Candlelight

Zheng Zhuxi? The Zheng Zhuxi from the Xiaoming Sect whom Brother Ren had mentioned? Ding Songyan suddenly felt as though, after searching high and low, he had finally found the person he was looking for.

He had long wanted to make direct contact with someone from the Xiaoming Sect, but had never gotten his wish. He had only occasionally exchanged a few words with them. Looking back now, he suspected that he had been influenced by Yan Changqing's "old friend," found various excuses to delay matters on his own, and after Yan Changqing gave him the "Seed," had practically stopped thinking about it altogether.

After all those twists and turns, today the trustworthy Zheng Zhuxi whom Ren Youyang had spoken of had actually sought him out of her own accord.

After observing the girl's expression and bearing, and recalling her Qi and choice of words, Ding Songyan made a rough judgment in his heart:

She was a remarkably proud person.

That completely matched the rumors that her mother was the Xiaoming Sect's sect master, her father a high-ranking court official, and her own talent outstanding... As these thoughts flashed through Ding Songyan's mind, he cupped his hands toward Zheng Zhuxi with an exceedingly respectful bearing.

"Greetings, Heroine Zheng."

At present, he only hoped she would be as Ren Youyang had said: eager to uphold justice and most willing to help those without status or standing.

Zheng Zhuxi gave a slight nod and asked solemnly:

"I've read your records. Do you truly not remember what treasure you traded to Chen Yuliang?"

At those words, countless thoughts surged through Ding Songyan's mind, colliding and sparking one burst of light after another.

He seized upon one of them, put on an expression of difficulty and fear, and finally hesitated before speaking.

"Heroine Zheng, with you standing before me, I wouldn't dare conceal anything. I've forgotten, but Wang Yishu mentioned at the time that it was the Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas."

When dealing with someone this proud, he had to let her discover that matters others could not handle were easily handled by her, and that truths others could not uncover were easily drawn out by her. Only then would she form a favorable impression of the person she was questioning.

Besides, Ding Songyan was also taking a gamble.

The Zhen Estate was the most likely to obtain that copy of the Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas after handling the aftermath of Chen Yuliang's affair.

That being so, the government, represented by the surname Yi, and the Xiaoming Sect would inevitably regard the Zhen Estate as a major target of attention. With them watching, tomorrow's possible developments might take a favorable turn.

Although this would also make Ding Songyan himself fall under suspicion, compared to the other troubles, that was nothing. When weighing two evils, he had to choose the lesser.

He was like a man walking along a mountain ridge with cliffs on both sides. He could no longer afford to worry about so much.

Zheng Zhuxi listened quietly. A smile gradually surfaced on her face, and two shallow dimples appeared, their radiance nearly rivaling the bright moon in the heavens.

"Classic of Mountains and Seas, you say... Why didn't you mention it earlier?"

"I heard that the major sects forbade others from privately possessing or coming into contact with the Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas. I was afraid that if I said it aloud, I'd be thrown into prison." Ding Songyan told her honestly. "And Heroine Zheng, your reputation precedes you. You're known for pitying the poor and protecting the weak, and you wouldn't implicate the innocent. I'm willing to trust you."

The corners of Zheng Zhuxi's lips lifted slightly. With a smile in her eyes, she nodded.

"The Zhen Estate probably also warned you not to tell anyone. Why did you still tell me?"

"The Zhen Estate may act against me." Having found something neither the clear, hazy "seed" nor Yan Changqing's "old friend" restricted, Ding Songyan answered without the slightest stumble. "Brother Ren told me that the Zhen Estate has always been sending attendants to follow me."

Zheng Zhuxi gave a soft "Hmm" and glanced at the exquisitely shaped Glass Palace Lantern in her hand.

"You're acquainted with Ren Youyang of the True Spirit Sect?"

"We have some friendship." Ding Songyan did not exaggerate.

A flicker passed through Zheng Zhuxi's glittering eyes.

"Then why have you continued visiting the Zhen Estate every day these past few days?"

Ding Songyan tested the waters.

"The Zhen Estate forbade me from telling anyone."

Huh, he could actually say that!

On the surface, there was nothing wrong with that sentence. But when combined with Ding Songyan's willingness just now to tell Zheng Zhuxi about the Zhen Estate's involvement with the Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas, the contrast between before and after immediately made it seem rather strange, revealing something worth pondering.

Both matters involved the Zhen Estate. Why could he tell others about one but not the other? What was the difference? What restriction existed?

The fact that he could say this also confirmed one of Ding Songyan's suspicions.

Ever since Zheng Zhuxi had appeared carrying that lantern, its light shining onto his face, he had felt that the Qingmengmeng "Seed" in his Sea of Consciousness had become less active, as though it were being suppressed by an opposing force. If Zheng Zhuxi's realm had not been insufficient and her cultivation too shallow, he might even have been able to temporarily escape the restrictions imposed by Yan Changqing and his "old friend."

"So it really is like this. Many peripheral restrictions have loosened... Is this one manifestation of the 'illuminating the hidden and penetrating the depths' trait described by the two goddesses Xiaoming and Zhuhuo?" At that thought, Ding Songyan wished he could immediately visit Zheng Zhuxi's mother—the Xiaoming Sect's sect master, an expert ranked among the foremost in the Law Realm—and ask her to shine a thorough light on him.

Zheng Zhuxi pressed her lips together, clearly noticing that something was amiss as well.

She changed her question after some thought.

"Do you know that besides the attendants of the Zhen Estate, there are also people from the Moth God Sect following you—people who once secretly controlled Chen Yuliang?"

"I know." Ding Songyan was perfectly frank.

"Ren Youyang told you?" Zheng Zhuxi was not surprised either.

Ding Songyan considered it for a moment before saying:

"It was indeed Brother Ren who discovered another group of followers, but I was the one who told him about the Moth God Sect."

"You? No wonder he suddenly went to the county office to request information related to the Moth God Sect." Zheng Zhuxi looked at Ding Songyan in puzzlement. "How did you find out?"

Ding Songyan closed his mouth and only smiled without speaking.

He had forgotten what he was supposed to say again.

Matters at this core level were still restricted.

Zheng Zhuxi raised an eyebrow. Recalling the contradiction between his words just now, she lowered her eyelids slightly, evidently pondering something.

After only a few breaths, she revealed another smile, her dimples showing once more.

At that moment, Ding Songyan felt as if he were watching a rising sun cast forth its light.

"Do you trust me?" Zheng Zhuxi asked with a smile.

"I'm willing to trust Heroine Zheng." Ding Songyan did not hesitate.

At this point, he wanted to beg even the dogs by the roadside for help, and grasp even a straw floating down the river. How could he not grasp at this woman?

Zheng Zhuxi nodded in satisfaction, handed the Glass Palace Lantern in her hand to a fellow disciple, then swiftly drew her sword from its golden-red scabbard.

The sword was like a pool of autumn water, rapidly taking on the dusky-yellow intent of candlelight.

Zheng Zhuxi smiled faintly.

"If you trust me, then open your body and mind. I'll lend you a sword intent.

"This sword intent will linger in your Shanzhong Acupoint, also known as the Middle Dantian Vermilion Palace, and can last for three days.

"For those three days, if anyone uses a 'Moth Species,' witchcraft, or any other method to make you do something you don't wish to do, you can use this sword intent to see through to the marrow sea and block it once."

When she mentioned "any other method," the smile in Zheng Zhuxi's eyes deepened slightly.

"Heroine Zheng, I'm deeply grateful!" Ding Songyan could not have wanted anything more.

This was exactly what he had wanted.

His only concern was whether Zheng Zhuxi's sword intent could truly withstand one instance of Yan Changqing—or his "old friend"—forcibly guiding him.

After all, according to the rumors Ding Songyan had heard in the martial world these past few days, this Heroine Zheng was only twenty years old. She had begun "Opening Orifices" just over half a year ago, and had been rated as a "Strange Being" on the Exalted Orchid Roll—in other words, sixth grade. She was even inferior to Chen Yuliang.

If it had been her mother, Tao Wenshu, a first-grade Martial Grandmaster, Ding Songyan would certainly have had great confidence.

Now, Ding Songyan could only pray that the Xiaoming Sect's cultivation method countered Yan Changqing and his "old friend's" divine art, and that it had extraordinary effects in this regard.

He did not ask that the sword intent truly block one instance of forced guidance. As long as it could let him awaken in time and give rise to an inner struggle, that would be enough.

"Guard the Borders and Pacify the People is precisely the Xiaoming Sect's duty." Zheng Zhuxi thrust out the long sword reflecting the dusky-yellow candlelight, stabbing it toward Ding Songyan's chest.

Ding Songyan did not dodge or resist. Following Zheng Zhuxi's instructions, he completely opened his body and mind.

The long sword immediately pierced his clothing and touched his skin.

The sword's warm, yellowish light flashed and vanished, sinking into Ding Songyan's chest and burrowing into the Shanzhong Acupoint.

It swiftly transformed into a candle shaped like a short sword. Its dusky-yellow flame swayed, barely illuminating the Vermilion Palace, which represented the intent of heart-fire and where the various Qi converged, causing the darkness to retreat outward.

With a clear chime, Zheng Zhuxi returned the sword to its sheath and gave Ding Songyan a slight nod.

"You truly have no martial arts cultivation.

"I've asked everything I needed to ask. Is there anything else you want to say?"

Ding Songyan considered what he could and could not say, and among what he could say, which matters would reveal the situation to the greatest extent and draw the Xiaoming Sect's attention.

Very soon, he chose to take the risk and asked with unmistakable curiosity:

"Heroine Zheng, where do you think an almost complete copy of the Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas could have come from?"

Huh, he could even ask this question... Had Zheng Zhuxi's cultivation method weakened the restriction to this extent, or had one of the two people influencing my thoughts already wanted to reveal this matter? Ding Songyan was deeply puzzled at first, but then he found the answer.

That's right. Wang Yishu and Chen Yuliang had originally "told" me that the Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas was genuine and complete! And they were jointly controlled by Moth Father Ding Shengyi and Yan Changqing's "old friend." If they did not want me to have a chance to ask this question later, there would have been no need to mention it at all!

"Almost complete?" Zheng Zhuxi's expression shifted slightly.

Then she said thoughtfully:

"Either there is a powerful organization hidden in the shadows, with highly placed informants in every major sect, which finally pieced together a copy after repeatedly comparing the various sects' Secret Classics of Mountains and Seas;

"Or someone found Kunlun Mountain, which had disappeared long ago, and entered the Celestial Emperor's palace."

Someone found Kunlun Mountain, which had disappeared long ago, and entered the Celestial Emperor's palace... Ding Songyan's gaze instantly froze, as if a bolt of lightning had struck down through his mind.

He still remembered Yan Changqing saying that he had betrayed his sect to seize a treasure, suffered severe injuries, and ended up in his current state.

Didn't that fit perfectly?

The treasure that could make Zhen Qianfan become greedy and betray his greatest backing could not possibly be ordinary.

And for it to make someone like Yan Changqing, who was at least a Great Grandmaster, betray his sect was even rarer.

The vanished Kunlun Mountain and the palace left behind by the Celestial Emperor were enough to explain everything!

"That copy of the Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas was probably personally transcribed by Yan Changqing while looking at the Emperor-Annotated Classic of Mountains and Seas. No wonder he was able to calculate it...

"Did he place that copy of the Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas in a hidden treasure site beforehand, where someone later dug it out, or did it leak out from the Zhen Estate? If it was the latter, what was the Zhen Estate's purpose in letting it out?"

While Ding Songyan's thoughts raced in all directions, Zheng Zhuxi also fell silent, her expression shifting noticeably.