Chapter 0310: Yin Kongchan’s Reasons
Initially, Ning Cheng did not move when he saw the two men pouncing towards Yin Kongchan and Xu Yingdei. He wanted to know if these two female cultivators, who had come from major academies, were truly weak and powerless in the current situation as they portrayed themselves to be, or if they were trained in other bodily martial arts.
But after looking at their escape reflexes, Ning Cheng affirmed that these two women were in a similar situation like him, in other words, they did not practice any physical martial arts nor did they possess any hidden skills. The only reason why they were able to escape was due to their strong eyesight.
However, now that the two men changed their target to him, Ning Cheng still did not worry much about it. These two men were unarmed, moreover had no scruples in rushing up, showing that they thought themselves to be infallible. Ning Cheng just bent over and pulled out the tri edged thorn that he had kept strapped to his calf.
Taking a step forward, he stabbed the tri edged thorn into the first person’s chest, before Ning Cheng instantly pulled it out. Then Ning Cheng used the counter force of his pull to roll away on the ground and quickly got up before he reflexively stabbed the tri edged thorn into the heart of the second person.
These few movements showed that he was not only quick but also very agile, compared to the two people Yin Kongchan and Xu Yingdei, Ning Cheng’s advantage was the most obvious.
Yin Kongchan and Xu Yingdei stared at the tri edged thorn in Ning Cheng’s hand, before shifting their gaze to the two people flapping around on the ground. Finally, the two men stopped breathing. It was only after a good long while that Xu Yingdei finally spoke up, “From where did you get that dagger?”
But then Yin Kongchan spoke up with a sigh, “Did you practice martial arts before you started cultivation?”
Ning Cheng shook the dark red blood from the edges of the thorn, before he once again strapped it back to his calf and spoke, “I did not practice any martial arts before, it was just luck, pure luck.”
Ning Cheng was a tiny bit proud in his heart on his accomplishment, as he not only beat the two men but also killed them with his thorn, something that even the two cultivators at the Great Circle of Soul Essence Realm in front of him were not able to accomplish. He certainly was aware that this was not luck at all. Wasn’t there a saying that went, “If one’s Kung Fu was too high, then they would be terrifying even with a blunt kitchen knife”? These two people simply had no fighting skills at all, not to mention that he was using a tri edged thorn that was countless times more powerful than a kitchen knife.
[TL Note: The English counterpart would be ‘Even the most ordinary of objects would turn into lethal weapons in the hands of an expert.’]
Yin Kongchan did not want to tangle with Ning Cheng when it came to words. She just looked at the two men killed by Ning Cheng, before she spoke in a somewhat scared voice, “Fortunately you were able to kill these two people. Otherwise to be pounced on by these kind of people would have been too disgusting among disgusts for me”
Ning Cheng simply gave a smile, “Don’t think that these two men just wanted to force themselves on you. Once done, they would have drunk your blood and even eat your meat.”
When the two men pounced on Xu Yingdei and Yin Kongchan, their eyes were filled with a naked yet wild desire for hunger; this desire was in addition to the passionate desires between men and women. There was also the desire for thirst. From the moment they licked their lips, Ning Cheng was able to instantly perceive it.
“What shall we do now?” Xu Yingdei and Yin Kongchan asked at the same time in a hoarse voice. Apparently, these two people simply had no idea on how to proceed now.
Ning Cheng looked into the distance and spoke, “The two men’s skin was dried up, apparently due to lack of water. But the two men were able to help each other out in an agile manner, indicating that although they lacked food and water, they still had a source for food and water. At least food and water would be of no immediate threat to these two people. Moreover, it was not just a single person rather two people that had appeared here plus there is simply nothing on them. So at least it can be concluded that they were not too far away from where they lived. If I’m not guessing it wrong, there should at least be a village or a small tribal settlement in the direction that the two men came from.”
“Are we going to live in that tribe now?” Yin Kongchan nervously looked at Ning Cheng.
Ning Cheng knew why Yin Kongchan was nervous, as he simply gave a smile and spoke, “Just walk ahead and you might just be able to find the tribe. I won’t send you off if you want to go, but I’m not going there.”
Even if he knew there was a settlement of people in front of them, Ning Cheng would simply choose not to go there at all. He had already met two men from there, although his tri edged thorn was a powerful aid in this place, but he could only kill a limited people with it. Once the tribe had an expert, or if he was surrounded by a large number of people, then he was sure, that not only would be beaten but also be eaten. While Xu Yingdei and Yin Kongchan would meet an even more miserable end.
“But we……” Yin Kongchan only spoke four words in a hoarse voice, before she chose to not continue, she felt her throat choking up. She couldn’t help but feel that it was much better to starve to death than have no water to drink.
Ning Cheng was also not much better than the two women in front of him were, but Ning Cheng was aware that he had a lot of water on him, as such was in a better mental condition than the two.
Ning Cheng waved his hand and spoke, “Let’s see if it is feasible. If it doesn’t work, then we’ll change directions and leave immediately.”
……
“There really is a clay stronghold here…” Crouching on the ground behind a raised sand mound, Xu Yingdei looked in amazement at the broken and mottled clay wall in a distance.
What she said was not wrong, although it was not a village per se, it could be counted as a clay stronghold, however this clay stronghold in front of them was a broken down one, it was no different from a broken down wall. If it hadn’t been for a few occasional shadows that flitted through the clay stronghold, the clay stronghold would have been completely dead.
Yin Kongchan, who was crouching on the other side of Ning Cheng, suddenly spoke up, “There must be water in this clay stronghold. Should we steal some at night?”
Ning Cheng stood up and patted off the sand on his body before speaking, “Sure, maybe you’ll be able to steal a big barrel at night, and then drink and drink endlessly.”
“You also think my approach is feasible?” Yin Kongchan on seeing her own idea being approved by Ning Cheng was pleasantly surprised, showing that her thirst for water had finally reached a new extent.
“Yes, it is feasible, not only could you have a barrel of water, but also a pool to bathe in, you can even eat big fishes and lavish meats. Alas, I do not have this blessing, who let me be born as a man. I wish you good luck; I’ll be taking my leave now.” Ning Cheng finished and turned away from them before starting his walk.
[TL Note: ‘Eat big fishes and lavish meats’ here is used in a lewd sense.]
Only idiots would think about stealing water from that stronghold at night. Of course, Ning Cheng was also aware that Yin Kongchan was too thirsty for water to think straight.
Although Yin Kongchan did not know what was wrong with it, but how could she not be aware that Ning Cheng was sarcastically mocking her for a simple mind? Who made her so thirsty for water? Now that Ning Cheng was himself walking away from this place, she could only resign herself to follow behind Ning Cheng. Xu Yingdei also did not talk much and without hesitation left with Ning Cheng.
It was the longest walk through the night that they ever undertook, just as the sky was turning bright, Xu Yingdei stopped and spoke, “Ning Cheng, I can’t walk anymore. If it goes on like this, then once the sun comes up tomorrow, we all would simply die.”
Ning Cheng pointed to a faint shadow in a distance in front of them and spoke, “There should be a Poplar at that location. We can go there to rest up. Perhaps it might also help us survive tomorrow. Once we arrive there, there might even be a pond around.”
Perhaps it might have been the last words of Ning Cheng, but it provided a boost of encouragement to Yin Kongchan and Xu Yingdei. The two of them managed to squeeze out some strength, allowing the three of them to arrive at the location pointed out by Ning Cheng.
However, there was no pond here; rather there was not even a drop of water. But there was a large yet dried up Poplar, with a large cluster of raised rocks around it. Ning Cheng looked at this large Poplar tree and knew that it could help them protect against the scorching sunlight at its peak as it reflected off the group of rocks.
“Let’s take a day off here and then decide where to proceed from here.” Ning Cheng immediately found one of the largest cave in the cluster of large rocks, before he wormed his way into it.
When he saw Xu Yingdei and Yin Kongchan also working their way into the same cave, he asked in a doubtful voice, “There is not just a single cave here; you can look for another one for yourself. Why do you want to follow me?”
Xu Yingdei looked at Ning Cheng but did not speak, however Yin Kongchan pointed at the few small holes in the side of the cave and spoke, “There are several small recesses here, and we can also take care of each other in here. Maybe we’ll no longer be able to be together again tomorrow.”
Ning Cheng glanced at Yin Kongchan and spoke up lightly, “I really did not expect that the Premier Disciple of the Floating Snow Palace would be such a sentimental person. Do whatever you want.”
Ning Cheng finished speaking then moved to choose one of the larger recesses. The cave they were in was also several square meters in size, moreover because it surrounded the Poplar; it resulted in the entrance being not completely closed. Although the wind blew in some sand, but at least it was somewhat cooler than the outside. It was just the sobbing sounds created by the winds moving through the gaps that caused the people to be somewhat frightened as they listened to it.
After plugging up some of the gaps with stones, Ning Cheng finally sat down on a slightly larger stone and was just about to take out and eat a Hunger Suppressing Pill and a Fresh Water Pill, when Yin Kongchan came in.
“You did not find any other place to lie down?” Ning Cheng looked at Yin Kongchan with suspicion.
Yin Kongchan shook her head and spoke, “Although I did find one, but there is no other place as good as yours. Moreover, the reason I came here was to explain a few things to you.”
Ning Cheng had a vague idea about what Yin Kongchan wanted to say, so he just nodded and spoke, “You can speak.”
“The reason I left you and Xu Yingdei, Xu Yingdei already is aware about it, in any case I already had to leave that place.” Yin Kongchan spoke in a somewhat low tone.
“Whether you admit it or not, you saved my life, moreover it was also me who had caught you. Your body was also filled with cold poison, so I had to use my true essence to disperse it…..”
Ning Cheng on hearing it felt his heart go a bit soft. He was aware that Yin Kongchan was right. Without Yin Kongchan’s help, he would have definitely frozen to death.
“I had a reason to leave at that time. If I had not left, then Xu Yingdei would have killed me. I can’t be on guard against her at all times, so I could only leave you.” Yin Kongchan’s tone became more and more hoarse, “Don’t ask me why, but Xu Yingdei asked me several times to carry you, but I refused.”
“Do mean that Xu Yingdei wants to kill me?” Ning Cheng spoke in an indifferent tone.
Yin Kongchan shook her head and spoke, “No, she should be really in love with you, at least for the time being she would not harm you. Moreover, it is because she is in love with you, because of which she does not want you to be in my hands. That’s why I had to leave you and Xu Yingdei.”
However, there was also a sentence that Yin Kongchan did not say, that is, if Xu Yingdei really loved Ning Cheng, then she would kill any woman who had anything to do with Ning Cheng.
Ning Cheng’s tone turned even more indifferent, “Since you left, why take my ring?”
On hearing Ning Cheng’s sentence, Yin Kongchan did not feel surprised about it; she was silent for only a while before speaking “I took your ring, because I have to complete my soul before advancing to the Soul Sculpting Realm. Once I accomplished that I would have then come back to take you out, while at the same time give you the ring back. Unbelievably, that’s what I had in mind. I’ve always done things according to my heart, not because of what others want. The reason I did that was just because I did not want to owe you anymore.”
“Moreover, I also knew that as long as the ring was taken away by me, Xu Yingdei wouldn’t kill you even if she was to sever her emotions towards you. She needs something that is in the ring in my hand, whether it is Mirage Stones, Geocentric 9 Yin Essence or the Mirage Tree, they are all things that she needs badly.”
Ning Cheng sneered before suddenly speaking, “In that case, should I really be thanking you for doing such a thing. The two of you have such a tacit understandings between each other; you took my ring, while Xu Yingdei takes me. The two of you won’t suffer anything, while I ended up being treated as a fool, isn’t that right? The two self-righteous women…..”
“Clatter” A crisp sound of something falling to the ground arrived, while Xu Yingdei stood at the entrance of the cave with a face as white as paper.