“The Qin Dynasty grew strong because of the reformation. Even the person of the lowest birth, if he is strong and brave enough, can use battle successes to trade for lands. It is not so easy to get a title, but to have some lands in Changling, a place to rest, is not very hard.”
Ding Ning looked at the slightly turbid tea soup, and said quietly, “From a point of view, the reformation gave everyone in the Qin Dynasty a fair chance. For all people of low birth, this was hope.”
The old woman nodded, and listened intently. She had enough patience, and she knew that Ding Ning would not speak nonsense for no reason.
“So for many Qin people, to whom the emperor is not important, what is important is whether their days are good, whether they can remain proud as Qin people, and who can maintain hope. So there are not many Qin people who want to kill that person.”
Ding Ning smiled in self-deprecation. “In the end, even though Yuanwu and Zheng Xiu promised great benefits, and there were many realm seven cultivators in Changling in the trap that killed him, most of the Qin people were the old nobility who were discontent with Ba Mountain Sword Field, and more of them … or rather, the majority were cultivators from the other dynasties.”
The old woman shook her head and sighed emotionally. “That person likely would not have thought, after fighting for a lifetime for the Qin Dynasty, it was in the Qin Dynasty where countless cultivators from enemy dynasties came to kill him.”
“Because that person was too strong. In the eyes of all Qin enemies, he was the greatest threat. So back then, the Wuzhi realm sevens all left.” Ding Ning finished the tea soup, looked up at the old woman and said calmly, “The strongest Wuzhi cultivators of the time, under your orders, all entered Changling, and died in Changling. In terms of damage, Wuzhi lost over a dozen experts. I fear you lost the most of all the dynasties.”
The old woman was slightly shocked, and her eyes opened a bit more. “I had not expected you to know of these past events. But since you are the heir to the Nine Death Silkworm … since you know that I wanted to kill him with all the forces I could muster, since my grudge against Ba Mountain Sword Field cannot be resolved, you still dare to come meet me?”
“Move according to the situation. The situation back then was the people of the world wanted him to die. If this grievance cannot be resolved, should Ba Mountain Sword Field have killed all the people of the world in revenge?” Ding Ning took a deep breath and slowly said, “He chose to enter Changling, knowing that he would die. The grievance was started because of Yuanwu and Zheng Xiu, and it should end with them.”
“It is best you can think so.” The old woman looked into his eyes and said sincerely, “If Yuanwu and Zheng Xiu did not give the people of the world that chance, who in the world could have killed him?”
After a pause, the old woman laughed at herself and said, “But if we speak of grievances, so many people died because of him. How can this be settled clearly? Everyone back then knew that Zheng Xiu wanted to use the dynasties to kill him, but everyone also knew, if he did not die, and he killed Yuanwu and Zheng Xiu, if that person won, the Qin Dynasty would become more terrifying. With that person’s skills, I fear that my Wuzhi, and even the other three dynasties would have already been destroyed. The Qin would have united the world already. So the dynasties were willing to be used by Zheng Xiu.”
When the old woman spoke of this, she paused, and then showed a slightly bitter smile. “Back then, those cultivators who were so powerful were not worth a blow in front of him. Everywhere his sword passed, he would defeat a move with one blow, and the person facing him killed with a blow. But those grandmasters, those experts, all went to the death, one after another, to use up his vital energy. The corpses piled up into mountains. So many of the stunning grandmasters of my dynasty were killed in a blow in front of him like they were ordinary soldiers. Each time the past is mentioned, I still feel cold.”
Ding Ning maintained his silence and did not speak.
The old woman sighed again. “Each time I think of the past, I would feel respect towards that person. But he had to die back then, because it was his mistake that created the chance for the world to kill him.”
Ding Ning said coolly, in the same tone he used with Zhangsun Qianxue back in the wine shop, “But now the situation is that Yuanwu must die. That is why I dared to come see you.”
“Sir, you coming in person itself represents the greatest sincerity, so I am willing to pay a certain price and work together. I will let the world think that you are dead.” The old woman suddenly bowed to Ding Ning, and even her manner of speaking turned respectful. “It is a true joy to talk to Sir, and I want to hear more of your opinion.”
“Before he took the throne, everyone felt Yuanwu was the most average in that group of people.” Ding Ning looked at her and said, “But everybody was wrong. Being able to arrange and complete so many matters in secret and destroying Ba Mountain Sword Field is enough to show his ambition. Even now, as he pretends to be average, it only means that he has greater ambitions. Even more importantly … his cultivation speed is not fast, but he has reached realm eight.”
The old woman listening intently was shocked and said, “Sir, you mean that Yuanwu may have reached realm nine?”
“He does not have to be in realm nine. Even if it is just another step, near realm nine.” Ding Ning sneered. “The fleets of the Qin Dynasty have been searching for spirit medicines all this time on the oceans. If there are enough to make his vitality stronger, and his vital energy more, no one in the world can kill him. You know that he is the emperor of the Qin now. But if he takes that step, there cannot be a chance for the cultivators of the dynasties to safely enter the center of the Qin Dynasty, and for these countless cultivators to gather together to kill him.”
The old woman was silent for a moment as she thought seriously. Then she said, “In the future … can Ba Mountain Sword Field give Wuzhi a promise?”
Ding Ning looked at her and said, “Ba Mountain Sword Field has never failed its word and friends. If Wuzhi is in the hands of our friends, we will feel at ease.”
The old woman was slightly awkward. “Wu Lianzi is too young.”
“You can teach him, you have a lot of time to teach him.” Ding Ning bowed seriously to her. When he looked up again, he was already reaching with a hand towards her wrist.
The old woman stilled for a moment, but did not refuse or stop him. As fine sounds occurred, she realized something. Her body started to shake.
The old diseases in her body that could affect her life and death, and even that area that even the best healers were helpless, were being broken up and consumed, disappearing.
A young vitality returned to her body.
