Chapter 37: Moth Seed
Having calmed his emotions, Ding Songyan left Chengyu Lane and headed toward North Water Street, buying some sesame balls and steamed buns along the way to wolf down for a hasty meal.
His original idea was to warn Xiao Qing immediately that the thing controlling the tail was related to the Vermilion Moth lineage. But he feared this would expose the fact that he possessed the Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas and the illusion-piercing ability. So he decided to do a storytelling session with Yan Changqing first, discuss the Vermilion Moth matter with this mysterious and powerful "distinguished guest," and then hint at it to Xiao Qing afterward.
This way, the information would have a plausible "source" on the surface. And it served a dual purpose. It would make Xiao Qing clearly aware that Ding Songyan was mysterious, that his information sources were closely tied to the Zhen household. She and the forces behind her would then scrutinize the Zhen household more carefully, examining every detail.
At the thought of Yan Changqing, Ding Songyan suddenly slowed his pace.
He had already used the qi twice today. The hazy "seed" in his sea of consciousness had vanished!
This meant he could try reporting to the authorities again and see if it worked!
Ding Songyan immediately turned toward the county office. He had just reached the idolatry wall when he saw Constable Li Wu and another man in the same black-patterned red uniform rushing out.
"Ding Songyan! We were just looking for you!" Li Wu’s eyes lit up as he hurried over.
"Brother Li, what’s going on?" Ding Songyan was both puzzled and hopeful.
Are they going to take me in? Examine me for anything unusual?
Li Wu pointed at the refined-looking middle-aged man beside him.
"You’ve probably forgotten. This is Constable Xue. You used to call him Uncle Xue."
"Uncle Xue, is something the matter?" Ding Songyan seized the opportunity to address Constable Xue Zhangjian.
According to what he had heard from his father, Constable Xue was a lay disciple of the Body-and-Will Heterodox Sect, a Buddhist faction.
The Body-and-Will Heterodox Sect was also a top-tier power. The reason for its unusual name was that the Feng Kingdom already had a Body-Mind Sect. The Heterodox Sect had split off due to differences in Buddhist philosophy and martial origins. They had migrated south and eventually established themselves in Great Zhao, making them one of the top-tier factions with a relatively short history.
Xue Zhangjian stood slightly hunched, his fingers curled like claws. He gave a slight nod.
"Tell us everything you know about Chen Yuliang again. From the beginning."
"You’ve discovered what was wrong with him?" Ding Songyan was mildly surprised.
Both Xue Zhangjian and Li Wu nodded simultaneously but did not explain what the abnormality was.
Ding Songyan considered for a moment, deliberating carefully, then said with sincerity, "Brother Li, the last time I told you about it, I actually held something back. The blotchy-nosed man, right, the one called Wang Yishu, said more at the time. He said I had sold a certain treasure to Chen Yuliang. Chen Yuliang gave me a large sum of silver and told me to leave Dingjiang Prefecture as soon as possible. But then I was found unconscious in a ruined temple outside the city. Not only was the silver gone, but I’d developed Soul Departure Sickness and completely forgotten everything.
"When I asked Wang Yishu other questions, he seemed to hold nothing back. He told me everything willingly, including what martial art Chen Yuliang practiced and what was special about him..."
Apart from naming the Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas and concealing Bull’s identity behind the simple label of "a Zhen household member," Ding Songyan fully recounted every detail of what had happened.
Xue Zhangjian and Li Wu exchanged glances, each harboring their own suspicions and theories.
"You don’t remember what the treasure was, or where it came from?" Li Wu pressed.
Ding Songyan shook his head with complete candor.
At that time I genuinely didn’t remember. I only found out later.
"It seems someone is scheming behind the scenes." Xue Zhangjian murmured, then said to Ding Songyan, "Go home for now. If we have further questions, we’ll come find you."
Good, good, good! Ideally, the Brightnight Sect’s Zheng Zhuxi would take the lead. I could build some goodwill, maybe hint at a thing or two... Ding Songyan took his leave and exited the main street.
He was nearly at North Water Street when he suddenly realized he had once again "forgotten" to report that the Zhen household’s secret dungeon held a mysterious prisoner!
So the power Yan Changqing planted in my sea of consciousness isn’t just that one ’seed.’ On the surface there’s the seed, but hidden beneath is something else entirely. That’s the real culprit which erases my thoughts and makes me forget to do certain things... I need to find a way to root it out... Otherwise I can’t only not call for help, but I might sometimes be guided into doing specific things... Ding Songyan sighed, though he was not overly anxious.
This was because on one side stood the Zhen household, and on the other lurked the Vermilion Moth inheritor hiding behind the scenes. Only by pulling Yan Changqing in and obtaining "help" from him could he balance the situation.
A triangle is the most stable shape!
He truly could not afford to lose any one side. The moment one edge collapsed, the resulting instability would swallow Ding Songyan whole, leaving him with no power to save himself.
As for Xiao Qing’s faction, Ren Youyang’s True Spirit Sect, and the authorities together with the Brightnight Sect, they were all still at the periphery. Since Ding Songyan could not reveal critical information to them, he could only treat them as an inconsequential outer triangle for now and find ways to draw them in later.
Phew... Ding Songyan stepped into the Zhen estate. As usual, he was blindfolded, led through the winding passages to the dungeon, and sat down across from Yan Changqing.
"You’ve used up that thread of qi?" Cool energy descended into Ding Songyan’s sea of consciousness, echoing as an aged, rasping voice.
Immediately after, the cool energy intensified once more, condensing into a new hazy "seed."
This old man has deep reserves. Still plenty to squeeze out... Ding Songyan inexplicably felt like he was "leeching off an elder’s pension income."
Using the "seed," he split his consciousness in two again. Half retreated inward, condensing into a figure.
Yan Changqing, still in his Huayang Daoist cap and cyan robe, had been waiting in the mist-shrouded sea of consciousness. He said to Ding Songyan, "Something unexpected happened?"
Ding Songyan nodded and cupped his hands politely.
"Senior, Ren Youyang of the True Spirit Sect helped me discover that someone was tailing me. Not just the Zhen household’s retainer.
"Later, when he failed to catch the tail, I had no choice but to use the qi you gave me and attempt to pierce illusions..."
He did not hide the fact that Ren Youyang was helping him. After all, that fortuitous encounter had been calculated by Yan Changqing himself.
He described everything, including the red ant-like moth he had seen, the previous tail’s abnormal death, and the issues with Chen Yuliang and Wang Yishu.
Throughout, Ding Songyan kept his eyes trained on Yan Changqing’s face. He deliberately mentioned waking up in the ruined temple outside the city with most of his memories gone, and also that Chen Yuliang had deemed the Secret Classic genuine and complete.
The former was to see whether Yan Changqing had deduced his secret of soul transmigration. The latter was to observe whether this senior had any awareness of or connection to that Secret Classic.
In the end, Ding Songyan found that Yan Changqing remained perfectly composed throughout. There was no joy or anger—no surprise could be read.
Is he always like this, or did he already know the Secret Classic was at least nearly complete? Ding Songyan paused, then asked, "Senior, do you know where that tail came from and what their purpose is?"
The gray-templed Yan Changqing paced a few steps with his hands behind his back.
"I encountered it once in the great desert. That vermilion moth resembling an ant should be a ’moth seed’ cultivated through the Vermilion Moth lineage. It originates from the Moth-God Sect of the Feng Kingdom.
"What are they doing getting involved?"
Yan Changqing’s tone carried a note of puzzlement, though whether it was genuine or a performance for Ding Songyan was impossible to tell.
He thought for a moment before saying, "The tail you described is similar to the moth-men I once encountered. But Chen Yuliang and Wang Yishu behaved quite differently.
"Normally, even at the Dharma Realm, a moth patriarch or moth matriarch must be within a thousand feet to control a moth-man. The closer they are, the more agile and lifelike the moth-man becomes. Within a hundred feet, a moth-man can use martial arts normally and carry out basic conversation. But Wang Yishu talked far too much. He even displayed some thoughts of his own, as though the ’moth seed’ wasn’t controlling him at all. And when Chen Yuliang fought Master Yu to the death, they were inside Stone Pool Martial Hall according to you. A moth patriarch or moth matriarch could not have hidden within a hundred feet undetected.
"I’ve never seen this variety of moth-man before. Most peculiar. There may be something else at play."
It takes a veteran of the jianghu. He identified the moth’s origin instantly and spotted the irregularities... Ding Songyan did not interrupt Yan Changqing’s self-directed musings.
Yan Changqing’s voice gradually lowered.
"Either someone in the Moth-God Sect has secretly reached the Heaven-Man Realm, or they have outside help.
"If they have outside help...
"The Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas..."
Suddenly, Yan Changqing stopped pacing.
A trace of a smile appeared on his gaunt face.
"It seems an old acquaintance of mine has arrived. Though I wonder which one."
"What should I do?" Ding Songyan immediately sought guidance.
Yan Changqing smiled.
"Do nothing for now. Pretend you don’t know. Since the authorities questioned you about Chen Yuliang again today, it means they have their own suspicions. First, let’s see whether these two sides collide, and what kind of muddy waters get thrown up."
"Yes, Senior." Ding Songyan then asked, "Do Vermilion Moths attract ordinary moths to gather?"
Yan Changqing shook his head.
"I don’t know. I’ve never seen that happen.
"Heh. I only encountered a moth-man once. I dispatched his moth matriarch on the spot. Beyond that, my understanding is limited."
I’ll ask Xiao Qing later... Ding Songyan looked at the hazy "seed."
"Can this qi still only be used twice?"
Yan Changqing immediately laughed with mock irritation.
"I spent years pretending to be completely crippled just to accumulate these few wisps of qi. Don’t squander them, or things will be difficult later."
If you’re saying it like that, it means you still have plenty... Ding Songyan agreed without any psychological burden. After a moment’s thought, he asked, "After I leave the Zhen estate today, what should I do?"
"Try to find the Small Boat Gang’s people," Yan Changqing said with a slight smile.
Ding Songyan gave a terse acknowledgement.
"I’ve already done that."
He briefly mentioned the Stone Pool Martial Hall visit.
Yan Changqing burst out laughing.
"Young friend, you truly suit my temperament! If I had met you before my imprisonment, I would certainly have taken you as my disciple and guided you onto the profound martial path!"
Ding Songyan offered two perfunctory words of gratitude.
Yan Changqing paced a few more steps, his tone unhurried.
"Then go to Dangkang Temple on my behalf. Light three sticks of incense."
