Chapter 25: Ning Laoye’s Identity
With the Heavenly Master present and other Orthodox Exorcists having arrived, along with more continuously coming, Ning Xuan naturally wouldn’t summon his S at this moment to emit demonic aura.
However, he did gain some unexpected benefits.
It was the use of “force.”
Ever since comprehending Swallow Chirping Force, he hadn’t had a chance to unleash it to his heart’s content. But this time, while facing the ten-zhang Bodhisattva Body stolen by the S, he utilized this force with nearly every single strike, pushing himself to the brink of death. Especially when he shattered the Bodhisattva Body in the later stages, he fought like a madman.
Nightmares were both a refinement technique and martial arts training. Who else could temper themselves in the face of death so continuously? This deepened his understanding of “force.”
The bright moon hung high in the sky, casting dark and towering mountain shadows. The howls of wild beasts echoed from the depths of the mountains from time to time. The lively bonfire stretched his shadow and his own silhouette very, very long. He closed his eyes to consolidate these perceptions.
About half an hour later, he suddenly stood up, his Beast-slaying Saber unsheathed in an instant.
*Hum~~*
The saber sliced through the air. Ning Xuan shook his head, dissatisfied. What he had realized was simple: the fusion of “moves” and “force.” “Moves” were executed through posture, movement, and superficial strength, while “force” was drawn from the deep contractions of flesh and bone.
Before, when he struck the Bodhisattva, he first executed a “Flying Swallow Collapsing Mountain,” then his bones and muscles sang again. Without moving the saber, he channeled the “Swallow Chirping Force” into his strike. This was equivalent to him only unleashing one saber strike, but as long as it landed, the subsequent force would surge towards the enemy like a tidal wave. This was the “continuity” of “moves” and “force.”
However, if the “continuity” was removed and “moves” and “force” reached their target simultaneously, that would be “fusion.” At that moment, the two powers would erupt at the same time, without precedence, mutually reinforcing each other. It wouldn’t be as if he had unleashed two saber strikes in succession, but rather as if two of his own selves had jointly unleashed a single strike. The Swallow Chirping Force propelled the Flying Swallow Collapsing Mountain, and the Flying Swallow Collapsing Mountain enhanced the Swallow Chirping Force.
Ning Xuan continuously adjusted and, after trying for another half hour, suddenly had an epiphany and unleashed a strike. A rapid and extremely sharp hum suddenly echoed faintly in the air. Ning Xuan saw the muscles in his right arm bulge with a “bang.” The saber strike he unleashed froze in mid-air.
Instantly, several figures around him cast their gazes over. Those figures stared at Ning Xuan’s movement in astonishment, only then realizing that the sound just now was merely from him striking the air. But to produce such a rapid and sharp hum, what level of mastery was required?
Ning Xuan glanced at his arm, feeling a slight soreness in his muscles. He sheathed his saber and relaxed his fingers. He roughly understood the level of this strike. This strike should have reached the limit of his “Constitution 3” and the power it unleashed far surpassed “Constitution 3.”
If he had comprehended this strike when confronting the Bodhisattva, even though he wouldn’t have been the Bodhisattva’s match, he wouldn’t have retreated without injury after a desperate struggle. This strike alone could have at least left a deep gash on the Bodhisattva.
‘I’ll name this move Swallow Merge,’ Ning Xuan decided, giving the technique a name to mark a specific point in his martial arts training. He then planted the Beast-slaying Saber beside the bonfire. This was the return point of the previous “nightmare.” Now, it was merely beside a simple bonfire.
Ning Xuan felt a sense of relaxation. He stretched his body and lay down in a comfortable position.
Inside the tent…
Chou Nu had not been sleeping well. After hearing Ning Xuan’s saber strike, his sleepiness completely vanished. It wasn’t because the saber sound was too loud that it woke him up and prevented him from falling back asleep. Although the Heavenly Master’s constitution was still not as robust as an ordinary person’s, and sleep was an important part of recovery, he usually valued discipline greatly, so he wouldn’t become unsettled and unable to sleep due to a minor incident. Nor was he shocked by the intensity of the saber’s wind.
No, more accurately, instead of the intense saber wind, he became troubled by the meaning behind it. Because the moment he heard the saber wind, he already knew Ning Xuan had definitely passed the test. His own younger brother was truly a martial arts prodigy. If he had contracted the demon plague, it would have been one thing, but he didn’t exhibit any demonic aura. This was extremely rare. At least, he had never witnessed it.
Whether Ning Xuan passed the test would completely alter Ning Taiyi’s subsequent arrangements and his actions on Manfeng Mountain this time. He had originally planned to wait and see. But now, that saber wind had revealed everything to him.
Chou Nu decided to stop sleeping altogether. He sat up directly, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes. He took a deep breath, put on his robe, and walked out. Seeing Ning Xuan lying comfortably, he said, “Qing Feng, let’s ascend the mountain now.”
*Thump thump thump.*
*Thump thump thump.*
Before dawn, the gate of the Ning Manor in Xinghe County was about to be smashed down. The household servant, rubbing his sleepy eyes and cursing inwardly, arrived at the door. Before he could even ask, he saw the flickering firelight from outside the door crack. The firelight illuminated hideous black lacquered armor. Beneath the helmet, a pair of bloodshot eyes stared at him. The servant’s heart tightened, and he was so scared he stumbled backward, retreating repeatedly.
“Open the door.”
The voice from outside the door was chilling. The servant’s heart fluttered, his head buzzed, and his face turned pale. The voice called out again from outside.
“Open the door quickly.”
The servant was dazed. But keen-eyed guards behind him saw and heard everything. They quickly turned and rushed inside to inform his master. The servant recovered slightly, then got up and hurriedly opened the door.
Outside the door, a dense mass of several dozen people in uniformly black heavy armor blocked the entrance. Their terrifying aura suppressed the servant to the point where he couldn’t even ask “Who are you?” His voice got stuck in his throat. Fortunately, Ning Laoye arrived in time.
Ning Laoye hurried over, glanced at the dozens of hideous black-armored soldiers, then looked towards a carriage behind them, and nodded slightly. The black-armored soldiers stopped speaking and parted to make way. Ning Laoye walked through tacitly, then got into the carriage.
Inside the carriage…
A young man resembling a scholar sat on the side, his gaze deep. The main seat was occupied by a round-faced man in splendid attire. His face had laugh lines, but at this moment, he appeared cold, showing that Ning Laoye was not worth his smiling reception, or rather, that Ning Laoye had done something that made him very unhappy. Ning Taiyi bowed and said with a smile, “Steward Zhao, what wind has blown you here?” As he spoke, he turned his head to look at the young man and smiled, revealing his identity, “Scholar Huang.”
The person addressed as Steward Zhao was the steward of General Qin’s manor. He swept his gaze over Ning Taiyi and said word by word, “This is no longer Scholar Huang. He will replace you next month.” Ning Taiyi smiled, “But that’s next month, and it’s only the beginning of the month.” Steward Zhao said, “I know you’ve been operating in this area for nearly thirty years. You’re unwilling to see your family decline, but isn’t everything settled for the future? Why do you still want to meddle with Manfeng Mountain? It’s better to live a lowly life than to die. If the younger generation can scrape by and achieve some wealth, what more are you not content with?”
Ning Taiyi replied, “There is an anomaly on Manfeng Mountain. I’ve sent people to investigate.” Steward Zhao ignored his explanation, his voice growing stern, “What’s to investigate? Manfeng Mountain is a testament to your incompetence. The dragon qi of Manfeng Mountain is also meant for your successor. Once the number of missing persons is fully exposed, the populace will inevitably be unsettled. This is precisely the opportunity for your successor to regain popular support. You want to snatch it now?! What good will it do you if you snatch it?” He then rolled his eyes and said, “Or do you think you’ve found some opportunity and want to cause trouble?”
Ning Taiyi smiled, “Steward, you misunderstand.” Steward Zhao said, “Misunderstood or not, withdraw your Heavenly Master.” Ning Taiyi said repeatedly, “Alright, I’ll call Chou Nu.” Steward Zhao’s expression softened slightly.
Ning Taiyi sat up straight. Golden light suddenly emanated from him, making him appear incredibly majestic. He majestically commanded, “Chou Nu, come and see me.” The five words sank into the ground and vanished in an instant. Steward Zhao watched attentively, and seeing that he wasn’t playing tricks, his expression softened even more.
However…
The time it took to burn one incense stick passed.
Half an hour passed.
Chou Nu, who could burrow into the earth, still did not appear.
Ning Taiyi roared furiously again, “Chou Nu, come and see me!” The five words sank into the ground once more.
An hour passed.
Chou Nu still did not appear.
Ning Taiyi flew into a rage, exclaiming, “This is rebellion! Rebellion!!” Steward Zhao said, “Stop pretending. He has already entered the demonic creature area. Only when one enters that area can the dragon qi no longer be transmitted. Ning Taiyi, what exactly are you plotting?” Ning Taiyi replied, “It’s truly just a brief investigation.” Steward Zhao said, “I hope so.”
Ning Taiyi glanced at the scholar beside him and said, “Why is Scholar Huang in such a hurry? With the slightest breeze, he went to General’s Manor and brought such an entourage.” The scholar did not reply. He merely said softly, “Chou Nu hasn’t arrived yet, so we’ll have to wait. Prefect Ning, let’s play a game of chess.”
Every commoner knew that the Prefect of Wangyue Prefecture was not named Ning.
But the scholar called him Prefect Ning.
Ning Taiyi did not deny it.
He merely smiled and said, “I’ll accompany you.”
(End of this chapter)
