Again?
After hearing Ren Youyang’s words, Ding Songyan felt that this was both expected and somewhat exasperating.
These people are quite persistent!
They had already been discovered by Ren Youyang once, yet they dared to return. They truly didn't hold one of the Six Sects and Four Factions in any regard!
"Take it slow this time; we’ll definitely catch them." Ren Youyang let out a low chuckle, fully immersing himself in the drama as he played the role of a spectator. "Hey, Second Young Master Ding, I hear that a woman as beautiful as a celestial being comes to listen to your storytelling every day. Is she truly that stunning? How does she compare to those on the Ranking of Worldly Beauties?"
If you had come earlier, you would have seen her. But as a "competitor," Miss Xiaoqing might not be willing to see you, and her skill in using the Art of Disguise to hide is no small feat... Ding Songyan continued to pack up his tools of the trade while glancing in the direction subtly indicated by Ren Youyang’s left index finger.
At the same time, he didn't stop talking, answering casually:
"I’ve never seen the heroines or enchantresses on the Ranking of Worldly Beauties, so how could I compare?"
Scanning with the corner of his eye, Ding Songyan spotted a man acting somewhat strangely.
He wore a bamboo hat and brown clothes, looking like a farmer who had come to the market. Despite appearing to be watching others gamble, he would occasionally cast a glance toward Ding Songyan’s side, pretending it was unintentional.
"That’s true." Ren Youyang laughed heartily. "If you ever have the opportunity to learn martial arts and travel the world, I’ll take you to pay your respects to those famous figures on the Ranking of Worldly Beauties. I can’t speak for others, but I’m quite familiar with Bai Lingxu of the Xihuang Sect."
"Oh?" Ding Songyan’s focus was entirely on the stalker, so he gave Ren Youyang a perfunctory reply.
Ren Youyang fell silent for two breaths, feeling slightly awkward as he said:
"Don't disbelieve me; I really am familiar with her. She—she has beaten me before!"
"Ah?" Ding Songyan’s attention was pulled back.
Ren Youyang puffed out his chest and said:
"She is from the same generation as Yu Chongyuan and Feng Yining. She is eight years my senior and only one step away from the Heavenly Human Realm. She is the youngest elder of the Xihuang Sect; it’s perfectly normal that I couldn't beat her."
"Normal, perfectly normal." Ding Songyan felt as if he were inexplicably playing the straight man in a comedy routine with Ren Youyang.
Ren Youyang didn't dwell on the matter further. He cleared his throat and laughed:
"Life is short, and one never knows when they might die. Before that happens, one must live wantonly and enjoy life to the fullest. Second Young Master Ding, let’s go! I’ll take you to the Cuiliu Pavilion for some wine and song!"
Why does this sound so familiar? Ding Songyan quickly recalled the reason for the familiarity and quietly put a step’s distance between himself and Ren Youyang.
Could Miss Xiaoqing’s words have been a prophecy?
Simply going for wine and song wouldn't be a problem—after all, I first met him at the entrance of the Cuiliu Pavilion—but surely nothing else would happen, right?
Ren Youyang looks like a decent man; he shouldn't be that debauched, should he?
Ding Songyan hurriedly said in a low voice:
"Don't I still have to attend to the 'guest'?"
The "guest" referred to the stalker.
"In a song house, there is no way to heaven and no door to enter the earth; that is the best place to catch a rat," Ren Youyang whispered in explanation.
He looked left and right, then added:
"I’ve been chatting with you for too long; it will arouse suspicion. Later, you head to Red Sleeve Street yourself. I’ll change my clothes and find you."
With that, he left the open space belonging to Ding Songyan and walked into the crowd.
Ding Songyan pondered Ren Youyang’s words and found them to be somewhat reasonable. He decided to catch the stalker first, extract information about the mastermind, and then go to the Zhen Mansion to tell stories for Yan Changqing, with lunch conveniently taken at the Cuiliu Pavilion.
Just then, a man in his forties wearing a *zhiduo* robe approached and asked with a smile:
"Second Young Master Ding, will you be telling stories this afternoon?"
Who are you? Don't you know I only do morning sessions? Ding Songyan felt anxious inside, but smiled on the surface:
"I have to perform at a private gathering for a wealthy family this afternoon."
Telling stories for Yan Changqing and participating in the Zhen Mansion gathering were essentially the same thing.
The voice of the man in his forties suddenly became very low:
"Second Young Master Ding, I’ve found the stalker you mentioned!"
The voice was soft and delicate, completely different from before.
Miss Xiaoqing? This Art of Disguise is divine! Ding Songyan marveled while asking in a low voice:
"Who is it?"
"At the pitch-pot game, the one wearing the bamboo hat," Xiaoqing said concisely.
It’s the one Ren Youyang pointed out... Double-verified, so it’s confirmed to be the stalker... Ding Songyan was about to thank Miss Xiaoqing, but she stepped closer and added with lightning speed:
"He shows signs of being controlled—something similar to a *gu* insect, but not quite."
After saying this, Xiaoqing feigned a look of regret, muttered a farewell, and melted into the crowd.
Controlled... That explains it! Miss Xiaoqing can actually see this; she’s better than Ren Youyang. It seems Brother Youyang really isn't skilled in this area... It’s a pity I still can't determine the method of control; otherwise, I would have a chance to follow the trail and find the mastermind... Ding Songyan’s thoughts raced as he analyzed the situation and sought a solution.
Suddenly, he remembered the "seed" given to him by Yan Changqing.
This thing can see through illusions!
Although Ding Songyan had previously worried that this "seeing through illusions" might actually be an added layer of hallucination to influence his judgment, at this moment, there was nothing to lose by looking. Once he caught the stalker, he would ask Miss Xiaoqing for a cross-verification; he certainly wouldn't trust it blindly.
Having made his decision, Ding Songyan hurriedly transferred the clear, misty "seed" within his Sea of Consciousness to the center of his brow, then split it in two and let it settle over his eyes.
His vision instantly became clear; the sky seemed as if it had been washed by rain, and the earth felt as if the distance had been shortened.
He looked openly toward the pitch-pot game and swept his gaze over the man in the bamboo hat.
At this sight, Ding Songyan was stunned.
The man’s skin was flushed red, and from his ear, a moth resembling a large red ant extended antennae covered in blood-colored scales.
As soon as the antennae touched the outside air, they quickly retracted, and the vermilion moth retreated inward, disappearing into the man’s ear canal.
Ding Songyan felt his scalp go numb, suspecting that the man in the bamboo hat was already dead, and that he was now being controlled by that one or several ant-like red moths.
Moths...
Ding Songyan frowned abruptly, his head feeling as if it were aching.
He felt as if he were very familiar with the creature known as a moth.
Yes, he had never seen this kind of vermilion moth before, but he had often seen large numbers of ordinary moths gathering in a certain place.
That was his home!
That was inside the Ding family courtyard!
Could there be some connection between the two? Ding Songyan’s hair stood on end, as if he were trapped in a nightmare from which he could never wake.
He picked up his tools of the trade and bolted toward Chengyu Lane. On the way, he seemed to catch a glimpse of one or several fluffy, white tails flashing by.
He walked extremely fast at first, almost breaking into a run, and only slowed his pace once the illusion-piercing effect of the clear, misty "seed" faded. His expression gradually returned to normal—or at least, it appeared normal.
Ding Songyan walked into Chengyu Lane as he always did, neither fast nor slow, looking somewhat relaxed, and occasionally greeting the neighbors he encountered.
He knocked on the courtyard gate, answered Ding Qingyan’s inquiry, and was let in by his sister.
After stopping in the courtyard, Ding Songyan turned a deaf ear, completely ignoring what Ding Qingyan was saying. His eyes reflected nothing but the insects and moths gathering around the elm tree.
He once again split the clear, misty "seed" into his eyes, triggering the power to pierce illusions.
Those moths and insects did not reveal any potential true forms, nor did they transform into vermilion, ant-like evil creatures.
Ding Songyan turned his body to look at Ding Qingyan.
Ding Qingyan wasn't wearing a hair bun today; she had simply pinned her hair up, adding a touch of lazy casualness to her fresh beauty.
She tilted her head slightly, examining Ding Songyan:
"Second Brother, what’s wrong? You’re acting all strange..."
Seeing that his sister showed no abnormalities, just as she had been before he triggered the illusion-piercing power, Ding Songyan quietly let out a sigh of relief and said with a smile:
"It’s nothing, I just didn't sleep enough last night, and I’m still feeling a bit muddled."
"Then you should go get some rest," Ding Qingyan said with concern.
She had just cooked a bowl of noodles with some pickled greens, simply settling their lunch.
"Alright." Ding Songyan didn't refuse and returned to the west wing room to lie down.
Afraid of disturbing him, Ding Qingyan took her brush, ink, paper, and inkstone to practice calligraphy in the main room.
*Hoo*, am I overthinking this? Connecting ordinary moths with vermilion ones... Vermilion moths, like large red ants—I feel like I’ve seen a similar description somewhere... Ding Songyan lay on the bed, struggling to think.
In the blink of an eye, he found a clue. He carefully rolled off the bed and fumbled to retrieve the copy of the *Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas* he had transcribed from between the mattress and the wooden planks.
He had seen a corresponding description in this book!
Flipping through it rapidly, Ding Songyan found the relevant content:
"Vermilion Moth, a type of *pifou* (ant), its shape is like a moth...
"Eating it causes one to become a hundred insects, to share the marrow sea, and for a thousand people to share one face."
…………
Dingjiang Prefecture, Linjiang County Magistrate's Office.
After patrolling the designated streets with a squad of constables, Li Wu strode back to the guardroom, picked up his large bowl, and gulped down the tea that had already gone cold, leaving a few tea leaves stuck to the corners of his mouth.
"Refreshing!" he muttered. Just as he was about to sit down to rest, he saw Constable Xue Zhangjian and County Lieutenant Yi Qincang walk in together.
Yi Qincang had a square face, thick eyebrows, and large eyes; he was burly and robust, with his left arm slightly longer than his right. He carried a red hard bow on his back, and white-feathered arrows were tucked into the quiver at his waist. Xue Zhangjian was half a head shorter than Yi Qincang, in his forties, and looked scholarly, not at all like a martial artist. As he walked, his body was slightly hunched, and his hands were somewhat stiff, shaped like chicken claws.
"Master Yi, Constable Xue, what is this about?" Li Wu’s body instantly tensed.
Is something happening?
Xue Zhangjian took out an official document and placed it on the table in the guardroom:
"The Martial Prohibition Division in Yan Capital has responded regarding the anomaly of Chen Yuliang’s death from the Small Boat Gang, providing four possibilities."
Li Wu stared intently at the document, which read:
"The phenomenon of a body decomposing faster than the head is the first of its kind within the borders of Great Zhao.
"Combined with intelligence previously transmitted by several secret agents, it is suspected that certain evil-path monsters, who previously only operated north of the Great River, have arrived in Ning Province.
"There are four possibilities:
"First, the Five Thieves Sect of the Gan State; second, the Mushroom People Sect of the New Yu;
"Third, the Thousand Puppet Sect, whose sect location is unknown somewhere north of the river; and fourth, the Moth God Sect of the Feng State."
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