Chapter Twenty-Three: Give Eternal Life
No one liked things that were too distant and unknown. That meant it was hard to control. So, most people chose the benefits that were right in front of them and could be gotten immediately.
In the dark night, there were many sounds around the Xia Family compound, and then it returned to silence. The lotuses had withered, and not the kind of withering in the autumn, but the leaves and flowers turning to pitch black statues, so the entire pond looked strange.
The battle between Qi Siren, Wen Guanyue, and the eldest miss of the Shang Family had been short, but this involved the holy item of a dynasty. The battle between the four grandmasters had been very fierce.
At this time, Qi Siren, the eldest miss of the Shang Family, and the old servant had disappeared. But Wen Guanyue had not left, waiting silently facing a pitch black pond.
“You have come too late.”
He only turned around when clear footsteps sounded behind him.
Ding Ning was standing on the path to the pond not far behind him.
He looked at Wen Guanyue and before he even spoke, the other continued to speak. “I know that such a battle cannot be kept secret from the outside world, but you were too confident, or rather, just like before, you trusted the wrong person.”
“The scent of the Bone Prison Mountain, it is Qi Siren.” A voice sounded from behind Ding Ning. Qian Mu was standing in Ding Ning’s shadow. Adding on his black robes merged with the blackness, it was hard for people to see him.
His voice quickly became furious. “Soul Setting Nail! This is the holy item that the Qi Emperor uses to intimidate the sects, from the Qi Ancestral Temple.”
Ding Ning nodded. His face could not be seen in the dark night, but his voice was still very calm. He looked at Wen Guanyue and said in a moderate volume, “When did trust become a bad thing? If there is no trust in the world, then what would it turn into… and I trusted you out of respect. How could I think that someone like you who scolded me so righteously is not even worthy of being a person?”
“Not everyone is so noble. We only have one life, and it cannot be wasted on an elusive future. Regardless of how you talk about me, at least my teacher did not see the future you described.” Wen Guanyue was not angry. His voice was very calm, and he did not even move. “You were once the strongest grandmaster in the world, so you can decide many people’s life and death, but we cannot. If I were you, maybe I would have made a different choice.”
“You remind me once again that I must be more careful in the future. And I will make changes.”
Ding Ning nodded and said, looking at Wen Guanyue, “You had time to flee, but you waited here for me, because you want to represent someone to negotiate with me?”
Wen Guanyue felt cold. He frowned slightly, and nodded silently.
“I understand,” Ding Ning coolly said and then turned to leave.
Wen Guanyue looked in disbelief at Ding Ning’s back. He had not expected the other to react like this. He did not listen to the conditions, said, “I understand” and was leaving?
“You cannot decide the fate of Eldest Miss Shang, you need to be careful for yourself.” At this time, Ding Ning’s voice sounded by the pond. “Your master wants the world to know that I have gone back on my word. I came to meet you. If I accidentally die, maybe many people will say that I show one face in the day, and another at night. Then I will carry the blame.”
Hearing the voice in the wind, Wen Guanyue felt cold. He suddenly felt terror too for he thought that what Ding Ning said was not impossible.
**
“Before daylight, I do not want to hear any disagreement from the Xia Family.”
Before entering the carriage, Ding Ning said to the members of the Xia Family.
“What are you preparing to do?” Qian Mu sat next to him and then asked seriously, looking at him.
He did not belong to the Ba Mountain Sword Field, and was not even Qin. He was disappointed and pained by the Qi Emperor’s actions. He did not want Ding Ning to make choices that disappointed him.
“Of course, I cannot ignore Eldest Miss Shang’s death.” Ding Ning did not avoid his gaze, and said softly and seriously, “If you are willing, I want you to deliver an item to Yuanwu.”
Qian Mu stilled. “Have me deliver something to Yuanwu?”
“Strictly speaking, half.”
Ding Ning slowly nodded, and then reached out with his right hand. As he stretched out his hand, a fine munching sound occurred in the carriage cabin. A pale white flow streamed from his palm and slowly formed a small ball. At the center of the small ball was a strange light.
As his gaze moved, there were many irregular protrusions on the surface of the pale white ball, and some of the strange light bodies came out.
In the next moment, when he sensed this, Qian Mu’s body shuddered.
This was instinctive. Qian Mu’s body was very different from ordinary cultivators. But even he felt that his energy and body was being devoured by this pale white little ball.
When he first met Ding Ning, he had sensed that there was something terrifying in Ding Ning’s body. Back then, Ding Ning had told him that this was the elixir of life from the Wuzhi ancestral mountain. But at this time, the scent was very familiar. Without the restraint of the Nine Death Silkworm, this presence was hundreds of times stronger.
He looked at Ding Ning and his breathing sped up. His thoughts were in some chaos. While he knew what this was, he did not understand what the other wanted to do.
“In reality, one rumor is true, Yuanwu always wanted immortality. The medicine has always been something he dreamed about.”
Ding Ning looked at the paling Qian Mu and slowly said, “He wants, so I will give to him.”
“You will use this to trade for Eldest Miss Shang?” Qian Mu’s breathing grew difficult. He did not believe it.
“I understand him.” Ding Ning slowly nodded. “People like him have a hard time refusing such a temptation. Even if he does not have the courage to use it now, he will want to have it.”
Qian Mu was stunned. “But….”
He could not speak clearly, but he subconsciously felt that this elixir …was still a very shocking and useful thing. And if it ended up in Yuanwu’s hands, who knew what would happen.
“Using the miss of the Shang Family to negotiate with me, this concerns the benefits of Zheng Xiu and Yuanwu. But I will only negotiate with Yuanwu.” Ding Ning glanced at him and said, “I want to try and see if this will cause any changes between them.”
