Chapter Forty-Two: The Flight and Battle Beneath Mount Song

It is said that King Wu, Cheng Tang, and the others finally managed to escape with their lives. Unfortunately, among the Six of the Celestial Cave, their eldest disciple, Fang Zhongjun, fell in battle against Wu Qigong and the Sorceress Eightfold Pearl. As the Six of the Celestial Cave were preparing to withdraw, the core of the Hexagram Starlight Sword Formation was discovered by Wu Qigong, who instantly seized the advantage and reversed the situation. The sorceress Eightfold Pearl immediately cooperated, laying down a Spirit-Devouring Reversal Formation. Though not particularly powerful, this formation could instantly erode any formation’s core, corrupting and reversing its spirit. If the Six of the Celestial Cave failed to adapt their formation in time and revealed any flaw, Eightfold Pearl would seize the moment to reverse the core, and Wu Qigong had already pinpointed the position at Fang Zhongjun’s feet. He had observed during the battle that Fang Zhongjun stood upon the formation’s eye, remaining unmoved while the other five circled about him, never switching positions.

Seizing the opportunity, Wu Qigong and Eightfold Pearl reversed the tide; Eightfold Pearl directly seized the spirit of the formation, catching Fang Zhongjun off guard with the Spirit-Devouring Reversal. The other five disciples fought desperately to stop them, but to no avail. Wu Qigong, clad in Northern Sea Black Tortoise Armor and wielding the Seven-Headed Cobra Tongs, pierced Fang Zhongjun’s body, his blood staining both formations red. The five remaining disciples, seeing their senior brother impaled, roared in fury and prepared to rush forward.

"Don’t mind me—go! Quickly, go!" Fang Zhongjun, in his last moment, activated the Hexagram Sword Formation’s barrier.

"Hexagram Starlight Lock!"

This lock used his own body as the node, burning all his spiritual power to forge a barrier. With the barrier in place, Wu Qigong and Eightfold Pearl glared at the five remaining disciples. They had just managed to reverse the battle, yet Fang Zhongjun had sacrificed the last of his strength to create a new barrier.

The five disciples cried out in grief, "Brother!" "Elder Brother!"

"Reinforcements are almost here—if you don’t leave now, you’ll never have another chance!" Fang Zhongjun shouted with his last breath.

Five voices of overwhelming sorrow echoed from the remaining disciples. Fang Zhongjun had sacrificed himself to grant them a chance to survive, fulfilling his duty as their elder brother.

The Hexagram Starlight Lock would not last long. As Fang Zhongjun finally collapsed, he pointed toward Mount Song and uttered his last words: "Go!"

They had hoped the Six of the Celestial Cave would arrive in time to buy Cheng Tang and his companions a respite. Yet, their master, Southern Gazer, was not a true disciple of the orthodox Daoist sect, and their cultivation could not match the true Daoist adepts. The Six of the Celestial Cave had only truly mastered the Hexagram Starlight Sword Formation; their other arts were insignificant, and their mortal bodies and shallow immortal fates prevented them from learning higher magics.

In terms of individual strength, they were no match for Wu Qigong and Eightfold Pearl. Their only advantage lay in their shared upbringing and unbreakable bond. Alas, the disparity in power was too great. Against common demons, the Hexagram Starlight Sword Formation sufficed, but against the two supreme experts of Great Xia, they were outmatched.

With tears in their eyes, the five disciples fled, each departing on their flying swords.

Wu Qigong and Eightfold Pearl, meanwhile, had to wait for reinforcements before they could break free. Grand Tutor Ranlong, the Duke who Defends the Nation, arrived with General Tiger Guo Jingyuan and the sorceress Wutong. With the combined spells of Wutong and Ranlong, the two imprisoned adversaries were finally released.

"This barrier is truly remarkable!" Grand Tutor Ranlong sighed, gazing at Fang Zhongjun’s fallen body.

"Had this disciple not burned all his cultivation, how could such a barrier have trapped us? Luckily you arrived in time. Cheng Tang and his companions can’t have gone far; we can still catch them!" Wu Qigong said bitterly, glaring at Fang Zhongjun.

"With the abilities of Lady Shangguan of Undead Pass, I doubt Cheng Tang could ever escape," said Eightfold Pearl, convinced he could not leave the pass alive.

"And why do you think that?" Grand Tutor Ranlong, an accomplished cultivator, felt something was amiss. With his experience, he sensed the situation was odd; after all, Cheng Tang and his group had no supreme experts among them, yet mere mortals had repeatedly escaped capture.

"General Wu, you may not know; at Xuanwu Pass, Cheng Tang was aided by an immortal. Without that, he could never have reached the pass!" Four-Eyed, Six-Eared Guo Jingyuan replied bitterly. It was humiliating for an ordinary group to escape under his watch.

"Hmph! Even without immortal aid, you might not have captured Cheng Tang!" Wu Qigong sneered.

"You—!" Guo Jingyuan was furious but dared not act rashly with Grand Tutor Ranlong present.

"Enough!" Grand Tutor Ranlong stopped the argument. They needed to hurry to Undead Pass. If Cheng Tang escaped and returned home, the situation would spiral out of control. Should Cheng Tang pass the Three Passes, even Grand Tutor Ranlong could not easily lead troops in pursuit without a formal decree and the King of Xia’s command.

"We must not delay! Move for Undead Pass at once!"

Grand Tutor Ranlong led the two sorceresses and the two generals toward Undead Pass.

Meanwhile, Cheng Tang and his companions had escaped the pass without pause, racing toward Mount Song.

At Undead Pass, three thousand cavalry under Grand Tutor Ranlong arrived, only to see Lady Shangguan Wan’er standing elegantly atop the city walls.

"Lady Shangguan greets the Grand Tutor," she said with grace.

"Has the rebel Cheng Tang passed this way?" Ranlong asked directly.

"Just now, humble as I am, they solved my riddle and have already left," she replied with a smile, as if anticipating his question.

"Nonsense!" Grand Tutor Ranlong suppressed his anger. He dared not offend this lady, not because she was the daughter of the Marquis of the West, but because behind her stood one whom all of Xia feared.

That person was none other than the Queen Mother of the West at the Jade Pool of the Western Extremities.

"If the Grand Tutor delays here, Cheng Tang will be long gone," Shangguan Wan’er said calmly, turning away, ignoring the three thousand cavalry.

"Outrageous!" the sorceress Eightfold Pearl ground her teeth.

"Perhaps you don’t know, but she is the disciple and successor of the Queen Mother of the West. We dare not trouble her," General Wu Qigong explained.

"As for Shangguan Wan’er, I shall report her to His Majesty. For now, we must not delay—on to Mingtiao to pursue the traitors!" Grand Tutor Ranlong had no time for further debate.

Three thousand horsemen kicked up a thousand layers of dust, banners streaming as they galloped toward Mount Song. If Cheng Tang and his group could cross the Mingtiao River, they would enter Shangqiu’s territory, with just the southern marshes and the Yellow River between them and Mount Song. Once across the river, with Shangqiu’s forces guarding the banyan groves at Mount Song’s foot, even Grand Tutor Ranlong would face resistance.

Yet, things were not as favorable as they hoped.

At the Mingtiao River, a small boat drifted quietly. Waiting by the bank were a wizened old man and a beautiful young woman—the Sorceress Star, second mistress of the Seven Stars Tower, and the famed storyteller of that establishment. This old man, of mysterious talents and unknown origin, passed among the people as an ordinary storyteller, kindly and unassuming.

The Seven Stars Tower in Yudu, capital of Great Xia, was famed throughout the land. Each floor hosted recluses performing wonders for the people: storytelling, lunar feats, dragon dances, and all manner of marvels, along with feasts and entertainment, making the tower a legend of the empire.

Now, Cheng Tang and his group reached the Mingtiao River. As they approached, the beautiful woman sat serenely in the boat, eyes closed as if asleep. The old boatman, seeing them arrive, suddenly began to recite:

"Worldly prejudices are hard to dissolve—like great mountains, unmoved.
A true enlightened lord is hard to find—one who can save the people from their suffering."

At that moment, mist rose over the riverbank, and the boatman and the woman vanished into the fog. When the mist cleared, Cheng Tang’s group found themselves already across the Mingtiao River, their horses treading on marshland. Only Left Chancellor Yi Yin seemed to notice something strange, quietly telling Cheng Tang, "That old man seemed familiar, did you feel the same, my lord?"

"I did," replied Cheng Tang, frowning. He could not place the feeling of familiarity, no matter how hard he pondered.

"We’ve entered the southern marshes; a hundred li ahead and we’ll cross the Yellow River to the banyan groves of Mount Song," Yi Yin said, dismissing further thought about it.

"Grand Historian, General Guan Long, General Wang—we’re nearly in Shangqiu. Once there, we’ll be safe. Without a formal declaration, the generals of the passes won’t be able to act against us," Cheng Tang reassured his men.

"This journey has been filled with wonders and dangers. Even I, with all my experience, am amazed," the old minister Zhong Gu remarked.

"Hahaha! Heaven watches over good men. The immortals themselves have said the King of Wu is a descendant of the Dark Bird, destined to be a sage. Once we recover, we will rise and overthrow Xia!" General Guan Longfeng exclaimed. Having betrayed Xia, he was prepared to die without regret.

Meanwhile, behind them, smoke and drums thundered as Great Xia’s banners approached. Realizing their danger, Cheng Tang’s party spurred their horses onward.

Clinging to one last hope, Grand Tutor Ranlong ordered flaming arrows to be launched. Because of the dense mist, the Xia army could not see past the river, but the sorceresses of the Seven Stars Tower did not need mortal eyes. They told Ranlong that Cheng Tang was in the southern marshes, and he immediately ordered the marshes burned. A thousand archers loosed their flaming arrows, and Sorceress Wutong, using the power of the Five Elements, turned the wind in their favor, making the fire unstoppable—even the marshes burned fiercely.

At that moment, Eightfold Pearl muttered in confusion, "The Star Maiden was here—how did Cheng Tang still escape?"

Sorceress Wutong was equally puzzled. The national preceptor Yuanji had sent the Star Maiden, who should have been able to trap Cheng Tang and delay him for their arrival.

"When we return, we must report this to our master. I suspect we’ve been deceived by that old storyteller!" Eightfold Pearl said. She had always been wary of the old man for his lewd jokes and suspected his involvement now.

"If that’s so, then the mysterious master of the Celestial Cave has been working under our noses all these years. How did he deceive both us and our master?" Wutong wondered, deeply unsettled.

"We’ll discuss this later. For now, we must not let Cheng Tang escape!" Eightfold Pearl, recalling the death of Sorceress Duna, clenched her teeth in hatred.

What will happen next remains to be seen!