The mule cart moved slowly. Though Ji Yingying and Zhu Erlang departed early in the morning, they didn’t reach Mount Qingcheng town until the afternoon. Zhu Erlang suggested staying overnight in town and climbing the mountain the next day, but Ji Yingying was worried about Yang Jingyuan.
After checking the time, she said, “If we start climbing now, we can reach the Celestial Master’s Cave by nightfall. We can lodge at the Daoist temple and inquire about Daoist Huaqing’s whereabouts.”
The front peak of Mount Qingcheng wasn’t particularly high—a round trip from foot to the summit took only two hours for swift climbers. The Celestial Master’s Cave was built halfway up the mountain. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Celestial Master Zhang Daoling had practiced and preached here, hence its name.
Past the mountain gate, the path was entirely built of blue stones by Daoist priests, unsuitable for mules and horses. Zhu Erlang wasn’t concerned for himself but worried whether Ji Yingying and Ling’er could make the climb.
“There are sedan chairs, silly!”
This enlightened Zhu Erlang, who slapped his forehead in frustration: “Second Miss, my mind doesn’t work well in front of you.”
When he first met Yang Jingyuan at Zhulin Temple, he had been clever enough to devise ways to tease her. Later, he often appeared foolish. It was because he cared too much—that’s why his mind wouldn’t work properly.
Such behavior from Zhu Erlang would have annoyed Ji Yingying in the past. But after everything she’d been through, she could now understand his simple nature. She said gently, “Second Brother Zhu, you’re not silly at all. It’s normal for a man to be less attentive to details than a woman.”
Was she praising herself? Zhu Erlang was bewildered. Since childhood, he had never shown off in front of Ji Yingying. This was the first time he’d heard her praise him. Though she saw him as nothing more than a childhood friend, Zhu Erlang was overjoyed and ran ahead: “Uncle Ji Fu, take your time with the cart. I’ll go to the mountain gate to call for two sedan chairs.”
Ji Yingying’s mood also improved: “Uncle Ji Fu, let’s go.”
In Sichuan’s mountains, where horses couldn’t pass, traditional sedan chairs were too heavy and laborious. The mountain folk had invented bamboo chairs instead. Two nanmu bamboo poles were tied together with a bamboo basket in between—light and safe. Experienced porters carrying these chairs could move as swiftly as flying.
The Celestial Master’s Cave was halfway up the mountain. Zhu Erlang was too embarrassed to ride a chair, so only Ji Yingying and Ling’er took them. Leaving Ji Fu in town to await news, the group began their ascent.
Mount Qingcheng remained verdant through all seasons. Though they entered the mountain before late afternoon, the mountain air was already growing dark, and the trees wore a deeper shade of green. Passing through a pine forest, they heard only the porters’ breathing and footsteps, making the surroundings seem even more serene. Suddenly, an owl’s long cry echoed through the forest. The evening wind made the pine trees surge like waves, giving Ji Yingying an eerie feeling.
“Second Brother Zhu, the Dragon Head Raising Day will be here soon. You must be getting busy, right?”
Knowing she was making conversation out of fear of the mountain path at night, Zhu Erlang smiled: “Yes, I need help at home. All the dye vats need to be cleaned and dried. We need to dye cloth before the spring silkworms emerge. My brother is the eldest son and will inherit the dye house. I don’t want to run a dye house in the future—I want to open a tavern. With all my friends, business would surely be good.”
After chattering through the pine forest, the mountain path followed a stream upward. Zhu Erlang could no longer walk beside Ji Yingying and fell behind her, in front of Ling’er.
The path crossing the stream was made of several felled trees laid side by side as a bridge. On the other side stood a pavilion where several people could be seen sitting inside.
After the porters carrying Ji Yingying’s chair crossed the bridge, the people from the pavilion came to the bridge’s edge, walking downhill with laughter and conversation. Zhu Erlang made way for them, calling ahead: “Wait! Wait until we cross!”
Ji Yingying heard the voice and looked back, only to find her porters moving swiftly forward with no intention of stopping. She tried to stand, but the chair jolted, and she fell back into the basket. When she looked back again, the chair had passed the pavilion and turned around a cliff, completely losing sight of Zhu Erlang and Ling’er. She screamed: “Help!”
The porter behind her said menacingly: “Scream again, and we’ll throw you into the ravine!”
Ji Yingying trembled in fear and closed her mouth.
She lay against the bamboo poles and looked back at the porter, pleading softly: “I don’t have any money.” As she spoke, she secretly pulled a flower pin from her hair and hid it in her palm.
The porter wore a straw hat that obscured his face, and he laughed eerily: “Someone paid us brothers good silver to deliver you. We’re just doing our job—if you don’t scream, we won’t hurt you.”
Mount Qingcheng had always been peaceful due to the coexistence of Daoist and Buddhist temples protecting the area. The front mountain wasn’t particularly treacherous and had no bandits. Who would pay to kidnap her? Who knew she was coming to Qingcheng today? The names Zhao Xiuyuan and Sheng Fengze floated in Ji Yingying’s mind, and her heart sank.
The two porters quickly left the narrowest section of the mountain path and turned onto a winding trail. Ji Yingying’s hand loosened, and the flower pin fell onto the path.
Rounding a boulder, they came upon a thatched pavilion. Outside stood a bamboo-curtained sedan chair and two servants. Inside stood a man in green robes. The porters stopped and said, “Young Master, we’ve brought the person you wanted.”
Zhao Xiuyuan turned around and tossed them a bag of silver.
The porters caught the silver, weighed it in their hands, and said to Ji Yingying: “Miss, this is the person who sent for you.”
It was indeed Zhao Xiuyuan. Ji Yingying looked at the waiting sedan chair, and memories of being trapped in the Zhao residence rose in her mind like a nightmare. This time, Zhao Xiuyuan came prepared—what chance did she have of escape? She only hoped to stall for time, allowing Zhu Erlang to bring help.
For convenience in climbing the mountain, she wore a lake-green Hu-style outfit. Her tall, slender figure was wrapped in a blue cloak, and whether from fear or the mountain wind, the silk cloak trembled, giving her a pitiful appearance.
“We haven’t seen each other for so long—shouldn’t you be happy?” Zhao Xiuyuan approached her.
With him so close, she had no chance even to cry for help. Ji Yingying forced herself to remain calm: “It has been a long time. The Zhao and Ji families are only separated by a street—if you wanted to reminisce, why come to such a desolate place?”
The thatched pavilion stood by the path, above a shallow ravine. Without trees for cover, it was slightly brighter than in the forest. The mountain twilight had already swallowed half the forest and was visibly rushing down from the peaks. Soon, this place too would be plunged into darkness.
Zhao Xiuyuan smiled: “This place is a bit desolate, so let’s find somewhere else to catch up. My family has a villa at the foot of the mountain—don’t you remember? I always said I’d take you there someday. Get in the sedan chair.”
“I… I think the air is fresh here, and the scenery is nice,” Ji Yingying said while glancing around.
Zhao Xiuyuan grabbed her arm: “If you don’t want me to knock you out and tie you up, be obedient.”
“Let go! I can walk myself!” Ji Yingying yanked her arm away and entered the sedan chair.
Zhao Xiuyuan’s laughter came from outside the curtain: “Zhu Erlang is too stupid to find you. Those two porters are mountain hunters—they’ve already disappeared with their money.”
After traveling for a while, the sedan chair suddenly stopped. Ji Yingying heard Zhao Xiuyuan shout “Who’s there?” and then silence. Who was it? Was it Yang Jingyuan? She tentatively called out: “Third Young Master?”
The sedan curtain was suddenly lifted. Through her line of sight, she saw someone wearing black traveling clothes and a brocade cape. She bent to exit the sedan chair, and everything went dark as the cape covered her face. He scooped her up without a word and moved forward.
Ji Yingying lay against his chest, feeling increasingly strange. Remembering that night at the Zhao residence, she finally spoke: “Sheng Fengze, is it you?”
Sheng Fengze’s steps faltered but didn’t stop.
Ji Yingying fell silent. If he meant to deal with her, she had no chance. Where was he taking her now? In the silence, she could hear his heartbeat.
After about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, he stopped and pulled the cape from around her. The moon illuminated a dark cloud, casting dim moonlight. Ji Yingying looked up and saw the name of the Chang Daoist Temple. He had brought her to the Celestial Master’s Cave.