“

Clink, clink, clang, clang

…”

In the mountains, there were no other sounds, only the clear and ethereal jingling of bells echoing through the white clouds.

There were three people and a donkey.

A frail and thin middle-aged man wearing a large robe and a bamboo hat with a beard rode on the back of a scraggly donkey. The large robe covered his legs, and both he and the donkey looked weak and thin, creating a strangely harmonious image of mutual frailty.

What a delicate and refined scholar he appeared to be.

The two companions beside him were a round-faced man about eighteen or nineteen carrying a knapsack and leading the donkey, and a man in his twenties carrying a bow and a long sword with a determined look.

“Sir, there’s someone ahead.”

“It looks like a Daoist priest.”

“Let’s go and see!”

The man on the donkey squinted and tried to make out the figure ahead. After years of studying, he could no longer see clearly as his eyesight had dimmed, but he still looked excited.

As they approached, he could finally see more clearly. Indeed, it was a Daoist priest.

The man’s eyes immediately lit up. Since they were at Yunding Mountain, could he be an immortal?

But upon catching a glimpse of the horse grazing nearby and the bag lying on the ground out of the corners of his eyes, he felt a pang of disappointment, though he didn’t show it. Instead, he rode up on a donkey, dismounted, and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture toward Song You.

“Greetings, sir.”

Song You stood and returned the gesture. “Greetings.”

“I am Cui Shang. My style name is Buzhi, and my art name[1] is Nanxi Jushi. I am originally from Xuzhou. It is indeed a stroke of fate to meet you here.”

“I am Song You, and my style name is Menglai, a mountaineer from Lingquan County of Yizhou.”

“Don’t you have a Daoist title?”

“Not yet.”

“Oh…”

“Please don’t misunderstand; I’ve only just come down from the mountain and haven’t decided on a title yet,” Song You said calmly.

“I see.” Cui Nanxi smiled and then asked, “Mr. Menglai, are you heading up the mountain?”

“Indeed.”

“Are you going to the summit?”

“Yes.”

“The path to Yunding Mountain is treacherous, more difficult than ascending to the sky. The tales grow more mysterious with each telling, and fewer and fewer dare to claim they are going to the summit.” Cui Nanxi clasped his hands together. “After traveling this far, I’ve only encountered you, sir. May I have the honor of accompanying you to the top of Yunding Mountain?”

He paused, glancing at Song You’s horse and cat. “If we encounter wild beasts, we can look out for each other.”

“If our pace is similar, it would indeed be great to travel together.”

Unlike Cui Nanxi, who kept his gaze fixed on Song You, his bodyguard observed more closely. He soon noticed the jujube-red horse beside them, noting that it had no reins. However, he said nothing about it.

This only suggested that their arrival here wasn’t due to luck, and traveling with them might be a good thing.

“Please, don’t just stand there. Sit down.”

“Alright.”

The two of them sat down on the grass at a distance from each other, both facing the vast sea of clouds and taking in the expansive view.

Cui Nanxi glanced around, searching for something to say, and asked, "Is this your cat, sir?"

“Sort of.”

“Did this cat come with you up the mountain?”

“Yes, and it’s quite exhausted.”

The calico cat, lying on the ground, lifted its head upon hearing this and stared at Song You. If there weren’t others present, it might have protested by now.

“Won’t it run away?”

“No, it won’t.”

“I’ve heard that cats are hard to tame. How did you manage to do it?”

“Treat them with sincerity.”

Cui Nanxi couldn't help but clap his hands, feeling that although this gentleman was young, he had his own great qualities. He then said, "Sir, you must also be here at Yunding Mountain in search of immortals, drawn by its fame?"

“It seems you are as well.”

“Aren’t we all here for the same reason?” Cui Nanxi looked up at the sky with a longing expression. “I’ve heard that twenty years ago, Mr. Cheng An encountered a divine immortal on this mountain and had a delightful conversation over wine. How wonderful that must have been!

“As you go further, you will meet countless people who have claimed to encounter immortals in this mountain. Yet, I wonder if we'll be fortunate enough to meet one on our journey, and what that immortal might look like…”

Song You asked, “Did Mr. Cheng An truly meet an immortal?”

“Who knows…”

From Cui Nanxi’s words, Song You understood what he meant. Whether people in the past had truly encountered gods and immortals here or had merely met mountain spirits or reclusive hermits, Cui Nanxi hoped to meet the immortal of his dreams.

By his appearance, it seemed he was perhaps in a state of disappointment. Throughout history, poets and scholars in despair had often sought immortals.

Song You himself harbored a similar thought. Based on the rumors, he felt that there likely were no gods and immortals on Yunding Mountain, but he still hoped to find one here.

But what exactly were gods and immortals? Or rather, what kind of gods and immortals did he wish to meet and see?

If one were to break down the terms “god” and “immortal”, the meanings were actually quite similar and complementary, though there were nuances between them. In folk beliefs, the terms “god” and “immortal” were often conflated and seen as having little difference.

On closer examination, gods were more closely associated with faith, duties, and power, while immortals represented a state of being or a level of cultivation.

If he sought gods, he would not be looking for the gods of the Heavenly Palace. Even if he was not seeking a god with omnipotent abilities in the broadest sense, a god should still possess incredible power and have achievements and virtues that commanded great respect.

As for immortals, he would look for those detached from the mundane world, possessing profound cultivation skills and unique insights into worldly matters, with an extraordinary and transcendent state of thought. If their cultivation level was truly high, even if their cultivation skills were somewhat lacking or nonexistent, he would still be willing to consider them immortals.

However, such beings were not easily found.

While he was pondering this, Cui Nanxi's voice broke the silence from beside him, “It feels a bit chilly sitting here. Sir, why don’t we continue on and try to reach the top today?”

“Alright.” Song You also stood up.

Upon hearing them speak, the calico cat flipped over and got up. It then stretched lazily and took the lead, walking ahead.

To prove that she was in fact not tired, she moved her little paws rapidly. When she encountered roadside wild grass blocking the path, she intentionally jumped over it without even attempting to crawl through.

Seeing that Song You was not riding the horse, Cui Nanxi also dismounted from the donkey and walked alongside him. Observing the cat, he smiled and said, “Your cat truly acts like a human.”

“She is quite intelligent.”

“She even looked back!”

“She heard us.”

“Ah! I just noticed, but your horse doesn’t need a rein!”

“The horse is well-behaved too.”

“Is it also treated with sincerity?”

“Pretty much.”

“You are also quite a master.”

Not far ahead, they suddenly came upon a patch of red leaves. It was unclear what type of tree it was, but its leaves had turned a deep red, standing out vividly from a distance.

The cat arrived first, stopping to observe them. Meanwhile, the group walked forward slowly, the jingling of the bells ringing out.

The red leaves not only covered half the mountainside but also blanketed the ground, with patches of yellow and red. As they walked on them, the leaves were soft and crunchy, making a delightful sound. It was truly beautiful.

In the deep mountains, two voices could be heard.

“What a beautiful autumn scene in the deep mountains! Down below looks like summer, and as we climb higher, it feels like spring with all the blooming flowers. I expected it to become cold and desolate, as autumn usually is, but I didn't expect to encounter this autumn scenery!

Cui Nanxi continued, “I had long heard that Yunding Mountain has all four seasons on a single mountain. Having never experienced it myself, I didn’t realize it was so wonderful!”

“Are you feeling cold?”

“Not too bad. I’m dressed a bit thicker than you.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Did you also come from Changsheng County?”

“Indeed.”

“Then you must have taken a boat across from the opposite shore yesterday morning, right? Did you spend the night in the middle of the lake the night before? Perhaps our boats were not far apart.”

“We arrived at the opposite shore two days earlier and stayed in the lake’s center for the night. However, we returned the same route in the morning and later came around the lake’s edge,” Song You replied. “We started climbing the mountain yesterday morning.”

“How far around did you have to go?” Cui Nanxi was quite surprised.

“Two hundred li.”

“Why not just take the boat directly?”

“I thought the lakeside scenery was gorgeous, and walking a bit wouldn’t hurt.”

“Sir, you have exquisite taste!”

“I just had nothing else to do.”

“I heard you are from Yizhou. How did you end up here?”

“I’m traveling the world, and I happened to be passing through Pingzhou.”

“How carefree! If I were younger, I would also devote myself to the world like you, sir.” Cui Nanxi shook his head. “But alas, I am bound by the political strife...”

“Why did you come here then?”

“To be honest, I unintentionally offended some powerful officials and got entangled in party disputes, resulting in my demotion to this place.”

“I see.”

“

Ah

...” Cui Nanxi couldn't help but sigh deeply.

“Please don't be disheartened. Ups and downs are common in life,” Song You said, offering some casual words of consolation.

“I don’t mind the demotion. Even if they send me to a desolate place, I can still enjoy a different landscape. I too was once someone who had a passion for the mountains and waters. But when I was young, I aspired to leave a mark in history. Though I hope it doesn’t seem presumptuous to you, sir.” Cui Nanxi sighed helplessly.

He continued, “After several decades, I have read thousands of books and traveled tens of thousands of li. I consider myself well-versed in both ancient and modern knowledge, and familiar with astronomy and geography. Having served as an official in Changjing for several years, I’ve gained a certain reputation among scholars and recluses. Yet, failing to realize my ambitions is indeed a regretful matter.”

“Life is unpredictable, and you still have the rest of your life ahead of you.”

Cui Nanxi said, “There’s no need for comfort. I may not have my poetry celebrated throughout the world, nor my achievements in politics recorded in history, but that’s fine. How many can truly leave a mark in history?

“If I had known, I would have spent more time traveling the world’s mountains and rivers, seeking immortals and exploring Dao! As the saying goes, ‘Traveling thousands of li in search of immortals is not too far; a lifetime of visiting famous mountains is also delightful.'”

This was why scholars loved to converse with monks and Daoist priests.

They believed monks and Daoist priests were people outside the world. Even when encountering monks or Daoists by the roadside, they were quite happy to confide their troubles and seek solace. Sometimes, meeting them by chance made it even easier to open up.

Song You mostly listened from then on.

After passing through the area of red leaves, he added another layer of clothing. Cui Nanxi, panting heavily, mounted his donkey again after encouragement from his attendants and Song You.

Ahead, there was a mountain spring blocking the path. The spring was around knee-deep, with a strong current. The path was slippery and inclined, leading directly to a bottomless abyss below.

Crossing it would be risky and involve wading through the water.

Cui Nanxi sat on the donkey’s back, while his two attendants removed their shoes and rolled up their pants, preparing to lead the donkey through the water. Seeing the way they tread through the water, it was evident that the mountain spring water was bone-chillingly cold.

Song You also wanted to take off his shoes, but before he could remove even one, the jujube-red horse beside him lay down and watched him intently with its dark eyes. Looking ahead, Cui Nanxi also turned around, watching to see how Song You planned to cross the water.

His gaze seemed to suggest that, if Song You didn’t know how to ride a horse, he would still insist on having his guards lead his donkey across back and forth again for him to be carried across.

After some thought, Song You thanked the horse and mounted it.

The attendants who had been leading the donkey were replaced by the guards. One guard held tightly to the donkey’s reins while also grasping another attendant to prevent him from slipping and falling.

The horse was larger and more stable on its feet. With the Daoist on its back, it walked even more steadily.

“This horse of yours is truly remarkable,” Cui Nanxi said.

“We’ve relied on it a lot during the journey.”

Cui Nanxi said, “Our luck seems quite good. On the way we came from before meeting you, I encountered ferocious beasts and mountain monsters. Fortunately, thanks to Xu Le, we passed through safely. As we walk further away from the mundane world below in this journey, we haven’t been disturbed by poisonous insects or fierce beasts at all, nor have we encountered mountain spirits or ghosts.

“It seems we are getting closer to the gods and immortals. We are likely to find and meet the gods and immortals today.”

Song You replied, “Perhaps.”

After crossing the water, there was a cliff ahead, with an iron chain leading to the other side of the cliff. The fog here was exceptionally dense.

Up to this point, it had been a well-trodden path for those seeking immortals. It was precisely the iron chain ahead that blocked most seekers of immortals from hiking up Yunding Mountain.

1. In Chinese culture, art names, or

Hao,

refers to honorific names made by oneself or given by others when one is in middle age. ☜