Chapter 97, Qingcang
At the summit of Kyushu, on the verdant plateau.
This place is located at the border of Yizhou and Liangzhou, with icy plains and towering peaks as its appearance and a vast expanse of pure land as its skeleton, as if the earth has risen up with a spine, and the heavens and earth are serene and eternally green.
In the oldest myths, Kunlun, the land of the gods, is located in this realm.
Originally, they intended to bypass this place and take a detour to reach Yizhou, because the Qingcang Plateau was too high and it was inconvenient to travel there. However, after thinking it over, they felt that the summit of the Nine Provinces was right here. Whether they were cultivators or mortals, they always wanted to see this plateau and witness this natural wonder.
The carriage slowly glided across the meadow, and an endless breeze blew into it, bringing a sense of peace to the heart.
Qingyu stood by the window, and Fanxiang was brewing medicine beside her.
Qingyu and Wenchuan have been doing well these past few days, but Zhang Xuan and the others have been suffering from severe altitude sickness, especially Qin Tianshu. He started experiencing headaches and insomnia as soon as he entered the Qingcang Plateau, complaining of weakness and chest tightness. Before we could even check on him, the vegetables on the bookshelf were making soft "gurgling" noises and he almost lost his balance—
At first, things were really chaotic; everyone was in pain and vomiting, and then I noticed the chicken was even dizzy…
Fortunately, Fan Xiang had prepared medicine in advance and specially brewed a prescription for Qin Tianshu to treat his symptoms. Cai Cai also used her spiritual energy from medical cultivation to clear her meridians. She has gradually adapted over the past few days and is feeling better.
Qingyu gazed at the distant sky and earth and sighed. The continuous mountain ranges resembled a silver dragon, and the vast plateau was dotted with lakes. From afar, it truly looked like a crystal of time, cold and exquisitely beautiful.
Qingyu: "Speaking of which, is the Qingcang Plateau... the home of the Cang people?"
Lin Fanxiang was brewing medicine next to her. Hearing this, she chuckled and said, "That's right. However, there are other ethnic groups living on the plateau, but the Cang people are still the most numerous."
The Cang people are one of the oldest ethnic groups in the Nine Provinces. They live on the Qingcang Plateau year-round, with the sky as their roof and the earth as their mat. They lead sheep, chant scriptures, listen to the wind, and beat drums, making them mysterious and primitive.
Qin Tianshu was on the other side of Qingyu. The scholar was lying on the recliner and reading, "The Zen cultivation of the Cang Clan is the most mysterious type of cultivator in the Nine Provinces."
In meditation, one does not see the Tao, but sees the heavens.
The only cultivator atop the Nine Provinces.
"You should take a break,"
Qingyu turned to look at Qin Tianshu's pale face and said helplessly, then she looked at him more closely.
"I feel better today."
Qin Tianshu: "Almost the same, not as bad as yesterday."
Qingyu smiled and said to Fanxiang, "He said the same thing yesterday. I think he's confused."
The bitter smell of medicine spread, and Lin Fanxiang smiled slightly before saying to Qin Tianshu, "The medicine is almost ready. Just wait a little longer and I can drink it."
"Okay, no rush."
"Does your head still hurt today? How did you sleep last night?"
"It's alright, much better than yesterday. I slept for two or three hours last night."
Dr. Lin began the treatment. Although the scholar was not very strong, he was indeed in much better condition. Qingyu listened to their conversation. The girl then went to sit on the daybed. Right in front of her was Zhang Xuan, who was holding a chicken and staring blankly.
Qingyu smiled and asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Zhang Xuan's eyes were unfocused, and he just shook his head, looking like he was in a daze.
Cai Cai: "..."
Okay, the chick also became listless and couldn't speak.
Qingyu: "...Are you alright?"
Zhang Xuan finally looked up, the young man murmuring, "I was just thinking... why is the Azure Plateau... so painful, yet so beautiful?"
Qingyu was amused by his absent-minded, bewildered, and somewhat foolish appearance. "Didn't Fanxiang say long ago that the Qingcang Plateau is so high that almost everyone who comes here will feel uncomfortable?"
"Besides, this is the highest point in the Nine Provinces, so it is naturally beautiful—but not to be approached."
Qingyu tilted her head slightly and spread her hands, looking like she was saying, "What else?" Zhang Xuan smiled and said, "That's true."
Without altitude sickness, such a beautiful, vast snow-covered region, with its mountains and lakes, would probably have been occupied and turned into cities long ago, filled with endless human affairs. Where would the concept of a pure land come from then?
The spine bestowed by heaven is a sacred place.
Qingyu smiled, "Alright, I'll be leaving in a while."
They said they came to see the sights, but the young men only walked across the silent and ever-changing plateau, catching a glimpse of the Tianshan and Kunlun Mountains in the distance, passing by the sapphire-blue Cheng'er Lake, the undulating, chilly snow-capped mountain ranges, and the boundless, windswept wilderness—
A snowy wind swept by, and stars twinkled in the quiet night sky, so still and serene, unlike the human world, but the eternal heaven.
Zhang Xuan sighed. The young man lay half-reclined on the daybed, tilting his head slightly back. "Everything's fine, except... I'm just so listless—"
Lin Fanxiang, on the other side, didn't even look up. "Talk less and eat less, and you'll be fine in a few days."
"……oh."
Qingyu smiled as she watched them chat back and forth. A gentle breeze blew through the window; it was still a bit chilly in February, especially on this plateau.
She rose and lifted her skirt, first closing the window on the side of the daybed, then walking to the swing chair by the car door and sitting there leisurely, chatting with Wen Chuan.
Seemingly sensing her arrival, the young man tilted his head slightly, then smiled, "Are Xiao Zhang and the others alright?"
I could hear his voice from where I was driving; he sounded very weak.
It seems we need to get out of here quickly, otherwise their health won't be good if it continues like this.
"It's nothing. Fan Xiang said she just doesn't feel comfortable here, so she has no energy."
"And you?"
Wen Chuan asked Qing Yu again, and Qing Yu shook her head slightly. Just as she was about to speak, she saw a child not far away dressed in blue robes and leading a white sheep...?
"Those are... Cang people?"
Long sleeves, wide waist, and a flared coat; amber and agate ornaments hung from the waist, along with a colorful pouch; most striking of all, the child wore an ivory hat with a long, pointed tip—
He is undoubtedly a child of the Cang ethnic group.
I just don't know why such a young child is walking outside alone, with a white sheep by his side. I wonder if he's herding or going somewhere else.
The child, leading a sheep, strolled leisurely along, seemingly noticing their small horse-drawn carriage on the vast plateau.
Wen Chuan didn't stop immediately, but slowed the horse down. Quietly, it seemed like they had been walking for a long time, yet it also seemed like only a moment, when the child led the white sheep to them.
He really was a little kid, looking no more than seven or eight years old. He had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and his skin was a bit dark. He had a wild and innocent charm, and his cheeks were rosy with a smile on them. He looked up at them, his eyes filled with a pure and innocent smile.
Hello everyone.
Wen Chuan leaned forward slightly, and the young man smiled gently, "Hello."
Qingyu smiled and said, "Hello, hello."
"You must be from outside. I've seen you several times."
Dorje smiled, with the Aries standing obediently beside him.
Several times?
Qingyu and Wenchuan exchanged a glance, and then Wenchuan said, "Yes, but we've been traveling on the plateau for five or six days, and this is the first time we've seen you."
Dorje frowned and thought for a moment, his little face very cute. "Hmm... because I was a little scared of you at first. It was the first time I had ever met people from outside."
"But Master said that you were just passing by and had no bad intentions, so he specifically asked me to come and say hello to you."
Qingyu: "Your master?"
"yes,"
Dorje blinked his big eyes, "My master is the Time Messenger, the most powerful person on the plateau!"
The messenger of time… Qingyu was somewhat puzzled, but Wenchuan said softly, “It is the bell ringer of the Cang Clan.”
According to the Cang clan tradition, those who achieve enlightenment through meditation will guard the Azure Bell atop Mount Kunlun for generations. Across the vast world, the bell ringer risks their life to awaken the bell.
As the azure sky resounds, its melody echoes across the land, foretelling the coming and going of worldly turmoil, heralding a new era.
The last time the bell rang was three hundred years ago when Zhou Zu established his dynasty.
That is also the only time when meditation is revealed to the world.
Wen Chuan: "I see... We are indeed outsiders, newcomers. I wonder if we could pay him a visit?"
Dorje laughed heartily, thinking that his master was right after all. He stroked the wool, looked up at them, and said...
"No need, my master never sees anyone. He just asked me to say hello and show you the way."
He coughed a few times, straightened his back, and looked like he was talking nonsense. "You guys are walking too slowly, and you're going to go astray if you keep going. Let me help you!"
"Pfft," Qingyu chuckled, then the girl asked Wen Chuan, "Did you take the wrong road?"
Wen Chuan frowned slightly and replied in a low voice, "It shouldn't be... it's just that the plateau is indeed a bit difficult to traverse."
The direction is definitely right, but there are many roads and the world is vast here, so you have to pay attention to the direction every now and then to avoid going astray.
Dorje grinned at their puzzled looks. The child's face was dark, but his teeth were white, making him look adorable and innocent. "Oh, come on, I'll lead the sheep ahead, and you can just follow me!"
"Are all the people outside like you? Strangely good-looking, but kind of silly?"
Before Qingyu and the others could speak, Duoji led the sheep and walked in front of the horse, the child's voice was loud enough for someone calling for a carriage to hear.
Qin Tianshu said he didn't have the strength to get out, while Zhang Xuan and Lin Fanxiang curiously glanced at the child through the car door—
Wen Chuan rode ahead on horseback, while Qing Yu, Zhang Xuan, and Fan Xiang huddled together by the carriage door chatting, occasionally responding to the Cang tribe child's words.
Qingyu: "No! Many people aren't as good-looking as us!"
Wen Chuan: "..."
Zhang Xuan smiled as he watched the child's retreating figure. The boy called out with a laugh, "Kid, what's your name?"
"What's your name?!"
Qingyu laughed and said, "Our five names aren't easy to remember!"
Five people?
"...Haha, then I won't remember! You should remember my name! My name is Dorje, the future messenger of time, the new generation's bell ringer!"
Qingyu: "Okay! We've got it!"
As they talked, Dorje led the white sheep ahead at a leisurely pace, walking very fast, strangely fast, so fast that Wen Chuan even cracked his whip to urge the horse on.
Regardless of their speed or distance, Dorje chatted with them.
Dorjee asked them what it was like outside, and whether it was fun.
Qingyu said it was fun, but the people outside were even more foolish than they were.
Dorje called out a few times with great regret, and the child said, "It must be fun to have so many idiots together."
Wen Chuan: "..."
Zhang Xuan peeked around and said that Dorje could visit when he grew up.
Dorje, however, smiled broadly. Despite his young age, the child possessed a remarkably clear-headed mind.
He said that everything is in balance. If some people go far away to pursue the Tao, then some people must stay in one place to see the heavens and themselves.
The world is vast, but the heart is as small as a square inch.
When one meditates and closes their eyes to question the will of Heaven, their heart is firm and their journey is far-reaching. Whether one sees the scenery outside the original world, how one sees it, or what one sees it for, it is all the same.
Under the vast sky and boundless wilderness, on the plateau, amidst snow-capped mountains and clear lakes, a child leisurely leads a sheep along, their laughter and conversation touching each other's hearts, bringing the last breath of fresh air to visitors from afar.
Unbeknownst to him, Dorje turned around to face them, placed one hand on his chest, and gave a slight bow and smile.
It seemed as if the wind had risen in an instant, and the figures of the man and the sheep had vanished from their sight.
“I’m from out of town, my name is Dorje,”
"They are the guides sent by Heaven to guide you on this Qingcang Plateau today."
"Keep moving forward, keep moving forward."
"This is your path."
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