Nowhere to Be Seen

Chapter Sixty-Four: A Deliberate Deception (Seeking Monthly Tickets during double reward period)

When Ding Songyan carried the meat soup rice into the East Wing Room, Wu Zheng was already lying on the bed, his eyes vacant, as if he had lost his soul.

"Can you eat by yourself?" Ding Songyan asked bluntly, seemingly oblivious to the other person's emotions.

Not wanting to trouble his benefactor, Wu Zheng suppressed his grief, struggled to his feet, and accepted the bowl of meat soup and rice, along with the clean chopsticks.

"Able."

Ding Songyan watched him eat a few bites, then picked up the washing bucket and went to the toilet.

This made him feel as if he had returned to the early morning in Yuxiang, Dingjiang Prefecture, where he also dealt with night soil in the same way, but there were no toilets, and it was poured directly into the dung cart.

After taking care of everything for the injured, Ding Songyan picked up his Cold Shadow Sword and said to Twelfth Madam Luo, who had just finished tidying up the Main Room:

"I'm going to the Prince's Residence."

"Bring a few inksticks with you next time you're on duty; we're almost out of the original ones," Twelfth Madam Luo said with a gentle nod.

Ding Songyan agreed, first returning to the Side Courtyard of the Prince's Residence's Mansion to change into a dark red and blue guard's uniform, before heading to the northeast corner gate with Li Baima and the others.

Few people came and went here, and his thoughts drifted away:

"Without relying on the 'evil of heaven and earth' to influence the target's moves, one can only directly disrupt the corresponding flow of qi. However, that wouldn't align with the Heavenly Mind and would be impossible to control. This is a special characteristic only found in the Celestial-Human Realm or a few other techniques. The ' Betrayal-Trust Sword ' is an application method that knows how but not why; one only needs to follow the steps, and results will be achieved..."

"Does this mean I have to create the Ding Clan Heavenly Mind before I can truly integrate the ' Betrayal-Trust Sword ' into the ' Dao One Sword '?"

"Before that, could we deduce the possible flow of energy from the surface moves to specifically disrupt them? That's one approach, but it requires a massive amount of deduction to support it. If we already have a good understanding of the moves, then ' Deriving Dao and De ' should be sufficient in actual combat; otherwise, it won't work. We need to accumulate more knowledge, disassemble, find, and summarize the similar Principles of Law hidden in different moves..."

Li Baima and the others looked at Ding Songyan and found that he was daydreaming again.

After spending some time together, they had gotten used to the Ding brothers often daydreaming.

This is perhaps what makes Martial Arts prodigies extraordinary.

As noon approached, Ding Songyan returned to the Rear Courtyard of the Cheap Wine Shop with five inksticks.

"How much Silver Coins?" Twelfth Madam Luo asked.

"It was given to me by the Prince's Residence, no Silver Coins needed," Ding Songyan replied with a smile. "I usually do a lot of calligraphy, so I won't be idle these next few days."

He scavenged a pen from each of Li Baima, Wu Mo, and Fan Chunlin, since none of the three liked to write and they even neglected to record their training experiences.

"You're quite frugal." Twelfth Madam Luo didn't insist on a final payment.

Ding Songyan put away the ink stick and paper, thought for a moment, and said:

"Twelfth Madam, how about we ask Chef Shi for help to set up a few decoys in the South City to divert the attention of He Jin and his gang? I'm worried they'll keep watching you and trying to find out your true identity. Besides, it won't be convenient to send Wu Zheng to Phoenix Terrace Studio later."

"If it's not that easy to find out, I'll just leave Flame Capital." Twelfth Madam Luo didn't seem to care much.

"Won't this interfere with your viewing of the imperial Consort Selection?" Ding Songyan replied.

Twelfth Madam Luo said indifferently:

Do what you want.

Ding Songyan went to the East Wing Room and saw Wu Zheng cross-legged, regulating his breathing and healing his injuries.

"My benefactor, what is it?" Wu Zheng asked, opening his eyes.

Ding Songyan scrutinized the young man, then pointed to his forehead and said:

"Besides the presence of a few sparks here, what other characteristics does your family's inherited martial arts technique bring?"

Wu Zheng had some experience in the ways of the world and vaguely guessed what his benefactor was going to do. Without hesitation, he replied:

"His right arm is almost useless; he can only do some daily tasks."

"What weapons do you usually use?" Ding Songyan asked further.

"The strongest technique in the ' Myriad Flames Origin Flow Art ' is the ' Rightless Blade,'" Wu Zheng truthfully told him.

Ding Songyan asked for some more details, then walked out of the East Wing Room and said to Twelfth Madam Luo:

"I'm going to find the Chef Shi."

"I'll pay half the Silver Coins." Twelfth Madam Luo never took advantage of others.

Ding Songyan chuckled:

"I misled He Jin and shifted all the blame onto you, Twelfth Madam, making you bear the bad reputation. Naturally, I should be responsible for the Silver Coins."

"So you're starting to talk about Dao of Name and Reality now?" Luo Mingyin asked, amused.

She accepted Ding Songyan's explanation.

When Shi Wuyan saw Ding Songyan enter the kitchen from the Rear Courtyard, although she was somewhat prepared, her expression still changed slightly, and she forgot to speak.

"Chef Shi, I have something to ask you." Ding Songyan saw another chef busy in the outer room, so he got straight to the point.

Shi Wuyan spoke in a businesslike tone:

What is it?

"Find three young men to do a few things in the South City. First, have them wear headbands and go to a small shop in the alley to buy steel knives. Second, have them wear hero scarves and go to a clinic to inquire about a prescription for calming the mind and spirit. Third, have them wear straw hats, lower their heads, turn from the main street into an alley, and if they accidentally bump into a passerby, push him away with their left hand."

"These three tasks must be done by different people at different times in different streets and alleys, and they must disguise their appearance well, with sickly faces, unsteady steps, and deliberately using their right hand most of the time, but appearing quite clumsy..." Ding Songyan said in one breath.

Shi Wuyan listened attentively and said:

Is this dangerous?

"There's considerable danger, but as long as we don't get found, we'll be fine," Ding Songyan without hiding anything.

Shi Wuyan considered it for a moment:

"One hundred taels of silver, half to be paid upfront."

Ding Songyan immediately took out a fifty-tael silver note and handed it over.

In the days that followed, he continued to care for the injured, Twelfth Madam Luo brought them meals.

After Wu Zheng went to sleep to rest, Ding Songyan returned to the Main Room and began to explore the essentials of cultivating the "Essentials of the Heavenly Mandate".

This wasn't because he wanted to change his mind and squander his lifespan to quickly master this technique; rather, he wanted to grasp its mysteries through normal simulated cultivation.

If one doesn't fully understand the "Essentials of the Heavenly Mandate," how can one use it as the foundation of Ding Clan Heavenly Mind?

Ding Songyan was so engrossed in his Martial Arts studies that he didn't notice that Twelfth Madam Luo had finished her lunch market business and had given him a couple of short scoldings.

The Manager glanced at the Main Room, but didn't disturb Ding Songyan. He then set up his stance in the courtyard and began practicing his Body Tempering exercises, sometimes slowly and leisurely, sometimes swiftly and effortlessly.

Ding Songyan noticed the commotion and looked up into the courtyard.

His gaze, which had been unfocused, gradually sharpened:

That set of punches was beautifully executed...

This isn't to say she was graceful, but rather that every punch, kick, movement, and stillness of Twelfth Madam Luo seemed to be in rhythm, quite melodious, making people feel very comfortable and unconsciously attracting their attention.

The Way of Nature, the Music of Heaven and Earth? Ding Songyan looked on thoughtfully.

After Twelfth Madam Luo finished her stance and returned to the Main Room, Ding Songyan leaped up, stepped into the courtyard, and began practicing his Swordsmanship.

This is the Xiaoming Sect Dawn-Breaking Sword Art of the Xiaoming Sect. Ding Songyan was already extremely familiar with it, but now he was deliberately changing the speed, movement, and pause length, as if trying to imitate Twelfth Madam's punches and kicks, so that the Swordsmanship would also have a natural rhythm.

"Aren't you even trying to avoid me?" Twelfth Madam Luo looked at her for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh and scold.

Who would openly learn something from someone else?

They even performed the dance in front of the person whose skills they had stolen!

I underestimated this guy's shamelessness.

He actually has a martial arts fanatic side...

Twelfth Madam Luo shook her head and began practicing her internal cultivation techniques on the Carefree Chair.

The two practiced in this way, one doing his own thing and the other his, occasionally glancing at each other's practice and exchanging a few words, which helped Wu Zheng, who had just woken up from a nap, to calm down.

As night fell, Twelfth Madam Luo nestled in her Carefree Chair, reading a book in her hand, while Ding Songyan came behind the desk and continued writing his story by the light of a fairly bright Oil Lamp.

After finishing the book in her hand, Twelfth Madam Luo sat up and looked at Ding Songyan with a hint of curiosity:

What are you writing?

I shouldn't have been able to write so much about my martial arts training experiences in such a long time...

"Stories told in classical Chinese." Ding Songyan felt that he had been asked a similar question not long ago.

"You also write storybooks?" Twelfth Madam Luo, somewhat surprised.

"Before joining the Xiaoming Sect, I was a Storyteller," Ding Songyan said casually as he pondered the plot.

Twelfth Madam Luo stood up, walked to the desk, and said with a smile:

"You're already Martial Grandmaster with the Perfected Law Realm, why do you still need to write storybooks?"

"To please a close female friend?"

"I suppose so." Ding Songyan sighed silently.

Twelfth Madam Luo had an expression that suggested she was looking for gossip.

"Your senior Senior Sister?"

"Uh, yes, yes, yes!" Ding Songyan nodded quickly.

Both of my Senior Sister love watching it, and they'll both see it!

"May I take a look?" Twelfth Madam Luo's curiosity was palpable.

Ding Songyan was racking his brains to figure out the development of the story when he casually pointed with his chin to the several pages placed in front of him:

"Can."

Twelfth Madam Luo took the stacks of papers, returned to the Carefree Chair, and began to read them according to the chapter titles and page numbers.

Ding Songyan hadn't finished writing the new chapter yet, Twelfth Madam Luo had already finished reading it.

Her eyes sparkled as she said:

"The story is quite exciting, and the emotions are genuine."

"Even if you don't learn martial arts, you can still make a living by writing stories."

"My words are more eloquent than my writing," Ding Songyan shamelessly accepted the praise.

Twelfth Madam Luo remained seated in her Carefree Chair, turning slightly to the side, and chuckled:

"That Cao E is a womanizer, he falls in love with every woman he sees, and you're still thinking about having three wives and four concubines?"

"Don't project your own thoughts onto the author," Ding Songyan replied without looking up.

Before Twelfth Madam could speak, he thought for a moment, then raised his head and said:

"Where are the four concubines?"

Aren't there only three important female characters?

Ding Songyan then added:

"Besides, I haven't figured out the final outcome yet; anything is possible."

Twelfth Madam Luo pursed her lips and said with a half-smile:

"I was just joking, why are you making such a fuss?"

Oh no, I forgot that Twelfth Madam is someone who can out-argue the idlers and old ladies in the alleys. Although her aggression is somewhat reduced by not using foul language, she's still not someone to be trifled with when it comes to verbal sparring... Ding Songyan could only rely on his thick skin and reply without blinking:

"This concerns my reputation and innocence; no amount of seriousness is too much."

Twelfth Madam Luo felt her blood surge for no reason, and suddenly realized that her self-control was not yet fully developed.

Near Treasure Market.

After hearing his subordinate's report, Hou Yang quickly found He Jin:

"Someone wearing a hero's scarf went to a clinic on Jade Distant Street to get a prescription for medicine to calm the mind and soothe the nerves."

"Wu Zheng?" He Jin blurted out.

"According to those who saw him, he disguised his appearance, but his face looked sickly. We haven't found out anything more specific yet," Hou Yang said truthfully. "I'll go and investigate right away!"

He Jin nodded and said in a deep voice:

The Prince's Residence has also responded, stating that they have not yet been able to identify Luo Mingyin.

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