Chapter 33 — Down the Mountain

When Qi Hao and Zeng Shuyan saw Zhang Qingyue there, they each gave him a smile by way of greeting; only Lu Xueqi remained as blank-faced as ever, though her eyes still flicked toward him once, and deep within them something nameless seemed to flash and then vanish in an instant.

Master Daoyan looked at the four disciples before him and smiled. "I have summoned you four here today because there is a matter that requires you to go down the mountain and temper yourselves."

Qi Hao and the others were all moved.

Master Daoyan then recounted the affair of the "Ten Thousand Bats Ancient Grotto" on Kongsang Mountain from the day before, and added: "This matter is of grave consequence. You four are the finest among my disciples, and that is why I send you to investigate. But the demon cult's fiends are treacherous and vicious; you must all proceed with caution."

The four said in unison: "Yes."

Master Daoyan nodded. "In addition, apart from our Canglan Sect, both the Fenxia Valley and the Fanyin Temple have sent outstanding disciples to join the investigation. Before others you must not be discourteous, but neither must you let the Canglan Sect's prestige be diminished. Furthermore, Senior Brother Xiao Yichen of the Changmen faction has already gone to Kongsang Mountain to look into this matter. If you find him, consult with him on all things."

The four exchanged glances and again answered in unison.

Master Daoyan studied these four disciples of the younger generation one by one, and at last his gaze fell upon Qi Hao. He beckoned. "Qi Hao, come here."

Qi Hao started, then stepped forward. Master Daoyan looked him up and down, then turned to Daoist Cangyan and laughed. "Junior Brother, the Dragon Peak has someone to carry on after it!"

Daoist Cangyan's face, which had not looked pleased since earlier, finally broke into a smile. "Senior Brother jests."

Smiling, Master Daoyan drew something from his robe and handed it to Qi Hao. "Take it."

Qi Hao received it and looked: it was a small mirror of archaic shape, its rim worked in open bronze, a dragon carved above and a tiger below, the eight trigrams and their directions graven upon it; the glass at its center was no ordinary bronze mirror but a hazy yellow, unclear.

Before Qi Hao could react, Daoist Cangsong beside him was already beaming. "Silly boy, what are you standing there for? Kneel and give thanks."

Qi Hao came to himself at once, understanding that this unremarkable thing in his hand was most likely the treasure **Mirror. He hurriedly knelt. "Thank you, Sect Master Uncle."

Master Daoyan smiled. "No need, no need. Rise." Then to the others: "You may withdraw first."

They all knew he meant to impart to Qi Hao the secret of the **Mirror, and so withdrew together.

Outside the hall, Zhang Qingyue and Tian Buhui walked to one side. Tian Buhui glanced at him and said mildly: "You carry a heavy charge now. Do not return to Dazhu Peak; go down the mountain with the other three shortly. I will explain matters at Dazhu Peak for you."

Zhang Qingyue was startled, then lowered his head and said softly: "Yes, Master."

Tian Buhui said: "During this month while you healed, I hear your mistress taught you some methods of sword-flight and secrets of the Dao. Have you remembered them all?"

Zhang Qingyue nodded. "Yes, Master. Your disciple has remembered them all."

Tian Buhui turned his back and said slowly: "Good. Your aptitude is poor, but you are still of Dazhu Peak. Once you are out there, do not disgrace me."

Zhang Qingyue said at once: "Yes, Master. Your disciple will never disgrace you."

Tian Buhui gave a grunt. His back was turned, and Zhang Qingyue could not see his face or guess his expression, but from his voice there seemed no great anger. After a long moment Tian Buhui seemed to sigh, turned his head to look at Zhang Qingyue, said nothing more, and waved a hand by way of farewell; then he summoned his immortal sword and cleft the air.

Zhang Qingyue stood staring as his master's figure became a crimson streak and vanished at the horizon, until a slap on the shoulder made him jump. He spun about to find Zeng Shuyan grinning at him. Looking around, he saw that the heads of the other peaks had all gone; only the two of them remained, and Lu Xueqi standing alone some distance off.

Zeng: "Lucky man. I was afraid you wouldn't make it through this time!"

Zhang Qingyue at once felt lighter in Zeng's company, and answered with a smile: "Yes, I was scared half to death myself."

Zeng Shuyan patted his shoulder, looked him up and down, and said in a low voice: "Why didn't you bring Little Grey?"

Zhang Qingyue made a bitter face. "Master brought me here first thing this morning. I never thought I'd be going down the mountain at once—I've brought nothing. How would I have thought of Little Grey?"

Zeng: "No matter. I can lend you clothes, or we can buy some once we reach Heyin City at the foot of the mountain." He winked at Zhang Qingyue and whispered: "Heh heh, we've made a fine bargain this time anyway."

Zhang Qingyue did not follow. "What?"

Zeng Shuyan's eyebrows wiggled; he shot a glance behind him and snickered. "A beauty for company!"

Zhang Qingyue was both annoyed and amused, but he still glanced toward Lu Xueqi. At that same moment, as though she had sensed it, Lu Xueqi looked their way as well. Their eyes met across the distance, and Zhang Qingyue felt her gaze like frost; he started and hastily looked away.

The two jested a while longer, and Zeng Shuyan was just whispering to him about how things would be on the road with Lu Xueqi when he suddenly saw Zhang Qingyue's smiling face stiffen, his gaze go fixed, staring past him.

Zeng Shuyan, puzzled, turned to look. Below the long flight of steps, a man came staggering up—past forty, his clothes fairly clean, but his face blank and his eyes dull, muttering broken scraps of words that ran into one another:

"It's raining, the sky's gone dark, stinking mother, immortal, immortal, heh heh, immortal..."

Under the eyes of Zeng Shuyan and of Lu Xueqi watching from afar, Zhang Qingyue walked over—very, very slowly, as though a long time passed before he came to the man's side.

As though he had walked up to the past itself.

"Uncle Wang Er, are you well?" He forced down his agitation and spoke low.

But the man's eyes seemed not to hold Zhang Qingyue at all. Still muttering, he shook Zhang Qingyue off and walked on, and soon vanished behind the great hall.

"Who is he?" Zeng said.

Zhang Qingyue watched the place where Uncle Wang Er had disappeared and said bitterly: "A madman!"

Zeng Shuyan read his face and wisely asked no more. After a while Qi Hao came out of the great hall, his face full of joy, and greeted the three of them.

Absently, Zhang Qingyue went over with Zeng Shuyan. After some discussion (Zhang Qingyue sat lost in thought and said not a word), they decided to go down the mountain first to Heyin City.

Zeng: "Senior Brother Qi, is that **Mirror the Sect Master gave you very formidable?"

Qi Hao laughed. "The **Mirror is our Canglan Sect's greatest treasure; of course it is formidable. My only fear is that my cultivation is insufficient! Heh heh, well then—this is the mountaintop, and no disciple save the heads of the seven peaks may fly a sword here. Let us go down to the sea of clouds and fly from there to Heyin City."

Lu Xueqi's face was expressionless; Zhang Qingyue nodded blankly; only Zeng Shuyan was all smiles, for to a fun-loving fellow like him, going down the mountain counted as a happy occasion.

On the road from the Canglan Sect to Heyin City, the Canglan Sect's four most "outstanding" disciples came flying on their swords. The others were effortless and at ease, but Zhang Qingyue could not help but struggle.