Chapter 7

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The lingering notes of the qin music drifted into the wind as Qi Wuhuo looked up.

The evening breeze rustled through the fields, and the crescent moon hung low in the forest.

He soon saw a girl of about sixteen or seventeen years old step out of the sedan chair.

She was adorned with a crown of jade lotus, draped in purple silk, with red jade pendants, and her dress trailed with phoenix patterns.

Her bright eyes and fair wrists, her graceful steps, and her enchanting presence were beyond anything he had seen before.

Her gaze flickered, sparkling with brilliance.

Qi Wuhuo remained calm and composed and asked for her name. The young lady introduced herself as Qiong Yu. The two quickly became close friends, valuing each other as true companions. This continued for several months.

Before the major exams, students often went on excursions to the mountains and visited various Daoist temples and monasteries to seek blessings and good fortune for the upcoming exams.

Qi Wuhuo, along with his friends, climbed to the most renowned peak outside the capital, Dingyan Peak, where the highest point housed a Daoist temple dedicated to a legendary goddess.

It was said to be highly spiritual, most people who came here to make wishes would achieve their goals.

Qi Wuhuo lit three incense sticks and entered the main hall.

The main hall was dedicated to the goddess, who was veiled by a thin gauze. The hall itself was built to an immense height, almost impossible to see through with the naked eye. Qi Wuhuo had no interest in seeing the so-called goddess’s face.

Just as he was about to offer incense, his gaze inadvertently shifted to one side, and his expression suddenly froze. Those around him followed his line of sight and saw a maid in green attire standing beside the goddess in the main hall. She held a Ruyi in her hand, her long hair hanging down, and her smile was radiant and mischievous.

Qi Wuhuo stared intently at the maid in green.

Her features and demeanor were strikingly similar to the one he had seen every night!

The Daoist priest beside him noticed Qi Wuhuo’s sudden halt and asked:

“Why are you standing here instead of offering incense, young master?”

Qi Wuhuo’s expression remained unchanged as he replied:

“I don’t yet know this goddess’s honored name, so I have not offered incense.”

The Taoist priest smiled and answered:

“Goddess Qiong Yu.”

Qi Wuhuo nodded slowly, his back straight as he placed the incense into the censer:

“Qiong Yu…”

That night, when he saw his friend again at their usual meeting place, the latter came to bid him farewell, sighing as he said: “Originally, it was just a meeting through the qin, but now that you know my true identity, it will be difficult for us to communicate on equal terms.”

“I was once a daughter of a noble family but was wronged and died. Because I practiced orthodox techniques when I was young, I did not fully die. After years of cultivation, I emerged from the Yin Realm, and thus, I met you.”

Qi Wuhuo furrowed his brows slightly and asked, “Mountain deity… divine being…”

“Is it truly possible to achieve immortality?”

Qiong Yu shook her head and replied:

“It cannot be considered immortality, only existence as a Yin spirit, merely clinging to existence.”

“With your talent, you will surely become renowned throughout the world in the future.”

“This scroll contains the method of nourishing the soul that I obtained years ago in the Canxia Cave. I am passing it on to you, which should be considered as a token of our acquaintance.”

The young lady extended her hand and lightly touched Qi Wuhuo’s forehead.

An enigmatic and ineffable essence flowed into his brow, causing his spirit to waver slightly before dissipating.

It felt like the blink of an eye, and yet when he opened his eyes again, it was already the next morning. His clothes were soaked with morning dew, and the familiar figure was nowhere to be seen. With a sigh, he turned and left.

Later, Qi Wuhuo succeeded in the imperial examination in one fell swoop and was awarded the title of Jinshi(Advanced Scholar) and appointed as a secretary in the Ministry of Rites. Due to his upright and aloof character, he chose to take the [Military Examination] a year later, transferring to the position of County Lieutenant of Huainan County.

Seven years later, at the age of twenty-five, Qi Wuhuo was promoted to Censor. Later, at the age of thirty-six, he returned to the capital and was promoted to a Palace Attendant, also assuming the role of Director of the Bureau of Imperial Edicts.

Three years later, he left the capital to take up the post of Governor of Tongzhou. He was later promoted to the Governor of Zhongzhou. He welcomed and bid farewell to many, maintaining his composure and demeanor. Due to his experience of hunger in his youth, he was especially kind to the people, improving water conservancy, digging canals, and reducing taxes. Most of his salary was used to help the common people.

The common people even erected a stone tablet to record his merits.

After his term ended, he was transferred to the position be the Military Commissioner of Bianzhou. At forty-six, he was summoned to the imperial city and appointed as the Governor of the Imperial City.

During this period, the country was in turmoil. The Human Emperor, reigning under the era name of ‘Shenwu(Divine Might)’, was at war with the demon clan. The Candle Dragon General breached the border and used the technique of ‘riding the clouds and mist’. The Military Commissioner was killed, and someone had to be sent to quell the situation.

Qi Wuhuo, known for not forming factions, naturally took on this perilous task. He was appointed as the Deputy Inspector General of the Imperial Court, leading the army. After more than twenty years of traveling and fighting, Qi Wuhuo became acquainted with many heroes. This battle saw heroes fighting bravely and soldiers valiantly sacrificing their lives, leading to the complete defeat of the Demon Kingdom after several years.

He expanded the border by over nine hundred miles, building three cities and establishing a Three Talents Formation to suppress and resist the attacks of the demon clan. The border residents erected a monument in his honor on the original sacred mountain of the demon clan.

Upon his triumphant return, his reputation soared. He was promoted to the position of Deputy Minister of Rites and later promoted to Minister of Revenue and Chief Inspector General. Everyone praised him as a general who could also serve as an official, with a reputation so high that it even overshadowed the Prime Minister.

Out of jealousy, the Prime Minister covertly spread rumors, leading to Qi Wuhuo’s demotion and reassignment to a provincial post as a governor. At this time, Qi Wuhuo still harbored a deep sense of injustice. When alone in his courtyard playing the qin, he would often press the strings and play for a long time, sighing deeply. In his conversations, he expressed strong dissatisfaction and deep resentment towards the corrupt Prime Minister.

Three years later, Qi Wuhuo was once again summoned to the capital.

At this time, his reputation for integrity was at its peak. He was appointed as the Chancellor of the Central Secretariat and Chancellery and commanded immense power. Along with the Chief Minister and the Grand Secretary, he governed the court. However, upon entering the capital, he felt disillusioned and once sighed to a friend:

“When my reputation was flourishing, the Emperor suppressed me, supporting the Prime Minister instead. Now that the Prime Minister’s power has grown too strong, I am summoned back.”

“They have also brought in two others to counterbalance me.”

“In this court, we are merely pawns of the Emperor. Even wanting to do something for the people requires endless scheming.”

“To think, when I was young, my family had little wealth, living at the foot of a small mountain. In the spring, I would till the fields myself. In the summer, I would ascend the mountain to cool off and enjoy the breeze. In autumn, wild fruits were abundant. Life was so much freer then.”

“Now, wishing to live as I once did—worry-free in my youth, gathering firewood on the mountain—is but a dream. How I long to return to those days, to play the qin with you by the bamboo grove and converse freely. I wish to go back, but how could that ever be possible? How could I return…”

Qi Wuhuo’s sorrow was indescribable.

Several years later, Qi Wuhuo had become the most renowned scholar in the land. Yet suddenly, rumors arose, accusing him of colluding with border generals and conspiring rebellion. One day, he was still the revered minister who did not kneel before the Emperor, but the next, he was thrown into the imperial prison. Qi Wuhuo’s expression remained calm and indifferent, as though he no longer cared for these matters.

When those cruel officials, armed with blades and chains, kicked open the door and came in, the first scholar of the land, dressed in simple cloth robes, was quietly eating a bowl of rice porridge. His serene gaze swept over the group, and in that moment, the storm in the air subsided. Dozens of the fierce officials were stunned into silence.

Then, he calmly allowed himself to be bound.

Due to his great merits and his fame that shook the empire, they did not kill him but instead exiled him to a desolate wasteland.

When the next Emperor ascended the throne, he immediately exonerated Qi Wuhuo, summoned him to the capital, and appointed him as the Chief Minister of the Secretariat. He also offered Qi Wuhuo the title of Duke of Qi and the honor of marrying the eldest princess. Qi Wuhuo graciously declined the offer and, with a calm demeanor, told his disciple, who was also the Emperor’s eyes and ears:

“The old Emperor is dying and wishes to leave a sword for the new Emperor.”

“So he deposed me and had his son clear my name? Using both grace and intimidation, making me his sword. The schemes of emperors are nothing more than this.”

The young disciple asked: “Doesn’t the power of the throne intimidate you, sir?”

The elderly man, with his head of white hair and deep, tranquil eyes, replied with a faint smile: “I merely find it boring.”

Ignoring the young man’s barely concealed shock, Qi Wuhuo asked calmly:

“You do not covet wealth, do not indulge in luxury, and have no interest in beauties.”

“Could it be that you have seen through the characters of the name?”

The bright and handsome young man replied after a while: “As a student, I am still young and have not yet experienced the vicissitudes of the world or seen all the affairs of life…”

“I will see through the characters of the name in this life.”

Qi Wuhuo laughed heartily while drinking, and then, feeling weary, he waved his sleeve to dismiss his disciple.

The disciple rushed out and hurried to the imperial palace, recounting everything Qi Wuhuo had said. The Emperor was always stern and majestic, but no one knew the turmoil in the young emperor’s heart. Later, unofficial historical accounts would simply note the Emperor’s internal struggle and the outcome of that day.

The Emperor was fearful.

He dispatched the imperial guards.

When these armored guards burst into the luxurious mansion, the old man was already sitting quietly in the room with his eyes closed. His presence remained as deep as an abyss, and none dared to move.

Yet he was already lifeless.

During his life, he had been renowned across the land, with countless treasures bestowed upon him; his carriages, horses, and estates were innumerable.

The mansion was now empty, and on the walls, only a single line of poetry remained.

Qi Wuhuo was known for his steadfast and upright nature. Having served as both a general and a minister, he had little interest in poetry and left behind very few works. This was the only line of poetry he had penned, a reflection on his tumultuous life in the world of politics.

“Seventy years of chaos.”

The cold official who discovered these words felt a profound sense of melancholy and regret in those six characters.

Seventy years of chaos…

In the outer city of the capital, Qi Wuhuo’s soul departed from his body. He had practiced the method of nourishing his soul, allowing his spirit to remain even after his physical death. With a single step, his soul traveled a hundred miles, observing the flourishing world. His old study, once a place of rigorous learning, now lay in ruin.

The mountain deity, Qiong Yu, whom he had seen in his youth, appeared once more. It seemed she knew that Qi Wuhuo’s fate was now fulfilled. Her eyes were tinged with a hidden sadness. Qi Wuhuo, now with hair as white as a crane and skin wrinkled like an old man’s, gazed at her. Qiong Yu, however, appeared as she had decades ago—pure and ethereal as a celestial being.

“I have grown so old, yet you remain as you were back then,”

Qi Wuhuo sighed, then suddenly smiled and asked:

“Can one achieve eternal life in this world?”

This was the only time they had met in decades, and the question was the same as it had been in the past.

But the emotion behind the inquiry was entirely different.

The young maiden replied: “Flowers in the mirror, the moon in the water—visible but unattainable.”

The white-haired elder played the qin, the melodies stirring the mountain’s colors and causing the sea of clouds to surge. The music seemed to almost enter the Dao, transcending the mortal realm. As the final notes faded, the mountain peaks remained unchanged.

Reflecting on his youth and the impossibility of returning to those days, Qi Wuhuo pondered the meaning of his seventy years of pursuit of fame and fortune. What had it all been for? What was the ultimate purpose? Qi Wuhuo softly sang while strumming the qin:

“Seventy years of chaos, from the east to the west.”

“And now, as I return…”

“Still, the water is as blue as the sky.”

As the music ended, his spirit dispersed with closed eyes.

The mountains remained the same and the waters flowed endlessly, unchanged from the past.

There was only a sense of melancholy.

Suddenly, someone roughly pushed his shoulder.

It felt like stepping off a cliff in a dream, a shiver running through him.

Qi Wuhuo shivered, suddenly opening his eyes to find himself in a daze. An old man was pointing at him and laughing: “Boy, you are just dreaming. Why do you seem to be on the verge of tears?”

Qi Wuhuo stared blankly for a while:

“Where am I? What time is it?”

The old man laughed and scolded: “Don’t you even recognize this place?”

“As for the time?”

He raised his hand and pointed towards the stove, where steam was rising, and answered:

“It is midday.”

“The snow has yet to cease.”

“The yellow millet porridge should be ready in a moment.”
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Ruyi – a ceremonial scepter
Jinshi – Advanced Scholar
Wuhuo – Means no confusion

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