Wielding a Long Sword; Master and Disciple Show Off Their Skills; Ascending Emei; Mist and Rain Lock the Sky in a Haze. - Sword Xia of the Shu Mountains

Li Ning, his daughter, and Zhou Chun bid farewell to the villagers before heading into the mountains. Except for Ying Qiong, who was eager to reach the mountains early to start her sword training, the three of them had no other obligations or attachments. They leisurely journeyed, enjoying the scenic beauty along the way, and by the time the sun was setting in the west, they finally arrived at the foot of Mount Emei. There, they found many inns, and the area was bustling with people coming to visit the mountain. The trio found an inn and planned to buy some essential items the next morning before proceeding up the mountain for a long stay. Nothing notable happened that night. The next day, the three discussed and settled their plans: Li Ning was responsible for purchasing daily necessities like oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, rice, wheat, wine, and meat; Zhou Chun handled buying books, writing materials, kitchenware like pots, stoves, and buckets, and also a long hemp rope that spanned several dozen feet. Curious, Ying Qiong asked, "What's the rope for?" Zhou Chun replied, "You'll find out soon enough; it has many uses." Though their luggage was limited, the additional items amounted to a considerable load. Once they hired porters, they began their ascent up the mountain. Pilgrims passing by looked at them with curiosity, but the three paid them no mind and continued on their path. Initially, they traversed through some narrow paths that weren’t too difficult, but as they progressed, the trail became increasingly perilous, and the scenery grew more breathtaking. The clouds seemed to drift past just above their heads, at times obscuring their view of each other. Ying Qiong exclaimed in delight. Zhou Chun warned, "Though it didn’t seem like rain when we were at the base, this thick fog now must mean it’s raining at the foot of the mountain. We must be cautious while walking in this fog, or a single misstep could lead to a fatal fall." After walking for a bit more than half a mile, they reached the She Shen Cliff. Looking back down, all they saw was a misty expanse, with no signs of human habitation visible. Even the temple on the mountain was shrouded in fog. Above them, the red sun cast its light upon the clouds, reflecting in brilliant hues—a truly captivating sight. As Ying Qiong was engrossed in the view, a porter remarked, "Esteemed guests, we’ve reached the She Shen Cliff. Beyond this point is ‘Ghost Repeller,’ where the road ends. Today’s clouds indicate a heavy rain halfway up the mountain, and we won’t be able to descend today. It would delay our business by a day, a little generosity would be appreciated." Zhou Chun replied, "We only hired you to take us here. Wait a moment while I climb to the summit and pull up the luggage with the rope; I’ll add some wine money for you, alright?" With that, he leaped onto a towering ancient cypress nearby and climbed to the mountain top. Taking the hemp rope he had brought, he began hauling the luggage up one by one. Then, he lowered the rope to lift Ying Qiong up. As she was being pulled up, halfway, she glanced down and was overwhelmed by vertigo and fear, even with her innate courage, as she realized just how sheer and dangerous the peak was, with the abyss below. Once Ying Qiong was safely up, Li Ning handed a tael of silver to the porter for wine money and ascended in the same manner. The three then discussed how to transport the rest of the luggage. Zhou Chun said, "I've been here many times and am very familiar with this area. I’ll lead you and your daughter to the cave first, and then I’ll fetch the items." Li Ning, unfamiliar with the path, graciously accepted Zhou Chun’s offer. Each took some light items, and after traversing several cliffs and about three miles, they reached the entrance of the cave. Above the cave entrance were four large characters: “Soothe Stones, Rest in Clouds.” Once inside, they found four stone chambers within the cave: three for sleeping quarters and one with good lighting for studying and meditation. Zhou Chun retrieved their supplies and, after three trips, managed to bring everything into the cave. By the time they finished settling in, the sun was setting over the mountains. They quickly ate some dry provisions, sealed the cave entrance with stones, and went to sleep. Early the next morning, Li Ning and Ying Qiong set a training regimen, starting with breathing exercises, focusing meditation, and various internal martial arts techniques. Ying Qiong, being exceptionally intelligent, mastered the soft martial arts in no time. However, her natural impatience led her to constantly trouble Li Ning and Zhou Chun to teach her swordsmanship. Zhou Chun, noticing her rapid progress, felt she was ready to learn, but Li Ning firmly disagreed, insisting it wasn’t yet the time. One day, Zhou Chun pleaded on Ying Qiong's behalf. Li Ning explained, “Young brother, you know only part of the story. Do you think I don’t realize she’s ready to start learning the sword? But you must understand, the more gifted someone is, the stronger their foundation must be. With Qiong Er's talent, I am hardly qualified to be her teacher, so I’m focused on solidifying her fundamentals. When fate brings her a great master, she can then become extraordinary. If I hastily teach her all I know now, it won't make her unparalleled. Furthermore, with her fiery and uncompromising nature, she may suffer at the hands of the many heroes stronger than us. My intention is for her not to learn unless she can master it profoundly. While reaching the transcendent level of ancient sword immortals may be unattainable, she should at least be invincible in the mortal realm. My initial reluctance to teach her stems from her quick wit and my own limited abilities.” After hearing this, Zhou Chun did not press further. However, Ying Qiong, restless as fire, found it hard to endure. The mountain’s scenery was splendid, but its greatest shortcoming was its distance from any water source. Fortunately, a mile from the cave, there was a waterfall on a half-mountain cliff, and below it, a clear stream with sweet, fresh water. Every two days, Li Ning and Zhou Chun would take turns fetching water. To avoid becoming sluggish, they practiced various sword techniques and martial arts in the open space in front of the cave every day. Ying Qiong, since they refused to teach her, would watch intently from the side and practice in secret when they weren’t watching. Mount Emei was home to many monkeys, and one day, seeing the monkeys sprinting and leaping across the cliffs with incredible agility, Ying Qiong was inspired to practice her lightness skills. Every morning, she would tie the two ropes between two trees and practice walking on them. She also pressured Zhou Chun and Li Ning to teach her all manner of agility techniques. She naturally possessed great strength, and with guidance from her two mentors, not only did she become light as a swallow but also exceptionally strong. Every month, Zhou Chun would visit Yan Er to teach her martial arts. On the day he was to descend the mountain to see her, he reached the She Shen Cliff and unexpectedly saw Zhao Yan Er approaching with a letter in hand. Zhou Chun opened it and found it was from Teacher Ma Xiang, informing him of a worrisome development: “Three days ago, a monk appeared, fearsome in appearance, carrying a wooden fish weighing three to four hundred jin, seeking alms in the village. He claimed to be a monk from Mount Wutai named Miao Tong, traveling the world to find a friend with the surname Zhou. Though his appearance was intimidating, the villagers noted that he asked for alms in accordance with Buddhist practice, without causing trouble, and thus allowed him to stay. He mentioned that there was no one with the surname Zhou in the village, but yesterday, a quick-tongued villager mentioned Mr. Zhou. The monk asked for your name and description. Upon hearing it, he declared, ‘It must be him. I never expected to see Cloud Crane Zhou Lao San in this lifetime!’ His face turned grim. He asked where you were, and as Yan Er and I were walking by, that villager directed him to us. The monk questioned me, and sensing malicious intent, I told him you had gone to Chengdu, without revealing your stay at Mount Emei. He’s no longer in the village today; I suspect he’s gone to Chengdu to find you. I’m writing to caution you to be prepared.” Zhou Chun was alarmed upon reading the letter and said to Yan Er, "Let's discuss this further once we're up the mountain." He hurriedly took Yan Er with him, leaping up the steep cliff to the cave. After Yan Er paid her respects to Li Ning and his daughter, she turned to Zhou Chun and said, "Since Teacher Ma suspected the monk had ill intentions, I decided that night to stealthily investigate what kind of person he was. Around midnight, I climbed onto the roof of the inn where the monk was staying. Using the technique of ‘pearl curtain hook,’ I peered inside and saw the monk sitting in meditation. After a while, he got up and retrieved two dismembered human fingers from his wooden fish and examined them closely. Then, he extended his right hand, comparing it to the fingers. It turns out his right hand only had three fingers remaining; the ring and third fingers seemed to have been cut off by a weapon. He then took out a small bundle, from which he produced a clay figurine resembling Teacher Ma, dressed in white and carrying a sword, but with two wing-like appendages on its back. The monk, upon seeing this likeness of the teacher, gnashed his teeth in anger and furiously cursed at the figurine. "I was infuriated and prepared to confront him, demanding what grievances he held against our teacher to resort to such curses in secret. If he refused to be reasonable, I planned to give him a sound beating. However, just as I was about to descend into the room, I felt a pinch on my back and found myself unable to speak. Suddenly, I felt myself being lifted into the air and was soon placed on the ground near the Three Officials Temple, giving me quite a fright. Because I had snuck out without informing my mother, I feared she might wake and look for me, so I decided to return home to check on her. Upon my return, I found my mother still asleep, but on the table was a note with beautifully written characters. It read: ‘Yan Er, how daring of you to sneak out and tread into danger. At dawn, hurry to Mount Emei to deliver the message to your teacher without delay.’ "Reading this note, I reflected that with my elderly mother at home, it wasn't right for me to take risks. Judging by the tone of the note, the monk clearly possessed strong skills, beyond my ability to contend. The one who lifted me from the roof to the ground must have been the person who left the note. I pondered over this throughout the night and informed my mother in the morning. She urged me to hasten in delivering the message to you. At the time, our monthly assessments at school were underway, and I worried Teacher Ma wouldn’t allow me to leave. Surprisingly, when I arrived at school, before I could speak, Teacher Ma called me aside privately and instructed me to deliver the letter, even providing me with three coins for the journey. I set out immediately, and after traveling about ten miles, I witnessed two people arguing. To my shock, one was the monk, and the other was a Daoist priest. Thankfully, they didn’t notice me due to the distance, so I abandoned the main road, took a shortcut over the hills, and hurried here. Do you know the background of this monk?” How Zhou Chun responds to Yan Er's inquiry will be revealed in the next chapter.