Dongting Immortal Clan

The water vapor in Shangyuan Pond is shrouded in a hazy glow.

Chen Changhe sat quietly on the blue stone by the pond all night, while the wooden boy beside him was breathing in and out spiritual energy, each breath carrying a mysterious meaning.

As dawn approached, he suddenly heard a series of steady footsteps outside.

Chen Changhe slowly opened his eyes; the person who came was Chen Dajiang.

At this moment, Chen Dajiang had changed into a leather armor, with an iron bow on his back. The bow was dark and the string was taut.

Another long, narrow wooden box was slung diagonally to his side. Inside the box were two sections of black wrought iron gun barrels. The threads at the joint were clearly visible. Once screwed together, they would become a deadly weapon.

Both of these were Old Zhang's personal weapons back in the day.

I followed him across the country, through storms and bloodshed.

In addition, he also had a bulging bundle slung over his shoulder.

Besides a change of clothes, there were also talismans that Old Zhang had found, as well as several pills sealed with wax.

These are all things that can save your life.

"The Long River".

Chen Dajiang stood beside him, his voice lower than usual.

Chen Changhe gently exhaled a breath of stale air, suppressing the heaviness in his heart, and turned his head to reveal a faint smile:

"Why is my brother acting like this?"

"What we both think is the same: it's all for this family."

He stood up, took out several items from his storage bag, and handed them over one by one.

Two bottles of commonly used Qi-boosting pills, a small bag of spiritual grains brimming with spiritual energy, and a few ingots of gold.

"Keep these with you; you might need them someday."

Chen Changhe looked at his elder brother, feeling no resentment, only entrustment and worry:

"The waters of the cultivation world run far deeper than we imagine."

"Be cautious in everything you do while you are away. It is better to take a step back than to act impulsively. When something happens, think more about your sister-in-law and Ji'er."

Do you think I'm still as young as Hu'er?

Chen Dajiang smiled, patted his chest, and said with great pride:

"Since shedding the wooden body, I feel that my mind has become much clearer, and my perspective on things is different from before."

His smile faded slightly, and he said seriously:

"Do you really think that I was competing with you yesterday for the title of 'suicide'?"

Chen Changhe was slightly taken aback.

Chen Dajiang continued:

"At this critical time for the family, with your higher cultivation, you should stay at home and stabilize the foundation."

"Since that evil cultivator was able to escape from Lingzhou to Yunmeng, how can we be sure that his whereabouts weren't deliberately leaked to mislead and lure us away?"

His gaze fell upon the distant mountain ranges, their shapes resembling crouching behemoths, and he analyzed in a steady voice:

"Wulong Gorge can indeed be reached by going downstream to Jiangzhou."

"But if you think about it carefully, my Yunmeng region is bordered by the remaining veins of the Ten Thousand Mountains to the south, and by the vast old forests to the east."

"If they were truly cunning, why not feint an attack and then turn south or east to escape into the deep mountains?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Changhe frowned and stepped onto the stage, never expecting that his elder brother had seen things so deeply.

Chen Dajiang continued:

"The mountains are teeming with monsters, and the terrain is complex, making it extremely difficult to encircle and exterminate them."

"Even if we are intercepted by the immortal cultivators of the sect, we can cross Dongting Lake to the west. The area west of the lake is full of swamps and lakes, which is also an excellent place to hide."

After hearing Chen Dajiang's explanation, Chen Changhe was stunned, and a surprised smile finally appeared on his face.

"My elder brother has truly impressed me!"

"It was my fault; I underestimated my elder brother!"

Chen Dajiang waved his hand and sighed:

"Father was right yesterday. This Chen family doesn't just belong to you, it also belongs to me, and it belongs to Hu'er, Ji'er, Ze'er, and Nianci."

"Don't put all the burdens on your own shoulders."

"My cultivation is a bit slow, but I can still share some of your burden."

Chen Changhe nodded emphatically and smiled broadly:

"I understand."

The two brothers smiled at each other, and the subtle rift that had arisen from the argument the night before vanished in an instant.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

As dawn broke, the east began to lighten with the pale glow of dawn.

Chen Dajiang took out the jade slip and gently infused it with his magic power.

Before long, a streak of light descended from the sky, and Guan Chengfeng arrived gracefully, still dressed as he had been the day before.

"Fellow Daoist Guan."

Chen Changhe bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

"Fellow Daoist Chen."

Guan Chengfeng returned the greeting, his gaze sweeping over Chen Dajiang, who was fully armored, and understanding dawned on him. He then asked:

"Has the family already made a decision?"

Chen Dajiang stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said:

"I have been living in seclusion at home for many years and am not very familiar with the outside world. I will have to trouble Fellow Daoist Guan to guide me to Wulong Gorge."

"It's my duty."

Guan Chengfeng nodded, his gaze lingering briefly on Chen Dajiang, especially noticing his undeniable sharp and capable demeanor, and gave him a word of praise.

"Fellow Daoist has a fine physique; have you also practiced body-refining techniques?"

"Body-refining techniques?"

Chen Dajiang looked puzzled.

Seeing this, Guan Chengfeng realized he might have guessed wrong, so he explained:

"The Spirit Treasury Realm is all about refining essence into qi. Although you have just emerged from the wooden embryo, your qi and blood are vigorous and robust, no less than that of an ordinary Jade Spring Realm cultivator."

Upon hearing this, Chen Dajiang scratched his head, revealing a simple, honest smile typical of a farmer:

"Is this what Fellow Daoist Guan is referring to?"

"It must be because I accidentally ate some kind of red fruit that I didn't recognize when I was a child. After that, I had a high fever for several days and my whole body ached as if it were falling apart."

"After I recovered, my appetite increased, my strength also increased, and my body became stronger than others."

"A red, exotic fruit?"

Upon hearing this, Guan Chengfeng pondered for a moment, searching his memory for records of similar spiritual objects, but to no avail.

Chen Changhe stood by with his hands at his sides, his face calm, but a hint of a smile played on his lips.

The elder brother's explanation was so smooth and natural, and he didn't even flinch.

After his transformation, he not only became physically stronger, but his quick wit and composure were also signs of "enlightenment".

Perhaps this is the true meaning of the phrase "a complete transformation".

……

After a brief chat, Guan Chengfeng prepared to return to Yunmeng County.

Chen Changhe suddenly spoke up and asked:

"But I wonder how much Fellow Daoist Guan knows about the Deer Horn Mountain Market?"

Guan Chengfeng paused for a moment, then said slowly:

"Lujiaoshan Market is located in Baling County, more than 400 li away from here. The area is full of dangerous peaks and deep ravines, and many ferocious beasts and monsters roam there."

"If we were to go there, we would usually take the 'Cloud Crossing Boat' to and from the Chenjian River outside Yunmeng County."

"The Cloud-Crossing Boat?"

Chen Dajiang interjected:

"When Hu'er left with that immortal master, it was on a flying boat."

"This is it."

Guan Chengfeng nodded, then turned to look at Chen Changhe:

"If Fellow Daoist Chen is interested in going to Deer Horn Mountain, you might as well come with me to Yunmeng County first."

"My Guan family runs a small shop in the city where cultivators come and go, and we organize groups of wandering cultivators from the neighborhood to go there together every month."

"Counting the days, tomorrow will be the fifth day of the new year again."

Chen Changhe pondered for a moment, then nodded and said:

"Then we will follow your arrangement, fellow Daoist."

All three were exceptionally fast walkers, and by the time the sun reached its zenith, Yunmeng County came into view.

Guan Chengfeng didn't go through the main gate, but led the two around to an inconspicuous side gate on the east side, and then along a quiet alley paved with bluestone slabs, all the way to the deepest part.

At the end of the alley is a courtyard, its entrance unassuming.

Above the door hangs an ebony plaque with the words "Guan Mansion" inscribed on it.

The brushstrokes are deep and powerful, yet subtly sharp.

Guan Chengfeng stepped forward and knocked on the door knocker three times.

A short while later, the door creaked open a crack.

An old servant poked his head out.

Upon seeing that it was Guan Chengfeng, he hurriedly bowed and opened the door:

"Second Master is back."