Chapter 643: Meeting the Old Mountain Demon Again

There really was a true immortal on Yunding Mountain.

At this moment, Yunding Mountain and the immortal on it were both above the clouds on the opposite side, separated only by a cliff.

Within the cliff gathered thick mist, much denser than described in Cui Nanxi’s writings. The fog rose and not only obscured the only iron chain path leading to the other side of the cliff, but also made the scenery atop Yunding Mountain and the figure on it appear faint and elusive, as if everything were an illusion.

The mountain wind stirred, and the mist flowed. The iron chains swayed faintly, producing a crisp clinking sound.

On the misty side of the mountain stood a dozen or so climbers, mostly seekers of immortals and Daoists, all excited but none daring to cross the iron chains. They just stared longingly toward the front of the chains, deep into the mist, as if waiting for some outcome, frequently glancing up at the mist atop the mountain.

When the fog thinned, they would all remind each other. When the fog thickened, they sighed in disappointment. It was like mountain climbers waiting for the sunrise.

The figure sitting atop Yunding Mountain seemed to be the wondrous sight they braved countless mountains and rivers to witness.

“Clink, clink...”

The sound of the iron chains swaying rang out again.

Then, a faint figure appeared in the mist, climbing back.

The magistrate, itching to see the immortal, hurried over as the figure got closer. He greeted him and helped him down. Then together with the others, he asked, “How was it?”

The person only shook his head and said, “Still can’t get through.”

The people around sighed again, their eyes constantly flicking to the mountain top opposite.

Only the magistrate was puzzled, quickly asking a bystander, “May I ask, what’s wrong with the iron chains? Why can no one get across?”

“Just arrived, sir?”

“Yes, just got here.”

“Well, since yesterday morning, when the immortal came and the mountain mist rose, no one’s been able to pass,” the person said. “I arrived yesterday and tried climbing myself. In the past two days, others have tried too, but the situation is the same as when I tried yesterday morning. The chains aren’t very long. When the fog is thin, you can see the other side of the cliff, it’s not that far. But climbing the chains feels like you’ll never reach the end. Especially when inside the fog, you can’t see the far side or the way back. No matter how hard you climb, you remain in the mist.”

“So it’s like that!” The magistrate was greatly surprised.

“Even more amazing, today the farthest climber was a martial artist with agile and strong hands and feet, who climbed for a full half hour without reaching the end. No matter how far you climb forward, if you turn around to go back, you’re out of the mist within just a few steps and can see the way you came from.”

“Well...” The magistrate hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and looked upward. “It seems the immortals don’t wish for us to cross.”

“Exactly! But then again, some people believe it's a test from the immortals, and only those who persevere to the end can reach the other side. So people keep trying, yet no one has ever made it all the way. At the very least, no one’s dared to climb so far that they wouldn’t have the strength to return.”

“Sigh...” The magistrate gazed toward the mountain peak, letting out a deep sigh.

The immortal mountain lay just ahead, the immortal was just across the way. The immortal was close enough to see, but not to visit. It was truly a regretful thing.

“Are you also someone who enjoys seeking out the Dao and pursuing the immortals?”

“Indeed I am!” the magistrate replied politely.

“In that case, have you ever been to the uninhabited mountain range, several hundred li wide, at the border of Pingzhou and Xuzhou?” the man asked, cupping his hands toward the magistrate as if he'd found a kindred spirit.

“I haven’t been there, no.”

“That is truly a shame.”

“Do you wish to go see it?”

“I'm originally from Hezhou. Years ago, Hezhou fell into chaos, and demons and monsters were everywhere. One great demon even founded a demon kingdom among mortals, spreading demonic plagues and raising humans like livestock.

“There was an immortal who walked through Hezhou, cleansing one place after another of all those demons and monsters. In the end, he borrowed a mountain from Pingzhou to suppress the great Demon King. That very mountain still stands in Hezhou to this day, it’s the only one across the entire He Plain.”

As the man spoke, his face lit up with excitement, unable to hide his awe. “They say that mountain was borrowed from that very range between Pingzhou and Xuzhou. I’ve always wanted to go see it.”

“I’ve heard tales of that mountain range too. It’s full of spirits and demons, and said to be quite strange. It used to be the main route between Pingzhou and Xuzhou, but now it’s abandoned. Only a few pass through it on rare occasions.”

“That’s right.” The man continued speaking to the magistrate, “Just yesterday, I met someone with the same interests, he also seeks the Dao and immortals. He was bold enough to travel through that mountain range.

“He told me that one night, while camping in the mountains, he saw a group of demons and ghosts carrying lanterns, as if heading to a market fair. They looked fierce, but in truth, like the ones on this very Yunding Mountain, they don’t harm humans. In fact, they’re rather kind and simple by nature.

“This gentleman mustered the courage to speak with them and asked about immortals. Surprisingly, they answered him; they spoke politely and carried themselves with courtesy.”

“Oh?” The magistrate immediately grew interested. “What did those demons and ghosts say?”

“They said there

is

a Mountain God in the range, and that over a decade ago, a steep and perilous mountain truly did go missing. They also mentioned that the world has grown increasingly unstable in recent years. Though their deep mountains used to be peaceful, lately, the divine immortals in the heavens seem displeased with the Mountain God.

This past summer, thunder rolled frequently through the mountains, and they're beginning to worry. They’re afraid the Mountain God may no longer be able to protect them.” The man added, “It didn’t sound like a lie.”

“With such detail, it really doesn’t.”

“That’s why I want to make a trip there.” The man looked toward the magistrate. “Since you, too, are someone who enjoys seeking the Dao and pursuing the immortals, would you care to join me? Perhaps we can form a good bond on the journey.”

“...” The magistrate was indeed a little tempted.

Those who enjoyed seeking the Dao and pursuing immortality were often free-spirited and unrestrained by convention. Whatever they dreamed of, they could act on it without hesitation. If they met someone they connected with, they'd quickly become fast friends, drink together, sing loudly, and travel side by side. Such a temperament truly stirred the magistrate’s longing.

After all, he too was someone who pursued the Dao and sought immortals.

But, what a pity...

“Alas, I am bound by official duties. Even this bit of rest has been hard to come by. I cannot leave my post without permission.”

“So you're a government official. My apologies, I meant no offense.” The man smiled and cupped his hands respectfully, with no displeasure, only regret. “Then it seems we cannot travel together. I’ll just have to find someone else.”

“

Sigh

...”

The magistrate sighed as well, feeling the same regret.

He had heard of the events in Hezhou, about the Mountain God and the immortal who borrowed a mountain from far away to suppress a demon. That tale had long filled him with admiration and longing. He deeply wished to see it with his own eyes, to witness such divine wonders for himself, and soothe the bitterness of his mundane, unremarkable life. But in the end... it simply wasn’t possible.

Still, the man’s story stirred something in him.

To encounter spirits and demons in the mountains, and not only survive but hold a conversation with these demons who didn’t harm humans, but acted with civility like people themselves. It was like something out of a story...

Yet the magistrate couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

According to legend, Yunding Mountain had long been home to all sorts of mountain spirits and ghosts, yet they never harmed anyone. It was said that when the immortal once cultivated here, these creatures were enlightened and disciplined by him, which was why they now kept to themselves. Could it be that the Mountain God of that vast range had likewise managed to restrain its spirits and demons? If so, then that Mountain God truly was a benevolent guardian.

Just then, a rustle came from the mist below. The fog swirled and thinned, and faintly, branches could be seen trembling. Some massive creature was making its way through the forest.

Startled and uneasy, the magistrate looked on in alarm.

The man beside him reassured him that it was merely some of the mountain spirits and ghosts. They had once been enlightened by the immortal, and now that the immortal had returned, it was likely the same one from over ten years ago. These beings were going to pay their respects.

***

At the summit of the mountain, a new stone platform had indeed appeared. A Daoist sat cross-legged before the platform, staying utterly still.

To commune with the heavens required no speech, it was a matter of resonance between man and the cosmos, of harmonizing with the Dao. Through this mysterious connection, he made his will known to the heavens, and in turn, the Dao of Heaven sent back its insight. Such was the exchange.

This alone was already something most human cultivators, gods, buddhas, demons, and ghosts could never achieve. Not everyone could communicate with Heaven.

Song You hailed from Hidden Dragon Temple, a place blessed by the Heavenly Dao. After descending the mountain for cultivation, his understanding of the Dao deepened immensely. He had managed to commune with the heavens several times before, even once at this very place. Now, having returned, it still took him considerable time to reach this state again.

But this time, it wasn’t like before, and night didn’t stretch into a year. Time continued as usual.

At least this time, the Daoist's communion with Heaven no longer affected the outside world, and time on this mountain flowed normally.

The calico cat sat quietly beside him, never disturbing him, often curling up in his lap to ward off the nighttime chill. During the day, she would go out to hunt and sometimes bring back fruit for him to eat when he awoke.

Like in the Ghost City of Mount Ye, the Daoist remained unmoving, never opening his eyes, neither eating nor drinking. He was sustained only by mountain winds and morning dew. Unlike Mount Ye, however, Lady Calico would always throw out or eat the food before it spoiled, then bring back something fresh.

The swallow often came and went, circling the mountain as they flew.

The two little demons frequently wandered off a bit to talk. They never neglected their meditation, cultivation, or spell practice. In fact, with a bit of friendly competition between them, they progressed even faster.

Visitors came to the mountain, each one a spirit or demon from within the range.

Had it been ten or so years ago, Lady Calico would have been alarmed, as though facing a deadly threat. But now, she didn’t mind them at all. She only glanced their way from time to time, just to make sure they didn’t come too close.

Day after day, even the scenery on the mountain changed. The leaves in the forest turned yellow, then red, then fell, leaving bare branches that were soon dusted with snow. And so the Daoist sat through an autumn, and then a winter.

Across the gorge, people came and went on the opposite mountain. One group after another arrived to catch a glimpse of the immortal. Yet none could cross the iron chains to reach the other side and witness the immortal up close.

Then, one day at noon, the Daoist finally opened his eyes. His gaze was calm, his spirit clear and bright.

The cat lay on her back beside him, bored, playing with an old cloth ball she’d had for over a decade. She kicked it up with all four paws and caught it again, or sometimes she just spun it aimlessly.

A swallow perched a little farther off, preening its feathers.

The mountaintop was tranquil. Grass didn’t grow there, and only a light dusting of snow had fallen. But below, clinging to the sheer cliff face, were countless mountain spirits and demons, packed tightly together. Some lay still, others looked up at him intently.

At the very front was a humanoid demon with a leopard’s head and a man’s body, sitting cross-legged on an ancient pine branch jutting from the cliff face, just like a human cultivator. There was also a massive, vividly marked mountain spirit, no smaller than the Five Manifested Gods he had met in Yangzhou. An old man hunched over with a goat’s beard was there too, as well as a giant black-feathered eagle.

Lower down were many lesser demons and spirits. As Song You looked down at them, he felt a strange sense of familiarity. After a moment's thought, it came to him.

There truly were many demons and spirits in this mountain. It wasn’t just because Yunding Mountain was rich in spiritual energy and steeped in mystery, or because of the shifts in the world over the years, but likely also because of his own time spent sitting here all those years ago.

Now, as the Daoist stood up, he drew not only the attention of the cat playing beside him, but also that of all the spirits and demons below the cliff.

Swish!

Countless eyes turned toward him in unison.

The leopard-headed man and the old goat-bearded man both cupped their hands in salute. The mountain spirit straightened and bowed. The great eagle lowered its head. All the demons and ghosts below either bowed down flat or dipped their heads—every one of them offering a respectful greeting.

This time was not like the last.

Last time, he had also communed with Heaven and Earth, attuned himself to the mountains and rivers. But back then, the focus had been on cultivation, and the mystical spiritual resonance had leaked outward. The birds, beasts, and creatures of the mountain who had already gained a bit of intelligence through cultivation had sensed it, and all flocked to his side, hoping to draw just a little of that fortune for their own cultivation.

But this time, it was a pure communion and a dialogue. None of that mystical resonance had leaked out. The reason these mountain spirits and demons had gathered and waited here was simply because they had learned that the immortal had returned. They came to express their gratitude for the enlightenment he once bestowed, and to show their respect. That was all.

Even the spirits and demons of the mountains understood courtesy and propriety.

“Everyone...” The Daoist looked at them, his gaze especially settling on the four at the front. These four had reached quite a respectable level of cultivation by now. “All these years... have any of you harmed humans?”

The many demons all quickly shook their heads to show they had not.

“Good.” The Daoist smiled and left them with a parting instruction, “Continue cultivating well in the mountains from now on. Do not descend lightly, especially in troubled times. The greater the temptations outside, the greater the test to your resolve.”

All the mountain spirits and demons listened intently.