Volume 8 Chapter 24 - Chapter Twenty-Four: Cruelty (1/2)
In the black night, the carriage did not drive out of the Xia Family but came in front of the most elegant buildings in the compound where the other people were.
Ding Ning narrated what had happened, including what he had said to Qian Mu. Then he said, “Wen Guanyue would not have stayed here to wait for Eldest Miss Shang because he knew the future but because Yuanwu and Zheng Xiu had made arrangements long ago. The Nanquan Families are at odds with Consort Zhao Xiang. It is very normal for Yuanwu and Zheng Xiu to set up a trap here. But because of Wen Guanyue’s identity, I was negligent, and did not think in that direction.”
“All things change, nothing is immortal. The elixir of life, based on what you said before, can wear down a person’s mind and is very dangerous. But in Yuanwu’s hands, I do not know what consequences will result.” Tantai Guanjian looked gravely at Ding Ning. “If you want to remove our doubts, we must know where your confidence comes from.”
“My confidence comes from my cultivation.” Ding Ning looked at Tantai Guanjian and said, “Regardless of what level Zheng Xiu and Yuanwu has reached, I have obtained the Great Punishment Sword as my lifebond sword. When I reach realm eight, or when I am close to realm eight, they will not be a match for me. But if Zheng Xiu has a breakthrough, and Yuanwu progresses more in realm eight, if the two of them work together, I may not be a match for them.”
“So it is a question of time.”
After a pause, Ding Ning said directly, “Even if Yuanwu does not use the elixir of life, or maybe he got lucky in finding a way to use the elixir without losing his mind, such things will still take up his energy, and delay his progress in cultivation. If he cannot go far in realm eight, then even if Zheng Xiu reaches realm eight, when the two work together, there is a chance to win. Also, when I want to make one side threaten the other, the two of them will not like they were before.”
Tantai Guanjian’s frown relaxed. In his view, anyone could make mistakes, especially when a person had a personality problem, they would be likely to make the same mistake. But there were no objections to Ding Ning’s words. After the battle of Changling, no cultivator in the world had any doubts about his combat abilities. Even though Yuanwu had flattened a mountain with his sword at the Deer Mountain Conference, in the views of many cultivator in the world, if it was the Wang Jingmeng of the past who faced those grandmasters, he would have won more easily than Yuanwu who had entered realm eight. And from Ding Ning’s words, he perceptively sensed something else.
“You will not spend too long to formally reach realm seven, and get back to your peak cultivation?” He looked at Ding Ning and could not help but say, “Also, you say that you have understood some things about realm eight. Are you able to directly head into realm eight?”
Ding Ning slowly nodded, there was no pride in his expression. When he had gotten the Heaven Replenishing Divine Art after the Min Mountain Sword Trials, reaching his past peak was just a question of time. But time was what was lacking. Yuanwu and Zheng Xiu were much stronger, and repeatedly reminded him to be more careful.
“Based on Lin Zhujiu’s setup right now, I think he wanted to take Jiaodong Commandery.” He looked at Tantai Guanjian and the others, saying, “If Jiaodong Commandery can be taken, that will win some more time for me.”
“Ding Ning, I do not care who you’d… In the past, I have always treated you as my friend. Even if you never thought of me as your friend, when you speak of dealing with my parents in front of me, do you feel that your conduct is that of a gentleman?” A furious voice interrupted the heaviness and silence at this time.
This furious voice came from Fu Su.
Fu Su looked at Ding Ning who looked at him calmly. Because of his rage, his chest rose and fell violently. “Either you kill me, or you release me. You held me hostage before because you wanted to live. Do you need me now to survive?”