A single Meiling divided Yu Zhang from Yuyang.
Meiling was also called Yuling. South of Yuling lay Lingnan, also known as Yuyang.
Winter was giving way to spring when Cheng Xinzhan rode his lion out of Three Pure Ones Mountain and headed south to Yuyang. Crossing Meiling, he happened to have the good fortune to witness the exquisite sight of "flowers falling on southern branches while northern branches only began to bloom."
In Southern Jiangxi, on Meiling's northern slopes, plum blossoms proudly flowered in the cold wind, covering the mountains and fields. From afar, one could hardly tell whether the mountains were blanketed in flowers or snow. But after crossing Meiling's crest and entering Northern Guangdong, he found that the plum blossoms on the southern slopes had already withered, replaced by green plum fruit.
Back then, after delivering Heavenly Scabbard Mountain, Cheng Xinzhan had used a lotus incarnation to temper himself and vanquish demons in Yuyang, staying for nearly five years altogether. Later, after a scolding from his master, Wen Sukong, he had stopped dividing his spirit to create incarnations and returned to his sect. The past remained vivid before his eyes, but thinking carefully, it had all happened more than thirty years ago. The flowers of Meiling had bloomed and withered, withered and bloomed, more than thirty times already.
Cheng Xinzhan patted the lion, signaling for him to descend into Meiling.
Mu Longzhang, following beside the lion, did not know what had happened, but dared not ask and descended with them.
Following his memory, Cheng Xinzhan came to a grove of ancient plum trees amid scattered rocks at the foot of Meiling's southern slope. He searched carefully, and before long discovered a blue-green ribbon tied around the base of a plum tree so thick it would take two people