Chapter 101: Chapter 98: Willing to Be the Sword in the Sword Sect’s Hand, to Sweep the Four Directions Clean
The White Head Sword Sect!
Those four words struck like a thunderclap on a clear day, leaving everyone utterly stunned.
A Sword Sect?
Everyone knew exactly what those two words meant.
In the entire Cyan Cloud Country, there were fewer than ten Sword Sects, a number you could count on two hands. Every single one was a figure of immense power who struck awe across the land.
To them, any Sword Sect was a figure like a divine dragon in the heavens—admired from afar, but completely unreachable.
The Song Family had actually come to pay their respects to a Sword Sect!
But who was this White Head Sword Sect?
How could their Ning Family possibly have such a Sword Sect?
"White Head?"
Ning Shan, Ning Feng, Ning Ding, and Ning Qi froze, their eyes instinctively turning to Ning Jiang.
Didn’t Ning Jiang have white hair?
In that instant, they suddenly recalled Ning Yu’an’s words—the very words they had dismissed as a joke!
"When tomorrow comes, you will understand just how foolish everything you’ve done tonight was."
"You’ve missed out on my little brother."
"Missed out on the greatest fortune of your lives!"
"With my little brother here, even if all the powers of Baiquan Town came, their combined weight wouldn’t compare to him alone."
The deeper they thought about it, the more the unease in their hearts swelled.
’Impossible. He’s a Sword Cultivator, yes, but he hasn’t even mastered Body Sword Control. How could he possibly be a Sword Sect? I must be overthinking things.’
Ning Shan shook her head repeatedly. She hadn’t seen him for a mere two months, and Ning Jiang had transformed into a Sword Sect?
Not even in her wildest dreams would something so bizarre happen!
It was absolutely impossible!
At this point, the Ning Family’s old master and the others could no longer sit still. They hurried forward to greet the arrivals.
With more than ten Innate Realm experts from the Song Family present, the Ning Family had no choice but to receive such a lineup with the utmost respect.
"Welcome, Patriarch Song," the Ning Family’s old master said, clasping his hands.
"For Patriarch Song to visit our Ning Family truly brings light to our humble home," Ning Changhan said fawningly.
"Please forgive us for not greeting you from afar, Patriarch Song," Ning Changming added quickly.
It was no wonder they were so deferential. The Song Family’s power in Baiquan Town was deeply entrenched and formidable. Even the Qin Family, another second-tier family, was slightly weaker in comparison.
Faced with such a giant that had stood firm in Baiquan Town for years, everyone present felt a sense of awe.
What’s more, Old Master Song himself had come today. In his younger days, Old Master Song had been a ruthless man. When he first established the Song Family, the number of people who had died by his sword was unknown!
One could say that the Song Family’s current status was built entirely on the bloody path Song Tianzheng had carved out.
Faced with the Song Family’s arrival, the Ning Family adopted the lowest possible posture, observing all proper etiquette. But how could Song Tianzheng possibly deign to notice them?
This Peak Innate Strong Person, the man who had single-handedly founded the Song Family and whose fearsome reputation was renowned throughout Baiquan Town, didn’t even glance at the Ning Family members. He walked right past them.
Then, the large procession strode imposingly toward Ning Jiang.
"Impossible, it can’t be!" Ning Shan murmured, the unease in her heart growing more intense.
Surrounded by his retinue, Song Tianzheng strode forward. He was dressed simply and had a full head of white hair, but he was in high spirits, his complexion ruddy.
The group walked right up to Ning Jiang and stopped.
And then.
Under the shocked gazes of every single person, this titan of Baiquan Town—a man whose mere presence had suffocated the younger generation into silence—clasped his hands, bowed respectfully to Ning Jiang, and declared:
"Song Tianzheng of the Song Family pays his respects to the White Head Sword Sect!"
"We pay our respects to the White Head Sword Sect!"
Behind him, Song Ziwen, Song Mu’Er, and all the Innate Realm experts from the Song Family bowed as one.
In an instant, the entire area fell deathly silent.
Some people even pinched themselves, thinking they had to be dreaming.
The White Head Sword Sect was actually a young man who looked to be only sixteen?
Had Song Tianzheng gone mad?
"You are too kind," Ning Jiang said with a nod.
He knew the Song Family wanted to befriend him. By mobilizing all their Innate Realm experts to visit him, they had shown sufficient sincerity. If he were to ignore them, it would seem ungracious.
"Patriarch Song, what is going on? Have you made some kind of mistake? How could this brat possibly be a Sword Sect?"
Ning Changhan stared at Song Tianzheng in disbelief. ’Is Song Tianzheng getting senile in his old age?’
Ning Jiang, a Sword Sect?
If that were true, then Sword Sects would be a dime a dozen.
"Hmph?"
Song Tianzheng, who had been so deferential to Ning Jiang, turned a cold, imperious gaze on Ning Changhan. "What are you? Can’t you see I’m speaking with the Sword Sect? Is it your place to interrupt? Get lost!"
As he spoke, he flicked his sleeve, and a torrent of majestic Innate Gang Qi erupted, slamming violently into Ning Changhan.
PUFF.
Ning Changhan spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying backward like a scarecrow, severely injured.
"Father!" Ning Feng’s expression changed drastically.
Everyone present was horrified. They never expected Song Tianzheng to turn hostile so suddenly.
’So this is the real Song Tianzheng, the ruthless one!’
Someone sucked in a sharp breath. Song Tianzheng was still Song Tianzheng. It was just that his respectful attitude toward Ning Jiang had made many subconsciously forget that this was a man of vicious and cruel methods!
After sending Ning Changhan flying, Song Tianzheng retracted his gaze with disdain.
He had already learned from Song Ziwen that the rest of the Ning Family was on bad terms with Ning Jiang. That being the case, why would he care about any of them?
"Brother Song, what is the meaning of this?" Ning Feng demanded, looking at Song Ziwen with rage in his eyes.
"Who is your ’Brother Song’? Are you even worthy?" Song Ziwen sneered. "You brainless fool. At Crescent Manor, I asked if you knew the Sword Sect, and you dared to insult him. I threw you out in the end, have you forgotten?"
"What?"
In an instant, Ning Feng, Ning Shan, Ning Qi, and Ning Ding were all visibly shaken.
Even the elders from last night—Ning Changhan, Ning Changming, and the others, including Old Master Ning Shoujing—were too shocked to speak!
Song Ziwen’s words were like a thunderbolt, exploding violently in their minds.
Last night, they had been driven away by Song Ziwen, and they had assumed it was all Ning Jiang’s fault. So they had banded together to brand Ning Jiang and Ning Yu’an as traitors to the Ning Family, mocking and humiliating them in every way possible, and even demanding that Ning Jiang hand over all his Primordial Stones.
But now, Song Ziwen’s words were like a merciless slap, stinging their faces hard!
"We really were kicked out because of Ning Jiang," Ning Shan murmured, her beautiful face turning deathly pale. "But it wasn’t because he offended Song Mu’Er... it’s because *we* offended *him*."
Ning Feng’s fists clenched, unable to accept this reality.
Ning Ding pinched himself hard, hoping this was all a dream.
Ning Qi’s mouth hung open, unable to utter a single word.
Ning Changhan seemed to forget his injuries, frozen on the spot.
Everyone who had mocked Ning Jiang last night, including Old Master Ning Shoujing, now stood as if petrified.
"We have learned that last night, the Qin Family scoundrel Qin Lie offended the Sword Sect and was executed on the spot by the Sword Sect."
Song Tianzheng clasped his hands toward Ning Jiang and said, "As long as the Sword Sect gives the order, my Song Family is willing to become the sword in your hand, to sweep away all obstacles and annihilate the Qin Family for you!"
These words were filled with sharp, killing intent.
In order to win Ning Jiang’s favor, the Song Family was clearly willing to pay any price.
To become the sword in Ning Jiang’s hand and annihilate the Qin Family—what an incredibly domineering declaration!
If the two great families were to fight to the death, both sides would inevitably suffer heavy losses. Even if the Song Family won, their casualties would be severe.
The sheer audacity revealed in Song Tianzheng’s statement shocked everyone!
As if in response to Song Tianzheng’s words, there was a sudden metallic ring of drawing weapons. The members of the Song Family drew their blades, spears, and halberds, their cold killing intent pressing down on the Qin Family.
They had come prepared.
The entire crowd was aghast!
"Song Tianzheng, do you really want to go to war with our Qin Family? Are you sure?" the purple-robed middle-aged man asked, his expression grim.
"The White Head Sword Sect? He’s the Lord of Kunlun?"
Suddenly, from within the Qin Family’s crowd, Hou Zheng and Qian Lan cried out.
"What do you know? Spit it out!" the purple-robed middle-aged man demanded with a frown.
Everyone else was also bewildered. One moment he was the White Head Sword Sect, the next he was the Lord of Kunlun. Just who was Ning Jiang?
"Yes," Qian Lan said quickly. "Last night, we followed Young Master Qin Lie to Crescent Manor for Song Ziwen’s gathering. At the party, Song Ziwen spoke about the White Head Sword Sect, saying a monster had appeared in Luoyang City..."
By the time Qian Lan finished explaining everything, the surrounding crowd was staring at Ning Jiang as if they were seeing a ghost.
Arriving at the annual gathering by riding an eagle.
Defeating the Ten Greats with a single sword strike, becoming number one of Luoyang’s younger generation.
The Pavilion Master of Tianya Pavilion claiming he was worthy of the top spot on the Famous Family List.
Joining forces with eight Alchemy Masters to establish Kunlun. On that day, Luoyang City was filled with so many distinguished guests that Song Ziwen wasn’t even qualified to enter.
Could these legendary deeds actually be real?
The purple-robed man’s breathing grew heavy. If all of this was true, it was too terrifying.
"Impossible!"
After a moment, the purple-robed man said firmly, "It must be your Song Family exaggerating this brat’s abilities, working together to set a trap. You’re putting on a show to intimidate us, to make us lose our will to fight, and then you’ll strike at our Qin Family. What a venomous scheme."
As soon as he said this, many of the surrounding Martial Artists also grew suspicious.
After all, this was all just Song Ziwen’s account. Besides him, no one else here had witnessed the events in Luoyang City.
Without seeing it with their own eyes, who would dare believe something so outlandish?
"A sixteen-year-old Sword Sect, even stronger than Sword King Chu Bai back in his day? How is that possible? Everyone, don’t be fooled!"
Ning Feng shouted, unable to accept it no matter what.
"That’s right, it must be fake! He’s a member of our Ning Family, we know him best! In the past, he hadn’t even mastered Body Sword Control, so how could he possibly be a Sword Sect?" Ning Ding added.
"If he’s a Sword Sect, then everyone here is a Grandmaster," Ning Changhan said in disbelief.
These few voices of doubt quickly drew a response from the crowd. Over ninety percent of the people there found it impossible to believe.
Ning Shan said nothing, the unease in her heart growing ever stronger.
Just as the voices of doubt from the Ning Family were growing louder, another series of announcements came from outside:
"The Wan Family of Luoyang City."
"The Chen Family of Luoyang City."
"The Zhou Family of Luoyang City."
"The Qian Family of Luoyang City."
"The... of Luoyang City..."
As these announcements rang out one after another, it was as if another earthquake had struck the Ning Family.
"What are people from Luoyang City doing here? Baiquan Town has nothing to do with Luoyang City, so why would they come?"
"Could it... really be for him?"
One gaze after another fell upon Ning Jiang, and the unease in everyone’s hearts grew thicker and thicker!
