Chapter 247: Shadows of Doubt in the Mountains, Outsiders Beyond the Peaks

Taoyuan County, fifty li to the northeast.

Black Dragon Pool! Directly east, when seen from afar, the blue‑green cliffs and verdant peaks lean against each other, forming the lofty Snow Peak Mountain Range.

When he came here in his previous life, Niu Dingtian only knew the route, not its name; now it appears that the Spirit Spring Cave of that time lies within this mountain.

Alas, the green mountains remain, but the beloved is gone; the companion of beauty from his past life has become his solitary wandering in this life.

With an inexplicable feeling, Niu Dingtian recalled the old route while riding black rose, gently pulling the reins, and headed east.

At dusk, the setting sun sank in the west, the clouds tinged with color, and the rider and his horse reached the foot of the mountain.

Looking up all around, the rugged peaks loomed, misty clouds encircled, and the path grew narrower the farther he went. Soon, between two peaks emerged the narrow gorge that once allowed only a single person to pass.

"Black rose, black rose, stay obediently here for me; if you meet a stranger, be clever, and don't let anyone ride you."

After dismounting, Niu Dingtian affectionately patted black rose's mane, left the reins untied, took a gourd from the horse's back, lifted it, and proceeded up the mountain.

Ascending the mountain, the wilderness was silent, brambles spread everywhere, thorns grew thick, clearly no outsider had set foot here for a long time.

Niu Dingtian swung his sword to clear a path, cutting a smooth trail; after scaling the peaks and reaching the familiar waterfall, clouds obscured the moon, the light faded, and deep night had fallen.

"Hm?"

"Could it be that this was all in vain?"

At this moment, gazing at the waterfall that resembled a great dragon plunging down, and inhaling a whiff of the moist spray, Niu Dingtian couldn't help but feel a hint of doubt.

Since he had been traveling halfway up the mountain, he had sensed something amiss.

At some point, this place exuded an inexplicable aura; the higher he went, the stronger a strange, faint fragrance that guided his inner breath.

But now, aside from the unchanged terrain and scenery, the journey no longer yields that peculiar scent.

"Could it be that the breathing method has vanished?" Niu Dingtian muttered to himself.

As the thought arose, bathed in the faint moonlight, he lifted his gaze; where his eyes fell, the vague outline of the cliff wall came into view.

"It should be possible to climb up!"

Niu Dingtian stood with his hands behind his back at the water's edge, pondering for a moment, then suddenly stepped forward.

When that foot left the ground, a ripple like water ripples sprang beneath him; with a booming tremor, his whole body surged upward like a screeching crane soaring to the sky.

Seeing himself skim to about eight‑tenths up the cliff wall, his momentum waned and his figure was about to fall; Niu Dingtian muttered darkly, then suddenly drew his treasured sword, whooshing it into the cliff, leveraged it, and his form shot skyward, vanishing swiftly into the night.

"This..."

At the waterfall's summit, beside the stream, Niu Dingtian held his sword in one hand, looked around, and his eyes were filled with shock.

At that moment, the mountain wind brushed, the clouds drifted, the moonlight flickered, yet still illuminated the mountain's outline faintly.

Not far away, an area that should have been surrounded on three sides by mountains seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving only a winding stream that stretched endlessly.

Regaining his senses, Niu Dingtian reached out and pinched his own cheek hard.

"Sss—"

It hurt! At this moment, though it was night, he was not dreaming.

"How could this be?"

"Could it be tectonic movement?"

"But whose tectonic shift would alter only a small patch of mountain so abruptly?"

Niu Dingtian felt his forehead a bit fuzzy, quickly employed his body technique, and leapt forward along the stream.

Even if it were tectonic movement, he had never heard of such a massive change occurring within a hundred‑plus years.

But if not the same spacetime, why would the external terrain and routes be identical, except for this missing piece? Compared with the current scene, he would rather not have found Black Dragon Pool or the waterfall than be doubting his very existence now.

Half an hour later—

The drifting clouds dispersed, the moonlight thickened suddenly, bathing Snow Peak Mountain in silver glow. The mountain wind brushed by, rustling, like the whispering of alpine flowers and grasses.

When Niu Dingtian followed the stream back, his forlorn expression showed that his gains were unsatisfactory. Indeed, ahead lay a flat plain with no obstacles.

He rode along the stream, soaring over more than thirty li, and finally found a tiny brook at a mountain foot, considered the waterfall's source, yet showed no difference at all.

"Why is it like this?"

Niu Dingtian furrowed his brows, slowly walked to the waterfall's edge, looked down, and took in the entire river below.

He had once clashed with an old monk here, freezing several li and draining it completely, yet now his mind was filled with an indescribable confusion.

People are like that.

Whenever an unreasonable personal doubt arises, it lingers in the mind, impossible to shake, making even other concerns seem unimportant.

Niu Dingtian stood with his hands behind his back at the cliff edge, pondering deeply for half a night until late, feeling a wave of neural fatigue, then reclined on a massive boulder and fell into a drowsy sleep.

……

It seemed as if a long time had passed.

A faint fragrance reached his nose, and Niu Dingtian groggily opened his eyes.

The gentle warm sunlight was somewhat glaring; he squinted slightly, followed the scent, and felt a wave of bewilderment.

"Wife?"

"Qian'er?"

"Why are you here?"

Where his eyes fell, white mist swirled over the stream, green willows brushed the water on both banks, jade‑like emerald hues, and mountain flowers bloomed everywhere, forming a splendid tapestry.

Yet amid this enchanting scenery, Niu Dingtian could not spare a glance; not far away, his wife Chen Jin'er and his guard Niu Qian'er stood softly by the stream, watching him.

"Am I dreaming?" Niu Dingtian was overjoyed, and tried to pinch his cheek, but felt his body become limp and weak.

"Could it really be a dream?"

He quickly gave up; even if it were a dream, he would have to stay in it a while longer.

"Husband, could you have forgotten us?"

Chen Jin'er smiled faintly, her jade‑like visage unchanged, her white robes fluttering lightly in the wind, appearing as a truly tangible person.

Behind her, Niu Qian'er wore all emerald-green clothes, still with a maiden's hair bun, and her lovely eyes held a hint of tenderness.

The lady seemed right before his eyes; seeing her, Niu Dingtian felt another wave of dazedness. Hearing the words, he hurriedly shook his head and said, "I haven't forgotten, I haven't forgotten—I think of my wife every day!"

Chen Jin'er couldn't help but smile, fell silent for a moment, then asked again, "Then, my lord, are you willing to come back and find us?"

Niu Dingtian heard this and was startled.

He wanted to rise, but his body remained limp and weak; even knowing that what lay before him was probably just a dream, he answered without hesitation:

"I am willing! As long as we find a way back, I will surely come to find you!"

"Will you keep searching?"

"I will!"

Niu Dingtian nodded firmly.

A satisfied smile appeared on Chen Jin'er's jade-like face, her voice somewhat ethereal: "I must go now, my lord, take care—I'll have Qian'er keep you company a while longer."

As she spoke, her figure gradually turned translucent, until it vanished completely.

"My lady! My lady!" Niu Dingtian shouted urgently, but there was no response whatsoever around him.

"Manor Lord..."

Qian'er's voice was soft, her cheeks gradually flushing as she walked over slowly.

In the moment Niu Dingtian was dazed, a rich maiden's fragrance wafted over him, and her emerald-green robe slipped down slowly, revealing skin as smooth and white as snow, and a pair of round, full, droplet-shaped jade mounds.

"Qian'er, you..."

Niu Dingtian's breathing grew heavy; his throat bobbed involuntarily as he swallowed.

Obviously, he was about to have a spring dream.

But after a long separation, the reunited couple—how could the lady simply vanish and let someone else take her place? Since the lady had arranged it, with her lovely form right before him, how could he refuse?

Niu Dingtian unconsciously reached out, wanting to gently caress, but his body remained feebly light and weak.

"I... I'm coming..."

Qian'er gently removed her hairpin; her black hair bun fell like a waterfall. Her voice trembled, her cheeks flushed rosy as if drunk, and it seemed one could even hear the thundering thump-thump of her heartbeat, swift as a war drum.

Seeing her soft hand approach to caress, Niu Dingtian let out a faint sigh, and an inexplicable sense of joy welled up in his heart.

What if he hadn't found the spiritual spring water? This dream's romantic encounter, reuniting with his wife, was already worth it.

Thinking of this, he slowly closed his eyes and lay still upon the large stone.

……

……

No one knew how much time had passed.

Niu Dingtian's mind drifted; in his haze, the warm, soft lovely form in his arms seemed to have disappeared.

Yet he could also feel a warm, moist tongue gently licking his cheeks, his neck, even his mouth in an affectionate manner.

How salty! Niu Dingtian smacked his lips, forced his eyes open, and the next moment saw a large pink tongue pressing against his face, licking over.

"Black Rose?" Niu Dingtian's face darkened; he swiftly rolled aside to dodge.

Black Rose's lick missed, it let out a loud snort, and its eyes showed clear displeasure.

"Wrong! How could I be here?"

Just as Niu Dingtian rose, he suddenly froze in place, looked down, and saw that the gourd and the Asura Blade hanging at his waist were still there.

"That dream..."

Recalling last night's amorous dream, Niu Dingtian's heart involuntarily trembled; if an ordinary person had sent him back, he would not have been completely unaware.

"Wait for me to return—don't run around!"

He patted Black Rose, left a hurried remark, and Niu Dingtian sped up the narrow path onto the mountain.

"My lady!"

"Where are you?"

"Qian'er!"

"My lady!"

……

That day, the valley echoed with thunderous shouts that reverberated endlessly across the vast mountain range.

At first, Niu Dingtian was merely doubtful, but upon seeing the bloodstains on the giant stone, he became so excited that his shouting did not cease all day.

Night——

At the you-xu transition, the night grew dark.

On the quiet little path, apart from the occasional nightingale's cry from afar, only the sound of footsteps drawing nearer remained.

Gazing at the weary figure slowly emerging in the dusk, Black Rose, which had waited all day, lightly tapped its hooves, chirped, and stepped forward affectionately, rubbing against his arm.

Niu Dingtian felt a warm surge; he reached down, untied the wine flask from the horse's back, gulped a mouthful, and the fiery pain in his throat cleared his mind completely.

"Thanks!" Niu Dingtian sighed, lightly stroking the horse's face.

After a day of searching with no result, he also gradually calmed down.

What he had seen yesterday far exceeded his understanding; if true, it was beyond mortal means.

Perhaps……

Perhaps there is some kind of Daoist formation on the mountain that shields visions.

But why did the lady and Qian'er appear? Niu Dingtian racked his brains to no avail.

Or perhaps it was all just an illusion? In the following time, although the search remained fruitless, Niu Dingtian was unwilling to leave, fearing he might truly miss the reunion.

Thus, he simply settled here, building a dwelling; each day, aside from training, he tried to explore the mountain from all directions in hopes of discovering something unusual.

Thus, far from the world's clamor, spring came after summer, and in the blink of an eye half a year had passed.

Unlike the tranquility of the mountains.

In the outside world, over the past six months, Niu Dingtian's reputation has been like a thunderclap on a calm lake, suddenly appearing and thoroughly shaking the martial world.

He fiercely battled Murong Fu, clashed with Great Master Xuanshi, killed the Beggars' Sect Elder Xu, and sliced off Bai Shijing's left ear; the three strongest martial forces were all confronted by him head-on.

Moreover, when he clashed with Great Master Xuanshi, he seemingly used the Murong family's secret art of Shifting Stars Transfer, which many martial artists witnessed with their own eyes.

Furthermore, when the Beggars' Sect's Da Zhi branch unleashed the Dragon Subduing Twenty-Eight Palms, the law-enforcing Elder Bai Shijing and the branch chief Quan Guanqing personally confirmed it.

When this news came out, Murong Fu, far away in Yanzi Wu, directly smashed a table and ordered an all-out search for Niu Dingtian's whereabouts.

How could an outsider possibly use our family's secret supreme art? Moreover, he is proficient in both Beggars' Sect and Shaolin martial arts; combined, he even suspects this person might be the illegitimate child his late father raised outside, the true heir! After all, there are few forces that have collected the martial arts of a hundred schools, and his Murong family happens to be one of them, but to possess Shifting Stars Transfer, there is absolutely no second one!

On the other side, the Beggars' Sect chief Qiao Feng also fares poorly.

Not only did the sect's elder die, but the sect's martial arts have also leaked; you know, that's not some miscellaneous martial arts—only he in the entire sect is qualified to practice it.

Although he advocated a thorough investigation into Elder Xu's death before assigning blame, Bai Shijing and Quan Guanqing incited disciples to accuse him of the crime of leaking external martial arts; under pressure, he could only temporarily go out to seek Niu Dingtian's whereabouts to prove his innocence.

This martial world seems to harbor surging dark currents, ready to erupt at any moment.

Half a month later.

Again thunder rolls, the Great Master Xuanshi of Shaolin Temple was ambushed and killed in Liangzhou's Shenjie Temple, dying beneath his own famed weapon, the Great Vajra Pestle!

Just a few months ago, a senior monk of Shaolin was still competing in inner strength with someone in Taoyuan County; in the blink of an eye, he ended up like this.

Before Shaolin Temple could issue an external statement, three days later another shocking piece of news swept across the entire martial world in a single day:

The deputy chief of the Beggars' Sect, Ma Dayuan, was found dead suddenly in his Luoyang home; likewise, he died by his own secret technique, the Lock-Throat Seizing Hand! This martial world seems to be descending into chaos.

"……" Means ellipsis. We'll translate as "……" (keep same). Probably just "……". We'll output "【137】 ……"

Snow Peak Mountain, western foothills.

High cliffs, mist gathering, gentle spring wind; flowers lush, stones moist; clouds charming, haze light; the sky calm as water.

"Giddy-up!"

Only the sound of hooves clatter-clatter, neighing horses in succession; a group of weapon-bearing, lightly clad martial artists galloping madly all the way, splashing mud on the road, heading toward the narrow mountain ravine ahead.

On the high slope, a thatched hut, a horse shed.

"Here!"

The leader, seeing the buildings ahead, immediately reined in his horse, waved his hand and shouted:

"Surround him quickly!"

"Don't let him escape!"

Hearing the call, over a hundred riders, holding swords or spears, awls or sticks, swiftly spread out on horseback, tightly encircling the high slope ahead.

"Divine Farmer Sect, Beggars' Sect, Crouching Ox Sect, Azure City Sect, Qin Family Stronghold—why hasn't Young Hero Niu come out to meet us?"

The speaker was a thin, small old man with a goat beard under his chin, his demeanor exceedingly arrogant; he was the chief of the Divine Farmer Sect, Sikong Xuan.

To his left and right were respectively the lord of Qin Family Stronghold, Yao Bardang; the head of Azure City Sect, Sima Lin; the senior disciple of Crouching Ox Sect, Guo Yanzhi, together with his master-uncle Cui Baiquan; also there was a seventh-bag disciple of the Beggars' Sect's Da Zhi branch.

Seeing no response from the thatched hut, only the horse in the shed snorted; Sikong Xuan's face gradually darkened, and he then gave a glance to those around.

Those around, seeing this, all had hesitant expressions, held their reins without moving, and did not immediately declare their stance.

After all, the other party's fearsome reputation is well known; although they were fortunate to be the first to find this place, aside from the master himself, probably no one wishes to be the first to stick their neck out.

Thus, several gazes turned toward the Beggars' Sect seventh-bag disciple.

... (End of chapter)