Ning Fan walked out from the sparse trees and approached the pond while giving Ning Qingqing a smile.
When she saw the person who came was actually Ning Fan, she stood there with her mouth agape. Then, terror and panic filled her. She quickly curtsied to greet Ning Fan.
"Ning Qingqing, a member of the Ning Family, greets White-Robed Marquis..."
"Is Mistress Qing going to behave so distantly to me? Aren’t you thinking of repaying me? So, how do you want to do that?" Ning Fan teased and deliberately shifted his gaze to her bare feet.
Ning Qingqing’s cheeks turned red, knowing that she was being a little impolite by revealing her feet. She immediately put on her socks and shoes. Inwardly, she was at a loss of what to do next.
Could it be that he has heard everything I was saying just now?
She calmed herself down and gently lowered her head to reply to Ning Fan.
"Qing Er’s cultivation base is weak and has no right or capabilities to repay White-Robed Marquis. There is no way I am able to help White-Robed Marquis in anything. I was merely speaking nonsense just now, thinking that there was no one around. The words I spoke aren’t true. I hope White-Robed Marquis won’t concern yourself with someone lowly like me."
"I won’t concern myself with you. However, I really have one thing that will need your help... Can Mistress Qing guide me to have a look at Ning Daniu’s grave?" Ning Fan kept his smile and his expression looked rather wistful.
The debt of gratitude to the person who raised him cannot be forgotten. No matter how his life back then was, Ning Fan still owed Ning Daniu who raised him.
Even though the servants of the Ning Family would be buried after they die, none of them had a tombstone with their names in front of their graves which were at the graveyard located forty li* (500m per li) to the north of Hai Ning City. It was very difficult for Ning Fan to search for Ning Daniu’s grave, which was among tens of thousands of graves.
Even though he asked for Ning Qingqing’s help, he did not expect her to really know where the grave was located.
Unexpectedly, Ning Qingqing immediately agreed to help him after looking stunned for a second.
"Since White-Robed Marquis has given an order, Qing Er will never dare to disobey. I’ll bring you to visit Ning Daniu’s grave."
"Oh? You actually know where a mortal’s grave is?" Ning Fan was a little surprised.
"Mm... I knew it by coincidence..." Ning Qinging blushed. Fortunately, she turned her back on Ning Fan without letting him notice it.
"Was it just a coincidence...?" Ning Fan sighed again.
As a cultivator and the outstanding daughter of the Ning Family of Hai Ning, it was impossible for Ning Qingqing to be concerned with a mortal servant no matter what.
Ning Fan was not a fool. The reason why she paid attention to Ning Daniu was probably because of him.
Even though she had always been saying she wanted to repay Ning Fan, she might actually also have some feelings for him...
The two of them turned into a ray of light and flew into the sky. In a flash, the two of them reached a wild land with abandoned graves.
Countless mounds were on the ground. The remains of mortals were buried in each and every one of them.
Ning Qingqing smoothly guided Ning Fan across each of those mounds and eventually stopped at one of the numerous mounds.
It was Ning Daniu’s grave. Even though it did not have a tombstone with his name on it, Ning Qingqing remembered it very vividly.
At the edge of this deserted tomb, there were fruit plates and also some stains left behind by joss sticks and candles...
Ning Fan smiled wryly. Ning Daniu did not have any relatives. Besides, he was just a servant who did not even have a tombstone on his grave after his death. It was unlikely that someone would come and offer fruits and incense.
The only person who would do it was probably Ning Qingqing...
"Thank you." Ning Fan took out some candles, joss sticks and spiritual fruits from his pouch and placed them in front of Ning Daniu’s grave.
"What are you thanking me for...? I have not done anything at all..." Ning Qingqing averted her eyes.
"You saved me twice but I only saved you once. You don’t owe me anything nor do you need to repay me. In fact, I still owe you a favor. Tell me, what do you wish for? I can help you fulfil any wish you have."
"Did I save you twice?" Ning Qingqing obviously did not remember the past incidents.
"Mm. Therefore, you don’t owe me anything and I’m the one who owes you instead. So tell me. Is there any wish you have in mind? As long as it isn’t excessive, I’ll certainly help you fulfill it."
"My wish...?" Ning Qingqing gently bit her lips as she thought about it. Seemingly, she really did not have any wish in mind.
She raised her head and looked at Ning Fan but her face suddenly turned red. She had thought of something but it was just... too unrealistic...
"I don’t have any wish..." She then lowered her head and let out a faint sigh.
"Is that so? Let me know when you have thought of one in the future. The Ning Family seems quite lively today. Is there an important guest here?"
"Mm. A Nascent Soul realm senior has paid us a visit. According to what I’ve heard, she is a cultivator of the Southeastern Cultivator Union..." Ning Qingqing replied.
"I’ll go meet that Nascent Soul Realm senior you are talking about. It seems like they have finished their discussion. It’s been many years since the last time I met her... What about you? Are you going to accompany me to the Ning Family’s temple or continue to play in the water?" Ning Fan teased.
"I wasn’t playing in the water..."
"Since you said you weren’t, come with me to have a look then."
Ning Fan gave her a warm smile and used his teleportation technique, carrying her away with him. In the next second, the two of them appeared outside the Ning Family’s temple.
Yun Ruowei had already finished her discussion with the three ancestors of the Ning Family. She was just about to walk out from the temple with a disappointed face.
All of a sudden, her face was filled with shock as she noticed a white-robed young man and a lady in green skirt standing outside the temple.
"It’s been many years, Mistress Yun." Ning Fan’s lips curved upward.
"I-It’s you!" As soon as Yun Ruowei saw Ning Fan, disbelief filled her face.
She was already aware that the insignificant Harmonious Spirit Realm young man in the past had already become the renowned White-Robed Marquis of the Rain World!
When she first met him, he had just reached the Harmonious Spirit Realm. She was a Nascent Soul Realm old demon of the Orchid Temple back then and she could easily kill him but he molested her by using bewitching techniques on her.
When she met him again, he was still at the Harmonious Spirit Realm. However, his name shook the entire Great Jin and also possessed incredible abilities...
When they both met once again fifty years later, he had already become a big shot that was far beyond her reach.
Yun Ruowei was actually at a loss for words after meeting him so suddenly.
"I heard that you are searching for a blue jade. What is it?" Ning Fan asked abruptly.
When he bumped into the third prince of the Rain Palace, Yun Bushu, that person had also asked about the blue jade...
Today, Yun Ruowei was also looking for it... What exactly was that blue jade?
"I don’t know what blue jade you are talking about..." Yun Ruowei might refuse to say it verbally but Ning Fan had seen through all her thoughts using the Mind Reading Technique.
Blue jade... The Blue Bridge Jade... It was a type of ancient cultivation accessory. In ancient times, every piece of Blue Bridge Jade extracted from the ground could be used to forge two pieces of jade pendants.
Because there were two pieces, Dao Companions would wear one of them.
Once the two companions make a vow with the blue jade, they would be able to sense each other’s location and eventually reunite no matter how far they were separated.
What Yun Ruowei wanted to find was the two pieces of blue jades that once belonged to Yun Tianjue and Ning Qian... The blue jade that belonged to Yun Tianjue had already been destroyed. To put it more accurately, what Yun Ruowei wanted to find was Ning Qian’s jade!
Ning Qian was her elder sister. As long as she could find it, she would then know where her elder sister was! Yun Ruowei knew that Ning Qian was still alive but she could not find her no matter what.
These were the answers in Yun Ruowei’s mind...
"Yun Tianjue... Ning Qian..." Ning Fan was stunned for a second. If Yun Tianjue and Ning Qian once held a blue jade each, wouldn’t they be a pair of Dao Companions?
If Ning Qian is my mother, then that makes Yun Tianjue my...
"Do you need my help to search for the jade...?" Ning Fan said with a frown. He remembered seeing his original surname which was Yun from the Min Luo dream state...
In the past, Ning Fan never cared about his roots. To him, having a surname of either ’Ning’ or ’Yun’ was the same.
At this moment, however, he wanted to look for the answer!
Before heading to the Central State, he wanted to uncover this mystery mist!
Translated by Tommy, edited by Roel