This chapter is brought to you by me, and larkspur.

Gradually, the pristine snowflakes dyed Ding Ning’s eyes pure white.

Just now, his attacker’s blows had given him two broken ribs and serious internal injuries.

He was well aware that even if he had used his true cultivation, he would not have been able to kill this masked black-robed man.

After all, his adversary was a rare seal master in Changling.

Right from the onset, the opponent seemed intent on a quick battle, wielding seals that consumed a great deal of vital energy. He could not last against this kind of pressure from pure cultivation.

Yet, he was no ordinary cultivator. He had a stronger sense of perception towards certain presences; especially presences that he was more familiar with than this seal master.

The calm and indifference on his face was a genuine calm and indifference.

Because, he was waiting for a chance to kill this seal master at close quarters.

The chance was now!

Amidst the primal energies of the universe, just as the pristine white snowflakes with their sharp yet not sharp enough edges, formed by his head, a grey figure suddenly glided down to the side of the masked man.

The masked man’s mental power was focused on controlling the snowflakes in front of him. Nonetheless, he was a seasoned fighter. Even in this moment, he sensed the keen bloodlust from behind him. Thinking that this was another unexpected surprise, he hollered. His left hand, holding a dagger, finally came out of where it had been hiding in his sleeve. The blade didn’t reflect any light and stabbed towards the grey figure charging at his back.

While a hasty response, the black short sword still gave off a layer of powerful vital energy. With a boom, a straight sword energy charged out of the sword tip, piercing through the cold air as a thick straight black spear.

However, the masked man hadn’t expected the grey shadow on his rear would not dodge the blow but instead use his chest to shield his strike. At the same time, a vicious sword light cut down towards the back of his head.

This masked seal master usually would be undeterred even in the face of such a vicious tactic which would wound both the combatants. However, he knew he could not die here. So he once again let out a furious holler, vital energy to his feet and hastily drifted to the side, like a falling leaf, to evade the ensnaring blow.

Ding Ning was already charging!

As the seal master stabbed with his left hand, he was already charging forward, holding his breath and mustering as much force, in this moment, as possible.

The heavy snowflakes were still floating in the air and the edges slashed his face and hands leaving behind countless wounds . Even so, he did not stop. Just as the masked seal master glided a foot like a leaf, he was less than ten feet from him.

The masked seal master gave a shout, his entire body tilting towards the eaves on the side. At the same time, he gathered his mental power and centered it between him and Ding Ning.

He could feel that he would lose more control here. He did not bother about the suicidal swordsman behind him. All he wanted was kill Ding Ning instantly and leave.

Those pristine snowflakes once again shook and turned into a terrifying blizzard.

Right then, Ding Ning swung his sword.

With the afterimages in front of him, the inky green light burned like wildfire.

He was still ten meters away from the masked seal master and his sword only two feet long. With his present level of cultivation, he could not touch the other.

Yet in this moment, the masked seal master felt a wave of pain on his face, and his eyes refused to open.

When the chill invaded his flesh, he suddenly reacted. Ding Ning had used his sword to hit several snowflakes that bounced rapidly towards his face.

What stunned him even more was the moment he could not open his eyes, his mental power failed to sense Ding Ning’s existence!

His perception could only sense the wildly charging swordsman from his rear.

Ding Ning’s entire being had disappeared into thin air!

A wave of blood suddenly surged from his body.

This black robed seal master finally realized something. He forced open his eyes, and shouted, the black short sword in his left hand cutting down.

With blurry vision, he saw the inky green remnant sword pierce straight into the side of his right thigh!

His short blade gave off powerful sword energy again.

Yet, it was late. The chill reached his bones.

The inky green remnant sword quickly cut through several important blood vessels before quickly retreating as a fountain of blood followed!

The seal master was shocked. The black sword blade rotated and slashed towards Ding Ning’s head.

With a boom, Ding Ning’s body flew backwards, again.

The seal master’s eyes widened in disbelief.

He couldn’t believe that Ding Ning was still alive.

He couldn’t believe that, in a situation like this, Ding Ning was still able to stave off such a counterattack.

At this time, the sword with the grey shadow behind him once again started after him.

Because of the natural disparity in cultivation, as the right sleeve of the black robed seal master threw back, a burst of vital energy and dozens of incompletely formed seal-produced snowflakes charged towards the grey shadow behind him.

A muffled sound.

The robes of this grey shadow were torn apart at the front by the vital energy.

Then, a dozen soft pops.

Tiny bloody holes surfaced on the grey shadow’s chest. The white snowflakes seemed to be melting within them.

Yet this grey shadow was unspeakably courageous.

Evenin a situation like this, he responded with only a strong snort.

The long sword in his hand tilted slightly and cut deeply into the left arm of the masked seal master.

The eyes of the seal master changed. He howled like a wild beast at the end of the rope.

The black short blade in his left hand stabbed towards the grey shadow’s heart. However, because of his dizziness due to the large amount of blood lost from his leg and the blow to his left arm, his blow deviated slightly and stabbed into the armpit of the grey shadow instead.

The grey shadow also howled.

His long sword rose again and continued to cut down.

First blow!

Second blow!

Blood continued spurting from the shoulder and neck of the black robed seal master.

The seal master fell to his knees under the power of the sword’s blows.

He raised the short blade in his left hand, while the fingers on his right trembled.

Yet, he lacked the necessary strength in both his left hand’s short blade and his right hand’s vital energy. Thus, he could not reach.

As the fifth blow landed, he sat down, dispirited, his hands to the sides.

Regret and incomprehension were his final thoughts.

According to the plan for tonight, he should not have attacked. But when he saw Ding Ning’s efficiency and the gangsters’ inefficiency in failing to kill Ding Ning, he had defied the orders. He thought that he could kill Ding Ning and leave quickly. He had not expected this to be his undoing.

He did not fear death. All the same, when he thought of the terrifying consequences his death may bring his respected master, he was full of regret.

He also could not understand … why was Ding Ning able to control his presence and absolutely conceal it in that instant, and even his bodily presence could disappear? What method of cultivation was this?

The last lingering snowflakes in the air collapsed and disappeared.

Even so, the grey shadow did not stop.

He once again swung mightily at the seal master’s neck. The vital energy within the seal master had already dissipated This blow severed the seal master’s head and sent it flying into the air.

With this, the grey shadow finally released his long sword and staggered towards Ding Ning who had fallen to the ground.

Ding Ning looked at the grey shadow walking towards him. He forced down the nausea from shock to his inner organs and managed a small grimace.

This swordsman in grey robes was the person Wang Taixu had sent to take him to White Goat Cave.

He hadn’t even asked this swordsman’s name, but he had sensed previously that this swordsman had just realm two second class cultivation.

Never had he expected, in this alleyway, he and a gangster like this, would kill a realm three first class seal master!

And at this time, he felt an unusually familiar presence drawing close.

Only now did he feel that he was truly safe.

Then he, ever so slightly, shook his head towards the presence in the darkness.

He really wanted to be able to lean into Zhangsun Qianxue’s arms.

Because he was really weak, really tired, and really cold.

But he knew well, if he wanted to keep surviving in Changling, it was best that Zhangsun Qianxue steered clear from the alley.

He shook his head, looked at the Last Flower remnant sword he held in his hand. He inwardly thought, fortunately, this was not truly the last path.

Then he raised his head and looked at the grey robed swordsman struggling towards him, and asked, “How are you … why are you here?”

His cultivation was relatively low in Changling, but based on his courage and viciousness, he and Ding Ning managed to kill another cultivator skilled in seals. The grey robed swordsman had a gaze full of shock and admiration as well as joy at being alive.

“I won’t die.”

He took out two medicinal pills from his sleeve and handed one to Ding Ning. Then he sat next to Ding Ning and swallowed a pill. “Mister Taixu had me pay attention to Falling Parasol and do my best to protect you and Zhangsun Qianxue.”

As the medicine entered his body, he felt a wave of warmth rise from his abdomen. Ding Ning coughed gently. He knew that since this grey robed swordsman had appeared, then naturally more people from Two Level Tower would come over to clean up. He looked at the seriously wounded grey robed swordsman and slowly said, “Wang Taixu is an honorable person. I told him to not pay any more attention to me, but he still left you here … but now, I owe you a favor, and a life.”

“Sir is too polite.” the grey robed swordsman, usually a man of few words, said tiredly but sincerely. “You saved yourself. I know you are a genius. I hadn’t thought that you would possess such terrifying swordsmanship only after a few short days of cultivation.”

“I have not asked for your name.” Ding Ning said softly.

“This one is Jing Mozong.”

Ding Ning looked at him. “A unique name … with the character mo. Are you from Yuezhi Country?”

The grey robed swordsman, Jing Mozong, nodded. “My parents were all stablehand slaves from Yuezhi Country.”

The Yuezhi Country was a small country next to the Qin Dynasty, and also subservient to the Qin Dynasty. The stablehands were the slaves of nobility. As a descendant of stablehand servants, he had freedom in Changling and could use weapons. Ding Ning knew that Wang Taixu’s favor must have been involved.

“You are very good with the sword. If you can live longer in Changling, you will definitely become a powerful swordsman.” Ding Ning looked at him and solemnly spoke.

Jing Mozong stilled.

He felt this wasn’t possible, but he also felt that Ding Ning’s words held a strange meaning.

“What is the origin of these people?” He turned to look at Ding Ning, but Ding Ning’s gaze was on the corpse of the black robed seal master.

Translator Ramblings: The Yuezhi are a real historical people. Jing Mozong technically should be a slave if his parents were slave. He’s special for several reasons 1) he’s not a slave 2) he’s a foreigner, and 3) he’s a foreigner wielding a weapon even though he is low born.