The author mislabelled this chapter. This is technically chapter 36. All the future chapters follow this numbering so I am just going to follow it.

After the battle on the Wei River, her connection to her lifebond sword had been cut off. Zhao Si had thought her lifebond sword had been destroyed, fallen somewhere as scrap metal.

But in that moment just now, she suddenly sensed a hint of her lifebond sword’s presence.

Cultivators and their lifebond swords had a magical connection. Just now, there had been an energy resonance in her body which caused her to sense her lifebond sword.

But she had cut off the feeling after just a moment.

A resonance of a lost lifebond sword could only happen if her lifebond sword was being controlled by someone else.

If the lifebond sword connected to her was being controlled by someone, they could likely sense her existence and even catch her general location. So even though she had an indescribable desire towards this lifebond sword, she still decisively cut her connection to it immediately.

Heroes could cut off their hands, and the Zhao Sword Furnace members did not lack the courage to kill themselves. For the cultivators of the Sword Furnace, their sword was their life. If they lost their sword, as long as it existed in the world, they would find it with their own hands.

The metal pot floated in the surging flames, the fish soup having evaporated immediately, the fish turning to ash and giving off a noxious odor.

Zhao Si seemed to not sense it and looked back at Changling.

Just now, she managed to sense her sword was in Changling.

In the depths of the Changling imperial palace, clean light reflected from the roof opening above and shone on the spirit lotus pond shrouded with spirit energy.

Zheng Xiu, so perfect she did not appear mortal, felt a rhythm hard to describe. Even the spirit lotuses in front of her seemed to tremble in fear.

Her brows furrowed deeply.

In her senses, that Zhao Sword Furnace lifebond sword was still floating in the endless sky, wrapped in the pale white starfire and being forced to undergo refinement and change.

She was just cultivating normally, and had not wanted to use the sword to sense Zhao Si’s existence. She did not want anyone to know this sword had ended up in her hands, including Zhao Si.

Zhao Si’s reaction had been decisive to the point Zheng Xiu was not sure if this lifebond sword had connected to Zhao Si for an instant, but she had sensed something strange.

She once again sensed clearly someone had produced a unique disturbance to the primal energies of the universe she interacted with during cultivation.

The Heaven Replenishing Divine Art was the most mysterious and strongest method of Min Mountain Sword Sect. She knew how powerful it was, but did not know its contents. Also, any cultivator unconsciously would think the Heaven Replenishing Divine Art could not be comprehended so quickly. So she did not connect this change to the wineshop youth.

She just faintly felt that Changling had a cultivator with a unique method.

And this cultivator… displeased her greatly.

**

A letter came out of Min Mountain Sword Trials and finally landed in a room of the Guanzhong Meeting Hall in Changling.

An advisor watched as the old shopkeeper signed and stamped without any hesitation and was puzzled. He frowned and asked, “Young Master’s letter concerns something important. Do you not need to ask Master?”

This old shopkeeper was steady in his actions and did not respond. He first stamped and then took out several red papers.

Seeing the slightly burnt ends of the red papers, this wary advisor changed expression. Even his voice changed. “Shopkeeper, you …”

“Master already said that Young Master Ding Ning’s matters are the most important matters of the Xie Family. So this has nothing to do with Young Master.” The shopkeeper indicated for the advisor to grind ink for him and said, “This is Master’s intention. Master and the Xie Family owe Ding Ning.”

The advisor was stunned.

The old shopkeeper looked up and smiled. “Young Master did not enter the top ten in the Min Mountain Sword Trials, but defeated the young talent ranked first on the Book of Talents with the Shen young master. Even now, he stays in Min Mountain Sword Sect. Eldest Miss entered the top ten. How many years has it been since someone from Guanzhong managed to do this? Previously, who among those entering Min Mountain Sword Sect were not members of marquis families or the sons and nephews of generals?”

After a pause, the old shopkeeper’s smile grew more proud. “These Min Mountain Sword Trials bring glory to members of Guanzhong. This time, when the Xie Family asks them to help, will they not?”

The advisor took a deep breath and still wanted to say something.

The old shopkeeper looked meaningfully at him and said slowly, “Business has profit and loss. In the end, everything depends on face and reputation, and how many people you can support. If you cannot repay favors, how can you continue your business for long? Why care about temporary profit and loss?”

“You are right.”

The advisor immediately realized, bowed minutely in respect and started to grind ink.

**

A black roof carriage slowly moved through the streets of Changling towards the Zhou Family Ink Garden.

Seeing this carriage, even some of the Astrology Bureau officials on patrol along the way could not understand why someone like Bureau Chief Ye would come twice to Ink Garden in such a short period of time?

The black carriage suddenly stopped more than a hundred feet away from the gates.

A handsome black-robed Astrology Bureau official quickly walked to the side of the carriage and bowed deeply. He reported in a low voice at a quick speed. “An hour ago, the Guanzhong Xie Family sent burnt-tail letters asking for help from the major business of Guanzhong. They ask the businesses to help buy Celestial Demon Vine and Wolf Poison Flower. Celestial Demon Vine can excite a cultivator’s mind and speed up a cultivator’s energy flow in the short term, but in high amounts, it causes hallucinations. Wolf Poison Flower is a fire poison. When someone with too much energy eats it, they will easily rot inside and out.”

“I do not want to listen to these wasteful words.” Ye Celeng’s cold and authoritative voice sounded clearly from the cabin. “You should know what I want to know.”

The young Astrology Bureau official immediately sweated, and said, “I only learned that Xie Changsheng sent a letter from Min Mountain Sword Sect. Everything else is under investigation.”

“Go.”

The word came out from the carriage.

The black carriage continued to advance to the gates of Ink Garden, and the young Astrology Bureau official left quickly with his head low like he had received a pardon.

No one stopped him.

Shao Sharen, still sitting on the bamboo mat, did not even flick an eyelid.

The black carriage passed through. When it approached Ding Ning’s little courtyard, the curtain silently rippled outwards.

Dressed in white, Ye Celeng sat quietly in the carriage. She looked at the silent Ink Garden with endless emotion.

While this was only an heir, she was finally going to meet him.

Translator Ramblings: This meeting has been so long coming. They met in chapter 1 and then never met again.