Chapter Eight: The Canyon

Only then did Ling Luo’s expression soften. “I know the Princess is concerned for Sister Linran, but this matter is not merely a personal affair. Besides, Sister Linran would never do such a thing.”

“You are right, Marquis Xin,” the Princess replied.

Zheng Linran felt a chill creep into her heart at the Princess’s stance. But her leverage was now in someone else’s hands; though she felt aggrieved and bitter, she could only feign sorrow, wiping her tears as she said, “Thank you, Princess, for your concern. But my sect has just lost its leader, and my heart is ashen; I would never think of such things. I only wish to devote myself, as my master did, to the unification of Zheng, and to uphold the honor of the Flying Immortal Sect.”

Ling Luo’s expression brightened further. “Sister, your resolve is truly admirable. If ever you need anything, do not hesitate to ask—so long as it is within my power, I shall not refuse.”

The Princess, however, sighed inwardly, knowing that Zheng Linran’s heart would surely be estranged. She was troubled that she could not explain her suspicions to Ling Luo: first, it would do no good; second, without real evidence, Ling Luo would find it hard to believe; and third, she suspected Ling Luo himself harbored doubts.

Just then, a guard from the Left Prefectural Commander’s mansion arrived, and Ling Luo immediately straightened, asking, “Well? What news?”

The soldier bowed his head, his face full of shame as he reported, “Marquis Xin, there is a canyon beneath the abyss.” At this, the soldier paused. Ling Luo frowned and barked, “Then continue searching!” Seeing the soldier still silent, Ling Luo grew angry. “Is a mere canyon enough to deter you? If none of you dare go down, I will search myself!”

“Marquis Xin, please calm yourself!” The soldier hesitated, struggling to speak, “Reporting to Marquis Xin, the canyon... the canyon…”

“What of the canyon?” Ling Luo struck the table in frustration, and the soldier finally gathered his courage and answered, “The canyon is filled with molten lava.”

“What—!” Ling Luo’s face changed; his body swayed, and the Princess rushed to steady him. “Marquis Xin, take care.”

Ling Luo endured and endured, but finally tears coursed down his cheeks; after a long time, his grief erupted in a furious cry to the heavens.

“O Heaven, how can you be so unjust! My third junior brother, ambitions unfulfilled, dies so young, and now even his bones are lost in the molten abyss. O Heaven—how can you be so cruel!”

The soldier murmured, “Marquis Xin, take care!” but seeing Ling Luo oblivious, he bowed and withdrew.

Zheng Linran saw the Princess herself begin to weep in sorrow, and could only feign heartbreak, dabbing at her tears.

That day, Bu Jingxian was unwilling to perish so easily; he scraped his body against the cliff face to slow his fall, injuring himself in the process. Once halted on the cliff, he used his longsword for support, descending further—first a yard at a time, then three or five at once. When he finally saw the bottom, he realized there was a canyon below, its depths swirling with molten lava, and could not help but feel fortunate.

If he had fallen straight down, his remains would surely have been obliterated.

Seeing footholds along the canyon’s edge, he dared to continue downward. Along the way, he found the heavy sword he had dropped, lodged in a stone at the brink—he was overjoyed. It seemed the divine sword was protected by some spirit; had it deviated even slightly, it would have plunged into the lava below.

He was covered in blood, but his heart was jubilant at surviving such calamity. Joining the two swords, he carried them and chose to walk along the canyon’s edge in the direction away from Zhengdu.

Zheng Linran would not allow him to live; if he sought Ling Luo now, she would surely pursue him without hesitation. Even if Ling Luo protected him, Bu Jingxian did not wish to live under another’s roof; he had only agreed to come to Zhengdu for Linran’s wedding. Moreover, the King of Zheng could never choose him over the renowned sect leader of Flying Immortal. Staying in Zheng would mean a thousand deaths; even if he survived, he would accomplish nothing.

The canyon beneath the abyss seemed endless. Bu Jingxian, dragging his badly wounded body, walked for an hour without seeing its end.

At last, the canyon narrowed, and the lava was no longer visible.

Bu Jingxian was walking when he suddenly heard someone chiseling at rock ahead. He was puzzled, but as he drew nearer, the sound ceased. Closer still, footsteps on gravel echoed from the opposite side—someone seemed to be approaching him.

At last, he saw the person and was stunned. The other was equally surprised.

Thirty yards away stood a woman in a brocade long robe, over forty years old, her face etched with hardships and weathered by life. Though her robe was sumptuous, it matched her face poorly. She carried a basket on her back, contents unknown, and held an iron hammer in her hand.

“How did you come down from there?” the woman called out, walking toward him.

Bu Jingxian hurried to bow and answer, “I am Bu Jingxian. I was in trouble and fell from above, but by fortune, I survived.”

The woman smiled. “Surviving disaster brings future blessings. …You may call me Lady Li. It happens I need help, and Heaven has sent you. How is your injury?”

Bu Jingxian tried moving his arm; though it still hurt, the wound had not torn open.

“If it’s only stone-breaking, I can manage.”

“The swords you carry are heavier than this hammer.”

Lady Li led Bu Jingxian over twenty yards further and stopped before a massive boulder.

Bu Jingxian noticed a passage beside them, leading underground. Lady Li laughed, “Below is an ancient ruin, destroyed long ago by geological upheaval. I’ve searched for seven days and only found this boulder. If nothing lies within, then it will have been a fruitless effort.”

Bu Jingxian picked up the hammer and began smashing the boulder. He asked, curious, “Are you searching for treasure to sell?”

Lady Li laughed. “The most precious things in the world aren’t riches. Discovering ancient artifacts is delightful, but more important is finding ancient documents—to glimpse the true face of history.”

“What difference does it make, knowing things that happened so long ago?” Bu Jingxian was puzzled.

Lady Li spread a cloth for him to wipe his sweat, then took out some dry rations and water for him to rest. Bu Jingxian, exhausted and hungry, accepted gratefully and ate without ceremony.

“No matter how much time passes, the mysteries of the world remain beyond our full understanding. The pursuit of knowledge is a way of life.” Lady Li handed him a few steamed buns, but he quickly waved them off.

“If I eat too much after starving, it makes me ill. Thank you, Lady Li, but I must decline.”

“Is that so?”

“Truly.”

Lady Li smiled and put away the buns, asking how he had fallen. Bu Jingxian briefly described the Black Wolf Army’s invasion of Zheng, saying he had been dragged down after enemy troops destroyed the suspension bridge, omitting any mention of Zheng Linran.

“So you are a disciple of the Northern Spirit Sect?”

“I am not accomplished, but was fortunate enough to be taken as the third disciple by Elder Beiling.”

“It is fate, then. When you help me break open this stone, I will give you something—something deeply connected to your sect.”

Bu Jingxian was intrigued but held his tongue; Lady Li, though not seeming to come from a long-privileged noble family, did not appear a villain either. He focused on wielding the hammer against the boulder, suspecting Lady Li might know Elder Beiling.

Though she asked him to help, Lady Li herself was not idle; with an iron spike in one hand and a hammer in the other, she struck carefully, albeit slower.

“You believe in the indestructible spirit, don’t you?” Lady Li suddenly asked. Bu Jingxian nodded and smiled. She continued, “Have you ever heard of the Original Spirit Tribe?”

Bu Jingxian, born on Spirit Mountain, thought such a question hardly needed asking. He laughed, “I was born on Spirit Mountain; of course I’ve heard of them.”

Lady Li smiled, not convinced, her gaze deliberately provocative. “That may not be so. Go on, tell me.”

“The Original Spirit Tribe is a branch of my Spirit Clan’s guardians…”

“Stop!” Lady Li laughed wryly. Bu Jingxian was confused, and she asked, “Who told you that?”

“That’s what everyone says on Spirit Mountain—could it be untrue?”