Divine Light Scripture

"Of course not." Though talk of ghosts and gods was vague and illusory, how could Ling Shuanghua believe that her mother would enter the Three Lower Realms?

"Then isn't that settled?" Song Qingshu spread his hands. "Miss Ling, you won't need to remain hung up on that poisonous oath anymore."

"Thank you for your guidance, Young Master Song." After his counsel, Ling Shuanghua felt as though the clouds in her heart had parted, and a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Before, she had been too deeply involved to realize this. Ding Dian was more of a rough man of the martial world and lacked such delicate insight, which was why the two of them had been bound for years by a baseless poisonous oath.

"Rest assured, Miss Ling. I have a way to ensure that you and Great Hero Ding, two lovers, will finally be together." Song Qingshu had finally figured out the problem between them. His heart settled, and feeling that this trip had yielded nearly all it could, he rose to take his leave.

"I have troubled Young Master Song." Ling Shuanghua stood and returned his salute. Though her face had been ruined, every gesture still exuded an elegant, unworldly grace. Song Qingshu gave her a kindly smile and turned to leave.

"You saw Shuang Hua?" Ding Dian sprang excitedly to his feet in the prison cell, staring at Song Qingshu. "How has she been lately?"

Song Qingshu shook his head irritably. "You two love-struck fools both say the exact same thing as your first sentence. She is well enough, though she has grown somewhat thin from excessive worry."

"That's good, that's good..." Ding Dian seemed possessed as he chuckled foolishly to himself.

"Stop acting cute," Song Qingshu said with a light cough. "Let's discuss the Divine Light Scripture instead."

Ding Dian immediately became wary. "Once Shuang Hua and I leave Jingzhou City, I will naturally give you the Divine Light Scripture."

Song Qingshu smiled without really smiling. "I cannot even truss a chicken. What if you go back on your word then?"

"Likewise." Ding Dian folded his arms and snorted. "Don't even think about making me teach it to you now."

"Fine, let's say you keep your word. But I don't even know whether your Divine Light Scripture can truly heal my meridians." Song Qingshu put on a doubtful expression. "What if I brave tremendous danger to fulfill your wishes, only to find that the Divine Light Scripture does nothing for my injuries? Who would I cry to then?"

"My hamstrings were severed by Ling Tuis's men before, yet aren't I still lively and vigorous now?" Ding Dian stretched out a foot to demonstrate.

"That is all according to you. How would I know whether it is true or false? No, no." Song Qingshu frowned and paced back and forth. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he slapped his palm. "How about this? Teach me the first half of the Divine Light Scripture first. Once I have helped you and Miss Ling fulfill your wishes, you can give me the remaining half. What do you say, Great Hero Ding? I am only making this concession because I trust the character of you and Miss Ling..."

Ding Dian hesitated for a while. He knew that empty promises would never make the crafty man before him work wholeheartedly. "Fine. Shuang Hua is the woman I love most in this life. What is a mere Divine Light Scripture compared to that? Listen carefully."

Di Yun, standing nearby, saw that he was about to pass on martial arts. Crushed with despair, he could not muster the slightest interest. To avoid being beaten, he covered his ears and shrank into a corner by the wall.

Ding Dian cast him a guilty look. "Hey, that Di Yun or whatever—listen too."

Di Yun shook his head like a rattle drum. Ding Dian glared fiercely at him. "You want another beating?"

Frightened, Di Yun hurriedly removed his hands from his ears and began listening tremulously.

"You seem rather anxious, but I still need to remind you of something." Seeing Song Qingshu's expectant look, Ding Dian hesitated before speaking. "One must be diligent in practicing martial arts. That is extremely important. But haste makes waste; you must proceed step by step. When practicing the Divine Light Scripture in particular, your heart must be calm and peaceful, free of the slightest distracting thought."

"Of course." Though he said so aloud, Song Qingshu sighed inwardly. How could I not be anxious? I could be hunted down at any moment...

Seeing that he did not mean what he said, Ding Dian gave a cold laugh and ignored him, directly beginning to recite the Divine Light Scripture: "Since ancient times, those whose creation reached the heavens found the root of life in yin and yang. Between Heaven and Earth, within the six directions, its qi filled the nine provinces, the nine apertures, the five viscera, and the twelve joints, all connecting with the qi of Heaven..."

"The qi of Heaven, when clear and tranquil, governs the will. Follow it, and yang qi shall be strengthened. Thus sages transmit the spirit, receive the qi of Heaven, and attain Divine Illumination..."

Whether it was because transmigration had made his soul especially powerful or for some other reason, Song Qingshu found that his memory was extraordinarily good, already at the level of never forgetting anything he saw. He silently recited the last few lines of the first half of the Divine Light Scripture and confirmed that he had memorized every word.

Upon carefully considering the scripture's contents, he found that the heart of the Divine Light Scripture lay in absorbing the qi of Heaven. Its method differed from ordinary martial arts, which required qi to circulate through the meridians. Once mastered, it could instead nourish and regenerate one's meridians. It truly was an extraordinary art of Heaven and Earth.

Song Qingshu said delightedly, "The Divine Light Scripture truly is extraordinary. Great Hero Ding, rest assured. Though I may disregard rites and conventions, I have always valued my promises. I will certainly do everything in my power to help you and Miss Ling fly far away together."

"Hm?" Ding Dian looked at him in amazement. He had not instructed him in the method of cultivation. Song Qingshu had merely heard him recite the scripture once, yet he had already developed the most crucial sensation of qi in the Divine Light Scripture! All that remained was the accumulation of time and the refinement of Heaven's qi... Looking again at Di Yun beside him, who was listening in complete bewilderment, Ding Dian's heart filled with uncertainty. Could this man be a martial arts prodigy seen only once in a century?

Song Qingshu also sensed the changes within his body and was startled. Why was this like playing games in my previous life? Pick up a secret manual, click cultivate, and immediately reach the maximum level. Could I really be one of those peerless geniuses of legend?

"Young Master Song, Lord Ling has sent someone to invite you to his residence for a discussion," a bailiff called from afar.

"Understood, I'll be right there." After calling back, Song Qingshu turned to Ding Dian. "Great Hero Ding, the matter between you and Miss Ling will most likely have to begin with Ling Tuis. I will go deal with him first."

"Mm." Ding Dian nodded noncommittally, then turned to stare at the foolish young man Di Yun beside him. One should not put all one's eggs in one basket. This foolish boy may be a little slow, but he is honest and loyal. If something should happen to me someday, perhaps I will have to rely on him to bury Shuang Hua and me together...

"Lord Ling, you summoned me here in such haste. May I ask what this is about?" As Song Qingshu walked along, he felt a faint vortex of qi slowly wandering through his body. Wherever it passed, a cool and gentle sensation spread through his meridians and acupoints, replacing their previous soreness and swelling. Although many meridians and acupoints still seemed blocked with no path forward, that was presumably because the Divine Light Scripture he had learned was incomplete. Once he obtained the complete Divine Light Scripture someday, recovering fully would no longer be difficult...

"This official sees joy on your face, Young Master. Have you discovered something?" Ling Tuis held a teacup, gently blew across it, and asked with a gloomy expression.