Before Ding Songyan could ask further, Qin Nansheng sighed with a smile:
"You actually asked me about the martial path before, and I even went out of my way to inquire with your brother-in-law, but who would have thought you’d forgotten it all."
"There isn't much I can remember," Ding Songyan said, wearing a look of "distress."
Qin Nansheng left her seat and paced back and forth twice:
"Body Tempering and Qi Refining are merely the entry-level stages of the martial path, collectively known as the 'Initial Realm,' though some call it the 'Mortal Realm.'
"Only upon reaching the 'Life Realm,' where one begins to condense the body's apertures, does one gain the qualifications to be included in the 'Register of Worldly Orchids.' However, as this realm is heavily populated, only those with exceptional talent or extraordinary backgrounds are graded and widely recognized.
"Grading is not based on the progress of aperture condensation, but on actual combat performance. There are three grades within the 'Life Realm,' from lowest to highest: 'Path-Peering,' 'Hall-Ascending,' and 'Room-Entering.' These are the so-called Lower Three Grades, the most common type of martial artists and knights-errant.
"We ordinary folk don't understand the nuances and prefer to refer to them as the Ninth, Eighth, and Seventh Grades.
"Your brother-in-law once said that the Lower Three Grades do not exceed the capabilities of an ordinary person by much, which is why they are also called the 'Human Realm.' At this stage, the cultivation techniques do not display many unique traits; actual combat relies more on moves, willpower, experience, wisdom, weapons, and armor. With the slightest mistake or oversight, a Seventh Grade can be killed by a Ninth Grade..."
Ding Songyan listened with great focus, interrupting Qin Nansheng from time to time to pose his own questions.
After finishing the explanation of the "Life Realm" and the Lower Three Grades, Qin Nansheng’s eyes darted around as she sized up her cousin, then solemnly reminded him:
"I don't know much about what lies beyond, but your brother-in-law mentioned that if you wish to practice more profound and superior techniques, or if you want to go further on the martial path, you can casually find any martial art to begin Body Tempering and Qi Refining during the 'Initial Realm.' But once you reach the 'Life Realm,' you must never condense your apertures blindly."
"Why is that?" Ding Songyan asked with concern.
Qin Nansheng tilted her head slightly, recalling for a moment before saying:
"It is said that every technique requires the condensation of different human apertures, and the methods used are also different. If the superior technique you obtain in the future has overlapping apertures with your current martial art, the two will conflict. In mild cases, you might suffer from Qi deviation and lose all your martial arts; in severe cases, you could go insane or die on the spot.
"However, if two techniques do not have overlapping or conflicting apertures, they can be practiced simultaneously or switched. In fact, even if the required apertures overlap, there are special circumstances where the limitations can be broken."
"What kind of special circumstances?" Ding Songyan asked, his face full of curiosity.
Qin Nansheng let out a low laugh:
"I don't know about others, but your brother-in-law only cited one situation:
"Martial arts related to flood dragons and snakes can all be converted into the study of the True Dragon. The overlapping apertures will not conflict because of this; they will only be encompassed and subsequently transformed."
Flood dragon transforming into a dragon, a superior martial art? Ding Songyan roughly understood the root of this special situation and asked casually:
"Which sect holds the study of the True Dragon?"
Qin Nansheng couldn't help but roll her eyes and glare at Ding Songyan:
"You only know how to make things difficult for me. I am but a woman of the inner chambers; what knowledge could I possibly have of the Jianghu? I only know that the most famous New Yu Six Dragon Sect is the inheritance of the Yinglong. You know of the Yinglong, don't you?"
Of course... "Yinglong: summons wind and rain, gathers clouds and mist, commands thunder, calls to the vast sky, and brings auspiciousness of dragon and phoenix"... The annotation reads "Ancestor of dragons, origin of phoenixes"... "Dragon form with phoenix wings"... The text regarding the Yinglong from the Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas flashed through Ding Songyan’s mind.
This was an ancient deity he was quite familiar with in his previous life, so he had read the relevant content very carefully and remembered it clearly.
After chatting for a while longer, Qin Nansheng said to Ding Songyan:
"I almost forgot one thing. Master Physician Shao wants you to find time to visit his clinic tomorrow or the day after; he wants to check on your current condition again."
"Understood." Having had the experience of seeing the doctor before, Ding Songyan was no longer afraid of meeting Master Physician Shao.
Led by the maid Cuihe, he exited the Lotus Pond Courtyard. Just as he approached the mansion gate, he saw his brother-in-law, Zhen Quanwang, nodding and bowing with a face full of smiles as he saw a group of people out.
The main gate was wide open.
The leader of the group was a man in his twenties, wearing feathered robes and a high cap, dressed like an elegant scholar from beyond the world. Yet, he lacked any sense of ethereal grace; he was significantly shorter than Ding Songyan, fair and plump, with puffy eyelids and a look of exhaustion. The most peculiar features were his oversized ears, shaped like those of a dog.
Behind him were four maids, carrying a zither, a fan, a sword, and a box respectively. All were of exceptional beauty and dressed in vibrant, eye-catching attire.
In addition, four guards followed, some old and some strong. Some also had dog-like ears, some had backs of their hands covered in brown beast fur, some had strange patterns painted on the sides of their faces, and some moved with a flickering, ghostly gait.
Ding Songyan hadn't seen many people with strange physical traits in the past two days, yet he had encountered five all at once in this moment.
What a grand display... He watched the group leave the Zhen Mansion through the main gate, then looked curiously at the maid Cuihe beside him:
"Who were those distinguished guests?"
Is there more trouble at the Zhen Mansion?
"This servant does not know," Cuihe shook her head repeatedly.
…………
By the time Ding Songyan, who had been listening to stories at Dangkang Temple for a long time, returned to Chengyu Lane, the setting sun was hanging on the horizon.
Before he even neared the courtyard gate, he heard a thump-thump-thump sound of beating coming from inside.
What happened? Ding Songyan raised an eyebrow, and with a sense of doubt, pushed open the two half-closed wooden doors.
The first thing that met his eyes was Ding Daniu, shirtless, kneeling before the elm tree. He kept his head lowered, allowing Liu Yuzao to hold a piece of firewood and strike his back repeatedly.
"Do not kill the innocent recklessly."
"Do not fight out of anger."
"Do not bully others."
Liu Yuzao’s face was cold; with every reprimand, she struck Ding Daniu’s back, leaving red welts and gradually blurring the flesh.
Didn't the matter of Big Brother killing that man from the Small Boat Gang get resolved last night? Ding Songyan did not immediately stop his mother. He walked around to Ding Qingyan, who was covering her eyes with both hands, afraid to look at the wounds, set down his belongings, and whispered:
"What is going on?"
Ding Qingyan turned her body, facing away from the elm tree, and lowered her hands:
"Big Brother got into an argument with someone at the pier today and almost started a fight, scaring the person. The foreman asked him to go and apologize, but he refused, so the foreman came to the house to complain."
"I see..." Ding Songyan didn't ask who was right or wrong. He simply lamented that the foreman was blind; if it were him, he wouldn't dare force an apology from a fierce warrior who could scare people to death just by losing his temper. Was he not afraid that his entire family would be wiped out?
Sigh, I must learn martial arts; otherwise, I can only retreat...
After pondering for a while, Ding Songyan was just about to ask his father to persuade his mother—a lesson was a lesson, but don't beat him to death—when he saw Ding Shengyi pick up a piece of firewood and hand it to Liu Yuzao, who had just broken the one in her hand.
Ding Songyan let out a breath and looked at Ding Qingyan from the corner of his eye:
"Does our family have any Buddhist methods for subduing inner demons and calming the mind?"
He felt that for a natural-born villain like his big brother, relying solely on family education and emotional bonds wasn't enough. He needed internal cultivation methods; only by refining the heart could one cure the root cause, and only by practicing Zen could one become a Buddha.
Ding Qingyan shook her head.
"None?" Ding Songyan pressed.
"I don't know," Ding Qingyan sighed helplessly. "Second Brother, I haven't even reached my coming-of-age ceremony yet; don't treat me like a know-it-all."
After Liu Yuzao finished disciplining Ding Daniu, Ding Songyan took clean cloth strips, medicinal powder for wounds, and other items, and walked over to his big brother, who was still kneeling before the elm tree, whispering:
"Big Brother, I'll help you apply the medicine. Bear with it."
A lesson is a lesson, but family ties must be maintained, otherwise, everyone goes down together.
Ding Daniu replied in a muffled voice:
"It's nothing. I didn't even move when Mother hit me.
"Second Brother, you are truly good to me."
I’d rather stay away from you... Ding Songyan took a breath, cleaned Ding Daniu’s wounds, and then applied the medicinal powder and bandaged him.
Throughout the process, Ding Daniu didn't make a sound, though his body trembled slightly.
It wasn't until everyone was about to sleep that he was allowed to enter the room to lie on his stomach.
Ding Songyan closed the door to the west wing, lit the oil lamp, and said to his younger sister, Ding Qingyan:
"I need to write the script for tomorrow's storytelling. It won't disturb your rest, will it?"
He had returned home late and hadn't had time to organize the detailed outline for the next part of The Legend of the White Snake.
"It won't bother me. I fall asleep very quickly," Ding Qingyan said, her face full of anticipation. "Remember to let me read it tomorrow morning."
Ding Songyan used a large stacked wooden chest as a desk and a small one as a chair, spread out the paper, ground the ink, picked up his brush, and earnestly recorded his thoughts.
This part of the story began with Lady White stealing the elixir of immortality to save Xu Xian, who had forgotten about being scared to death by the snake form. He told of how the two had a child, and then, after ten months of pregnancy, gave birth to the Martial Star.
"Hiss, what has Fahai been doing during this time..." As Ding Songyan wrote, he felt something was off.
Did Fahai just watch, allowing Lady White and Xu Xian to live together and even give birth to the Martial Star?
How should I write this story...
He set down his brush, and while deep in thought, Ding Songyan suddenly felt as if someone was watching him.
He turned his head abruptly toward the bed.
A figure was already sitting there, though he didn't know when she had arrived.
The person was dressed in plain white robes, the corners of her eyes slightly upturned, her nose small and delicate, and her dark hair tied up with a white silk ribbon. She was resting her chin on one hand, looking at Ding Songyan with a playful smile.
It was none other than the young girl who had listened to the story during the day.
"You've already thought of the rest of the story, haven't you?" the girl asked with a faint smile.
Ding Songyan couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
Is this a house call to demand the next chapter?
Being able to use martial arts is no big deal!
He glanced toward the screen and, seeing that Ding Qingyan was undisturbed, lowered his voice:
"It is already late at night. Why doesn't the lady rest and listen again tomorrow?"
He noticed that the girl's temperament was highly changeable; yesterday she was purely charming and naive, during the day she was delicate and frail, and now, at night, she was inexplicably dangerous and alluring...
"I can't sleep. I keep wondering if Xu Xian can be saved, and what will happen to Lady White and him afterward..." The girl changed her soft, sweet tone to one that was somewhat alluring and ethereal.
As she spoke, she smiled enchantingly:
"Do you know why I like this story so much, why I am so obsessed with it?"
"I do not." Ding Songyan suddenly felt a sense of impending danger.
Before he could react, he felt something cold and slippery wrap around him.
Ding Songyan hurriedly looked down and saw an incredibly thick, white-scaled snake tail.
This snake tail was extending from beneath the girl's skirt!
Ding Songyan was completely stunned.
So I actually ran into the "real deal"?
I just randomly told The Legend of the White Snake, and I ran into the White Snake herself?
"Do you know now?" the girl asked, her smile radiant.
0 Comments