Chapter Ten

Seven days later, Mu Xiangming woke up in an old house. She was lying in a strange, dilapidated dwelling. Inside, a small boy of about ten years old, with a braid tied at the back of his head, was drawing on the floor with broken tiles. Upon noticing Mu Xiangming awakening, the boy immediately dropped the tile and hurriedly ran out the door.

As the boy opened the door, intense sunlight flooded the dim wooden house, making the interior appear smoky. The strong light made Mu Xiangming squint her eyes, unable to open them fully.

“Grandpa! Grandpa! She’s awake! She’s awake!”

On a cabinet nearby were two memorial tablets. The stove was stained with dark grease, and the floor was damp. She felt as if she had slept for a long time. Sitting up, she noticed her clothes had been changed into a very worn-out garment.

Outside the door, an elderly man was holding the boy’s hand. Judging by the man’s posture, it was clear he was not in good health. His back was severely hunched, making him appear short. He was layered in clothes, one over another, to keep warm, but it made him look bulky.

Entering the room, the old man said nothing but respectfully led the boy to a cabinet behind the bed. The boy kept looking at the unfamiliar woman, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and awe, as if he had never seen someone so beautiful. The old man took out two embroidered pouches from the cabinet—Mu Xiangming’s money pouch and needle case.

The old man staggered toward the bedside.

“Miss... a few days ago, my child found you while gathering firewood and brought you home. You’ve been lying here for seven days, sweating constantly. That’s why I changed your clothes to my daughter-in-law’s...” He handed over the pouches, his tone heavy and slow, tinged with sorrow. The boy hid behind his grandfather, clutching his clothes and watching her.

Mu Xiangming took the pouches and noticed the boy avoiding her gaze. She pulled out a silver coin. “Sir, this is only right. Please accept this as my thanks.” She handed it to the old man.

The old man, upon seeing the silver, dared not take it. Suddenly, he knelt down with a thud, tears welling up at the corners of his eyes.

“Miss, you truly have a compassionate heart! I’ve lived most of my life and have never seen such silver!” He kept bowing his head.

Mu Xiangming quickly got up to help him. “Sir, you are many years my senior. I cannot accept such a gesture from you!” She helped him sit on the edge of the bed and pressed the silver into his hand.

The old man’s calloused hand clutched the silver tightly, trembling incessantly. Tears shone in his eyes as he confessed, “If only I had this silver earlier, how much better it would have been!”

Mu Xiangming grasped the old man’s hand. “Sir, has something happened at home? You can tell me. If I can help, I will.”

The old man looked at the child and said with a trembling voice, “In the end, it’s this child who has suffered the most.” The boy hugged his grandfather’s leg. The old man stroked the boy’s head, his eyes filled with endless sorrow.

“The harvests have been poor these past years. The family couldn’t spare a grain of rice. His father borrowed rice from the landlord, thinking this year’s harvest would be enough to repay it by biting the bullet. But there was no harvest. The surviving rice fields barely produced half the amount owed to the landlord. They borrowed five jin of rice seeds and repaid sixty jin. The landlord didn’t care at all—he took the land and seized the oxen. In the end, they still owed the landlord more than seventy jin of rice! A few days ago, the officials came to collect taxes again. The five family members hadn’t eaten to their fill all winter, so what could they give? When they couldn’t find anything valuable, they tried to take the boy’s mother. His father disagreed, and the official stabbed and killed him on the spot!”

Upon hearing this, the boy burst into tears. The old man patted his head, his gaze turning vacant, staring blankly out the window. His lips trembled, and tears streamed down his face.

After changing clothes, Mu Xiangming stepped out of the house. The bright sunlight bathed her delicate face, adding a touch of beauty, yet her radiant eyes seemed much duller. The snow on the ground had melted considerably. It seemed the sun had shone throughout her unconscious days, but how could it melt the hardships of the world?

Looking back, she saw the old man holding the boy’s hand, waving farewell. The boy smiled, like he had seen the dawn. Mu Xiangming spread her arms wide and leapt up, flying toward the direction the old man had pointed.

According to the old man, the Qiu and Jiu couple once ruled the Jiuling Peak area. After Song Lianxiang died, bandits began to swarm the Fushou Mountain stronghold at Jiuling Peak. They specialized in robbing travelers—peasants and officials alike. Anyone who passed through the mountain road had to pay them. The imperial martial sect’s multiple attempts to eradicate the bandits all ended in failure, rumored to be because officials secretly supported the bandits.

Uncle had once said that the Sanqiu Blade and his former wife, Song Lianxiang, were feared across the martial world. They were ruthless and committed many heinous deeds. But now, with poison in the teacher’s body, he was powerless to interfere. Even with the Yuyin Jiutian helping to dispel the poison, the outlook remained grim.

At the foot of Jiuling Peak—

Lin He withdrew his hands.

Unbelievable. The old woman who had been on the brink of death just seven days ago was now completely freed from poison after his aid. Even more astonishing was that at her advanced age, she had meridians opened by Yuyin Jiutian. Time and again, Lin He was struck with profound shock. Though he knew the miracle of this sacred place, he never expected it to reach such a pinnacle—a truly perfect immortal cave.

The blind old woman opened her eyes and immediately leapt off the huge rock, amazed to find she could see! Joy flooded her face, disbelief mingled with delight. Lin He’s heart was warmed by this unexpected happiness.

She stared at her hands, wiping her eyes repeatedly, blinking. Spreading her arms wide, she laughed aloud, “I can see! I can see again!” She took three flying steps out of the cave, eager to behold the outside world once more.

Lin He descended from the rock, initially fearing permanent injury to his feet, but today found them not only unharmed but even swifter.

During the days assisting the old woman, he had not closely inspected the cave. Approaching the cold pool, Lin He sensed that all the cave’s wonders likely stemmed from the unique fragrance emanating from the pool. The water glowed faintly and was crystal clear, free of any impurities.

He bent down to touch the water, feeling warmth. Yet it was ordinary water, no different from river water. Retracting his hand, Lin He concluded that the miraculous element must lie beneath the pool. But every time he peered to the bottom, an inexplicable fear gripped him, as if warning that the pool’s depths concealed something beyond mortal comprehension.

Walking toward the stone wall, Lin He examined it and found inscriptions.

Wiping away the dust, he saw two types of characters—one from the Manchu nation, the other from the Lu nation.

“Year 998 of the Manchu calendar: Chen Shi Min and Ling’er fell to the foot of Jiuling Peak, fleeing from enemies. Discovering this treasure land, they named it: Chenling Immortal Cave.”

Above this was another line:

“To receive the cave’s generous gift, one must hold a generous heart;

To cultivate supreme divine skill, one must first understand the hearts of men.”

Below were more lines in Lu characters, but Lin He could not read them. He judged that this treasure cave had been discovered by ancestors over a hundred years ago. Yet, strangely, it had never spread throughout the world.

As Lin He pondered, the old woman’s voice came from behind.

“I found these inscriptions twenty years ago when I arrived here, but I could not read them!” Lin He looked back. The old woman, her sight restored, appeared much younger.

“Grandma, why didn’t you try to climb out of Jiuling Peak after falling here twenty years ago?”

The old woman approached and spoke meaningfully.

“Twenty years ago, I was poisoned with deadly venom and pursued by enemies who drove me to this abyss. But heaven had mercy—I was saved by a cliff tree. Though I didn’t die, I was gravely injured and still poisoned. My days were numbered. I intended this cave to be my tomb, but unexpectedly, it was miraculous. My internal injuries healed, and the poison was controlled.

“I thought of leaving the mountain, but my lightness skill was poor; alone, I simply could not climb out of this abyss.”

Lin He said, “Your foundation is impressive. Why not stay and cultivate more before leaving?”

The old woman shook her head. “There is no gain without loss in this world. Seeing this unique place, so isolated from the world, I decided to end my broken life here, no longer involving myself in martial affairs.”

After hearing her, Lin He was deeply moved.

“Indeed, nothing is perfect in this world. You fell into this valley being chased by enemies, and my fate is no different. Not long ago, my master and I were pursued by enemies and fell into this abyss.”

The old woman frowned.

“Seeing you bear Yuyin Jiutian, you must be a disciple of Dengyang Peak. By his style, how could you have enemies?”

Lin He sneered coldly.

“My master is not of Dengyang Peak nor a martial figure, but a scholar renowned as one of the Four Great Literary Families—Mr. Tao. I, however, only possess theoretical martial knowledge without solid techniques.”

The old woman was shocked. “You are Tao Zhiming’s disciple?!”

Her reaction surprised Lin He.

“Did you know him in life?”

“I and my husband once owed him a great debt, but I have yet to repay it.”

Lin He took out a paper from his clothes, unfolded it, and handed it to her.

The old woman took the paper and, looking at the writing, her face grew much more weathered. Touching the characters, she said, “After twenty years, to hear news of him again, and that he is still pursued by enemies...”

Her eyes filled with remorse.

“Indeed, it looks like his handwriting... Heaven truly toys with me. Thirty years ago, you saved my life, and now your disciple has saved me.”

She returned the paper to Lin He.

“My poison recurs every ten years. Ten years ago, it blinded me, but I survived. Ten years later, you saved my life and healed my eyes. I won’t have another ten years.” She looked at Lin He with determination. “Will you stay a few more days?”

Lin He furrowed his brows.

“What do you mean, Grandma?”

“You are Tao Zhiming’s disciple and saved me. Now, with Tao Zhiming facing difficulties, I will teach you four sets of martial arts. Only then can I repay his kindness!”