The cold mask covered her face, sealing away even her heart completely. She silently gazed at the massive white object within the vast space. The outline of the object grew increasingly blurred in her eyes, until all she could remember was the promise she had made: this lifetime.
She smiled—a powerless, bewildered smile. Her eyes flickered, and that scene of their first meeting flashed before her eyes and through her heart. In that moment, he had tightly grasped her hand. But where was he now? Had that slender figure in white robes already sunk into hell’s endless cycle of reincarnation?
“Su Shenghua, you said you would come back,” she said softly. In this silent, ethereal mountain cavern, she spoke for herself to hear, and only she could hear it. Beneath the mask, her eyes gradually moistened, but no tears fell—because she had no tears.
By her ear, she vaguely heard his voice from the past again. He had said: “Legend has it that at the end of heaven, beside the Milky Way, there exists a mysterious ancient country where every maiden is as transparent and pure as crystal. Are you from the Star’s Edge?”
“Star’s Edge,” she said, and finally, in this instant, she laughed aloud. The sound rapidly spread through the enormous space. Conversely, in this vast space, she was as insignificant as a speck of dust, no longer able to distinguish herself.
What was the outside world truly like?
This place lay at the foot of a vast, sprawling mountain at the easternmost edge of Qingzhou. This magnificent dark brown mountain was called Shifang Mountain. At the mountain’s foot was a village called Laotan Kou. On this day, Laotan Kou became lively, different from usual, because a group of outsiders had arrived in the village.
This group of outsiders numbered six in total—men and women, old and young. Each person kept their head lowered, as if trying desperately to hide some secret within their hearts. Among them was one person wearing green robes with a long sword hanging at an angle from his waist. His features were resolute and sharply defined. A faint smile constantly played at the corners of his mouth, but it still couldn’t conceal the melancholy in his brows. Without further words, this was Li Si, one of the Great World God-Catchers.
Among the outsiders traveling with Li Si were two women who, based on their ages and attire, appeared to be mother and daughter. The mother was about forty-five or forty-six years old, the daughter around seventeen or eighteen. The daughter was called A’Mu. The mother always stared at her daughter with worry, while the daughter had a sickly appearance and seemed listless and dispirited.
Additionally, there were two male guests, also one old and one young. The elder was over fifty years old, the younger had just passed his coming of age. From their conversation, one could tell they were master and servant. The elder was called Uncle Chang, while the younger was respectfully addressed as Young Master, his true name unknown.
Besides these, there was also a bald, fat-faced old man with a thick black beard just dense enough to grip, wearing a tattered Daoist robe patched all over. He gave everyone a half-smile and called himself the Fat Daoist.
The six people crowded into a not-very-large wooden building. Around the hour of Chen, the building’s door creaked open, and a short, wiry middle-aged man walked in from outside. The middle-aged man carried a bamboo basket on his back with wolf pelts tied on it as bedding—who knew what else was inside.
Uncle Chang glanced at the newly arrived man and said with no small amount of complaint: “Bian Kui, when you told us to wait a moment, you meant a full two hours?”
Bian Kui wiped his sweat while saying: “There’s really no helping it. All of you should know that Shifang Mountain isn’t like any other ordinary mountain. To enter Shifang Mountain, naturally we must make the most proper preparations. Wouldn’t you say? I’ve already been quite fast.”
Uncle Chang waved his hand: “Fine, enough nonsense. When can we depart?”
The gazes of the other five people also turned toward him. Bian Kui showed an awkward smile and said respectfully: “As long as everyone has paid their guide fees for entering the mountain, we can depart immediately.”
“Good!” Uncle Chang was the first to pay, and the others all paid as well. Bian Kui collected the money with a beaming face, then suddenly his expression changed slightly as he said: “But I must say this upfront—I’ll only escort you all to Fuwa Village in the outer mountain. If you want to enter the inner mountain, Bian cannot accompany you.”
“I don’t want to joke around with my life on the line,” Bian Kui added.
The others said nothing. One incense stick’s time later, the six people plus Bian Kui left Laotan Kou, went around Luanshi Forest, and officially entered the territory of Shifang Mountain.
When gazing at Shifang Mountain from Laotan Kou, one merely felt it was enormously massive, but truly entering Shifang Mountain, one experienced its majestic magnificence that blocked out the sky and sun. All things in heaven and earth seemed to be shut out beyond Shifang Mountain—inside and outside the mountain were like two different worlds. Li Si and the other seven slowly walked in the shadow of Shifang Mountain, seemingly without end.
“Do you know why this mountain is called Shifang Mountain?” Bian Kui asked, perhaps feeling the journey was too dreary.
Uncle Chang’s face remained expressionless. The young master lifted his head slightly, appearing somewhat interested. The Fat Daoist smiled with squinted eyes. Li Si seemed lost in thought. It was actually the mother of the mother-daughter pair who answered: “The name Shifang Mountain comes from Buddhism’s ten directions of heaven and earth—boundless and infinite—meaning this mountain is an extraordinary existence beyond the ordinary.”
Bian Kui nodded: “That’s right, exactly that meaning. You put it much better than I could. According to the words passed down from our grandfathers several generations back, Shifang Mountain experienced a terrible celestial collapse about five or six hundred years ago. It was truly terrifying—legend says it literally shattered one-third of Shifang Mountain. Otherwise, it would be much larger than it is now.”
Li Si gazed at the mountain path, unable to help imagining the scene of the celestial collapse from hundreds of years ago—heaven collapsing and earth splitting.
The mother’s complexion darkened. Bian Kui grew curious about the mother and inquired about her name. The mother hesitated slightly, glanced at her daughter, then said: “I’m called Mi Ta.”
“This is my daughter, A’Mu,” Mi Ta introduced.
Since the introductions had begun, Bian Kui simply asked everyone. Li Si said indifferently: “I’m called Li Si.”
The young master looked at Uncle Chang, who nodded. The young master said: “I’m called Gongyang Yan.” Uncle Chang followed: “Chang Meng.”
“Good, this way everyone is more like friends. Shifang Mountain is very large—it’ll probably take another two days. Everyone should chat more to relieve the boredom.” Bian Kui moved closer to Mi Ta’s side.
The Fat Daoist remained silent. Uncle Chang just kept his head down while walking. Li Si glanced at Gongyang Yan, who happened to look toward Li Si at the same moment. The two of them felt slightly awkward for a while before Li Si spoke first: “Young Master Gongyang, why are you entering Shifang Mountain?”
“I…” Gongyang Yan habitually looked at Uncle Chang before saying, “I’m a tea and medicine merchant from Chanxi in Qingzhou. I came to purchase Houtouzhen and Qianluocao, which are unique to Shifang Mountain. These things can be sold for a lot of money outside.”
“Oh,” Li Si responded.
“What about you?” Gongyang Yan asked in return.
“I’m somewhat similar to you. You’re seeking medicine; I’m seeking a physician. I heard that the eccentric Poison Hand Holy Physician comes to Shifang Mountain every two or three years, so I came to try my luck.” Li Si’s eyes dimmed slightly. “I hope this trip won’t be in vain.”
“Do you have a relative or friend who’s been poisoned with something very powerful?” Gongyang Yan thought for a moment and asked. Li Si smiled faintly, and Bai Zhenzhu’s pale, bloodless face flashed through his mind. This journey to Shifang Mountain was precisely to resolve the residual Dark Blood Poison Plague within Bai Zhenzhu’s body.
I’m already on Shifang Mountain now, girl. Wait well for me to return.