Chapter 37: Clouds Gather (Two Chapters Combined)

Fire Leaf Mountain is a famous mountain located in the northeast of You Prefecture. The mountain is covered in trees known as "Fire Trees." These trees are not literally on fire; rather, their leaves are a brilliant, flaming red. Not only the leaves, but the trunks themselves are a fiery scarlet. When the many Fire Trees converge, they appear from a distance as a vast, crimson expanse, much like a raging, billowing inferno. This is especially spectacular when a strong wind blows, causing the "flames" to sway in the breeze, which is how Fire Leaf Mountain earned its name.

Such a resplendent mountain always attracts attention. Many have ventured into the mountain to witness its true form, only to find themselves back where they started after wandering in circles. Over time, many legends have grown around Fire Leaf Mountain, one of which claims that immortals reside within.

After escaping from Li Lie, the Flower Fairy headed straight for Fire Leaf Mountain.

As she flew through the air, nearing her destination, the Flower Fairy suddenly surged the true essence within her body, shooting toward the mountain like a streak of white light. No sooner had she landed than a mouthful of blood surged up, staining her white robes. She stared at the blood in front of her with furrowed brows, hissing, "Li Lie, I will make you pay for this ten times over." With a flick of her right hand, a yellow paper talisman drifted out and flew directly into the forest of Fire Trees.

"Squeak—"

As if the trees had come to life, they parted to avoid the yellow talisman, spreading to both sides. In just a moment, a path covered in red leaves appeared abruptly at the foot of the mountain. Had any locals been present, they would have been astonished by the sudden appearance of this path, as they had never known of any other way through the mountain.

The Flower Fairy clutched her chest and stumbled into the depths of the mountain. The path she walked along resumed its original appearance the moment she passed. It was a long path, and the terrain sloped downward as she progressed, as if leading into the bowels of the earth. Eventually, a cave appeared before her. Passing through it, she emerged into a hidden valley.

The valley floor was blanketed in red leaves. Wooden cabins were built along the surrounding cliff walls, and near them, clusters of women could be seen performing strange, rhythmic dances. The Flower Fairy’s arrival instantly interrupted them. They ran toward her, exclaiming in alarm, "The Senior Sister is injured!"

"Senior Sister, you are hurt! Who did this to you?" A woman dressed in a long purple gown pushed through the crowd.

"It is you, Junior Sister Zihuan," the Flower Fairy replied, looking up. But at the mention of her assailant, her rage flared. Gritting her teeth, she asked, "Where is Master? I must see her."

"Master is waiting for you in the great hall," the woman named Zihuan said, taking the Flower Fairy’s hand to lead her away.

As soon as the Flower Fairy left, the group of women began whispering among themselves.

"Even the Senior Sister is injured. That must mean Little Yun and the others..." A woman stopped herself, covering her mouth as she thought of the four disciples who had accompanied the Flower Fairy.

"Sigh..." Everyone let out a helpless sigh.

"Enough, say no more. Let us focus on our cultivation," said a woman dressed in yellow. "Disperse, everyone."

In Red Leaf Valley, one's attire denotes one's status: white, purple, yellow, blue, and red. The woman in yellow clearly held a higher position than the others. Following her command, the crowd dispersed.

Once they had gone, the woman in yellow looked at the Flower Fairy’s retreating back and muttered, "Didn't the Senior Sister reach the Golden Core stage a while ago? Even she was injured?" Seeing the Flower Fairy hurt, her own confidence was shaken.

Supported by Zihuan, the Flower Fairy arrived at a great hall. A woman was kneeling on a prayer mat; she was Li Hong, the Mistress of Red Leaf Valley. Li Hong had her hands pressed together in prayer before a bronze statue of a woman.

"Master," the Flower Fairy said, kneeling respectfully upon seeing her. Zihuan followed suit.

Hearing her voice, Li Hong did not turn around. After a moment, she slowly lowered her hands and turned. A clear, beautiful face appeared before them. Judging by her appearance, she seemed no more than twenty, though only she knew her true age; she had looked exactly the same since the Flower Fairy first joined the sect.

"Bai Xue, what did you gain from this trip?" Li Hong asked, her expression emotionless.

The Flower Fairy took a deep breath, suppressing the pain of her injuries. "I have obtained the treasure map and have committed it to memory. However, the Liu Yan Sect is despicable. They previously harmed two of my junior aunts, and this time they tried to kill me to claim the treasure for themselves. I beg Master to seek justice for me."

"You mean to say you obtained the map?" Li Hong remained expressionless, as if indifferent to the map, yet a strange, burning intensity flickered in her eyes.

"The map itself is destroyed, but I have memorized the location," the Flower Fairy explained.

Li Hong closed her eyes slightly. After a brief silence, she opened them, her gaze filled with murderous intent. "Bai Xue, draw the location of the treasure for me. Make several copies; I have use for them." She paused, then turned to Zihuan. "Zihuan, go to the alchemy room and fetch a pill for your Senior Sister. You may both withdraw." She waved her hand dismissively.

Zihuan supported the Flower Fairy as they left the hall.

No sooner had they departed than a cold snort echoed through the hall, followed by Li Hong’s self-muttering: "You harmed my two sisters, and now you have injured my disciple. The Liu Yan Sect is truly bold. I shall see how you intend to seize this treasure."

That night, a swarm of paper cranes flew out from Red Leaf Valley like a plague of locusts.

On a mountain dozens of miles away from Fire Leaf Mountain in You Prefecture, several men in blood-red robes stood guard with longswords. Suddenly, a paper crane flew overhead. The fluctuation of true essence from the crane caught their attention.

"What is that?" one man asked.

"A communication paper crane," his companion replied, leaping up to snatch it from the air. Upon opening it, his expression changed. "You continue the patrol. I must report this to the Deacon immediately." He ran toward the summit at high speed.

A pair of gates shaped like bull horns stood slanted at the top of the mountain, appearing as if they had grown from the peak itself. The man rushed through the horns and toward the main hall. The guards, recognizing him, did not block his path. He ran straight toward the rear hall.

"Halt!" Two guards with swords blocked his way at the entrance to the Deacon’s courtyard.

"I am Duan Hong of the New Moon Hall. I have an urgent matter to report to the Deacon. Please, announce my arrival." Duan Hong held up a blood-red token.

The guard on the right glanced casually at the crescent moon on the token and said coldly, "I know you are from the New Moon Hall, but the Deacon has ordered that no one is to disturb him during his cultivation."

"Gentlemen, this matter is of vital importance..." Before he could finish, a chilling voice drifted from the inner courtyard. "Let him in."

The guards acknowledged the order and stepped aside.

The courtyard was small. In the center stood a rockery above a pond, from which a sound like grinding teeth—*skritch, skritch*—echoed periodically. There were no other structures, save for two rooms standing side-by-side across from the pond.

Duan Hong walked slowly into the courtyard. It was his first time here, and the biting, eerie wind made his heart tremble. Standing before the room, he took a deep breath and said, "Deacon, I have intercepted a communication paper crane. The information is critical; I beg you to examine it." He held the crane out with both hands.

*Creak.*

The door opened, and a gust of cold, bloody wind rushed out. Duan Hong shuddered instinctively. The paper crane was swept into the room by the wind, and the door slammed shut behind it.

Duan Hong’s legs were shaking uncontrollably. When the door had opened, he had caught a glimpse inside. It was a sight of pure horror: the room was filled with mangled corpses and shattered bones. A man, looking like a skeleton covered in blood, stood before him, holding a gore-covered head. The only thing distinct about the head was the pair of terrified eyes staring at him. Most horrifying of all, the skeletal man was smiling at him. Duan Hong did not understand why he could see the dark room so clearly, but he knew the skeletal figure must be Deacon Zhan Tao.

*Don't be afraid, don't be afraid,* Duan Hong whispered to himself.

Inside, Zhan Tao tossed the head toward the bed and waved his right hand. The lamp on the table flared to life. By the flickering light, he examined the blood-stained paper crane. "The treasure left behind by the ancestor of the Medicine Sect after his ascension, is it?" he muttered. A flame ignited on his body, instantly vaporizing the blood on the paper. With a flash, he vanished from the room.

When he reappeared, Zhan Tao was outside a secret chamber. "Sect Leader, your subordinate has a report."

"Is that you, Zhan Tao? Come in."

A deep, powerful voice boomed from the stone room, and the door groaned open.

Zhan Tao bowed respectfully to the man sitting on a stone bed. "Sect Leader, this was transmitted via paper crane." He handed over the message.

"Zhan Tao, what do you think?" the Sect Leader asked after reading it, his brow furrowed.

"If this is true, it is an extraordinary opportunity. Large sects may not care for such things, but for small sects like ours, this is a chance to grow. If we find it, the Blood Moon Sect will thrive. If not, we lose nothing," Zhan Tao analyzed.

"Good!" The Sect Leader laughed. "I entrust this entirely to you. You should lead the team yourself. Surely, we are not the only sect to receive this news." He handed the map fragment back to Zhan Tao.

"Yes, Sect Leader. I will not let you down," Zhan Tao replied. "I shall go and make the arrangements."

"Go."

Zhan Tao flashed back to his room. Sensing through his spiritual perception that Duan Hong was still waiting outside, he called out, "You are from the New Moon Hall, correct? I have a task for you. Take a few men to monitor the area around Changchun Valley on the southwest border of Qing Prefecture. Report back immediately if you find anything." He paused. "If you do well, the position of Hall Master of the New Moon Hall will be yours. Go."

"Yes, I will do my utmost!" Duan Hong turned and fled the courtyard. As he stepped out, he heard a *creak* behind him. He glanced back and saw a severed torso tossed into the pond. A gray fish with jagged fangs leaped up and dragged the remains into the water, splashing blood everywhere. Zhan Tao’s voice echoed in his ears: "If you fail, that will be your end."

Duan Hong scrambled away from the rear hall as fast as his legs could carry him.

***

On Purple Cloud Mountain, at the southwest border of Qing Prefecture, a man in purple Taoist robes stood in a temple, holding a paper crane. He turned to the men beside him. "Junior Brothers Ziji and Zixian, what do you make of this?"

"Senior Brother, I believe Zichao was killed because of this affair, and we haven't found Ziyue either; he has likely met a foul end. I suggest we let this matter be," said the man called Ziji.

"Humph! Ziji, you are too cowardly. If you won't avenge Zichao and Ziyue, I will. Besides, this is an opportunity. If our Purple Cloud Temple secures this treasure, our incense will surely flourish," said the man called Zixian.

The senior brother in purple nodded. "I also believe this is an opportunity for our temple. Very well, Junior Brother Zixian, take some men and investigate."

Zixian bowed. As he left, he bumped into Ziji and snorted coldly.

***

The Liu Yan Sect also received the paper crane. The Sect Leader’s face turned green with rage as he roared at Li Lie, "Li Lie, look at what you have done! An opportunity we spent a hundred years working for has now become known to the entire world!"

"What are you afraid of? Who has the Liu Yan Sect ever feared? Can they be certain they will find the treasure?" Li Lie retorted.

The Sect Leader sneered. "This must be the work of that vixen, Li Hong. You want to tear off the mask? Fine, I will oblige you. Pass the order: the entire sect is to head to the Medicine Sect. Kill everyone from Red Leaf Valley on sight!"

At the same time, major sects across the land received the same message.

The Sect Leader of the Tai Zhen Sect smiled at the paper crane and said to Hong Qing, the messenger, "Junior Brother Hong Qing, are you interested in this treasure? Regardless of whether it is true, my Tai Zhen Sect has had several ancestors ascend, and they left behind countless classics and pills. What could be so rare about a mere Medicine Sect treasure?"

"The Sect Leader is right. I was foolish," Hong Qing admitted.

On a snowy peak in the north, in the great hall of the Qingxu Palace, the Palace Master tossed the paper crane aside. "We who cultivate the Way must focus on refining our hearts; we must not let external objects disturb our true nature," he said slowly, though he thought to himself, *The items left behind by our ascended ancestors in the Ice Pillar Peak are more than enough for us to study for a lifetime.*

In a gloomy palace in the south, a man laughed uproariously while looking at the paper crane. "Too funny! Truly hilarious! How could such a thing even fly in here? These cultivators are truly pathetic."

***

High above Wu Village, a paper crane drifted by. Lei Yan, who was meditating, opened his eyes, flashed into the air, and snatched it. Upon reading it, a faint smile appeared on his lips. "It’s even crazier than I imagined." He had already decided to stir the waters—the muddier, the better.

"I must arrange for Old Man Leng and the others tomorrow," he thought, looking up at the night sky.

Returning to his room, Lei Yan opened the second page of the *Dragon Controlling Art*. It recorded the second move: "Azure Dragon Emerges from the Sea." As his internal energy probed the manual, the white phantom appeared once more. "The second move of the *Dragon Controlling Art* has strict requirements for true essence. You must reach the Golden Core stage to perform it, or you will suffer a backlash. Beware."

The phantom recited the mental cultivation techniques and the incantation, demonstrating the move in tandem.

The way the true essence gathered in the right hand, resembling a dragon, moved Lei Yan deeply. But the phantom vanished the moment the move was completed, leaving him disappointed. When he probed the manual again, it remained silent. Despite his disappointment, he was curious about the remaining moves. Gritting his teeth, he read through all of them.

After finishing, Lei Yan closed the book. He had memorized the entire art, even if he could not yet use it. He had not realized the *Dragon Controlling Art* had such high requirements—the second move required the Golden Core stage, and so on, with the seventh move requiring the Mahayana stage.

Lei Yan dared not waste a moment. Seeing dawn approaching, he knew he had to cultivate. He sat until daybreak, then slowly opened his eyes. Looking inward, he found his mist-like true essence had become significantly more viscous.

Stepping out of his room, he took a deep breath and stretched. Turning his head, he saw Niu Ben doing the same and laughed. "Niu Ben, how was your cultivation last night?"

Under Lei Yan’s guidance, Niu Ben had progressed rapidly and felt he was on the verge of breaking through the Post-Natal realm. He smiled. "I am almost at the Pre-Natal stage."

Lei Yan nodded. He had considered opening all of Niu Ben’s meridians, but decided against it; perhaps the struggle of breaking through on his own would provide him with other insights.

"Lei Ba." Lei Yan had ordered Old Man Leng to bring men to see him that morning. Seeing Lei Yan emerge, Leng brought over twenty warriors to his side.

"Old Two, take your men to this location on the map. Find a man named Dong Jiu and give him this." Lei Yan handed him the map and a silk pouch. "Have him follow you, then find a place to wait for my return. Remember to leave clues so I can find you."