Chapter Thirty-Four: Beginning with the Fundamentals

The moon hung in the sky like a hook, high and bright.

Gu Zhiheng wiped the sweat from his face, throwing punch after punch at the wooden post before him, refusing to relent. Bai Kun had instructed him for several hours and now believed Gu Zhiheng could practice the fundamentals on his own. Gu Zhiheng was a quick learner; a few pointers here and there sufficed—the rest he could handle himself.

There were ten people in the mountain's forbidden zone, and this was only the second day. There was still a long stretch of time ahead. It wouldn't be long before he regained the strength of his prime, and when that day came, it would also be time for them all to take another step forward.

A forbidden zone—what did it forbid, really? It was their hearts, still holding onto hope, that were kept in check. If they truly wished to leave, the forbidden zone could never hold them. It was only because they all waited for his return that none chose to depart. They hoped for the day he would once more reign supreme, leading Mistbrow Mountain to a new pinnacle. What they wanted was a life apart from the mundane world—leisurely, idle, and unburdened by the intrigues and struggles of ordinary existence. They yearned for a tranquil, carefree life, far from the bustle of the city and the smoky warmth of human affairs.

They wanted to live by their own rules, to follow their hearts without constraint.

“Cut back on the smoking—it's bad for you. And maybe drink a little less, too,” Jinghua said as he reached out to take the cigarette from Old Orchid’s hand, snuffing it out as naturally as breathing. The master had said smoking and drinking were bad for one's health, and that they ought to be given up. The old men at the mountaintop smoked and drank every day, each with a worse habit than the next.

“You brat, always meddling. Have you succeeded in becoming an apprentice yet?” Old Orchid asked his grandson, sounding a bit annoyed.

“No, the master said I should wait until I can read and count properly,” Jinghua replied gloomily, sure he was thought too dim-witted. If only he were cleverer, perhaps the master would have taken him on as a disciple yesterday.

“Well, then study hard. Start from the basics, just like he did,” Old Orchid said, unconcerned. He had approached this all with a spirit of experimentation anyway. He knew what was on Gu Zhiheng’s mind; it was no surprise the apprenticeship had not succeeded.

“Go down and practice with him, instead of eating and sleeping all day,” he said, pushing Jinghua out of his arms to join Gu Zhiheng.

Meanwhile, Old Orchid reclined lazily against a stone, silently hoping Gu Zhiheng would progress more quickly.

“Old Bai, how long do you think it’ll take for him to return to his prime?” Old Orchid asked Bai Kun, squinting up at him, knowing Bai Kun understood Gu Zhiheng better than most. Bai Kun, after all, had known more about Ye Zheng than the rest of them combined. Back when nothing had yet happened to Ye Zheng, Bai’s family had attended closely to him, assisting with the everyday affairs of Mistbrow Mountain.

“I can’t say. The journey to the northwest has only just begun, and he’s only finished the first talisman. There’s still a long road ahead,” Bai Kun replied, growing more and more irritable as he spoke. The Gu family’s people were truly hateful. If the laws of heaven and earth did not forbid it, they’d have burned down the ancestral shrine of the Gu family and scattered those wretches’ souls to the winds the very moment disaster struck. But these were only thoughts—they could not act on them.

The only solution was for Gu Zhiheng to work hard, to train and cultivate himself, and to complete the journey through the northwest as soon as he could.

Bai Kun gazed into the distance, his mind awash with memories, everything from the beginning to now flickering across his thoughts as though it had happened only yesterday.

“Damn, I’m exhausted. I’ve never done this much physical activity in my entire life,” Gu Zhiheng said, wiping sweat from his face and plopping down onto the ground. Starting from scratch, without any foundation in body training—learning halfway through life was killing him. If he’d known he’d need to train his body someday, he’d have started as a child; it wouldn’t be so painful now. Those old men had only ever made him draw talismans and form seals, never thinking to have him learn anything else.

“Stick with it. You’re no worse than anyone else. With enough effort, you’ll catch up,” Bai Kun encouraged, genuinely admiring Gu Zhiheng. Few young people today were willing to endure hardship.

“Why is it just you two tonight? Where are the others?” Gu Zhiheng asked, not seeing Little Green and the rest and finding it odd.

“It’s evening—they’ve gone out for a walk, of course. Stretching their legs,” Old Orchid replied, giving Gu Zhiheng a look as if he were an idiot for asking such a dumb question.

Fair enough.

Gu Zhiheng admitted his question was foolish and let it go. After a few sips of water and a short rest, he resumed his training. This time Jinghua joined him, and at least he had some company now.

The two of them, one large and one small, practiced their punches under the moonlight.

Beside them, the two old men drank cup after cup of wine. The scene was harmonious and warm—though it would have been even better if the old men would say fewer disparaging words.

…

“Ran, are you sure coming down the mountain won’t worry Ninth Master?” Chen Yuan had been anxious ever since they’d descended, concern written plainly on her face.

Chu Xingran shook her head with a soft smile. “It won’t. He needs to learn independence and grow up quickly.” Gu Zhiheng couldn’t rely on her forever; leaving him by himself was for his own good. The old group atop the mountain would take good care of him and teach him much she herself could not. There was nothing but benefit in this arrangement.

Especially since Ye Zheng could occasionally visit; with his knowledge of Mistbrow Mountain, Gu Zhiheng would be in no danger. In fact, staying atop Mistbrow Mountain was the safest place for him, at least until the Red-tailed Fox appeared. For now, he should remain on the mountain.

“But…” Chen Yuan began, only to be interrupted by Mo Han, who stood nearby, face dark.

“No buts. Everything he lacks must be learned from the ground up, and the elders at the mountaintop will teach him well.” Since the three of them had come down from the mountain, they had not been idle. Any troublesome spirits they encountered were swiftly dealt with, and everything Gu Zhiheng needed was gathered and prepared.

Perhaps because they spent so much time together and always worked side by side, Chu Xingran’s attitude toward Mo Han had improved considerably. Who could say what might develop between them? Would Gu Zhiheng see in them the things he longed for?

“Start from the beginning? Ninth Master still has things to learn, and from the most basic level?” Chen Yuan muttered softly from the back, unable to imagine what those things could be. She had watched Gu Zhiheng grow for so long—he was a person leagues above the rest in every way. If even someone like him had to start from scratch, what hope was there for someone as useless as herself?

“What are you whining about? Did you really think he was still the old Ye Zheng, capable of anything?” Mo Han retorted, unable to resist, though every word he spoke was true.