The Sword Dynasty Vol 2 Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Who Can Be Immortal

“You don’t like women?”

Ding Ning looked suspiciously at Xue Wangxu inside the carriage cabin . “Or is something wrong with your health?”

“What do you children know!”

Seeing Ding Ning was still tirelessly discussing this problem with him, Xue Wangxu grew slightly irritated .

Ding Ning was stubborn as a mule . “Then why?”

“Just not interested . ”

Xue Wangxu looked at Ding Ning and couldn’t even be irritated . “Beautiful wine and song is naturally a pleasing thing . But most are just common rouge and powder . After seeing many, they are not interesting anymore,” he said, helplessly .

Instantly, Ding Ning looked as though he was re-evaluating Xue Wangxu .

“Do not look at me with such a gaze . ” Xue Wangxu said with slight bitterness, “Who hasn’t been young once? Especially when one is stuck at a certain realm and has no breakthroughs for many years . When there is no progress, one is embittered and finds a place to drink . This is normal . But after too much fun, you will find it is not interesting . People have emotions and cannot escape them in life . For me, even the most beautiful woman pouring wine for me cannot compare to the true pleasure . It is better to not do things that are lacking . ”

Ding Ning frowned slightly . He mused, looked at Xue Wangxu and solemnly asked, “You have been in Changling for this long, you have never encountered a woman you fell in love with?”

Xue Wangxu suddenly grew silent .

Many breaths later, he smiled slightly and said, “Of course I have . I will go see her when I return to Changling . ”

The carriage advanced on the path back to Changling .

Perhaps, he had finally managed to use that sword strike he had accumulated for so long, or he was simply tired after fighting Feng Qianzhuo with all his power; in the next dozen days, Xue Wangxu’s words were fewer . The time that he spent resting with his eyes closed increased .

They switched wheels several times and the carriage was covered in dust when they finally drove inside the walls of Changling near evening .

When the dusty carriage moved slowly through the criss-crossing straight streets of Changling and stopped at a certain place, Ding Ning showed a rare lack of calm .

He lifted the window curtain in disbelief . Looking at the building outside, in a shocked admiration he said, “The woman you like is from here?”

Even a palace or a pleasure brothel would not shock him so much .

He knew this place!

This yellow and brick courtyard was one of the rare temples in Changling, and this was a popular one .

Did Xue Wangxu have such taste to like a nun?

“What are you thinking!”

With just a glance, Xue Wangxu could see what Ding Ning thought at this moment . He shouted and slapped Ding Ning, almost pushing him out of the cabin .

“Come off the carriage with me . ”

Xue Wangxu rolled his eyes at Ding Ning and left the carriage first to enter this temple .

There were several old ginkgo trees planted outside the main hall of the temple . They had dense tree crowns and trunks, so thick that several people were needed to circle it .

On either side were two life release ponds .

Xue Wangxu stopped next to the left life release pond .

Ding Ning came over in puzzlement . He saw several fat red carp swimming and many turtles on the rocks in the pond .

Before he spoke, Xue Wangxu pointed with a finger . A pure wave of vital energy stabbed into the pond like a sword and exploded near the bottom of the pond .

Something the size of a small millstone suddenly floated up .

Ding Ning finally noticed that this was an old turtle of unknown age . The shell was so dark it was the color of slate . It had been knocked unconscious by Xue Wangxu’s wave of vital energy .

Xue Wangxu reached out to grab the old turtle and flashed out before the people in the temple paid attention .

Ding Ning looked at the water by his feet and did not react immediately .

He quickly went to the gate and saw Xue Wangxu about to board the carriage . He did not understand at all . “What are you doing?”

Xue Wangxu threw the old turtle into the cabin and sat down . He said, “Of course, cook it . ”

Ding Ning stilled again . He looked back at the life release pond . “If you are not joking … is this good?”

Xue Wangxu looked coolly at him and said, “Get on . ”

Ding Ning still failed to understand .

He knew there must be a reason for the matters he did not understand . So he stopped thinking and followed to watch .

The carriage stopped in front of a restaurant .

This restaurant was not large, but its business appeared to be well . Under Xue Wangxu’s orders, the restaurant kitchen cooked this old turtle . A clay pot the size of a head was placed in front of Xue Wangxu and Ding Ning .

Xue Wangxu still did not explain . He calmly raised his chopsticks and ate meat .

Ding Ning did not ask . He ate meat and drank soup .

Disregarding the old turtle’s origins, the chef of this small restaurant had some skills . He had first tenderized the old turtle’s meat so that it was not tough after being cooked, just chewy and delicious .

Much time had been spent on cooking this old turtle .

Xue Wangxu called for many bottles of carved flower wine . He and Ding Ning ate the entire pot of old turtle . When they walked out of the restaurant, it was already deep into the night, and cold .

But Xue Wangxu showed no intention of resting here . He ordered the man who had been helping drive carriages for White Goat Cave to return . Then he put his hands behind his back and slowly moved through the streets of Changling .

Ding Ning silently followed him to walk in the dark winter night of Changling .

They passed through a dozen streets, and many fields . Xue Wangxu stopped next to a mound . In front of the mound was a small pond .

On the mound was a grave marker .

Ding Ning came to a sudden realization . He took a deep breath and looked at Xue Wangxu .

Xue Wangxu’s face was unusually red but his expression was more serene than at any other time .

“This is the woman I loved the most . But in my youth, before I could speak, she had someone she loved . At the time, me and my senior sect brother only cared about cultivating and missed many things . But if I had a chance to choose again, I might not speak up at that time . While she married an ordinary businessman, she lived happily in Changling . Even I would have not been able to make her happier . ”

Xue Wangxu smiled slightly and turned to look at Ding Ning . He said, “I thought about that old turtle since young . Back then, when I saw this green turtle by the pond, I suddenly thought, what would it taste like? But since it had been put into the life release pond and I was too embarrassed to steal it to try . ”

“I was young then . I had many thoughts that would be interesting or fun if I had seen them through . But I am too old now . Many people and things have long gone . Even if I do not want to have any regrets, and do all I wanted to do before, there are not many things that I can do now for various reasons . Only this old turtle was here, and it will no longer be here after today . ”

“Now that I think about it, the present Changling is like a pond to me . I am an old turtle trapped in this pond . It is not very interesting . ”

Xue Wangxu laughed . He looked at Ding Ning and turned back to the grave . He said, “However, I did something I wanted to do since long . The old turtle tasted very good and I came to see her . I am truly happy . ”

Hearing Xue Wangxu repeatedly say these things he wouldn’t usually say in a disorderly manner, Ding Ning shook his head slightly . “Since these are happy things, do not speak so gravely . Do not say it as though you have finished taking care of your affairs, and want me to see you off,” he asked, with a frown .

“People will always grow old . Who can be immortal?”

Xue Wangxu turned around and began to leave . His expression grew serious as he slowly said, “Other people might not know the tactics of the empress, but my senior sect brother and I understand them well . From when my senior sect brother and I refused her to when we split the White Goat Cave spirit vein into three to being forced to merge, it took less than a fortnight . We have used a dozen days to return to Changling from Zhushan District … there is not much time left . ”

“I did not know she was so cold-hearted before . ” Ding Ning whispered, his head low .

Xue Wangxu did not know the true meaning in Ding Ning’s words . He looked at Ding Ning with a pitiful gaze and softly said, “You should know that the higher the position in Changling, the colder it is . People who are of high status will naturally be colder and crueler . ”

Ding Ning silently followed behind him .

Seeing the faint shadow in the darkness land on him, he slowly said, “Remember what you promised me . You will see me bring you true glory at the Min Mountain Sword Trials . ”

Xue Wangxu stopped and turned around . He solemnly said, “I will do my best . ”

Ding Ning took a deep breath and looked towards the distant Changling .

In this moment, his gaze was very strange .

He clearly was not as tall as those unchanging structures, but he seemed to be looking at Changling from a great height .

Chapter end