“What were you talking about with your shidi?”
Li Fangyin had pulled his horse closer to Gui Yin, who had been riding behind of him before. The path had been a bit too narrow, so Gui Yin had opted to ride behind him, but once the road widened again, Li Fangyin found the opportunity to slow his horse down again.
Gui Yin glanced at the young man. “He said that you fancied me.”
“I do?” Li Fangyin asked with a flicker of disbelief. He smiled a moment later. “What do you think?”
“To say you fancy me is a bit of a stretch. Maybe admiration would be where it ends.”
“Interesting…”
“Am I wrong?”
Li Fangyin shook his head. “Gui-qianbei is right. I do admire you quite a bit. As for fancy…well, perhaps that will happen with time.”
Gui Yin let out a light laugh. “The Young Palace Lord sure knows how to joke.”
“Would that be surprising?” Li Fangyin questioned.
“Once you get to know me, you’d also know just how bad my personality is. I doubt someone as proper and soft-spoken as the Young Palace Lord would want to be anything more than friends with me,” Gui Yin said.
The statement seemed to be spoken from experience. Perhaps, in the past, Gui Qinle did have a lot of admirers. But after pursuing him or maybe even after winning his heart, those people realized that they had only fallen in love with the idea of him. The real Gui Qinle was human, after all—someone with flaws. As a person who was constantly placed on a pedestal by everyone, it would be difficult to find someone who loved and cared for the person, not the image.
“You never know,” Li Fangyin said. “We might be similar enough.”
Gui Yin met the young man’s gaze. A low chuckle left the back of his throat. “You’re still too young for me. Maybe wait another hundred years.”
Li Fangyin’s heart skipped a beat. He really didn’t harbor any other feelings other than admiration, but the way Gui Yin spoke…well, it really wouldn’t be hard to fall for this man.
Jiu Village was as far south as Yunjing Pavilion’s influence reached while Chao City was as east as it touched. Any further east, would be another major sect’s territory and any further south would be ruled by sects not in the Beidou Alliance. The area several miles away from Jiu Village was the steady slope towards Devil’s Desert. If they traveled a month by foot, they would arrive just at the edge of the desert. Luckily, they were cultivators, so they didn’t have to suffer in such a way.
After leaving Beidou Alliance’s territory, Li Fangyin pawned off the horses they had been using and the two men took to the skies on their swords.
A month-long trip was shortened to just five days. Still, Gui Yin couldn’t help but frown as they landed in a small town near Devil’s Desert to gather supplies. If it took this long to even get to their destination, it seemed that finishing the entire case in just a week and three days was wishful thinking.
“Here,” Li Fangyin handed Gui Yin a large sheet of silk.
Gui Yin stared at the fabric that was stuffed into his hands and looked back at Li Fangyin in confusion. “What’s this for?”
“It’s the desert. You wouldn’t want sand to get into your mouth and eyes, would you?” Li Fangyin had already begun to wrap the cloth around himself. “We may be cultivators, but we’re not invincible to nature.”
Gui Yin lowered his head and looked at how Li Fangyin wrapped the cloth before imitating him clumsily. Li Fangyin helped him readjust the cloth carefully, with a hint of helplessness on his face.
“Are you two sirs heading into Devil’s Desert?” the stall owner asked, her hands smoothing the fabric on top of her table.
Gui Yin gave her a quick glance. He nodded as he tugged the cloth away from his mouth. “We’re cultivators trying to investigate the odd disappearances of Devil’s Desert.”
The woman shuddered as if she had heard something horrible. She looked one way, then the other, before leaning over her stall to talk to Li Fangyin and Gui Yin. “You two mustn’t venture into the desert! I know you cultivators think you’re invincible, but it’s far too dangerous!”
Li Fangyin and Gui Yin glanced at each other.
“Miss, do you happen to know anything about this desert?” Li Fangyin asked. “I just heard about it from a friend of mine. He told us that we should check it out.”
The woman clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction. “That friend of yours is trying to send you to your death! Don’t talk to that friend again!”
Gui Yin had to take a moment to school his amusement. “But, Miss, as cultivators, we have to look into this situation. We cannot turn a blind eye after knowing there are innocent people going missing.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Well, I hardly doubt those people are anything good anyway,” the woman rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. “Most people who pass through Devil’s Desert are slave traders or drug dealers. Some of them are merchants searching for quick cash, others are thieves and crooks. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were killing each other. Or maybe it’s the sand pirates making a quick grab for goods.”
“Vjcv qlgjafr?” Ol Mjcuslc gjlrfv j ygbk.
“Don’t get me wrong—there definitely is weird stuff going on in Devil’s Desert. What I’m saying is, it’s more likely to be those crooks instead. Around these parts, there are thieves…well, I would say they’re similar to the mountain thieves in the plains,” the woman explained, “But we call them sand pirates. They ride around in these…odd raft-like contraptions and slice people up to steal away their belongings.”
Xel Tlc ogbkcfv atbeutaoeiis. “Dea kbeivc’a ybvlfr rtbk eq lo atfs kfgf gfjiis xliifv ys rjcv qlgjafr?”
Ktf kbwjc rtbbx tfg tfjv. “Vlg, sbe’gf abb cjïnf. Ktf vfrfga lr ilxf jc fcalas klat j wlcv bo lar bkc—lar rjcv rtloar fnfgs cluta, yegslcu agjmfr bo tewjcr atja kfgf atfgf yfobgf. Qts vb sbe atlcx la’r rb fjrs ab ufa ibra lc j vfrfga? Ktf rtloalcu rjcv lr qgbyjyis atf rfmbcv wbra vjcufgber atlcu lc atja vfrfga.”
“Are the sand pirates the first?” Li Fangyin asked.
The woman laughed at the absurdity of the question. “No, no. Aside from the serpent, obviously.”
“The…the serpent?” Gui Yin’s brows furrowed. He glanced at Li Fangyin.
From Li Fangyin’s confused expression, it was clear that he had also never heard of a serpent in Devil’s Desert.
The young woman, seeing their confusion, sighed. She turned around and shouted into the house behind her in a dialect that Gui Yin and Li Fangyin couldn’t even begin to parse. Moments later, a burly man with dark skin exited with some beer and a few snacks. The woman gave the man a peck on the cheek and sat down with one leg propped on the bench.
“Sit down. Since you two seem so persistent about courting your death, the least I can do is make sure you live a little longer.”
Seeing Li Fang Yin’s and Gui Yin’s curious gaze, the woman smiled sweetly.
“That was my husband. A handsome man, isn’t he?”
“You two make a lovely couple,” Gui Yin complimented.
The woman was satisfied by Gui Yin’s compliment. She became much more enthusiastic than before. As the woman poured the two men beer, her husband left their home to watch the stall. After another few moments, the woman spoke again.
The woman’s name was Ah Zhu. She was born and raised in this nameless small town at the edge of Devil’s Desert and what only recently became Beidou Alliance. Her ancestors were part of a small nomadic tribe that had wandered up from the south and settled here. They had been here before the Devil’s Desert was known as Devil’s Desert, but that was already a couple thousand years ago. Although most of the original bloodline had already died out, the descendants in this nameless small town still kept records of stories that had been passed down orally and a few of their most important traditions remained.
Among them was the story about the serpent who lived within the desert.
“Do you two know how this continent was formed?” Ah Zhu asked as she popped a pistachio into her mouth.
Gui Yin fell silent and Li Fangyin raised a brow in confusion. He certainly didn’t know the answer. His gaze drifted to Gui Yin beside him, who seemed to be recalling something.
“A long time ago, deities freely roamed this plane,” Gui Yin said, his voice starting off soft but gaining confidence as he spoke. “That time was called the Era of Gods. At the beginning, massive landforms weren’t common because the deities of earth were the dragons and the dragons ruled by sea. During that time, there was only the Heavenly Emperor and the Four Dragons of the East, South, West, and North. Creatures lived in the sky or in the sea, but that all changed when the dragon of the south was banished, due to a small mistake.”
Li Fangyin shifted in his seat expectantly, “A small mistake?”
Gui Yin nodded. “According to the legends, the dragon of the south was the most conscientious of his four brothers. He was quiet, but did his job well. He stayed out of conflict, but offered his opinion where needed and never stepped out of line. Thus, the Heavenly Emperor cherished him as his trusted aide, however this drew envy from his three brothers and the three dragon kings began to plot his demise.
“The northern dragon held control over the rain while the southern dragon held control over the sun. Earth, or the power to create earthquakes, was held in the palms of the eastern dragon and the power of wind currents was bestowed to the dragon of the west. For there to be rain, all four dragons had to work together, with the southern dragon tasked to instruct everyone else. And the three dragon kings’ plans started from this.
“Before there were massive landmasses, there had only been small islands, but these small islands were where the creatures of the sky would rest. The maintenance of these islands was a delicate balance, but to ruin one landform was easy. An earthquake could easily destroy it. Strong winds could also flatten the land. But that would be too easy and the blame would never land on the fourth dragon king’s head. Thus, the three dragon kings came up with a more devious plan.”
Gui Yin turned to Ah Zhu, who was peeling the pistachios. “This is the story you speak of, correct?”
Ah Zhu contemplated for a moment before nodding. “It is, though it’s far more detailed than what I know.”
“I’ve also never heard of this,” Li Fangyin said, his eyes glimmering in fascination. “Did you read this from a book?”
“It…should be a story my shizun told me,” Gui Yin said.
“Well, continue,” Ah Zhu said, frowning in impatience. “What happens next?”
Gui Yin cleared his throat and began again. “On a day when a rainstorm was scheduled, the eastern dragon claimed to have been faced with an assassination attempt.”
“An assassination attempt?” Li Fangyin frowned. “As one of the five ruling gods, who would dare assassinate him?”
“Although this time was named the Era of Gods, how could there be light without the existence of shadows?” Gui Yin asked. “Naturally, the ancient demons existed as well. At that time, a rebellion was stirring. After millennia of being subdued, the ancient demons felt that it was time to attack.”
“This was before the Great Heavenly War,” Li Fangyin realized.
“Just by several years,” Gui Yin nodded. “At any rate, the eastern dragon falsified the attack. The southern dragon, greatly cherishing their brotherly bond, abandoned his tasks and left to make sure the eastern dragon was safe. This was his mistake.”
Gui Yin took a sip of the beer to moisten his throat before continuing.
“You see, during a rainstorm, the sun has to recede behind the clouds. However, that didn’t happen. Because the southern dragon had left in such a rush, not only did the sun not recede, instead it grew larger and larger in intensity. Even when the rain fell for over a year, the grounds still remained cracked. Grass died, trees shriveled, and flowers wilted. The islands, which were once a paradise for the creatures of the sky, became nothing but barren deserts.”
Li Fangyin’s eyes widened, an understanding slowly taking hold of him.
“The Heavenly Emperor became outraged. It was a rare mistake from the southern dragon king, but it killed a great number of the Heavenly Emperor’s followers. It also damaged the balance of this mortal plane,” Gui Yin said. “As a result, the southern dragon king was exiled. His horns were broken and he was cast onto those barren lands he had created, without a means to survive.”
“So, the serpent in that desert is supposed to be the southern dragon?” Li Fangyin asked.
Gui Yin shook his head. “Not exactly. The southern dragon became the first land creature and the Heavenly Emperor tried to rectify this catastrophe by creating massive landforms. Some areas were abundant with greenery and foliage, while others remained barren and desolate—that was where the southern dragon and his descendants were confined to.”
He looked at Ah Zhu. “If I am not mistaken, that serpent is most likely a descendent of the southern dragon.”
Ah Zhu nodded. “That is correct. Lord Gui is quite knowledgeable. I’m impressed.”
“Not at all. It was my shizun who told me all of this,” Gui Yin said.
“After the southern dragon was banished, hatred stewed in his mind for centuries. But he felt that he should be punished for his carelessness. On top of that, he held steadfast to his loyalty to the Heavenly Emperor and didn’t dare rebel,”Ah Zhu said. “As cultivators, I’m sure you understand the concept of demonic and resentful energy.”
Gui Yin and Li Fangyin nodded.
“The desert is a beautiful place, but if you are not careful, it will become your grave,” Ah Zhu said. “Many people die accidental or wrongful deaths in this desert without ever gaining solace. After all, it’s quite easy to hide a body here. According to the legends, it wasn’t a big deal at first. Resentful and demonic energy, in such a wide land, would naturally disperse over time. However, there was something that clung onto it.”
“And that was the serpent,” Gui Yin guessed.
Ah Zhu nodded. “It knew of its ancestor’s wrongful punishment and wanted revenge. It took in all the resentful and demonic energy of the desert—that was when this regular desert slowly gained its reputation as Devil’s Desert.”
“However, at this point, the Era of Gods was over and the gods had retreated to a separate plane, so this serpent could only wreak havoc on mortals,” Gui Yin said.
“Correct.”
“If there was such a creature, why was it never reported?” Li Fangyin asked.
Ah Zhu could only shake her head. “That’s because it’s only a legend. No one has ever seen a serpent the size of a dragon in the desert. Not to mention, I don’t even know if it’s actually real.”
“The common people often devise legends and myths in order to explain phenomena. The legend of the four dragon kings, as well as the story of the serpent, are most likely only used to explain how massive landmasses came to be and why the desert became so dangerous,” Gui Yin said.
Li Fangyin fell silent.
“But even as a legend,” Ah Zhu began hesitantly, “I do believe it has some truth to it.”
“Why do you believe so?” Gui Yin asked.
“The serpent is actually a creature that was worshipped by another nomadic tribe with a similar place of origin to mine,” Ah Zhu explained. “The stories from my ancestors say this group of people originally walked the same path as us, but they began to break away when they discovered that they had what they called the Ruby-Eyed Serpent’s Blessing. There are even stories that say that, during the time it was worshipped, the Ruby-Eyed Serpent granted safe passage to those in need, while it punished the crooks.”
Gui Yin nodded. “In the end, that creature is still a Heavenly Beast.”
“Hold on,” Li Fangyin said. “A ruby eyed serpent was the emblem of Huigu Palace, wasn’t it?”
Ah Zhu nodded enthusiastically, her ponytail flapping one way to the other. “Yes! Yes. I heard rumors that their Palace Lord was actually a descendent from that nomadic tribe. That’s why he had the ability to communicate with the serpent.”
“Do you believe it?” Gui Yin asked.
“Well, it’s difficult not to. That tribe had disappeared thousands of years ago, but once this man appeared, Devil’s Desert became calm again. Isn’t that a miracle?”
Gui Yin agreed. It was quite a miracle. But it could also be a human’s manipulation.
“At any rate, he’s gone now. Supposedly killed with the rest of his sect,” Ah Zhu said, a small frown on her lips. “It’s a shame, really. All the elderly here were so happy and grateful for that bit of peace.”
“How much did you know about the Palace Lord of Huigu Palace?”
“He passed through the town a few times when I was a child,” Ah Zhu said. She fell silent for a moment. “In my memory, he was a tall man with dark skin. His face was always covered by a scarf and there were always twin swords at his waist. I remember the swords really well because the scabbards had a silver snake on it with a ruby jewel as its eye. When we tried to touch it, he would always tell us that it was dangerous—but he never yelled at us either.”
“Is that all?”
“He was kind to everyone too,” Ah Zhu said. She smiled, as if looking back fondly on an old memory, “He used to bring all sorts of candies for us from the plains and other places beyond the desert. Sometimes he would even bring treats for us from foreign lands. He was a really good leader. Took care of everyone well.”
Ah Zhu fell silent. She tilted her head back to keep her emotions from getting the best of her. Li Fangyin pulled out his handkerchief and held it out to her, but she shook her head.
“I’m just a bit emotional. Don’t mind me,” Ah Zhu smiled sadly. After a moment, she shook her head. “I really can’t send you in there in good conscience. Not only is the serpent masterless, there’s also…”
“Also?”
Ah Zhu’s gaze hardened. “In our town, we call them the Qi Du Cult (七毒教), but they refer to themselves as Qi Du Tower.”
Gui Yin and Li Fangyin shared a glance.
“Qi Du Cult?” Gui Yin frowned. “What type of group are they?”
“…You’re aware of Yun An Springs, correct?” Ah Zhu said.
Gui Yin and Li Fangyin nodded.
“Well, outside of Yun An Springs, there are some rogue sects within the desert. Huigu Palace was one of them. Qi Du Cult was another,” Ah Zhu said. “My grandparents said that, over the years, Huigu Palace had slowly gained control over the rogue sects within Devil’s Desert. Before that, it was a lawless land. Many cultivators passing through compared it to Ghost Valley.”
Li Fangyin frowned.
While Devil’s Desert was to the south of the Beidou Alliance, Ghost Valley was to the northeast. Although called a valley, Ghost Valley was really a large mountain with a deep chasm surrounding it that housed what Gui Yin might describe as the clinically insane. This insanity, however, was induced by a variety of dark energies that Ghost Valley housed—demonic, resentful, or even ghostly. It was a lawless land with no alliances, only every man for themselves. One that not even Lord Immortal Ninglan or Palace Lord Li, would never even dare think about cleaning up.
People who entered Ghost Valley were all desperate, abandoned, and pursued. Once you entered, you would never leave. You were as good as dead and no one would ever bother looking for you again. Not to mention, according to neighboring towns, cities, and villages, throughout the night, Ghost Valley would emit horrendous screeches, akin to tortured souls in the Eighteen Layers of Hell.
Thus, the residents of Ghost Valley were given the nickname “ghosts” and the mountain itself was named the Eighteenth Layer.
Gui Yin glanced at Li Fangyin. Seeing his serious expression, he realized that “Ghost Valley” wasn’t just another cliché name for a desolate place. Perhaps it was even somewhere very dangerous.
“But I suppose there’s one good thing about the desert then, compared to the Ghost Valley now—there were alliances that helped prevent frequent bloodshed,” Ah Zhu said. “Now that Huigu Palace is gone, Qi Du Cult took up the mantle as the leading sect. The methods they used are unknown to common folk like us, but one can assume…”
Li Fangyin nodded. “We understand.”
“I heard the rumors too,” Ah Zhu said, “About how Qi Du Cult’s god is the thing that’s been protecting the merchants from sudden death. That’s impossible though. Everyone in the area knows that what they worship isn’t a god, but a demon spirit.”
Gui Yin’s expression turned grave. “A demon spirit?”
Ah Zhu nodded. She looked around, almost apprehensively. “They worship a centipede demon named Yalun (呀论).”
She looked at Gui Yin and Li Fangyin seriously. “I seriously recommend that the two of you don’t go into the desert. Tell your friend that you know the cause, but it’s too difficult to deal with. What’s more important? The lives of a handful of strangers, or your own life?”
Crazy how people always end up worshipping demons when desperation strikes
Unsurprisingly, the demon-worshipping isn’t appreciated by the neighbours, though no-one issued a noise complaint for some reason
im sorry i burst out laughing at your comment LOL thanks for reading!!
poor southern dragon :< poor desert serpent :<
:(((
thanks for reading!
You know the legend of the dragons and gods is pretty popular in China 🙂
I remember reading about it a lot in books and seeing it on shows
Thanks for he chapter