Priceless

At this moment, Ding Songyan felt he was living out that classic joke almost to perfection: "What spectacle have I not seen in my time?" "Well, this spectacle I truly have never seen." Not long ago, he had been dragged into a perilous vortex on account of The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas, counting himself lucky that the thing had already been traded away and that he had long since "forgotten" everything—otherwise, the lingering trouble would have been endless. And yet, the moment he turned around, he had unearthed another copy right here at home? Was this rotting cabbage leaves from the market, to be picked up just anywhere? No, it was even easier to find than rotting cabbage; you didn't even have to scramble for it... Hiss... hadn't they said his predecessor lacked courage? How had the fellow secretly transcribed a copy and hidden it at home? Comparing the handwriting and annotations in some of the storybooks, this had to be his predecessor's hand... At this thought, Ding Songyan narrowed his eyes slightly. A plausible yet troubling suspicion sprang into his mind: If I were my predecessor, before leaving Dingjiang Prefecture I would certainly have returned to retrieve this transcript of The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas. Otherwise, wouldn't all that copying have been in vain? What was more, leaving it at home would endanger his family. After all, as his "disappearance" stretched on, his parents, elder brother, and younger sister would inevitably take inventory of his "belongings." If they did not understand the importance and peril of The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas and failed to keep it secret, calamity and the extermination of the entire household would be looming right over them. When his predecessor went outside the city to the ruined shrine back then, he wasn't fleeing far away—did he have another purpose? Was he planning to finish whatever he had to do, return home to collect this copy of The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas, leave a few words for his family, and only then depart Dingjiang Prefecture? That made more sense, and it was far safer, eliminating the subsequent risk of his family searching for him high and low... Wait. I still had an unanswered question from before: where did my predecessor obtain The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas in the first place? Before leaving Dingjiang Prefecture, why couldn't he wait to return home first and insisted on making a trip to the ruined shrine outside the city? Did that have something to do with the origin of The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas? Did the true provider of The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas kill Ding Songyan and take the money? Will this matter ever end? Ding Songyan could not help scoffing at himself: "You've really made a mess of things for me. "If you're going to die, just die. Why leave such a mountain of trouble behind for me?" With what happened to Chief Banner Chen, ploys like startling the snake in the grass or casting a stone to test the path probably wouldn't work anymore. Ding Songyan would only dare drop a cautious hint before Cousin Nuansheng or Mr. Yu—something like, "It still hasn't been uncovered where The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas truly came from; perhaps someone else entirely wanted to murder me." He certainly wouldn't dare breathe a word about having a transcript hidden at home. Now, he could only pray that Zhen Manor, while seemingly having dropped the matter, had actually anticipated that a provider of The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas remained hidden in the background and was quietly continuing surveillance and investigation; or that the provider, having received the silver, had already fled far away; or perhaps that they had laid low for days, deduced the "truth" of the matter from Chen Yuliang's death, gathered word that he had lost all his memories, and decided to let the matter rest rather than stir it up again. Since things have come to this, I might as well see what on earth this wretched book says... Steeling his resolve, Ding Songyan focused his mind and began reading the white-paper-bound Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas in his hands. Before the passage describing the feiyi, there were records of its traits: "Its form resembles a quail, with a yellow body and a red beak..." According to what Little Sister said, if one practiced arts related to the feiyi to the very end, would one grow wings and be able to fly? Keeping an ear on Ding Qingyan washing clothes outside, Ding Songyan casually turned the pages: "Celestial Emperor: The Central Yellow Emperor, head of the Five Emperors. Harmonizes with the Great Dao, commands Yin and Yang, governs the myriad things, rules over Heaven and Earth, establishes the lives of all living beings." Practicing to the end makes one this powerful? This hardly looks like something achievable through martial arts—it is clearly Daoist cultivation! Alas, the severing of Earth from Heaven happened long ago... There is no "consumed, it...", so what the Celestial Emperor left behind must be cultivation arts. I wonder which sect is connected to this—one of the Sacred Grounds? Ding Songyan read on, his feelings a turbulent mix of emotions. "Northern Emperor Zhuanxu: Virtue of Water, Lord of Winter, source of the host of stars, holds the north to bring forth disaster, establishes precepts and laws. "... "Torch Dragon: Consumed, it cleaves through Chaos, illuminates the Ninefold Darkness, governs day and night, rotates the four seasons, and summons wind and rain." Wait, there's a "consumed, it..."? Who has eaten the divine remains left behind by the Torch Dragon? Where is the sect founded on it, and where are the arts created from it? Ding Songyan was both astonished and envious. "Xiangliu: Consumed, it corrodes the earth, swallows mountains, poisons a hundred generations, its nine heads moving independently. "... "Houtu: Virtue of Earth, Mother of the Land, dwells at the center bearing all things, nurtures the living multitudes, rules the Netherworld. "... "Queen Mother of the West: Oversees heavenly plagues, commands the Five Calamities, connects to the Netherworld, eliminates premature death, engenders fortune and yields gold. "Taotie: Consumed, it dispels evil and averts disaster, devours Heaven and earth, dissolves myriad things, insatiably greedy, boundless in desire. "... "Hou Yi: Eliminates ferocious evils, shoots down the nine suns, relieves myriad hardships, the pinnacle of humanity. "... "Lizhu: Consumed, it presides over the blazing sun, purges all Yin, discerns the tip of an autumn hair, sees ten thousand li away. "... "Phoenix: Consumed, it commands all birds, bears the Five Virtues, brings peace to the realm, is born bathed in fire, gathers the colors of the world. "... "Shengyu: Consumed, it overcomes all fish, mimics the phoenix dance, submerges a whole state in water. "... "Shetuo: Consumed, it presides over rectitude, judges merit and fault, delineates the Three Powers, possesses radiant light. (Note: pronounced \"tuo\".) "... "Xiegou: Consumed, it excels at climbing, carries the Five Pestilences; wherever it dwells, plague abounds. "... "Ancestor Yu: Consumed, it brings peril to human hearts, presides over murk and shadow, shoots sand to strike men, wounding the body through the shadow. "Yu: Consumed, it excels at lurking and hiding, shoots sand to strike men." Skimming through a dozen or two key entries, Ding Songyan noticed a certain pattern to these descriptions: Some had five clauses, some had four, some had three, and some had only two... Almost all of those designated as "Emperor" had five-clause descriptions; the next tier of divine spirits and strange beasts had four clauses; and those he had barely heard of had only three or two... A tier division from strongest to weakest? Yes, that had to be it. Xiaoming, Zhuhuo: Light of the stars, flame of the candle, illuminates the long night, pierces deep darkness. Four clauses—not bad. Worthy of my target sect, even if their arts are somewhat incomplete... In my past life I only skimmed through the Classic of Mountains and Seas, but I remember there was a Nine-Tailed Fox... Found it, found it... Fox of Qingqiu, also known as the Heavenly Fox, Nine-Tailed Fox, Clan of Tushan. Consumed, it grants immunity to Gu poisons, manifests myriad transformations, trifles with all living beings, charms the whole world... I wonder which sect possesses this one... I wonder if consuming two kinds of mythical beasts would cause a conflict... Excited, Ding Songyan flipped back and forth, imagining what it would be like if he could obtain one of these legacies or consume the corresponding divine object... As his thoughts drifted, he suddenly froze. To the present me, all of this is completely meaningless... Divine spirits and strange beasts have long been extinct. Unless one is blessed with immense karmic fortune, encountering one is virtually impossible—not to mention the very serious question of whether one could even win in a fight; who eats whom is hardly a foregone conclusion. As for the top sects possessing the corresponding legacies, they aren't factions I can simply join. Even if I memorize The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas backwards and forwards, it will do nothing to alter my current predicament or future prospects. Not only is it meaningless, it carries tremendous risk! "The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas is most useful to experts who possess a degree of strength but do not belong to major sects: first, they can rely on it to identify divine objects, especially fruits and trees—some grant photographic memory when consumed, some can ward off weapons and render one impervious to blades and spears, some favor having children, some prevent childbirth, and some are outright elixirs of immortality. "Second, through descriptions of their traits, one can grasp a target's strengths and weaknesses in advance and make preparations. For instance, someone skilled in Gu-insect arts should never engage head-on against legacies associated with the bird feiyi or the Nine-Tailed Fox, but steer clear as far as possible... Likewise, those who practice martial arts of pestilence and disaster must never provoke a successor of the bird feiyi, while a successor of the bird feiyi had better not strut before a Phoenix, as commanding all birds is an absolute reality... Of course, the premise is that one already knows which Celestial Emperor, deity, or strange beast a given sect traces back to, or can deduce it from the characteristics of their martial arts... "From the perspective of such experts, The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas is priceless; even at immense risk, they would try to obtain it. "No wonder Chen Yuliang was willing to pay a fortune for it..." Analyzing the value of The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas, Ding Songyan felt more and more like a beggar clutching a mountain of gold, or someone entering a treasure vault only to leave empty-handed. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, several ideas surfaced in his mind: "I could burn it straight away to eliminate all future trouble, lest someone discover it one day. "Too bad I'm not a disciple of a major sect; otherwise, I could openly possess The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas. Then again, disciples of major sects can read The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas as a matter of course; their factions hold private collections, even if many are incomplete. "Incomplete..." Ding Songyan's eyes suddenly lit up. Could I use The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas in exchange for a chance to join a sect? Once I become a sect member, I can read The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas openly and legitimately! Yes, the prerequisite is that the sect's copy of The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas must be incomplete, but they cannot lack it entirely. The latter would mean they have no foundation and aren't strong enough, making it likely they would silence me to keep the secret. Furthermore, I need to look for one whose trait descriptions lean toward the light. Since practicing cultivation arts to the end partially alters the physical body, the mind and spirit must be influenced to some extent as well. Those described with light and justice will more or less be more righteous, which is far more advantageous and less dangerous for me... Something connected to Shetuo would be very fitting—possessing radiant light, presiding over rectitude. But I don't even know which faction or country that corresponds to... The Xiaoming Sect is decent too; with starlight and candlelight, illuminating the long night and piercing deep darkness, they can't be too wicked, right? Besides, they are right here locally, with no need to risk traveling far... First, find a way to inquire whether the Xiaoming Sect possesses The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas and whether it is complete, and only then make a decision. If I can join the Xiaoming Sect, I won't have to fear the true provider of The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas anymore! Having found a direction and thought through his path, Ding Songyan felt as though a great clarity had washed over him. The world suddenly seemed vast and open, and the sunlight noticeably brighter. Hearing Ding Qingyan's footsteps suddenly approach as she entered the main room, he hastily set down The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas, hid it among the pile of books, and picked up a volume of storybooks his predecessor had used for historical storytelling. "Second Brother, what are you reading?" Ding Qingyan shook the water from her hands and asked casually. "Preparing to take up my old trade again," Ding Songyan brushed his sister off while pretending to flip to one of the pages. The writing on this page was sparse, opening with: "Qi did not succeed to the imperial throne, becoming only the Sovereign of Humanity." Note: The mythical spirits, strange beasts, and races in this book's The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas are slightly more numerous than in the actual Classic of Mountains and Seas. For instance, among the Four Perils, only three appeared in the Classic of Mountains and Seas; my obsessive-compulsive nature could not abide having only three, so I included the remaining one. For another example, mythical beasts suited for assassination and stealth are few and not very strong, so I split the yu into the Ancestor Yu and the ordinary yu to boost their potency, along with other additions made for various reasons.