The family of five enjoyed a warm, harmonious dinner together. After everyone settled into their own tasks for the night, Ding Songyan arranged his wooden chest once more, lit the oil lamp, and prepared to work.
Ding Qingyan was very well-behaved tonight. She didn't ask him to tell another chapter of his story, and after chatting a little about what would happen next in *The Legend of the White Snake*, she drifted off to dreamland.
Sitting upright on the small wooden chest, Ding Songyan didn't immediately put brush to paper. Instead, he pondered a different problem.
Connecting the secret technique he had obtained today with Yan Changqing's past behavior, he reasonably suspected that this "senior expert" was also something of an old swindler, whose many concealments were not solely driven by matters of life and death.
*His origins, his past encounters—if half of what he said is true, that'd already be generous.
*In the beginning, he tricked me into waiting for an opportunity in Beili Ward purely to drag me into this game. There's no doubt about that.
*Could there be something wrong with that opportunity itself? Is Yan Changqing truly skilled in the path of divination?
*If Ren Youyang weren't a disciple of the Zhenling Sect and named on the Orchid Newcomer Ranks, I would suspect his mind had been influenced from afar by Yan Changqing when he visited Zhen Manor, which led to that talk of an "opportunity"... Or maybe he's in league with Yan Changqing. But his behavior didn't look like it—unless his lack of guile was an act, played so flawlessly that I couldn't spot the slightest flaw...
*Hiss... Even though I didn't receive that "seed" on the first day, was I actually influenced in secret by Yan Changqing, causing me to overlook the greatest hidden danger and go stake out the opportunity in Beili Ward?
*Right. When he implanted the "seed," it bypassed my will completely. Why did he have to wait until the second day instead of doing it on the first? What if I'd been as timid as a mouse, never gone to Beili Ward, and never stepped into the game?
*Given his caution and predicament, he wouldn't gamble like that. So the first day was subtle influence, and only after I discovered Zhen Manor's sinister intentions did he implant the "seed." That would make his malice appear a bit smaller and lower my resistance to cooperating later...
*It seems Yan Changqing really is skilled in the path of divination. After all, he managed to deduce that I recently read *The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas*.
*Actually, I have questions about that, too. Why did his deduction specifically reveal that I had read *The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas*? For a long time before that, I hadn't even thought about the contents of that book. If he really wanted to scare me and get a grip on me, wouldn't it have been much better to deduce that I had possessed this body and reincarnated? I was standing right in front of him back then. Deducing that kind of issue from my body and soul would clearly make more sense.*
Ding Songyan didn't think Yan Changqing could deduce that he was a transmigrator purely through divination. That involved an entirely different world, after all. If Yan Changqing were truly capable of seeing through that, he would rival the ancient great deities; how could he possibly fail to foresee his own future and end up trapped in a dungeon?
Before such a mighty deity, even if he were so gravely injured that only a single fingernail remained, Zhen Qianfan wouldn't dare step out of line!
Amidst his contemplation, Ding Songyan caught sight of Miss Xiaoqing out of the corner of his eye.
Tonight, her hair was styled in twin coil buns. She wore a paired-collar short blouse of green and white over a light green pleated skirt, with a green silk ribbon tied around her waist—refreshing and utterly charming.
"Miss Xiaoqing, are you skilled in the path of divination?" Ding Songyan asked hesitantly.
Xiaoqing strolled over to the edge of the bed, sat down, and replied with a look of doubt in her eyes:
"Not at all. Why do you ask?"
"Do you know much about it?" Ding Songyan pressed.
Xiaoqing offered a faint smile. "A smattering, a smattering."
"In a face-to-face divination, what is the path of divination most accurate and easiest at deducing?" Ding Songyan did his best to reconstruct the scene from back then within the boundaries permitted by the "seed."
Xiaoqing chuckled with amusement. "You haven't been duped by some fortune-teller, have you? Nine out of ten fortune-tellers outside Duokang Temple rely on sharp eyes and clever tricks.
"Hmm, in a face-to-face reading, things like marriages, funerals, physical health, and good or bad fortune within the month tend to be fairly accurate."
Ding Songyan frowned slightly. "Could they deduce which book I read recently?"
Xiaoqing beamed brightly. "You really were duped, weren't you? I've never met a Perfected One skilled in divination, so I don't know if that realm could manage it. Anything below that, at the very, very most, could only deduce whether what you recently read was historical storytelling, a dramatized legend, or a secret martial arts manual.
"If it's a trick, then it's simple: he asked around about you beforehand, or his accomplice was the one who sold you the book."
*A trick... his accomplice sold it to me...* Ding Songyan's heart stirred, and a suspicion took shape:
Could that rare edition of *The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas* have some connection to Yan Changqing?
It was precisely because of a connection that he could deduce it through divination.
And if it had a connection to him, that meant it also had a connection to Zhen Manor... Could this explain the slight abnormalities in the Zhen family's attitude toward *The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas*—for instance, how they didn't seem to care, didn't place much importance on it, and never followed up on the matter?..
Ding Songyan felt his head clear considerably, and he shifted his focus back to writing the story.
Miss Xiaoqing was still waiting!
Reminded by her words, he had almost wanted to say, *"Meeting you, Miss Xiaoqing, is truly a blessing earned across lifetimes."* She had provided so much useful information and experience.
Of course, he couldn't actually say that out loud—it bordered on flirtation.
Instead, Ding Songyan merely praised her: "Miss Xiaoqing, you truly are a know-it-all of the jianghu. There's nothing you don't know."
Xiaoqing couldn't hide her smug smile. "Aside from dramatized legends, I just love listening to martial world lore, jianghu anecdotes, and all kinds of rumors.
"Not only do I listen to storytellers, but I also beg my father, my aunt, my Second Uncle, my eldest brother, my cousin, my martial uncles, my martial grandfathers and grandmothers, and my senior brothers and sisters to tell them..."
For every source of information she named, she counted on a finger. Toward the end, she almost ran out of fingers and had to bunch them together.
*A child's temperament... quite cute...* Ding Songyan shook his head and chuckled inwardly.
Tonight, he planned to write the part where Xu Shilin and the Queen of the Women's Kingdom obtained the Kui bull orb. To make sure he could finish telling it in a single morning, he arranged only three trials. Two came from animated films and major video games he had enjoyed in recent years—the Tiger Vanguard blocking the path, and Yellow Brows posing as the Buddha. The third was a mirage dragon illusion specially designed to deepen the bond between the hero and heroine.
Naturally, to showcase the Martial Melody Star's natural gifts and valor, Xu Shilin certainly wouldn't run around begging for reinforcements. Joining forces with the Queen of the Women's Kingdom, he battered the Tiger Vanguard into a charcoal vanguard and blasted Yellow Brows into scorched brows. Inside the mirage dragon illusion, the two realized the karma of their past lives: one was the Martial Melody Star in heaven, the other was Crimson Grass by the Jade Pool, once tended and watered by the Martial Melody Star, who had specially descended to the mortal realm to be reborn and fulfill their destined union.
"Splendid! How dare a stinking tiger demon block the path!" Xiaoqing read page after page, offering commentary on each one.
When she saw Xu Shilin swallow the Kui bull orb and ascend to the heavens in a single leap, she set down the sheets of paper with satisfaction. Looking at Ding Songyan sitting sideways, her eyes glinted, and she asked with a smile:
"Ding Erlang, tell me, what is Zhen Manor actually trying to achieve by dragging things out like this?"
*Uh, so there's an echo. This must be what her family elders wanted to ask...* Ding Songyan didn't bother dwelling on what he had "forgotten" and simply shared what he still remembered:
"Perhaps what Zhen Manor wants in exchange isn't silver, but assistance at a crucial moment. Whoever is willing to help them then will achieve their aim."
He placed heavy emphasis on the words "crucial moment."
Xiaoqing nodded as though half-understanding, then said with an obvious smile, "Ding Erlang, I suddenly realize you're a bit... well, someone who hides his light under a bushel."
"Without knowing martial arts, it's all useless anyway," Ding Songyan replied smoothly, seizing the opening.
Xiaoqing gave no sign of whether she caught the meaning behind his words. She stood up and pointed toward the oiled-paper window frame.
"I'm heading back."
"I'm going outside to enjoy the cool night air too." Ding Songyan briskly packed away his brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
"Need any help?" Xiaoqing paused, smiling.
"No need. I already let my family know." Ding Songyan put the chest away, stepped out of the west wing, opened the door to the main house, and locked it from the outside.
He did the same with the courtyard gate.
He wasn't worried about how his family would escape if a fire broke out—the door was locked, but it probably couldn't withstand a single punch from his eldest brother.
Xiaoqing was already waiting in Chengyu Lane, her maid standing dutifully beside her.
"It's very cool and breezy from here to Fengshui Bridge," Xiaoqing remarked again, her tone like someone sharing a prized secret, as she led the way.
*Could it be cool only because spirits pass by often?* Ding Songyan looked left and right, but his yin eye still failed to trigger.
His main purpose in coming out to "enjoy the cool air" tonight was to find a reliable way to make use of his yin eye. In his current situation, even if he didn't know whether the yin eye would prove useful later on, he had to strive for it. Every bit of help counted.
The night breeze blew, dispelling the daytime stifling dampness and heat. Ding Songyan and Xiaoqing strolled through the streets and alleys, beneath the shade of trees, and along the flowing water, casually chatting about various jianghu anecdotes.
Before they knew it, Fengshui Bridge came into view. There was a night market there that wouldn't disperse until the third watch, with vibrant lanterns of red, orange, pink, and yellow hanging everywhere. Yearning lovers were setting boat-shaped colored lanterns afloat by the water. Though it wasn't a lantern festival, the riverbank gleamed with dazzling brilliance, bright as day.
Many glances turned toward Xiaoqing, some overt and others discreet. Acting as though she hadn't noticed at all, she merely smiled at Ding Songyan.
"Don't get too close to Ren Youyang."
"Isn't he a decent person?" Ding Songyan asked in confusion.
*Are their two factions on bad terms? Well, Miss Xiaoqing's side isn't from Great Zhao to begin with...*
Xiaoqing lightly swung her hands and said with a sunny grin:
"He is decent enough, but his reputation precedes him.
"You never know when he might tell you, 'Life is short, and who knows which day we'll die? We ought to live freely! Ding Erlang, let me take you to the Qin pavilions to indulge a bit!' Or 'Life is short, and who knows which day we'll die? We ought to live freely! Ding Erlang, let me take you to an unhindered feast!' Or 'Life is short, and who knows which day we'll die? We ought to live freely! Ding Erlang, how about we try male love? Either you try me, or I try you!'..."
The girl mimicked Ren Youyang's tone to perfection.
"Uh..." The corner of Ding Songyan's mouth twitched slightly. "It can't be that exaggerated, can it?"
"Who knows?" Xiaoqing's tone lifted, her smile radiant.
After a few more exchanges, they reached the foot of Fengshui Bridge. The night market was neither too crowded nor deserted.
"I'm going this way. What about you?" Xiaoqing pointed in one direction.
"I should head back." Ding Songyan felt there were too many people here, which interfered with opening his yin eye.
Before Xiaoqing could say goodbye, he turned toward a peddler, took out fifteen copper coins, and bought three skewers of candied hawthorns.
Handing one skewer to Xiaoqing first, he said sincerely:
"Miss Xiaoqing, truth be told, I deliberately fished for information and pried into things with you over the past few days. This skewer of candied hawthorns hardly counts as an apology, but I just hope you won't feel bad about it."
Xiaoqing froze for a moment, then broke into a sudden smile like thousands of pear trees bursting into bloom, leaving Ding Songyan momentarily dazed.
Taking the candied hawthorn, she happily took a lick.
"Actually, I wanted to tell you all of that anyway."
Ding Songyan breathed a sigh of relief and offered another skewer of candied hawthorns to the maid.
"There's one for me too?" The little maid was quite surprised.
"It has been hard on you these past few days, waiting outside for Miss Xiaoqing," Ding Songyan said gently.
Xiaoqing nodded and told the maid, "Go ahead and take it."
Only then did the little maid take the candied hawthorn with an open smile.
Leading her maid, Xiaoqing beamed as she waved farewell to Ding Songyan, heading off in the direction of Tianyang Guildhall.
Eating his candied hawthorn, Ding Songyan turned around and made his way back to the other side of Fengshui Bridge, returning to where the night was deep and quiet.
He tried again and again, but still could not open his yin eye.
*Something unstable can't be relied upon at all...* Ding Songyan pondered as he walked.
Suddenly, an idea struck him:
*The "seed" Yan Changqing gave me dispels illusions when directed to the eyes. If I combine it with my unstable yin eye, could that trigger a favorable change and help stabilize it?*
Chapter 34