The southwest, though remote, boasted stunning scenery: eight hundred miles of rolling green mountains, rushing rivers, and a vast, boundless expanse; a cool mountain breeze, peaks intersecting like the Big Dipper, blending seamlessly with the sky and mountain mists.
Yan Dan, chewing on a steamed bun she ate as sustenance, looked at the silent Liu Weiyang sitting opposite her, her heart heavy with resentment. In her mind, the two types of people least suited for traveling together were mute people and gentlemen. Mute people, unable to speak but only able to eat, were boring; gentlemen, upright in conduct, incapable of any wrongdoing, were even more boring. She didn't know if Liu Weiyang could be considered a gentleman, but he was certainly more than half-mute.
That day, she and Tang Zhou had left the Lingxiao Taoist Temple, returned to Tang Zhou's home to pack some belongings, and then left Xiangdu City. It was late spring, with only a few withered red blossoms remaining on the branches. Liu Weiyang had stood under the peach tree, watching them calmly. Yan Dan didn't know what Tang Zhou had said to him, but the result was that a demon, a celestial master, and a highly skilled person of unknown age were now traveling together to the southwest.
The journey was remarkably smooth; they didn't even encounter a single bandit or mountain brigand. This left Yan Dan both regretful and amazed. Everyone said that the current Emperor Rui of the Great Zhou was too politically enlightened, with too few idle officials, inexplicably depriving her of much potential entertainment.
The closer they got to Zhu Cui Mountain, the more silent Liu Weiyang became. When they stopped to rest, he would stare blankly at the sky, lost in thought. When others spoke to him, he would at most give a noncommittal "hmm," and it was unclear whether he even heard them.
Yan Dan was too idle to do anything but guess what Liu Weiyang was thinking. A mortal, once contemplating certain sordid things, even with a righteous expression, will still reveal a hint of baseness and lewdness in their eyes; if they think of murder, arson, and all sorts of evil deeds, they will grit their teeth and clench their fists until they crack. But Liu Weiyang's eyes were clear and his expression serene; surely he wasn't worried that a piece of sky might accidentally fall down?
Yan Dan finished a steamed bun and began slowly adding firewood to the fire. Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she pointed to the vermilion mountain ahead. "The peaks are beautiful, almost touching the jade toad; distant smoke hangs over the floating clouds to the south; the mountain range winds and stretches—why not choose a scenic spot to climb high?"
Tang Zhou choked on his bun, coughing a few times before saying, "Why are you suddenly reciting poetry?"
This flower fairy was indeed somewhat different from those he'd seen before; besides being charming and occasionally obsequious, she even had some literary talent. He turned to look in the direction Yan Dan was pointing, and saw that the vermilion mountain was so high it seemed to touch the moon, shrouded in mist, its slopes winding and undulating. Before cultivating Taoism, he'd even passed the imperial examinations; aside from the uneven rhyme scheme, the lines Yan Dan recited were quite fitting for the occasion.
"Auspicious energy flows in curves, inauspicious energy flows straight; mountains and water embrace each other to form auspicious energy. It seems this Zhu Cui Mountain must be a place of outstanding people and abundant resources." Yan Dan turned to look at Liu Weiyang. "Young Master Liu, don't you think so?"
Liu Weiyang glanced at her, then looked toward Zhu Cui Mountain without responding.
Yan Dan was still persistent. "However, I see that the two rivers at the foot of the mountain don't converge, causing the spiritual energy to leak out, turning a good place into a flaw."
Liu Weiyang shook his head and said nothing.
Yan Dan finally gave up and slowly lay down on the dry grass, preparing to have a good sleep. She was a light sleeper and would wake at the slightest sound. Suddenly, she heard a faint noise, opened her eyes, and saw Liu Weiyang slowly stand up, something in his hand gleaming slightly in the moonlight.
Yan Dan lay still, watching Liu Weiyang slowly walk to Tang Zhou's side, stand there for a while, then turn around and walk back toward her.
She felt strange, so she closed her eyes and breathed deeply, pretending to be asleep. She felt him quietly watching her for a long moment before slowly walking away. Yan Dan quietly got up and carefully followed behind him. She saw him walk to a locust tree and gently dust off the trunk.
In Yan Dan's eyes, Liu Weiyang was a decisive and efficient person who didn't do anything unnecessary; every word and action of his was unlikely to be meaningless. Just as she was pondering this, she saw Liu Weiyang slowly lean against the tree trunk and bring something he was holding to his lips.
In the silvery moonlight, Yan Dan could see clearly that he was holding only a jade flute... It was just a flute, not a weapon. All her earlier tension had been for nothing.
The moon hung high in the sky. Whose jade flute was being played, its sound like a lament, like a whispered complaint? It was the unbridled youth, seven parts drunken.
Liu Weiyang's eyes were clear and cold, his demeanor composed and elegant, like a jade tree and green bamboo, his bearing graceful and imposing. Yan Dan watched him finish his tune, the melody shifting with a subtle metallic quality, his dark blue sleeves fluttering in the wind, exuding a refined elegance.
Yan Dan slowly retreated, collapsing onto the haystack. After a moment, Liu Weiyang quietly returned to the fire and sat down again. Yan Dan vaguely thought that this time she had truly been too suspicious.
Early the next morning, they entered Zhu Cui Mountain, but upon reaching the mountain pass, a damp mist rushed toward them, making the path slippery and treacherous, forcing them to turn back.
Tang Zhou could only say, "It seems the mountain path is quite difficult to traverse; I'm afraid we'll need to hire a local to guide us."
Liu Weiyang remained noncommittal.
Yan Dan's eyes flickered, and she smiled. "I suddenly thought of a story."
Tang Zhou glanced at her sideways, chuckling slightly. "What story?" Nothing much had happened these past few days except for the journey; he knew without a doubt she must be feeling restless.
"There was once a king who wanted to launch a military campaign against a neighboring country, so he asked his prime minister if the idea was feasible. The prime minister listened and only said one word, 'Ran.' The king was puzzled, wondering whether 'Ran' meant good or bad. Later, the king fell seriously ill, and the military campaign was put on hold. On his deathbed, he also wondered what the prime minister meant by 'Ran.' Finally, the king couldn't help but call the prime minister to his bedside, tell him his guess, and ask if that was the meaning. The prime minister chuckled and said, 'Ran.' The king immediately died."
Tang Zhou was both amused and annoyed; it was quite something that she'd come up with such a story to allude to Liu Weiyang. But Liu Weiyang seemed not to hear her at all, not even glancing in her direction.
Yan Dan felt bored and pouted, remaining silent.
When they reached the entrance of a village outside the mountains, Tang Zhou said in a low voice, "You really like to pester Brother Liu to talk."
Yan Dan frowned and thought for a moment, then smiled broadly. "So you're jealous?"
Tang Zhou replied without hesitation, "No."
Yan Dan sighed softly. "Actually, it's not a big deal that you've admitted it. I won't make fun of you."
"I don't have any."
Just then, two locals approached, dressed in coarse cloth robes. One was tall and the other short. Seeing the three of them, they stepped forward and said with ingratiating smiles, "Judging from your appearance, you three are here to visit Zhu Cui Mountain, right? The weather is perfect now, but it's easy to get foggy in the mountains. Without a local guide, it's easy to get lost."
Tang Zhou nodded slightly. The taller local continued, "Actually, quite a few people come to Zhu Cui Mountain every year. This isn't the first time my brother and I have led the way. As for the price, it's negotiable."
Tang Zhou took out a small ingot of silver and said calmly, "We'll be heading into the mountains in two hours at most. Please see if you need anything else to buy. We can settle the rest of the money when we arrive."
The man took the silver, weighed it in his hand, and said with a wide smile, "Don't worry, young master. We can set off in just half an hour. We guarantee everything will be perfect!" With that, he pulled the shorter local away, muttering to himself in their unintelligible dialect.
Liu Weiyang said in a low voice, "These two have a fishy smell."
Yan Dan immediately perked up. "I noticed their eyes were shifty and they were being overly attentive. There's probably something fishy going on. This journey is going to be really interesting."
"Even if something strange happens, we shouldn't be unable to handle it." Tang Zhou glanced at their bundle. "We don't have much food left, and we don't know where we'll find shelter once we're in the mountains. Let's buy some more to take with us."
Liu Weiyang shook his head and said calmly, "Since they dared to bring people in, they must have a plan. In short, just be careful."
Yan Dan felt a chill run down her spine. "The fishy smell you mentioned earlier, it couldn't be..."
Liu Weiyang gave her a noncommittal look and then fell silent.
Tang Zhou was slightly puzzled. She wasn't usually so hesitant and only spoke half a sentence, so he asked, "What about the fishy smell?"
Yan Dan's expression was complicated. "I was just guessing. It's better if you don't know. It might make you lose your appetite for days."
Seeing that she wouldn't say anything more, Tang Zhou didn't press her. The three of them went to the village to buy some dry buns and fetched some well water. When they returned to the village entrance, they saw the two locals carrying hemp rope, axes, and walking sticks, waiting there.
The fog on Zhu Cui Mountain was thick, layer upon layer, obscuring even objects ten steps away. Yan Dan discreetly glanced at the two locals ahead, who were using their canes to probe the path. They had similar features, yellowish-black skin, and their smiles were merely twitching grimaces.
The shorter local turned and grinned at her, revealing blackened teeth. "Girl, you'd better stay close. There are giant pythons in these mountains, and they especially like to eat young girls with delicate skin."
Yan Dan immediately feigned fear. "Giant pythons in these mountains?"
"These pythons are as thick as an arm and this long—" the man gestured expansively with his hands, "—when it opens its mouth wide, it can swallow a whole person."
"Enough, don't say any more!" the taller local interrupted him immediately, laughing. "That's just a local rumor. Don't be afraid, girl. If we really encounter a giant python, the two of us can easily kill it." As he spoke, he patted the axe wrapped in hemp rope on his back.
Yan Dan smiled brightly, her voice gentle. "Then I'm relieved."
She walked a little further through the white mist, glancing around casually, when she suddenly realized that Liu Weiyang, who'd been walking behind her, was gone. She knew that with Liu Weiyang's skills, he wouldn't be in any danger even if he were alone, but she always felt that Liu Weiyang's presence with them must have its purpose. After all, people's hearts are unpredictable, and at least for now, she couldn't determine whether he was friend or foe, or if he had some other scheme.
Just as she was considering whether to tell Tang Zhou about this, she caught a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of her eye. She turned around and saw Liu Weiyang walking calmly behind her.
Yan Dan rubbed her eyes, wondering: Had she just seen things? Logically, with the mist so thick, it wouldn't be surprising to be momentarily confused. Her frequent glances back even alerted Liu Weiyang, who asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"
"Did you see anything strange just now?" Yan Dan asked tentatively.
Liu Weiyang shook his head, but the short local turned around and said, "It's foggy here, and the mountain path is difficult to walk. It's easy to get dizzy. But young lady, you're too suspicious. You should work on your courage."
Yan Dan really wanted to teach that gossipy mortal a lesson, but remembering he still needed to lead the way, she had to hold back. When she was working on her courage, this gossipy mortal was probably nowhere to be found, yet he dared to say she was timid—it was outrageous!
They walked for an unknown amount of time in the mountains, still surrounded by a vast expanse of white. Tang Zhou couldn't help but ask, "How much longer?"
The tall man replied quickly, "Almost there, almost there. Once we reach the mountain pass, we'll just follow the path and cross this mountain." He held a file in his hand and tapped a tree beside him. "I'll mark the way like this, so I won't get lost even if I walk with my eyes closed."
Just as he was about to make a cut in the bark, the short man suddenly shouted, "We've been here before!"
The tall man immediately scolded, "What nonsense are you talking about? Don't scare yourself! We've been through this mountain at least seventeen or eighteen times, and we've always gotten out quickly."
"But look at the marks on the bark—isn't that the same mark you made before?"
The tall man's face turned pale, and he muttered, "How could this be? This has never happened before. Could it be... could it be... a ghost wall..."
Yan Dan bent down to look at the marks on the tree trunk, then carefully examined the surrounding vegetation. She had indeed been here before. But if it were a case of being lost in a maze, she wouldn't be completely oblivious.
Tang Zhou calmly said, "Then let's try again. If we still end up back where we started, we'll think of something else."
The two locals immediately re-oriented themselves and led the way once more.
Yan Dan walked, quietly observing her surroundings. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that every few steps, Liu Weiyang would use his toes to move a few stones on the ground. At first, she thought it was just his cautious nature, marking the path. But as time went on, she began to feel something was amiss. Marking should be easy to identify, but the stones he arranged were haphazard and without any discernible pattern, seemingly just to kick those few stones aside.
After walking for about half an hour in the thick white fog, the short local excitedly turned around and pointed ahead. "This is the entrance to the mountain path! It seems we just went the wrong way and ended up going in circles."
Yan Dan glanced at Liu Weiyang discreetly. He looked straight ahead, his eyes calm and undisturbed, showing no signs of fear or worry—the common human emotions.
She thought about it carefully and realized something was strange: these two locals said they'd walked through the mountains at least seventeen or eighteen times; there was no reason they would have gotten lost, unless they were deliberately bluffing. But judging from their pale faces and uncertain expressions earlier, if it was all an act, it would be too convincing. And in her opinion, such an act was utterly unnecessary.
Since this path was unsolvable, there must be another reason. And that reason must lie with Liu Weiyang. She'd seen Liu Weiyang disappear, only to see him reappear out of thin air the next moment. Was it just a hallucination? If not, how long had he been gone, and what was he doing? Furthermore, why did Liu Weiyang intentionally or unintentionally move those pebbles?
She suddenly recalled a night long ago on Yelan Mountain. The weather had been sweltering, and she couldn't sleep, so she'd wanted to go to the lakeside for some fresh air. It turned out Yu Mo wasn't asleep either, standing with his hands behind his back under the moonlight. Yan Dan had approached and seen that the ground was covered with small pebbles, scattered like stars. Each pebble's placement seemed ordinary, yet it held some kind of mystery.
Yu Mo had turned and glanced at her, then looked down at the ground. Yan Dan had been very puzzled and wanted to get closer, but Yu Mo had grabbed her arm. "These pebbles are arranged according to the Eight Trigrams of Fuxi; once you enter, there's no turning back."
Yan Dan hadn't believed him, but when she'd gone in, the scene had suddenly changed. A murderous aura had surrounded her, and no matter how she'd moved, she'd been spinning in circles. Fortunately, Yu Mo had finally pulled her out. For the next six months, she'd been extremely cautious around Yu Mo, afraid of offending this mountain lord and being thrown into that stone formation again.
If the reason they were circling around was because they'd entered a Fuxi Bagua formation, then who set it up? Liu Weiyang sensed that someone had set up a formation to trap them, but why didn't he say a word? She originally wanted to ask him directly, but then she thought that since he wasn't saying anything, he must have his reasons. If Liu Weiyang had ulterior motives, asking him would only alert him; if he truly meant well, her question might ruin his plans.
Yan Dan looked up and saw a fine drizzle rising from the mist, brushing against her cheek like silk. A slender figure was gracefully emerging from the fog. The person lifted the hem of their robe with one hand, wore wooden clogs, and had an indistinct face. Every step they took seemed to be walking on clouds, their body light and ethereal, exuding an indescribable air of otherworldly purity.
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