Borrowing Spiritual Objects from Famous Mountains; A Talk of Immortals and Heroes by Night; In an Ancient Cave, Slaying a Demonic Snake; A Father and Daughter Reunite. - Sword Xia of the Shu Mountains

Master Bai Yun finished speaking and took a long case made of solid iron from the wall. He gingerly retrieved several pills from a gourd, opened the case, and revealed a centipede measuring about two feet four inches. Its entire body shimmered with red scales, and its eyes were as large as teacups, radiating a green light. Master Bai Yun placed the pills inside the case, and as the centipede began to stir, he quickly shut the lid. The bearded Taoist commented, "This wondrous creature must have more potent venom than a snake demon. How did Master Canxia originally capture it?" Master Bai Yun responded, "When Master Canxia was a mischievous girl, she once caught a small centipede, only a few inches long. She placed it in a box and fed it rice daily. Over time, it grew. By the time she left home, it was nearly five or six feet long. She wished to take it with her; however, her father worried about others' reactions and refused. With no other choice, she released it into the mountains. After her husband's death, she became a disciple of the Divine Nun You Tan, trained to become a sword immortal, and returned to the mountains to reclaim the centipede as a mountain guardian. For over a century, she nurtured it with talismans and mystical elixirs. It became something more than a mere creature, able to grow or shrink and is quite intelligent, rarely harming others. Canxia treasures it. After numerous pleas, she finally agreed to lend it. My dear brother, do not underestimate it." As they chatted, learning about Zhou Chun's expertise, dawn gradually broke. Master Bai Yun remarked, "It's time." He turned to Zhou Chun and advised, "The journey ahead is perilous. If you insist on going, observe safely from a distance and do not act rashly." With that, the three rose and walked toward the valley. The sun had risen, and the path was clear. Reaching a treacherous spot with no vegetation, Master Bai Yun told the bearded Taoist, "We are near the snake's lair. I will lure it out. When I engage it, Brother, please sever its retreat with your Xuan Ying Sword." He then proceeded alone. The bearded Taoist and Zhou Chun ascended a peak, spotting a large, bottomless black cave in the valley below. Master Bai Yun approached the cave, made some peculiar calls, and suddenly, a fierce wind arose. He swiftly turned to retreat, but the serpent emerged with a gust of black wind. The gold-scaled, red-eyed beast, ten zhang long with a girth like a barrel, pursued Master Bai Yun rapidly. After half a mile, Bai Yun turned and shouted, "Perfect timing!" releasing a purple light toward the snake. The serpent spewed a flame from its mouth to combat the light. They were locked in combat until the serpent, sensing it was overmatched, tried to retreat. The bearded Taoist unleashed his Xuan Ying Sword with a surge of green light toward the snake's head. Seeing its path blocked, the serpent coiled defensively, spitting flames and poisonous vapors at the two opposing sword lights. Despite the swords' potency, they couldn't harm the serpent. Each standing on a peak, Master Bai Yun and the bearded Taoist directed the sword lights against the creature for half a day without resolution. Reluctantly, Bai Yun signaled the Taoist to withdraw their sword attacks. The snake assumed it had won and lunged at Master Bai Yun. Suddenly, Bai Yun released an object glowing red all over, illuminating the entire valley—the centipede. As it emerged from its case, it expanded rapidly to over ten zhang long. The snake, recognizing a formidable foe, hastily breathed fire and vapor to engage the centipede. After a time, the centipede bit the snake's vulnerable spot, while the snake clamped onto the centipede's tail. Neither would yield. The pained snake thrashed its tail against rocks, sending debris flying like hail. An astonishing sight indeed. Bai Yun and the bearded Taoist moved closer. The bearded Taoist wished to aid the centipede with his sword, but Bai Yun stopped him to prevent harming it. While they spoke, a thunderous crash silenced everything. The snake and centipede both froze. The snake, overwhelmed by pain, had lashed out, breaking a boulder from the cliff above, which fell and crushed its head. The centipede, likewise exhausted, died. Bai Yun and the bearded Taoist hurried down and chopped the snake into pieces. Seeing the deceased centipede, Bai Yun lamented, "I hesitated to unleash it, fearing mutual destruction. How will I explain this to Master Canxia?" The bearded Taoist replied, "This monster wreaked havoc, tormenting all. Thanks to Master Canxia's centipede, we are rid of it, a significant merit. She will surely not fault us." During their conversation, a woman in black descended from the mountaintop. With a gourd at her waist, she politely greeted them, "I am Zhou Qingyun, sent by Master Canxia. Please, Master Bai Yun, do not be concerned. The centipede's death was destined. Master Canxia asked me to convey her regards and reclaim the centipede's remains." She approached the centipede, placed a pill in its mouth, and the creature shrank to about seven or eight inches. She then placed it into her gourd. Addressing Master Bai Yun again, she said, "My Master inquires about my father, Zhou Chun. May I see him?" Master Bai Yun, realizing she was Zhou Chun's daughter, rejoiced for him and summoned him. Father and daughter were overjoyed to reunite. Zhou Chun wished to seek Master Canxia's help, but amidst the chaos of the serpent hunt, hadn't voiced it. Seeing his daughter arrive, he asked her to intercede. He explained the matter of the multi-armed monk Mao Tai seeking vengeance and their journey to Chengdu. He requested Qingyun to ask Master Canxia to descend the mountain. Qingyun replied, "Such a trivial matter needn't trouble Master. I am here for that reason. I have completed my sword cultivation and am ready to assist. Despite Father's previous inability to learn the art, Master Canxia insisted it wasn't meant to be. She has never taken a male disciple. However, she assured Father that when the time is right, a great teacher will appear. You should proceed to Chengdu, where you will find help along the way. I will fulfill my duties here and then join you to deal with Mao Tai." Zhou Chun felt immense relief at hearing this. After bidding farewell to the three, Qingyun returned to deliver her report. Zhou Chun, reflecting on the renowned sword immortals, Master Bai Yun and the bearded Taoist, wished to become their disciple. Master Bai Yun advised, "Though over forty, your character is promising. In time, you'll join our ranks. There's no need to rush. Presently, there are numerous factions of swordsmen, often clashing. Beyond Kunlun and Emei, new groups like the Huangshan and Wutai factions rival each other due to their opposing natures. The matter with Mao Tai is just the beginning. More will follow." They gathered many dry branches and leaves to incinerate the serpent's remains. The bearded Taoist mentioned he was sent by his master, Quiet Void Patriarch, to quickly recruit an individual with immortal potential before the Wutai faction could. With a whistle, a celestial crane descended from the clouds. The Taoist mounted it and, bidding farewell, soared into the sky. Zhou Chun realized the crane he saw during the mountain fight belonged to the bearded Taoist. Despite his daughter's words, he remained uneasy and invited Master Bai Yun to assist him. Master Bai Yun reassured him, "Proceed without worry. If any difficulty arises, I'll come to aid you. There's no need at present." With no choice, Zhou Chun continued his journey alone. After several days, he reached Chengdu. He inquired about Mao Tai but found no trace of such a monk. With no alternative, Zhou Chun awaited Qingyun's arrival, puzzled by her absence after more than three months. By late January, Chengdu’s surroundings, replete with temples and ancient sites, presented many distractions. One day, weary of idly sitting in the inn, he casually decided to walk to the Wuhou Shrine outside the southern gate for a visit.