Radiant Blade of the Wilderness

Chapter 210: "Family Bliss"

Looking at the peerless beauty seated on the edge of his bed, with her lovely smile and sparkling eyes, Ding Songyan felt chilled almost to the bone.

His Chaos Realm covered a twenty-meter radius, giving him a far keener awareness of his surroundings than most Grandmasters. He should have noticed a living person hiding in his room while he was still in the courtyard.

Yet he had sensed nothing.

There can only be one explanation...

Candleflames appeared in Ding Songyan’s eyes as he studied Ji Hanyi.

No tiger ears, no sharp claws, no tiger tail. She remained a "normal" young woman, as beautiful as an immortal maiden, lively and enchanting.

Ding Songyan’s heart slowly sank. Only one thought remained.

Demoness Ji—no, my sister—has reached the Heaven-Man Realm...

He always found a measure of calm in a crisis and quickly assessed his position. Could he withstand a strike or two from Ji Hanyi, long enough to shout, "The Nine-Evils Demoness is here"? Could the Grandmasters on duty at Prince Kang’s estate then hold her off until the Supreme Masters in the Flame Capital arrived, or force her to retreat under that threat?

As his thoughts raced, he heard Ji Hanyi chuckle.

"Second Brother, you wouldn’t want the Jianwu Emperor and Prince Kang to learn that you consumed Chaos’s remains and the Brightnight Sect helped conceal it, would you?"

Tense as a drawn bowstring, Ding Songyan twitched the corners of his mouth into a forced smile.

"Why does that sound so familiar?"

"You used that sort of line to tease me back in Chengyu Lane." Ji Hanyi rose and walked lightly to the table. She turned a cup upright, poured herself some long-cold tea, then sat down and began drinking, as comfortable as though she had come home.

Ding Songyan’s gaze shifted slightly. He walked toward Ji Hanyi and sighed.

"Little Sister, you even dressed as you did when we first met. But it’s late autumn now, nearly winter. Aren’t you cold?"

Ji Hanyi looked up at Ding Songyan and suddenly burst out laughing. For a moment, it was as though a hundred flowers had bloomed in the room, dazzling the eye.

Her voice held both a girl’s lightness and a woman’s allure.

"Second Brother, are you trying to touch my heart? Showing concern to bring us closer? Have you forgotten that heat and cold stopped troubling me when I entered the Dharma Realm in my teens?"

Ding Songyan sat opposite Ji Hanyi, not at all embarrassed at having been seen through. He merely mused, "I’ve never seen you in winter clothes. Perhaps you’d look a little less ethereal and a little more winsome."

Ji Hanyi smiled faintly and touched a finger to her delicate cheek.

"But I have no dimples when I smile. Does that make me less pretty than your Senior Sister Zheng?"

Sweat instantly broke out down Ding Songyan’s back, but his expression betrayed nothing. He answered gently, "Dimples wouldn’t suit you. They’d detract from your natural grace and otherworldly beauty."

Ji Hanyi pressed her lips together, her cheeks twitching faintly. For a long moment she held it in, then finally broke into laughter, shaking like a flower branch in the wind.

"Second Brother, your back is sweating."

"..." Ding Songyan fell silent. He could barely keep up the act.

Ji Hanyi touched her softly glistening pink lips with a finger and said with a smile, "You know very well what makes the Chaos Realm special, Second Brother. Do you think you can hide the slightest changes in your body from your little sister?"

Ding Songyan had no answer. Only after a long pause did he ask, "You’ve reached the Heaven-Man Realm?"

"Otherwise, I wouldn’t dare come to the Flame Capital." Ji Hanyi nodded, her eyes shimmering like autumn waters.

Ding Songyan had to admit that his sister was extraordinarily beautiful. Every smile, every frown, every gesture could leave a man spellbound. But he felt as though a mountain were pressing down on him, its weight almost unbearable. He was in no mood to admire her. Desperately searching for a way out, he asked the question he had prepared earlier.

"How long ago did you reach it?"

"Over a year ago, on the anniversary of Master’s death," Ji Hanyi answered lightly.

"Master Yan would surely be pleased." Ding Songyan knew this was a safe subject. Joining her in a few more digs at Master Yan might just save his own skin.

The corners of Ji Hanyi’s lips lifted, and her beautiful eyes shifted.

"A pity nether-lightning destroyed him before he could witness it."

So she does know that nether-lightning destroyed Master Yan’s soul... Ding Songyan caught the detail at once.

Ji Hanyi turned another cup upright, filled it with tea, and pushed it toward Ding Songyan.

"Second Brother, your lips look dry. Have some tea."

My mouth is dry because I’m terrified... Ding Songyan did not refuse. He picked up the cup and gulped it down.

He even gestured for his sister to pour him another.

Ji Hanyi rose gracefully, lifted the porcelain pot, and leaned forward to refill his cup, just as she had in Chengyu Lane. Only now, the coarse tea had become a reasonably good green tea.

Well, if I survive this, I can boast that a Supreme Master poured me tea... Ding Songyan tried to find some comfort in his predicament.

Ji Hanyi sat down again, propped her cheek on her left hand, and smiled at Ding Songyan.

"Second Brother, why not ask me for a wisp of true qi to help you condense that external aperture? You haven’t condensed it yet, have you?"

Ji Hanyi had consumed enough of Chaos’s remains back then, even a little more than she needed. Her body’s transformation was complete, and all her apertures had been truly condensed. She needed no outside help, and they would not deteriorate.

"I wouldn’t dare," Ding Songyan answered honestly.

For one thing, he dared not make such a request of his sister. For another, he feared she might use the opportunity to tamper with him. Who knew what bizarre arts she could derive now?

Finding a disciple of the Returning Abyss Order would be safer.

Ji Hanyi dipped her finely curved chin, a smile on her lips.

"But using my true qi to condense that external aperture would help you more when you seek the Heaven-Man Realm."

"How so?" Ding Songyan could not help asking.

Ji Hanyi said with a chuckle,

"When Zhulong, the Torch Dragon opened the heavens, Chaos divided into yin and yang.

"After the heaven-earth severance, no divine beings remained in the world. To bear the power of Chaos’s body, a woman and a man must share it, one yin and one yang. Master’s problem wasn’t merely that he ate too much. He had no one to share the burden, so all the Celestial Thearch’s power was drawn into him alone. That was why he ended up as he did.

"I only learned this through his example and a warning from a certain senior. I carefully worked out the timing and waited until you made your ascent in a single leap before consuming Chaos’s remains, Second Brother."

Really? Is that true? Yin and yang bearing Chaos does accord with the Great Way... If she’s right, then I was only fearless because I knew nothing. I almost ended up like Master Yan... Which senior warned her? Jiang Weichen? Ding Songyan dared not believe her, but he could not dismiss it outright either.

Ji Hanyi’s gaze suddenly softened, her eyes liquid and bright.

"If you use a wisp of my true qi to help condense it, you’ll have yin within yang, bringing you closer to Chaos. That will help you seek the Heaven-Man Realm.

"In time, you and I must unite yin and yang, each supplying what the other lacks, so that Chaos becomes one again. Only then can we find the path to the Spirit Platform."

What? Ding Songyan was taken aback.

Isn’t that a rather twisted understanding of the Great Way of Yin and Yang?

Is that why Ji Hanyi has kept me alive, always threatening to kill me but never actually doing it?

The time isn’t right yet?

Once we’re united, I fear there’ll be only one Chaos left...

Unsure how to answer his sister, Ding Songyan picked up his cup and bought time by drinking tea.

Suddenly, Ji Hanyi blushed. Her delicate, ethereal beauty became dazzlingly radiant.

She said, seemingly overcome with embarrassment, "No, no. We’re brother and sister. How could we do something so improper?"

Pfft... Ding Songyan spluttered, spraying out his entire mouthful of tea.

As the droplets reached Ji Hanyi, they fell straight onto the table, unable to advance any farther.

Lady—no, Sister—don’t you enjoy putting on an act a little too much? Ding Songyan had a great deal to say but dared to voice none of it.

"Second Brother, you didn’t take me seriously, did you?" Ji Hanyi was already laughing mischievously.

Ding Songyan let out a breath.

"So you were lying? About yin and yang having to share the remains to bear their power, and then unite to make Chaos whole?"

Ji Hanyi’s beautiful eyes were clear, her lips poised on the edge of a smile.

"Some of it was true, and some was false. Second Brother, can you guess which was which?"

"No." Ding Songyan shook his head without wasting any effort agonizing over it.

Ji Hanyi offered no explanation. With a faint smile, she changed the subject.

"When I heard the Brightnight Sect disciples at Prince Kang’s estate were rotating out, I knew you would come to the Flame Capital, Second Brother. I sent people to wait for you in the nearby streets.

"Who knew you’d first flirt with a wine-shopkeeper, then get involved with Zhang Yingbo? You really are a born rake."

"When did I ever flirt with Twelfth Madam Luo?" Ding Songyan protested at once.

Ji Hanyi laughed softly.

"It doesn’t matter, so long as you don’t fall in love.

"If you only lust after your Senior Sister Zheng’s body, that’s human nature. I’ll turn a blind eye. But if you truly fall for her and insist on marrying no one else, your little sister will have to help you sever that worldly tie."

Threatening me with Senior Sister again? Ding Songyan’s expression stiffened. He dared not pursue the subject.

He chose his words carefully.

"Did you send the burial-object vendor to warn me?"

Ji Hanyi suddenly raised her right hand and beckoned, her smile blossoming.

"Second Brother, come here."

She pointed to the stool at the side of the square table.

Ding Songyan did not want to obey, but dared not refuse. Puzzled, he sat on the indicated stool. Ji Hanyi turned toward him and brought her lips close to his ear.

His body tensed, bracing for a sudden attack.

Ji Hanyi whispered with a giggle, "I sent him. He wanted to betray our Sage-Severing Way, so I made him into a moth-man. I sent him partly to warn you and cause trouble for the Accumulated Evil Way, and partly to play a trick on you."

Her breath brushed his ear as she spoke. Ding Songyan drew his neck back slightly at the tingling sensation.

Ji Hanyi straightened, leaving behind a delicate, faintly sweet fragrance of orchid and musk.

That was another trick, wasn’t it... Ding Songyan had thought his sister was about to reveal some secret.

Looking exquisitely beautiful and utterly harmless, Ji Hanyi leisurely poured herself another cup of tea and continued.

"If it spoils the Accumulated Evil Way’s plans, our Sage-Severing Way doesn’t mind giving the Martial Prohibition Bureau and Prince Kang’s estate a warning.

"Second Brother, I came not only to enjoy a little family bliss, but also to tell you that I know where Evil Beyond Measure Sun Feiyang will be hiding to heal his wounds."

Ding Songyan looked sharply into his sister’s bright, cunning eyes.

Amusement lingered in Ji Hanyi’s voice.

"Tan Guanchan hasn’t reached the Flame Capital yet. The Evil Intent Envoys and Eight Winds Envoys have always been at odds with the Malevolent Envoys, so Sun Feiyang doesn’t dare seek their protection. He can only hide in a residence bought by one of his subordinates and tend to his wounds himself. He has no powerful fighters guarding him."

Her eyes shifted toward Ding Songyan beside her. With a perfectly innocent smile, Ji Hanyi asked, "Second Brother, would you like to take your revenge?"