Chapter 45 – The Golden Crow Carries the Sun
Medicine Valley was located inland, far from the sea. This was the first time Lu Jing had seen the sea since he was born. His heart surged with emotion, and he opened his mouth to compose a poem. Unexpectedly, as soon as he opened his mouth, a blast of scorching wind shot straight through his throat and into his lungs.
The wind pressed down from the sky!
Chou Bodeng had never heard such a breathtaking beat of wings. With each rise and fall, thousands of kilometers of seawater were pushed aside. Waves were thrown into the sky, soaring into high walls before crashing down with a roar. Before they could shatter into flying snow, they turned into a vast expanse of steam. A shriek resounded through heaven and earth, accompanied by the sound of long metal chains being pulled taut.
He looked up.
Molten gold was imprinted in Chou Bodeng’s pupils… Zuo Yuesheng’s words in Fu City echoed in his ears. He had said its wingspan was ten thousand meters! He hadn’t been bragging, hadn’t been exaggerating! What flew over everyone’s heads was indeed a sky-covering giant bird with a wingspan of ten thousand meters!
The Golden Crow!
The Three-Legged Golden Crow flapped its thousand-meter-long wings, setting the firmament ablaze in a churning sea of fire.
It was a mythical creature of a majesty that surpassed all imagination. A solar disk, thousands of kilometers wide, was bound to its broad back by celestial chains, the ends of which were gripped tightly in its three strong, curved claws. Its feathers were as deep black as armor, outlined with a baleful red light, and molten gold-like fire rolled off its sky-covering wings.
Its appearance turned the vast sea to blood in an instant!
Elder Tao, a short distance away from them, had long since deployed a barrier. Otherwise, these few would have been reduced to ashes by now.
“How about it?”
Zuo Yuesheng beamed, yelling at the top of his lungs.
“Spectacular, isn’t it!”
Lu Jing nodded vigorously.
He had never been so clearly aware of his own insignificance. Especially at the moment the Golden Crow flew directly over their heads carrying the sun, his field of vision was filled with nothing but crimson flames and red clouds. The scorching waves distorted everything, and an inexplicable tremor swept through his body, leaving him unable to utter a single sound.
In the raging sea and wild waves, man was but a blade of grass.
“Such a magnificent sun and crow, year after year, hang over the Mountain Sea Pavilion.”
Elder Tao Rong walked forward, his withered hand resting on Zuo Yuesheng’s shoulder. It was the first time he had spoken since the incident in Ru City.
“There are nine other suns like this controlled by the Hundred Clans, not to mention the Nether Moon.”
Zuo Yuesheng’s triumphant laughter came to an abrupt halt.
He turned his head to meet Elder Tao Rong’s aged face. His eyes, which had seen countless hardships, now met his with the sharpness of a sword.
“The Hundred Clans herd the sky and command the sun and moon. Do you understand, Young Pavilion Master?”
Zuo Yuesheng looked at him, then turned to look at the sea.
Boom—
The Golden Crow, carrying the sun, plunged into the place where the sea and sky met. A fiery peak tens of thousands of meters high surged into the sky, leaving a bloody haze over the firmament and the vast waters. The long wind still blew back and forth, and the angry tide still roared.
“I understand.”
Zuo Yuesheng replied, word by word.
“Are you still going to investigate the celestial orbit?”
“I am!”
He said it with iron certainty.
“Why wouldn’t we?” Chou Bodeng listened to their conversation, and holding the Taiyi Sword, he took a few steps forward onto a reef, gazing at the place where the Golden Crow had disappeared. “The sun rises and the moon sets; this is the normal mandate of heaven. When did it fall to the point of being controlled and exploited by men?”
“The sun and moon should be orderly, and the four seasons should have their proper time.”
When heaven and earth were opened, the stars returned to their continents.
The myriad people were born with great blessings.
Elder Tao Rong was shaken and immediately stared intently at Chou Bodeng’s face, not missing the slightest change in his expression. The residual fire on the horizon had not yet completely disappeared, and the crimson glow reflected in Chou Bodeng’s pupils, like a surging tide of blood, like a furious rage about to ignite the primordial chaos… Could it be…
“Well said! Why should the sun and moon be dominated by that bunch of turtle grandsons from the Hundred Clans! I spit on them!” Before Elder Tao could discern anything further, Lu Jing clapped his hands forcefully. “The sun and moon are orderly, the four seasons have their time, and… and… something is constant… Young Master Chou is so eloquent! Truly the face of the Taiyi Sect!”
Chou Bodeng shot him a sideways glance and slapped him with his sword.
Lu Jing ducked and hid behind Zuo Yuesheng, not forgetting to push Lou Jiang forward as a shield. Lou Jiang raised his sword to block, and in the process, knocked a dazed Ye Cang into the sea. The splash soaked Chou Bodeng… In an instant, the few of them were wrestling together. The Chou Bodeng who had just been looking down on the world with a cold expression seemed to be just an illusion, a trick of the eye.
Elder Tao Rong stood there stunned.
For a moment, he didn’t know how to react.
“Ahem!”
A light cough exploded in everyone’s ears. Elder Tao spun around. He didn’t know when, but a man in hemp clothes had appeared on a nearby reef, holding a gourd in one hand and the Gold-Inlaid Saber in the other. Seeing everyone looking over, the man in hemp clothes hung the saber at his waist, floated down in front of Chou Bodeng, and bowed respectfully with his hands clasped.
“Greetings, Little Martial Grand-Ancestor.”
Before he could straighten up, a sword was thrown at him.
“You’ve come at the right time,” Chou Bodeng said. “Help me fix my sword.”
The reason Chou Bodeng remembered to have the Taiyi Sword repaired wasn’t out of a guilty conscience, but simply because in Ru City, in order to probe the person behind the scenes, he had coaxed the Taiyi Sword into being sealed in a weapon box without a struggle. To do so, he had promised to make a new scabbard for it and patch up the blade after the matter was settled.
For the past few days, the Taiyi Sword seemed to be worried that Chou Bodeng would forget his promise and had been acting up.
Chou Bodeng had no choice but to take a moment to ask Zuo Yuesheng how to repair the Taiyi Sword, only to get a headache from the pile of complicated procedures and materials. Now that he saw Elder Jun, he couldn’t wait to pass off this hot potato.
Jun Changwei caught the sword and took a closer look, then gasped. “Little Martial Grand-Ancestor, this… this… this is still the Taiyi Sword?”
“Hmm…”
Chou Bodeng pondered for a moment.
“If Taiyi doesn’t have a second Taiyi Sword, then it should be.”
The Taiyi Sword jumped angrily in Jun Changwei’s hands, as if protesting the hardships it had endured these past few days.
It would have been better if it hadn’t jumped. As it did, the scabbard began to shed pieces of pine bark, which fell to the ground, making Jun Changwei’s heart ache as if it were being cut by a knife.
“Little Martial Grand-Ancestor, this is a scabbard made from ten-thousand-year-old Azure Pine. It’s the only one left in the Taiyi Sect…” Jun Changwei trembled with heartache. “Never mind, the Sect Master should still have some stored away. It should be enough to forge a new scabbard for you. As long as the blade is not damaged, it’s not a big problem… big…”
Jun Changwei came face to face with the Taiyi Sword’s blade, which was as pitted and jagged as if a dog had chewed on it.
The air was particularly silent for a moment.
“Little Martial Grand-Ancestor—”
Jun Changwei held the Taiyi Sword with trembling hands.
Chou Bodeng replied calmly, “Changwei, just find some iron scraps and patch it up for it.”
Jun Changwei nearly fainted.
This was the sect’s ultimate treasure. How could it be “casually patched up”?!
As soon as the name “Changwei” was spoken, Ye Cang’s eyes, who was standing nearby, went straight, and he kept glancing at the long, black-sheathed, gold-guarded saber at his waist.
Almost all martial artists had heard the saying: “The Gold-Inlaid Saber of Changwei is eternal, the Flying Light in the dark snow.”
It spoke of two people in the immortal sects, Jun Changwei and Ye Anxue. The former was the number one saber user in the immortal sects, the latter the number one sword user. Both were Taiyi elders.
Ye Anxue of the Flying Light Sword had a more glorious path to fame. He was exceptionally talented and had been the champion of the Dao discussion conferences for nearly a hundred years since he first participated at the age of seventeen, casting a shadow over all the young talents of his generation. Jun Changwei, on the other hand, was something of a late bloomer… He had cultivated for a hundred years without much fame, until the immortal sects changed their garrison at the Undying City every three hundred years. It was then that this man burst onto the scene, splitting the sea with a single slash of his saber.
After Ye Cang joined Taiyi, he had once asked Chou Bodeng why Jun Changwei of the Gold-Inlaid Saber had been unknown before going to the Undying City. Was he biding his time and hiding his strength?
At that time, Chou Bodeng’s expression was particularly strange.
He looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh.
Unable to get an answer from Chou Bodeng, Ye Cang became even more curious about this legendary “Taiyi First Saber.”
Upon their first meeting, Ye Cang was somewhat disillusioned.
Mainly because this “Taiyi First Saber” looked too sloppy… His hemp clothes were tattered at the edges, and his large wine gourd had clearly been used for many years, a stark contrast to the immortal-like Elder Tao.
He could only comfort himself:
True masters don’t show off, and those who show off aren’t true masters.
“Little Martial Grand-Ancestor, three thousand years ago, it was Sect Master Yan who invited the Taiyi Sword out of the mountain…”
Jun Changwei had gone from “Heaven bestowed profound iron, the profound iron became a sword, the sword was named Taiyi” tens of thousands of years ago to three thousand years ago when Sect Master Yan Rushu invited the sword out of the mountain and forced his way into Kongsang. He was talking endlessly, the gist of it being: this is a super, super, super-grade sword, Little Martial Grand-Ancestor, please, please be careful with it.
Chou Bodeng felt as if a thousand flies were buzzing in his ears. In his annoyance, he caught sight of Ye Cang standing there with a complicated expression and immediately thought of a way to shut Elder Jun up.
He cleared his throat, interrupting Jun Changwei.
“Elder Jun, this is a new disciple who has just joined Taiyi, Ye Cang. He has admired you for a long time. Would you like to enlighten him and tell him why you never participated in the immortal sects’ Dao discussion conferences back then?”
Ye Cang, who had not forgotten Chou Bodeng’s “teachings” these past few days, had made some progress with his poker face. Hearing this, his expression did not change, but his eyes immediately lit up.
“This…”
Jun Changwei’s long-winded speech was cut short.
Chou Bodeng smiled brightly, patted Jun Changwei’s shoulder, and said in a heartfelt tone, “I’ll leave the matter of repairing the sword to you, Elder.”
“Of course, of course…”
Jun Changwei was helpless, sighing over his dwindling savings.
Chou Bodeng happily withdrew his hand.
“Fatty Zuo,” Lu Jing said to Zuo Yuesheng, stroking his chin thoughtfully, “since we’ve come to your Mountain Sea Pavilion, shouldn’t you do your duty as a host?”
Zuo Yuesheng slapped his chest, “That goes without saying!”
Elder Tao Rong bowed slightly, “Elder Chou, the Pavilion Master and two Grand Elders have prepared a banquet to welcome you. It’s in the Tide-Listening Tower.”
“Hey, hey, hey!” Lu Jing hurriedly pulled on Chou Bodeng’s clothes and whispered, “Young Master Chou, what’s the fun in dealing with those old geezers? We should just let Fatty Zuo show us around.” As he spoke, he winked desperately at Chou Bodeng, clearly up to some mischief.
“Indeed,” Zuo Yuesheng joined the whispering. “My dad is the best at putting on an act. His welcoming banquet is bound to be as boring as it gets.”
The corner of Elder Tao’s eye twitched as he listened to these scions ramble on.
The Pavilion Master himself was hosting a banquet to welcome them. How solemn, how courteous was that? In the mouths of these brats, what had it become… If word got out, it would probably anger eighty percent of the cultivators to death, right? And, Young Pavilion Master, you’re exposing your own father’s secrets like this. If the Pavilion Master finds out, he’ll surely beat you to death, right?
The nearby Jun Changwei pretended not to hear, showing no intention of stopping them.
—Anyway, as long as the Little Martial Grand-Ancestor didn’t burn down the Mountain Sea Pavilion, it was no big deal in the eyes of Taiyi.
Chou Bodeng wasn’t very keen on going to any welcoming banquet in the first place, so they hit it off immediately.
Except for Ye Cang, who was left with Elder Jun by Chou Bodeng, and Lou Jiang, who had other matters to attend to, the remaining scions, including Monk Budu, linked arms and stood up the Pavilion Master and the others without any psychological burden.
Elder Tao watched them leave, speechless for a moment.
***
The sea breeze was refreshing.
Qiwu Mountain was located in the sea. It was less of a “mountain” and more of a reef island. It was called a mountain because it was covered in huge rocks that stood like walls and cliffs, looking like peaks from a distance. The island was very small, with sparse vegetation and no houses. The Heavenly Snow Boat had stopped on Qiwu Mountain simply for a better view of the Golden Crow carrying the sun.
The real main pavilion of the Mountain Sea Pavilion was slightly to the south. There was a sea bridge on Qiwu Mountain that connected to Zhunan City, where the main pavilion was located.
After sunset, Chou Bodeng understood why the city where the main pavilion of the Mountain Sea Pavilion was located was called “Zhunan.”
As the afterglow faded and the world grew dim, the moon-bright pearls embedded in the railings on both sides of the sea bridge emitted a soft light, making the entire bridge look like two parallel strings of pearls winding over the gentle tide. And further away, at the end of the sea bridge, thousands of lantern towers rose from nine low, continuous sea mountains, their light illuminating thousands of miles, as if nine bright moons had risen simultaneously over the sea.
Zhunan, Zhunan, the Bright South Candle.
As they got closer, they discovered that they were not sea mountains, but nine Black Tortoise divine beasts. They were as large as a cluster of giant islands and mountains, floating on the vast sea, with iron chains in their mouths and their eyes slightly closed.
Lu Jing tilted his head back, looking at the Black Tortoise divine turtle, which was hundreds of meters tall, and the magnificent city on its back. The words “what a big turtle” almost escaped his lips.
Fortunately, he wasn’t a complete idiot. He at least knew that a single breath from the Black Tortoise divine turtle could blow him tens of thousands of miles away…
“So… so high,” Lu Jing said, pulling back from the brink. “How do we get up there?”
Hearing this, Zuo Yuesheng put his hands on his hips, let out a sharp, swirling whistle, and shouted, “I’m back!”
The Black Tortoise at the very front slowly opened its mouth, and iron chains clattered down, bringing with them an exquisite shell basket the size of a small house. Chou Bodeng looked at the small shell frame with a strange expression, wondering if this was the immortal cultivation version of an elevator.
Zuo Yuesheng jumped into the shell basket and waved at them, “My Mountain Sea Pavilion has set up a formation. The only way to enter Zhunan is through the shell basket. Come on up.”
Chou Bodeng stepped into the giant shell and, not surprisingly, found a row of moon-bright pearls installed inside as lights… So, something was truly amazing.
“Fatty Zuo,” Chou Bodeng asked seriously, “how did your father raise a cheapskate like you?”
Lu Jing and Monk Budu nodded in deep agreement.
Damn it, no wonder everyone said the mountains of the Mountain Sea Pavilion were mountains of gold, and the seas of the Mountain Sea Pavilion were seas of silver. When they used to hang out with this kid Zuo Yuesheng, they didn’t feel it much, but now that they were actually at the Mountain Sea Pavilion, they suddenly realized that the saying was true—the Mountain Sea Pavilion was ridiculously rich!
In terms of martial power among the immortal sects, Taiyi was undoubtedly number one.
But in terms of who was the richest, even if you threw in the Hundred Clans, it would still be the Mountain Sea Pavilion, hands down!!!
“Many a little makes a mickle, understand?” Zuo Yuesheng was not ashamed at all. “If we waste one copper coin today, and another tomorrow, over time, the Mountain Sea Pavilion will also decline. No business is too small to earn, and no money is too little to waste.”
“Bah!”
The group spat at him in unison.
Zuo Yuesheng quickly changed the subject, “Where do you guys want to go? How about I take you to the night market? The night market in my Mountain Sea Pavilion has lights as bright as day, rare treasures from all over, and a lantern tide you’ve definitely never seen… Hey, do you want to see the candle wheel?”
“Ahem, ahem,” Lu Jing coughed repeatedly, interrupting him in a serious tone. “Fatty, that’s where you’re wrong. We’ve come all the way to your Mountain Sea Pavilion, how can you not take us to the most famous place? What kind of host are you.”
“Huh?” Zuo Yuesheng was taken aback. “The Mountain Sea Treasure Market and the lantern tide are the most famous… Don’t tell me you want to go to the Martial Repository Pavilion? It’s not impossible, but it’s just full of manuals and nothing else fun.”
“You idiot.” Lu Jing slapped his thigh, looking like he was disappointed in his unteachable friend. “Who cares about some manuals and collections? I’m talking about the Qin Tower!!! Your Mountain Sea Pavilion’s Qin Tower is the number one pleasure ground in the world, the most elegant den of gold!”
“Elegant my ass, you just want to go to a brothel!”
The thought of the prices for the food, drinks, and entertainment at the Qin Tower made Zuo Yuesheng’s vision go black, and he almost wanted to swallow the promise he had just made.
Lu Jing nudged Chou Bodeng with his elbow and urged him righteously, “Young Master Chou, say something. We are first-rate profligates. Shouldn’t profligates be all about ‘strong wine, song towers, and beautiful women’?”
“Hmm.”
Chou Bodeng glanced at Zuo Yuesheng’s pained and contorted face and nodded, enjoying the show and not minding making things worse.