Chapter 93: A Paradise Beyond the World

This was no settled conclusion. It was merely the personal theory Niu Youdao had formed by combining the experience of cultivation across two lifetimes with what he had learned from two different worlds, then explaining it in terms Yuan Gang could understand. Yuan Gang sat by the fire, drying torches, and fell into thought.

Shang Shuqing was plainly not yet asleep where she lay on her side. Her eyes moved beneath her closed lids. She had only half understood Niu Youdao's words. What was dark matter? What were Eastern legends and Western legends? And what in the world was a werewolf?

She puzzled over it in a haze until exhaustion finally overwhelmed her, and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

Even Yuan Fang, sitting cross-legged in meditation, had secretly pricked up his ears and listened for a while without showing it. He understood about as much as Shang Shuqing did: enough to think he had grasped something, but not enough to say exactly what.

Once Yuan Gang had dried a good pile of torches, Niu Youdao said quietly, "Eat something and get some sleep while you can. Later I'll have Old Bear continue drying them."

Among Niu Youdao, Yuan Fang, and Yuan Gang, Yuan Gang had actually expended the most physical strength over the journey. His exertion was entirely physical, unlike Niu Youdao and Yuan Fang, who could use qi to reduce the burden on their bodies.

Of course, Yuan Gang also had the strongest physique of the three. There was no helping it. His path had always been one of bodily refinement.

But precisely because his expenditure was purely physical, he recovered more slowly than Niu Youdao and Yuan Fang did.

Yuan Gang did not argue. He stopped immediately, took out some dry rations, and wolfed them down. Once he had eaten and drunk his fill, he dragged over a bundle to use as a pillow, lay down, and went peacefully to sleep.

With Master Dao personally standing watch, even in a place like this he slept without the slightest unease. The journey had truly exhausted him. Before long, he was deeply asleep. The underground world remained dim and solemn.

Black river water rushed past with a ceaseless roar, reflecting the bonfire on the shore. Flickering firelight periodically threw the grotesque shapes of nearby rocks into sharp, sinister relief. Everyone else had settled down to rest.

Only Niu Youdao remained standing beside the fire with his sword planted before him, alone and vigilant in the depths beneath the earth. His Dharma Eye swept the surrounding darkness without pause. Now and then, the sword in his hand nudged another wet torch into the blaze to keep the fire burning strong. Four hours later, Yuan Fang opened his eyes, stretched his limbs, and stood.

He made a gesture to indicate that he had rested enough and motioned for Niu Youdao to sleep while he took over the watch. Niu Youdao merely signaled for him to continue drying torches. Yuan Fang had no choice but to obey, while Niu Youdao remained alert to their surroundings. Another four hours or so passed.

Shang Shuqing seemed to wake. There was a faint movement beneath the garment covering her, but she did not rise immediately. She appeared to be struggling with herself over something. At last, however, she pushed herself up and silently headed toward a secluded corner.

After resting for so long, the blood blisters worn into her feet seemed even more painful when she walked. Her limp was obvious.

"Don't wander off," Niu Youdao warned.

Shang Shuqing stopped and turned around. She looked awkward, hesitant to speak. Niu Youdao abruptly understood. He turned to Yuan Fang.

"Old Bear, keep watch."

Then he walked past Shang Shuqing, found a narrow recess hidden among the rocks, and pointed it out to her. He himself moved behind a boulder just outside the recess and stood with his back turned, guarding the approach. Shang Shuqing slowly slipped into the corner. For quite a while, there was no sound from within. She was clearly mortified.

Without turning around, Niu Youdao called from behind the rock, "Don't worry. I won't peek."

Only then did Shang Shuqing slowly crouch out of sight. Soon, a faintly indelicate sound came from within. When she emerged again, her embarrassment was almost unbearable.

She had discovered that in front of Niu Youdao, she seemed destined to expose one undignified side of herself after another. What that felt like, only she knew.

"It's done," she murmured.

Then she limped back toward the fire, one step deeper and the next shallower, face and ears flushed bright red. When Niu Youdao returned, he found Yuan Gang awake as well.

Yuan Gang said, "Old Bear, stand watch. Master Dao, get some rest."

Niu Youdao sat cross-legged, ate some dry rations, then closed his eyes and regulated his breathing. Roughly another four hours later, Niu Youdao opened his eyes fully refreshed. The group began packing to leave.

Yuan Fang tied a hundred dried torches together and strapped them to his back. Yuan Gang carried another fifty.

Shang Shuqing understood the state of her feet by now. If she insisted on walking, there was no telling whether she could make it at all, and even if she did, she would slow everyone badly. This time, she offered no resistance. She obediently climbed onto Niu Youdao's back and held the torch aloft. The group set off again.

Now that everyone had rested and recovered, they barely stopped at all, maintaining a rapid pace throughout the journey.

Along the way, they discovered more than a dozen additional torch caches that had been completely emptied. Clearly, the figure hiding in the darkness had destroyed them too. But after those dozen or so locations, the damage abruptly stopped. The caches farther ahead remained untouched, every torch still neatly stored in place. Perhaps the other side had realized the sabotage no longer worked. Perhaps it was unfamiliar with the farther sections and could no longer locate the caches in time.

Or perhaps both explanations were true. The underground route was not entirely without natural light. Now and then, they passed beneath cracks or openings high above where faint daylight seeped in. They traveled for almost a full day without stopping.

At last, when they reached a section of riverbank marked by a stone shaped like a crouching tiger, Shang Shuqing suddenly became excited where she lay against Niu Youdao's shoulder.

"We're almost there! About one li ahead, there's a cave entrance. Go straight up from there and we'll arrive."

Just as she said, after another li or so they found a cave mouth showing clear signs of human excavation. Stone steps led upward in a winding path, half carved by hand and half formed naturally. They followed the twisting steps upward for several hundred meters. Then, at last, they saw light.

Even though they had carried torches the whole way, emerging suddenly into broad daylight still made their eyes sting.

They pushed aside the vines concealing the cave mouth and found themselves halfway up a mountainside, surrounded by graceful green peaks.

Not far away, a waterfall plunged straight down a cliff and crashed into an emerald pool below. Several children were splashing and playing in the water. Scattered houses dotted the mountain valley, forming what looked like a small village nestled amid the beautiful scenery. It seemed utterly removed from the outside world, a paradise hidden beyond the dust of mortal affairs.

Farther away stood what appeared to be a long-dead volcano. At least, Niu Youdao and Yuan Gang recognized it as one at a glance. Not far along the mountainside stood a small thatched pavilion. A young man was inside it.

The moment he saw several people emerge from the cave, he immediately struck a bell hanging in the pavilion.

Dong! Dong!

Clear bell notes rolled through the valley. The young man seized a Saber and stared at the unexpected arrivals with vigilant eyes.

The instant the bell rang, the children playing in the pool scrambled from the water and fled to hide. The village erupted into commotion. A group of armed men quickly began running toward the mountainside.

"Master Dao, it's all right. Put me down."

Still on Niu Youdao's back, Shang Shuqing spoke quietly. Niu Youdao lowered her to the ground. Before long, the armed men reached them. Quite a few carried regulation crossbows.

Shang Shuqing took out a command token and raised it toward a heavily bearded man among the approaching group.

"Uncle Luo, it's Qing'er. Do you still recognize me?"

She had not worn her veil at any point during the underground journey. The bearded man saw the token, then looked at Shang Shuqing's ugly, two-toned face. His expression changed instantly.

"Commandery Princess!"

He hurriedly waved at everyone around him and shouted, "Lower them! Lower your weapons! Show some respect! The Commandery Princess is here. Put them down!"

He planted his Saber into the ground and rushed forward. Reaching Shang Shuqing, he dropped to one knee and cupped his hands.

"This subordinate Luo An pays respects to the Commandery Princess! His Highness Prince Ning... he... he..."

He shook his head. His voice broke. Before he could finish, tears were already streaming down his face. Shang Shuqing knew he meant her father, Prince Ning, who had died in the purge. She limped forward and used both hands to help him up.

"Uncle Luo, it's all in the past now."

Luo An wiped his tears with his sleeve, grieving and delighted at once.

"These young ones have never seen the Commandery Princess. If they offended you in any way, please forgive them!"

He turned and barked at the group behind him.

"What are you all staring at? Hurry and pay respects to the Commandery Princess!"

The younger men looked at one another. So this was the Commandery Princess? She was terribly ugly. Even so, they all dropped to one knee.

"Greetings, Commandery Princess!"

Shang Shuqing hurried forward and motioned for them to rise.

Luo An noticed her limp and asked in alarm, "Commandery Princess, what happened to your feet?"

Only then did Shang Shuqing tell the truth.

"The path was difficult. I probably rubbed some blisters into my feet. It's nothing serious."

Luo An nodded repeatedly in understanding. He had traveled the hidden route before. Even an ordinary man found it difficult, much less a woman like the Commandery Princess. But with so many men present, it would be improper for any of them to support her physically. He immediately sent someone down to the village to call two women up to help. Since Shang Shuqing's feet were injured, Luo An did not hurry to descend the mountain. Instead, he remained there chatting with her.

"It's been seven or eight years since we last met. The Commandery Princess has grown up. I almost failed to recognize you."

Shang Shuqing teased herself.

"The birthmark on my face should make me fairly easy to recognize."

That touched directly on her greatest physical flaw. Luo An hurriedly waved a hand and refused to pursue the subject.

Behind them, Niu Youdao lifted his head to look at the bright sun, then glanced back toward the cave entrance they had emerged from. He stepped closer to Luo An.

"General Luo, has anything strange happened in the village recently?"

Only then did Luo An turn his attention toward Niu Youdao and the other two. He looked to Shang Shuqing.

"Commandery Princess, these three are...?"

"Niu Youdao, Yuan Gang, and Abbot Yuan Fang. They're all our own people."

Shang Shuqing introduced the three one by one, then deliberately indicated Niu Youdao.

"This is my brother's retainer cultivator."

Then she introduced Luo An in return.

"Uncle Luo was a general under my father. In the past, he was one of the commanding generals of the Yingyang and Wulie Guards."

"A retainer cultivator?"

Luo An frowned and looked Niu Youdao up and down. He seemed far too young.

Shang Shuqing reminded him, "Master Dao is Mr. Dong Guo's final disciple."

The moment Luo An heard that he was Dong Guo Haoran's disciple, his attitude changed. He knew Dong Guo Haoran and Prince Ning had been intimate friends. He immediately cupped his hands.

"Greetings, Cultivator."

Niu Youdao returned the gesture and repeated his earlier question.

"General Luo, has anything strange happened in the village recently?"

"Strange?"

Luo An looked puzzled.

"What kind of strange thing? Everything has been peaceful. I haven't heard of anything unusual. Do a few village children fighting count?"

Niu Youdao chuckled.

"Are there any cultivators in the village?"

Luo An shook his head.

"No. This place is very safe. Outsiders have great difficulty finding it."

Niu Youdao asked, "How long has it been since anyone in the village entered the secret passage?"

Luo An's expression grew heavier.

"After Prince Ning died, we received a message from Mr. Lan. Once part of our people withdrew here from the mountain estate in Canglu County, we cut off direct contact with the outside world. No one in the village is allowed to enter the passage without permission. The entrance has always been guarded. It's been about five years since anyone went inside. Cultivator, why are you asking? Did something happen?"

"Nothing important. Just asking for safety's sake."

Niu Youdao smiled and stopped troubling him. Then he turned and exchanged a look with Yuan Gang.

[End of Chapter 93]