It rained that night.
The rain was heavy and fast. Zanxing’s clothes were soaked through by the time she returned to Miaokong Hall from Chu Hong Terrace. Having just finished her cultivation, her spiritual energy hadn’t yet recovered, so she hadn’t used the rain-avoidance spell.
The rain fell thickly, with the sky and earth seemingly sewn together with fine threads. Gufeng Mountain turned into a chaotic blur, with the night and rain blending together, drenching the peaks layer by layer.
A figure streaked by in the distance.
Zanxing paused in her steps and looked toward the direction of Elysium Hall. Was it her imagination, or did she just see someone enter?
She suspected it might have been Gu Baiying. She hadn’t seen him out for quite some time and wondered if his spiritual veins had improved after taking the second pill. As Zanxing stood there, Hong Su ran out from the palace, holding a paper umbrella and called out, “Young Miss, what are you doing standing in the rain? Hurry back inside, your clothes are all wet!”
Zanxing withdrew her gaze and followed Hong Su into Miaokong Hall.
The door closed with a bang.
A drenched young man hurriedly slipped inside the room. His clothes were nearly soaked through, and his white robe was stained with large patches of fresh blood. His usually flying hairband was now wet and clinging to the back of his head, making him look quite disheveled. His beautiful eyes remained as bright as ever, but his complexion was somewhat pale.
He placed his Xiu Gu spear in a corner and, without even changing his clothes, carefully took out a palm-sized twig from his bosom.
The twig was no thicker than a thumb and emitted a faint green glow. Touching it seemed to transfer a gentle spiritual energy through one’s fingertips. The Tianhun Wood did not enhance a person’s spiritual energy but could nurture the soul. People from the Yinfeng Sect, who were wealthy, would spend tens or even hundreds of thousands of spirit stones to buy a piece for use in spiritual artifacts. There were those who criticized them for wastefulness, showing just how rare this wood was.
There was only this one piece of Tianhun Wood on Gu Feng Mountain, and cutting off a branch from it was as difficult as reaching the heavens. Even though Gu Baiying had taken the second pill and his spiritual veins had mostly recovered, he still suffered significant injuries from the silver rhino.
However, it was fortunate that he had made some progress.
The green twig was fresh and glistening, as if it had just been picked from the tree. Gu Baiying didn’t delay. He sat down at the table and drew a short dagger from a drawer.
The Tianhun Wood was rare and its material would quickly wither if not sealed with spiritual energy, as the soul force would leak out. If someone obtained a piece of Tianhun Wood, it was best to process and forge it as quickly as possible to retain its maximum efficacy. He had cut off a piece of Tianhun Wood right under the silver rhino’s nose and, without pausing, immediately returned to the sect to preserve it in the shortest time possible.
The rain, mixed with wind, beat against the window, making a pitter-patter sound.
He lowered his gaze, examining the twig in his hand. What should he do with this?
*
The rain lasted through the entire night.
As dawn began to break, the morning rooster flew up to the branches and strutted about, emitting high-pitched crowing. The night on Gufeng Mountain was awakened by the call.
With a clack, the dagger was placed on the table, and someone leaned back slightly, stretching their stiff body.
The young man’s wet clothes had long since dried in the wind. The blood stains from his injuries, once wet, had dried and left splotches of dark and light colors on his white robe, resembling flowers in bloom.
He held a wooden hairpin delicately between his fingertips.
The hairpin was slender and exquisite, its entire surface polished smooth by a blade, suggesting careful craftsmanship. It looked no worse than the work done by the artisans at the Hua Jin Pavilion. The top of the pin was intricately carved with a Qing Luan
1 poised to take flight, and the entire pin had a faint, pleasant fragrance.
Gu Baiying stared at the hairpin for a moment, then frowned slightly, “It’s still a bit plain.”
The hairpins and rings from the Hua Jin Pavilion had names as long as they were ornate. This hairpin had neither rubies nor snow pearls, nor did it have a phoenix holding coral. It seemed a bit unremarkable. Yet, adding random jewels might make it less fitting for this Tianhun Wood hairpin.
While he was deep in thought, someone knocked on the door from outside: “Master, Master!”
Gu Baiying put away the hairpin and got up to open the door. Men Dong, seeing him, was startled: “Oh my, Martial Uncle, have you been out killing people?”
He had hurried back the previous night to avoid the Tianhun Wood withering and immediately began crafting the hairpin, not even bothering to change out of his dirty clothes.
“Stop talking nonsense,” Gu Baiying slapped his head. “What do you need?”
“I came to check on you. We haven’t seen you for several days, and Fourth Master was worried you might have had issues with the pill.”
“I’m fine.” Gu Baiying removed his soiled outer robe, intending to freshen up. But as he turned, Men Dong grabbed the edge of his robe and, eyeing him suspiciously, asked, “Martial Uncle, did you go to the back mountain to find the Tianhun Wood?”
“Yes,” Gu Baiying answered readily.
Men Dong’s eyes widened: “You really went to find the Tianhun Wood? That’s too reckless! The silver rhino is so powerful that even Elder Yue Qin and Third Martial Uncle had to team up to subdue it. You alone, with your spiritual veins not fully healed… Did you get the Tianhun Wood or not?”
“Of course.”
“You really got it?” Men Dong’s eyes lit up. He looked up at Gu Baiying eagerly: “Martial Uncle, let me see what the Tianhun Wood looks like! The last time I saw it was at the sect’s grand meeting. Show me, the Tianhun Wood is a great thing. It’s good for alchemy and medicine, and now that your spiritual veins are repaired, nurturing your spiritual essence with it will greatly benefit your future cultivation…”
Gu Baiying covered his face with his hand, annoyed: “Stop babbling, I’m going to take a bath.”
“Martial Uncle, let me see, let me see!” Men Dong stubbornly followed him.
In the end, Men Dong never saw what the Tianhun Wood looked like. He searched Gu Baiying’s room but found nothing. After staring at Gu Baiying for a while, he didn’t dare search him further and left in a huff. Before leaving, he reminded Gu Baiying: “By the way, Yang Zanxing asked me several times about you. Martial Uncle, if you’re fine, you should visit the Miaokong Hall, or she’ll just ask me again when she sees me.”
*
On a rainy night on the mountain, sleep always seems especially sweet.
Zanxing slept until the sun was high, only waking up when Hong Su came to call her for breakfast.
She rubbed her eyes. Lately, she had been feeling unusually drowsy, sleeping as much as Mimi. Whether this was a good thing or a bad thing, she wasn’t sure.
The Miaokong Hall was empty. Mu Cengxiao had gone to the Chu Hong Terrace to practice before dawn, and Tian Fangfang was rushing for lunch. By the time Zanxing got to the dining hall, the meat and vegetables had all been snatched by other disciples. After washing up, Zanxing wasn’t hungry yet, so she took her time walking to the dining hall.
Perhaps because of the rain overnight, the air on the mountain was particularly fresh. The sunlight streamed through the gaps in the branches, warming the skin with a clean, gentle warmth.
Disciples hurried past, carrying various wooden boxes and items. Due to the possible resurgence of the Demon King, all sects had begun preparations. The Taiyan Sect was no exception. Not only had they set up arrays at the foot of the mountain, but they had also started arranging formations on the mountain itself. The various palaces had begun their setups, and the magic tools and talismans used in past encounters with the demons were being inspected and cataloged by the disciples.
Seeing this scene, Zanxing’s originally good mood was instantly dispelled. The Demon King was truly vexing. Either he should show up directly and end it all, or he should disappear quietly and not appear at all. This constant intermittent disturbance of small sects made the major sects remain on high alert, while he remained elusive. She didn’t know if he was plotting some major scheme. Moreover, her identity… was like a sword hanging over her head, making her worry daily about when it would finally fall.
To make matters worse, they weren’t allowed to descend the mountain at present.
She walked along, deep in thought, until a disgruntled voice called out, “Yang Zanxing.”
Zanxing snapped back to reality and saw Gu Baiying standing in front of her. She was taken aback: “Martial Uncle?”
“I’ve called you several times and you didn’t hear me,” he said, coming closer and scrutinizing her eyes with suspicion. “Are you hiding something from me?”
“I have many things I’m hiding from you. Which one are you referring to?” Zanxing asked.
Gu Baiying was momentarily speechless, then grumbled, “You’re quite bold now, even daring to argue with your elder.”
The way he, an eighteen or nineteen-year-old youth, often referred to himself as an elder was quite awkward. Zanxing smiled and said, “Martial Uncl, how has your seclusion been recently? Dong’er said you’ve already taken the second pill. How is your spiritual vein recovery going?”
“More or less,” Gu Baiying replied.
Zanxing sighed in relief. “That’s good. Otherwise, with the loss of the Qinchong, and the Sacred Tree fruit being of no use, I would have had to feel guilty for the rest of my life.”
“Cough, cough, cough!” Gu Baiying nearly choked on his own words. He looked at Zanxing as if he had seen a ghost. “How do you know about Qinchong?”
“Senior Brother Tian told me when we came back from the treasure land,” Zanxing said, looking at him seriously. “No wonder you were so opposed to me practicing dual cultivation before, it was because once we dual-cultivate, the Qinchong seed would no longer be on me.”
Gu Baiying understood. During the treasure land incident, Zanxing had fallen into the Sacred Tree’s spiritual domain along with Mu Cengxiao. Men Dong, in a moment of panic, had revealed the Qinchong matter, and it seemed Men Dong’s big mouth had later explained it in detail to Tian Fangfang.
As he was thinking, Gu Baiying saw Zanxing step forward and lean in slightly, her tone sincere. “I thought you were very guarded around my people back then because you liked me.”
The wind blew, causing the strands of her hair to flutter slightly, brushing against his face and making his heart itch.
The youth’s ears quickly turned red, and he avoided eye contact, looking somewhat awkward.
Their gazes met, and there was a moment of silence until someone walked by, breaking the stillness under the sunlight.
It was two outer disciples, one carrying a wooden box and the other holding a flowerpot. Inside the flowerpot was a blue flower, large and beautiful, with petals in a striking peacock blue.
Zanxing’s attention was drawn to the flower, and she casually asked Gu Baiying, “Martial Uncle, what kind of flower is that? The color is so beautiful.”
The Qing Luan (青鸾) refers to a mythical bird in Chinese mythology. The Qing Luan is often depicted as a beautiful, elegant bird with vibrant feathers. It is associated with good fortune and auspiciousness. In some texts, it is described as a phoenix-like bird, symbolizing prosperity and happiness.