Chi Wanning

Chapter 28: Chi Wanning

Two days later, Ning Ye got the information he wanted.

These ancient runes were indeed a form of ancient script, used by the Ancient Spirit Race.

The Ancient Spirit Race was said to be one of the earliest races to cultivate immortal arts, but in the end, it had vanished into the river of history.

Even now, the occasional relic of the Ancient Spirit Race still surfaced. That ancient bed must have been unearthed from one of their ruins.

And in the Black and White Divine Palace, only one person had ties to the Ancient Spirit Race ruins.

Ancestor Qingmu.

Ancestor Qingmu was one of the Five Ancestors among the Twelve Heavenly Dippers.

In his early years, his cultivation had been unremarkable. In search of immortal fortune, he had wandered far and wide, and had indeed stumbled upon several fortuitous encounters.

He had discovered the Ancient Spirit Race ruins during that time, and they had helped him attain his later cultivation and status.

As for the bed, it was the Spirit-Connecting Ancient Bed Ancestor Qingmu had obtained from the ruins. They said cultivating on it could strengthen one's soul and spiritual sense.

Such a precious treasure was certainly not something he would casually give away. In other words, the Thousand Mechanism Hall Fragment should be in his hands.

Now that Ning Ye had found out where the fragment was, the next step was to confirm its exact location and obtain it.

Confirming its location was simple. Ning Ye could sense the fragment as soon as he got close. Obtaining it would not be difficult, either. The Thousand Mechanism Hall Fragment was useless. Ning Ye doubted its owner would carry something worthless around all the time.

So the real challenge was figuring out how to get there.

Ancestor Qingmu spent most of his time traveling and had no fixed abode. Still, the Black and White Divine Palace had arranged an immortal residence for him on Tianxiu Peak. That was where the great figures of the palace lived, and ordinary disciples were not allowed to go there. So how could Ning Ye get in?

As he pondered this, a thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.

Ancestor Qingmu?

Wasn't he Fairy Niaohua Chi Wanning's master?

Damn, seriously?

Ning Ye had already thought of Xu Yanwen.

A long time had passed since Xu Yanwen had invited him. Ning Ye had no idea whether the man still remembered their agreement.

Ning Ye still had the messaging talisman. After weighing it over for a moment, he finally decided to give it a try.

"Hahahaha, you finally agreed!"

Standing before Ning Ye, Xu Yanwen was as delighted as a peacock fanning its tail.

"Ten spirit stones every time I accompany you," Ning Ye said.

He needed a reason to agree, and being short on money was the best one. There was never such a thing as too many spirit stones, whether for mechanisms and formations or for cultivation.

Ten spirit stones was no small sum, but it was nothing to Xu Yanwen.

He waved a hand generously. "No problem. It's settled. As it happens, I have an appointment with Wan Ning tomorrow at Drunken Fragrance Pavilion to discuss music. Get ready and come with me. And remember to dress appropriately."

Ning Ye was puzzled. "I thought you'd want me to dress shabbily."

"Eh, that wouldn't do. Wan Ning cares deeply about appearances. Anyone whose clothes are out of order won't be allowed in. Besides, with your looks, whatever you wear won't steal my thunder. You'll only make me look better."

With that, he laughed loudly and left.

Watching him go, Ning Ye could only shake his head and smile wryly.

Drunken Fragrance Pavilion stood on Tianxiu Peak.

Tianxiu Peak was the sixth peak of Nine Palaces Mountain. It soared ten thousand ren high, surrounded by a dense sea of clouds. Under the effects of an immortal formation, the clouds shifted unpredictably, making the mountain itself appear and disappear like a graceful maiden moving through a forest, there and gone again, inspiring endless wonder.

A lake lay on the mountain. It was not natural, but had been created by a great immortal cultivator, who gathered the waters of Three Rivers Lake and six spiritual springs with boundless power. The waters pooled below to form Three Rivers Lake, a lake that could hold the waters of three rivers, its abundant flow nourishing the entire sect. Above, clouds gathered into Mist Splendor Heavenly Sea, a sea that could contain six springs, where spiritual energy converged. Cultivating within it for one day was like cultivating for three.

Upon the lake stood four pavilions, eight terraces, and twelve towers. Drunken Fragrance Pavilion was one of them.

Beside Drunken Fragrance Pavilion grew Drunken Fragrance Grass; among the fragrant blossoms stood the fairest beauty.

In her leisure time, Chi Wanning liked to play the zither, admire the moon, watch the fish, and practice swordsmanship at Drunken Fragrance Pavilion.

She played the Burnt-Tail Night-Light Zither, admired the crescent moon, watched the Brocade Acacia Fish, and practiced with the Willow Catkin Wind-Following Sword.

At that moment, Chi Wanning was practicing her sword.

Amid the Drunken Fragrance flowers, her sword drifted like willow catkins.

Her sword light threaded through the flowers without harming a single plant or butterfly. She flitted among the leaves and blossoms like an ethereal fairy, leaving a breeze fragrant with flowers wherever she passed.

Though who could tell whether the fragrance came from the flowers or the beauty herself?

"Clap, clap, clap!"

A solitary yet enthusiastic round of applause rang out.

Xu Yanwen approached with the most fervent applause, the most obsequious manner, and the most ostentatious air. Ning Ye followed at an unhurried pace.

"A dance infused with the winds of immortals—how many hearts could it make swoon? Fairy, you flutter amid ten thousand flowers, untouched by the dust of the world. Yanwen is in awe!"

Chi Wanning lowered her sword and glanced back. The moment Ning Ye saw her, even he felt his spirits lift.

No wonder she was called the number-one beauty. She had certainly earned the title.

Her skin was fair as frost and snow, smooth and luminous as jade. Her exquisite features seemed to have been carved by a master craftsman who had poured a lifetime of skill into his work. Tears glimmered faintly in her eyes. One might think she was crying, not knowing she had been born with tearful eyes that made people ache for her.

Yet despite her beauty, she was clearly no aloof beauty. She wore a long, blue-green dress patterned with delicate little flowers. Standing among the blossoms, she looked like a flower fairy.

When she saw Xu Yanwen approach, she smiled. "Senior Brother Xu, you're here. Please, sit. I've had tea prepared for you."

Then her gaze fell on Ning Ye, and she smiled. "I see you've brought a guest as well. I don't believe we've met. Are you a senior brother or a junior brother? Please, sit with us."

Chi Wanning had joined the sect before Xu Yanwen, though she was slightly younger. Even so, she could have called him junior brother. By addressing him as senior brother, she was either fond of him or knew how to be tactful.

Since Ning Ye would not be here if Chi Wanning truly liked Xu Yanwen, it was probably the latter.

What was most remarkable was that Ning Ye was ugly enough to make other people avert their eyes, yet she showed neither surprise nor shock. She welcomed him warmly.

A girl being beautiful was one thing, but to be well-read, courteous, humble, and approachable as well was truly rare.

Ning Ye had met plenty of beautiful women, but Chi Wanning was the first who was so beautiful and yet so humble.

That made him wonder.

It wasn't that he looked down on women. It was just that a person's temperament was often shaped by her upbringing and education. Whether one looked at Chi Wanning's background—she came from a prominent family—or her master, Ancestor Qingmu, who was no kind soul, neither seemed like the sort of environment that could nurture a woman who was beautiful and noble, yet also gentle and courteous.

By then, Xu Yanwen and Ning Ye had taken their seats.

Chi Wanning poured tea for them herself. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Xu Yanwen, she turned to Ning Ye. "I haven't yet had the pleasure of learning your name..."

Xu Yanwen introduced him. "Oh, he's Ning Ye, Zhang Qisha's disciple."

Xu Yanwen had high status but was junior in seniority, so he referred to Zhang Liekuang directly by the name Zhang Qisha.

Chi Wanning elegantly set down the teapot and sat. "So you're Junior Brother Ning. I've heard a lot about you, Ning Ye. You certainly made a name for yourself in the Trial Killing Field this time."

Her words made it clear that she hadn't said she had heard of him merely to be polite.

That surprised Ning Ye once more.

In his mind, women who were like fairies should have been above the mundane world, unconcerned with the lives of ordinary people below. But it seemed Chi Wanning not only lived in the world of mortals—she knew it well.

She was truly an unparalleled beauty, elegant in bearing yet remarkably approachable.