The sun was sinking in the west, and the evening glow had painted the mountains crimson. Tan Bajhang sat under the eaves of the General’s Temple, staring blankly at the ridges bathed in light.
Liu Xiaolou had half a mind to slap him awake, but he seed already awake in his own way. So Liu Xiaolou said nothing, leapt up, and sat down beside him, gazing at the mountains in silence.
After a long while, Tan Bajhang finally asked, “Xiaolou, how did you manage it? Getting Elder Cai himself to step in and diate among those three sects?”
“It was just chance. Rember when I went to Danxia Grotto-Heaven last ti? I happened to et Elder Cai there.”
Tan Bajhang pressed him. “That can’t have been so easy. What did you give up in return?”
Liu Xiaolou laughed. “Honestly, it was pure coincidence. I just did a small favor for Elder Cai. Nothing worth ntioning. What weighs on is that you were held so long on Moon Mountain because of it. That has left uneasy.”
Tan Bajhang shook his head. “How could I bla you? I only have myself to fault. I lost control, let my thoughts wander too far. The more I hoped, the more I lost my head, forgetting who I was. These past few days… she even ca to see where I was being held.”
“She?”
“That young lady from the Guan family.”
“And what did she say to you?”
“She didn’t say anything. She only looked at once… but that one look woke up. It made rember who I really am.”
“Brother Tan…”
“Xiaolou, no matter what you do, you can’t forget your roots. And I forgot mine. I thought that just because I stayed a few days on Shenwu Mountain, I had beco one of them. I thought that because I’d helped Ninth Lady with a few things, I had earned the right to climb higher. I thought that since you and Hongqing had both married into great families, maybe I had a chance too…”
“Brother Tan, there’s sothing I need to tell you.”
“I really did let pride get the better of . Being locked up by the Plum-Breaking Sect was a good thing. It brought back to my senses… If it hadn’t been for your sake, they might have killed already.”
“Brother Tan! I need to tell you sothing!”
“Ah? Oh… go on, I’m listening.”
“You just said that Wei and I both married into powerful families. That’s not true.”
“Oh? What do you an?”
“Wei never really married into a great family. That inner-sect disciple from Tianlao Mountain he’s clinging to has never given him a proper place, and she keeps stringing him along. Why didn’t he co back to Wulong Mountain with ? Because he’s afraid the brothers would laugh at him.
“And as for ... I may have gotten an official title, but in the Su family hardly anyone even looks in the eye. And I’ll tell you the truth, Brother Tan: the only reason they took in was because they were in a bind. Their troubles are just about over now, and in less than two years, they’ll hand a letter of dismissal. Ha! I’ll be cast out!”
Tan Bajhang stared blankly at Liu Xiaolou, and then, all of a sudden, both of them burst out laughing. The more they laughed, the harder it was to stop, until they were almost gasping for air.
After a long while, Tan Bajhang said, “I’ve decided to go back to Wulong Mountain. It wasn’t a sudden thought. Back in the prison of the Plum-Breaking Sect, I already made up my mind. I kept thinking about my Dragon Horse Falls, about the Wuchao River, the Sky Pit Drum, the Viewing Rock, the Wulong Cave, and your Ganzhu too. I’d always go there to dig up bamboo shoots to eat, ha ha…”
Liu Xiaolou nodded. “The shoots from my ridge are the finest delicacy in the world.”
Tan Bajhang went on, “I miss Brother Zuo, I miss the seven brothers of Guzhang Mountain, I miss Senior Jiang, Brother Shi, Old Hu Du, the honest brothers of Xikou Village, truly honest, ha ha… I even miss that skinflint Lingling. Why would I miss him of all people? Oh right, when I go back, I want to stop by Yueyang Market, see Mama Zhang and Sister Qing. Xiaolou, when will you go back with ?”
As Tan Bajhang recited one familiar place and na after another, Liu Xiaolou couldn’t help but drift into the sa longing. He said, “I want to go back too. But I can’t just yet. I have to wait until the Su family writes that dismissal letter. A dismissal letter is worth more than gold.”
“Then I can’t wait for you. I’m leaving tonight,” replied Tan Bajhang.
Liu Xiaolou pulled out five spirit stones and pressed them into Tan Bajhang’s arms. “These are yours.”
Tan Bajhang’s face lit up. “How co you still have more? Didn’t you already give so after the Yin family affair?”
“You were locked up in the Plum-Breaking Sect for so many days. How could I not give you sothing to make up for it?”
Tan Bajhang didn’t stand on ceremony. “Good. Once I’m back, I’ll go straight into seclusion and cultivate.”
Liu Xiaolou nodded. “That’s the way. For us rogue cultivators, everything else is fake. Only cultivation is real.”
True to his word, Tan Bajhang left right away. Liu Xiaolou walked him out, escorting him all the way until the moon rose above the treetops. They had gone thirty li before they finally parted, laughing.
On his way back, Liu Xiaolou’s thoughts began to wander too. He thought of Dai Wanderer, of Zuo Gaofeng, of Dragon Mountain Wanderer, of Wei Hongqing, of Lord Xingde, of Sister Qing, of Uncle Tian, and of his teacher, who had already been gone for three years…
Half a month later, after careful deliberation and discussions with the Tiger-Taming Sect of iling, the Plum-breaking Sect of Moon Mountain, and the Moon-Plucking Sect of Tiger Mountain, the Su family finally accepted Elder Cai’s proposal and changed the nas of the three mountains.
iling was restored to its old na from sixty years ago, now called Liangling. Moon Mountain was renad iling, and Tiger Mountain was renad Moon Mountain.
From then on, the Tiger-Taming Sect of Liangling, the Plum-breaking Sect of iling, and the Moon-Plucking Sect of Moon Mountain would no longer be burdened by their reputations, and their disciples would no longer fight over nas. Of course, the grudges and disputes built up over decades couldn’t be erased by a simple change of nas, but this symbolic first step was finally taken, and all of Shenwu Mountain was filled with joy.
The Su family held a grand banquet at Gualu Hall. Their vassal families and allied sects all gathered, and even so of the great families they had long been on good terms with ca to offer congratulations, including the closely connected Jiao family.
Tigerhead Dragon, the Jiao family’s legitimate son, naturally ca along. What he wanted most was to see Ninth Lady, but she wasn’t there; she had gone to take care of the Jue Valley Valley Sesa, preparing to use it to challenge the Yin family. So, during the feast, he slipped out and ca to the SunRain Hibiscus Garden to visit Liu Xiaolou. To him, anyone close to Ninth Lady felt like kin.
Just as he entered, he happened to et Master Liang coming out of the garden. Tigerhead Dragon bowed respectfully. Master Liang was in high spirits, patted him on the shoulder, offered a few kind words, then turned and took his leave of Liu Xiaolou.
“Why was Master Liang here?”
“He ca to bring a gift.”
“Being a son-in-law isn’t so bad after all. You earn quite a bit of respect.”
“You really believe the words you just said?” ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ NoveI(F)ire
“Heh… By the way, Xiaolou, I heard Bajhang left?”
“Mm. He’s gone.”
“Was it because he was humiliated when he went to propose to the Guan family? Honestly, he didn’t need to do that. What’s that Guan girl worth anyway? Think about it. If she and your Third Young Master could see eye to eye, could that really have turned out well?”
“He didn’t go back to Wulong Mountain just because of a failed proposal. He missed the mountain.”
“What’s so great about Wulong Mountain? No spirit springs, no spirit beasts, no rare herbs or treasures. Why go back? If he couldn’t get used to life on Shenwu Mountain, he could have co to my Lion Ridge instead. I’d keep him company, spend our days roaming the scenery, drinking wine, feasting; wouldn’t that be fine?”
“Couldn’t you match him up with a good girl from the Jiao family?”
“Well… Xiaolou, you know that’s not up to .”
“I know, I know. I was only joking, Brother Tigerhead, no need to take it seriously.”
“…Ha! So this is that big white thing you and Brother Tan ntioned? With a head all white too... truly amusing!”
“Gaa-kaa!”
“Yo, Xiaolou, look, it’s glaring at ! It really does have so spirit in it. And that black cat too. Is it also from Wulong Mountain? On the eaves… wait, you don’t know?”
“…It’s a wild cat from Black Cat Mountain. How did it end up here?”
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