The sun shone clear, the sky was washed blue, and mountain flowers blazed. The sword cultivators entered the depths where clouds rose, gradually treading into country untouched by people. Their stone path was rugged, the vegetation dense, and signs of human hands appeared only now and then.
Peaks rolled into the distance like a winding dragon's spine, yet they left a passage for the streams to escape the mountains.
Planks laid across a stream formed a bridge. The Sword Immortals crossed one after another, the wood creaking beneath their feet.
Below them, the stream murmured softly. Clumps of sweet flag grew on the rocks, and fish startled by footsteps overhead flicked their tails and vanished.
The bridge was made of fresh timber, its axe marks conspicuous. Someone had plainly built it not long ago. Sure enough, Gao Shuang discovered a stone tablet inscribed: "This bridge was built under the supervision of Alliance Leader Guo, with Xie Gou and Konghou joining forces to do the work. Passersby, take note. Remember this well."
Who was Alliance Leader Guo? Judging by the inscription, did Bai Jing want to establish everyone's seniority and announce that she ranked after Alliance Leader Guo but before Konghou?
That was not the strangest part. Many pebbles lay beside the tablet. Gao Shuang could make no sense of them. Was this some local custom of Pearl Cave Heaven?
Qi Tingji smiled. "Konghou is Luopo Mountain's Genealogy Officer. Alliance Leader Guo is Guo Zhujiu, a sword cultivator of the Summer Palace's Yin Guan lineage. She is also Chen Ping'an's direct disciple now."
As for the pebbles, Qi Tingji could not be certain what they meant. Perhaps they counted the Right Guardian's patrols past this spot? Or expressed thanks? He found the notion childishly charming and could not bring himself to