Deception

"Humanity is precious?" Ding Songyan repeated Yan Changqing's words.

Yan Changqing nodded solemnly.

"Humans are the chiefs of all living things, the foremost of all races. How could we lack anything special?

"You must know that after Emperor Xuanyuan joined with the Dao and before Qi of Xia, the Celestial Emperor had to also be the Human Emperor. How could there be no reason for that?

"To forget humanity's strengths and only know how to imitate gods, monsters, and strange beasts is to abandon the root and chase the branches!"

Of every ten words Yan Changqing spoke, Ding Songyan dared believe at most three. Still, this explanation did fit his own logic rather well, so he cooperatively asked:

"Then where do humanity's strengths lie?"

Walking with his hands behind his back, Yan Changqing raised one hand and pointed at his head.

"In wisdom, in spirit, in the Spirit Platform.

"Make good use of body and mind, sense heaven and answer earth, summon gods and command ghosts!

"If one day you can reach the Celestial-Human Realm and glimpse the realm of the Spirit Platform, you will discover that when the foundation remains, twice the result comes with half the effort. In martial arts, train the 'spirit' first; in cultivation, cultivate the 'self' first. Thus, the Spirit Platform lies within the heart, and Daluo is also the mystic pass."

You're directly using the Celestial-Human Realm and Spirit Platform Realm to explain humanity's strengths. Why do I feel like you're fooling me again...? In the past, if someone wanted to discuss a business deal worth tens of millions with me, I'd be ecstatic. But if they wanted to discuss a deal worth billions, I'd consider calling the police... Ding Songyan muttered to himself as he listened.

Yan Changqing stopped and turned his gaze toward Ding Songyan, smiling faintly.

"Since the end of the Han Dynasty, consuming gods, monsters, and strange beasts could only bring one to the Law Realm, making it difficult to attain the Celestial-Human Realm. That is because the pure divinity within them has declined, and they can no longer mend the weakness of one's foundation. Have you not seen? Over the past thousand years, of those who became Martial Grandmasters in this manner, seven or eight out of ten were trapped in the Law Realm, unable to advance another step."

Was that why Feng Yining of the Five Saints Sect had chosen to enter seclusion unto death in pursuit of the Celestial-Human Realm when she was barely twenty? Ding Songyan made the connection.

The Five Saints Sect was also one of Great Zhao's Six Sects and Four Factions. Its cultivation method even originated from the Phoenix and possessed the peculiar ability to enhance one's coloring—that was, one's appearance. Naturally, Ding Songyan yearned for it, but it was simply beyond his reach.

Yan Changqing, whose temples had gone gray, suddenly changed the subject and asked with a smile:

"Have you ever deceived anyone over something important?"

"Never." Ding Songyan shook his head instinctively.

That was called a win-win situation with investors!

Yan Changqing burst into laughter.

"It seems you are quite suited to this secret art."

He did not elaborate further and returned to the main topic.

"The secret art I am going to teach you also values the foundation. Its foremost principle is one word:

"Deceive!"

Deceive? Ding Songyan felt the turn had come so sharply that he nearly threw out his back.

So your foundation is deception?

Yan Changqing glanced at his expression and said with a half-smile:

"Do you know why, when practicing qi, one must preserve the spirit and focus the mind, guiding true qi? And why, when refining apertures, one must perform corresponding visualizations?

"A strong body produces qi; that needs no explanation. When you calm your heart and focus your spirit, imagining faint qi gathering and coursing through your meridians, the thought comes first, and only then does it become real. Intent precedes qi.

"When you visualize different diagrams—standing before a great sun, falling into an ice cavern, beholding ghosts and gods—your soul is stirred and naturally undergoes corresponding changes. Those changes then alter the body as well. True qi circulates accordingly, and the apertures are condensed.

"What does this mean? First deceive your own soul, placing it in the state you desire, then let it drive the body to produce the changes you desire. This is the first secret of cultivation."

Roughly speaking, whether focusing the spirit to guide qi or visualizing diagrams, the essence was deceiving the brain, making it secrete the corresponding hormones and direct the body to undergo the changes the cultivator wanted. Over time, those changes would leave permanent effects on both body and soul? Drawing on his own knowledge, Ding Songyan came up with an approximate explanation that was easier for him to understand.

Seeing that he seemed deep in thought, Yan Changqing smiled.

"If you can deceive your soul and body into tempering themselves faster, deceive them into recovering more quickly, deceive true qi into circulating without pause—walking is cultivation, lying down is cultivation, and three hours of rest can equal another person's six—then why worry that you cannot complete body tempering and qi cultivation within a year, or break through the Initial Realm?"

Then what was the price? Ding Songyan muttered before carefully saying:

"Fortune is where misfortune leans. There are no purely good things in this world, nor purely bad ones. What hidden danger does this secret art carry?"

"It will consume your vital essence and shorten your lifespan," Yan Changqing replied evenly. "You are only twenty; you can bear it. Once you successfully create apertures and enter the Dayan Realm, you will naturally replenish it. Not to mention there are many divine medicines and treasures that can restore vital essence and extend one's lifespan."

Ding Songyan nodded slightly.

Yan Changqing straightened his body.

"I will first recite the secret art's mnemonic:

"To deceive others, first deceive yourself. Falsehood can become truth; believe, and it shall exist..."

Even as Ding Songyan felt this thing resembled self-hypnosis, he diligently memorized it, tried to understand it, and raised questions.

"A secret art is not a cultivation method. For it to take effect, you must first find a martial art to cultivate. Otherwise, it is water without a source, a tree without roots. It will only leave you afflicted with delusions, mad and muddled..." Yan Changqing gave several final warnings.

Ding Songyan went through the contents of the secret art in his mind once more, then finally asked:

"Senior, what are your instructions for today?

"Also, I used 'qi' once yesterday. Can you replenish it for me, in case of emergencies?"

Yan Changqing remained utterly unruffled.

"Yes."

The moment his words fell, the hazy light that had pierced through the mist and descended into Ding Songyan's sea of consciousness grew several degrees denser.

Immediately afterward, a strand of that light separated and surged toward the "seed," merging with it as one.

Senior Yan truly has deep reserves. Despite being imprisoned for years and likely having had his martial arts crippled, he still has quite a bit of 'qi'... Ding Songyan cupped his hands and offered his thanks.

Yan Changqing then said:

"Today, you are to wander freely around Dingjiang Prefecture City. Go wherever you please, but along the way, you must casually visit the docks once and watch the great river for a while. While watching the river, secretly observe Wangtianmen Island three times. Remember, do not make it too obvious. To deceive others, first deceive yourself."

"This junior understands." Ding Songyan vaguely felt that Yan Changqing had begun to "lay out a smokescreen."

Yan Changqing said no more and ended the exchange, allowing the hazy light to leave Ding Songyan's sea of consciousness. Ding Songyan's soul returned as one, and he advanced Legend of the White Snake to the point where Lady White went to Jinshan Temple to save Xu Xian.

Just as on the previous two days, Ding Songyan was led out of the secret prison, out of the small building, and out of Zhen Estate. No one asked whether anything was amiss, and no one warned him about anything.

He began wandering without a destination, passing through streets whenever he saw them and alleys whenever he came across them, occasionally picking up items from roadside stalls to inspect.

After an unknown amount of time, the docks came into view, and Ding Songyan naturally turned toward them.

"Second Brother Ding?" Xu Chang'an's voice rang out.

"What are you doing at the docks?" Ding Songyan asked with amusement, just as he was about to strike a pose of admiring the great river.

Xu Chang'an, wearing a dark headscarf, had not shed his furtive, rat-eyed manner.

"There are many valuable goods at these docks. I came to take a look."

Are they yours? Ding Songyan glanced at Wangtianmen Island from the corner of his eye.

"Didn't you stop being a thief?"

"That's right. I'm no longer a petty thief; I'm only a great bandit. Stealing goods from the Four Waters Gang and merchant houses naturally makes me a great bandit." Xu Chang'an straightened his back. "But my kung fu still isn't good enough. I need to study at a martial arts school for a few more years, so for now I can only stare at all these fine things and drool."

He then asked:

"Second Brother Ding, what did you come to the docks for? Looking for Eldest Brother Ding?"

Ding Songyan turned sideways, pretending to watch the great river while actually observing the jagged rocks of Wangtianmen Island, and casually replied:

"I've been going to Zhen Estate often recently and learned a craft. I came to practice it."

"What craft?" Xu Chang'an asked curiously.

Ding Songyan tilted his head to glance at him and answered with a smile:

"Deception."

"Deception?" Xu Chang'an froze briefly, then laughed loudly. "Second Brother Ding, you've always had a pure and kind nature and aren't good at lying. Even if you learned a con artist's craft, I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to use it."

Ding Songyan asked with a smile:

"Have you ever been deceived?"

"I had before, but after taking a master, I learned quite a few tricks of the trade. I haven't been deceived since." Xu Chang'an spoke with some pride. "Those people outside Dangkang Temple who cheat others out of money or trick them into gambling—I can see through them at a glance. Second Brother Ding, when you can deceive me, that will count as graduating from the craft of deception."

"I'll practice on someone easy to fool first, like my eldest brother." Taking the opportunity, Ding Songyan looked once more toward Wangtianmen Island, then sighed. "Forget it. Family should not deceive family."

With that, he turned and left the docks. Xu Chang'an had nothing pressing to do, so he followed him toward Chengyu Lane. They chatted idly all the way, discussing the characteristics of the cultivation methods used by several major martial arts schools.

As they passed Dangkang Temple and saw a team of constables patrolling the streets in the distance, Ding Songyan's expression suddenly darkened.

"Second Brother Ding, what's wrong?" Xu Chang'an's heart trembled along with him.

Lowering his voice, Ding Songyan said:

"I forgot something. Didn't I go to the county office yesterday? Brother Li told me they wanted to make an example out of you."

"Me?" Xu Chang'an pointed at himself, startled and stunned.

He immediately confirmed:

"Li Wu, Constable Li?"

Ding Songyan nodded and quickly explained:

"Didn't I tell you before? The leader of the thieves in these streets and alleys is gone, and the authorities fear that someone will run wild. They want to kill a chicken to frighten the monkeys. Your senior brothers have all paid their respects to Constable Xue and Brother Li's people, but you alone have shown nothing."

"I—I haven't stolen anything anymore..." Xu Chang'an's face turned deathly pale.

Not these past few days, perhaps, but he certainly had before.

Though catching thieves required evidence, the authorities might not necessarily be reasonable. Under heavy punishment, there would surely be "confessions."

Xu Chang'an thought for a moment, then said tremblingly:

"Second Brother Ding, you're my own brother! Help me smooth things over with Constable Li and the others. I—I'll give you silver to grease the wheels."

"Fine. Who asked us to be such good friends?" Ding Songyan wore an expression that said, "No need for more words between us brothers," and heavily patted Xu Chang'an on the shoulder.

Xu Chang'an quickened his pace and led Ding Songyan all the way back to his home in Chengyu Lane.

He took out heavy silver ingots, a pile of small silver pieces, and broken silver from a hidden compartment, asking Ding Songyan in a panicked voice:

"Second Brother Ding, how much do you think is enough? Name a figure, and I'll scrape it together for you!

"This is all the property I have!"

After Xu Chang'an finished speaking uneasily, he saw the corners of Ding Songyan's mouth slowly rise, revealing an obvious smile.

"..." Xu Chang'an gradually sensed that something was wrong.

With a chuckle, Ding Songyan picked up the silver ingot.

"You've saved quite a lot of silver, kid."

Xu Chang'an finally realized.

"Second Brother Ding, you aren't... deceiving me, are you?"

Ding Songyan set down the silver ingot, smiling as he patted the fellow's shoulder. Turning toward the door, he left behind a single sentence:

"Be more careful from now on."

Deceiving strangers was difficult. But deceiving an acquaintance—especially you—wasn't that as easy as turning my hand over?

Xu Chang'an's face flushed bright red, and he only wanted to find a crack in the ground and bury himself in it.