“Since I said you can force her beyond her tolerance, there are ways.” Shao Sharen looked at Ding Ning and said coolly, “But she is in realm six, and you just reached realm four. How will you convince me you are not letting your emotions control you? If you finally manage to force her to accept your duel, but you’re killed, then my loss is just a bit of effort.”

Facing Shao Sharen’s doubts, Ding Ning raised his head simply and met his gaze, saying, “I have already comprehended the Heaven Replenishing Divine Art.”

Shao Sharen’s body trembled minutely and he suddenly looked up.

Ding Ning calmly faced his slightly disbelieving gaze and nodded.

Shao Sharen frowned slightly and then suddenly laughed. “So interesting.”

**

“I will first kill that palace attendant, and then try to kill Liang Lian before breaking out of the Great Floating Water Prison. If everything is successful, we can leave Changling. This is my plan.”

Returning to the deepest little courtyard in Ink Garden, Ding Ning did not wait for Zhangsun Qianxue to find him like usual. He walked to the outside of Zhangsun Qianxue’s bedroom to speak.

“Is killing that palace attendant so important?” Zhangsun Qianxue did not come out as she said coldly.

“With Min Mountain Sword Sect’s attention, it is actually harder for me to do things. If I want to do something beyond their ears and eyes, I must make Min Mountain Sword Sect feel I am strong enough.”

“I do not believe you can kill that palace attendant before Liang Lian leaves Changling.”

“If I do not think, then I cannot do it. If I raise such thoughts, Min Mountain Sword Sect will definitely do something for me, because I am a disciple of Min Mountain Sword Sect who has already comprehended the Heaven Replenishing Divine Art.” Ding Ning looked down at the ground by his feet and said, “Since you won the bet concerning Ye Celeng, she will definitely start doing something. Since she has survived in Changling for so long, what she will do will not be ordinary.”

There was no sound from the room.

“Other than Ye Celeng, we still have the Xie Family. Xie Changsheng and Xie Rou will help me…” Ding Ning continued, “So our revenge will be faster and more likely.”

After saying this, and hearing no noise coming from the room, Ding Ning turned and left.

These words were really useless in his usual conversations with Zhangsun Qianxue. Yet today, he found Zhangsun Qianxue to say such things because he felt that Zhangsun Qianxue was in low spirits. No matter what, he hoped that Zhangsun Qianxue could be happier.

But at this time, he, who understood Zhangsun Qianxue very well, did not know what Zhangsun Qianxue was unhappy about.

As he returned around, Zhangsun Qianxue’s cool voice sounded. “This is something already planned. Previously, your schemes were flawless, but because you are exceptionally worried for Lin Zhujiu in the prison, your mind is in chaos. He lost in the past because of chaos. He lost because he cared too much for the people around him… If you want this revenge to succeed, you should not follow in his footsteps.”

Ding Ning’s body froze.

Zhangsun Qianxue’s voice continued to reach his years. “You must be cruel in something like revenge. If he did not care about those people’s lives back then, and planned before acting, he would have gotten revenge long ago. If you do not want me to die, then do not care about my life. Now, and in the future.”

Ding Ning slowly hung his head. He did not respond and silently walked back into his bedroom.

**

The black Astrology Bureau carriage passed slowly through the streets of Changling under many reverent and complicated gazes. In the end, it stopped in front of Ye Celeng’s courtyard.

When Bai Shanshui passed into the quiet courtyard, and sensed the movements inside, a hint of a smile appeared on her face.

She did not walk into the bedroom, but the kitchen at the side.

The door to the kitchen was open, and Ye Celeng was sitting in front of the stove silently in white robes.

“You seem to be in a good mood,” Ye Celeng said coolly without looking back.

Bai Shanshui smiled faintly and said, “A great rebel is an awesome label, but one is always alone and has no support. Now, I am not struggling alone, and suddenly have so many friends who oppose Yuanwu and Zheng Xiu. Of course, I am in a good mood.”

Ye Celeng also smiled displaying a pair of dimples.

“It appears you are also in a good mood.”

Bai Shanshui pulled over a bamboo chair and sat down next to Ye Celeng. She suddenly smelled the fragrance from the medicinal cauldron on the stove ahead and her expression changed. “Yellow Rhinoceros Horn, Sea Glass, Turtle-Dragon Pill, Sea Subduing Pill… how do you have so much …”

Ye Celeng turned and saw Bai Shanshui pale. She became slightly smug. She thought of Bai Shanshui’s trembling chest and what Zhao Zhan had said that day in the courtyard. She could not help but tease. “They say that women overseas have large chests. I was overseas for so many years but cannot compare to Palace Master Bai.”

The words seemed completely unrelated but Bai Shanshui suddenly understood. Her eyes narrowed slightly. “You cultivated overseas for many years, fighting beasts and serpents and searched the seas for medicine. You got this much, but did not use them?”

Ye Celeng smiled proudly but still did not directly answer Bai Shanshui’s question. She said, “If I cultivate too quickly, will Zheng Xiu feel reassured with him?”

Bai Shanshui immediately became serious. “Previously, I did not believe when people said that Bureau Chief Ye was a rare cultivation genius of Changling. I thought, she received that person’s personal teachings yet her cultivation realm is just so. Today, I have understood that Bureau Chief Ye has been purposefully controlling cultivation speed.”

Seeing Bai Shanshui’s seriousness, Bureau Chief Ye shook her head unconcernedly. “Other than Yuanwu and Zheng Xiu, all the true geniuses of the past have died.”

This time, Bai Shanshui did not respond to her words. She said with some emotion, “You received so many spirit medicines in the turbulent overseas, but you do not use them. Previously, no news of the Nine Death Silkworm occurred, and that person appeared to have disappeared in the stories of the Qin, but you still endured… I rarely admire people. People all say that Bureau Chief Ye is small-chested and small-minded, but today, I truly admire Bureau Chief Ye.”

“Like dew after a long drought, I have received news but I fear I am a part of the situation, emotionally affected which would affect my actions. Since that wineshop youth is his heir and has always been a masterful strategist in the past, I unconsciously bet everything on him.” Ye Celeng looked at the boiling medicine cauldron and said slowly, her smile disappearing, “You saw him today, and you are not as obsessed as I am. You likely see more clearly. Why not tell me directly if there is a problem with what I am doing?”

Bai Shanshui smiled and said, “I gave the Lonely Mountain Sword Hoard to him, do you think there is a problem?”

Ye Celeng stilled.

“You feel that his past performances are cautious so you gambled everything on him.” Bai Shanshui looked at Ye Celeng and said proudly, “I gamble everything on him due to other reasons. I feel he is true in personality. He was not especially joyful when he received the Lonely Mountain Sword Hoard. He was deeply worried, worried for the people around him.”

Ye Celeng thought for a moment and said, “He failed in the past because he was not cruel enough. I did not expect his heir to be the same.”

Bai Shanshui glanced at her. “This is good.”

Ye Celeng shook her head, her gaze landing on the other’s chest. She could not help but think that this woman had a large chest, and an even greater mind.

Bai Shanshui seemed to understand the meaning in her gaze and glared. “Cook your medicine, otherwise, it will boil over, and waste your many years of effort.”

Translator Ramblings: The mind/chest jokes will not stop this chapter.