Fairies Are Fierce

Chapter 10: Qihuang Valley

Leaving Linhe Fang, Zuo Lingquan bought a good-looking black horse from a carriage and horse shop. After inquiring about the direction from the locals, he rode alone towards Qihuang Valley at full speed.

Qihuang Valley is only thirty miles away from the capital city, located in the suburbs and backed by Changqing Mountain.

Zuo Lingquan raced along the straight road and, in less than half an hour, discovered a small town at the end of the road.

At the end of the town was an octagonal archway with the words "Qihuang Valley" written on it. Behind the archway was a ten-mile willow forest, and the eaves of some buildings and the mountains at the end of the field of vision could be faintly seen.

In the early morning, there were few people in the town, only a few herbalists who had come to sell their medicinal herbs.

Zuo Lingquan rode through the town and arrived in front of the octagonal archway.

Four young men were standing under the archway, presumably the guards. When they saw Zuo Lingquan approaching, one of them stepped forward and greeted him with a half-step and a raised hand.

"Young master, please stop. Outsiders are forbidden to enter Qihuang Valley. Do you have a letter of introduction?"

Zuo Lingquan took out a jade pendant from his pocket and handed it to the other party. "I am Zuo Lingquan, a person from Qinghe County. I have long admired Qihuang Valley and have come today to pay a visit. I wonder if the brothers can introduce me?"

The young man in charge took the sign and saw the character "Wu" on the back. He then looked up at Zuo Lingquan and smiled. "So it's you. We were informed earlier that someone would be coming with a sign. I will take you directly to see Senior Wu in the alchemy room. Let's go."

Zuo Lingquan didn't say much and mounted his horse with the young man. They entered the octagonal archway together.

Qihuang Valley is located inside the mountain range, and the ten-mile willow forest on the outskirts is only meant to isolate outsiders. It is not inhabited and more resembles a beautiful landscape garden.

The two rode side by side, and after about a quarter of an hour, they arrived at the foot of the mountain that divided the land.

The Changqing Mountain range stretches for thousands of miles, crossing the western side of the Great Dan Dynasty. The mountain in front of them is only a part of it, called Qihuang Ridge.

When the mountain range reached this point, it seemed that it had cracked due to geological activity, resulting in an opening between the mountains. The cliffs on both sides were as sharp as blades, and one could vaguely see a waterfall falling down. In the morning sunlight of spring, a rainbow appeared, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scenery.

Zuo Lingquan dismounted and walked with the young man into the valley. The scenery in front of them suddenly opened up. There were continuous corridors, pavilions, and terraces, and even many houses were built on the cliffs. In the middle, there was a giant square where hundreds of people could be seen exercising. The square was surrounded by pavilions and green plants, and several white cranes could be seen circling in the sky. At first glance, it really had a taste of a peach blossom paradise.

Zuo Lingquan, who was new to the Phoenix Valley, was unfamiliar with the place. He followed a young man who led him around, and they walked for an unknown distance until they arrived at a small lake beside the square.

The lake was filled with lotus flowers, and in the middle was a study society with bamboo curtains hanging on all sides.

Inside the study society, there were cushions placed around, and dozens of people sat in a circle, ranging from the eldest at seventeen or eighteen to the youngest at five or six years old. They all eagerly listened to an elder behind a bookcase giving a lecture:

"...Back then, I, your senior, was in the city of Linyuan in the Great Yan Kingdom. I saw a remarkable woman arrive on the wind and hang above the imperial city. The emperor of the Great Yan Kingdom personally went out of the city to greet her. You kids won't be able to see such a scene in your lifetime if you don't practice diligently..."

As Zuo Lingquan walked, he listened attentively. His impression of practitioners came solely from storytellers in the market. Apart from knowing that there was a Great Yan Dynasty beyond the northern border, he knew nothing else.

Now that he had arrived at the Phoenix Valley and heard about these extraordinary people and events, Zuo Lingquan was naturally curious. He spoke up and asked the young man beside him:

"I grew up in Qinghe County since I was young and have rarely heard about anything outside the Great Dan Dynasty. Could you tell me about it, brother?"

The young man leading the way, who was friendly despite his young age, slowed his pace slightly upon hearing Zuo Lingquan's words and walked side by side with him.

"Just call me Wang Rui. I entered the Phoenix Valley when I was six years old and haven't left for ten years. I also have limited knowledge about the outside world, but I have heard my teachers talk about it before."

Seeing this, Zuo Lingquan also slowed his pace and appeared eager to listen.

Wang Rui's face clearly showed a sense of longing and anticipation. After a brief recollection, he earnestly said:

"The Great Dan Dynasty is just a small place. It is located in the southeast by the sea, with the Longqing Mountain Range separating it from the west. In the grand scheme of things, it can only be considered a remote and impoverished place. The Great Yan Dynasty beyond the border is different. A single province there might be larger than our entire region. However, I don't know the specifics about the secular court affairs. I only know that there are nine cultivation sects outside, collectively known as the 'Nine Southern Sects.' Our Phoenix Valley's ancestors came from one of these sects called the 'Startling Dew Terrace.'"

"Nowadays, if there are outstanding disciples in our Phoenix Valley, the teachers rely on this ancestral connection to send them to the Startling Dew Terrace in the Great Yan Dynasty for further studies. The elder Zheng who is giving the lecture now went there when he was young. Unfortunately, he was injured during his travels, or else he would still be there."

Zuo Lingquan nodded slightly, carefully noting down these words. He then asked a question that all newcomers to cultivation would ask:

"Do the people there have the ability to fly and disappear?"

Wang Rui spread his hands and shook his head.

"I haven't been there, so I wouldn't know. But the teachers say that cultivation is divided into five realms: Qi Refining, Spirit Valley, Hidden Bamboo, Jade Steps, and Forgetful Machine. Each step is like ascending to the heavens. Those who reach the Hidden Bamboo realm can fly and disappear using objects, while those who reach the Jade Steps realm can control the wind and fly with their physical bodies. In our Phoenix Valley, only the sect leader and a few senior teachers have reached the Spirit Valley realm. We won't see such experts here."

Zuo Lingquan nodded thoughtfully, pondered for a moment, and then looked at his own long sword:

"Among these sects, are there any that are particularly skilled in swordsmanship?"

As a practitioner of swordsmanship in the Phoenix Valley, Wang Rui naturally had a strong interest in this question. He looked at Zuo Lingquan's sword and proudly said:

"In our Phoenix Valley, we have the Surprising Platform, which is known for its exceptional swordsmanship. However, the Sect Master once mentioned that there is a place called 'Sword Emperor City' outside of the Nine Sects, which is especially formidable. The cultivators there are specifically referred to as 'sword cultivators'. There is also a saying about the 'Nine Sects, Eight Honored Masters, and Ten Sword Emperors of the Central Continent'. Unfortunately, the Sect Master has only heard about it and I am not sure about the specifics..."

As the two chatted, they passed by the lakeside and walked for about fifteen minutes before finally stopping next to a bamboo forest.

The bamboo forest was located near the back of the mountain valley, and from the outskirts, they could see a building halfway up the mountainside, near the waterfall they had seen when they entered.

"Wu Shishu is up there. I won't go in. Just go down and greet the person below to explain your purpose," Wang Rui said as he escorted Zuo Lingquan to the entrance of the bamboo forest. He didn't say anything more and turned around to leave after bowing.

Zuo Lingquan, who was still somewhat unsatisfied, bid farewell to Wang Rui and carried his sword as he stepped onto the path through the bamboo forest. Along the way, he saw several bamboo huts, where many young girls were gathered. Some were pounding medicine, while others were meditating. Whenever he passed by, he would curiously glance at them.

Zuo Lingquan arrived below the cliff and was about to ask the several girls who were pounding medicine in the distance to pass on a message for him. Suddenly, the upper half of a person's body appeared above the cliff.

Zuo Lingquan looked up and saw the warm spring sun shining, with the roaring waterfall creating a hazy rainbow. A woman in a light green dress stood at the edge of the cliff, leaning over to look down.

It was difficult to determine the woman's age at first glance, but her almond-shaped eyes, graceful figure, and mature temperament and appearance made her seem more like a woman. Her black hair was tied up, with no hairpin or any other accessories. Her face was pure and flawless, without any makeup. Her dress was simple and had no embellishments. Under the backdrop of the spring and the waterfall, she even gave off a somewhat ethereal feeling.

Zuo Lingquan blinked his eyes, not quite sure if this woman was "Wu Shishu". After making eye contact, he respectfully bowed:

"I am Zuo Lingquan. May I ask if you are Senior Wu?"

After speaking, he waited for a reply.

However, the woman above did not speak. After glancing down, her figure disappeared from the side of the cliff.

Zuo Lingquan thought that she was coming down for a face-to-face conversation, so he stood quietly below the cliff, waiting...

-

Above the cliff, the waterfall roared.

On the platform carved out of the rock wall, about three zhang wide and more than ten zhang long, the left side curved stone stairs led to the bottom of the cliff, while the right side led directly to the bottom of the waterfall.

At the entrance of the stone stairs, there was a wooden house, and in the direction closer to the waterfall, there was an open stone terrace, presumably a place for martial arts practice. On the edge of the cliff, there was also a stone platform for sitting and overlooking the picturesque Qihuang Valley.

Wu Qingwan, dressed in a light green long skirt, withdrew her gaze from the edge of the stone platform and looked at the letter in her hand, showing a hint of confusion in her watery eyes.

Wu Qingwan was the junior disciple of the National Teacher Yue Pingyang, ranking fifth among the senior disciples in Qihuang Valley. She was in charge of the Danqi Room, one of the five rooms. She was the one who taught Longli Princess martial arts and could be considered as Jiang Yi's senior.

However, Longli Princess did not call Wu Qingwan "master". Firstly, because the prince and princess had a special status, according to the rules, they could only worship the National Teacher as their master. Secondly, Longli Princess's birth mother, Empress Liu, was from Jintang County, just like Wu Qingwan. They had known each other since childhood and were like sisters. So since childhood, Longli Princess called her "auntie".

Longli Princess came to Qihuang Valley at the age of six to practice, and Wu Qingwan personally raised her, so she was like a mother to the princess.

Although Jiang Yi had returned to the palace for nearly four years and they had been separated for a long time, she still understood the princess's temperament - outwardly strong and proactive, naturally carrying the arrogance of the royal family, but inwardly delicate and considerate, knowing how to "introspect".

In the past, in Qihuang Valley, Jiang Yi had always helped Wu Qingwan manage many senior sisters. Even if she was angry, she would act in accordance with the principles of fairness and justice, never favoring anyone because of personal opinions, let alone reporting to Wu Qingwan.

But at this moment, Wu Qingwan couldn't understand how much grievance Jiang Yi had suffered to write these things in the letter.

What does "don't reveal my identity, ignore him for a while, when he can't wait and looks around, tell him he's insincere and let him leave" mean? "If he doesn't leave, let him go to the living quarters to wash clothes." "After washing the clothes, let him go to the animal pen to bathe the white crane"...

Isn't this bullying?

Wu Qingwan had been practicing in seclusion on the mountain since she was young, enjoying solitude and ignoring worldly affairs. She only had a few disciples. She had no interest in and was capable of dealing with such troublesome matters.

However, Jiang Yi called her "auntie" and wrote this "heart-wrenching" letter, which was out of the ordinary. It showed that she was truly annoyed by that little child below. If she did nothing, it would be difficult to explain to Jiang Yi when she came next time.

Wu Qingwan put away the letter, hesitated for a moment, and decided to follow Longli Princess's instructions. She didn't immediately pay attention to Zuo Lingquan, thinking that it would be meaningful for Zuo Lingquan to stand there for a while, and then she would deal with other matters.

As a result, the bamboo forest fell silent, with no further movement...

(End of this chapter)