The Path Toward Heaven

Yuan Qü didn’t ride on his sword to descend the peak; he walked all the way to the bottom of Yunxing Peak.

This new sword didn’t have a name yet. He intended to ask his Master or the Sect Master to name it.

It would be easier to communicate with the sword when it had a name, making the integration of the sword and the swordsman more feasible. It might backfire if he tried to rush things.

When Yuan Qü arrived at the foot of Yunxing Peak, some Green Mountain peers and a few elders who had heard of the news approached and congratulated him; they seemed rather enthusiastic and wholehearted.

Jing Jiu didn’t, according to the usual rules, move to Tianguang Peak, but chose to stay on Shenmo Peak. As a result, the people and monkeys on Shenmo Peak were more respected.

Furthermore, the Immortal Guangyuan and the disciples of Shiyue Peak were sent to the West Ocean to replace those of Bihu Peak. It was said that they were not even allowed to come back for the Grand Ceremony of inaugurating the new sect master.

Why? It should have something to do with the quarrel regarding announcing the Will of the previous sect master a few years ago.

The Green Mountain disciples were reminded again that the Sect Master was vindictive. So they were more cautious when dealing with Yuan Qü and other disciples of Shenmo Peak.

…

…

The slightly twisted sword with snowflakes had been nurtured for five years after it was inserted by Jing Jiu among the rocks on Yunxing Peak.

The “spring rain” fell six years ago.

The turmoil of the Hanging-Bell Sect occurred seven years ago.

It had been nine years since the battle of the West Ocean took place.

It had been ten years since the Lu Manor shared that special tea.

It was that year when Jing Jiu left Green Mountain, looking for magic treasure to grind the sword. To fix his right hand, Jing Jiu ventured to the underground of the Cold Mountain and met the Underworld Master in front of that huge transparent wall, and they made an appointment to meet again in ten years.

That time was now.

A dark wind whipped up by the seashore of the East Ocean on the first day of winter. The amulet slips by the Heavenly Well tousled slightly, exuding a powerful energy.

A thunderous bellow came from the foot of the gloomy and dark cliff. A long while later, an ugly mountain devil, made of stones and vegetations, emerged gradually.

Even the Commissioner of Ghosts couldn’t break through the formations set up by the highly achieved masters of the previous generations at the Fruit Formation Temple and the Water-Moon Nunnery. It could do nothing but stop at the foot of the cliff, which was one hundred feet high, craning its neck to look at the gray and cloudy sky.

A leaf fell down from the forehead of the Commissioner of Ghosts. It arose with the dark wind and glided through the formations noiselessly, landing by a well.

The leaf was actually a man.

His face was pale and conveyed a tender appearance. His eyebrows were very light, and the expression in his eyes was nonchalant. He was none other than Tong Yan.

There was a case in Tong Yan’s hands; it was unclear what was in it.

He employed the Escape Method of Heaven and Earth, which triggered the formations. The amulet scripts on the cliff walls began to glow as brightly as the scorching sun.

The Commissioner of Ghosts under the cliff turned around after giving a painful roar, and crawled toward the gloomy and dark bottom of the well.

Tong Yan looked around, his emotion complicated.

The attacks of the priests had become less intense lately, and the Underworld Master suggested that he go back to the ground above to carry out that important task.

It wasn’t until now that he learned the ten-year appointment between the Underworld Master and Jing Jiu.

Why was Jing Jiu nowhere to be found? And no one was by the Heavenly Well?

Even if the amulet scripts could recognize his orthodox method, it would be impossible for the amulets to let that case pass through, he thought.

Tong Yan’s countenance became grave, his brows furrowing even more. All of a sudden, the glows of these amulet scripts abated.

A small green curtain sedan arrived along with a wind, landing gently by his side.

Gazing at the small green curtain sedan a long time, Tong Yan opted to trust it at last, walking into the sedan with the case.

There was no one in the small green curtain sedan. It looked rather ordinary, but it was actually not the case.

Tong Yan didn’t bother thinking about where the Great Grandmaster of the Water-Moon Nunnery had gone. He put down the case by his feet and closed his eyes.

The small green curtain sedan quivered slightly. It should have left the ground and flown in the air.

A minute later, Tong Yan opened his eyes. He hesitated for a while but decided to pull up a corner of the curtain.

The whole of Cultivation circle was aware that the small green curtain sedan was the holy treasure of the Water-Moon Nunnery. It was unclear what reason Jing Jiu had for borrowing it.

No wind streamed into the sedan after its curtain was pulled up, and no sound could be heard either.

The fields and the greenish mountains below were retreating backwards at an unimaginable speed. It was impossible to see anything distinctly.

Tong Yan didn’t put down the curtain as he looked at those indistinct scenes quietly.

He had stayed in the Underworld for some years, and had seen only the black, white, and fiery colors. He hadn’t seen the green or other colorful objects for a while.

After a long while, the small green curtain sedan slowed down, descending gradually to the ground.

The fog was everywhere in this small town. The pedestrians were walking around amid the fog. Some of them seemed used to the situation. Some appeared amazed, and tried to scoop the fog with their hands; it was evident that they were visitors.

The small green curtain sedan was traveling slowly amid the fog and pedestrians. The discussions of the people could be heard clearly outside the sedan.

Strangely enough, it seemed that those pedestrians couldn’t see the small green curtain sedan, so nobody seemed surprised when it passed by.

The holy treasure of the Water-Moon Nunnery had a remarkable ability.

The small town was quite crowded, and discussions bombarded the ears constantly. It didn’t take long before Tong Yan learned where this place was and what had happened.

This place was very close to Green Mountain and called Cloudy Town. There would be a significant festival taking place in the town soon, celebrating the tax exemption for the third year in the south by the order of the imperial court.

The reason the imperial court was so generous was because the Immortal Jing Jiu would officially become the Sect Master of Green Mountain.

The small green curtain sedan passed through the fog and the crowd and left those discussions behind, arriving in a manor house in front of a mountain on the outskirts of the town.

A stream flowed down from the mountain, passing through the manor house. The sparsely planted flowering trees could be seen everywhere on the banks of the stream. The sceneries looked natural though they were meticulously designed.

The fog drifted among the flowering trees, the manor house and the flowing stream, giving anyone a peaceful mind. It could be described as a fairy realm in the human world.

The small green curtain sedan parked in the courtyard of the manor house. It was obvious that this place would be Tong Yan’s residence from now on.

Tong Yan took a look at the case in front of him before saying, “I have to go to the Sword Jail.”

Some clattering noises could be vaguely heard inside the case; it was unclear if the noises were made out of anger or fear.

The small green curtain sedan quivered slightly, and took off again. It broke through the clouds and fog and arrived at a high elevation in the sky before heading toward the greenish peaks.

It didn’t take long before a few sword lights illuminated the sky; Guo Nanshan led a few Green Mountain disciples approaching the sedan.

The relationship between the Green Mountain Sect and the Water-Moon Nunnery had been complex; they were sometimes foes and sometimes friends, depending on the mood Lian Sanyue was in at the time. Yet, the situation was different now; the two sides had established a steadfast alliance. During the meeting of the Fruit Formation Temple, the Water-Moon Nunnery had obviously sided with Green Mountain, ignoring the feelings of the Immortal Bai.

Guo Nanshan and the others thought that the person sitting in the small green curtain sedan was the Great Grandmaster of the Water-Moon Nunnery, so they didn’t check the sedan before letting it pass while bowing to it reverently.

They had no idea that the person sitting in the small green curtain sedan was Tong Yan, who had been missing for many years.

…

…

After the small green curtain sedan arrived among the peaks of Green Mountain, it didn’t go to Tianguang Peak as directed by Guo Nanshan, but headed for Shangde Peak.

Guo Nanshan was taken aback, wondering if the Great Grandmaster of the Water-Moon Nunnery had some kind of special relationship with Senior Master, the Sword Justice.

Now that the senior master and she wished to meet beforehand, they, the junior disciples, shouldn’t interfere, Guo Nanshan thought. So they had no choice but follow the sedan to Shangde Peak.

The accumulated ice and snow had never melted on Shangde Peak, and it was very cold here. Moreover, the relationship between Tianguang Peak and Shangde Peak had always been tense. So Guo Nanshan and others left right away after accompanying the sedan to the peak.

Seeing the small green curtain sedan, Yuan Qijing furrowed his brows, showing a hint of discontent.

He disliked the schemes the most, and he had no intention of getting involved in them. He turned away without finding out who the person in the small green curtain sedan was.

Yet, he didn’t forget to tell Chi Yan before his departure not to allow anyone near the manor cave before the small green curtain sedan left the peak.

Tong Yan walked out of the small green curtain sedan with the case, and came before the well. He looked down at the deep and gloomy bottom of the well while pressing his hands on the side of the well covered with snow and frost, shaking his head.

He had just climbed out of the dark and gloomy Heavenly Well, and now he had to climb down this cold well. The thought crossed his mind that he had an unfortunate relationship with wells, including Jing Jiu.

No matter how unhappy he was, he had to go there nevertheless. He jumped down the well with the case, descending slowly with the sunlight.

He reached the bottom of the well after drifting for a long time.

The black mountain-like Dead Dog opened his eyes slowly, his eyes looking at Tong Yan quite amicably, as if he felt sympathy toward this little child.

It was because the Dead Dog was well aware of what it was like to live in a dark and gloomy world for a long time.

Seeing his sympathetic eyes, Tong Yan felt warmth in his chest. He bowed reverently toward the Dead Dog before heading to the deep end of the Sword Jail with the case.

…

…

The passages of the Sword Jail were as quiet as a graveyard; it was the same as when Tong Yan came here a few years ago.

All of a sudden, a thud occurred on the door of a cell; it was evident that the prisoner in the cell bumped onto it.

Next, the same thing happened in a few other cells; the angry shrieks of those prisoners could be heard at the same time.

Tong Yan mused that he was indeed someone with royal blood and that he could let his subjects smell his odor through the case and the cell walls.

The further he went, the brighter and drier it became. As Tong Yan arrived in the grand hall, he stopped short instinctively. He looked in the direction of that lonely cell, furrowing his eyebrows.

He had been wondering where the Green Mountain Sect would hide the Snow Girl.

The Sword Jail was the best choice, but it was also the most improbable one.

It was because the Snow Girl wouldn’t agree to become a prisoner.

Tong Yan pulled back his gaze, and resumed heading to the end of the passage. It didn’t take long before he arrived among the scenic peaks.

It was here that the sky was too bluish, the sun was too gentle, and the green grass was too lush; everything here was too beautiful to feel real. This place was the hermit peaks of Green Mountain.

There was a green mountain up ahead, where the wild flowers were blooming; and the seemingly chaotic vines displayed a seemingly systematic order.

Tong Yana knitted his brows again, as he sensed something significant might happen.

The gemstone outside the manor cave on that green mountain had a red glow, indicating that someone was cultivating behind closed doors in there.

…

…

After arriving in his own manor cave, Tong Yan set up the formation; he didn’t forget reaching his hand to the underneath of the table to press a button, the gemstone outside the manor cave turning red from green. Then he opened the case.

The Drifter glided out of the case. His leaf-like frontal hair covered his forehead, and his semitransparent face was pale. He looked like a regular child with his face covered with white powder.

Tong Yan said, “The Immortal Sect Master will see you after the Grand Ceremony.”

Looking at the Go board on the stone table, the Drifter said, “The game of Go is not finished yet.”

The messy Go pieces on the board were placed by Jing Jiu and Tong Yan on two separate occasions, which represented the situation faced by the Green Mountain Sect and the Center Sect.

Tong Yan took a look at him before asking, “Do you want to play the game of Go?”

“It’s quite boring since I have never won against you in the Underworld,” said the Drifter. “But it’s not I who will play the game this time.”

Hearing this, Tong Yan said after a long moment of silence, “He is the sect master of Green Mountain now; there is no way you people will win against him.”

The Drifter came before Tong Yan, and hit his chest with his palm.

This was a simple move, but it was as quick as a lightning; it seemed that nobody could evade this strike.

Pah!!!

The small and leaf-like hand of the Drifter’s landed on Tong Yan’s chest.

Tong Yan’s face grew paler instantly, two trickles of blood coming out from his ears.

“You are a half-master of mine; but I’m sorry that there are some things I have to do. I have no choice but to offend you.”

The Drifter said this earnestly while looking at Tong Yan.

Tong Yan lifted his hand and wiped the blood off his cheeks, saying, “The timing of your strike is not proper.”

The Drifter asked with his naïve eyes opened wide, “Why?”

Tong Yan said, “You should have done it when you were outside.”

A fearful expression showed in the Drifter’s eyes, as he said, “That small green curtain sedan was quite weird; it scared me.”

“This place is the hermit peaks of Green Mountain. Even if you could kill me, you still wouldn’t be able to get out of here,” said Tong Yan.

“Really?”

The Drifter came before the door of the manor cave, took out a bamboo flute out of nowhere and played a few tunes after bringing it to his lips.

The stone door opened without the aid of the wind.

The Drifter turned to Tong Yan and said with a smile, “You said I would be the disciple of the Immortal Sect Master. Actually, I had a master before.”

“That master must be quite extraordinary,” Tong Yan remarked.

“My Master is the Immortal Taiping. He is of course extraordinary,” said the Drifter.