Across the Divine Land, the scenery was boundless, its sacred mountains and lovely waters vying in splendor.
In the southwest of the Divine Land, mountains stretched on without end, with the richest spiritual energy gathering in Shu.
The immortal arts flourished in Western Shu. Its mountains held hundreds upon thousands of temples and monasteries, and every year devout pilgrims traveled a thousand miles to worship there. With lofty peaks, beautiful waters, and ridge upon ridge unfolding in countless magnificent vistas, visitors who came simply to enjoy the scenery were no rarity either.
Beyond these famous mountains known to the world lay secret realms hidden in their rear slopes-the blessed lands and grotto-heavens of common lore.
Their scenery was all the more secluded, wondrous, and magnificent. Ordinary mortals could find no entrance, leaving accomplished adepts alone to enjoy the peace of these sacred mountain retreats.
Among these immortal sanctuaries, Emei Mountain was a celebrated haven in Shu. The ancients said that Western Shu abounded in remarkable mountains and waters, yet Emei surpassed them all. Those words were no exaggeration.
Look at that mountain: clouds coiffed its emerald heights, dark ridges painted it from afar, truly like a fair forehead and moth-wing brows, slender and long, beautiful and alluring. Thus it was named Emei Mountain.
Such an immortal mountain naturally had a renowned school as its master: the Emei School.
The Emei School had strict rules. Cultivators of the first realm had to attend morning lessons every day. Those genuinely entering meditation or secluded cultivation still had to report to the teaching elder, either beforehand or afterward. There was also a comprehensive examination at the end of every month, and anyone who failed or ranked near the bottom would inevitably be punished.
Still, teaching elders were human too. If someone attended morning lessons without fail, even a low examination ranking would usually earn them a little leniency.
But neither this rule nor this indulgence applied to those blessed with extraordinary gifts and exceptional talent.
Take Li Yingqiong, a rising star who had only recently entered the mountain. Since the day she arrived, hardly anyone had seen her attend more than a handful of morning lessons.
Today, however, was different. Everyone actually saw Li Yingqiong at the morning lesson.
The girl was only thirteen or fourteen, and she lived up to her name: lovely as fine jade, with a commanding heroic spirit.
Li Yingqiong wore a fitted white martial outfit. Already fair-skinned and beautiful, she looked whiter than frost and snow against its fabric.
Yet this jade-like beauty had a natural cinnabar-red mole between her brows. It lent her entire bearing a sharp edge, with even her eyes and brows harboring a baleful air.
Li Yingqiong strode into the Self-Reflection Hall. It was already crowded, and the front rows were packed. There were empty seats in the back, but she refused to sit there, standing bolt upright at the front like a newly honed sword.
"J-junior sister, take my seat!"
Beside Li Yingqiong, a Daoist seemed unable to withstand that sharp sword's edge and voluntarily yielded his seat.
"Thank you, senior brother."
Li Yingqiong made no polite refusal and did not even look at the person giving up his seat. She merely offered a cold word of thanks and sat down.
The man kept saying it was no trouble and hurried to find a seat at the back.
Once seated, Li Yingqiong caught sight of the young woman beside her. Her brows relaxed and her face brightened, like ice melting on a snowy mountain and a snow lotus unfolding into bloom.
"Senior Sister Zhou, you're here too!"
Senior Sister Zhou, whom Li Yingqiong was so pleased to see, looked only fifteen or sixteen. She wore a pale yellow gown, her waist-length hair tied behind her head with a red cord. She looked like a winter jasmine turning toward the spring sunshine.
The young woman in yellow smiled and nodded to Li Yingqiong.
"Not just Senior Sister Zhou. Senior Brother Yan, Zhuge, and I are all here too!"
Another girl's voice chimed in. Li Yingqiong turned toward it and discovered her close friend Yu Yingnan was here as well.
Looking around the hall, Li Yingqiong found that Senior Brother Yan Renying and Jingrui were also present.
Was something going on?
Li Yingqiong pondered this silently. Their cultivation normally advanced a thousand miles a day, and they were all engrossed in their own practice. It was no easy matter for all of them to happen to meet.
As for attending morning lessons every day, apart from Senior Sister Zhou Qingyun and Senior Brother Yan Renying, none of them-not even she herself-could manage it.
She had come today because the teaching elder had specifically summoned her. Presumably, the others had been summoned too.
Li Yingqiong had guessed correctly. After finishing the day's lesson, the teaching elder dismissed everyone except Li Yingqiong, Yu Yingnan, Yan Renying, Zhou Qingyun, and Zhuge Jingrui.
They all silently wondered what the elder intended.
Before they could speculate for long, the teaching elder stated the reason outright:
"The school head wishes to see you."
They were startled.
Behind Emei Mountain, in the secret realm of Emerald Cliff, stood the Skywave Wall.
The Skywave Wall was an entire slab of superior spiritual jade that had formed naturally upon Emerald Cliff. Spiritual light flowed across its surface like ripples on water.
The five stood obediently before the Skywave Wall, not daring to move. Even Li Yingqiong and Yu Yingnan, the wildest and most restless of them, dared not stir.
Fortunately, they did not have to wait long. Radiant light flashed before the Skywave Wall, and two people appeared out of thin air.
The man on the left wore a loose moon-white robe. His presence was lofty beyond measure, his figure handsome and distinguished. A smile rested at the corners of his mouth, and his manner was utterly relaxed.
The man also held a baby in his arms.
The woman on the right wore a bright yellow gown. Her figure was full and rounded, her bearing noble and dignified. Her eyes and brows likewise held a smile, and she carried a baby in her arms.
"Greetings, True Person School Head. Greetings, Madam."
The five youngsters bowed in greeting.
The man was the head of Emei, leader of the mystical schools of Western Shu: Qi Shuming, True Person Miaoyi of the Righteous Energy of Heaven and Earth. The woman beside him was his wife, Xun Lanyin.
In their arms were, of course, their boy-and-girl twins, Qi Lingyun and Qi Jinchan, who had just turned one.
"No need for such ceremony. Rise, all of you."
Madam Miaoyi spoke with a smile.
They straightened and stood properly.
Looking at those youthful faces, True Person Miaoyi smiled wistfully. "How quickly time passes. Lingyun and Jinchan are already a year old, and you have all been at Emei for quite some time now, haven't you?"
The five nodded in agreement.
"Renying, you are the oldest of the five, yet you are only nineteen. Five years ago, my fellow Daoist Drunken Sword brought you to Emei. In these five years, have you suffered any mistreatment here?"
True Person Miaoyi addressed one of the youths.
The youth wore white, his tall figure straight as jade. With handsome brows, keen eyes, a prominent nose, and a broad forehead, he looked honest and good-natured.
Yan Renying stepped forward nervously. "Ever since I came to Emei, the elders have treated me as their own child, and my fellow disciples have shown me friendship and affection. I have not suffered the slightest mistreatment."
True Person Miaoyi nodded and said, "Good," then asked:
"Qingyun, you are seventeen this year, the oldest of the girls. Master Canxia brought you here early last year. In your year and more at Emei, have you suffered any mistreatment?"
Zhou Qingyun, the young woman in yellow, stepped forward. Her voice was soft, but her tone was firm. "Although I have not been at Emei long, the elders and my fellow disciples have shown me great kindness. Whether in daily life or cultivation, I have never suffered the slightest mistreatment. I am truly grateful."
"Good child."
True Person Miaoyi nodded with a smile, then asked:
"Yingnan, you are fifteen this year. Abbess Guanghui brought you here three years ago. In these three years at Emei, have you suffered any mistreatment?"
Yu Yingnan stepped forward, head high and chest lifted, without the slightest trace of fear or nervousness. She said loudly, "School Head, being at Emei is just like being in my own home. Everyone treats me well, and I have never suffered any mistreatment."
True Person Miaoyi laughed heartily and pointed at Yu Yingnan. "What a pure and innocent heart!"
Then True Person Miaoyi turned to the other boy and asked:
"Jingrui, you are only ten this year, the youngest among you. Two years ago, when you were just eight, Senior Brother Xuanzhenzi brought you to Emei. In these two years on the mountain, have you suffered any mistreatment?"
Zhuge Jingrui was still a child, with a round face and a little baby fat. Keeping his small face solemn, he answered carefully, word by word, "School Head, everyone treats me well. Jingrui has never suffered any mistreatment."
True Person Miaoyi reached out and patted Jingrui's round head.
Finally, he turned to Li Yingqiong.
"Yingqiong, you are fourteen. You were the daughter of a wandering knight of the mortal world. While traveling the martial world, you encountered an undead corpse and nearly lost your life. My wife happened upon you along the road, rescued you, and brought you back to Emei. Three years have passed. In these three years, have you suffered any mistreatment?"
Li Yingqiong's face was cold as frost, but her temper was fierce as fire. By now, tears brimmed in her eyes, and she said hoarsely:
"Madam's kindness gave me a second life. Without her, I would long since have become dry bones in the forest. How could I be here today? Whatever the School Head or Madam commands, whatever the school requires, Yingqiong would not shrink back even if my body were shattered and my bones ground to dust. How could I speak of mistreatment?!"
"Good! Good! Good!"
True Person Miaoyi said it three times in succession, his gaze sweeping across the five faces. "You are all good children!"
"I summoned you here today to discuss a matter with you."
The five bowed together. "We await the School Head's decree."
True Person Miaoyi exchanged a glance with his wife, then said, "Today, I, Qi Shuming, who have the honor of serving as Emei's school head, wish to accept you as my true disciples. Are you willing?"
The five trembled at his words, disbelief appearing in their eyes.
Li Yingqiong reacted fastest and acted most decisively. The girl dropped to her knees with a thump, kowtowed, and said through her tears:
"Your disciple Yingqiong pays her respects to Master."
The other four looked somewhat flustered. Seeing Li Yingqiong kneel only left them more at a loss.
The second to kneel and kowtow was Zhuge Jingrui.
After two or three breaths, Yu Yingnan and Yan Renying knelt almost simultaneously. As soon as their knees touched the ground, Zhou Qingyun hurriedly knelt as well.
True Person Miaoyi stroked his beard and smiled, helping all five up in turn.
"Your seniority shall follow your ages. From this day onward, Renying shall be the eldest senior brother, Qingyun the eldest senior sister, Yingnan the second senior sister, Yingqiong the third senior sister, Jingrui the second senior brother, Lingyun the youngest junior sister, and Jinchan the youngest junior brother. Henceforth, the seven of you must work with one heart and bring glory to Emei."
The five looked toward the little babies still wriggling in the couple's arms and said in unison:
"Work with one heart and bring glory to Emei!"
True Person Miaoyi smiled in satisfaction, then said, "Today, I have gained fine disciples. This cannot go unrewarded."
With a sweep of his broad sleeve, spiritual light shimmered across the Skywave Wall. Before their eyes, the jade wall became like water, and something wondrous seemed to rise within it.
In mere moments, seven clusters of precious light floated upon the Skywave Wall. Looking closely, they saw seven treasured swords!
"Before my master, True Person Long Eyebrow, ascended, he gathered the metals of the five elements and forged seven flying swords according to seven true forms. They were hidden deep within this Skywave Wall, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and receiving the essence of sun and moon for over two hundred years. Long since, all their worldly dross has been washed away.
"The seven swords are collectively known as the Seven Xiu. They take the forms of dragon, snake, toad, tortoise, rooster, rabbit, and centipede, each bearing its own likeness. They were made expressly to defeat the five poisons of other schools and are supreme treasures of Emei. United, the Seven Xiu possess still greater power.
"Among them, the dragon is named Golden Alligator, the toad Water Mother, the rooster Peach Capital, the rabbit Moon Soul, the centipede Red Perilla, the tortoise Dark Baleful, and the snake Azure Mouth. There are precisely seven of you. This is heaven's will. Each of you may choose a sword!"
The Miaoyi couple set Qi Lingyun and Qi Jinchan down. Seeing the clusters of precious light on the wall, the two babies beamed with delight, took little steps forward, and reached out to grab them.
"The seven swords are equal in quality. Choose whichever your heart desires."
True Person Miaoyi added this reminder.
Once again, Li Yingqiong took the lead without hesitation. She stepped forward first and reached for Golden Alligator, only for the sword to transform into a golden dragon and flick its tail out of her grasp. Li Yingqiong gave a soft sound of surprise, but reached for it again. She tried four or five times, yet could not catch the nimble, darting dragon.
Li Yingqiong had no choice but to give up and reach instead for the vermilion Peach Capital.
"Ah!"
Li Yingqiong abruptly released it. Lifting her hand, she saw that a bloody wound had been burned into her palm.
But her temper had risen now, and she insisted on seizing Peach Capital. White smoke rose where her palm gripped the hilt. The pain made her arm tremble, yet she gritted her teeth and refused to let go, forcibly pulling Peach Capital out of the Skywave Wall.
Her entire right hand was now a mangled, bloody mess.
"Yingqiong! Peach Capital has a fierce nature and belongs to yang. You are a girl. Forcing it will harm you!"
Unable to bear the sight of Li Yingqiong in such a state, True Person Miaoyi tried to dissuade her.
But Li Yingqiong clenched her teeth and held on. "This treasured sword has a fierce nature, but it does not know that Yingqiong's nature is fiercer still. Though I am a girl, I can subdue this sword all the same!"
True Person Miaoyi watched Li Yingqiong's blood drip down the blade and ultimately said nothing more.
Meanwhile, little Qi Jinchan found the golden dragon darting through the Skywave Wall especially amusing and reached out to block it. That simple movement caught the dragon in his grip. When the baby drew his hand back, he brought out a gleaming treasured sword.
Seeing that two flying swords had found their masters, the others no longer held back and reached into the Skywave Wall one after another.
The people chose the swords, and the swords chose the people. After several attempts and changes of hands, in the end,
Yan Renying obtained Dark Baleful.
Zhou Qingyun took Moon Soul.
Yu Yingnan obtained Azure Mouth.
Zhuge Jingrui obtained Red Perilla.
Qi Lingyun obtained Water Mother.
"Now that all seven swords have masters, Emei is destined to flourish. Having received these treasured swords, you must cultivate diligently. Do not disgrace the names of your flying swords!"
True Person Miaoyi offered these words of encouragement.
"We shall obey Master's decree!"
"Yingqiong, you come from a family of wandering knights in the mortal world and have a knight's spirit in your bones. You should not remain deep in the mountains for long. Once you have refined your flying sword, descend the mountain and travel as soon as possible!"
Before they left, True Person Miaoyi gave Li Yingqiong this particular instruction.
The girl naturally bowed her head and obeyed.
Watching the five descend the mountain, Madam Miaoyi, who had said little until then, spoke to him:
"Husband, before Patriarch White Eyebrow ascended, you asked him for prophetic words, seeking a way for Emei to flourish and a successor as school head. You received eight characters: 'Three Ying, two Yun, Luo monk, Shu marquis.' Now, at last, all seven children have been found."
True Person Miaoyi let out a long breath, his expression complicated. "Yes. At last, they have all been found."
Only this leader of the mystical schools knew the hardships involved.
Here is my new book. Please leave plenty of messages and reviews.