Radiant Blade of the Wilderness

After examining Wu Mo’s condition, Ding Songyan turned and looked toward the distant rooftops, trees, and night sky.

A cold breeze blew gently through the same chilly silence as always.

Neither the guards on watch and patrol nor the watchtower over a kilometer away showed any reaction.

Although this is only the edge of Prince Kang’s estate, it remains heavily guarded. With the watchtower’s surveillance and soldiers patrolling at night, an ordinary Grandmaster won’t be able to infiltrate so mysteriously, injure someone, and withdraw without a sound... This doesn’t seem like the courage of the ignorant, but confidence born from exceptional skill... Ding Songyan rapidly assessed the situation and believed he could barely accomplish the same.

He had awakened only after instinctively sensing the stone cut through the air within twenty meters of him. The attacker had been entirely confident in the result and slipped away long before.

By then, Wu Mo’s cry of pain had awakened Li Baima and Fan Chunlin. Both threw on outer robes and hurried over.

"Why did someone strike you in the head too?" At the sight, Fan Chunlin felt a phantom pain and rubbed the bruise on his forehead.

Li Baima asked urgently, "Did you see who did it?"

Wu Mo had regained some composure. He shook his head.

"The stone struck my head and I woke up from the pain. There was no one outside."

The 1.9-meter-tall man with the vaguely simian appearance glanced around, then suddenly lowered his voice.

"Brother Li, Fourth Fan, Brother Ding, can we avoid reporting this to Eunuch Zhang and Steward Peng? My own punishment would be a minor matter. I fear implicating my sect and bringing punishment upon them."

Ding Songyan immediately understood Wu Mo’s concern.

They were all skilled martial artists in their twenties, an age of hot blood and abundant courage. Disputes and occasional fights outside were inevitable, and the estate’s eunuchs and stewards understood this. When Fan Chunlin was struck by a stone while returning from the Hengbo River to Lotus Whisper Street, he had even asked Steward Peng to question the watchtowers. Nobody considered that a violation of the estate’s rules. Bringing trouble back into the estate, however, was another matter entirely.

Wu Mo still relied on the estate to gather cultivation resources. If this incident caused him to be sent back to the Ruyi House, his progress to the perfected Great Proliferation Realm would be delayed by a year or two. Worse, Prince Kang might stop valuing the Ruyi House, swiftly undoing every advantage it had gained from his favor.

The Brightnight Sect was different. It possessed enough strength to stand on its own in Dingjiang Prefecture.

"How can we conceal something as serious as an outsider infiltrating the estate and attacking someone?" Li Baima’s expression was grave. "They injured you today and may injure someone else tomorrow. If a noble is harmed, none of us will escape the consequences."

Ding Songyan had only just arrived and was unfamiliar with both the people and the circumstances. He remained silent and offered no opinion.

To put it bluntly, whether they reported the incident or not, and whether it affected the estate or Wu Mo, had little to do with him. At most, for his senior sister’s sake, he would help her cousin deal with any potential danger.

The attacker had thrown only stones at their heads and controlled the force so precisely that neither suffered even a minor injury. Ding Songyan therefore believed this was merely a warning involving Wu Mo, Fan Chunlin, and perhaps a few others, rather than the estate itself. He relaxed and watched the spectacle unfold.

"Brother Li, we probably brought this upon ourselves outside. It has nothing to do with the estate. Look, that person did not actually injure us, only left bruises. If they had used iron pellets instead of stones, Fourth Fan and I would have been gravely injured even if we survived." Wu Mo continued, "They clearly wanted only to teach us a lesson. If we behave ourselves from now on, nothing else will happen."

As he spoke, Wu Mo opened his left hand and revealed an ordinary pebble with nothing unusual about it.

After Wu Mo pleaded repeatedly, Li Baima finally nodded with reluctance and told him and Fan Chunlin, "Behave yourselves for the time being. Do not cause any more trouble."

After delivering this warning, the Fire-Wielding School successor frowned.

"Who exactly did you offend?"

Wu Mo and Fan Chunlin exchanged a glance and shook their heads together.

"I may enjoy women, but I never bother respectable ladies and always watch my tongue around heroines." Wu Mo tried hard to recall. "At the Hengbo River, I might complain when someone chooses the girl I wanted before me, but that hardly counts as an argument. There are so many beautiful women. If one is unavailable, I can simply choose another with a different charm. She might even be better."

"Exactly. Once you reach the Hengbo River, why be hung up over a single choice?" Fan Chunlin agreed.

The two discussed the matter at length but still could not identify anyone they had offended. Li Baima could only order them to remain inside the estate for the next half month.

Ding Songyan had already activated Mirror Lake Divine Reflection and concealed its signs with the Celestial Heart imprint. Silently listening to the three men’s thoughts, he found they were remarkably honest and had not lied. At most, discussing certain subjects prompted passing memories of favored women and their charms.

After returning to his room, he entered the Chaos state and sat cross-legged on the bed. He circulated Presence-Absence Myriad Forms Qi through every meridian in his body, gradually letting it spill outward and travel through the void in threads as fine as needles with the aid of his external apertures.

Ding Songyan’s mind and awareness gradually spread outward. From a fixed location, he sensed the changes in heaven and earth, searching for the void qi that resonated with him.

After an unknown period of time, he finally grasped a trace. He guided his true qi toward it and began condensing it little by little according to a specific rhythm and circulation method.

Once the external aperture was complete and became part of him, Ding Songyan used it to sense another compatible current of qi.

After condensing this second void aperture, he made no further gains.

Five remain... Ding Songyan opened his eyes and silently mouthed the words.

Chaos possessed over 120,000 external apertures. Ding Songyan could not be bothered to name them, so apart from a few especially unusual ones, he identified them all by number.

Of the five remaining, the only one he had named was Returning Abyss. He intended to use the true qi of a Taotie inheritor to assist its condensation.

The next morning, Ding Songyan, Li Baima, and Fan Chunlin reported for duty at the northern side gate.

The bruise on Wu Mo’s forehead was conspicuous, and he feared questions, so he deliberately remained in the courtyard and asked the other three to cover for him. Guarding a side gate normally required only two people anyway.

Ding Songyan now understood why Fan Chunlin had refused to join them for drinks. As a fourth-rank Mortal Surpassed martial artist, having his forehead struck without identifying the culprit was truly embarrassing.

People entered and left the estate in orderly fashion. Standing beside the northern side gate, Ding Songyan encountered only a few eunuchs, stewards, and servants leaving on errands. The duty was remarkably easy.

The warm autumn sun shone overhead, making him drowsy.

I certainly avoided a few detours in life and became an old gatekeeper in a single step. I even earn a monthly salary of five taels, more than yamen clerks and runners... Ding Songyan mocked himself as his thoughts gradually wandered.

In addition to his own martial arts, he considered the situation of his unearned younger sister, Ji Hanyi.

Even I can improve martial techniques this way and enhance Kindling Passes to Candle through the Accumulating Waters Divine Art. As a sect master and leader of a top faction, Demoness Ji probably possesses several or even more than ten times my resources. I wonder what new things she has developed...

I currently know only that she possesses the Sutra of Celestial Heart Wisdom and the Scripture of Sage-Severing and Wisdom Abandonment, and has also obtained the Mystical Pass True-Nature Preservation Art... The last has the potential to combine with the Celestial Heart imprint. At least, that is what I believe...

Ding Songyan had mastered every part of the Mystical Pass True-Nature Preservation Art except the last. His soul and mind had grown increasingly powerful, and Mirror Lake Divine Reflection could now hear thoughts within 4.09 meters.

After checking the identification token of an elderly laboring woman and watching her enter the estate, Ding Songyan and the others finished their duty for the day.

After greeting the guards who came to relieve them, Li Baima smiled at Ding Songyan.

"Easy, isn’t it?"

"Earning those five taels almost makes me feel guilty." Ding Songyan laughed.

"You will get used to it. We also help His Highness handle jianghu affairs." Fan Chunlin rubbed his stomach. "Let us hurry back. The meal boxes should have arrived in the courtyard. That bastard Wu Mo always picks first and takes the one with the most meat."

Amidst banter, the trio returned to the nearby courtyard and enjoyed a generous meal.

"I am going out to explore and experience the Flame Capital’s prosperity." After putting away his meal box, Ding Songyan picked up Frostshade and informed Li Baima.

Fan Chunlin’s and Wu Mo’s eyes both lit up.

"Going to the Hengbo River?"

Both immediately presented themselves as excellent guides.

"I will wander around nearby first." Ding Songyan teased, "You two should behave until the bruises on your foreheads fade. Otherwise, it will be embarrassing when the girls ask why your horns stand so proudly."

Li Baima strongly agreed and asked Ding Songyan, "Would you like me to show you around?"

"Not for now." Ding Songyan declined Li Baima’s kind offer with a smile.

After leaving the estate, he strolled through the surrounding streets, seemingly observing everything nearby without particular intent.

Familiarity with the terrain would help him uncover any traces left by heretics.

For example, had he known the area around Prince Kang’s estate well last night, he could at least have deduced the direction the attacker came from and which night sentries and patrols they bypassed.

Reaching the alley with the Cheap Wine Shop from the northern side gate requires a long detour. It is much closer to cross the estate and leave through the southwestern side gate onto the rear street...

The nearby streets seem to house married guards and guest advisers...

Ordinary citizens and people of the jianghu appear only two streets beyond the rear alley...

Ding Songyan measured the area step by step. He reached the Cheap Wine Shop, continued past it, and entered the southern city.

The area brimmed with ordinary life, while the lingering stench of animal dung suggested a mule and horse market nearby.

With a sweep of his gaze, Ding Songyan saw the man surnamed Zhu from yesterday’s argument at the Cheap Wine Shop hurrying past while clutching his head. The inflamed boil on his face seemed to be oozing pus.

A thought stirred. He stepped forward and extended Frostshade to block the man’s path.

"What’s this?"

The burly man glanced at Ding Songyan’s guard uniform, then grimaced and pointed to the side of his head.

"Someone struck me in the head last night. How could such a thing happen here in the imperial capital, beneath the emperor’s feet?"

Ding Songyan raised an eyebrow.

"Did you report it to the authorities?"

"I did. The constables looked around and questioned the watchtower, but found nothing. Useless parasites, every one of them!" the burly man complained.

Ding Songyan nodded slightly and asked nothing more.

He turned back into the alley and entered the Cheap Wine Shop, calling to a server, "One pot of Jade Spring."

"Coming right up." It was not mealtime, so the server was relatively idle.

Twelfth Madam Luo still wore her hair in a loose, languid drooping chignon. She sat behind the counter, cheek propped on one hand, staring absently into space.

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