Rizhao Mountain, North Mountain.
Dense, towering trees lined the stone staircase, blotting out the sun. Even in the sweltering heat of July, the breeze blowing through the woods carried a hint of chill.
Zhou Fuxue looked up at the endless stretch of stone steps reaching toward the sky and thought gloomily, *Perhaps I should just go back down.*
On the steps behind him, a youth in blue robes was scrambling up on all fours, panting like an ox. "Thir... Thir... Thirteenth Junior Brother... your Senior Brother... Senior Brother sees that you have a remarkable constitution. These three thousand steps are like level ground to you. In the future, you will surely... *cough, cough*... surely soar to the heavens and become a mighty powerhouse of the realm."
Zhou Fuxue remained expressionless, his voice carrying a hidden edge. "Fuxue has not yet been entered into your sect’s registry. Calling me 'Junior Brother' might be against the rules."
The implication was clear: *I haven't joined yet. Don't act so familiar when nothing is certain.*
The blue-robed youth, Shen Di’an, completely missed the barb in his words. "What rules? Our Rizhao Mountain has never had any rules. You’re overthinking it, Thirteenth Junior Brother."
Zhou Fuxue: "..."
A ragtag sect with no rules. Hearing this made him want to go back down even more.
From not far away, a clear, melodious voice drifted over, sounding as if it came from the very edge of the sky: "Past hardships vanish into the void; the clamor of the red dust begins anew."
In the twenty-sixth year of the Chang’an era, the ten-year-old Zhou Fuxue had traveled from the Kingdom of Jianglou to Rizhao Mountain to seek the Dao. Before he had even finished the three thousand steps to the mountain gate, the urge to abandon his path and head back down had already struck him twice.
Shen Di’an was faring worse than a ten-year-old child. Every few steps, he had to sit on the stone stairs to rest for a long while. His small face was as pale as paper, and his legs trembled slightly as they pressed against the stone, looking as though he might tumble headfirst at any moment.
Zhou Fuxue maintained a distance of ten paces ahead of him, his youthful face masked in cold indifference.
Despite struggling so hard to climb, Shen Di’an still had the energy to chatter. "Speaking of rules, Rizhao actually does have a few, but no one follows them. Once you enter the gate, the Sect Leader will surely make you transcribe the precepts a few times. Just do it for show; don't take them to heart."
Zhou Fuxue didn't know if other sects were as casual as Rizhao, but he knew the saying, "Without rules, there is no order." He let out a silent, cold sneer, his disdain for this lawless, ragtag sect deepening.
Shen Di’an rested for a moment before struggling to his feet to continue the climb. Watching his staggering gait, Zhou Fuxue wondered how long it would take them to reach the gate at this rate.
Just as he was considering whether to offer a hand, a flash of red appeared on the steps above, hurtling toward them like an arrow released from a bow.
The newcomer was clad in vibrant red robes that fluttered like dancing flames. He drifted through the air, one foot treading upon a floating red lotus. In an instant, he swept past the two of them, disappearing down the mountain in a few bounds.
Zhou Fuxue frowned.
Shen Di’an was nearly knocked over by the wind the red-clad figure left in his wake. He grabbed a nearby tree with both hands and feet to steady himself. He looked ready to curse, but likely out of consideration for Zhou Fuxue, he forcibly twisted his contorted expression into one of refined elegance. The effort looked painful.
Zhou Fuxue asked, "That was..."
Shen Di’an gritted his teeth, a fake smile plastered on his face. "Ignore him. He’s just a mad dog."
Zhou Fuxue looked at the fading red lotus on the ground, lost in thought.
They hadn't walked for more than a few moments when another red shadow swept down from above. A gust of wind rose again as the figure brushed past them once more.
Zhou Fuxue: "..."
He stared at the red lotus on the steps, identical to the previous one, and his brow furrowed.
Behind him, Shen Di’an was nearly knocked over again. No longer caring that Zhou Fuxue was watching, he roared at the retreating red figure, "I’m going to tell Master on you when I get back! Ming Zhu, you’re dead, I’m telling you!"
After his outburst, he took a deep breath, retracted his murderous expression, and managed a smile for Zhou Fuxue. "Forgive me. Let’s go. Don't lower yourself to a mad dog's level. Master has been waiting for you for a long time."
Zhou Fuxue gave a curt "Mhm" and continued walking, wondering why that person had appeared twice in such a short span of time.
Before he could reach a conclusion, a red figure appeared for the third time. Like the previous two instances, he came treading on lotuses with the grace of a startled swan.
Shen Di’an’s eyes instantly filled with a predatory light.
The "mad dog" was about to brush past Zhou Fuxue and vanish again when Shen Di’an, who had been hanging his head, suddenly let out a low growl from his throat: "Ming—Zhu—"
The red shadow faltered. Before he could dash further down, Shen Di’an’s hand shot out with unerring precision, grabbing the red-clad man by the collar. With a violent yank, he slammed the man onto the stone steps.
With a loud *thud*, the red-clad man was caught off guard and thrown down, the back of his head hitting the stone steps beneath the thick moss. It was a miracle he wasn't knocked unconscious.
Shen Di’an sat on the man’s waist, clutching his collar. His eyes were wild with fury as he glared at Ming Zhu, hissing through gritted teeth, "I told you... to stop. Did. You. Hear. Me?"
Ming Zhu was dazed from the fall. Seeing Shen Di’an’s gaze lingering on his neck as if considering whether to strangle him, he immediately waved his hands. "Hey, hey, Old Tenth, Tenth Brother, calm down. Impulsiveness leads to heart demons. Besides, I passed by twice just now and I remember clearly—you really didn't say anything about stopping. I... I'm so obedient; if you told me to stop, I would have stopped without a second thought... Ah!"
"Tenth Brother" reached out and squeezed his throat.
Zhou Fuxue: "..."
The physically frail but imposing Tenth Brother showed no mercy as he ravaged Ming Zhu until his anger finally subsided. He stood up, smoothed his robes, and returned to his persona of a refined young gentleman. The speed of his transformation was breathtaking.
Ming Zhu scrambled up from the ground and finally noticed Zhou Fuxue. "Oh, who’s this?"
Zhou Fuxue gave a slight nod. Shen Di’an said, "He is our Thirteenth Junior Brother, named Zhou Fuxue. I am taking him to see Master now."
Ming Zhu gave an "Oh," clearly not very interested. "Then you'd better hurry. If you're late, Master will be furious again."
Ming Zhu possessed a face of ambiguous gender, so beautiful it was almost aggressive. Beneath his left eye sat a red, tear-shaped mark, which gave him an even more ominous air.
As he spoke, his phoenix eyes kept drifting toward the jade token on Shen Di’an’s wrist. Shen Di’an seemed to see through his intentions and said coldly, "If you dare steal my jade token, prepare to be confined for a hundred years. No one will plead for you then."
Ming Zhu shuddered before saying with a bitter face, "How would I have the guts for that? You flatter me."
He turned to leave, his silhouette looking incredibly dejected. But before Shen Di’an could breathe a sigh of relief, the "mad dog" who had just claimed to lack the guts suddenly spun around. His hand shot toward the jade token on Shen Di’an’s wrist with a speed and practiced ease that marked him as a veteran thief.
Shen Di’an sneered. He shifted his body back half a step and delivered an unceremonious, brutal kick to Ming Zhu’s waist. "Go to hell, First Senior Brother!"
"Ah!" Ming Zhu was caught off guard and sent tumbling down the stone steps, quickly vanishing from sight.
Zhou Fuxue: "..."
Shen Di’an looked down from his high vantage point as Ming Zhu’s screams faded into the distance. He sneered, "Serves him right."
Zhou Fuxue took a subtle, deep breath and asked woodenly, "What did you call him just now?"
"He is the First Senior Brother of Rizhao Mountain, named Ming Zhu. As for him..." Shen Di’an tapped his temple. "There’s... something wrong up here. Don't go near him if you can help it, lest he corrupts you."
Zhou Fuxue: "..."
A casual sect with no rules, a frail junior brother who dared to beat his senior, and a First Senior Brother who seemed useless except for his looks—for the third time today, Zhou Fuxue felt the urge to retreat down the mountain.
Rizhao Mountain was the tallest peak in the Five Continents. It bordered the Nayan River to the east and the Deadwood Forest to the south. Because it was surrounded by natural perils, it had remained secluded from the world for over a thousand years.
After another half hour, Zhou Fuxue and Shen Di’an finally reached the gates of Rizhao Mountain. A white light shimmered over the quiet steps ahead. As his foot landed on the final step, the low toll of a great bell echoed in his ears—melodious and crisp, its lingering tone ethereal and winding.
The white light before them seemed to be brushed away by invisible hands, parting the layers of mist. The first things to come into view were two stone towers, standing tall on either side like pillars reaching for the sky. Two rows of osmanthus trees flanked a twelve-step staircase made of blue jade stone, which was already covered in tiny, fallen blossoms.
Looking up further, he could see the faint outlines of tall buildings and dwellings nestled among the lush greenery, like a hidden paradise.
Zhou Fuxue froze for a moment, then turned slightly to look back at the winding blue stone steps.
At that moment, the bell chimed again, like ripples on water. With his back to the bustling mortal world, he gazed at the three thousand steps he had climbed. His past hardships felt like the trials of a previous life.
It truly matched the words from earlier: *Past hardships vanish into the void.*
Shen Di’an shook the jade token in his hand and explained, "Disciples of Rizhao Mountain cannot leave the gate without cause. Unless one possesses the Sect Leader’s jade token, anyone who tries to sneak down will end up like that idiot First Senior Brother—running back and forth on the stone steps, never able to finish those three thousand steps for all eternity."
Zhou Fuxue finally understood why Ming Zhu had passed the same spot repeatedly and why he had tried to steal the token. He thought to himself, *So when he said there are no rules, he meant that even if you don't follow them, you simply can't leave the mountain?*
Zhou Fuxue followed Shen Di’an forward slowly. The colors of the twelve steps were uneven, though the fallen osmanthus flowers made it hard to see clearly.
As he crossed the top step, a slight tremor came from the ground. Then, stones slowly broke through the earth, forming a new step above the twelfth.
Zhou Fuxue looked at the new step that had appeared out of thin air with some surprise. However, his cold nature prevented him from showing any emotion. Shen Di’an noticed regardless. He stepped onto it and turned to explain, "These are the Disciple Steps of Rizhao Mountain. They are triggered by an array whenever a new disciple enters. The appearance of this thirteenth step means Rizhao has accepted you."
With that, he led Zhou Fuxue through a quiet bamboo path. Ahead lay grand halls and towering buildings that seemed to pierce the clouds, built majestically into the mountain cliffs.
Shen Di’an stood at the base of the hall's steps, bowed with his hands clasped, and announced loudly, "Di’an brings Zhou Fuxue of the Kingdom of Jianglou to pay respects to the Sect Leader."
The doors of the Great Hall slowly opened, and a clear voice drifted out: "Enter."
The two walked in with slow, measured steps. The hall was vast and cool. A man in green robes sat at the head of the room, elegantly sipping tea. Beside him stood an incense burner, from which curls of smoke drifted, filling the entire hall with the light scent of osmanthus.
Shen Di’an stopped and bowed respectfully to the man. "Greetings, Sect Leader."
The Sect Leader of Rizhao Mountain was an exceptionally young man, appearing to be in his twenties. He was strikingly beautiful, his long hair loosely tied with a green ribbon and draped over his back, giving him a lazy, casual air.
His eyes were narrow and perpetually half-closed, appearing both indolent and cold. When his gaze fell upon someone, it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds; if it lingered too long, it could make one shiver.
Zhou Fuxue felt that gaze. He slowly knelt and performed the formal disciple’s salute with poise and dignity. "Zhou Fuxue of the Zhou family pays respects to Master Guining."
Master Guining studied him lazily for a few moments before speaking. "Rise. The past is but dust. From now on, you are a person of Rizhao. You may call me Master."
Zhou Fuxue stood up. "Yes, Master."
***
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