A Prophecy Fulfilled

Moonlight swayed. Zheng Zhuxi's eyes flickered slightly as she looked at Ding Songyan and asked:

"Is there anything else you wish to ask?"

Ding Songyan slowly shook his head.

Not only had he seemingly achieved his objective, but he had also used this chance to string many matters together and think them through:

No one knew what treasure Yan Changqing had taken from the Celestial Emperor's palace in Kunlun Mountain. Even if he had taken nothing, merely the question of where the vanished Kunlun Mountain was and how one could enter it would be enough to make a host of Transcendent Ones and Martial Grandmasters fight until their heads bled.

"We'll keep watch." Zheng Zhuxi nodded with considerable solemnity.

She retrieved the Glass Palace Lantern and led the Xiaoming Sect disciples out of Chengyu Lane.

Seeing that there were no pedestrians around, Zheng Zhuxi raised her head and glanced at the tallest Watchtower. After a moment's hesitation, she said:

"Senior Sister Wuyue, Senior Brother Wu Feng, we'll first go to the prefectural office and county office to report this matter, then send a carrier pigeon back to the sect, asking my mother or one of my martial uncles to come over tonight.

"If there is still no reply by tomorrow morning, the three of us will return to the sect ourselves.

"This matter is complicated, and traveling at night is dangerous. There may be unforeseen mishaps. Without an expert of the 'Divination' rank accompanying us, no one should leave the city on their own to report back to the sect."

That last sentence explained why they would only send a carrier pigeon back to the Xiaoming Sect tonight.

Senior Brother Wu Feng, dressed in a fitted black outfit and wearing little expression, thought for a moment before saying:

"According to Second Brother Ding, this matter not only involves the Zhen Estate, but a nearly complete Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas has appeared. It may even conceal the answer to the mystery of Kunlun's disappearance, as well as secret treasures from the Celestial Emperor's palace. Why not keep it hidden for now and inform only the sect?

"Even if carrier pigeons are ineffective, once day breaks, a round trip would take only half a day or so."

Zheng Zhuxi walked through the pitch-black streets, her pale green gauze skirt gently swaying with her steps.

After a long silence, she pressed her lips together and said:

"A human life hangs in the balance. Saving someone is like fighting a fire.

"The experts from the prefectural office and county office are nearby. How can we abandon what is near and seek what is far?"

Tao Wuyue opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, she remained silent.

Wu Feng watched Zheng Zhuxi's retreating back, his expression unchanged as he said in a low voice:

"The candle illuminates the long night. The long night lies outside, and within the heart. Junior Sister Zheng possesses such resolve; her future accomplishments will know no bounds."

"Senior Brother Wu, your heart is wholly devoted to the sect. There is no saying who is right or wrong between us." Zheng Zhuxi seemed to relax considerably, her smile clear and bright. "Since I led this patrol, I will make the decision. Afterward, I will also face the questioning of the enforcement elder. If there is punishment, tell them I acted alone and could not be dissuaded."

After speaking with Zheng Zhuxi, much of Ding Songyan's inexplicable oppression had dissipated. Yet he seemed to have forgotten something, so he returned home at an unhurried pace and lay down on his bed.

Just as he was drowsily about to fall asleep, he suddenly heard sobbing.

It came from the inner room, separated off by a crude screen. Whoever it was sounded utterly heartbroken.

"Qingyan?" Ding Songyan called out in confusion.

"Second Brother, sob sob sob, I had a nightmare." Ding Qingyan spoke between hiccuping sobs.

Ding Songyan was immediately somewhat helpless.

"What nightmare?"

Ding Qingyan sniffled.

"At first, I dreamed... dreamed that we moved back into that big courtyard. Then... then Father died, Mother died, Eldest Brother died, and you died too. The entire courtyard was covered in blood, bright red blood. I was the only one standing there and watching. Only me, sob sob sob..."

The more she spoke, the less she could stop crying.

"Dreams are always the opposite of reality." Ding Songyan tried to comfort her.

Ding Qingyan said through her sobs:

"But that feeling was so awful, just like it had truly happened.

"Then I dreamed that we were still in this courtyard. Mother killed Eldest Brother, killed Father, and you didn't want me anymore. I didn't know where you went. You left me all alone in this room, sob sob sob, only me..."

"Aren't I right here?" Ding Songyan said gently.

Ding Qingyan seemed to be wiping away her tears and mucus with a handkerchief. Only after a while did she say:

"I also dreamed that I was waiting for you to tell me a story and coax me to sleep. I kept waiting, waiting, waiting, but you never came. The room was so dark, and there seemed to be blood on the window..."

By the end, the girl was sobbing again.

"Then shall I tell you another story now?" Ding Songyan could tell his little sister was not crying this hard merely to trick him into storytelling.

"No." Ding Qingyan replied nasally.

Fear colored her voice as she said with a slight tremor:

"Second Brother, do you think... do you think something bad is going to happen? Otherwise, why would I have such a dream?

"Second Brother, I don't want to be separated from you all. Second Brother, I don't want you to die..."

Thinking of what might happen tomorrow, Ding Songyan's thoughts surged and churned. For a moment, he did not know how to comfort Ding Qingyan.

I haven't shown anything unusual... Is Little Sister really this sensitive to bad things? Ding Songyan sighed inwardly, then said to Ding Qingyan:

"No. I won't die. Wherever I go, I'll take you with me."

"Swear it!" Ding Qingyan seemed to know she was being a little unreasonable, but her emotions had not fully settled.

"Fine, fine, fine." Ding Songyan deliberately made conversation. "Who should I swear to?"

"Swear to the Supreme Mysterious Origin Celestial Venerable." Ding Qingyan thought for a moment before answering.

This was the honorific title the Daoists had given the Celestial Emperor after incorporating him into their own system. Its full version was too long, and few people could remember it. Ordinary folk all called him by this abbreviated name.

Ding Songyan cleared his throat.

"I, Ding Songyan, swear to the Supreme Mysterious Origin Celestial Venerable that I will not die, will not abandon my little sister, and will take her wherever I go. Otherwise, may heaven strike me with thunder, may fire burn me, and may water drown me."

The prerequisite for breaking this oath was that he would die, so Ding Songyan made it without the slightest psychological burden. If he was dead, what was there to fear?

Still, considering that this was a world with divine and supernatural powers, with a Netherworld, he quietly changed the "eternal damnation" he had wanted to say into "fire burn me and water drown me." What if he could still feel things after death, or if there was another life?

As for taking his little sister wherever he went, that was merely a matter of one more pair of chopsticks and one more bowl.

Only then did Ding Qingyan say in satisfaction:

"Then I believe you."

She tossed and turned for a while before finally falling asleep again.

The next day, Ding Songyan, who had slept poorly, headed out with slightly puffy eye bags, taking his tools for earning a living.

"Second Brother." Ding Daniu, who for some reason was heading to the docks later than usual today, came over and smiled at him. "You're really good to me. I'll remember it."

What's with him saying that out of nowhere... Ding Songyan answered vaguely, utterly baffled, then headed to Dangkang Temple with Xu Chang'an.

With the market in sight, he pondered for a moment, then said to Xu Chang'an:

"Come to my home at the Hour of the Monkey. If I'm not there, go report it to the county office. Tell them the Zhen Estate intends to harm me."

"What?" Xu Chang'an looked at Ding Songyan in alarm and uncertainty.

Ding Songyan smiled and nodded.

"You won't need to worry about what happens after that."

If things were to erupt today, no one should continue watching an insignificant character like Xu Chang'an. If nothing erupted, Ding Songyan would certainly be waiting at home by the Hour of the Monkey. Besides, Xu Chang'an might not even remember this matter by then.

Xu Chang'an's Adam's apple bobbed several times.

"Alright."

The two parted ways. Ding Songyan came to his usual patch of open ground, gathered his spirits, and told the final installment of the Legend of the White Snake with wave upon wave of twists, ending with the warmth of the whole family reunited.

Xiaoqing, looking thoroughly satisfied, rewarded him with silver ingots again. Seeing that it was a happy family ending, the other audience members all loosened their purse strings, proving even more generous than before.

"See you this evening." Busy attending the Zhen Estate's banquet, Xiaoqing did not say much more to Ding Songyan. She waved and headed toward Tianyang Guildhall with her maid.

Ding Songyan was about to leave when he suddenly saw a familiar fellow storyteller in a dark blue robe approaching him.

The middle-aged man, in his forties, wore a broad smile as he said:

"Second Brother Ding, would you be willing to let others tell your Legend of the White Snake?"

"I plan to sort it out over the next few days and see whether the book guild is willing to accept it." Ding Songyan had long had this idea.

He had already learned quite a bit about the storytelling rules of this world. If others wanted to tell his Legend of the White Snake, they needed to pay him silver and obtain his permission. Otherwise, they had to thoroughly change it beyond recognition before telling it. Of course, if someone heard the tale and ran off to Flame Capital or another prefecture to tell it, his arms were too short to reach that far, and he could not control them.

If he sold the Legend of the White Snake storybook to the book guild, then other storytellers only needed to pay the guild a sum of silver to tell the story. They could make whatever adaptations they liked without consulting him again. As for whether Ding Songyan would receive a share, that depended on the terms he negotiated with the book guild.

Furthermore, the local book guild would recommend good storybooks to book guilds in other prefectures, thereby making silver. If other guilds bought them, they would naturally keep watch for storytellers who began telling them without paying. As the saying went, "Book guilds across the realm are one family; break the bones and the sinews remain connected." As for their internal disputes and frictions, they could settle those behind closed doors.

Hearing Ding Songyan's words, the fellow storyteller beamed with delight.

"That's wonderful, wonderful! Second Brother Ding, you're forthright!"

Ding Songyan modestly exchanged a few words with him. Just as he was about to leave, several more people came looking for him in succession. They were all from famous entertainment houses in Beili Ward, inviting him to become their resident storyteller.

He did not even know whether he would live to see tomorrow. Using the excuse that he needed to consider it carefully, he left the Dangkang Temple market.

After casually filling his stomach, he arrived outside the Zhen Estate. Yet he did not hurry inside, instead pacing back and forth nearby as he waited for Miss Xiaoqing and her Second Uncle to arrive, and for Ren Youyang to come.

He wanted to show himself before Miss Xiaoqing and Ren Youyang, thereby "telling" them that he was, as usual, coincidentally at the Zhen Estate. If anything went wrong, they should remember to pull him along.

As he waited patiently, Ding Songyan suddenly spotted a familiar figure.

It was his mother, Liu Yuzao.

Liu Yuzao wore a dark short jacket with overlapping fronts and a blue horse-face skirt, with a black gauze veiled hat on her head. She walked toward the Zhen Estate at an unhurried pace.

"Mother, what are you doing here?" Ding Songyan approached her in confusion.

"I came to visit your cousin Nuansheng." Liu Yuzao answered simply.

After a moment of silence, Ding Songyan said:

"The Zhen Estate has distinguished guests today. You'd better not stay too long."

There would be danger.

Liu Yuzao gave an "Mm" and entered the Zhen Estate through the side gate.

Watching her retreating back, Ding Songyan was initially puzzled. Then a sharp pain suddenly stabbed through his head.

Fake, fake, fake! It was as if some voice had erupted within his heart, echoing without end.

In an instant, Ding Songyan remembered what he had discovered last night, and what he had forgotten:

Ding Shengyi was the Moth Father who controlled the Mothman to put on its grand performance, while Ding Daniu was someone accomplished in martial arts and possessed of an abnormal condition!

Yet he had completely forgotten these matters while walking with Miss Xiaoqing!

As soon as those memories returned, Ding Songyan abruptly recalled the questions he had asked Ding Qingyan when he first woke up after transmigrating:

"How can you prove that you're truly my biological little sister?"

"Then how can we prove that the people who came were my father and mother?"

His words had actually become prophecy.