[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-cursed-blade-s-walk":3,"chapter-the-cursed-blade-s-walk-the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-114":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Cursed Blade's Walk",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2262419,4415,"Chapter 114: Deep Mountain Night Journey","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-114",114,"\u003Cp>Autumn rain drizzled on, the mountains shrouded in mist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young master, watch your step—it’s slippery.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar’s attendant held an umbrella, trying to support the young man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah~ No need!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar waved his hand casually, gazing at the slick mountain path, wiping sweat from his brow, and smiled: “My teacher often said that reading ten thousand volumes means nothing without traveling a thousand miles—how true that is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The scenery of Shanzhou is vastly different from my Ezhou; though Shenzhou has been unified for thousands of years, the customs and folkways of Qin and Chu remain worlds apart.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Relying on books alone won’t do—if you’re to govern a region, you must understand the people’s conditions…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The attendant looked at him with admiration: “Young master, you’ll surely become a good official one day.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A good official?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar gazed northward and sighed: “The capital is full of powerful elites. In our dynasty’s hundred years since founding, the great clans have already taken root. Without patronage, this journey to the capital will likely end in failure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside them walked an old man dressed as a hunter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar and his attendant spoke in their hometown dialect; the hunter couldn’t understand them well and didn’t dwell on it, instead scanning the surroundings with wary eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, the scholar quickly switched to official speech: “Old Man Wang, is there danger here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Danger? It’s more than that!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hunter snorted: “You young fool, ignoring the main road and cutting through these remote trails—how hard you make it for yourself to earn a few silver coins.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar chuckled softly, shaking his head: “After passing Shangluo, how could I not visit Tianzhu Mountain? In Song times, Shao Anle once secluded himself here—its towering peaks piercing the clouds, its sea of mist glowing like gold—I’ve long yearned to see it…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t understand what you’re saying!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hunter pointed ahead and whispered: “All I know is, the back mountain isn’t safe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Herbal gatherers wander in and vanish—some lucky enough to find their way out, others simply disappear.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The attendant swallowed hard, visibly frightened: “There are ghost walls on the mountain…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shut up!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hunter barked sharply; seeing the attendant turn pale, he softened his tone and grunted: “Forget what I told you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Remember—it’s Master Qingfeng!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, oh—Master Qingfeng builds the walls.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The attendant recalled the hunter’s taboos and quickly corrected himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar beside him nearly laughed aloud, but seeing the hunter’s expression, he bit back the sound and turned toward the dense forest ahead, thoughtful: “Legend says that during the Tang dynasty, Master Luo the Great Daoist secluded himself here—there must be some mystery to it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, he pulled a tortoise shell and copper coins from his robe, shook them, then spilled them onto the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hunter instantly bowed his head in reverence: “Young master, you practice sorcery?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar’s eyes flickered with pride, yet he smiled humbly: “Only studied the principles of the Yi. Since entering the mountains, I’ve cast divinations every step—always turned misfortune into fortune. Never failed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm… Second line changes, Kun position stable…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar counted on his fingers, silently calculating, then tucked the tortoise shell and coins away, smiling: “Rest easy—this mountain journey will be smooth sailing!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Night fell; thick fog filled the woods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group was utterly lost in the mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The attendant held a lantern, staring wildly around, voice trembling: “Y-Young master, your divination’s not working…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar’s legs trembled too, but he still insisted: “Don’t worry—it’s just mountain fog. We rest tonight, then…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tomorrow you’ll be dead!” Old Man Wang’s temper exploded: “You city folk have no sense! You think just standing still will save you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’ll drag you off a cliff before midnight!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bent low, clasped his hands, and shouted into the dark forest: “The Dao stretches wide, each walks his own path. No past grudges, no recent quarrels—if we’ve offended, we beg your pardon…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He repeated it three times, voice full of sincerity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he pulled three thin white reed stalks from his person, kept one, and handed one each to the scholar and attendant: “One each. Take the left path. Every three steps, tap the ground with the reed. Don’t speak. Don’t look back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Calling on the Maiden of Reeds?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The attendant’s eyes lit up: “Old Man Wang, are you from Ezhou too? We worship the Maiden of Reeds back home.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar smiled: “Sacred reeds, ward off evil, invite fortune—our Chu land reveres them. The Guoyu says: ‘In ancient times, King Cheng convened the lords at Qiyang…’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Man Wang nearly snapped. He yanked his chopping axe free and growled: “If you two keep yapping, you won’t leave alive—I’ll kill you first!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar and attendant clamped their mouths shut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old hunter grunted, warning again: “This method’s passed down from my ancestors. Remember—no matter what calls from behind, don’t turn, don’t answer. Hold onto the front person’s clothes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you turn and speak, you vanish—and I won’t go looking for you! Life and death are fate—don’t blame me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, he stepped ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under this atmosphere, the scholar and his attendant were terrified. They fell silent, following the hunter along the left path, tapping the ground with reeds every three steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they walked, they sensed something wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Always the feeling of someone behind them, breathing cold air against their ears—faint whispers, almost words…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their legs grew weak, trembling—but they remembered the hunter’s words, dared not break any taboo, and trudged obediently behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps the hunter’s method worked: within less than three incense sticks, the thick fog thinned, and the scenery ahead shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ahead lay a bend; on a massive rock, carved in faded characters—“Zhong Yun Shen Xiu”—the red cinnabar paint long peeled, yet the bold strokes still radiated power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Between several giant rocks stood a waist-high shrine; the mountain god statue was weathered, the stone altar piled thick with dust—no one had offered incense in years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“May the Mountain God protect us…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hunter exhaled, hurried forward, and pulled prepared incense and candles from his pack, lighting them with solemn reverence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar and attendant turned—and froze in horror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now the fog had fully cleared: beneath moonlight, several ancient stone tombs stood—grand in scale, broken and collapsed, covered in moss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hunter saw them too, tense. He lit three sticks of incense, shaped earth into a small altar, stuck them in the ground, clasped his hands, and murmured: “Forgive the intrusion. Thank you, thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar and attendant were terrified too. They bowed hastily, then fled in panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After leaving the remote trail, the hunter visibly relaxed, studying the path: “We’ve missed our time—night travel’s too dangerous.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahead’s still remote, but villagers pass through. If I recall right, there’s a mountain god temple—we can rest there tonight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mountain god temple?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The attendant swallowed hard: “Won’t something happen there too…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What nonsense!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hunter glared: “Under the Mountain God’s watch, nothing dares stir. It’s the safest place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, yes—we’ll follow Old Man Wang’s advice…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the ghost wall, the scholar was far more cautious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They pressed on, rounding several bends, climbing a gentle slope—and ahead stood a mountain god temple, weathered by time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flickering firelight glowed within the temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old Man Wang…” The scholar looked at the hunter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old hunter drew a deep breath: “Likely travelers. We’ll share the night—be polite. Don’t speak out of turn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, he unslung his bow and drew an arrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t say it aloud: in deep night, in such an abandoned temple, those inside might be travelers—or bandits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before they reached the door, a cold voice rang out: “Huh? Fresh human scent?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did some cave lord send me a snack?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar’s hair stood on end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That tone—he’d heard it in ghost tales and operas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew it too well!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the hunter’s legs trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as they turned to flee, a gentle laugh came from within: “Li Yan, why scare these travelers?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come in, friends. You’re safe here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three exchanged glances, uncertain—but with no choice, they stepped inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, a campfire burned; two figures sat nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One wore Daoist robes; the other, a young man in black, pale-faced, eyes like cold stars, a long blade at his waist—Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hunter glanced at their feet—shadows danced with the firelight—and finally relaxed, offering a slight bow: “Apologies for the intrusion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Daoxuan smiled warmly, lifting a teapot from the fire: “Night in the mountains is cold. Drink some tea to warm yourselves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing their wariness, he chuckled: “Don’t worry—we’re not bandits. No drugged tea here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hunter nodded: “Master Dao, you jest. A Guanshan blade could take our lives without needing poison.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, he recognized the Guanshan knife.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though no cups were present, all three had brought bamboo tubes for water—perfect as makeshift teacups.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sip of warm tea restored their spirits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine tea!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar tasted it and praised: “Huang Tuan from Huainan’s Three Famous Teas—new harvest this year. Master, your taste is exquisite.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Daoxuan smiled wryly: “I know nothing of tea. Li Yan picked it on the road—cost him a fortune.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar, seeing Li Yan’s bearing and aura, immediately took a liking to him and bowed, saying, “I am Yan Jiuling; may I ask your name, sir?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Li Yan,” Li Yan replied coolly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the two seemed harmless, the old hunter grew slightly more at ease; he glanced at the fire on the ground and hesitated, “Forgive this old man for speaking plainly, but lighting fire inside a shrine may offend the Mountain God.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan glanced over. “Don’t worry—the Mountain God here hasn’t been offered incense in years; he’s long gone. Otherwise, how would you have gotten lost in a ghost circle?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, all three were seized by a chill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Daoxuan quickly reassured them: “Rest easy—Young Li sensed something was wrong and rescued you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So that’s how it was…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three exchanged uneasy glances; the old hunter gave an awkward smile and said nothing more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew he had encountered a true cultivator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was no wonder Li Yan spoke so curtly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tianzhu Mountain lay within Fengyang County; after leaving Wujiagou, they had pressed forward swiftly until they reached Tianzhu Mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had climbed since afternoon and searched for half a day without finding the Dao lineage cave Wu Laosi had mentioned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan, frustrated, led Wang Daoxuan in a thorough search until they found a Mountain God shrine, hoping to use his Gou Die ability to commune with the Mountain God.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the shrine had long gone without incense; even the Mountain God’s divine aura had vanished, and the clay idol had been taken over by yin entities—dispersed by Li Yan’s Divine Drum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The answer was within reach, yet inaccessible; naturally, he was vexed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Daoxuan, however, had a sudden thought and asked the hunter: “Old sir, we’ve come up the mountain seeking recluses. Do you know of any?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old hunter hesitated, then bowed: “I dare not deceive the Daoist. I live at the foot of the right slope, in Tianzhu Village. There are indeed several temples on the mountain, and their incense offerings remain strong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Daoxuan shook his head slightly. “The abbots in those temples are learned, but they are not the recluses we seek.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew perfectly well who he meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He and Li Yan had visited them, hoping to gather information. But though they were Buddhist, they were not of the Xuan Gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old hunter shook his head. “To be honest, we’re already on the back mountain. Long ago, my grandfather told me, many recluses once dwelled here. But after strange events occurred, the villagers stopped coming to the back mountain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar Yan Jiuling’s eyes lit up. “Gentlemen, are you seeking the Luo Gong lineage? I’ve heard he was a great master of the Tang era.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had some status and knew of Xuan Gate matters; as a child, he had even had visions seeking the Dao—but never awakened any spiritual power, so he never gained entry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that he guessed the two were Xuan Gate sorcerers, his curiosity burned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Daoxuan fell silent. “The Luo Gong lineage isn’t here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan suddenly spoke: “In the surrounding villages, are there any well-known spirit mediums?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old hunter frowned slightly. “I don’t know, but I once heard this: a few years ago, several herb collectors went to Beishan and lost their souls. Suddenly, an old woman appeared, retrieved their souls, then sternly warned them never to return to Beishan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Beishan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan frowned. “I’ve scoured Beishan thoroughly—I found no recluses.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old hunter shook his head. “You two don’t know—Beishan has a treacherous spot, reachable only by descending from Tianzhu Peak. It’s hidden; ordinary people can’t find it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Daoxuan’s eyes brightened instantly. “Thank you, sir.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan’s eyes also held a spark of delight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He recalled something: the Lu sorcerer had mentioned a junior sister guarding the Ancestral Altar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman who retrieved souls—the old woman—must be her!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a target now, the two felt renewed energy. But since outsiders were present, they held back their words and simply leaned against the wall to sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Poor scholar Yan Jiuling, imagining the ruined temple, the warrior, the Daoist—all Xuan Gate masters—felt as if he’d stepped into a novel’s scene. He was thrilled at the prospect of making acquaintance, only to find the two had already fallen asleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sighed helplessly; worn out from the climb and shaken by the ordeal, he drifted into sleep without realizing it…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master! Master!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t slept long when his page woke him; drowsy, he opened his eyes to find daylight flooding the temple entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the old shrine, the bonfire’s embers had cooled; the warrior and Daoist were gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where are the two of them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Jiuling asked urgently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They left long ago!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old hunter grunted. “They left before dawn. Let me say this plainly—you’re a proper scholar. These Jianghu  folk? Best keep your distance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emboldened by daylight, the page, who had endured the hunter’s mockery all morning, couldn’t help retorting: “My master is a juren—he’ll become an official one day…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhu Mo, don’t speak nonsense!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar scolded him, then saw the hunter grow stiff with deference; he quickly shook his head. “Old Wang, I’m just a scholar. You needn’t mind me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The page shrank back. “Master, when do we leave? This wild mountain is unsafe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your lord sent you to Chang’an to meet Lord Li—if you miss your appointment…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ll leave after touring Tianzhu Peak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Jiuling paid no mind; his eyes brimmed with regret as he murmured, “Li Yan, Li Yan… Great Expansion seeks unity… Indeed, only by traveling the world can one see the mysteries of Heaven and Earth…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the scholar sighed, a figure on the steep Tianzhu Peak began descending through a crack in the mountain, slowly vanishing into thick mist and cloud sea…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2497,"2026-06-19T18:28:32.159Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","467ee023518f13c2575d7418697f083a8735b13ebfe58b796fd28fb4bf9fc55e","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-115","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-113",801,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-cursed-blade-s-walk-cover.jpg"]