Chapter 128: A Marvelous Spectacle
With the bride ghost no longer plotting in the shadows, Chen Ping’an and his companions walked unimpeded.
In the mountain hollow was a road leading to the mansion, originally wide enough for two horse-drawn carriages to travel side by side. Now overgrown with weeds and damp with cold rain, it was still far better than when Chen Ping’an had to rely on a barrier-breaking talisman to leave that Yellow Springs Road and then hack a path forward with his narrow saber, auspicious, one slash at a time.
The man whom the bride ghost had called a terrestrial sword immortal had abruptly joined the group without saying a word. This sword cultivator of the Spirit-Pavilion of the Wind and Snow Temple held a white donkey in one hand and rested his other on his sword hilt, walking with closed eyes, his mind wandering far away.
If there was a chasm between the lower five realms and the middle five, then the tenth and eleventh realms were nothing less than a dividing abyss. Even a tenth-realm qi practitioner, revered as a pillar of the dynasty in the mortal world below the mountains, might still sit for decades or even a hundred years like a desolate tomb’s withered bones. Only after painstakingly touching upon the breakthrough opportunity of “stillness breeds motion” would they descend from their cave heavens, blessed lands, sect gates, and mansions, only to return up the mountain with empty hands in the end, continuing their seated meditation facing the wall—such were not few in number.
Wei Jin quietly ended his unique breathing technique of the Wind and Snow Temple, opened his eyes, and turned his head to observe the children familiar with A Liang. Yet the thoughts of this white-robed sword immortal were more occupied by the sacrificial rites of the Wind and Snow Temple. He had been unable to break through for many years, and had not visited his master’s grave to offer wine. Also, after hearing those so-called petty, rotten little stories about A Liang, Wei Jin had become full of longing for the Daoxuan Mountain that bordered the two worlds, and his heart yearned even more for that Great Wall where every city dweller was a sword cultivator.
Wei Jin sighed, feeling there was more to be said.
If earlier, beneath the plaque inscribed “Graceful Water and Lofty Wind,” his physical body had already stabilized and perfectly merged with his sword intent, reaching a state of natural harmony, then his sword stroke would have had no flaw. At that time, the Mohist wandering knight who blocked his path would likely have had to draw more than just an inch of his blade; at least half the sword should have left its sheath.
Li Huai watched this white-robed immortal with drifting eyes, full of curiosity and also regret. If only A Liang were here, Li Huai thought. He wanted to pat A Liang on the shoulder and tell him: This is a true sword master; you, A Liang, are still lacking. Learn from others like Wei Jin—look at his entrance: the man not yet arrived, but his sword already there, white robes swirling with sword energy, beating that vicious ghost woman until she cried for her mother and father. Such an earth-shattering, ghost-weeping entry—how could it compare with you, A Liang, wearing a bamboo hat and leading a donkey along the river?
Lin Shouyi noticed Wei Jin sizing them up, then sensed the absentmindedness of the Wind and Snow Temple sword cultivator. The stern-faced boy discreetly adjusted the book box on his back and contemplated his own cultivation matters.
Having witnessed the unfathomable magical techniques of the bride ghost and the breathtaking swordplay duel between the two sword immortals, Lin Shouyi felt a heavy weight on his heart. The path was long and arduous; his current cultivation and abilities were not even enough to plug someone’s teeth.
Wei Jin withdrew his wandering gaze, stopped walking, and took out a jade tablet gleaming with the luster of mutton fat from his sleeve. He spoke frankly with a smile: “I cannot accompany you all the way to Dali’s Yefu Pass. I need to immediately go to the Lizhu Cave Heaven to hone my companion sword, High Candle, and my natal flying sword on the Dragon-slaying Platform there, in preparation for the upcoming journey to Daoxuan Mountain. Because Senior A Liang once said that going to that place via Daoxuan Mountain now coincides with a once-in-a-century great battle, and I absolutely cannot miss it.”
Seeing no one in the group reaching for the jade tablet, Wei Jin patiently explained: “Although you have a yin god of no small prowess to escort you, to prevent unforeseen circumstances and avoid a repeat of today’s mishap, I am giving this jade tablet to you. This is a unique ‘Mountain Temple Peace Talisman’ from our Wind and Snow Temple and Zhenwu Mountain. Once in danger, as long as the holder infuses it with true qi, speaks words to it, and lets go, it will fly on its own to the mountain temple, sending out a distress signal to our sect.”
Seeing that still no one took the significant jade tablet, Wei Jin did not blame these children for their ignorance. Instead, he smiled and said: “If you think it’s safer for me to accompany you to Yefu Pass rather than just holding a small jade tablet, I certainly won’t shirk responsibility. I’m only discussing with you; in the end, it’s up to you.”
Chen Ping’an spoke up: “Senior sword immortal, you can go ahead to Longquan County to seek the Dragon-slaying Platform and hone your sword edge. We will accept this jade tablet. On the way to Yefu Pass, we already have the yin god senior escorting us, and the Great Li court previously promised us as much. That’s why the three men appeared beside the female ghost. Although a little late, it at least proves they keep their word.”
Chen Ping’an thought for a moment and said seriously: “A major mishap like today’s is unlikely to happen repeatedly.”
He took the tablet and handed it to Lin Shouyi, quietly urging: “Make sure to keep it safe. Better not put it in the book box; if it’s too far away, it will be inconvenient to retrieve in an emergency.”
Lin Shouyi nodded and said softly: “I know. I’ll keep it together with the remaining two talismans, hidden in my sleeve.”
Wei Jin smiled knowingly, a little surprised at the straw-sandaled boy’s reasonableness. In fact, Wei Jin had been puzzled earlier why this person was the one making decisions for the group. Earlier on the street in front of the female ghost’s mansion, Wei Jin had already noticed that the boy named Lin Shouyi had stepped onto the Longevity Bridge. The scene of his qi sea was vigorous, vast, and stable—a rare cultivation seedling. The boy also had an aloof and proud nature. Why would he be willing to take a subordinate position? And what was more, the boy himself did not seem to find it wrong.
As for that youngest, tiger-headed, tiger-brained fellow, since A Liang had arranged for him to look after the white donkey, his good fortune needed no elaboration. No matter what, Wei Jin would give Li Huai a parting gift. He, Wei Jin, had traveled alone through various countries for so many years without attachments, encountering many adventures and opportunities. He had collected no small number of good items, most of which he had casually given away to fated individuals. Those he kept to this day were naturally the most important.
Moreover, when Wei Jin used his pure sword heart to illuminate the other and sweep away the mist deliberately placed there, he discovered that Li Huai’s innate bone structure was even better than Lin Shouyi’s—a top-tier, fine jade that the military patriarchs of the mountain temples would dream of.
Falling under the gaze of sword immortal Wei Jin, the little girl in the red cotton-padded jacket, surrounded by a misty white aura, spoke up: “This tablet—if it encounters today’s situation, can it really fly out? If it runs into the earlier Yellow Springs Road or the layer of darkness you broke through with your flying sword afterward, will it be blocked?”
Wei Jin laughed heartily: “You can rest assured. Even a tenth-realm cultivator’s sage domain cannot trap it. This object is extremely fast, far surpassing flying swords. During its flight, any Wind and Snow Temple cultivator traveling down the mountain who senses its presence will use secret arts to draw it to their side and are often willing to come to the rescue. So, most of the time, the sect’s rear support need not act, and the crisis can be resolved.”
The little girl nodded: “I understand. The jade tablet itself is like a kind of travel permit. If even the yin god senior cannot defeat an opponent, that opponent must be very special. Given their age and experience, they would recognize this Peace Talisman of the Wind and Snow Temple at a glance and would certainly fear Senior Sword Immortal and your sect. So even if the tablet cannot reach the Wind and Snow Temple in time, just displaying it is already a deterrent, equivalent to advising the other party not to provoke the Wind and Snow Temple.”
Wei Jin paused, impressed by the little girl’s precocious intelligence and insight. Looking at her serious, earnest face, he felt an immediate fondness, finding her endearing and close.
In the end, Wei Jin unintentionally glanced again at the straw-sandaled boy. Was it simply because he was older that he served as the leader of the three children?
Wei Jin shifted his gaze to the child Li Huai, who had helped look after the donkey along the way. After weighing his options, he flicked his wrist, and in his palm appeared a row of clay figurines, only half a finger tall: a sword-bearing warrior, a whisk-wielding Taoist, an armored general, a woman riding a crane, and a night watchman with a gong and drum—five in total.
Wei Jin offered them to Li Huai: “These five clay figurines are considered half-dead objects, combining profound knowledge from the Yin-Yang school, Mohist puppet arts, and Taoist talisman traditions. I don’t fully understand the secrets, but I know that if they are nurtured properly and allowed to familiarize themselves with your qi, they might come to life one day. After that, they need to be continually fed with quintessences like fire spirit, water essence, and the five elements. Their highest potential, limited by their small bodies’ qi seas and meridians, is at most equivalent to a seventh- or eighth-realm qi practitioner…”
Here, Wei Jin realized he had spoken too much, fell silent, and just smiled at Li Huai.
The child turned to look at Chen Ping’an, who quickly nodded. Only then did Li Huai scoop up the five clay figurines, thinking that with the painted wooden puppet in the book box on his back, he now had six little minions!
Wei Jin mounted the white donkey: “Then I’ll take my leave. I wish you a smooth journey.”
Although Wei Jin was by nature bold and chivalrous, he was not some charity boy. On the path of cultivation, the road was long. Passing encounters of a few faces, brief contacts—the connections formed are hard to know as good or bad karma. Without the right timing and appropriately weighted fate, with Wei Jin’s currently abundant fortune and the unpredictable, inscrutable will of heaven, those who accepted gifts from Wei Jin—if their own blessings were not thick—who knew if they might suffer harm instead, perishing midway?
Why did mountain dwellers go down to take disciples with such caution? Many trials and tests could last years or even decades.
Wei Jin believed that these children, traveling previously with A Liang, were certainly not simple.
As for who among them was the one A Liang cared for most, valued most, and had the highest hopes for—it might be Li Huai, with his great origins and deep fortune; or the red-cotton-jacketed little girl, naturally charming; or Lin Shouyi, with his firm dao heart. Any of the three children was possible, or each might have their own one aspect.
But for Wei Jin, rushing to Daoxuan Mountain was a pressing matter, or he would miss that soul-stirring pinnacle battle. Otherwise, he truly wanted to personally accompany this group of children to the border at Yefu Pass.
As a sword cultivator aiming to reach the apex of the sword path, how could he miss that once-in-a-century grand gathering?
Chen Ping’an subconsciously replied with a cupped-fist salute. The first time he had saluted someone on the Embroidery River ferry, he had habitually placed his left hand over his right. Now, seeing that Wei Jin of the Wind and Snow Temple and the young swordsman seemed to put right hand over left, Chen Ping’an felt awkward, afraid he did not know proper etiquette. He quickly swapped the positions of his hands.
Wei Jin noticed this detail, saw the straw-sandaled boy’s embarrassment, and could not help but laugh. He bent down and patted his old companion’s back: “Let’s go.”
The white donkey trotted happily forward a few steps, then suddenly turned around and ran back to Chen Ping’an, rubbing against the boy’s cheek, before carrying its long-lost master onward.
Along the way, it was said that Li Huai tended the white donkey, but a fellow like Li Huai had neither the patience nor the perseverance. Was it not Chen Ping’an who silently helped feed it, brush its nose, and shoo away flies?
Chen Ping’an smiled and waved goodbye to the donkey.
The white-robed sword immortal was amused, leaning back as his body rose and fell with the donkey’s gait.
Well, it seemed that he, this terrestrial sword immortal, was not as popular as his old companion.
—
The world was desolate, barren and impoverished.
Between heaven and earth, there seemed to be only a wall of unknown length and height.
Even from hundreds of miles south, looking into the distance, one could clearly see the eighteen large characters carved with sword energy.
This showed how large the characters were, and how towering the wall was.
Dao, Law, Vast, Heaven.
Sword Qi Eternal, Forbidden Ground of Thunder Pool.
Qi, Dong, Chen.
Fierce.
Several hundred miles south of the Great Wall, a horn sound suddenly rang out, as if to shatter the dome of this world.
Countless black shadows gathered densely. As the horn sounded, spots of fire lit up, eventually merging into a single blaze. If one stood on a height in the north and looked into the distance, it was a brilliant sea of fire.
Above the wall, an aged voice rang out with authority: “Raise swords!”
Atop the wall, which had stood here for ten thousand years and stretched for tens of thousands of miles—
In an instant.
Hundreds of thousands of flying swords simultaneously left the wall and flew southward, their sword radiance magnificent.
Like a flood bursting its banks and pouring forth.
No spectacle in the world could equal this.
(Chapter end)