Spring in Northern Qi arrived a bit late but still came. Not far outside of the capital city of Northern Qi, Shangjing, around the desolated topaz-like Xi Mountain and a few more hours of walking to the north, one would arrive amidst green and silent mountains. This mountain was not very big, but the roots of the trees on the mountain were dense and thick. The made it appear unusually primitive and silent. Layers of light and dark green colors lay on top of each other. It was very beautiful.
Like the place the Sword Hut had in the hearts of the world's swordsmen, the mountain was, in the eyes of Northern Qi people and practitioners of Asceticism, also a lofty scared place that was not to be violated.
Walking into the quiet mountains by the craggy mountain paths, one could faintly see the place where tens and thousands of pines gathered together.
