It was the middle of the night and Jiulu Mountain, lit by fire, was bright as day. Upon hearing the reports, Bitan flung a half-full pot of wine in Banya’s face, leaping to his feet and berating, “You… you! You’ve really outdone yourself!”
Banya wiped at the alcohol on his cheek, sneering, “Shixiong, things have already gotten this far, do you still doubt my words?”
Bitan jabbed his finger forcefully against Banya’s chest and yelled, “What you’re doing is letting others point at our backs and say we’re cruel and unscrupulous and that we’ve failed in our duty to look after our juniors!”
Banya took half a step back, “Shixiong, it’s time to make a decision, you’re being too soft!”
Bitan shook with anger, saying “He’s just a young….”
“Ha!” Banya laughed, “Yes, he’s young, wears his heart on his sleeve, then why is it that despite all your precautions, you didn’t manage to raise him into a useless good-for-nothing? He even used a finger’s length of red candle to trap both our head disciples!”
Bitan frowned — that matter really was embarrassing, and shouldn’t have been spelled out so clearly, but who knew that Banya would be so honest. He ignored that he had made his shixiong lose face and stepped forward, his face vicious and savage in the dim lamp light, almost looking like Xuan Sect’s Qingcu, “Shixiong, haven’t you realized? Back then, out of all the disciples in the sect, the former sect master, that old geezer, favored that brat alone – how could he be an ordinary kid? If he escapes today, he’ll undoubtedly become a thorn in our side!”
Bitan didn’t speak. Banya then despairingly wailed like he was mourning his dead parents, “Shixiong!”
Bitan silently paced a few steps before sitting back at the table. A moment later, perhaps because of his misgivings towards Shi Wuduan or perhaps because of Banya’s overly melodramatic cry of “shixiong,” Banya finally sighed, closed his eyes, and quietly said, “Go then.”
Banya joyously replied, “Yes!”
“Hold on.” Bitan halted him, retrieving a lantern from the nearby bookshelf. He hesitated before handing it to Banya, “Five years ago, when I went to see him, I discovered that he was in possession of an astrolabe. I could judge, by its color, that it was a malevolent object. Out of caution, I strung a ‘Jade Thread’ to it.”
Thus Banya became even more excited, “Does that mean we can use it to track down that little bastard?”
Bitan replied, “Once you light the lamp, you need only follow the shadow. If you find him…. remember the affection we’ve held towards him for all these years, don’t kill him. Just bring him back to see me.”
Banya hurriedly snatched the lamp, thinking that even though his shixiong was too weak and emotional, he did at least have some foresight. Satisfied, he turned and left, closing the door behind him. Inside the room, Bitan heard him say in a low voice, “search the mountain,” before staring dazedly at the candle on his desk. He reached out a hand and pinched the flame, unwittingly thinking back to how Shi Wuduan would play pranks and mischievously cling to his leg when he was little. He felt a pang in his heart and nearly shed a tear.
Bitan thought, have I become the villain now?
When the imperial astrologers had observed anomalous signs in the stars, they knew that Great Qian was coming to an end. Afterwards, there’d be both natural and human disasters, and rebellions sprouting up all over. When the time came, wouldn’t the common people be the ones to suffer? Why had his shixiong refused the imperial edict to borrow fortune from the heavens?
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.
Lf tjvc’a vbcf la bea bo rfiolrtcfrr, ageis.
Dlajc yfilfnfv tf tjvc’a kgbcufv jcsbcf, cba tfjnfc, cbg atf mbwwbc qfbqif, kts mbeivc’a tlr rtlzlbcu ecvfgrajcv?
Ccv atfgf kjr Vtl Qevejc…..
According to Banya’s opinion, he’d been planning to run away from Xuan Sect from the beginning. Bitan thought, did people on this mountain not treat him well enough? In those five years, no one had dared to shortchange his living expenses. When he, as a child, had stolen a sip of Kuruo’s Liufeng Nectar and fallen ill, he started to get freezing cold in the winter nights and become susceptible to bouts of coughs. He’d personally prescribed the medicine, instructing his disciples to carefully brew it and deliver it. He even left the guardpost at the former sect master’s quarters, worried that he’d be mistreated by the other sect members.
Dlajc weaafgfv ab tlwrfio, “Qtja wbgf vb sbe kjca wf ab vb?”
Snfc j gbmx kbeiv kjgw eq lc remt jc fwygjmf.
The commotion on Jiulu Mountain was too large for Yan Zhen not to notice. He dismissed his servants and went outside to take a look. A guard reported back, “Sir, it’s not clear what’s happening, but it seems like they’re searching the mountain. Should I go to Master Bitan to inquire about the situation?”
Yan Zhen thought it over and shook his head, “No need. We’re merely guests here, and this is an internal affair.”
Then he lowered his head and continued reading his half-finished scroll in the candlelight.
Countless people lost sleep that night.
Shi Wuduan wasn’t all-knowing, he could only plan one step at a time and think of ways to get past each checkpoint one by one, racking his brains to dodge his pursuers.
If he looked back, he’d see the little spots of lantern lights on Jiulu Mountain, and the sword-wielding people canvassing the mountain, looking to end his life.
The road leading down the mountain was impassible, and the path leading to Cangyun Valley was likely closely guarded as well. He could only scale down the sides of cliffs and borrow the shadows of trees and bushes to hide himself. Luckily, even though he’d neglected his physical skills for five years, he still had the “art of the monkey” that’d let him scamper up trees, hop roofs, and give the old sect master a headache when he was younger.
In a mountain as large as Jiulu Mountain, finding a single person was like searching for a needle in a sea. Shi Wuduan had acted with utmost caution already, but for some reason he couldn’t shake the feeling that his pursuers were getting closer and closer.
Shi Wuduan stopped and ducked behind an outcrop of rock. He frowned and wondered, how could they have caught up to me so quickly? Could it be that someone’s tagged me?
His thoughts spun, he knew that his footspeed was far slower than that of his “fellow sect members,” seeing as they could fly on their swords. If things continued on like this, he’d soon be caught. Shi Wuduan looked at the rabbit huddled in his arms and put him on the ground. He gave it a little push, “It seems it’s time for us to go our separate ways. From now on, don’t follow me anymore, go on.”
But the rabbit crouched there in the grass, watching him. Shi Wuduan was conflicted, with those shiny black eyes looking at him, he couldn’t quite move away, so he urged again, “Go. There’s definitely a home for you somewhere, on a mountain this big.”
The rabbit shuffled its chubby body, questioningly scooching over to his feet and nudging his pants leg.
Shi Wuduan laughed and squatted down, petting the rabbit’s round little head. The joints of his hands were well defined, seeming a bit skinny due to their length, so his touch was stiff and not at all soft, but his palm was warm. The rabbit blinked in contentment. Shi Wuduan said, “Ah, brother rabbit, it’s not that I don’t value your friendship, I’m just really in a lot of danger right now. Won’t I just drag you down if I bring you along? When the time comes, they’ll just lop off my head, but you, with all your blubber, will be boiled and eaten. Even thinking about it makes me pity you. Besides, you do have a little bit of cultivation, so how will we sort out these debts if your karma gets entangled with mine?”
“Unless, you want me to promise myself to you?” Shi Wuduan shuddered, sighing, “Ai, putting aside whether or not you can turn into a big lady or not, even if you do manage to turn into one, I can’t handle a bum as large as yours, you know.”
There was only ignorance on the rabbit’s face as it squinted and kept nudging against his palm, begging for scritches. But Shi Wuduan only curled a finger and flicked it, sending a jolt through its whole body, before he stood up. To the rabbit, Shi Wuduan seemed very tall, so tall as to be unreachable. He waved and said, “Ah well, we’ll meet again so long as the mountains stand and the rivers flow. If by some stroke of luck, I don’t die, I’ll invite you to nibble on a basket of fresh vegetables.”
He finished speaking and didn’t look at his old friend anymore. Resolved, he strode away, his heart suddenly empty. That slight hint of mournfulness was also scattered by the night wind.
The world was so vast, the people so innumerable, yet he’d only rubbed shoulders with them as they walked past each other in opposite directions. When he looked around in confusion, he found that there was not a single person in the world who had any connections to him whatsoever.
Shifu and Bai Li were all gone already. Senior Jiang Hua was a Xian cultivator. He recalled how proud of himself he’d been after he broke the Six Circle Array, but now that he thought about it, how could the array caster have possibly missed it? Perhaps when he’d followed him out, he’d seen all the worldly ties that bound him and, following the doctrine of those who withdraw from worldly affairs, didn’t dare get involved.
But none of that matters, really, Shi Wuduan thought, an indifferent expression on his face, truly, none of that…. matters at all.
Shi Wuduan had left too hastily, so he didn’t see that the rabbit he’d left behind suddenly slumped to the ground before a foggy white figure materialized behind the rabbit. That figure seemed to be a youth, but it was too indistinct, nothing more than a wisp of smoke. Even a small breeze could blow it out. Though the youth’s face was indiscernible, for some reason, one could tell that he was dazedly staring in the direction that Shi Wuduan had left.
Shi Wuduan wondered how he might have been tracked as he rushed through the underbrush and the trees, dodging the patrols. He sensed his pursuers getting closer and closer, up until he arrived at the cliff marking the border between Jiulu Mountain and Cangyun Valley.
He looked behind him and saw the light of torches as well as Master Bitan, who’d personally come after him, holding a lantern in his hand. Shi Wuduan’s eyes locked on to its unnatural shadow, and saw it was pointing in his direction. The astrolabe on his back stirred restlessly. Shi Wuduan narrowed his eyes and laughed, “So that’s how it was.”
He removed his astrolabe and saw that its stars were in chaos. He tugged at a few strands of starsilk and noticed that there was indeed a very thin thread of jade silk hidden amongst them.
Shi Wuduan smiled and said, “Bitan-shishu really is very meticulous.”
Banya caught sight of Shi Wuduan, holding an astrolabe, back to the cliff, only a couple steps away from falling. He lit up with glee, “Brat, you’ll get down here and surrender if you know what’s good for you!”
Shi Wuduan snapped the jade thread and mumbled a few incantations, rousing the stars back into motion. He looked at his astrolabe intently, not deigning to respond. He quietly said, “Banya-shishu, do you know that life and death are preordained? Borrowing time for a single mortal brings misfortune to their children and grandchildren, let alone meddling with the fate of a mighty empire and the destiny of the imperial family.”
Banya stilled, those words seemed vaguely familiar to him. The star threads emerged in hundreds and thousands, curling at Shi Wuduan’s side. The harsh wind had already blown the youth’s hair into disarray and filled his sleeves, like it was going to whisk him away at any moment. That dim, ghostly, subtly unnatural light made his shadow stretch very very long.
For a moment, he thought that the person standing there was not Shi Wuduan, but the previous sect master.
“Changing the empire’s fate will guarantee the devastation of this land.” Shi Wuduan tilted his head up, looking at the clouded skies, “That is what I have learned in the last five years from studying shifu’s last divination.”
Banya coldly retorted, “What a load of nonsense!”
Shi Wuduan looked at him again, the hand in his astrolabe dimming, the star threads submerging once more. He looked down from on high at Banya and chuckled, “Summer bugs know not of ice. I should’ve known. What’s the point talking to a nitwit like you?”
Banya’s eyes blazed with anger, never had anyone treated him so rudely. He glared at Shi Wuduan, then suddenly reached a hand at a disciple standing next to him, “Hand it over!”
Jiang Chongwen instantly obeyed, he presented a bow to him with both hands. Banya said coldly, “Shixiong even wanted to spare your life, but since you’re so ungrateful, betraying your sect, hmph hmph, well don’t blame me for being merciless.”
Shi Wuduan burst into laughter, his clear voice echoing through the mountain. He asked, “How could I dare bother shishu to send me off?”
Before he’d even finished speaking, he hugged his astrolabe to his chest and leapt off the cliff without hesitation.
The pursuers all stared in shock. No one had expected him to jump down just like that. Jiang Chongwen said questioningly, “Shishu, this…..”
Banya waved him off and squinted, “Search! Get down the mountain and search. This little bastard has plenty of tricks up his sleeve, there’s no way he’d die so simply. He must have some sort of plot.”
Of course Shi Wuduan had another way out. He’d snuck off to the back mountain countless times in his youth and knew that there was an old tree right under the cliff. It didn’t have any spirit, but it had grown for several hundred years already. It was in the perfect place to land after throwing himself off the cliff. He’d even scared Bai Li with that trick before.
Still, the branches and leaves whipping by his body did sting. Shi Wuduan curled into a ball and took a shaky breath. He said quietly, “Old tree, your body sure is sturdy, you haven’t deteriorated a bit!”
He grimaced as he got to his feet and surveyed the landscape. Then he bravely clambered along a large branch, grabbed a smaller branch and swung himself over to a large stone. He jumped off it and landed onto a narrow, winding dirt path. Further along the path, there was a pool of water which, according to Bai Li, flowed outside the mountain.
Shi Wuduan arrived by the pond and stuck a hand in. The water was bitingly cold, but he couldn’t afford to worry about that. He took off his outer coat and bundled it securely with his things, then he braced himself, took in a deep breath, and dove in, swimming into the depths like a fish.
Ahhhhh if your Jiang Shifu saw you know he was surely proud of you! Just like how I’m your mother is!
Thanks for the chapter<3
Hi! I’m really happy to see your translation of this novel. I would ask your permission to translate it into Russian. Thank you in advance. Have a nice day!
Was that Bai Li who picked up the rabbit 🐇 ?
What happened to the bird? 🤔
he didn’t let the bird follow him but to fly ahead of him.
I was wondering about that wooh! Thank god!!!
💙💙💙
He left the rabbit and it turned into a human (transformed) I get a feeling we’ll meet the rabbit again 💓🐇 I feel sad SWD had to left him behind but it’s for the best 🤧 We’ll miss you rabbit!!! We love you!!!!
Please stop making SWD suffer!!! The little guy was already traumatized enough… I’m so proud he reached all this wayyy.. I hope he can successfully escape now…..!!!!
F u BT and BY 🤬
Thank u for the Translations!!!
Shi Didi is so resourceful and intelligent. It’s really fun to read what he’s thinking and doing next. I love clever protagonists.