Morning in the little courtyard

He Jin returned to his temporary residence near Treasure Market when he saw Hou Yang, whose head was sickly white, approaching him. He asked in confusion:

Why did you take so long? Did you find anything?

How long have I been unconscious? He Jin hasn't heard the latest night watchman's gong yet, so he can't determine the current time.

He could only say with a gloomy face:

"I had just sneaked into the Rear Courtyard of that Wine Shop when I was knocked unconscious, and I only woke up at the alley entrance on the street about fifteen minutes ago."

Hou Yang was stunned for a moment, and almost couldn't help but laugh.

He Jin, He Jin, you've finally met your match!

What did you say about me before?

Hou Yang calmed himself down to avoid becoming too smug:

"Really? The owner of that courtyard possesses unfathomable strength."

"It wasn't the young man who knocked me out, it was the female Manager of the Wine Shop. She... she only took one move before I passed out. I only caught a glimpse of her clothes, I didn't even see her face." He Jin was also filled with lingering fear.

"One move?" Hou Yang blurted out in astonishment.

It took the young man sweeping the floor at least three moves to scare him away...

Could He Jin have deliberately exaggerated to cover up his mistakes?

The fault wasn't in the fight itself, but rather in the vast difference in skill level?

He Jin took a slow breath, described his experience and feelings at the time, and concluded:

"Back then, the Wine Shop Manager was like the master of the courtyard, his broom swallowing up all the changes."

"Great Grandmaster?" Hou Yang asked, surprised and uncertain.

Without experiencing it firsthand, He Jin couldn't recreate that scene.

"It's possible." He Jin didn't dare to say anything definitively.

Although he was a seasoned veteran, he had only seen less than a tenth of all the Martial Arts arts techniques in the world, so he couldn't be sure whether Wine Shop Manager was showing was the effect of a martial art.

Hou Yang whispered in disbelief:

"Such a small Wine Shop has a Great Grandmaster and a master who is at least at the Perfected Law Realm?"

Even if Flame Capital is full of hidden talents, there's no reason for them all to be holed up in a small Wine Shop...

Just then, their subordinates who had been sent out to gather information returned, bringing more detailed information about the Cheap Wine Shop.

Hou Yang took a look and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets:

"That young man is Xiaoming Sect of the Ding Songyan, and he's only at the Perfected Dayan Realm?"

Are you kidding me?

Even the Sage-Slaying Path wouldn't dare to lie like this!

"Luo Mingyin, Twelfth Madam Luo, has an unknown origin and no unusual appearance. She has been running Wine Shop in Tiger Tail Alley for over a year and often verbally abuses her customers... This does indeed have the demeanor of a reclusive master..." He Jin accepted the information well.

He glanced at Hou Yang and chuckled:

"That disciple of the Xiaoming Sect is Ziming Luo Mingyin's kept man."

"Have you really tested his Martial Arts? Those few moves he made with the broom might have been secretly taught to him by Luo Mingyin using Secret Art; he just had to follow along."

Hou Yang paused for a moment and then said:

"That's possible."

His judgment wavered.

He Jin immediately sighed:

"That Ding Songyan is of ordinary appearance, yet he managed to climb the Great Grandmaster."

"Uh, could it be that he has extraordinary talent and real skills?"

Hou Yang nodded:

"The key to this matter seems to be Twelfth Madam Luo. What should we do next?"

He Jin pondered for a moment and said:

Luo Mingyin's attitude was very clear: she did not want to be our enemy, nor did she want to lose face by letting us break into her home.

"For now, we'll search the nearby streets and alleys, and send people to keep an eye on the Cheap Wine Shop to see if any suspicious people are coming in or out, or if Wu Zheng is there. At the same time, we'll report this matter to the Prince and wait for his decision. It would be best if we could find out Twelfth Madam Luo's background, find someone she knows to mediate, and ask someone trusted by both sides to take a walk around that courtyard."

Cheap Wine Shop in the Rear Courtyard.

Twelfth Madam Luo raised her right hand and lightly tapped her left shoulder, muttering to herself with a hint of doubt:

Why do my shoulders suddenly feel heavier?

Suddenly realizing you've been blamed? Celestial Person intervention? It's not really taking the blame; this was something you, Twelfth Madam, were supposed to do. I was just guiding He Jin's thoughts in the dream, shirking my share of the burden... Ding Songyan touched his ear, feigning confusion:

My ears are burning. Who's talking about me behind my back?

I'm sure some people are calling me a gigolo!

Well said!

Twelfth Madam Luo looked at Ding Songyan suspiciously:

"Did you do something bad behind my back?"

Ding Songyan's mind raced, and he said sincerely:

"When I was interrogating He Jin, I made him believe that everything here was orchestrated by you, Twelfth Madam, and that my strength was insignificant. Even the fact that I scared away that Martial Grandmaster Hou Yang was the result of your secret guidance."

Twelfth Madam Luo looked enlightened and chuckled:

"You're quite cunning, but at least you're honest."

"My specialty is showing sincerity, that's what my Senior Sister taught me!" Ding Songyan was about to reply when he suddenly heard a painful groan coming from the East Wing Room.

He and Twelfth Madam Luo entered the East Wing Room and saw Wu Zheng with his eyes tightly closed and his face slightly distorted. He was clearly asleep, but his body was not at peace.

"That's what happens when the Divine Soul is damaged," said Twelfth Madam Luo, "the Life-Prolonging Pill isn't very effective for this kind of injury." She walked back to the Main Room and took out a few grayish incense sticks and a small bluish-green incense burner from the Display Cabinet.

She placed the incense burner at the head of the bed in the East Wing Room, and lit the incense sticks with a flick of her sleeve.

A wisp of smoke rose slowly, carrying a gentle, pleasant fragrance that was both delicate and serene.

Twelfth Madam Luo lightly tapped her finger, and a wisp of green smoke, mixed with True Qi, drifted toward Wu Zheng's face and entered his nostrils.

Wu Zheng's ferocious and twisted expression gradually softened.

He slept soundly in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Twelfth Madam Luo no longer used her Sword Qi to control the green smoke, letting it drift upwards into the East Wing Room on its own, allowing the fragrance to gradually accumulate.

"Rest now, keep an eye on any changes in your injuries." Twelfth Madam Luo raised her hand to cover her mouth and yawned slightly.

After washing up, one of them sat down on Main Room mat in the main room, while the other returned to the West Wing Room.

Ding Songyan didn't rush to sleep; he reviewed the "Five Elements Escape Art" he had seen in his dream in his mind.

This was something he forcibly memorized using the "Heavenly Mind Formula," just like the "Essentials of the Heavenly Mandate."

Based on He Jin's unusual appearance and the characteristics of his martial arts, Ding Songyan has determined which Mythical Beasts the "Five Elements Escape Art" originated from:

Cunning!

According to the Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas, there is a beast that looks like a dog with leopard markings and has horns like an ox. Its name is Jiao Shi. It can move Divine Movement, and the plants and trees help it. The country will have a great harvest.

"Entering the Earth Divine Movement," "Assistance from Plants and Trees"... It is called the "Five Elements Escape Art," but it focuses more on the Earth and Wood elements. The other three escape techniques are only auxiliary to the first two and are not powerful. They cannot even be used alone... After recalling the "Five Elements Escape Art," Ding Songyan changed his posture to sit cross-legged and tried to cultivate.

This is a very useful skill, worth sacrificing his lifespan to master quickly.

After an unknown amount of time, yellow and black patterns appeared on Ding Songyan's face, and two bony horns grew from his head.

He had mastered the "Five Elements Escape Art," which consumed a full six years of his lifespan.

Since Twelfth Madam was in the next room, he didn't try earth magic on the spot, but only made a general assessment:

"Every hundred feet you travel or ten breaths underground, you must discontinue the escape technique and return to the surface to catch your breath. Otherwise, you will gradually turn into soil and stone, or your escape technique will be affected, and you will be crushed into flesh and blood by the earth..."

Perfected Law Realm, the "Five Elements Escape Art" still faces many limitations...

"He has used up a total of thirty-seven years of his lifespan..."

"I've already consumed three types of life-extending pills, adding fifty years to my lifespan. I still have thirteen years left to use, and I haven't even utilized the lifespan increase granted by my cultivation level itself..."

Ding Songyan rubbed his aching, throbbing, and empty head, then collapsed.

He originally intended to use the "Embrace the Origin and Holding to the One" technique to calm his mind and enter a deep sleep, but after smelling the incense wafting from the east wing and the warm, fragrant aroma that was already present in the East Wing Room Main Room, his mind quickly calmed down and he fell into a deep sleep.

When he opened his eyes the next morning, he felt refreshed and invigorated.

After relieving the pressure in his lower abdomen by going to the toilet near the Wine Shop, Ding Songyan drew his Cold Shadow Sword and began his morning lessons in the cold wind.

He unfolded his moves slowly, pausing to ponder at times, and sometimes switching to the techniques of the "Betrayal-Trust Sword".

"Heaven and earth exist in accordance with the Tao, and all things respond accordingly..." Twelfth Madam Luo got up at some point and sat behind the stone table.

She changed into a dark red short jacket and a three-colored cloth skirt, still wearing her hair in a loose, Fallen-Horse Bun, adorned with a Silver Hairpin without any pearls or jade, and casually said:

"The ' Betrayal-Trust Sword ' can disrupt an opponent's moves and subsequent variations by accumulating evil deeds and resonating with the evil of heaven and earth, thereby affecting the flow of energy generated by the target's moves. In addition, the ' Qi of Myriad Evils ' also has special characteristics. You do not possess either of these. Only by starting from the essence, taking the real thing and discarding the superficial, can you possibly integrate the ' Betrayal-Trust Sword ' into your own Swordsmanship."

"The Qi of Myriad Evils" is the True Qi generated by cultivating "The Accumulated Evil Divine Art".

Ding Songyan pondered Twelfth Madam's words carefully for a while, then started to dissect and try again.

In the East Wing Room, Wu Zheng, who had slept soundly for most of the night, woke up.

His headache had eased somewhat, but his injuries still hampered his mobility. He struggled to the window and peered outside through the thin oil paper.

He saw his two benefactors. One was practicing swordsmanship, his moves fragmented and strange. The other sat behind a stone table, resting his chin on his hand, watching quietly, only occasionally saying a few words.

Initially somewhat anxious, Wu Zheng was soothed by the warm and peaceful scene that his worries gradually subsided.

Nothing happened overnight. It seems that what Twelfth Madam said is true; those people won't be able to find this place for a while.

"If it weren't for the fact that both benefactors were Martial Grandmaster, they would appear to be a couple living a peaceful life..."

At this moment, Twelfth Madam Luo stood up and Ding Songyan:

"I'll go make something to eat."

She swung her arms slightly and walked leisurely towards the Wine Shop, in a very good mood.

The Manager put the leftover meat broth and rice from last night into a pot, cooked it until it was boiling hot, then ladled it into a large basin and carried it to the stone table in the Rear Courtyard.

Ding Songyan had already sheathed his Cold Shadow Sword and, in cooperation, took out three empty bowls and three pairs of chopsticks from the kitchen.

Twelfth Madam Luo went back to the kitchen again, brought over a dish of homemade pickled vegetables, and said to Ding Songyan.

"Eat your fill, then send some more to Wu Zheng."

Ding Songyan first served a bowl of meat soup rice to Twelfth Madam, then to the injured person, setting it aside to cool, and finally served himself.

As he fanned the rice in the hot pot, he asked about Twelfth Madam Luo:

"Do you need to find a prescription and get some medicine to help Wu Zheng regulate his Divine Soul?"

"No need, my calming incense is enough. If you go to get the medicine, won't that tell He Jin and his gang that Wu Zheng is hiding here?" Twelfth Madam Luo breathed into the meat soup rice in small sips.

Ding Songyan hummed in agreement, then said:

"After you've finished getting things done for Wu Zheng, I have to go back to the Prince's Residence to guard the side gate. Be careful not to let anyone sneak in."

"Hmm." Twelfth Madam Luo replied instinctively, then raised her head and said with amusement, "You look down on me, don't you? Do I need to remind you?"

Looking at this scene from East Wing Room, Wu Zheng inexplicably thought of his own family.

Before the accident, they ate breakfast like this, chatting casually about trivial matters, living a normal and uneventful life...

Now, he's all alone.

Suddenly, Wu Zheng was overcome with grief, which he could not contain.

P. S.: Please Monthly Tickets during the double reward period!