Desolate Era (Book 22 - Book 24)

“Help!”


A series of cries could be heard. The captain of the ferry did his best to keep the boat on an even keel, but as it continued to rock a young child who was seated on the ferry fell into the water. Instantly, a nearby middle-aged man cried out in shock and dove into the water.

Ning was seated at the banks of the river. Upon hearing the distant cries, he raised his head to take a look. Upon seeing the situation, he let out a soft sigh and waved his hand.

Whooooosh.

It was like a giant, invisible hand had suddenly lifted the ferry up. Even the middle-aged man and the child, both of whom were in the water, were lifted up into the air. The ferry, the child, and the middle-aged man all flew through the air. They couldn’t help but stare at each other, then stare at their surroundings in shock and terror.

The ferry, the child, and the middle-aged man all landed on the other side of the distant riverbanks.

“Thank you, Dragon King!”

“Thank you for your great mercy, Dragon King!”

The ordinary mortals hurriedly kowtowed towards the water, believing that some great sea deity had just saved them.

Far off in the distance, Ning continued to sit there and fish. Suddenly, he couldn’t help but sigh a little. Life was so fragile and weak. If he hadn’t just happened to be here, it was likely that many of the passengers on that ferry would have died.

Suddenly, the waters of the river surged and parted, creating a corridor. A distant wooden boat sailed through the watery corridor, a red-nosed elder rowing the boat forward. In a very relaxed fashion, he rowed the boat all the way over to Ning.

“Ji Ning, long time no see.” The red-nosed elder chortled as he spoke.

Ji Ning revealed a hint of delight as well as he hurriedly rose to his feet. “I had the feeling all day long that my luck was pretty good. I managed to catch six big fish! That’s a lot more than I usually catch. I was wondering if something was going to happen today, given my luck…but I didn’t expect to run into you, Old Man Yuan.”

Old Man Yuan had graced him with kindness in the past. Not only had he saved Ning, he had also bequeathed unto Ning the [Heart Sutra].

Still…the war between the two alliances had begun, and Old Man Yuan still had yet to choose a side. Ning couldn’t help but feel a sliver of unhappiness when seeing the man.

“Would you be willing to board this old man’s boat and chat a bit?” Old Man Yuan asked with a smile.

“Can I bring my fish?” Ning laughed.

“Of course.” Old Man Yuan nodded.

Ji Ning hoisted up his fish bucket and his fishing rod, then stepped onto Old Man Yuan’s boat. Old Man Yuan looked at Ji Ning. Ji Ning moved as though he was an ordinary mortal, but with every movement he radiated a hidden, reserved power. Old Man Yuan couldn’t help but sigh. “He truly is extraordinary.”

Thunk. Ning set the fish bucket down at the prow of the boat, then sat down in the lotus position facing Old Man Yuan. In front of them was a wooden table, and on the wooden table was a flask of wine and two winecups.





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Book 23, Chapter 5 - Ji Ning and Old Man Yuan


“If you deem this old man worthy, just call me ‘fellow Daoist’,” Old Man Yuan said with a smile.

“Fellow Daoist Yuan.” Ji Ning nodded.

The mood between the two was quite subtle and difficult to explain.

The campaign against the Primordial Ruinworld had already concluded. The Three Realms was in the midst of the war for karmic luck, and this war was almost over; the Endwar was going to arrive soon! And yet, Old Man Yuan still had not chosen to stand alongside the Nuwa Alliance. To tell the truth…even Ji Ning felt that Old Man Yuan was being a bit too selfish.

“First, have a bit of this wine this old man brought.” As Old Man Yuan spoke, he reached out with his hand, intending to grasp the wine flask. Ning, however, grabbed it first and smiled at him. “Let me pour.”

Splash. Splash.

Ning poured two full cups of wine. Old Man Yuan lifted up his cup, taking a small sip. “I still remember how young and inexperienced you were. I never would’ve thought that in less than a thousand years, you would’ve reached your current level of power. The Seamless Gate truly views you as one of their major headaches, but they don’t have any method of getting rid of you.”

“The Seamless Gate isn’t that powerful.” Ning looked at Old Man Yuan. “In fact…from the surface, it would seem as though they are weaker than our side. If that’s true…fellow Daoist Yuan, why are you still unwilling to join our side? My master Subhuti as well as many other major powers in the Nuwa Alliance were born alongside you from the primordial chaos, fellow Daoist Yuan. They are your brothers, and all of you roamed the Pangu Chaosworld together.”

“Yes, they were and are my lifelong friends.” Old Man Yuan nodded slowly. “But for the sake of my greater Dao, I’m willing to sacrifice all I have.”

“Your ‘greater Dao’?” Ning looked at him.

“My greater Dao exists in the vast expanse of space outside of this place.” Old Man Yuan smiled. “The Three Realms is just merely a single small chaosworld; the outside world holds many more chaosworlds. World Gods and Chaos Immortals? The vast expanse outside the Three Realms holds many of them. That is the world which I truly belong to. To risk my life in a civil war in such a fashion is too pointless.”

“So you are just going to watch as your old friends die one by one?” Ning asked.

“So what if I do?” Old Man Yuan was quite calm.

Ning immediately understood that other major powers such as Patriarch Subhuti had most likely tried to persuade Old Man Yuan using the same words. Old Man Yuan remained unpersuaded; clearly, to convince him would be no easy feat.

“In my homeland, we have a saying: ‘Houses of silver and gold aren’t as good as a doghouse of your own.’” Ning laughed. “Although this phrase is quite crude, its meaning is quite simple. It might be true that the world outside holds more major powers, karmic legacies, techniques, and divine abilities. The alien Outsiders that invaded the Three Realms might have been been nothing more than minor figures. But…”

“But no matter how we weak we are in the Three Realms, this is our doghouse. This is our home!”

“If we can’t protect our home.”

“If we can’t protect our friends and brothers.”

“What’s the point of even cultivating?” Ning shook his head.

Old Man Yuan looked at Ning. “Your words are somewhat reasonable, but as far as I’m concerned, reaching new heights is what truly matters. When mortals embark on the Immortal path, some will end up slaying their parents or their loved ones in under to better understand their own heart! If I was a mortal who was training to become an Immortal cultivator, I might very well do the same. Do you understand?”

Ning sighed in his heart.

To kill one’s father, mother, wife, and children to understand one’s own Dao-heart…in Ning’s eyes, this was a path of evil. If one was without love and feelings, wouldn’t that just be the same as being a zombie?

“Those who travel on different paths cannot make plans together.” Ning lifted up his cup of wine. “Years ago, fellow Daoist Yuan, you bestowed the [Heart Sutra] upon me. I have nothing which I can use to repay you. All I can do is offer you this toast.”

“A toast from Sword Immortal Darknorth? I certainly have to accept it!” Old Man Yuan raised his own cup as well.

The two both drank.

After putting down his wine cup, Ji Ning looked at Old Man Yuan. Old Man Yuan couldn’t help but sigh to himself upon sensing that faint, sharp aura surrounding Ji Ning. He could sense the tremendous threat which Ji Ning posed him.

“Might I ask why you have sought me out, fellow Daoist Yuan?” Ning asked.