The Past

Ding Songyan also picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

He didn't press further, waiting for Twelfth Madam to continue.

After a brief pause, Twelfth Madam Luo said in a slightly unsteady voice:

"I have a senior brother who's a few years older than me. We grew up together, practiced martial arts together, and he even taught me reading, calligraphy, and painting on behalf of my father..."

As she spoke, Twelfth Madam Luo fell silent again.

Twelfth Madam's Master is her father... Ding Songyan deliberately seized on a detail and asked:

"As your senior brother, you didn't even guide you in martial arts?"

Twelfth Madam Luo was taken aback at first, then slightly curled the corners of her mouth:

"I'm better than him; he can't teach me. Only my father can teach me personally."

As expected of Twelfth Madam, who always strives to be the best at everything since childhood, her Martial Arts were already superior to those of her senior brothers who were several years older than her before she even completed her apprenticeship... Ding Songyan nodded and did not interrupt.

Twelfth Madam Luo's gaze gradually drifted away, as if directed into the distance:

We were childhood sweethearts, and later we even traveled the world together, met some people, and went through many dangers. Although we always kept our feelings to ourselves and never said it aloud, we were truly in love.

At this point, Twelfth Madam Luo chuckled softly, seemingly mocking herself:

"Should."

"And then?" Ding Songyan didn't delve into the issue of mutual affection, but instead asked cooperatively.

Twelfth Madam Luo composed herself and recalled, saying:

Later, someone proposed marriage to me to the Sects. Although it was no big deal to refuse, the sect leader, my father, and the other elders were all happy to see it happen.

"Firstly, that person said he truly liked me; secondly, the marriage would be very beneficial for both sides; and thirdly, the elders felt that my potential had been exhausted and Celestial Person chances of getting married were slim, so having such a partner was a good thing."

He had already Perfected Law Realm back then? He didn't seem that old... Ding Songyan was always one of those people who could discern hidden situations.

Twelfth Madam Luo's mood gradually declined again:

"After I found out, I rushed to find my senior brother, hoping he would ask my father to marry me before the elders agreed to the marriage. He was Seed Celestial Person the disciples of this generation in the Sects, and if he wanted to marry me, the elders would surely agree. But to my surprise, he refused..."

"Why?" Ding Songyan was stunned.

Don't you want your childhood sweetheart?

Even though Twelfth Madam has disguised herself like this, there are still several people who genuinely admire her. Her true appearance and demeanor are absolutely top-notch.

Too much familiarity diminishes the feeling; is it just Twelfth Madam's unrequited love?

Twelfth Madam Luo pursed her lips and said:

"He had his reasons, and they were in line with his personality, but at the time I didn't want to understand."

"Do you understand now?" Ding Songyan asked.

Twelfth Madam Luo hummed in agreement.

"I later understood that this was his way of doing things, but I still didn't accept it."

What kind of way? A pedantic way? Ding Songyan to himself but didn't say it aloud.

Twelfth Madam Luo looked at the tea in her hand:

"Actually, if I had insisted, my father would have ultimately sided with me and rejected the marriage. But at that time, I lost my temper and chose to run away from home regardless of the consequences."

"Didn't the elders of the Sects stop you?" Ding Songyan never expected that Twelfth Madam, who is usually calm and easygoing, had such a fiery side back then.

Youth is indeed full of vigor!

From this perspective, it seems that Twelfth Madam's usual shrewishness wasn't entirely a facade to deal with idle men and old ladies in the alley; she still had a "spicy" side to her core.

Twelfth Madam Luo smiled self-deprecatingly:

"I've always been a law-abiding child, and they never expected me to suddenly deviate from the norm. They were completely unprepared for this to happen."

"My father guessed it and found out, but he didn't take action. Instead, he left a side door open for me and drank alone in the courtyard under the moon."

"He found out you were going to run away from home, so why didn't he keep you here and instead rejected the marriage proposal?" Ding Songyan didn't hide his doubts.

Is it really that hard to refuse that marriage proposal?

Twelfth Madam Luo's expression softened slightly:

"My father was unconventional in his youth and was proud of it. He often told me that everyone should rebel at least once in their life, because only by breaking the law can one understand it, and only by breaking the law can one establish a law."

Ding Songyan nodded, seemingly understanding.

"You never returned to the Sects after that?"

"No," Twelfth Madam Luo said frankly, "I've never met any familiar fellow disciples either."

No wonder I'm the only one you can talk to now. I was wondering if it's because you have no family or fellow disciples... This is a bit like self-exile, young lady... Ding Songyan asked thoughtfully.

"Will you return to your Sects in the future?"

"Yes," Twelfth Madam Luo answered with certainty, "But it will take many years, until I finish my trials in the mortal world, or until I reach a crucial point in those trials and need to face it."

Ding Songyan asked with a hint of curiosity:

Don't you miss your parents?

"My mother exhausted herself trying to perfect the Immortal Song and passed away when I was around ten years old. My father had wives and concubines, and I have brothers and sisters, so I don't need to be there to fulfill my filial duties to him all the time," Twelfth Madam Luo sighed. "However, if he leaves the mountain, I will find out where he is and go to see him."

"Didn't he try to persuade you to go back to the mountain?" Ding Songyan steered the conversation away from the topic, focusing on something that wouldn't upset Twelfth Madam.

"I didn't speak to him," Twelfth Madam Luo said, looking down at the tea in her cup. "I just threw a stone at his head to let him know I'd come to see him."

"Twelfth Madam, are you really that stubborn and awkward?" Ding Songyan said with amusement.

Is throwing stones all you can do?

"Otherwise what?" Twelfth Madam Luo was a little annoyed by the laughter.

"I can teach you some tricks later," Ding Songyan with a smile. "But is it really okay to throw stones at your own father's head?"

Twelfth Madam Luo glanced at this guy:

"He's Great Grandmaster, how could he possibly get hit?"

Grandmaster of Heaven and Man? A family tradition of learning... You knew you couldn't hit it but you still threw it, were you being coquettish? Well, that's right, it's only natural to be coquettish with your father... You could call this a greeting... Ding Songyan didn't voice his thoughts, afraid of being chopped by Twelfth Sister's woodcutter's axe.

Twelfth Madam Luo sighed and continued:

"That was how it was a few years ago. But after these past few years of tempering my heart in the secular world, I've wanted to see him and have a chat, but he hasn't left the Mountain Gate recently."

Ding Songyan then steered the conversation back on track:

"You almost ran into your senior brother earlier?"

I don't see anyone.

Twelfth Madam Luo nodded gently, without saying a word.

After a moment of silence, Ding Songyan up his teacup and said in a low, soothing voice to Twelfth Madam Luo:

Thank you for your story. I'll offer you a toast with tea instead of wine.

"Thank you for your story too." Twelfth Madam Luo then picked up her teacup.

Ding Songyan didn't try to reason with him or offer any advice. Letting go is something that others say is easy, but it's very, very difficult for oneself to do.

To this day, he has simply accepted that he has not truly let go, and is focusing on resolving his inner conflicts and embracing new possibilities.

The two clinked their teacups together, brought them to their lips, and drank them in one gulp.

Twelfth Madam Luo's expression remained calm, but she was no longer as downcast as before. She got up and went into the West Side Room, turned around, and came out saying:

"Someone did come in, but they didn't touch anything I had."

"There shouldn't be any further developments; they've confirmed Wu Zheng isn't here," Ding Songyan after a moment's thought. "But the investigation into your identity, Twelfth Madam, certainly won't stop. Since something big is brewing, none of the parties will allow an unknown variable to remain on the chessboard. At the very least, they need to figure out who you are, whether you're a friend or foe."

Twelfth Madam Luo nodded gently:

I understand.

Ding Songyan tidied up the tea set, glanced at the East Wing Room, and said:

"Twelfth Madam, I'd like to stay a few more days. I can't just wander around the vicinity of Phoenix Terrace Studio and then move back to the Prince's Residence on the same day; that would arouse suspicion."

My younger sister is likely to come looking for me in the next few days...

"Okay." Twelfth Madam Luo did not refuse.

They each got busy with their own things.

In the evening, Twelfth Madam Luo occupied one side of the desk, spread out paper, and began practicing calligraphy.

Practicing calligraphy calms the mind... Ding Songyan glanced at it and started writing a story on the other half of the desk.

After practicing calligraphy for half an hour, Twelfth Madam Luo put down her brush and naturally picked up the papers that Ding Songyan had already written on, and began to read them carefully.

"Not going to say a few words?" Ding Songyan asked with a smile after finishing today's episode.

Twelfth Madam Luo glanced at him:

"This is very well written, I can't find any fault with it, is that alright?"

"Twelfth Madam, you flatter me," Ding Songyan, adopting a humble demeanor.

He tidied up the writing implements on his desk, including Twelfth Madam's, and took two brush washers to the courtyard to clean them.

Twelfth Madam Luo stared blankly at him as he busied himself, and after a long while, she whispered:

"Unsolicited kindness always implies an ulterior motive..."

The Manager pretended not to know anything, went to the Wine Shop to boil a large pot of water, and then carried a bath tub that was half his height into the West Wing Room.

Seeing this, Ding Songyan returned to the east wing and displayed a gentlemanly demeanor.

He slept soundly through the quiet night in the Rear Courtyard of the Cheap Wine Shop.

The next morning, as soon as Ding Songyan left the toilet, he saw Twelfth Madam Luo, dressed in a sky-blue short jacket and a dark red horse-face skirt, eating red, yellow and green Crabapple, and walking briskly out of the Wine Shop.

"In a good mood?" Ding Songyan asked with a smile.

"I usually manage to sort out my feelings in a day or two," Twelfth Madam Luo said with a smile, taking a bite of a crisp Crabapple. "Yesterday I was telling you about my past that I've kept hidden in my heart for a long time. After hearing your story, I feel it really helped."

"That's good." Ding Songyan glanced at the stone table in the courtyard. "What's for breakfast today?"

"I forgot to make it." Twelfth Madam Luo handed Ding Songyan an Crabapple without any shame. "Eat this."

Ding Songyan reached out and took it, took a bite, and found it to be crisp with a hint of sweetness and just the right amount of sourness.

He glanced at Luo Mingyin and tentatively said:

"Twelfth Madam, there's a question I'm not sure if I should ask."

"Then don't ask." Twelfth Madam Luo calmly took a bite of Crabapple.

Ding Songyan pretended not to hear:

"Are you a cultivator at the Law Realm or Celestial Person?"

Looking at the red, yellow, and green Crabapple in her hand, Twelfth Madam Luo sighed and said:

"Celestial Person."

As expected... the mortal world's refinement of the heart corresponds to the path of seeking the Spirit Platform at the peak of Celestial Person? No wonder Xiaoqing used this term when mentioning her aunt... Ding Songyan immediately perked up and put on a smile, saying:

"My enemy will be coming to find me soon. She is Celestial Person, and I am no match for her. I would like to ask you, Twelfth Madam, to help scare her away and let her know that this area is not a place she can come and go as she pleases."

"I'm not asking you to fight her. If two Great Grandmaster really fight, it will definitely be discovered, and you, Twelfth Madam, will no longer be able to hide your identity. You just need to scare her away."

Twelfth Madam Luo, with her loosely styled, Fallen-Horse Bun, responded with a laugh:

"Is this a debt of affection you're entangled in? I won't get involved in other people's emotional debts."

Golden couple and such...

"No, it's complicated." Ding Songyan quickly shook his head in denial, and said sincerely, "Twelfth Madam, that person is ' Nine-Evil Witch ' Ji Hanyi, how could I owe the Sage-Slaying Path Sect Master a debt of gratitude?"

Twelfth Madam Luo paused for a moment, took a bite of Crabapple, and smiled sweetly:

"Good."