Chapter Two Borrowing Power

In the morning in Falling Parasol, the noodle shop owner looked dazedly at the busy masons and carpenters.

Yesterday, people from the government had come and recorded the losses before paying silver as reparation. But this morning, another group of people started to repair the destroyed buildings near Falling Parasol. From the materials they used, the rebuilt buildings would be much better than the original.

Large amounts of wood and stone occupied half of the street, making it difficult for carriages to pass through. A man dressed in a long brocade robe deboarded the carriage, avoiding the various obstacles as he walked towards the wine shop and Xue Wangxu’s small courtyard.

Zhang Yi was coincidentally throwing out water at the gates. Seeing this man, Zhang Yi immediately put down the face basin in his hand, wiped his hands and bowed.” Mister Wang Taixu.”

Sensing the presence from the man walking closer, Zhang Yi was stunned. Then he said in admiration and joy, “Congratulations, Mister, for your breakthrough.”

The man walking closer was Wang Taixu. He looked as thin and fragile as usual but his complexion was not as pale as before and had a faint layer of glowing and flashing light.

In Zhang Yi’s perception, Wang Taixu’s body seemed to contain an extra world that was empty but also contained great power that could erupt at any time. This stark difference caused him to realize that Wang Taixu had reached realm six, and seemed to have already absorbed his lifebond item and cultivate his lifebond sword.

Wang Taixu, as a cultivator from the streets, reached realm six in the prime of his life. Zhang Yi sincerely admired his cultivation speed.

Hearing Zhang Yi’s congratulations, Wang Taixu smiled and returned the bow.

Ding Ning walked out of the small courtyard. He looked at Wang Taixu and said half-jokingly, “You are finally not too fragile.”

Wang Taixu looked seriously at him and said, “If you had not shared some whale jade gel with me, maybe I would still be very fragile right now.”

Zhang Yi was stunned. Before now, he hadn’t known that Ding Ning had shared some of the valuable whale jade gel that Vice Bureau Chief Sikong of the Bureau of Ceremonies had gifted him.

“Have you discovered the origins of those death warriors?” Ding Ning asked calmly, seeming unconcerned and changed the topic.

Since those death warriors had been used to assassinate Fu Su, the person behind the scheme would naturally not allow people to discover the connection between the warriors and the true mastermind. But Changling’s gangsters had different means compared to the government. They could search for the traces that those people left behind in Changling’s streets.

“They are not foreigners. They have lived in Changling for more than two years,” Wang Taixu looked at him and said, “But in these two years, they never exposed themselves as cultivators. Two of them even have made families in Changling. Even their wives and children hadn’t known they were cultivators.”

Ding Ning said, “They hid deeply.”

Wang Taixu glanced at him and said, “May we speak alone?”

Ding Ning frowned. Those present were not outsiders so Wang Taixu saying such a thing meant that this was a matter of great importance.

“Yes!” He nodded and turned to walk towards the wine shop.

Wang Taixu followed him into the wine shop and closed the door. Then he said in a voice that only he and Ding Ning could hear, “There is something I want to ask your opinion about.”

Ding Ning glanced at him and said, “What great matter has made you so cautious? Say it all, otherwise, I cannot bear it.”

“It really is a great matter.” Wang Taixu whispered, “It should be Zhao Si.”

Ding Ning’s expression froze. He reacted immediately and said cautiously, “You discovered her tracks?”

Wang Taixu nodded slowly and whispered, “After the battle outside Fish Market, she did not flee into the wilderness outside Changling but returned into the city. She rented a room in Spring Wind Tower which is coincidentally our property. The female proprietor of the tower have no good traits, but due to previously being a teacher of palace attendants, she is able to see the different presence of men, women, and even eunuchs at a glance. That person was clearly a woman but rented a room which was strange. I naturally went to look. I could only confirm she was a cultivator, but was unable to sense her cultivation. As I just have reached Lifesource Realm, I could faintly sense that her presence was unstable. Adding on the rumors in the streets, I think that she is likely to be Zhao Si.”

Ding Ning took a deep breath.

Many people in Cultivator knew that after the battle upon the Wei River, Bai Shanshui, Zhao Si, and Zhao Yi had fled with serious injuries. Of them, Zhao Yi had lost a sword and Zhao Si’s lifebond sword had been destroyed. They would be heavily pursued by the powerful cultivators of the Qin Dynasty and their fates were unknown at the moment.

Who would have thought, that after enduring that kind of serious injury, Zhao Si would return and hide in Changling?

“This is really seeking life within death. The people of the Sword Furnace are so reckless.” Ding Ning slowly exhaled the cold air in his lungs. He looked at Wang Taixu and said, “Zhao Si cannot die … you cannot trade her for benefits. The Sword Furnace still has people. If something happens to her on your territory, no one from the Two Level Tower will be left alive in the future.”

“My thoughts are to not do anything and pretend I did not discover her identity,” Wang Taixu looked at Ding Ning and whispered seriously.

Ding Ning shook his head and said, “This is an opportunity.”

Wang Taixu frowned and said humbly, “What do you mean?”

“Bai Shanshui entered Fish Market, Zhao Si appeared. Even we feel that there is a connection between the people of the Zhao Sword Furnace and Bai Shanshui. The person who set up the situation may wanted to know of some things … since Zhao Si and the gangsters of Fish Market have connections, they will naturally feel that Zhao Si has connections to other gangsters.” Ding Ning narrowed his eyes slightly and slowly said, “Without your help in hiding here, I fear that Zhao Si will quickly be found. Even if you think there are no problems at the time, those important people will not think the same.”

Pausing, Ding Ning looked up at Wang Taixu’s eyes. He continued to speak. “As to Zhao Si, she knows that you are the most capable person on the streets of Changling … so her arrival at Spring Wind Tower may not be just with the intentions of hiding.”

Wang Taixu carefully thought for a long moment and grimaced. He said, “This is a hot potato.”

“It is a hot potato,” Ding Ning looked at him and said calmly, “but a hot potato can be eaten. Send Jing Mozong to her as a condition.”

Wang Taixu stilled slightly. “Jing Mozong?”

Ding Ning glanced at him and said, “You cannot scheme for long with a great rebel, especially with people from the Zhao Sword Furnace whose lives hang on the edge of a sword. You cannot have long-lasting connections to them. For them, they will not refuse taking in another disciple, especially one suited to their sword path. Disciples of the Zhao Sword Furnace are great enemies in the eyes of the Qin. They are naturally happy to add one more enemy of the Qin Dynasty. In order to establish yourself in Changling, it does not depend on how much use you are to those important people, but how many powerful swords you have on hand. So you prevent Zhao Si from death, and have her raise a sword for you.”

Wang Taixu thought for a moment and said, “You are certain that Jing Mozong is suitable?”

Ding Ning said seriously, “I fought together with him. I am certain he is suitable. As to talent … supposedly, more than half of the Zhao Sword Furnace disciples are untalented and dense metal. This may be one of the reasons that the grandmaster of the Zhao Sword Furnace is so revered by the world. That grandmaster passed his mantle onto Zhao Si, and even gave Zhao Yi to Zhao Si to teach. Zhao Si naturally has the ability to hammer and shape metal.”

Wang Taixu relaxed after making his decision. He started to admire Zhao Si and couldn’t help but shake his head. He whispered, “Who would have thought that the famed Fourth Mister Zhao is actually a woman and has such spirit.”

Ding Ning said camly, “She chose you. This says that your spirit is also quite good.”

Wang Taixu grimaced, looked at him and said, “Other people do not know, but you gave me half of my spirit.”

Ding Ning’s expression was absolutely calm but his breathing started to heat up.

This was an accident completely out of his expectations that he would connect with the swords of the Zhao Sword Furnace in a manner like this.

If there was a connection, then there was the possibility of borrowing power.

A silent and stoic youth travelled among the streets.

He wore exceptionally thick fur clothing, not the commonly seen fox skin and deerskin, but the skins of the winter wolves from extremely cold places.

This kind of fur was fluffy but it was not soft and looked exceptionally bold.

Even in weather like this in Changling, only a rare few would dress in such thick clothing.

It was commonly believed people who wore such clothing would fear the cold more than other people and come from places with warm weather all year around. In reality, people who came from especially cold places fear the cold even more.

Their fear of cold was a kind of habit, a mental cold. Because they would encounter extremely terrible conditions in their usual range of activity, they were more careful against the death that could come at any moment. This forced them into the habit of keeping warm at any time.

This youth was so.

His gaze was cold, and with the thick fur he wore, he looked like a walking wolf.

“Li Xixing, you want to go to Falling Parasol to fight that youth?” Suddenly, a voice came from a nearby carriage ahead of him.

Translator Ramblings: Zhao Si hiding in a brothel is a great idea on her part, especially Wang Taixu’s brothel. Ding Ning has now managed to forge a relation between a Qin gangster and a Zhao rebel, a win-win-win for all three people involved.

Also, larkspur bugged me into making a group discord. Happy New Years!