Ding Ning won?
This White Goat Cave youth really won the Min Mountain Sword Trials?
While everyone knew this was the truth, many people still dare not believe this White Goat Cave youth had won against the arrangement of Palace Attendant Rong, and the undefeated empress’ will.
Seeing these students and cultivators still stunned and bewildered, Lin Suixin put down the scroll in hand and cleared his throat. He announced with a rare faint smile. “The Min Mountain Sword Trials has ended. Ding Ning is the victor.”
Lin Suixin was in charge of the last event and represented all of Min Mountain Sword Sect. When his voice sounded, everyone was awakened, and accepted the truth.
Many students exchanged looks. They were usually the best talents and very proud, yet they did not see any discontent in each other’s eyes.
No one dared to refuse to accept this. No one would protest.
They may not be able to catch up to the strengths that Ding Ning had shown in the sword trials in their entire lifetime.
They all gazed towards Zhang Yi.
The spot next to him was empty. Ding Ning was not there now, but everyone knew he was still living, and the subsequent glory would belong to him. Being missing from this moment when he should be under the most attention discomforted them like Ding Ning’s usual calmness.
Like he disdained to enjoy their shock, envy and admiration.
Could Ding Ning’s calmness towards them be understood as disdain, scorning to explain to them and to be a part of them?
The valley grew silent.
The Min Mountain Sword Trials would be different each time. However, the end would always be very lively. People would be congratulating, crying, cheering, but never this silent.
When the glory was so great, people would feel ashamed.
There was a green palace in the mountains that pierced the sky like a sword. On the top, Baili Suxue in his white robes looked down at the scene in the valley. He suddenly found it very amusing.
People like him could not lose control of their emotions. So he laughed aloud.
The clear laughter went into the valley along the mountain wind.
All the cultivation teachers in the valley heard the laughter. While they could not see Baili Suxue, they could hear the imperious air in the laughter, and knew that this was the master of Min Mountain Sword Sect.
Hearing Baili Suxue’s laughter, everyone felt even more emotional. Especially people of special identity and status.
The middle-aged yellow-robed man responsible for passing messages for Palace Attendant Rong stood there motionlessly like a statue.
The vice bureau chief, Sikong Lian of the Bureau of Ceremonies was so excited he could not control his trembling.
Huang Zhenwei turned in the direction of Baili Suxue’s laughter with a hint of admiration in his eyes.
Pan Ruoye shook her head and said with a cool expression, “I do not think she will give up. The Holy One is on the mountain right now.” Her voice turned colder. “Even if he is targeting the empress’ arrangements, Baili Suxue’s action is too insolent.”
“In reality, she is a qualified mistress.”
Huang Zhenwei rarely argued with Pan Ruoye but he shook his head now to express his disagreement. “No one in Changling is more suitable to be the mistress than her. She understands control and balance better than anyone else.”
“The Qin has Min Mountain Sword Sect and Spirit Void Sword Sect.” Huang Zhenwei paused and continued, not avoiding Pan Ruoye. “The Qin can lose Min Mountain Sword Sect, but not these two cultivation places at once. The key is, if Min Mountain Sword Sect is lost, Spirit Void Sword Sect will quickly be lost as well.”
Pan Ruoye thought for a moment and said, “Because there is no feeling of safety?”
Huang Zhenwei was surprised Pan Ruoye could understand so quickly. He nodded and said softly, “Safety is a special feeling. Some people are willing to have a powerful enemy and not see the enemy disappear.”
“A powerful enemy means that one can lock horns with each other. If this is a lone tree, one would feel anxious and unsafe, and make people do completely different things.” Pan Ruoye looked expressionlessly at the cultivators in the valley and slowly said, “The cultivators in Changling do not feel very safe. She knows where the line is, so she will make the Changling cultivators feel unsafe but not too much.”
Huang Zhenwei felt her conclusion was well-done, and was also surprised that Pan Ruoye would say these things. He looked at Pan Ruoye, not knowing what to say.
Pan Ruoye said nothing else. She had stayed here to see the final result. As the result was produced, she had no need to stay here. So she nodded at Huang Zhenwei, and turned to leave, her figure quickly disappearing into the mountain shadow.
The resting camp was even quieter than the valley. Many officials walking through the camp deliberately avoided Palace Attendant Rong’s tent with terrified eyes. They felt Palace Attendant Rong would be furious right now. No one was willing to touch her anger.
However, no one would think that Palace Attendant Rong’s expression was not angry at all inside the tent. She was just thinking intently with her head bowed.
**
“Where did Lie Yinghong go?”
Once all the students accepted that Ding Ning had won the Min Mountain Sword Trials, someone finally thought of the person ranked first in the Book of Talents. Both Ye Haoran and Gu Xichun had been defeated by Ding Ning but they had shown strengths surpassing ordinary students. Lie Yinghong had been ranked first, how could he have fallen in the sea of brambles?
Also, everyone knew that Lie Yinghong from Jiaodong Commandery had been one of the important pawns of Palace Attendant Rong.
While most cultivation teachers had watched how Lie Yinghong withdrew, these cultivation teachers had not had much chance to talk with the students, so the student did not know what Lie Yinghong had encountered.
“Xie Changsheng and Shen Yi defeated Lie Yinghong.”
Multiple teachers spoke at the same time to answer the question.
The valley exploded after a moment of silence.
Among the students following Ding Ning, only Xie Changsheng and Shen Yi had not reached the final event. Yet, who would have thought they had already defeated one of Ding Ning’s most important enemies?
In the end, this seemed to be White Goat Cave’s win from beginning to end.
Many students thought bitterly, Ding Ning and these people won from beginning to end.
“Ding Ning won, first.”
“Ding Ning is still alive.”
A court official came out of the gates of Min Mountain Sword Sect and rode in the carriage to a wilderness. There was an enormous carriage waiting in the patch of wilderness.
Inside the carriage was a black-robed man, who had a calm presence but gave off a sense of danger, making tea.
Sitting opposite him was a main in plain clothes.
Hearing the news the officials brought, the black and plain robed men laughed aloud.
The two exchanged a look. The plain-robed man could not help but say, “Doing something impossible. This Changling is full of possibilities.”
**
Night still hung over Changling.
The distant smoke had been extinguished, but more dangerous presences flowed in the air.
Bai Shanshui moved through the streets of Changling. She walked carefully, making sure she would not be seen by any of Changling’s corner turrets with each leap.
She was near the outskirts of Changling, not far from a branch of the Wei River.
A sharp light flashed through her eyes. As she stopped walking, a figure walked out from the left alley in front of her, stopping under the black eaves and looked quietly at her.
“Since you returned to Changling, you should have told me.”
A low and smooth deep voice sounded.
“Liang Lian, General Liang.” Bai Shanshui’s eyes narrowed. Her heart shook slightly but she sneered. “I guessed it was you.”
“You can come and leave in peace without worrying, yet I feel unsafe in this city.”
Liang Lian stood like a spear under the eaves and looked at Bai Shanshui. He said coldly and firmly, “I really do not want much. I do not want you to die, I just want you to hand over the Lonely Mountain Sword Hoard.”
Bai Shanshui laughed. “This is not much?”
Liang Lian shook his head. “Are some unreachable dreams of your former country more important than life and death?”
“Even that person and Ba Mountain Sword Field could disappear. What is not possible in Changling?” Bai Shanshui’s smile faded. She raised her chest and slowly said, “Also, it is not you that wants the Lonely Mountain Sword Hoard, but her.”
“You need her pity to survive. How can you pity me?”
“Do I need anyone’s pity?”
Bai Shanshui looked up.
In the sky, a glistening water drop appeared.
