Nangong Caishu was slightly surprised. She looked at Ding
Ning and asked, “Why did you think to ask about the Green Vine Sword School’s
sword trial festival?”
Ding Ning asked in response, “You know about the spirit
veins of the White Goat Cave?”
Nangong Caishu nodded, even more puzzled.
Profound Understanding in half a day. This was even more shocking
news than the White Goat Cave disciples being able to attend the Green Vine
Sword School's sword trial festival. However, this sudden commotion did not
only occur inside the White Goat Cave.
Ding Ning, the one who caused this shock, only appeared on
the paths of the White Goat Cave when the sun was already high in the sky.
“Is this a joke?”
That same night, inside the Library Cave of the White Goat
Cave, Nangong Caishu closed the two books she had carefully read several times.
Then, she took a deep breath and only calmed down after taking a hundred
breaths. She closed her eyes.
She looked within herself using her usual cultivation
method. Then, her mental power slowly spread outward.
Falling Parasol was very quiet, only the occasional barking
of a dog echoed through the alley.
Ding Ning pushed open the wooden door to the wine shop and
entered the dark shop.
Ding Ning slowly walked out of the library cave and opened
the food box placed by the door to take his share. Then he sat on the stone
bench near the entrance and slowly ate the warm food while starting to organize
the results he got today.
Three Corpses Selfless Consciousness Sutra, which had been
hidden within the ordinary method, was a dominant method. It could give him
superior senses than ordinary methods, and the vital energy he would form in
the future would be extremely powerful.
Xue Wangxu looked at Li Daoji's trembling lips and could not
believe this news was true.
“Freak…”
After a few breaths, he calmed down and uttered these two
words.
In the library cave, Nangong Caishu and the other Green Vine
Sword School disciples trembled as they stared at Ding Ning strangely.
Ding Ning turned around.
He saw Nangong Caishu standing behind him with an
incredulous expression on her face.
“Are you really only going to choose these two books for
cultivation?” Seeing Ding Ning’s expression as he turned around, Nangong Caishu
could not help but ask further.
In the small temple at the highest point of White Goat Cave,
Xue Wangxu looked at the floating white clouds and the empty sky, thinking
about how his fellow disciples had passed away over the years, and felt an
indescribable emptiness and fatigue.
He sighed and asked Li Daoji, who was standing by the temple
door, “Has that young man entered the cave?”
Li Daoji nodded.
The White Goat Cave was not large, and that small temple at
the highest point, like an island among the clouds, was only three hundred
meters above the ground.
Zhang Yi walked and stopped repeatedly while explaining the
uses of some of the White Goat Cave's buildings and its rules. They only
traveled for about half an hour before the important Library Cave appeared
before Ding Ning.
The scene of an elder sect brother and a younger sect
brother greeting each other and the sect welcoming a newcomer was incredibly
touching.
This scene caused the gray-robed swordsman to feel deeply
shocked.
He knew this young man from the wine shop was no ordinary
person, but he had not expected the other to use such a stunning performance in
the face of the abuse he was receiving to resolve the problem.
Nangong Caishu was shocked.
The strictness of the entrance tests was related to the
sect's foundation and ranking. The Green Vine Sword School and the White Goat
Cave had almost the same status so the difficulty of their entrance tests was
similar.
The Ten Thousand Threads of the Green Vine Sword School were
similar to this stone disc. Even she had taken an entire hour to pass.
Many White Goat Cave disciples rushed towards the gorge.
Seeing the disciples running happily, Nangong Caishu became
even more furious.
She finally could not stop herself from walking next to Ding
Ning who had a calm expression. She asked in a low voice, “Do you know what the
entrance tests for the White Goat Cave are?”
Zhang Yi’s gaze was very gentle, a kind that easily
attracted people’s trust.
He almost never stared at one person, yet he seemed to be
looking at everyone. This way, no one felt they were ignored.
Just like this moment, when Ding Ning's gaze had just landed
on him, Zhang Yi noticed him and nodded gently at him.
Waiting at the door of the wine shop was the gray-robed swordsman
from yesterday.
Seeing Ding Ning walk out the door, the gray-robed swordsman
did not speak. He slightly bowed his head in greeting, then silently began
driving the carriage after Ding Ning got on.
In The Same Night, A Woman Was Walking On A Stone Path.
There were several copper statues standing on either side of
the stone path. These statues were carved with formations that could easily
kill realm four cultivators.
This woman was extraordinarily beautiful.
A carriage from the Two Level Tower transported Ding Ning into
Falling Parasol Alley and stopped under the blue flag.
The driver was a gray-robed swordsman. Although he did not
know what Ding Ning's contribution tonight was, he had great respect for Ding
Ning because this wine shop youth was able to stand by Wang Taixu's side.
Boom.
Zhong Xiu was thrown helplessly against the wall, the light
purple sword flying upwards and piercing a ceiling beam.
His face was covered in tiny beads of blood. His blue lips
trembled slightly. Looking at the countless wounds blooming on his left arm,
his eyes filled with helplessness and despair.
Fatty Zhang’s name was Zhang Nan. Calling him fatty was
indeed very appropriate, but only a few Changling gangsters like Wang Taixu
would dare to call him that.
Even before he arrived at the Red Charm Tower, the people
from the Two Level Tower had already surrounded the building. There were over a
hundred members of the Two Level Tower in the surrounding streets and alleys,
plus archers and other hidden individuals who posed a threat to cultivators.
Someone in another room of the Red Charm Tower was playing a
melody that penetrated the thick walls, casting a strange atmosphere in the
room.
Fatty Zhang’s face twitched when he saw Wang Taixu remaining
silent after sitting down. He said with displeasure, “Wang Taixu, what do you
want? We are guests, you are the host. Since you've come, what do you mean by
remaining silent?”
“Although Murong Chen was a bid stupid, but he was young.
Moreover, he had good cultivation potential. I thought his stupidity could be
gradually eliminated through training, but before I could teach him anything,
you killed him.”
Marquis Xu of Crossing Mountain was like a mountain of
flesh, exuding a fiery and ferocious presence. He looked at Ye Celeng like a
lion looking at a sheep. He said coldly, “He could be considered half a member
of my marquessate establishment. You killed him like this. You didn’t give me
an explanation. In the future, who will give me face?”
Wang Taixu’s eyes immediately narrowed.
He was a little incredulous. He had considered this problem
for a long time without coming to a conclusion. Ding Ning had managed to find
the problem after just a few questions?
“what are you thinking?” Seeing Ding Ning's lost in thought,
Wang Taixu said calmly, “Do you doubt my words?”
“Nothing.” Ding Ning shook his head, thought for a moment,
and asked, “Is there any connection between the Fish Market business, your Two
Level Tower or Jinlintang?”
Anyone who heard Ding Ning's words would be shocked and in
utter disbelief. They might even want to throw a wine bottle at Ding Ning's
face.
Entering the Min Mountain Sword Sect… was this something an
ordinary youth could even imagine?
The luxurious carriage drove out of Falling Parasol.
Applause and cheers rang out.
Regardless of how extraordinary they thought Prince Li Ling
was and how excited and surprised they were to see this legendary figure today,
he was a person of Chu.
They were happy if a person of Chu was unhappy.
Prince Li Ling was waiting for an answer. He fell silent
when he heard Ding Ning's reply.
Was Falling Parasol such a lowly place that this young owner
of the wine shop did not even know who he was?
He frowned slightly and considered how to speak.
The first step to becoming a cultivator is extremely
difficult. An ordinary person must be completely calm and forget about
one’self. One must be able to delve into the depths of one's body and sense the
energy within one's organs.
After becoming a cultivator, the higher realms become
increasingly difficult.
The primal energies of the universe stopped gushing. The
wind died down and the furniture stopped moving.
Chen Moli did not exude any presence, just like when he
first entered the wine shop. However, his calm words continued to blow like a
strong wind through these disciples' bodies.
This was a luxurious horse carriage.
The two tall horses pulling the carriage had strange
silver-colored hides and were extremely clean. They shone as if they had been
polished with wax. The carriage cabin was made of top-quality sandalwood, its
surface carved with overlapping patterns and adorned with jade and gold.
Even the carriage driver was a silver-robed swordsman with a
long sword at his waist.
The Qin people had straightforward personalities and fiery tempers.
It was common for them to fight with swords over minor disputes. But how could
the common people quarrel over matters between two dynasties? This kind of
conflict disappeared when tempers cooled. No one took it seriously. Everything
would remain as usual.
Ding Ning did the same thing he did every day. When he had
free time, he would wander around Changling, then cultivate at night before
opening his shop in the early morning.
Seeing Ding Ning casually tossing the bowl into the water
basin, Zhangsun Qianxue, who was pouring new wine into small jars, frowned. She
said displeasedly, “You're bothering with a gang conflict like this?”
Ding Ning naturally knew that Zhangsun Qianxue, with her
keen senses, must have overheard the conversation between him and the man. He
also frowned and said, “This isn't an ordinary gangster matter. Two Level Tower
only possesses a small part of the rental business in the south of the city,
but I heard in Changling, they have many secret alleys, pleasure and gambling
houses. They've been in these business for decades, and their foundation is
strong. I've never paid attention to Jinlintang before. On the surface, they
seem to only be involved in some caravan and transportation businesses. They
suddenly appeared to steal Two Level Tower's business. I don't know what's
going on behind the scenes.”
The autumn winds and rain chilled his heart. After
extinguishing the oil lamp, Ding Ning took off his outer robe and sat
cross-legged on his own bed. He took out the surprise gift from Song Shenshu.
He poured out that small white pills that looked like dead fish eyes from the
rough copper-colored porcelain bottle.
As he looked at the pill in the darkness, Zhangsun Qianxue's
voice came from behind the cloth curtain. “That's an Energy-Gathering Pill that
cultivators of realm three would use when trying to reach realm four. Don't
tell me you want to absorb this pill right now?”
The thick-browed young man was also very satisfied. His eyes
were filled with satisfaction. His opponent was strong. This kind of battle was
a rare experience for him.
“He is someone from the Yan Dynasty, a cultivator of the
True Fire Palace.”
The tall, thin man with thick jointed fingers under the
umbrella did not know what Ding Ning was thinking at the moment. He
methodically followed the two foreigners, calm and cold.
The Fish Market was still shrouded in rain. The water in the
pond was almost overflowing, and the green grass on the shore swayed with the
waves.
Ding Ning looked at song shenshu's wide-open eyes in his
death and said softly, “One must repay one's debts. This is natural, there's
nothing to regret.”
Since he knew he had enough time, he was in no hurry to
leave this boat. He began searching every pocket in Song Shenshu's robes.
A woman dressed in red sat in the dark room. In front of her
was a zither, and next to her was an incense burner. Several black bamboo
stalks, like black jade, were placed on either side of her.
“Only a weak woman from a deceased family would know such
life-saving tricks. Fourth Mister Zhao, I have embarrassed myself before you.”
The Fish Market was a very noisy place. There were many
affairs that should not be seen by the public, and many people who could not be
seen in public.
In the span of about fifteen minutes, Ding Ning had rowed
the small boat with the black cabin past the dark pier. As he weaved between
the countless wooden pillars supporting the Fish Market, the thick-browed young
man, who had been asking so many questions, and his master appeared outside the
Fish Market, walking to a pawn shop near the river.
There were countless sects and methods for cultivation in
this world, and each cultivator’s physical body was different. Over the course
of several hundred years, no one knows how many grandmasters had founded
cultivation sects, how many methods had been created, and how many ways of utilizing
the primal energy of the universe had been devised.
The Min Mountain Sword Sect and the Spirit Void Sword Sect
of the Qin Dynasty had studied sword techniques to the limit. The many sects of
the Chu Dynasty, Yan Dynasty, and Qi Dynasty were proficient in forging, seals,
and yin energy in ways that cultivators of other dynasties could not rival.
An ordinary carriage stopped near one of the entrances to
the Fish Market. Song Shenshu, dressed in an ordinary coarse hemp robe and a
bamboo hat, got off the carriage and headed towards the Fish Market,
unhurriedly into the depths of Fish Market.
While the historical libraries of the Qin Dynasty contained
numerous cultivation manuals, everyone knew that the most important manuals of
the Qin Dynasty were hidden in the cave in the imperial palace. The officials
of the libraries usually did not have high status in Changling. They also did
not have much military service that provides opportunities for rewards and
promotions.
Even though the Qin Dynasty did not prohibit ordinary
citizens from carrying weapons or holding public competitions, more powerful
military weapons, cultivation equipment, and cultivation manuals were prohibited
from being traded.
The things a cultivator desired were mostly prohibited from
being traded.
The storm suddenly ceased, and most of Changling's residents
heartbreathed a sigh of relief. The fine weather, which usually leaved them
exhausted, became incredibly pleasant. Many merchant caravans rushed to arrange
their supplies. Unexpectedly, just after noon, the sky darkened again, and then
another wave of rain enveloped all of Changling.
This rainstorm was not as strong as last night’s, but it
lasts for a long time and shows no signs of abating. The streets and alleys
were shrouded in mist, obscured by smoke and rain, once again it was difficult
to see clearly.
Zhangsun Qianxue woke up.
She woke up and did not wake up in an ordinary way. Her consciousness
woke up in her energy sea.
She saw herself standing in her energy sea.
The five-colored energies in the sea surface underneath her
had completely frozen. Even the vital energies falling from her celestial
aperture had frozen like a waterfall.
The first realm of cultivation, Profound Understanding,
involves sensing profound mysteries and unlocking the body’s secret points.
This will leave the mortal realm and step into the cultivator realm.
The second realm of cultivation, Energy Refinement, was the
ability to look within one's own body and mind, open all meridians, produce
energies in the five organs, and circulate them through the body.
For a city that usually did not receive much rainfall, a
storm came without warning, battering banana trees, collapsing walls, causing
leaks in the roof, and sinking unloaded goods. It was truly frustrating.
Alleys like Falling Parasol, as the name suggests, were once
filled with parasol trees.
The black umbrellas carefully escorted the
white-clothed woman as she walked and boarded the waiting carriage as she walked and boarded
the waiting carriage.
The young man, who came out of the half-destroyed oil shop,
continued to stare at the white-clothed woman without blinking. He only sighed
after the white-clothed woman lifted the curtain and entered the carriage. “So
beautiful.”
In the autumn of the eleventh year of Yuanwu in the Qin
Dynasty, a rare rainstorm enveloped Changling. Black clouds, accompanied by
terrifying rumblings of thunder, plunged the capital of the Qin Dynasty into a
nightmare.
Outside the city at the harbor of the Wei River, numerous
officials and soldiers dressed in black uniforms stood, allowing the wild wind
and rain to fall and batter them. They stood motionless as if rooted to the
ground.
