Chapter 19: Who Can Be Immortal
“You don’t like women?”
Ding Ning looked suspiciously at Xue Wangxu inside the carriage cabin . “Or is something wrong with your health?”
“What do you children know!”
Seeing Ding Ning was still tirelessly discussing this problem with him, Xue Wangxu grew slightly irritated .
Ding Ning was stubborn as a mule . “Then why?”
“Just not interested . ”
Xue Wangxu looked at Ding Ning and couldn’t even be irritated . “Beautiful wine and song is naturally a pleasing thing . But most are just common rouge and powder . After seeing many, they are not interesting anymore,” he said, helplessly .
Instantly, Ding Ning looked as though he was re-evaluating Xue Wangxu .
“Do not look at me with such a gaze . ” Xue Wangxu said with slight bitterness, “Who hasn’t been young once? Especially when one is stuck at a certain realm and has no breakthroughs for many years . When there is no progress, one is embittered and finds a place to drink . This is normal . But after too much fun, you will find it is not interesting . People have emotions and cannot escape them in life . For me, even the most beautiful woman pouring wine for me cannot compare to the true pleasure . It is better to not do things that are lacking . ”
Ding Ning frowned slightly . He mused, looked at Xue Wangxu and solemnly asked, “You have been in Changling for this long, you have never encountered a woman you fell in love with?”
Xue Wangxu suddenly grew silent .
Many breaths later, he smiled slightly and said, “Of course I have . I will go see her when I return to Changling . ”
The carriage advanced on the path back to Changling .
Perhaps, he had finally managed to use that sword strike he had accumulated for so long, or he was simply tired after fighting Feng Qianzhuo with all his power; in the next dozen days, Xue Wangxu’s words were fewer . The time that he spent resting with his eyes closed increased .
They switched wheels several times and the carriage was covered in dust when they finally drove inside the walls of Changling near evening .
When the dusty carriage moved slowly through the criss-crossing straight streets of Changling and stopped at a certain place, Ding Ning showed a rare lack of calm .
He lifted the window curtain in disbelief . Looking at the building outside, in a shocked admiration he said, “The woman you like is from here?”
Even a palace or a pleasure brothel would not shock him so much .
He knew this place!
This yellow and brick courtyard was one of the rare temples in Changling, and this was a popular one .
Did Xue Wangxu have such taste to like a nun?
“What are you thinking!”
With just a glance, Xue Wangxu could see what Ding Ning thought at this moment . He shouted and slapped Ding Ning, almost pushing him out of the cabin .
“Come off the carriage with me . ”
Xue Wangxu rolled his eyes at Ding Ning and left the carriage first to enter this temple .
There were several old ginkgo trees planted outside the main hall of the temple . They had dense tree crowns and trunks, so thick that several people were needed to circle it .
On either side were two life release ponds .
Xue Wangxu stopped next to the left life release pond .
Ding Ning came over in puzzlement . He saw several fat red carp swimming and many turtles on the rocks in the pond .
Before he spoke, Xue Wangxu pointed with a finger . A pure wave of vital energy stabbed into the pond like a sword and exploded near the bottom of the pond .
Something the size of a small millstone suddenly floated up .
Ding Ning finally noticed that this was an old turtle of unknown age . The shell was so dark it was the color of slate . It had been knocked unconscious by Xue Wangxu’s wave of vital energy .
Xue Wangxu reached out to grab the old turtle and flashed out before the people in the temple paid attention .
Ding Ning looked at the water by his feet and did not react immediately .
He quickly went to the gate and saw Xue Wangxu about to board the carriage . He did not understand at all . “What are you doing?”
Xue Wangxu threw the old turtle into the cabin and sat down . He said, “Of course, cook it . ”
Ding Ning stilled again . He looked back at the life release pond . “If you are not joking … is this good?”
Xue Wangxu looked coolly at him and said, “Get on . ”
Ding Ning still failed to understand .
He knew there must be a reason for the matters he did not understand . So he stopped thinking and followed to watch .
The carriage stopped in front of a restaurant .
This restaurant was not large, but its business appeared to be well . Under Xue Wangxu’s orders, the restaurant kitchen cooked this old turtle . A clay pot the size of a head was placed in front of Xue Wangxu and Ding Ning .
Xue Wangxu still did not explain . He calmly raised his chopsticks and ate meat .
Ding Ning did not ask . He ate meat and drank soup .
Disregarding the old turtle’s origins, the chef of this small restaurant had some skills . He had first tenderized the old turtle’s meat so that it was not tough after being cooked, just chewy and delicious .
Much time had been spent on cooking this old turtle .
Xue Wangxu called for many bottles of carved flower wine . He and Ding Ning ate the entire pot of old turtle . When they walked out of the restaurant, it was already deep into the night, and cold .
But Xue Wangxu showed no intention of resting here . He ordered the man who had been helping drive carriages for White Goat Cave to return . Then he put his hands behind his back and slowly moved through the streets of Changling .
Ding Ning silently followed him to walk in the dark winter night of Changling .
They passed through a dozen streets, and many fields . Xue Wangxu stopped next to a mound . In front of the mound was a small pond .
On the mound was a grave marker .
Ding Ning came to a sudden realization . He took a deep breath and looked at Xue Wangxu .
Xue Wangxu’s face was unusually red but his expression was more serene than at any other time .
“This is the woman I loved the most . But in my youth, before I could speak, she had someone she loved . At the time, me and my senior sect brother only cared about cultivating and missed many things . But if I had a chance to choose again, I might not speak up at that time . While she married an ordinary businessman, she lived happily in Changling . Even I would have not been able to make her happier . ”
Xue Wangxu smiled slightly and turned to look at Ding Ning . He said, “I thought about that old turtle since young . Back then, when I saw this green turtle by the pond, I suddenly thought, what would it taste like? But since it had been put into the life release pond and I was too embarrassed to steal it to try . ”
“I was young then . I had many thoughts that would be interesting or fun if I had seen them through . But I am too old now . Many people and things have long gone . Even if I do not want to have any regrets, and do all I wanted to do before, there are not many things that I can do now for various reasons . Only this old turtle was here, and it will no longer be here after today . ”
“Now that I think about it, the present Changling is like a pond to me . I am an old turtle trapped in this pond . It is not very interesting . ”
Xue Wangxu laughed . He looked at Ding Ning and turned back to the grave . He said, “However, I did something I wanted to do since long . The old turtle tasted very good and I came to see her . I am truly happy . ”
Hearing Xue Wangxu repeatedly say these things he wouldn’t usually say in a disorderly manner, Ding Ning shook his head slightly . “Since these are happy things, do not speak so gravely . Do not say it as though you have finished taking care of your affairs, and want me to see you off,” he asked, with a frown .
“People will always grow old . Who can be immortal?”
Xue Wangxu turned around and began to leave . His expression grew serious as he slowly said, “Other people might not know the tactics of the empress, but my senior sect brother and I understand them well . From when my senior sect brother and I refused her to when we split the White Goat Cave spirit vein into three to being forced to merge, it took less than a fortnight . We have used a dozen days to return to Changling from Zhushan District … there is not much time left . ”
“I did not know she was so cold-hearted before . ” Ding Ning whispered, his head low .
Xue Wangxu did not know the true meaning in Ding Ning’s words . He looked at Ding Ning with a pitiful gaze and softly said, “You should know that the higher the position in Changling, the colder it is . People who are of high status will naturally be colder and crueler . ”
Ding Ning silently followed behind him .
Seeing the faint shadow in the darkness land on him, he slowly said, “Remember what you promised me . You will see me bring you true glory at the Min Mountain Sword Trials . ”
Xue Wangxu stopped and turned around . He solemnly said, “I will do my best . ”
Ding Ning took a deep breath and looked towards the distant Changling .
In this moment, his gaze was very strange .
He clearly was not as tall as those unchanging structures, but he seemed to be looking at Changling from a great height .