32 - Crazy! Criticizing the Prime Minister for Being a Servant

### Chapter 32: I Have a Friend A disciple with your current cultivation level and mindset couldn't yet summon the intent of a sword, let alone such a powerful intent. Xiao Ning, just how many secrets are you hiding? A gentle breeze swept away the mist as a figure in white robes descended lightly from the sky. The villagers, trembling with fear, repeated the pre-agreed script, promising over and over again never to practice that forbidden technique again. But from a distance, as they exchanged glances, Ran Fanyin saw in those eyes a hue that didn’t belong to Ning Songwu. For an instant, she was startled, then came a faint and gentle expression. As the two walked side by side, Ran Fanyin asked, "Who are you? What are your intentions?" The girl replied in a calm voice, "Don't let her face the tribulation alone ever again; she will die." "Why? How do you know this?" But the girl didn't respond. It seemed she was intentionally making eye contact with Ran Fanyin. She quickened her steps and gazed directly into those eyes, her gaze twinkling as if filled with countless unspoken words, but not uttering a single one. Finally, the girl’s body softened and she collapsed into Ran Fanyin's arms, her breathing shallow as if she had fallen asleep. Ran Fanyin supported her and glanced at her face. The girl’s pale skin had a fine layer of fuzz, and she looked particularly well-behaved with her eyes closed. After this thunder tribulation, it seemed the girl had grown a bit taller. She wasn't as rigid in her embrace now. Ran Fanyin pinched her slightly fleshy cheek and murmured softly, "You're much cuter when you're unconscious, so infuriating." Her fingers traced the contours of the girl’s face, moving gently along the edge of her eyes and under her brows. Seeing the white robes fluttering, Ran Fanyin could hear her own heart pounding clearly. Silly disciple, why must it be you? Watching her normal reaction, Ran Fanyin breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Why didn't you inform me in advance about your plan for Huarong Village?" She flicked the girl’s shoulder with a fan, producing a sharp sound. Ran Fanyin, gritting her teeth in frustration, said coldly, "Why would I oppose you helping others? But you clearly had time to come up with a more thorough plan instead of recklessly going ahead without considering your safety! You must have experienced something in that tribulation cloud, right?" This little mute gourd just stared at her with those round, innocent eyes, not saying a word. Inside, she completely wanted to retort, but outwardly all she managed was a sheepish 'yes, sorry,' not revealing where she learned that. Ran Fanyin pressed her temples, "Let's not talk about that for now. You want to help girls like Xiaotao, why didn't you tell me?" Ning Songwu rubbed her shoulder and finally spoke, her expression slightly dejected, "I thought, Master would understand." "I do understand. But, Ning Songwu, a mouth is used for eating, drinking, and speaking. When you enter a state of fasting, its only function remains to speak. You can't always expect Master to guess your thoughts every time, right?" "I can guess, but can others guess? You didn't want that pastry? When Luo Sheng gobbled it all up, who was swallowing their saliva, hmm?" Ning Songwu’s cheeks reddened slightly. She coughed lightly and said, "I didn’t want it that much." Ran Fanyin gave her an exasperated glance, then laughed briefly, "Fine, I thought I would buy some for you, but seems there's no need." The little pup silently swallowed again, and Ran Fanyin pretended not to notice, continuing with her serious matter. The little pup wants to be stubborn? Let her be stubborn then. Ning Songwu struggled for a bit and changed the subject, "Master, I truly have a personal matter when it comes to Xiaotao, so I want to ask..." She hesitated as the words reached her lips. Ran Fanyin looked at her, eyes slightly cold, waiting for her next words. Ning Songwu exhaled deeply and said, "So, I want to ask, in the world of cultivation, does such a thing happen as well?" Ran Fanyin lightly shook her folding fan, "Of course not. In a world where strength is paramount, only power matters, not gender. To not speak of distant matters, even nearby, who dares question Cen Ran’s stable position as the sect leader?" "Moreover, practitioners only care about the once number one sword master, Ran Quexin. Who cares if..." She paused, "Ran Quexin is a woman." Ning Songwu was stunned. At that moment, the subtitles quickly presented all the information about the sword master. With a mortal-grade ice spirit root, she never managed to surpass the tribulation stage in her lifetime. In the path of the sword, she reached her peak. Some said, 'Even a thousand years after Ran Quexin's death, no one can claim the title of Sword Immortal from her.' It had already been two hundred years, and indeed, no one could claim it. But Ning Songwu wasn’t stunned because of this. She hurriedly whispered to the subtitles—— The subtitles, quite speechless, just threw two words at her, "Yes." She wanted to ask more when her forehead was flicked again. The woman’s face showed anger, "Don’t let your imagination run wild." "...Master Ancestor is truly remarkable." Ning Songwu sincerely admired. A mortal-grade spirit root made cultivation extremely difficult, not to mention a variant spirit root... Strength in itself is strong, but practicing it is equally tough. "But, since Master Ancestor had an ice spirit root, why did she say I couldn’t have a sword manual to refer to?" Ran Fanyin glanced at her, "What’s hers is hers. You can learn it, but it's still not yours. If you want to improve, you must research it yourself; otherwise, it’s only imitation." Elder Ran’s expression softened, and she spoke in a calm voice, "The mortal world is not a place where strength alone reigns supreme. You can only strive to influence it, but don't take it too much to heart." "Yes, Master..." After a long silence, Ran Fanyin finally could not bear it anymore, "So, you still don't plan on talking about what happened during the lightning tribulation?" This time it seemed she was truly angry. With one stern glance, sweat formed on Ning Songwu's forehead, and she quickly nodded, "I’ll speak, I almost forgot." She recounted everything that happened during the thunderous tribulation, except for the subsequent dream sequence, which she kept to herself, deciding she'd organize her thoughts on that later. There really wasn’t any conclusion to be drawn, at most all Ran Fanyin would say was not to let her face the tribulation alone next time. But what will happen then, who can know? The subtitles became increasingly sentient, but the word “death” in red next to her name still hadn’t changed. After finishing, Ning Songwu felt deflated but relieved as if she had handed over a hot potato from her heart, feeling much lighter. She stared at the slight tip of the fan, her gaze sliding along it to the white hair hanging in front of her, staring blankly at the ends. When Ran Fanyin didn't speak, she would always do this. This was a person’s self-discipline. Ning Songwu mindlessly thought, not noticing the gaze falling back on her. Ran Fanyin recalled the girl’s last look during that time, a gaze without love *‖ lust but filled with tenderness and longing. Could that woman in blue, as Xiao Ning called her, be someone like that? A strange notion suddenly surfaced. Ran Fanyin spoke in a deep voice, "Follow me." Entering the dark cave, Ning Songwu’s first feeling was cold, and the second was... Gradually, a faint blue glow appeared in their sight. Ran Fanyin glanced at the girl beside her. When Helan, then at mid-deity transformation stage, came here, his limbs became stiff and immobile. Yet, Ning Songwu, still at the initial stage of golden core, seemed unaffected, even quickening her pace to look from a distance at the formation core. The faint blue light flickered as if breathing. Or rather... Like the beating of a heart. Ning Songwu said, "Master, can I go and have a look?" Ran Fanyin glanced at her, "Aren't you cold?" Ning Songwu opened her mouth, her breath visible, "Cold, but I feel..." Ran Fanyin cut her off, "Go ahead." The relationship between this disciple and the formation core had almost become a fact. Recalling the words Ran Quexin spoke while caressing the formation core in the dream, Ran Fanyin suppressed the bitterness rising from her throat, exhaling a misty breath. The cave seemed even colder. [Master is angry...] [But they really can't be blamed. Yet, they can’t be completely in the right either. Sigh.] [It would be great if I could find a way to change their ideas.] [It’s not their intention; they just can’t see a better way.] [If I hadn’t said those things to Xiaotao, at least Master wouldn’t have had to spend a night in this desolate place.] [I...] [It's done. Master hasn’t answered for so long, not even looking at me, must be truly angry.] [It’s over, it’s over.] [A woman's words are deceptive. Saying she’s not angry means she’s furious. Let me think...] [If I talk about my past, maybe I can explain Xiaotao's situation?] [Like my mom, she also... was confused for a while. But once she figured it out, she still took me away from that bad home.] [What a classic opening, heh.] [Thinking about it now, I was really childish back then. My mom gathered the courage to divorce for my sake, and all I did was cry and want to go back…] [I really miss my mom...] [Seeing her, I feel like I’m seeing my younger self. But she's more loved, and I’m luckier... Who can say for sure? The best solution would be to study more, but obviously... that condition isn’t available.] [Compulsory education is really great.] [I wonder if Huarong Village’s technique can be reversed. When I explored the flow of spiritual energy yesterday, it was indeed a bit strange. But my cultivation is still too weak, I didn’t see the result and instead suffered a backlash...] [I should start with the Immortal here.] [Master, Huarong Village must be a useful clue, one that can be changed.] [I will definitely change that glaring ending.] Perhaps it was because the sunrise was indeed beautiful, Ning Songwu looked at the woman in the distance who had been gazing far off and faintly smiled, softly curling her own lips as well. She felt a sense of relief in her heart. [So many people, if the Immortal can deceive even half of them... it’s unimaginable.] [It’s really too crowded, why are there so many people?] This site has no pop-up ads. Permanent domain name.