Chapter 9: Deceit After Deceit

Hearing the interrogation from the rosy-nosed man across from him, Ding Songyan keenly sensed something was amiss.

Why are you angry?

Anger shouldn’t be your reaction...

According to his previous deductions, the man should have shown various abnormal emotional shifts upon seeing someone who was supposed to be dead suddenly reappear alive. But those emotions shouldn't have included anger.

A murderer doesn't usually get angry at their victim for coming back as a vengeful ghost to seek retribution.

Was my guess wrong?

With this doubt in mind, Ding Songyan didn't immediately respond to the man’s words, instead watching him in silence.

When faced with a difficult question, the best strategy was not to answer it.

Seeing this, the rosy-nosed man grew both frustrated and anxious. "Banner Master Chen’s offer was more than generous. What did you come back for? You could have waited a while until you were sure things had settled, then quietly come back for your family!"

Banner Master Chen? Who is that? It sounds like he paid me to flee into exile. My predecessor really did get involved in something... Ding Songyan pondered for a moment and decided to bluff.

He gave a cold, mocking laugh. "If I hadn't come back, I’d have been dead and buried long ago."

The rosy-nosed man blurted out, "How could Banner Master Chen kill you to silence—"

His voice trailed off, his confidence wavering as he spoke.

Eventually, he couldn't continue. He shifted the subject with forced bravado, questioning Ding Songyan: "If you say Banner Master Chen tried to harm you, why didn't you go straight to the authorities?"

Knowing nothing of the situation, Ding Songyan expertly avoided answering, instead countering with a smirk, "Indeed, why didn't I report it?"

The man's lips twitched. It took a long while before he spoke again. "You already escaped death once. Why didn't you take the chance to flee to the ends of the earth, change your name, and live in hiding? Why come back to seek your own death?"

Oh, so you also think it’s unlikely I’d go to the authorities? That means whatever my predecessor was involved in is something that can't be brought into the light—something the government and the local orthodox sects can’t know about. And it's true that Banner Master Chen might have a motive to silence me... Well, I only failed to report it because I knew nothing about this world and could only follow my family's suggestion to seek help from the Zhen Mansion. A lucky mistake.

Ding Songyan weighed his words and sneered, "I don't have a copper to my name. Naturally, I could only come back."

The man was nearly speechless. "You have hands and feet, and you’re a storyteller! You can find a meal anywhere. Why must you come back and drag everyone down with you? Do you really think Banner Master Chen wouldn't dare strike again? Do you plan to live the rest of your life under the gaze of the watchtowers? Oh, Ding Erlang, how about this—I’ll scrape together some silver for you. Just leave Dingjiang Prefecture immediately."

Ding Songyan thoughtfully changed the subject. "You just saw Banner Master Chen? What did he say?"

In such a major matter, the man before him certainly wouldn't dare act on his own. He must have informed Banner Master Chen immediately.

The rosy-nosed man said with a hint of a threat, "The Banner Master already knows you’re back. Why haven't you left yet? He sent me to see you because he felt something was off. You aren't fleeing, yet you aren't looking for him either. He doesn't know what you're trying to do."

I see... Ding Songyan nodded inwardly.

Since the conversation had reached this point, he decided to "show some sincerity."

"Of course things are off. Someone hit me in the head, and I don't remember a thing." As he spoke, he tapped the side of his skull.

"You don't remember anything..." The man froze. "Then you..."

Ding Songyan flashed a perfectly rehearsed smile. "I know someone tried to murder me, but I couldn't remember who. So, I decided to wander around Dangkang Temple to see who would look the most uneasy."

"You... You!" The man pointed at him, trembling with shock and rage, unable to find the words.

He, the timid and cowardly Ding Erlang, had actually bluffed him into revealing his guilt!

However, this perfectly explained the man's confusion. If Ding Erlang had some powerful backing, he would have gone straight to Banner Master Chen’s door. If he had no leverage, he wouldn't be loitering outside Dangkang Temple instead of fleeing for his life. His behavior had been so contradictory it was baffling.

Losing the memory of key events and wanting to understand the truth to eliminate hidden risks was the only logical explanation.

Ding Songyan took the opportunity to "persuade" him. "Tell me exactly what is going on. If it's truly that dangerous, I’m not opposed to fleeing immediately. Otherwise, I’ll go to the authorities. I’m willing to face death if it means dragging you and Banner Master Chen down with me!"

The rosy-nosed man stared intently at Ding Songyan’s face for a long while. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Fine. I’ll let you know why you can’t stay here."

"Don't even think about making up stories to deceive me. I have my own ways to verify the truth," Ding Songyan bluffed again, betting that the man wouldn't believe he had forgotten every detail of the past.

The man suppressed his anger. "What’s there to lie about? It’s not like you’re a stranger. You already knew about this. Once you understand the situation, you won't tell anyone anyway—that would only cost you your life. A few days ago, you came to me saying you had a copy of the Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas that you wanted to sell. Banner Master Chen was very interested. He gave you a large sum of silver and told you to leave Dingjiang Prefecture and never mention it to a soul..."

"The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas?" Ding Songyan interrupted.

I know the 'Classic of Mountains and Seas,' but what is the 'Esoteric' version?

The man glanced at him. "You don't even remember that?"

Ding Songyan shook his head with an innocent, honest expression.

The man took a deep breath and looked around. Seeing no one passing by, he lowered his voice. "All the martial arts in this world come from either the inheritances left by the Heavenly Emperors and certain gods, or from the mythical beasts and monsters mentioned in the Classic of Mountains and Seas. Even the common version of the book mentions that eating certain things can cure diseases, or grant protection against fire and misfortune, right?

"According to the Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas, many of those mythical creatures grant their specific traits and divine powers to those who consume them. One can become a god or an immortal. Though the connection between Heaven and Earth was severed by Emperor Zhuanxu and the 'Path' has diminished over time, making the mythical beasts weaker and rarer, if you actually encountered one and ate it, you could still ascend to the heavens in a single step and become a Grandmaster.

"Look at Feng Yining of the Five Saints Sect. Didn't he swallow a Phoenix egg and become a Grandmaster the moment he entered the martial world? Their sect just happens to have the Phoenix inheritance too; it was a perfect match.

"But I’m getting off track. In short, after Emperor Zhuanxu severed the connection, the mythical beasts gradually went extinct. However, the ancestors who ate these things observed the changes in their bodies and the powers they gained, creating cultivation methods and martial arts techniques based on them. That is the source of most sects today, including the unorthodox ones.

"The Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas is said to be a copy of the Emperor’s Annotated Classic of Mountains and Seas left by a Heavenly Emperor. The latter, along with Mount Kunlun, has long since vanished, but the former also records the specific traits of different mythical beasts. It even contains annotations regarding the inheritances of the Heavenly Emperors and gods themselves. Don't you see? That’s like exposing the secrets of every major sect!

"If everyone had a copy of the Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas, the fundamental mysteries of their ultimate techniques would be common knowledge. To ants like us, it’s useless, but in the hands of someone with ambition, they could prepare countermeasures in advance.

"Even if the annotations didn't help with martial competition, having the book means that if you find a divine object in the future, you’ll know what can be eaten and what can’t, and what the effects will be. You wouldn't have to let the major sects reap all the benefits.

"Ever since the Youshi replaced the Xia dynasty, the Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas has been systematically destroyed by various sects. Only a few keep partial copies in private. If anyone outside a major sect is found with a copy, they will be hunted down. It’s certain death. Ding Erlang, why aren't you running?"

So that’s how the martial arts of this world evolved. Most of it started with eating mythical beasts. No wonder Qingyan said that at high levels of martial arts, the body shows certain abnormal traits... I remember the 'Classic of Mountains and Seas' mentions nine-tailed foxes. Does the fox tail Qingyan mentioned come from that? Ding Songyan felt a sudden moment of clarity.

He asked curiously, "Where did I get a copy of the Esoteric Classic of Mountains and Seas?"

The fall of the Xia was likely thousands of years ago. Today, besides the major sects and the imperial secret vaults, why would a copy suddenly appear in the hands of an ordinary storyteller?

It wasn't like he had dug it up from some ancient tomb.

Did he have a partner? Was it a partner, not Banner Master Chen, who killed the original Ding Erlang?

The rosy-nosed man glared at him. "How should I know? You kept your mouth shut tight. No matter how much I asked, you wouldn't say where it came from. Banner Master Chen had no choice but to let you leave Dingjiang Prefecture to keep the news from leaking."

"Are we sure that copy was real?" Ding Songyan asked, deep in thought.

The man looked bewildered. "The Banner Master said it was real and complete. You wouldn't have the guts to lie to him, would you? Besides, who could fabricate something like that?"

You underestimate scammers... However, it seems Banner Master Chen can distinguish the genuine article from a fake. He doesn't sound like a disciple of a major sect either; otherwise, he wouldn't need to hide it or worry about me fleeing. Ding Songyan changed his line of questioning. "Who exactly is Banner Master Chen?"

Seeing someone passing by the alley entrance, the man spoke faster. "His name is Chen Yuliang. He’s a Banner Master of the Small Boat Gang in Dingjiang Prefecture. His rank is 'Kanxuan'—ninth, eighth, seventh... in common terms, he's a Fifth Rank expert. Our Small Boat Gang is fairly well-known in Ningzhou. Currently, we’re fighting the Four Waters Gang over certain stretches of the river."

The Four Waters Gang? The Zhen family patriarch is a Supreme Elder of that gang and a famous Grandmaster... This really does involve the Zhen family. While Ding Songyan felt the truth was coming together, he also sensed a more complicated web beneath the surface.

Could the fact that his predecessor obtained the book be part of a larger scheme?

"I see..." Ding Songyan acted as if he were relieved. "Then I really shouldn't stay in Dingjiang Prefecture. Go find Banner Master Chen and tell him to give me some more silver. I’ll find an opportunity to leave on my own. Until then, I’ll stay out in the open. I doubt he’d dare to strike while the watchtowers are watching."

The man clearly relaxed. "Good, good. Everything is negotiable!"

He gave a few more instructions before turning to walk toward the alleyway.

Ding Songyan watched his back, his mind racing with analysis.

Master Yu should be able to tail this guy and find Chen Yuliang...

Would Chen Yuliang have no defenses at all? I’ve acted so strangely...

If I were him, given what I know now, what would I do?

I certainly wouldn't stay at home waiting for a subordinate to report back. That’s a good way to have a lot of trouble brought to your doorstep.

Either I’d hide and secretly observe the returning subordinate—deciding whether to handle the problem or abandon the Small Boat Gang’s assets and flee based on what I see—or I’d tail my subordinate and eavesdrop on the conversation to react immediately.

At this moment, if Master Yu followed him back to the Small Boat Gang, wouldn't I be in great danger here alone?

Killing someone in broad daylight is hard, but there are other ways to handle things!

Realizing this, a shiver ran down Ding Songyan’s spine. He called out, "Wait a moment."

"Hmm?" The rosy-nosed man half-turned, looking confused.

Ding Songyan offered a faint smile, his tone casual. "Tell me, where do you think Banner Master Chen is right now?"