Chapter 21
hapter 21: Forgotten Matters
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“Celestial Bodhi, Candle Dragon Pill, Fire Turtle Gallbladder… I have not even smelled those things for many years . You dumped them all, you do not find it a waste?”
Watching Ding Ning walk back into the garden and pick up his copper shovel, Zhangsun Qianxue sneered and said, “Those things can increase your cultivation greatly . ”
Ding Ning glanced at her and said, “I do not lack that bit of time . ”
Zhangsun Qianxue was silent for a moment and said, “At least right now, she does not know our identities . Otherwise, she would not have sent someone to deliver such things to you . You do not fear your actions will make her furious?”
Ding Ning said, “In reality, she does not like obedience very much . ”
Zhangsun Qianxue became inexplicably angry, her expression frosty . “Is she a masochist?”
Ding Ning wanted to respond to her when his gaze landed on an uncovered piece of earth on the copper shovel . There were two bright earthworms on the soil . He stilled slightly and said, “I forgot something . ”
Zhangsun Qianxue frowned but her attention was successfully diverted . “What is it?”
Ding Ning put down the shovel and walked outwards, saying, “I forgot something on the carriage . ”
The carriage appeared ordinary, and had stayed for a long time outside the gates of Ink Garden . There was even a thin layer of dust . Yet, other than the ordinary people in this street isolated from the cultivation world, most cultivators in Changling knew this carriage represented Min Mountain Sword Sect .
“Your mind has been in chaos recently . ”
When Ding Ning walked out of Ink Garden and close to the carriage, a voice reached Ding Ning’s ears from the shade of a tree next to the carriage . ”
“Sect Uncle Shao . ”
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Ding Ning bowed to Shao Sharen who was sitting on a bamboo mat next to the tree by the carriage .
“In Min Mountain Sword Trials, almost all cultivators in Min Mountain Sword Trials saw your performance . ” Shao Sharen looked up at Ding Ning and said, “You were calculative and calm . Even we felt we were lesser . But you only remembered and came back to the carriage now… this is far from our impressions . The Min Mountain Sword Trials victory is just a false reputation . If you are trapped by this, your name will become nothing in the future . ”
Shao Sharen rarely spoke so much . People would even suspect he was dumb . Hearing his words, Ding Ning understood his intention, but he knew what had messed up his mind was completely different from what Shao Sharen thought .
So he bowed deeply to Shao Sharen and said, “Thank you, Sect Uncle Shao, for your reminder . ”
Then he lifted the curtain and entered the carriage cabin .
In the corner of the cabin was a small open wooden box . Curled up inside the box was the black ice worm that Qing Yaoyin had given him .
This black ice worm was curled up tightly because it feared Shao Sharen’s presence greatly . Previously, because Ding Ning had been in the cabin, it felt a familiar presence and a sense of safety .
When Ding Ning had left the carriage and forgotten it here, it became extremely afraid .
It had never felt the hot temperature of Changling before . It wondered, how could there be such a terrifying place in the world . When Ding Ning lifted the curtain, it sensed his presence . Its curled up and stiff body immediately moved . It started to tremble . If it had tear glands, it would be crying like a storm .
Seeing this trembling black ice worm, Ding Ning immediately felt embarrassed . He lifted the wood box and said sincerely, “Sorry . ”
Hearing Ding Ning’s voice, this black ice worm grew more excited and almost jumped into Ding Ning’s arms .
Zhangsun Qianxue was still waiting in the garden for Ding Ning . Seeing Ding Ning walk in, she saw the ugly black ice worm in the box and frowned . “What is this?”
“Something Qing Yaoyin raised . He gave it to me,” Ding Ning looked up and said to Zhangsun Qianxue . The black ice box in the wood box finally stopped trembling .
The surrounding air was still hot, but it sensed the astounding icy presence inside Zhangsun Qianxue’s body . Just this feeling was enough for it to feel it had reached a world of ice and made it comfortable .
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Ever since it first woke up to possess its first thread of existence, it had been able to sense the cold presence of the world . The moment the first thread of primal energies of the universe entered its body, a world of complete ice had appeared in its mind . It had realized that that world would be at the end of cultivation for a being like them .
Now, this world had clearly appeared in front of it . It was so shocking that it had forgotten its terror . It could not help but think: Was she one of them, their king?
It could not speak, but Zhangsun Qianxue was not an ordinary cultivator . She could sense its feeling from the presence it gave off .
“Interesting . ”
She looked at this ugly worm who was looking up at its legendary world . Her frown slowly relaxed . Her personality was cold, she was too lazy to interact with people, much less praise them . So while she only said a word, this was rare praise .
As to beauty and ugliness, she had no concepts of it . To her, some people looked beautiful but were very ugly . Others were ugly, but not ugly in her eyes .
The black ice worm perceptively sensed her feelings and became so excited it started to tremble again . Its raised head was buried deep to express its respect and submission .
Zhangsun Qianxue looked at it and said nothing .
An extremely faint but focused ice energy flowed out of her fingertip towards the black ice worm’s mouth .
The black ice worm piously and greedily opened its mouth to absorb this thread of energy .
This was akin to a giant waterfall falling into a calm pond smaller than the waterfall . The entire pond boiled over . It trembled all over, the deep red skin tearing like cloth .
The usually invisible pores opened, but no air charged out . A white frosty mark appeared on its forehead like a birthmark .
Sensing the change of this black ice worm, and the blending and growth of its energies, Ding Ning looked emotionally at Zhangsun Qianxue and said, “Just as I expected . ”
“What will it become in the future?” Zhangsun Qianxue looked at this dark red worm and asked .
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This was a profound cultivation process to her . This energy was from the sword in her body, an energy that even her realm seven body could not completely tolerate . Yet, this worm was able to perfectly absorb it .
“I do not know . ” Ding Ning shook his head and said, “But I am certain that it will be more powerful than the insects of the Nanyue cultivators . ”
Zhangsun Qianxue took the box containing the black ice worm from Ding Ning’s hands and walked towards the deepest little courtyard . She said slowly without looking back, “But that requires time . ”
Ding Ning said nothing and continued to dig with the shovel .
His mind had calmed greatly . He understood Zheng Xiu better than anyone else . If Zheng Xiu had suspected Zhangsun Qianxue and his identities from the start, then Palace Attendant Rong would not have come with those precious rewards today .
“You really are not one of Yuanwu’s? Then what happened that night? Why did you not appear?”
He looked down . Thinking of that female bureau chief who liked wearing white, he smiled mockingly at himself .
He and Zhangsun Qianxue seemed to be waiting for trial in this Ink Garden . Yet, in Changling, who was not waiting for their trial?
Not long after Palace Attendant Rong left, Ding Ning had come out to the carriage to retrieve his forgotten black ice worm . Not long after that, Shao Sharen raised his head again from where he sat on the bamboo mat below the tree .
A youth appeared at the end of the street .
Shao Sharen just glanced once at the youth before lowering his head and ignoring him .
The youth wore black robes . His face and skin was waxy yellow as though he had endured a great illness . But there did not seem to be an illness that would make his skin so .
He reached Ink Garden but did not enter . He started to silently do things, sweeping and washing the floor to clean away some of the dirt outside of Ink Garden .
This puzzling action quickly attracted attention outside of the garden . After this youth cleaned half of the street outside Ink Garden, Ding Ning passed through the noodle shop door and saw the youth .
“Ye Zhengnan?”
Ding Ning stilled .
The black-robed youth put down the items in his hand and bowed seriously to him .
Ding Ning returned the bow, and looked with a frown at this death warrior who had brought medicine to him during the Min Mountain Sword Trials but was refused . “You are?”
Ye Zhengnan looked at him and said, “I have paid back what I owe others . Now I owe you . ”
Ding Ning shook his head . “You do not know . ”
Ye Zhengnan said, “I owe you my life . ”
Ding Ning looked helplessly at him and said, “I do not need you to repay . ”
Ye Zhengnan said nothing else and continued to sweep .
Ding Ning grimaced . “I do not like being too clean . ”
Ye Zhengnan put down the things in his hand, and started to carry water to every shop on the street .
“I have no place to eat . If you feel embarrassed, please treat me to three meals a day . ”
Before Ding Ning could speak, he said respectfully and seriously to Ding Ning .