Zanxing

Chapter 37 - Leaving the Mountain (1)

In the main hall of the Taiyan Sect, several martial uncles were gathered together.

Zi Luo stamped her feet anxiously: "Uncles, we need to think of a way—"

"What can we do?" Fourth Uncle Li Danshu adjusted his gauze hat and said leisurely, "You know how terrifying Gufeng Mountain is at night. Over twenty years ago, a batch of new disciples entered the mountain. One disciple, relying on his high cultivation, was greedy and lingered in the forest after sunset. By the time the Sect Leader brought people to rescue him, not only had he wasted all his cultivation, but he also lost an arm and was never able to cultivate again."

On the other side, Third Uncle Cui Yufu, who was skilled in talismans, scoffed, "That was considered a good outcome. More than a decade ago, a disciple tried to sneak into the mountain to pick spiritual fruits for alchemy when no one was watching. He disturbed the two-headed beast and was torn apart, leaving nothing but a pile of bones. After that, the Sect Leader set up prohibitions at the mountain entrance; after sunset, no one is allowed to enter Gufeng Mountain."

"Zanxing isn't someone who harbors greed," Zi Luo explained. "She must have encountered some trouble, Uncle," she looked at Li Danshu, "If it weren't for looking for that night vine branch, she wouldn't have run into danger. I don't care; you have to think of something!"

Li Danshu coughed lightly, "How would I know... cough, Zi Luo, I want to rescue her too, but I can't break the Sect Leader's prohibition!"

"That's right," Master Yueguang sighed. "Zi Luo, don't make it difficult for your uncle."

"Isn't there anyone who can break the Sect Leader's prohibition?" Zi Luo said, "If the Sect Leader is in seclusion and a disciple encounters danger, should we just let it go and watch her die?"

"If Seventh Junior Brother were here, we might have a chance," Master Yueguang shook his head. "But... "

That person had already left the sect for over a year; who knows when he would return.

Master Yueguang said, "For now, we can only hope that that little girl is clever enough to get through the night safely. Once dawn breaks and the prohibition is lifted, we can all go into the mountain to look for her."

Cui Yufu coldly poured cold water on him: "By dawn, that girl will probably be nothing but bones. Over the years, apart from the Sect Leader and Little Seven, no one has ever spent the night on Gufeng Mountain without a scratch."

Zi Luo was anxious but felt helpless.

...

Dew formed from the frost rolled off the broad leaves of the branches, dripping onto the nose of a person beneath the tree.

The woman's nose twitched slightly, and suddenly, "Achoo—" echoed throughout the morning.

Zanxing opened her eyes and looked toward the distant horizon.

The starlight and night faded away, revealing the white mist shrouding Gufeng Mountain, with the giant dragon statue of Taiyan Sect faintly visible at the peak.

She raised her head, wiped her face, stood up, and was slightly surprised; she hadn't realized that a night had passed.

Last night, she had been holding the golden egg and walking around, only to get lost. She intended to rest under a tree and didn't even know when she had fallen asleep. Right, the egg!

 Zan Xing looked down at the egg she was firmly holding in her arms. In daylight, the golden egg had dulled considerably and was no longer warm; it looked like an ordinary decorative egg.

However, thanks to this egg last night, she wouldn't have frozen to death.

Zanxing looked around; during the day, Gufeng Mountain had returned to its usual picturesque scenery, a heavenly place bathed in morning light and rosy clouds. Zi Luo had said that Gufeng Mountain was dangerous at night, with fierce beasts lurking around. Last night, she had wandered for a long time and then slept under a tree without encountering any issues.

Could it be that the Xiao Yuan Pearl had been protecting her in secret?

Well, she had safely gotten through the night. Now that it was bright, she should quickly leave Gufeng Mountain. When she returned to the Taiyan Sect, she would definitely take revenge on that bastard Huayue.

At the Chen hour, the crowing rooster flew up to the branches and began to crow accurately.

The waning moon hid behind the clouds, and a round of sunlight gradually emerged from between the peaks.

As the sun rose, colorful clouds billowed. Zi Luo, who was dozing off, suddenly jolted awake, hurriedly standing up to wake the few people around her who had fallen asleep: "Uncles, it's dawn, the prohibition has been lifted!"

"Has it been lifted?" Li Danshu rubbed his eyes and looked out the window, squinting at the sunlight outside. "Ah, has it really gotten so late?"

"Quickly," Zi Luo tugged at Li Danshu's sleeve, pulling him up from the ground. "Zanxing is still in the mountain; we need to rescue her..."

"Rescue who?" a voice came from behind, carrying a hint of teasing amusement. "Zi Luo, why are you in such a rush? Where are you going?"

Zi Luo turned back in surprise to see a middle-aged man walking in. He wore coarse brown linen clothes, and although his features were handsome, his long hair was tied back with a matching hairpin, and he sported a pointed beard on his chin, giving him a somewhat cunning look. At first glance, he resembled a scholar or a folk storyteller.

"Fifth Uncle?" Zi Luo was taken aback. "Aren't you traveling with Seventh Uncle? Why are you back?" A thought crossed her mind, "Could it be...?"

"What?" A youthful voice rang out from outside, filled with a touch of arrogance. "You only welcome him but not me?"