Heading north from the Wuyi Mountains, a journey of over half a month brings one to the Gusu Mountain in Suzhou. Suzhou was the capital of the Wu Kingdom during the Spring and Autumn period. After the King of Yue conquered Wu, it belonged to Yue, and when Chu destroyed Yue, it fell under Chu's rule. Following Qin Shi Huang's unification of China, this area became part of Kuaiji Commandery, with Wu County established here. In the first year of Chen Zhenming's reign during the Five Dynasties, it was designated as Wu Prefecture, governing three counties: Wu, Jiaxing, and Lou. In the ninth year of the Sui Dynasty's Kaihuang era, due to the presence of the Gusu Terrace by Lake Taihu, Wu Prefecture was renamed Suzhou—thus originating its current name.
The streets of Suzhou were bustling with crowds. It was the nineteenth day of the sixth month, the birthday of Guanyin Bodhisattva, and throngs of people were making pilgrimages to renowned temples like Xiyuan Temple, Hanshan Temple, and Beita Bao'en Temple to offer incense. Vendors selling incense along the roadside were doing brisk business. Amid the crowd, a carriage slowly made its way along the mountain path toward Dongshan's Lingyuan Temple. While others were jubilant, either offering incense to Guanyin or simply enjoying the festivities, this carriage moved silently forward. The driver's gaze was vacant, his face ashen, and the carriage was draped with black curtains, obscuring whoever might be inside.
Someone had been observing this carriage for quite some time—a man named Lin Bu from Qiantang, a renowned scholar in the Jianghuai region. That day, he too had hired a carriage to head to Dongshan Lingyuan Temple, though not to offer incense but to savor tea. The black carriage ahead had been traveling the same route from Hangzhou to Suzhou, and they had crossed paths frequently along the way. Yet, the occupant had never shown themselves, nor exchanged even a single word with Lin Bu. What intrigued him was not just the eerie and peculiar nature of the carriage, but also that wherever it passed, wealthy households reported missing valuables. Moreover, renowned physicians along the route had been summoned to the carriage for consultations. Who could be inside? A thief? Or someone gravely ill?
A white horse with dappled spots ambled alongside Lin Bu's carriage. Turning to look, he saw a beautiful young woman in purple silently riding by. A long sword hung from her saddle, standing out conspicuously among the crowd, drawing many curious glances. Yet the young woman herself seemed listless, her face pale, letting her horse wander forward as if indifferent to her destination. Lin Bu glanced at the black carriage ahead, then back at the purple-clad maiden beside him, growing increasingly puzzled. Could something significant be happening at Lingyuan Temple today?
Before long, they arrived at the temple gates. Lin Bu alighted, paid the driver, and leisurely made his way toward the back mountain. Behind Dongting's Xishan Lingyuan Temple lay a wild tea grove, where peach, apricot, plum, persimmon, orange, ginkgo, pomegranate, magnolia, jade orchid, bamboo, and other trees grew intertwined with tea plants, giving the tea a uniquely rich and fragrant flavor unlike any other. He had traveled far, partly at the invitation of Abbot Qingyan to sample tea, and partly to witness this rare and extraordinary sight. But as he strolled into the back mountain, the dappled white horse clip-clopped along behind him, while the black carriage, struggling on the narrow mountain path, somehow also made its way in. On the secluded mountain trail, Lin Bu walked alone, inwardly perplexed. Before long, the carriage surged ahead, overtaking both of them and disappearing into the distance. The purple-clad maiden's horse, however, slowed its pace. After a silent while, a soft sigh came from the rider. "Sir... venturing alone into this desolate place—may I ask what brings you here?"Lin Bu was slightly taken aback, not expecting the disheartened maiden in purple to speak first. "This place is an old haunt of mine, visited purely for sightseeing. Might I ask why the young lady has come here?" The maiden in purple dismounted and led her horse forward, murmuring, "I... I've done something unthinkable in my life, with nowhere left to go. I heard there's a Spirit Spring at Lingyuan Temple on Dongting's East Mountain that can cure eye ailments and heart sickness... so I came to see." She sighed softly. "Since you're familiar with these parts, sir, could you guide me there?"
Lin Bu readily agreed, "Of course. The spring lies within the mountains, but it's already late, and the path is long and desolate..." The maiden replied, "I'm not afraid of ghosts or demons." Lin Bu glanced at the sword sheath on her saddle, thinking to himself—what could a young woman with a blade truly defend against in these lawless times? Though barely past his capping age, he had already traveled far and wide. With the court preparing for northern campaigns, banditry was rampant. Even though East Mountain remained a popular destination, safety was hardly guaranteed. Yet, sensing her sorrow, he couldn't bring himself to refuse.
"Is the Spirit Spring in the mountains truly miraculous?" the maiden asked. Lin Bu smiled faintly. "Observing the sun and moon in the mountains, one knows warmth and cold for oneself. If you believe it's miraculous, then it is; if not, then it isn't. What fails for you may not fail for others, and what works for all may not work for you." A faint light flickered in the maiden's dim eyes. "Your words are extraordinary, sir. May I know your name?"
Lin Bu replied modestly, "I am Lin Bu, styled Junfu." Assuming the maiden was unworldly and unlikely to recognize his reputation along the Jianghuai region, he was surprised when she said, "So you are the 'Scholar of Huangxian'—no wonder." Lin Bu was taken aback. "Under whose tutelage has the young lady studied?" He hailed from Huangxian Village in Dali, having left home young to wander, earning him the playful moniker "Scholar of Huangxian" among friends."I..." The purple-clad girl hesitated, then said, "My surname is Zhong, and my given name is Chunji." Yet she did not reveal who her master was. Lin Bu smiled faintly, "The surname Zhong—are you not of Han descent?" Zhong Chunji replied softly, "I don't know. My master never spoke of my origins." Lin Bu said, "In the mountains of southern Fujian, many of the She ethnic group bear the surnames Zhong or Lan." Zhong Chunji stared blankly for a moment before shaking her head, "I know nothing. I understand very little of this world."
To recognize the "Scholar of Huang County," her background must be extraordinary—so why did she seem so lost and despondent? Lin Bu grew increasingly puzzled. Suddenly, he recalled something, "Miss Zhong, were you traveling with that black carriage ahead just now?" Zhong Chunji blinked in confusion, "Black carriage?" She seemed dazed; though the black carriage had passed by her earlier, she had paid it no mind and now couldn’t recall it at all. Lin Bu explained, "That carriage moved strangely. I fear its occupants may be thieves." He then described the carriage’s peculiar behavior in detail.
As Zhong Chunji listened, her mind was a blank. In the past, she would have drawn her sword at once and pursued the carriage. But ever since she stabbed Tang Lici with a needle at Piaoling Mei Yuan and fled the valley, she had been adrift, unsure of her own actions. Days ago, having run out of money, she impulsively robbed a household of their silver and gold by the roadside. Only two or three days later did it occur to her—what if that family had been saving that money for an emergency? Yet she had not only stolen it but also spent it thoughtlessly, leaving no way to return it. Now, hearing Lin Bu speak of "thieves," her heart wavered. Were her own actions not exactly what he meant by "thieves"? What was she now—good or evil?
Lin Bu, noticing her odd expression, assumed she was frightened by the mention of thieves and regretted bringing up the black carriage. As they both stood in silence, a woman’s scream suddenly pierced the air from deep within the forest. Startled, Lin Bu barely had time to react before Zhong Chunji leaped onto her horse, hesitated briefly, then hauled him up behind her. With a tug of the reins, they galloped toward the source of the scream. Lin Bu, now unexpectedly mounted, was astonished—this delicate and seemingly frail girl possessed such remarkable strength.
Plum Blossom’s swift hooves carried them to the scene in moments. But upon arrival, Zhong Chunji froze, her entire body trembling as she stood motionless. Lin Bu dismounted and saw a group of red-clad figures encircling a black-clad, masked woman. A black carriage lay overturned and shattered nearby, its driver decapitated. High in the treetops, a figure dangled from a branch, swaying precariously in the air. The red-clad assailants below brandished swords and knives, poised to swarm and hack the two victims to death.
Lin Bu paled at the sight. Corpses strewn across the ground—such brutality was beyond anything he had ever witnessed. What should he do? Flee at once or charge forward, only to die in vain?The figure hanging from the tree revealed a pale, delicate forearm, the black hood covering their face fluttering in the wind. That exposed arm was snow-white and smooth, exuding an indescribable, bewitching allure. Wasn't this person... wasn't this the same one who had given her a bottle of poison in the forest that day, instructing her to prick Tang Lici with a needle? After pricking Tang Lici, Zhong Chunji had repeatedly pondered the incident and naturally realized this person's intentions were far from benevolent—they had merely used her as a tool to eliminate a formidable rival. Zhong Chunji's face turned ashen as her hand gripped the hilt of her sword. This person was being pursued—what should she do now?
The black-clad woman surrounded by the red-robed assailants wielded a long blade, slashing wildly at her attackers. Yet her martial skills were too poor to match them, and defeat and injury were mere moments away. Zhong Chunji stared blankly at the scene. Clearly, the black-clad woman was severely wounded; otherwise, how could such a mediocre group have cornered her so thoroughly? If she didn't intervene—if she simply stood by—both of them would soon lie dead on the ground. And then—then no one would ever know about her act of pricking Tang Lici, nor the selfish, ugly thoughts in her heart—
With a clang, the black-clad, masked woman's blade fell to the ground. A red-robed assailant kicked her down, poised to deliver the fatal strike. Meanwhile, another had climbed the tree and was hacking at the branch the black-clad figure clung to. Seeing this, Zhong Chunji gritted her teeth, flipped her wrist, and sent a flash of sword light straight toward Lin Bu, who had accompanied her. Lin Bu never expected such a strike—thunk—the blade pierced his chest. Stunned, he turned his head to see the purple-robed girl who had come with him sheathe her sword and gallop away without a backward glance. Plum Blossom's hooves flew, and in an instant, she had vanished.
Why? Lin Bu's mouth gaped open as he toppled backward. Why...? Before the world spun into darkness, he suddenly understood—because she wanted to stand by and let them die, and he was the only witness to her inaction. So she silenced him.
What a ruthless woman...
Just as Lin Bu lost consciousness, someone in the forest sighed. "What a ruthless woman." With that sigh, the red-robed assailants staggered back. Leaves swirled through the woods, each one drawing blood where it grazed skin. A few cries of pain rang out—those lightly scratched by the leaves suddenly collapsed, dead in an instant from potent poison. The remaining red-robed men, sensing the eerie turn of events, let out a collective shout and fled in panic.
"Spring gatherings in the garden drift like fleeting dreams; this year, fewer remain than last. Ah... To live as one pleases is truly hard, hard, hard—so hard that even walking behind a monk's temple, one stumbles upon murder and arson... Amitabha." From the forest emerged a young man waving a feathered fan. His face was round, cheeks flushed, and he wore a yellow robe, though the fan in his hand was made of fiery red feathers. Yellow robes, a red fan, and his faintly blushing cheeks—his entire demeanor radiated joy, yet also a dazzling brilliance. No matter who stood beside him, none could outshine his radiance."Who are you?" The black-clad, masked woman who had just gotten up from the ground asked in a low voice that sounded quite aged. The yellow-robed man waved his fan in greeting. "My surname is Fang, courtesy name Pingzhai, nicknamed 'Carefree and Untroubled.' I've done few good deeds in my life, and saving people is a first for me."
The black-clad woman leaped up and brought down the other suspended black-clad figure. "You saved us—thank you so much!"
Fang Pingzhai replied, "No need for thanks. Horses stumble, men err, and even Fang Pingzhai might occasionally save a life."
The black-clad woman asked, "Then how would you like us to repay you?"
Fang Pingzhai, clad in yellow with his red fan, laughed heartily. "If the two of you would just remove your veils and let me take a look, that would be repayment enough."
The black-clad woman, however, refused. "I won't."
The masked man in the black hat was naturally Liu Yan, while the poorly skilled masked woman was Yu Tuan'er. She had been reluctant to leave the forest, but Liu Yan had insisted that the medicine needed to treat her strange illness required ingredients like tea leaves, grape seeds, evening primrose, and perilla seeds. For the sake of Elixir crafting, the two had no choice but to venture out from the mountains.
Once outside, their journey had naturally involved theft—these two were the culprits. Yu Tuan'er, simple-minded and innocent, would go out to steal whenever Liu Yan ordered her to. Though she felt it was wrong, she didn't dwell on guilt too much, especially since she stole little and only from wealthy households.
Inviting renowned physicians to examine her was also a given. Yu Tuan'er's rare and bizarre condition left many doctors marveling, lingering in fascination, yet none could cure her premature aging.
Traveling northward, they eventually reached Suzhou without incident—until today, when they were suddenly ambushed by a group of red-clad assailants. From what they gathered, these were hired killers sent by a household Yu Tuan'er had stolen from, seeking revenge.
In Liu Yan's prime, a mere breath from him would have terrified such men to death. But a tiger fallen to the plains—had Fang Pingzhai not intervened unexpectedly today, the two would surely have died.
"You won't?" Fang Pingzhai flicked his red fan. "Then that means—you're tempting me to look no matter what."
Lin Bu lay on the ground, life hanging by a thread, yet Fang Pingzhai was solely fixated on seeing their faces—truly treating human life as worthless.
The black-clad woman hesitated. "If you save the man on the ground too, I'll let you see."
Fang Pingzhai hummed. "That man wasn't killed by me."
The black-clad woman insisted, "If you don't save him now, he'll die."
Fang Pingzhai remained indifferent, but then Liu Yan spoke coldly, "Doubt he could save him anyway."
Fang Pingzhai let out an exaggerated "Ah!" and grinned. "Fang Pingzhai is omniscient and omnipotent—saving some measly scholar is no challenge. The real challenge is that your taunt doesn't work on me."
His brilliantly red feather fan waved a few more times. "Fine, then. I won't look at your face—I'll look at his. If he lifts his veil himself and lets me see clearly, I'll take the man on the ground away."
Yu Tuan'er nudged Liu Yan, who lifted his veil and stared coldly at the so-called "Carefree and Untroubled" Fang Pingzhai.
Fang Pingzhai indeed exclaimed, "Ah!"—but with a smile. "A true man. I respect you for that. The man on the ground—I'll take him."
He lifted Lin Bu from the ground, and in a flash of yellow, he was gone.
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