Lush grass and forests stretched as far as the eye could see. Clear blue skies extended to the edge of the horizon. The distant peaks were covered with a white haze, capped with snow that hadn’t melted for ten thousand years. The forest branches had flowers peeking out.
Cai Zhao stook at the entrance. On both sides were waterfalls formed from the peak’s melted snow. They flowed down the mountain walls and accumulated in semicircular, tiered pools.
T/N: I imagine the mountains like Zhangjiajie mountains:
(T/N: this is what type of thing it means when it says layered pools.)
The waters were clear and shimmering. Just looking at it made her thirsty. The morning rays of sunshine shone brightly. The sunshine reached through the mystical white clouds and touched upon the dew on the plum flowers, releasing a refreshing and fragrant aroma.
-----This was the world famous Wan Shui Qian Shan Peak!
After seeing this mountain, there is no mountain in the world. After seeing this water, there is no water in the world. [1]
Cai Zhao couldn't breathe due to the beautiful scenery. She suddenly felt that staying here for three years didn't seem to be a terrible thing.
Song Yuzhi walked over slowly and smiled at the little girl who had her head raised and her mouth open. "Cai shimei, do you have anything to say?" There are few people in the world who were not surprised when they came to Wan Shui Qian Shan Peak for the first time. He was prepared to hear some exclamations.
Cai Zhao was startled, as if waking up from a dream: "Oh? Ah! Yes, I do have something to say! Da shixiong..."
“I'm not da shixiong." Song Yuzhi raised his proud eyebrows.
"Oh, er shixiong.”
"I'm not er shixiong either." Song Yuzhi continued to correct her.
"San shixiong?" Cai Zhao said cautiously.
Song Yuzhi nodded.
So he was her third senior marital brother.
Cai Zhao first wanted to look for her parents, so she could complain that the Qingque Sect only sent three disciples to receive Luoying Valley, which showed that they looked down on them, so they might as well go back home. Unfortunately, after searching for a long time, she could not see them. She didn’t know where her parents had taken the little Cai Han.
She had no choice but to turn back, take a deep breath, and continue the topic: "San shixiong, I..."
"Do you think that my father and brother are too much? That they’re too flamboyant in their presentation, and their clothes are too ostentatious, that they are not like people in the martial arts world?" Song Yuzhi suddenly asked.
Cai Zhao was surprised and said: "No, they’re not too much."
When doing business, one needs to be careful about words and expressions. Seeing the expression on Song Yuzhi's face that said, ‘shimei is just being polite,' Cai Zhao quickly added the reason: "Anyone who knows the industry knows that just because something looks shiny doesn’t mean it’s valuable. For example, San shixiong, although you look like you are dressed plainly, the white robe you wear is made of ice silkworm silk yarn. Due to its ability to be impervious to fire and water, how many people want to use ice silkworm silk yarn to make a pair of gloves? And yet they can’t? And the gold silk embroidery on it is divine. It must be the handiwork of old lady Zhuo. Alas, we originally wanted to ask old lady Zhuo to open a branch in Luoying Town, but she couldn't even be found."
Song Yuzhi:......
The little girl’s implication seemed to be: It’s okay, your father is just a wealthy man with no taste. In reality, you are the one who is too much.
“San shixiong, san shixiong, san… I still have something to say.” Cai Zhao smiled.
Song Yuzhi closed his eyes: "Shimei, feel free."
"It’s like this." Cai Zhao straightened her face and said sternly, "I know that there are many retired heroes of the Jianghu in Qingque Town, and I know the details must be kept secret, I understand this deeply, but -"
She raised her voice slightly and persuaded her with her usual good-natured voice: "But Song Shixiong, can you ask our master to reconsider? People who work in an industry should specialize in it. These heroes, they are not the material to do business. There are other things they can do! For example, the life experiences of those heroes must have been very exciting. They can write stories and sell those.”
"For example, star crossed lovers, betrayal between the closest brothers, and the regret of chunshan. We have several bookstores in Luoying Town. The prices are fair and the business is innocent. The covers are paintings by famous calligraphy masters in the world, and the patrons also have good taste.”
“I mean, it's a great skill to serve food, drink, attract customers, and greet people with a smile. If they don't have that talent, they should not open a shop. The Qingque Town will be deserted, and you won't make much money. Do you really want to waste such a good location?”
Qingque Sect's Jianghu status ranks first among the entire martial arts world. There are countless Jianghu guests coming and going every day. The population flow in the town can be imagined. Living on a gold mine but starving, just thinking of it made Cai Zhao’s teeth hurt.
“Hey, Song shixiong, Song shixiong, why aren’t you saying anything?”
Song Yuzhi had lost his smile and stared at Cai Zhao. He stared for so long, as if a flower had grown on her face. Then he turned and left expressionlessly, refusing to look back no matter how much Cai Zhao yelled.
——So this was the girl raised by Cai Pingshu, the woman that father hated? Well, if Cai Pingshu could be so irritating back then, then his father must have been very patient to endure it.
Watching Song Yuzhi’s disappearing back, Cai Zhao couldn’t figure out why he got mad. At this moment Cai Zhao found that she was an outsider. On the peak, people walked by quickly, the path was filled with busy disciples. Some were carrying things. Others were leading guests to areas to stay.
Guangtian Sect, second only to Qingque Sect of the Beichen Descendents, had arrived today. Obviously, they had not come to attend Cai Zhao’s discipleship ceremony. They had come to attend the 200th year remembrance ceremony of the death of their ancestor.
In addition to the descendant sects, there were a few friendly sects. Just now Cai Zhao saw a few bald nuns and monks arranging baggage and boxes on the edge of the cliff. People from Jialan Monastary Sect and Xuankong Nunnery Sect must have arrived. The Master of Xuankong Temple, Jingyuan shitai, and her aunt Cai Pingshu had always been at odds with each other. Cai Zhao didn't want to meet them, so she immediately walked away.
(T/N: Shitai: title for female nun.)
Cai Zhao was not in a hurry to find her parents. She thought it was a great spring day, so she may as well take a walk. She put her hands behind her back, like a happy and leisurely little shopkeeper, and slowly strolled.
According to legend, Jiuli Mountain was originally a black iron pillar connecting the human world and heaven. It was used to attract tribulation lightning so humans could ascend to heaven. Later, when heaven was in chaos, the top of the pillar was broken, and the heavenly palace above it collapsed, leaving a broken half of a pillar in the human world. This remaining stone pillar became these huge mountains.
Due to the rich spiritual energy on the mountain, monsters and wild beasts were attracted to build their nests. As a result, the area became a dangerous mountain, which not only meant death to any human that entered, but also filled with miasma and poisonous swamps, causing harm to the mountains, rivers and fields. At least this is what Cai Pingshu told little Cai Zhao. The immortals destroyed the evil beasts on the magic mountain, and the Beichen ancestor who was left to guard it renamed it Jiuli Mountain.
For such a long story, Cai Pingshu actually wanted to teach young Cai Zhao about the topography of Jiuli Mountain.
The main peak of Jiuli Mountain used to be named Touching Heaven Peak. As the name suggests, it was very high. It is said that no one has been able to climb the top of the mountain. Any master who is determined to climb Touching Heaven Peak will climb it. They never came back. Not only was Touching Heaven Peak covered with snow all year round, but because it had been covered with snow for so long, it had turned into solid ice that was difficult to break with any weapon, and the creatures that died on it were constantly wrapped in the ice. Theoretically, there should be no traps in the Touching Heaven Peak. The scariest thing about it was its endless height. According to a senior climber who couldn't help but escape halfway, he climbed day after day and spent every day in the biting and unbearable cold. For three full months, it was so cold that he almost thought he was already dead. His initial fighting spirit had disappeared in the howling cold wind. The front seemed to be endless. And the clear blue sky was right in front of you, but no matter how hard you climb, you couldn't reach the top. After all, human beings were mortal bodies and couldn’t live without food or drink. There were no vegetation or animals on Touching Heaven Peak, so climbers could only bring their own dry food, but they couldn’t bring too much, because over time the dry food would freeze and turn into ice. The gravel-like ice was not only difficult to satisfy your hunger, but also could easily make you sick if you ate it for a long time.
Those climbers who die on the mountain were often people with outstanding willpower and would never give up until they achieve their goals. When the dry food was exhausted or about to be exhausted, they would either freeze and starve to death on the way back, or they would continue forward and meet the same fate.
According to Ning Xiaofeng, there was no mountain in the world that cannot be climbed to the top. There must be a formation on the Touching Heaven Peak that was similar to the ghost wall. However, this formation was probably set up by the immortals in ancient times. It was extremely good. No one had found a way to break it.
Since there were many senior formation experts who likewise died on the mountain, Ning Xiaofeng was just saying so for fun. She no intention of challenging the limit. Cai Pingshu often told Cai Zhao that Qingque Sect was one of the best places in the world that was easy to defend and difficult to attack. And the mountains were the reason.
Muwei Palace, the main residence of the Qingque Sect, faced south. In front of it was Wind Cloud Peak, with Touching Heaven Peak at its back. In front was the bottomless abyss, and behind was the tallest mountain. As long as the iron rope was closed, no matter how powerful the opponent was, he couldn’t get through.
What pissed enemies off the most was that Touching Heaven Peak was as cold and barren as a coffin, yet the part below where Muwei Palace was built was always as warm as spring. It had fresh water coming from melted ice above. It had forests and lush grass fields with fruit growing easily. And it even had wheat fields, rice ridges, and vegetable gardens grown by a previous Sect Master. There were farms with fruits, vegetables, chickens, ducks, and fish.
A siege would not break Muwei Palace.
Relying on this lucky terrain, even back when the demonic sect was at its most powerful, Qingque Sect had withstood ages of attacks, and was able to counterattack at the end, to turn it into a victory.
Every time the enemy had Qingque Sect surrounded, the favourite thing the Demonic Sect liked to yell was, “If you cowards of the Qingque Sect have any guts, come down!”
And the Qingque Sect liked to respond, “If you evil demons have any guts you come up!” … natural cycle of life.
One time, a smart demonic sect disciple thought of the idea to use poisonous gas. He lit a raging fire on top of Wind Cloud Peak, and use the rising heat to disperse the poisonous smoke to Muwei Palace.
And then, the poisonous smoke halted between the two mountains. The mountain wind blew again, and the smoke was blown back towards the demonic sect martial artists.
If you ask the ever-changing wind, why it usually blew any which direction, but suddenly when it met poisonous gas why it blew towards Wind Cloud Peak?
…no one knew the answer to that.
Anyways, when Cai Zhao had stood on Wind Cloud Peak, her sight had been blocked by thick clouds and fog. She couldn’t see clearly the Wan Shui Qian Shan Peak on the other side. Once the chains came and she crossed over to Wan Shui Qian Shan Peak, she looked back at Wind Cloud Peak, and she was surprised to find that there was only a faint layer of mist floating above the large chasm. She could clearly see what the people on the opposite side were doing on that flat area.
This really was a lucky area.
Breaking off a beautiful peach blossom from the side of a clear stream, Cai Zhao wandered towards the scent of fruit. It was nearly lunch time. She stopped under a tall fruit tree and looked at several plump fruits hanging on the branches. Her mind spun with images of braised pork, shaomai, and seafood risotto.
Cai Zhao was a foodie and would not squander lunchtime. She would give Qingque Sect a chance, maybe their cook was good?
Her stomach burning with desire, she quickened her pace through the fruit forest, towards the buildings.
Heading through the trees, she heard a commotion. A high pitched female voice could be heard.
T/N:
I spent quite a while thinking about if I want to have definitions in the text, or an asterix and then a foot note at the end of each chapter with word definitions, or a glossary. In the end I decided on the method that is the least obtrusive to reading, which is a glossary. I will put all the words in the glossary. That way if you want you can just read the chapter without interruptions. But if you're curious, you can look up the word.
I will be using the Chinese version of words quite often, because I do feel like something is lost in translation. A shixiong vs. gege vs. da ge vs xiongdi is not the same type of "senior brother", even though they would all be translated to this in English. And going around calling "senior brother" is a mouthful! I also consulted other fandoms, like for example MXTX's Untamed, or Word of Honor, and everyone English uses the terms shijie, shidi, etc. I would think some readers may be familiar with the genre and would be annoyed at constant notes interrupting the reading. But I also wanted to make this accessible to new readers. So I made sure to include these terms in my glossary, no matter how common it is in the genre. If you find any word you do not know, please leave me a comment and I will add it. I also think a glossary is better than foot notes because if you forget a word, you can look it up in the glossary. But if I put a foot note the first time the word appears and then you'd have to go back and find the exact chapter it first appeared in. And it would not be possible to have every single word's definition at the end of each chapter--it's already a lot of work to translate, edit, and update all side-documents. I hope you will all find this a useful way to make the read more enjoyable. Thank you for coming to my TED talk. Lol.
There will be a general glossary for words, a character list, and a sect/location glossary.
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