Majestic Feathers- Translator
Editor Tippy- Proofreader
During the few days in the Tuozu village, it was a most relaxing and comfortable time for Jiang Chao Ge and his group. There was hot food and warm shelter every day, with no fighting or injuries to worry about, and no fear of being chased by bloodthirsty beasts or enemies. They rested and practiced to prepare for their next destination.
Yun Xi bought a lot of fresh animal ingredients and herbs from the only spirit priest in the Tuozu tribe and also learned some of their special knowledge. Normally, they would have to leave the mountains two or three times a year to buy things that couldn’t be found in the Kunlun Mountains. No wonder they were so eager for the treasure.
Under Yun Xi’s care, everyone’s body fully recovered, and now they all looked at the spirit priest with more respect, realizing his importance. They wouldn’t have made it this far without him.
Following the agreement, Jiang Chao Ge told Yun Xi about many things in his world. Yun Xi was deeply absorbed in listening and found that while some of the things that Jiang Chao Ge mentioned were not particularly special, they were enlightening to Yun Xi, giving him great expansion to his thinking.
Yun Xi said, “You talked about guns. I think I can make them.”
“Well, it’s not difficult to make if we have materials.”
“And for the gunpowder, if we can find a saltpeter mine you mentioned, we can also make a lot of it.”
“Yeah, do you have any ideas?”
Yun Xi thought for a moment and shook his head. “No.”
“Then there’s nothing we can do.” Jiang Chao Ge also wanted to show these bumpkins some of the things in his mind, but after thinking about it, there didn’t seem to be anything practical. For example, he could almost make a bicycle or a glider, but since everything here relied on beasts to fly or travel, it was much more practical to make weapons for self-defense. So he and Yun Xi started researching guns.
Zhi Xuan saw the two of them talking happily and couldn’t help feeling jealous. He pushed Yun Xi to the ground and then jumped on Jiang Chao Ge’s back like a monkey.
Yun Xi, who was pushed inexplicably, got up like nothing happened to continue the discussion about simplistic guns, feeling excited.
The boy who led them into the village that day was named Asa. He was the grandson of the tribal chief and only fifteen years old. He was completely impressed by Ruan Qiansu’s beauty, drinking ability, and martial arts, blushing and following her around all day, joking around with her. Yu Ren Shu and Long Xiang would spar with each other when they had nothing better to do, long weapons against short weapons, which was quite interesting. Tian Rong and Zui Yu would often lay in the snow to soak up the sun.
This leisurely life was like a dream come true, making everyone feel a bit unreal. Deep down, they all looked forward to the day they would go to Xuan Yuan Hill, and they didn’t mind pushing it back a day, just to enjoy this rare moment of peace and tranquility a little longer.
On this day, Jiang Chao Ge was practicing inside the house when suddenly there was a commotion outside. He got up and looked out the window, seeing villagers gathered underneath the treehouse, gazing up at something. He followed their gaze and saw the crown of a big tree shaking violently. In the dried branches, a figure was agilely swinging from one branch to another, moving quickly and effortlessly. At first, he instinctively thought it was a monkey or an ape-like monster, but upon closer inspection, he saw that the “monkey” was not only wearing clothes, but also had a bow and a backpack on his back. This reminded him of Shen Yan Shui, who could move through the trees using the eagle’s claw, but this “monkey” was several times more agile than Shen Yan Shui and did not need any tools.
The “monkey” flipped and jumped directly from a few meters high in the air, flipping twice in the air before landing stably on the ground.
Asa exclaimed in surprise, “Big brother!”
The “monkey” stood up from the ground and turned out to be a handsome teenage boy of about sixteen years old. The boy had a straight nose, wide forehead, bright eyes, long and powerful limbs, and was wearing only a thin fur coat despite the cold weather. Like other members of the Tuozu tribe, he had fair skin as if he barely saw sunlight. There was a burst of youthful vitality surging inside the boy’s body, which was refreshing to see.
Zhi Xuan leaned on the window and said, “Is this the guide that old man was talking about? What’s his name again?”
“Sisi,” Jiang Chao Ge said. He couldn’t help but sigh inside – this continent was a place where heroes emerged at a young age. At the same age, in his original world, they were still ignorant students, but here they could probably take charge of things independently. Yu Ren Shu also mentioned that he was only thirteen years old when he led the troops to quell the rebellion of an army of beasts for the first time.
Sisi hugged Asa who had pounced on him and started speaking their language while laughing. The two brothers danced around in the yard.
Sisi took off his tattered big backpack and poured out a pile of things, some of which he threw directly to the children in the village to play with.
The tribal chief suddenly shouted, “Sisi, you went outside the mountain again without permission!”
Sisi shrugged and said with a smile, “Father, I brought back a lot of things… Oh?” He noticed Long Xiang and Ruan Qiansu and exclaimed, “Who are they?”
Asa said, “They are guests. The Great Shaman is waiting for you to take them to Xuan Yuan Hill.”
Sisi frowned and looked at them warily.
Jiang Chao Ge and the others came down from the treehouse. Seeing so many people, Sisi drew a knife and said sternly, “I said all outsiders must be driven away from the mountain. Why did you bring them back?”
Asa scratched his head and didn’t dare to speak.
The tribal chief was about to say something when the Great Shaman walked out of the treehouse and knocked on the ground with his cane. The village immediately fell silent. Sisi hesitated for a moment, then put his knife away. He walked over to the group, circled them, looked at each of them, and even sniffed a few times with a look of distrust.
This sniffing annoyed Zhi Xuan. He snarled at Sisi, showing a fierce expression.
Sisi hesitated for a moment, then snarled back, purposely making his voice rough and heavy. They resembled two dogs about to fight, puffing their cheeks and glaring at each other.
Jiang Chao Ge grabbed Zhi Xuan’s head and turned it towards himself. This confrontation was embarrassing.
Sisi grunted, ran three steps, and then used his feet and hands, climbing up the tree trunk like a monkey, and went straight to the entrance of a treehouse. He stood in front of the Great Shaman, who led him inside.
Yun Xi exclaimed, “Asa, why is your brother like a monkey?”
“He liked playing with my father when he was a child, always jumping around like this. The young adults in the village can all move on trees, but he is the most agile,” Asa said proudly.
Ruan Qiansu asked, “Why is he so hostile to us?”
“My elder brother often goes outside the mountain. He said there are many bad people outside and asked us to drive them away if we see them,” Asa smiled, “But he is also the one who likes going outside the mountain the most. He always says that it’s more fun than here. When I turn 16, I’ll go with him.”
Ruan Qiansu touched her chin and asked, “Will he be our guide?”
“My elder brother listens to the Great Shaman more than anyone else, and he knows Kunlun Mountain best,” Asa replied.
After a while, Sisi jumped down from the treehouse. His incredible bouncing ability was beyond human limits. Even Ruan Qiansu, who could drift in mid-air, didn’t have the confidence to jump from a height of 12 to 13 meters without being injured. Sisi’s potential was enormous.
Sisi strolled over and pointed at Jiang Chao Ge and the others. “If you want me to be your guide, you have to listen to me.”
Zhi Xuan opened his mouth as if he was going to bite him. Sisi rolled up his sleeves and said, “Let me tell you, I can bite too…”
Asa pushed her elder brother aside and said, “Elder brother, the Great Shaman said to treat the guests well.”
“I treated them well, didn’t I?” Sisi coughed lightly. “Anyway, you have to listen to me.”
Jiang Chao Ge smiled and said, “No problem, we’ll listen to you.”
Sisi snorted, put his arm around Asa’s neck, and said with a smile, “Let’s go, my elder brother, has some good things for you, and I’ll take you to see them.” The two brothers ran happily away.
Ruan Qiansu sighed lightly. “He’s just a child.”
Long Xiang nodded in agreement. “Yes, he is.”
Ruan Qiansu glanced at him sideways. “What are you agreeing to? He’s at least older than you.”
Long Xiang said confidently, “But I’m more mature than him.”
Ruan Qiansu raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment.
Long Xiang hummed and picked up Zui Yu. “Let’s play another round.”
“Sure, let’s do it.”
Zhi Xuan angrily bit Jiang Chao Ge’s collar. “I hate that human brat. I want to bite him to death.”
Jiang Chao Ge smiled and caressed his back. “Don’t be like that. He is our guide. Even if you want to bite him to death, you still have to wait for him to take us to Xuan Yuan Hill.”
“But I want to bite him to death right now.”
“Hold on a little longer,” Jiang Chao Ge said, trying to calm down Zhi Xuan who was eagerly tearing at his collar.
Jiang Chao Ge looked at the vast sky above Kunlun Mountain and sighed deeply. They were about to set off. Although he knew that there was a long way ahead of them, he still felt a sense of disappointment and hoped that they could find the Yin River smoothly this time.
Two days later, they set off.
Sisi’s mount was also a zhen niao. It seemed that zhen niao were common in Kunlun Mountain, but Sisi sat on Zui Yu at the moment. When they asked if the person with a troop of zhen niao who offered to collect corpses for them was from their tribe, Sisi disdainfully replied, “That should be from the Wark tribe, they are still far from us, but they often come to our territory to hunt. If I see them, I will shoot them down one by one.”
“How far is it from here to Xuan Yuan Hill?”
“It’s not too far, only a little over 90 miles.”
“Then we will be able to get there quickly.”
Sisi shook his head. “It’s warm this season, so many beasts have just woken up from hibernation and are hungry after a winter of fasting. They are now looking for food everywhere. Ah, you guys have come at a bad time. You might just become their meal.”
Long Xiang glanced at him. “You speak as if you’re not traveling with us.”
Sisi grinned, biting on some wild grass. “No beast can catch me. But this fox is really comfortable. Maybe we can run faster with him. You still have a chance to make it to Xuan Yuan Hill alive.”
Zui Yu turned back and gave him a flirtatious look. “I can already run very fast. Do you want to see?”
Sisi exclaimed excitedly, “Yes, I do!”
Zui Yu chuckled, “If you kiss me, I’ll show you how fast I can run.”
Sisi was taken aback, and his face turned red. Even though it was just a fox’s large eyes, it still made people feel seductive and charming.
Long Xiang was annoyed. “Zui Yu!”
“What’s wrong? Are you jealous again?”
“Don’t… don’t seduce others.”
Zui Yu innocently said, “I’m just lonely.”
Sisi spat out the wild grass from his mouth, pounced on Zui Yu’s neck, and wiggled up and down eagerly. “You look so good as a human. If you turn into one now, I’ll kiss you.”
Long Xiang pulled him back. “Stop fooling around.”
“Why? He said…”
Long Xiang sternly said, “He’s my spirit beast, and I have the final say!”
Sisi snorted and released Zui Yu’s neck with a bored expression.
Zui Yu chuckled softly, causing Long Xiang to blush and become annoyed.
Sisi had a strong sense of direction and was indeed familiar with the Kunlun Immortal Boundary. With him leading the way, they avoided many unnecessary troubles. However, the Kunlun Immortal Boundary was full of dangers that could not be avoided.
At night, while resting by the fire, Sisi pointed to a crude ancient map and said, “We have left the habitat of human tribes and entered the territory of beasts. I have three routes for you to choose from. The first one is the closest, but there may be more fierce beasts encountered, such as Feiyi, Shusu, and Leopards. The second one is the farthest and relatively safer since it is permafrost, which is unsuitable for bird species to survive. There are also more beasts to contend with, which makes that route even longer. The third one is neither too close nor too far, but it is the only route I have not taken.”
When Jiang Chao Ge thought of Shen Yan Shui’s Feiyi, he couldn’t help shivering. The Feiyi were indeed powerful snake-like creatures that could fly, bite, scratch, and were even poisonous. One alone was difficult to deal with, so it was unimaginable to encounter a group of them. He asked curiously, “Why haven’t you taken that route before?”
“Great Shaman forbids me,” Sisi shrugged. “He made me swear not to enter that territory alone, because ‘anything could be there’.”
Jiang Chao Ge asked, “Which route do you want to take?”
Sisi grinned, “Of course the one I haven’t taken. Otherwise, what’s the point? I want to see what’s inside there.”
Jiang Chao Ge chuckled, “I’m curious too, but unfortunately, we have to choose the route that’s most advantageous for our journey. The Great Shaman must have a reason for saying that, and since you’re not familiar with the third route, I don’t recommend taking it. What do you think?” He looked at the others, especially Yu Ren Shu. In this team, he and Yu Ren Shu made most of the decisions, but most of the time, he had the final say in their discussions.
“Hey, hey, didn’t we agree before coming out that you would listen to me?” Sisi grumbled.
Jiang Chao Ge raised an eyebrow and said, “If you wanted us to listen to you, you wouldn’t have given us three route options in the first place. You just want to take the third route, but you’re afraid of the Great Shaman’s scolding. So you want us to decide for you.”
Sisi’s little scheme was exposed, so he pouted in dissatisfaction.
Yu Ren Shu nodded, “I also disagree with taking the third route. Firstly, you haven’t been there before, so it’ll delay our journey. There’s also the risk of getting lost. Secondly, if we encounter unknown risks on the way, we can’t predict them. So, I suggest we take the first route.”
Jiang Chao Ge agreed, “Yes, I also think the first route is the best. It’s the closest, and even if there were no Feiyis, we would still encounter other beasts. We can’t avoid the danger completely, so we might as well choose the shortest route.”
Sisi stamped his foot on the ground and yelled, “I want to take the third route. You have to listen to me!”
Jiang Chao Ge picked up Zhi Xuan and said, “Don’t listen to him. Let’s rest, and hit the road tomorrow.”
Sisi was practically rolling on the ground in frustration. After a while, when no one paid attention to him, his voice gradually faded away.
Back in the tent, Zhi Xuan said, “You made the right choice by not taking the third route.”
“Why is that?”
“When the Great Shaman said ‘anything could be there’, it could very well mean that there are some truly powerful thousand-year-old beasts. The further into the Kunlun Immortal Boundary you go, the more rare beasts there are. Those beasts have lived here for hundreds, if not thousands of years, and may not even be aware that there’s a world outside of the Kunlun Immortal Boundary. Once they discover something new, they won’t let you go.”
Jiang Chao Ge joked, “Did you think the same way when you saw something new yourself?”
Zhi Xuan sneered, “Living too long is rather boring.”
“That’s why you need to find something to do on your own, like Yin Chuan and his love for books.”
“It’s even more boring. I get sleepy just looking at books.” Zhi Xuan yawned. “Speaking of which,Taotie is more interesting. He always makes delicious food for me, and I trade wine for his food.”
“Taotie? But he seems to be in cahoots with Xiao Xue.”
Zhi Xuan’s gaze became slightly distracted. “Before the existence of the element of heaven and earth, there was no such thing as being on the same side or not. We occasionally fought, to pass the time, but no one could kill anyone else, nor did we want to. When we all died, there were no opponents left to fight. Then the element of heaven and earth appeared, and everything changed. Actually, I didn’t really want that thing, but I couldn’t bear to see it fall into the hands of other beasts. Yin Chuan and Ren Wang were once the closest of friends, but because of it, their friendship turned into hostility… I hate that thing. Ren Wang is right. If it reappears in the world, I will destroy it. It is the root of all evil.”
Jiang Chao Ge listened with a sigh and looked at Zhi Xuan’s lost expression. He said, “You always ask me to tell you about my world, but you rarely talk about your world. How about you tell me today, about how much you remember?”
Zhi Xuan’s eyes lit up. “Do you want to hear it?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“I thought… you weren’t interested in matters concerning beasts.”
Jiang Chao Ge smiled. “I’m interested in your matters.”
Zhi Xuan’s eyes were full of smiles. “Alright, what do you want to hear?”
“Just tell me how you were born and how you grew up.”
“I don’t remember that. I don’t remember how I appeared in this world, nor do I remember how many years I’ve been alive. I’ve forgotten many of the things I’ve experienced.”
“Okay, then let’s talk about other things. Um… how about other beasts? Which one do you hate the most, which one do you not hate?”
“I hate all of them. For example, Xian Yun, the Azure Dragon, is the most hypocritical. He was once close to the Celestial Gods and looked down on ferocious beasts, but later turned on the Celestial Gods for the element of heaven and earth…”
Zhi Xuan talked incessantly about the chaotic world that existed when everything began to develop thousands of years ago, with myriad beasts spawning on a great continent, where the law of the jungle prevailed, and the weak became prey for the strong. The humans, who were still weak and small at that time, occupied a place in this land because they had evolved into people with spiritual power, and gradually acquired knowledge, tools, and culture. As of today, like in Jiang Chao Ge’s world, humans have become a dominant race on this continent, but in Zhi Xuan’s world, humans have evolved more thoroughly and given fewer opportunities to other living creatures.
Jiang Chao Ge said, “Tell me about Ren Wang, Xiao Xue, and Su Han.” He wanted to learn more about these beasts that had already appeared.
“Ren Wang had a close relationship with Yin Chuan for ten thousand years. They both liked human knowledge and culture and believed that there was a lot to learn from humans. I don’t know why they were interested in humans, but they were very close. If it were not for the element of heaven and earth, perhaps they would have continued to have a good relationship. But now…” Zhi Xuan sneered, “Ren Wang said he had no face to see Yin Chuan.”
Jiang Chao Ge sighed.
“Xiao Xue…” Zhi Xuan’s expression turned somewhat cold, “I didn’t have much contact with Xiao Xue before. He loves killing, and I find his howls annoying. He rarely kills on his own initiative and has been like that throughout history. It is not much different from our love for wine and books. However, he hurt you, and I will never let him go.”
Jiang Chao Ge gave up discussing humanity and compassion with Zhi Xuan. Since Zhi Xuan did not value humans, he naturally did not think it was a big deal for Xiao Xue to kill humans. It was only because Xiao Xue had hurt a specific human, that Zhi Xuan couldn’t tolerate it.
Zhi Xuan continued, “Su Han is a lustful beast who loves to mate the most. Ren Wang looked down at him. I used to think it was disgusting to spend all day with those messy burdens.” Zhi Xuan looked at Jiang Chao Ge and blushed with a hint of shyness, “But now I know, it’s really comfortable, no wonder he likes it so much.”
Jiang Chao Ge had just wanted to help Zhi Xuan ease his loneliness, and get to know the beasts better, but he didn’t expect to dig his own grave. He wanted to slap himself in the face.
Zhi Xuan crawled over, “Jiang Chao Ge, do you feel the same way? So why did you have sex with others before, why don’t you bond with me?”
“That’s different…” Jiang Chao Ge was thinking about how to change the subject when suddenly, he heard Yu Ren Shu shouting loudly.
Jiang Chao Ge was startled, he quickly lifted the curtain and rushed out. He saw Yu Ren Shu and Sisi standing around the bonfire, Yu Ren Shu was aggressive, as if he was confronting something, while Sisi looked confused and alert.
Jiang Chao Ge hurriedly asked, “What happened?”
Sisi said in confusion, “I don’t know, we were just chatting, and I mentioned that the old emperor of Tianlang Kingdom died during our trip outside the mountain, and then he became like this.”
Jiang Chao Ge’s face changed, he looked at Yu Ren Shu’s stiff back and suddenly felt a little sorry for him.
