Chapter 529: Snowy Road Beneath Qingcheng Mountain

The newly appointed abbot of Qingcheng, Daoist name Chen Confucius.

It was an unfamiliar name—at least Li Yan and his companions had never heard it—and he held no notable reputation in the Xuanmen world.

But this was normal.

Within the Xuanmen, tigers lie hidden and dragons crouch; many masters spend years secluded on mountains, rarely appearing in the mortal world, unknown to outsiders.

Others, in their youth, adopted aliases to wander and gain experience, cultivating among mortals before returning to their Daoist names and retreating to the mountains.

Chen Confucius's rise to power must have involved complex negotiations among multiple factions.

Of course, Li Yan did not understand these matters.

The key point was that after arriving in Shu for so long, they could finally ascend Qingcheng Mountain and handle certain matters ahead of time.

Such as his long-awaited magical weapon—the treasure blade…

…………

Heavy snow fell, blanketing the mountains in silver.

Few travelers walked the mountain paths; occasional wheel ruts were buried beneath snow, barely visible.

All around was silent, save for the drifting snowflakes.

Mist curled through the mountains, frost clinging to branches.

The world was desolate, quiet and barren.

This was the ancient Shu Road from Chengdu to Guanjiangkou, its origins lost to time, yet never interrupted since ancient days.

The best route to Qingcheng Mountain was to follow the official road from Chengdu to Guanjiangkou, then turn southwest near the end.

Alternatively, one could take the waterway—from Yibin and Meishan, turning from the Minjiang River into the Jinma River, heading straight to Guanjiangkou.

To reach it from elsewhere required crossing mountains and valleys, traversing unnamed trails where wild beasts roamed.

Even local villagers avoided such paths.

This official road had once been busy, but now it was the twelfth lunar month; with barely half a month left before the New Year, travelers and merchants had naturally dwindled.

The people of Shu could endure hardship, yet they also knew how to enjoy life.

Even if their living conditions were poor, their tables must not be neglected—they slaughtered pigs and sheep, preparing as much delicacy as possible for the festival.

In leisure, they drank tea and played leaf cards; only fools would trudge through the wilderness at this time.

Moreover, this year's weather had been unusual.

Snow had arrived earlier than usual.

These past two days, heavy snow had poured relentlessly; waterfalls along the mountains had frozen into hanging icefalls, as if one had entered the northern lands…

On the official road, Li Yan and his group were advancing.

They wore cloaks and wide-brimmed hats, standing out sharply against the white snow; their only beast of burden was a slow, burdened donkey.

"This damn weather!"

Sha Lifei shook snow from his hat, unfastened a wine gourd from his waist, gulped down several swallows, then wiped his mouth and said: "Young Li, will we find anyone up the mountain?"

"Should be no problem."

Li Yan took a sip of wine, gazing at the snow-covered peaks, and smiled: "Old Lady Bai has already inquired for us."

"Qingcheng Mountain has stabilized now and is preparing for next year's Opening Cask Festival. When heroes from across Shenzhou gather, no faction wishes to lose face before outsiders."

"After the New Year, things will be hectic—we'll have an easier time handling matters if we arrive early."

Old Lady Bai was Bai Huan, formerly of the Siming Society, whom they had escorted to Chengdu.

Sha Lifei feigned casualness: "Have they settled in?"

"Fine."

Li Yan shook his head: "The women of the Siming Society, disfigured by their cultivation of Gushu, never wished to show themselves in public—they've all joined the Water Moon Nunnery, effectively entering Qingcheng."

"The two girls, Chaoyun and Xingyu, are highly valued and being intensively trained by the Water Moon Nunnery; Old Lady Bai and the others benefit too—no one dares to mistreat them…"

As he spoke, he glanced at Sha Lifei, who was distracted, and teased: "Old Sha, you're really asking about someone else, aren't you?"

Sha Lifei chuckled: "You know damn well."

Li Yan shook his head: "Relax—Dragon Lady has entered seclusion in the Great Snow Mountains. Old Lady Bai says, with the Qin Chong, her chances are good."

"Good…"

Sha Lifei muttered, pulling his cloak tighter.

He had grown considerably lately.

At middle age, politely called a seasoned Jianghulaoyoutiao, bluntly put, he was a ruined man with nothing—so he had no fear.

But now, he had begun to possess many things.

Once one knows nothing, one fears nothing; only after beginning cultivation and feeling its difficulty did he realize how gifted Li Yan and his companions truly were.

How should he walk his path ahead?

How could he establish himself without becoming a burden?

He had been pondering this for some time.

He had become more composed, more thoughtful.

Thinking of this, Sha Lifei suddenly asked: "Young Li, will you go to the capital?"

"You mean the Qiankun Academy?"

Li Yan paused, then said: "Recently, Yan Jiuling sent word that after this year's imperial examination, he'll take up a post at the Qiankun Academy."

"The Qiankun Academy's official opening should be in April or May—if we have time, we should visit. We'll inevitably need to deal with them in the future."

"This matter can't be taken lightly."

Sha Lifei said gravely: "Along our journey, we've seen many changes in the Xuanmen and the Jianghu—all tied to the transformation of human affairs."

"What exactly is this transformation? I, Old Sha, don't understand—but it's certainly linked to the court."

"If we establish ties with the Qiankun Academy, at least we'll understand what's coming, so we won't be blindly used by others."

"True."

Li Yan thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

They were wandering Immortal travelers, journeying across lands, cultivating and training—half in the Jianghu, half in the Xuanmen. Though they'd met some court officials, they were destined never to sink into the mire of court politics.

Yet he had already felt the power of this transformation in human affairs.

Even the Great Luo Dharma Realm was affected.

In this age, no one had the option to retreat.

The Commandant's Office was the Emperor's hounds.

The Enforcement Hall was the Xuanmen's private domain.

Only this newly established Qiankun Academy suited them best—free to advance or retreat, not swept along helplessly in the storm.

Of course, they must first finish matters in Shu…

………

Snow sealed the mountains; the roads were treacherous.

Though their footspeed was exceptional, after walking all day, they had covered only half the distance; unconsciously, the snowstorm grew fiercer.

"San'er, find a place to rest."

As dusk approached, Li Yan turned and reminded them.

Lu San nodded, lifted the hawk whistle from his neck, chanted the Yang Seal, and blew—a rising and falling whistle echoed through the mountains.

"Chra~ chra!"

A cry of hawks rang from the sky.

The increasingly majestic hawk circled above, banking left and right, then swooped down to land on Lu San's shoulder, chirping.

"There's a ruined temple ahead in the mountains."

Lu San frowned slightly: "But there's a carriage parked outside."

"Likely just travelers—sharing the space won't hurt."

Li Yan didn't mind, gave a reminder, and led the group forward faster, following the hawk.

After roughly three incense sticks, darkness had fully fallen. Wind and snow howled along the mountain path, biting straight into the bones.

"Take this path."

Seeing the hawk's signal, Lu San pointed right.

A mountain trail led upward to the mid-slope, flanked by trees buried under snow, the path itself white and blank.

This trail was likely abandoned; with snow covering it, they would have missed it without the hawk's guidance.

Leading the donkey, carrying their luggage, the group trudged through the nearly ruined path, sinking deep, stumbling shallow.

After a short distance, a large flat area appeared ahead, backed by mountain and overlooking a valley—a sizable mountain shrine stood there.

Typically, mountain shrines varied in size.

On famous peaks and rivers, mountain gods named in historical texts had temples built like palaces, with thriving incense and annual temple fairs drawing pilgrims from afar.

In some places, the mountain god was nameless, perhaps only a small altar, where passing hunters might devoutly light three sticks of incense.

In one look/p>

This mountain shrine was of medium size: a main hall, two rows of side rooms, surrounded by a rammed-earth wall.

Such shrines usually had a shrine keeper stationed there, sometimes even serving as inns—travelers could lodge there and earn a little incense money.

But this one was abandoned.

Half the rammed-earth wall had collapsed, buried under snow.

A carriage stood outside, still new in appearance, but the horses were gone; inside, darkness reigned.

Li Yan sniffed and frowned.

"There's blood in the air—be careful!"

No sooner had he spoken than everyone scattered.

Lu San raised his hand; a hawk shot into the sky, scanning the surrounding woods for ambushes.

Sha Lifei and Wu Ba remained motionless, guarding Wang Daoxuan.

Li Yan first went to the carriage, pried open the curtain with his knife hilt, and saw chaos inside—bloodstains and signs of struggle.

He frowned, then approached the ruined temple, leapt inside, inspected it briefly, and said, "It's clear—there are a few corpses. They must've been robbed by bandits."

Sha Lifei and the others then entered the temple.

The mountain shrine was in ruins, barely shielding them from wind and snow; the windows and door of the main hall had been torn down and used for firewood.

In the half-collapsed side room to the right lay several corpses—men and women, old and young.

Clearly a family, traveling home for the New Year, unlucky enough to meet bandits who stripped them bare.

Their clothes had been torn off; the two women had clearly been violated, their bodies in disarray, faces twisted in terror and despair.

"Filthy beasts!"

Wang Daoxuan, seeing this, immediately frowned.

"It must be an inside man colluding with outside bandits."

Sha Lifei, experienced as he was, glanced once and guessed: "Their clothes were stripped—meaning they carried valuable goods. No calluses on their hands—they were pampered folk. Not a single servant's corpse to be seen…"

"These bodies were killed yesterday, at the latest."

Wang Daoxuan was puzzled. "It's winter—shouldn't the mountain bandits all be hibernating by now?"

The Green Woods, the Lan Sect, had a tradition of hibernating.

Every autumn, bandits began their holiday.

The boss would gather everyone, divide the loot (the red chest), hide the long weapons, and agree to regroup next April.

Those with families would lie to neighbors, claiming they spent the whole year trading far away and returned home for the New Year.

Those without families either spent winter in groups at their lairs, or stayed with relatives and friends, or sought out mistresses and prostitutes.

Some even practiced "pulling the yoke."

"Pulling the yoke" meant one woman with two husbands.

Normally, the woman had a legal husband; when bandits came, they took the bed, while the husband fetched water, did chores, and served them.

Usually, the original husband was weak, unable to support the family, and survived only by wearing the green hat.

In short, snakes have their paths, mice have theirs.

After hibernation, bandits had to gather and account for their numbers.

Once inside the den, there was no way out.

If the boss found someone missing, he'd send men to investigate; if murdered, he'd hunt the killer and cut off their head to sacrifice to the brothers.

If someone betrayed or defected, he'd find the sponsor and the traitor, kill them both as a warning—every year, similar murders occurred across the land.

Meanwhile, common folk had learned from experience.

Like beasts preparing for winter, in autumn they fattened up; bandits, too, became frenzied and numerous.

So during autumn travel, one hired more guards.

In winter, the only trouble was the difficulty of travel.

Robbing in this weather broke the rules.

"It's probably not bandits."

Sha Lifei shook his head. "New Year's coming—everyone wants to return home in glory, carrying plenty of wealth. Their servants grew envious."

"You could report it to the authorities, but out here in the wilderness, without a complainant to grease palms, the constables won't bother—likely another unsolved case."

He'd seen this too often in his travels.

Though it sickened them, they still carried out the corpses, dug a grave outside the temple, and buried them; then Wang Daoxuan chanted sutras to guide their souls.

When they finished, night had fallen completely.

The group lit a bonfire in the mountain shrine to shelter from the snowstorm.

Though freezing, they were accustomed to it; they simmered a large pot of dried meat, sausages, and sour cabbage, warmed the flatbreads, and ate and chatted with strong liquor.

Before they'd spoken many words, Li Yan and Lu San both looked up, toward the courtyard.

"Someone's coming!"

Li Yan whispered a warning.

Everyone stayed calm, keeping weapons within reach.

"Quick, quick—it's right here!"

Soon, shouts rang out from outside; in the darkness, faint torchlight flickered, accompanied by the braying of mules and horses.

It was a sizable caravan.

"Gentlemen, I recall there's a ruined temple here…"

A pleading voice came from the front.

"Stop!"

From within the caravan stepped an old man in a black robe, his features square and imposing, radiating authority.

In his hand he carried a long knife; he sniffed the air, then glanced at the nearby carriage and the mound of freshly turned earth where the corpses were buried, and frowned.

Shhh!

He gave a signal; many of the caravan's men immediately drew weapons with a clatter, some even nocked arrows and aimed at the ruined temple.

"This is…"

The caravan driver, responsible for guiding them, grew tense.

The old man ignored him, bowed toward the temple, and called out loudly: "He Wu!"

"Friends inside the temple—what path do you follow?"

Sha Lifei stepped out wrapped in his cloak, impatiently replying: "You're from a guard company, right? We're not bandits—we're travelers caught in the snow. Come in if you wish."

Yet the old man still didn't move; he glanced at the mound and said gravely: "There are corpses in the earth—could you be fake Daoists lying in wait?"

"Oh?"

Sha Lifei paused, then bowed properly: "Ah, you're a fellow Daoist too. This matter has nothing to do with us—no need to worry."

The old man clearly doubted it, but through the broken door, he saw Li Yan and the others inside the main hall—and suddenly remembered something; his expression turned respectful.

"May I ask, are you the Twelve Zodiacs?"

(End of Chapter)