Refining the Mountains and Rivers

Chapter 447 – The Ning Family’s Gift

Ning Liang’s heart hurt. Although she knew that the chances of Qin Yu having been captivated by her were actually very, very low, when she finally confirmed this, she still felt a great hollowness in her heart. Empty and sad, she still squeezed out a smile and calmly asked, “Grand Authority Qin, may I ask what connection you have with me and my Ning Family?”

Qin Yu’s eyes warmed, becoming gentle. He couldn’t help but curve up his lips in a smile. “She…is my dao companion. Although we haven’t held any ceremony and we haven’t spent too many years together, in my heart she is already an irreplaceable figure. I’m sorry, that is all that I can tell you. If there is a chance in the future, you will certainly see her. At that time she will tell you everything that has happened.”

From the expression Qin Yu made before he said those words, she had already guessed something. But when she heard him speak, she still discovered that it was hard, very hard, to maintain the tranquility on her face. She tried several times but she still couldn’t produce a smile.

Qin Yu’s eyes flashed with an apologetic look. But, he needed to tell Ning Liang that there was no way she could have any such deep heartfelt emotions towards him. As Ning Ling’s little sister, she could only be his little sister too.

“Grand Authority Qin, I’m suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable. I’ll have to excuse myself first.” Ning Liang didn’t know when she left or how she left, but when she returned to her room, she recovered from her daze and looked up, a sour and bitter expression on her face.

Was this Qin Yu’s rejection? He must love that woman very much. And, that woman was so lucky it was something to envy.

The next day, Ning Liang didn’t make an appearance. Qin Yu sighed inwardly. He knew that he couldn’t be softhearted at this time and give her the illusion of potential love. Otherwise it would harm her, making her fall deeper and deeper into a trap until the situation was finally beyond redemption.

Qin Yu quietly cultivated in his chamber, calmly perceiving the large success path of metal in his body. It was like a gem in a river. The waters slowly scoured away the dirt on the surface to gradually reveal the dazzling brilliance beneath. After reaching large success of the metal path, it would constantly improve until it entered perfection. At that point, it would lead Qin Yu’s cultivation to cross the Divine Soul barrier and step into the Blue Sea realm.

On the third day, with the old master of the Ning Family leading the way, a group of Ning Family masters arrived at Four Seasons City and requested an audience. Without much waiting, they straightened themselves up and then sent someone over to deliver an invitation card.

Qin Yu received the Ning Family’s old master and others in the Dao Arena. Although Solitary Westgate had promised him that he wouldn’t suffer any ambush or other attack in Four Seasons City, he didn’t want to take the risk, so he chose to stay in the Dao Arena. Of course, the training environment within the Dao Arena was also another very important reason.

“Ning Rufeng greets Grand Authority Qin. I thank Grand Authority Qin for saving Ning Liang!” An old man in white clothes said. Although he was old, he stood straight and tall. When he bowed, he did so neatly and simply, without any meaning of dragging things out.

Qin Yu couldn’t receive this bow. He flicked his sleeves and held the old man up, saying, “Old master Ning, there is no need to be so courteous. I have some history with the Ning Family so I couldn’t just stand to the side and do nothing when they were in danger.”

Ning Rufeng had obviously heard some news from Ning Liang already. He knew that Qin Yu didn’t want to speak of it so he didn’t ask any questions. “Although you say that, my Ning Family has received a great kindness from Grand Authority Qin, so we have no choice but to pay you back. Otherwise, others would call us an ungrateful family that has no virtue!”

He turned around. Ning Yuntao hurried forward and bowed. “Father, Here it is.” He held a small jade box in his hands. It was dark and blurry. The quality of the jade didn’t seem too high, but Qin Yu could clearly sense the aura of the years coming from it. It had existed for a long, long time.

Ning Rufeng took the jade box and smiled. “Grand Authority Qin, this jade box is a treasure that has been passed down in my family for generations. It has a history of almost 10,000 years by now. Where it came from exactly, I have no idea. But this thing has a space sealed within it. For the last 10,000 years, the cultivators of the Ning Family have tried to open it, but we have all failed in the end. After Chu Taidou learned of this, he plotted to use Ning Liang to purposefully take this jade box from us. Luckily, Grand Authority Qin was there to save her and now Ning Liang can live on. Today I brought this jade box here as a gift to Grand Authority Qin. This is a show of gratitude from my Ning Family. I hope that Grand Authority Qin doesn’t decline our gift.”

Qin Yu’s eyes flashed with surprise. He never expected that this jade box was the reason why Chu Taidou had hatched a scheme that continued for such a long time. It was a treasure he had fervently yearned for. From Ning Liang, he knew that the Ning Family highly valued this treasure. He immediately said, “Old master Ning, this gift is too precious. I cannot receive it.”

Ning Rufeng forced a smile. “I heard that there were many treasures sealed within the space of this jade box, but our Ning Family has already been unable to open it for 10,000 years. Even if the rumors are true, this jade box doesn’t have any use if it stays in the Ning Family. And more than that, after experiencing the matter with Chu Taidou, I have realized that if this jade box stays in the Ning Family, it will only continue to bring harm to us. After all, it’s impossible that someone so noble like Grand Authority Qin will appear to help us every time we are in a dangerous situation.”

Ning Liang fell to her knees and respectfully bowed to the ground. “Grand Authority Ning, since you saved me, you are the greatest benefactor in my life. I ask you to please accept this jade box.”

She seemed to have already regained her calm. At least, that was what it seemed like on the surface. Her voice was incomparably respectful but it seemed as if she were trying to maintain some distance.

Qin Yu hesitated for a moment. “Alright, I will accept it. Thank you, old master Ning.” He received the jade box with both hands. After sensing it, he discovered that there really was a secret space hidden in this jade box.

In essence, the jade box was a type of treasure identical to his sealed dimension ring. But, the sealed space within it wasn’t too large; it was around the size of a courtyard.

Right now, this space was sealed away by a formidable strength. If he wanted to open it, he would either need to know the sealing method to unravel the seal or use absolute strength to break the seal. But, the latter option was too brutish. The slightest mistake and the jade box’s main body would be affected. If it were damaged then the sealed space would be lost and it would be impossible to find it again.

No wonder the Ning Family hadn’t been able to open this jade box for 10,000 years.

Of course, if one considered it from another angle, if someone was willing to use such formidable sealing techniques to protect such a small space, it was easy to tell that there were some incomparably precious treasures hidden inside.

OId master Ning was a wise and worldly individual. He knew how to interact with people and he never made anyone feel uncomfortable. After Qin Yu accepted the gift, he spoke a few more words and then left.

Ning Liang left together with everyone else. Now that her cold poison had been dispelled, there wasn’t any reason for her to remain. On the way back, Ning Yuntao tried to hold it back but he finally asked, “Liangliang, what’s the matter? Does Grand Authority Qin really have no intentions toward you?”

Ning Liang sat across from him. She kept her eyes down, looking at her feet. “Uncle, I already said that this is just an unrequited love of mine. There isn’t a need to bring it up again.”

Ning Yuntao had a worried expression. “How can I not bring it up? Liangliang, you would be hard-pressed to find such a knight in shining armor even if you had a lamp to guide the way! Others might be worried about the Immortal Sect venting their anger at them, but our Ning Family doesn’t need to. At the very worst we will just move back to the housing that the Demonic Path assigned to us. This is a rare once in a millennium fate!”

“Shut up!” Old master Ning opened his eyes.

Ning Yuntao revealed an embarrassed expression. “Father, I am just worried for her.”

Old master Ning glared at him. He shifted his gaze to Ning Liang sitting by his side and said, “You little girl, you did very well. Just what kind of status does Qin Yu have? Do you think he would give a second glance at a woman who throws herself at him? He said that he has some relation with my Ning Family, and that relation comes from his dao companion. It’s highly possible that this is simply an excuse, because in my Ning Family’s current generation, besides you, there is no other woman with an age close to yours who has had any contact with him.”

Ning Liang’s eyes brightened. She looked up and wavered a little. “But I don’t think that Grand Authority Qin looked as if he were lying.”

“Of course he didn’t lie.” Old master Ning faintly smiled. “Because the so-called dao companion that Qin Yu spoke of is naturally you, you silly little girl!”

“Wha…” Ning Liang was shocked.

Old master Ning leaned back his head, a wise and all-knowing expression on his face, as if everything was in his grasp. “Qin Yu doesn’t wish to draw you into his grudge with the Immortal Sect. Because of this, he intentionally said what he did. He wants to draw a clear line between the two of you.”

Ning Yuntao was overjoyed. “Right Right! I knew there had to be a reason. When Qin Yu first looked at Liangliang, his gaze clearly revealed affection. There is no way I misread that!”

Old master Ning smirked. He clapped his hands. “Alright, that’s enough. What you need to do right now is use your own actions to tell Qin Yu that you are willing to withstand everything with him. As for our Ning Family, we simply don’t need to fear any threat coming from the Immortal Sect.”

Ning Liang’s thoughts quavered. A faint trace of anticipation filled her voice. Was the situation really like what her grandfather described?

Qin Yu had no idea that the words he spoke to Ning Liang to draw a clear distance between them had already undergone an extremely different interpretation. If he knew, he wouldn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. Right now he was inside the Dao Arena’s training room, looking at the jade box the Ning Family gifted him.

Qin Yu had already tried numerous methods to open it, but he couldn’t even cause the slightest fluctuation to appear on the seal. Indeed, it was likely that there were treasures hidden within, but if he couldn’t open it then it didn’t matter at all.

A light flashed in Qin Yu’s eyes as he suddenly realized something. He closed his eyes, his consciousness sending out a summons.

After several breaths of time, the space in front of him quietly separated and a pitch black nothingness appeared. Within this nothingness, there was a great sun phantom. The little blue lamp could transform into the incarnation of a giant sun and illuminate the entire small world. It was clear that it had potent abilities when it came to space.

Perhaps it could open this sealed space.

When Qin Yu explained the situation with a thought transmission, a suction force appeared and dragged the jade box into the nothingness. A bright sunlight shined on the jade box. Then, on its gray and common-looking surface, countless runes began to appear, the lines of the seals.

These seal lines overlapped with each other. If one didn’t know the opening method and casually touched any of these runes, the sealing power would erupt and block out the spatial gate. The seal lines were dense and thick; there were at least several thousand of them. When they layered atop of the jade box, it could almost be described as an impregnable fortress.

But at this time, beneath the light of the great sun, the seal lines on the surface of the jade box began to rapidly melt away. After a moment, the projection of the little blue lamp vanished and the jade box appeared back in Qin Yu’s hand. He hesitated for a moment and then lifted it open.

The jade box was completely empty. But, Qin Yu could sense that the spatial gate had already opened…no one could have imagined that this buried treasure which had confounded the Ning Family for 10,000 years had been opened so easily.

The little blue lamp, it really was the world’s supreme treasure!

Qin Yu was a little bit curious and a little bit anticipatory of what was to come. He closed his eyes and carefully probed this space that had been sealed away for 10,000 years with a little bit of his divine sense. After several breaths of time, his entire body shook. Although he didn’t open his eyes, his face revealed shock and surprise. It was clear he had made some significant discovery in this long-sealed space.

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