Chapter 43: Deep Night, Restless Souls
In the gentle breeze of the night, Ding Songyan and Xiaoqing strolled through the dim, quiet alleys, heading toward Fengshui Bridge.
This time, Xiaoqing had not brought her maid.
Glancing at the picturesque young girl beside him, Ding Songyan was suddenly struck by a wave of sentiment:
It had been less than ten days since he transmigrated, yet it felt as though an entire month had passed. He had encountered many people during this time, and many he met frequently, but the only ones who treated him with sincerity—without deceit or masks—were Miss Xiaoqing and Brother Youyang. Well, Xu Chang'an counted for half.
As for his family, in whom he had already invested some affection and was on the verge of integrating with, they had become unrecognizable in less time than it took to finish a cup of tea.
Taking a breath and exhaling slowly, Ding Songyan smiled and asked Xiaoqing:
"Miss Xiaoqing, are you not afraid of being discovered by Ren Youyang today?"
Xiaoqing responded with a faint smile:
"We will likely run into each other tomorrow anyway, so it does not matter."
Ding Songyan thought for a moment and reminded her:
"Besides Ren Youyang and his group, there are also government officials following me. They might be from the County Magistrate's Office or the Xiaoming Sect."
"Does this not matter either?"
If your identities are exposed, you might not be able to attend the banquet at the Zhen Mansion tomorrow.
"..." Xiaoqing blinked her eyes innocently.
Ding Songyan was speechless.
After only a few breaths, Xiaoqing flicked her arm and said in a lighthearted tone:
"It does not matter, Second Uncle will handle it!"
At this very moment, Ren Youyang, clad in black, was peeking out from a tree at the mouth of the alley.
He struggled to maintain his balance while concealing his presence, watching as Ding Songyan strolled along alone, muttering to himself from time to time.
"Brother Ding, why are you out enjoying the cool air so late? Go back to your room and sleep early; I have important matters tomorrow..." Ren Youyang muttered silently.
In the shadows at the end of the alley, a constable and a disciple of the Xiaoming Sect were also quietly observing Ding Songyan’s every move.
"Although he is alone, it is somewhat strange." A dim, yellowish light seemed to bloom within the eyes of the Xiaoming Sect disciple.
The constable nodded repeatedly:
"I also feel that something is not quite right."
"Brother Zhang, my cultivation is shallow, and I cannot discern the problem. You keep following him; I will go and fetch reinforcements!" the Xiaoming Sect disciple said, feeling quite ashamed.
He immediately slipped away from the end of the alley and circled around from another direction.
Seeing that Xiaoqing was unconcerned, Ding Songyan put the matter aside and pondered:
"Miss Xiaoqing, I fear there may be turmoil at the Zhen Mansion banquet tomorrow. You must be extremely careful. If everything proceeds as usual, the Zhen Mansion might postpone things for another day or two."
He successfully spoke these words without forgetting them.
This was within Ding Songyan's expectations. He had thought it over carefully: Yan Changqing’s goal was to escape the Zhen Mansion and restore his strength, while his "old friends"—whether they wanted to save him or were after his treasures—would inevitably be at odds with the Zhen Mansion. Therefore, neither of the two forces that could influence Ding Songyan’s thoughts would mind causing some trouble for the Zhen Mansion to hold them back.
Xiaoqing kicked a small pebble away, turned her head to look at Ding Songyan, and smiled brightly:
"You have so much trouble of your own, yet you are still concerned for my safety."
Her expression gradually turned serious:
"I have also been able to sense these past few days that you are heavily burdened with thoughts, and you likely harbor many difficult matters in your heart."
"I have no grand ambitions for the moment. Aside from chivalry, everything I seek can be satisfied by my family. I do not covet anything from others. If you trust me, you can tell me what is troubling you; perhaps I can help."
Ding Songyan gave a bitter smile.
It is not that I do not want to tell you; it is that I cannot.
Miss Xiaoqing, these words of yours are exactly what I was desperately craving at the beginning.
Seeing his expression, Xiaoqing said thoughtfully:
"You cannot speak of it? Or you have no way to speak of it?"
"Similar situations often stem from witchcraft or gu-poison. You have no gu-insects on you; I can confirm that much. Is someone using witchcraft to control you?"
Does it count as witchcraft? Ding Songyan recalled carefully, but he dared not be certain.
He still did not know enough about the wondrous martial arts and witchcraft of this world.
He wanted to hint to Miss Xiaoqing that there might be another possibility, but he feared that as soon as he opened his mouth, he would forget, just like trying to write something on paper only to forget what he intended to write.
In the silence, Ding Songyan suddenly thought:
The "seed" of Yan Changqing and the methods his "old friends" might have left in my Sea of Consciousness, aside from explicitly restricting what I cannot say, likely rely entirely on "subjective judgment" to block my thoughts, checking whether I have malice or the intent to disclose.
What if I do not?
It is truly impossible to have no intent, but I can deceive myself. I can deceive that "seed" and the methods left by Yan Changqing’s "old friends" by pretending I have no such intent.
Originally, I would have no way to deceive them like this, but since Yan Changqing taught me a secret art centered on self-deception...
Uh, this secret art and the divine skill he used to influence my mind complement and restrain each other. Are they truly from the same source?
In this situation, unless Yan Changqing’s "old friends" are nearby, constantly monitoring my thoughts, it is difficult to stop me in advance...
Could Yan Changqing be waiting for me here? Did he guess that I would not practice this secret art before the matter was resolved for fear of hidden dangers, so he used the control of the "seed" to force me to practice it? Once I practice it, will I become his puppet or vessel?
What if I still do not practice it, but merely borrow its core essence to perform a single act of self-deception? Besides, I have no martial arts foundation to make this secret art effective...
Ding Songyan ran through the secret art in his mind, discarding the numerous steps and potentially dangerous parts, and filtered out a section that only involved self-deception based on the psychological suggestion techniques he knew from his previous life.
As the clear, misty "seed" turned, Ding Songyan’s consciousness split in two; half of it retreated into his Sea of Consciousness, sitting cross-legged in the void.
He lowered his head and cast his gaze toward the individual thoughts that made up the golden, illusory ocean.
As his consciousness stirred, these thoughts all manifested in his own image.
Looking at those familiar eyes as if in a mirror, Ding Songyan whispered to himself in a specific rhythm:
"To deceive others, one must first deceive oneself. The false can become true; if you believe it, it exists..."
"I am merely discussing various possibilities with Miss Xiaoqing, and I have no intention of leaking secrets..."
"Merely discussing various possibilities..."
As the words repeated over and over, Ding Songyan’s eyes grew deep and profound, and the versions of him within those thoughts did the same.
Seeing that Ding Erlang had not responded to her and was only walking forward in silence, Xiaoqing reached out her slender, fair right hand and waved it before his eyes in confusion:
"Soul, return! Soul, return!"
Ding Songyan’s eyes flickered, and he said in a low voice:
"Perhaps there is another possibility."
"Another possibility..." Xiaoqing furrowed her brows in thought.
Xiaoqing’s Second Uncle was walking on the main road seven or eight zhang away. He suddenly turned his head and looked toward a building facing the street.
Under the bright half-moon, a black shadow holding a sharp sword burst through a window.
Within the shadow’s line of sight, a pair of eyes suddenly appeared—slightly upturned, deep, bright, and clear eyes.
At this moment, it was as if he had returned home and seen the person he had been longing for. His heart softened, and his hand went limp.
A palm with slender fingers then imprinted itself upon his forehead.
Thump. He collapsed to the ground, losing his breath.
Within a few breaths, a moth resembling a large red ant crawled out from his mouth and nose, and his body began to rot rapidly.
Xiaoqing’s Second Uncle grabbed the "Moth Seed," only to find it split open on its own, showing no further movement.
Throwing the "Moth Seed" away, he took out a white handkerchief, gently wiped his palm, and turned his gaze back toward Xiaoqing and Ding Songyan.
Just now, although he had taken action, most of his attention had remained on them.
At the top of the nearest watchtower, the Yi-clan constable on duty only saw a figure jump out of a window on its own, land head-first, and die on the street.
He immediately used a lantern to signal a patrol team nearby, telling them to go and collect the body to see if there was any hidden story behind the suicide.
Xiaoqing thought for a long time without success. Looking at the sparsely populated street and the bustling Fengshui Bridge in the distance, she said with a hum:
"Ding Erlang, you are the first friend I have made while wandering the pugilistic world. I hope we can meet again in the future."
First, I have to survive tomorrow and the day after... Ding Songyan wanted to say this, but he "forgot" the corresponding words.
He could only smile self-deprecatingly:
"I will try."
Xiaoqing giggled:
"Try what? You have been asking questions left and right; I could tell early on that you are very interested in martial arts. If you are willing to leave your hometown and head to the Gan State, I can help you find a few sects that suit you and let you choose one to join."
Ding Songyan’s heart skipped a beat. Was this not exactly what he had been dreaming of?
But thinking of his parents, his younger sister, and his eldest brother, and remembering that the Gan State was ruled by an alien race, he hesitated.
He weighed his words and said:
"Miss Xiaoqing, may I give you an answer tomorrow evening?"
I need to consider and weigh things carefully.
"Of course, you are not alone in this world." Xiaoqing expressed her understanding.
She waved goodbye to Ding Songyan and walked alone toward the Tianyang Guild Hall via Fengshui Bridge.
Ding Songyan also turned around and returned along the path he had just taken toward Chengyu Lane.
The closer he got to the familiar Chengyu Lane, the more inexplicably uneasy he felt, as if he were afraid of something, yet he could not remember what he was afraid of.
This made him feel increasingly stifled and slow with every step.
"What is there to be uneasy about? Am I not just going home to sleep..." Ding Songyan found it puzzling himself.
When he reached the water well and heard Ah Hua barking because someone was passing by, he actually began to pace back and forth, unwilling to move forward.
The night seemed to have thickened, heavy and oppressive.
Suddenly, a gentle, yellowish light shone into Ding Songyan’s eyes and into his mind, causing many of the dark thoughts hidden in the depths to recede like the tide, and causing the clear, misty "seed" and the lingering shadows to sink together, hiding deep within the illusory ocean.
Ding Songyan’s thinking became active instantly. He looked up toward the source of the light, first spotting a glass palace lantern, then seeing the young girl holding it, followed by several Xiaoming Sect disciples.
The girl walked over with the grace of a willow swaying in the wind. She was tall, with thick eyebrows that added a touch of heroism to her beautiful, clean features.
Under the bright moonlight, she wore a light green dress, her black hair tied up with a silk ribbon, and her beautiful eyes shone brightly, as if starlight and candlelight were truly hidden within them.
Stopping in her tracks, the lantern light swaying gently, the girl looked at Ding Songyan with a clear, soft smile and said:
"I am Zheng Zhuxi of the Xiaoming Sect. I have some things I would like to ask you."
0 Comments