Sebuah pengajian telah disiapkan di sebuah meja sudut di aula utama penginapan.
Yu Jinhong memberikan salam rendah yang penuh kehormatan kepada Ding Songyan dan Zheng Zhuxi.
"Banyak terima kasih atas bantuan kalian di sepanjang jalan. Tanpa itu, Grass Cinnabar Puncak Fuyu pasti sudah lenyap."
"Barang sudah sampai?" tanya Zheng Zhuxi dengan prihatin yang tulus.
Yu Jinhong pun duduk, lalu menjawab, "Ketika saya sampai mengatur para pengawal karavan di sebuah penginapan, saya mengiringi kepala karavan ke Menara Seratus Harta Karun dan menyerahkan Grass Cinnabar Puncak Fuyu kepadapara Biang Suhu Sekte Huangliang di sana."
Menara Seratus Harta Karun adalah sebuah rumah dagang di bawah naungan Sekte Huangliang, yang utamanya berdagang dengan mineral langka.
"Anda yakin tidak sedang bermimpi?"
"Dan yakin benar itu adalah Biang Suhu Sekte Huangliang yang asli?"
Ding Songyan dan Zheng Zhuxi bertanya hampir bersamaan.
Agak malu tapi juga pasrah, Pemimpin Pengawal Yu menjawab, "Saya belum tidur seharian penuh, belum bermimpi, dan tidak pernah merasakan bangun dari mimpi.
Kecuali… saya masih sedang bermimpi sekarang juga."
"Biang Suhu Sekte Huangliang adalah seseorang yang karavan Chen telah kenal lama. Setiap pengiriman selalu lewat dia. Jika ada masalah di pihaknya, itu urusan Sekte Huangliang, bukan karavan atau biro.
Selain itu, selain Biang Suhu Sekte Huangliang, Chen Jindong juga hadir pada waktu itu. Grass Cinnabar Puncak Fuyu memang disiapkan khusus untuk dia."
Ding Songyan dan Zheng Zhuxi tidak bertanya lagi, dan sungguh-sungguh merayakan keberhasilan pengiriman Lembaga Pengawal Jalan Panjang.
Zheng Zhuxi pun mengangkat secuppnya air teh untuk merayakan.
Wanita muda itu menaruh garpu makannya, lalu bertanya dengan ingin tahu,
"Jadi memang untuk Chen Jindong… Chen Jindong baru berada di Ranah Perluasan Agung yang sempurna selama empat tahun, dan dia sudah bisa merasakan qi hampa dan hampir akan memasuki Alam Dharma?"
Meski belum menelusuri catatan Sekte Huangliang secara rinci, dia sudah lama mengenal nama Chen Jindong.
Dia adalah murid paling menonjol dari generasi baru Sekte Huangliang, peringkat keduanya di Daftar Anggrek Segar, dan telah dinilai sebagai Bentuk Berubah peringkat ketiga lima tahun lalu.
Yu Jinhong dengan rasa kagum menjawab, "Ketika saya tahu kargo karavan termasuk Grass Cinnabar Puncak Fuyu, saya menduga bahwa mungkin untuk beberapa anggota Sekte Huangliang, tapi Chen Jindong tidak pernah muncul di pikiranku.
Dia baru berusia dua puluh delapan, dan sudah di ambang menjadi Grandmaster. Bahkan di antara sekte dan sekolah besar, dia akan menonjol. Sungguh… anak yang dilimpahkan oleh Langit."
Latar belakangnya sendiri tak kalah baik daripada Chen Jindong, namun setengah hidupnya telah berlalu dan dia belum sekali pun mencapai Ranah Perluasan Agung yang sempurna.
Permintaan Khat Mandi Pedang Murni terhadap keadaan mentalnya benar-benar sangat sulit.
"Reputasinya memang layak," kata Zheng Zhuxi dengan tulus.
Di seluruh dunia bela diri, siapa saja yang memasuki Alam Dharma sebelum tiga puluh tahun bisa disebut anak yang dilimpahkan Langit, dengan Alam Langit-Manusia pun sebagai sasaran di masa depan.
Dengan Zheng Zhuxi yang spontan membentuk Hati Lilin-nya, seluruh sekte sedang menanti apakah dia akan memasuki Alam Dharma sebelum tiga puluh. Tapi, jika celah dalam seni pengasuhannya tidak pernah diisi, Alam Langit-Manusia akan selalu tak terjangkau.
Tentu saja, celah antara satu anak genius dan anak genius lainnya kadang-kadang melebihi celah antara seorang genius dan seorang yang tak terperingkat di Daftar Anggrek Segar. Mengesampingkan mereka yang melonjak tinggi atau menguasai seni luar biasa, ada sebagian yang baru memasuki Alam Dharma tepat sebelum tiga puluh, sementara yang lain menjadi Grandmaster pada usia dua puluh empat atau dua puluh lima. Beberapa langka lagi yang kemudian mencapai Alam Langit-Manusia dalam waktu kurang dari sepuluh tahun. Misalnya, Yu Chongyuan dari Sekte Lima Raksaka, yang masuk ke Alam Dharma pada usia dua puluh enam dan menjadi Master Tertinggi pada tiga pulh tiga. Belum lagi ia juga tampan hingga menakjubkan dan terdaftar di Peringkat Pohon Giok Dunia Bela Diri.
"Pohon yang paling tinggi mudah terkena angin.
Siapa di dalam Sekte Huangliang yang tidak suka terhadap Chen Jindong hingga rela menyelundupkan Grass Cinnabar Puncak Fuyu?” ujar Ding Songyan seraya berpikir pelan-pelan. "Hanya ingin menyusahkan perasaannya? Kamu bisa menghalangi seseorang sekali, tapi tidak bisa menghalangi selamanya…"
Grass Cinnabar Puncak Fuyu bukanlah Grass Abadi Puncak Fuyu, dan sekte lain jarang menggunakannya.
Jika Sekte Huangliang sungguh-sungi tidak kempuhan, mendapatkan lima atau enam egzemplar dalam setahun pun bukanlah hal sulit.
Dan jika sesuatu terjadi kali ini, Sekte Huangliang pasti akan mengirimkan seorang Grandmaster untuk menemani pengiriman berikutnya secara pribadi.
"Mungkin ada yang ingin memasuki Alam Dharma lebih dulu dari Chen Jindong dan mengklaim kesempatan itu untuk diri sendiri?” Itulah tebakan terbaik yang bisa ditawarkan Yu Jinhong.
Itu urusan internal sekte lain dan bukan urusan mereka, tapi Ding Songyan tetap memikirkannya secara cermat.
Suatu hari nanti dia perlu menemukan kesempatan untuk bertarung dengan seorang pesilat Alam Dharma dari Sekte Huangliang, untuk melihat Mimpi Agung Tiga Ribu Tahun dalam bentuk sebenarnya dan memperbaiki Sendiri Pedang Mimpi-nya.
Meskipun begitu, dia tidak bisa sepenuhnya memahaminya.
Setelah menginap para tamu itu untuk makan malam, Yu Jinhong kembali ke penginapan karavan dalam keadaan benar-benar keletihan.
Ding Songyan dan Zheng Zhuxi masing-masing mandi dan beristirahat, lalu tidur nyenyak hingga pagi.
...
Keesokan harinya.
Zheng Zhuxi mengambil bungkus kain yang membungkus kepala Yan Peng, lalu bersama Ding Songyan, pergi ke yamen Xuande County untuk mengklaim imbalan dan menyelesaikan dokumen.
Di dalam Provinsi Ning, nama Sekte Brightnight memiliki pengaruh yang cukup nyata, dan kedua orang itu dengan cepat diperlihatkan kepada Marshal Zhong Pinglan yang mengawasi hal-hal tersebut.
Zhong Pinglan berusia empat puluh tahun keempat, tingginya lebih dari 1,7 meter, dengan bulu merah jingga menyebar di punggung tangan dan lehernya, wajah seperti burung, dan hidung yang tajam dan runcing.
Berdasarkan bahan yang telah ditinjau oleh Ding Songyan dan Zheng Zhuxi sebelum berangkat, dia adalah seorang veteran tempur yang berpengalaman yang kemudian mengambil jabatan di Xuande County. Dia berada di peringkat Bentuk Berubah ketiga dan mengamalkan seni militer, Sutra Akumulasi Air. Nama itu tidak ada kaitungannya dengan air—ia berasal dari prinsip bahwa air mengumpul menjadi kolam dalam, dan tanah mengumpul menjadi gunung.
Setelah penjabik memverifikasi kepala Yan Peng dengan portret di surat penyelidikan, Zhong Pinglan, yang mengenakan jubah merah dengan corak hitam, tersenyum kepada Zheng Zhuxi.
"Pedang Miasma Poison telah menyebabkan kerusakan yang signifikan bagi banyak orang. Saya tidak pernah mengharapkan dia akan jatuh di tangan dua orang yang baru pertama kalinya masuk ke jianghu."
"Itu semua berkat kemampuan adik seperguruan saya." Ding Songyan dengan licia mengalihkan kredit yang tak terlihat ke arah Zheng Zhuxi.
Zheng Zhuxi terbiasa dengan hal ini dan memberikan beberapa kata sopan santun.
"Marshal Zhong, kami sudah memulihkan emas dan perak yang disembunyikan Yan Peng, namun dia memiliki harta lain di Xuande County. Menurut peraturan pengadilan imperial, semuanya harus menjadi milik kami."
"Marshal" adalah bentuk sopan santun untuk seorang marsekal kabupaten, biasanya digunakan saat pertemuan pertama.
"Kami perlu memastikan halaman benar-benar milik Yan Peng dulu." Zhong Pinglan tidak sengaja menciptakan halangan dan bermaksud menyelesaikannya sesuai aturan.
Ding Songyan segera menjelaskan kepada marsekal tentang halaman yang didaftarkan dengan nama palsu, apa saja pengaturan pribadi yang dilakukan, dan detail relevan lainnya.
Beberapa lama kemudian, Zheng Zhuxi dan Ding Songyan menerima imbalan sebesar 1.500 taels, masing-masing 750 taels.
Kredit sebagian besar milik Ding Songyan, namun melekat dengan reputasi itu memiliki biaya tersendiri bagi Zheng Zhuxi.
Keduanya telah sepakat sejak lama untuk membaginya secara adil.
Setelah imbalan dibayarkan, Zhong Pinglan dengan sopan menemani Zheng Zhuxi dan Ding Songyan ke gerbang yamen.
Di sepanjang jalan, mereka bertemu dengan Lü Huaijin dan Lü Woyu, yang mengenakan pakaian putih sederhana dan mata merah, datang bersama sejumlah teman-teman tetangga lainnya untuk mengenal mayatnya.
Ding Songyan dengan sopan meninggalkan Zheng Zhuxi di atas jalan penutup, lalu pergi ke dalam untuk berbincang.
Ding Songyan membuka matanya yang orientasi Yin untuk memastikan apakah roh sisa mayat itu berguncang dan melemah. Jika demikian, dia akan mundur lebih jauh lagi.
Karena alam gloom dan tempat mayat yang suram menumpulkan dampak buruk dari lingkungan sekitar, roh sisa mayat itu menggigil sepanjang waktu dan mengalirkan air mata berwarna merah di dalam kedipannya, seraya berteriak tanpa henti.
Ding Songyan kemudian sengaja berpaling seolah menghargai pemandangan, lalu keluar dari jalan penutup menuju halaman, tinggal di sana hingga roh itu berhenti berguncang.
"Young Hero Ding, ada masalah?" tanya Zhong Pinglan sambil mengikutinya.
Ding Songyan bertanya sambil berpikir pelan-pelan,
A banquet had been laid at a corner table in the inn’s main hall.
Yu Jinhong offered a solemn bow to Ding Songyan and Zheng Zhuxi.
"Many thanks to you both for your help along the way. Without it, the Fuyu Mountain Cinnabar Grass would certainly have been lost."
"The goods have been delivered?" Zheng Zhuxi asked with genuine concern.
Yu Jinhong said as he took his seat, "As soon as I got the caravan settled at an inn, I accompanied the caravan’s head to the Hundred Treasures Tower and handed the Fuyu Mountain Cinnabar Grass to the Huangliang Sect Elder there."
The Hundred Treasures Tower was a trading house under the Huangliang Sect, dealing mainly in rare minerals.
"You’re certain you weren’t dreaming?"
"And certain it was a genuine Huangliang Sect Elder?"
Zheng Zhuxi and Ding Songyan asked almost simultaneously.
A little embarrassed and a little resigned, Escort Leader Yu answered, "I haven’t slept for a full day and night, haven’t dreamed, and have had no sensation of waking from one. Unless I’m still in a dream right now.
"The Huangliang Sect Elder is someone the Chen Caravan has worked with many times before. Every delivery goes through him. If there’s a problem on his end, that’s the Huangliang Sect’s affair, not the caravan’s or the bureau’s.
"Besides, apart from the Huangliang Sect Elder, Chen Jindong was also there at the time. The Fuyu Mountain Cinnabar Grass was prepared for him."
Ding Songyan and Zheng Zhuxi asked no more, and genuinely celebrated the Long Road Escort Bureau’s successful delivery. Zheng Zhuxi even raised a cup of watered wine for the occasion.
The young woman set down her chopsticks, curious.
"So it was for Chen Jindong... Chen Jindong has only been at the perfected Great Proliferation Realm for four years, and he can already sense the void’s qi and is about to enter the Dharma Realm?"
Even without having gone through the Huangliang Sect’s records in detail, she had long known Chen Jindong’s name.
He was the most outstanding disciple of the Huangliang Sect’s new generation, ranked 96th on the Orchid Fresh List, and had been assessed as third-rank Form Transfigured five years ago.
Yu Jinhong said with a look of admiration, "When I found out the caravan’s cargo included Fuyu Mountain Cinnabar Grass, I guessed it might be for quite a few Huangliang Sect members, but Chen Jindong never crossed my mind.
"He’s only twenty-eight, and already on the verge of becoming a Grandmaster. Even among the great sects and schools, he would stand out. Truly Heaven’s favored son."
His own background was no worse than Chen Jindong’s, yet half a lifetime had passed and he hadn’t even reached the perfected Great Proliferation Realm.
The Pure Sword Canon’s demands on one’s state of mind were simply too exacting.
"His reputation is well deserved," Zheng Zhuxi said sincerely.
Across the entire martial world, anyone who entered the Dharma Realm before thirty could be called Heaven’s favored son, with the Heaven-Man Realm well within reach in the future.
With Zheng Zhuxi having spontaneously formed her Candle Heart, the entire sect was waiting to see her enter the Dharma Realm before thirty. But if the gaps in their cultivation arts were never filled, the Heaven-Man Realm would remain forever out of reach.
Of course, the gap between one favored genius and another could sometimes exceed the gap between any genius and a nobody unranked on the Orchid Fresh List. Setting aside those who rose in a single bound or cultivated exceptional arts, some barely entered the Dharma Realm before thirty, while others became Grandmasters at twenty-four or twenty-five. A rare few then went on to reach the Heaven-Man Realm in under ten years. For instance, Yu Chongyuan of the Five Saints Sect who entered the Dharma Realm at twenty-six and became a Supreme Master at thirty-three. To make it worse, the man was also breathtakingly handsome and ranked on the Martial World’s Jade Tree Rankings.
"The tallest tree catches the wind. One wonders who within the Huangliang Sect dislikes Chen Jindong enough to go to such lengths to seize the Fuyu Mountain Cinnabar Grass," Ding Songyan said thoughtfully. "Just to vent their feelings? You can obstruct someone once, but you can’t obstruct them forever..."
Fuyu Mountain Cinnabar Grass wasn’t Fuyu Immortal Grass, and other sects had little use for it. If the Huangliang Sect truly spared no expense, obtaining five or six specimens in a year would be no problem at all.
And if anything had gone wrong this time, the Huangliang Sect would certainly dispatch a Grandmaster to escort the next delivery personally.
"Perhaps someone wants to beat Chen Jindong to the Dharma Realm and claim the glory for themselves?" That was the best guess Yu Jinhong could offer.
It was another sect’s internal matter and none of their concern, but Ding Songyan thought it over carefully all the same. He would eventually need to find a chance to spar with a Dharma Realm powerhouse of the Huangliang Sect, to see the Great Dream of Three Thousand Years in its true form and refine his own Dream Sword. Even so, he couldn’t quite make sense of it.
After hosting the two of them at dinner, Yu Jinhong returned to the caravan’s inn looking thoroughly exhausted. Ding Songyan and Zheng Zhuxi each washed up and rested, sleeping straight through until morning.
......
The following morning.
Zheng Zhuxi picked up the cloth bundle wrapping Yan Peng’s head, and together with Ding Songyan, went to Xuande County’s yamen to collect the bounty and complete the paperwork.
Within Ning Province, the Brightnight Sect’s name carried real weight, and the two were quickly shown in to see Marshal Zhong Pinglan, who oversaw such matters.
Zhong Pinglan was in his forties, over 1.7 meters tall, with reddish-brown feathers across the backs of his hands and neck, a birdlike face, and a prominent, pointed nose.
According to the materials Ding Songyan and Zheng Zhuxi had reviewed before setting out, he was an experienced combat veteran who had later taken a post in Xuande County. He was third-rank Form Transfigured and cultivated the military art, Accumulating Waters Scripture . The name had nothing to do with water—it drew from the principle that water accumulated to form a deep pool, and soil accumulated to form a mountain.
Once the clerk had verified Yan Peng’s head against the portrait on the wanted warrant, Zhong Pinglan, dressed in red robes with black markings, smiled at Zheng Zhuxi.
"Miasma Poison Saber had caused significant harm to many. I wouldn’t have expected him to fall at the hands of two people on their first venture into the jianghu ."
"It’s all thanks to my senior sister’s skills." Ding Songyan deftly passed the invisible credit to Zheng Zhuxi.
Zheng Zhuxi was well used to this and offered a few modest words.
"Marshal Zhong, we have already recovered the gold and silver Yan Peng had hidden away, but he has additional assets in Xuande County. By imperial court regulations, all of these should belong to us."
"Marshal" was a respectful form of address for a county marshal, commonly used upon a first meeting.
"We’ll need to confirm the courtyard actually belonged to Yan Peng first." Zhong Pinglan raised no deliberate obstacles and intended to handle it by the book.
Ding Songyan promptly told the marshal about the courtyard held under a false name, what private arrangements had been made, and other relevant details.
Before long, Zheng Zhuxi and Ding Songyan were paid the 1,500 taels bounty, 750 taels each.
Most of the credit belonged to Ding Songyan, but bearing the associated reputation had its own costs for Zheng Zhuxi. The two had agreed long ago to split it evenly.
After the bounty was paid out, Zhong Pinglan courteously walked Zheng Zhuxi and Ding Songyan to the yamen gate. Passing the mortuary, they encountered Lü Huaijin and Lü Woyu, dressed in plain white mourning clothes, eyes red, coming to identify a body with a few fellow townspeople.
The winter cold had slowed the decay, and despite several days having passed, the body was not yet badly decomposed. When the white cloth was lifted, Lü Huaijin and Lü Woyu both immediately recognized their father.
Overcome with grief and terror, they burst into anguished sobs and sank to their knees beside the body.
"Aren’t those the siblings from the Chen Caravan?" Zheng Zhuxi glanced into the mortuary.
Their weeping left her with an ache in her chest.
"They’ve come to identify a body. Must be their father." Zhong Pinglan was blunt. "No mother with them, so they’ve lost both? Father and mother both gone?"
"How did their father die?" Zheng Zhuxi asked.
"Sudden illness. The coroner found nothing unusual." Seeing that Zheng Zhuxi recognized the siblings, Zhong Pinglan deliberately stopped.
At that moment, the fellow townspeople accompanying Lü Huaijin and Lü Woyu produced a bundle and handed it over.
"These are your father’s belongings. There are a few Pinelongevity Stones he gathered from the mountain."
The Pinelongevity Stones were dark green, with pine-needle patterns on their surface. The moment they were brought out, they gave off a fresh, clean fragrance.
Pinelongevity Stones were said to extend one’s lifespan when worn on one’s person, and had long carried the reputation of being worth their weight in gold. From what Ding Songyan knew, they weren’t completely useless, but they weren’t particularly effective either. It was better than nothing.
The reason he wanted to gather Pinelongevity Stones was that the stones’ properties suited his needs for aperture forging. Deep earth gave rise to wood, and green essence was hidden within stone.
"Why don’t we buy them?" Zheng Zhuxi turned to Ding Songyan. "Those two will need money to bring their father’s remains home. And you happen to need them."
"Agreed." It was exactly what Ding Songyan had in mind.
Worried that her junior brother’s proximity might cause the Lü siblings’ father’s remnant soul to scatter entirely, Zheng Zhuxi left Ding Songyan on the covered walkway and went in alone to speak with them.
Her appearance, and the help she and Ding Songyan had given them that night, had left a strong impression on Lü Huaijin and Lü Woyu, who felt warmly toward her and didn’t refuse her offer.
Meanwhile, Ding Songyan opened his yin eyes to check whether the deceased’s remnant soul was trembling and dissipating. If it was, he would step back further. There was no point in someone’s homecoming being rendered meaningless before it had even begun.
His Banishing Demons and Warding Off Evil, which he couldn’t fully suppress, was still quite a nuisance.
In the overlapping environment of dark wilderness and gloomy mortuary, Ding Songyan saw the remnant soul drifting beside the body.
The deceased had some martial foundation. Even though he wasn’t quite at the early stages of the Great Proliferation Realm, he was at least at the perfected aperture refinement level. Even after several days, the soul remained relatively distinct.
The soul trembled throughout and had blood-red tears streaming from its eyes, wailing without cease.
"I wasn’t sick!
"I only dreamed I was sick!"
Dreamed he was sick... Ding Songyan’s gaze sharpened. He pretended to admire the scenery and stepped out of the covered walkway into the courtyard, staying there until the ghost stopped trembling.
"Young Hero Ding, is something the matter?" Zhong Pinglan followed him over.
Ding Songyan asked with a thoughtful look, "Marshal Zhong, over the past year or so, have there been multiple cases of visiting merchants or martial artists dying suddenly of illness in Xuande County?"
Zhong Pinglan’s expression changed slightly, his eyes turning sharp in an instant.
"Young Hero Ding, please speak plainly."
"Marshal Zhong, I was born with yin eyes. I just saw the deceased’s remnant soul. He was murmuring repeatedly that he was not sick, only that he had dreamed he was sick." Ding Songyan thought it over and decided to tell the truth.
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