Chapter Twenty Five Evening Banquet
Wang Taixu’s eyes immediately narrowed.
He was slightly disbelieving. He had considered this problem for a long time without coming to conclusions. Ding Ning manage to find the problem after a few questions?
He looked seriously at Ding Ning, and asked humbly, “What is the problem?”
“Since it is not an external problem, then it is your internal problem,” Ding Ning said calmly.
Wang Taixu’s breathing slowed. His eyes shone with cold light.
“If they are asking for mercy, they have to worry if you will give them mercy.” Ding Ning smiled and said, “Right now, they will not be able to bring many people, you choose the location, and the person they asked to mediate is not important enough. This is the most suspicious part. Tang Que of Jinlingtang doesn’t fear you will not give Fat Zhang of Thunder Rain Hall face?”
Hearing Ding Ning’s words, Wang Taixu’s expression turned darker.
Ding Ning seems to have not noticed his expression and continued, “You also said before Tang Que and the others may have the support of someone in court. For those people in court, while they cannot do major things and touch the private wealth of His Majesty, the lives of cultivators in the streets like Tang Que are like cats and dogs to them. So they will not easily allow Tang Que to fail like this, they will have him try again.”
Wang Taixu’s expression grew colder. He slowly said in a low voice, “So your opinion is there is something wrong with my people?”
Ding Ning nodded and looked at him, “I do not know where you are hosting the negotiation, but this is not just to weaken you. This is your funeral banquet.”
Wang Taixu took a deep breath and said softly, “But these brothers of mine are from my home. We have taken attacks for each other.”
“People will change, forced by the situation to do something they are not willing to do. When people are in the world, they are not independent and have ties to others,” Ding Ning said with slightly disdain. “Also, each person has a weakness, so do you.”
Wang Taixu said with an ugly expression, “What do you think is my weakness?”
“You are true to your word. When you were discussing conditions with me, you assume I am a person like you. Maybe the atmosphere of Two Level Tower is usually like this, so you feel that every one of your brothers are as true as you are.” Ding Ning looked at him calmly. “You were able to become the master of Two Level Tower, you should be a very intelligent person with great foresight. However, you are unable to see such a simple matter clearly. This is because you have a weakness. You will never consider something like this, and cannot ever think of the possibility. Before you look, you already covered one of your eyes. You have also driven away some people who can see so how can you see the entire situation clearly?”
Wang Taixu was silent.
He was not a pedantic person. Otherwise, he would not come into person to ask for guidance from Ding Ning, who was a child in the eyes of many people.
He started to admit this possibility to himself.
This great banquet would not be one that determined the street situation of Changling. It was not for how Two Level Tower would continue to survive and develop. This was a matter of life and death for him.
Sweat dripped from his hair.
“It is tonight.”
He did not conceal anything and casually wiped away the sweat. He coughed softly and looked at Ding Ning, saying, “Tang Que asked Fatty Zhang to negotiate tonight with me at Red Charm Tower.”
Ding Ning raised an eyebrow and did not speak.
Wang Taixu covered his mouth with a silk handkerchief and continued, “If not for Li Lingjun coincidentally coming here today, if I did not come in person to hear your words, I may be dead after tonight.”
“At the moment of life and death … I think that people’s lives are really so fragile.”
A solemn expression appeared on Wang Taixu’s face. He looked deeply at Ding Ning. “I want you to come with me tonight’s banquet. I will do some things for you … after, if I survive this night safely, Two Level Tower and I will not forget you.”
“I can come with you.” Ding Ning said without hesitation, “But please forget.”
Wang Taixu stilled.
If Jinlingtang could be resolved tonight, then at the very least, Two Level Tower would possess a higher status in the streets of Changling for at least some time.
The gratefulness and support of a gang like this would be a valuable source of wealth to anyone. Yet Ding Ning seemed to fear getting more connected to them.
He could not understand so he asked, “Why?”
“Sometimes, when people do different things, it is best not to owe the other too much. I only demand what is mine, you demand yours, we are even.” Ding Ning looked at him and said calmly, “If one has hope, then there might be mutual disappointment in the future.”
Wang Taixu’s brow furrowed deeply.
“It seems the world you see is unlike the one we see. Since that’s so, I will repay you as you wish, entry into Min Mountain Sword Sect.”
He covered his mouth again with the silk handkerchief and said the words with great sincerity.
“Let’s go. I need to prepare for tonight’s banquet.”
Then he stood and motioned for Ding Ning to leave with him.
In the inner courtyard, Zhangsun Qianxue, who had been listening to the conversation, was frowning the entire time. She seemed to want to say something to Ding Ning, but then she lowered her head with irritation and ignored Ding Ning who left with Wang Taixu.
The sun descended, and night slowly came like a god pulling a large black flag over the sky.
A black carriage slowly passed beside the Divinity Bureau’s morgue room. The black carriage seemed to be welcoming the dark night against the dimming horizon.
Many of Divinity Bureau’s officials bowed as the carriage passed, their eyes filled with fear and hate.
The driver of the carriage was an old corpse-like servant with a withered face. Inside the carriage, the Bureau Chief of the Astrology Bureau, Ye Celeng, was seemingly sleeping, her eyes closed. She was still wearing a white dress.
Extraordinary people had extraordinary presence. This black carriage did not have any insignias but it passed unobstructed on its way. All the other carriages in its way consciously or unconsciously moved aside.
However, as this carriage entered a wide street, an authoritative carriage slowly came close to this black carriage face to face and then finally stopped opposite the black carriage.
The reason that this carriage was described as authoritative was because it was first very large. This was a carriage that had to be pulled by four horses.
Its adornments were unlike other carriages which used precious metals or jade. It used pitch black metal armor.
Even the four horses pulling the carriages were covered in scaled armor.
The four horses were tall, strong and magnificent. They stepped in near unison. They were combat horses who had clearly been trained for a long time.
Seeing such an authoritative carriage made out of metal slowly coming closer, the old servant driving the black carriage remained expressionless, and slowed the carriage.
The two carriages faced each other with three meters between them.
“It is Nine Death Silkworm?”
A voice like metal scratching against itself came from the metal armored carriage. Strangely, the voice did not spread, but passed into the cabin of the black carriage.
Ye Celeng finally opened her eyes and said expressionlessly, “Yes.”
“Very good.”
The passenger in the metal carriage seemed to sneer and then said, “Since we have dealt with the public matter, then Bureau Chief Ye, please come out to discuss a private matter.”
When the voice finished, the carriage shook. Even the scaled armor of the four shaking horses rattled.
The thick heavy curtain lifted up.
An extremely tall man stepped out of the carriage.
The heavy carriage was relieved of a large burden and jerked upwards minutely.
This was a very tall and very fat man.
His figure was equivalent to three tall men squeezed together.
Each part of his body, his arms, legs, face, neck, and stomach, was piled high with fat.
Only a large carriage like this could hold a man as fat as this.
If an ordinary man was this fat, they would almost be unable to move. However, this person was different. Each piece of fat on him gave people the feeling of containing terrifying power.
So even though he was covered in fat, and his eyes were squeezed shut, he gave people a feeling of authority like a majestic enormous mountain.
Almost everyone in Changling could recognize him.
He was Xu Bin, who started off as the most ordinary foot soldier of the Qin Dynasty. The strongest student from Mount Heng Sword School. In the end, he was ennobled as a marquis.
One of the thirty marquises of the Qin Dynasty!
Mount Heng Marquis Xu!
The night wind was gentle.
A white dress appeared on the dusty and dim Changling street.
Ye Celeng walked out of the carriage with a calm expression and stood opposite this mountainous marquis.
Her figure was small and like a slender white flower compared to Marquis Xu.
