Chapter 42: As It Was
Ding Songyan slowly withdrew his gaze and, following his pre-established routine, walked back to the west wing room with a stiff, unremarkable gait.
Ding Qingyan was sitting on the edge of his bed, flipping through the previous installments of *The Legend of the White Snake* that he had written.
"Second Brother, we’re almost at the final chapter, aren't we? Once that’s done, you won't have to burn the midnight oil anymore. You can tell me the whole story from beginning to end—the very detailed version." The young girl gave a clever smile. "Only then will I be able to help you transcribe it and take it to the literary society to exchange for money."
Ding Songyan stared at Ding Qingyan, scanning her from head to toe, but just as before, he found nothing out of the ordinary.
"What’s wrong?" Ding Qingyan looked at him, bewildered.
Ding Songyan forced a smile.
"I just realized how pretty my little sister is."
Ding Qingyan rolled her eyes and said with a scoff:
"Don't think you can brush me off like that!"
"Alright, alright. Once I don't have to burn the midnight oil anymore, I'll tell you one chapter of *The Legend of the White Snake* every day," Ding Songyan said dismissively.
All he wanted right now was an environment where he wouldn't be disturbed so he could think through the problems calmly.
Only then did Ding Qingyan break into a smile. She thanked her second brother sweetly and walked back into the inner room partitioned by the screen.
Ding Songyan sat down and pondered for a moment. While the "truth-piercing" effect brought by the "seed" of Clear Mist had not yet faded, he rummaged through the wooden chest to find the ingot of silver given to him by Xu Chang'an. He crossed the main room, arrived outside the east wing, and knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" Liu Yuzao’s cold voice rang out.
"It’s me. I have something to discuss." Ding Songyan’s voice had returned to a steady state.
Before long, the door creaked open. Ding Shengyi, dressed in white undergarments, looked at Ding Songyan with a puzzled expression.
"Second Young Master, what is it?"
In Ding Songyan’s eyes, two tentacles covered in blood-colored scales sprouted from his father’s temples. His frame appeared gaunt and radiated a faint red hue.
This... A term suddenly surfaced in Ding Songyan’s mind:
"Moth Father"!
His nerves tightened instantly. He lowered his head, using a look of embarrassment to mask his agitation.
"Father, I did a favor for Xu Chang'an earlier, and he gave me quite a bit of silver as a token of gratitude. Should I... should I turn this over to the family treasury?"
Ding Shengyi, whose temperament was somewhat effeminate, felt his tentacles twitch. He chuckled softly.
"No need. Whatever you earn yourself, you may keep for your own use."
"Understood." Ding Songyan dared not linger. He turned around immediately and walked back to the west wing.
By the time he sat down again, the extraordinary clarity in his vision began to dissipate.
"It doesn't look like they are demons..." Combining what he had seen and heard over the past few days, Ding Songyan made a preliminary judgment. "It’s more like the physical anomalies that appear after a martial artist reaches the Great Evolution Realm and uses techniques like 'Aperture Refining'—similar to Mr. Yu’s ears, Master Physician Shao’s eyes, or Ren Youyang’s dog ears."
He had originally suspected that his eldest brother was in a half-demon state and that the ones who had abducted his mother were of the demon race, but Ding Shengyi’s "Moth Father" appearance made him lean more toward the possibility of them being Great Evolution Realm martial artists.
A single "family" couldn't possibly have two half-demons, could it?
And they weren't even the same kind of demon!
"Is it Ding Shengyi who is controlling the 'Moth People' to track me? Heh, whether his name is even Ding Shengyi is up for debate... No wonder my courtyard is filled with insects and moths; it turns out the 'Moth Father' is right here, and the trait of 'Commanding a Hundred Insects' has naturally taken effect...
"Was it also him who manipulated Chen Yuliang and Wang Yishu into acting out a play to deceive me and the Zhen Mansion? Is he working in league with Yan Changqing’s 'old friend'?
"Is the source of the *Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas* that same 'old friend'?
"When the *Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas* was traded, was the original owner acting of his own volition, or was he forced?
"Did the original owner want to copy the *Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas* himself, or was someone forcing him to do it?
"This cannot possibly be a normal family..."
The more Ding Songyan thought about it, the more horrified he became.
He even began to doubt whether the original owner’s name was actually Ding Songyan.
What if that was a fake name too!
"No, it couldn't be such a coincidence that the fake name matches my own from before I transmigrated. It’s more logical that sharing the same name is one of the reasons for the transmigration." Ding Songyan suddenly laughed—a laugh born of sheer absurdity. "So it turns out all your fake names were changed to match mine."
This reminded him of a conversation he had with his three-year-old nephew while visiting his cousin’s house in his previous life:
"Uncle, what is your surname?"
"My surname is Ding."
"Oh, so you took my surname too? And Daddy did, too."
Ding Songyan reined in his thoughts and began to seriously analyze a question:
Is it difficult to conceal the various physical anomalies brought about by martial arts practice so that they aren't discovered in daily life?
"It shouldn't be easy... If it were truly easy, Ren Youyang wouldn't have to keep those dog ears pressed tightly against his scalp and covered by his long hair every time he disguised himself...
"Concealment through internal arts? It’s unlikely that both Ding Daniu and Ding Shengyi practice the same technique, given their different physical anomalies...
"Is someone helping them conceal it? And did Ding Daniu lose control of his desires today, becoming too complacent, or perhaps indulging in carnal pleasures and breaking his vows, causing the concealment to fail?
"That is a very strong possibility...
"Which means there is still a master hiding in the shadows... That 'old friend' of Yan Changqing? Does the 'Qi' corresponding to their divine arts also possess the miraculous ability to change and conceal?
"The original owner said, 'I won't run anymore, don't kill me'... His 'running' was likely an attempt to escape this 'family.' No wonder he didn't even want the *Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas* copy... Only to have his mind influenced by Yan Changqing’s 'old friend,' leading him to the ruined temple where he died a miserable death...
"Wait, that’s not right. Why didn't Yan Changqing’s 'old friend' simply plant the 'seed' of Clear Mist in his mind so that he couldn't escape even if he wanted to? Just like me—if I truly have the thought of leaving Dingjiang Prefecture, I forget it the moment I turn my head...
"I'll ask Miss Xiaoqing later to see if there is any technique that can help others conceal such anomalies..."
Ding Songyan stopped his silent contemplation. He moved the wooden chest, assembled a makeshift desk and chair, and moved the oil lamp over.
While waiting for Miss Xiaoqing to arrive, he took out the copy of the *Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas* and, by the light of the lamp, flipped through it rapidly, searching for divine beasts that matched Ding Daniu’s physical characteristics.
He even thought to himself that if Miss Xiaoqing happened to walk in and discover this *Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas*, it might be a way to find a glimmer of life in the face of death—provided she didn't just "forget" it the moment she turned away.
After a moment, Ding Songyan locked onto a divine beast:
"Shuhu: body of a horse, wings of a bird, human face, snake tail.
"Possesses strength exceeding a hundred oxen, travels ten thousand miles in a flash, and understands the hearts of Heaven and men."
"Except for the bird wings, everything else matches... Big Brother is practicing the Shuhu inheritance... And he told me he was born with divine strength and had never practiced martial arts... Well played, Ding Daniu. You look like you aren't very bright, but you’re quite the liar...
"And Mother, too. That day, she actually ate a steamed bun that had fallen on the ground. That doesn't seem like a habit a young lady from a wealthy family would have, even if our current life isn't rich, it’s not that bad... I ignored that point that day because I wasn't familiar enough with them. Now that I think about it, either she never came from a wealthy family at all, or she has been wallowing in the mud for far too long...
"If it’s the former, then Qingyan is lying to me too, talking about how the Liu family is this and that. What a little liar..." Ding Songyan muttered, finding a bitter humor in the situation.
He put away the *Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas* and began writing the final chapter of *The Legend of the White Snake*.
In this chapter, Xu Shilin first attempted to sneak in to secretly break the pagoda, but Fahai had anticipated this, causing him to fail once again. Then, he entered the Dao through his emotions, successfully broke through his realm, and with the help of the returned Green Snake and other experts, finally shattered the Arhat formation, split the Leifeng Pagoda, rescued Bai Suzhen, and reunited with Xu Xian. The three of them were finally together, and the ending featured Xu Shilin holding a wedding with the former ruler of the Women’s Kingdom, living in harmony.
"Good, good, good!" Xiaoqing, who had arrived at some point, praised as she read.
When she finished reading it all, she clapped her hands together in satisfaction.
"Not bad, not bad. Before I came, I was thinking that if this wasn't the final chapter, I would have to invite you onto the boat tomorrow night to tell me the rest."
"Miss Xiaoqing, are you leaving Dingjiang Prefecture tomorrow?" Ding Songyan asked, feeling quite surprised.
Xiaoqing let out an "Mm."
"The Zhen Mansion has already invited us to a banquet tomorrow afternoon. Things should come to an end then. Regardless of whether we gain anything, it is not convenient for us to stay long. You know, we are not people of the Great Zhao."
A banquet tomorrow, also in the afternoon... Ding Songyan’s heart stirred.
"Did the Zhen Mansion invite you only after the Shen hour today?"
"Yes." Xiaoqing paused, not hiding the truth.
"Between the first and second quarters of the Shen hour, I bought a dagger. Someone told me to buy it." Ding Songyan tried to speak, finding that he could indeed mention this matter.
Xiaoqing’s lips parted slightly, her eyes flickering.
"The two matters are connected...
"I will tell the Second Uncle about this later."
She stood up immediately, pursed her lips, and said:
"I must go. If you find yourself in a difficult position, you must act quickly."
"I will see you off. It’s a good time to enjoy the cool air." Ding Songyan had already packed his brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
There were still things he hadn't asked Miss Xiaoqing, because right now, there were truly "ears behind the wall."
Xiaoqing nodded and vanished from the room, as if in a dream.
Ding Songyan, just like the previous few days, took the key, walked out, and locked the door from the outside.
In the courtyard, which was clean and free of a single mosquito, moths were once again swarming and dancing in chaos.
In the pitch-black east wing, Ding Shengyi, dressed in white undergarments, stood by the window covered in oil paper. He whispered with a hint of irritation:
"He has discovered that something is wrong with us.
"Sister Xiaoxiang, your son has repeatedly broken the prohibitions and refuses to be corrected. He almost ruined our great plan. Fortunately, there are only a day or two left, and your Sect Master can still handle it."
Liu Yuzao, who possessed delicate features, a quiet temperament, and appeared to be in her thirties, was also dressed in white undergarments. She looked toward the main room, her expression as calm and ripple-free as if she were speaking of someone else’s affairs.
"In the past, I thought about strangling him to death."
Ding Shengyi fell silent. After a few breaths, he said with a pity he could not hide:
"Even a tiger does not eat its own cubs; who could blame you?
"When this matter is over, why don't you take the opportunity to ask your Sect Master to stop being involved in these entanglements? You have a kind heart and were never suited for the ways of the heterodox sects. Unlike me, I have long been accustomed to it and do not need to copy Buddhist scriptures to resolve my inner demons.
"If you want to retire from the Jianghu, I can do so as well. Li Zhi’s lust and bloodthirst are not difficult for us to satisfy. Brothels, moth seeds, moth people—all are possible."
Liu Yuzao gazed at the window paper and shook her head slowly.
"In the past, I was trapped in a demon’s den. I tried to escape many times only to be dragged back. No righteous hero could find that secret place. The one who finally saved me was a giant of the heterodox sects who lived by preying on other villains. He not only saved me but also pitied me, taught me martial arts, and passed on his unique skills, allowing me to have a place to stand.
"That day, I swore in secret that I would repay this kindness with my life, until the very end.
"How could I abandon the sect now just because I cannot bear it?"
Ding Shengyi was speechless for a moment. Only after a long time did he let out a long sigh.
"Your Sect Master’s divine art and my *Moth Nerve Scripture* complement each other perfectly. After this matter, if he can keep his promise and truly offer some guidance, it is not impossible for me to join you. In any case, I have long since betrayed my own sect."
Having said this, Ding Shengyi hesitated for a moment before asking:
"Is that girl, Xiaoyan, the child of you and him?"
"Xiaoyan is not my daughter." Liu Yuzao shook her head gently. "She has something special about her. The Sect Master sought her out specifically. If Ding Songyan cannot be reached, then it will be her turn."
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