Radiant Blade of the Wilderness

Chapter 155: Local Mythology

Looking at the streets still thick with the New Year’s atmosphere, Ding Songyan found himself momentarily at a loss for how to respond to Wen Shenxing’s offer.

Deep down, once he figured out why it had taken over half a year for him to take over this body, there was no reason to stay in Immortal Grotto County. Was he supposed to wait here for the Demon Sovereign to come knocking?

As for the origins of the original Ding Songyan, he had no interest in investigating that.

But he couldn’t say that. On the surface, he had come to Immortal Grotto County under the banner of investigating his origins, and now that there was clearly a chance for further inquiry, refusing to stay would genuinely arouse suspicion.

After a brief pause, Ding Songyan said to Wen Shenxing with gratitude, ”Marshal Wen, tracing my origins is likely not something that can be resolved in a day or two. My senior brother is from Eastern Plains Prefecture, and he has important matters to attend to back home. I plan to travel there with him overnight to settle those matters. We’ll return to Immortal Grotto County once we’re done.

”In the meantime, if you learn anything or reach a dead end, please pass the word to Senior Brother Zhang here. He can have Hongxin Trading Company relay the message to me. If so, I may not need to make another trip at all.”

Hongxin Trading Company’s operations in Chu Province and Bao Province were not large, with branches only in the prefectural cities. Zhang Yan would likely stay in Immortal Grotto County tonight and return to Yuejiang Prefecture’s prefectural city the following day.

”The night is long and the roads are dangerous, young man, and besides, you are injured,” Wen Shenxing added with concern.

”These injuries are nothing.” Ding Songyan smiled. ”With the Nine Realms School and Sovereign Xi School near Heavenly Lake, the roads are always clear of trouble except for a few water bandits on the lake itself. If some petty troublemaker did appear, your two schools’ disciples would swarm them for sword practice.”

The Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword derived from the Nine Realms School’s Twenty-Four Qi Scripture was quite famous. Zuo Jingzhe had swept the world in his youth with it, which was why Ding Songyan used ”sword practice” as a catch-all for the custom of sharpening oneself against those on the imperial court’s wanted lists.

Flattered by the remark, Wen Shenxing’s mouth curved into a smile.

”Fair enough. You managed to escape from Seventh Ge, which speaks to your remarkable talent. Even if you ran into a major bandit, you’d likely be unafraid.”

”My senior brother killed a third-rank Form Transfigured military defector just yesterday.” Ding Songyan invoked Pan Yunzhou’s name to add some weight to his assurances.

As county marshal of Immortal Grotto County, Wen Shenxing would undoubtedly hear about this within three days. There was no need to conceal it.

Wen Shenxing turned toward Pan Yunzhou’s plain, austere face in astonishment. After a few moments he sighed, ”You really can’t judge by appearances. I misjudged him.”

”It was just luck.” Pan Yunzhou quickly cupped his hands and lowered his head, concealing his expression.

After a few more words, Wen Shenxing did not delay their journey. He watched them go, his gaze following them toward the county’s east gate.

Despite coming from the Nine Realms School, the county marshal said with sincere admiration, ”The Brightnight Sect is truly full of remarkable talent...”

......

After bidding farewell to Senior Brother Zhang Yan, who had accompanied them to the city gate, Ding Songyan followed Pan Yunzhou on horseback.

By now the high sky was pitch black. A biting chill blew in, and dark clouds had obstructed the bright moon and stars, lending the night an air of danger.

Ding Songyan was not afraid. If a Heaven-Man Realm Supreme Master actually appeared to intercept them, he’d just have to accept it.

After galloping hard for a while, Pan Yunzhou slowed his horse and pulled a thick stack of banknotes from his coat.

”Junior Brother Ding, 19,000 taels of reward silver.”

For bounties of this kind, each province and prefecture could claim reimbursement from the imperial court after making the payout.

Ding Songyan took them casually, drew out six 500-tael banknotes, and handed them to Pan Yunzhou.

”Thank you for your trouble, Senior Brother Pan.”

Pan Yunzhou accepted them in silence, making no protest.

He felt that refusing would only end up with Junior Brother Ding being not at ease.

Ding Songyan guided his horse with only his legs and carefully counted the remaining 16,000 taels in banknotes, drawn from various banks and trading enterprises.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Pan Yunzhou. He simply liked the feeling of counting it himself.

The two rode for stretches, paused to rest the horses, and took turns napping wherever they could find shelter from wind and rain. By the time dawn broke, they had at last arrived at Riyu County, the prefectural seat of Eastern Plains Prefecture.

The patrols here were assisted by Sovereign Xi School disciples, some of whom had already developed physical anomalies: their foreheads partly raised like a sun or a horn, skin flushed rosy under the fairness, with a few teardrop-shaped markings colored purple, white, or red dotted near the corners of the eyes and sides of the nose.

The Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas mentioned nothing about the physical appearance of the celestial consort, Xihe. This was Ding Songyan’s first time learning what Sovereign Xi School disciples looked like.

He didn’t stare, and followed Pan Yunzhou into a prefectural city bustling with New Year’s festivities.

Leading their horses on foot for a while, Ding Songyan spotted a temple-style building not far away. It had red walls, black-tiled roofs, and thick incense emitting from it.

Starlight glimmered in his eyes as he looked over and saw the name: Ehuang Temple.

Ehuang, wife of Emperor Shun.

She was a celestial consort as well—though Xihe was wife of Emperor Jun, while Ehuang was wife of Emperor Shun.

”Why do people in Riyu County worship Ehuang instead of Xihe?” Ding Songyan asked Pan Yunzhou curiously.

Both were consorts of a Celestial Thearch, and the Sovereign Xi School was even based here. How could people worship Ehuang and not Xihe?

Pan Yunzhou gave Ding Songyan a slightly puzzled look.

”You don’t know? Ehuang is Lady Xihe’s name.”

”Oh?” Ding Songyan made no effort to hide his surprise.

He suddenly recalled a passage in the Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas:

Emperor Jun’s wife Ehuang gave birth to the Kingdom of Three Bodies, surnamed Yao...

The thought prompted him to ask at once, ”Then what about Emperor Jun and Emperor Shun?”

Pan Yunzhou explained seriously, ”In Bao Province, within the Sovereign Xi School’s sphere, Emperor Jun of ancient mythology is the same as Emperor Shun and also Emperor Ku. Emperor Jun’s wives Xihe and Changxi are the same as Emperor Shun’s wives Ehuang and Nüying. Xihe and Changxi are titles.”

Ding Songyan felt that his mind was in a mess. The Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas did frequently overlap and share descriptions between Emperor Shun and Emperor Jun. For example, ”Emperor Jun’s wife Ehuang” was one of the more blatant examples. Still, treating them as one and the same struck him as genuinely bewildering.

His mind raced as he asked, ”Xihe gave birth to the ten suns... does that mean there were no suns before Emperor Shun?”

Pan Yunzhou smiled.

”The mythology around here goes like this: the Five Emperors are the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan, Emperor Zhuanxu, Emperor Yao, Emperor Shun, and Emperor Yu. After Emperor Zhuanxu severed heaven from earth, the great suns and bright moon of the Mountains-and-Seas Realm declined year by year. When Emperor Shun ascended the throne, they set and never rose again. Emperor Shun then married Ehuang and Nüying, daughters of Emperor Yao. Ehuang became Xihe and gave birth to ten suns to move through the sky, while Nüying became Changxi and gave birth to twelve moons to mark the passing year.

”When the ten suns all shone at once, Emperor Jun—that is, Emperor Shun—gave Yi a vermilion bow and white-silk arrows to aid the lower kingdoms, and Yi shot down nine of the suns. It was not that Emperor Shun was unwilling to act himself. He simply couldn’t bear to do it.”

The mythology of the Mountains-and-Seas Realm is quite different from what I knew in my past life... Ding Songyan listened with full attention, and the descriptions of Xihe and Changxi’s attributes from the Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas rose naturally in his mind:

Xihe: gives birth to the great suns, commands the sun, governs the calendar, manipulates the heavens, presides over the year and its seasons. Changxi: conceives the year and births the moons, divides time and fixes the days, serves as mother-sovereign of the Extreme Yin, illuminates the dark night, governs wind and rain.

Chatting about local mythology, Ding Songyan and Pan Yunzhou led their horses through the streets and lanes until they arrived before a three-courtyard compound deep in an alley.

It was larger than Ding Songyan’s own place. A plaque above the gate read ”Pan Residence.”

Seeing Junior Brother Ding study the compound carefully, Pan Yunzhou’s smile turned bittersweet.

”Only a few branches of the family still live in this old estate. The others split off long ago. Some went into trade, some took the civil examinations, some practiced medicine, and some worked as household guards or opened martial halls. There are also some who gave up the family’s martial heritage to join the Sovereign Xi School.”

”The Pan family has disciples in the Sovereign Xi School?” Ding Songyan asked, turning his head.

Pan Yunzhou nodded gently.

”We only see them at the annual ancestral rites. There’s no real contact otherwise. Besides, that branch has never produced a Grandmaster, so they hold no real standing within the Sovereign Xi School, and their descendants have grown more mediocre with each generation...”

In Senior Brother Pan’s mind, abandoning the family’s martial heritage is as good as abandoning the surname ”Pan.” Ding Songyan read between the lines.

He said nothing more and followed Pan Yunzhou through the side gate into the compound.

”Young Master...” Several old servants who had been sweeping the courtyard called out in delighted surprise.

Pan Yunzhou greeted each of them in turn and made his way to the second courtyard.

A boy of thirteen or fourteen was tempering his body in the courtyard. The moment he saw Pan Yunzhou, he came running over in two or three bounding steps, his delight written all over his face.

”Eldest Brother! You’re back?”

”You’ve grown another head taller.” Pan Yunzhou smiled and reached out to measure the boy’s height.

At the same moment, a girl of seventeen or eighteen who had been practicing the saber lowered her stance, a touch of bashfulness on her face and happiness in her eyes.

”Eldest Brother.”

”Third Sister, you’ve made real progress in your physical training.” Pan Yunzhou sized up his sister and nodded in praise.

The smile never left his face.

Frostshade in hand, Ding Songyan watched in silence, a quiet feeling rising in him.

Even though Senior Brother Pan humbles himself out in the world, flatters others, and swallows every insult for the slimmest chance, here at home, he is still the one his younger brother admires, his younger sister loves, the person that the whole family pins its hopes on.

Sigh, just like I used to be...

After briefly introducing Ding Songyan to his younger siblings, Pan Yunzhou led his junior brother to the main hall.

His father and mother were already waiting inside. Both were only around fifty, yet they looked noticeably aged, with few physical anomalies. They were most likely at the early Great Proliferation Realm.

”Father. Mother.” Pan Yunzhou was suddenly a little agitated.

”Didn’t you say you wouldn’t be back for the New Year? Why have you suddenly returned? We haven’t prepared anything.” Pan Yunzhou’s mother, Zou Qionghua, was both happy and puzzled.

Her eyes swept over Ding Songyan, worried about neglecting the guest.

”This is a fellow sect member, Junior Brother Ding Songyan, a personal disciple of Sect Master Tao,” Pan Yunzhou quickly introduced him.

”Aren’t you only a guest adviser for now?” Pan Yunzhou’s father, Pan Changjing, asked.

Pan Yunzhou glanced at Ding Songyan and said softly, ”Junior Brother Ding, please wait for me in the reception hall while I speak with my parents and elders. We’ll need to confer.”

”Of course.” Ding Songyan followed an old servant to the reception hall, settled in a seat that caught the warm winter sun, and waited patiently as he helped himself to the tea and refreshments.

After the time it took to burn a stick of incense, Pan Yunzhou came to the reception hall and spoke to Ding Songyan in a measured voice, ”Please come with me to retrieve the Myriad Stars Canon, Junior Brother Ding.”

Ding Songyan gave a slight nod, picked up Frostshade, and followed Pan Yunzhou toward the third courtyard.

Before long, the two arrived before the Pan family’s ancestral hall, its interior filled with rows of spirit tablets.

Pan Yunzhou’s parents, elders, and siblings were all waiting outside the ancestral hall.

Pan Changjing and Zou Qionghua watched Pan Yunzhou with a gaze that held expectation, worry, agitation, and helplessness all at once, along with a grief that would not lift, as though they were watching their eldest son walk step by step into the abyss.

Completing the Myriad Stars Canon was easy to say, but no one knew how many lifetimes it would take to fill.

All they wished was that Pan Yunzhou not die or lose his mind on the spot. Even if he deviated in cultivation and ended up bedridden and paralyzed, that would be all right. As long as he lived.

The other elders felt much the same, with only somewhat less grief. The younger generation were mostly confused, curious, and uncertain.

”Wait for me, Junior Brother Ding. I’ll pay my respects to the ancestors first.” Pan Yunzhou took a deep breath.

Ding Songyan stood with his sword in his arms and gestured for Pan Yunzhou to proceed.

Pan Yunzhou stepped into the ancestral hall and knelt before the rows of spirit tablets.

He set three sticks of incense and spoke, his voice low and grave.

”Honored ancestors, I, Yunzhou, have found a possible way to complete the Myriad Stars Canon. The road ahead remains unclear, but it is no longer pitch black.

”I ask the honored ancestors to permit me to take out the Myriad Stars Canon. This is a dangerous undertaking. But if I do not act, thirty or forty years from now, the surname Pan will fade into obscurity.

”I may perish, but the Pan family must not!”

When he had finished, Pan Yunzhou bowed down and knocked his head against the floor three times, each blow loud and resounding.

The sound echoed through the hall.