Proofreader & Editor: Lotas
Zhang Xiaohan left Silver Sword Peak in tears.
Fortunately for her, being a girl, Di Nvfeng didn't make things too difficult, merely giving her a deep glare. With a mere lift of her hand, Di Nvfeng, a seventh realm powerhouse capable of summoning mountains of corpses and seas of blood, exerted a pressure that Zhang Xiaohan, with her modest cultivation, could not withstand.
A shiver of terror enveloped her instantly.
Although she had long heard of Di Nvfeng, the master of Silver Sword Peak, her knowledge, gained from growing up in Tian Shu Pavilion and reading the Seven Stars Residence reports, painted Di Nvfeng as a brutal and savage menace of Shu Mountain, at the very least a fierce and malevolent figure, if not outright hideous.
Who could associate the tall and beautiful lady before her with that image?
After her tears dried, Zhang Xiaohan reflected deeply.
The reason she hadn't recognized Di Nvfeng was that despite her notorious reputation, Zhang had never seen her true face or even a portrait. Compared to text, images were indeed a more direct and accurate method of communication.
On the Seven Stars Residence reports, usually only the Human Realm Treasures Record included illustrations, giving readers a glimpse of those divine artifacts. The Chronicles of the Nine Provinces and Tales of the Wandering Heroes never came with pictures.
She began to consider, should she include some illustrations in future news publications? This would not only make the dissemination of events more visual but also allow people to better understand the figures of the Nine Provinces.
Luckily, she had a talent for painting and had already dabbled in it. With this thought, Zhang Xiaohan's sorrow turned to joy, as she would become the first in Tian Shu Pavilion to pioneer narrative painting. Perhaps this would even start a new trend!
She would start by documenting tomorrow's Shu Mountain summit!
Indeed, despite the emotional trauma, Zhang Xiaohan had no intention of going home. Tomorrow was the final of the Shu Mountain summit, an event that would capture the attention of the entire Nine Provinces. As a professional disciple of the Wind Catching Hall, how could she miss it?
She stayed in the accommodations arranged by the Foreign Affairs Hall, living alongside disciples from the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands. Not long after settling in, she heard a knock at the door.
"Miss Xiaohan?" The visitor called softly.
Surprised by the voice, which sounded like Chu Liang's, Zhang Xiaohan opened the door to find him indeed standing there.
There he was, Chu Liang, with an innocuous smile, standing at the door, his hands full of large and small boxes.
"Hero Chu, what brings you here?" Zhang Xiaohan ushered Chu Liang in and then asked.
"My master was somewhat impolite to you earlier, and might have frightened you. I'm here to apologize on behalf of Silver Sword Peak and to check on you," Chu Liang said gently, "I've brought some small gifts, as a token of my apology."
"Oh, how could I accept this?" Zhang Xiaohan quickly waved her hands, "It was I who was disrespectful to your master first, why should you apologize to me?"
"Of course, we should. You are our guest, and you came to interview me, how can we let you be wronged?" Chu Liang sat down, laying out the gifts one by one, "This is a gift box of Golden Pattern Berries from Silver Sword Peak, and this is a Black Water Calming Lotus that can not only calm the nerves but also refine top-grade Golden Elixirs…"
"Ah?" Zhang Xiaohan was startled.
She had heard of the berry gift box from Silver Sword Peak but hadn't inquired in detail. Since it was a product of Silver Sword Peak, it couldn't be too precious. But the Black Water Calming Lotus was an important ingredient for refining external elixirs, capable of enhancing the quality to top-grade.
It was akin to the Swordleaf Flower that Chu Liang had sought before.
Its value was incredibly high!
Especially since Zhang Xiaohan was currently at the Divine Intent stage of cultivation, she would soon need the Black Water Calming Lotus. It was not only valuable but would also save her a lot of effort.
Such a gift was too considerate.
Chu Liang could actually afford to give her such an item, leaving Zhang Xiaohan stunned.
After a pause, she shook her head with difficulty, "Hero Chu, this is too precious. I can accept the berry gift box, but I really can't take the Black Water Calming Lotus."
It was fortunate that as a disciple of the Wind Catching Hall, she was wealthy enough to refuse.
"Miss Xiaohan, there's no need to refuse so quickly," Chu Liang said with a smile, "This is just a small token from Silver Sword Peak, showing our desire to befriend you. Besides, I have a small request."
So there was a favor to ask?
Zhang Xiaohan felt a bit more at ease and said, "You may speak freely, Hero Chu."
"It's about the berry gift box," Chu Liang said, "During the summit, I've been selling these gift boxes, and a little incident occurred…"
He then recounted the story of the powerful being who plundered the berries.
Zhang Xiaohan had only heard about it today and immediately blinked, "This is quite a curious tale, suitable for the Tales of the Wandering Heroes."
"Yes, I came to ask if you could mention the incident with Silver Sword Peak's berries in the Seven Stars Residence report," Chu Liang said slowly, "Besides, why did that powerful being plunder the berries? I can tell you in detail about the origin and effects of this item, as well as its profound implications."
"Implications?" Zhang Xiaohan was taken aback.
A mere fruit, having profound implications?
"Yes, you probably don't know the story behind it," Chu Liang said with a smile, "Back in the previous dynasty, in the south of the river, there was a man named Xu Xian, handsome and scholarly, who ran a pharmacy…"
"One day, he decided to go boating on the lake and happened upon two young ladies, one in green and one in white, just as it began to rain…"
"Xu Xian believed the monk's words and gave his wife the realgar wine, and immediately…"
"The White Snake and Green Snake thus barged into the immortal mountain, stealing the legendary fruit that could bring the dead back to life and mend flesh and bone, and fed it to Xu Xian. This brought him back to life, and the story is called 'The Theft of the Immortal Mountain's Fruit.'"
Chu Liang eloquently told Zhang Xiaohan the story of "The Theft of the Immortal Mountain's Fruit," leaving the young lady dumbfounded until he finished, and she asked, "What happened next? How did Xu Xian and Lady White end up?"
"If Miss Xiaohan agrees to write all this down, then I'll continue the story," Chu Liang said with a smile.
"The story is quite extraordinary; it could be mentioned in the Seven Stars Residence report," Zhang Xiaohan agreed without hesitation.
So Chu Liang continued, "Later, Lady White and Xu Xian planted the seed of the immortal fruit in the soil, and it bore new fruit, which is our Golden Pattern Berry…"
"After Lady White became pregnant, she shouldn't have been agitated, but Xu Xian just…"
"Thus, the waters flooded Jinshan, with endless waves and tumult! But old monk Fahai was no easy opponent…"
"Xu Hanlin caught his mother, and the family lived together happily ever after," Chu Liang finally concluded.
"That's wonderful!" Zhang Xiaohan exclaimed, "Lady White's family finally reunited."
"Yes, to celebrate Lady White's courage to love Xu Xian, her unwavering determination, and her resistance to all societal obstacles, this story is called…" Chu Liang enunciated each word, "'The Berry Legend.'"
"It's also known as 'The Legend of the Golden Pattern Berries.' Miss Xiaohan, when you write it, you can use this title," he coaxed.
Zhang Xiaohan's brow furrowed slightly, "Ah?"
***
The next day, Shu Mountain was bustling with noise early in the morning.
With gongs and drums, celestial music, flying banners, and a sea of people!
Many disciples from the Nine Provinces' immortal gates, as well as numerous unconventional cultivators, came to witness the final of the Shu Mountain summit. They were eager to see which handsome young man or beautiful young woman would become the chief disciple of the Shu Mountain sect and represent this top-tier immortal gate.
But this year's Shu Mountain summit final attracted more spectators than any previous year, a diverse crowd that surged up to Shu Mountain's Sky-reaching Peak.
During the summit, the mountain gates were open to all, allowing these visitors to roam freely. Aside from a few important locations guarded by disciples, the rest were open for viewing.
Among the bustling crowd, a woman in a ruqun dress with flowing hair and a veiled face, led a tiger-headed little boy by the hand, wandering around.
The final hadn't started yet, and like other spectators, they were casually touring.
"Today I'll teach you a saying, 'It's better to take a man's fishing net than his fish,'" the woman whispered.
"Fresh… fresh…" The child's speech seemed a bit unclear.
"What does it mean? It means if someone is fishing, it's better to steal their net than the fish they've caught. Because the fish will eventually be eaten, but if you take their net, you can fish for yourself in the future, and you'll have a never-ending supply of fish," the woman continued to instruct.
"A never-ending supply of fish," the child repeated clearly.
"Heh, why can you learn so quickly whenever it involves eating?" the woman laughed, "Little rascal, your mind really is filled with nothing else."