Chapter 113: The Problem of Many Swords
“Your worm is very interesting.”
Dugu Bai’s gaze landed on the black ice worm next to Ding Ning. His was a gentle gaze accompanied by a small smile, but the black ice worm seemed to be in great terror and curled tightly instinctively towards Ding Ning’s side.
Seeing this black ice worm’s reaction, Ding Ning’s eyebrows rose slightly. This black ice worm’s response surpassed his expectations. He started to feel Qing Yaoyin’s gift likely had more to anticipate.
“I have a sword form called the ‘Peacock Green.’”
Seeing Ding Ning’s rising eyebrows, Dugu Bai put away his smile and looked seriously at Ding Ning. “I feel that this sword form is extremely useful… it is powerful. But my teacher and I cannot understand it.”
Hearing Dugu Bai’s words, Xu Lianhua and the others slowly grew serious and then shocked.
Dugu Bai’s words were extremely simple, but contained an astounding message. He was truly asking for help from Ding Ning on a sword form.
Each generation of the Dugu Family had astounding talent. A person who could become the teacher of Dugu Bai would naturally have astounding cultivation and status. Dugu Bai and his teacher were unable to understand something but now Dugu Bai was preparing to ask for help from Ding Ning.
Dugu Bai looked at Ding Ning and continued. “The Peacock Green sword form came from the remnant scroll of King Ming and Wei Liaozi cultivated this remnant manual.”
“Wei Liaozi?”
Xu Lianhua and the others were shocked to begin with, but were thrown to greater heights upon the mention of the name.
Wei Liaozi had another name in Changling and over the world: “Foreign Wolf King.”
Large areas of the former Guanzhong and even outside the forts were controlled by foreign clans. The leader of these clans was Wei Liaozi.
Wei Liaozi had been king for more than twenty years, and had constantly fought the Qin Dynasty. He had only died a year before Emperor Yuanwu ascended the throne, attacked by the Qin army and killed by the then general of the Qin Tianliang Army, Dugu Liangsheng earning him the highest title ‘marquis’.
The Qin had been in unrest for more than twenty years at the time. While the main cause was due to the Zhao, Han, and Wei dynasties, forcing the Qin Dynasty to put most of their forces into war against the dynasties, one of the reasons that could not be ignored was that Wei Liaozi had been one of the strongest cultivators in the world.
“While my father killed Wei Liaozi, it was not because my father was stronger. In order to kill him, the Tianliang Army paid a great price. My father obtained this sword manual after Wei Liaozi’s death. This sword manual should be the strongest sword manual of the Dugu Family.”
Dugu Bai looked at the amazed Xu Lianhua and the others, and then at the calm Ding Ning. His voice grew slower. “My intuition is that this Peacock Green is very strong, but I have been unable to understand it.”
Intuition was something of an intangible thing, but for some people, it would be described as an unique talent.
“Let me see the Peacock Green.” Ding Ning did not waste words, stating calmly after Dugu Bai had finished.
Dugu Bai did not hesitate. He reached and brought out a hide.
This hide was strangely colored, a rare green color and looked extremely resilient. Yet, there were holes all over. Many of the lines and characters on the surfaces were so faded they almost disappeared. At a glance, this could be seen to be old.
Even Zhang Yi, who was tending the fire, was a little lost and forgot to look at the fire.
Ding Ning’s pupils contracted slightly. Inwardly, he felt great respect towards this youth of the Dugu Family. This clearly was the original King Ming Sword Manual from Wei Liaozi and was related to the secrets of Dugu Bai’s sword. But this youth took it out so directly.
Even so, he did not hesitate in his movements. He reached out to receive the animal hide from Dugu Bai’s hand and opened it in front of him.
Dugu Bai’s gaze did not linger on this animal hide that he had carefully examined countless times. He was familiar with each character and line on this hide and even the holes and wrinkles.
When Ding Ning started to look seriously at this animal skin, his pupils started to contract. A strong intuition filled his mind. He took a deep breath and waited silently.
More and more students walked out of the cliff. These students that came later did not know what the animal hide Ding Ning held was and didn’t know what he was doing, but when they saw the people sitting around Ding Ning, these students were in great shock.
They did not understand why Xu Lianhua, Xia Wan, Yi Xin, and even Dugu Bai were sitting quietly next to Ding Ning.
……
These students were not the only ones puzzled.
“Have you ever thought this would happen?” Pan Ruoye looked at the youthful figures bathing in the sunlight, and then turned to coldly ask Huang Zhenwei.
“No.” Huang Zhenwei shook his head and then said gently, “But I think I can understand the reason.”
Pan Ruoye glanced at him.
Huang Zhenwei said emotionally, “Because they are very young… youth makes them impulsive. Using the thinking of adults to predict their actions is fundamentally a mistake. Also, because they are so young, even if they make a mistake, adults would usually not punish them very harshly.”
If children did something wrong, it was easier to gain forgiveness than an adult. Children had more capital to run wild. Even so, could this wine shop youth win?
Pan Ruoye looked at Ding Ning’s figure in the distance and didn’t know what she was feeling.
……
The sound of bubbling came from the pot. The water was boiling.
Zhang Yi took off the lid and used the boiling water to scald the porcelain bowls on the counter. Then he started to serve people water.
“Please use tea.”
Zhang Yi bowed slightly in sincere thanks as he held a hot water bowl in front of Dugu Bai. In his mind, any action that could help his “little sect brother” was worthy of him giving thanks.
Yet, when he saw the clear water that didn’t even have a leaf, he felt his words were not accurate, he said bashfully, “Please drink water.”
Dugu Bai smiled and took over Zhang Yi’s bowl. He was preparing to speak but then his smile froze.
Ding Ning, who had been looking down on the sword manual, looked up.
He looked up but he looked towards the shadow of the cliff.
Everyone unconsciously was led by his gaze and looked over.
Zhang Yi turned, and was filled with joy when he saw the person walking out. He shouted, “Nangong Caishu!”
The young girl walking out was half-covered in blood, and her hair was a mess. She was struggling to walk, yet when she heard Zhang Yi’s shout, she also shouted in joy. Her body seemed to fill with energy and she managed to jump up.
Dugu Bai knew that this girl was Nangong Caishu of Green Vine Sword School. He understood the joy of Zhang Yi and the others, but he still felt a wave of disappointment.
But at this moment, Ding Ning’s voice reached his ears.
“I know the problem.”
Heavy breathing sounded.
Everyone around Ding Ning looked back at him.
Dugu Bai felt that his expression was extremely stiff. He instinctively said, “You know the reason?”
Ding Ning reached out to return the green animal hide and nodded. “Let me see your sword.”
Dugu Bai took a deep breath.
He put the animal hide away with his left hand as he drew his sword with his right hand.
A good-looking green color appeared in everyone’s sight.
A long sword as thin as a cicada’s wing appeared in Dugu Bai’s hand. The sword hilt was a light yellow, and the blade a light green, so thin it was semi-transparent. There were many seal scripts inscribed on the surface that seemed to go through the blade. The entire sword looked like a dragonfly’s wing.
“This sword is Wei Liaozi’s former sword. Wei Liaozi used this sword to fight his enemies.” Dugu Bai took a deep breath and then looked at Ding Ning. “I did not choose any other sword in the Sword Valley.”
Nangong Caishu had not yet reached them through the hut, and Xu Lianhua and the others were still pondering the meaning in Dugu Bai’s words as Ding Ning looked at Dugu Bai and said, “So your father and the generals of the Tianliang Army did not see Wei Liaozi use the Peacock Green move in the past.”
Dugu Bai shook and he nodded gravely at Ding Ning. “Yes.”
Xu Lianhua and the others were filled with disbelief.
Of course Ding Ning could not have been present at the battle in the past. But he was speaking so confidently. There was only one possibility. He had already found the key to this sword form.
The air seemed to freeze.
Dugu Bai looked at Ding Ning and said, “This is a problem of the sword?”
Ding Ning shook his head and said, “It is a problem of many swords.”
