s gentle wife.

  Many people would not have died.

  On the Wei River, between the Bai Mountains and the Shu Water, there would be laughter and distant music in the little tower in the bamboo forest when the rain came down at night. Someone would be sitting at the front of the little ship going down the river, drunk and trying to pick up the moon from the river.

  Everything may have been different……

  But would that have been perfect?

  That person could never see through many people. That person would never understand many things.

  The green jade box sat under the scattered light rays. It was not open, but Ding Ning started to see two completely different lives.

  Ding Ning’s emotions gradually became absolutely calm. He reached out and opened the green jade box without any effort.

  His sleeve flapped despite the lack of wind. A thin green book was rolled up in the green jade box.

  Each page seemed to be made out of woven threads of green jade. But jade was something hard and easy to shatter. It was extraordinary how it could have been turned to soft thread yet still be visibly green jade.

  Ding Ning took a deep breath. Even his hair started to dance.

  This thin green book naturally gave off primal energies of the universe like a spring.

  His cultivation habit was to first start with the big things, get the general idea, and then the details would not be hard to understand.

  So, he was not in a hurry to understand where these primal energies of the universe came from, how many different energies were flowing along the invisible seal scripts. He opened the green book and started to page through.

  The green pages had transparent lights like the glow from water droplets. But each glowing shape was a sword’s shape.

  Without any intention, Ding Ning’s perception immediately sank into the green page and these transparent lights.

  He seemed to stand in a green jade world.

  There were transparent longswords pointing in different directions around him. Each sword was bigger than him.

  He looked at each transparent sword, and slowly moved through this sensory world. He passed through these transparent longswords.

  These transparent swords remained motionless but started to grow larger, lengthening endlessly in the direction they pointed.

  The majority of swords were pointed at the sky. They gave off an indescribable proud presence. As they stretched away, these transparent longswords seemed to pierce the sky, and break the boundary of daylight and night.

  The transparent swords started to shine like starlight falling down through the puncture holes. These transparent swords seemed to turn into starlight.

  Each transparent sword was a star.

  Ding Ning’s presence did not change.

  Even Zhangsun Qianxue, who was in the same courtyard, did not sense any change in him.

  But his skin did shine with silver spots of light.

  Ding Ning lifted up his head in the sensory world.

  He said to himself with endless melancholy and a hint of emotion, “So this is how it is.”


  Volume 5 97 - Last Legs

  A pitch black energy bloomed like a dragon, the energy coming off the spear formed a blinding ring of light where it met the flying sword, and then the energy expanded outwards.

  Ding Ning slumped suddenly, and grunted. As the ground sank down, a layer of bloody mist sprayed onto his skin. The bones in his body were almost cracking, and his body almost disintegrated. Yet the countless little silkworms moving through his body were extremely hardy and consumed most of the energy that flooded into his body, and even took on most of the shock, supporting his body.

  In the sky above his head, below the rapidly expanding ring of light, the bold bright flying sword had been driven several hundred feet away, but as he grunted, it was given new power and started to accelerate! This sword’s acceleration seemed to be a frenzy, because it accelerated so quickly the tail of the sword started to waver, and make terrifying sounds in the air.

  Mo Ying’s spear was still coming down. There was faint scorn at the corners of his mouth. In his view, this attack would end with Ding Ning’s severe injury. But when the movement of this sword appeared in his perception, his eyes started to twitch.

  Ding Ning was faster than him!

  His vital energy was still in turbulence, and his spear still going down, but Ding Ning’s second attack had already come, so fast that he had no time to think clearly, and not enough to be angry and shocked. He could only withdraw his spear. Only by withdrawing his spear could he block the other’s sword.

  The Demon Dragon Spear suddenly collapsed, turning to a thick black energy that pulled back up before taking tangible form again and attacking!

  A loud buzz rang out through the sky.

  Ding Ning’s flying sword did not truly fly at him, but the air above him. It flew straight, and so fast that it surpassed the sound. This buzz sounded in the air when the flying sword stopped accelerating.

  Mo Ying’s spear missed, his body seemed to be emptied out, bending forward, and then he vomited a mouthful of blood.

  Ding Ning’s move was a false one, forcing him to pull his spear back. The forcible retraction of his great power collided with the power coming out of his body, like two cultivators of equal strength fighting in his body.

  There was a sonic boom in the air along with a string of shock waves visible to the naked eye.

  Mo Ying’s body fell down, and he spat out more blood.

  The dozen cultivators in the camp who were part of the formation stopped breathing. They knew that Ding Ning had suffered serious injury when he took on the attack, but clearly, Mo Ying was more injured, and right now, he could not attack even though Ding Ning’s flying sword was in the sky!

  This was using an injury to trade for another injury.

  Bu Ding Ning was the one who still won.

  Ding Ning raised his eyebrows and took a deep breath. Even though he had similar experiences, fighting above his level was like walking on a cliff, with many unpredicted dangers. Only now did this battle truly reach his time.

  As he took this breath, his eyes suddenly turned deep red. The chaotic energy and some of the blood flowing backwards in his body were drawn together by his threads of vital energy and started to burn!

  Boom!

  His body sank again like it had been hammered. Some of the power of the Nine Death Silkworm deep inside him was forced out, and merged together with the burning energy. His black robe turned white like a pale wave had flowed out of him.

  An enormous sword essence appeared in the sky. The bold and bright Warm Spring sword turning into a burning sun. The enormous camp was turned snow white by the bright light, so bright and white that people could not see any shadows.

  Mo Ying shouted and closed his eyes. His hands did not tremble, but the spear stabbed multiple times, the tip of the spear like a storm, as it faced the burning sword coming at him.

  This was one of Ba Mountain Sword Field’s secret swords, “Luminous Sun.”


  The sword energies formed many mirrors, gathering the power of the sunlight. The dazzling light was only the outer appearance, and the true threat came from the terrifying heat contained in the light rays of the sword essence.

  But when he attacked with his spear, the sword in his senses suddenly disappeared. His perception was completely dark. After the extreme light, the contact usually caused the deepest darkness.

  Ding Ning’s magnificent “Luminous Sun” was a decoy move.

  Mo Ying’s heart beat rapidly. As his blood channels expanded, for the first time, the threat of death forced out the potential in his body. At this moment, he sensed the faint shadow. The jade palace in his energy sea gave off a pure flow of vital energy that flowed out through his hands. He turned the tail of the spear like he was holding a spoon and smashed it towards this faint shadow.

  At this time, he heard a sound that should not appear.

  It was the sound of an enormous mountain moving through the air. This sound was the symbol of Mountain Moving Realm, the echo that would occur when an ocean of primal energies of the universe gathered through and collided as they fell.

  But other than him and Ding Ning, no other cultivator in the camp was moving. This was an amount of energy that only a realm seven could move. If not him, then who?

  This moment was very swift.

  Just as this thought appeared in his head, the tail of his spear hit the faint shadow hidden behind the light. But other than him and Ding Ning, no other cultivator in the camp was moving.

  “Cicada Slough!”


  The name of this sword move drowned out any other thought in Mo Ying’s mind. In the next moment, he felt his body sink, and then he instinctively looked towards the energy sea. There was a wave of energy charging out of his abdomen, shining with bloody red light. Then he heard a pop from his back, a cold essence pierced through his flesh and flew out of his back.

  The Demon Dragon Spear in his hand suddenly grew heavier than a mountain. With a bang, it landed on the ground in front of him, and created a gust of dust. Mo Ying was dazed. He felt that his body was empty.

  So the sword after the “Luminous Sun” was not the killer move, there was also a “Cicada Slough!”


  But not realm seven, so how could the last attack have the power of a realm seven?

  That last attack …… when the name appeared in his mind, he started to feel pain and coldness. He screamed. The scream was extremely strange, so much that he felt he was not the one shouting.

  Ding Ning stood with his hands behind his back. Because of the loss of blood and vital energy, Mo Ying’s flesh had sunken in. His face appeared very old, and his cheeks had sunken, looking like two shadows.

  Ding Ning felt pleasure. His gaze landed on the bright bold sword flying freely.

  “I have taken back Ba Mountain Sword Field’s things,” he slowly said.

  Volume 3 98 - They Won’t WatChapter Me Die

  Cultivation was about truths. When one continued to explore the mysteries of the body and the surrounding world, and reached a certain level, many truths were common.

  For the cultivators who already possessed unimaginable experience, they only needed to know the method of certain things.

  For example, the paths of primal energies of the universe around them. They knew of the existences of those paths and were not like ordinary cultivators who did not even know where the paths were. They only needed to know the method, which of those paths were useful, and how to touch those paths.

  In the past, numerous exceptional cultivators had tried to touch those paths in different orders and at different strengths to test the responses.

  Most of them did not succeed because this process of experimenting was related to luck. A rare few managed to find powerful methods, and left behind astounding works to the future.

  For cultivators who had equal or more experience, when they gained such an astounding work, they could spare the process of experimenting.

  In the eyes of everyone in the Min Mountain Sword Sect, Ding Ning was a cultivator who had just stepped into the door. He needed to understand these simple seal scripts, and the things that this book without many characters described. He would need a long time to learn the related primal energies of the universe and paths.

  Many geniuses of Min Mountain Sword Sect in the past spent half their lifetimes but failed to comprehend the true meaning of the Heaven Replenishing Divine Art.

  No one would think that the Heaven Replenishing Divine Art was just a door to Ding Ning. He could easily push open this door this morning.

  Pushing the door open only took moments, but it had taken many years to see the door represented by the Heaven Replenishing Divine Art.

  He was very emotional. The most noble mistress in the imperial palace, Zheng Xiu, had not ever seen this precious method of Min Mountain Sword Trials. Otherwise, she would have detected that this method had both similar and mutually opposing parts with the method she cultivated. She would have tried to obtain or destroy this method at any price.

  If that person’s ties with Baili Suxue had not turned for the worst, he could enter Min Mountain Sword Sect in his lifetime. If that person had been able to enter the Min Mountain Sword Sect, then Zheng Xiu would have been able to see this method too, what would have happened then?

  So this was fate. And fate was the hardest to predict.

  Ding Ning took a deep breath. His gaze moved from grief back to calm.

  He slowly rolled up the green jade book and put it into the box. The moment he closed the jade box, energy stopped coming out of the Heaven Replenishing Divine Art. His dancing hair fell back down. But the Last Flower remnant sword hanging from his waist started to tremble.

  His vital energy started to flow through his body. The numerous sword threads at the end of the Last Flower sword started to shine slightly. The fine white flowers bloomed as usual, and the tips of the sword threads started to become transparent and shined like starlight.

  Ding Ning’s body originally had violent energies. The energies in his five organs spread out like boiling water from a pot and his organs started to dry up like water at the bottom of the pot. After the water boiled away, the pot would break. His organs would reach their end.

  Ding Ning’s energies started to burn violently in his energy sea. The heat produced caused his energies to radiate even more. The water in the “pots” appeared to be on the verge of evaporating.

  But then these burning energies collided together in the narrow space of the energy sea and compressed. In the intense heat, silver dots of light formed like numerous stars forming among the explosions and flame.

  The star energy in the vast world around him started to shake.

  As those small silver stars were compressed inside Ding Ning’s body, they were like magnets that attracted these star energies. These star energies, of similar nature to the silver stars, flowed along invisible paths and permeated his body like unseen rain.

  His energies were still being forced out of his organs and burning up, but the star energy coming in from all directions outnumbered the burning energies.

  So the “pots” of water in his body did not dry up and the water increased.

  The parched meridians and flesh of his body grew fuller as they were nourished and gave off fresh vitality.

  This was the feeling of truly leaving death and obtaining new life.

  The countless little silkworms hiding in the deepest part of his body were also nourished by the rain and cheered.

  The flickering human-shaped mark on the Human Sovereign Jade Annulus seemed to sense something from its place on his body and surged madly.

  Ding Ning’s eyes were closed but his eyelashes fluttered.

  He was shocked.

  This was a cultivation speed even he could not imagine. The Nine Death Silkworm and the Heaven Replenishing Divine Art displayed astounding effects. The Human Sovereign Jade Annulus was also stronger than usual!

  As time passed, the trickles of vital energy that flowed through his body grew larger, and started to rush like little rivers. His parched organs seemed to accumulate water like springs.

  Even when he had been suppressing his cultivation intentionally, he had just reached realm four during the Min Mountain Sword Trials, and had not had much time to cultivate after receiving his serious injuries. But to his shock, he sensed that he was not far from intermediate realm four.

  “The Heaven Mandate gathered in Changling.”


  In the serene depths of the palace, the empress, Zheng Xiu, stood in front of the spirit lotus pond in her study. She looked at the spirit energy the white and flawless lotuses gave off and said slowly to Palace Attendant Rong who was standing respectfully with her head bowed, “Back when the Qin defeated the Han, there was such a saying in the world. Because the brightest stars in the sky were right above Changling. In the past many years, we have always had the advantage of land and timing. This has always confirmed this saying. The Qin has eight hundred miles of rich earth. We have had good weather for successive years, and never encountered a calamity. In the past, I worried the most about the Zhao. After the Zhao Dynasty was destroyed, I was not worried about the Chu, Yan and Qi. All I had to worry about was the matters of Changling itself.”


  “One must have might before people will fear you.”


  “Just like the rules of Min Mountain Sword Sect, you have to let people feel you have rules, that you will retreat and tolerate the talents of the Qin, this way, everyone will put the Qin first. With everything out in the open, people will just feel I am authoritarian at most, but think nothing else.”


  The empress finally looked up at Palace Attendant Rong after saying this. “You fear Ding Ning’s talents. You fear that his cultivation speed will be faster after he obtains the Heaven Replenishing Divine Art. You fear one day, he will really challenge and kill you. I can only tell you, since you did these things on my behalf, I will not allow him to have a chance to challenge you. I will not allow such a thing to occur. As to the Heaven Replenishing Divine Art…… If it is in his hands, obtaining it from him will be easier than from the Sword Tower of Min Mountain Sword Sect.”


  Palace Attendant Rong was not as fearful as other people in front of the empress. She nodded quietly. “I understand.”


  “In these years, this wine shop youth is the only one you truly felt fear of.”


  Seeing Palace Attendant Rong respectfully bow and retreat, the empress smiled and said, “I am increasingly interested in this youth.”


  Palace Attendant Rong bowed her head even more. She thought, admitting terror was better than her actual death.

  “The Heavenly Mandate gathers at Changling. But the person who truly receives the Heavenly Mandate is not set.”


  After Palace Attendant Rong’s figure disappeared from this cold hall, the empress’ faint smile disappeared, and her eyes became absolutely cold again.

  She spoke coldly to herself and then her body suddenly shook. She frowned and looked up towards the sky through the roof opening.

  When her gaze touched the blue sky, her senses had stretched further into the sky.

  In the past years, those cold stars had seemed to be her own toys. No one else could touch the star energies she could not touch.

  But at this time, she could clearly sense the star energies in the world had changed slightly. But she could not detect where the change originated and the cause.

  For a moment, she thought it was just an illusion.

  Volume 5 98 - Sword Defeats Seal

  Ding Ning’s voice echoed in the camp and stabbed through people’s hearts.

  The dozen cultivators in the formation were silent. Seeing the scene, one of the cultivators thought back to a sunset a long time ago in Changling when his master pointed at a cultivation place and smiled scornfully. He had said, “That cultivation place is already dead.”


  He did not understand because that cultivation place had many disciples and was doing well.

  “Their soul is gone,” his master had said.

  Back then, he had not understood. Many years later, he knew the “soul” his master spoke of was the rules of a sect, their spirit. If a sect did not have something for the cultivators of the sect to guard with their lives, then the sect was dead.

  The mountain gates on the Ba Mountain Sword Field site were gone, but today Nine Death Silkworm appeared in this fashion to take back what belonged to it. Then even if the sect only had this last heir, the rules were still there, and so was the soul.

  Even more importantly was the heart.

  Ding Ning put away the boldly colored sword, hanging it casually by his waist. He and Zhangsun Qianxue spoke not an extra word, ignored everyone’s expressions, and silently walked out of the camp.

  Mo Ying had fallen back into the dust. There were many death warriors around him, but seeing his fall, no one came forward. The entire camp was immersed in a strange silence.

  After the figures of Ding Ning and Zhangsun Qianxue had completely disappeared from their sights, a young soldier sprinted to Mo Ying’s side to apply medicine.

  This was a young pharmacist. He was slightly panicked looking at the wounds on Mo Ying’s abdomen. He unconsciously applied blood clotting medicine, but he did not dare to sew the wound closed.

  Mo Ying’s breathing grew irregular. He looked at the young pharmacist, and naturally thought of himself in the past. He seemed to have become that pharmacist of many years ago who did not understand cultivation.

  But now, he had become like this.

  He looked at the sword wound that had sliced open his abdomen, and saw his blood and flesh that was quickly aging because of the loss of his vital energy and primal energies of the universe. The skin exposed outside was like the old leather that the military used to sharpen their swords. He suddenly found it laughable, and laughed sadly but loudly.

  “Like a joke,” he said to the young pharmacist crouching in terror in front of him.

  The young pharmacist was stunned, and did not know what he meant, becoming even more panicked.

  “Do you know what my greatest mistake was?” Mo Ying looked at the young pharmacist and asked seriously.

  The young pharmacist did not dare to answer. Of course he did not know.

  “The greatest mistake I made was, when I clearly knew that I was not part of those people at the top of the world, I still wanted to stand up there with them. When I made the mistake, I started to be afraid.” Mo Ying looked seriously at the young pharmacist like he was looking at a close junior. He said sincerely, “A person must know their own measure. Be a good pharmacist, and do not learn the sword.”


  The young pharmacist did not know why he was saying this, and did not know how to respond, just unconsciously nodded. But he did not detect that Mo Ying’s gaze had landed on the sword by his waist. He was not a cultivator, but in the military, he would still fight when necessary, so he had been armed with an ordinary metal sword.

  Mo Ying reached out to this sword.

  The young pharmacist was shocked and started to realize what Mo Ying was going to do. But while Mo Ying had lost his cultivation, and was weak from his loss of blood, he had all his memories and experiences as a grand master.

  With a soft sound, the young pharmacist’s face was dyed red with blood. His hand fell to an empty spot. Mo Ying had drawn out his sword and sliced his own neck.

  “Ah!” His mind blanked and he screamed.

  His scream spread far, so far that even Ding Ning and Zhangsun Qianxue, very far from the camp, could hear it.

  Zhangsun Qianxue guessed what had happened, but did not feel much pleasure. The pleasure of getting revenge actually lasted a short time. Most of the time, one would think of many unpleasant memories because of the revenge.

  “How is it?”


  She only worried for Ding Ning’s wounds, as the odd elixir of life from the Wuzhi ancestral mountain was still being suppressed in his body.

  “I feel very good.” Ding Ning looked honestly at her and said, “I have finally shaken off the rust…… When you do not do some things, you end up forgetting that feeling. In reality, I am not as strong as before.”


  Zhangsun Qianxue nodded and said, “Since you have revealed yourself as the Nine Death Silkworm, you do not have to conceal yourself when you act. You will recover quickly. Using the sword, to you, is just an instinct.”


  Ding Ning nodded as well. He looked up into the sky in the east.

  Far away on the horizon, there were many black dots flying. Those black dots were vultures. Where many vultures were, there were many deaths.

  In the Yin mountain area, on the border of Qin and Chu, the armies were already fighting intensely, and many battles were starting everyday. Other than this place, the fighting was most fierce in Yangshan Commandery.

  Yangshan Commandery had been given up in a treaty before, and ruled by the Chu Dynasty for many years. While the Qin army had mounted a surprise attack and gotten it back during the Deer Mountain Conference, the Chu Dynasty’s armies were far more familiar with the Yangshan Commandery than the Qin army.

  There were naturally many Chu people mixed in the cities. These people had lived in Yangshan Commandery for many years, marrying with the Qin people. While Yangshan Commandery had been taken back forcibly by the Qin army, most of the cities had not experienced harsh battle, so these people had been living much the same as before.

  But no one could have expected a cruel military order to be delivered to Yangshan Commandery.

  Inspect the household registries.

  The household registry had been one of the two important points of the Shang family reformation back then. This could avoid the problems of people not working while taking a salary, tax evasion, and bandits which had plagued the Qin Dynasty. It was because of this that some cultivators from other dynasties had a hard time hiding for long in Changling.

  All of the Chu people in Yangshan Commandery were found and then gathered together, being driven away. In just a few days, over seventy thousand Chu people were forcibly driven by the Qin army towards the border with the Chu. Or in other words, being driven to the battlefield.

  No matter their age, these people were only allowed to take along some food from their home, and during the process, they were not resupplied. Each day, this enormous group of “Chu refugees” were being driven to advance like an army. After many days, many of the weaker members of the troop who could not hold on, and started to die.

  Vultures were usually a dozen to a group. But in Yangshan Commandery, more and more vulture swarms caught the scent of death and followed this troop.

  Volume 3 99 - First Again

  The carriage moved away from Changling, and gradually, the outline of Changling disappeared.

  Wang Taixu lifted the window curtain to look back at Changling. There was not much emotion. He and Ding Ning had not even said goodbye.

  To him, the goodbye was not important, the important part was whether they could reunite.

  The carriage stopped at a ferry.

  The carriage driving Wang Taixu started to move towards a carriage at the end of the caravan, preparing to rest. To the bewilderment of many in the caravan, it was almost time to board the ferry, but no one came to replace that carriage.

  At this time, a black-robed man stepped off a large ship by the shore.

  He walked directly towards Wang Taixu’s carriage, and an exceptionally steady pair of hands grabbed the reins.

  He was very skilled at doing this because he was originally Wang Taixu’s driver.

  Two men dressed like porters had been lingering in the shadows of a nearby storehouse, leaning and sitting against the wall.

  They appeared tired and drowsy. The bamboo staff and robes used to carry things were casually set against the wall, yet they had always been observing the caravan Wang Taixu was in all this time.

  Seeing the black-robed man who walked off the ship, their gazes focused unconsciously.

  At this time, the two men sensed something and abruptly lifted their heads.

  Wang Taixu’s caravan was starting to board the ship.

  This was a metal-armored business ship able to travel overseas. There was a very young-looking man standing at the bow of the boat.

  Youth was just a feeling. They felt that person was filled with vitality.

  But that person was blind. His eyes were open but he would not blink. He did not respond at all to anything around him.

  But this was likely the most terrifying blind man in the world. Because in the senses of these two men dressed at porters, the young blind man was like an enormous furnace.

  The fierce fire seemed as though it would burn through the bow of the boat he was standing on.

  One of the men hung his head deeply.

  The man next to him also hung his head a breath later. He said softly, “General Cui, what should we do?”


  The man he called General Cui said in a cool voice, “Of course we do nothing. Else, we are just going to die.”


  “Someone from the Zhao Sword Furnace?”


  The man next to him was not satisfied and said softly, “How about we tell the Astrology Bureau?”


  “This is only General Liang’s private grievance. You should not forget why we were exiled out of Changling.” The man called General Cui sneered. “Since we cannot defeat them, the Zhao Sword Furnace has always been Zheng Xiu’s enemy. The stronger the enemy, the better. Also, he has already left Changling. What is the meaning in informing the Astrology Bureau?”


  The man next to him seemed to not agree completely with him. He said after a moment of silence, “What are they going overseas for?”


  “Boarding an overseas ship does not mean they are going overseas.” The man called General Cui said with slight scorn, “They can deboard the ship at any time. After they bypass many checkpoints, no one can find where they have gone. Also, what they are leaving Changling to do has nothing to do with us. We are going to a primitive place like the border of Nanyue. I fear we need to consider our problem more.”


  “It should be two soldiers.”


  Jing Mozong, who had disappeared from Changling from a long time, said to Wang Taixu, “Should we kill them?” He had driven Wang Taixu’s carriage onto the ship.

  His voice was still filled with respect towards Wang Taixu, but compared to the past, there was an unspeakable determination and feeling of power. People did not have doubts about his abilities.

  “Should be people of General Liang. I fear most people in Changling, including the empress, have underestimated him.” Wang Taixu stilled, and shook his head. “No need for extra matters.”


  Jing Mozong bowed his head and stopped speaking as though nothing had happened.

  The young blind man on the deck ignored the two cultivators disguised as porters. His eyes were empty as he looked around. He walked towards a middle-aged female cook who was dressed in ordinary robes and silently washing vegetables and killing fish at a corner of the deck.

  “Can you get along peacefully?”


  He walked next to this middle-aged cook who appeared to be responsible for the kitchen and said slowly in a soft voice, “Including not telling Min Mountain Sword Sect the connection between me and Wang Taixu? Otherwise, when the ship leaves, I will kill you.”


  The middle-aged cook did not stop moving. She adeptly killed fish, took out their organs and threw them to a black cat laid out in a nearby shadow. She said simply, “Yes.”


  The young blind man seemed to not sense her existence and walked without stopping towards the cabin. His voice still passed into the middle-aged cook’s ears, his tone turning from murderousness to a gentle request, “Could you save the swim bladders. I like to eat them.”


  The middle-aged cook did not respond, but simply took out the white swim bladders from the organs she was going to throw away.

  **

  This river connected to the Wei River rippled constantly. The water in the Great Floating Water Prison of Changling also rippled, and had a great amount of white foam.

  Hearing the subdued moaning coming from the cell ahead, Lin Zhujiu struggled to lift his head. Water dripped from his grass-like hair. He smiled unconcernedly. “My hope for life comes from the fact I know the Nine Death Silkworm has appeared in Changling. The Nine Death Silkworm exists. This means that my enemies will be terrified. No matter how powerful their enemies are, they will still be terrified. I am very happy. But you, where does your hope come from?”


  A long time, the moaning from the other cell vanished and a muffled voice appeared. “I previously lived for death. Since someone saved me, then naturally I have to live well.”


  Lin Zhujiu smiled. “These seemed to be insincere.”


  The voice in the cell ahead disappeared and then reappeared. “They will appear in front of him. Even if I cannot be saved, they will die in front of me. I will wait.”


  “An interesting reason.”


  Lin Zhujiu laughed happily, and said seriously, “I will wait for you.”


  On the dark cold stairs not far from these two cells, Shen Xuan listened silently to the two’s conversation like a shadow.

  In the previous many years, Lin Zhujiu had been the only person whose mouth he could not pry open.

  Yet now, this nameless young person had appeared.

  **

  The water in the ditch by Ye Celeng’s quiet courtyard was also rippling.

  No more watery mist appeared in front of Bai Shanshui’s body.

  A drop of glowing water flickered in and out of view in front of her. A feeling of heaviness increased.

  Seeing this scene, Ye Celeng knew that Bai Shanshui had completely healed and she had taken a great step forward, growing more terrifying than at her peak. She could sense Bai Shanshui’s thoughts.

  Even so, she still shook her head, and said, “There is a Min Mountain Sword Sect cultivator outside Ink Garden, he is no weaker than Yantai Guanjian. He guards Ink Garden like a gatekeeper.”


  Bai Shanshui knew very well what it meant to be not any weaker than Yantai Guanjian. If he was inside Ink Garden, she might have a chance to conceal her presence and not be discovered by this cultivator. Yet, with this cultivator guarding Ink Garden from the outside, any person who wanted to enter Ink Garden could not escape his eyes and ears.

  Her brow furrowed slightly. She thought for a moment and then asked Ye Celeng seriously, “Has he seen you?”


  Ye Celeng glanced at her and said, “You want to pretend to be me?”


  Bai Shanshui nodded and said, “If you help me, I can enter.”


  “Do you not feel this is very cruel?”


  Ye Celeng turned away from her. “If you go, I must hide here. Have you thought, I have waited here for so long. Going to look now…… you can go, and I cannot?”


  Bai Shanshui knew just how much emotion and danger was contained here.

  Her expression grew stern and she bowed deeply to Ye Celeng. “Please, Bureau Chief Ye, fulfill this wish.”


  “Help me act out this play well. Go at noon. You must return by dusk,” Ye Celeng said coldly, “I will use this time to kill someone.”


  Translator Ramblings: I completely forgot about Jing Mozong’s existence and that there are other people hiding in Changling.

  Volume 5 99 - Seal, Artifact, Weapon