Jia Mo

“The theory behind this spell is to infuse spiritual energy to forcefully enhance the recipient’s self-healing ability and repair wounds. Therefore, it can only be used on those who are dying but not yet dead. If the person has already passed away, even this spell would be useless,” explained Ye Ku Can. “However, using this spell is not simple. The caster must be familiar with the recipient’s meridians, six organs, and nine apertures. If the spiritual energy flows the wrong way, the recipient’s meridians will be severed. If the spiritual energy is too much, the recipient’s six organs will burst under the pressure. If the spiritual energy is too little, the spell won’t take effect.”

It’s unexpected that this spell is so complicated. Qi Yin thought his brother was invincible, able to reverse life and death with ease. It seemed that even in the dream world, his brother took a huge risk and walked right up to the gate of death. Qi Yin shuddered at the thought and wrote on the paper, “Brother, this spell is so difficult. Did I almost die because of it?”

Fu Lan was surprised for a moment and replied with his spiritual awareness, “Is it difficult? I thought it was simple.”

Qi Yin: “…”

“The flow of spiritual power is easy to control. I have entered your body many times and it is not unfamiliar to me.” Fu Lan’s voice was gentle. “Xiao Yin, I understand your body as well as I understand my own. There was no room for mistakes.”

It was then that Qi Yin remembered that Fu Lan had indeed entered his body many times, injecting spiritual power into his eight meridians every time they merged into a fish. He remembered the feeling, as if there was a slow and icy stream flowing through his body, while his soul drifted in the mist.

However, he suddenly felt a bit strange. The word “enter” sounded too ambiguous, as if they had done something that couldn’t be spoken of. Qi Yin blushed and quickly turned his head to focus on the lesson.

“There is only one spell, which I have practiced over ten thousand times. Otherwise, I would not be able to achieve precise control of my spiritual power. Children, diligence is the key to cultivation. No matter which spell you practice, you must study hard and practice diligently,” said Ye Ku Can.

Suddenly, Fu Lan said, “Xiao Yin, find a way to get him to attack you.”

“What?” Qi Yin thought he had misheard him.

Yun Zhi said beside them, “Your brother wants to see if Ye Ku Can’s technique is really the same as his.”

How the hell were they going to do that? Qi Yin felt a headache coming on.

They were about to finish class when Qi Yin raised his hand and shouted, “Teacher, I have a question.”

Ye Ku Can raised his hand, indicating for him to ask. Qi Yin hesitated before standing up and stammering, “Um, teacher, you just said that the Revival spell is very difficult to use. If one is even slightly careless, the recipient will die. And you also said that you have practiced it over ten thousand times. May I ask, did you practice with small animals like this poor little rabbit every time, like you did today? Doesn’t that mean you have killed more than ten thousand rabbits?”

Ye Ku Can obviously didn’t expect Qi Yin to ask such a question. He was stunned and silent for a while before saying, “To cultivate spells, there must be sacrifices…”

“Daoists are compassionate,” said Qi Yin, putting on a pained expression. “Even though rabbits are small, they are still living beings. How can an elder of Wu Fang like you, with high standards in the Dao, do such inhumane things?”

The people in the room began to whisper among themselves. A girl nodded and sobbed. “The little rabbits are so cute. How could the elder kill them?”

“Elder!” Qi Yin accused, “I have heard of your creation of secret spells, and I had great admiration for you. But now I realize that you are such a heartless person. Today it was a rabbit. Who knows if tomorrow you will kill cats, and the day after, pigs, cows, dogs, and sheep? Later, you might even use people for your practice. How cruel!”

Ye Ku Can’s eyes narrowed, and he slammed his hand on the table. “Nonsense!”

“You are angry!” Qi Yin trembled as he pointed at him. “You are angry! If it weren’t for me stepping on your sore spot, why would you be so furious? Could it be…you really have killed people?”

Ye Ku Can clenched his fists tightly, and his eyes, like burning embers, glared at Qi Yin. Qi Yin continued to talk, and the girls in the audience were agitated and frightened.

“You impudent child!” Ye Ku Can shouted, and sharp ice thorns grew from his withered fingertips. He spread his hands toward Qi Yin, and the air instantly froze. The whole pavilion felt like an ice cave, and dense white smoke condensed with a crackling sound. The ice thorns, each the size of a bowl, flew toward Qi Yin, their sharpness piercing.

The cold air rushed toward him, and Qi Yin’s hair stood on end. Without thinking, he crossed his arms over his head and face.

At the same time, Fu Lan’s right hand touched Qi Yin’s back, and a cold spiritual power entered Qi Yin’s meridians. He whispered softly, “Block it.”

A ripple of light suddenly appeared in front of him, and a barrier opened up. All the ice thorns smashed into the barrier, shattered into countless pieces, and fell onto the black lacquer table.

Everyone in the pavilion was stunned. The ice shards clinked on the ground, and the air was still cold. Qi Yin, with lingering fear, looked up and met Qi Ling Shu’s gaze. It was the first time he had seen the man’s face clearly as he looked straight into his eyes.

He was a man made of ice and snow, and he looked at Qi Yin with cold disgust in his eyes.

Qi Yin put down his hands in confusion, but Qi Ling Shu had already turned his head.

Clearly realizing that he had overreacted, Ye Ku Can huffed and left with the iron cage in his hand. Qi Yin was almost scared to death and sat back in his seat, clutching his chest.

As Ye Ku Can left, the room suddenly became noisy, with some girls shedding tears and saying, “I didn’t expect Elder Ku Can to be such a person!”

“Yeah, yeah! If he can’t win an argument, he just hits people. He really scared me just now.”

Xin Xiao Xiao, who was sitting in the front row, ran over to ask Fu Lan, “Lan Gege, did he scare you? Are you okay?”

Why didn’t anyone care about him? Qi Yin was speechless. He was the one who got scared the most, okay?

This wasn’t a good place to talk, so he couldn’t ask how Fu Lan’s experiment had gone. Qi Yin buried himself in his books, and just as he finished packing them up, he looked up to find Qi Ling Shu standing in front of him.

Qi Yin was startled and fell back on his chair. Was this guy here to comfort him?

Qi Ling Shu lowered his eyes. His pupils were pale, like lustrous glass beads surrounded by a faint halo.

He asked, “You were the one who lost in the first match on the first day of the sword competition?”

This guy’s face seemed to be carved out of ancient ice and had no expression. Just sitting in front of him, Qi Yin was freezing all over. Fu Lan didn’t know what had happened and just stared at him blankly, holding the black cat.

Although it was embarrassing, Qi Yin had to admit it. He scratched his head and said, “Yes.”

“You cheated in the competition,” Qi Ling Shu said.

“Huh?”

“Your name will be removed from the list and you will be sent to the disciplinary hall.”

Several disciples in white immediately stepped forward and took hold of Qi Yin. He was bewildered. “What’s going on? How did I cheat in the competition?”

Qi Ling Shu did not explain and walked ahead without turning back. Fu Lan was at a loss and could only follow along. However, Yun Zhi could see what had happened at a glance and said with a complex expression, “Just now, you blocked Ye Ku Can’s attack. Your spiritual power is so strong that you wouldn’t have lost to a beginner disciple. That guy thinks you cheated in the competition.”

Qi Yin almost wanted to spit blood. He was taken all the way to the disciplinary hall, where snow covered the ground, and several stout pine trees stood nearby with needles covered in snow. A large lotus leaf fish tank was placed below the stairs, with symbols painted on the rim to keep the water inside at a constant temperature and prevent it from freezing. Several golden and red small fish swam inside.

The man inside timidly walked out, and upon closer look, it was the same guy who made a deal with Qing Ming. Qi Ling Shu asked in a frigid tone, “Junior Brother Ling Zhuo, is this the disciple you bought with the sect’s funds?”

Ling Zhuo was surprised to see Qi Yin and looked at Yun Zhi, clearly unsure what was going on. Yun Zhi covered his face with his sleeve in silence.

It seemed that this idiot had been caught embezzling the sect’s funds, but he hadn’t revealed Qing Ming and Yun Zhi’s involvement. All Qi Ling Shu knew was that he had bought a disciple to participate in the fake competition. Qi Yin felt helpless, but it didn’t matter; he was already at the bottom of the rankings, so it wouldn’t make any difference whether he was punished or not. If he were to be made to sweep the floor, he would just accompany his brother. Fed up with everything, Qi Yin said, “It was me. What do you want to do? I’ll follow along.”

Yun Zhi secretly blinked at him in gratitude, but Qi Yin glared at him with eyes that screamed “bastard.”

Qi Ling Shu said, “First offense. Two hours of kneeling.”

Qi Yin’s vision turned black; did this mean he had to kneel until dusk in this frigid snowy weather?

“Ling Zhuo knowingly committed the offense. Expelled from the inner sect,” Qi Ling Shu declared.

Ling Zhuo walked away dejectedly, and Yun Zhi pleaded, “Junior Martial Uncle, my junior brother has been weak since he was young. Your magnanimity would be much appreciated.”

Qi Ling Shu coldly looked at him and said, “Add half an hour of kneeling.”

Qi Yin was speechless.

“Junior Martial Uncle, you don’t have to be so heartless!” Yun Zhi winked at him. “Don’t you remember when Senior Martial Uncle Qi Shen Wei brought you to Feng Huan when you were young, and you followed me shouting ‘Big Brother Yun Zhi’? We have a bond since we were kids. Can’t you go easy on him?”

Qi Ling Shu’s expression changed, and Qi Yin saw him showing emotion on his face for the first time. Qi Ling Shu gritted his teeth and said, “Another half-hour of kneeling!” before turning and leaving.

“What the hell is going on?” Qi Yin cried with a mournful face, kneeling on the snowy ground, his knees freezing and hurting.

Yun Zhi crouched in front of him, feeling embarrassed. “I’m sorry, Junior Brother.”

“…Do you have a problem with him?” Qi Yin asked in distress.

“Ah, I didn’t expect this kid to hold a grudge like this.” Yun Zhi rubbed his sleeve and continued, “He likes cleanliness, you know.”

Qi Ling Shu’s clothes, shoes, and socks were always immaculate. Qi Yin nodded in agreement.

“Last time during the competition, a junior sister from Zhong Gu Mountain invited me for a moonlit drinking session. Who would have thought that we would run into Qi Ling Shu, who had just returned from his demon-slaying mission. Being the gentleman that I am, I let the junior sister run away first, and stayed behind to face him. Without saying a word, Qi Ling Shu wanted to take me to the disciplinary hall.”

“Did you resist?” Qi Yin asked.

“No.” Yun Zhi chuckled with some embarrassment. “I had a bit too much to drink and accidentally vomited on him. In the end, he had to escort me back to my courtyard.”

This was a major incident, and now Yun Zhi, this fool, wanted him to intercede on his behalf? Qi Yin was so angry that he felt like vomiting blood. “You scoundrel. Do you know what your specialty is?”

“Is it charming women?” Yun Zhi asked.

“It’s deceiving your father (1)!” Qi Yin roared in anger.

Yun Zhi left after being scolded, and in the end, only Fu Lan remained sitting next to him, cross-legged.

“Brother, you can go rest now. I don’t need you to accompany me,” Qi Yin said.

Fu Lan hesitated for a moment, nodded, and then stood up and left.

He left too decisively, and Qi Yin was momentarily stunned, staring at his back.

How could he just leave like that?

The daylight gradually faded, and everything became gray and gloomy again. Little ice crystals fell from the sky, and Qi Yin looked up to see snowflakes gently falling from the center of the sky, the entire gray dome reflecting in his pitch-black eyes. Suddenly, he had the illusion that he was the only person left in the world.

Qi Yin couldn’t help feeling a bit resentful. That Fu Lan. He was his beloved little brother, wasn’t he? Hmph. Qi Yin picked up a dry twig and idly poked at the snowflakes on the ground. It was very cold in the snowy field, and his nose was runny after kneeling for a while. Just as he was getting bored, a plump black thing fell into his arms, and a blue floral cotton quilt covered his head.

Qi Yin was taken aback. Fu Lan sat down beside him with his legs crossed, his arm wrapped around Qi Yin’s back. He pulled over a corner of the quilt, wrapping the two of them up together.

This guy… Qi Yin stared at him in a daze. It turned out that he didn’t leave. He just went back to get the quilt.

The warmth made Qi Yin feel comfortable, and the black cat found a nice spot to curl up. Fu Lan rubbed Qi Yin’s hand and blew on it with his mouth. Qi Yin felt content, and moved a bit closer to Fu Lan. Suddenly, he remembered the matter of Ye Ku Can, and asked in a low voice, “How did your experiment go? What kind of technique did that old man use?”

The black cat sniffed. “That old guy really knows how to flatter himself. Him practicing this spell is so ridiculous that it makes me laugh.”

“What kind of spell is it?” asked Qi Yin.

“It’s the spell of the ancient great shamans, called the ‘Shaman’s Secret Art.’ Fifty years ago, the Daoist priests of Zong Ming were wracking their brains trying to enter the temple to search for this. One spell might be doubtful, but two spells confirm it.” The black cat said, “That ‘Revival Spell’ and ‘Iceberg Killing Spell’ are definitely Shaman’s Secret Arts. Your brother is born with the talent for this spell, and he is one of a kind, recorded in the temple’s scriptures. We haven’t been back to the temple for a long time. Perhaps Ye Ku Can used some method to enter the temple through the white mist.”

“This spell is so powerful.” Qi Yin was eager to try it. “Can I learn it?”

“No,” said Fu Lan.

“Why not?” Qi Yin frowned. He couldn’t learn it if it wasn’t powerful, and he couldn’t learn it if it was powerful.

“You’ll end up like him, turning into a skeleton,” Fu Lan whispered.

Qi Yin was taken aback, and the black cat explained, “Shaman’s Secret Arts cannot be learned by ordinary people. They say Ye Ku Can turned into that half-dead, half-alive creature after years of hard practice. He’s lying to you guys. That’s the side effects of practicing the Shaman’s Secret Art.”

“He’s about to die, Xiao Yin,” Fu Lan said softly.

This spell was so dangerous. Did the old man know? Qi Yin felt a little sorry for the old man and asked, “Brother, are you a shaman? Why can you practice this thing? What exactly is a shaman? Aren’t they human?”

“The shaman is a status. In ancient times, those who devoted their lives to the gods and were recognized by them, whether they were human, yao, or mo, could become a shaman. There was a specific ritual to become a shaman, but it is no longer known today, and there is no record of it in Ba Mountain Temple. Yu Ji Xian was the first shaman recorded in ancient books. Shaman magic grants the ability to understand life and death, fortunes and misfortunes. Powerful shamans are the closest existence to the gods in the world.” The black cat looked at Fu Lan and said, “Your brother has not experienced the ritual of becoming a shaman, and I cannot determine whether he is a shaman or not.”

“So the ceremony is important? It’s not just a formality?”

“No.” The black cat shook his head. “The ceremony is a way to inherit power. The great ancient shamans received divine power through the ceremony and communicated with the gods through it. Nowadays, the ceremony has become just a formality, mostly because the key steps have been lost. Drawing symbols and chanting spells are all part of the ceremony. In Ba Mountain, if you enter the temple without performing the bathing and incense-burning ceremony, you will be cursed by the gods.”

Qi Yin sighed at the fastidiousness of the White Deer God.

“What about that old man who trespassed in the temple? Are you going to do anything about it?”

Fu Lan shook his head. “The white mist allowed him to enter, which means that the gods allowed him to enter.”

“Never mind him,” the black cat said with an air of nonchalance. “He’s going to die soon anyway. Mortals always love to seek death. Let me teach you a lesson, kid. Don’t go where you shouldn’t, don’t practice what you shouldn’t. Being born in this world, it’s your duty to have respect and reverence for your life. If you cross the line, you’ll only bring about your own destruction.”

—

In the secret chamber, beams of sunlight as thick as a bowl streamed in, falling onto a darkened small table and the shoulders two people sitting across from each other. Dust danced in the sunlight, trembling and swirling like countless tiny ants. Yuan Ji meditated with his eyes closed. On the opposite side, a thin and frail old man in black brushed through strands of gray-white herbs with his fingers and exhaled a puff of smoke. “The class of six hexagrams is over,” he said.

Yuan Ji opened his eyes. “Is the result the same as before?”

“Not bad,” said Ye Ku Can. “Let’s keep looking. You should let the disciples of the four halls go all out.”

“I know,” said Yuan Ji.

“Today, a kid said that I practiced killing to improve my cultivation. Although it’s a wild guess, it was surprisingly accurate,” Ye Ku Can said darkly. “You should kill him.”

“Killing him would be admitting that you do practice killing for cultivation, Elder Ye.” Yuan Ji laughed, his smile sharp under the darkened sunlight. “Why don’t you pass on the Shaman’s Secret Art to Ling Shu? He’s a clever child and the most suitable candidate. I remember our agreement was that Wu Fang would provide you with life-prolonging elixirs periodically, and in return, you would teach him everything you know. Yet you’ve been holding back. If that’s the case, I might as well send my disciples to find that person.”

“You won’t find him,” Ye Ku Can said coldly. “Since I was granted Shaman’s Secret Art, that person has disappeared without a trace. Even I can’t find him. As for Qi Ling Shu, he’s just like his master, with eyes that don’t tolerate any dirt. He’s of high moral character. Or to put it bluntly, he’s a piece of crap in a cesspool who can’t think outside the box. He would never practice killing to improve his cultivation.”

“He’s a genius like Yuan Wei and is the hope of our sect. His techniques must not fall behind.”

“If you want him to become like me, I’ll go find him now,” Ye Ku Can said.

Yuan Ji lowered his eyes, a sad expression on his gaunt face. Nowadays, Daoism was declining, and the three thousand sects were falling apart. Even Feng Huan Mountain, which was once flourishing, had become so shabby that none of the disciples could bear to look at it. The ancient scriptures recorded that the great shamans of ancient times could reach the sky and the earth, and could do anything. Even the Daoists of olden times could travel thousands of miles in a day. But now, the techniques were declining rapidly, and not one of the new disciples could cultivate divine consciousness.

Could they just let Wu Fang deteriorate into that shabby state like Feng Huan Mountain? If they wanted to restore Daoism, how could there be no sacrifices?

He closed his eyes and sighed. “Let’s go tomorrow. At this time, he should be bathing in the springs.”

Footnotes

1. Deceiving your father – in China, when people get angry, they like to refer to themselves as the other person’s father

On the third day, Yun Zhi and Qi Ling Shu had a sword-fighting match, and Yun Zhi was defeated. Qi Ling Shu rose to the top of the sword-fighting ranking list, and no one could match his blade’s sharpness. Qi Yin watched from afar. His sword light swirled like falling snow on the platform. The man stood silently in the midst of the sword light, dressed in white like frost.

Whenever Qi Yin looked at him, he felt complicated and couldn’t describe whether it was envy or something else. Everyone told him that Qi Ling Shu inherited Qi Shen Wei’s mantle. Both his swordsmanship and personality were similar to Qi Shen Wei. He was Qi Shen Wei’s only disciple, and they were like father and son. Qi Yin lowered his head, kicked a pebble at his feet, and saw his own shadow on the marble wall, also dressed in white. Everyone else looked divine, and he looked like a hooligan.

Someone next to him praised, “Indeed, he is Elder Qi’s direct disciple. He has such an impressive demeanor and is truly superior to everyone else!”

“That’s right. Why isn’t he Elder Qi’s real son? That Qi Yin looks so vulgar and unrefined. Compared to Qi Ling Shu, it’s like heaven and earth!”

People passed by one after another, and Qi Yin watched the tall figure on the platform from afar. Suddenly, the man on the platform turned his face slightly in his direction. The two almost made eye contact, and Qi Yin felt like he was burned by fire. He hurriedly looked away and walked away with his hands in his pockets.

So cowardly, Qi Yin cursed himself as he walked. But he didn’t dare to look back. For some reason, he felt like that cold as snow guy was staring at his back.

The snow stopped on the second day, and Wu Fang’s elders taught in the hall. At noon, it was Yuan Yin’s class on Daoism. The disciples of Feng Huan Mountain rushed to the preaching hall with their books in hand, occupying the last row. The disciples of other immortal sects were thirsty for knowledge and sat in the front rows. Qi Yin, who was a rare exception among the ignorant disciples, stood hesitantly in the center for a while before squeezing his way forward. To be honest, he really wanted to learn something.

As usual, Fu Lan found the last and furthest window seat, perhaps because it was easier to daydream there. The black cat also came, swaggering over to Fu Lan’s lap, and the girls immediately surrounded him, reaching out to touch the black cat’s smooth and shiny fur. As they touched the cat and got closer to Fu Lan, he sat in the midst of the girls, feeling a bit dazed and unconsciously looking towards Qi Yin.

The girls asked in a hushed voice, “Young master, is this your cat?”

Fu Lan nodded absentmindedly.

A pretty boy who owned a cat was always popular with the girls, even if he had just beaten up a cute little junior sister the day before. Handsome people could do no wrong, and if they did, it was someone else’s fault. Soon enough, Qi Yin heard someone explaining on his behalf, “It was those hoodlums from Feng Huang Mountain who taught him that. Our Lan Gege is so innocent. How could he possibly have intended to harm that little junior sister?”

Even Xin Xiao Xiao blushed and said, “That day, Lan Gege stood outside my room for an entire afternoon, making a snowman to apologize. When I opened the door and saw him like that, I was so frightened.”

One of the girls playfully pushed her. “Do you think Lan Gege likes you?”

“Senior sister, don’t talk nonsense!”

Qi Yin was speechless. He was the one who had made the snowman.

But he was clearly being ignored by everyone, as the girls quickly wove a story of Fu Lan mistakenly injuring a cute little junior sister under the instigation of his evil senior brothers on Feng Huang Mountain, and later realizing his mistake and patiently waiting in front of her door. Fu Lan was surrounded by a group of girls, with the back row seats being occupied by them, forcing Yun Zhi and the others to come to the front row. At the same time, Fu Lan also received the jealous and envious looks of other senior brothers, and many of them secretly made up their minds to also get a fat cat when they returned home this time.

Yuan Yin arrived late. He was a frail old man with a mostly bald head and only a few strands of white hair left, tied up in a small bun. His face was wrinkled and creased, and he wore a white cotton robe. In his right hand, he carried a heavy white jade box, which he placed on the black lacquer table with a dull thud.

Yuan Yin scanned the room, cleared his throat, and said, “I know you kids fall asleep as soon as you hear a lecture. You’ve read enough scriptures on your own mountain, so I won’t bore you with them and let you come all this way just to sleep. Today, I’ll tell you something you want to hear.”

Everyone looked at each other in confusion. Yuan Yin raised his finger and knocked on the jade box, asking, “Does anyone recognize this?”

“An octagonal white jade box,” someone said.

“What is it used for?”

“To seal spiritual objects,” replied Liu Bai, rushing to answer.

“Not bad.” Yuan Yin picked up the jade box and walked to the front of the room. “Monkey kids, make way.”

Everyone made way, and Yuan Yin placed the jade box on a small table in the center of the room. Dozens of pairs of eyes stared intently at the tightly closed box. Yuan Yin drew a complicated symbol, and a green light flashed as the box slowly opened, and milky white mist drifted out. Qi Yin secretly touched the mist and found it warm, like his fingertips.

The white mist dissipated, and everyone finally saw what was inside. It was a bloody heart, smooth and shiny, as big as the fists of two adult men. It was still beating, pulsing heavily like a drum. Everyone was stunned, and Yuan Yin signaled his disciples to come closer and take a look. They were so close that Qi Yin could even see the fine wrinkles on the heart’s surface and the thick blood vessels that had been cut off.

“This is the heart of a nine-headed bird, also known as the Gugu bird. As you can see, its heart is even bigger than its brain,” said Yuan Yin.

Qi Yin was shocked beyond words and instinctively turned to look at Fu Lan and the black cat. Fu Lan sat in the center of the spacious seat with a calm expression. The green eyes of the black cat were also emotionless, and it was impossible to tell what he was feeling.

“Master, is this…is this heart taken from a demon’s body while it was still alive?” Qi Yin asked.

“I know what you’re thinking.” Yuan Yin stroked his white beard and smiled. “As a Daoist, one should be compassionate. Why would we dissect demons and take their hearts? But, my child, demons are our natural enemies. If we want to defeat them, we must understand them. This Gugu bird rampaged along the banks of the Xiang River thirty years ago and dissected the chests and abdomens of more than ten children. Child, we and demons are enemies after all.”

Qi Yin didn’t say anything else, and Yuan Yin continued, “As you can see, although the hearts of different species have slight differences, overall, demon hearts are much larger than ours. You should all know that demons cannot be killed without destroying their hearts. Their life and death depend on their hearts. Their hearts not only give them strong self-healing abilities, but also give them longevity. From our observations, the lifespan of demons can reach up to five hundred years. If a great demon focuses on cultivating, it can even live up to eight hundred years. The longest living demon today is the Northern Wolf King in Feng Huan’s Heavenly Boundary Array.”

“What about Fu Lan? How long has he been alive?” someone asked.

Yuan Yin got angry at the mention of him and snorted. “That beast doesn’t eat or drink, and he won’t answer any questions. But according to my estimation, he has at least two hundred years of cultivation.” He paused and continued, “The Ninth Abyss mo clan has an even longer lifespan than the yao clan, but they are hard to hunt down. After Fu Lan sealed the Ninth Abyss, they lost their passage to infiltrate Southern Jiang and the human world. That’s why we haven’t obtained any of their hearts yet. But their hearts must be even stronger than the yao clan.”

Everyone discussed in agreement. Yuan Yin looked at the jade box and sighed. “Perhaps the secret of longevity for mortals lies in the revival of Daoism in the mortal world.”

“Master.” Zhao Ming raised his hand.

Qi Yin recognized him after a while as the disciple of Wu Fang Mountain who had told the story of how Yao Xiao Shan got expelled.

Yuan Yin nodded to him.

Zhao Ming said, “It is said that Nuwa molded mud to create humans. Although we are mortals, we are descendants of the gods. Why is our lifespan so much shorter than demons?”

Yuan Yin chuckled twice. “Zhao Ming, when you say ‘it is said,’ may I ask who said it?”

Zhao Ming was taken aback and said, “Ancient books and classics…”

“Are you a disciple of Ling Xi? Have you read my Daoist theory ‘The Original God’?” Yuan Yin closed the jade box and returned to the hall. “Ancient books and classics were written by ancient mortals. How do you know what they said is true? Old fantasies have become truths passed down for thousands of years. Making a few clay figures and putting them in a temple for a thousand years turns them into miracles. Child, there are no gods in this world.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. “The Original God” was widely circulated, and Zhao Ming felt embarrassed for not studying it well.

Yellow sunlight shone through the red window curtains. Yuan Yin looked at the time and said, “Class is over for today. Everyone go back and write a Daoist theory entitled ‘The Examination of Humans and Demons.’ Submit it tomorrow. Although I know that asking you to write is a waste of paper, learning more is always good.”

Everyone complained, and Qi Yin was still in a daze. Feng Huang Mountain had never asked them to write Daoist theories before, and he didn’t even know the format.

The next class was Ye Ku Can’s spell class at Cang Lang Pavilion. They had to pass through a rockery and two courtyards to get there. Without time to ask, they hastily packed their books. Qi Yin took Fu Lan and the black cat and followed Yun Zhi out.

The black cat was indignant. “You mortals are disgusting, cutting out someone’s heart and putting it there. Tomorrow, I’ll eat that heart up.”

“Lord Cat, don’t mess around,” Qi Yin said. “Yun Zhi, can you tell me how to write a Daoist theory? Are there any tricks?”

Yun Zhi floated ahead on his sword and raised an eyebrow with a smile. “The secret is divided into three points. First, find and extract quotes. Go to the library and find relevant ancient texts such as ‘The Demon Compendium’ and ‘Discussion on Demons.’ Write down useful quotes. Second, change the wording. Change the useful quotes into your own words and write them down. Third, sign your name.” Yun Zhi shrugged. “All the best.”

Qi Yin felt like he was going to vomit blood. “Isn’t this just copying?”

“Don’t worry, that old man thinks our writing is all rubbish and won’t even bother to read it,” Yun Zhi said. “Look how calm your brother is.”

Qi Yin asked Fu Lan, “Brother, do you have any ideas on how to write this? What are you planning to do?”

“I’m bored. I’m not going to write anything,” Fu Lan replied.

“…” Qi Yin was speechless. Fu Lan was fearless and did not mind punishment. If he was asked to sweep the floor, he would do so willingly. As for the topic of distinguishing between humans and demons, he looked at the black cat with his two eyes, a nose, and a mouth, speaking and eating like a human. What was the difference? Oh, right, the cat had six nipples, while humans only had two. But if he wrote this down, Yuan Yin might be infuriated.

Qi Yin scratched his head. “If the teacher doesn’t read our theories, who will grade them?”

Yun Zhi smiled. “Qi Ling Shu will.”

Qi Yin was still in shock when they arrived at Cang Lang Pavilion. Everyone took their seats, and Qi Yin was planning to sit in the front when he saw a man in white sitting there with his back straight like an unyielding pine tree. As soon as he sat down, it was like a glacier had descended, and the temperature dropped by several degrees. Everyone intuitively distanced themselves, leaving a wide empty space around him. However, some girls couldn’t help stealing glances at Qi Ling Shu. They were worried about who they should choose, between Lan Gege and the young master.

Qi Yin turned and went back to Fu Lan’s side.

“Why is he here? Isn’t he the young master of Wu Fang? Why is he attending this class?” Qi Yin whispered.

The person in front of them leaned back and said, “This is a class on spells taught by Ye Ku Can. Qi Ling Shu has not learned any secret spells.”

Ye Ku Can arrived on time and placed a cage with a trapped rabbit on the table before slowly sitting down. He was the only man from Wu Fang who wore black robes. His hood was down, and everyone took a sharp breath of air. His face was dry and shriveled, with yellow skin tightly adhering to his bones, like a dried-up skeleton. His deep eye sockets had eyes like two ghostly flames. If it weren’t broad daylight, Qi Yin would have thought that he was a resurrected corpse from a coffin.

Qi Yin whispered, “Why does he look like that?”

Yun Zhi covered his mouth and whispered, “I heard that it’s because of his ascetic practice. His Revival Spell can only be mastered through extreme hardship. He meditated in an ice cave for thirty years and was roasted in real fire for another thirty years before achieving mastery.”

Qi Yin was amazed and speechless. It was true that some people were luckier than others. If this old man knew that his brother was unbeatable without enduring freezing and burning, and was also so handsome, would he faint on the spot?

“I am your master of spells,” said Ye Ku Can, his voice hoarse and frightening like the hiss of a snake. “I know you are eager to learn my Revival spell. But I’m sorry, my secret spell is only taught to my disciples. If you want to practice it, you must first become my disciple.”

Everyone already had a master, and changing sects was a taboo in the world of cultivation. There was a collective sigh of disappointment.

“However.” Ye Ku Can smiled slightly, and his wrinkled face seemed like it would crack open. “I can give you a demonstration to satisfy your curiosity.”

Ye Ku Can opened the iron cage and grabbed the rabbit’s ear with his dry, claw-like hand. He stroked the rabbit’s snowy fur, and the little creature blinked its reddish eyes under his palm. Suddenly, blood splattered, and everyone was shocked. Ye Ku Can had used a dagger to pierce the rabbit’s spine. He withdrew the dagger, and blood gushed out of the wound, pooling on the table. The rabbit fell in a pool of blood, its broken body twitching.

Some girls covered their eyes and cried loudly, while others were in a panic. Only Qi Ling Shu remained unmoved.

Ye Ku Can lifted his eyes, and the ghostly fire in his deep eye sockets flickered slightly. He spoke slowly and clearly, “Watch carefully, children. This spell is called Revival.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the blood surged and flowed back into the dying rabbit’s body. The rabbit convulsed like a sieve, and Ye Ku Can held it down, his heavy eyelids drooping like a toad. Everyone watched in amazement as the wound grew smaller and smaller until it was the size of a fingertip. Ye Ku Can then wrapped the rabbit in gauze and put it back in the cage.

There was a round of applause, but Qi Yin and Yun Zhi were still in shock. This spell was exactly the same as the one that Fu Lan had used on Qi Yin! The blood flowed back, and the wound shrank. Every aspect of the spell was identical. Yun Zhi turned his head to look at Fu Lan, who was silent and expressionless. Sometimes this guy was so quiet that he seemed unfathomable. Yun Zhi felt that he couldn’t quite figure him out. Later, he found out that Fu Lan was just naturally quiet and expressionless.

Qi Yin was also shocked. Yun Zhi had said that Ye Ku Can was a hermit from an unknown deep mountain. Could it be that this old man had been to Ba Mountain?

—

Deep in the Ice Sea Abyss, Yuan Ji and Yuan Yin descended slowly with folded hands.

In fact, this was a huge lake, which for some reason was frozen all year round. According to the “Record of Inner China”, the Ice Sea Abyss looked the same thousands of years ago. Yuan Ji looked down, and endless ink blue enveloped him. The Ice Sea Abyss was extremely deep. They had been descending at an almost sword-flying speed for an incense stick’s time, but still had not reached the bottom of the lake. Absolute silence surrounded them, and immense pressure hung over their shoulders. If it weren’t for Yuan Yin by his side, he would almost think that he had already arrived in the land of death.

The icy water suddenly felt slightly warm, and their feet finally touched something solid. Looking up, they could vaguely see pale sky shining through the ice and into the boundless ink blue lake.

“Junior brother, where is the thing you want me to see?” Yuan Yin asked.

“It’s right under your feet,” Yuan Ji smiled faintly.

Yuan Yin was taken aback and suddenly realized that the sensation under his feet was not quite right. If it were the lake bottom, there should be soft mud, but his feet were touching something as hard as iron. He crouched down in suspicion, and touched the hard “ground” with his hand. It was as cold and hard as wrought iron, and as smooth as delicate white porcelain.

It was a scale.

“Don’t you feel like it’s not as cold down here as it is up there?” Yuan Ji said.

That was right. Yuan Yin flicked his finger. The temperature in the Ice Sea Abyss was extremely low. Without spiritual protection, anyone who fell into the abyss would freeze to death in an instant. According to common sense, the deeper they went, the colder it should be, but the temperature down here was like that of cooled water.

Yuan Yin looked at Yuan Ji and released his divine sense.

His divine sense enveloped the lake bottom, and he finally saw what was under his feet.

A dragon.

It was a dragon.

Its body covered almost half of the bottom of the ice sea. The twisted body was covered with dense black scales that reflected icy light in the ink blue water. As Yuan Yin turned around, he was met with a long, scorching breath. Bubbles streamed up as his clothes were swept up by the turbulent waves. Yuan Ji lit a light talisman, dispelling the darkness, and saw the monstrous dragon’s face, with its two long horns pointed towards the dark dome, like a spear, vicious and deadly.

“This is…” Yuan Yin muttered, “An Abyssal Dragon.”

“Not bad,” Yuan Ji praised. “Isn’t it beautiful? Apart from the barrier array and Revival, this is the third gift that Elder Ku Can gave to Wu Fang. Its name is Wei Sheng Lan, and it is still young. With five hundred years of cultivation, it is not even half that of its father. Fu Lan killed its father, Wei Sheng Yuan, and before the Ninth Abyss was sealed, it escaped from the southern region and hid in the depths of the southern sea. If it hadn’t been seriously injured, gasping its last breath, we wouldn’t have been able to bring it here.”

Yuan Yin gazed at its closed eyes and asked, “Did you use a soul-binding spell on it?”

“Of course. As a precaution, we also used black iron lock to lock its tail,” Yuan Ji replied.

Yuan Yin trembled as he touched the dragon’s rugged facial bone. This was the first time he had ever seen such a magnificent creature. People often said that mortals were the descendants of Nuwa, the pride of heaven. If they were to see this dragon, they would know that mortals were nothing but tiny ants under the feet of these so-called barbaric demons, as light as dust.

“So what means did that pig demon use to kill Wei Sheng Yuan?” Yuan Yin asked.

Yuan Ji laughed softly. The orange light of the lamp covered his face. His smile looked mocking in the half-light and half-darkness.

“Senior brother, do you believe that it was the pig demon who killed Wei Sheng Yuan?” Yuan Ji drew his sword from his sleeve, its cold sword light flashing. The sharp tip of the sword was aimed straight at the dragon’s body, and he stabbed it fiercely.

Yuan Yin was taken aback and was about to shout “Stop,” but he saw the tip of the sword collide with the dragon scale. A clear sound rang out as sparks flew. The black iron-like dragon scale remained unscathed.

Yuan Ji sheathed his sword. “Just a fake.” Shaking his head, he said, “We should be grateful that we did not encounter the real Fu Lan, who is a demon among demons, a devil among devils, a creature born and bred by nature. People mistakenly believe that the pig demon is Fu Lan, which is good for Wu Fang’s reputation and will help establish Ling Shu’s authority. When he is promoted to the Elder of Swords position, there will be no more obstacles.”

Yuan Yin nodded and asked, “Your Tides Rising Sword cannot break through the dragon scales. How can we take out its heart?”

“Take it easy,” said Yuan Ji. “Even if we take the heart, what good will it do us if we haven’t found that child surnamed Qi yet? For now, you should draw out its meridian map and explore the flow of its spiritual energy and the distribution of meridians.” He raised his hand and floated up slowly. “I will go to seek advice from Senior Ye Ku Can and see if we can learn anything more through divination. Searching for a child surnamed Qi born in the year of Ding You who is still in his prime is like finding a needle in a haystack with only this information…”.

Author’s Note:

Leader of Wu Fang: Yuan Ji;

Elder of Daoism: Yuan Yin;

Elder of Spells: Ye Ku Chan;

Elder of Discipline: Yuan Ku;

Leader of Feng Huan: Qing Shi (bald and fat);

Elder of Medicine: Qing He (blind);

Elder of Discipline: Qing Ming (collaborating with Yun Zhi in fake competitions).

Qi Yin examined the painting closely, but the ink painting was somewhat abstract, and the face of the man was not very clear. However, the look in his eyes was exactly like Fu Lan’s. The gaze, the posture, the lone wolf temperament that rejected the secular world – everything was exactly the same as Fu Lan’s.

Something was not right. Fu Lan left Ba Mountain at the age of eight, picked up a black cat at the age of ten, arrived at Wu Jiang River at the age of twelve, participated in the demon war at the age of thirteen, and only returned to the human world at the age of twenty-six. There was no way he could be in the painting.

Qi Yin searched around but found no other paintings of his brother. Just as he was pondering, he heard voices in front of him. Qi Yin raised his head and saw Qing Ming standing surreptitiously behind the bookshelf, whispering to a man with a sneaky expression. They were speaking in hushed tones, probably plotting something that could not be seen by others. Qi Yin instinctively quieted down and eavesdropped on their conversation.

“100 taels, no more,” the man stated firmly.

“Come on. My nephew Yun Zhi is a top disciple of the Feng Huan Sect. Isn’t he worth more than that? No, you have to give me a higher price.” Ye Qing Ming shook his head.

“Uncle Qing Ming,” the man said, “please be kind. My nephew has already put all of his savings into this. We’ll be opening a betting pool tonight at the hour of the pig. You can bet on Senior Ling Shu’s victory and make a big profit too.”

Ye Qing Ming rubbed his chin stubble and grinned. “My dear nephew, we of the Feng Huan Sect can handle ourselves. Not only can we lose, but we can also lose according to your request. Should we lose after five moves or ten? Should Yun Zhi use the ‘Dog Chewing Mud’ style or the ‘Descending Sand and Soaring Goose’ style? Or perhaps the ‘Old Man Pushing Cart’ style? The ‘Upside-down Golden Hook’ style… wait, I think I misspoke. Anyway, you can ask for any losing style you want, as long as the money is in hand, we’ll deliver.”

The man probably didn’t expect Qing Ming’s shamelessness to reach such a level, and he was speechless for a while before saying, “No need for any tricks. Just make sure you lose the match.”

Ye Qing Ming looked disappointed, but he still put the hundred taels of silver into his sleeve. “Okay, it’s on me. When that fatso boss of mine dies, I’ll come to Wu Fang to freeload. We’ll be colleagues in the future. Don’t worry, I won’t cheat you.”

The man nodded repeatedly and bid farewell. After he left, Yun Zhi emerged from the shadows, and held out his hand. “Give me 80%. You take 20%.”

Ye Qing Ming gave him a sideways glance and placed a silver ingot in his palm. “Respect for the teacher is important. 40-60.”

Yun Zhi leaned against the peach wood bookshelf and smiled casually. “Who’s going to fight, you or me? It’s 20-80, no discussion.”

Reluctantly, Ye Qing Ming added another silver ingot to his hand. Yun Zhi was satisfied, and with his arms folded, he chuckled. “Junior Brother Hei, are you comfortable in the corner?”

“You guys are really something,” said Qi Yin, who had just walked out. “If someone discovers that you’re cheating in the match, you’ll be publicly denounced. As a top disciple of Feng Huan, you’ll really lose face.”

“Is face more important than money?” Yun Zhi hooked Qi Yin’s neck and laughed. “Of course, face… “

Qi Yin thought that the guy had suddenly found his conscience and repented, but he suddenly changed his tone and said, “…is not important.”

Qi Yin: “…”

“What are you doing here?” Ye Qing Ming asked.

Qi Yin touched the scroll in his sleeve, but he swallowed his words and smiled. “I’m here to pay my respects to Master Qing He. I didn’t see anyone, so I just looked through some books.”

At that moment, the faint sound of a guqin (1) drifted in the wind, intermittent, as if the strings were plucked carelessly by someone, yet also like a continuous melody. Ye Qing Ming gestured outside with his chin. “Qing He plays the qin every night. Just follow the sound and you’ll find him.”

Nodding, Qi Yin followed the sound of the qin. It was snowing heavily outside, and the sound of the qin meandered through the snowflakes like a mournful cry. He stepped onto a high platform outside the tower and saw a slender figure kneeling on the other side, plucking the strings of a qin with fingers that were almost transparent. The melancholy melody swirled between heaven and earth.

Qi Yin sat across from the man, and the angle lamp on the corner of the tower swayed in the wind, casting a dim golden light on his face, which had exquisite features like a painting. The man had porcelain-white skin and beautiful eyebrows and eyes. His thin lips seemed chilly from the wind, with a faint red hue. However, when he smiled, there was a touch of sorrow and compassion.

He was too beautiful – so beautiful that Qi Yin felt a sense of familiarity. When the man heard the sound, he lifted his eyes. Qi Yin was stunned by his gray, misty eyes that seemed to be covered by a thin layer of fog.

He was blind.

“Master Meng Qing He,” Qi Yin said.

Meng Qing He replied warmly. “Yun Yin?”

Qi Yin was surprised and asked, “How did you know it was me, Master?”

“Although I’m blind, I have spiritual awareness.” Meng Qing He smiled lightly. “Yun Zhi often mentioned a Junior Brother Hei, and judging by your complexion, it must be you.”

Qi Yin chuckled awkwardly. “Master, you’re so ethereal that you don’t seem like a disciple of Feng Huan Mountain.”

“Oh?” Meng Qing He raised his eyebrows. “Do you find it unusual that a beautiful flower can grow in a gutter? Perhaps it’s because I became a Daoist halfway through and didn’t spend all my time with my fellow disciples, so I haven’t acquired the unique habits of our sect.” He lowered his gaze and smiled faintly. “You came to see me about your father, didn’t you? The pig demon is still on display at the Contemplation Cliff. Once the disciples of Wu Fang escort him into the Forbidden Forest, you can follow them in, but you may have to wait for some time.”

Qi Yin hesitated. “I’m just worried that he won’t be able to wait that long, that’s all.”

Meng Qing He smiled. “The Forbidden Forest of Wu Fang is on the ground, and if you fly there on a sword, you will be quickly discovered. Following the pig demon and entering the forest through the formation opened by Wu Fang’s disciples is the best way.”

Qing He nodded and asked, “Uncle Qing He, I heard that you have a vast knowledge and are one of the most knowledgeable people in the world of immortals. I want to ask you, do you believe that there really are gods in this world?”

Meng Qing He replied unexpectedly quickly, “Yes.”

Qing He asked, “Why?”

Meng Qing He smiled faintly. “Yun Yin, have you ever heard of the Golden Cursive Script? The inscriptions of various miracles and monuments across the land are embellished with gold paint, hence the name Golden Cursive Script. This kind of writing is different from the writings found in books and scrolls excavated from ancient tombs, and is mostly used for worship. In the old days, people believed that the Golden Cursive Script was the writing of the gods, a divine decree from heaven. Some people believe that the Golden Cursive Script is a kind of secret script, like encrypted messages. To communicate with the gods, ordinary people must use secret scripts. Yuan Yin wrote in ‘The Origin of the Gods’ that the Golden Cursive Script was created by the ancient great shamans and circulated within their circle to prevent ordinary people from obtaining the right to communicate with gods. The magic contained in it should also be ancient sorcery, not divine magic.”

Qing He felt a headache listening to this and said, “It all sounds reasonable.”

Meng Qing He shook his head. “The meaning of the Golden Cursive Script has been lost for a long time, and no one knows what these words really mean. Are they for people to pray to the gods, or are they a divine decree from the heavens to humans? Without exploring their true meaning, people are just speculating, which is ridiculous. Take the White Deer God as an example. If you haven’t entered the Ba Mountain Temple, how do you know what kind of god it is just from hearsay? Too much time has passed, Yun Yin. Perhaps only the original explanation is the most credible. According to the ‘Record of the Southern Territory,’ the gods kneaded soil and created humans, passed on magic to the shamans, and the shamans passed on magic to humans, and this has been passed down from generation to generation, resulting in the three thousand Daoist magic we have today. Unfortunately, after the Juedi Tiantong disaster, the great gods disappeared, and we can no longer see the gods now.”

“Juedi Tiantong?” Qing He asked.

“According to records, after a great war, the Jade Emperor ordered communication between the earth and the heavens to be cut off, and no divine decrees have been received since then. Since then, the gods have not appeared in this world.”

“What battle was fought? Who fought against whom? It’s not between humans and gods, is it? It sounds serious.”

“I don’t know.” Meng Qing He shook his head. “There are no records of that battle. It’s a mystery. Regarding this, you may want to ask Master Yu Sang. He and Yun Lan once searched for traces of gods and expanded inscriptions. Perhaps he knows more about the Golden Cursive Scripture and ancient legends than we do.”

“Master Yu Sang?” This title was really strange. Qi Yin thought of the fat cat lazily sunbathing with his belly up. He didn’t seem like a master.

“Okay.” Qi Yin shrugged.

“However,” Meng Qing He smiled lightly, “I believe in gods not just because of these things.”

“Why?”

“Because…” Meng Qing He lowered his eyes and caressed the strings with a warm smile. “If there were no gods in this world, wouldn’t it be too boring?”

Qi Yin stayed and drank tea with Meng Qing He until he was full. Meng Qing He was beautiful like a flower, and had an ethereal quality that raised the standard of the entire Feng Huan Sect. Qi Yin found it incredible that this was the same person that Yun Zhi had said could worsen leg injuries instead of healing them.

Seeing no one around, Qi Yin put the painting he had discovered earlier in his pocket and went to find Fu Lan. Snow fell on the blue stone steps. The long rows of marble lanterns on both sides emitted a yellowish light, shrouded in the hazy snow. When he stepped onto the steps, he saw Fu Lan rolling up his sleeves and carefully sweeping the snow. The black cat squatted lazily on the lamp holder, yawning, and white mist came out of his mouth, forming a vague circle.

Fu Lan was directionally challenged, and had to bring the black cat along when sweeping snow, otherwise he might not know how to get back to the courtyard.

Qi Yin sat down on the steps. “I seem to have found a clue about my brother’s identity.”

“Huh?” The black cat bounced over and landed in Qi Yin’s arms. He looked like a fat and fluffy ball, but was actually very light.

Qi Yin spread out the scroll in front of them, and the black cat’s round eyes opened wide. Qi Yin asked Fu Lan, “Does this look like you? Could he be your grandfather? You and your grandfather are like two peas in a pod; even your eyes look the same. Is your absent-mindedness a hereditary trait?”

Fu Lan shook his head in confusion.

“I asked Master Qing He about the origin of this painting, and he said the artist was called Murong Chang Shu, a wandering hermit who loved to travel around. He disappeared later, and no one knows where he went.” Qi Yin rubbed his chin. “Who knows, his disappearance may be related to your ancestor.”

Fu Lan looked at the painting, his eyes quiet and thoughtful.

After thinking for a while, they still had no clue, and the black cat couldn’t offer any useful opinion. Qi Yin patted his butt and stood up. “Let’s leave it at that. Your ancestor came to Wu Fang, and maybe he left some footprints behind. We’ll look for them again.”

Footnotes

1. Guqin – a traditional Chinese musical instrument. Often referred to as the “instrument of the sages” due to its association with Confucianism and the cultivation of personal morality and virtue.