The Peach Blossom Spring, Part Four
“Miss,” A-Yu said, looking at the objects on the table with some surprise, “this is one of only five Spirit Gathering Cauldrons left in the world.”
On the table sat a strangely shaped, round, arched-bellied cauldron, its mouth measuring four and a half inches wide and its overall height approximately six and a half inches. The cauldron had phoenix tails as its feet, and its belly was decorated with taotie patterns.
Sunlight streamed in through the high window of the inner room, illuminating half of the table in light and casting it in shadow. The jade tripod was also half in sunlight and half in darkness. The half in the sunlight slowly lost its original color, eventually becoming translucent and clear. The half in the darkness remained unchanged.
The jade tripod appeared to have been artificially cut in two.
A Yu, contrary to his usual composure, observed the jade cauldron from various angles. Finally, he reluctantly sat down and said, "I don't know if there is an answer here that is worthy of this jade cauldron."
Kim Ji-won, hidden in the shadows, chuckled and said, "Shouldn't you know everything?"
If she weren't wearing a mask, Kim Ji-won would have seen Ah-yu's embarrassed expression clearly.
“I don’t know everything,” Ayu said calmly. “I only know what I know.”
“What a coincidence,” Kim Ji-won said cheerfully, “Me too. That’s why I decided to come here and try my luck.”
Ah Yu let out a long breath and said, "Go ahead and ask."
There was a brief silence in the darkness.
“I need to find a way to reach a paradise,” Kim Ji-won said bluntly.
"Fifty li east of the city lies 'Sword Burial Gorge.' The gorge is treacherous and deep, an insurmountable chasm, signifying an end," A-Yu said unhurriedly. "Most people who decide to retire from the world abandon their swords here."
“After those four old men abandoned their swords, they hid behind this canyon,” Kim Ji-won interrupted A-Yu with a smile, “I know that. Let me make this clear first, you can’t take my Spirit Gathering Cauldron with such ambiguous information.”
Now A-Yu was intrigued. He leaned forward unconsciously and asked, "Miss, would you be interested in joining our Unforgettable Pavilion?"
Kim Ji-won held out a hand and chuckled, "Stop, let's get down to business."
Ayu sat back down and said sullenly, "That's right, everyone thought they went out to sea to find Penglai Island, but actually they're right behind this Burial Sword Gorge."
Clearing his throat, Ayu took out a translucent jade token, pushed it across the table, and said, "Tomorrow at dawn, go straight east out of the city and take this jade token to the first inn to pick up your horse."
Kim Ji-won was about to take the jade pendant with some doubt when Ah Yu stopped her, reminding her, "This horse is old, you should lead it. Please don't ride it, young lady."
"Understood." Kim Ji-won carefully put the jade pendant into her belt.
“If you had come any later, I wouldn’t have been able to help you,” A-Yu teased. “You’d better take good care of the young lady. If Old Ma dies on the way, the jade cauldron will not be returned.”
Ayu added, "Of course, if the young lady changes her mind, she can take the jade cauldron away now."
“No need,” Kim Ji-won stood up and said, “Your information is very useful.”
"Girl, are you really unwilling to come to our Unforgettable Pavilion?" Ayu asked reluctantly. "There's wealth and honor, and many interesting things you can't even imagine."
Kim Ji-won looked at Ah-yu with some surprise and joked, "I won't teach you the secrets I know for nothing."
Before I could even step out the door, Ayu ran out from behind the screen again.
"If I may ask a question," A-Yu called out to Kim Ji-won from behind, "Are you from the Misty Rain Pavilion or the Hall of Longevity?"
Kim Ji-won turned around and replied, "Are you from Shinwonsa Temple or Ryugung Palace?"
The two smiled at each other, and Kim Ji-won strolled out the door.
~
Although the people from Buwang Pavilion had told her to come at sunrise, Kim Ji-won left the city gate early the next day and headed straight for the direction of sunrise.
Kim Ji-won always leaves herself plenty of room for maneuver, as she is always worried that something might go wrong along the way.
The sky was still a heavy, inky black, with hardly any stars. Kim Ji-won followed her instincts, heading straight ahead and avoiding several roads that appeared to have bends or would change direction.
After walking for a while, a horizontal, vibrant orange line appeared on the distant horizon. Kim Ji-won knew that sunrise was approaching. The light was extremely limited, like a thin, long line drawn in the middle of darkness, with black above and below it.
Kim Ji-won looked at the line that seemed to divide heaven and earth and continued to move towards the most vibrant point in the center of the line.
The orange cutting line slowly seeped upwards imperceptibly, and at the bottom of the black night sky above the line, some ambiguous white began to mix in. The outlines of the tree shadows below the line were clear, but the black was even more intense than the night sky; it was a black without any impurities, so that no one could find fault with it.
The once sharp dividing line now showed distinctions. The line to the due east was noticeably thicker and more intensely colored, marking the rising sun. As it branched off to either side, the line became thinner and paler.
Kim Ji-won quickened her pace.
Her hand kept stroking the translucent jade pendant, which was smooth and flat, with nothing engraved on it.
While Kim Ji-won wasn't looking, the sky turned a deep blue, and black had completely disappeared. The shadows of the trees ahead were still pitch black, but they were no longer as pure. Among these shadows, a much larger, more regular, square black shadow appeared.
We've arrived at the inn.
The inn was a simple mud hut with a thatched roof. A few rough wooden planks were pieced together to form the inn's door, the gaps in which were as narrow as a child's arm. The wooden door was tightly shut, and snoring wafted out unhindered through the cracks.
Kim Ji-won went to the stables to take a look, and sure enough, there was an old, skinny horse there. The carelessness in its care made it hard to associate it with the word "precious," and it wouldn't be surprising if a passing child had led it away.
I stood guard by the stable for a while. The sky turned a dull, pale blue, making me feel drowsy.
"Miss, is this the horse you left?"
"No," Kim Ji-won said, as if she had been jolted awake from a dream, her spirits suddenly lifted, and she changed her mind and said, "It's mine."
A young man with a headscarf and rolled-up sleeves stood neatly in front of Kim Ji-won, revealing his missing front teeth and grinning broadly without any hesitation.
Kim Ji-won looked at the young man who only had half a left front tooth, and instead of showing him the jade pendant, she said directly, "Since you're here, help me bring out the horse."
The young man shook his head and said, "Heroine, you have to give me the jade token. Otherwise, you've mistaken the horse for something else."
Kim Ji-won then took out a jade pendant from her belt and handed it over.
The young man took the jade pendant and weighed it in his hand for a few moments. Kim Ji-won watched intently, also curious about how the young man would determine the authenticity of the jade pendant.
Unexpectedly, the young man plopped down on the haystack.
"What is this for?" Kim Ji-won asked, puzzled.
"Wait a little longer." The young man gestured with his chin toward the distance.
Following the direction, Kim Ji-won saw a bean sprout-like bright spot appear on the distant horizon. The bright bean sprout hopped and steadily climbed upwards.
The bean sprouts gradually plumped up, turning into a shiny wooden fish. The horizon seemed to melt away, revealing a smooth, downward-curving line.
The two silently watched the sun's changes.
A moment later, the sun fully emerged, becoming a perfectly round circle. Infinite light burst forth.
Colorful light appeared on the ground in front of Kim Ji-won.
The young man held the jade plaque aloft towards the sun. Sunlight passed through the jade plaque, reflecting a rainbow of colors onto the ground.
“Heroine, you may take it,” the young man said, closing one eye and looking at the sun through the jade pendant. “The horse is old and needs careful care to go further.”
~
Kim Ji-won requested an extra horse, one strong one to ride and one old one to be led by a long rope.
The old horse led the way, while the younger horse followed slowly behind. Fortunately, the old and thin horse was not slow either, and they would probably reach the Burial Sword Gorge soon.
The sky had turned a refreshing pale blue, making the journey seem much shorter.
Old Ma didn't lead Kim Ji-won straight east, but instead walked north for a long distance first. Before the sword-testing tournament ended, this road was usually sparsely populated.
If Heian-in is a place of blessing and good fortune for a young swordsman, then this road must be extremely ominous. This is the road leading to Burial Sword Gorge. Abandoning one's sword may be a farewell and liberation for older people, but for young people, it represents more failure.
After the sword-testing is over, there will be many more people here. But it's not like they really drop their swords and retire; it's mostly just an act of spite after a setback. When they get home, they have to forge a new one.
"Being fickle is the norm for young people," Kim Ji-won thought to herself.
Kim Ji-won was happy to take this quiet route; otherwise, if people saw her acting strangely, leading two horses on her journey, who knows what they would say about her.
When they reached the last post station, Kim Ji-won sent a letter to the capital.
From here on, the lead horse began to deviate from the usual path, heading towards the lush, overgrown area.
One man and two horses, they went from clear skies into darkness, barely able to make out the path beneath their feet by the faint light filtering through the leaves.
Soon, Kim Ji-won abandoned her horse, as the tangled branches and trees blocked her path. Letting the approaching horse go, Kim Ji-won drew her sword and stepped to the front, cleaving through the gnarled plants and trees.
Kim Ji-won considered herself to be wielding a fine sword, but she still found it difficult to move forward. Cutting off some loose branches was no problem, but once the thin, soft stems were intertwined, cutting them became extremely difficult.
Soon, Kim Ji-won's sword was covered in green plant sap, and the feel of her slashing became stiff. The various kinds of branches were dense and disorderly, dazzling to the eye. Kim Ji-won gritted her teeth, clenched the branches into a handful, and chopped down with all her might. She also had to be careful of the thorny branches; the dense thorns could easily pierce her palms.
Kim Ji-won kept confirming the direction Old Ma was heading, then forging a new path in the right direction. Behind them, healthy branches and tree trunks lay scattered on the ground. Gradually, Kim Ji-won found that the view was becoming brighter. She mustered her strength and quickened her pace.
The longsword hissed and whimpered against the branch. With a forceful movement, Kim Ji-won shook off the sweat that had slid down her temples and onto the ground.
Light poured in, and before me lay a vast expanse of sky and earth.
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