Qinglang Mountain
As she emerged from the secret passage and stepped onto the pine-lined path behind the mountain, the morning mist had just dissipated, and the outline of Qinglang Mountain became increasingly clear under the rising sun—the eaves of the Taoist temple atop the mountain were bathed in the glow of the sunset, and the blue flowers along the mountain path spread out along the contours of the mountain, just as the mountain god had shown her in the misty village temple that day. She clutched the silver hairpin in her bosom, her fingertips brushing against the blue lines between her brows, and said softly, "Immortal Master, since I am to become your disciple, I can no longer appear in public as a member of the Yin family." "That is only right." The mountain god's voice came with the pine breeze, warming her heart. "The notice recruiting disciples at the foot of the mountain says that only one's place of origin and name are required, and one's background is not questioned. You can choose an alias to conceal your past."
She gazed at the few seekers of the Way coming and going on the mountain path, most of them young men and women carrying bags. Although their clothes were not luxurious, they all carried a sense of solemnity. After a moment of contemplation, she remembered that her father had taught her to write the character "Su," saying that the character was elegant. So she quietly made up her mind: "From now on, I will be called Su Qing. As for my place of origin... I will just say that I am from the countryside and have no particular name."
Upon reaching the recruitment area at the foot of the mountain, two cultivators in blue robes sat behind a wooden table, verifying the information of each seeker of the Dao. When it was her turn, the cultivator glanced up and, seeing that although she was simply dressed, her posture was upright, he asked gently, "What is your name, young lady, and why do you seek the Dao?"
She curtsied and spoke in a calm, even voice: "My name is Su Qing, and I come from a village in the south. My hometown suffered a disaster, and I heard that Qinglang Mountain can teach people how to make a living, so I came here to cultivate myself, hoping to protect myself and others in the future." She deliberately concealed the Yin family's past and did not mention her obsession with "clearing her name" or "finding her relatives"—finding a master was the priority at the moment, and dwelling too much on the past would only arouse suspicion.
The cultivator nodded and handed her a wooden plaque inscribed with "Outer Disciple Su Qing": "Take this plaque to Qingyun Academy halfway up the mountain to settle in. You will begin your formal education in three days. You will first need to learn the techniques of discerning qi and recognizing obstacles." She took the plaque, her fingertips touching the cool wood grain. A sense of peace welled up within her—this was the first time since her escape that she had a clear "place to go," instead of hiding in the shadows.
As she followed the disciple leading the way towards Qingyun Courtyard, the blue line between her brows felt slightly warm. The mountain god's voice carried a hint of relief: "This steady approach will avoid attracting attention. There are many outer disciples on Qinglang Mountain. Once your foundation is solid, I will find an opportunity to introduce you to my sect elders and explain the sealing and your return to the mountain." She gazed at the scattered bamboo houses along the way, listening to the distant sounds of morning reading, and suddenly felt her former anxieties lessen. Her grip on the wooden plaque tightened, and she touched the jade pendant tucked into her clothes—her elder brother's whereabouts and the Yin family's injustice would have to wait until she had mastered her skills. For now, she was just Su Qing, an ordinary disciple seeking a peaceful life on Qinglang Mountain.
Upon arriving at Qingyun Courtyard, the disciple leading the way pointed to a bamboo house at the back: "That is your residence. There is also a junior sister in the same room, who will arrive shortly." She thanked the disciple, pushed open the door, and found the bamboo house simply furnished with only two wooden beds, two desks, and a pot of newly planted orchids on the windowsill.
She put down her luggage, sat at her desk, placed the wooden plaque on it, and then took out a silver hairpin and a jade pendant, gently placing them beside the plaque. Morning light shone through the window lattice, casting the shadows of the three objects together, like the entanglement between the past and the present.
"Immortal Master," she said softly, "I will rely on your guidance on Qinglang Mountain from now on." The blue lines between her brows radiated warmth, as if it were the mountain god's response. The blue flowers outside the window swayed gently in the breeze, and she knew that her path of cultivation had truly begun from this moment.
Just as she finished packing her belongings, the door to the bamboo house was gently pushed open, and a clear voice came from inside: "You must be the new junior sister who moved in? My name is Tongque, and we'll be roommates from now on!" She looked up and saw that the person who came in was wearing a bright green dress, with a copper sparrow hairpin in her hair. When she smiled, the corners of her eyes curved into crescents, and she had a cheerful air about her. She was different from the well-bred young ladies she had met in the capital before—she didn't have any deliberate reserve. Instead, she was like the mountain breeze, free and vibrant.
“Junior Sister Su Qing greets Senior Sister Tong.” She rose to return the greeting, her tone tinged with the awkwardness of someone new to the place. Tong Que, however, seemed unfazed. She walked a few steps to her table, her gaze falling on the silver hairpin and jade pendant on it, but she didn't ask any questions. Instead, she smiled and picked up her bag: “My family runs a copperware business in Jiangnan. We're not exactly a prestigious family. I came here to learn magic so I can help my family avoid some disasters in the future. And you? Are you here for peace of mind too?” This straightforward honesty eased her guard a bit, and she replied softly, “My hometown suffered a disaster, so I came here to learn some skills so I can protect myself in the future.” Tong Que nodded and patted her shoulder: “Then let's work hard together! Although Qinglang Mountain has rules, it doesn't value lineage as much as the capital. With me here, no one will dare to bully you!”
A single sentence warmed her heart—this was the first time she had felt such straightforward kindness during her days on the run. Three days later, the initiation ceremony began. The outer disciples gathered at the martial arts arena. She was talking to Tongque in a corner when she suddenly heard a commotion in the crowd. Someone whispered, "It's Jin Jing, the eldest daughter of the Jin family! I heard she was recommended by a noble person from the palace, and she's already an inner disciple!"
Her heart skipped a beat. She looked up and saw a woman in an apricot-colored brocade dress walking out from the crowd. Her hair was adorned with a red-gold hairpin. It was Jin Jing, whom she had met in the capital.
Back in the capital, Jin Jing and she were best friends. They often flew kites together in the Imperial Garden. Jin Jing once said, "Sister Yin's handwriting is the best. I will come to ask her for advice often in the future."
But at this moment, Jin Jing's gaze swept across the crowd, and when it landed on her, it was only distant, even slightly furrowed, as if she didn't recognize her, or as if she didn't want to acknowledge her. Tong Que noticed her unusual expression and asked softly, "Do you know her?" She clenched her sleeves, shook her head, and felt a pang of bitterness in her heart—perhaps the Jin family was now in power and didn't want to be associated with her, the "daughter of a disgraced official." After the initiation ceremony, the disciples were grouped according to their place of origin and family background to learn their skills.
Surrounded by several noble disciples, Jin Jing glanced at her intentionally or unintentionally as they spoke, their tone laced with disdain: "Some people can't even say their place of origin, yet they dare to come to Qinglang Mountain to join the fun. They probably can't even learn the most basic Qi-discerning technique." Someone nearby chimed in: "Exactly, I heard there are even refugees among the outer disciples. They're not like us." Her grip on the wooden plaque tightened, her fingertips turning white.
Tongque was about to step forward to argue, but she stopped him. "Don't go," she said softly, "We're here to learn skills, there's no need to fight over these things." But a complex feeling welled up inside her—back in the capital, she was the daughter of the Yin family, and she had never been ostracized like this before. Now that she had a different identity, she saw the coldness of human relationships and understood that the so-called "rules" ultimately favored those of noble birth.
Back in the bamboo hut that night, Tongque spoke up for her, saying, "Jin Jing went too far! Even an inner disciple shouldn't look down on people like that! If she bullies you again, I won't let her get away with it!" She sat at her desk, gazing at the wooden plaque on it, and said softly, "I'm fine. I just suddenly realized that if I want to gain a foothold in Qinglang Mountain, mere forbearance isn't enough." The blue lines between her brows warmed slightly, and the Mountain God's voice carried a touch of steadiness: "The world naturally has distinctions of kinship and social status, but Qinglang Mountain ultimately judges people by their magical abilities. You just need to cultivate diligently, and once your magical skills are perfected, others will naturally respect you."
She nodded, gripping the wooden plaque tightly—yes, she was now Su Qing, without the Yin family's halo, but with the determination to become stronger. Those ostracisms and contempts, instead, became her motivation, making her even more eager to master her skills as soon as possible, so that she could help the mountain god return to the mountain, and also earn back dignity for herself and the Yin family.
Before dawn, the martial arts arena of Qingyun Academy was already dimly lit. Su Qing stood in a corner, holding a wooden sword, repeatedly practicing her sword stances in the morning mist. Since the Qi-sensing technique required concentration and gathering of Qi, she would get up half an hour earlier than others to regulate her breathing in the mountain breeze. When her wrists ached from practicing swordsmanship, she would find a bluestone and repeatedly polish the arc of her sword moves. Thin calluses formed on her palms, but she would only apply them with herbs at night, and she would still appear in the arena on time the next day.
Tongque often said she was "too hardworking," but she just smiled—she didn't have Jin Jing's noble birth or the resources of an inner disciple; she could only keep up with the pace through her relentless effort. Even so, Jin Jing's obstacles still frequently came knocking.
On the day of practicing the Qi-identifying technique, the disciples were required to use their fingertips to guide Qi and light the candles on the table. Su Qing had just concentrated her Qi, and the faint light from her fingertips was about to touch the wick, when Jin Jing beside her suddenly "accidentally" bumped her elbow. The faint light instantly dissipated, and sparks flew from the candle flame, burning the back of her hand red. "Oh dear, Junior Sister Su, I'm so sorry," Jin Jing said, her tone full of feigned apology, but her eyes held a hint of amusement. "Perhaps my Qi is unstable today; please don't mind." Several noble disciples around her chuckled softly. Su Qing clenched her fist, only saying "It's alright," before standing still and starting to guide her Qi again—the burning sensation on the back of her hand was still there, but she knew that arguing now would only earn her a reputation for being petty; it was better to focus on the technique.
Another day of learning obstacle courses, requiring participants to avoid wooden barriers set up in the arena while blindfolded. Taking advantage of the instructor turning away, Jin Jing secretly moved a wooden barrier in front of Su Qing, turning what should have been a left turn into a dead end. Blindfolded, Su Qing sensed something amiss using her honed sense of energy honed through days of practice. When her fingertips touched the barrier, she quickly turned to the side, grazing her arm but avoiding the fall Jin Jing had predicted. Removing her blindfold, she saw a flicker of surprise in Jin Jing's eyes, quickly replaced by disdain. Tong Que, indignant on her behalf, wanted to confront Jin Jing, but Su Qing stopped her: "The more she acts like this, the less I can afford to lose my composure. If I'm distracted by her antics, I'll fall into her trap."
At night, she sat under the lamp in the bamboo hut, rubbing her aching arms. The blue lines between her brows felt slightly hot. The mountain god's voice came: "You are so patient, yet so clear-headed. Jin Jing's刁难 (diāonán, making things difficult for you) is because she looks down on your background and fears that you will surpass her in the future. You just need to stay calm. Once your magic improves, her petty actions will no longer be able to affect you." She nodded, took out the wooden plaque on the table, and ran her fingertips over the two characters "Su Qing".
Yes, she came to Qinglang Mountain not to compete with Jin Jing, but to learn skills, help the mountain god return to the mountain, and investigate the Yin family's injustice. Jin Jing's difficulties are just small hurdles on the path of cultivation. As long as she doesn't give up or slack off, one day she will be able to stand in a brighter place with her own abilities, so that those who looked down on her will never dare to underestimate her again.
Before dawn the next day, Su Qing's figure reappeared on the training ground. In the morning light, her swordplay became even more steady, and the faint light emanating from her fingertips when she channeled her inner energy was brighter than usual—those difficulties and exclusions did not make her back down, but instead became the driving force for her to grit her teeth and move forward, pushing her to walk more firmly step by step on the path of cultivation.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
