Chapter 96: The Sincere and Humble Ding Songyan

Faced with Ding Songyan’s simultaneously puzzled and amused expression, Xie Fengchao gave a very earnest nod.

"That’s right."

Since Uncle Yi has suggested first sparring with regular Brightnight Sect disciples and familiarizing myself with their arts before challenging Zheng Zhuxi, isn’t there one right here, and isn’t this the perfect opportunity?

His realm is also suitable, perfect for working my way up through opponents of increasing ability!

Before Ding Songyan could respond, Xie Fengchao said earnestly, "I’ll not only suppress my strength to below the Great Proliferation Realm, I’ll forgo throwing weapons entirely and rely only on palm techniques and footwork."

He couldn’t have word get out that he was bullying someone weaker!

Ding Songyan couldn’t help rubbing his chin with his right hand.

He had initially thought this member of the Xie clan was an elegant and distinguished young noble, striking in appearance, but now he was wondering whether the man was secretly a comic figure, much like Brother Youyang had been before his death and deification.

After a moment, Ding Songyan said with reluctant resignation, "Okay."

He was actually quite unenthused. If you aren’t even using your throwing weapons, what’s the point?

"Shall we go to the yamen’s sparring ground?" Xie Fengchao suggested with graceful ease.

"Let’s just do it here." Ding Songyan glanced at the two senior brothers on duty at the yamen gate.

Better to wrap this up before Senior Sister Zheng got back, so that it wouldn’t disrupt my return to Baoping Lane to rest!

Xie Fengchao raised an eyebrow.

"Right here?"

Not afraid of embarrassing yourself in public?

"Having fellow disciples watching puts me at ease," Ding Songyan said offhandedly. "Besides, losing to you, Young Master Xie, would be perfectly normal. What is there to fear?"

So you do have a way with words... Xie Fengchao gave a silent nod of approval and bowed with great propriety.

"Please."

Ding Songyan did not draw his sword, but gripped the hilt and held it horizontally, sheath and all.

Seeing Xie Fengchao’s questioning look, he smiled faintly and said, "This sword of mine is quite sharp. I wouldn’t want to accidentally injure you. In a friendly spar, harmony matters most since we’re making friends through martial arts. Back in the sect, whenever there weren’t any still-sealed swords available, I would often spar like this."

Won’t even take an advantage over me... Sword of Rectitude Tao Wenshu’s reputation for integrity and fairness is known throughout the world. Brightnight Sect truly has an admirable ethos... Xie Fengchao said to Ding Songyan with a smile, "As the guest, I follow your lead."

He gestured once more for Ding Songyan to begin before planting his right foot forward and shooting forward in a burst of speed.

A howling sound instantly filled Ding Songyan’s ears as a violent and heavy gale struck directly at his body.

At that moment, if Ding Songyan closed his eyes, it was as though he had been sent back to his past life, facing a heavy truck bearing down on him head-on.

This was the ferocious wind Xie Fengchao raised through his footwork. Had he advanced further in the Great Proliferation Realm, it would not only disrupt an enemy’s senses and buffet their body, but also cause real physical harm.

Riding his own gale, he shot to within striking range of Ding Songyan in an instant.

For someone at the perfected Human Realm, this was an inconceivable speed. Even among early-stage Great Proliferation Realm practitioners, among sixth-ranked Anomaly Manifested and fifth-ranked Profound Discerned martial artists, this speed would stand out as exceptional.

What flashed through Ding Songyan’s mind was the Waxing Moon Phantom Form movement technique he had only recently learned.

This movement technique was spoken of alongside the Southern Dipper Calamity-Averting Steps. The latter excelled at close-range twisting and dodging and was the ideal complement to Brightnight Sect’s swordplay. Waxing Moon Phantom Form, by contrast, was known for speed, illusion, and long-distance travel. Whenever a Brightnight Sect disciple moved through an area using this technique, a faint shimmer would be left in the surroundings as the illusion dissipated. Even so, against Xie Fengchao at this moment, even Waxing Moon Phantom Form’s speed would fall somewhat short.

The divine creature corresponding to the Flame Capital Xie clan’s inherited powers must be something wind-related... With this half-formed guess, Ding Songyan extended the sheathed sword horizontally.

Almost simultaneously, Xie Fengchao half-stepped, softening the violent strike, and nimbly circled to Ding Songyan’s left like a gust of wind bending around an obstacle. His loaded right palm was ready to chop straight down as his foot stepped forward.

Suddenly he saw the tip of the sheathed sword appearing quietly before him. If he went ahead regardless by stepping forward and bringing the palm down, he would inevitably run into the blade.

Xie Fengchao had no time to admire the accuracy of the judgment or the speed of the reaction. The wind surged and "pulled" him, forcing him around to Ding Songyan’s back.

Then he lowered his left shoulder, swinging his waist as he pulled both legs, returning to his target’s left side like a ghost.

That movement had been a feint—meant to draw off the sword and make the opponent not expect him to strike at the original target position.

But what met his eyes was still that sheathed sword, hovering in the same position, as if it had never moved at all.

Did he fail to keep up? Did I outsmart myself? Xie Fengchao had no time to think it through. His ankle wrenched sharply, followed by a stomp, and his body drifted away on the wind just in the nick of time.

With a howl of wind he circled halfway around Ding Songyan and rushed to his right side.

If you can’t react in time, then I’ll press the advantage!

Xie Fengchao swept in like a fierce cutting gust, and the right palm finally came down with his forward lunge—no longer possible to pull back.

In an instant, a pain struck his chest. Something was pressing against it, and his whole body came to an involuntary halt. His descending right palm had fallen too far short to reach its target.

Xie Fengchao instinctively looked down and saw that the sheathed sword had turned to point at him—he didn’t know when that had happened.

He had run himself onto Ding Songyan’s sword tip.

Xie Fengchao stared in bewilderment, seemingly still unable to grasp what had just happened.

Losing was something he could just barely accept.

But losing like this was simply absurd...

As the sheathed sword was drawn back, Xie Fengchao’s slightly phoenix-like eyes lifted to meet the smiling face of the Brightnight Sect disciple.

"Young Master Xie, you instinctively lower your shoulder every time you change positions. Whichever side dips, that’s the side you move to. The first one I got right by luck, but the next two I was simply waiting for you to come to me."

Ding Songyan pointed out the habitual flaw in a calm tone. This served the spirit of a friendly spar, and also led the opponent to believe the win came from sharp observation and judgment, not giving rise to any suspicion of concealed strength.

In truth, Ding Songyan had won via something that wasn’t too far off the mark. Even the first move wasn’t a result of luck, and neither did it rely on his Chaos realm that remained hidden in the void. He had noticed that when Xie Fengchao launched into his footwork, his gaze had fallen on Ding Songyan’s left shoulder, and he had read accordingly.

There was an element of a gamble in it, but this was only a friendly spar. A Human Realm martial artist losing to a Great Proliferation Realm powerhouse with an established reputation was nothing to be ashamed of.

Having reached lesser mastery of the Seven Swords of Candlelit Night, Ding Songyan’s insight and judgment had also improved considerably compared to when he had first arrived in the prefectural city over a month ago.

After hearing him out, Xie Fengchao shook off his bewilderment at once.

He had no time to return the courtesy. He earnestly thought back over countless scenes from his years of martial training, and after a while he confirmed it—what the other man said was right. He did have this habit!

He figured his family elders were simply too familiar with the footwork technique, and paid more attention to other details during training. Since they mostly gave him drills, they had never caught this particular problem.

In sparring with friends, or in actual combat on the jianghu, his opponents were either overwhelmed by the speed of the footwork and couldn’t keep up, or he had deployed his powerful throwing weapons and the footwork was secondary. Neither situation had ever exposed the flaw, until today when someone finally pointed it out.

"Thank you for telling me." Xie Fengchao came to himself and bowed to Ding Songyan with great formality.

Ding Songyan smiled.

"One more thing, Young Master Xie—wherever you intend to strike, a single glance is enough. Don’t keep staring at it. Your opponent will notice. If I were you, I’d deliberately look somewhere else to mislead them."

Xie Fengchao paused.

Right, that’s another bad habit of mine!

This was exactly why going out into the world mattered. At home, everyone knew each other too well, which made it easy to develop blind spots!

With that, he completely revised his opinion of the Brightnight Sect disciple before him. He found the man sincere and open, calm and humble, as easy to be around as an old friend.

But with only greater mastery of aperture refinement, to have this kind of perception and boldness, his martial talent is truly extraordinary. Brightnight Sect truly has hidden dragons and crouching tigers... Xie Fengchao thought with admiration, and exchanged names with Ding Songyan, making their acquaintance official.

Just then, he saw a tall and slender figure emerge from the yamen. She wore black tight-fitting clothes and moved with light steps. Her features were striking, and her eyes seemed to hold a sky full of stars that shimmered brilliantly as she glanced about.

Those looks, that bearing—could this be Zheng Zhuxi? The thought had barely crossed Xie Fengchao’s mind when he saw Ding Songyan step forward with a smile.

"Senior Sister, perfect timing. I’ve just made the acquaintance of Young Master Xie Fengchao."

He then turned to introduce her to Xie Fengchao.

"My senior sister, Zheng Zhuxi. She often guides my swordplay on our master’s behalf."

A senior sister under the same master... He hadn’t heard before that Tao Wenshu had a new disciple like this. She must have recruited him recently, not more than a year ago... Xie Fengchao and Zheng Zhuxi exchanged bows and exchanged a few pleasantries.

After watching the senior sister and junior brother duo walk away, Xie Fengchao recalled Ding Songyan’s manner toward Zheng Zhuxi in his mind, and then connected it to her string of accomplishments. A belated fear rose in his heart.

If the junior brother that Zheng Zhuxi guided already has this kind of perception and judgment, what must she herself be like?

Her realm is also higher, and that string of accomplishments appears to contain no exaggeration!

Man, her swordsmanship must be even more formidable. Thank goodness I took Uncle Yi’s advice and didn’t challenge her directly.

If she doesn’t die young, the jianghu will certainly have a place for her in the future...

...

Having left the yamen, Zheng Zhuxi glanced back and said, "You just sparred with Young Master Xie? How was it?"

"Do you want to spar with him too, Senior Sister?" Ding Songyan asked with a smile.

"It’s rare to meet a same-generation martial artist who is both famous at a young age and has a distinctive style. My swordplay has also made great strides recently, so of course I want to spar," Zheng Zhuxi answered openly, not hiding the youthful spirit and drive in her heart. "I just heard that Xie Fengchao has five signature throwing weapons that draw blood every time. They are quite formidable."

Ding Songyan thought it over and said, "If he doesn’t use his five signature weapons, your chances of beating him aren’t small, Senior Sister."

He was understating it, so Zheng Zhuxi wouldn’t grow arrogant and underestimate her opponent.

"Then I’ll wait for him to come to me. Since he’s staying in Dingjiang Prefecture for a few months, the day will come." Zheng Zhuxi felt it would be improper on her part to be the one to approach him. She wanted to let Xie Fengchao first familiarize himself with Brightnight Sect’s arts.

As she spoke, she glanced at the street and said with a puzzled look, "Aren’t we going to Baoping Lane? This is the road heading east."

"We’ll stop by Tianyang Hall and Debao Tower on the way to see if there’s any mail for me." Ding Songyan reckoned that by now, Miss Xiao Qing’s reply should have arrived. Since nothing had come through the Hongxin Trading Company, he’d try Tianyang Hall.

Zheng Zhuxi already knew that both the Celestial Maiden Sect’s Su family and the True Spirit Sect were aware of the Kunlun affair. She saw no issue with the correspondence.

She followed Ding Songyan all the way to Dangkang Temple in the eastern part of the city. Along the way, more and more people recognized Ding Songyan and greeted him.

Ding Songyan responded to each one with easy contentment, savoring the flavor of ordinary city life.

Passing Dangkang Temple, he suddenly paused and stopped in his tracks.

Seeing Zheng Zhuxi’s questioning look, Ding Songyan smiled and said, "Senior Sister, I need to step into Dangkang Temple first to offer incense and fulfil a vow."

He had once offered incense at Dangkang Temple and made a vow, praying for an escape from his desperate circumstances and for his survival. Now that he had come through unscathed, it was time to fulfil it. He had forgotten about this entirely until the sight of the temple brought it back.

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