Jingmen Mountain.
Layer upon layer of peaks stood like a folding screen.
Above the treetops on the summits, one colorful cloud after another seemed to hang.
It looked as though they would be climbing for quite a while again.
But Li Ping'an had already crossed countless mountains. One more would make no difference, nor would one fewer.
Before starting the climb, Li Ping'an began weaving new straw sandals.
His old sandals had worn out and probably would not even last halfway up the mountain.
Just then, a strong wind swept through the mountains.
Two streaks of light, one red and one purple, flashed across the sky.
A closer look revealed two young men riding flying swords.
Both wore blue robes.
The subdued color only brought out how extraordinary they were.
The man on the left had a longsword thrust behind his back, its red tassel fluttering in the wind.
He held a little girl whose face had long since gone bloodless with fright, laughing heartily.
"I'll ask you one last time. Are you willing to be my little hand-warming maid?"
The girl trembled so hard she could barely speak. "I... I'm willing..."
"Too late."
He loosened his grip, and the girl fell from the sky.
As the girl's screams rang out,
Li Ping'an pushed off the ground with both arms and shot into the air.
He caught the falling girl and drifted lightly to the ground.
"Stop screaming."
The girl was still trembling as she stared at Li Ping'an in terror.
Zhang Song looked up at the two young men and snorted.
"Where did these two brats with a death wish come from? Don't they know the skies above Jingmen Mountain are a no-fly zone?"
Before his words had faded, two brilliant rainbows plunged from the sky.
A trench more