Chapter 59: Oath

Sword Dynasty

Volume 1: Great Rebel

Chapter 59: Oath

As the energy sea filled with the formed physical energy, and as the physical energy began to nourish his body, a refreshing presence radiated from his body.

It was like an orchid slowly blooming.

At this time in the leek garden, Li Daoji was standing in front of the grass hut. Although there was no way for him to sense the changes in Ding Ning's body, he was most familiar with Ding Ning's previous cultivation. He knew that, prior to this, Ding Ning's cultivation progress had been very stable…

He greatly hoped for this stability.

He was currently gazing at the clouds in the sky when he suddenly sensed a refreshing presence emanating from the grass hut. His sharp mind immediately understood what had happened. He revealed a rarely seen smile of joy.

His feet tapped lightly on the ground as he leaped forward. His body leaped through the clouds and landed on the mountain path of the White Goat Cave..

Normally, he would fly like this. But this time, his leap was powerful, and his height was quite astonishing. The thump of his landing echoed in the gorge.

Li Daoji's strangeness attracted the attention of many eyes…

One of those eyes was Zhang Yi. He had originally been descending the mountain, preparing to cultivate at the bottom of the White Goat Cave. But when he noticed the strangeness in Li Daoji, he immediately thought of a possibility. He suddenly froze.

“Younger Sect Uncle Li Daoji…” He bowed with folded hands.

Before he could say anything else, Li Daoji nodded at him from afar along the path and said, “He's achieved a breakthrough.”

“This is…” Zhang Yi's stiff body trembled violently. Although he had been somewhat prepared, when he heard those words, he also jumped off the path in joy and surprise.

“What a surprise!” A moment later, he finally recovered, his voice trembling as he managed to utter a complete sentence.

“Ding Ning really achieved a breakthrough?”

“Ding Ning really made a breakthrough from realm one to realm two?”

“Ding Ning really achieved Energy Refinement in a month?”

Almost all the disciples of the White Goat Cave were now on the mountain path. They looked up at the sky, gasping for breath and their mouths open, as if seeing a sudden thunderstorm.

“Is it true?”

Even Xue Wangxu who was meditating in the highest temple heard the voices. He opened his eyes and immediately understood.

“Ouch…” A groan of pain was heard.

He accidentally pulled a few strands of his beard.

 

The sun had begun to lean towards the west, and the sunset rays were getting thicker.

The Green Vine Sword School was preparing an evening banquet to welcome the participants and guests.

Among them were also more than twenty disciples from various cultivation places who were present to watch. They were now gathered in an empty space in front of the stone hall in the Green Vine Sword School. With the addition of the Green Vine Sword School disciples, the gathering became even more lively.

Nangong Caishu was sitting beside Xu Heshan and Xie Changsheng. Xie Rou, Xie Changsheng's feared older sister, was sitting right next to Xie Changsheng.

Xie Changsheng put on a sour face as he was showered with words of reprimand every now and then.

“The White Goat Cave has remained quiet until now. It's been almost a month. If someone were to bet with you now, would you still bet?”

“I don't know what's on your mind. Even if you don't realize how difficult it is for people to make money, you should be more considerate of your family. Why did you suddenly argue with Gu Xichun back then? Gu Xichun is likely to enter the Min Mountain Sword Sect to study. Even if he loses the Min Mountain Sword Trials, with his current cultivation progress, he will have relatively good achievements in the future. Our family's business is about peace and prosperity. You're the one causing the most trouble. If you can't restrain yourself a little, you'll make enemies for the family everywhere.”

“The family has given you money for you to use for your cultivation or to travel and make friends. Did you use it to bet on this young man from the wine shop?”

Xie Changsheng was already used to Xie Rou's temper and scolding. Add to that, his usual allowance was in Xie Rou's hands, and he could only mutter in his mind, “I can't hear, I can't hear.”

As Xie Rou repeatedly mentioned “the young man from the wine shop,” Nangong Caishu slowly raised her brows.

“I heard you say in front of the Green Vine Sword School, if Ding Ning could achieve a breakthrough within a month, you would let him become Xie Changsheng’s older-brother-in-law.” She could not help but stare at Xie Rou's grim expression and interject. “Does Xie Changsheng have any other older sisters?”

“He only has one sister, me.”

Xie Rou could detect Nangong Caishu’s underlying meaning. She smiled brightly and said, “Younger Sister Caishu, even if he has another sister, could I make such a big decision for someone else?”

Nangong Caishu thought about Ding Ning's health and then about the pill medicine her father had not given her. She felt increasingly uneasy and replied coldly, “So you're serious? If Ding Ning really reaches Energy Refinement within a month, you'll marry him and not anyone else?”

Xu Heshan was shocked. He could not help but wonder, was autumn really so dry that it made people impatient? Even Nangong Caishu's words were so cold and sharp.

Seeing Nangong Caishu's cold expression, Xie Rou paused slightly and then smiled indifferently. “Who doesn't know that our Xie Family always keeps our promises in business? I'm not a man, but I won't break my promises.”

Just now, Nangong Caishu had not spoken in a low voice, and even Xu Heshan felt that Nangong Caishu was a little strange today. Xie Rou's firm and forceful response had reached everyone around her.

Not far away, Gu Xichun, who was comfortably alone, noticed this scene. He shook his head and grinned sarcastically. He thought, it had been a long time since they entered the gate. And people were still talking about this person. How boring!

Just at this moment, heavy footsteps were heard.

Someone rushed over in a hurry, unable to control the physical energy of his legs and leaving a cloud of dust behind him.

Nangong Caishu frowned and looked in the direction of the voice. She realized it was her elder sect brother, Xiang Miao.

Xiang Miao had joined the sect a year before her, and was a loyal and honest person. In their daily life, he was usually calmer than she was. ut now, he was the exact opposite.

She could not help but ask, “Elder Sect Brother Xiang, what happened that made you so panicked?”

“One… one… one…” Xiang Miao's face flushed, his breathing rapid with intense emotion. He repeated the word "one" three times but could not say anything else.

Nangong Caishu's eyes suddenly lit up. Her breathing stopped, and she instinctively asked, “Did Ding Ning really reach realm two Energy Refinement in a month?”

The disciples present heard Nangong Caishu's words. Their first reaction was disbelief, but Xiang Miao's response plunged the entire place into complete silence. Everyone seemed to be frozen by the Arctic wind.

Xiang Miao breathed heavily and nodded.

Gu Xichun's sinister smile froze on his face. His fingers did too. Waves of shock and clarity at the absurdity buzzed in his mind.

“Is this true?” Xie Changsheng exclaimed loudly, breaking the silence. His facial expression was complicated, as if someone had painted it with colorful paint.

Xiang Miao nodded again.

By now, he had regained his composure and was able to speak in complete sentences again. He forced himself to say, “Just now, the White Goat Cave sent news… Ding Ning has successfully achieved a breakthrough and reached the Energy Refinement Realm.”

Gu Xichun's face was starting to pale. His stiff fingers were trembling slightly.

He did not need to ask for any proof because the news was so shocking that Xiang Miao must have carefully verified it before coming to announce it.

However, no one noticed his expression at this moment.

Everyone's gaze, unconsciously, fell on the person standing next to Xie Changsheng, Xie Rou.

Everyone was curious to know what was going through her mind at this moment.

Xie Rou's face was pale white. Her eyelashes fluttered. The proud and stern older sister seemed to have transformed into a delicate and pitiful young girl in need of support.

Nangong Caishu was delighted. She wanted to laugh out loud.

But unexpectedly, in an instant, Xie Rou's gentleness turned into a hardness of steel. Her lips were still trembling, but the lines on her face were cold and stern.

“The Xie family of Guanzhong will keep their promises; our word is worth a thousand gold. Since Ding Ning has achieved a breakthrough today and reached Energy Refinement, I will keep my promise and will marry no one but him.”

Everyone present wanted to witness her humiliation, even her own younger brother. But when her words came out, she shocked everyone present.

Xie Changsheng was stunned. Was this real?

Then a clear voice silenced everyone present.

She drew a sword from her waist. It was thick, heavy, and straight. It was unlike the swords women typically wielded. The blade was a blackish gray, like half-burnt ashes. However, the straight edge was a bright white. The long sword was split lengthwise from the hilt in black and white. Even the scabbard bore the scales and craftsmanship of the Guagzhong region.

Swish.

The sword cut through the cold air, cutting off a strand of her hair.

A strand of black hair fell into her hand.

“The eldest daughter of the Xie Family of Guanzhong, Xie Rou, swears this.”

Her cold voice intimidated those around her.

Everyone was shocked.

No one expected this woman from Guanzhong to be so fierce as to swear on the spot.

 

Notes:

This novel is not my work... I just translated it from a Chinese web novel written by Wu Zui

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