Volume Three: Blossoms Bloom Together, A Lone Tree Cannot Bear the Burden Chapter Twelve: The Scout

Zhuo Hua turned to Su Xin and said, “Su Xin, could you help me with something?”

Su Xin replied anxiously, “Master, whatever you need, just instruct me and I will do it. There’s no need to be so polite.”

Zhuo Hua smiled. “I’d like you to bring Little Fish here, and starting tomorrow, train with Elder Song under the Crouching Tiger Waterfall. Also, select a hundred newly admitted students from the Cloud Palace, from all the various clans, and bring them here as well. You’ll be their instructor. If you have any questions, you may consult Elder Song. I’ll have the palace lords come here from time to time to guide you.” Then, turning to Song Xiang, he asked, “Elder, does this arrangement suit you?”

Song Xiang, still with his indifferent expression, waved a large hand and said, “That’s nothing difficult. I’ll keep a close eye on them. I’ll see which brat dares to slack off.”

Su Xin stepped forward to accept the order, but asked with some doubt, “Master, are you selecting disciples only from the Seven Immortal Clans, or should I also include those demon clan youths in the Cloud Palace?”

Zhuo Hua studied Su Xin for a moment, thinking, then said, “Xin’er, for now, limit the selection to the Immortal Clans. Additionally, among the demon clan servants and menials in the palace, you may pick a few with outstanding talent and foundations to join as well.”

Song Xiang nodded. “The relationships among the four demon clans are complicated these days. The leaders of the Dragon and Shark clans have already openly rebelled, and it’s hard to know where their young ones’ loyalties lie. Isolating them for now is understandable.”

Su Xin was actually quite pleased. As someone with demon clan origins, she had always felt deeply inferior—especially after entering the Celestial Palace, where this feeling became even more pronounced. The majority in the palace were descendants of the Seven Immortal Clans, and the most distinguished were those from the legendary demon clans of ancient times—powerful, fierce lineages that had always dominated the continent.

For someone like her, born to a humble demon clan—just an ordinary beast, bird, insect, or fish from the void—it took centuries of cultivation and endless hardships to achieve any level of attainment. Every ten years, the Celestial Palace would descend to the mortal world to select demon clans who had taken human form, bringing them into the palace as servants. Though the work was arduous and the status low, being chosen was a great honor for any demon clan, for to serve the gods was no ordinary fate.

Back then, Su Xin had been selected in just such a demon clan draft, chosen by the Fairy of Lanling to serve as her personal attendant. Occasionally, she was taught a few rudimentary techniques and given a stabilizing pearl. But after the fairy’s mysterious disappearance, Su Xin was left among the snow-capped mountains, forced by circumstances to take up banditry until she met Zhuo Hua and his party.

Since arriving at the Celestial Palace, many people treated her with deference on Zhuo Hua’s account, but behind her back, they called her an upstart, a seductress, one who used her looks to curry favor and rise above her station. The gossip was unbearable.

With emotion in her voice, Su Xin said, “Thank you, Master, for supporting us of the demon clans. I will do my utmost, never daring to be the least bit negligent.”

Half a bowl of clouds, half a bowl of fish,
Yellow leaves seeking autumn earth in the wind.
The setting sun lingers at the edge of flying clouds,
Warming neither the world nor the heart.
—From the Poems of Lanling

In the primeval forests of Southern Flame Continent, there was a rarely visited valley. Here, miasma lingered all year round, and wolves, tigers, and leopards roamed. Since the great war of ancient times, it had been undisturbed for ages.

A strangely clad army moved silently through this ferocious, man-eating jungle. Each was tall and powerfully built, wearing white fur helmets, their faces sallow and weary, yet their formation remained orderly.

At this moment, a fork appeared in the path ahead. The leader, a burly man with a bristling beard, raised his right fist and shouted, “The whole army will rest here!” At his command, the unit halted at once; the soldiers sat down, pulled out their water flasks, and seized the brief moment to recover their strength.

The bearded man called out, “Scouts, where are you?”

A scout, carrying a bow and saber and dressed in light gear, hurried forward, knelt on one knee, and raised a roll of sheepskin map above his head to present to the leader.

The bearded man seized the map, unrolling it as he asked, “Have you determined where we are?”

The scout, seemingly only sixteen or seventeen, bore a look of competence on his youthful face. He answered crisply, “General Yuan, according to the markings on this ancient map, this place should be called the Moon-Shrouded Valley. I’ve just scouted the surroundings thoroughly—the path we took was correct, but there’s only jungle here, no valley. Also, this fork in the road doesn’t appear on the sheepskin map.”

The man addressed as General Yuan stroked his beard, pondering for a moment before instructing the scout, “Du Wei, go fetch Strategist Lang.”

Du Wei saluted and left quickly.

Soon, a man around forty with three short beards, following Du Wei, arrived before General Yuan.

He wore a scholar’s robe and saluted politely. “General, for what purpose have you summoned Lang Xian?”

General Yuan waved him closer and said, “I’ve called you because we’ve run into a problem. There’s a fork in front of us that isn’t marked on the ancient map.” He shook the yellowed sheepskin map in his hand.

Lang Xian took the map and examined it carefully. General Yuan continued, “That’s not the only odd thing. The map indicates a valley called the Moon-Shrouded Valley here, but our scouts found no sign of a valley nearby. That’s why I had Du Wei bring you to discuss it.”

Lang Xian furrowed his brow, studying the map in silence for a long time before speaking. “We’ve marched all this way by following this ancient map, and there have been no mistakes so far. In my humble opinion, the map left by General Yuan Kang cannot be wrong.”

At this, Du Wei interjected, “But, Strategist, I’ve searched everywhere nearby and found nothing but endless forest. There’s no trace of any valley!”

Lang Xian replied, “According to the map, the Moon-Shrouded Valley is not far ahead. My suggestion is that the army camps here while two groups of scouts are sent out along the main and side roads to explore a hundred li in each direction. We’ll wait here for their findings before deciding our next move.”

General Yuan’s face was anxious. “But, Strategist, my brother told us we must reach the Moon-Shrouded Valley in the southern jungle by the fifteenth day of the seventh month, and wait at the Sovereign’s Place for the arrival of the Vanguards of the Dark Wail. Time is running out—if we split up and search now, we’ll waste precious time. My brother said if we miss the midnight of the seventh day of the seventh month, we’ll have to wait another year.”

Lang Xian stroked his short beard. “General, there’s no better plan at the moment—dividing our forces to scout is the safest course. Look at our thousand-strong force: we’re short of food and clothing, exhausted from months of forced marches, and many soldiers have fallen ill from the miasma. If we send scouts ahead, the army can rest fully, and we can thoroughly survey the surrounding terrain.”

Lang Xian had not finished when General Yuan retorted mockingly, “Strategist, are you afraid to go on? Don’t forget what you promised my brother.”

Lang Xian roared, “Yuan Ji, what do you mean by that? Yuan Kang and I are sworn brothers—my pledge to him is as binding as heaven and earth. There’s no need for your suspicion. I left my home and career to come to this wild place with you; my wife and children’s fate is uncertain—do you still doubt my resolve?”

Yuan Ji, abashed, tried to comfort him. “Don’t be angry, Strategist. I’m just a blunt man. Ever since my brother was sucked into that strange vortex, I’ve become jumpy. Don’t take it to heart. I know well that you and my brother are closer than kin, and every man in our Spirit Helm Army has suffered at the hands of the Seven Immortal Clans—none of us are cowards.”

At this, Du Wei tried to ease the tension. “Could the map be wrong, perhaps?”

Lang Xian dismissed this at once. “Absolutely not. This map was dictated by the Fairy of Lanling to General Yuan Kang himself; every route was described by the fairy in person—there can be no mistake.”

Du Wei muttered under his breath, “But this jungle is so unpredictable, the weather changes three times a day. Even the Fairy of Lanling couldn’t guarantee every detail. We’ve been wandering here for so long and found no trace of the sanctuary.”

Lang Xian glared at him and scolded, “What do you know, you greenhorn? These are relics from the ancient era—if they could be found just by wandering around, they’d be no different from common goods at the market! Besides, the valley’s name is so unusual—Moon-Shrouded Valley—it must be related to the moon. When you were scouting, did you see any special terrain or landforms?”

Du Wei thought for a moment, then shook his head. “We’ve checked everywhere here. Aside from a few small streams, there’s no sign of a valley. The name can’t be Moon-Shrouded Valley if it’s just a mountain! Our ancestors must have had a strange sense of humor.”

“You’re the one with a sense of humor!” Lang Xian raised his hand as if to strike.

General Yuan Ji then gave his orders in a deep voice. “The whole army will camp here. Du Wei, take fifteen men and scout the side road. Go a hundred li and be sure to return—here’s three days’ rations. You must be back within three days.”

Lang Xian asked, “What about the other group of scouts?”

Yuan Ji spat out a blade of grass and gazed deeply at the ancient stone road before them. “I’ll lead the other group myself.”