Chapter 20: Unable to Pretend

The sun was as red as blood.

Ding Ning watched as the Xie Family departed.

The figures of the member of the Xie family gradually grew smaller on the distant road, finally becoming black dots like evening twilight.

Ding Ning’s expression grew more grave.

The Chen Family was one of the wealthiest in Guanzhong. Today, they had exposed their status as Chu, and even a rare realm seven grandmaster like Chen Chu had fallen here. Both Chen Tuntian’s death and the fight between Chen Chu and the Xie family cultivator had been extremely dire. But he also knew that this was just a silhouette of the great event that was the Deer Mountain Conference.

At this time, there were many grandmasters like Chen Chu, usually lofty and removed from the world, walking around. They were obstructing cultivators, food and armaments needed by armies in order to exert a minuscule effect on the Deer Mountain Conference.

In a storm like this, each person was as minuscule as the Xie family members that was disappearing into the twilight.

But in each of these silhouettes, many people performed spectacularly and respectably. These countless silhouettes were what created history, and the vast empire where people could live in peace. These people should not be erased from the history books.

Otherwise, this would be like what Zhangsun Qianxue said, unfair.

The Zhou Family carriages had been repaired. Yet, seated in the carriage, Forefather Zhou did not give the order to depart until all the members of the Xie family were completely out of sight.

His expression grew colder as his lower body grew colder and started losing sensation.

Chen Chu wanted to attack his energy sea and kill him in one blow, even at the cost of his own lifebond item being damaged. But the other had not expected that he had left a false opening for Chen Chu.

A battle between two realm sevens had been determined so quickly and in such a peaceful manner. From all viewpoints, Forefather Zhou’s victory today was a textbook example of experience and intelligence.

But, Forefather Zhou had neglected one thing.

While he had perfectly used the defect in his body … his body was not his original body.

He had accurately calculated Chen Chu’s power, and immediately frozen the energy that had charged into his energy sea. However, he had overlooked the fact that the energies in his body had long been out of balance, and were regulated by medicine over these years.

Ordinary cultivators, even cultivators that were much weaker than him, would have bodies that naturally adjusted themselves when their energies were imbalanced. It was just a matter of time, and there would be no damage.

But he was different. When that wild surge of energy entered his body, threads of energy had permeated his own energies causing uncontrollably changes.The medicines that had been carefully prepared and the medicinal power stored in his body could not regulate this kind of chaos. This was a great poison to his body.

His energy sea froze further. All the meridians below his abdomen were sealed.

At this time, he was unable to walk, or force his vital energy below his abdomen.

Originally, everything today had been within his grasp. Had Xie Lianying been killed, he could have easily controlled Xie Rou, and possibly slowly consumed the Xie Family in the near future.

But all this changed because of Ding Ning.

Thinking of Ding Ning’s performance in today’s battle, Forefather Zhou’s frosty visage turned vicious.

“Come here,” he slowly said to Ding Ning and Fu Su.

Ding Ning, who had been watching the distant twilight, raised an eyebrow.

From Forefather Zhou’s slightly different tone, he knew that something was to happen next. Even so, he still calmly turned around and walked towards Forefather Zhou’s carriage.

Originally, Fu Su held no wariness towards Forefather Zhou, but when he walked next to Ding Ning and was about to stop, his pupils contracted upon sensing immense danger.

The kindness in his eyes turned into incomprehension and anxiety. His black hair floated up as though some power was about to surge out.

But he had no time to do anything.

A black flow of energy pushed aside the curtain and reached him.

His body froze. His blood and vital energy immediately froze, unable to flow.

In the next moment, his body was covered in thick black frost.

Next to him, Ding Ning looked the same.

Crack!

Two other flows of energy shining with white light flowed out of the carriage and landed on Ding Ning and Fu Su.

The white flows of energy were gentle, but sent some exceptionally cold energy deep into Ding Ning and Fu Su.

In the two’s perception, black icy sand filled their energy seas and numerous channels in their bodies.

These black icy sands were like reefs that blocked shipping routes. Blood and energy could flow slowly to maintain vitality, but the flow of vital energy would be immediately shattered into powerless waves and bubbles.

“Why?”

After the black frost cracked and fell off, Fu Su found he could speak so he immediately asked in disbelief.

Forefather Zhou did not immediately answer his question. He only looked coldly through the curtain at Ding Ning.

Ding Ning slowly raised his head.

His body could move at this time, but any movement, and any part of his body was numb and under stabbing pain.

“There is no reason. From the start, I never thought to spare you.”

Forefather Zhou let out a violent and vicious laught. Looking at Ding Ning, he started to answer Fu Su’s question.

“From when you helped your sect brothers comprehend cultivation method from the Zhou Family’s Painting Remnant Scroll in Ink Garden, your outcome was set.”

Forefather Zhou paused and then said, “The Painting Remnant Scroll is the foundation for the Zhou Family in Changling. Its existence means numerous possibilities to the Zhou Family. How can some of the secrets, especially the way to condense fiendish energy, be allowed to spill out?”

While he was talking, Ding Ning had remained silent. Some invisible little silkworms had silently appeared within his body and started to consume the icy black sand in his body. There were very few little silkworms. Ding Ning was not in a hurry, only sensing the speed that the little silkworms devoured with.

At this time, Forefather Zhou’s face overlapped completely with the Forefather Zhou that he was familiar with. His emotions were not very affected, but the Fu Su next to him was furious.

The feeling of being lied to caused Fu Su’s body to tremble violently.

“Since you had this kind of thought long ago, why do you treat Ding Ning and I so? What do you want to use us to do?” He took a deep breath, gritted his teeth and said angrily, “If you have been pretending all this time, why do you not continue?”

“Because pretending is tiring,” Forefather zhou said scornfully, “especially pretending in front of two juniors I can easily kill. The feeling is really uncomfortable.”

Before now, Ding Ning had not made a sound. When he was finally certain about that the speed with which his little silkworms were consuming the icy black sand, he deigned to speak a cool voice. “It really is uncomfortable. In order to not arouse Xie Lianying’s suspicious, you even gave two important Chu weapons to us. The mere thought of it is disgusting.”

Forefather Zhou’s eyes narrowed slightly. He said coldly, “You do not look very terrified.”

Ding Ning stopped concealing the scorn he felt and sneered. “If you intended to kill us, you would have done it a long time ago. Why wait until now? You want to take us hundreds of miles to Deer Mountain, we naturally have value to you. You are unable to bear it now because you must not be as well off as you looked in that battle with Chen Chu. You fear you cannot control us.”

Forefather Zhou’s eyes narrowed, his pupils contracting as he emanated unimaginable cold.

“Your judgement is good.”

Forefather Zhou did not refute this and coldly said, “Just blame yourself for not listening to my orders and acting on your own. Otherwise, even if you die, you will not be in discomfort for so many days.”

“What do you want to use us for?”

Fu Su did not show much fear, just anger.

“You will know when we reach Wu Mountain, I will not make you wait too long.”

Forefather Zhou lowered his head, looked at his completely numb legs. His next words were brimming with ruthlessness. “From the start, I did not plan to take you to Deer Mountain, I will let you die in Wu Mountain.”

Fu Su stilled, wanting to say something, but Ding Ning went in front of him and stopped him from talking.

“Get onto the carriage,” Forefather Zhou said, coldly.

As he spoke, he was unaware a pure white shadow was drifting in the white clouds behind him opposite the twilight.

It was like a big fish with white scales, but it also had a pure white pair of wings. Two long barbels slowly floated through the air.

Perched atop this bizarre bird were two figures.

Translator Ramblings: I just realized Fu Su is acting in the role of the audience all this time.