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“Clan Elder, everyone, good day.” Qi Lin walked out from the ancestral hall, his essence, qi, and spirit renewed.
Shang Qi and the others very easily could sense his True Qi and energy had entered another Deva from his profound Realm. In the first level Realm for cultivators, “Qi Refinement Nine Devas,” it was not very difficult to do so before opening the Heavenly Spirit meridians. The Pixiu Tribe had warriors even younger than Qi Lin enter Qi Refinement Sixth Deva realm, but never had he sensed such a martial aura from an eccentric turned warrior; it was palpable.
Qi Lin’s Sixth Deva Realm was incomparably profound. His True Qi was heavy, more unfathomable than Ninth Deva.
“Shang Xuan, how is your cultivation?” Shang Qi came to his senses and smiled.
“Disciple’s benefits were generous. To be able to receive the clan’s care, Shang Xuan is endlessly grateful.” Qi Lin expressed genuine gratitude. The Pixiu Banner’s Black And White Qi not only melded with the Nine Yins Nine Yangs, it even helped him advance his understanding of the black and white of the Dual Modes Seal. In a short time, he was able to refine Three Yins Three Yangs.
“En.” Shang Qi nodded, his expression stern, discussing it no further: “On your trip to Zhaoge, do not miss the deadline. Shang Yangjun and Shang Meng will act as your law protectors. The tribe has already prepared Bronze Warhorses for the three of you.” He waved his hand, and an elder guided three warhorses over.
These three were practically identical to the ones that Qi Lin saw when he originally resurrected. Their entire bodies were like bronze, and their hoofbeats sounded metallic; they were completely unlike Strange Beasts and more like puppets casted from bronze. However, a Bronze Warhorse was but a precious Strange Beast, a signature of the Ten Thousand Beasts Barbarians. Their hides were like armor plating, able to withstand the attacks of weapons, impervious to water and flame, and they ran like the wind over any terrain. In the Great Primordial Western Province, they were very famous and even sold to Central Earth.
“Xuan’er, this is your first Bronze Warhorse. You must be careful around it. You cannot be too forceful, or you will provoke it.” Shang Qi kindly warned.
Qi Lin straddled the the horse. Its skin was metallic, but it was also very soft, nothing uncomfortable about sitting upon it. However, he was not accustomed to riding without stirrups. Fortunately, cultivators were unlike layfolk; maintaining balance without stirrups was nothing difficult.
Previously, Qi Lin rode horses, camels, and elephants over land and water for archaeological digs, yet this was the first time he had rode this strange Bronze Warhorse of Primordial World.
The Bronze Warhorse struggled briefly in an attempt to buck Qi Lin off. Qi Lin had a Divine Name Contract, and his Primordial True Qi carried the intimidation of the Great Sage Equal Of Heaven, which very easily curbed the horse’s tantrum. After a short while, the horse became very docile.
Seeing Shang Xuan tame the Bronze Warhorse so quickly, Shang Qi and the others showed expressions of astonishment. They recalled that back then, the tribe’s number one genius Shang Yangjun needed half a day to tame one of the horses.
“Well, that was a complete loss.” Shang Meng was ashamed of his inferiority.
“Clan Elder, let’s go.”
“King Zhou has commanded that we ware not to follow. Be careful on your way to Zhaoge. Do not shame our Pixiu Tribe’s face.” Shang Qi warned.
“We sincerely follow your instructions.”
“Yangjun, look after yourself.” Shang Qi then said.
“Daughter knows.”
With a spur, the three horses simultaneously charged towards the forest outside the tribe, their hoofbeats pounding the ground like thunder.
“To be able to leave the Ten Thousand Beasts Wildlands is truly great.”
“I heard that Yin Shang Kingdom’s Zhaoge is an impregnable city, majestic and magnificent, deterring Fierce Beasts in a radius of millions of li. I really want to see it.”
“Without the Great King’s decree, we wouldn’t be able to leave the wildlands as we pleased. Furthermore, there are many Golden Core cultivators at Zhaoge. Outside is too dangerous.”
Everyone was in spirted discussion. As they watched the vanishing trio, some were envious, some were glad, and others relaxed.
…
The Ten Thousand Beasts Wildlands was the Great Primordial Western Province’s largest frontier territory, rumored to measure trillions of li. Even Golden Core Bagua cultivators that could cross a thousand li in a single bound were unable to fly across it. It was said that the deepest reaches of the wildlands had Primordial beasts, Divine Beasts, and other dangers recorded only in immemorial divine records. Furthermore, the border past the Ten Thousand Beasts Wildlands ran along the Central Province Kingdom Barbarians.
The Pixiu Tribe belonged to the Ten Thousand Beasts Wildland’s most remote locale, far from entering the Great Primordial. However, to pass through the thick forest to reach the Yin Shang Kingdom’s national capital of Zhaoge still required half a month’s time.
Qi Lin, Shang Yangjun, and Shang Meng drove their horses east, not daring to delay whatsoever.
Even so, they spent two days just to leave the Pixiu Tribe’s territory.
Five days later.
The group entered Kui Mountain.1
Kui Mountain’s topography was tall and straight, singular and majestic, but also quite eerie. The scenery was very peculiar, the curves like a snaking thread. The Bronze Warhorses followed the path forward, inspecting the terrain as they proceeded. The horse’s hooves stepped on the mountain’s strange and rugged path, letting out striking sounds that were very clear and echoed throughout the mountain.
Due to the terrain becoming very complicated and dangerous, the horses had no choice but to be cautious, advancing one step at a time.
“Shang Xuan, do you know why this was named Kui Mountain?” Shang Meng sat on his horse, opening his mouth probably because he did not like the gloomy atmosphere.
Qi Lin was in the middle of slowly comprehending the Nine Yins Nine Yangs. Hearing the question, he glanced over: “Why?”
“They say that during an immemorial war, there was an ancient king who lost a battle. He led several thousand women and children to flee to this mountain. Later, surrounded and in despair, he dug himself a mausoleum, and buried them all alive. Ever since then, you can hear the ghostly cries of women at night.2 It’s really creepy. I even heard in the tribe that some people saw several thousand maids weep as they walked deep into the mountains like ghosts. After that, they fell gravely ill. Seven days later, they died.”
Shang Meng modulated his voice, deliberately speaking with a hair-raising tone. He spoke to Qi Lin, but his gaze nevertheless stole glances towards the girl to the side.
Qi Lin rolled his eyes: We’re all cultivators, as if we would be afraid of ghosts.
“I trained at Kui Mountain before, and nothing strange happened at all. Not even the cries and wails of ghostly women. If this is real, then I actually want to see it.” Shang Yangjun was unperturbed.
Having been refuted, Shang Meng forced a smile, “I’m really not talking nonsense. It’s why Kui Mountain has the meaning of ‘woman’ and ‘ghost.'”
All of a sudden, a cold wind brushed past. All of their hair stood on end, as if someone had blew on their skin, absolutely chilling. Qi Lin, Shang Meng, and Shang Yangjun suddenly felt something was amiss. They raised their guard against their surroundings. Immediately, a strong gale gusted, and they surprisingly heard a wail in the wind.
This voice seemed to come from hell, for it was filled with despair and sorrow.
Shang Meng, a large, tough, and stocky man, was surprisingly lacking in guts. He was frightened pale, his eyes bulging wide.
“Who! What is this nonsense!!”
“This is nothing but mountain wind, Shang Meng, don’t be alarmed over nothing.” Shang Yangjun wrinkled her brow and glanced at Shang Xuan.
Qi Lin returned from his deep contemplations. His skin also felt the cold touch of the chilly wind. Qi Lin reached out, gesturing to be quiet. The cold wind continued to blow, and a whooshing sound came from the forest. The sky was suddenly dark, and the surroundings promptly dimmed.
That wailing voice became increasingly ear-piercing, as if it was right next to them.
Qi Lin’s eyes focused, and he pointed a finger. First Finger Of Hell pointed forth, and with a crash, the trees’ leaves scattered. An enormous animal fell from the trees. This beast’s face was demonic, long in shape and malevolent. It had a scarlet nose, and compared to the surrounding darkness, this bright color was even more glaring. There were deep grooves to the sides of its nose, a goatee under its chin, and fangs protruding from its mouth.
It surprisingly did not die from sustaining Qi Lin’s Hell First Finger. Instead, it writhed in pain on the ground. Its shrieks were like the wails in the cold wind.
“A mandrill!!”3 Shang Yangjun’s eyes narrowed.
That mandrill bounded off the ground, leaping into a tree. It hooted from atop the branch, and immediately afterwards, there were numerous ghostly cries that enveloped the entire peak. As far as the eye could see, the endless forest had a tidal wave of mandrills throwing themselves towards the group.
“We need to run, now. Mandrills are troupe-based Fierce Beasts, we cannot tangle with them.” Shang Yangjun immediately issued orders.
The three of them squeezed their legs and struck their horses’ sides. The Bronze Warhorses also sensed the terror of the mandrills, and they dashed madly forward.
On a peak of Kui Mountain, a group of people wearing strange clothes and mandrill masks watched Qi Lin’s group flee. “Ha, ha, what could the tribe’s genius do. All she could do was run for her sorry life, too. The three of you can die here. The Pixiu Tribe will die, too, because of you.” A young man took off the mandrill mask and sneered. Surprisingly, he was Shang Ci.
“Elder, I did not deceive you, did I. These three are the banner guardians, and they would definitely pass through this place.” Shang Ci curried favor with the man next to him.
A strong and sturdy man wore a frightening Mandrill King mask, his eyes like a beast’s. He paid no attention to Shang Ci’s flattery. The man waved a banner in his hand, and several other men dressed identically to him let out eerie howls. More and more mandrills leapt down from Kui Mountain.
A woman in a gorgeous red skirt and body armor walked over. This woman’s armor glowed, and with every step she took, rocks seemed to be on the verge of melting.
Shang Ci kept quiet out of fear, a bit of dread in his eyes. He could sense a different power from the woman. This power was ancient and strong; it was the power of a Divine Name Star General.
The stocky man immediately lowered his head in deference and spoke with a respectful tone: “Milord, the Pixiu Banner you desire has already been found. When the mandrill have them surrounded, we can take the Pixiu Banner anytime we wish.”
“Well done.” The woman was satisfied.
“At that time, Your Servant also asks that Milord put in a few good words for the ‘Mandrill Tribe’4 to the Founding Dragon. The Mandrill Tribe is willing to serve Shi Huang Di.” The man knelt.
“I will not forget your contributions. Do not let them escape now.” The woman was very indifferent.
“As you command.”
The man rose, blew a whistle, and waved the banner. The Mandrill Tribe’s people waved banners from everywhere on the mountain. Then, their figures scattered, vanishing into the troupe of monkeys.
The red skirted and armored woman retracted her gaze and spotted Shang Ci. She expressionlessly asked: “You are one of the Pixiu Tribe’s disciples, why betray your kinsmen? Could it be that you are unaware that should the Pixiu Banner be stolen, the entire tribe will be exterminated by King Zhou?”
Shang Ci knelt. He did not dare meet that woman’s pupils that were as red as blood.
“Shang Qi, chief of the Pixiu Tribe, rules the tribe as a dictatorship. Even death is too good for him. Father and I joined the Mandrill Tribe because we are unwilling to resign ourselves to the Pixiu Tribe’s fate. Your Servant asks only that Milord leave that woman to be my wife.”
“So it turned out to be all for a woman. You lacked the capabilities yourself, so you needed the assistance of others?” The woman’s tone was filled with derision. He was a cowardly man who sought glory. She itched to kill him.
“Your Servant has heard of the Founding Dragon’s fame, the king of past and present. We are willing to renounce our ways to follow you.” Shang Ci’s expression changed, and he hurriedly showed fealty.
“Your Servant is not so despicable like you. You are unfaithful to your word. After matters are concluded, that woman will be left to you. As for whether or not you can persuade her, that will depend on your capabilities.” The woman disdained this as beneath her.
Shang Ci prostrated himself, his smile incomparably lascivious: “Many thanks for the reward, Milord.”
The woman found him loathsome and no longer looked at him.
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- 媿山 ↩
- 媿 is composed of the “female” radical (女) and the word “ghost” (鬼), hence, the backstory. ↩
- 山魈, it can also refer to a type of spirit. However, given the context here, a monstrous mandrill is more appropriate a translation. ↩
- 魈部族, mentioned previously by Shang Wei. Since I have better context, I’ll be updating the TL. ↩
Whoa! First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty huh?
Funnily enough, she was already mentioned back in Maiden Galaxy, but I’m pretty sure the two are completely separate characters.