Kanashir, also known as Qianlan Mountain, is an ancient name meaning "Jade of Mobei."
Outside Qianlan Mountain lies a vast desert, constantly ravaged by wind and sand. But inside, the scenery changes drastically. Snow still blankets the peaks, and young eagles are pushed off cliffs by their parents, desperately flapping their wings to fly. A fluffy squirrel peeks out from a pine tree, its dark eyes darting around, while a plump tiger cub rolls in the snow, only to be promptly dragged back to the nest by its mother.
The true treasure of Mobei is hidden in a valley deep within the mountains.
Yu Mo raised his hand and pressed it against the massive ancient tree before him. A clear handprint appeared on the thick trunk, followed by a rumbling sound as snow tumbled from the branches, revealing a hidden corridor within the trunk. With a flick of his sleeve, he walked inside, followed closely by Yan Dan.
They wandered through the dark tree tunnel until, suddenly, bright sunlight blinded them. As their eyes adjusted, they saw a breathtaking scene: vibrant flowers, lush green grass, sparkling lakes, and a warm breeze caressing their faces. The cold spring outside the valley seemed like a distant memory.
Yu Mo narrowed his eyes slightly and remarked, "There's no place like home."
Yan Dan looked around, puzzled. "Dan Shu would usually be here at this time, waiting for me to return and tell him stories. Why isn’t he here today?"
Yu Mo's mouth twitched as if he were about to say something, but before he could, a shrill cry echoed from afar. Something tumbled down the mountain and crawled towards them, sobbing, "A coffin! A coffin over there! Mountain Master, it's so scary!" The speaker was a child with ears on his head and a tail poking out from his clothes, which were tangled and disheveled.
Yu Mo frowned. "Where is the Master of Zilin Mountain?"
"The Master is missing, and there's a coffin in his room!" the child wailed.
Yu Mo grabbed him by the collar and shoved him toward Yan Dan. "Quiet this little brat down immediately!"
Yan Dan gently stroked the child’s soft ears and coaxed, "Dan Shu, be good. Don’t cry. I’ll tell you a big secret about the Master of Zilin Mountain, okay?"
Dan Shu's ears perked up, and though tears still shimmered in his eyes, curiosity won out. "What secret?"
Yan Dan wiggled her finger teasingly. "Do you know the true identity of the mighty Master of Zilin Mountain?"
Dan Shu's tail wagged excitedly. "What is it?"
Yan Dan leaned in, her voice soft and conspiratorial. "I’ll tell you, but you must promise not to cry anymore. Lord Yu Mo will take us to see the coffin soon, and if you cry again, he might make you watch over the coffin for the rest of your life."
Dan Shu shivered at the thought and quickly shook his head. "I won't cry anymore, I promise! Please, Lord, don’t make me take care of the coffin!"
Yu Mo closed his eyes, barely suppressing his exasperation.
Yan Dan patted Dan Shu’s head and whispered, "I’ll let you in on a secret—the true form of the Lord of Zilin Mountain is a mountain turtle, the kind that hides so well you’d never see it even if it were right in front of you."
"Pff—" Dan Shu burst into laughter, quickly covering his mouth with his hands as his big eyes darted around mischievously.
Yu Mo sighed and silently repeated in his mind, "Zilin, I’m sorry for revealing your shocking secret." Then he said aloud, "Let’s go see what’s happening at Zilin Mountain."
Inside the bedroom, they found a coffin made of fine poplar wood, its thick surface revealing nothing when tapped. Atop the coffin stood an intricately carved beast with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion, its fierce gaze fixed on them.
Several bricks on the floor had been pried up, exposing the black soil beneath, and half the coffin was buried in the earth.
Dan Shu clung to Yan Dan, trying to make himself as small as possible, but suddenly his collar tightened, and he was pulled forward. Yan Dan brushed his fluffy tail and reassured him, "Don’t be afraid, it’s just a coffin."
Yu Mo remained silent as he examined the coffin, then pulled a short knife from a nearby rack and wedged it into the seam. With a slight effort, poplar sawdust fell away. Yan Dan observed, "It seems this coffin hasn’t been closed for long. The lid and the body aren’t fully sealed. Could it be that someone was recently placed inside?"
Dan Shu trembled violently. Yan Dan pointed to the snarling beast on the coffin and slowly said, "This beast is meant to suppress evil spirits. I wonder what’s inside this coffin?"
Dan Shu shook even more, but Yan Dan suddenly patted him on the shoulder. "You’re right."
"W-what?" he stammered.
"I’ll tell you a story," Yan Dan continued, her voice teasing. "It happened in Qingshi Town. There was a child, about your age, from a poor family. When his father died, they couldn’t afford a proper burial, so they had to take him to a mass grave..."
Yan Dan’s tale was enough to send Dan Shu scrambling on all fours to Yu Mo's feet, pleading, "I don't want to hear any more stories! Mountain Master, please don’t open the coffin, it’s too scary!"
Yu Mo picked him up and scolded, "You're a wolf demon, and you're afraid of ghosts? You’re bringing shame to the wolf clan!"
Ignoring Yu Mo, Yan Dan continued her story, "The poor child who was your age died at home. His eyes bulged, his face turned purple, and his corpse reeked. Flies and maggots crawled all over him, gnawing at his flesh and bones..."
Yu Mo finally interrupted, "Yan Dan!"
She pouted, reluctantly agreeing, "Fine, I'll finish the story another time."
Dan Shu trembled again at the thought, wishing he could curl up into his tail and hide behind his mountain master.
With a firm push, Yu Mo forced the coffin lid open, revealing its contents. He glanced inside, his expression unreadable. Without a word, he yanked his clothes free from Dan Shu's grip and walked away.
Curious, Yan Dan stepped forward, eager to see what was inside. Suddenly, a pair of hands shot out from the coffin, gripping its edges.
Startled, Yan Dan stumbled back. Dan Shu clamped a hand over his mouth, fighting back tears. Yan Dan’s earlier warning echoed in his mind: "If you cry again, the mountain master will make you guard the coffin for the rest of your life." So, despite his fear, Dan Shu kept quiet, his tears only welling up in his eyes.
Then, with a loud thud, a mummy jumped out of the coffin. Its face was torn, eyes bulging, and its skin a sickly purple—just as Yan Dan had described. The mummy staggered towards them, emitting a faint gurgling sound.
Yan Dan quickly grabbed Dan Shu's collar. "I'll tell you a big secret about the Lord of Zilin Mountain. Want to hear it? It’s about his true form."
The mummy lurched forward, shouting, "Don’t you dare tell! If you do, I’ll—"
"Lord of Zilin Mountain?!" Dan Shu gasped, his mouth wide enough to catch flies.
In a flash, the mummy transformed into the Lord of Zilin Mountain, now standing before them in a dark green robe. His long black hair cascaded down to his waist, and his features were strikingly handsome. Yan Dan stepped forward and greeted him with a slight bow, a playful smile on her lips. "Lord Zilin, you were just trying to scare us, weren’t you?"
Zilin crossed his arms and huffed, "I was resting peacefully, and you decided to disturb me. Consider yourselves lucky I didn’t punish you severely."
Dan Shu leaned over to Yan Dan and whispered, "Why does the Lord of the Mountain like to sleep in a coffin and bury himself in the ground?"
Yan Dan stifled a laugh. "What do you think his true form is?"
Dan Shu let out a long “Oh.” The once-intimidating mountain master no longer seemed so fearsome now that he knew his secret. He couldn’t help but giggle. "The Lord’s green robe—it looks just like the moss on a tortoise shell, doesn’t it?"
Yan Dan was taken aback, but her amusement quickly faded.
Zilin’s sharp ears caught every word about tortoise shells and moss, and his expression darkened. Before he could react, Yan Dan scooped up Dan Shu and dashed behind Yu Mo.
Yu Mo, standing outside, suddenly found Yan Dan and Dan Shu huddled behind him. He saw Zilin’s furious face approaching. "Yu Mo, move aside! I’m going to kill that wolf cub and that meddling lotus spirit today!"
Yu Mo sighed, a bitter smile on his lips. "Calm down. Let’s talk this over. What exactly did they do wrong?"
Dan Shu quivered on the ground, tears streaming down his cheeks.
Yan Dan whispered to Yu Mo, “Dan Shu just said that Zilin’s green robe looks like a tortoise shell covered with moss.”
Yu Mo stifled a cough and quickly interceded, pulling the enraged Zilin aside. "Let’s settle this later. The fox tribe is already waiting outside the valley. We shouldn’t keep them waiting."
Zilin adjusted his robe, slowly regaining his composure. "Business first, but I’ll deal with you two later." His gaze cut like a knife as he warned, "If I hear even a whisper about this, you two will regret it." With that, he turned and left.
Yu Mo glanced sideways at Yan Dan, playfully pinching her nose. "You owe me again. This time, you better pay up—and I’m not accepting anything worthless."
The sound of stringed instruments filled the air, rings jingling as dancers moved gracefully.
Zilin sat at a low table, his gaze resting on the fox girl seated below him. The fox tribe was known for their pride and elegance. Though every other tribe in Qianlan Mountain had submitted to them, the foxes remained defiant, vowing never to bow to anyone, even if it meant their extinction. Zilin, without any grand ambitions, simply admired their resolve.
The fox girl sat quietly, draped in white, with a cloak wrapped around her and a veil covering her face. She stared down at the bowls and dishes in front of her, un-moving, seemingly oblivious to the world around her. Zi Lin waited for her to speak, but as the hour passed, her posture remained unchanged. Growing impatient, he glanced over at Yu Mo, who had a small tiger cub nestled on his lap. The cub, with its newly grown fangs, was playfully gnawing at Yu Mo's sleeve. Yu Mo gently petted the cub's head, dipped a chopstick into his wine glass, and offered it to the little tiger. The cub licked the wine, shook its fur, and settled contentedly on Yu Mo's lap. Noticing Zi Lin's impatience, Yu Mo smiled softly and asked, "You are an honored guest. How may we assist you?" The music stopped abruptly, and the dancers stepped aside. The fox woman stood, offering a graceful bow. "My name is Linlang, daughter of the clan leader," she began, her voice steady. "I come seeking your help. My clan repays its debts, and I am willing to serve the mountain master in return." She lifted her gaze slightly, revealing a pair of stunning eyes beneath the veil. Zi Lin tapped the table lightly with his finger, his curiosity piqued. "And what is it that you seek?" Linlang lowered her head and produced a small, snow-white bundle of fur from her cloak. The bundle trembled and slowly lifted its head, revealing eyes as dark as obsidian. The fur on its forehead hung low, partially covering its curious gaze before it retreated back into its fluffy form. Zi Lin’s sharp eyes recognized it as a three-tailed snow fox. "This is my younger brother," Linlang explained, "a noble three-tailed fox of our clan. He is still young and once wandered off. When he returned, his legs were cursed, and our clan has been unable to break it. If you can remove the curse, Linlang is prepared to serve the mountain master for the rest of her life." The significance of the three-tailed snow fox was not lost on anyone, as it would one day inherit leadership of the fox clan. Yu Mo gently set the tiger cub aside and asked calmly, "Miss Linlang, surely there is more to your request. Speak now to avoid any misunderstandings later." Linlang met Yu Mo’s gaze, her eyes filled with a cold resolve. "I have but one additional request. We foxes are loyal to our partners. I ask that the mountain master honor our customs." Yu Mo smiled, his tone light. "And what if the mountain master already has concubines?" Linlang's smile was faint, her voice icy. "Then he must kill them all, so I will be the only one."
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