Radiant Blade of the Wilderness

Chapter 55: Demoness

Seeing Yan Changqing dead, Ding Songyan didn’t immediately pull out the dagger. Instead he pressed it deeper into the man’s skull and twisted it again.

This wasn’t because his hatred was so great—he was afraid this former sect master of the Sage-Severing Way hadn’t fully died.

He was a man without the strength to overpower a goose. He couldn’t afford any more ordeals, and even with one remaining reserve of qi, he had no confidence whatsoever.

Seeing that Yan Changqing showed no further signs of life, Ding Songyan carefully withdrew the dagger and stared at the corpse again and again.

Phew... He finally let out a breath of relief and turned his gaze toward the mass of Chaos remains protruding from Yan Changqing’s stomach.

A yellow, sac-like object, within which a crimson flame seemed to burn, had a patch of darkness in its core.

Ding Songyan didn’t hesitate for an instant. He first wiped the blade on Yan Changqing’s cyan lined robe, then drove the dagger into the Chaos remains.

Just as he’d told Yan Changqing earlier, a divine object like this had to be consumed immediately. There could be no possibility of it benefiting anyone else.

Moreover, once he ate it, he would have the ability to turn the tables when facing Ji Hanyi and other enemies afterward.

If Dingjiang Prefecture or the Brightnight Sect couldn’t tolerate him for doing so, as a Dharma Realm Grandmaster, the world was vast—where could he not go?

The dagger slid into the yellow sac as easily as into rotting meat. Ding Songyan twisted his wrist and swiftly cut away a quarter.

He was learning from Yan Changqing’s mistake by starting with a small portion. If it wasn’t enough, he could have more. Under no circumstances should he be assimilated by the domineering and peculiar Chaos, repeating the tragedy.

Everyone makes mistakes, but best not to make the same mistake someone else already made—especially when that person had just died before your eyes.

After cutting off roughly a quarter of the Chaos remains, Ding Songyan noticed the steel dagger’s surface had become pitted and rough, no longer gleaming with cold light, appearing abnormally dull.

Can... can this thing actually be eaten? Ding Songyan dared to grip only the yellow sac’s outer surface, not touching the flame or darkness within.

Reminding himself that Yan Changqing, a Supreme Master, had eaten it, he drew a breath and was about to raise his left arm to bring the small portion of Chaos remains to his mouth.

Then his entire body froze. His arm wanted to rise but forgot how to rise. His body wanted to move but forgot how to move. The dagger dropped to the ground with a clang.

Through the doorway, a figure strolled leisurely inside. She was wearing a spring-onion-white short jacket with silver-edged upright collar and a goose-yellow thin silk skirt, her black lustrous hair hanging loose.

Ji Hanyi.

The demoness came so fast... Ding Songyan managed to twist his body partway, but could neither eat the Chaos remains nor launch an attack at Ji Hanyi.

It wasn’t that he thought his final reserve of qi could do anything to the demoness. He’d hoped to force her back a step, creating an opportunity to consume the Chaos remains. Furthermore, if a Dharma Realm-level collision occurred between them, it would be impossible to conceal the disturbance. The authorities’ Grandmasters would immediately pinpoint their location and rush over.

Unfortunately, Ding Songyan had no intention of attacking Ji Hanyi whatsoever. It wasn’t that he was truly lacking intent; rather, the moment he was about to act on it, he forgot.

With Yan Changqing no longer suppressing Ji Hanyi’s Celestial Heart imprint for him, he was merely an ordinary man.

Ji Hanyi didn’t look at Ding Songyan. With light steps she walked to Yan Changqing’s corpse and, reaching for the Chaos remains, said with a faint smile, "Master, the truth is I too coveted the divine object you took from the Celestial Thearch’s palace. Otherwise I wouldn’t have given you the chance to speak just now, letting you stall.

"Zhen Qianfan and I thought alike—we both hoped to let you briefly escape with only an ordinary person beside you, to see whether such circumstances might make you lower your guard and reveal the divine object’s location. The difference is that Zhen Qianfan trusted only himself, yet his mental fortitude was insufficient, making him susceptible to arts like the Heart-Confounding, Mind-Disrupting Grand Art. I chose to place my bet on Ding Songyan."

Me? Ding Songyan hadn’t expected the demoness to believe an ordinary man like him could turn the tables from a hopeless situation.

Then again, she had indeed used her Celestial Heart imprint to help him at the critical moment.

Since the demoness currently regarded him as insignificant, Ding Songyan finally calmed his mind, his thoughts quickly turning active.

This is the authorities’ home ground. Every moment I can stall is another moment of hope...

Hm, right now I can’t attack the demoness, and I’ve "forgotten" how to flee, and I have no thought of "eating" anything, but it seems I can still do other things...

When it comes down to it, there’s no deep enmity between me and the demoness. As long as I don’t interfere with her affairs, she doesn’t necessarily need to kill me...

She’s already been exposed to the authorities anyway, so there’s no question of me leaking secrets...

I even helped her kill Yan Changqing and obtain the Chaos remains!

The one with grievances is me, not her.

Erm, but I need to hide this bit of Chaos remains in my hand. I can’t accept handing it over to the demoness. She didn’t look at me just now, so she probably hasn’t noticed... What’s left is more than enough for her anyway. Any more and she’d repeat her master’s mistake...

Thinking this, Ding Songyan’s five left fingers gripped tighter, completely concealing the small portion of Chaos remains.

Still uneasy, he suddenly recalled something.

He had once sent a copper coin into the netherworld, then retrieved it after a while.

If I hide this bit of Chaos remains in the netherworld, the demoness would never think of it or ever find it. Ding Songyan quickly made his decision. Once it’s hidden, I’ll chat with the demoness. We’ve spent quite a few days together after all. The act may have been false, but perhaps there’s a shred of genuine rapport. Letting an ordinary man like me go wouldn’t affect her in the slightest... At worst, it’s still a way to stall for time...

Ding Songyan swiftly shifted the hazy "seed" within his consciousness to the point between his brows.

Once again he saw the smoke-like darkness and the boundless wasteland. He saw the endlessly wandering specter-shadows, as well as the blank and lifeless ghost of "Yan Changqing."

At this point, Ji Hanyi had already removed the large mass of Chaos remains. Still gazing at Yan Changqing’s corpse, she said with a smile brimming in her eyes, "I didn’t misjudge Ding Songyan. Before my Celestial Heart imprint even took effect, he’d already figured out the crux of it himself. He’d even secured the Brightnight Sect’s Candlelight Sword Intent in advance. All I needed to do was suppress your Celestial Heart imprint at the right moment.

"Master, you certainly never imagined that after a lifetime of dominance, you’d ultimately die at the hands of an ordinary man with no martial arts. What supreme irony.

"You must be regretting your own impatience, exposing a flaw that Ding Songyan saw through. Heh, that was no accident.

"I deliberately passed word of the Celestial Thearch’s palace to the Brightnight Sect and the Great Zhao court through Ding Songyan on that final night. With that done, a Supreme Master or even a Sage would surely arrive today. Your numerology is so formidable that you’d certainly calculate that this very moment was your only chance of escape—leaving no room for delay or waiting on variables. And how could you not be anxious then?

"Once a person grows anxious, mistakes come easily. And deep down you’ve always looked down on Ding Songyan as simply an ordinary man, never believing he could pose any threat. Naturally you wouldn’t treat him with much caution..."

So that’s it. Telling me the Secret Classic of Mountains and Seas was complete was meant for me to leak it, and only after all other preparations were in place... Ding Songyan silently marveled at how cunning the demoness truly was, while quietly shifting a few steps to the side of the corpse.

Since he hadn’t thought of seizing the chance to flee, he accomplished this maneuver without issue.

His current position placed several dark stone pillars directly behind him, their surfaces dotted with small holes weathered by time.

Ding Songyan hurriedly shifted the hazy "seed" to his left hand, and felt the bone-piercing cold of spectral wind.

Bit by bit, he extended his left palm behind his back. Using his body as a screen, he stuffed the small yellow sac-like object into one of the hollows on the pillar’s surface.

Then he released his fingers. After confirming the Chaos remains hadn’t fallen, he slowly withdrew his left hand.

The smile gradually faded from Ji Hanyi’s face. She looked at Yan Changqing’s corpse and sighed.

"A pity I didn’t kill you with my own hands."

You could always stab him a few more times... Ding Songyan’s heart lurched at those words.

Ji Hanyi gripped the large mass of Chaos remains in one hand, turned, and cast her gaze toward Ding Songyan.

"Miss Ji." Ding Songyan forced a smile.

A real man knows when to bend and when to stand tall!

Ji Hanyi chuckled, like a summer blossom melting away winter frost.

"You sound so distant." She smiled and walked towards Ding Songyan.

I can’t still call you "Little Sister," can I? Ding Songyan didn’t know how to respond.

Ji Hanyi suddenly leaned forward, bringing her head close to his ear.

Ding Songyan immediately caught a faint, delicate fragrance and glimpsed half of a refined, beautiful face.

"Second Brother," Ji Hanyi whispered with a soft laugh. "Care to guess? When you tried sending that copper coin into the netherworld and then retrieving it, was I watching in secret?"

Ding Songyan’s gaze instantly froze.

In that moment, he felt his very thoughts were about to crystallize into ice.

This demoness is far too terrifying!

He wanted to retrieve the small portion of Chaos remains at once, then see if he could exploit his survival instinct. When Ji Hanyi moved to kill him, he would use that final reserve of qi for protection and create an opening to consume the divine object.

Ji Hanyi straightened up. Her beautiful eyes swept over Ding Songyan with a single glance.

Ding Songyan immediately forgot the thought of reaching behind him to touch the stone pillar.

Ji Hanyi clasped her hands behind her back and said to him with a playful smile, "Second Brother, are you wondering why I think so highly of you and why I’ve so often followed you in secret?"

"Miss Hanyi, I do have that question." Ding Songyan forcibly gathered his wits.

Every moment of delay counts!

Ji Hanyi tilted her head slightly, looking at him. Her smile suddenly bloomed like a flower.

Her tone light and airy, she said, "A person I killed with my own hands suddenly came back to life before my eyes. How could I not be curious? How could I not take notice?"

Ding Songyan’s heart plummeted instantly. His entire being felt as though it had plunged into an icy abyss, soul and all.

So everything about me has been under the demoness’s watchful eye all along...

Previously, I only guessed that they were puzzled over why I didn’t die. I didn’t expect it to be witnessed with her own eyes...

"How exactly did that happen, I wonder?" Ji Hanyi propped her cheek on the hand not holding the Chaos remains, her eyes sparkling as she smiled and asked.

Hearing this, Ding Songyan in that moment seriously considered whether to reveal the matter of transmigration—to enhance his mystique and his importance in the demoness’s eyes, and thereby survive this ordeal.

But just then, Ji Hanyi’s right palm extended, as though about to touch the crown of Ding Songyan’s head.

Ding Songyan’s soul nearly left his body. He fought with everything he had against the Celestial Heart imprint, trying to use the hazy "seed" to protect himself.

Ji Hanyi suddenly tapped her toes and flew backward, landing at the room’s doorway amid soft laughter.

Her goose-yellow silk skirt swayed as she turned sideways and flashed the dumbstruck Ding Songyan a radiant smile.

"I’ve had great fun these past few days. I’ll let you live a while longer."

With that, Ji Hanyi clasped her hands behind her back and walked with light steps into the dim courtyard still heavy with rain, quickly vanishing from Ding Songyan’s sight.

"..." Ding Songyan remained in a daze.