Ding Songyan

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Ding Songyan (丁松言) 1
Alias(es)	Second Brother Ding; Ding Erlang; Second Young Master Ding 16 21 29
Species/Race	Human; his transmigration and connection to Netherworld phenomena remain unexplained 1 35
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Publicly a member of the Ding family; covertly attached to Zhen Estate as a storyteller for its hidden guest 19 46
Occupation/Role	Wandering storyteller; former businessman from another world 1 22
Status	Alive 47
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Unranked; no formal martial cultivation	14 44	Seeks martial training at age twenty, but Zheng Zhuxi later confirms that he has no martial cultivation.
Inconsistent Yin-Yang Eyes	21	Sees “netherworld scenery” at night; Xiaoqing identifies the ability as a possible Yin-Yang Eye mutation, though it does not function consistently.
Sea of Consciousness access	26	The imprisoned guest implants qi and a mental “seed,” allowing Ding to divide his consciousness and communicate mentally.
Self-deception method	33 43	Learns a dangerous secret art based on deceiving soul and body; later uses a reduced form to evade mental restrictions and speak more freely.
Activated Yin Eye and Netherworld-contact palm	35	Uses the seed and Yan’s qi to perceive the Netherworld; with the seed moved to his palm, he can touch ghostly beings and send objects across the boundary.
Falsehood-piercing state	42	While the seed’s clear, hazy effect is active, he perceives concealed manifestations in Ding Shengyi and deduces Ding Daniu’s hidden inheritance.

Background & History

Ding Songyan was originally a talented but arrogant young man whose failures, family troubles, and later success as a businessman made him cautious, analytical, and skilled at assessing people. He was apparently stabbed after intervening in a conflict at a banquet, then awoke unharmed in the body of another man with the same name. 1

He regained consciousness in a ruined temple wearing scholar’s robes, with no memories of the body’s life. Ding Qingyan identified herself as his younger sister, while the Ding family recognized him by his appearance, height, and black mole behind his right ear. 1 3

The body’s former owner had been a storyteller outside Dangkang Temple. He disappeared after leaving the temple and was found in the ruined temple near Potter’s Field, with his money missing and no clear explanation for his apparent death. 3

Ding later discovers that his predecessor secretly copied the Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas. The manuscript and the former owner’s actions draw him into a conflict involving the Zhen Estate, the Small Boat Gang, the mysterious dungeon prisoner, and the concealed agenda of the people posing as his family. 12 42 46

Appearance

Ding Songyan occupies the body of a fair-skinned, open-faced young scholar. He is considered reasonably handsome, though not exceptionally striking. 3

• Usually wears scholar’s robes, initially described in moon-white with his hair tied by blue cloth. 3
• Has a black mole birthmark behind his right ear. 3
• Is twenty years old when he begins seeking martial training. 14
• Lacks the overt beast-like or divine physical mutations common among advanced martial artists. 3 44

Personality

Ding Songyan is observant, skeptical, and highly adaptable. Rather than accepting Qingyan’s claims immediately after awakening, he demands proof and evaluates the risks of trusting her. He continues this habit in the martial world, preferring indirect questions, controlled tests, and partial truths over reckless confrontation. 1 10 28

His former business experience makes him unusually skilled at reading incentives and cultivating goodwill. He flatters Xu Chang’an to secure loyalty, turns storytelling into a means of building influence, and carefully weighs every offer of protection against its hidden cost. 6 8 19

Despite his calculation, he grows sincerely attached to Qingyan and the household that initially sheltered him. This affection becomes increasingly painful as he uncovers evidence that the Ding family’s warmth may conceal manipulation, false identities, and a plan that originally required “Second Brother Ding” to die. 5 42 45 46

Abilities & Skills

Storytelling and Adaptation

Ding Songyan turns knowledge from his former world into a practical source of income, reputation, and political access.

• Adapts The Legend of the White Snake into an original local serial, improvising dialogue, plot developments, songs, and dramatic cliffhangers. 8 13 14
• Uses suspense, emotional pacing, and refusal to finish a story in one sitting to create a large recurring audience. 8 21
• Gains access to Zhen Estate’s hidden prisoner because his storytelling attracts the estate’s attention. 19 21
• Completes the story with Lady White’s rescue and family reunion; storytellers and entertainment houses later seek the right to perform or publish it. 45

Investigation and Social Strategy

His main strength before gaining supernatural abilities is information gathering and strategic manipulation.

• Uses his apparent return from death to frighten and expose enemies connected to Chen Yuliang and the Small Boat Gang. 7 10
• Reconstructs conspiracies by comparing corpses, gang conflicts, missing persons, surveillance, and the Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas. 17 18 28
• Deliberately gives authorities selected information to turn their attention toward the Zhen Estate and improve his own survival odds. 44
• Identifies the overlapping interests behind the expected assault on Zhen Estate, recognizing that several factions intend to exploit the same chaos. 47

Yin-Yang Perception

Ding can intermittently perceive the Netherworld and supernatural falsehoods.

• Sees mist, ghostly figures, and armored dead that ordinary people cannot perceive. 20 21
• Activates his Yin Eye with Yan’s qi, revealing black mist, green lightning, ghosts, and Netherworld structures. 35
• The Yin Eye functions only for a limited time and leaves him exhausted after use. 35
• Can perceive concealed manifestations, including Ding Shengyi’s “Moth Father” image and clues to Ding Daniu’s Shuhu inheritance. 42

Seed and Sea of Consciousness

The dungeon prisoner’s implanted seed is both a source of power and a means of control.

• Splits Ding’s consciousness, allowing one part to narrate publicly while the other converses within his Sea of Consciousness. 26 27
• Allows mental communication with the prisoner calling himself Yan Changqing. 21 26
• Can impose restrictions, erase or divert memories, and prevent Ding from reporting certain information. 27 32
• When moved into his palm while the Yin Eye is active, enables physical contact with ghosts and Netherworld objects. 35

Self-Deception Method

Yan teaches Ding a secret art founded on “deceiving” the body and soul.

• Uses visualization and focused intent to convince the body that it is recovering, strengthening itself, or circulating qi. 33
• Can accelerate cultivation and recovery, but consumes vital essence and risks shortened lifespan, delusion, or madness. 33
• Ding modifies the method into a limited mental exercise to bypass restrictions placed on his thoughts. 43

Equipment / Items

• Handwritten copy of the Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas — A nearly complete manuscript secretly copied by the former owner of his body; it contains knowledge of divine beings, strange beasts, sect inheritances, and cultivation weaknesses. 12 25
• Hidden dagger — Kept beneath his cloak; Yan Changqing predicts it will become useful during the Zhen Estate crisis. 20 47
• Yin-Yang Coin — A Jianwu Tongbao copper coin altered after being placed into a Netherworld obsidian pillar; it becomes decayed, ghostly green, and faintly illusory. 35
• Storytelling materials — Brushes, ink, paper, folding fan, and a storyteller’s block used to prepare and perform The Legend of the White Snake. 11 21

Relationships

• Ding Qingyan — Publicly his younger sister. Her sincerity is his first anchor after transmigration, and he swears that he will not abandon or leave her behind. Her true origin and role in the larger scheme remain unknown. 1 45 46
• Ding Shengyi — Publicly his father. Ding later perceives him as a “Moth Father” and concludes that he is involved in the family faction’s plot against Yan Changqing. 42 46
• Liu Yuzao — Publicly his mother. A left-hand-path practitioner loyal to the sect that rescued her; she admits that she once considered allowing Ding Songyan to die for its mission. 42
• Ding Daniu — Publicly his elder brother and physical protector. Ding Daniu is immensely strong, enjoys killing, and is later deduced to practice the Shuhu inheritance rather than merely possessing “Innate Divine Strength.” 10 42
• Su Qingli / Xiaoqing — A devoted listener who becomes Ding’s friend, informant, and potential route into a martial sect. She initially presents herself as a snake demon, but is later identified as Su Qingli of the Celestial Maiden Sect. 16 43 46
• Xu Chang’an — A thief and self-proclaimed younger brother who relies on Ding’s judgment. Ding alternates between helping, teasing, and manipulating him into behaving more cautiously. 6 17 33
• Ren Youyang — True Spirit Sect disciple and genuine ally. He warns Ding about surveillance, escorts him to Zhen Estate, and offers protection despite the political risk. 23 25 27
• Yan Changqing — The name used by Zhen Estate’s imprisoned guest. He grants Ding supernatural qi and cultivation instruction while also planting the controlling seed in his consciousness. 26 27 33
• Zheng Zhuxi — Xiaoming Sect heroine who investigates Ding’s connection to the Secret Classic. She gives him a temporary sword intent to resist mental control and similar supernatural influence. 44
• Qin Nuansheng — His maternal cousin within Zhen Estate. She provides financial aid, arranges medical help, and advises Ding on possible paths to martial training. 4 14 15
• Mr. Yu — Zhen Estate attendant who investigates Ding’s attempted murder, later recruits him as the hidden guest’s storyteller, and remains a source of both protection and suspicion. 4 19 21

Story Role / Major Arcs

Transmigration and the Missing Storyteller

Ding awakens in the body of “Second Brother Ding,” discovers he has no memories of the man’s life, and begins reconstructing the circumstances of the body’s apparent death near the ruined temple. 1 3

The Secret Classic and Small Boat Gang Conflict

He discovers the copied Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas, links it to Chen Yuliang, the Small Boat Gang, and the murder of Xu Chang’an’s master, then keeps the manuscript hidden while seeking a way to exchange its knowledge for protection. 11 12 18 19

*Legend of the White Snake*

Ding launches an improvised storytelling career with an adapted Legend of the White Snake. The serial earns money, attracts Su Qingli’s attention, wins public acclaim, and opens the door to Zhen Estate’s secretive inner circle. 8 14 19 45

Zhen Estate and the Dungeon Prisoner

As Zhen Estate’s secret storyteller, Ding meets the imprisoned guest who calls himself Yan Changqing. Yan recognizes Ding’s knowledge of the Secret Classic, implants a seed in his Sea of Consciousness, and pressures him into helping with an escape. 21 26 27

Netherworld Investigation

Ding tests his Yin Eye at Fengshui Bridge and the ruined temple, discovering that the seed and Yan’s qi allow him to see the Netherworld, manipulate ghostly objects, and possibly reveal the true consequences of his transmigration. 35 39

Unmasking the Ding Family

Ding’s falsehood-piercing perception reveals that his apparent family has hidden martial inheritances and ties to the Moth God Sect. He concludes that the former Second Brother Ding was an expendable pawn selected to reach Yan Changqing, while Qingyan’s role remains unresolved. 42 46

Zhen Estate Crisis

Knowing that the Small Boat Gang, Zhen Qianfan, Yan Changqing, the Ding family faction, and outside sects all expect to exploit the same confrontation, Ding enters Zhen Estate hoping that chaos will create his best chance to survive. 47

Notable Quotes

“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.” 45