Chapter 28: Inexplicable Words
Multiple Wuzhi cultivators were hidden in the wind and snow, extremely wary as they welcomed the arrival of the wolf pack.
Wuzhi was a dynasty that could move at any moment. In reality, they were the largest tribe on the plains that let many other tribes of the plains. When fighting other dynasties, their greatest advantage was that they could retreat without a trace. From a certain point of view, even if they suffered a great defeat, they could not be completely uprooted.
The strong winds and snow could conceal tracks, but this kind of wolf pack was something that only the Wuzhi royals had. Even if a powerful army could not travel far through the snowstorm silently, a powerful cultivator could.
These Wuzhi cultivators had to be on guard against powerful Qin Dynasty cultivators that could have given chase in secret. Yet in Ding Ning’s view, this was almost impossible. First, he understood Zheng Xiu too well. The reason she attacked the Wuzhi was just for the ancestral mountain, and for the Wuzhi to be unable to cross the Yin Mountain when the Qin was attacking Chu in the spring.
The ancestral mountain was lost, she had gained the Heaven Replenishing Divine Art and forced the Wuzhi deep into the plains. For Zheng Xiu, since this stage was completed, then she would not pay a great price to kill off Wuzhi entirely. Her strength would be used against the Chu next.
Even more importantly, even Zheng Xiu, in this kind of wind and snow, could not escape Zhangsun Qianxue’s perception.
When hundreds of Wuzhi cultivators were hiding in the snow like they were facing a great enemy, Ding Ning walked out of the tent. The old woman in the tent followed in his steps, holding a fur coat made from rare silver ferrets.
She waved her hands, motioning for the Wuzhi cultivators to not be so nervous. Then she gave an even more shocking order, for these cultivators to retreat. Then she and Ding Ning would walk together ahead until they left the perception of these cultivators to a snow hill far from the tents.
Ding Ning quietly stood on the snow hill until the thick snow built up on him into a snowman, until the cart dragged by the wolves appeared.
The flying snow suddenly grew more disordered. The disordered grains of snow drew out many blue-black lines. Only Ding Ning could sense these lines. This time, the union was not far, but it was different from many previous times.
A breathtaking face appeared in the cold and desolate world of the Wuzhi. A power that was beautiful and more unreasonable forced the surrounding wind and snow to pause.
The old woman smiled, moved past Ding Ning, and welcomed the other, putting the fur coat on Zhangsun Qianxue.
Seeing Zhangsun Qianxue frowned in unease, she smiled warmly and said, “Love the crow with the house. And you are really beautiful.”
Zhangsun Qianxue wore ordinary cloth robes in Changling. When she put on this beautiful fur coat, she appeared less cold, more warm and natural. Anyone who saw her would feel that she should have looked like this.
“Thank you.” She hesitated and then thanked the old woman.
The old woman smiled. She said nothing else, and gave a strange howl.
Multiple bursts of mist suddenly appeared out of the wind and snow far behind her. Another group of wolves came out. But the wolves that were dragging the cart were all large and gave of the scent of primal energies of the universe.
“See you later.”
The old woman had experienced many things and seen many people to be able to control all of Wuzhi. She said nothing else, smiled warmly, and turned to leave.
Ding Ning looked calmly and silently at Zhangsun Qianxue. Both did not speak. After a moment, Zhangsun Qianxue was the first to move.
She walked towards the cart that the new pack of wolves was pulling, like she was walking in the courtyard of the wine shop in Changling, lifted the thick curtain, and stepped in.
When Ding Ning went in as well, the wolves started to pull the cart. Zhangsun Qianxue finally looked up and said to him, “Why did I have to come here?”
She spoke like it was harder for her to speak than at any other time in the past.
Ding Ning was silent for a long time before he said, “When I returned to Changling, I immediately thought of you.”
His words did not directly answer her question, but she understood the meaning of his words.
“Could some things be redone if they were missed?” Zhangsun Qianxue’s tone was very cold. She seemed to have used a lot of effort, and her face paled greatly.
Ding Ning took a deep breath and said, “It depends on whether it could be forgiven.”
Zhangsun Qianxue said, “Is one person’s forgiveness more important than getting revenge?”
Ding Ning slowly said, “Not about forgiveness, but affection.”
Zhangsun Qianxue was silent for a long time, before she turned to look at the curtain. The presence coming off her lifted the curtain. The air she breathed seemed to connect with the world outside. Then it seemed that she opened her mind and heart.
“I forgive that person,” she said softly.
She seemed to be speaking to Ding Ning but also to herself.
Ding Ning’s eyes became slightly misty. He said softly, “I am not that person.”
He sat next to Zhangsun Qianxue. Even when they had done paired cultivation in the wine shop, he and Zhangsun Qianxue had maintained a foot’s distance. Now, when he sat next to Zhangsun Qianxue, she did not refuse.
“Why death?” Zhangsun Qianxue said.
She seemed to be speaking as usual, but there was less coldness.
Ding Ning looked out at the vast world and said, “Because death is better than life.”
Zhangsun Qianxue’s body started to tremble. She said, “You knew the secrets of the Nine Death Silkworm long ago?”
Ding Ning grimaced. “Other than Emperor You, no one has cultivated the Nine Death Silkworm. Without having tried it themselves, who could have predicted its secrets?”
Zhangsun Qianxue said after a long time, “Then why is it like this?”
Ding Ning said, “It takes a long time to take form, like spinning a coc.o.o.n, and then breaking out. This took a long time.”
Zhangsun Qianxue shook and said, “What did it feel like?”
Ding Ning took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. “Your consciousness is confined to endless darkness. You do not know day or night, or even the years.” After a pause, he laughed and said, “Like being trapped in a dark room. You do not know when it ends.”
Zhangsun Qianxue did not speak. But at some time, her eyes became wet.
Translator Ramblings: Just to clear up the confusion since it’s so obvious but the author tries to deny it in weird ways. w.a.n.g Jingmeng got killed -> then Ding Ning got born, and has memories. So it’s a conventional reincarnation that the author tries to keep a mystery that really isn’t a mystery. This whole thing is closer to a revival since Ding Ning pretty much started to be reborn right after he was killed. How is it not an reincarnation if it’s the same soul and even the memories got pa.s.sed down.