Chapter 31: A Beauty Indeed

Chapter 31: You Are a Fair Maiden

After observing for a long while and finding nothing amiss with Mo Fan, she ceased to pay him any attention, gazing into the distance as she always did. It seemed as though there was something there for which she yearned deeply.

"Little one, I am merely delivering some furs to the Panlong Mountain in Xiling for these guests. You are such a small child, why have you come here?" The old man flicked his whip, guiding the ox cart while chatting with Mo Fan.

"Uncle, my family member has fallen ill with a mysterious sickness. I heard that a fairy herb called the 'Panlong Single Artemisia' grows year-round on Panlong Mountain here in Xiling, and it can cure all the world's difficult and strange ailments. To save my family, I followed some older brothers and sisters from my village here. But as soon as they saw the thick fog, they were too terrified to enter and turned back."

"I was left all alone, crawling and stumbling for days before I finally emerged. Luckily, I ran into all of you kind folks as soon as I came out, and you were willing to give me a lift." Mo Fan’s words were sweet as honey, and he chattered on endlessly.

"By the way, kind brothers and sisters, have you ever heard of this herb?" Mo Fan asked, not forgetting to inquire.

"Never heard of it!"

"How could such a medicine exist in this world?"

"That’s right, little brother, haven't you been tricked? I know a thing or two about medicine, and I’ve never heard of any such artemisia."

That mysterious figure, who usually never bothered to talk to anyone, found herself answering whenever Mo Fan spoke.

"It can't be! They told me that the Panlong Mountain of Xiling is a famous mountain from antiquity, and that a divine object is about to descend. They said the Panlong Single Artemisia would accompany this divine object. They claimed that as long as I stand at the foot of Panlong Mountain and pray sincerely, heaven will bestow this famous medicine upon me." Mo Fan spoke with such naive innocence that even he found it hard to believe his own words.

"Hahaha, hahaha!" The crowd behind the ox cart burst into laughter. Even the young woman on the cart, who had been stone-faced the whole time, let out a faint smile.

After the old man had his fill of laughter, he spoke loudly: "That’s right, the Panlong Mountain of Xiling is indeed a legendary immortal mountain from ancient times. It is true that a divine object is set to descend, but it isn't quite the way you describe—there won't be any divine medicine falling from the sky. Since the journey has been a bit dull and the little one has provided us with some amusement, I, an old man, won't be stingy. Let me tell you a bit about this Panlong Mountain, how about that?"

"Yes, please!" Everyone cheered.

"Legend has it that a great immortal once lived in a stone cave on this mountain. Deep within that cave, there is a lotus flower. It does not bloom according to the four seasons, nor does it care for the time of day; only when the sun is at its zenith at noon does it blossom in all its splendor. When it blooms, its stamens are like molten iron, churning and rolling; it can snap diamond, mold crystals, swallow mountains and rivers, and melt the heavens and the earth throughout the ages."

"The immortal used the unique properties of this lotus to gather rare treasures and poisonous substances from the eight wildernesses, forging a peerless divine weapon. It is said that when this weapon was born, the heavens crumbled and the earth split, all creation wailed, and nine dragons were seen soaring into the sky."

"Because of this, the immortal named the weapon 'Nine Dragons'."

"A few days ago, while delivering goods to some young masters from prominent families, I overheard them saying that their elders believe this very weapon forged by the immortal is what will emerge from Panlong Mountain this time."

"They even said it was created specifically to slay someone afflicted with a terminal poison..."

"Anyway, they spoke so flowery that I, with my poor memory, only picked up the simple parts to share with you all while I'm on the road. You aren't the first to hear this story, and you won't be the last, so don't take the truth or falsehood of it too much to heart."

The old man finished, cracked his whip with a loud shout, and continued driving. Mo Fan and the others fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts.

At the edge of the Xiling fog, a trio walked through tracts of scorched, blackened woodland. This entire area had been burned to a crisp; gone was the lush spiritual energy and the circling Red-Lian bees from when they first arrived. Now, it was a desolate wasteland, with only the charred remains of ancient trees left standing.

"Mo Fan!"

Xiahou Ji leaned on his long sword, ignoring the lingering flames searing his body, and searched frantically for Mo Fan's remains. He would have been content finding even a trace of him, but the three had been searching for a whole day and found nothing.

For reasons unknown, Xiahou Ji’s body was deathly afraid of fire. Yet, to find the bones of Mo Fan, who had been buried in the sea of flames, he disregarded his own safety and persisted. Many times, Lin Xiaojun, pained by the sight, urged him to give up, but he remained silent, searching even more desperately. He never cried; a man does not weep. But the thought of Mo Fan being burned alive, lonely and alone in that fire, made tears stream down Xiahou Ji’s face.

Deep in his heart, the pain was unbearable. Yao Xin was even more grief-stricken, calling out Mo Fan’s name as she walked. Her miserable cries echoed through the woods, making the leaves rustle as if in sympathy. Her calls were so mournful that they seemed to drain the color from the world; the sky, as if sensing this misery, began to pour with rain. She hadn't known Mo Fan long, but the thought of his spiritual eyes staring at her when he called her "sister" made her want to cry, and made her think of her own plight.

Rain pattered down, as if the heavens were weeping for the tragic fate of Mo Fan.

*Plop!*

A drop of rain hit the corner of Lin Xiaojun’s eye. She reached up to touch it and realized that her cold, frost-like eyes were unexpectedly shedding tears. She never cried; only the weak wept.

After two days of searching, there was nothing. Xiahou Ji gave up, and so did Yao Xin. Given the intensity of the fire, not only someone like Mo Fan—who hadn't even opened his Wilderness Realm—but even experts in the Initial Awareness, Destiny, or even the Insight Realm would likely struggle to escape such a blaze.

Mo Fan was dead. This was the consensus of the three.

With red, swollen eyes, Yao Xin dug a small pit in the ground, scooped up some ashes, and placed them inside, creating a tomb for Mo Fan. After bowing to the grave, the three departed toward the Xiling fog.

After walking only a few steps, Yao Xin looked back at the tomb she had built with her own hands. She pulled a piece of cloth from her robe, muttered, "Little brother, sister believes you are still alive," gave a faint smile, and quickly caught up with Xiahou Ji and the others.

*Swish, swish!*

Not long after they left, groups of people appeared in the area of the fire. This was already the umpteenth wave to arrive. From this, a rumor spread from Xiling: "Who among the world governs the rise and fall? A hero emerges from a trip to Xiling. Who dares defy our pride? A beauty is destined beneath Panlong Mountain."

This verse drew countless young prodigies. Just who had orchestrated such an earth-shattering scene quickly became a matter of suspicion among the various great families.

*Creak, creak!*

On a main road, an old ox pulled a dilapidated cart. Sitting on the cart was a young woman in black, her face veiled, alongside a young boy. The boy had been sneezing ever since the old man finished his story.

"On the old mountain, a lotus blooms, not in the seasons, not in the day or night, but only when..."

"Stop singing! Old man, I could hear your wretched voice from miles away!"

With a loud roar, a girl of about sixteen or seventeen descended from the air, scolding the singing old man. Following her appearance, figures moved in the brush on both sides of the road, and twenty or thirty people rushed out, blocking their path.

"Leave the goods, and get lost!"

The girl had the air of a bandit, displaying a kind of arrogance that demanded only money and not lives. Her subordinates rushed forward, not caring what was on the cart or who was sitting on it, and began to loot with savage intensity.

*Clang!*

The people behind the ox cart were no pushovers either; they drew their weapons, ready for battle. Mo Fan didn't move, the old man didn't move, and the young woman on the cart remained as steady as a mountain.

"Oh, looks like we’ve got some tough ones here." The girl sneered, looking exactly like a mountain bandit, showing not a trace of a maiden's true nature.

*Swish!*

Drawing her long sword, the girl pointed it at Mo Fan and the others, barking, "Get down, don't force me to do this."

The young woman still didn't move, her eyes calm, staring at the girl pointing the sword at her to see what she would do next. Her indifference fueled the girl's rage. With a flick of her sword, she charged forward. As she moved, her henchmen also drew their blades. A great battle was inevitable.

The old man and the young woman remained still, as if they had been frightened out of their wits. Just as the two sides were about to clash, Mo Fan let out a sharp cry and stood up on the cart.

Swaying, he trembled and stammered, "Fair... fair..."

"Fair what? I think you're just asking for death, boy." The girl raised her sword and struck down in a rage.

"You are a fair maiden!" Mo Fan mustered his courage, looking at the bright-eyed girl. Regardless of whether it worked, he just blurted it out.

"A maiden? So what if I am?"

The girl's sword didn't pause; it continued to descend. She was a crude person who didn't understand flowery language, but she knew what the word "maiden" meant. However, she had come to Xiling with her young master to plunder, so no matter how nicely these people spoke, she wouldn't show mercy.

"Why act like a thief!"

As the sword came down in a fury, Mo Fan, in a moment of desperation, blurted out the rest.