"There it is! I see it over there—it is covered in those huge gloomy clouds like billowing sandstorms. Did you see it? Come here."
"Where, where?! Let me see. I want to see it too!"
"Beautiful, right?!"
"But where are the rumored blue flames? Aren't those supposed to fly around the mountain like glowing fireflies?"
"How would I know? Maybe they'll come out at night?"
Wei Zhiruo roused her head from her booklet to give the outside landscape a scathing but brisk glance, but then she slowly tilted her head up some more to watch the bizarre mountain. A dust cloud was whirling over the peak, a few pesky little crows dotting like flies gathered and flew around the very blue flames which the two little girls accompanying her couldn't see yet. Blue flames swam in the air, suspended in an illusion like a grim premonition.
She looked back at the words written on the pages lying on her lap. Although, after much pursuit, they had just started unraveling their true meanings, some small diagrams with their crisp lines and forms still looked inhuman and ghostly. She frowned to herself, slightly agitated with the gloominess.
Xiaorui, the little shy maid, despite her shyness, was still looking out of the small carriage window. Accompanying her was Shaoyao, another personal maid arranged for her. They exposed their heads outside the wide opening, letting their faces freeze in cold air, chatting like excited toddlers who had seen something shiny and new—they seemed to have completely forgotten about her.
Wei Zhiruo, too, was invested in her own little games to care much about them. With her gaze entangled within folds of scintillating silk curtains which formed some beautiful silhouettes, she was relentlessly redrawing runes she saw in the book. She had been keeping herself busy like this since she found those runes.
Despite putting every bit of her knowledge regarding ancient runes to test, she got nothing worthwhile in the end and even felt frustrated, but the journey was long and tiring and these small puzzles kept her intrigued. It took her almost three days to realize that although she was familiar with this world's script and could read the text inside the book, those runic inscriptions were governed by a completely different set of logic. And this kind of information gap couldn't be filled just by interpreting runes; she needed real guidance. Searching for that was going to be tough.
Outside, a magnificent black mountain stood covered in black-smoke like fog, glaring at them. The mountain's gloomier visage, looming darkness lingering on its peak and a glum looking atmosphere blanketing its landscape forewarned travelers to beware of dangers of Haishan. There were just a few scattered traveling caravans going that way too, each strictly keeping to the caravan's designated official route, a narrow path cutting across the giant monstrosity leading to a single small pass in the folds of Heishan, called the Corridor of Crawling Snakes. From there, they had to descend into the opposite Silent Valley, where a few famous towns and cities were situated along the famous Yinlu River.
"Do you feel…the mountains are like a huge tomb?" Xiaorui hesitantly asked, straightening her back. She then blushed and asked stutteringly, "Do you know why they are called the black mountains? Of course, the soil here is clearly black, the name Haishan seems very logical, but is it really the original reason for naming it so?"
"Ah, the name black?"
Collecting her excited gaze from peering outside, Shaoyao sat down properly in front of Wei Zhiruo. "Of course there is a reason for it and it isn't just the soil. For some it is, but those who know the legend often associate the name with the Black Curse…you don't know about it right? Let me tell you. In ancient times, long before humans dwelt on these lands, there were real Gods living around this region. Immortals and Demons feared them alike, but those Gods never intervened in human affairs. It is said, in the Thousand Years Catastrophe, Gods of Yinlu tribe refused to participate in Immortals and Demons Wars, giving some Immortals a reason to lay siege on them. They succeeded in forcing the Gods to appear in the world and fight on the side of Immortals, but when Gods appeared in the battlefield, too many died. Angry and betrayed, spirits, the old allies of Gods, retreated from the world. More and more creatures died in the battle and when finally the war ended, no one turned out to be a clear winner. Eventually, Immortal's conspiracy was revealed to everyone. In retaliation, Gods sent Black-Curse, a celestial punishment on that Immortal Tribe. No one who fell under its influence, neither the demons nor Immortals survived. Even now, no one dares to climb the mountains and see what is at its peak. It's not that people aren't curious; many tried in the beginning but no one ever returned. If the legend is correct, then it should really be an Immortal's Tomb. What do you think? Do you think this can be a true story?"
"Is it though?" Xiaorui sounded intrigued.
"I believe it is—I heard this legend from Mistress Wei Ziya! How could Miss Wei Ziya read untrue and miscellaneous stuff? As far as I am concerned, I believe there must be some elements of truth in this legend." Shaoyao replied quickly. She then turned her head back to catch the faint shadows of Heishan.
She was twisting her stray hair when she looked towards Wei Zhiruo, and asked, "Now that Haishan is visible, miss, soon we'll be going past the Snake Crawling Pass and reach the Silent Valleys by evening. There are some good inns and taverns over there so we can rest for the night. Steward Tan and brother Ning —that is the carriage driver, Ninth miss— they both asked me to inform you about this and ask if you happen to have any instructions for them. If we follow their suggestions, we will likely leave tomorrow after resting the whole night. Will this be fine with you, Ninth Miss?"
Wei Zhiruo looked up and met a pair of scrutinizing brown eyes, which immediately shifted, guiltily. Wei Zhiruo closed the booklet, carefully placed it over the wooden box and replied, "I've already told you Shaoyao, I don't understand these things. Please let the carriage driver and Steward Tan decide for themselves. If I need something, I'll let them know."
Wei Zhiruo suddenly felt two gazes fixating over her face. It puzzled her a little. This was the first time the other two girls had looked at her without breaking into expressions of revulsion of some sort; she'd already seen them panicking when meeting her blue eyes before, which she belatedly realized was a cause of discomfort for them.
She asked, "What is it now? You two have something to say to me?"
"I've always wanted to ask, miss…when did you learn to speak such a fine Yayan? And with such pure tone too—," Shaoyao said abruptly, with what seemed like suspicion fleeting over her face,"—which, even in the inner courtyards, is rarely spoken? Did Mama Jiang teach you to speak, little miss? But you were so sick before! And your teachers, didn't they refuse to teach you anymore because you couldn't learn properly? I used to accompany Fifth lady to clan school, you know miss, and I saw with my own eyes how every young lady I came across there, had such good accents, almost faultless, flawless recitation and tones which their teacher Lady Gong never praised in the classes—I know it is difficult for us servants to understand it fully, but you speak awfully like…Miss Ziya. And Lady Gong always praised her to have attained the best of her teachings! Doesn't that mean you too have perfected your manner of speaking, miss? I…I find it strange. It wasn't like this the last time we met, and you still used common language like we do, not the standard one. And I remember, didn't Miss Su speak badly of you just because you couldn't even speak like a lady? It's like you have suddenly changed into a different person—"
"Of course, it's because Ninth Miss is Miss Ziya's sister!!" A blushing Xiaorui sensed something was off, so she suddenly cut in, clasped the other maid's hands in her own nervously, and said, "What do you mean, Yao'er?"
"It's nothing actually." Shaoyao shook her head. "I just feel ninth miss, you, you are acting a little different from before."
"Just because of how I speak, Shaoyao? No, come on, tell me. What else is different in me that makes you suspicious?" A little amused, Wei Zhiruo couldn't help but marvel at the little girl's instincts. Of course she wasn't worried someone would discover she wasn't the original owner. Even if they did, no one could actually do anything to her.
She watched Shaoyao falter and fall silent suddenly.
"You are different than before. And not only because of your speech, miss." Shaoyao said and didn't elaborate.
"Miss Ziya and the ninth miss are blood sisters. Mama Jiang brought them up so what is so hard to believe if she secretly taught her, and our miss learned to speak just like Miss Ziya? Isn't it natural for Miss Ziya to think about the ninth miss, and worry for her? She must have asked Mama Jiang to come and help the ninth miss with her etiquettes…"
"But ninth miss didn't go to the clan school, nor has she ever been taught by a personal teacher! It's just a little question, and I am just surprised. I don't think Mama Jiang can teach our ninth miss such a good skill! If she could, why didn't she do it before and just allowed her to be bullied by other young ladies?"
Shaoyao looked at Wei Zhiruo, but caught the sudden shift in the eye color. Her eyes shrunk in surprise and horror, then as if she refused to 'bow down to injustice', she courageously looked up and said to her, "I am just curious, miss. Don't take my words to heart. You don't have to explain to me why you're so fluent in it even though we all know you don't even know how to read or write like other young ladies—"
"Because, I have ears, Shaoyao."
Refusing to let her finish the sentence which was chipping her patience away, Wei Zhiruo interrupted loudly. "You know, you can learn if you listen well. I've heard people talk. At first I assumed everyone spoke the way my maid does and learned. Then I met those young ladies and realized—that no proper young lady would speak like that when in the presence of a noble company. No one had ever corrected my ill habits all this time so I had to discover this fact on my own so it took time—but I found that there is a difference in the way a lady speaks and how Xiaotao speaks, or how Mama Jiang or my sister's other maids speak amongst themselves, and the way a true lady should when she is present in a gathering. I naturally assumed I should be learning how my sister talks and behaves—you cannot fault me on that, can you? This despised lady of yours is still a legitimate daughter of the Wei clan, and will remain so till the day she dies, and learning from my sister appeared the best solution to me at that time. Isn't it natural for me to wish to appear as a lady? You're right. I like my sister's voice and so I've started to heavily imitate her. But I don't think there is anything to be ashamed of, is there? I don't understand…what is your issue with this?"
Wei Zhiruo seemed to be asking for an explanation, but her movements showed otherwise. Yet again, she'd opened the yellowing booklet, and started flipping through its pages.
"I didn't mean to offend—"
"You–you better be quiet now, Yao'er." Xiaorui suddenly said, "Don't you see that the ninth miss is reading? You–you seem to be overstepping your boundaries. This is no way to speak to our superiors or have you forgotten every rule?"
"What do you mean? Xiourui, don't say that you haven't noticed the changes? How can—"
Shaoyao heard the crisp sound of the porcelain cup's lid hitting the small wooden table sitting cozily in front of them, and stopped talking. She suddenly realized she was really speaking too much, so she quickly lowered her head.
"I think there is no need to think so deeply about some things. Sometimes, remaining ignorant is better and safer for long term happiness. And tell me, can you two little girls really afford to know the real reason? The secret? Even if I dared to tell you…you will start begging me to remain silent." Wei Zhiruo asked softly. No one replied.
Wei Zhiruo's bony hands were scooping out some fresh tea leaves. She picked up the kettle, poured steaming hot water over the blue and white painted porcelain and watched as the water formed yellow swirls. Dried herbs raised vigorously, then twirled. She breathed in the silence, took a sip and closed her eyes. Her movements flowed so naturally, so fetterless that it seemed impious to break such piety like movements. Two maids were sitting beside her, staring with their awed yet suspicious eyes.
Outside the carriage, a constant jingling of harness accompanied the sound of horses' hooves hitting the ground and rolling of spoked wheels —the carriage driver would yell often, the horses would often burst out neighing and then, abruptly the carriage would lurch forward throwing every occupant off their seats. The roads here were unpaved, pitted and with small stones, some with sharpened edges, scattered around. A gray dust blew whenever the carriage rolled, and the driver seemed barely keeping the carriage from upending. Wei Zhiruo however, still managed to enjoy the tumultuous ups and downs without spilling a single drop of her tea.
Eyes closed, she reflected over a magnificent secret. The first page of the booklet had been decoded completely and it was a preface to a diary; a battered and wounded cultivator decided to leave her inheritance in the hands of a fateful heir. Once a famed Talisman maker in the cultivation world, she spent the last bits of her energy to pass down all her inheritance in this way. The stone holding this booklet had passed several hands as a mysterious commodity, understood and opened by none. If Wei Zhiruo hadn't unraveled it, it might've even remained sitting there collecting dust, till finally a millennia passed and the stones holding it chipped and weathered and blew into dust along with the book itself.
'Su Lingwei. An immortal…cultivator. So…this world has hidden mountains, lands and valleys, much larger, vaster than what has been revealed to most people. More than the ones discovered and dwelled within by humans. Beyond a wall of magic called the Great Barrier is a realm of Cultivators themselves. A place where they live completely different lives…mysterious, thrilling and enchanting.'
A glint flashed in her eyes. If she wanted guidance, shouldn't she be seeking it in that enchanting world? Talismans…Cultivators. Everything seemed to urge her to look for those illusive immortals. But how could finding immortals be an easy task? She needed clues.
Her fingers kept tapping at the diagram under her fingers.
***
More plains and lush meadows started sprawling like carpets of green velvet full of dancing grasses everywhere. Time passed and an evening, much rosier and red than the previous two, met her sight, with a sun setting like a red iron globe coming out of a blasting furnace as the darkness thickened around it like fumes. Wei Zhiruo looked outside and watched several fields dotting with human dwellings, and scenes of curling smoke coming from chimneys, distractedly.
The carriage passed the Town's gate, and stopped in front of a bustling alley. Many shops had lanterns hung at their doors and people were coming and going from all around.
"Haiyaa-! Calm down! Now, now…good boys! My two good boys!" Two whinnying horses were being controlled.
A moment later, the two maids silently climbed down from the carriage and helped her get down too. Steward Tan came to her and unceremoniously led all of them into the Inn without a word. When she looked back over her shoulder, a boy came running down to the carriage, giddily rushing towards the two horses.
"Brother Ning, you and Dabai and Xiaohei, are you really back?! You said you will not come before next year—"
"Miss ninth, this is the place we intend to stay at, it's called Pingan inn." Suddenly Steward Tan bent down to look at her and said, "It has a good reputation amongst travelers, I've heard. The food is served with accommodation, so no worries about searching for other places outside. You can freshen up a bit and come down in an hour. By then I will ask the hostess of this place to prepare a hot meal for you. Xiaorui, Yao'er, you two go and take good care of our miss, and tell me if there is any need for something, alright?"
He said this, then scurried away towards a busy counter, where a vivacious looking beauty stood sucking in from a long pipe, blowing out smoke from her lips. Her eyes roving around the buzzing inn looked at each face with equal parts of disinterest and pretended care. When she spotted Steward Tan, however, she immediately broke into a blooming smile.
"Let's go." Wei Zhiruo took all this in, and asked the two maids to lead the way. "Let's hurry, I am starving."