Chapter 73 Analysis

Xiaoqing watched from the side, a little confused. Though she couldn’t fully understand, she listened attentively. Her elder brother and second sister rarely told her much, always treating her as a child. Her mischief and playfulness over the years had been ways to attract their attention. Now, she listened with unusual seriousness, thinking that she, too, had grown up and wanted to help her second sister however she could.

Erqing, upon hearing Wang Yuanfeng’s words, hesitated briefly before speaking. “The matters on this mountain are not exactly secrets. Any sect with a long heritage knows a thing or two.”

Wang Yuanfeng thought this made sense. Such a massive mountain would naturally attract those curious enough to investigate its mysteries. Any cultivator wandering around would pick up a few clues. As he reflected, Erqing continued, “In ancient times, during the war between humans and demons, a mighty demon once occupied Blade and Axe Mountain. The Eastern Peak Emperor, in order to open up the battlefield, slew the demon with a single blow, cleaving both the monster and the mountain in two. Though the mountain was split, its roots remained. What was once a unified peak became divided into yin and yang: the southern slope is pure yang, the northern pure yin. The root of pure yang lies in the Fire Tiger Cave to the south, while the root of pure yin is here in the Snake Cave. From that moment, the mountain’s dragon vein vanished—many sorcerers have searched for it, but none found its trace.

“However, those who cultivate the path of yin and yang and seek to form a golden core must find the balance of yin and yang, harmonize dragon and tiger, to become carefree immortals of the earth.”

Wang Yuanfeng pondered. It seemed the weasel spirit had reached the threshold of forging a golden core, connecting heaven and earth. To succeed, it needed the union of yin and yang, which required seizing the root of yin from this Snake Cave. But, with so many insects, snakes, and monsters here, he would have to eliminate the cave’s master first. As for why he had set his sights on An Youyu—well, An Youyu was favored by fortune, bearing the aspect of a hidden dragon. Suddenly, the realization struck him and he exclaimed, “I understand!”

“What is it? Tell us, quickly!” Xiaoqing’s curiosity was piqued. She didn’t fully understand, but her child’s inquisitiveness was strong.

Erqing, though silent, watched Wang Yuanfeng expectantly, hoping he could give them an answer.

“Ahem.” Seeing their eager faces, Wang Yuanfeng cleared his throat and continued, “Based on the information Miss Erqing provided and what I’ve seen, the weasel spirit has likely reached the peak of the human-immortal level.

“It’s commonly known there are five ranks in the immortal path, determined by fate and opportunity: Heaven, Earth, Man, Spirit, and Ghost. The path of ghost immortals grants longevity, but only as a wandering soul. Though called immortals, they are truly ghosts, with no foundation and unable to ascend to the immortal isles—best not to speak of them. Beyond that, from low to high, are human immortals, earth immortals, spirit immortals, and celestial immortals.”

Xiaoqing listened with interest, nodding frequently. Erqing noted this division of ranks was new to her, though everyone knew the weasel spirit’s human-immortal status. Still, it didn’t seem relevant now, so she listened on.

Wang Yuanfeng went on, “There are countless alchemical methods in the world, but their principles are interchangeable. In essence, there are four main ways: yin and yang, dragon and tiger, void, and pure clarity. The weasel spirit, I suspect, follows the path of yin and yang. Being of yang nature, to form the golden core he needs to balance yin and yang, water and fire. That’s why his attention has turned here.”

Erqing and Xiaoqing nodded; Erqing’s own guesses matched Wang Yuanfeng’s almost exactly. Xiaoqing, for her part, listened as if to a thrilling story.

Wang Yuanfeng’s tone shifted. “To merge yin and yang and form the golden core requires forty-nine days of seclusion. Since this cave is your dwelling, he must seize it to safely form the core.”

“What? That weasel spirit is despicable! I knew he was up to no good!” Xiaoqing burst out angrily.

Erqing, understanding the weasel spirit’s intentions, nodded in agreement.

Wang Yuanfeng analyzed further. “Here, he isn’t on home ground, so he may not be your match. That’s why he seeks someone with the aspect of a hidden dragon, someone who holds sway over this mountain—such a person would naturally suppress you. If he can get that person to act, and then assist from the side, dealing with you would be all too easy.”

Xiaoqing was furious. This mountain was home to her and her siblings, and now even their home was coveted. She declared, “Where is this person? I’ll go kill him right now!” She looked ready to storm out and do just that.

Erqing grabbed her. “Don’t be rash, Xiaoqing. Perhaps there’s another way.”

Xiaoqing glanced around, then broke free and ran to Wang Yuanfeng, clutching his arm and acting cute, her tone coquettish: “Brother Yuanfeng, do you have a way? If you do, tell me, please?”

Wang Yuanfeng felt a wave of awkwardness, pulling Xiaoqing off his arm as he replied, “If we can find this person with the hidden dragon aspect, either befriend him and disrupt the weasel spirit’s plans, or, if needed, interfere with his fortune—then whatever schemes the weasel spirit has, he won’t be able to harm you.”

He’d planned to keep this as a bargaining chip, but Xiaoqing’s antics unnerved him. Faced with such a display, a man seasoned in romance might play along, but for someone inexperienced, it was best not to get swept up and lose his head.

Erqing shook her head with a helpless smile. Xiaoqing was kind-hearted but loved to play tricks. Hearing Wang Yuanfeng’s suggestion, she thought it feasible, recalling the incident of the weasel spirit being sold and said, “You mentioned the one who bought and released the weasel spirit—the person with the hidden dragon aspect. That must be An Youyu, right?”

“Exactly.” Wang Yuanfeng clapped and praised her, “Miss Erqing, you are not only graceful and wise but also exceedingly clever.”

Erqing lowered her head shyly at the compliment. “Thank you for your praise.”

Xiaoqing, not wanting to be left out, blurted, “What about me? What about me? How am I?”

“Uh…” Wang Yuanfeng, at a loss, thought for a moment and said, “Miss Xiaoqing, you are lively, adorable, enthusiastic, and cheerful!”

Xiaoqing instantly cheered up, her annoyance over her sister’s injuries forgotten, and found Wang Yuanfeng much more agreeable.

Erqing considered the situation—it was necessary to find the person with the hidden dragon aspect and see what happened. She said, “Mr. Wang, I’ll go find An Youyu and also check how many people the weasel spirit has brought.”

“How do you plan to start?” Wang Yuanfeng asked. Without a clear direction, searching would be difficult.

Erqing responded, “You and Xiaoqing stay in the Snake Cave. I’ll scout around the mountain. If he comes, I have ways to find him.”

“No, I want to go too!” Xiaoqing objected. Every time they left her behind.

Wang Yuanfeng felt uneasy. In his current state, he couldn’t use swordsmanship or flying swords, only minor spells for self-defense, not offense. Circumventing Blade and Axe Mountain would take half a month—relying on the sisters would be much faster. But both were in precarious situations, and they had saved his life—he couldn’t just ignore their plight. Since there was no time to lose, he decided to help them resolve this matter first.

“We’ll split into two groups. You search for the weasel spirit; Xiaoqing and I will look for An Youyu.”

“Great! Once I find An Youyu, I’ll skin him alive!” Xiaoqing said gleefully, eager for action.

Erqing thought for a moment. Wang Yuanfeng was injured—his fighting strength must be diminished, but he radiated nobility. Seeking out someone with dragon energy, he wouldn’t be suppressed and would be safe, especially with Xiaoqing beside him. As for herself, though she would be suppressed by dragon energy, she was confident she could protect herself when facing the weasel spirit. This arrangement seemed reasonable, and she nodded.

Seeing her sister agree, Xiaoqing excitedly grabbed Wang Yuanfeng and pulled him along. Wang Yuanfeng looked helplessly at Erqing, who returned a resigned expression. He suddenly felt he had made a most unwise choice.

…

When the weasel spirit had fought Wang Yuanfeng, he was startled by the sudden arrival of Erqing and Xiaoqing and fled, fuming. On his way back, he vented his anger by destroying trees, shattering rocks, and killing any small creature he came across, leaving chaos in his wake.

He was frustrated—he had cultivated quietly for centuries and had achieved great success with his demon core a hundred years ago. All that remained was to form the golden core and become a carefree earth immortal. However, his bloodline was limited. By chance, he had obtained a method of yin and yang alchemy, requiring the union of yin and yang to form the golden core. That was why he’d moved his entire household to Blade and Axe Mountain, which contained both yin and yang. After a century, everyone believed he was the mountain’s resident demon—everything was in place, a secret he kept from all.

He had plotted for years to seize the southern root. Three months before, when the Fire Tiger had gone out and was wounded in battle, he’d used his accumulated reputation to betray and ambush the Fire Tiger. Though the Fire Tiger escaped, he was gravely injured, his spirit wounded, and unlikely to survive long. The last obstacle was the Snake Cave to the north. Once he took the Snake Cave, he could form the golden core.

For secrecy, he’d told no one, not even his daughter. For this assault on the Snake Cave, he brought only a trusted aide and his daughter; only the aide knew the plan, while his daughter was kept in the dark.

Unexpectedly, someone had stumbled upon his secret. Regardless of whether that person knew his plan, he had to die—this scheme had taken too long to risk exposure. He had almost succeeded in killing him, but the snake demon had discovered them. He had intended to wait until the snake demon was cultivating with the stalactite’s power, then strike, but now everything was in chaos and he had to think fast.

In his agitation, he saw a snake crawling up a tree and prepared to kill it with a slap. Just as he was about to strike, he noticed someone standing on a cliff nearby, overlooking the valley where he, his daughter, and his aide were currently residing. It seemed the person was enjoying the view. He recognized who it was—this was the key to his plan, the one who had bought him in a ruse and then released him.

“An Youyu? What is he doing here?”