Yuan Xi Xing – Chapter 1: Minghe Mountain

“A Ling,^[1]阿翎, an affectionate way to call Jiang Ling, who’s given name means plume/tail feathers. hurry and sweep up the leaves in front of the gate.” A youth of about sixteen or seventeen years called out to her from the highest step in front of the gate. 

The girl known as A Ling, about fifteen or sixteen years old, heard the call and, despite being unwilling, reluctantly picked up a broom.  The girl bound her hair loosely on top of her head, a few wisps sticking to her rosy cheeks. A belt, embroidered with a bamboo pattern, encircled her waist, the knot tied haphazardly on one side. The drooping belt swayed side to side with her light movements, displaying a lovely, adorable side of Jiang Ling as she swept up the fallen leaves one by one along the road from the entrance of the mountain. 

The Minghe Sect was a humble sect with only four people. Because the sect was situated on Minghe Mountain, her shifu, Yun Yang, offhandedly bestowed the sect with the name “Minghe Sect.” In total, the sect had three disciples. Aside from the things only shifu could do, like giving classes, everything else in the sect was arranged by the three disciples. 

Jiang Ling was the youngest shimei of the three disciples. Light chores and manual tasks were her responsibility. At times when Jiang Ling is inevitably disobedient, Gu Yun, her second shixiong, would say: “Shimei’s qinggong is the best, so naturally we gave shimei these kinds of trivial tasks. This way, twice the work gets done with half the effort, and you can practice along the way.” Right, shixiong and shijie were always heading down the mountain to perform manual work in towns to provide for the four of them. From big deeds, like assisting the local authorities in going to local bandit hideouts in the mountains to punish evil and eliminate wickedness, to small deeds, like helping the villagers find lost chickens and ducks, with the remuneration from these tasks, the master-disciple group would not go hungry.

Shifu always said that there are many paths in training, and sweeping the floor was one of them. Jiang Ling objected, saying that shifu was just hoodwinking them into taking care of odd jobs for him. She thought that training was studying manuals and practicing martial arts. Yun Yang would say: “No, all things are a form of training. Naturally, the daily tasks of living are one, too.” Thus, aside from martial arts practice and going down the mountain to earn money, the sect collected the yearly harvest and gathered wild vegetables and fruits, sending Jiang Ling down to exchange the remaining bounty with local villagers and hunters for other vegetables and meat. The four of them seemed less like a sect and more like a reclusive family. 

Jiang Ling held the broom as she thought about how the falling leaves continued to fall as she swept, and how she continued to sweep as they fell. As long as the trees stood on the mountaintop, there would never be a day where she finished sweeping. Unconsciously feeling down, the broom dropped out of her hand and a wind rose from the ground beneath her feet. For a moment, she couldn’t open her eyes, and she could only clench her hands tight. When she could open her eyes, she was happy to see that her shifu and shijie, travel-worn and weary, had returned. She saw Yun Yang step lightly on the falling leaves and land beside Jiang Ling. Yun Yang was wearing long, light gray robes, with a thin beard on his chin. He was tall and slender, with sword-like slanted eyebrows, a bright gaze, and a trace of unusual elegance. 

“This master was not here, so you could act this lazy.” Yun Yang’s expression was strict, like it hadn’t been in the past, “When you have finished sweeping, come eat.”

“Understood, shifu.” Jiang Ling was scared by Yun Yang’s sudden reprimand, and she felt somewhat wronged. She nodded, clutching the broom which had, at some point, already returned to her hands, and continued sweeping. 

Yun He landed behind Yun Yang. She was dressed entirely in black robes, with turquoise designs along the cuffs and hem. Her belt had the same bamboo pattern as Jiang Ling’s, elegant and charming. She walked over and lightly patted her on the shoulder in consolation, then left in the same direction as shifu. 

That night, Yun Yang called the three disciples over. 

“When this master and your shijie went down the mountain this time, we received a letter from the Qingshan Sect. Your shizun means for you to attend the Sword Conference after two or three months. You will go to gain some experience.” Yun Yang conveyed the information simply, observing his disciples’ reactions. 

Yun He was his most prized disciple, with talent soaring to the heavens. Thus, he wished to pass down everything he had learned during his lifetime to her, as his legacy. Exactly four years prior, at the Qingshan Sect Sword Conference, he brought Yun He, who was only fifteen years old at the time, along with him. Unexpectedly, Yun He had come in eighth place, even defeating Gu Shi, the oldest disciple of Yun Yang’s shixiong, Liu Qi. 

Although Gu Yun did not have as much natural talent as Yun He, he was not far away. He was diligent, studying and practicing every day, and achieved a small amount of success.

And Jiang Ling, who did not have any talent for martial arts, was brought up under shifu’s guidance. However, she discovered that her dantian could not hold qi beyond a thin layer. She could not even exchange palm strikes with people. Her shallow sea of qi was like a chicken rib: of little to no value, but a shame to just discard. 

After studying for a few years, her internal force had made no progress. Often, she had to watch her shijie and shixiong learn new sword forms, and she sighed to the heavens about the injustice. She did not show it on her face, but in her bones, she had not yet admitted defeat. Because she could not gather her internal force, she could not learn these forms. Just as she despised how weak her dantian was, treating it like a useless chicken rib, she also utilized it. Yun Yang taught her the way of qinggong and nimble sword maneuvers. For small opponents from Jianghu, these nimble sword arts were enough, and if she found a strong opponent, running was a clever option. 

Even though the Minghe Sect was independent, Yun Yang was Qingshan Sect’s Lu Yi-zhenren’s third disciple. When he was young, he and his shijie and shixiong made names for themselves in Jianghu. Seventeen years ago, the sect was in turmoil, and Yun Yang was habitually lax in discipline. He did not get along with his staid, old-fashioned shixiong, and since his shixiong wanted to take over the position of sect leader, he felt uneasy at the Qingshan Sect. He took his leave of his shifu, Lu Yi-zhenren, and brought the youthful Yun He and Jiang Ling to Minghe Mountain to establish his own school. He would only return once every four years, for the Sword Conference, and he used to leave his three disciples behind on Minghe Mountain to “run their own course.” Four years prior, when he took Yun He with him, Gu Yun brought Jiang Ling down the mountain to pass their days in the village performing farm work. This time, they would be making a clean return to the Qingshan Sect.  

Jiang Ling and Gu Yun heard the news, and in their hearts was an uncontrollable anticipation and joyousness. Ever since they were small, besides the Minghe Sect and the villages at the foot of the mountain, the two of them had never been anywhere else. After hearing that, this time, they could go to the hundred-year-old Qingshan Sect to gain experience out in the world, they could not conceal the feeling in their hearts. The warm glow of the candle light fell on their faces, their eyes sparkling. 

Yun Yang looked at the expressions of these two disciples, and he felt like he was looking at his own time as a youth. Yes, children always grow up and fly away. He swept away his previous worries, revealing a youthful vigor as he said: “This competition is not for representing this master in winning or losing, but for broadening your horizons! You will listen to everything your shijie tells you, understand?”

“Shifu won’t be going?” Jiang Ling quickly saw the meaning behind Yun Yang’s words. 

“You three know that your shibo and I cannot speak two sentences to each other without fuming in anger. Especially if this lazy brat is seen by my shixiong. He will lecture us both and say that my teachings are not proper.” As he spoke, he poked Jiang Ling’s head, “Your shizun means that all three of you are disciples that were kidnapped and stranded by me. He is getting older, and he cannot rest easy until he sees you. You three have grown up. Go see shizun and wish him well for me. I will enjoy my free time.”

“Shifu, you can rest assured. I will manage shimei.” Gu Yun beat his chest, giving Yun Yang his guarantee. 

Yun Yang shook his head. This disciple was also too restless. It was probably because he never set any rules, and his disciples simply ended up a little willful and capricious. Compared to the large sects with strict regulations and ranks, this one felt much more like a family. 

“Shifu.” At this time, Yun He, who was standing to the side, called out to Yun Yang. Although she was the eldest shijie, Yun He was only older than her shidi and shimei by a few years, so when shifu was not by her side, she felt a little uneasy. 

Yun Yang listened to Yun He’s worries, twisting his beard as he said: “Yun He went with this master to Qingshan Sect last time, and is already familiar with the way. This is just another common form of training down the mountain. Although the journey will be long, you are returning to your own sect, after all. There is no need to be worried. There are still three months before you will go to Qingshan, so you three can go on a trip to Yuzhou. Yuzhou is a major center of communication for all four cardinal directions, so people of Jianghu and government officials gather there. It’s very lively, with many opportunities to have fun. You three can go to Yuzhou for fun first. It won’t be too late to go to Qingshan later.”

Yun Yang handed over some trivial tasks to them, then sent them off to rest. They spent two days preparing for the journey. 

Jiang Ling stayed in the same room as Yun He, pestering her about how things were outside. When Yun He was fourteen and she and Yun Yang left the mountain, it had also been her first time experiencing the outside world. Yun Yang had taken Yun He to Yuzhou and Luoyang, as well as other lively cities and towns, before returning to the Qingshan Sect. She had also experienced many interesting and novel things on the road.

Qingshan Sect was one of four major sects. Situated on Qingshan, a mountain which reached high into the clouds, the palaces of the Qingshan Sect were embellished impeccably and highly dignified. The sect had many disciples, most of which were outer disciples. Inner disciples must be chosen by the sect leader or by a sect elder, usually based on the disciple’s spiritual root and potential. These disciples would receive the imparted knowledge and wisdom of the sect leader or elder and had the possibility of inheriting their legacy. 

Jiang Ling propped her chin on her hand as she listened to Yun He’s story, her heart itching to set off immediately. Her brow suddenly tightened, and she said: “This Qingshan is so tall, there must be many stairs, but I won’t have to sweep endlessly. Here, as soon as I sweep at the base of the mountain steps, leaves have fallen at the top of the mountain again.”

When she heard this, Yun He let out a soft chuckle: “You still resent shifu for scolding you today?”

Jiang Ling: “It was training! Training!” She placed both hands on the table and lifted herself up, throwing herself over into her bedding. Taking advantage of her position, rolled up in her bedding, she continued her spontaneous speech fluidly: “And now it is time for sleep training.”

Yun He was used to her childish manner, so she blew out the light and prepared to sleep. 

Some time passed. Moonlight filtered into the room, and the cries of insects outside the window flowed continuously and peacefully. It seemed like the two people in the room had already fallen asleep, but soon Jiang Ling sighed softly, saying quietly: “Shijie, with how I am, do you think that I can only be an outer disciple at the Qingshan Sect, sweeping the mountain gate for my entire life?” Although Jiang Ling had grown up under the encouraging guidance of her shifu, shijie, and shixiong, she could not gather internal force, which was a large blow to her. No matter how hard she worked, and no matter how easy the mental techniques were for her to comprehend, every time she tried to wield martial arts, it was like trying to catch water with her bare hands. The water flowed out from between her fingers, only leaving behind a lingering wetness on her hands. To say she was not disheartened would be false, but all she could do was diligently study qinggong and nimble sword arts every day. 

Jiang Ling opened her dark eyes and looked toward Yun He’s bedding. Yun He had not answered her, so Jiang Ling thought she had already fallen asleep. Jiang Ling was going to turn back over and continue sleeping, but she heard Yun He sit up and say to Jiang Ling earnestly: “A Ling, you really do have a gift. There is no need to belittle yourself.” 

“Shijie…” Jiang Ling’s eyes stung. She really wanted to go over and hug her shijie, so she did, just like when she was little and would crawl into shijie’s warm bedding to snuggle after suffering a grievance. She leaned against shijie, a warm feeling of fulfillment in her heart, and fell asleep before she knew it. 

T/N: I will be keeping the pinyin for certain terms. Here is a list for those unfamiliar:

Shijie = older sect sister

Shimei = younger sect sister

Shixiong = older sect brother

Shidi = younger sect brother

Shifu = master

Shizun = grandmaster

Shibo = sect uncle

Zhenren = spiritual master

Jiejie = Older sister, not necessarily blood related

Da-ge/ge = Eldest brother/older brother

Qinggong = lightness skills