Chapter 3: Descent and Danger
Amidst a hazy dreamscape, a familiar voice drifted into her consciousness.
“Shuya, my dear, remember this when you are older.”
A kind-looking old man stood beneath a starlit sky, his hands clasped behind his back. “The world is a fickle and dangerous place. Even a renowned martial arts family like ours cannot guarantee its safety forever. Our current status and fortune are but fleeting blessings, subject to the whims of fate.”
“Should true disaster befall us… alas!” The old man sighed deeply.
A young girl with pigtails tilted her head, her brow furrowed. “Not even Grandpa can protect us? But Grandpa is a Grandmaster!”
“A Grandmaster?” The old man chuckled. “In the grand scheme of things, what is a Grandmaster but a mere speck of dust?”
“Perhaps only those legendary immortals, detached from worldly concerns, can truly experience freedom and peace.”
The young girl, accustomed to seeing her grandfather as an unyielding figure on the training grounds, was taken aback by the wistful longing in his voice. She whispered the word “immortal,” a mixture of curiosity and yearning in her eyes.
“Huh?!”
Hua Shuya’s eyes flew open, and she sat up abruptly as if jolted by a surge of electricity. Instinctively, her hand shot to the sword at her side. She pressed the cool metal against her forehead, her breathing shallow and uneven.
“Why am I having childhood flashbacks…? Wait a minute! Did I just faint?”
Fragments of memory flickered through her mind.
She had been playing a game of Go.
No, that wasn’t quite right. She hadn’t even made a single move. She had simply watched, frozen in place, as the young man across from her had picked up a stone and…
The sheer power she had felt in that moment, the overwhelming sense of insignificance as if she were a mere speck of dust in the vast expanse of the cosmos, still sent shivers down her spine. It was like witnessing a divine miracle firsthand.
“Such terrifying power… contained within a single Go stone. This is the power of a true immortal, the kind of transcendent being my grandfather spoke of… a realm beyond the comprehension of ordinary martial artists!”
“Are you alright, young lady?”
A voice, laced with concern, broke through her thoughts. Hua Shuya blinked, her vision clearing as she looked up to see Lin Tianlu seated across from her, his expression serious.
She quickly checked herself for injuries, but she felt no pain or discomfort. She rose to her feet, her movements fluid and steady, her head clear.
“Master, how… how long was I unconscious?”
“No more than a quarter of an hour,” Lin Tianlu replied, glancing at the position of the sun in the sky. He offered her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, I didn’t do anything untoward while you were out.”
“Please forgive my moment of weakness, master. It was merely a momentary lapse in my qi circulation. Nothing to be concerned about.”
Hua Shuya released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
But then, her body stiffened as a wave of astonishment washed over her.
The exhaustion from her hours-long climb had vanished entirely. She felt light, energized, as if years of accumulated fatigue and hidden injuries had been purged from her very being. Her mind was sharp, her senses heightened, her body brimming with vitality.
And that wasn’t all. As she focused her internal energy, she realized that her cultivation had advanced significantly. Her internal force flowed more smoothly, her qi more potent and refined. A pleasant warmth spread through her limbs, invigorating her entire being.
This was… the Pure Yang realm!
After a single fainting spell, her strength had skyrocketed, surpassing years, perhaps even decades, of arduous training. She was now on par with her own father in terms of martial prowess.
Excitement coursed through her veins. She quickly pieced together what had transpired.
The profound, otherworldly Go game… it had not only broadened her horizons but had also bestowed upon her a miraculous transformation!
Overwhelmed with gratitude, she bowed deeply.
“Thank you, master, for this incredible gift. I will never forget your kindness and generosity!”
Lin Tianlu: “???”
He stared at her, utterly bewildered.
She had collapsed unconscious, blood trickling from her lips, and he had panicked, gathering some dry grass to create a makeshift bed for her.
She had regained consciousness shortly after.
He hadn’t done anything special. What gift was she talking about?
Could it be… the grass bed?
An awkward laugh escaped his lips as he waved his hand dismissively. “There’s no need for thanks, young lady. It was nothing. But you did cough up some blood, so perhaps you should consult a physician when we return. Your constitution might be a bit weak.”
Weak constitution?
Hua Shuya’s lips tightened slightly.
She was no delicate flower. Even if she wasn’t physically imposing, she possessed considerable strength and stamina.
But this master… he had seen through her facade with a single glance.
The reason she had begun training in martial arts at such a young age was because of her mother. Her mother had been frail and sickly, suffering from a chronic lung ailment. Hua Shuya had inherited her mother’s weak constitution and had been plagued by illness throughout her childhood.
Even after years of cultivating her internal energy, the lingering effects of her childhood ailments occasionally flared up, causing her discomfort and pain.
“I will heed your advice, master,” she replied, her voice firm.
Lin Tianlu observed her, a polite smile plastered on his face, but inwardly, he sighed.
Communicating with people from this era… it was exhausting.
Especially since this beautiful young woman insisted on addressing him as “master,” making it impossible to bridge the gap between them. He couldn’t even figure out how to ask her to take him down the mountain with her.
…Although he had to admit, being called “master” did have a nice ring to it.
“Master, about the immortal sect on Mount Taiyi…”
“The sect?” Lin Tianlu snapped out of his thoughts. He chuckled and gestured at their surroundings. “I almost forgot, you fainted before I could finish explaining. As you can see, there’s no immortal sect here. If there were, I wouldn’t be stuck on this mountaintop, playing Go with myself to pass the time.”
“The sect… is gone?”
Disbelief colored Hua Shuya’s voice. Only then did she truly take in their surroundings.
She had initially dismissed the scattered debris as nothing more than rocks and rubble. But now, upon closer inspection, she realized that they were the remnants of collapsed buildings, their once-grand structures reduced to piles of broken stone.
“For the legendary immortal sect to have fallen into such disrepair…”
She walked over to a toppled stone tablet, her fingers tracing the weathered inscription. Decades of neglect had rendered the characters almost illegible.
“How fleeting are the glories of this world,” Lin Tianlu murmured, his voice tinged with a hint of melancholy. “Even those who walk the path of immortality are not immune to the passage of time. A hundred years, a thousand, ten thousand… eventually, calamity will find them all. If such sects were truly eternal, wouldn’t they still exist today, not just in legends and whispers?”
Hua Shuya pondered his words for a moment, then turned to face him, her expression resolute. “I will remember your words, master.”
“Uh?” Lin Tianlu blinked, momentarily speechless. He cleared his throat and forced a smile. “Well then, young lady, since there’s no immortal sect to be found, I assume you’ll be heading back down the mountain?”
“Having failed in my quest, I will not cling to false hope,” Hua Shuya replied with a faint smile. “Besides, I consider it a great fortune to have met you, master.
May I inquire as to your plans? If it wouldn’t be an imposition, I would be honored to escort you down the mountain and offer you my hospitality. Consider it a small token of my gratitude for your guidance and generosity.”
Lin Tianlu’s eyes lit up. “That would be wonderful! I would be delighted to accompany you.”
He had been racking his brains trying to figure out how to ask her, and here she was, offering him a way out.
Hua Shuya observed his genuine relief and felt a surge of respect for this enigmatic master.
He had survived alone on this desolate mountaintop for over a fortnight. Surely, a simple descent posed no challenge to him. His earlier claims of being a helpless scholar, stranded and in need of assistance, must have been a form of self-deprecation, or perhaps a test of her character.
Immortals might jest, but that didn’t mean she, a mere mortal, could afford to be careless with her words.
With a final exchange of courtesies, they began their descent.
Hua Shuya moved cautiously, her every step measured and deliberate. She couldn’t bear to make a fool of herself in front of this extraordinary individual.
Despite her martial arts skills, the sheer height of the mountain filled her with a healthy dose of trepidation. One misstep could send her tumbling to her demise. Even the most skilled martial artist couldn’t defy gravity entirely. The ability to soar through the air, to walk on clouds… those were the stuff of legends, the domain of immortals.
Speaking of which…
Hua Shuya snuck a glance at Lin Tianlu, who was following closely behind.
He had repeatedly insisted that he was nothing more than an ordinary scholar, weak and helpless, stranded on the mountaintop and in dire need of her assistance.
But now, as they navigated the treacherous path, she watched in astonishment as he moved with an effortless grace that belied his words. His steps were light and sure, his balance impeccable, as if he were gliding through the air rather than walking on solid ground.
“Such extraordinary lightness… I’ve never seen anything like it!” she thought, her heart pounding with a mixture of awe and apprehension.
Her suspicions were confirmed.
This man… he was no ordinary scholar.
Even if he wasn’t one of the legendary immortals of ancient times, he was undoubtedly a martial arts master of the highest caliber.
Meanwhile, Lin Tianlu, despite his initial obliviousness, was starting to notice something strange about himself.
His steps… they felt incredibly light!
He had expected to stumble and trip on the uneven terrain, but to his surprise, he was moving with an agility he had never possessed before. He felt no sense of imbalance, no fear of losing his footing. He barely even needed the iron chain secured around his waist.
Could it be that the scholar’s body he had inherited had undergone some form of physical training?
He searched his memories, but all he found were images of endless hours spent hunched over books.
“And I haven’t felt a lick of hunger in over a fortnight. I didn’t think much of it before, but now that I consider it… could it be that my body has undergone some sort of transformation after my transmigration?”
He had no explanation for this sudden change.
He hadn’t consumed any strange fruits or elixirs, hadn’t encountered any wandering immortals offering to impart their wisdom. He had spent his days on the mountaintop amusing himself, never once feeling like he was becoming stronger.
Could it be… the environment itself?
“Perhaps there’s something special about the site of the former sect?”
He decided to table his musings for the time being. First things first, he needed to get off this mountain.
Once they reached civilization, he could stock up on supplies, find some new clothes, and perhaps consult a physician. As for the secrets of Mount Taiyi, he could always return later, better prepared.
After all, the mountain wasn’t going anywhere.
As they descended further, the treacherous path gradually gave way to a more manageable slope. The air grew warmer, and the oppressive chill began to dissipate. Hua Shuya let out a sigh of relief and unfastened the iron chain from her waist.
“We should be able to manage without these from here on, master.”
“Excellent.”
Hua Shuya smoothed back her hair, her brow furrowing slightly as she glanced around.
Where were her companions?
They were supposed to be stationed at various points along the path, ready to assist with the descent. But they were nowhere to be seen.
Could they have abandoned their posts, seeking warmth and shelter from the mountain chill?
She pushed the thought aside, deciding to focus on getting Lin Tianlu down the mountain safely.
But just then, a series of rustling sounds reached her ears, coming from the undergrowth surrounding the path. Footsteps approached, heavy and deliberate.
Hua Shuya’s hand instinctively tightened around the hilt of her sword. She caught a glimpse of movement through the trees and prepared to demand an explanation.
She had hired eight men to accompany her on this expedition. Where were they? And how dare they shirk their duties after accepting her payment!
“Just what do you think you’re—”
“Shh!”
A hand shot out, silencing her.
Hua Shuya blinked, startled. She turned to see Lin Tianlu standing beside her, his expression grave.
“Something’s not right.”
As if to emphasize his words, the bushes parted, and a man stumbled onto the path. He was dressed in the same thick winter clothing as Hua Shuya’s hired men, his face partially obscured by the shadows of the trees.
Hua Shuya recognized him instantly. He was one of her escorts. But why was the master—
“Gah!”
Her words died in her throat as the man stepped into the light, revealing his face.
It was a gruesome mask of torn flesh and exposed bone, his features twisted into a grotesque parody of a human expression.
Lin Tianlu recoiled, his eyes widening in horror.
“You’ve got to be kidding me! This ancient world…
Does it have zombies too?!”
