At first, in order to protect Xi Ping, the fewer people who knew about investigating the business of “Tai Sui,” the better. In the Latent Cultivation Temple, Elder Su was the only one aware of what had happened, and in Heaven’s Design Pavilion, only Pang Jian, who had been in direct contact with Zhi Xiu, knew the whole story. The other blue-clothesers had only “received a secret order from the inner sect” and run errands for Commander Pang in total confusion. 

Even more so, it couldn’t be publicized that they had at last tracked the evil cultivator to their general commander’s residence. 

Fortunately, Bai Ling, the other eyewitness, was in no better a position than the desiccated corpse on the reincarnation wood pedestal; he also couldn’t be exposed to the light of day. Pang Jian wasn’t worried about him divulging the secret. He simply asked Zhi Xiu for a seal to plaster back over the general commander’s residence. When the matter of “Tai Sui” was thoroughly investigated, they could report it to the court under some guise. 

Outwardly, he only said he’d had to ask the general commander for instructions on an urgent matter, so he’d had no choice but to burst in. 

As for the “urgent matter”…everyone thought it had to do with Heaven’s Design Pavilion exercising its “substitute governance” authority, hunting down the remaining evil cultivators all over the city without restraint. It was said that just among the city guard, they had ferreted out seven or eight people, and the rear courts of the wealthy people of Dangui Lane were even more uncommonly “exciting.” For a time, the whole city was awash with activity and everyone on edge, and there were many peculiar little details that no one looked into. 

The Yongning Marquis Manor was like the eye of the storm, caught in the heart of the wind and waves, so calm that not a bit of information blew in. When Xi Ping’s letters suddenly stopped, if not for Prince Zhuang’s obscure assurance of his well-being, the Marquis would hardly have known what to say to the old lady. 

Half a year later, the white jade proximal lit up once more. Before the Marquis could relax, he got a clear look at what was written on it, and his vision dimmed. 

That shameless wretch Xi Ping first praised himself to the heavens, then announced: because he was so good in this, that, and every other way, he had been carried off like a fine pearl by the discerning master of Flying Jade Peak to become General Zhi’s own disciple. 

For pity’s sake, the history books never said that General Zhi had eye disease! 

The Marquis didn’t sleep all night, and the lights in Prince Zhuang Manor’s south study also stayed on until dawn. 

Far off on the snowy mountain, Xi Ping knew nothing about his family’s deep anxieties. After getting the proximal back, he had more to say every day. 

“Because I’ve come here, an immortal beast comes to Flying Jade Peak every day to deliver meals (I found out later that the immortal beasts are immortal tools that need spiritual stones to run, so no wonder they don’t sneak bites). The food in the inner sect has no oil, no salt, no taste, and no smell. Shifu says the inner sect puts cultivation above all and doesn’t indulge in the vulgar desire for food, so no one cares about it. So I asked, wasn’t it because all these mighty people practice inedia, so no matter how good the food was, there would be no one to appreciate it? Eating and drinking are everyday matters, but flattery rises above the mundane… Shifu punished me by making me go up on the roof to sweep snow.” 

“Shifu is teaching me how to use my consciousness to undo the dragon-taming chain. It turns out that after you open your spiritual eyes, you can send out your consciousness. It’s amazing! But shifu says that the mind is the same as the body. If you meet a powerful cultivator, sticking out your mind is no different from sticking out your head in front of them, it’ll only spare your neck; where your body must not go, your consciousness can’t go, either. It’s only because the dragon-taming chain recognizes me as its master that I can enter it as I like.” 

“I learned to do it and undid the dragon-taming chain, but that idiot Xi Yue acted like his parents had died. I played a song to cheer him up…but he cried even more. At night, when I wasn’t paying attention, he snuck off with the dragon-taming chain and put it back on. I think that idiot’s intellect isn’t all there, so I asked shifu how I could make him smarter. Shifu says that someone with higher cultivation than his original master has to alter the arrays on his puppet body. His original master wasn’t that powerful, but arrays really give you a headache. Such a pain.

“Postscript: I also used my consciousness to peek at shifu’s wine cellar. There’s good stuff in there, another day I’ll get some of it to taste.” 

“Respectful greetings, grandmother, I am well. Because I secretly drank a cup of shifu’s Maze, I was drunk for five days. I won’t say more, shifu is punishing me by making me go up and sweep snow.” 

“Today I didn’t sweep snow. The cottage roof collapsed under me.” 

“Since the cottage roof collapsed, shifu had to open the mountain seal. It turns out there’s more to Flying Jade Peak than bare mountain and snow! There are all kinds of rare plants growing on the mountain because of its spiritual energy, and spiritual beasts everywhere. They’re very respectful when they see the peak master. There’s a green-faced lynx that even knows how to bow with folded hands. Shifu pointed it out in admiration and said it was much more sensible than his inferior disciple. Can you believe that! There are countless jade towers in the peak master’s palace, ancient texts piled up like mountains, and there are even more immortal tools and strange treasures collected by elders. I was ordered to make an inventory of all the treasures in the palace with my consciousness and compile a register so as to keep an account. I wasn’t having any of it—what’s the point of keeping an account? Shifu also wasn’t having any of it. He thought it was disgracefully messy. Xi Yue can’t read properly yet. After fighting over it for half the day with no result, the three of us had to seal the mountain back up and leave, then build another cottage.” 

“Today shifu is teaching me how to activate talismans. Talismans are all very wonderful. Apart from talismans for exorcism and avoiding contamination, and other protective talismans, it takes only a drop of spiritual energy to activate them—won’t it be easy to sweep snow from now on? But these doodles are too picky. At a glance they all look the same, you can’t tell one from the other—how am I supposed to remember them? Shifu ordered me to study them on my own. I’m planning to buy them in the future, then arrange them carefully and label them with their names, so I can let them loose when I need to use them. What’s the point of studying them?” 

“…it’s almost the eighth. Respectful wishes of good health and safety to my aunt. The Rose Gold Mind-Strengthening Pill that the white crane brought can soothe the nerves and strengthen the mind, dispel restlessness and promote sleep. I collected all the medicinal herbs used to make the medicine myself and asked a shixiong from Rose Gold Peak to refine it to send as a birthday greeting from afar to my aunt. Best wishes to her for good fortune, long life, and good health. 

“PS: It’s the dead of winter. San-ge, when you go to the southern mountains to light incense, be sure to dress warm and take care of yourself.” 

The eighth day of the twelfth month was Imperial Consort Xi’s birthday. The immortal crane that Xi Ping sent brought a birthday gift, and also seemed to bring a breath of magic. The golden plum tree that had shown no growth in all the years since the old lady had planted it suddenly budded. Everyone said it was an auspicious omen. 

The old lady was extremely pleased. She squinted her weak eyes for ages picking out the branch with the best blooms and told the Marquis and Madam Cui to take it to the palace. 

Guangyun Palace was too big. The old lady’s legs couldn’t walk through it. Her memory had also been getting worse and worse in recent years. When the Imperial Consort in the palace was mentioned, the old lady was always confused. In her mind, her daughter still looked the way she had before she was married, even more tender than the golden plum flowers about to bloom. 

The Imperial Consort stuck the flowers into a jade vase and said a few words to her brother and sister-in-law. The marquis didn’t stay long. He wished her a happy birthday as a mere formality, passed along their mother’s instructions, then left behind his wife Madam Cui and went to have an audience with the emperor. 

Once the man was gone, the Imperial Consort ordered the gauze curtain removed, gave Madam Cui more of the new fruit juice Prince Zhuang had brought, and sent away all her servant girls. 

Madam Cui said, “Has His Highness been here?” 

“He came early,” said the Imperial Consort, “and went to the southern mountains.” 

Madam Cui said, “His Highness shows filial piety.” 

The Imperial Consort smiled and made no answer. 

Looking at their features, the Imperial Consort and the Marquis seemed to have been made in the same mold, but in motion, brother and sister looked nothing alike. 

Though none of the wealthy ladies of Jinping’s upper class had vulgar habits of movement and speech, few of them had this degree of composure. She made hardly any extraneous gestures. Even her blinking and the movements of her eyes were regular, like a dummy with springs inside it. 

Madam Cui seemed to have had her eyes scalded by the Imperial Consort’s even, steady smile. She lowered her head at once to pick a topic up off the floor. Forcing a smile, she said, “Ping’er wrote to the old lady yesterday to ask whether the medicine had been good for Your Ladyship.” 

“Very good. He is a mindful child,” said the Imperial Consort. “Of Xuanyin Mountain’s thirty-six peaks, each has its influence. Only the Dignitary of Fate High Elder’s lineage stands aloof among them. Now that Ping has been taken on as General Zhi’s disciple, he will not only live forever, he will also be unvexed by petty matters. This is the blessing of our ancestors.” 

“Your Ladyship…” 

The Imperial Consort gently raised a finger, interrupting Madam Cui. 

In the tranquil palace, water roiled in the ceramic pot, and the chime clock let out a crisp click. 

“It is a good thing,” the Imperial Consort said in a voice like floating clouds and mist. “My mother is healthy, the children are both well. What is there to be unsatisfied with? Jinjin, try to comfort my brother, tell him not to be depressed. His temper is stiff, and he’s a melancholy person. At his age, he still doesn’t understand. It’s good of you to be tolerant. Luckily Ping isn’t like him… If I had listened to him back then, I suppose our bones would all have disintegrated by now. How could we have this good fortune? Let’s not speak of it. For the distribution of free porridge to the poor outside the city this year, will your family help manage it?” 

“…yes.” 

“Good.” On the Imperial Consort’s dummy-like face, a slightly different smile finally appeared. “Thank you very much. That’s good.” 

Because her birthday fell on Laba, Imperial Consort Xi went to distribute porridge to the poor¹ outside the city every year. 

Beneath the white jade railings of the Sage’s Road, before daybreak, big pots cooking Laba porridge appeared. Cui Ji, managing this business, did things in style. Only genuine, high-quality ingredients went into the porridge, and they didn’t even stint to add sugar. They hired a few dozen strong laborers to stir constantly. At the start of mao hour, people began to line up. Today, all the mixed grain flatbread vendors left their stands and lazed around—there was no business to be done. 

A-Xiang mixed in with the crowd and said along with the others: “Best wishes to Her Ladyship the Imperial Consort.” 

“Best wishes.” The worker serving the porridge saw how skinny she was and put a whole ladle-full into her bowl. “Careful, it’s hot.” 

A-Xiang said thank you and stepped aside, carrying the bowl in both hands. The rich rice and beans were a comfort to her insides, and the chilblains on her hands itched from the warmth. 

In the sleet that fell like shards of ice, she ate a few mouthfuls, but somehow she became distracted and, holding the porridge, stared blankly into nothing. 

Last year, at this place and time, it was this bowl of porridge that had kept her and her grandfather in Jinping. 

They had just arrived and were strangers in a strange place. Seeing the factory district overflowing with people, the old and weak not necessarily able to find work, they had been hesitating when they had happened upon the porridge distributed by the Imperial Consort. A-Xiang had never eaten such good sweet porridge in her life. She had burned her tongue, leaving two blisters. Seeing her gluttony, her grandfather had said, “Let’s stay here from now on. Jinping is full of nobles. If they scatter just a bit of food with their fingertips, it’ll be enough for the two of us!” 

Certainly if the nobles tossed just a bit of food, they would have enough to eat. But…if the nobles didn’t watch where they were going, they could also trample them to death. 

Suddenly, A-Xiang gave a start and came back to herself as if waking from a dream. She didn’t know how she had just started dreaming with her eyes open. 

Just then, someone yanked her backwards, spilling all the porridge. 

There was a whistle, and a Moon Plated Gold steam carriage nearly scraped her as it flew by. 

These metal monsters had just become popular, and new roads had been put in on the east side of the Lingyang River—they weren’t allowed to drive on the west side yet—but none of them were as level and wide as the freight-hauling road beside the canal. Lately, there were always wastrels going on joyrides in these things outside the city. There were no reins once they got going; there had been many accidents. 

A-Xiang, recovering from her fright, found her footing and saw that there was some animal, maybe a dog or a horse, tied to the back of the Moon Plated Gold steam carriage. It must have been one of the exotic beasts from Southern Shu. A gold chain around its neck flashed with blinding light. It was foaming at the mouth as the carriage pulled it along. It overturned a fruit stand. The carriage’s window opened. A hand reached out and tossed out a handful of money like sand at the wailing stand owner, then went off into the distance puffing smoke. 

A-Xiang was scared of wasting food. She quickly lapped up all the spilled sweet porridge on her hands, and only then turned to thank the person who had pulled her out of the way. 

The newcomer had a large frame, but his skin was dazzlingly pale. Even the color of his eyes was considerably lighter than other people’s. Adding in the thick bandages around his neck…he simply looked like a woman dressed in men’s clothing. 

“Be careful,” he said indolently. As soon as he opened his mouth, it was obvious he wasn’t a woman. His voice was coarse and deep, and his breath smelled of alcohol. “There are lunatics full of ‘snow wine’ all over the street.” 

It was said that unmined spiritual stones had tiny rock crystals adhering to them; for a distance, they looked like a covering of snow, so they were also called “rock snow.” They could be made into a special kind of “snow wine.” Drinking it would make a person immortal for a day, drunk enough to forget their troubles…and often also to forget their morals. 

“Poor wretches get drunk and laid low, in the mansions they drink snow… Well, listen, little brother, let me ask you something,” the man said, “how do I get to the Canal Office?” 

A-Xiang said, “Look towards the riverbank when you go into the city. It’s the most impressive building.” 

“Oh, good. Hey, wait, one more thing.” 

A-Xiang turned her head. “Hm?”

Without warning, the man drew close to her. Lowering his voice, he said, “Where do I find Tai Sui’s shrine?” 

A-Xiang’s heart thudded. The yellowish-brown eyes stared at her. Soundlessly, the man mouthed distinctly: “The conflagration burns on, the cry of the cicada is without end.”

Xi Ping was just learning to fly a sword on the north slope of Flying Jade Peak. 

Teacher and disciple had already abandoned Detailed Account of Meridians. Shizun had casually tossed it into the fire pit while roasting chestnuts.

Zhi Xiu said that this was like swimming or riding a horse. There was no use in scouring books. It was better just to go up and fly a lap. 

In order to fly a sword, you had to adjust the spiritual energy as the wind changed. If you learned to fly a sword, then naturally cycling and transferring spiritual energy would become as familiar as the back of your hand. 

Xi Ping looked down the slope. It was a vast expanse of white, further than the eye could see. “Shifu, what’s at the bottom of the slope?” 

“Nothing,” Zhi Xiu said. “The north slope is prone to avalanches, so all the living things avoid this place. While you’re playing around here, do your best not to call out loudly. Pay attention, I’ll take you around.” 

Then he patted Xi Ping lightly on the back. Xi Ping felt gentle spiritual energy from his palm pour into his meridians. The snow at his feet formed into an ice sword and swayingly lifted him two chi high. 

“Concentrate. Remember how the spiritual energy passed through your meridians just now.” Like teaching a baby how to walk, Zhi Xiu patiently took him in a circle close to the ground. Seeing that he was keeping his balance, he said, “I’ll release the spiritual energy bit by bit, and you can try it for yourself. All right?” 

Xi Ping said, “No problem!” 

“Good, be bold,” said Zhi Xiu. “If you can’t fly steady, I’ll catch you. You won’t fall.” 

But soon, General Zhi regretted opening his mouth. You couldn’t just say “be bold” to his head disciple! 

“Come down here.” Zhi Xiu pulled Xi Ping down from the heights for the third time—if he only relaxed his hold slightly, the brat would shoot up like a firecracker. He couldn’t control himself at all. “Don’t you know how to take things step by step?” 

“Shifu,” Xi Ping bragged shamelessly, “I feel like I’ve learned how to…whoa!” 

Zhi Xiu suddenly released the spiritual energy, and Xi Ping, who had “learned how to do it,” felt the ice sword at his feet splinter. He stepped on emptiness and went tumbling down. He was only caught by Zhaoting a few chi off the ground. 

Zhi Xiu looked down on him from on high. “You were saying?” 

“Hehe.” Xi Ping clutched Zhaoting with all four limbs, rolled over in midair, and awkwardly said, “My mistake.” 

A moment later, General Zhi was sitting on a boulder in meditation, training with the sword in spirit, letting Xi Ping go fool around on his own. 

Zhaoting hung suspended about a zhang above him. If Xi Ping’s head went above that height, it would fly over and smack him. 

Xi Ping flew in patterns along the ground, fell seven or eight times without getting hurt, and gradually got the feel for flying a sword. He felt that he had it now and began to fly down the snowy slope. 

At first he was still careful enough, maintaining a constant height of two chi off the ground. Zhaoting kept following him, utterly loyal to its post, to keep him from floating off. 

The third time he returned to the top of the slope, Xi Ping raised his head and looked at Zhaoting. Suddenly, he smirked. Then, with one foot on the ice sword, he went leaping down to the bottom of the slope like a falling object. 

The ice sword braked suddenly, took him in a circle like a whirlwind, then suddenly stopped. 

For a time, Zhaoting didn’t react! 

Xi Ping wanted to laugh aloud and only restrained himself by remembering that Zhi Xiu had said the north cliff was prone to avalanches. 

Keep him from flying up, but couldn’t he jump down?

Before Zhaoting could catch up, Xi Ping stepped up on the ice sword and continued going down. He flitted over the snow-covered pine forest like a gale, knocking the frozen treetops askew. On the way, he even leaned down to scoop up snow-covered pinecones and charged towards the pine forest with an exhaled breath—cultivation really was fun! 

Under the pine forest, there turned out to be a precipice. Xi Ping felt absolutely wonderful. He charged over without slowing down in the least. 

When man and sword had made their disgraceful way over above the precipice, without any warning, a familiar voice sounded in Xi Ping’s ears: “Tai Sui!” 

Xi Ping was instantly distracted. The ice sword at his feet split apart. 

“Fuck!” He lost his balance at once and went hurtling forward with nothing to rely on. 

Fortunately, Xi Ping was richly experienced in getting into trouble. While in midair, he didn’t panic at all. Using his finger as a string, he quickly played an urgent melody. 

The song suited his feelings and took shape at once. A whole piece of ice was “cut off” and rolled beneath his feet, turned over in midair carrying him, and narrowly steadied itself. 

Xi Ping plopped down on the ice and snapped his fingers. He thought he was amazing! 

Just as he was planning to fly back to work out what had been going on with that cry of “Tai Sui,” he suddenly heard an ominous rumble. 

Thunder? 

Xi Ping quickly raised his head and saw dust rising over the snowy slope, like thousands upon thousands of white horses charging down. Next, the snowy mountain began to tremble, making a sky-shaking sound. 

Boom—

Oh no, an avalanche! 

The toppling snowy mountain flowed down. Fragments of ice and rock scattered everywhere, all of them like flying knives. 

Xi Ping’s vision dimmed. The next moment, Zhaoting swept down from the edge of the cliff like a meteor. General Zhi tossed out a length of straw rope left over from when they had built the cottage and rolled up his wretched disciple, then surged out, narrowly brushing the white flood. 

By the time Xi Ping recovered, the whole north slope of Flying Jade Peak had changed shape. Half of the pine forest was gone. 

The thousand-zhang deep abyss reverberated without end like a dragon’s roars. 

Xi Ping stared blankly. “Shifu…” 

Zhi Xiu took a deep breath, feeling that tomorrow the news that “the peak master of Flying Jade Peak brought down the north slope of his peak in an avalanche while flying a kite” would be all over the Xuanyin Mountains! 

“I think I lost a shoe,” said Xi Ping. 

Zhi Xiu: “…” 

Kick him out! He absolutely had to kick him out! 

“Oh, also, shifu, didn’t you put a mind-clearing spell on my spirit?” Xi Ping said doubtfully, pressing down on the center of his brow and ignoring his shifu’s ashen face. “Why did I hear someone calling for Tai Sui again?”