Chapter 160: Cunning Without Concealment

For the two-plus months since the new year, Ding Songyan and Zheng Zhuxi had both huddled away at the sect, venturing no farther than Alpine Lake Town, devoting themselves to cultivation without distraction. They had not been to the prefectural city at all.

Part of the reason was to keep a low profile from the Demon Sovereign a while longer. The other part was the pressure Ji Hanyi had brought. Not only had Ding Songyan redoubled his efforts, but even Zheng Zhuxi felt a more pressing need. She couldn’t understand why "severing mortal bonds" should include her—a senior sister. A master was at least half a parent, but a senior sister bore no resemblance to a blood elder sister; yet, she had instinctively taken to spending more time at the training ground and more time with her junior brother.

She wasn’t particularly worried. The precondition for "severing mortal bonds" was that Junior Brother Ding read the Sutra of Celestial Heart Wisdom or cultivated the Divine Art of Heaven and Earth Transmutation, after all. Yet for reasons she couldn’t explain, she felt a strange sense of a crisis.

Chatting with his senior sister, Ding Songyan gathered up the other papers on his desk. These were the aperture-forging and viscera-installation Chapters of the Chaos Scripture, now fully written out. Not only were the methods for measuring the precise locations of each alien aperture by tracking true qi circulation illustrated, but also the assortment of materials required for each type of alien aperture and alien viscera, as well as the techniques for crafting and implanting them.

It came to two or three hundred pages of text and illustrations, built up over more than half a year of continual additions and multiple revisions. The only thing missing was the recorded experience and adjustments from installing the "Supreme Ultimate" and "Way-and-Virtue" alien viscera.

Together with the cultivation portions, Ding Songyan could now attempt to extract the Great Proliferation sections from the Heaven-Earth Cosmos Chapter, the Scripture of Returning to Stillness, and the Lesser Limitless Art. The first two were straightforward enough—he could use his previous methods to extract them piece by piece and adjust gradually. Since they centered on the cultivator’s own self, it didn’t matter who cultivated them; treating everyone as a beginner would suffice.

The current Lesser Limitless Art, however, used the Celestial Stars Chart as its framework, so the Great Proliferation section would inevitably need to reference it as well. How to revise the alien apertures that overlapped between the two systems and had already been forged, and how to make the fullest use of the Four Symbols viscera were daunting problems for Ding Songyan. Even though setting these problems aside and sticking with the Lesser Limitless Art as the primary text would work well enough, he still hoped to minimize any harm to his senior sister from cultivating both arts simultaneously.

Every viscera installation that could be spared was worth sparing. Every alien aperture that didn’t need major revision shouldn’t be touched.

That required a very deep understanding of the Chaos Scripture, the Celestial Stars Scripture, and the Candlelit Nocturne Sutra, and a near-fundamental grasp of the aperture-forging and viscera-installation methods of all three arts. Even for Ding Songyan, it was a challenge.

He tidied up the cultivation texts, sealed the letter and flowers in an envelope, shouldered his pack, took up Frostshade, and rode with Zheng Zhuxi to the prefectural city.

The setting sun bathed everything in spring light. The two arrived before dark at the military camp situated to the northwest outside Linjiang City.

Xing Chang, clad in armor with only his eyes and mouth visible, was noticeably surprised to see Miss Zheng and Second Young Master Ding come visiting. He led the two through the drill ground toward the barracks.

Ding Songyan’s gaze swept naturally over the soldiers still drilling. He found them a mix of men and women: many had notably broad noses and a slight rooster-like bearing, clearly cultivators of the Accumulating Waters Divine Art; others were tall and powerfully built, shield in one hand and axe in the other, and though they had heads on their shoulders, they projected the same ferocity as the Headless folk.

Xing Chang really holds nothing back... He must have passed down the Human Realm Chapters of the Heaven-Shattering Precious Record and portions of the Great Proliferation Realm sections too... Ding Songyan watched with a surge of quiet admiration.

The relevant passage from the Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas rose naturally to his mind.

"Xingtian: unyielding in ferocity, strength enough to shatter heaven and earth, will that stands in place of a head, rather dies than surrender, wielding shield and axe to wage war against Heaven."

The corresponding lineage clearly emphasizes strength and will above all else... Ding Songyan withdrew his gaze and followed Xing Chang into the commander’s quarters.

Once seated, Ding Songyan went straight to the point.

"Second Brother Xing, may I look through the Accumulating Waters Scripture? The parts not involving the aperture-forging and viscera-installation sections."

Knowing the Headless folk were all straightforward and direct in manner, he adjusted his approach and skipped beating about the bush.

The two eyes on Xing Chang’s chest widened slightly as he looked at Ding Songyan.

"What do you want with that?"

"I’ve crossed paths with a warrior of the Accumulating Waters Divine Art before and noticed that some of its techniques and moves could be used to strengthen one of the Seven Swords of Candlelit Night. How could I not be itching to explore that?" Ding Songyan said plainly.

Technically true, though you killed him... Zheng Zhuxi, listening to her junior brother’s account, couldn’t help muttering inwardly.

Xing Chang thought for a moment.

"It’s not that I’m unwilling to help you, but the imperial court has its rules. Without permission from above, I can’t share it privately."

The Headless commander paused, then added, "Second Ding, you have a nimble mind. Think of a way for me to show you the Accumulating Waters Scripture within the bounds of court law."

He knew his own nature was blunt. He was suited to the vanguard, not the commander’s tent, so he simply turned to Ding Songyan directly, wanting to honor both his duties to the court and his obligations to a friend.

Zheng Zhuxi glanced at her junior brother, her expression signaling: there’s no need to put Second Brother Xing in a difficult position; I’ll write to Prince Kang’s household when we get back.

Ah... Ding Songyan broke into a smile.

"Second Brother Xing, as I recall you came to Dingjiang Prefecture to train troops on behalf of the court. His Majesty wanted to use the Xingtian martial arts alongside military strategy to strengthen the soldiers. How has that been going?"

The navel beneath Xing Chang’s armor opened and closed. He sounded somewhat rueful.

"Difficult. The arts conflict with each other, so they can only train individually.

"His Majesty’s intent isn’t actually to improve the Accumulating Waters Divine Art. The soldiers who cultivate this military art are bursting with vitality and prone to fighting, so they’re hard to keep in check. The main purpose of cultivating my species’ combat arts is to balance and restrain them."

"There may be ways to improve the coordination in terms of formations, techniques, and tactics." Ding Songyan’s smile grew more apparent. "That’s not something you and your soldiers alone can accomplish. You’d need someone standing at the Dharma Realm, someone with a Grandmaster’s perspective and insight to observe and work things out. Why not report to the court that you intend to collaborate with the Brightnight Sect on this? My master would be the ideal candidate."

"Collaborating with the Brightnight Sect to improve coordination between the two arts..." Xing Chang reached up with his right hand and gave a light pat to the severed stump of his neck. "With Sect Master Tao’s reputation, the court is likely to agree."

As expected, it all comes back to making use of Master’s credit score... Sect Master Tao’s name is one thing; Senior Councillor Zheng’s position is another... Ding Songyan smiled inwardly.

"And my senior sister and I will assist Master in this. When she cannot attend in person, her disciples will do the work in her stead."

With this arrangement, Second Brother Xing resolves some of his difficulties; the court ultimately gets better coordination in formations and techniques; my senior sister and I get to look through the Accumulating Waters Scripture and the earlier Chapters of the Xingtian clan’s combat methods; and the Brightnight Sect gains two stronger disciples and a commendation from the court. Four-way victory!

As for whether other sects might think the Brightnight Sect was getting too close to the imperial court, Ding Songyan saw no reason to worry. The husband of the Brightnight Sect master was currently a Senior Councillor and a relative of the former dynasty’s imperial family. Anyone who was going to think that had already thought it long ago.

Zheng Zhuxi sat listening in a slight daze. It had clearly been a personal matter for Junior Brother Ding, yet in the blink of an eye it had become something entirely above-board, proper, and balanced, with benefits for all parties.

Xing Chang’s navel opened wide, revealing two rows of white teeth. He too was momentarily at a loss for how things had turned out this way.

Ding Songyan smiled and added, "The moment I entered the camp and saw the soldiers drilling, this idea came to me. But I didn’t feel right hiding it from you, Second Brother Xing, so I stated my purpose first and the method after."

He followed it with a self-deprecating remark.

"Wouldn’t want you to think I’m acting purely out of public spirit."

Xing Chang was quiet for a moment, then said with genuine feeling, "Dong Songyan, you are clever but not deceitful, cunning but never concealing. A man worth calling friend."

Zheng Zhuxi also turned a look of approval toward Ding Songyan.

I’m only like this with friends. With others, of course I deceive and conceal... Besides, Senior Sister is right here. If she saw me deceive a friend, wouldn’t that make a terrible impression? Ding Songyan muttered to himself inwardly.

Since they were already there, he went ahead and proposed a sparring session to Xing Chang. Zheng Zhuxi was equally enthusiastic.

On the open ground before the commander’s quarters, the two took turns sparring with Xing Chang, experiencing firsthand the fierce combat methods and immense strength of the Headless folk. Each of them managed to eke out a narrow victory.

Out of the camp, Zheng Zhuxi turned her head to look at Ding Songyan with a thoughtful smile.

"Junior Brother, the only problematic point in what you said back there—isn’t it that why would my mother take on the task of improving battle formation coordination for the sake of one disciple’s personal errand?

"It’s only because Second Brother Xing is so straightforward that he didn’t think it through. Otherwise he would certainly have figured out your special standing within the sect."

Are you being a little slow, Senior Sister? Ding Songyan glanced at Zheng Zhuxi with an amused look.

"You came along with me to see Second Brother Xing. Why would he find it strange that Master would agree?

"Besides, being able to strengthen the Seven Swords of Candlelit Night is a great thing for the sect."

"Oh, right..." Zheng Zhuxi understood immediately.

So all along, I had merely been serving as a front...

...

After treating his senior sister to a full meal at a restaurant, Ding Songyan brought Zheng Zhuxi back to the Ding family residence on Baoping Lane and had the housekeepers and servants prepare the main room and the east wing.

After a brief rest, Ding Songyan was just about to go look for Xu Chang’an and Yang Shiduo to check in on their recent cultivation progress when the gatekeeper came to report that Liang Qian of South Stone Lane had come seeking an audience.

"Elder Liang?" Zheng Zhuxi was mildly puzzled.

After Caretaker Zhu’s matter was resolved, the two of them had had no further dealings with this fence chief of the prefectural city’s underworld.

So he’s finally here... Ding Songyan’s attention sharpened. He smiled at the gatekeeper.

"Please show Elder Liang to the front hall."

He then deliberately slowed his pace, taking a full quarter of an hour before walking with Zheng Zhuxi through the ornamental gate to the front hall.

They found Liang Qian waiting, white markings visible at his neck, behind his ears, and along his cheekbones.

Compared to a few months ago, this fence chief seemed to have aged slightly, though his eyes remained as deep and unreadable as ever.

Dressed in a blue robe, Liang Qian stepped forward to greet them, stopping of his own accord about 3.85 meters away, and offered a cupped-hand bow with a smile.

"Young Hero Ding, Heroine Zheng, I took the liberty of calling uninvited. I hope I am not intruding."

"Elder Liang, how did you know my senior sister and I had returned to the prefectural city?" Ding Songyan asked, knowing full well the answer.

Liang Qian put on a smile.

"I had disciples and granddisciples stationed at the west gate. The moment they spotted you both returning, they came to inform me at once."

Before Ding Songyan could ask another question, the fence chief glanced at Zheng Zhuxi, then bent low in a deep bow.

"I beg Heroine Zheng and Young Hero Ding to save me!"

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