Five days had passed. As the setting sun bathed the land in golden light, Chen Ping'an finally reached the summit of Claw Peak on the new official map. This peak soared above all others within a radius of dozens of li, standing alone and piercing the clouds. Chen Ping'an gnawed on a piece of hard, dried flatbread as he sat on the branch of an ancient pine that jutted out over the cliff's edge. A steady breeze swept through, sending his hair streaming wildly.
He had left the carrying basket at the base of the tree —he wasn't brave enough to climb with it on his back. In the past, mountain climbing had been nothing more than a grueling chore, always focused on keeping up with Old Yao's pace. Now it was different. When he was tired, he stopped. He paused to admire the distant green mountains and clear waters. So many of the breathtaking vistas he had witnessed along the way had once been part of the mountains sealed off by the Great Li court. As a boy, he had been forced to detour around them in silence with the taciturn old man. Claw Peak had been one of those forbidden places.
Along this journey through mountains and rivers, Chen Ping'an had witnessed many unfamiliar and magnificent scenes. There were cascading waterfall clusters that hung small rainbows after the rain —rainbows he felt he could reach out and embrace, carrying home as a keepsake. There were sheer cliffs where thousands of birds gathered in long white strings, like curtains draped along a wall. There were peaks accessible only by a single, perilous path that suddenly opened onto a vast stone plateau, leaving one breathless. At night, he wrapped himself in a jacket, leaned against his basket, and drifted to sleep, as if he could hear the whispered conversations of immortals in the sky above.
After three more days of arduous travel, Chen Ping'an finally arrived at Divine Beauty Mountain, as Master Ruan had described. To the northwest, roughly ten li away, stood Lamp-Lighting Mountain and Crossbow Ridge respectively, forming a triangular formation with Divine Beauty Mountain —like three giants each holding their ground.
According to the map, within a hundred li of this peak and two mountains, there stood five smaller peaks of varying size. The smallest were Color-Cloud Peak and Immortal Herb Mountain. The larger ones were Lamp-Wick Terrace, Yellow Lake Mountain, and Precious Talisman Mountain. Before reaching Divine Beauty Mountain, Chen Ping'an had already visited Immortal Herb Mountain and Lamp-Wick Terrace. Immortal Herb Mountain was only slightly larger than Pearl Mountain —short in stature but remarkably lush, with many towering trees. As for Yellow Lake Mountain, it presumably owed its name to a small lake on its mid-slope. From a distance the water appeared yellow, but up close it was strikingly clear. Beyond that one feature, however, Chen Ping'an felt it couldn't compare with the mountain beneath his feet.
Over the next four days, Chen Ping'an circled the area around Divine Beauty Mountain and Crossbow Ridge, ultimately selecting three peaks: Immortal Herb Mountain, Precious Talisman Mountain, and Color-Cloud Peak. Immortal Herb Mountain was small, Precious Talisman Mountain was large, and Color-Cloud Peak was tall.
Of these, Precious Talisman Mountain consumed the most of his time. Its clouds were deep, its heights were great, and its waters ran long —of all the mountains Chen Ping'an had explored, it was second only to Cloud-Wrap Mountain and Divine Beauty Mountain in scale. He puzzled over why Master Ruan had chosen Lamp-Lighting Mountain over Precious Talisman Mountain. Even someone with no cultivation knowledge like Chen Ping'an could feel the mountain's vitality —its clear streams, verdant slopes, and pure air.
Chen Ping'an estimated that his three chosen peaks would cost roughly forty-five gold copper coins. That would leave him with thirty-five coins. After spending one spring-welcome coin on Pearl Mountain, he would still have a full thirty-four coins —more than enough to purchase one truly substantial mountain. After all, even the grandest peaks like Bitter Spring Mountain Range, Fragrant Fire Mountain, and Divine Beauty Mountain itself were priced at only twenty-five to thirty coins.
Master Ruan had also let slip that within this thousand-li territory, the Great Li court would one day appoint one Mountain God, three lesser mountain spirits, and one river spirit. Ruan Xiu had explained the details the following day: essentially, the Ministry of Rites would select suitable candidates —perhaps famous historical figures from the region, or war heroes who had died in battle —and the Emperor of Great Li would personally designate them as mountain spirits by inscribing their names in the Mountain and River Registry with a special vermillion brush. After appropriate incense-burning and sacrificial rites, the matter would be considered concluded.
Following this, the Imperial Observatory would craft golden credentials and jade tablets, which the State Tutor would inscribe with edicts. These would be buried at the mountain's base. Finally, the government would commission a golden statue to be enshrined in the Mountain Spirit Temple, where the appointed spirit could officially receive the people's offerings, protect the living beings within its territory, and suppress, subdue, or expel any ghostly entities that crossed its borders.
Chen Ping'an did not expect that any of the three peaks he had chosen near Divine Beauty Mountain would attract a mountain spirit to serve as a guardian. Instead, he placed his hopes on the more expensive mountain he planned to purchase —a distant, solitary peak. If he could secure a mountain spirit there, it would greatly ease his mind.
As for the insignificant Pearl Mountain, worth only a single spring-welcome coin —he suspected no one else would even glance at it.
Chen Ping'an sat at the summit of Color-Cloud Peak on a large stone ledge, the fresh Great Li Longquan topographical map spread before him. He had already committed all the mountain names and their locations to memory, yet he still couldn't make up his mind about which final mountain to buy.
The straw-sandaled boy propped his chin in both hands, brows knitted, body swaying gently back and forth.
His thoughts drifted across ten thousand li.
What could he even do with mountains once he owned them? Chen Ping'an honestly wasn't sure.
But the mere thought that for three hundred years, he would be the nominal master of five mountains —that alone was already a kind of happiness.
He could take a wife, start a family, pass the mountains to his children, who would in turn pass them to their children.
So marriage, while not an urgent matter, was something he needed to think about.
The realization made him grin like a fool before he caught himself, somewhat embarrassed.
Chen Ping'an tilted his head back, feeling drowsy. He thought he would just close his eyes for a moment. He didn't know how much time had passed when he opened them again —and his head immediately began to ache. Was he now capable of dreaming in broad daylight?
This was the third time he had encountered that white-robed figure.
Once on the covered bridge. Once beneath the stone arch bridge. And now here, at the mountain summit.
The tall white-robed figure, bathed in snow-white radiance, sat cross-legged this time, barely two zhang from where Chen Ping'an lay —yet the boy simply could not make out his features.
Chen Ping'an decided that living in constant fear couldn't go on. He steeled his courage and said cautiously: "Elder..."
*Slap!*
The next instant, it felt as though he'd been struck across the face by an ox's tail —a searing, stinging pain.
Jolted awake as from a dream, Chen Ping'an shot upright. He was sitting in exactly the same spot as before. He looked around —nothing seemed different. But when he touched his cheek, it still stung.
The boy scratched his head in bewilderment, unable to fathom the cause.