White Fan, Blood Bamboo

Cenji Mountains.

The piercing, shrieking wind that usually wailed like ghosts year-round had miraculously ceased, leaving the entire canyon in a deathly, silent hush.

Pang Jian, who had visited countless times, rode his horse into the canyon and suddenly felt a strange, inexplicable sense of alienation.

He listened intently, only to discover that there was no sound of birds flapping their wings among the peaks on either side, nor any insects chirping in the brush.

Even the irritable chestnut warhorse beneath him had suddenly turned docile the moment it entered the canyon, as if it had instinctively sensed that something was wrong.

Having been taught the art of hunting by his father since childhood, Pang Jian was a seasoned hunter who knew well that a place of unnatural stillness was often accompanied by hidden dangers and crises.

Maintaining his vigilance in the shadows, he drew his bow and arrows from his back, observing his surroundings carefully as he urged his horse slowly forward.

The canyon remained the same canyon; the mountains remained the same mountains.

Yet, as he traveled through the center, Pang Jian felt as though something had changed, though he could not put his finger on what it was.

A moment later, the warhorse beneath Pang Jian came to a sudden halt; he saw several bizarrely posed corpses scattered among the stone piles ahead.

The bodies were all dressed in identical black robes, each bearing a crimson crescent moon pattern on the chest—a crescent that seemed to float in the depths of a mysterious, dark world, filled with an eerie and bloody aesthetic.

At a single glance, Pang Jian was reminded of the sailing ship that had descended from the Upper Realm a few days prior.

The crescent moon pattern on the corpses' chests was clearly identical to the blood-red crescent on the black silk banner of that ship.

The corpses among the jagged rocks all appeared quite young; some clutched silver bells, others held white paper fans, and some gripped massive copper hammers, all frozen in postures of frantic, forward flight.

Some had even turned their heads to look back, as if they were being pursued by some great terror that had filled them with dread and unease.

Strangely, there were no fatal wounds on these bodies, nor were there any signs of them having been crushed by the falling rocks.

The bizarre, running postures of the corpses gave Pang Jian the impression that they had been killed in an instant, and that they had maintained their original positions even after death.

It was as if a gust of wind had blown past, scattering their souls, and some strange power that locked away time had frozen them in place.

Yet, the canyon, usually roaring with fierce winds, was now terrifyingly quiet, devoid of the demonic gales Pang Jian had imagined in his mind.

Even stranger was that the corpses in the stone piles had not been torn apart or scavenged, despite this being a canyon where wild beasts frequently roamed.

The scene before him was irrational in every way, and Pang Jian naturally would not rush forward blindly.

He chose to stay where he was and wait for the others.

"Clop! Clop!"

Before long, the sound of galloping hooves echoed from behind Pang Jian.

Pang Jian turned to see a spirited young woman riding a snow-white warhorse; she seemed to have merged with her mount, shooting toward him like a dazzling white beam of light.

Her skilled horsemanship and exquisite control over the animal proved that she was no novice on the battlefield.

It was only when she was about to reach Pang Jian that the people and horses she had left trailing behind began to appear one after another.

"What is this?"

She pulled hard on the reins, bringing her snow-white warhorse to a halt before scanning the corpses in the stone piles with bright eyes.

As her thick eyebrows—much denser than those of an ordinary woman—slowly furrowed, her gaze turned sharp, making her look both heroic and imposing.

"It's people from the Blood Moon!"

Ning Yuanshan, sporting a goat-like beard, arrived shortly after. His face clouded over as he said in a deep voice, "Those fellows from the Blood Moon of the Upper Realm are always cruel and bloodthirsty. What could they have possibly encountered in these stone piles? Their state of death is so bizarre!"

Ning Yuanshan saw no fatal wounds on the bodies; sensing something amiss, he warned everyone to be careful.

"I'll go check."

Liu Qi, who had reluctantly handed his chestnut warhorse over to Pang Jian, dismounted from his companion's horse.

Seeing Ning Yuanshan nod slightly, he received permission and headed toward the stone piles. He paused briefly as he passed Pang Jian, then drew a long spear from beneath his horse's belly before stepping quickly into the rocks.

"The rest of you, stay back!" Ning Yuanshan warned, looking back with cold eyes.

Behind him, several men whose eyes had been gleaming with greed at the sight of the artifacts in the corpses' hands tightened their reins in frustration.

Had it not been for his reprimand, these men had intended to rush into the stone piles to investigate just like Liu Qi.

The practitioners of the Blood Moon from the Upper Realm surely carried extraordinary items; if they could obtain even one of them, the trip would be worth it, which was why they had nearly rushed in, driven by greed.

The few who were forced to stop watched Liu Qi with envy as he reached the first corpse.

It was a youth of short stature with his hair tied in a topknot, his left hand held high, clutching a white paper fan.

His right hand was still forming a mudra, as if he had been trying to trigger some life-saving secret technique to escape the terrifying stone pile.

On the opened white paper fan, a few stalks of verdant bamboo were painted, accompanied by a line of poetry in the inscription.

"Green bamboo and cold vines, the sun lingers as the mountains and rivers grow dim."

After leaning in close, Liu Qi recited the inscribed poem silently, then used the tip of his spear to pry open the dead youth's robe, wanting to see if there were any fatal wounds hidden beneath the clothing.

Suddenly, the few green bamboo stalks on the white paper fan held high by the dead youth were gradually surrounded by blood-red light.

A blood-colored bamboo stalk, painted on the surface of the fan, suddenly shot out and pierced directly through Liu Qi's forehead.

Liu Qi collapsed backward, blood gushing from the center of his brow, and died on the spot.

Pang Jian was startled, instinctively gripping his long saber as he prepared to face the unknown.

The sinister white paper fan and that lethal blood-bamboo were anomalies he could never have encountered in the Cenji Mountains before.

After the blood-bamboo assassinated Liu Qi, it retracted back into the white paper fan, staining all the remaining green bamboo stalks crimson.

Inside the pile of grey stones, the white-based fan surface displayed several vibrant, blood-colored bamboo stalks, which emitted a bright red light that caused everyone's expressions to shift.

Ning Yuanshan's face sank like water as he scoffed, "You all nearly died as well."

The few who had wanted to charge in behind him were secretly gripped by lingering fear, and upon hearing this, they lowered their heads in shame.

Zhang Heng, who had arrived riding the same horse as Liu Qi, pulled the reins so hard his knuckles turned white, terrified that his warhorse might lose control and bolt forward. "Truly wicked!" he cried out.

No one dared to take another step forward.

In their eyes, the corpses scattered among the rubble, each marked with a blood-red crescent moon on their chests, had all transformed into bloodthirsty monsters.

"Kid, go and fetch that white paper fan for me."

He Ziren, whose white robes seemed utterly spotless, suddenly had his eyes light up. He felt no grief over Liu Qi's death; instead, he raised a hand and pointed at Pang Jian.

Ning Yuanshan frowned slightly. Because he knew He Ziren's status, he did not speak up to dissuade him.

"If you want to die, go yourself. Don't drag others into your misfortune."

The young lady Ning Yao frowned with cold eyes. She first glared at He Ziren with dissatisfaction, then looked toward Pang Jian and said, "I know your name is Pang Jian. We are unfamiliar with the Cenji Mountains and still need you to clear up our confusion."

She appeared quite composed, evidently having experienced great storms, and would not be rendered helpless by the strangeness within the stone pile.

"I was just speaking casually," He Ziren said, shaking his head with a laugh, not taking her seriously.

"We take money to resolve disasters for others. Can you tell me how this canyon differs from before?" Ning Yao continued to look at Pang Jian, waiting for him to explain the oddity of this place.

"It has become quiet. The wind used to howl piercingly, but now it is silent. Also, there used to be birds on the mountain walls and beasts in the dark corners of the canyon, but now, none are to be seen," Pang Jian answered truthfully.

"Quiet..." Ning Yao seemed thoughtful, then asked, "Anything else?"

Pang Jian shook his head.

Ning Yao immediately stopped questioning him and ordered the group to set up camp before the pile of rubble. "We are not the only ones from the Ning Family exploring the Cenji Mountains; we only arrived first because we were the closest."

"Everyone, do not rush to go deeper. We will first keep an eye on the anomalies of those corpses and wait for the other teams to arrive."

Having just entered the canyon and already losing a capable subordinate at the first pile of rubble, she dared not act rashly.

"The people from the other six great families will surely hear the news and come as well; we shouldn't have to wait too long." Ning Yuanshan expressed his agreement. "Let us keep watch on these Blood Moon corpses first. Once the other parties arrive, we will decide how to proceed."

The stone pile was right before them, and the Blood Moon's bells, precious fan, and copper hammers were within arm's reach, yet no one dared to covet them any longer.

After securing their horses, the group quickly set up camp and tents, each becoming busy with their tasks.

Pang Jian remained expressionless, only occasionally glancing at He Ziren, who had previously intended to sacrifice him.

He Ziren soon noticed his gaze, grinned silently, and raised a hand to make a gesture of gouging out his eyes.

"Uncle Yuanshan, everyone has traveled a long way and needs to stop and recover their breath. I must trouble you to keep watch outside for now," Ning Yao said, sounding slightly weary.

"Understood."

Ning Yuanshan had the same intention. He waved for everyone to go into the tents to rest, while he and Pang Jian remained outside.

"We are of the Ning Family. The Ning Family... have you heard of us?"

Once Ning Yao and the others had entered their respective tents to either meditate or close their eyes for a nap, Ning Yuanshan pulled Pang Jian aside and took the initiative to ask.

Compared to when they first met, his attitude had become significantly more polite, and he no longer put on the airs of a superior.

"The Ning Family of the Seven Great Families?" Pang Jian was stunned.

"It seems you are not entirely ignorant after all," Ning Yuanshan said proudly.

Next, he spoke in the tone of casual conversation, discussing the anomalies of the Cenji Mountains with Pang Jian.

He learned from Pang Jian that not long ago, a golden chariot, a massive sailing ship, and a white pagoda had descended one after another.

"The Gilded Chariot of the Galaxy Alliance, the Indeterminate Ferry of the Blood Moon, and the Heavenly Spirit Pagoda of the Yin Spirit Temple."

Ning Yuanshan stroked his beard, his brows locked in a deep frown as he murmured to himself. Through Pang Jian's description, he quickly confirmed the origins of the descending objects, then asked, "Did you see anyone emerge?"

Pang Jian shook his head. "I did not."

"Very well, you should get some rest as well," Ning Yuanshan said, ceasing his questions.

After a while, he asked Pang Jian to help keep an eye on the surroundings while he went to Ning Yao's tent.

He asked softly outside the tent, and after receiving Ning Yao's permission, he slipped inside to discuss important matters with her.

Night fell.

Because the sun, moon, and stars were never seen throughout the year, the night in the Fourth Realm was extremely dim.

Those who had not embarked on the path of cultivation, the ordinary mortals, found it very difficult to see the surrounding scenery during the night in the Fourth Realm.

In the tent next to Pang Jian, the members of the Ning Family were seizing the time to meditate, hoping to be energetic enough to handle the situation ahead.

In the darkness of the night, Pang Jian could not clearly see the corpses belonging to the Blood Moon cultivators, but the white paper fan, the bells, and the copper hammers unexpectedly emitted a faint radiance in the dim environment.

The light shone upon the bodies and faces of the deceased, making them appear eerie and terrifying, which caused even Pang Jian to secretly frown.

He observed silently, and seeing that the corpses showed no abnormalities, and that the white paper fan, the bell, and the copper hammer remained in their original states, he finally began to set his mind at ease.

Yet, every time he couldn't help but look, he felt as though those dead Blood Moon practitioners might, at any moment, continue their frantic sprint forward.

Feeling a chill deep in his heart, Pang Jian found it impossible to calm down. With no other choice, he quietly moved away from the tents of the Ning Family and the others, seeking a secluded spot to practice the Pot-Heaven Qi Cultivation Art.

Finally succeeding in calming his mind and achieving a state of inner clarity, Pang Jian, while examining the wonders within himself, rapidly entered the so-called state of "awakening."

Almost the instant he entered the meditative state of "awakening," he perceived the existence of "Qi," sensing a strange, gentle, and balanced aura surrounding him.

Spiritual Qi.

He suddenly realized that the reason he had struggled to perceive Spiritual Qi during his diligent practice at home was not because there was an issue with his cultivation method.

Rather, it was because the wilderness where his home was located had such sparse Spiritual Qi that it was difficult for him to keenly detect it.

Merely ten miles away from his home, the Cenji Mountains possessed Spiritual Qi several times denser, and he had sensed it immediately.

Secretly delighted, Pang Jian hurriedly attempted to guide the so-called heaven and earth Spiritual Qi into his body, sinking it into his Dantian spirit sea, just as described in the Pot-Heaven Qi Cultivation Art.

In his visualization, his Dantian spirit sea transformed into a "spirit pot," and as he inhaled and exhaled, the external heaven and earth Spiritual Qi was drawn into the "spirit pot."

Gradually, Pang Jian not only felt the presence of the Spiritual Qi but also discovered that it was not sinking into his Dantian through his breathing.

The heaven and earth Spiritual Qi around him was being attracted by the "spirit pot" he had visualized, entering his body directly through the Dantian acupoint beside his navel.

--It was not through the inhalation and exhalation of his mouth and nose.

A moment later, as Pang Jian practiced in silence, he suddenly sensed another force emanating from the pile of rubble.

This force was different from the heaven and earth Spiritual Qi; it was filled with mania and evil, yet it was also being drawn in by his "spirit pot."

Within the stone pile, the white paper fan, the bell, and the copper hammer held by the corpses of the Blood Moon practitioners all began to shine with a glaring radiance.

"Whoosh! Wailing!"

The shrill, ghost-like whistling sound that Pang Jian was so familiar with suddenly erupted from the pile of rubble.

It seemed as if fierce ghosts and evil spirits buried deep within the earth had been abruptly awakened by some power, letting out mournful screams from the Nine Serenities.

Everyone is welcome to leave comments in the book review section; since there are few people right now, Old Ni will definitely go and read them~