Dongting East Mountain

Deep in the tea forest.

“Why do you need to test whether I can perform the Hundred Leaves Flying Palm technique? Xiao Bai, I have unlimited suspicions that it’s because Brother Hei lacks the patience to wait for you to pick tea, and thought of this future disciple of mine who doesn’t ask for money, doesn’t beg for alms, doesn’t complain, doesn’t cry about being tired, doesn’t talk back, and doesn’t regret anything—such a waste not to use me, so he’s making me pick tea in your place.” Fang Pingzhai waved his red fan. “Fortunately, I am the all-knowing, all-capable Fang Pingzhai. The mere Hundred Leaves Flying Palm is but a trivial skill—though few in the martial world can master it, still…”

Yu Tuan’er placed both hands on a massive clay vessel molded from clay, concentrating her energy, attempting to use blazing sun force to fire the clay into pottery. This method had already been repeatedly criticized by Fang Pingzhai over ten times, saying that even first-rate masters in the martial world, senior experts who had arduously trained their pure yang force for decades, might not necessarily be able to shape earth into pottery by striking it. A young girl like Yu Tuan’er with such shallow foundations could spend thirty years striking here and still not create a single pottery vessel. But Liu Yan turned a deaf ear to this. When Yu Tuan’er ruined one clay vessel, he would tell her to start over from scratch. By now, this was already the eighth clay vessel.

Hearing Fang Pingzhai’s endless chatter and self-aggrandizement, Yu Tuan’er interrupted him: “What exactly is the Hundred Leaves Flying Palm?”

“The Hundred Leaves Flying Palm means using the energy force in your palm, hidden weapons, weapons, flowing water, flames, tree leaves—anything at all—with just one small outward motion of the hand, you can strike down exactly one hundred leaves from a large tree a hundred steps away.” Fang Pingzhai sat in the coolest corner of the thatched hut, waving and pointing his red fan at Yu Tuan’er. “In other words, it’s a miraculous skill that you couldn’t master even after thirty years of hard practice, but for me—it’s merely a matter of raising my hand.”

Liu Yan sat to one side and said indifferently, “Since it’s merely a matter of raising your hand, then raise it a few more times and pick back a hundred jin of tea leaves.”

Fang Pingzhai put his red fan behind his back. “I’m really curious—what do you need so many tea leaves for? She’s not a cow, not a sheep, not a donkey, and certainly not a mule. To refine one pill for her, do you need to refine a hundred jin of tea leaves into a hundred jin of plant ash?”

Liu Yan closed his eyes. “Since you don’t understand, don’t ask so many questions.”

Fang Pingzhai shook his head repeatedly. “Ah, being eager to learn and not ashamed to ask questions from one’s inferiors—if you don’t tell me the reason, I might not be able to sleep. And if I can’t sleep, I might end up reciting poetry and composing verses outside at night, howling and singing loudly to vent the unease in my heart.”

Liu Yan said indifferently, “Are you certain you want to hear?”

Fang Pingzhai nodded emphatically. “I want to hear, I must hear, I absolutely have to hear.”

Liu Yan said, “Tea leaves, especially fresh green tea, contain large amounts of polyphenolic compounds. I can use chromatographic methods to separate and purify them, then obtain a series of phenolic hydroxyl groups. Through a very complex formula, combined with other substances, I can obtain FTIs.”

Fang Pingzhai waved his red fan. “Why is it that I understand every word you say, but I can’t understand what you’re saying? What is ‘Ah Fu Ti Ai Si’ (FTIs)?”

Liu Yan said coldly, “FTIs are farnesyl transferase inhibitors.”

Fang Pingzhai asked curiously, “Fine you transfer no one chicken? ‘Ah Fu Ti Ai Si’ means ‘fine you transfer no one chicken’? Haha, so her illness can be cured just by eating one chicken—then why are we here picking tea? Let’s go catch two more wild chickens and let her eat them all herself, and her illness will be cured.”

Liu Yan ignored him and closed his eyes to rest. FTIs could treat childhood progeria, modifying incorrectly formed proteins and allowing prematurely aging cells to return to normal—this was Yu Tuan’er’s life-saving medicine. In this era, preparing FTIs was extremely difficult, but if he didn’t try, no one else in the world could save her.

After a while, he opened his eyes. Fang Pingzhai was still sitting idly nearby, not going to pick tea. Yu Tuan’er’s face-covering black veil fluttered as the ninth clay vessel was about to fail again. She was drenched in sweat, her black dress clinging tightly to her back, outlining beautiful curves. Was living truly so important? Hundreds of years later, you would still be just an unrecognized corpse, with no one to remember you, no one to miss you. For those who don’t seek to live gloriously, having lived versus never having lived really makes no difference… yet though he could think of all this, why did he still want to save her? Even he himself didn’t understand.

Lin Bu lay unconscious on the ground. Though his wounds had been dressed with excellent golden wound medicine, he had after all been pierced in the chest by a sharp blade. In just two days he had developed a high fever. Now his wound was inflamed, his whole body burning with heat—he had one foot in the gates of hell.

After a long silence, Liu Yan asked quietly, “Is he dead?”

Fang Pingzhai said, “No, but soon.”

Liu Yan said, “Carry him over here.”

Fang Pingzhai said, “He’ll die whether you carry him over or not, so I won’t carry him. I don’t even know this person, and I didn’t kill him either. I’m very sorry to speak truthfully and speak of death and speak inauspicious words, but that’s just how it is.”

Liu Yan said in a low voice, “He won’t die.”

Fang Pingzhai made a sound of acknowledgment, stood up and turned in a circle, his yellow robes fluttering, full of interest. “If you say he won’t die, I must say he will die. Without me arguing with you, how would it show your skills as a peerless divine physician who saves the dying and heals the wounded? Hmm… he’s injured so severely and has no martial arts skills—he’s bound to die.”

“Yu Tuan’er.” Liu Yan said quietly, “Go to the forest and collect some azure-colored moldy fruits.”

Yu Tuan’er responded and left. Not long after, she gathered more than ten moldy fruits, bundling them in her skirt hem and bringing them back. Liu Yan selected one from among the fruits—it was a type of climbing sweet melon. He carefully examined the moldy spots on the melon and saw several drops of golden-yellow liquid hanging on the mold. He carefully extracted those golden drops and had Yu Tuan’er carefully apply them to the wound on Lin Bu’s chest.

Fang Pingzhai looked at him in amazement. Could these golden droplets be some miraculous healing medicine? But what could a few insignificant droplets accomplish?

But events far exceeded Fang Pingzhai’s expectations. When those few droplets fell onto the wound, Lin Bu’s injury began healing at an unexpectedly rapid pace. From then on, every day Yu Tuan’er would find several moldy fruits, and after Liu Yan identified them, he would extract the golden droplets to apply to Lin Bu’s wounds. A month later, the dying Lin Bu had actually recovered his spirits and could get up and walk around.

This Liu Yan was not a doctor—he couldn’t take pulses or diagnose illnesses, much less perform acupuncture or therapeutic massage. But what substances could be made into medicine and which medicines could treat which diseases, he knew like the back of his hand. Such mastery of pharmaceutical principles rather than medical techniques was something Fang Pingzhai had never seen in his life.

A month passed, and Yu Tuan’er still hadn’t successfully refined that pottery vessel, but her movement techniques and martial arts had improved considerably. As Lin Bu’s injuries were nearly healed, he suggested that he had a property not far from East Mountain and invited the three to stay temporarily at his home. As for that person-high large vat, he would find a way to purchase one, so Yu Tuan’er needn’t work so hard.

Liu Yan didn’t refuse, so the four of them left the tea forest and set off for Lin Bu’s property on East Mountain.

Days and months in the mountains have always been long. From then on, Liu Yan lived in seclusion in Lin Bu’s home, refining medicine for Yu Tuan’er. His medicine refinement was initially successful, but he had no idea that these past few days the martial world had been surging with turbulent waves. Several major events had occurred, and the biggest among them was someone claiming to know Liu Yan’s whereabouts—and furthermore, if someone could get the future abbot of Shaolin Temple to kowtow three times to him and compose a poem for him, he would tell that person where Liu Yan was.

While Liu Yan was in seclusion in the tea forest of Dongting East Mountain, Tang Lici had come down from Haoyun Mountain.

When he went up Haoyun Mountain, it had been with Yu Furen’s light carriage and fine horses, traveling thousands of li to escort him up, with Chi Yun and Shen Langhun protecting him left and right, and Shao Yanping, Cheng Yunpao and others sitting in the hall to receive him—what a grand affair that had been. But when he came down from Haoyun Mountain, he traveled under moonlight, in the deep of night when one couldn’t see their own hand in front of their face, climbing over walls and heading straight north from Haoyun Mountain.

Thirty li north of Haoyun Mountain stood a desolate, uninhabited mountain that appeared even more dark and terrifying in the deep night. Even in daylight, finding the so-called “West Wind Garden” in this mountain would be very difficult, let alone in the pitch-black night when one couldn’t see their hand in front of their face. Tang Lici wore magnificent soft silk white robes and cloud-pattern shoes, standing with hands behind his back, gazing at the dark mountain before him.

“Under the camellia tree in West Wind Garden, there is a dungeon.”

This was both a clue and a trap, but he had no choice but to come. Just like last time when he broke into Bodhi Valley’s Piaoli Mei Garden, suffering greatly to find Fang Zhou’s corpse, this time the strategy was still the same strategy, and he had still come.

Tang Lici stood with hands behind his back, looking up at the mountain before him. After watching for a while, he took a step forward, his figure rising as he was about to rush ahead. Suddenly someone behind him said, “Tang… Tang Lici…”

Tang Lici’s steps paused. “You really shouldn’t have followed me.”

The person behind him shook his head. “Where are you going?”

Under the moonlight, this person wore azure clothes and was empty-handed, with a pale face but a relatively calm expression—it was Yu Furen.

Tang Lici turned back with a slight smile. “I came out for a walk.” The gentle moonlight shone on his face, making his features appear painted and his demeanor even more jade-like.

Yu Furen said, “For a walk, this seems rather far, and your injuries…” When he said “your injuries,” his whole face suddenly flushed red, veins bulging. After a long while he continued bitterly, “Your injuries haven’t healed yet—you shouldn’t walk so far.”

Tang Lici noticed his strange expression, the corners of his eyes lifting with a hint of a smile. He walked back slowly and patted his shoulder. “Young Hero Yu…”

Yu Furen nearly jumped at hearing these three words. Tang Lici’s smile became even more obvious. “How has your mood been these past few days?”

Yu Furen smiled bitterly, not knowing how to answer, but saw Tang Lici slowly extend his hand, lifting his index finger to brush a strand of his hair, saying gently, “You owe me a life…”

Under the moonlight, this extremely beautiful red lips suddenly spoke these words, thoroughly startling Yu Furen. A chill ran through his whole body, and the guilt and remorse he had harbored for this person suddenly transformed into puzzled unease. For a moment he stood there in a daze.

Tang Lici smiled and turned around. “Go back. Your emotions are unsettled, and you carry no weapons. Wandering around desolate mountains and wild lands in the dead of night—if you encounter danger, how would you handle it?” His white robes were plain as he prepared to step into the darkness.

Yu Furen stood in place, not knowing whether to stay or leave, but suddenly couldn’t help asking, “You… wandering around desolate mountains and wild lands in the dead of night—what exactly are you doing?”

Tang Lici had already stepped one foot into the forest, but hearing this, he stepped back, seeming somewhat helpless. “With your intelligence and wisdom, don’t you understand that some things shouldn’t be asked?”

Yu Furen was silent for a while, then took a deep breath. “Are you taking risks?”

Tang Lici smiled slightly. “Correct.”

Yu Furen said, “For what?”

Tang Lici sighed, looking at him warmly. “It seems you won’t go back. Very well then—if I knocked you unconscious here, I’d be afraid of not knowing who might carry you off. Someone told me that Chi Yun was captured alone and is imprisoned in this mountain. If I can’t rescue him within three days, his life will be in danger.”

Yu Furen was shocked. “What… Chi Yun was captured? Who gave you this information? Is it true or false?”

Tang Lici said, “Most likely true. This place surely has many traps. If word leaked out, the Sword Society would definitely be in panic, speculating wildly about who captured Chi Yun. Hot-blooded and kind-hearted people would come here to walk into the trap themselves, and quite a few people might die needlessly inside. So…”

Yu Furen said, “So you came alone in the dead of night when no one was around to rescue him.”

Tang Lici smiled slightly. “Since you won’t go back, then…” He turned forward. “Follow me.”

Yu Furen suddenly felt his blood surge. Chi Yun had been captured, Tang Lici was going alone to rescue him—how could he not give his full assistance? “I—I owe you a life,” he said in a deep voice. “In tonight’s matter, Yu Furen will risk his life to rescue Chi Yun from danger!”

Tang Lici was ahead and didn’t know if he had heard, but his white figure flickered and he had already stepped into the mountain forest. Yu Furen followed closely behind. In moments, the moonlight was blocked by the tree canopy, and the forest was truly difficult to see in. Fortunately, both men’s internal power was refined, so they could walk smoothly.

The birds roosting in the forest cried out in alarm and flew away, and some unnamed animals also quietly avoided them. After the two had walked twenty or thirty zhang, Tang Lici had no choice but to light the Bi Xiao fire he carried and hold it for illumination. They could see that this forest was desolate and primitive, with broken trees, vines, spider webs, moss all over the ground, and some strangely shaped insects and snakes crawling slowly under the lamplight—there seemed to be no path at all. But in this extremely desolate forest, someone had used cinnabar to make marks, drawing several arrow symbols on tree trunks, large rocks, and vines. The bright red cinnabar, viewed under the night lamp, looked like congealed blood—shocking to behold.

“Looking at where these arrows point, it seems the path leads all the way to the mountain peak,” Yu Furen said quietly. “Should we follow them?”

Tang Lici looked around. “What are these things?” The tree trunks, large rocks and such where the arrows were drawn were all covered with strange vines. The vines were slender with curled branches and leaves. Under the firelight, the branches and leaves all appeared black, and purple-black berries grew on the vines.

Tang Lici picked up a stone and threw it at one of the arrows. With a soft “pop,” the stone shook the vines, and those purple-black berries suddenly split open, releasing wisps of black smoke from the cracks. Yu Furen and Tang Lici both held their breath, but still smelled a faint sweet fragrance. These berries were obviously nothing good. Both men leaped up and far away from the arrow locations, jumping into the treetops.

“Under the camellia tree in West Wind Garden, there is a dungeon.” Tang Lici murmured quietly to himself, looking up at the moon. This mountain faced the western wind direction, which was to the east, and camellias… must have sunlight, so that would be on the sunny slope.

Yu Furen heard this and raised his eyebrows. “Then it should be on the sunny slope. Why aren’t you going to the sunny slope?”

Tang Lici’s brow furrowed slightly. Sunny slope, sunny slope… “I…” Yu Furen stepped forward. “What is it?”

Tang Lici waved his sleeve lightly. “Nothing, let’s go.”

Yu Furen glanced at Tang Lici, finding it somewhat strange. “Under the camellia tree in West Wind Garden” was clearly on the sunny slope—why wasn’t he going to the sunny slope?

But Tang Lici’s mind flashed to the tombstone bearing Fang Zhou’s name in Bodhi Valley, that stretch of snow-white sandy ground filled with sunlight and blooming with strange flowers, that quiet cemetery filled with tombstones—all on the sunny slope. Sunny slope… Under the brilliant sunshine of the sunny slope, blood-red strange vines blooming with snow-white flowers, fragmented and decaying corpses, various maggots parasitic on the corpses, all writhing under that bright sunlight… The air mixed with foul odors and fragrant scents…

“Crack!” A light sound. Tang Lici’s foot paused. Yu Furen was startled and looked carefully in all directions, but saw no enemies appear. His heart clenched: What was wrong with him?

“If it were you, what kind of ambush would you set on the sunny slope?” Tang Lici paused briefly, then quickened his pace toward the sunny slope, his snow-white tall figure appearing calm and composed in the night.

Yu Furen followed behind, his figure also distinguished and outstanding. “I… perhaps I would deploy heavy troops to intercept you on the path to the sunny slope, cutting you down halfway.”

Tang Lici walked with hands behind his back, smiling slightly. “Ha! You’re not good at scheming.”

Yu Furen said, “If it were you, what would you do?”

Tang Lici said lightly, “I would first kill Chi Yun, then capture dozens of hostages to intimidate any rescuer, making him afraid to act rashly and unable to display his full abilities. Then I would scatter poison along the route to the dungeon, deploy venomous snakes, and position my strongest fighters to guard every entrance. I would bury hundreds of jin of explosives beneath the dungeon. When the rescuer passed through the poison and snakes and fought the gauntlet of battles, if he were still lucky enough not to die and reach the dungeon, he would be physically and mentally exhausted. Upon seeing Chi Yun’s corpse, he would be severely shocked, and then—”

Yu Furen listened with cold sweat streaming down. “And then?”

Tang Lici said indifferently, “Then I would take some hostages and leave, and detonate the explosives under the dungeon, leveling the entire mountain along with all the men and women, flowers and grass on the mountain, blowing it all clean, leaving not a blade of grass.”

Yu Furen was speechless with shock. “You… you…”

Tang Lici smiled slightly. “What about me?”

Yu Furen smiled bitterly. “How can you think of such vicious schemes?”

Tang Lici said, “If you want to kill someone, naturally you should be thorough about it.”

Yu Furen smiled even more bitterly. But you’re thinking of such vicious schemes to use against yourself! If the enemy who captured Chi Yun thinks the same way you do, what hope do you and I have of surviving? And since you can think of such vicious schemes yet still came alone, is it that you’re too confident in yourself, or are you…

Are you someone who can brave fire and water for righteousness, sacrificing yourself for duty?

Yu Furen followed behind Tang Lici. This person… really didn’t seem like it.

The sunny slope was reached in a blink. The two climbed up the mountain slope step by step. The vegetation on the sunny slope grew even more luxuriantly. The two cut through vines as they advanced, passing several mountain streams. With the bright moon overhead, an open space suddenly appeared before them.

“Careful!” Yu Furen reached out to block Tang Lici. “The Five Star Formation!”

They could see that this clearing had originally been a dense forest. Someone had cut down a section of the forest uniformly, leaving only tree stumps about two feet long. The clearing was arranged in a five-pointed star formation, and an elegant, pleasant fragrance came from somewhere unknown, scattering on the wind.

Tang Lici sighed. “What is the Five Star Formation?”

Yu Furen said, “This formation originates from the Western Regions. I’ve heard that within the formation are strange and unpredictable changes with countless variables. Many years ago, many famous heroes of the martial world perished in this formation, so it gained a great reputation, but it has also disappeared from the martial world for many years.”

Tang Lici said, “I don’t understand formations.”

Yu Furen still blocked him from behind. “Let me test its depths for you first.” He leaped into the formation. A gentle breeze immediately rose from the five star wooden stakes, and the fragrant air in the wind became even more intense, but no enemies could be seen anywhere.