Chapter 351: Junshan |
Dongting Lake stretched out vast and misty. You couldn't see the far shore. If the waves were just a little smaller, you’d swear you were looking at the actual ocean.
Liu Xiaolou had traveled back and forth many times along the Xian side and the eastern shore of the lake. Added together, his journeys totaled more than four or five hundred li, and even then he had not covered it all. That alone showed just how massive the lake really was.
Right in the middle of those rolling blue waters lay a place famous throughout the land for its good fortune: Junshan.
Junshan was a mountain, but it was also an island. The boat moved fast, and Liu Xiaolou had no idea what sort of technique they’d put on it. Out on the lake the water was calm, not a breath of wind anywhere, yet right along the sides of the boat a strong gust kept whipping up, ballooning the sail full and tight, driving the little vessel slicing across the surface toward the heart of the lake.
After about two hours or so, up ahead in the middle of that wide-open water you could see a tall mountain rising straight up. Thick clouds and mist wrapped around its midsection, hiding the upper half; you couldn’t make out the peak at all.
The boat sped on, faster and faster. Another hour passed, and they reached the foot of the mountain. Looking up, Liu Xiaolou saw that it truly was imposing, easily over two hundred zhang high. It looked nothing like a mere island in the middle of a lake. Compared to the great mountains of western Xian, it lost nothing at all. The only difference was that Junshan stood alone, a solitary peak without the vast, continuous ranges of other mountain lands. But surrounded on all sides by flat, open water, it seemed even more magnificent.
The entire mountain looked like a colossal stone pillar, as if it had flown in from somewhere unknown and been driven into the lake, becoming an island the moment it landed.
That was the impression Junshan left on Liu Xiaolou.
As soon as the boat touched shore, he vaguely sensed a ripple of spiritual energy. It was extremely subtle and hard to grasp, fading in and out, with no clear direction. His heart tightened at once. Junshan’s protective mountain formation was clearly very different from any he had encountered before. Why couldn’t he discern its orientation or flow?
The narrow trail wound back and forth along a steep cliff face, climbing steadily upward. When they had ascended about thirty zhang, it suddenly slipped into a crack in the rock. Liu Xiaolou and the others followed along the cliff, passing through a dim stone tunnel. After rounding a bend, the view ahead opened up all at once.
On all sides rose sheer, towering cliff walls, thrusting up into the clouds. Down those walls hung waterfalls of every size, cascading like ribbons of white jade. Enclosed at the center was a vast sinkhole meadow covering several thousand mu. Scattered across the grassland were small peaks, each more than ten zhang tall, and every one of them offered its own breathtaking view.
Among the dark pines and emerald cypresses crowning each peak lay a finely crafted courtyard. These were the mountain gates of the various branches of the Qingyu Sect.
Who could have imagined that Junshan, which from the outside appeared to be nothing more than a single, solitary peak, would conceal such richness within, like a small world of its own?
“So this is a mountain hiding mountains,” Han Gao said with a sigh of admiration.
“Yes… just how many mountains are hidden in here? Brother Han, have you never been here either?” Liu Xiaolou asked.
The steward smiled as he led the way. “Within Junshan, there are thirty-six Pavilion Mountains hidden inside. Each mountain holds a pavilion, and each pavilion crowns a mountain. Sect Master Liu, your honored sect will be staying for now at Langyin Pavilion Mountain...”
Before long, they arrived at the foot of Langyin Pavilion Mountain. The small peak, more than ten zhang tall, covered an area of just over ten mu. Only after entering it did they realize that the entire mountain was hollow inside. Yet it looked perfectly natural, with no sign of artificial carving. It was truly the work of uncanny craftsmanship, just as the saying went: one pavilion, one mountain.
The Sanxuan Sect was assigned a stone grotto at the southwest corner of Langyin Pavilion Mountain. Though it was called a grotto, it was really a small courtyard made up of five stone rooms. Lin Twin Fish took the largest room at the very back. The room to her left went to Su Jing, the one to her right to Wu Changeng. The side room on the northeast was taken by Song Axia, while Liu Xiaolou chose the room closest to the entrance.
“Haha, I’m the sect master,” Liu Xiaolou said with a laugh. “I’ll be coming and going a lot for sect business, so the room by the door suits me just fine. Don’t any of you try to steal it from me.”
With that settled, everyone returned to their own quarters to sit and cultivate.
Seeing that Han Gao had nowhere to go, Liu Xiaolou called him back: “Brother Han, if it’s convenient, I’d like you to stay with me. I’ll be needing plenty of guidance in cultivation.”
Han Gao followed him inside. “I was hoping to discuss things with the sect master as well. This room is quite nice, actually, plenty spacious.”
After traveling together for two days, Zang Qianli had more or less figured out how the Sanxuan Sect operated. He now extended an invitation. “Sect Master Liu, please come with me to pay a visit to Elder Bai. Once you’ve heard his instructions, you can go and receive your pills and talismans.”
Liu Xiaolou’s eyes lit up right away. Is there really a deal this good? he thought. A rogue cultivator who’d been drafted wouldn’t get treatment like this. When the Qingyuan Sect had conscripted him before, he hadn’t been given a single spiritual pill... not even though he was already at Foundation Establishment.
This time, the Zhanglong Sect had brought just over thirty people, far fewer than expected. Liu Xiaolou recognized only a handful of them. Most of those who came were elders, disciples, and inner sect stewards with strong combat abilities. The stewards who usually handled routine affairs and dealt with rogue cultivators, people like Steward Liu who guarded the mountain gate or handled introductions and messages, had basically all stayed behind.
Because of that, Liu Xiaolou asked Zang Qianli, “Doesn’t it seem like our Zhanglong Sect sent a bit too few people? It doesn’t really look all that impressive. When it comes time to divide up the spoils, won’t the other groups just take all the good stuff? If I remember right, back when the three sects attacked Wulong Mountain, our Zhanglong Sect alone sent seven or eight hundred people... And at the Battle of Zhuoshui, it was over a thousand.”
Zang Qianli explained, “This time is different. This isn’t a life-or-death war. It’s a negotiation. In the end, Jinting Mountain and Jun Mountain don’t have any deep grudges from the past. They’re fighting over an ancient cave abode, that’s all. Neither side is going to back down just because the other looks bigger or stronger. There probably won’t be a major battle at all. Even if there is fighting, it’ll be restrained. It won’t turn into a bloody fight to the death. We just need people who can hold their own. There’s no need for cannon fodder charging in to die.”
Once it was put that way, Liu Xiaolou finally relaxed. The weight on his shoulders felt a lot lighter. Before he knew it, he even found himself eager to go to the battlefield and see things for himself.
Maybe I, Sect Master Liu, could even take down an enemy commander...
And if I really do make some contributions for our fellow cultivators of Jing-Xiang, what kind of rewards should the Sanxuan Sect ask for...
First things first, I have to make sure the Sanxuan Sect can reestablish itself at Wulong Mountain, with the past completely put to rest. Especially Tianmu Mountain. They cannot keep harping on old grievances. That point needs not only Tianmu Mountain’s agreement, but guarantees from the Zhanglong Sect, the Qingyu Sect, and the Dongyang Sect as well.
Second, see if there’s a chance to grab a bit more on the side. There’s still a shortage of pills, spiritual materials, and magical artifacts up at Ganzhu Ridge. Ideally, I could gather enough resources to refine a proper mountain-protecting formation once I get back. After all, a sect without a defensive formation feels a little too much like a loose band of rogue cultivators. It just doesn’t look respectable.
Third…
He hadn’t figured that part out yet when he reached Elder Bai. He greeted him and listened as the elder gave a few brief instructions. None of it was especially useful. Just keep waiting for the next round of arrangements. Then he headed out.
He had only just stepped outside when Elder Bai came hurrying after him. “Qianli, get some extra healing pills for the Sanxuan Sect. I heard some of their disciples were injured. Make sure they’re fully healed before the fighting starts. And bring them a bottle of Tianmu Mountain’s Heart-Foundation Immortal Blood Pills too.”