Radiant Blade of the Wilderness

Chapter 161: The Experience of a Jianghu Veteran

In the past, Zheng Zhuxi would have helped Liang Qian to his feet and asked what trouble had come his way. Today, however, her first instinct was to watch and see what her junior brother would do.

She had a feeling something was off.

Ding Songyan stepped aside to avoid Liang Qian’s bow.

"I dare not accept such a bow, Elder Liang. Speak plainly. Give us the whole situation first, and then we’ll know whether we ought to help."

Without waiting for Liang Qian to respond, he called toward the doorway.

"Why such poor hospitality? Bring tea for Elder Liang at once."

Liang Qian straightened up as a wry smile showed on his face. Yet, he raised no objection to Ding Songyan’s words, and took a seat as far from the two of them as possible.

So it’s not especially urgent... That makes sense. If it were truly desperate, Elder Liang would have gone straight to Alpine Lake Mountain to find us and not have stationed disciples and granddisciples in shifts at the west gate... Watching quietly from the side, Zheng Zhuxi managed to figure it out.

She had also begun to sense something more.

This matter likely involved the Mirror Lake Divine Reflection. If not, given the connections Liang Qian had both in official circles and across the jianghu, there would be no particular need for him to come to the two of them specifically.

Once the servants had served the hot tea, Ding Songyan, seated at the head with Zheng Zhuxi by the side, lifted the lid of his cup, blew lightly across the tea, and said, "What situation have you found yourself in, Elder Liang?"

Liang Qian held his teacup and let out a sigh.

"Nothing has happened yet. It may be that the longer I’ve been in the jianghu, the more cautious I’ve become. The slightest rustling in the wind sets me on edge."

Seeing that neither Ding Songyan nor Zheng Zhuxi followed up on the conversation, the fence chief touched the white markings on his cheekbone and thought for a moment.

"As my lineage’s art is unusual and easily envied, and because we lack the strength to adequately protect ourselves, has always been a secret transmission. My master took only two disciples. I have a senior brother, five or six years my elder.

"Heroine Zheng, Young Hero Ding, as you know, the Mirror Lake Divine Reflection is only mediocre as a combat art. Even with the benefit of its special ability, even if you hear an enemy’s thoughts mid-fight, you may still not have time to respond correctly. So after a few years in the jianghu, I chose to return to my hometown and become a local powerbroker. In a place where life-or-death confrontations are rare, the Mirror Lake Divine Reflection can be put to its greatest use.

"My senior brother Fu Yangquan thought much the same. But he was obsessed with becoming an official. He was bent on a government post. His martial arts weren’t much better than mine and he had no talent for scholarship. He, too, didn’t dare expose the special nature of our art. Finding no legitimate path to even a minor appointment, he took advantage of his experiential travels and headed to the Gan Kingdom.

"Somehow, he did manage to obtain a post in the Gan Kingdom, and one thing led to another. At his peak, he served as the head of a prefecture and as a provincial secretary. A short while ago he offended a superior and had his background investigated, so he had no choice but to flee back to Dingjiang Prefecture. He’s been staying in my courtyard for the time being."

The Gan, Yu, and Feng Kingdoms had all been built on the foundations of Great Zhao, so their administrative structures were much the same.

"A cultivator of the Mirror Lake Divine Reflection managed to offend a superior?" Ding Songyan quietly swept Liang Qian with the Candle-Star Pupils, confirming that this fence chief of the prefectural city had not been contaminated by the Two-Faced in recent months.

Ever since discovering that the Demon Sovereign was very likely a Two-Faced, he had made a habit of scanning whoever he encountered with the Candle-Star Pupils first.

Liang Qian heaved a sigh.

"That is precisely what troubles me. I’ve asked my senior brother what really happened, but he always avoids the topic. He also knows the limits of my martial arts, so he’s never given me the chance to hear his thoughts.

"Then again, even hearing someone’s thoughts can lead to offending someone. If a person’s mind is set on seizing your property or taking your life, there’s no amount of maneuvering that can fix that."

"Troubles in the Gan Kingdom shouldn’t be able to reach Dingjiang Prefecture," Zheng Zhuxi offered in reassurance.

Elder Liang’s senior brother couldn’t possibly have managed to offend a Supreme Master, could he?

If a Supreme Master truly wanted someone dead at any cost, the only options were to hide where they couldn’t be found, or take shelter somewhere capable of holding off a Heaven-Man Realm powerhouse.

Liang Qian took a sip of hot tea.

"That is only a distant concern.

"When my senior brother came to me, I kept my guard up. I didn’t bring him to my actual home, only settled him in the courtyard the two of you visited before. I also haven’t told him that I married and had children years ago.

"These past few days, I keep having the feeling that my senior brother’s gaze toward me turns vicious at odd moments. It may be nothing more than excessive imagination, but I am an experienced veteran of the jianghu, and I’ve always believed that caution is the better part of survival. I don’t dare lower my guard even slightly. I’d like to ask Heroine Zheng and Young Hero Ding to look into my senior brother and find out whether something is truly wrong. And the trouble is, my senior brother has already decided to settle here in his hometown. It’s not as though I can just wait this out and be done with it. We’ll be seeing each other constantly from here on.

"If I asked others for help and they came to know about the Mirror Lake Divine Reflection, the trouble could grow far worse."

Zheng Zhuxi did not commit, and asked carefully, "Elder Liang, how strong is your senior brother? What rank has he been given on the Orchid Rankings?"

"He’s been in the Gan Kingdom all along, working in politics, and has rarely put his skills on display. He was ranked fourth-rank Mortal Surpassed twenty years ago and hasn’t changed since. He’s probably not a Grandmaster yet, but he’s certainly stronger than me," Liang Qian answered honestly.

In his estimation, Heroine Zheng—reportedly in the mid-stage of the Great Proliferation Realm and ranked fourth-rank Mortal Surpassed herself—would have no difficulty surpassing him by a full rank.

She could likely already measure herself against the lower-ranked prodigies on the Orchid Fresh List.

Ding Songyan thought for a moment, then smiled.

"Elder Liang, do you remember the agreement between us?"

"I remember, I remember. What compensation does Young Hero Ding have in mind?" Rather than alarm, Liang Qian’s face showed relief.

Asking for compensation meant they were willing to help!

"No rush. We’ll sort that out once the truth comes to light. It will certainly be something you can afford without breaking the bank." Ding Songyan lifted his teacup and smiled. "Please head home first, Elder Liang. We’ll come call on you shortly and take the opportunity to meet your senior brother."

Zheng Zhuxi gave a nod of agreement.

Only then did Liang Qian set his worries aside. He rose, took his leave, and departed the Ding household.

Once he had gone, Zheng Zhuxi turned her head toward Ding Songyan and asked with a smile, "Junior Brother, what is this agreement you have with Elder Liang?"

"I promised to do him one favor, as long as it didn’t violate the code of the jianghu. But I would ask for compensation in return," Ding Songyan answered directly.

Zheng Zhuxi’s dimples appeared.

"You want to read the Mirror Lake Divine Reflection?"

"I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time." Ding Songyan laughed without the slightest concealment. "If Elder Liang’s situation had been one of dire urgency, I wouldn’t have mentioned the agreement. I’d have helped first and discussed it afterward. But since the matter isn’t pressing, and his senior brother’s problem doesn’t appear to be an immediate threat to him or his family, it was worth reminding him of our past agreement. Senior Sister, does it feel to you like I’m taking advantage of his situation?"

Zheng Zhuxi thought it over and slowly shook her head.

"No.

"As you said yourself, if it had been a matter of urgent rescue and you’d insisted on invoking the agreement first, then maybe I would have felt that way. Wee, just a little. I’m personally willing to uphold justice and aid those in distress without asking for anything in return. But I can’t demand that of others. Didn’t we discuss this before? Expecting people to act selflessly drives away those who would otherwise be willing to help.

"Besides, the very fact that Elder Liang came to us shows that he accepted and stands by your agreement."

"Good." Ding Songyan smiled.

He and Zheng Zhuxi waited a quarter of an hour before picking up their swords and heading to South Stone Lane, where they knocked at the door of Liang Qian’s courtyard.

The same pretty maidservant answered the door.

This time she showed no change in expression, stepped aside, and called out with practised ease, "Master, Heroine Zheng and Young Hero Ding are here to see you!"

Candleflame rose in both Ding Songyan’s and Zheng Zhuxi’s eyes, studded with stars, as they quietly examined the maidservant.

Nothing unusual.

Liang Qian came out to meet them, ready and waiting, and guided the two into the main room, maintaining a distance of about 3.85 meters.

Once inside, maintaining sufficient distance was no longer possible. Zheng Zhuxi deactivated the Candle-Star Pupils and focused on holding her thoughts together, reining them in so as not to let too many inner voices surface.

Her gaze swept casually around and found another person standing in the main room.

He wore a Huayang Daoist cap and a plain gray robe, with white markings at his neck, cheekbones, and behind his ears. His temples were touched with gray, and his face was quite full and round, which made his avian traits less immediately apparent.

"This is my senior brother, Fu Yangquan. These two are Heroine Zheng Zhuxi and Young Hero Ding Songyan of the Brightnight Sect." Liang Qian stood to one side of the square table and made the introductions.

Fu Yangquan stood in the doorway of the west side room, maintaining a distance of just over 3.85 meters from Liang Qian. Hearing the introduction, he offered a cupped-hand bow.

"Greetings, Young Heroes."

His expression shifted into something faintly odd, because Young Hero Ding was less than 3.85 meters away, yet he heard not a single inner voice from him.

Ding Songyan returned the bow with impeccable courtesy, speaking as he did so, while quietly triggering the Candle-Star Pupils and running them across Fu Yangquan.

Abruptly, his gaze froze.

In his vision, Fu Yangquan’s face had two layers.

One was the outer face—full, amiable, and at ease. The other was the inner face—vicious, cold, and sinister.

Two-Faced?

Fu Yangquan is actually a Two-Faced!

This was the first time Ding Songyan had encountered a Two-Faced since He Luo. Back then, he had never used the Candle-Star Pupils on He Luo while he was still alive. He hadn’t expected this to be what a Two-Faced looked like through them!

On the physical level the second face hides behind the head, but at the soul or consciousness level it lies beneath the first? No wonder they can switch at any time... Ding Songyan kept his expression perfectly controlled. He deliberately let a crack open in the darkness shrouding his sea of consciousness, letting his thoughts leak through.

This Fu Yangquan really is suspicious. Under my Candle-Star Pupils, his face is strangely blurred, hiding something...

I’ll test him in a moment...

While thinking this, Ding Songyan quietly opened the Chaos Realm without letting it show.

At the same time, he let his Presence-Absence Myriad Forms Qi flow into the Celestial Heart imprint, simulating the Celestial Heart state, and began sensing the flow of qi between heaven and earth, as though looking down over the area from a great height.

Both Fu Yangquan’s and Liang Qian’s expressions changed slightly.

The former narrowed his eyes slightly, the warmth in his gaze deepening into something unreadable.

The latter was visibly startled.

Is Young Hero Ding trying to bluff my senior brother?

But the way he mentioned the blurred face keeps making me think of that He Luo from Dangkang Temple. Two-Faced...

Ding Songyan turned his head and smiled at Zheng Zhuxi, who was standing more than 3.85 meters from Fu Yangquan.

"Senior Sister, do you remember the matter we once asked Elder Liang to help us with?"

Why bring that up now? He Luo’s situation... the Two-Faced... The connection came to Zheng Zhuxi at once.

Junior Brother Ding used the Candle-Star Pupils and saw that Fu Yangquan is a Two-Faced?

The young woman raised her guard at once and smiled brightly.

"We really had Elder Liang to thank for that."

Even as Zheng Zhuxi spoke, Ding Songyan sensed faint wisps of black miasma spreading outward from Fu Yangquan, creeping along the flow of qi between heaven and earth, stretching toward him.