Leng Jing left behind a single letter and ran away from home. He harbored an infinite longing for the world of the martial arts—the Jianghu.
However, Leng Jing made a very serious mistake: a miscalculation of distance.
When he had first arrived in the Celestial Realm, he had passed through a distorted spatial vortex, flying for several hours before reaching his destination. But after the monster was eliminated, that spatial distortion ceased to exist. In other words, the distance between the Celestial and Mortal Realms had shortened significantly. Yet, the "ugly little snake" continued to charge through the South Heaven Gate at high speed, accelerating as he plummeted.
The result was Leng Jing diving headfirst into the earth, smashing a deep abyss into the ground. He rolled around clutching his head; it really, truly hurt.
Fortunately, he landed in the heart of a remote mountain forest. Otherwise, his arrival would have been a catastrophe for the mortal world.
With a swollen, red forehead, Leng Jing crawled out of the deep pit. Looking at the familiar mountain forests and marshes—so unlike the mist-shrouded Celestial Realm—he felt an immediate sense of kinship.
He leaped into the sky once more and began to fly leisurely, slowly admiring how the scenery of the human world had changed over five thousand years.
Following the geography in his memory, he flew straight south. He knew that Jiangnan was a hotbed for martial arts incidents; going there was bound to be the right choice. Despite his bruised and purple forehead, the white dragon maintained a strange smile as he glided along.
However, a dragon wearing a smile is a very peculiar sight indeed.
"Little white dragon, what are you so happy about?" A smiling young man sat on a nearby cloud, keeping pace with him. He appeared to be an immortal. This youth was dressed in green and was exceptionally handsome, though his eyes flashed with a crafty light.
Leng Jing ignored him.
"Little white dragon, why are you ignoring me?" the youth asked, unwilling to give up. He leaned in closer with a smile. "Oh my, your forehead is all red and swollen! You’ve taken quite a hit, little dragon. Do you want me to take a look? My medical skills are superb!"
Leng Jing continued to ignore him.
The youth gave a performative sigh. "Sigh, how cold." He pulled a fragrant steamed bun from his robes and began to eat it bite by bite.
Leng Jing glanced back at him. The youth gave a sly grin. "Little white dragon, do you want a bite? These buns are delicious! How about I treat you?"
Leng Jing still ignored him. The youth sighed again. "Alas, why are the dragons of this era so arrogant? What a pity, what a pity. I originally wanted to make a friend! Little white dragon, where are you heading in such a hurry?"
"Get lost," Leng Jing snapped irritably.
The youth had spent a long time trying to curry favor, only to be met with Leng Jing’s stiff, stony expression. He was just about to fire up his competitive spirit and properly "conquer" this little dragon when a beautiful little phoenix suddenly flew past.
And so, the youth went off to pester the little phoenix instead—"Hey, hey, little phoenix! Why are you flying so fast?"
Finally, Leng Jing stood upon a bustling street he had not seen in ages. He stood there in a daze for a long time before deciding he would wander the streets from morning until dark!
First, he rushed to a fried fish stall and ordered a large plate of five-spice fried small fish. Then, he carried them happily to a long table.
"See? I told you. The Young Master was born with a poor man’s tastes! Coming to Jiangnan, he was bound to eat this first!" The White Mink sat at a nearby table, whispering.
"Indeed!" Leng Qingqing lowered the brim of his bamboo hat, trying his best to keep Leng Jing from spotting him. In truth, Leng Jing’s movements were far too easy to guess. After all, how else could he be his father?
After finishing the fish, Leng Jing began to wander aimlessly. At this moment, it wasn't just Leng Qingqing following him; the Left and Right Generals, the Green Dragon and White Tiger—who had followed the scent of tracking incense placed on Leng Qingqing—had also arrived, along with four or five white rabbit immortals. Everyone was tracking Leng Jing in a relay-style formation.
Leng Jing’s second stop was a weapon shop. He took a fancy to a precious sword, spent a bit of money to buy it, hung it at his waist, and continued his stroll.
But the Jianghu of today was hidden too deeply! He had been wandering for so long, yet he hadn't seen a single fight or disturbance! Where was he supposed to find the martial arts world?
Boring... truly too boring... Leng Jing stood lonely on a street where public order was exceptionally well-maintained.
"What exactly is the Young Master trying to do? Is he just here in the Mortal Realm to play?" a white rabbit asked the Green Dragon and White Tiger.
Bi Xuan shook his head. He wasn't sure either. What was the Young Master’s ultimate goal? It was best to watch for now; if things got out of hand, they would just drag him back to the Celestial Realm.
Next, Leng Jing headed toward a "place of fireworks and willow"—a brothel. Leng Qingqing and the White Mink were both shocked. The tracking party behind them was even more stunned.
"This is terrible! Has the Young Master developed mortal desires?! That’s a violation of Heavenly Law!" The white rabbits began to panic.
"Don't rush. If the Young Master truly has improper thoughts, we can't use force. Remember, his health isn't great. White Tiger! Find a way to sneak inside!" Bi Xuan commanded.
General White Tiger said dissatisfiedly, "Why me? What am I supposed to do in there?"
After some pushing and shoving, the two of them entered through the back door of the brothel that Leng Jing was about to enter.
Leng Jing’s purpose for coming here was simple: this was also one of the places where martial arts incidents frequently occurred.
As Leng Jing sat down in the main hall, the Madam approached, ready to welcome the guest. Suddenly, she was pulled away by a group of maidservants dressed in white. Then, a bashful, heavily powdered "girl" walked out carrying a pipa. In a pinched, high-pitched voice, she said, "Young... er... Master, this humble maid will play the pipa for you."
Leng Jing sat with his legs crossed, one hand resting on the back of the chair to prop up his chin. He listened to the disguised White Tiger "twang-twang" away on the strings, sounding less like music and more like someone carding raw cotton.
As he listened, Leng Jing couldn't help but look up, staring at the decorative paneled ceiling above.
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
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南天门 | South Heaven Gate | The entrance to the Celestial Realm.
五香炸小鱼 | Five-spice fried small fish | A snack Leng Jing is particularly fond of.
烟花场所 | Place of fireworks and willow | A common euphemism for a brothel or red-light district.
凡心 | Mortal desires | Specifically, romantic or carnal desires that immortals are often forbidden from having.
天条 | Heavenly Law | The rules governing immortals in the Celestial Realm.
琵琶 | Pipa | A four-stringed Chinese musical instrument, often played by entertainers.
弹棉花 | Carding cotton | A metaphor for playing a stringed instrument very poorly and noisily.
