Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Jiang Chen went back to the Two Saints Square. Without Yang Jianwei and the others there, even the atmosphere was much more joyful. The tourists were appreciating the statues or reading the inscriptions on the columns.
Jiang Chen headed for the three well-preserved sword trails.
He stood in front of the stone wall and took a close look at the sword trail. It was a slanting slash that started at the bottom and ended at the top. Even with the influence of time, the section was still very smooth and neat.
There were nine words below: Don’t touch, or do so at your own peril.
The warning aroused people’s curiosity. Some people tried to poke the trail with a twig, but it broke silently when it got close to the trail.
“It’s so powerful!”
Jiang Chen was shocked to see someone in the Nine Heavens Continent had achieved such great swordsmanship. The Martial Saint Mountain was worthy of its name.
“It’s a pity that it’s so noisy here.”
Below the sword trail, the place was full of people. Jiang Chen managed with effort to feel the spirit of the sword embodied in it.
It did work. Inspiration burst forth like flowers within him, but when he tried to go further, the noises interrupted him.
“Alas.”
Jiang Chen had to give up for the moment and go somewhere with less people.
Without realizing it, Jiang Chen noticed something weird. A deep ditch in the square extended to as far as the mountains, and there was an opening less than half finger wide on the mountain as well.
“Was this caused by one slash?”
Jiang Chen stepped aside and understood what must have happened. Someone separated the mountain and the ground with one slash.
He stood in front of the mountain. It was not darkness at the end of the opening. Instead, he could see through to the other side. This meant the power of that slash had cut through the whole mountain.
Suddenly, his expression changed. A powerful feeling of knives rushed through him, as if a large number of mounted and foot soldiers were running through his body.
He raised his right hand unconsciously, hoping at this moment he had a knife in his hand.
Right! I am not good at using swords with my right hand, but it doesn’t mean it’s the same with other weapons. I was being too stubborn!
Jiang Chen was sure he had excellent talent for knifesmanship with his right hand.
He took another look at the sword trail beside him and thought, “I’ll bring a knife and a sword here to look at the trail at night, when there are no people around.”
Then he left the Martial Saint Mountain with Hong Feiyu.
That night in the Ning Mansion of the Black Dragon City…
The first lady was informed that Jiang Chen had arrived in Ninedragons and that he was going to join the Natural Law School.
“A guy from the Hundred Thousand Mountains is dreaming of the Natural Law School? How ridiculous!” the old woman said disdainfully.
The first lady thought for a while and then said, “It’s time for us to do something. Go find Ning Ping.”
Soon the seventeen-year-old Ning Ping came to the yard, and a maid took him to where the first lady was.
The first lady had practiced as well, but after she got married, she devoted herself to family life, so her state stagnated in the Gathering Yuan State forever.
But Ning Ping didn’t dare be presumptuous before her. He even forced himself to breathe gently enough that no noises would be made before her.
Every one of the Nings was familiar with her way of acting. She was firm and resolute.
Not long ago she robbed others’ holy pulses without discussing it with the family beforehand. The whole Ning family was kept in the dark. Then when what was done couldn’t be undone, none of the elders in the mansion could say anything against her.
After all, it was the Nings’ disciple who got the holy pulse, which was a good thing for the family.
Many people complimented the first lady, since what she had done would help the Nings develop rapidly in the next decade.
Ning Haotian was the one who received the stolen holy pulse. He would become a powerful man, second-to-none, and lead the Nings to the top.
“Ning Ping, they say you’ll go for the recruitment of the Natural Law School this year?” The first lady glanced at him and laid down casually.
Ning Ping nodded, “Yes. I want to learn from Brother Haotian’s example and join the Natural Law School as well.”
“I have a task for you.”
“Please tell me, Aunt.”
“To kill a man. I want you to kill a guy whose name is Jiang Chen at the trial grounds of the Natural Law School. You’ve seen him before. He was called Ning Chen at that time.”
“Ah.”
Ning Ping first frowned, then came back to himself. He was at a loss due to surprise and bewilderment.
“Will he be qualified for the Natural Law School?” Ning Ping asked confusedly.
“He is already in the peak of the preliminary stage of the Gathering Yuan State, so you shouldn’t underestimate him. It will do the Nings good if you can get rid of him. I will reward you with a class-four spiritual sword by then.”
“Thank you, Aunt. I will try my best to fulfill this task!”
When Ning Ping walked out of the room, the class-four spiritual sword occupied his mind. He didn’t take Jiang Chen seriously at all. He thought it would be easy as pie to kill him.
“Robbing others’ holy pulses isn’t enough. Now she wants to get rid of him completely, but with such a righteous excuse. Looks like one has to be cruel in order to achieve something.” Ning Ping muttered to himself. Then he left quickly.
After Ning Ping left, the old woman walked out of the shade again and said in a cold and emotionless voice, “Lady, why don’t you hire a killer instead? It will be much easier. Or I can take the matters into my own hands.”
“There will be traces left that way. I don’t want the Taoist Priest Skywind to have any excuse to blame us. If Jiang Chen dies in the recruitment test of the Natural Law School, it will be the Natural Law School’s responsibility,” the first lady said.
“Lady, I think you are underestimating Jiang Chen. The fact that he’s trying to join the Natural Law School is already a big threat to the Nings.”
The first lady smiled disdainfully and said, “So what? My son Haotian has achieved the Mental Wander State. Jiang Chen will never be as good as him.”
The old woman shook her head slightly upon hearing this.
She certainly understood the first lady’s thoughts and considerations, but she …..
When he arrived at Hong Feiyu’s home, Jiang Chen found the Hongs were also an aristocratic family in Ninedragons.
The Hongs were much more powerful than the Southwind Ridge of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
The Hong Mansion was pretty luxurious. There were many palaces and gardens in it.
“I don’t think I will achieve anything in swordsmanship.”
Hong Feiyu had been frustrated since he got home. To him, he had wasted another day in the Martial Saint Mountain that day, since he hadn’t made any progress.
“Have you ever tried other weapons?” Jiang Chen asked him with curiosity.
It was difficult to tell if one had talent for martial arts techniques. Hong Feiyu was only doing so-so in swordsmanship, but maybe he would excel in other things.
Hong Feiyu smiled bitterly, “Even if I didn’t want to, my family certainly would have made me try other weapons. Besides the sword, I also tried a knife, an axe and a mace. But they are all the same for me.”
In Ninedragons there was a craze to compete with each other. Besides the speed to enhance one’s state, people were also mad for martial arts techniques.
Jiang Chen found a clue from what Hong Feiyu had told him. He said, “All these weapons you’ve tried are short ones. Try some long weapons.”
“Long weapons? But don’t people say if you can’t even use a short weapon well, you definitely won’t do well with long ones?” Hong Feiyu looked at him, puzzled.
The longer the weapon was, the stronger one was. Everyone knew the theory. The reason that swords and knives were so popular was that long weapons were more difficult to use, and there were less experts to teach.
With spears and sticks, it was extremely difficult to start. One has to work very hard to use them well.
“Many smart apes naturally know how to use weapons like sticks and clubs, and they are good at it, but they don’t know how to use knives and swords,” Jiang Chen said.
“Brother, are you comparing me to an ape?” Hong Feiyu looked depressed. He didn’t have any confidence in himself at all.
“It’s just advice. You’d better try. Maybe you have talents for sticks,” Jiang Chen said seriously.
Hong Feiyu was persuaded by him. He asked a servant to bring him a long stick.
However, along with the long stick, there came a woman.
Hong Feiyu’s expression changed immediately when he saw the woman, like when a mouse saw a cat.
“Sister,” he greeted her obediently.