Wu Lianzi was shocked as were Li Xixing and Hu Jingjing.

Seal scripts, pictures, and the characters of sword manuals were the hardest to understand. Yet if someone could annotate the true essence, then even some profound sword manuals would not be hard for cultivators with lesser comprehension to understand.

In many of Changling’s cultivation places at present, many sword manuals were cryptic and hard to understand because they were the secret treasures of their sects. Many of them were passed down through a single line, from master to student. If something were to happen, either to the master or the student, then even if the sword manual were passed down in writing, the future members of the sect may not be able to comprehend it. For example, the Treasure Light Temple Hu Jingjing was from. The true essence of the most important sword manual of Treasure Light Temple had been passed on to Hu Jingjing. If Hu Jingjing were to die on the plains, even if other disciples of Treasure Light Temple saw the sword manual record, they may not be able to comprehend it.

In reality, from ancient times to now, many great skills, kept secret so they would not be spread, were lost in the end. The past Tianliang was a stunning empire. Just from the remaining power of the Peerless Wind and Rain Sword, they could know just what wealth the sword manuals left behind by the Tianliang experts were.

“This is indeed enough.”

Wu Lianzi could not stop his voice from trembling. He had wanted to ask why Ding Ning would do this, but when he thought how the other was the Nine Death Silkworm, he immediately knew the question was unnecessary. He hesitated for a moment and took a deep breath. He tried to make himself calmer and also so his voice would be more respectful. “Then, Sir, what do you wish for me to do?”

“Keep the secret for me.” Ding Ning looked at him and said, slow and serious. “Do not let anyone know that the Nine Death Silkworm is in me, unless I announce to the world myself.”

Wu Lianzi nodded. Even though his injuries were extremely serious right now, and every drop of blood was precious, he still used a small dagger to slice his palm and swear to the heavens. Having taken the most solemn oath of the Wuzhi, Wu Lianzi kept on looking at Ding Ning. To him, for his life and a great treasure like the ancestral mountain, just purely keeping a secret for this man was clearly not enough.

Ding Ning looked calmly at him. Of course he understood the meaning in the youth’s presently simple database. But he did not say what he wanted, instead asking Wu Lianzi, “As an imperial son of Wuzhi, what do you want the most?”

The stories about that person in Changling, even in the distant Wuzhi and Donghu, were legends. After seeing people like Gu Huai and Zhan Moke die in front of Ding Ning, he felt even more awe. So he did not think of anything else. After a moment of daze, he started to seriously ponder Ding Ning’s question.

“I want Wuzhi to continue to survive, so our people can live without fear on the plains. So they do not have to worry about being consumed and enslaved by the Qin Dynasty or others,” he thought for a moment and said first.

“If I can win against Yuanwu and Zheng Xiu, I can guarantee this,” Ding Ning said.

No one felt that Ding Ning was joking. In a sense, Ding Ning did not just represent the Nine Death Silkworm, but also all of Ba Mountain Sword Field. Especially, in a sense, the lands of the Qin Dynasty were Ba Mountain Sword Field’s.

Wu Lianzi started to understand Ding Ning’s meaning. He struggled to lift his head and met Ding Ning’s calm gaze. He said softly, “So Sir hoped I … the Wuzhi will give enough support in the future fight between you against Yuanwu and Zheng Xiu.”

Ding Ning met his gaze and said sincerely, “I do not just hope to become friends with you, but with all of Wuzhi. But your will now is not the will of all of Wuzhi. You must guarantee that the future Wuzhi will listen to you, and not people like Zhan Moke.”

Wu Lianzi understood the meaning of Ding Ning’s words. He thought for a moment and said, “You mean that I must first take control of all of Wuzhi.”

“The sword manuals in the ancestral lands are not just a gift to the Wuzhi queen dowager but also to you.” Ding Ning looked at Wu Lianzi whose expression grew solemn and said slowly, “I hope to put some of the most important sword manuals on you.”

Wu Lianzi had seen many shocking things today, but he was still stunned at hearing Ding Ning’s words.

“The Peerless Wind and Rain Sword was a powerful and careful person, and also a great one.” Looking towards to sky, Ding Ning slowly said, “The reason we were able to defeat the Peerless Wind and Rain Sword was because his sword manual was on the stone beasts and steles outside.”

Hu Jingjing could not help but say, “Then why?”

“Essence.” Ding Ning said simply and then added, looking at her, “Only those who can comprehend the essence of the sword path can truly comprehend his sword manual. Those who are able to comprehend his sword manual naturally are close to his state of mind, or rather, through the vast sword essence, understand him.”

Hu Jingjing immediately reacted: “So he did not fear people comprehending his sword essence, because those who did will understand him.”

“Those who agree with him will not be like Zhan Moke, wanting to take the elixir of life.” Ding Ning nodded. He looked at Shen Xuan and Wu Lianzi, saying “Many people in the world actually want recognition and life and death together.”

“But — ” Hu Jingjing glanced at Wu Lianzi, hesitant to speak.

Li Xixing glanced at her and said, “Say it.”

“My master said to me, people will always change. At different stages, people will have different ways of thinking and some people will even grow unfamiliar.” Hu Jingjing paused for a moment and said, “Even a blood oath, I still feel uneasy. Because we have paid, yet he has nothing he bet on our side.”

Wu Lianzi had lost a lot of blood, but at Hu Jingjing’s words, his face still turned blood red. As he was about to argue, Li Xixing shook his head and said coldly, “No need, I believe him.”

Hu Jingjing was stunned. Wu Lianzi was stunned as well.

Li Xixing sneered. “He’s the queen dowager’s most favored royal prince, and may become the crown prince. An important person like him, for a mere steed, put himself in danger, and chased me. Of all of Wuzhi’s royal sons, who, other than this idiot, will do that?”

Hu Jingjing was stunned for a long moment. She recalled why Li Xixing had been chased here. She realized, Li Xixing’s confidence came from the fact he and Wu Lianzi were the same kind of people.

Wu Lianzi was not angry at all at being called an idiot. He felt moved for some unknown reason. His hate of Li Xixing faded, replaced with another indescribable feeling. He had a deeper understanding of the “agreement” that Ding Ning spoke of.

“Your Changling has a saying, gentleman die for those that know them.” He looked up at Ding Ning and Li Xixing, saying seriously, “I can die for you.”

Then he leaned forward, touched the ground and bowed to Ding Ning, saying, “Teacher.”

For him, regardless of whether Ding Ning recognized him, Ding Ning taught him the Tianliang sword manuals, and taught him the Peerless Wind and Rain Sword. So in his mind, Ding Ning was his teacher.

Translator Ramblings: Li Lixing is really the same… he got exiled over the death of a dog.