Chapter 30: I Was Not Wrong Ji Liuran hopped up to Ning Guang like a rabbit, opening up her arms to hug her.
But before she had even touched her clothes, Ning Guang chopped down with her sword, not showing a bit of mercy. If she struck true, she would make both of Ji Liuran"s arms leave her body.
Seeing this scene, everyone opened their eyes wide in fright. No one who had gone to Zhong Zhou did not know who Ji Liuran was. A young clan mistress like this, if someone harmed her, the whole of Zhong Zhou could well be washed in blood by Ji Xian.
Two bodyguards flew to their feet, the city guards rushing over, but they really were too far. Far water cannot quench near fire, and they had no way to stop Ning Guang"s sword strike.
The setting sun was blood red, reflecting on the sword like burning fire. The piercing glare flashed past, making everyone close their eyes in despair.
They already did not hold any hope.
Only to see a flash of red shadow. The sword stopped, and Ji Liuran"s arms were still attached to her body.
"Ning Guang! What are you doing!" Di Jiufeng held her breath in fright, the hand holding the sword hilt slowly dripping with blood. In her panic just then, she had even forgotten to use her sword, directly grabbing the sword blade with her soft hands.
Fresh blood flowed down her knuckles, drop by drop, the blood-red color fiercer than the most scorching blaze, making Ning Guang"s mind burn into a field of blank white. She couldn"t think of anything anymore, couldn"t mind the Ji Liuran who had fallen to the ground in fright. She rushed up with large steps, wanting to grab Shifu"s hand.
But, Di Jiufeng dodged away. She angrily glared at Ning Guang, tossing away the sword in her hand with all her strength. With a "zheng", the chilly tip sank three inches into the ground, vibrating in an angry shiver.
"Ning Guang! Did you forget what you promised me? How can you do this sort of cruel thing in front of everyone!" Ning Guang was the reincarnation of the world-destroying ancient witch, her methods were very spicy. It was completely merciless, but not anything inconceivable.
Di Jiufeng also didn"t fault her for her cruelty, on the contrary, for some reason, even wanted to give her a decisive cheer.
But, what was Ji Liuran"s status? If she hurt her here, how could Ning Guang have any peaceful days to live in the future?
Di Jiufeng was concerned but her heart was in chaos, worry and anger intertwined, making the blood drain from her face.
Seeing her like this, Ning Guang felt a needle-like pain stabbing into her stomach. She only wanted to take a look at Shifu"s hand, but Di Jiufeng didn"t pay attention to her at all, brows and eyes slightly lowered, not giving her a single glance.
Unable to get a response from her Shifu, Ning Guang felt a type of terror of abandonment sneak into her heart. She suddenly couldn"t breathe.
In this silence, despair pressed to the extreme, making all of Ning Guang"s self-control collapse to naught!
She furiously and hysterically rolled up like a person on the verge of desperation, wanting to hide away her terror in the bottom of her heart like she was fumbling for her last shot. "How was I wrong! Every word you said, I placed them all in my heart! I remember what I promised you, but what she did crossed my bottom line! Shifu, how can you not know, in this world, I do not let any person get close, other than… other than…"
That word rolled around in her throat for a long time, but in the end, was swallowed back down.
Ning Guang took another look at Di Jiufeng. Her whole person sank into despair, like a fallen and withered flower, curled leaves suffused with ashy dry yellow.
"I was not wrong. If she came over again, I would still attack. But next time, she would not be so lucky, I would make both her arms and both her legs leave her body." Ning Guang spoke decisively and firmly, but her voice was overflowing with dejection.
Hearing this voice, Di Jiufeng"s heart tightened. She hurriedly lifted her head to see Ning Guang"s ashy face, so like someone who had sank in a swamp up to the chin, only the head and arms still outside, a death grip on the vines by the sh.o.r.e, mottled patches of blood sc.r.a.ped into their skin, struggling for their last hope.
Seeing her disciple like this, Di Jiufeng felt her heart sour. She couldn"t resist calling, "Ning Guang…"
But, meeting eyes with her Shifu, Ning Guang turned her head to the side. The emotions in her heart were raging too much, she feared her Shifu would notice in a moment of inattention. If she discovered it, how would she look at her? What if from now on, she would never again have even the opportunity to watch her from the shadows?
They both held their feelings to their chests, neither daring to speak them aloud. Until in the end, dead silence reigned. Di Jiufeng"s heart was a mess of chaos, and she didn"t know how to break through the stalemate.
But at this time, Ji Liuran finally reacted.
She fisted her hands deathly tight in her sleeves, breathing a mess, pretty face deathly white like a corpse. She was very scared, the rims of her eyes even red in fright, large eyes trembling. In the end, she couldn"t bear it, stumbling away with a rustle of skirts.
"Young mistress." Two bodyguards finally flew to her side, the city guards surrounding the spiritual ship at the same time.
Seeing her not yet injured, only a bit frightened, the two bodyguards internally let out a long sigh of relief. Standing in silent agreement, they raised their swords before their chests, identical fierce looks on their faces. "We will arrest the criminal for you now, to vent young mistress"s outrage!" With a press of their toe tips, they flew towards Ning Guang.
Ning Guang was not frightened, but right now, she was all out of sorts, and an unspeakable sense of loss held her heart in a death grip. She was a bit dejected. The sword in her hand raised, but in the end, lowered again.
Seeing her abandon all intent of defense like this, a thread of shock shot through Di Jiufeng"s heart, her whole person flying forward like an arrow shot from the string.
With a "clang", two swords simultaneously chopped down on Di Jiufeng"s one. The three each retreated half a step, not yet resuming battle, when a tearful female voice pierced through the scene. "Get out, all of you, get out, did you not hear me call her benefactor? Who permitted you to attack?" Shocked by Ning Guang"s sword, Ji Liuran could not come back to herself for quite a while, all the way until these two bodyguards attacked and she suddenly awoke.
She immediately stopped them, pushing them to the side.
"You don"t let me follow, but I will follow. You don"t let me hug, but I will hug. Even if you cut off both my arms and both my legs, I would still want to stay at your side!" Ji Liuran"s face still held tear tracks, but her pupils were bright like a burning blaze had sparked within, her hands with a death grip on her hem, forcing her way to Ning Guang with the bravery of someone sinking the ships after the crossing.
[T/N: 破釜沉舟 (po4 fu3 chen2 zhou1), "break the cauldrons and sink the boats", an idiom referring to the determination of someone discarding all means of retreat, not caring for anything else.]
"No matter how you try to chase me away, I will follow at your side for my whole life. Just wait and see, there will be a day when you discover only I am fit for you!"
Speaking these words like she was placing down a vow, Ji Liuran finally turned and ran off the spiritual ship.
She seemingly didn"t give a single look to Di Jiufeng, but had taken her apart who knows how many times out of the corner of her eye.
——This red-clothed woman really was pretty, splendid like peaches and plums, not even the golden-red setting sun was as dazzling as her. And her cultivation was very high, higher than her own by who knows how much. More importantly, she and her benefactor had definitely gone through very much together so that her benefactor"s eyes could hold nothing but her.
Ji Liuran pouted in annoyance, stomping her way into the city.
She felt she didn"t have a large chance of success, but she did not give up. In the end, she had the whole Ji family behind her. The Ji family that, with a stamp of her foot, could make the whole cultivation world tremble in fright. She had this advantage; she could do countless things injurious to public morality and not be held responsible.
But could that woman?
She definitely could not. If she were to be together with her benefactor, the world"s spit could drown her to death.
Thinking of this, Ji Liuran felt her steeps cheer very much. Lifting up her hem, she jogged all the way back to the city.
The Ji family"s young mistress did not make a fuss, so the city guards naturally did not make decisions for their masters. Retreating back to the city gates, they let everyone enter.
Zhong Zhou was a restricted area, so before entering the city, elder Jueqing put away the spiritual ship. He always believed in the Doctrine of the Mean. Since Ning Guang had not yet caused real trouble, he did not say anything more.
[T/N: 中庸 (zhong1 yong1), a Confucian doctrine advising fair, impartial treatment of others and compromise to maintain harmony.]
Ji Liuran left, but the two left behind sank into silence, not saying another word.
Ning Guang was dejected, but Di Jiufeng"s mind was filled by some emotion she couldn"t understand or explain. What was up with her, to feel that panicked hearing Ji Liuran"s vow.
In fact, panic was correct. After all, in the novel, Ji Liuran was the female supporting lead, and she was a minor role that didn"t even count as third-line cannon fodder. The ancient witch was set to walk her path with Ji Liuran, and she wouldn"t even have the opportunity to take the stage.
The Ning Guang she had raised to adulthood ah, would move further and further away from her just like this, until in the end she reached a place where Di Jiufeng couldn"t even crane her neck to see her.
Walking to the inn with the Zhang Jian Sect"s procession, the two did not speak until they entered their room.
Seeing her Shifu sit by the window like she had lost her soul, leaning on a balcony and looking into the distance, Ning Guang suddenly didn"t have any energy at all, only left with a chest full of reluctance hovering over her heart. "… Shifu… are you unhappy?" Ning Guang thought, and in the end didn"t call out that name, just repeating it silently to herself over and over, until she had engraved it into her soul.
Hearing her question, Di Jiufeng shook her head, acting like nothing was the matter. But the peril in her heart really was too strong. As soon as she opened her mouth, it was with an air of frustration like a lover"s questioning. "Ning Guang, you are fated to walk the same path as Ji Liuran, but I, I do not wish you to go together with her, her intentions are not pure…"
Suddenly feeling as if she was spreading slander, Di Jiufeng hurriedly stopped speaking.
She lowered her face, imploration tangled in her brow. For a split second, Ning Guang couldn"t catch her breath.
She crouched, sitting on the ground, her hands tightly hugging Shifu"s knees, pillowing her cheek on her thighs. "Shifu, do you not believe me? I said I would accompany you for the rest of my life on this world, how could I leave you for another?"
Di Jiufeng touched her face, her head tilting back.
Slowly shutting her eyelids, she sealed all of her emotions at the bottom of her heart. "But that is the Heavenly Way… the Heavenly Way that can never be resisted with human strength ah…"
Notes:
This chapter was translated by Lily. 天道 (tian1 dao4): Heavenly Way/Path/Dao, all means the same thing. Basically the natural order of things, which in this novel includes set (?) future events that high-leveled cultivators can have some knowledge of.