CLX Book 6 Chapter 11 – Part 1

Chapter 11 – Illusory Mountain

The mountain. The mountain top.

The mountain top was on the mountain range, among the white clouds. _{Translated by foxs}

The clouds were floating like smoke, the fog was also like light smoke, but the mountain range was inside the smoke. Did it look real? And yet it appeared to be an illusion?

Only the clear water of this small creek was real, because Chu Liuxiang was at the edge of the warm water.

He walked upstream along the creek, and now he has reached its end.

A rushing spring like a jade dragon hanging upside down from the top of the mountain, splashing in the air so that the sky looked like it was full of pearls and jade.

This was precisely the firmament’s great paintbrush, otherwise, who else would be able to draw such a majestic and exceptionally beautiful painting?

According to ancient legends, it was precisely at the end of this flowing water that there was a paradise blessed place where the most mysterious Wulin family lived in seclusion. No one knew their whereabouts, no one knew their origins even more.

Now, this was the end of the flowing water. Where could the mysterious cave of the legends be?

Chu Liuxiang still could not see. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

“Could it be that this flying spring is the pearls curtain especially hung by the firmament in front of their cave?”

Chu Liuxiang walked over and stopped.

Even if this flying spring was the gateway to their cave, he could not just walk in like this.

Without some kind of mysterious mantra, how could this mysterious door be opened? The bluestone was covered all over with dark blue moss, Chu Liuxiang sat down on the stone.

His brain seemed to have lost the spirit of the former days, he appeared to be so pale, so tired.

If Zhang Jiejie saw him like this, would she feel sad for him, shed tears for him? Chu Liuxiang sighed softly. He looked up, he gazed at the white clouds on the mountain top.

He seemed to want to ask the white clouds, but the white clouds were silent.

On earth, who could bring him news?

A ray of golden light pierced through the white clouds, illuminating the bank of the flowing water.

He suddenly discovered a figure appearing by the flowing water, her jet-black hair was tied high on her head, she was dressed in green clothes, from inside the mist, her pair of eyes looked as bright as the stars, just like an immortal flying down from the white clouds. _{Translated by foxs}

She held a white jade pitcher in her hands, her sleeves were rolled up, revealing her pair of pink-like-luster-of-gems arms; she was drawing the water from the mountain spring.

The golden sun shone on her white jade-like face.

Chu Liuxiang looked at her, his breathing suddenly stopped.

The white clouds finally gave him news.

Could it be that this girl was sent by the white clouds to deliver news for him?

Chu Liuxiang nearly could not help jumping up and shouting loudly. ‘Ai Qing’, this girl was precisely Ai Qing.

Her graceful bearing was still as before, still as charming, as beautiful as when Chu Liuxiang met her for the first time.

She seemed to be wearing the same dress as when she was standing in the Wan Fu Wan Shou Yuan offering birthday felicitations that day, her ears were wearing a pair of emerald jade earrings. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Seeing this pair of earrings, Chu Liuxiang could not help recalling the beautiful scenery that night inside the small cottage at the bottom of the mountain.

Her tenderness, her touching passion, were enough to make all men in the world unable to forget her.

But these days, Chu Liuxiang seemed to have completely forgotten her.

He really felt very ashamed, felt a deep sense of guilt, he was almost ashamed to see her again.

But he could not but to see her, he had hundreds and thousands of questions to ask her.

“That morning, why did you suddenly disappear?”

“What exactly do those hooking-the-soul severed hands signify?”

“And now, why are you here?”

“Do you also live with that mysterious family in that mysterious cave?”

Chu Liuxiang finally could not help shouting loudly, “Ai Qing!”

The mountain spring was flickering, the white jade pitcher was also flickering.

Filling up the pitcher with the water from the mountain spring, Ai Qing stood up and turned around, as if she was going back to the depths of the white clouds. _{Translated by foxs}

Unexpectedly she did not seem to hear Chu Liuxiang’s call at all.

Chu Liuxiang called even louder, “Ai Qing, wait!”

She still did not hear it. But at this moment, Chu Liuxiang flitted across the mountain spring like a flying bird, and suddenly landed in front of her like a clump of white cloud.

Ai Qing halted her steps, she looked at him, her face did not look surprise, neither it showed delight.

She seemed to be looking at a stranger.

Chu Liuxiang forced a smile and said, “Long time no see, I never expected to see you here.”

Ai Qing’s face was still completely devoid of any emotion, she looked at him with frigid irony and scorching satire [idiom: mock and ridicule], and said, “Who are you? Why are you blocking my way?”

Her voice was gentle and lovely, sharp and clear, still the same as before, but it has become icy-cold, completely without any emotion.

Chu Liuxiang said, “You … How come you don’t know me?”

Ai Qing spoke coldly, “I practically have never seen you before.” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Chu Liuxiang heaved a deep sigh, he smiled wryly and said, “I know I let you down, but … I also have my own difficulties. I have also tried a thousand ways, a hundred plans to look for you.”

Knitting her brows, Ai Qing said, “What are you talking about? I practically have no idea what you are talking about.”

Chu Liuxiang could not help but was stunned, he stroked his nose again, and said, “Could it be that you have really forgotten me?”

Ai Qing said, “I practically don’t know you.”

Chu Liuxiang said, “But I know you, you are Ai Qing.”

Ai Qing said, “I don’t know Ai Qing either, get out of my way.”

Her hand suddenly flew towards Chu Liuxiang’s face.

Chu Liuxiang could only get out of the way.

Naturally he had other ways to deal with her, but under these circumstances, he has no choice but to get out of the way.

If a girl clenches her teeth and says she doesn’t know you, what else can you do other than to let her go? _{Translated by foxs}

But why did she do this? Why did she suddenly become this callous? Could it be that she had some secret trouble that she could not tell other people?

Could it be that her love has turned into hatred?

Chu Liuxiang was unable to understand.

Ai Qing had already walked past him, carrying some kind of a faint fragrance.

Even this fragrance was familiar to Chu Liuxiang.

Even to the death he could not believe that this girl was not Ai Qing.

The white clouds were faintly discernible.

Ai Qing’s figure was about to gradually disappear into the white clouds again.

Chu Liuxiang suddenly turned around and followed her.

Ai Qing did not walk fast at all, her waist was graceful, like a flower in the fog or a willow in the wind.

Originally, the graceful bearing of a girl’s walk is enchanting.

But right now, Chu Liuxiang was not in the mood to enjoy the scene, he was just following her. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

The mountain road was narrow and its surface rugged, he wondered where it started, and where it was leading to?

At the end of the mountain road, there were only white clouds, there were no paradise blessed place in sight, there were no bejeweled jade palace either.

But Ai Qing seemed to ride the wind to go back home. But where was home?

Chu Liuxiang followed closer, he also pressed harder, afraid that he might lose her again.

Ai Qing suddenly looked back, her gaze was sharper and colder than the wind on the mountain top; staring at Chu Liuxiang, she spoke coldly, “Why are you following me?”

Chu Liuxiang said, “I … I still want to ask you a few questions.”

Ai Qing said, “Very well, ask.”

Chu Liuxiang said, “You are really not Ai Qing?”

Ai Qing said, “I have never heard of this name.”

Chu Liuxiang said, “What about Wan Fu Wan Shou Yuan?” _{Translated by foxs}

Ai Qing said, “What kind of place is that?”

Chu Liuxiang said, “You have not been there?”

Ai Qing said, “In the past ten years, I practically have never gone down the mountain even for one step.”

Chu Liuxiang looked at her, he really had nothing to say. All these things were all caused by her farting in the Wan Fu Wan Shou Yuan. Now she said that she had never been to Wan Fu Wan Shou Yuan, moreover, she had never seen Chu Liuxiang.

Chu Liuxiang heaved a deep sigh, he muttered, “Maybe I did mistake you for another person, maybe I should never see you again.”

Ai Qing said, “That’s right, you practically shouldn’t have come here, that day you shouldn’t have come to Wan Fu Wan Shou Yuan.”

Chu Liuxiang suddenly looked up, he said, “Since you don’t know, how do you know that I have been to Wan Fu Wan Shou Yuan?”

Ai Qing’s countenance changed immediately, suddenly her body swept up, she flew into the faintly discernible white clouds.

Chu Liuxiang was about to chase after her, but right this moment, two persons suddenly appeared in the white clouds.

Two middle-aged men in hemp garment and tall hat. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Not only were they dressed exactly the same as the old man in hemp garment that Chu Liuxiang saw that day, even their expressions seemed to be identical.

Their faces were pale, without any color of blood, appearing indescribably cold and detached, and indescribably haughty.

Maybe they came from the sky above, maybe they came from the earth below, but no matter where they came from, they seemed to disdain to associate themselves with mortals.

Chu Liuxiang suddenly understood.

Those old husband and wife in hemp garment must be the elders of that family surnamed Ma.

Presumably Zhang Jiejie had some kind of mysterious and unusual relationship with this family.

That day she disappeared suddenly, maybe she was forced to leave by those old husband and wife in hemp garment, otherwise, how could she have the heart to leave without saying goodbye, moreover, without any news at all.

Chu Liuxiang’s heart seemed to be burned by the flames.

He vowed that no matter what, he simply had to rescue her from this family. No matter how great he had to pay, he would not hesitate, even to the death; it definitely would not be a problem to him. _{Translated by foxs}

The mountain wind scattered the white clouds, but the white clouds gathered again.

The two middle-aged men in hemp garment and tall hats were still standing coldly among the white clouds, looking at Chu Liuxiang coldly.

One of them was shorter in stature, but he looked even more imposing; he suddenly said, “Wherever you are coming from, you’d better go back there quickly.”

His voice was as cold and detached and haughty as his countenance, just like a god giving orders to his people.

Instead, Chu Liuxiang calmed down, he spoke slowly, “Why do I have to go back?”

The man in hemp garment said, “Because this is not a place where mortals should come.”

Chu Liuxiang laughed, he said, “Not a place where mortals should come? Could it be that you are not a mortal?”

The man in hemp garment said, “I’m not.”

His expression was still so cold and detached and haughty, as if he really regarded himself as a god.

Chu Liuxiang laughed and said, “If you are not a human, then what are you?”

The man in hemp garment spoke coldly, “You should not come, you should not ask even more.” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Chu Liuxiang said, “But I have come, and I have asked.”

The other man in hemp garment suddenly said, “Since you have come, there is no need to go back.”

Chu Liuxiang said, “But I did not want to go back at all.”

The two men in hemp garment exchanged a glance, suddenly their bodies spun at the same time.

Anybody can spin, but the posture and technique with which they spun was totally unlike anyone else.

Their bodies suddenly turned to the left, and then spun to the right. Not only their spin was unconstrained, but they were also able to spin nonstop.

Even Chu Liuxiang was unable to see what they were doing?

“Could it be that they were trying to make themselves dizzy?”

Right this moment, the two men in hemp garment suddenly spun towards him at the same time, they spun around his body, faster and faster. _{Translated by foxs}

Naturally Chu Liuxiang had seen any martial art like ‘Bagua Youshen Zhang’ [Bagua – Eight Divinatory Trigram, youshen – walk/roam around the body, zhang – palm (technique)].

The formidability of this kind of martial art lay in the spinning around your body, spinning around until you are dizzy, and then seized the opportunity to make a move. Practically you would never know when they are going to make their move, let alone the direction from where they are going to make their move, therefore, it would be very difficult to guard against.

But ‘Bagua Youshen Zhang’ martial art was absolutely not like this.

That kind of martial art simply encircles you, but their own bodies were not spinning at all. Yet these two men were like two big spinning tops.

Chu Liuxiang chuckled again, he said, “I now know what you are, you are indeed not human, you are …”

Before he finished speaking, the two men in hemp garment suddenly made their move at the same time.

They had altogether four hands, but there seemed to be twenty or thirty shadows of their hands, slapping towards Chu Liuxiang from four sides, eight directions.

No one could see which pair of hands was solid, which pair of hands was empty.

It seemed like Chu Liuxiang was unable to see either. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Only to hear, ‘Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!’ four palm strikes in succession.

Chu Liuxiang already collapsed.

How could he be knocked down so easily?

Was it because he has never seen this kind of martial arts before?

This kind of martial arts was indeed too weird, to fantastic.

“Take him back.”

“Why should we take him back?”

“This man definitely did not charge in here by accident.”

“Hence we must take him back to question him why he came?”

“That’s right.”

This was of course the exchange between the two men in hemp garment. Their voices were still equally cold and detached; although as soon as they made their move they were able to knock down the opponent, they did not like to be proud of themselves, and they did not think it was strange either.

Because they thought that as soon as this kind of martial art was launched, no one could dodge it. _{Translated by foxs}

Even if they knew that the one they knocked down was Chu Liuxiang, they would not feel it strange.

Actually, who exactly was Chu Liuxiang? They practically did not have any idea.

Therefore, whether Chu Liuxiang was really defeated by them and lost consciousness, they did not know.

Chu Liuxiang slowly opened his eyes a sliver.

It was only now that he opened his eyes slightly.

The two men in hemp garment carried him all the way to the cave, all along he kept his eyes closed. Although he was dying to know the way into the mountain, he forced himself to endure, he forced himself to exercise patience.

Because he knew that although they did not have a lot of experience in battle, although they did not have many problems, but their eyes and ears and their reaction must be much sharper than ordinary people.

Perhaps they were unable to see if he really fainted, but no matter what movement you are making, you can forget about hiding it from them. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Whether it was toward people or toward any matter, Chu Liuxiang’s judgment was very seldom wrong.

Almost never.

It was a simple and crude stone room; simple and crude, moreover, simple and unadorned, just like these men in hemp garment themselves.

It always made people feel that there was some kind of indescribable sense of arrogance and grandeur, so that other people would not dare to despise.

No matter who came here, they all would suddenly feel the brevity of life and their insignificance.

The stone wall was without the tiniest speck of dust, it was as bright as a mirror.

The ceiling was very high, too high to reach. Inside the room, other than one very large stone table, practically there was no other furnishings.

Right now, Chu Liuxiang was lying on this stone table, his eyes moved from the ceiling to the stone wall, and then from the stone wall to the door.

The door was closed.

What kind of place was outside the door? What was in it? Was there someone guarding?

Chu Liuxiang absolutely had no idea. _{Translated by foxs}

He could only feel that the men in hemp garment made so many turns and climbed up several steps before taking him here.

And then they did not make any noise.

Where did the men in hemp garment go? How were they going to deal with him?

Chu Liuxiang absolutely had no idea.

Now he wanted to know only one thing: where could the holy altar be? What method must he used to get in?

Maybe he should wait here, when someone came in alone, using comparably faster method he should subdue him, changed into his clothes, also changed his appearance using the simplest disguise technique, and then mingled out.

Presumably there would be some special marking outside the holy altar.

If his luck was a bit better, he might be able to mingle his way there without needing to speak. As long as he can break in, relying on his qinggong, very few people would be able to stop him.

This was the method Chu Liuxiang came up with, but even he himself knew that this method was not too brilliant; not only not brilliant, it also had many shortcomings.

First, if no one came in alone, his plan would not work at all. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Second, practically a disguise technique was also unreliable — you can disguise yourself as Zhang San Li Si [Zhang the third, Li the fourth, equivalent to Tom, Dick and Harry] to deceive people that don’t know you, but the people here belonged to a big family, everybody must be familiar with everybody else, it would be very easy for him to be recognized.

Third, perhaps there was not the slightest bit of marking outside the holy altar. Even if he could go there, he might not be able to recognize it, or perhaps he would not be able to find it at all.

This method was not only too risky, it could be said that it was simply ridiculous.

But it was the only plan he could think of, besides, his luck has always been not bad.

Therefore, he could only wait.

The stone table was terribly cold, and terribly hard. Sleeping on it, all the bones would become stiff, he felt like his bone marrow was about to freeze.

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