Chapter Sixty Three: Spirit Mountain
writer:
无罪 update:2022-07-21 15:26
“What is the Tianliang Mountain of Ancestors really?”
The present scene was already suffused with a holy and mysterious feeling. At Li Xixing’s expression and tone, Hu Jingjing shuddered.
Li Xixing frowned deeply. This youth, who had been abandoned by his entire family and Changling due to power struggles to join the army, showed hesitation for the first time. When Hu Jingjing started to grow anxious on his back, he finally took a deep breath and said, “Long before the Wuzhi, Donghu, and Yuezhi, there once was an empire in the grasslands and desert called Tianliang.”
Any enormous empire, just like the Great You dynasty, would be shocking. If Wuzhi, Donghu and Yuzhi were together included, the lands would be greater than multiple dynasties combined. So, at the words alone, Hu Jingjing sank into greater shock.
“In the legends, Tianliang was destroyed during an unprecedented plague. In the end, those lucky enough to not have been infected locked all the infected into the ancestral lands to stop the plague from spreading to more tribes.”
Li Xixing had an indescribable expression and he slowly said, “The legends say the ancestral lands of Tianliang were located under the sky, with all seasons like spring, and the land naturally produced spiritual energy. Spirit fruits and herbs were all over the place, even a wood staff thrown away would sprout the next year. But those lucky Tianliang people paid an unknown price for imprisoning millions of infected people in this ancestral land. Some tribes from far away, learning of the choice and deeds of Tianliang, came to participate in the battle. In the legends, this place ended up being worse than hell. All the buildings and even the mountains were flattened, leaving behind only the Mountain of Ancestors. Most of the surviving Tianliang people stayed here to stop the people infected with the terrifying plague from escaping this place. But these people, who had to kill their own people with their own hands, chose to commit suicide at the Mountain of Ancestors. So that Mountain of Ancestors is also called the Mountain of Salvation.”
Hu Jingjing could not imagine this cruel legend, and the phrasing of millions caused her mind to blank.
“Those Tianliang people who committed suicide in the end thought that their hands were covered in sin. They committed suicide for salvation. Back then, all the surviving tribes in the map of the empire did not treat these Tianliang people with respect at the start, but like they were gods.Those lucky surviving tribes worshipped this place as their ancestral land, as the place that sheltered their gods. No one can enter.” Li Xixing paused and his body also trembled slightly as though afraid of the cold. “I have heard of this legend, but never thought this place existed.”
“If we are being driven here to lure your friend Ding Ning here, then what is inside here?” Hu Jingjing murmured.
Her words were not a question. She just wanted to ease her excited feelings. Li Xixing could not know what existed in this legendary Tianliang ancestral.
Then she asked an actual question. “What should we do?”
They had only understood the enemy’s true intentions after arriving here, she and Li Xixing could choose whether or not to enter.
Li Xixing glanced at the sky behind them. The clouds were pale and the sky high. The eagles that had been tailing them could be faintly made out as black dots in the sky.
His hesitant expression quickly faded, and he said simply, “We will enter.” With that, he started to walk downwards.
“Why?” Hu Jingjing could not understand Li Xixing’s present feelings.
“I do not trust myself.” Li Xixing answered. “I trust him …… If he really came for me, I think he will have a solution.”
“No wonder even Jing Liuli was with him.” Hu Jingjing said after a moment of astonishment. “Even you speak so of him, he must be stronger than I imagine.”
Li Xixing did not answer.
The yellowed long grass on the slope was thicker and taller than on the plains. The slopes were also very steep and it was difficult to descend. Even more importantly, the ground underneath the yellow grass was grey-white. When one stepped down, amidst the fine crackling sounds the white dust would explode.
“These are –” Hu Jingjing instantly recognized these white fragments and trembled involuntarily.
Li Xixing looked silently at the grey-white pieces covering every inch of the ground. His palms started to sweat. He started to believe the legend was true.
The grey-white fragments were pure bone fragments after being weathered in the sun and rain for many years. These fragments were piled thickly on the ground. Even though his feet were submerged, they could not reach the soil below. The closer to the top, the thicker the bones, and they undulated in waves. Clearly, the nearer the top, the closer it was to the front of the line, and the more people had been killed here.
The border of such a large valley basin was covered in bones. How many millions of Tianliang’s people had died in this ancestral land?
She thought of how such a prosperous and enormous empire’s innumerable experts were helpless against this plague. Most of the bones here were of the infected Tianliang people. The powder underneath her steps was enough to make her heart palpitate. Yet this slaughter contained some kind of light that caused these shattered bones to give off a sacred shine.
At least, the pair of them could sense the primal energies of the universe here was purer than the outside. Some of the spirit energies, beneficial to cultivators, were carried up in the gusts of wind and passed through the yellowed grasses like holy souls.
The slope gradually flattened. The yellow grass faded away. The white bones covering the ground were finally no longer as dense. The scene in front of them became one of a spring grassland.
Li Xixing stopped. He rubbed his legs, and narrowed his eyes towards the sky behind him. The black eagles in the sky were flying faster just like he had expected. He still could see them, and they had grown larger from the black spots into the sky so he could see their shapes clearly.
His legs were extremely swollen and sore. In his senses, the muscles in his legs were stabbing his bones like small daggers. Yet he still did not stop to rest. He tried to walk as fast as he could towards the lonely Mountain of Ancestors. The enemy would arrive soon, but there was still a time difference.
All of the breeze seemed to flow down from the Mountain of Ancestors. Even the water in the rivers flowing along this plain seemed to originate from the lonely stone mountain. To their shock, the closer they got to the Mountain of Ancestors, the color of the river grew milky white. The surface of the river gave off threads of energy, no longer watery mist, but pure spiritual energy!
Translator Ramblings: I think this is the most Li Xixing has ever spoke in this story.
Volume 3 63 - Should or Should Not Think
Standing by a window on the second-floor of an inn gazing silently at the distant Falling Parasol was Bai Shanshui. She was watching Ding and Zhangsun Qianxue.
Li Yunrui followed her.
Previously, on the Wei River, she was dressed in white robes. At this moment, here in Changling, she wore plain satin clothes like the ordinary Changling women did and stood by the window of this ordinary inn. Li Yunrui could only see the black room and the tall mugwort plants swaying gently in the wind. The more he looked at her back, the more he felt that she would step onto the wind and fly away, and the black room would turn into a black ocean.
‘”I have some relation to this wine shop youth.”
Bai Shanshui did not look back. She slowly put her hands behind her, and said, “I had a senior sect brother who wanted to kill him, but his bones are buried in Changling.”
Li Yunrui’s hands clenched. He was silent for a moment before saying, “I have a guess who you are.”
“Previously, at the battle of Fish Market, Zhao Si lost her lifebond sword, and I suffered great injuries. Emperor solved the problem of Changling, and then flattened a mountain, and many people’s confidence at the same time.” Bai Shanshui slowly turned around. She continued, looking at Li Yunrui. “I previously wandered the Wei River, wanting to watch Changling from nearby, but had no need to enter Changling. I thought even if I wanted some things, I would not be a match for Emperor Yuanwu.”
“Since I let you follow, I have no thoughts of keeping my identity secret. It is not hard to guess who I am, on the contrary, the one hard to guess is you.” Bai Shanshui paused, and then said in an especially calm voice, “Your cultivation is only peak realm six. You will need some time if you want to reach realm seven. Yet, the vital energy you release caused the river to cry out like the entire river became a seal weapon. That was how I sensed you. How many like you would a dynasty have? Yet, a person like you is willing to peacefully embrace death for this wineshop youth. Then, this wineshop youth is filled with possibility in my eyes. This wineshop youth and you are the keys to opening the door of Changling for me. As such, I should thank you.”
Li Yunrui looked at her, a hint of conflict in his eyes.
“What did I say when I was unconscious?” he hesitated and asked.
“You just shouted his name multiple times.”
Bai Shanshui looked at him with slight disdain and said, “Only people such as yourself, that treat a matter as more important than your life, would remind yourself to not forget even when you are unconscious.”
Li Yunrui was silent.
“What’s your name?” Bai Shanshui asked lightly.
Li Yunrui frowned slightly, but remained silent.
Bai Shanshui remained calm but her tone grew hard. “You must tell me.”
Li Yunrui lowered his head, his hands trembling, but he still did not speak.
“That wineshop youth is very interesting. Just now, I saw him and made a decision.” Bai Shanshui pressed her lips together and showed a strange smile. “You do not tell me …… then I will go kill him immediately.”
Li Yunrui abruptly looked up. Fire seemed to burn in his eyes.
“Do not say to me this is a matter of life and death.” Bai Shanshui’s lips curled upward. She could see what he was thinking at this moment. She said with slight mockery, “You should know that people like me do not care about life and death. Even though I will undoubtedly die here if I fight, I will still do it. Also, even though I am seriously injured, I am still a thread stronger than you. So you followed me all this way rather than kill me directly.”
“Compared to us great rebels, you are too hesitant. Now that I have seen this youth, you have no opportunity to refuse.”
Bai Shanshui narrowed her eyes proudly.
A drop of white glowing water suddenly appeared and vibrated in front of her as she narrowed her eyes.
“I will give you three breaths to consider. Then I will attack …… even if I die, this Ding Ning will also die. You are willing to die for him. I believe you do not want to see him dead.”
Li Yunrui thought. After just a breath, he looked up at Bai Shanshui and said, “You cannot kill him. Also, you and I should stay away.”
Bai Shanshui’s eyelashes flickered. That droplet of water containing murderous intent dissipated in front of her. Her expression grew colder.
“Why?”
“Because I am of the Chu.”
Li Yunrui gazed at her eyes and slowly said, “My emperor ordered me to give something to him before his passing. Even Consort Zhao Xiang and the new monarch do not know of this.”
He described this matter simply, but Bai Shanshui could understand the weight within.
“What is it?” She frowned deeply.
Li Yunrui looked at her and shook his head calmly.
Bai Shanshui took a deep breath. She did not ask any more questions. She closed her eyes and started to think as though Li Yunrui was not in front of her.
What kind of person would be more important to the emperor of Chu than Li Lingjun who was about to take over?
Even more important than a dynasty?
This kind of question was too simple for her.
There was only one possibility……
She took a deep breath again and shook her head. She said seriously to Li Yunrui, “I had not thought that the Nine Death Silkworm …… will be here.”
Li Yunrui’s clenched hands relaxed.
He understood the emperor of Chu best, so he could easily think of this kind of answer. Previously, he did not want to think. Though Bai Shanshui had explicitly stated it, his expression remained unchanged.
“So you cannot kill him.
“If your guess is correct …… he is the only possibility my emperor thinks can defeat Emperor Yuanwu.
“I can die, but you must protect him.”
Li Yunrui continued calmly looking at Bai Shanshui. “After my death, no one will connect him to the Chu Dynasty. But just like how you found out, if someone finds that we have such a connection, they could easily guess his identity.”
After saying this, Li Yunrui bowed deeply to Bai Shanshui.
Bai Shanshui sneered and shook her head. The corners of her lips rose. Her eyes narrowed slightly. She said, “Do not speak as though this matter is set in stone. Changling is a city filled with countless possibilities. No one knows what will happen next. That person helped Emperor Yuanwu destroy three dynasties. Who knows what his heir will do? Also, how do you know what I will do?”
“I will not allow you to die.” She paused and then cast Li Yunrui a confident gaze. “I will teach you the spells of Cloud Water Palace. You will follow me. No one will feel you are from the Chu.”
Li Yunrui was silent.
Silence often meant tacit consent.
“I usually do not like putting my hopes on other people, especially not an immature silkworm. In the emperor of Chu’s eyes, he’s the only possibility. But the appearance of you and him has caused many possibilities to appear in my sight.”
Bai Shanshui became truly happy, her eyes curving as she smiled.
“What is that youth doing?”
“He is moving all of Falling Parasol over …… he even tore down a large part of Ink Garden’s walls and built some shops to give them to do business for free.”
“Who spent the money? Wang Taixu, or the family of the Shen youth with him?”
“His own money …… The wine shop seemed to have good business previously and accumulated a lot of money. He also doesn’t seem to care about money.”
In a silent study where bright sunlight fell through the carved window lattices, the beautiful palace attendant who had gone to Falling Parasol previously had changed into palace robes, and was now sitting under the bright light.
Hearing the report from the middle-aged man in black robes, her glowing expression grew dark, even amidst the bright sunlight.
“He is using this to express his dissatisfaction. He is very dissatisfied.” She thought for a moment before saying so.
With his head held low, the middle-aged official in black robes was standing motionless. A hint of disdain flashed through his eyes. He thought, having made such service but receiving a “reward like this,” any clear-minded person would be dissatisfied. However, from the words of this important personage close to the empress, this kind of dissatisfaction should not exist.
“He should know whose intentions these are. Since he knows whose decree this is, and he still dares to express his dissatisfaction like this …… he will need to pay a price.”
“Only those who bend their heads will bear coronets. As a subject, he first needs to understand respect and obedience. I hope he will understand after this matter.”
The beautiful palace attendant’s expression grew colder. Looking at the middle-aged man in black robes, she said slowly, “His confidence must come from his quick cultivation speed. He must think that he will have a great breakthrough before the Min Mountain Sword Trials. Since this is the case, I will not give him much time …… go to Min Mountain Sword Sect for me, and tell them to hold the Min Mountain Sword Trials in ten days.”
The middle-aged official took a deep breath and nodded. Inside, there was another person shaking his head and grimacing.
Just an important personage close to the empress could order the Min Mountain Sword Trials to be held earlier …… with such conduct, would anyone dare to express their dissatisfaction?
He was filled with sympathy towards the wine shop youth’s future.
“The crown prince’s ceremony will be held ten days from now, at the Min Mountain Sword Trials.”
The beautiful palace attendant still seemed dissatisfied. She looked coldly at the middle-aged official in black robes and said, “By then, he will understand even better that some things are things he cannot think even about or do.”
Translator Ramblings: Poor Li Yunrui. He is completely outmatched.
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