Grasping the Evil

Chapter 696: Severing Mortal Bonds (Part 5)

By the side of an abandoned grave at Hai Ning’s Ning Clan, there was a white-clad man burning incense.

Now the Family Head of the Ning Clan, Ning Qingqing, known for her cold demeanor and aloofness towards men, surprisingly spoke with this white-clad man for a long time.

Atop Cold Moon Mountain, in front of Hu Fengzi’s grave, weeds had grown thicker.

A white-clad youth silently pulled out the weeds in front of the grave, stood in silence for a long time, and eventually left.

Outside the secret site of the Desolate Hill of the Founding Ancestor, a white-clad youth drifted into the site.

Only after a long while did he leave, and no one knew, he simply offered incense atop the Founding Ancestor’s grave within the secluded site.

Tang Country, Chang’an City.

Outside the Town-State Marquis Mansion, a white-clad youth stood for a long time.

"Hey! This is the Town-State Marquis Mansion. Don’t stand here getting in the way, scram!" The gatekeeper, seeing the white-clad youth did not look like someone from a Tang Country official’s family, sneered and shooed him away.

The white-clad youth said nothing more, just cast a cold gaze over, and the gatekeeper was so frightened he collapsed to the ground.

In that cold gaze of the white-clad youth, he saw an unimaginable massacre, it was terrifying!

"Ning Gu, Anran, you are quite happy now, aren’t you?"

The white-clad youth smiled and turned to leave.

With one step, he vanished without a trace.

"Immortal... Immortal Master!" The gatekeeper wet himself in fear, realizing he’d just been arrogant to an Immortal Master, he had a death wish!

"Xiao Si, haven’t I told you many times? I don’t like arrogant servants, why are you shouting at others again? By the way, who just came?"

An old white-haired man and an old white-haired woman, supporting each other, walked out of the mansion.

The old woman’s appearance bore a slight resemblance to Anran’s.

The old man closely resembled Ning Gu.

"Replying to the master, the one who just came was an Immortal Master. This little one deserves death. I actually tried to shoo him away, will I be killed by the Immortal Master? I’m terrified! Master, please save me! Perhaps the Immortal Master will spare me for the sake of the Town-State Marquis!"

Xiao Si knelt on the ground, repeatedly kowtowing to the old man.

For some reason, upon hearing that the visitor was an Immortal Master, a sharp pain shot through the old man’s heart.

It was as if he was trying to recall something but couldn’t quite grasp it.

"Master..." The old woman immediately began to massage the old man’s chest, trying to ease his discomfort.

"Don’t worry, my dear, I’m fine... Xiao Si, do not fear, had that person wanted to harm you, he would have already acted. Since he’s left, it means he’s not concerned about your offense... However, today’s event should be a lesson for you, next time, be more polite to others."

The old man finished speaking, looking contemplatively in the direction where the white-clad youth left.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that someone very important had come and gone...

Who could it be...

...

Ning Fan stood atop an unnamed mountain peak, looking back at Tang Country, his gaze gradually softened.

No one knew what he was gazing at.

After a long time, he shook, disappearing without a trace.

In the next instant, he appeared within the Alliance of the Southeastern Cultivators!

The Alliance was the largest Loose Cultivator trade alliance on the Southeast Continent, and Yun Ruowei was here.

At this moment, Yun Ruowei was troubled by a vexing issue.

The cargo she was responsible for guarding had been plundered by an unknown group of bandits from a neighboring country.

Now, through her own efforts, completing tasks for the Alliance, she had cultivated to the Early Nascent Soul stage.

But among the bandits who robbed the cargo, there were three in the Divinity Transformation realm, and she couldn’t retrieve the cargo with her strength alone.

"Should I ask the Alliance Hierarch for help..." Yun Ruowei bit her lip, really disliking having to ask anyone for help.

"Why not come to me for help? Let’s go and retrieve the cargo."

Suddenly, a man’s voice entered Yun Ruowei’s ears.

Before Yun Ruowei could react, she was embraced around the waist by the newcomer, instantly whisked away a great distance.

"Who are you!" Yun Ruowei was just about to question when she turned to glance at the man’s face, turning crimson, she murmured softly.

"Why is it you...?"

"Why couldn’t it be me?" Ning Fan retorted.

"You’re about to ascend, how do you have time to find me..."

"Oh? Miss Ruowei seems highly interested in my affairs, knowing such a secretive piece of news."

Only a very few in the Rain World knew of Ning Fan’s ascension to Eastern Heaven.

Yun Ruowei’s knowledge of it meant she was constantly keeping an eye on Ning Fan.

"I happened to pass through Yue Country, and casually asked someone about it..." Yun Ruowei lamely fibbed.

"That’s quite the coincidence then, casually asking could get such secretive information."

Indeed, Yun Ruowei had gone to great lengths to find news about Ning Fan, it wasn’t easy.

"Here we are. Is this the place..."

Ning Fan stood upon the clouds, coldly watching the bandit camp below, saying indifferently, "Within ten breaths, hand over the Alliance’s cargo, or face death."

The tone was calm, but it carried an earth-shattering pressure.

The three Divinity Transformation bandits, feeling this overpowering pressure, were drenched in a cold sweat.

They had checked, and the cargo was managed by only a woman in the Early Nascent Soul, why had such a formidable person suddenly appeared to retrieve the cargo?

All three emerged from the camp, looking to the sky.

Seeing Ning Fan’s face, they all collapsed in terror.

As Nascent Souls of Rain World, how could they not recognize Ning Fan’s face!

The lower-level cultivators may not know so much, but they were still alarmed by Ning Fan’s pressure.

"You all, quickly pack everything from the camp into storage pouches and hand them to him!"

"Don’t leave anything, abandon all our belongings!"

"Life is most important, life is most important! We need nothing but life, pack quickly, quickly pack!"

Ten breaths passed, the three handed dozens of bulging storage pouches to Ning Fan with forced smiles.

Ning Fan looked at Yun Ruowei, signaling her to accept them.

Yun Ruowei bit her lip, stubbornly shaking her head.

She didn’t want to owe Ning Fan a favor.

"Be good, take them, later I will take you to meet someone."

"Who are we meeting?"

"My mother."

"Shameless!" Yun Ruowei cursed softly, her face flushed.

Ning Fan actually wanted to take her to meet his family, what was this about?

"My mother is Ning Qian, didn’t you know?" Ning Fan said with a smile, looking at Yun Ruowei.

"W-What, you, you, you!" Yun Ruowei was stunned.

The three Divinity Transformation bandits were sweating profusely, anxious as Yun Ruowei was still not accepting the storage pouches.

"Let’s go, see her."

Ning Fan casually waved, collecting all the storage pouches from the three bandits, handing them to Yun Ruowei.

Then, with a single step, disappeared with Yun Ruowei without a trace, having no interest in dealing with mere Divinity Transformation bandits.

It was only at this moment that the three bandits realized they had truly survived a meeting with Ning Fan.

Back in the camp, their legs were still weak from fear.

"Chief! Who is this person to have such terrifying pressure, with just one look, my Nascent Soul nearly shattered!" a curious Nascent Soul bandit asked.

"You ask who he is? You’ve never seen his face but surely heard his name. He is the Nieyun Rain Emperor!"

"W-What, he is the Rain Emperor! My god, we had offended the Rain Emperor and yet lived! It’s unbelievable!"

The entire bandit camp could not believe their luck.

Offending the Nieyun Rain Emperor and surviving, it was an inconceivable event.

...

"How can you be... my sister’s child... then how can you embrace me, how can you..." Yun Ruowei’s mind was in disarray, her slender body lightly struggling, trying to break free from Ning Fan’s embrace.

Ning Fan was speechless, Yun Ruowei wasn’t his mother’s biological sister, so why the fuss?

All the way traveling through the sky, Ning Fan headed straight for Orchid Temple.

He did not use the Ice Rain Technique to search for the whereabouts of the Heaven Separation Sect, yet he could predict where the Heaven Separation Sect would appear.

Orchid Temple, the place where Heaven Separation Sect and Ning Qian first met.

Given Heaven Separation Sect’s character, he would likely wait here for Ning Qian to awaken.

"Who’s there!"

Upon sensing a sharp escape light heading straight for the Orchid Temple, Heaven Separation Sect’s gaze was full of vigilance.

After perceiving the arriving person’s aura, Heaven Separation Sect’s expression eased, and he unexpectedly raised a rare, unnatural smile.

It was Ning Fan who came.

For some reason, seeing Ning Fan made Heaven Separation Sect very happy. Even without the seven emotions, he felt delighted.

Outside Orchid Temple, at an unknown time, a huge gold house was established.

Heaven Separation Sect guarded outside the gold house day and night, not allowing anyone to get within half a step of it.

When Ning Fan and Yun Ruowei appeared outside the gold house, Heaven Separation Sect put away his unnatural smile and frowned.

"Ning Fan! What’s with your body!"

Planting demonic thoughts, losing the seven emotions... Upon noticing that something was wrong with Ning Fan’s physical state, Heaven Separation Sect felt inexplicably angry, with an urge to give Ning Fan a good scolding.

How did you take care of yourself!

"Senior Yun, there’s no need to worry, it’s just a minor issue." Ning Fan smiled, retrieving a jug of excellent Spiritual Wine, offering it to Heaven Separation Sect.

"Wine from the Sword World." Ning Fan added.

"Hmph!" Heaven Separation Sect took the wine without hesitation, still quite upset that Ning Fan didn’t take good care of himself.

Yun Ruowei looked oddly at Ning Fan and Heaven Separation Sect, and communicated to Ning Fan, "Why do you call him Senior Yun? Aren’t you..."

"He doesn’t remember me, just leave it as it is. It’s not bad, don’t you think." Ning Fan responded through a transmission.

Yun Ruowei felt a pang in her heart, for the first time, she held Ning Fan’s hand.

She believed that being forgotten by his father, Ning Fan must be in great pain.

However, she didn’t realize that Ning Fan, being broad-minded, wasn’t distressed over such matters.

To Ning Fan, having parents still alive was an immense joy.

Whether they remember him didn’t matter, as long as they were happy, it was enough.

"Did you bring her here to visit Xiao Qian?" Heaven Separation Sect asked blandly.

"Yes."

"Go ahead, I’ll keep watch outside." Heaven Separation Sect’s tone carried an inexplicable trust.

He believed that Ning Fan would not let Ning Qian suffer any harm. He trusted Ning Fan immensely, though he didn’t know why.

"Okay."

The gold house was a high-grade Treasure of Immortal’s Abode, containing a pine forest within, with a pool of blood in the forest, and inside the pool was Ning Qian’s formed demon cocoon.

Within the demon cocoon, the petrified Winged Demon gradually reverted from stone, transforming into a human figure—a remarkably beautiful woman in a yellow robe.

Yet she remained in slumber, in slumber...

This slumber, who knows how long it will take to awaken.

"Sister!"

Yun Ruowei called out joyfully, but realizing her voice was too loud, she hurriedly covered her mouth.

She was really afraid of disturbing Ning Qian and affecting her awakening.

Though she didn’t understand why Ning Qian was in this state, Yun Ruowei knew that the demon cocoon could not be easily broken, and Ning Qian couldn’t be awakened by external forces...

"Mother, I brought Ruowei to see you." In a casual tone, but somehow the words sounded a bit odd.

Yun Ruowei was Ning Qian’s sister, yet the way Ning Fan spoke sounded as if he was bringing a wife home to meet his mother...

Yun Ruowei wanted to correct Ning Fan’s words, but couldn’t actually find any fault with them.

Thinking how she was still holding Ning Fan’s hand carelessly, she was shocked and pulled her hand back.

"Ruowei, how about staying in Yue Country from now on? It’s not far from Orchid Temple, you can visit mother often."

"I’m doing quite well in the Alliance of the Southeastern Cultivators..."

"Come to Yue Country."

"I really am fine..."

"Come to Yue Country."

Ning Fan kept a faint smile, yet that smile carried an underlying dominance.

He wanted her to stay in Yue Country, not wanting the Alliance to make use of her.

No reason, just didn’t like it.

"Alright, I’ll stay in Yue Country so I can visit my sister more often... The Alliance’s missions are indeed too many, too busy..." Yun Ruowei gave a self-deceiving reason.

"That’s more like it." Ning Fan nodded in satisfaction, and the next moment, received a light knock from Yun Ruowei.

"You still know how to hit people?" Ning Fan wasn’t angry, just surprised that Yun Ruowei could have such a violent side.

"What’s wrong with hitting people? I’m your aunt; hitting you is a way of educating you. Remember how you bullied me at Orchid Temple back then? Now I want to return the favor." Yun Ruowei smiled faintly. She actually held grudges.

"Aunt, is it..." Ning Fan’s lips curved into a cryptic smile, and in the next moment, he lightly pecked Yun Ruowei’s lips.

"You, you, you!" Yun Ruowei was enraged and embarrassed, how could Ning Fan be so shameless, even teasing his aunt!

Though she wasn’t a real aunt...

But still...

"I’m going to have drinks with dad, you stay here and accompany mother..." Ning Fan said, then turned and walked out of the pine forest, out of the gold house.

Leaving Yun Ruowei alone, she stood there dazed, only regaining her senses after a long while.

"You little scoundrel, still as annoying as ever. If I had known sooner that you were sister’s child, I would never have let you become Han Yuanji’s apprentice. Look at what he’s taught you..."

She touched her cold lips, seemingly still feeling Ning Fan’s warmth lingering on them.

You little scoundrel, next time, if I get the chance, I’ll definitely give you a good lesson...

...

Outside the gold house, Ning Fan and Heaven Separation Sect sat cross-legged on the ground, drinking wine together.

Between father and son, there were never many words, all the instructions encapsulated silently.

"I heard from Third Brother that you plan to ascend to the Eastern Heaven Immortal World?"

"Yes."

"Be careful, protect yourself, don’t always try to stand out."

"Mm."

"Mm."

Heaven Separation Sect was naturally taciturn, saying this much was already rare.

Ning Fan felt a warmth in his heart, a single piece of advice was more precious than any treasure.

He really wanted to call out "dad," but in the end, he didn’t say it.

Some things, saying them would only add to Heaven Separation Sect’s troubles.

One day, he would reach that point and help Heaven Separation Sect restore his memory.

One day.

"Drink!"

"Drink more!"

...

With past ties settled, Ning Fan knew that his time lingering in the Rain World was growing shorter.

After staying at Orchid Temple for ten days, Ning Fan sent Yun Ruowei back to Yue Country, then immediately headed for Middle State.

Li Cangtian taught him the dan refinement technique for the third time, this session lasting half a year.

With Li Cangtian’s help, Ning Fan’s dan refinement technique smoothly broke through to the peak of the six revolution.

He returned to the base of the Heaven Controlling Realm’s restricted zone and stayed there for seven years.

Seven years later, Ning Fan left the restricted zone. No one knew he had completed his third body transformation and that his Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor cultivation had officially broken through to the Revered Devil Realm.

The Revered Devil level of Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor cultivation, yet his physical defense was comparable to the Nirvana Second Heaven strong.

Ning Fan left many Dao Crystals for Li Cangtian and Yun Bushu, hoping their cultivations would advance further.

Just as he was about to leave Middle State, Yu Chong’er found him.

"Ning Fan, my master wants to see you... will you come with me to meet her?" (To be continued. If you like this work, please feel free to vote it on Qidian (qidian.com), your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com)