Chapter 5
hapter 5: Fierce Sword
Sponsored Content
At night, the curtain of darkness seemed unable to support the precipitation of winter, and white snowflakes finally descended from the sky .
The black cotton cloth covering the carriage waiting silently at the gates of White Goat Cave was gradually dyed white .
Ding Ning came out of the White Goat Cave gates .
He had no umbrella . When he walked to the front of the carriage, he bowed to Jing Mozong, who still wore grey robes . Then he patted his clothes and brushed off the snow in his hair before lifting the heavy quilted black curtain to enter the carriage .
“You are really weak . 1”
Ding Ning could not help the remark when he saw Wang Taixu wearing a huge fox fur robe looking as though he was under a pile of fox skins .
“I will regain my strength after this winter, by spring . ” The slight smile on Wang Taixu made him look even more like a cunning old fox . “Why did you want to see me today?”
The cabin trembled slightly as Jing Mozong started to drive .
Ding Ning pulled over a cushion to lean against and said, “I heard something major happened in the last few days in Changling . ”
“You mean Bai Shanshui?” Wang Taixu glanced at him, nodded and said, “Perhaps you learned of it today . Changling is in an uproar . Supposedly, the two prime ministers and the empress are unusually angry . Many of Changling’s officials have been discharged and exiled . The ripples of this event will be vast, especially when Bai Shanshui sang such wanton words when fighting, and he successfully escaped as well . ”
Ding Ning thought for a moment and said, “Bai Shanshui fought, but no one around him was able to stop him escaping Changling … do you know the inside story?”
Wang Taixu said, “The Changling Guards were pursuing items stolen from the imperial tomb and managed to force out Fan Zhuo and Bai Shanshui . Fan Zhuo was in the merchant caravan being investigated . He thought he could not conceal his powerful cultivator status so he attacked and created an escape route for Bai Shanshui . The Changling Guard was surrounding that merchant caravan at the start . It was sheer coincidence . Otherwise, I fear we would not have known of this . ”
Sponsored Content
Ding Ning frowned and said, “Someone in Changling deliberately let Bai Shanshui go . However, I heard that Bai Shanshui killed his way out of the city from the Jiujiang Commandery Meeting Hall and fled onto the Wei River . He should be much stronger than Zhao Zhan . ”
Wang Taixu smiled slightly and said, “Bai Shanshui and Fourth Mister Zhao are equally renowned . You wanted to meet me today just to discuss the cultivation of Bai Shanshui?”
Ding Ning glanced at him and said, “What are you doing?”
Wang Taixu’s expression grew stern . “Actually, I wanted to hear your thoughts on what I should do in the short term . Other people do not know, but I know very well the reason I could survive the fight with Jinlintang was because of your plan,” he said, seriously .
“When he took you into White Goat Cave, Xue Wangxu had said that it is impossible to get more people to pay with their lives for your brothers . I think you will not do such stupid things . ” Ding Ning looked at him and said, “If I am you, I will use this time to pressure the military and get more benefits . Especially at this time when the empress and the two prime ministers are enraged by the matter of Bai Shanshui . The people of the military must want to settle this matter and will not do anything over the line . You have survived an assassination attempt and are prepared . They should know that even if they kill you, some of your subordinates will immediately leak their matters . ”
“I really admire you . I feel more and more that while those legendary eccentrics can surpass you in terms of cultivation speed, they cannot possess such a broad vision as you . ” Wang Taixu looked emotionally at Ding Ning . “I have given the Warden’s Office a great headache . I want the warehouse and mine business . ”
“It is good to aim high . ”
Ding Ning was silent for a moment . “You did not choose to leave Changling but chose to advance . This means that you still want to fight those powerful people who killed your brothers . ”
“People that dared to control Jinlintang to do such things and send so many cultivators to kill me that night are either generals, princes, or marquesses . ” Wang Taixu coughed softly . “Of course I cannot move people like that . My brothers were like my limbs . Even if I am willing to cut my limbs to trade for them, they cannot be revived . I hope that one day, I can make those people who killed my brothers pay some of their well-deserved price . ”
“Since you have already done so, I want to ask for your help on a matter,” Ding Ning was looking down and as he softly stated .
This was undoubtedly not in line with Ding Ning’s initial attitude .
At the start, Ding Ning had not wanted to have too many ties with Two Level Tower . This matter should be very important to Ding Ning . Otherwise, he would not have spoken so seriously .
Sponsored Content
Consequently, Wang Taixu felt slightly strange . “What matter?”
Ding Ning slowly said, “In the last stages of your discussion with the Warden’s Office, see if you can obtain some business related to the prison . ”
Wang Taixu stilled slightly . “Business related to the prison?”
Ding Ning nodded . “It would be best if it were a business that would require going in and out of the prison and have constant contact with the people who manage the prison . ”
Wang Taixu glanced at him and said, “I will do my best . ”
Ding Ning frowned slightly . ”Do you not feel that my request is strange? You won’t ask me why?”
“You reached Energy Refinement in a month, and won in a competition like the sword trial festival . You are someone who will do great things in the future . ” Wang Taixu laughed . “Since we are all people who will do great things, none of the things we do are strange . ”
The snow-covered carriage passed into the alley and stopped in front of the unnamed wine shop door .
Ding Ning got off the carriage and waved his hand in farewell to Jing Mozong and Wang Taixu .
Pushing open the half-open door, he saw Zhangsun Qianxue waiting with a small oil lamp for him just like usual . The steam coming from the food on the table seemed as though it had just come out of the bamboo steamer .
Ding Ning saw that Zhangsun Qianxue had changed into a new jacket . While this was a common style on the street, even the most ordinary adornments became especially beautiful and lively on her .
So when he sat down, he could not help but say, “Other people are beautiful because of their adornments, you make adornments more beautiful . ”
Zhangsun Qianxue did not care for his words . “Why did you come back in Wang Taixu’s carriage again?” she asked coldly .
Sponsored Content
“Because I have a matter I need his help with,” Ding Ning said as he started to eat .
Zhangsun Qianxue did not ask anymore . This was an agreement she and Ding Ning had formed naturally over many years .
“You really won the sword trial festival?” she asked neutrally . Seeing Ding Ning enjoying the food, she picked up a sweet rice cake and slowly ate, something she had never done before .
Ding Ning made a sound of acknowledgement . He pulled a wooden box out of his sleeve and handed it to Zhangsun Qianxue .
Zhangsun Qianxue did not need to look to know that the content of the wooden box would be the green suet jade so important to her .
She did not immediately take the wooden box . She looked at Ding Ning and slowly said, “Thank you . ”
Ding Ning casually said, “There is no need for thanks between us . ”
“This is not like the previous times … you should know, after last time’s ordeal and this green suet jade, my sword will stabilize, and I will not rely much on you in the future . If it is me, I may not give this green suet jade to you,” Zhangsun Qianxue said coolly .
“It doesn’t matter . ” Ding Ning looked up at her and licked the corners of his lips . He said, “Because I never thought to rely on you to do anything in these years . ”
Zhangsun Qianxue frowned .
Other than matters of cultivation, she rarely considered other matters; but she was not stupid . She quickly realized that while she had great power compared to ordinary cultivators, Ding Ning really had not relied on her for anything in these years . He never even had her fight once to protect him .
Ding Ning did not say anything .
“You will sleep by yourself tonight . ”
Zhangsun Qianxue inexplicably stopped talking . She took the wooden box and walked into the courtyard . “I owe you a favor . ”
Ding Ning smiled bitterly .
Snow fell on Zhangsun Qianxue’s flawless face as she passed through the courtyard into the bedroom . Feeling the cold from the snow, Zhangsun Qianxue increasingly felt that the grievances and favors in this Changling were too complicated .
She stopped thinking and flushed the chaotic thoughts from her mind so that her mind became a blank sheet once again .
Just like how she usually cultivated, she laid down on the table .
The green suet jade in the wood box gave off a gentle light and also exuded a peaceful faint fragrance . A thread of vital energy came out of her finger to shatter this green suet jade . All of the powder entered her as she breathed .
When her spirit thought sank into her energy sea and touched the blue sword in the jade palace, that sword grew restless and savage like a trapped giant dragon . It gave off a fierce presence as though it would pierce through her jade palace and then cut its way out of her energy sea and her body .
Waves of green energy came out of her body and sank into her energy sea .
The light green energy, emitting a soft halot, flowed into the jade palace and the fierce blue sword .
The fierce blue sword slowly grew calm and started to accept the presence of her jade palace .
Her spirit thought started to slowly merge into one with the sword .
In the darkness, a line of faint blue flames flashed on her forehead as though it was a small blue sword .