Radiant Blade of the Wilderness

Chapter 179: Where Can the Splendor of Days Past Be Found?

Standing on the bustling street, Ding Songyan told the Lü siblings without concealing anything,

"One is called the Heaven-Earth Cosmos Chapter, and the other the Scripture of Returning to Stillness.

"The former resembles the Sovereign Xi School’s Stellar Calendar but also possesses the power of the Six Directions. The latter brings all arts into one."

He did not use the Taotie’s All Things Dissolve to help the Lü siblings understand the Scripture of Returning to Stillness. The corresponding inheritance belonged to the Returning Abyss Order, one of the Upper Nine among the Twenty-One Heretical Ways, and was called the Returning Abyss Divine Art. Comparing the two would easily frighten them away, making them fear they were straying onto an unorthodox path.

"The Stellar Calendar...?" Lü Huaijin still looked confused.

Her knowledge extended no farther than Guangning Prefecture, and at most included the Huangliang and Brightnight Sects.

"A martial art that cultivates the Way of Time," Ding Songyan explained succinctly.

Time... The word left Lü Huaijin and Lü Woyu both bewildered and longing.

It sounds incredibly powerful.

Ding Songyan considered for a moment and said, "But you cannot choose the same art. Each of you must select a different one."

Rather than immediately ask whether they were willing, he continued conversationally, "If you truly join, which one would each of you choose?"

"I will let my sister choose first," Lü Woyu answered without hesitation.

Lü Huaijin thought for a while, then smiled bashfully.

"I would choose the Heaven-Earth Cosmos Chapter. The Way of Time sounds very... very powerful."

Ding Songyan then added, "You need not worry. Joining this branch still makes you Brightnight Sect disciples. A designated steward will guide you, you will pay respects to the ancestors, and you may enter the scripture repository and similar places. You will also undergo the same two or three years of introductory training. For now, however, you cannot tell other disciples which arts you cultivate. This is a new undertaking for the sect and must remain secret until it truly succeeds."

Saying this left Ding Songyan momentarily dazed. He recalled certain scams from his previous life: claims of classified national projects, declarations by scammers that all these assets belonged to them and could be toured first, or that using a university classroom somehow made them members of that university...

Suddenly feeling wistful, he decided to say no more.

It did not matter if the Lü siblings refused. The world had no shortage of people who wished to learn martial arts and lacked better choices.

Doubts arose in Lü Huaijin’s mind.

A secret branch?

That does not sound right.

Lü Woyu, however, was eager to try.

Both arts sound powerful. How could someone as good as Young Hero Ding deceive us?

"There is no need to decide now." Seeing their reactions, Ding Songyan spoke gently. "Enjoy the New Year first and consider it afterward. Refusing is fine too. The sect recruits every year."

Lü Huaijin quietly relaxed and said gratefully, "Thank you, Young Hero Ding."

After a pause, she asked, "How should we inform you once we decide?"

"Simply come up the mountain and find me. The road is not dangerous, only rather rugged." Ding Songyan nodded with a smile.

After bidding farewell to the Lü siblings, he wandered along the crowded street amid endless shouts, laughter, and conversation.

Large red lanterns hung on both sides. Passersby wore new clothes in every shade of red. Vendors shouted themselves hoarse, while children crouched before their homes lighting firecrackers. Freshly inked spring couplets and peachwood charms painted with deities made Ding Songyan feel as though he had returned to this same time last year.

Musicians had changed to more festive tunes, and storytellers no longer told sorrowful tales. On the great stage at Worthy Ancestors Street, a newly arranged production of The Legend of the White Snake was being performed. It had just reached Lady Bai and Xu Xian’s wedding.

Without realizing it, Ding Songyan reached Greenwater Street. He glanced at the Mei Family Eatery, walked over, and told the honest-looking owner, "A bowl... Give me a bowl of plum blossom iced cheese."

Delight spread across the owner’s face.

"Young Hero Ding, you’re here! Coming right up, one bowl of plum blossom iced cheese!"

Ding Songyan swept the snow from a low stool by the street with his sleeve and sat down.

Before long, a bowl of iced cheese sprinkled with plum blossom petals was placed before him. He stirred it gently with a small spoon, breathing in its sweet fragrance and rich creaminess.

After eating absently for a while, Ding Songyan saw the owner paste a red notice onto a door panel set aside nearby. It said the shop would close the day after tomorrow and reopen after the Lantern Festival.

"Didn’t you remain open until New Year’s Eve last year?" Ding Songyan asked casually.

The owner gave a simple smile.

"In past years, whenever the Young Sect Master was in Alpine Lake Town on New Year’s Eve, she would come for a snack in the afternoon."

Ding Songyan was silent for two breaths, then laughed softly.

"You still call her the Young Sect Master..."

The owner answered firmly, "I recognize only Sect Master Tao and the Young Sect Master!"

Ding Songyan said nothing more. He slowly finished the plum blossom iced cheese, then used Waxing Moon Phantom Form to race toward the mountain gate through the heavy snow. The whitening road was silent, with only hidden sentries along the way.

Upon reaching the boundary marker, he glanced at the branches laden with snow, greeted the guard disciples, and started toward Alpine Lake.

"Junior Brother Ding," a guard disciple called. "There is a letter for you from Junior Sister Zheng. Master Uncle Yan told me to give it to you as soon as you returned."

Ding Songyan froze briefly, then hurriedly thanked him.

After accepting the letter, he opened the envelope and carefully smoothed the paper while walking toward his courtyard beside the lakeside cliff.

Large snowflakes fell toward him, only to dissolve within darkness invisible to the naked eye. Not one clung to Ding Songyan.

"Junior Brother,

"I carefully read both letters you sent. Though I still have not truly made sense of everything, I often remember many things from the past.

"The great stage on Worthy Ancestors Street must be performing Ennobled as Marquis again. Last year, you said you would treat me to it this year. In truth, I have already seen it several times, but watching it again with someone who has not should still be interesting. They also give out sugar cakes and fruit dishes. The sugar cakes are quite distinctive and very good. I always eat two.

"The Mei Family Eatery should still be open when you receive this letter, right? Please eat a serving of plum blossom iced cheese for me. Shopkeeper Mei always seems uneasy if I do not visit once before New Year’s Eve. If he has any new iced drinks, you can try those too and write to tell me whether they are good.

"This year’s recruitment should be over. Has business at Tongfu Inn grown much quieter? I still remember that the possession incident there first made me realize you, my junior brother, hid many secrets. You also kept attributing your own deeds to me.

"But you also taught me a lot. You showed me that many things in this world are not merely black or white and helped me consider matters more fully. This was especially true with the Huangliang Sect’s Chen Jindong. Without you, I truly would not have known what to do. I would never even have thought of using a false identity to initiate a deathmatch. I learned that passion and steadfast convictions alone cannot solve every problem.

"Sometimes, you seem to regard me with the indulgence of an elder. You humor my willfulness and accompanied me in pursuing a promise day and night. We raced north of the river, eliminated the Three Fiends of Xiao City, and recovered Caretaker Zhu’s property. Without you, we might have died beneath that flood dragon.

"When I recall it now, I picture you carrying me through the rainy night while I slew the fierce beasts trying to stop us, one sword strike after another. What fills my heart is not heated blood or exhilaration, but peace and security.

"I have rarely gone out while observing mourning for Mother. Most days, I merely keep Father company. Sometimes my cousins visit and sit with me, but they are all very proper and never especially lively or playful.

"Sometimes I recall the lively scenes of the past year or two. Three remain most vivid in my memory.

"The first was my first visit to a song house to listen to the music and drink. It was extravagantly decorated, and The General’s Command was stirring and fervent. We laughed and talked without restraint. Once the mood struck us, we insisted on making the difficult journey to Heaven’s Gate Lookout Island at night. Nine Feng’s remnant soul nearly sucked out your soul that time. Even remembering it frightens me.

"The second was New Year’s Eve, when you lit firecrackers and threw them at me, and I returned the favor. We played like children and enjoyed ourselves immensely. Though it was only the two of us, it felt livelier than all the past years when I stayed up gambling with Senior Sister Xue and the others.

"The third was the day Fifth Young Master Xie said farewell. Everyone gathered in your courtyard to admire the snow, drink fine wine, discuss the jianghu, and occasionally spar. It was exceptionally lively.

"I remember Xu Chang’an said little that day. He is always like that, lacking confidence and afraid of making mistakes. Only after having too much to drink would he join the conversation and speak about himself. Yang Shiduo was rather similar and also restrained, though mostly because he was unaccustomed to such occasions. He could certainly drink.

"Senior Brother Pan is actually somewhat like you. He can talk with anyone and leave them happy, but few people earn his genuine friendship. With you and him present, there is never any fear of the conversation suddenly dying and leaving everyone in awkward silence.

"Second Brother Xing is straightforward and never refuses a toast. He drank a great deal that day and still devoted himself to protecting the wine and food on the stone table while Fifth Young Master Xie and I sparred.

"Fifth Young Master Xie cares too much about his image and reveals his true self only among close friends, but he truly is a chivalrous hero. He will brave extraordinary danger for a promise and travel tirelessly for a friend’s request. Whenever Second Brother Xing unwittingly ruined the mood he wanted, or you deliberately stopped him from maintaining his posturing, I found it amusing. I also found Second Brother Xing remarkably slow and you genuinely rather wicked.

"That day, you sat beside me and drank a great deal, but carried no unpleasant smell. You never pointed out that I had drunk too much and merely chatted with me.

"Even while speaking animatedly with them, you never overlooked me. You allowed me to become part of that fervent atmosphere and enjoy the happiness of friends gathered together.

"The clink of bowls that day, the spirited conversation, and everyone who was present have often returned to me recently. The snow in your courtyard had not been swept away. It was white as jade and beautiful beyond description..."

Upon reading this far, Ding Songyan stopped before his courtyard amid the crunch of his footsteps in the snow.

He gazed at the tightly closed gate in silence, then reached out and opened it.

The wooden gate swung wide. The courtyard beyond stood empty, its trees, stone table, stools, and ground buried beneath a thick layer of snow.

Everything was pure white, cold and clear as jade.

End of Volume