"Little cutie, this shows you haven't pampered the author enough. The story is shyly hiding away—this is the world-renowned Myriad Waters, Thousand Mountains Cliff!"
After seeing these mountains, no other mountains in the world compare. After seeing these waters, no other waters in the world measure up.
The breathtaking beauty left Cai Zhao utterly speechless. She suddenly felt that staying here for three years might not be such a terrible fate after all.
Song Yuzhi approached leisurely and smiled at the dazed little girl gaping upward. "Junior Sister Cai, do you have anything to say?" It was rare for anyone not to be astonished upon their first visit to Myriad Waters, Thousand Mountains Cliff, and he expected some excited remarks.
Cai Zhao snapped out of her trance. "Huh? Ah! Yes, yes, I do have something to say! Senior Brother—"
"I'm not the eldest senior brother," Song Yuzhi corrected, his proud brows relaxing slightly.
"Oh, second senior brother then."
"I'm not the second senior brother either," he continued.
"Third senior brother?" Cai Zhao ventured cautiously.
Song Yuzhi nodded.
Cai Zhao couldn't help but look around for Cai Pingchun and his wife, wanting to complain that the Azure Tower Sect had only sent a third disciple to receive Fallen Blossom Valley—clearly looking down on them—and perhaps they should just turn back. Unfortunately, after searching for a while, she couldn't find her parents, who had disappeared somewhere with Cai Xiaohan.
She had no choice but to turn back, take a deep breath, and resume her earlier topic. "Third Senior Brother, I—"
"Do you think my father and elder brother are too ostentatious, their attire too extravagant, unlike the demeanor of martial artists?" Song Yuzhi suddenly interjected.
Cai Zhao blinked in surprise. "No, not really. It's not that excessive."
Being sharp in business dealings, she noticed Song Yuzhi's expression seemed to say, "Junior Sister is just being polite," so she quickly added, "Actually, those in the know understand that what glitters isn't always valuable. Take you, Third Senior Brother—though your attire appears simple, this robe must be made of Ice Silk Gauze, right? Many in the Martial World would kill for just a pair of gloves made from this material, impervious to fire and water. And the gold-thread embroidery is likely the work of Divine Needle Old Woman Zhuo, isn't it? Ah, back in Fallen Blossom Town, we tried to invite Granny Zhuo to open a branch, but we couldn't even find a trace of her."
Song Shijun: "..."
The unspoken implication: Your father is just a tasteless nouveau riche, while you're the one who's truly over the top.
"Third Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother, Third—uh, I mean, I still have something to say." Cai Zhao forced an apologetic smile.
Song Yuzhi closed his eyes briefly. "Speak freely, Junior Sister."
"Here's the thing." Cai Zhao straightened her expression and spoke earnestly. "I know there are many retired martial heroes living in Azure Tower Town, each with their own untold secrets. I completely understand that. However—"
She raised her voice slightly, adopting her usual persuasive tone. "However, could you please ask our master to reconsider? Every trade has its master—they're hardly cut out for business! There are plenty of other things they could do instead. For example, those heroes must have led fascinating lives. If they're bored, why not write memoirs?"
"Like the sweethearts they once missed, the sworn brothers they fell out with, the regrets they still carry over past mistakes. Back in Fallen Blossom Town, we have several bookshops—fair prices, no cheating. The covers are specially illustrated by the famous Wonderful Brush Scholar of the Martial World, and the clientele has excellent taste.""The shopkeeper at the head of town likes stories of tangled affections, love-hate relationships, and the dilemmas between two beauties. The one at the end of town prefers tales of swords and dreams, falling off cliffs to find martial arts manuals, or being forcibly infused with power. But the old shopkeeper is planning to return home to dote on his grandson soon, and his son, the young shopkeeper, favors stories of age-old grudges and generational vendettas... In any case, the pay will be generous."
"What I mean is, managing food and drink, attracting customers, and greeting people with a smile is an art. If you esteemed heroes and warriors lack the knack for it, don’t bother opening shops. Leaving the Azure Tower Town desolate and barely making any money—what a waste of such prime locations and storefronts."
The Azure Tower Sect held the highest status among the descendants of the Big Dipper Six Branches, and indeed, it was the foremost in the entire Martial World. Countless martial artists came and went each year, making the town’s foot traffic unimaginably high. To starve while sitting on a treasure trove—Cai Zhao’s liver ached with regret at the thought.
"Hey, Senior Brother Song, Senior Brother Song... Why aren’t you saying anything..."
Song Yuzhi’s faint smile vanished entirely. He stared at Cai Zhao for a full half-cup of tea’s time, as if a trumpet flower had suddenly sprouted on her face, then turned away expressionlessly, refusing to look back no matter how she called after him.
—Was this the girl raised by Cai Pingshu, the woman his father loathed to the marrow of his bones? Well, if Cai Pingshu had been this infuriating back then, his father’s restraint in not resorting to hex dolls all these years was truly commendable.
Watching Song Yuzhi’s retreating figure, Cai Zhao couldn’t quite grasp why he’d suddenly gotten angry—when she abruptly realized how out of place she was on the Myriad Waters, Thousand Mountains Cliff. People bustled around her, busy sect disciples carrying loads or guiding fellow disciples to various lodgings.
Song Shijun, the leader of Vast Heaven Gate—second only to the Azure Tower Sect among the Big Dipper Six Sects—had coincidentally arrived at this moment. Naturally, he wasn’t here for Cai Zhao’s apprenticeship ceremony or to visit his third son studying abroad, but to attend the bicentennial memorial ceremony for Old Ancestor Bei Chen.
Apart from the descendants of the Six Branches, several sects traditionally friendly with the Northern Star Lineage had also come to observe the rites. Earlier, Cai Zhao had spotted a few bald monks and nuns organizing crates by the cliff—likely members of Gharana Temple and Hanging Temple had already arrived. The abbess of Hanging Temple, Shijing Yuantai, had never gotten along with her aunt Cai Pingshu, so Cai Zhao decided to slip away rather than risk an encounter.
In no hurry to find her parents, Cai Zhao thought the spring scenery was too lovely to waste and decided to stroll around first. With her hands clasped behind her back, she ambled forward like a cheerful, carefree little shopkeeper, surveying her surroundings at leisure.
Legend had it that Nine Conch Mountain was originally a Mystic Iron Stone Pillar connecting the mortal realm to the celestial court, meant to guide the fated to ascend. During celestial upheavals, the pillar’s top was shattered, and the Reception Palace above collapsed. The remaining part left in the mortal world became a massive mountain range.
The dense spiritual energy of the mountain attracted nine primordial beasts to cultivate here, along with hordes of demons nesting in its folds. Thus, the celestial ladder became a demonic mountain, devouring countless lives and wantonly spreading miasma and toxic swamps, ravaging the land, rivers, and fields until bones piled high. The rest of the story was just as Cai Pingshu had told young Cai Zhao—the immortals quelled the demonic mountain, and Old Ancestor Bei Chen, left behind to guard it, renamed it Nine Conch Mountain.
Digressing so far into ancient tales, Cai Pingshu had actually been trying to teach young Cai Zhao about the terrain of Nine Conch Mountain.The main peak of Nine Conch Mountain was once called Sky Piercing Peak—aptly named for its towering height. To this day, it's said no one has ever crossed its summit. Like the abyss Cai Zhao had just passed, any master determined to climb Sky Piercing Peak never returned.
Sky Piercing Peak is not only perpetually snow-covered, but its prolonged accumulation has formed ice so dense that no weapon can shatter it, continuously entombing the remains of those who perish on its slopes. In theory, the peak should have no traps—its true terror lies in its sheer, endless height.
According to an account from a predecessor who fled halfway, he climbed day after day, enduring unbearable cold for three months straight. The chill was so severe he nearly believed himself dead, his initial resolve long lost to the howling winds. The summit seemed eternally out of reach—the clear blue sky always just ahead, yet no matter how far he climbed, he never drew closer.
Mortals, after all, are flesh and blood, unable to survive without food or water. Sky Piercing Peak has no vegetation or wildlife, so climbers must carry their own provisions. Yet even these are limited, for over time, rations freeze into gravel-like shards, impossible to digest and prone to causing illness.
Those who die on the mountain are often the most tenacious, refusing to turn back until their goal is met. When their supplies run out, they either perish from cold and starvation on the descent or press forward, meeting their end ahead.
Like this predecessor, many succumb to despair and abandon the climb.
Ning Xiaofeng believed no mountain in the world was truly unconquerable—Sky Piercing Peak must be veiled in some ghostly barrier array, likely an ancient immortal's work, far beyond mortal means to unravel.
Still, given that even master array experts had perished there, Ning Xiaofeng kept her skepticism to words, never daring to test the peak herself.
Cai Pingshu often told Cai Zhao that Azure Tower Sect was one of the most impregnable strongholds in the world—and for good reason.
Dusk Micro Palace, the sect's main residence, faces south toward Wind Cloud Peak, with Sky Piercing Peak at its back. Before it lies a bottomless abyss; behind, an impassable glacial ridge. Once the Iron Chain is retracted, no enemy, no matter how formidable, can breach its defenses.
What infuriated their foes most was that while Sky Piercing Peak was a frozen wasteland, the land around Dusk Micro Palace enjoyed eternal spring. Meltwater from the peak fed sweet springs below, nourishing forests, orchards, meadows, and streams—along with wheat fields, rice paddies, vegetable plots, and livestock pens left by past sect leaders. Fruits, vegetables, poultry, and livestock thrived in abundance, ensuring Dusk Micro Palace would never starve.
Thanks to this natural fortress, Azure Tower Sect withstood countless sieges during the Demonic Cult's peak, eventually turning the tide to victory.
During these sieges, the Demonic Cult would taunt, "Cowards of Azure Tower, come down if you dare!" —to which the sect disciples would retort, "Scum of the Demonic Cult, come up if you dare!" Grudges festered, cycles repeated, and the feud endured.
Once, a particularly inventive Demonic Cult genius had the bright idea to attack with poison smoke, igniting a massive fire on Wind Cloud Peak to let the fumes rise into Dusk Micro Palace.Then, the poisonous smoke was blocked by the mist swirling between the two cliffs. If the mountain wind blew again, the smoke might even drift back toward the Demonic Cult members—a classic case of going for wool and coming home shorn.
You might ask, why doesn’t the mountain wind disperse the mist? After all, it usually blows freely in all directions. So why, when faced with the poisonous smoke, does it only blow toward Wind Cloud Peak?
…No one knows. Perhaps this is just nature’s uncanny craftsmanship.
In any case, when Cai Zhao stood atop Wind Cloud Peak, her view was completely obscured by the thick mist—she couldn’t even make out the shape of the Myriad Waters, Thousand Mountains Cliff opposite her. But when she stood on the Myriad Waters, Thousand Mountains Cliff and looked back at Wind Cloud Peak, she was astonished to find only a faint layer of mist floating above the abyss, allowing her to clearly see everything happening on the opposite peak.
Well, nature truly is uncanny.
Snapping off a charming, twisted peach branch by the clear mountain stream, Cai Zhao meandered leisurely into the woods, where the scent of fruit lingered in the air. It was already mealtime, so she paused beneath a tall fruit tree and studied the plump fruits hanging from its branches for a moment. Fragrant, steaming dishes—savory meat buns, seafood paella, crispy fried eel—flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern.
Cai Zhao prided herself on being a low-key gourmet and refused to settle for such a haphazard lunch. So she turned on her heel, deciding to give the Azure Tower Sect’s kitchen another chance—perhaps their cooks were unexpectedly skilled.
As her hunger grew fiercer, she quickened her pace. While passing through the orchard, she suddenly heard a clamor of voices nearby, including the sharp, urgent tone of a young girl.
"Junior Sister Cai, don’t blame me for setting Lingbo down gently. This matter… sigh … The Azure Tower Sect’s rules are strict and absolutely do not tolerate bullying among disciples. It’s just… sigh … it’s just that Lingbo’s talent and physique resemble her father’s more than her mother’s. She may be slow now, but once she breaks through her meridians—"
"Wait, hold on." Cai Zhao frowned, sensing something off. "My aunt told me that the former Sect Leader Yin was famously a prodigy, renowned across the Martial World by his teens."
Zeng Dalou turned to her. "The ‘father’ I mentioned is Lingbo’s father—the current Sect Leader Qi—not her maternal grandfather."
Cai Zhao let out an "Ah," then gave Zeng Dalou a once-over. "Sect Leader Qi is your master, so you…" Given your age, shouldn’t you be of the same generation as Cai Pingchun and the others?
Zeng Dalou remained expressionless. "I just look mature. In truth, I’m several years younger than your father."
Several years younger still meant he was over thirty—Cai Zhao chuckled awkwardly in response.
"Did Heroine Cai never mention me to you?"
Cai Zhao shook her head. "In her free time, my aunt often told me amusing anecdotes from her days wandering the Martial World—just trivial, scattered stories. But when it came to the North Star sects, she never spoke a word."
Cai Pingchun and his wife had always forbidden their children from asking Cai Pingshu about the past, fearing their youthful ignorance might lead to painful questions. As a result, Cai Zhao’s understanding of the Martial World was fragmented at best.
Zeng Dalou sighed softly and shook his head.
As they continued walking, he went on, "...Back then, if not for the kindness of my master and Heroine Cai, I would’ve been just another starving beggar freezing to death on the streets—never would I have entered the Azure Tower Sect. My master’s grace is something I’ll never forget. Besides, mastery isn’t measured by age. Your father has made remarkable progress in martial arts over the past decade, while I… well, my talent is mediocre at best. I’ve only managed to cling to my seniority within the sect."Cai Zhao said, "The martial arts of Fallen Blossom Valley are like this—progress is slow at first, requiring patience and steady cultivation. But the further you go, the more profound your skills become. My aunt said that because of this, my father endured no small amount of bullying in his youth."
—The martial arts of Fallen Blossom Valley are akin to a tree. When it's just a sapling, anyone can easily uproot it. But once it grows tall and its roots dig deep into the bedrock below, not even the fiercest storm can topple it.
Of course, there are occasional exceptions.
Cai Pingshu was one such exception.
Zeng Dalou chuckled, "So that's how it is. Lady Cai was truly extraordinary—not only did she make a name for herself in the Martial World at a young age, surpassing all her peers, but she also single-handedly slew the leader of the Demonic Cult. The title of 'Number One Under Heaven' was well-deserved. When I first met Lady Cai at ten, I was baffled. This girl wasn’t much older than me, yet so many heroes and warriors treated her with reverence."
Cai Zhao fell silent. "Yes, but the cost was too great."
"It was the injuries she sustained while killing Nie Hengcheng that led to her untimely death," Zeng Dalou said mournfully.
Not wishing to dwell on the subject, Cai Zhao changed the topic. "Senior Brother Zeng, please tell me more about the other disciples in the sect. I don’t want any more 'misunderstandings' with them."
Zeng Dalou gave a wry smile. "You did nothing wrong today. It was Junior Sister who acted improperly. Chang Ning is the orphaned son of Great Hero Chang Haosheng..."
Before he could finish, Cai Zhao gasped softly. "He’s Great Hero Chang’s son? The Chang family... they’re..."
Zeng Dalou sighed. "Your Fallen Blossom Valley keeps to itself and rarely involves itself in Martial World affairs, so you might not have heard. Months ago, the entire Wu’an Chang family was slaughtered by the Demonic Cult. Only Great Hero Chang and his son escaped. But Great Hero Chang’s injuries were too severe—he passed away on the way to Nine Conch Mountain. Given his friendship with our master, how could our master turn away Chang Ning when he arrived with his father’s letter? So he took him in."
Cai Zhao murmured, "My aunt once said she rarely admired anyone, but she held Great Hero Chang Haosheng in the highest regard for his hatred of evil and his kindness. He even helped Fallen Blossom Valley in the past... Is Chang Ning now a fellow disciple?"
"Not yet. Chang Ning is still gravely injured, with lingering poison in his system. Our master plans to heal him first before formally accepting him as a disciple and teaching him martial arts, so he can one day avenge his family."
"I see. So the Snow Lotus Pill is meant to heal and detoxify Chang Ning," Cai Zhao steered the conversation back.
Zeng Dalou could only sigh again. "Our master possesses the rare 'Heavenly Fire Dragon' constitution. Slow to start, but once he overcomes the obstacles in his meridians, any martial art he practices yields twice the result with half the effort. But the hardest part is precisely that—'overcoming obstacles and forging ahead courageously.'"
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