Heavenly Sword Manor, Sword Young Master

Ning Jiaheng had displayed extraordinary talent for cultivation from childhood. At the age of five, he had caught the eye of a long-renowned elder and been accepted as that elder's final disciple.

He had learned to read and write at three, then begun cultivating at four. That was treatment reserved for the direct second-generation descendants of major cultivation sects.

For someone of Ning Jiaheng's background, it was common enough to begin cultivating only in their teens.

Ning Jiaheng had begun cultivating at five, surpassing more than ninety percent of those from similar backgrounds. As for Rogue Cultivators, they were even less qualified to compare themselves with him.

Moreover, it was exceedingly rare for the children of Rogue Cultivators to begin cultivating at such a young age.

This was because Rogue Cultivators feared that their young children might be plotted against, exposing the cultivation methods they practiced or other family secrets. Thus, in Rogue Cultivator families, children and younger relatives usually began cultivating only after they were eleven or twelve.

Children of that age had begun to understand things, and if they had been properly taught from a young age, they also possessed keen judgment.

Simply put—they were no longer easy to fool.

"We cannot kill this man..."

Old Master Ning also wanted to slaughter this remnant of the Tan family. After all, every letter he sent demanded at least fifty Upper Profound Seals. Though the Ning family ruled West Isle City, they did not possess many Upper Profound Seals. They could gather only ten thousand a year.

Ten thousand might sound like a great number, but sixty percent of it had to be sent to Ning Jiaheng's master!

Otherwise, how could Ning Jiaheng's cultivation have gone so smoothly?

Of the remaining forty percent, more than half had to be spent greasing palms and sending gifts—summer tributes, winter tributes, homesickness tributes, filial respect tributes... After going around the whole circuit, it was already good if a thousand remained.

And those thousand had to be used for the Ning family's disciples to cultivate as well!

Divide it this way, divide it that way, and even as family head, he could keep only two or three hundred Upper Profound Seals for himself.

And then one letter came demanding at least fifty!

How could anyone endure that?

Those were meant for his son's cultivation.

"Father, why can't we kill him? My master is Moon-Gazing Adept. As his disciple, there are not many people in this world I cannot kill!" Ning Jiaheng immediately protested upon hearing Old Master Ning's words.

And he truly had the confidence to say so. Though Moon-Gazing Adept was not from Sword Disciple Mountain or Heavenly Sword Manor, he stood first among the ten greatest sword cultivators of the Jia Five Realm in the present century!

His cultivation was unfathomably profound, and he was praised as the cultivator most likely, since the year three hundred years ago when myths had begun to vanish, to shatter the limits of cultivation and become a figure close to an immortal.

Thus, as Moon-Gazing Adept's final disciple, Ning Jiaheng had every right to speak those words.

"His name is Tan Shuchang. He is the final son of Chancellor Tan." Old Master Ning let out a faint sigh. The Ning family had risen only by relying on Chancellor Tan; many people knew that.

That year, he had entered officialdom as a man from a humble family. Because he had offended the child of a powerful noble, he had been unable to rise for nearly ten years. Later, Chancellor Tan had happened to learn of his plight and casually transferred him to another post. Only then had his fortunes soared all the way upward.

He could choose not to repay this kindness, and he could pretend he knew nothing of it, but he had to put on a show for others to see!

Otherwise, would the Dong Family still be willing to support the Ning family?

The overturned cart before was the teacher for the cart behind.

"A remnant of the Tan family?" Favored by Old Master Ning, Ning Jiaheng naturally knew the affairs of his own family. Hearing this, he too realized the trouble involved.

At that moment, Old Master Ning handed the letter in his hand to Ning Jiaheng.

Old Master Ning did so because he wanted his son to remember Tan Shuchang's handwriting. Should he face such demands again in the future, he was to grit his teeth and pay.

Who would have thought that after taking the letter and glancing over it twice, Ning Jiaheng would laugh?

"Jiaheng, why are you laughing? Have you thought of a clever plan?" Old Master Ning could not help asking. This was already the third letter in a row demanding Upper Profound Seals.

The first time, he had given fifty. The second time, he had given seventy. This third time, he truly did not want to pay.

Even sending away a plague god did not cost this much!

And did this Tan fellow have something wrong with his head, picking on the Ning family every time? Were the other families no good? If he did not know them, he could mention it, and Old Master Ning could help introduce a few!

"My master has instructed me to make a trip to Heavenly Sword Manor in Chu Province. Since Miss Dong has reached marriageable age, I can show this letter to the Sword Young Master. The Sword Young Master is famed for hating evil as though it were his mortal enemy!" Ning Jiaheng said with a smile.

"Is the Adept planning to arrange a marriage for you?" Old Master Ning was overjoyed upon hearing that.

Although one of his sons had already married into the Dong Family, that old lady's age was far too great—she was a full two generations older than his son.

Thus, whenever people mentioned the Ning family, they could never resist laughing twice.

But if his younger son could settle a marriage with Miss Dong, then the Ning family's domination of Luo Province would not be far away. By then, who would dare laugh at the Ning family?

"Master did not dare guarantee it. He only told me to give it a try. But she is merely a little girl in the bloom of youth—would it not be easy to sweet-talk her a few times?" Ning Jiaheng said with immense confidence.

"Hahaha, my son is absolutely right! You are Moon-Gazing Adept's final disciple, not the slightest bit inferior to Miss Dong in status. The two of you are a match made by Heaven and fashioned by Earth!" Old Master Ning also had great confidence in his younger son, and immediately arranged for someone to escort Ning Jiaheng to Chu Province.

Ning Jiaheng did not refuse. Luo Province lay far from Chu Province, with two provinces between them. He had specifically returned home precisely to have his father arrange the journey.

There was a wondrous mountain-and-sea beast in the Jia Five Realm that could pass through mountains and enter stone. If it encountered water, it could instantly shift from one side to the other.

Based on the characteristics of this mountain-and-sea beast, someone had refined a magical artifact named the "Water Spirit Lord." Placed in an area with water, it could transport people across several hundred miles.

However, using a magical artifact like the Water Spirit Lord was quite costly. Ning Jiaheng's journey from Luo Province to Chu Province alone cost three hundred Upper Profound Seals!

Upon arriving in Chu Province, Ning Jiaheng mounted his flying sword and headed toward Heavenly Sword Manor.

Half a day later, Ning Jiaheng reached his destination. He first sought out his elder brother, who had married into the Dong Family. Introduced by his brother, he was soon received by the Dong Family.

Since Ning Jiaheng was not only related by marriage but also Moon-Gazing Adept's disciple, the Dong Family treated him with the highest courtesy.

Even so, Ning Jiaheng did not meet Miss Dong.

He met only the Sword Young Master!

The Sword Young Master was the younger brother of the current Dong Family head's wife, and one of the two people in the Dong Family with the greatest talent for the sword.

The other was Miss Dong, the Sword Young Master's niece.

Yes, his niece.

For the current Dong Family head was the Sword Young Master's brother-in-law. Though he had married into the family, the Dong Family had given him every respect and had even supported him in taking the position of family head.

The banquet held for Ning Jiaheng soon ended. As soon as it did, the Sword Young Master headed for the rear courtyard of the Dong Residence.

"Guess who Ning Jiaheng mentioned when I saw him just now? Hehe, here—your little lover wrote this. But unfortunately, this letter was not written to you."

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