“The Hundred Thousand Great Mountains?”
Ye Qiu was somewhat puzzled, he had never heard of such a place before, could there really be a hundred thousand mountains?
Master Changmei explained, “The so-called Hundred Thousand Great Mountains is just a collective name for some mountain peaks, much like the Five Sacred Mountains, some peaks are called Huangshan, others are called Taishan.”
“Although the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains don’t actually have a hundred thousand peaks, there are still tens of thousands, and not only that, the area is teeming with venomous insects and ferocious beasts.”
“The heart of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains is even known as the Valley of Death, even the local villagers don’t dare to enter, considering it a forbidden zone, it’s said there are ominous things inside, extremely terrifying.”
Master Changmei continued, “After I returned from the capital last time, I used the Secret Art of Heavenly Divination to deduce the whereabouts of the Heavenly Master Sword, the divination showed that the sword is in Dalong Mountain within the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.”
“Later, I looked through the notes left by our ancestral master, they mentioned that he had once been to Dalong Mountain and even killed a dragon there.”
Killed a dragon?
What nonsense!
There’s no such thing as dragons in this world!
Ye Qiu didn’t believe it at all, thinking the people of Dragon Tiger Mountain were just bragging, he asked, “How far is Dalong Mountain from here?”
“About two hundred kilometers.”
Two hundred kilometers wasn’t far.
Ye Qiu thought for a moment and said, “How about this, old man, your health isn’t good, why don’t you just return to Dragon Tiger Mountain, I’ll go to Dalong Mountain for you, if the Heavenly Master Sword is really there, I’ll bring it back for you.”
“Little brat, I appreciate your kindness, but I must go to Dalong Mountain.”
Master Changmei said, “The ancestral master wrote in his notes that the heart of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains is full of mystery and strangeness, one misstep could lead to death without a burial place, plus there’s poisonous miasma, wild beasts, and many unknown dangers inside.”
“I’m skilled in some Taoist arts, they might come in handy.”
“As for my health, I think I can still hold on for a few days.”
“If I can find the Heavenly Master Sword before I die, I’ll have no regrets.”
Master Changmei had a deep obsession with the Heavenly Master Sword.
This sword had been sought by Dragon Tiger Mountain for hundreds of years, countless people had gone after it one after another, Master Changmei desperately wanted to fulfill this wish in the little time he had left.
“Uncle-Master, why don’t you listen to Dr. Ye and return to Dragon Tiger Mountain, as for going to Dalong Mountain, I’ll go with Dr. Ye.”
Shuisheng advised from the side, he was also very worried about Master Changmei’s condition.
“Come here.” Master Changmei beckoned to Shuisheng.
Shuisheng walked over to Master Changmei.
Master Changmei made a gesture, Shuisheng understood and squatted down.
“Shuisheng, you’ve been with me for nearly twenty years, you should know my personality, I always mean what I say.”
“So, I must go to Dalong Mountain.”
“Don’t worry about my health, I once told you I’m a person with deep blessings, I won’t die easily.”
Master Changmei spoke while patting Shuisheng’s head.
It was clearly a very serious topic, but seeing this scene, Ye Qiu couldn’t help but want to laugh.
What was the old man doing?
Patting a dog’s head!
And Shuisheng even looked like he was enjoying it!
Ye Qiu couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for Shuisheng, this kid’s brain didn’t seem too sharp.
“Old man, have you made up your mind, you’re really going to Dalong Mountain?” Ye Qiu asked again.
Master Changmei’s attitude was firm, “I must go!”
“Then rest first, we’ll set out at dawn.” Ye Qiu finished speaking and lay down beside Master Changmei.
Master Changmei exclaimed, “Little brat, what are you doing? I’m telling you, even though I’m injured, I won’t let you mess around.”
Ye Qiu cursed, “Relax, I’m not into that.”
“Uncle-Master, what does ‘into that’ mean?” Shuisheng looked up and asked.
Master Changmei, “…”
Ye Qiu, “…”
“Shuisheng, go to sleep, we have to travel at dawn.” Master Changmei said.
“Yeah, I’m a bit tired, I’ll sleep first.” Shuisheng said, “Uncle-Master, if you need me for anything, just wake me up.”
“Go sleep.”
Soon, Shuisheng’s snores rumbled like thunder, shaking the room.
Ye Qiu couldn’t sleep at all with the noise.
Master Changmei, preoccupied with thoughts, kept his eyes open too.
“Why aren’t you sleeping?” Ye Qiu asked.
“After I die, I’ll have plenty of time to sleep, sleeping now is like wasting life.” Master Changmei asked Ye Qiu, “We only parted a few days ago, how did you cultivate true qi so fast?”
“It’s just talent!”
Hearing this, Master Changmei’s teeth itched with irritation, damn it, he’s showing off again.
“Old man, your nephew here is clearly a Taoist, so why does he shave his head bald?” Ye Qiu laughed, “People who don’t know might think he’s a monk.”
“Superficial!”
Master Changmei said righteously, “How can you judge a hero by his hairstyle? Do you think someone with a crew cut is a convict?”
“Little brat, that kind of thinking is wrong.”
“Shuisheng keeps his head bald because he was born without hair.”
What?
Born without hair?
That’s bizarre.
Ye Qiu had read plenty of medical books and seen many patients, but someone who naturally never grew hair, this was a first for him.
Master Changmei sighed, “Shuisheng, this kid, he’s had a tough life.”
“Twenty years ago, in the winter, my junior brother and I went down the mountain for training, we met Shuisheng by the Wei River.”
“I still remember clearly, it was snowing heavily that day, bitterly cold, when we found Shuisheng, he wasn’t even a year old, sitting in a plastic basin, wearing a big red padded jacket, floating on the Wei River.”
“Obviously, he was an abandoned baby.”
“Shuisheng had clear brows and bright eyes, when he saw me and my junior brother, he even smiled at us.”
“My junior brother and I took pity on him, so we picked him up, later we found a note and a jade pendant in his jacket, the note had his birth date written on it.”
“I calculated a divination based on his birth date, this child’s fate lacked water, but water would bring him fortune, so I named him Shuisheng, first because water is the source of all things, anything touched by water thrives, second, my junior brother and I found him by the Wei River, the name means he gained a new life by the water.”
“Later, my junior brother and I brought Shuisheng back to Dragon Tiger Mountain, watching him grow day by day, my junior brother was especially happy, when Shuisheng was three, my junior brother took him as his last disciple.”
“But two years later, when Shuisheng was five, my junior brother fell ill and passed away.”
“Since then, I’ve been raising this child.”
Master Changmei turned to look at Shuisheng and said, “Shuisheng’s heart is kind, he’s honest, little brat, I’m asking you a favor, if I’m gone, help me take care of him.”
“No problem, when you’re dead, I’ll take him to Jiangzhou.” Ye Qiu said.
“No, Shuisheng must stay at Dragon Tiger Mountain.” Master Changmei said, “Whether Dragon Tiger Mountain can regain its glory from a thousand years ago depends on him.”
“Oh?” Ye Qiu was surprised, he hadn’t expected Master Changmei to have such high hopes for Shuisheng.
Master Changmei said, “Shuisheng is a natural-born saint!”
