Hu Sha died at the age of fifteen.

From the age of thirteen, her parents had been busy with arrangements for her marriage. At that time, it was fashionable for both parties to exchange portraits, and if they were satisfied, they would tacitly consent. So every day her parents would bring many painted scrolls, unfurl them one by one before Hu Sha, and ask which one she liked.

Hu Sha smiled and said, “None of them are as handsome as the immortals.”

This was indeed the truth—how could any mortal be more beautiful than an immortal? However, her parents misunderstood her meaning, thinking she wanted to find someone of exceptional beauty, and from then on became even more frantically busy.

When she reached fifteen in early spring, her mother mysteriously pulled Hu Sha into the room and carefully unfurled a scroll for her to see. The young man in the painting wore wide sleeves and a lofty cap, and was truly breathtakingly handsome.

“If you’re not satisfied with this one, there will never be another in the world to your liking!” her mother sighed.

So Hu Sha had no choice but to agree. The two families initially established the engagement, and the wedding was set for May. Unfortunately, Hu Sha did not live to see her absolutely gorgeous bridegroom before she died.

Speaking of the cause of death, Hu Sha found it quite embarrassing.

Her father was a fire-dwelling Daoist. From as far back as Hu Sha could remember, their daily life had been filled with various Daoist scriptures and alchemical manuals. Whether she wanted to or not, offering incense to the various immortals every morning had become part of her life.

She didn’t recognize which immortal was enshrined in the shrine that day. When she went to the incense hall to offer incense, she only saw the purple rice dumplings on the offering table.

Those were her favorite snacks.

Looking left and right, her parents were nowhere to be seen, so she reached up, grabbed one, and popped it directly into her mouth.

Suddenly, a barely audible cough came from above her head. Hu Sha looked up in puzzlement and saw that enshrined in the shrine was a portrait of an immortal. The white-bearded immortal in the painting was holding two purple rice dumplings in one hand, eating so vigorously that his beard trembled, with purple rice flowing down along his whiskers.

She was stunned, and the immortal on the other side seemed to suddenly discover her too. His snow-white eyebrows furrowed, revealing an expression that seemed surprised, ashamed, and furious all at once. His sleeves swept suddenly, and in the blink of an eye he transformed into a beam of blue light and disappeared into the painting.

The purple rice dumpling in Hu Sha’s mouth was frightened so hard that it became lodged in her throat. No matter how she clawed, slapped, beat, or bumped around—rolling and twisting in the wind like something magical or illusory—that purple rice dumpling coldly stayed right there, impossible to swallow or spit out.

She was choked to death by a purple rice dumpling.

The weather was very clear. Lu Daniang, who ran a steamed bun business, got up very early. She pulled open the main door and placed the steamed baskets of buns outside one by one. Like all people of Shengzhou, whenever she had leisure time, she loved to look up at the distant mountain peaks that towered into the clouds.

Although Shengzhou was an immortal continent with no distinction between cold and heat, spring-like in all four seasons, that mountain was an exception. The mountaintop was ice-bound, cold to the bone year-round.

Legend had it that immortals lived atop the mountain, dining on wind and drinking dew. Though ordinary people rarely saw their faces, they often received many blessings from them.

Lu Daniang recited “May the immortals protect us” several times, arranged the steamer baskets beautifully, and was just about to call out when she suddenly heard light footsteps behind her. She turned around and called out, “Little Hu Sha, why are you up so early today?”

A small face peeked out from behind the door—she looked only fourteen or fifteen years old, her complexion rosy and fair, her eyes round, bearing five parts charm and five parts spirit. Lu Daniang smiled and handed her two steamed buns, “Eat something, you must be hungry?”

Hu Sha said “Mm” and walked over to sit beside her, burying her head in eating the buns while asking, “Daniang, last time you said immortals lived on Qingyuan Mountain—is that true?”

“Of course it’s true!” Lu Daniang pointed at the distant undulating mountains and said seriously, “The ten continents within the seas have tens of thousands of immortal families gathered together, and the immortal mountain Qingyuan is one of them. The immortals on the mountain accept those with fate as disciples, teaching them methods of longevity and the arts of subduing demons and monsters. This isn’t something Daniang is making up. Every day the people lined up at the foot of Qingyuan Mountain to become disciples are as numerous as ants.”

Hu Sha swallowed her bun, gazing blankly at Qingyuan Mountain. If she went there, would she be able to find a way home?

She had thought she was dead, but she was actually still alive—just living in another completely unfamiliar world. Here there were real immortals, spiritual beasts that could speak, and strange things she had never heard of before.

But here, she had no home.

She remembered that for a period of time, she had slept in darkness, and a voice kept speaking to her, telling her that if she wanted to go home, she should find Qingling Zhenjun. After all those years of being influenced by her old father, she had never heard of this immortal’s name. Could it be that the one whose immortal form she had stumbled upon was this Qingling Zhenjun?

Later, she inexplicably woke up. When she awoke, she was already standing on this magical land, looking around in confusion, not knowing where to go.

Fortunately, she met the kind-hearted Lu Daniang, who took her home to care for her. She had already stayed for five days.

“Ah, in a couple of days my daughter is coming home to visit me. I’ll have her take you out to buy some clothes for young girls. You two are similar in age, so your tastes should be alike. Daniang is old and doesn’t understand flowers and powder.”

Hu Sha looked down at the gray cloth dress she wore—Lu Daniang had altered her own clothing to fit her. Her original clothes had disappeared after she took them off, as if they had never existed.

“Daniang, since there are many immortals on Qingyuan Mountain, then… is Qingling Zhenjun also there?”

If she wanted to go home, she had to find Qingling Zhenjun. That’s what the voice had said. No matter what, she had to try.

Lu Daniang’s eyes widened, “Qingling Zhenjun? I’ve never heard of him… shall Daniang help you ask others?”

Hu Sha shook her head, “No, no need to trouble Daniang. I was just asking casually.”

Lu Daniang smiled lovingly, “Such a polite child, no need to be so formal—that makes you seem distant.”

Hu Sha also smiled shyly, “Is it difficult to enter Qingyuan Mountain to become a disciple?”

“I’ve heard it’s very difficult.” Lu Daniang pointed at the neighbor’s house across the way, “Zhang Laohan’s grandson went two years ago and couldn’t even find the main gate. They say only those who are fated with the immortals can enter to become disciples. Otherwise, you could search until death and never find the entrance. But even so, many people still go up the mountain every day. There are too many mortals who want to become immortals.”

Hu Sha was silent for a while, then suddenly said in a low voice, “Daniang, I want to go too.”

With a plop, the steamed bun in Lu Daniang’s hand fell to the ground in fright.

It was said that several tens of thousands of people went to Qingyuan Mountain to seek discipleship each year, but unfortunately, fewer than ten were truly accepted by the immortals. This was a rather cruel comparison, yet it could not dampen the enthusiasm of those who longed to become immortals.

Hu Sha, carrying the small bundle Lu Daniang had packed for her, joined those tens of thousands of people, stepping onto the journey full of ambition.

In the past, there was also a small earthen hill behind her home—it took at most half an hour to climb to the top. But Qingyuan Mountain was neither an earthen hill nor an ordinary high mountain. This was an immortal mountain, stretching for ten thousand miles, with no artificially carved mountain paths, leaving people at a loss, not knowing where to begin climbing.

Hu Sha walked for a very, very long time on the rugged mountain path. There was not a single person around her—it was utterly silent, and she could only hear her own rapid breathing.

There was once a famous immortal poet who wrote a poem called “The Difficulty of the Shu Roads.” When her old father got drunk, he always loved to sing “The Shu roads are difficult, more difficult than ascending to heaven.” Hu Sha felt that she was now ascending to heaven, stubbornly engaging in a physical struggle with sharp rocks. She finally climbed up one not-so-steep cliff, looked up, and saw several hundred even steeper cliffs waiting for her.

This situation was simply despairing. Hu Sha let out a long sigh, fell backward onto the ground, and began to space out.

The fog in the mountains was thick, rolling around, dampening her cheeks. In the distance, Qingyuan Mountain’s highest peak seemed so unreachably remote, hidden in the sea of clouds, with the accumulated snow reflecting blinding light in the sunlight. That was where the immortals lived—those without fate could send their lives and still never reach that lofty immortal realm.

Hu Sha’s eyes slowly moistened. She forcefully slapped her face twice, pushed the tears back, and suddenly stood up, “Good! Hu Sha, you must work hard! You must get up there!”

She planned to climb two more cliffs in one go when she suddenly heard a loud roar from behind, like that of some wild beast. Hu Sha whirled around, feeling a fierce wind suddenly rise before her, flying sand and stones making it impossible to keep her eyes open. She hugged her head, crouched down curling her body into a ball, not knowing how many times her back was hit by small stones—it hurt terribly.

Suddenly, something like a massive creature flew low over her head. The hairpin on her head was torn off, and the wind pulled at her scalp as if it would split open. Hu Sha fumbled to grab her scattered hair and barely managed to lift her head to look ahead. She only saw a pitch-black mass, about as tall as two people, with what seemed like two or three pairs of fleshy wings on its back, flapping lightly, making slapping sounds.

What was this thing? Hu Sha froze.

The monster landed on the ground, and the entire cliff seemed to shake three times. Hu Sha’s legs went somewhat soft, wondering whether to continue squatting here playing dead or simply jump off the cliff for a quick end.

Before she could decide, the monster had already discovered her. It was apparently hungry and shrieked with delight, stretching out its claws to grab her.

My life is forfeit! In that instant, only these four characters flashed through Hu Sha’s mind. She was so stiff she couldn’t even move a finger.

Suddenly lightning struck down from the sky, hitting the monster right on the head. It howled in pain, its entire body prostrating and curling into a ball, trembling continuously. The thunder kept striking, one after another, directly splitting one of the monster’s fleshy wings. Yet it dared not even move.

A woman’s pleading voice came from midair, “Master Uncle, please don’t summon lightning to strike Xiaomeng anymore! It will die!”

Following that, a small talisman paper was tossed down from the sky. The monster, as if seeing its savior, leaped up, its massive body transforming into a beam of white light that instantly attached itself to the talisman paper, shooting back like an arrow to be caught by a snow-white small hand.

This series of shocking changes truly exceeded Hu Sha’s fifteen years of imagination. She had already been shocked into numbness. She slowly pushed her hair behind her head and looked up to see two people standing on clouds in midair, their garments fluttering. The woman had hair like clouds, red lips and white teeth, extremely beautiful features, and was looking at the black-robed man opposite her with a face full of grievance and guilt.

She held a talisman paper in her hand—the monster was attached within it.

The black-robed man spoke coldly. When Hu Sha heard that frigid voice like cold ice, she involuntarily shivered.

“If you can’t properly watch over your own spiritual beast and even let it out to eat people, it deserves to be beaten to death.”

Having spoken, he glanced down below. The clouds brushed past his face, revealing a pair of narrow, elongated eyes like cold stars. The wind blew his black hair, and his pitch-black robes rustled, contrasting with his face like ice and snow—noble, proud, unapproachable.

“I… I didn’t mean to…” The girl’s eyes brimmed with tears, her lips pressed together, her fingers nearly twisting her sash to shreds. “Isn’t Kongsen always the place where spiritual beasts are let out to roam? I never thought… someone would break in…”

The black-robed man paid her no mind, examining the frightened Hu Sha, then asked coldly, “Who are you? Kongsen is a forbidden area of Qingyuan Mountain. What are you doing here?”

Hu Sha hadn’t yet recovered from his snow-like appearance and simply stared blankly.

The black-robed man said indifferently, “My junior martial sister’s spiritual beast has mistakenly injured you, miss. I apologize on her behalf and ask that you quickly leave this place.”

Hu Sha didn’t hear what he said at all. Her attention was entirely focused on the auspicious clouds and mist beneath their feet. They could ride clouds! Could they be the immortals of Qingyuan Mountain?

“Miss, please leave as soon as possible.” The black-robed man looked at her with some impatience.

Hu Sha murmured, “But… I came to seek discipleship…”

“Seek discipleship?” He was somewhat surprised. “The path for seeking discipleship is not this way—it’s at the front mountain. Please go through the main gate there, miss. If you can pass the trials, you will naturally achieve your wish.”

The front mountain… Good grief, where was the front mountain? Thinking about how she still had to climb down from the cliff and follow the original path to find some front mountain, Hu Sha’s legs went weak.

The black-robed man thought for a moment and said, “Very well, since my martial niece frightened you, I’ll help you this once and send you to the front mountain. Close your eyes!”

Hu Sha hurriedly obeyed and tightly closed her eyes. She felt a cool breeze blow against her face, and in just the blink of an eye, she heard him say, “We’ve arrived. Take care!”

So fast? Hu Sha quickly opened her eyes and saw that the scene before her was indeed completely different. Her surroundings were full of greenery, flowers everywhere, colorful butterflies flitting about—a lively and bustling scene, utterly incomparable to that Kongsen forbidden area from earlier. Before her was a straight, wide mountain path leading upward—she couldn’t see the end at all. Presumably, following it up would lead to the main gate.

Hu Sha let out a long breath. Fine, she’d walk it one more time.

She tightened the bundle on her back and was just about to take a step when she suddenly noticed a white shadow flash by. She turned around in surprise and saw a white-robed youth leaning under a tree, about seventeen or eighteen years old, with soft long hair draped over his shoulders. From her angle, she couldn’t see the youth’s face clearly—only some beautifully curved profile.

The youth held a book in his hands, lifting his other hand to pluck the tree’s tenderest, newest leaf, then carefully tucking it between the pages. Only then did he turn around, meeting her eyes directly. Seeing her staring at him blankly, he smiled slightly, his eyes clear as water.

Like the gentlest, clearest spring breeze brushing across her face, Hu Sha distinctly felt the heat suddenly rising from her cheeks.

Because her father was a fire-dwelling Daoist, Hu Sha had grown up playing with a group of young Daoist boys, unlike other young ladies who would blush and feel shy when seeing men. She had always been generous, yet somehow this time, in front of this youth, she felt rather awkward. He made her think of the leisurely, peaceful white clouds in the sky. Hu Sha unconsciously touched her disheveled hair and clothes, only hoping he wouldn’t notice her travel-worn appearance, yet also afraid he would look away the next moment.

“Coming to Qingyuan Mountain to seek discipleship?” He suddenly asked, his voice gentle, slightly deep.

Hu Sha stammered, “Yes… yes. I… I just took the wrong path and met an immortal who… who brought me here!”

She herself didn’t know why she needed to explain these irrelevant things. How foolish—how embarrassing.

The youth didn’t mind her slight loss of composure at all and pointed toward the mountain, “Follow this path and you won’t go wrong again. You’ll reach the main gate in less than half an hour.”

Hu Sha said her thanks, turned and walked a few steps, but ultimately couldn’t help turning back to look at him again. Yet under the tree there was no one left—only a few rays of sunlight shining through the gaps in the leaves onto the grass. He hadn’t even left a footprint, disappearing soundlessly.

She suspected she had seen an illusion earlier and couldn’t help shaking her head, as if trying to shake out the youth’s voice and appearance, yet her heart felt a strange emptiness, not yet understanding the reason.

“Hu Sha!” She softly encouraged herself, “Have some backbone! Don’t become infatuated just from seeing a handsome man! Your gorgeous husband is still waiting for you to go back and get married!”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she heard someone ahead ask with a laugh, “What husband?”

She was so startled she nearly rolled off the mountain path. After managing to steady herself against a tree, she looked up to see that the white-robed youth hadn’t gone far but was leaning against another large tree, still treasuring that thread-bound book in his hands.

He looked at Hu Sha’s face, which alternated between green and red, with great interest and said, “Qingyuan has a rule—those who have been married for less than five years cannot seek discipleship. If you have a husband at the foot of the mountain, you’d better leave early.”

“I… I don’t have one!” Hu Sha hurriedly waved her hands. “I’m not married yet. I just… made a betrothal agreement and was about to marry, but inexplicably came to this place…”

At this point, she couldn’t continue. She scratched her hair and looked at him in puzzlement, “You… who are you? How do you know about Qingyuan’s affairs?”

The youth paused, then smiled and said, “I… I’m also here to seek discipleship at Qingyuan Mountain, traveling the same path as you. You just said you inexplicably came to this place… judging by your accent, you’re not from Shengzhou? Is your hometown very far?”

Though they were complete strangers, his manner was composed and natural, without any awkwardness. Hu Sha couldn’t help but answer, “Mm, my home is very far, extremely far.”

“Being so far from home, your parents must be worried, right?”

“…Mm.” Hu Sha’s expression darkened.

The youth immediately changed the topic, “Coming to Qingyuan Mountain, what do you wish to study? To be honest with you, miss, I originally heard that one could study the arts of longevity and eternal life at Qingyuan, so I was very eager to come.”

Hu Sha smiled, “I’m just trying my luck to see if there’s an immortal I’m looking for on the mountain.”

“Oh? Miss, you actually know an immortal? Who is it?” The youth looked surprised.

Hu Sha hadn’t wanted to tell a stranger about this, but he looked so refined and leisurely, naturally producing a feeling that made her willing to trust him. She lowered her head, “I… am looking for Qingling Zhenjun. Actually… actually I don’t know him, but I must find him…”

Her words were all over the place, yet the youth nodded thoughtfully, then clasped his fists with a smile, “Chatting with you has been very interesting, miss. My name is Fang Zhun. May I know yours?”

“I’m called Hu Sha.” She introduced herself generously. “Chatting with you has also been very interesting.”

Fang Zhun closed his book, “Then… I’ll see you on the mountain. Farewell.”

With that, he turned and disappeared around the tree in the blink of an eye, gone to who knows where. Hu Sha opened her mouth wide in amazement, unable to close it for a long time. Was he human or ghost? How could someone disappear in an instant?

Unable to believe it, she searched the area for a long while. Apart from the chirping birds overhead, there was no other sound.

Ah, she had originally planned to invite him to travel together!

Hu Sha could only helplessly set out alone. After walking for about half an hour, the view ahead suddenly opened up. She saw that the mountain path before her abruptly ended five steps away—below was a bottomless abyss with surging clouds and sea. Countless huge blocks of white jade floated in midair above the abyss, stacked piece by piece upward, piling all the way to the mountain peak opposite, where an enormous tower complex was built on the cliff face.

This should be Qingyuan Mountain’s main gate. Hu Sha stared blankly at this strange scene, feeling somewhat fearful in her heart, yet even more eager to try.

She carefully stepped onto a stone block and stamped firmly—it was quite solid, just a bit narrow. If her body swayed, she might accidentally fall down.

There was no other way—the arrow was on the string and had to be released. She steeled herself and inched forward bit by bit, pretending she was walking on level ground.

For this short white jade stone path, she actually spent more time than climbing the mountain. By the time she reached the front of the main gate, the sky had nearly darkened, with large masses of colorful clouds dyeing the air—brilliantly beautiful.

It was called the main gate, but there actually was no gate—only two enormous white jade pillars with pitch-black dragons coiled around them, seemingly still rotating and dancing. Behind them was a grand hall—exceptionally magnificent amid steaming clouds and glowing vapors. In front of the gate was a huge platform, currently filled with people who should all be here to seek discipleship.

Hu Sha hesitantly walked to those two pillars. No one stopped her, but everyone looked at her—some expectant, some gleeful at her misfortune, some jealous.

Several people stood beneath the pillars, both men and women, all wearing black and white dual-colored Daoist robes, standing proudly and imposingly. Seeing Hu Sha approach, a middle-aged woman among them looked up at the sky and said loudly, “It’s getting late. This young lady will be the last one to undergo the trial.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she clapped her hands twice. Several young disciples behind her immediately unfurled a huge scroll—its surface completely blank, showing nothing at all.

The woman said, “This is the Yin-Yang Universe Diagram that my master, Xingyun Zhenren, painted three days ago. Write down what you see in the painting and give it to me. Those with immortal fate will naturally be able to glimpse the profound meaning within.”

She handed Hu Sha a brush and a blank board.

So soon? With no hints at all?

Having no choice, Hu Sha could only stare at the painting.

What Yin-Yang Universe Diagram? It was completely blank! How could immortals also play tricks on people? But to be cautious, she’d better look more carefully. She leaned in close, nearly pressing her nose against the painting, looking left and right, up and down, looking at it sideways and straight on, but it was still just a blank sheet of paper—not even an ink dot.

Hu Sha lowered her head and quickly wrote four characters: Completely blank. Then she directly handed it to the woman.

She was slightly moved and asked, “Are you certain? Won’t you change it?”

Hu Sha nodded.

The woman smiled slightly and said warmly, “Very good, young lady. What is your name? Where are you from? How old are you this year?”

“I’m called Hu Sha. I’m fifteen years old this year. I’m from… from… Jiaxing.”

The woman was slightly startled, “Jiaxing? Where is that place?”

Hu Sha mumbled, “Very… very far away.”

The woman looked a bit puzzled but still recorded her name in a register, then said, “Very good. You have passed the first trial. You may now enter. There are still more trials waiting for you.”

So there were more to come! She thought it would be done in one go! Hu Sha sighed and immediately turned around to continue searching for Fang Zhun. Among the people on the platform, some were astonished, some whispered to each other, but there was no sign of Fang Zhun. Strange—he should have arrived before her. Could he have already passed the first trial and gone up the mountain?

The woman cleared her throat and said loudly, “This was the first trial, meant to test whether you believe in your own heart and are not misled by external words. There was nothing on the painting to begin with. The Yin-Yang Universe is something that can only be understood, not expressed in words. If you are easily misled by superficial appearances and don’t trust your own heart, then there’s no meaning at all. It’s getting late. Everyone please return. If you’re interested, please come early tomorrow.”

She waved her hand. The young disciples behind her rolled up the scroll again and turned to leave. She patted Hu Sha’s shoulder, “Young lady, go on in. I hope you can pass the remaining trials.”

Hu Sha nodded, carrying eight parts excitement and anticipation and two parts trepidation, and strode toward the gate.

Halfway there, she suddenly saw all the Qingyuan Mountain disciples around her simultaneously kneel down. Those elders wearing black and white dual-colored Daoist robes also showed expressions of surprise, saying in unison, “Master Uncle Fang Zhun! What brings you here?”

Fang Zhun… Master Uncle? A single thread in Hu Sha’s brain didn’t turn the corner. Foolishly, she twisted around and saw that white-robed youth Fang Zhun standing right behind her, smiling like spring wind, his pitch-black eyes containing some mischievous expression, winking at her twice.

Hu Sha was completely dumbfounded.

He walked over with a smile and said, “Nothing to do, so I came down the mountain for a walk. Today’s first trial—only this young lady passed?”

The woman nodded, “That’s correct. But there are still later trials…”

“I think her aptitude is quite good. Let’s waive the remaining trials.” Fang Zhun said lightly, “Qingyuan also has experience going down the mountain to search for talented people. In my view, this child is intelligent, pure, and forthright—very much to my liking. Just hand her over to me.”

Everyone immediately bowed their heads in assent. The middle-aged woman was also delighted. Seeing Hu Sha still standing there in a daze, she quickly gave her a gentle push and whispered, “Master Uncle Fang Zhun wants to take you as his disciple! Hurry up and kneel down to kowtow to him!”

“Ko… kowtow? But…” Hu Sha hadn’t reacted yet, staring blankly at Fang Zhun. His dark eyes were gentle and smiling. In that instant, she suddenly understood why he knew so much about Qingyuan Mountain—he was someone from Qingyuan Mountain!

Hu Sha was lost in thought for a long while. Finally, she slowly knelt down and respectfully kowtowed to him three times, saying loudly, “Disciple Hu Sha pays respects to… Master!”

Master—he had become her master… Hu Sha didn’t know what to feel in her heart.

Fang Zhun bent down and gently helped her up, saying with a smile, “No need for such formalities. From today, you are my third disciple. In the future, you must be diligent and studious, not lazy, and must not commit any acts of defiance. Do you understand?”

Hu Sha nodded.

The middle-aged woman said, “Then I’ll immediately go to Chenxing Tower to add her name to the disciple registry. Only, I wonder what Daoist title Master Uncle wishes to give her? If I remember correctly, both of Master Uncle’s disciples are of the Feng generation. Since she is female, naturally she cannot share the same generation name as male disciples. Should she be classified under the Bai generation with female disciples of the same generation?”

Fang Zhun shook his head, “No need to be constrained by this. Just write her actual name. If there’s a suitable Daoist title in the future, we’ll amend it together.”

The woman said “Yes,” bowed respectfully, turned and hurriedly left.

Hu Sha stood there, not knowing what to do for a moment, when she suddenly heard Fang Zhun say, “Let’s go. From now on you’ll live at Zhiyan Retreat. Come with me and meet your two martial brothers.”

Hu Sha said “Oh,” lifted her foot to walk, then suddenly remembered that disciples shouldn’t walk in front of their master. She quickly drew back and said respectfully, “Please… please Master go first.”

Fang Zhun nodded and led her through the gate.

He had actually truly become her master! Such a youth, who looked only a few years older than herself, actually had such high seniority—even those old men at the gate had to call him “Master Uncle.” Could it be he was actually older than her grandfather?

Sigh, earlier on the way, she had said so many foolish things to him. He must have been laughing his head off inside. Thinking back on it, Hu Sha regretted it to death.

“Hu Sha… Hu Sha?” He called her from up ahead.

She immediately came to her senses and said respectfully, “Yes, what are Master’s instructions?” Thinking that he might actually be older than her grandfather—just appeared younger—Hu Sha involuntarily developed some respect and no longer dared to be as presumptuous as before.

Fang Zhun said warmly, “You needn’t be afraid. At the foot of the mountain, I didn’t reveal my identity because I wanted to see what kind of person you were—I wasn’t deliberately playing tricks on you. I hope you won’t take offense.”

“I won’t! No offense, no offense!” She hurriedly waved her hands.

Fang Zhun smiled serenely, “I am Jinting Shenjun’s last disciple. Because I suffered a serious illness when I was seventeen, my appearance hasn’t changed much in three hundred years. Now that you’re my disciple, many disciples in the sect who are a hundred years old will have to call you ‘Martial Sister,’ so there’s no need to be too concerned about some things.”

Three… three hundred years old! Hu Sha was shocked. This wasn’t just about the same as her grandfather—he was at great-grandfather level!

“Master… is an immortal. Immortals don’t age.” Hu Sha said innocently.

Fang Zhun shook his head, “Immortals also age and die—they just live longer than ordinary people. Only the celestial gods above the Nine Heavens are truly immortal. Actually…” He paused, “Many people come to seek discipleship for the art of eternal life, but eternal life is not a happy thing. At least for mortals, limited life is most precious.”

Hu Sha nodded silently, half-understanding.

“You have two martial brothers who entered the sect seventy and fifty years before you, respectively. If you have any inconveniences in daily life or encounter things you don’t understand in cultivation, you can consult them. I hope you can all get along harmoniously.”

Having spoken, he grabbed Hu Sha’s hand and said in a low voice, “Keep up. I’m going to use the Earth-Shrinking technique.”

Zhiyan Retreat was located on a side peak of Qingyuan Mountain, separated from the front mountain gate by two mountain peaks.

Two mountain peaks—generally speaking, with sufficient provisions of dried food and water, walking day and night without stopping, one could walk it in three days. Walking even faster, two days would be no problem.

However, Hu Sha calculated that from the front mountain gate to this place, they had only spent less than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense. Could this be the miraculous aspect of “Earth-Shrinking”?

Looking back at Fang Zhun, he was still a delicate, slender youth, unchanged in the slightest. But if before Hu Sha had been somewhat unwilling about becoming his disciple, by now that unwillingness had completely transformed into shock and admiration.

An immortal! A true immortal! If her old father knew she had taken an immortal as her master, he might laugh himself awake even in his dreams.

This was an ice-bound mountaintop—everywhere the eye could see was covered in ice and snow. In the center should be a huge lake that had been completely frozen over. The ice surface was as smooth as a mirror, and Zhiyan Retreat was built on a small island in the middle of the lake.

“We’re here.”

Fang Zhun gently released her hand. Hu Sha was immediately knocked down into a snowdrift by the oncoming blizzard and couldn’t get up for a long time.

Cold! So cold! How could it be this cold? Judging by this situation, would she have to huddle in blankets shivering every day living here from now on?

Fang Zhun pulled her out of the pit like pulling out a little puppy, patting the accumulated snow from her body while sighing, “I forgot you’re just an ordinary mortal and probably can’t withstand the severe cold here. Previously, disciples who came to Qingyuan to seek training all had some foundation, so I overlooked this problem.”

Hu Sha’s lips were frozen purple. She barely managed a smile, “Master… I… I’ll work hard…”

To prevent this disciple from freezing to death just after arriving, he had no choice but to hold her hand again, using his immortal power to protect her body until her lips slowly returned to their normal color before leading her forward.

“Master, is Zhiyan Retreat… also this cold?” Hu Sha asked cautiously, secretly regretting not asking Lu Daniang to borrow some quilts and cotton clothes to bring up the mountain.

Fang Zhun shook his head, “The island has no distinction between cold and heat. But if you want to cultivate, you must first overcome this fear of cold and heat.”

Having spoken, he suddenly stopped, his eyes fixed intently on the smooth ice surface of the lake. Hu Sha looked over in confusion and saw amid the white snow covering the mountains, a black dot was slowly moving toward them.

In one blink, the black dot became the size of a green bean. In another blink, it was already about the size of a pear.

It was a person wearing a gaudy, colorful robe, riding a snow-white beast beneath him, walking at leisure on the mirror-smooth ice surface as if strolling through a courtyard.

In the blink of an eye, the person and beast had reached them. The person leaned against the beast’s head, propping up his chin with his hand, smiling as he looked over, his eyes narrow and upturned, brilliant as stars.

“I wondered why Master sneaked down the mountain without telling us. Turns out he brought back a little martial sister.” His tone was casual and teasing, without a trace of fear toward his master.

Fang Zhun’s brows furrowed slightly, though there was no reproach in his expression. He said lightly, “Feng Yi, why did you bring the Snow Suanni out?”

Feng Yi patted the Snow Suanni’s head. It shook its head joyfully, its large paw repeatedly slapping against Fang Zhun in flattery, looking rather like a large cat.

“Master went out, Martial Brother also ran out. When no one’s around, this child cries. I saw it was pitiful, so I brought it out to welcome Master and little martial sister.”

Fang Zhun reached out and touched the Snow Suanni’s head.

“Come, meet your martial sister. Her name is Hu Sha.” He pushed Hu Sha forward. “Call him ‘Second Martial Brother.'”

Hu Sha’s nose and face were frozen bright red. Having just fallen into a snowdrift, she was thoroughly bedraggled all over. Hearing this was her martial brother, she quickly clasped her fists in greeting, “Hu Sha greets Second Martial Brother…” Before she finished speaking, the gray dress on her body fell down—apparently, her waist sash had broken in that fall.

“Ah!” She immediately shrieked, hastily grabbing her dress. For a moment she felt utterly humiliated, wishing she could immediately dive into a snowdrift and never come out.

This was it—her face was completely lost. She was so embarrassed she didn’t even dare lift her head, completely not daring to look at the reactions of the two people opposite her.

Feng Yi jumped off the Snow Suanni’s back, walked over crunching through the snow, and lifted his hand to drape his gaudy, flower-patterned robe over her shoulders.

“It’s bitterly cold here. Little martial sister must take care and not fall ill.” He patted her shoulder, smiling with his eyes curved like two crescents.

Hu Sha nodded meekly, her ears burning hotly.

Fang Zhun said in a low voice, “Where did Feng Di go?”

Feng Yi shook his head, “I don’t know. People from the Wuqu Department came several times today, all to discuss next year’s martial hall assignments with him. Martial Brother doesn’t know where he went—he still hasn’t returned.”

Fang Zhun said nothing. After a while, the sound of bells came from a distant mountaintop—three long, three short. He said, “Very well. It must be our sect master calling everyone to discuss the Immortal Arts Convention. I must go. Feng Yi, take Hu Sha back and explain Qingyuan’s rules to her. If Feng Di returns, tell him to find me at Yuhua Hall.”

Having spoken, his sleeves moved slightly, and in the blink of an eye he vanished.

Feng Yi answered “Yes” and turned to smile slightly at Hu Sha, “Come, little martial sister. I’ll have the Snow Suanni carry you back so you won’t be cold.”

He patted the Snow Suanni’s back. This spiritual beast was apparently quite displeased, its azure eyes full of hostility as it glared at Hu Sha, emitting threatening low growls from its throat.

Hu Sha retreated two steps, waving her hands repeatedly, “No… no need… I’ll walk… walk over!”

“What’s there to be afraid of? It won’t bite you!” Feng Yi directly reached under her arms, lifted her in one motion, and tossed her onto the Snow Suanni’s back. It immediately reacted, forcefully turning its head around to continue murdering her with its vicious eyes. Its front paws restlessly scratched at the ground. The hard ice surface cracked with a hissing sound under its clawing.

Hu Sha’s legs immediately went weak. She quickly jumped down, “I think I’d better walk myself.”

Feng Yi patted the Snow Suanni’s head and said curiously, “Interesting. I’ve never seen you so hostile to anyone before. Could it be because little martial sister is female? You’ve even learned jealousy.”

The Snow Suanni looked embarrassed at having its weakness exposed, stubbornly refusing to yield while also haughtily and disdainfully glancing at Hu Sha.

Feng Yi smiled, “Sorry, little martial sister. This Snow Suanni is female and still young—we’ve spoiled her.”

Hu Sha was just about to shake her head and say she didn’t mind when she suddenly heard him say again, “Then we’ll have to do it this way. Pardon the offense.” She felt the world spin. Apparently he had pulled her onto the Snow Suanni’s back again. Before the spiritual beast could protest, he also jumped up leisurely, leaning his body sideways against its spine, patting it with his hand, “Let’s go, little darling. If you keep throwing tantrums, we won’t like you anymore.”

It let out an aggrieved humming sound from its nose, reluctantly spreading its four paws and running across the ice surface—fast and steady.

Feng Yi leaned sideways, lazily playing with the soft fur on its back with his fingers, while casually asking, “Where is little martial sister from? I see you’re quite young—why did you come to Qingyuan to seek discipleship?”

Because he was leaning so close to her, his chest seemingly about to press against her back at any moment, Hu Sha felt unbearably awkward. Yet she didn’t dare move, only saying softly, “I’m… from Jiaxing. Second Martial Brother probably hasn’t heard of this place… I came to Qingyuan also because of… circumstantial coincidence.”

The body behind her suddenly stiffened. He murmured, “Jiaxing? You’re from Jiaxing? How did you…”

Hu Sha said curiously, “Second Martial Brother knows of Jiaxing?”

After a long while, he suddenly propped himself up, his tone still lazy, “Never heard of it, so I found it strange.”

Hu Sha turned to look at him. Now that she was closer, she found his eyes pitch-black as night, his features truly quite beautiful. Thinking again of the outer robe she wore that was also his—this gaudy, flowery robe would only make others look foolish, but on him it was both flamboyant and elegant.

Her shoulder suddenly warmed—it was his hand resting there. Hu Sha’s body trembled slightly. She heard his voice close to her ear, carrying warm breath, “We’re about to jump. Don’t move.”

The Snow Suanni leaped up, jumping more than ten zhang high, landing lightly and gracefully on the small island in the lake. Wind and snow billowed up their clothing. An indescribable subtle fragrance emanated from his garments. His arm pressed tightly around her waist. Hu Sha’s face flushed red as a peach blossom.

The image of him riding the Snow Suanni then—flowered robes and black hair, leisurely manner, treading elegantly through the snow—was like a painting, spinning around and around in her mind, impossible to forget.

A few green bamboo stalks, several thatched cottages—this was the Zhiyan Retreat Hu Sha saw. It was completely different from the magnificent, otherworldly immortal dwellings she had imagined—more like an ordinary farming family’s small courtyard, as if chickens and ducks might run out at any moment.

The island had no distinction between cold and heat, warm as spring, completely different from the raging wind and snow outside. Occasionally there were unusual sounds in the bamboo grove. What flew out were not ordinary magpies or crows but colorful phoenixes and luan birds. Before the house were clusters of green bamboo; behind it were several beds of apricot blossoms—appearing especially peaceful and joyful.

Having arrived at its own territory, the Snow Suanni, which had been holding its breath all the way, finally found an opportunity for revenge. Its body shook, and with a “plop” Hu Sha fell to the ground. It snorted through its nose, glanced at her disdainfully, and walked away swishing its tail.

“It… seems not to like me very much.” Hu Sha laughed dryly. Suddenly thinking of something, she first tied up her broken waist sash properly, making sure the dress wouldn’t fall down again, then quickly took off the large robe draped over her, meticulously brushing off the dust, before respectfully holding it out with both hands to return it to Feng Yi.

“The Snow Suanni has a proud temperament. Unless someone can make it submit, it treats everyone this way.” Feng Yi took the robe and casually draped it over his shoulder, watching the snow-white spiritual beast jump onto the roof one moment, roll on the ground the next, then finally run over happily and rub its head against his chest as if claiming credit.

Just like a dog! Hu Sha secretly wiped away sweat.

“Alright, I’ll take you to your room.” Feng Yi beckoned to her. They walked through the flowers, went around the apricot grove. Behind were several more side-by-side houses, built of blue stone.

There was no lock on the door. He directly pushed open the door of the middle room. Inside, table, chairs, bed, and furnishings were all complete. Besides that, there were no decorations at all—even the bedding was extremely plain lotus-green.

“Little martial sister will live here from now on. Feng Di, martial brother, and I live on either side of you. If you need anything, don’t be shy—just knock on the door.” Having finished speaking, he turned to leave, then suddenly remembered something and turned back with a lazy smile, “Right, Master told me to explain some of Qingyuan’s rules to you, but that’s too troublesome. Rules and such—if you stay here long enough, you’ll understand them yourself. Just remember two things: go to Ruoyan Hall at the summit every day for roll call to listen to lectures, and when you meet those master uncles, great-uncles and such, be humble. Nothing else is particularly important.”

Hu Sha nodded repeatedly, nearly nodding her head off. Feng Yi saw she didn’t say a word or ask anything, and found it novel. He smiled, “How is it? Are you a bit disappointed? This place is completely different from the magnificent immortal mountains mortals imagine.”

Hu Sha had been nodding all along but now hurriedly shook her head frantically, nearly getting a cramp, “No… no! It’s quite nice like this!” If it were really one of those imposing immortal palace halls, she would feel uncomfortable instead.

“This place… feels like… like home.” She smiled somewhat shyly.

Home? Feng Yi’s brow twitched slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

“Tomorrow for roll call at Ruoyan Hall, these clothes won’t do.” He glanced somewhat disdainfully at her gray, dingy dress hem with the corner of his eye. She was gray all over, like a sparrow. “Change into something more presentable.”

Hu Sha patted her small bundle and smiled lightly, “No need. All my clothes are like this. Going up the mountain to cultivate isn’t a competition about who dresses better. The immortals won’t blame me for such a small matter.”

“As you like.” Feng Yi lazily pushed the door and walked out, suddenly adding, “Right, the first step of cultivation is abstaining from grains. The five grains aren’t beneficial for cultivation. If you get hungry, there’s nothing on the island for you to eat.”

No food? Hu Sha jumped up, her stomach very unhelpfully growling on cue.

Feng Yi, seeing he’d finally managed to shock her, smiled with satisfaction and closed the door to leave, leaving Hu Sha with a green face, frantically rummaging through her bundle, hoping there was some unfinished dried food left.

This was a grave problem. To go home she had to find Qingling Zhenjun. To find Qingling Zhenjun she had to first remain at Qingyuan as a disciple. But to be a disciple she had to cultivate, and to cultivate she couldn’t eat! From this, it was clear that before going home, she would definitely first become a starved ghost.

Hu Sha lay on the bed thinking herself into knots, nearly pulling out all her hair without coming up with a solution. She didn’t know if it was psychological or something else, but she felt increasingly hungry. Her stomach rumbled incessantly. Her eyes stared blankly at the frolicking Snow Suanni outside the window—round, white, soft—it looked like a big steamed bun.

Hungry, so hungry… Hu Sha lay on the windowsill in tears, powerless and dazed.

Below the windowsill it was bright green, with two strange little flowers growing—ice-blue petals with deep and shallow black patterns. When blown by the wind, they looked just like human faces, now crying, now laughing.

She couldn’t help reaching out to touch them. Her fingertips had just touched the petals when a cold voice overhead said, “Who are you? How did you get in here?”

She hurriedly looked up and saw a black-robed man standing before her—the very person she’d met at Qingyuan’s forbidden area this morning. She blurted out, “Ah, immortal!”

The black-robed man was also startled, “…It’s you. How are you here?”

“I… I took a master as my teacher…” Hu Sha hurriedly explained, completely unaware of the grammatical error in her words.

The man saw her finger still forcefully tugging at those two little flowers below the windowsill and couldn’t help furrowing his brow. He said coldly, “Don’t move. Didn’t anyone tell you that all around Zhiyan Retreat are precious medicinal herbs?”

Hu Sha shamefully pulled her hand back quickly, too embarrassed to know what to say.

Feng Yi’s voice came from behind, “Is that martial brother? Where did you go? The people from the Wuqu Department looked for you all day.”

The man’s brow furrowed even deeper. A trace of embarrassment appeared on his face. He said in a low voice, “I was just walking around… Did the people from the Wuqu Department leave any letters?”

Feng Yi walked over unhurriedly, draped in his flowered robe, smiling as he said, “Could it be you got lost again? I say, martial brother, you’ve been here twenty years longer than me. How is it that apart from Zhiyan Retreat and the front mountain gate, you get lost wherever you go?”

A suspicious red cloud flashed across the man’s face. He said coldly, “Stop talking nonsense. Is there a letter?”

Feng Yi took a wax-sealed letter from his sleeve and handed it to him, “Master wants you to go find him at Yuhua Hall.”

The man stuffed the envelope in his sleeve, then turned to look at Hu Sha again. He paused before saying, “Earlier at the front mountain I heard the young disciples say Master took on another new disciple. Could it be her?”

Feng Yi smiled, “You really did get lost—you actually got lost all the way to the front mountain! That’s right. This is our little martial sister from now on, named Hu Sha. Little martial sister, this is eldest martial brother Feng Di.”

So he was her eldest martial brother! Hu Sha immediately felt immensely honored. Thinking that in the future she too could ride clouds and soar in the sky like him, being hungry didn’t seem like such a big deal.

She fawningly and admiringly called out, “Eldest Martial Brother.”

Feng Di looked her up and down somewhat unexpectedly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. After a long while he only said, “Why would Master choose a completely foundationless mortal?”

Hu Sha’s fawning, enthusiastic smiling face was looking rather unsustainable.

Feng Yi came over to smooth things over, “Before cultivation, who isn’t a mortal? Everything has a beginning. Little martial sister is still so young, and how old are we? As martial brothers, we should have this much patience.”

Feng Di was rushing to handle business and hastily nodded before leaving. The Snow Suanni, which had been pestering him to play, immediately whimpered and cried, lying on the ground throwing a tantrum, refusing to be quiet. Feng Yi squatted in front of it scratching its belly while saying in a low voice, “Master’s health isn’t good. These years he really can’t personally guide disciples in cultivation. Nine times out of ten, he’ll call eldest martial brother to teach you. So though he’s your martial brother in name, you must treat him with the respect due a master. You mustn’t be disrespectful.”

Hu Sha smiled apologetically, “Then… what is meant by the respect due a master…”

Feng Yi held up two fingers, very seriously, “Two ‘Whatever’s’—whatever eldest martial brother says is right, and whatever eldest martial brother doesn’t approve of is wrong. Just remember these two points.”

Hu Sha looked everywhere for a little notebook to write down these two essential sentences, then suddenly thought of something and asked curiously, “Then… will Second Martial Brother also teach me cultivation?”

Feng Yi propped up his chin with a slight smile, “Me? I’m not a good teacher. With a girl as cute as you, how could I bear to torment you? That can only rely on that eldest martial brother who doesn’t understand what cherishing fragrant jade means.”

Cu… cute? Hu Sha’s face heated up again, her heart pounding wildly. She couldn’t help stealing glances at him.

That colorful, gaudy robe, that lazy, casual manner, that smile that always seemed somewhat ill-intentioned—the more she looked, the more she felt—he looked like a libertine. Could Second Martial Brother be the legendary smooth-talking, unserious rogue with women?

Hu Sha instinctively moved away from him a bit.

“What? Want Second Martial Brother to teach you? Really want that?” Feng Yi saw her face alternating between red and green and couldn’t help wanting to tease her again. “Then tonight I’ll speak with Master and have me guide cute little martial sister.”

“No… no need!” Hu Sha quickly refused. “Eldest Martial Brother… is quite good, quite good!”

Of course, how she would cry tears of regret in the future, regretting why she hadn’t agreed to Second Martial Brother today—that we’ll leave aside for now.

That night, Hu Sha tossed and turned on the unfamiliar bed, unable to sleep well.

She missed home. She was hungry.

She didn’t know how her parents were doing in that distant world, whether they thought of her every day. She missed her parents very much, missed the incense hall and shrine she used to hate, and the fragrant incense smoke that filled the house. She missed meat dumplings, missed beef soup, missed lotus leaf chicken… Her mouth watered with longing, making it even harder to sleep.

In a daze, she heard someone knocking at the door. Eldest Martial Brother Feng Di’s cold voice sounded outside the door, “Get up. It’s already past the hour of Yin.”

Hu Sha groggily sat up from bed, still not clear about where she was. The door was suddenly pushed open. That black figure swept in like a whirlwind and lifted her right out of the blankets.

“Get up. From now on, wake up every day at the hour of Yin to train. No laziness allowed.”

She was tossed onto the ground, put on her shoes in complete confusion, and followed him out the door. Outside, the sky was dark and gloomy, the moon still hanging in the sky, not yet fallen.

“Eldest Martial Brother… I… where are we going?” Hu Sha asked fearfully.

The black figure striding ahead didn’t even turn his head back. He said coldly, “You have no foundation whatsoever—how can you cultivate? First get your body in shape.”

Hu Sha nodded in sudden understanding. Right, the body was the capital of cultivation. As expected of Eldest Martial Brother—his words carried such weight! Her admiration for Eldest Martial Brother in her heart surged like the endless Yangtze River.

Finally arriving at the frozen lake, Hu Sha was already jumping up and down from the cold, unable to sit or stand still. Feng Di finally stopped at the lakeside and pointed decisively at the lake surface, “Go. Run ten laps around the lake below, then come up and practice horse stance.”

Crack! Hu Sha heard the sound of her jaw dropping to the ground.

“That… the surface is all ice. I… should I wear more clothes?” Hu Sha smiled pitifully.

Feng Di didn’t even look at her. He said lightly, “No need. Get down there.”

Having no choice, she gritted her teeth and jumped down. As soon as both feet landed, she immediately slid far away across the ice with a whoosh.

She wanted to cry so badly.

Her stomach was starving, and she still had to run with difficulty on slippery ice in thin clothing facing wind and snow. After finally running one lap with her life on the line, just wanting to rest a moment and catch her breath, she heard that cold, emotionless voice from above say, “Too slow. Don’t stop. If the next lap is this slow again, you’ll be punished with five more laps.”

In that instant, Hu Sha felt the road home was utterly, hopelessly distant.

Looking back at Feng Di again, that handsome face like ice and snow now appeared in her eyes as—a demon, a demon!

Thus, the first day’s training results ended with Hu Sha tearfully trembling in horse stance before finally being unable to hold on and fainting.

Hu Sha was dragged up to Ruoyan Hall at the summit to listen to lectures in a half-asleep, half-awake state. She only vaguely remembered that many people along the way greeted her, calling her “Martial Sister” or “Master Uncle,” and even “Master Grand-Uncle” appeared. Only then did she understand how high her master’s seniority at Qingyuan was.

It was said that the person who established the sect and taught disciples at Qingyuan was a famous earth immortal, Jinting Patriarch. Translated to her world, he would be the legendary founding sect leader. And her master Fang Zhun was this founding sect leader’s last disciple.

The distribution of Qingyuan Mountain was rather complex—this department and that department, this branch and that branch. Hu Sha had never quite figured out how it all worked.

Supposedly, to care for his beloved young disciple’s new disciple, Jinting Patriarch had specially explained it in detail during roll call lectures. Unfortunately, Hu Sha had fallen asleep sitting on the meditation cushion, dreaming beautiful dreams of feasting lavishly, wasting the Patriarch’s painstaking efforts.

In her dream, she vaguely felt someone pinching her arm. Hu Sha moved, responded not at all, smacked her lips, and continued sleeping.