Chapter 420 – Lake of No Sorrow(Mochou)

Nie Qianyu had yet to speak when Little Orange beside her chuckled and said: “Young Master Ren, if you were to come to our valley, wouldn’t the Master turn out every last treasure we have just to please you? You can rest assured—never mind just letting you see whatever herbs we’ve got, even if you wanted us to cut them all down and weave them into a straw hat for you, it would be done without question.”

Nie Qianyu blushed slightly and didn’t dare respond, while Zhang Xiaohua rubbed his nose and said with a smile: “Could it be this Little Orange is trying to flatter me by weaving a tall hat out of herbs? In that case, I must decline.”

Then, steering the conversation away, he asked: “Little Fish Nie, you’ve always thought yourself clever. Tell me, do you know what business those two idle young scions from the martial world have in going to Mochou City?”

Nie Qianyu covered her mouth and laughed: “Big Brother Ren is too kind. When it comes to cleverness, how could a little girl like me possibly compare to the wise and valiant Young Hero Ren?”

Though her words were modest, there was a note of pride and joy in her voice, her eyes shimmering like autumn waters. Zhang Xiaohua had intended to shift the topic, but seeing her respond that way, he could only say: “From their fancy clothes and the gifts they’re carrying, I’d guess they’re going to visit some elder, wouldn’t you say?”

Little Orange chimed in with a grin: “I think they might be headed to gamble.”

Zhang Xiaohua and Nie Qianyu were both surprised. “What makes you say that?”

Little Orange replied: “If they were really going to pay respects to some elder, they wouldn’t have used their gifts as stakes over some random argument. That only makes sense if the gifts were gambling chips to begin with—if they’re going to lose them anyway, might as well lose them here or in Mochou City!”

Little Orange spoke with conviction, and it even sounded somewhat plausible. Zhang Xiaohua knew it was unlikely, but couldn’t think of a better explanation just then, so he said: “Who knows? We’ll find out once we get to Mochou City. No way they’d use all those valuables just to go shopping, right?”

Upon hearing that, Nie Qianyu’s eyes lit up. “What Big Brother Ren says does make some sense. Mochou City hosts auctions every year, and merchants from all over gather to trade. Maybe they really are going to buy something?”

“An auction?” Zhang Xiaohua’s eyes lit up as well. “I read about that term in books when I was younger, and I have a rough idea of what it entails, but I’ve never experienced one myself. I wonder if we’ll be able to participate this time?”

Little Orange giggled: “The Three Character Classic actually contains the characters ‘auction’—three characters total. That’s quite something!”

Nie Qianyu, however, frowned slightly and said: “The timing of auctions isn’t fixed. I’m not sure whether there’ll be one during this season. But judging from the look of those two, it does seem likely. Anyway, it’s only a few days’ journey to Mochou City. We can just go and see for ourselves.”

Zhang Xiaohua nodded and asked: “The road from Danhe City to Mochou City isn’t along this official route, is it? I wonder if those people chasing you might have set up an ambush ahead?”

Nie Qianyu lifted her chin proudly and said: “Big Brother Ren, you need not worry. This area is already within the sphere of influence of my Spring Rebirth Valley. Unless I’m mistaken, those people wouldn’t be foolish enough to cause trouble here—unless they’re ready to anger all the southern sects.”

“I see,” Zhang Xiaohua muttered thoughtfully. He had half a mind to ask why no one from Spring Rebirth Valley had come to receive them, but some windows are best left covered by paper, still hazy rather than torn open. So instead, he just laughed and said: “That’s good. Then I can rest easy and sleep well for the next few days.”

Little Orange frowned and grumbled: “Young Master Ren, all you think about is sleeping! You sleep so much, yet you don’t seem to gain any weight!”

Nie Qianyu glared at her and scolded gently: “Little Orange, don’t talk nonsense.”

Zhang Xiaohua stretched lazily and said: “This young master has the life of toil. Even just admiring peach blossoms with you ladies turns into a life-saving affair. How could I possibly gain weight? Speaking of which, Little Fish, are we still going to admire these peach blossoms?”

Nie Qianyu shook her head and replied: “These peach blossoms may be splendid, but they are too rich and heavy in hue—unsuitable for long admiration. If we were amidst a myriad of flowers, each with its own delicate charm, then we could linger and enjoy them longer. But now is just the right time—it’s best that we leave.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua said: “Alright then. No one’s bickering anymore, and there’s no more gold to be won. Let’s hurry on. The sky is filled with red clouds—I’ve looked until my eyes are about to cross.”

After speaking, he turned his horse around. With the gentle jingling of bells and chains, they slowly rode out of the Peach Blossom Grove.

Once beyond the garden, they continued heading south. After a few more days of travel, they noticed an increase in the flow of people, and the smiles on Nie Qianyu and Little Orange’s faces became more frequent.

However, during these days, every day there were many young lords, each accompanied by large entourages and several caravans, hurrying past their carriage. Judging by their arrogant and self-assured manner, they were clearly from wealthy backgrounds. Each time someone passed by—if Nie Qianyu recognized them—she would quietly explain their identities to Zhang Xiaohua, and use the opportunity to lecture him a bit on the structure of the martial world in the south. As expected, all these handsome young men were heirs of various sects or factions.

“Could it be that the auction has been brought forward this year?” Nie Qianyu said with some surprise. “It’s usually held in late spring, to allow time for merchants from far-off regions to arrive. But now it’s only the second month—it’s still too early.”

Zhang Xiaohua wasn’t particularly interested. He kept scanning the surroundings, just waiting for two members from rival factions to get irritated with each other and start a fight—so he could step in and pass judgment, and maybe earn a bit of gold on the side.

Unfortunately, after several days, no such opportunity arose again.

Before they knew it, a grand and imposing city had come into view.

This city appeared to be quite ancient. The large, greenish bricks of the towering walls were covered with moss, and from some of the higher, shadowed crevices, even small trees had grown out, their branches extending into the air. Nie Qianyu pointed at the city and said: “Big Brother Ren, this Mochou City has a long and storied history. Compared to it, cities like Danhe City or Pingyang City are all younger by far.”

“Really?” Zhang Xiaohua said with some surprise. “I didn’t know that.”

“Oh, right—Big Brother Ren.” Nie Qianyu smiled, unfazed, and pointed up at the three large characters above the city gate. “Take a look at the words Mo Chou City.”

At her prompting, Zhang Xiaohua lifted his head. Sure enough, above the tall city gate, there were three large, free-flowing characters— ”Mo Chou City”. But they were written in ancient script, and bore a certain resemblance to the charm of the “Piaomiao” characters on the archway of Piaomiao Manor. Zhang Xiaohua pondered for a moment and said: “So these three characters read Mo Chou City? I don’t think I’ve seen them before. But judging by the delicate brushwork, they seem to have been written by a young woman.”

When Nie Qianyu heard this, she clapped in praise: “As expected of Big Brother Ren—what great insight! These three characters are indeed written in ancient script, which is rarely used today. It’s perfectly normal that you wouldn’t recognize them. But for you to notice that the handwriting belonged to a girl, your Three Character Classic must’ve been studied to the highest level.”

Zhang Xiaohua stroked his chin and, without the slightest modesty, said: “Just average, just average.”

Off to the side, Little Orange secretly curled his lip in disdain.

Nie Qianyu continued: “It’s said that the words Mo Chou City were written by an immortal woman named Lady Mo Chou.”

“An immortal!?” Zhang Xiaohua was startled, immediately interrupting Nie Qianyu mid-sentence.

“That’s right. According to the city’s chronicles, Mochou City was founded by a celestial maiden named Lady Mo Chou, and the characters above the gate were written by her own hand.”

Zhang Xiaohua thought for a moment and said: “The books I’ve read say that immortals all came from ancient times—that’s something from ten thousand years ago. Even if Lady Mo Chou really existed, could this city have stood for ten thousand years?”

“Hardly,” Nie Qianyu said with a faint smile. “How could there be a city that’s lasted ten thousand years? It’s just been rebuilt, generation after generation.”

Zhang Xiaohua let out a breath of relief. “So that’s how it is. But what about that Lady Mo Chou? Does your city’s history say anything more about her?”

“Of course!” Even Little Orange joined in to answer.

“The tales of Lady Mo Chou are widely told throughout the south. For you not to know them, Young Master Ren, just shows your Three Character Classic still needs more work!”

Zhang Xiaohua’s curiosity was piqued. He asked: “Little Orange, how about you tell me the story of Lady Mo Chou?”

Before Little Orange could respond, Nie Qianyu interjected: “Big Brother Ren, let’s head into the city first. The sky’s getting dark, and this west gate leads right to Mo Chou Lake. Once we get to the lake, I’ll tell you all about her—how’s that sound?”

“Sounds good!” Zhang Xiaohua was delighted. He gave a light kick to the rump of his black horse, and the well-trained beast immediately pulled the carriage along with the flow of people into Mochou City.

Everything inside Mochou City—the layout of the streets, the attire of the people, and the styles of the shops—was markedly different from Pingyang City. Zhang Xiaohua found it all very refreshing and quite a sight to take in.

Before long, their carriage arrived at the edge of a sparkling green lake.

All around the lake, countless willows drooped their leafy branches, lush and vividly green. Across the surface of the water, a jade-like causeway divided the lake into two.

In one corner of the lake stood a tall pagoda, its silhouette rising proudly. The setting sun had just dipped behind the pagoda, as if it were balanced atop its spire. The reflection of the pagoda stretched into the lake, swaying gently with the ripples—a scene of quiet beauty.

Seeing Zhang Xiaohua utterly captivated by the sight, Nie Qianyu said softly: “This is Mo Chou Lake’s most famous view—Furrowed Brow at Sunset. That pagoda is called the Furrowed Brow Pagoda.”

“Oh?” Zhang Xiaohua frowned slightly. “Why such a sorrowful name?”

Nie Qianyu’s expression turned wistful. “Exactly. Big Brother Ren, you’re very sensitive—just hearing the name and you already sensed something in it. I felt the same way when I first heard it.”

Nie Qianyu gazed into the jade-green lake, a hint of sorrow in her voice. “It’s because Lady Mo Chou is said to be sealed beneath that pagoda. Everyone who hears her story can’t help but furrow their brows and sigh. So over time, the tower came to be called Furrowed Brow Pagoda, and its original name was gradually forgotten.”

“An immortal fairy sealed beneath that tower?” Zhang Xiaohua’s ears perked up. As soon as he heard that, his divine sense immediately swept outward. By now, his divine sense was even stronger than it had been on that desolate island, and this mere lake was no obstacle at all.

Nie Qianyu, unaware of Zhang Xiaohua’s actions, continued with her story. “They say that after Lady Mo Chou built this city, she lived a carefree life. But one day, by the banks of this very lake, she met a man named Ye Feng. The two fell in love at first sight, and their hearts became intertwined. But the heavens are ever jealous of beauty—Ye Feng was noticed by an old monk named Xuan Kong, who believed he was a destined Buddha-child born with spiritual roots. The monk insisted on taking Ye Feng into the monastery. Of course, Lady Mo Chou wouldn’t agree. In the end, Xuan Kong accused her of being born of demonic lineage and used powerful techniques to seal her beneath this very tower.”

As Zhang Xiaohua listened to Nie Qianyu’s story, his divine sense continued probing deep beneath the pagoda. The farther it stretched, the more strange his expression became—until finally, a look of shock flashed across his face!