The Sword Dynasty

Book 8: Chapter 55: Different Paths

There never was inexplicable love and hate, nor inexplicable betrayal. For example, Liang Lian. It was easy to understand his betrayal of Ba Mountain Sword Field because his status was low. If he had not sold out the whereabouts of Lin Zhujiu and the others, it would have been hard for him to climb up. Such a betrayal was a ladder to climb up.

But Ye Xinhe was different. He did not seem to have such a great desire for power. If not for his actions during the Deer Mountain Conference, it was likely that the cultivators of the world would not know that he was on the side of Yuanwu and Zheng Xiu. In these years, he had lived a quiet life, and did not take the position of a marquis.

Some people betrayed for feelings, like having fallen in love with the same woman. But during the struggle, they lost, so they felt hate. But naturally, there could not be such feelings between Ye Xinhe and Zheng Xiu.

Ye Xinhe was not the kind of person to betray Ba Mountain Sword Field for fear of his life, and not for any cultivation method. He himself had inherited one of the ultimate methods of Ba Mountain Sword Field. His combat power just depended on his comprehension.

Later, in some conversations with Zheng Xiu, Ye Xinhe had shown signs of “disliking” Wang Jingmeng. There would be some reason for such dislike. Also, Ba Mountain Sword Field was a very lively sect made of many, and not just Wang Jingmeng alone.

So after the Deer Mountain Conference, the surviving people of the Ba Mountain Sword Field heard Ye Xinhe’s news. The first reaction was that, so he was still alive. The second reaction was, why did he betray?

Most of the time, Ye Xinhe just was like an outsider looking in.

The great Guanzhong City Changluo was just smaller in scale than Changling, but in terms of population and land, it was equal to a great city like the Chu capital. There were many rich people. While the war between Qin and Chu was urgent, and took a lot of manpower and materials, Changluo did not seem desolate. All kinds of resources were gathered in Guanzhong before heading to the front lines. The Chu lands were in chaos. For the merchants of Guanzhong, business had no border. Lacking all kinds of taxes, there were countless opportunities in the danger. So right now, Changluo appeared even more prosperous and busy.

Yuanwu liked quiet, and the carriage did not enter the city, heading towards the palace outside Changluo to rest.

This palace was by the river. Previously, it had been a dragon king temple. The caravans which moved by water would hold ceremonies at the temple, praying for good water and wind, and no trouble. Five years after Yuanwu’s ascension, he had visited Guanzhong’s cities once. When passing Changluo, he resided here. After that, the dragon king temple had been changed to the emperor’s palace. Trees were planted all around. While there were people who cleaned inside, no one lived there, so it was very quiet. Even if the emperor was not present, no one dared to take over the king’s bed.

But when Yuanwu’s carriage arrived, Yuanwu sensed someone living in the palace. However, his reaction was just a faint sigh.

He got out of the carriage, and walked in the door. Xu Fu was the only person who followed him into the temple, even Fu Su was left with the procession.

“You have come?”

He looked at the person under the biggest tree in the temple. He said, “Then who is looking after Changling?”

The words were light but carried reproach. The meaning was, I am not in Changling, how can you leave Changling?

The person standing under the tree was Zheng Xiu. She had actually left Changling to come here. She and Yuanwu were both not in Changling at the same time. This was a truly dangerous matter.

Yes looking at Yuanwu’s cool expression, hearing such words, she only said coolly, “The reason that Changling is important is because you and I are in Changling.”

Yuanwu heard more meaning from the words “you and I”. He was silent for a moment and then gave a faint smile. “You are right.”

Zheng Xiu looked quietly at him.

She and he did not meet frequently in Changling, especially after the war against the Chu. It was only now they met. If she had not waited for him ahead of time here, maybe they would only meet a fortnight later in Changling. During this period of time, many things had happened between the two of them. But at this time, there was not much ripple in her eyes.

“Walk with me,” she said and then turned around, walking towards the palace.

This dragon temple was built against a mountain, and there was a mountain path behind the temple which headed up the mountain.

She walked ahead, all the way up the peak. Yuanwu did not say anything, just calmly following, only stopping when they reached the peak. She looked at the wilderness, looked at the faraway scenery. After many breaths, she turned around, looking at Yuanwu and Xu Fu behind Yuanwu. She said, “I ask you to walk with me, but you are worried, and have Master Xu follow as well.”

Yuanwu’s eyebrows shifted. He looked deeply at her and said, “Ye Xinhe is not far away.”

Zheng Xiu moved her feet and brushed past him. Moving down the mountain, she said, “They all say I am cold, but in reality, you are colder.”

Yuanwu took a deep breath, wanting to say something, but in the end, he resisted. He slowly looked up, gazing farther away. He slowly said, “This is not important. What is important is whether we can still win.”

Zheng Xiu did not answer him. She silently descended the mountain, and then left the palace, heading back to Changling.

From Changling to here, she and Yuanwu only said a few brief words. She did not even mention the transaction between Yuanwu and Ding Ning, releasing Miss Shang. But from this visit, regardless of whether it was her or Yuanwu, they both got the answers they wanted to know.

A long time after she left, Yuanwu turned around, looking in her direction, a hint of pain flashing deep in his eyes.

Maybe if he came alone up the mountain like many years ago when she and he strolled together, not having Xu Fu follow, she may have given him the healing spirit spring lotus seeds.

But he could not risk it. Even if she had only got Ye Xinhe to come here just to see his response.

Some people did not get bored with each other, but in the end, they were disappointed with each other.

Time would dilute everything, and would at the same time, let people see clearly.

Far into the ocean, when the thunder from inside the Jie Fish faded, the holy light around Ding Ning dissipated. He stood on the Jie Fish’s back, and nodded at the fish.

The Jie Fish sensed the meaning that he wanted the floating city behind it. But it had no more hostility. It was not that he had benefited greatly from Ding Ning this time, but it had a strong awe of Ding Ning as he stood on its back.

It could clearly sense Ding Ning could easily kill it with a thought, especially with that lifebond sword in his energy sea. At this time, in its perception, it was very sharp, feeling like it could not be stopped.