Chapter 69: 69 Yang Body Protects the Soul, Bad News from the North

At midnight, the several ladies were all asleep. On the stone table in the courtyard sat the sour plum soup made just that evening, meant to provide relief from the heat of this late-May night.

In the blind man's field of vision, the Great Yin hung in the sky. The plain white lines of daytime had all vanished, replaced by what looked like ink diluted in clear water, flowing wantonly in thin strands and wisps across the curtain of the firmament, covering the ten thousand miles of the world.

White is Yang.

Black is Yin.

Yang is life.

Yin is death.

Song Cheng had seen enough of this black-and-white ink-wash world that he had long since grasped its measure.

Without physical eyes, he could not see the colorful, bustling human world; yet he could glimpse Yin and Yang, seeing them more truly.

Perhaps this was the meaning of why the "Heart Eye" is called an "eye."

Seeing the bright moon hanging in the sky and the ink-colored wisps above his head growing thicker, the youth did not hesitate. He took the Qing Jade Bottle from his bosom, quickly pried off the stopper, poured out one Soul Strengthening Pill, then, while plugging the stopper back in, sniffed it before quickly tossing it into his mouth.

The Soul Strengthening Pill tasted somewhat like a peppermint candy when it first entered his mouth.

But Song Cheng soon understood that the "peppermint candy" was only a surface layer.

When his tongue licked away the outer layer, a feeling like a bursting glacier exploded in his mouth.

The ramparts of his flesh seemed to have been stabbed directly, and this stab immediately provoked a hornet's nest.

The Qi and blood belonging to a Martial Artist within his body were instantly stimulated, surging back in a counterattack, as if "Fire Nation soldiers" had discovered "Ice Nation soldiers" air-dropping an invasion.

Although this cold Qi was powerful, within his body, it was absolutely no match for his Qi and blood.

Seeing that the "soldiers of the two nations" were about to engage in close-quarters combat, and the "Ice Nation soldiers" were about to be wiped out,

suddenly, a Ghost Tower leaped out from the void and appeared within the youth's physical body. Though it was inside his body, it seemed to exist in two different dimensions, merely overlapping with one another.

And when the "Ice Nation soldiers" saw this Tower, as if they had found a path of retreat, they all surged into the Tower with a "whoosh."

The "Fire Nation soldiers," however, could not see this Tower. After a thorough search within the youth's body and finding not a single "Ice Nation soldier," they all returned to their respective homes.

No sooner said than done, Song Cheng witnessed this rapid change within his body.

He finally understood the meaning of Hua Wen, the "clerk on the second floor of Qianzhen Ge."

Martial Artists truly cannot use this type of soul-related Pill.

The stronger the flesh, the less the soul can leave the body.

Because the flesh is like a sturdy wall without a door; the stronger it is, the less the soul can get out.

No wonder the group of people on the second floor of Qianzhen Tower were all at the "Force Realm" or even "ordinary people below the Force Realm." So that was how it was.

Song Cheng understood in his heart.

This rule originally applied to him too, because the flesh in his body was like Yang fire and should not have been able to harbor a cold Yin soul; this expensive "Soul Strengthening Pill" was completely just an "ice-point peppermint candy" to him. But with that Ghost Tower, everything was different.

Other Martial Artists could not have their souls leave their bodies, but he could.

It was a waste for other Martial Artists to take a "Soul Strengthening Pill," but for him, it was still effective.

The "Ice Nation soldiers" hid in the Ghost Tower.

After a while, seemingly sensing that the pursuers outside had dispersed, they quietly ran out of the Tower again.

This time, the "Fire Nation soldiers" no longer reacted; it was as if the "Ice Nation soldiers" had become their own kind after spending a round in the Ghost Tower.

The "Ice Nation soldiers" easily "poked a hole" in Song Cheng's wall of flesh.

The moonlight filling the sky, which had been blocked outside his flesh, now found an entrance. Wisps of ink-color were drawn in, entering his flesh and wrapping around the youth's soul, causing it to grow stronger. An increasingly intense feeling of nausea and distortion rose from the bottom of Song Cheng's heart.

But immediately after, a strange taste of "ash" exploded on his taste buds.

The nausea and distortion brought by the moonlight vanished instantly.

An indescribable sense of satisfaction arose from Song Cheng's soul.

After half a stick of incense, the "entrance" closed.

Song Cheng spent another hour completing the digestion.

For him, taking this "Soul Strengthening Pill" was actually just a cooling sensation in his mouth, then his body felt cold and tingly, and then the medicine melted, producing a hint of "ash" flavor.

However, he also perceived the process in between, but he just thought about it in a jumble—for instance, "the flesh protects the soul," "the soul becomes stronger when it touches moonlight," "the moonlight might be problematic, after all, its color is black, and he felt nauseated and distorted when enduring the moonlight," "the Soul Strengthening Pill contains at least two main components, one to help you open a hole to absorb moonlight, and the other to protect you," "his Tower is not simple, it's like an independent visualization space; when his own soul jumps out from that Tower, it won't be affected by the moonlight," and so on and so forth. However, these were all guesses without evidence; Song Cheng just kept them in his heart, preparing to verify them slowly later.

At this moment, he got up, yawned, looked up, and gazed at the black ink mass hanging overhead, a hint of unspeakable palpitation rising in his heart.

Immediately, he calmed his emotions, pushed open Tong Niangzi's door quietly, and softly removed his clothes and pants to climb onto the bed.

Tong Niangzi seemed to sense something; she let out a soft "yingning" sound, turned over, and her petite, naked body clung to him like a cicada. Then, she squeezed and squeezed and squeezed in the small quilt, looking very much like she wanted to squeeze Song Cheng off the bed.

Song Cheng hugged her gently, then closed his eyes, and his soul left his body.

His body was no longer that of an ordinary person; even if his soul left his body, it would not turn cold for a while.

The light, drifting Yin soul floated out from the youth's brow. He felt that the chill in the night air had vanished quite a bit. He flew swaggeringly, feeling as if he were walking in a spring breeze. Was the night no longer cold? Of course not.

It was because his Yin soul had grown stronger and was more adapted to the environment outside his body.

The next day, in the morning, as soon as Song Cheng opened his eyes, he saw Tong Niangzi blinking her eyes at him, asking, "Little Song, when did you come back last night?"

Song Cheng felt there were many points to criticize.

Tong Niangzi seemed to have asked one question, but in reality, she had thrown out two.

After a brief thought, Song Cheng felt the latter question was unimportant, so he said, "Why don't you call me 'Master' anymore?"

Tong Niangzi said, "An Jie can call you that, but I can't? Little Song."

Song Cheng wanted to speak but stopped, nodded heavily, and said, "Fine! Boss, call me whatever you like."

"Peh." Tong Niangzi punched him.

After saying that, Song Cheng added, "When I came back, didn't you feel it?" Tong Niangzi said, "A little, but I fell asleep and forgot."

She lay on the youth's strong chest, propping her chin on her elbows, her lower legs kicked back, propping up a small umbrella with the thin quilt, her feet swaying, and the whole quilt shook along with them.

Sunlight passed through the window gauze, casting the emerald green of several banana trees outside; the tree shadows danced, the wind blew through the leaves, and suddenly, the sound of wind chimes rang out with a *ding-dang*.

Song Cheng felt the small weight on his body and asked, "Where are those wind chimes from?"

Tong Niangzi said, "Little Song, Ling'er hung them up. Ling'er said she felt everyone was a bit stifled, so she planned to make wind chimes, but they must have just been hung up."

Song Cheng turned his head and glanced outside; sure enough, he saw a figure walking back and forth.

"Get up."

Tong Niangzi pushed herself up from the youth's chest, put on her boots, pulled on her trousers, stretched out her clothes, sat before the dressing table to groom herself thoroughly, and then grabbed the blade at the head of the bed, about to head out.

Song Cheng said, "Use the one in the corner."

The one in the corner was his previous "Huntian Qi-Breaking Crossbow Bolt" that added "10" to combat power.

Having changed to a new weapon, he naturally handed the second-best one he had previously to Tong Jia.

Tong Niangzi did not stand on ceremony and grabbed it.

Instantly, her stats changed from "13~23" to "15~26".

Song Cheng was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood: one needs sufficient strength to truly bring out the wonders of a blade.

This "Fine Blade" of his required Qi to be channeled into it to exert power, so Tong Niangzi only inherited "5" points of strength.

By the same token, the "Mechanism Shield" he obtained yesterday also required internal energy to fully exert its power.

This was fine too.

If others thought he could only utilize the sturdiness of the Mechanism Shield, then his "full usage" would become another small trump card.

The addition of a trump card could put his mind at ease.

Just as he was thinking this, Tong Niangzi had already run out the door, exchanged a glance with Ying'er who had run out from across the way, and then began practicing with the blade.

Ling'er carried a small low stool, running up and down, hanging the wind chimes.

Tong Jia and Ying'er practiced with their blades.

The cold-as-ice-jade Young Miss slowly opened the door.

And the son-in-law was still lying lazily on the couch.

This scene slowly froze in time.

Yesterday, Son-in-law Song went out and truly managed to spend money like water, experiencing the thrill of "becoming stronger by spending the lady's money."

Today, he wouldn't go out; he would just sharpen his blade.

Thus, Song Cheng brought a stool and a basin of water, coming outside the Library Pavilion to sharpen his blade.

Inside the Library Pavilion, any Martial Artist who didn't understand something could run out to ask him, and he would offer casual pointers, helping these Martial Artists become stronger as quickly as possible.

Things that those Martial Artists had pondered for a long time without understanding, he would point out in a few words, and the Martial Artist would be enlightened as if doused with cold water, then offer repeated thanks before leaving.

At dusk, someone from the merchant association ran in from outside in a panic, nervously finding An Chenyu and saying, "President, it's bad, the city has been sealed!"

Young Miss asked, "What else?"

The man said, "There is also word, regarding the North Land, saying that a county has been slaughtered by the barbarians."

Young Miss nodded and said, "Mobilize more people and go investigate further."

Just like that.

Midnight.

The momentum of a storm brewing throughout the city had risen, and panic was boiling over.

Another person from the merchant association ran in.

The news from the North Land was more complete.

"Young Miss, the one slaughtered was Xiegu County. They say most of the people in the county were slaughtered, while the barbarians only rounded up young women, livestock, and grain, and headed toward other counties.

This year's Ghost Tide has completely cut off the grain for the villages and counties. The Prefecture City has abundant grain reserves and looks okay for now, but outside, things have already started to fall into complete chaos.

As for the women, everyone says that if there are enough people, even staying in the Ghost Tide won't lead to trouble, so... so... those barbarians want to use our Zhongtu women to..."

"What about the Six Towns?" An Chenyu interrupted.

"They say they fought, but were utterly defeated and can only defend the city to save themselves; they can't look after other counties at all. Now, the people in the Prefecture City are in a panic, and everyone wants to run.

But they can't run; the city is sealed, and the Prefect won't let anyone leave!"

The reporting voice carried a hint of trembling.

"Oh, right, President.

There is also the North City Ma Family, that family that traffics in horses.

They got the news yesterday and ran away early... but, but, today after the city was sealed, their heads were thrown into the city.

They were all men's; there wasn't a single woman among them. That Ma Laoliu, I was even familiar with him. A few days ago, I ate with him when our merchant association was buying horses.

But when I saw him again, only his head remained."

The reporting voice was almost crying, "The barbarians may have already surrounded the Prefecture City."

An Chenyu's expression remained as usual, and she said calmly, "Don't panic. If the sky falls, there are taller people to hold it up. Hanping Prefecture is still safe for the time being."

Her voice always gave people the feeling that she was hiding a trump card, and the person reporting also seemed to be infected by it, calming down slightly before bowing and departing.

(End of this chapter)