As the story goes, Li Ning and his daughter, along with Zhou Chun, bid farewell to the villagers and headed towards the mountains. The three of them, except for Ying Qiong's eagerness to reach the mountains early for sword training, had no particular worries or concerns. They leisurely strolled along the mountain path, enjoying the scenery, and proceeded slowly. It was already late afternoon when they arrived at the base of Mount Emei. There they saw numerous guesthouses, and many pilgrims were making their way to the mountain, creating a lively atmosphere. The trio found an inn and decided to spend the night there, planning to purchase supplies in the morning before ascending the mountain to prepare for an extended stay. The night passed uneventfully.
On the second day, the three of them devised a plan: Li Ning would be responsible for purchasing everyday household items such as oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, rice, noodles, wine, and meat. Zhou Chun would handle the purchase of books, writing materials, as well as kitchen equipment like pots, stoves, buckets, and other utensils. Additionally, he bought a long hemp rope measuring several yards in length. Ying Qiong asked, "What's the rope for?" Zhou Chun replied, "You'll find out later; it has many uses." Despite their limited luggage space, they managed to procure quite a number of items. After hiring some porters, they began their ascent up the mountain.
The pilgrims heading towards the mountain were perplexed by their presence, but the three travelers paid no mind and continued their journey. Initially, they walked through several narrow and inconvenient paths, which posed no major difficulties. However, as they progressed, the mountain paths became increasingly treacherous, offering breathtaking views. Clouds drifted by, sometimes obscuring their vision entirely. Ying Qiong found it exhilarating. Zhou Chun warned, "Although it wasn't raining when we ascended, the heavy cloud cover indicates that it's likely raining below. We must be cautious as we traverse through the clouds, or else one misstep could lead to disaster."
After walking another half mile, they reached the "Sheshenyan" ( "Sacrifice the Body Cliff"). Turning back to look towards the mountain's base, all they saw was a vast expanse of mist and fog, making it impossible to see any human dwellings. Even the temples and monasteries appeared hidden within the veil of mist. Above them, the red sun illuminated the clouds, creating a mesmerizing display of colorful hues, which fascinated Ying Qiong.
Just as she was engrossed in the spectacle, a porter interrupted, "Honored guests, we have now arrived at Sheshenyan. Beyond this point lies 'Guijianchou,' and there is no accessible path further up. Today's cloudy weather halfway up the mountain undoubtedly means heavy rain below. We can't continue climbing today, and doing so would delay our business by a day. Would the esteemed guests consider an alternative?" Zhou Chun responded, "We only hired you to this point. Please wait for a while, and I will climb to the mountaintop to bring our luggage up using the rope. Afterward, I will give you additional money for your troubles." With that, he effortlessly leaped up the nearby ancient cypress tree and proceeded further up. He then climbed onto the next tree and ascended to the mountain's summit.
Zhou Chun retrieved the hemp rope from his luggage and used it to pull their belongings up the mountain. Once everything was secure, he sent Ying Qiong up the rope as well. While being pulled up, she couldn't help but gaze down in awe. The terrain was indeed steep and perilous, with sheer cliffs and deep chasms below. Despite her daring nature, the vertiginous heights made her dizzy. Once she joined Zhou Chun at the summit, Li Ning handed a couple of silver coins to the porter as additional payment for his patience. Li Ning, despite being inexperienced in mountain climbing, followed suit by using the rope to ascend.
With their belongings and themselves now safely on the mountaintop, they prepared for the next stage of their journey. Zhou Chun suggested, "I am familiar with this area, having been here many times before. I'll lead you to our cave dwelling first, and then I'll retrieve the supplies." Li Ning, acknowledging his lack of familiarity with the terrain, readily agreed. Each of them took some lightweight essentials and scaled several more cliffs, covering a distance of approximately three miles, until they reached the entrance of a mountain cave.
At the entrance, they noticed four large characters inscribed on the cave wall, which read "Shushi Qiyun" . Upon entering the cave, they discovered four stone chambers. Three of them served as bedrooms, while the one with better lighting was designated for reading and meditation. Zhou Chun proceeded to retrieve their provisions on three separate trips, ensuring that everything was accounted for.
After settling in, night had already fallen over the mountain. They had a simple meal of dried provisions and jerky and sealed the cave entrance with rocks before retiring for the night.
The next morning, Li Ning and Ying Qiong set a schedule for her training. They began by teaching her how to focus her energy, as well as various internal martial arts techniques. Ying Qiong, naturally gifted and quick-witted, managed to master various soft martial arts within a short period. However, her impatience led her to request swordsmanship training from Li and Zhou.
Seeing her rapid progress, Zhou Chun believed it was time to teach her swordsmanship. But Li Ning adamantly refused, claiming it wasn't the right moment. One day, Zhou Chun decided to plead on Ying Qiong's behalf. Li Ning responded, "Brother, you only know one side of the story, but not the other. Don't I know that she's ready to learn swordsmanship now? You should understand that the more talented a person is, the stronger their foundation needs to be. Ying Qiong's natural talent surpasses what I can teach her. Therefore, I am fully dedicated to helping her build a solid foundation. When the opportunity arises, and she encounters a skilled teacher, she can become a great master. If we rush her training now and I pass on all my knowledge to her, it won't make her stand out. Additionally, her fiery temperament and unwillingness to yield easily will put her at a disadvantage when facing strong opponents. My intention is for her to either not learn at all or become highly skilled. Although she may not reach the level of a sword immortal, she should strive to be unbeatable in the mortal world. Initially, I was reluctant to teach her because of her impatience and my limited abilities."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Chun refrained from further persuasion, but Ying Qiong's impatience continued to burn. Unfortunately, the beautiful scenery on the mountain was marred by one drawback – the lack of a nearby water source. Fortunately, about a mile from their cave, on the side of a cliff halfway up the mountain, there was a waterfall and a small stream below, offering clean and clear water. Every two days, Li Ning and Zhou Chun took turns going to fetch water, fearing that idleness might weaken their bodies. Every morning, they practiced various sword techniques and martial arts in the open space in front of their cave.
Ying Qiong, disappointed by Li and Zhou's reluctance to teach her swordsmanship, secretly practiced when they were not around. Mount Emei was abundant with monkeys, and one day, she watched them leaping agilely along the cliffs, inspiring her to focus on improving her lightness skills. Each morning, she used two ropes she had brought with her, tying one end to a tree and practicing walking on the ropes while Zhou and Li were unaware. She also pressed Zhou and Li to teach her various lightness techniques. With her innate strength and the guidance of her two teachers, she excelled not only in becoming as light as a swallow but also incredibly strong.
Every month, Zhou Chun visited Zhao Yan'er to teach her martial arts. On one such day, as he approached Sheshenyan, Zhao Yan'er ran towards him with a letter in her hand. Zhou Chun opened the letter and discovered it was from Ma Xiang, Zhao Yan'er's teacher. The letter stated, "Three days ago, a monk arrived here, looking exceptionally fierce and carrying an ironwood fish on his back, weighing about three to four hundred catties. He came to our village to collect alms, claiming to be a monk from Wutai Mountain named Miaotong, wandering the world in search of a friend named Zhou. Although the villagers found his appearance intimidating, he behaved peacefully during his stay and caused no disturbances, so we let him be. However, when he couldn't find anyone named Zhou in the village, he was about to leave yesterday. Suddenly, a villager with a sharp tongue mentioned your name, and he asked about your whereabouts. Upon hearing your name and description, he said, 'It must be him! Unexpectedly, I have the chance to meet Zhou Laosan, the flying crane from the clouds, in this lifetime!' He appeared greatly upset. He was inquiring about your current location, and I had just left with Zhao Yan'er. Someone had to tell him that you were already staying at an inn and hadn't informed him of your residence on Emei Mountain. He seems to have departed the village today, probably heading to Chengdu to look for you. I sensed that this monk had ill intentions, so I sent this letter to you, hoping you would be prepared."
Upon reading the letter, Zhou Chun was greatly alarmed and told Zhao Yan'er, "Let's discuss this further up the mountain." Hastily taking her with him, he scaled the treacherous cliffs and reached their cave dwelling. After Zhao Yan'er paid her respects to Li Ning and his daughter, Zhou Chun shared the contents of the letter with them. Zhao Yan'er continued, "Because Ma Xiang warned me that this monk had malicious intentions, I decided to investigate him further. That night, I sneaked into the inn where he was staying. Around midnight, I climbed onto the roof and used a pearl curtain hook to peek inside. I saw the monk meditating. After a while, he took out two wax-sealed fingers from his ironwood fish. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that he only had three fingers left on his right hand; the ring finger and three others appeared to have been severed by a weapon. Then, he unwrapped a small package and took out a clay figurine that looked just like you, Master Zhou, dressed in white and carrying a sword on your back. However, there seemed to be two wings on your back. Upon seeing the figurine, the monk gnashed his teeth in anger, as if he held a deep grudge. He repeatedly cursed and hit the clay figurine. I couldn't help but feel furious and planned to confront him about his intentions. However, before I could act, it felt like someone pinched my back, and suddenly, I was lifted into the air. In no time, I found myself on level ground, about a mile from the San Guan Temple. This startled me greatly. I had left without my mother's knowledge, and I feared she would wake up and search for me. Therefore, I decided to return home first. Upon arriving home, I saw a note on the table, beautifully written, saying, 'Yan'er, you're so daring to venture alone. Tomorrow morning, hurry to Mount Emei with your master and don't delay delivering the message.' Seeing this note, I realized that my mother was still in the house. However, she was not yet awake, and I feared her elderly body couldn't withstand such risks. I believe the person who left the note must have the upper hand. I had been lifted into the air from the monk's inn rooftop, which led me to think that he must be involved. After thinking it over for the entire night, I eventually informed my mother. She urgently instructed me to deliver the message to you. Since today is a school day, I was worried that Teacher Ma might not permit my absence. Surprisingly, when I arrived at the school, Teacher Ma called me aside and instructed me to deliver the message to you. He also gave me three silver coins for expenses. I rushed here as quickly as I could. As I left the village, I encountered an argument between two men, one of whom was the monk, and the other a Daoist. I was fortunate that they were too preoccupied to notice me. I then left the main road and took a mountain path to reach you. Do you, Master Zhou, know who this monk is?"
To find out how Zhou Chun responds, stay tuned for the next installment.