"Indeed. It wasn't an ordinary demon—legend says it was formed from the Meridian Divine Wind on the mountain. Relying on this monster, the Piaomiao Sect claimed half of the Gale Tundra for themselves." The old man sighed. "According to ancestral lore, the foot of Wind Demon Mountain was once abundant with topaz ginseng; people never had to risk their lives climbing the peak to harvest it. But with that wind monster causing havoc, topaz ginseng slowly became scarce, until only a few stalks could occasionally be found high in the mountains."
"And then?"
"All this happened over four hundred years ago. Later, when the Beijia Kingdom incorporated this region into its domain, the Piaomiao Sect naturally refused to yield. They unleashed the Wind Demon to rampage, and it's said the gales tore through the Gale Plains so fiercely that hardly a living soul remained! In the end, the Jeweled Tree King could bear it no longer and intervened in person, scattering the Wind Demon! From then on, the Gale Tundra gradually turned into what it is today."
He Lingchuan asked him, "If the Gale Tundra wasn't suitable for living, why didn't the Piaomiao Sect relocate elsewhere instead of insisting on stationing their sect here?"
"Their ancestors had lived here for generations; perhaps they simply didn't want to leave," the old man sighed. "Then again, aren't we the same?"
After the meal, word arrived: the escort detachment was indeed going to detour through Wind Demon Mountain.
The soul-snatching mirror was delighted. "Perhaps our chance has come."
He Lingchuan nodded slightly. If the opportunity arose, he wouldn't mind playing the oriole lurking behind the mantis.
After dinner, Second Master Shi looked up at the sky. "There are plenty of stars tonight. Tomorrow morning will likely be cloudless—a fine opportunity for sightseeing."
He Lingchuan said to him instead, "Starting tomorrow, keep your distance from the escort. Especially once we enter the territory of Wind Demon Mountain, you should trail at least ten li behind them."
Second Master Shi was taken aback. "Brother He, do you think something will happen on Wind Demon Mountain?" Then he chuckled. "Mount Ping occasionally suffers landslides and falling rocks, and caravans always divert from Black Rock Stockade to Wind Demon Mountain. It's routine procedure—nothing will go wrong."
He Lingchuan shrugged. "I've said my piece. Whether you listen or not is entirely up to you." The caravan wasn't his, after all; he was merely offering friendly advice as a traveling companion.
Second Master Shi's smile faded slightly.
This trade route had been peaceful for many years, and countless passing caravans had traveled it without incident. Could something truly go wrong this time? Besides, the Jeweled Tree King's escort was clearing the way ahead, and those men were hardly loafers. Yet even Zhu Erniang, who had devoured countless people in the Demon Nest Swamp, showed considerable wariness toward the young man before him. His words surely weren't unfounded.
That night, everyone went to sleep early.
He Lingchuan chose not to sleep at all, taking a Hundred Virtues Pill to regulate his breath and practice his arts.
He could sense that the spiritual energy between heaven and earth had been gradually rising recently, making his cultivation remarkably efficient.
...
Well before the fourth watch, the caravans set out for Wind Demon Mountain.
This time, the Shimen caravan no longer vied for the lead, lagging at least fifteen li behind the escort. Clearly, Second Master Shi had taken He Lingchuan's words to heart after all.
Naturally, other merchants moved up to fill the gap in between.
After all, the closer they were to the escort, the safer people felt.
This stretch of mountain path climbed ever higher, the surrounding peaks steep and treacherous, until the official road narrowed into a winding goat track.
Even He Lingchuan's breath froze into ice. Turning his head, he noticed a layer of white frost clinging to Second Master Shi's beard.
"Before the route past Black Stone Stockade was carved out, everyone had to pass through here," Second Master Shi said, his head bundled tightly in thick felt. "Otherwise, you'd have to make a two-hundred-li detour, and that path was far more grueling than this one."
"When the Piaomiao Sect held this place, did travelers have to pay a toll to pass?"
Second Master Shi laughed dryly. "That I wouldn't know—it was several centuries ago."
As they climbed the mountain, he pointed out several spots to He Lingchuan, identifying them as former sites of the Piaomiao Sect.
This immortal sect had once seen glory, its halls and pavilions spanning the mountains. Alas, battered by four centuries of wind and snow, not a single tile remained today.
He Lingchuan could see nothing of it.
Second Master Shi was an experienced hand at reading paths and skies; having predicted no clouds this morning, the sky was indeed cloudless for miles around.
A sudden cheer erupted from up ahead.
"The sunrise! Look, look!"
He Lingchuan looked up and sideways, and indeed saw a beam of golden light strike the precipitous peak opposite them, tinting the pristine white snow into pure reddish-gold.
Grandeur and splendor, starkness and warmth, merged in perfect harmony upon this natural palette.
Even the escort halted, facing the golden peak with clasped hands, standing quietly in silent prayer.
Legend held that those fortunate enough to witness the golden peak bathed in sunlight would be blessed with good fortune if they prayed in time.
He Lingchuan pressed his palms together, yet had no idea to whom he should pray.
His faith belonged to no deity.
Yet in this place and moment, before the magnificent snowy mountain, he felt all the more keenly the grandeur of creation and the insignificance of self.
How far must my path advance before I wield the power to split heaven and earth?
To this day, could the heavens still offer an answer?
They marched for another two shichen, yet the peak still stood ahead, cold and aloof as ever—
The travelers had merely skirted more than halfway around it.
The winding mountain road, with its countless twists and turns, seemed endless.
He Lingchuan calculated silently that if someone had deliberately forced the escort onto this route, it was about time for them to make a move. After another few dozen li ahead, the most perilous stretch of the journey would be behind them.
Apart from him, no one seemed worried. After all, this was within the territory of the Jeweled Tree Kingdom, trade flowed without hindrance, and the escort was leading the way. What could possibly go wrong?
By now, the distance between the official road and the precipitous peak had narrowed considerably, with several natural stone bridges hidden among thickets bridging the gap. Second Master Shi pointed toward a rugged side path and said, "You can ascend Wind Demon Mountain from here. I went up ten years ago and even saw the ruins of the Piaomiao Sect. If we move fast, we can descend from the other side and rejoin the official road."
"Was the predecessor of the Piaomiao Sect an ancient immortal sect as well?"
"From what I saw on the mountain, it should be," Second Master Shi remarked with feeling. "That place looks like the Guanghan Palace—hardly fit for mortal living! The ancient immortals truly possessed extraordinary abilities."
He Lingchuan immediately said, "Come up with me for a look?"
Those were the ruins of an immortal sect, well worth visiting to pay homage and see if the divine bone necklace had any needs.
Besides, Wind Demon Mountain was the highest point within a thirty-li radius; overlooking the escort's entire journey from there would provide absolute clarity.
If someone were truly scheming in the shadows, they wouldn't overlook such commanding high ground.
He Lingchuan had been quietly observing the terrain of the snowy mountains.
To be frank, as an outsider, he was unfamiliar with the landscape and terrain here, which put him at a significant disadvantage.
Right timing, terrain advantage, and human harmony—he had none of them.
To profit from any chaos that might unfold, he needed keener observation and more meticulous planning.
"All—all right, then." Second Master Shi pulled his cloak tighter. "But my horse can't make it up there."
That was no official road; the slope reached forty-five degrees, and the rocks were jagged and uneven.
He Lingchuan patted the rock sheep's great horns. "What do you think I'm riding?"
He pointed toward the snowy mountain and asked the rock sheep, "Can you carry both of us up?"
The rock sheep bleated twice and nodded repeatedly.
"Piece of cake." He Lingchuan lent Second Master Shi a hand, helping him climb onto the sheep's back.
It felt reasonably steady. Second Master Shi instructed his men to rendezvous ahead, then took a soft breath. "All right, let's go."
"Off we go!" He Lingchuan snapped the reins, and the rock sheep bounded high, leaping up onto the trail in just two or three springs.
It truly was bouncing along.
Second Master Shi's rear was shaken numb by the jolts. Looking down, he realized they were already perched on a sheer precipice thousands of spans high, and grabbed He Lingchuan's shoulders in terror. "Sl-sl-slow down! We're not in a hurry!"
The rock sheep naturally forage on mountains and scale crags far more deftly than other animals. Having become a demon, its strength had multiplied, so carrying two people was effortless.
Most importantly, it had an innate gift for lightness and cushioning, treading sheer cliffs as though they were flat ground, barely slower than galloping on level earth—enough to make Newton tear his hair out.
A ledge no larger than a palm was enough for it to plant all four hooves.
The mountain wind buffeted Second Master Shi until he teetered, his regrets bitter enough to churn his stomach.
This sheep didn't even stick to the path; it loved taking shortcuts! It made several midair leaps in succession—bouncing along merrily for itself, but whenever Second Master Shi happened to glance down, an abyss of ten thousand fathoms yawned below.
The mountain gale was fierce, too; if the rock sheep slipped just once, all three of them would be done for!
Soon, the main convoy was left far below, lost to sight.
"H-h-here! Right here, we can get off!" Second Master Shi pointed toward a rock hollow, his face so numb from the icy wind that he could barely part his lips.
With a nimble leap, the rock sheep landed in the hollow, returning to their intended route.
Climbing up from here led to the summit.
This section of the mountain path was quite broad, with wide stone steps that were fairly comfortable to walk on. For two thousand years, disciples of the Piaomiao Sect had traversed these very steps up and down the isolated peak.
Second Master Shi couldn't help remarking, "Going up and down like this every day must have been exhausting."
The mirror chimed in again, dripping with sarcasm. "You don't seriously think ancient disciples of an immortal sect walked everywhere when entering or leaving their mountain gates?"
Naturally, Second Master Shi couldn't hear it.
He Lingchuan tapped the mirror. "How else would they travel? Flying on swords?"
"Of course!" the mirror said as if it were obvious. "Look at those trails through the mountains—do they look like they were frequently walked?"
If a path were indispensable, it would naturally be built wide, flat, and straight. Yet the several side trails He Lingchuan had seen were rugged and uneven, carved out so haphazardly that they practically screamed: 'Just throw something together; having any path at all is good enough.'
Now, the two followed a natural fissure deeper into the belly of the mountain.
Legend said Wind Demon Mountain was the main peak of the immortal sect.
Of course, in its prime, the sect had had countless disciples who might not all have resided here.
The path widened as they proceeded, and the two soon reached a vast natural terrace. Above them, a single colossal boulder rose like a mountain of its own, remarkably majestic and imposing. Its rock faces were sheared so cleanly and smoothly that even the rock sheep could not scale them.
The marvelous spectacle of the "Golden Peak in Sunlight" that ten thousand people worshipped was none other than the sunlight striking the pinnacle of this monolith.
The platform below was enormous, easily the size of three soccer fields side by side.
Standing here, one could not only gaze far across the surrounding mountains, but even make out the figures of the escort on the opposite side with utter clarity!
The wind here was unprecedentedly fierce; the two men and one sheep were nearly swept off their feet by the mountain gale.
"Quick, quick! In there!" Second Master Shi yelled against the wind, pointing ahead. Only then did He Lingchuan notice another small path leading inward.
Chapter 392