12dz Chapter 10 The Moon's Gaze, Naturally Beautiful
Chapter 10 The Moon's Gaze, Naturally Beautiful
The room was dimly lit and simply furnished. A kang (a heated brick bed) occupied most of the space, covered with coarse cloth bedding. A young girl lay quietly on it, her eyes closed and her breathing faint.
It was Zhang Xiao'e. The hunter's daughter, who should have been rough and weathered by the elements. But this young woman on the kang (heated brick bed) possessed a beautiful face that seemed otherworldly.
She was about sixteen or seventeen years old, not very tall and a little thin, but her face was incredibly delicate. Her skin was as smooth as jade, her eyebrows were naturally dark, her eyelashes were naturally thick, her nose was straight and delicate, and her lips were small. Even in her sleep, she had a fragile beauty that made people feel sorry for her.
Her jet-black hair, like ink satin, was spread out on the pillow, making her face appear even smaller and fairer.
Such beauty, if born into a wealthy family, would be considered a delicate and refined lady. But being born into a hunter's family in a remote and impoverished area, she seems extremely out of place.
Xu Changqing's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, and he had already made up his mind.
The "Heavenly Void Nourishing Life Method" states that those whose Four Pillars of Destiny are purely Yin possess an extremely heavy destiny, attracting the attention of Taiyin, which can even reshape their bone structure and skin. To mortals, this might merely be a stunning beauty, but to cultivators, she is an excellent material for a cultivation furnace. The original owner's choice of her was no accident.
He slowly walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and placed his fingers on Zhang Xiao'e's wrist.
It was icy to the touch, and the pulse was weak and disordered. Yin energy flowed in the meridians, but it was strangely bound to the body by an invisible force and never leaked out.
This is the "Yin-Nourishing Talisman" that Xu Ming planted in her body. It not only protects her from external evils, but also imprisons her pure Yin energy like a cage, waiting to be harvested when it matures.
Xu Changqing withdrew his hand, took out a small celadon bottle from his sleeve, and handed it to Zhang Laosan.
"This is the 'Heart-Nourishing Pill.' Dissolve it in warm water and administer it in three divided doses. It can strengthen the body's foundation and temporarily stabilize the condition."
While the Yin-Nourishing Talisman could protect her from external evils, it also hindered the flow of Qi and blood, causing her to be in a daze for years. This Heart-Nourishing Pill could restore her Qi and blood, gradually bringing her back to consciousness. He came down the mountain for two reasons: first, to borrow a horse, and second, for this.
Zhang Laosan accepted the gifts with both hands, his voice trembling with emotion: "Thank you so much, Daoist Master! Thank you so much, Daoist Master, for saving my life!" The woman immediately knelt down, kowtowing repeatedly: "Daoist Master, you have mercy! Daoist Master, you have mercy!"
Xu Changqing waved his hand, signaling her to get up.
Zhang Laosan dared not delay, so he hurriedly went to the kitchen to fetch a bowl of warm water, carefully uncorked the bottle, and poured the pill into the water.
The elixir dissolves instantly in water, releasing a refreshing medicinal fragrance that fills the room. Just one whiff of it is enough to ease the pent-up emotions in one's chest.
The woman held her daughter's head, and Zhang Laosan fed her the medicine soup spoonful by spoonful. Although his technique was clumsy, he was extremely careful, afraid of spilling even a drop.
After drinking a bowl of medicinal soup, Zhang Xiao'e's complexion changed in no time. Her originally pale cheeks gradually regained a faint rosy hue, a very light rosy hue, like peach petals dipped in water, yet it was truly the complexion of someone who had come back to life.
Her chest heaved more, and her breathing changed from faint to long and strong; those around the kang (heated brick bed) could hear the soft breaths emanating from her nose.
The woman covered her mouth, tears streaming silently down her face.
Xu Changqing stood aside, watching quietly. After about half a cup of tea's time, Zhang Xiao'e's eyelashes trembled slightly, like the tips of a butterfly's wings fluttering in the morning dew.
Then, those eyes slowly opened a crack.
Those were a pair of extremely clear and bright eyes, with pupils as black as ink, and a faint hint of deep blue flashing in the depths of their eyes.
Her gaze was unfocused and blank, drifting for a moment among the dim roof beams and pillars before slowly focusing and landing on Xu Changqing's face.
She didn't speak, but her eyes lit up, and her lips moved as if she wanted to call out something, but in the end, no sound came out.
Xu Changqing met her gaze for a moment, his eyes calm as still water, then turned and left the house.
In the courtyard, Zhang Laosan had already led out a blue-gray horse from the backyard. The horse had a bluish-gray coat, a tall and strong shoulder, and sturdy hooves; it was indeed a fine horse. It was not startled by strangers, only snorted, and stood obediently in place.
"Master, the saddle and provisions are all ready!" Zhang Laosan presented the reins with both hands. "The journey is long, Master, please take care!"
Xu Changqing took the reins, mounted the horse, and did so cleanly and swiftly.
He sat on his horse, looking down at Zhang Laosan and his wife, his gaze lingering for a moment in the direction of the main house, before gently spurring the horse's flanks.
The green horse neighed loudly and galloped off.
The horse's hooves pounded the dirt road through the village, raising a light cloud of dust. The villagers peered out at the sound and saw the abbot of Qingyang Temple riding away. They all stopped and watched from a distance, none daring to approach and speak.
Xu Changqing rode his horse out of the village and headed west.
The mountain path narrowed, and the forest grew denser. He held the reins with one hand, and with the other, he pulled out the charred birch bark invitation from his pocket, his fingertips brushing over the grotesque words and claw marks on it.
On the seventh day of the fourth lunar month, the moon was full and a black wind blew.
The Blood Apricot Feast is about to begin; we cordially await the arrival of our fellow Daoists.
"Black Wind Lord..." Xu Changqing murmured the name, a flash of cold light passing through his eyes.
He tucked the invitation back into his pocket and looked up at the western horizon. Dusk was falling, and the distant mountains were silhouetted in deep indigo against the setting sun. In the direction of Black Wind Mountain, a dark, inky miasma could be faintly seen, lingering there.
The 800-mile mountain road can be reached in a day at a brisk pace.
Xu Changqing gave a soft shout, and the green horse galloped up the mountain path. His black Taoist robe fluttered in the wind, and the Illusionary Demon Bell at his waist swayed gently, making a soft tinkling sound.
......
The eight-hundred-mile mountain road between Qingyang Mountain and Heifeng Mountain is treacherous and rugged, with many poisonous miasma and treacherous swamps, and monsters blocking the way. Xu Changqing saw nothing but absurd scenes along the way.
Demons and monsters roam the mountains, and evil spirits masquerade as gods in the temples. These things, which should not be openly lurking in broad daylight, are now rampant throughout the mountains and plains, which is enough to show that the fortunes of the Great Yu Dynasty are declining, the social order is collapsing, and it can no longer suppress these evil spirits that are spreading all over the mountains and plains.
After traveling for about three hours, the sun began to set.
The terrain ahead suddenly changed, with the mountains becoming increasingly steep and menacing, exposing large areas of dark rocks and sparse forests, replaced by strangely shaped, ghostly trees.
The entire mountain was shrouded in a layer of gray-black mist, which was the Black Wind Mist.
This miasma is different from ordinary mountain mists. It is formed by the yin energy of the earth's veins that has accumulated in the mountains over the years, mixed with the stench of the corpses of spirits and monsters. To cultivators, it is nothing more than turbid air that is annoying and can be blocked by circulating their cultivation techniques. But if an ordinary mortal takes a breath of it, his internal organs will rot instantly.
Xu Changqing, who had left his horse with a farmer in advance, stopped on a protruding rock halfway up the mountain and looked out.
The mountain path meanders like a snake, disappearing into the miasma.
The rocks on both sides are jagged and twisted, some even resembling human figures, appearing and disappearing in the miasma as if they might come to life and pounce on people at any moment.
"This is Black Wind Mountain."
Xu Changqing's figure flickered and disappeared into the miasma like a wisp of smoke.
His vital energy circulated around him, causing the black miasma to dissipate upon contact and preventing it from getting close. He moved with light steps, making no sound as he stepped on the stones, and swiftly ascended the mountain path, while his eyes scanned the surrounding terrain like lightning.
The mountain path twists and turns, with many forks. Some lead to sheer cliffs, some deep into caves and dense forests, and some that seem ordinary actually hide traps.
Wherever Xu Changqing went, he left behind a hidden weapon.
After traveling for more than half an hour, he had figured out about 70-80% of the terrain around Black Wind Mountain and gradually sketched out the best escape route in his mind, thinking that if things didn't go well, he would escape immediately.
Just as I was pondering this, I heard the sound of flowing water ahead.
Turning past a rock face, a stream stretched out before us. The water was murky and dark red, emitting a strong, sweet, fishy smell; it was the famous "Blood Stream" of Black Wind Mountain.
People had already arrived at the stream.