The fox had lately taken up residence on the peak and refused to leave.
Black Snake's routine remained unchanged: he hunted in the afternoon and ate whatever he found, gazed at the moon at night, and breathed mist in and out at dawn. He simply felt a little out of sorts without the lectures, and occasionally remembered his "snake brother," who had been so good at making noises.
The tiger's pungent scent marked the woods, and its enormous figure often prowled near the stream.
On a full-moon night, Black Snake had left his body and observed the tiger through his dim, gray vision. Though he could evade the tiger's senses, he could not approach it as freely as he could other living creatures.
He had met the fox several times, but they still could not communicate effectively.
The fox did not want the tiger to remain in these mountains, while the simple-minded Black Snake could not have cared less.
Half a month later.
Experienced hunters entered the mountains with packs of hunting dogs and soon found the tiger's trail. Gongs and drums clamored, dogs barked, and men shouted, their uproar ringing through the forest. In the end, they drove the tiger several ridges away.
Black Snake's life was monotonous. Anything unrelated to him slipped from his mind as soon as he saw it.
Chi Ke returned, bringing many craftsmen.
They chose a protruding outcrop on a side peak near the enormous boulder halfway up the mountain. From then on, the clink and clang of chisels rang out by day, from midsummer all the way into autumn. Through sheer effort, they carved a foot-wide path into the rock, then used heavy stone blocks to build houses and towering courtyard walls on the side peak, following the lay of the land. Though the house and courtyard were not spacious, they were exceptionally sturdy.
They deliberately preserved the ancient pine with its gnarled roots on the rock, making it the finest ornament of the building.
The narrow courtyard stood above the trees, offering an excellent view of every part of the valley.
Blue-gray tiles brought in from outside the mountains covered the roof. Whenever clouds and mist swirled around it, the modest building appeared and vanished like an immortal's secluded abode.
A nearby gully held a dripping rock where clear spring water flowed year-round, so there was no need to worry about water for daily use.
The alchemy furnace was placed in a corner of the new residence, while the thatched hut and medicinal garden remained where they were.
Chi Ke did not inscribe a name for his new home. Perhaps he had seen through such things.
He brought a few live chickens as gifts for Black Snake and the fox, then moved into the new house without ceremony, still accompanied by his book attendant and the hunter. A new kennel had been built beside the courtyard gate, replacing the crude bark shelter that had once rattled in the wind.
Cooking smoke rose again, and life in the mountains continued as before.
The great boulder was smooth, as though time had never passed.
Chi Ke sat upright in his usual place, his recitation as clear as ever. Occasionally, an obscure passage made him frown in thought.
Black Snake worked hard to remember the sounds.
Behind the pine higher up, the fox pricked its ears and listened.
Chi Ke was much steadier now. Compared with recluses who withdrew from the world with only their own shadows for company, how fortunate he was to have a spiritually aware black snake beside him as they explored the mystery upon mystery of immortality, and to have chanced upon a spirit fox and befriended it as well.
At least he had touched one small corner of genuine cultivation.
Even if that corner was full of beasts.
With Black Snake and the fox in the valley, he need not worry about wild animals approaching and ambushing him.
It would have been even better if the two beasts could speak.
The fox's eyes were particularly expressive. It often lay quietly behind the pine, thinking, and was cleverer than Black Snake. Beneath its fiery-red fur, it seemed to have been born with a measure of intelligence.
Chi Ke turned a page of the book in his hands and frowned.
"Many ancient texts mention refining qi into Spirit Transformation... one may leave the flesh, but remains yin, not yet pure yang, and thus is called a Yin Spirit. It is the spirit of thought, able to leave the flesh, but it may only roam by night and cannot appear by day. Only oneself knows of it; others cannot see it..."
Holding the book, he studied the passage repeatedly, but in the end understood only seven or eight tenths of it. Its general meaning was that a person's consciousness might escape the restraints of the flesh and travel freely outside it. This state was called the Yin Spirit.
Of course, it did not count as a true deity. That was merely a name for a mysterious, transcendent state of spiritual consciousness.
Though it was only one stage along the long Dao Path, it was a heavenly chasm barring countless seekers, one they might never reach in an entire lifetime.
"Ah, cultivation is hard..."
He glanced at his two mountain friends.
"You two should also cultivate diligently. May we soon refine our Yin Spirits, then roam heaven and earth together by night and behold all these mountains and rivers beneath the moon."
Black Snake did not understand. Remaining silent would do.
The fox half understood, for it was still working hard to learn human speech.
The mountain woods were beautiful after the morning mist, and the falling temperatures had brought autumn's colors.
The maple leaves at the bottom of the valley burned so fiercely red, yet so briefly. Reflections in the pool wove two worlds together, making illusion and reality hard to distinguish, while withered leaves drifted down the clear stream toward the world beyond the mountains.
Black Snake did not lose heart over failing to learn even a few words. So long as he remained sorrowful, he could keep growing anyway.
After listening to the lesson, he slid down the slope toward the valley floor.
The weather had cooled. He sensed that it would rain tonight, and when it rained, forest frogs would hop down the mountain into the water. Autumn forest frogs were fat, so he would seize the chance to eat more. They were a little small, but fortunately they were everywhere in the wild.
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The fox wandered about, seeking who knew where to supplement its diet with something rich. There were plenty of field mice just now, and it occasionally picked up sluggish insects to eat as well.
Autumn was a busy season. All living things were preparing for the long winter.
That afternoon, the little courtyard built against the lone rock halfway up the mountain welcomed an unexpected visitor.
Chi Ke sat without speaking, while the book attendant poured tea.
Half a furry dog's head poked out through the half-open door.
The young visitor spoke earnestly. He had happened to hear of Chi Ke's reputation and come out of admiration. Seeing his travel-worn appearance, Chi Ke privately wondered whether the young man truly had some affinity with immortals: he had actually dared cross the mountains alone and found the little courtyard in a place without even a single household.
Unfortunately, Chi Ke had not figured things out himself. What could he teach anyone else? Even the pills he currently refined went uneaten by the dog.
The young visitor carried himself calmly and had the fresh air of books about him. He was educated.
Why had he not simply married, had children, and inherited the family business? Did he really think life in the mountains was so carefree? He was trouble, after all, and if he truly lost his life here... best have the hunter escort him down the mountain tomorrow morning.
After tea and coarse-grain cakes, some color finally returned to the young man's face, and his spirits improved considerably.
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Unable to contain his curiosity, he asked respectfully.
"Senior, if someone accidentally encounters baleful intent, how should they dispel it?"
At those words, Chi Ke nearly spat out his tea.
He remembered being innocently dragged into trouble last time. Being afflicted by an evil presence had been truly miserable, and he was utterly unwilling to suffer that ordeal again.
He had deliberately researched it afterward. His birth configuration was too weak and easily attracted yin influences. It was fated; there was nothing he could do.
"You... you encountered baleful intent? At a funeral?"
If the young man nodded now, Chi Ke would absolutely rush straight down the mountain to find Black Snake. Even if he had to spend an entire rainy night gathering forest frogs with Black Snake, he would accept it.
The visitor shook his head. Chi Ke let out a great breath of relief and decided to work by candlelight that very evening, replacing the doorframes and windows with peachwood, then thoroughly sealing every crack in the walls with cinnabar.
"It is a friend of mine. Ever since he returned from a relative's funeral, he has kept saying his shoulders feel heavy, and he suffers from headaches and nausea. His complexion is also extremely poor."
Hearing these symptoms, Chi Ke knew it must be an encounter with baleful intent. Such cases were not unusual.
Put simply, some people were unsuited to attending funerals.
"No need to worry. Get plenty of sunlight, drink more ginger broth and realgar wine, and burn mugwort. He will feel unwell for a while, then recover."
These were all folk remedies. Their enduring popularity surely meant there was some reason behind them. As for other methods, he could not judge them recklessly. If his careless words brought disaster upon someone, he would have to bear responsibility.
The young man had expected to hear some unfathomably profound method, never imagining the answer would be so straightforward and simple.
Chi Ke nodded slightly to the book attendant, signaling him to prepare supper for one more person, then turned his gaze back to the young man with a hint of scrutiny.
"Young friend, why did you come into the mountains?"
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He guessed it was to seek immortality or divine arts. A friend's encounter with baleful intent was hardly a reason to seek immortals; it sounded more like a probe.
The young man's expression dimmed.
"My mother is gravely ill, and ordinary medicines have been of no use. I seek only a miraculous medicine to prolong my dearest mother's life and fulfill my duty as a son."
Filial duty came first. Chi Ke immediately rose solemnly, showing respect for his devotion.
But precisely because of that, he dared not delay the young man in the slightest. Tomorrow morning, he would have him escorted down the mountain, whole and unharmed, without so much as a hair injured.