Chong Zi - Chapter 1 : Bridge of White Clouds

The disaster of 20 years in the world has passed. Demons have disappeared forever in the Six Realms. The mountains and rivers that had disappeared had all recovered, and the shattered earth finally had a ray of life.  

Ni Lun's demon palace was destroyed. The demons were destroyed and incarnated into the human world to escape from the eternal gate. Leaving only ruins, deserted villages and towns, and countless broken houses. Many people who died in the war included children or women. Some died at the hands of the demons and some died at the hands of the Xianmen [1]. New tombs could be seen everywhere, becoming a sight for the afterlife.

[1] Xianmen (仙门) ; Refers to the fairy residence/ Fairy Gate/ Immortal

After all, everything is over. The nightmares left by the war will eventually be erased by time, and those nightmare days will eventually be forgotten.

In the city streets, some beggars sat weakly under the walls, with empty bowls in front of them. One of them is a child.

The child looked to be five or six years old, with messy hair and a small yellow face. It was impossible to tell whether it was a boy or a girl. Because there was no flesh on its body, its eyes were enormous. It seemed that there were only two eyes in his entire face.

The shiny dirty clothes couldn't cover her body. Due to the prolonged torment of starvation, his bones were thin, like dead wood, and there were many bruises on them. Dressed in plain clothes the child was like withered grass, almost blown away by the cold wind, making one wonder how such a small child had survived.

Someone walked by and dropped half a bun. Several pairs of eyes suddenly lit up. Almost at the same time, all the beggars rushed up, like a very hungry dog ​​seeing flesh and bones, and scattered into a heap.

After a long time, the crowd dispersed again. A small head struggled to crawl its way out of the crowd, perhaps out of fear of being robbed. Two small hands desperately pushed the bread into his mouth. The bulging cheeks turned out to be a little girl.

The big beggar scolded, "It's this little girl again!"

He slapped and hit her.

The little girl fell to the ground and rolled into a ball, but she still swallowed the bread in her mouth and stretched her neck.

The beggar was not happy and kicked him. After being kicked twice, the little girl on the ground groaned twice, and suddenly raised her face to look at him. Those huge eyes were bottomless at this moment, and what surged within them was a rare and powerful, terrifying killing intent.

No one would have imagined that a little girl would have such a gaze, and that gaze would frighten even the bad guys.

The beggars around couldn't stand it and backed off. 

The beggar was also guilty. "Whoever looks at me, I will blind you to see if you can still stare!" 

After speaking the beggar held him.

It was fine to be beaten but he couldn't lose his eyes. The little girl screamed, desperately pressing her face against the ground to avoid. Suddenly, a force came out of nowhere and pushed the big beggar away, and the beggar next to him was stunned.

The big beggar was annoyed, "Who!"

"That little kid is already pitiful, how can you bully him."

It was the best sound the little girl had ever heard in her life. It was as if it had come from heaven, in a gentle voice that was slightly reproachful but pitiful. It sounded warm and comfortable to the ear like a mother's gentle hands on her body.

For a moment, a hand patted his back. "Wake up, don't be afraid."

Feeling safe, he slowly raised his face. His big eyes were full of doubt. No one else cares about beggars, why would he help?

The next moment, he knew the answer.

I've never seen such a pretty face. So perfect that it is unlike anything else in the world. The outline is clear, the brows are slightly furrowed, and a pair of beautiful, phoenix-shaped eyes. He looked at her tenderly and there were countless expressions of compassion. Her knees half squatted beside him, posing to assist him. Her snow-white robe dragged on the ground, her long black hair loose, almost reaching her waist, truly like a god who saves all beings in the nine worlds . 

The irresistible look on her face seemed to tell her that he was not only here to save her, but was sent by God to save all those who were suffering.

The little girl looked confused. Seeing that she was fine, the man curled his lips slightly and there was a hint of comfort in his smile and helped her get up.

Knowing that he was not an ordinary person, the beggars around him obediently stayed away.

With clean and white hands supporting him, the man didn't think himself dirty at all. He said softly, "You can get angry when you're bullied, but you shouldn't hurt others, you know?"

The man in front of him bent down and looked at her, with his hand on his shoulder, a look of sorrow and compassion, like a saint saving suffering and a family member teaching earnestly.

That man could actually see through her thoughts? He really hated people kicking him now because he wanted that person to die.

For the first time in her life, the little girl understood the feeling of embarrassment, lowered her eyes subconsciously, and nodded shyly.

He gently stretched out his little hand, made two scratches on his palm (incantation), and then closed it, "In this way, no one will dare to bully you again in the future."

A brilliant light appeared in his empty palm. A Fairy was playing a trick on him. The little girl blinked in surprise and looked at him shyly, wondering.

Suddenly, a voice came from a distance, "Brother Chu, little sister is looking for you!"

With a heavy feeling on his hand, he felt a strong evil energy. He thought it came from a fleeing demon who had come to fight against the demon sword. However he did not expect it to be from a little girl. Absolutely unbelievable. Should I tell Master?

He straightened his body, "Come on."

He smiled at her and turned to leave.

"People from Xianmen."

"I don't know which faction it is."

"..."

Xianmen? What a fairy! The little girl stared blankly, until her snow white back gracefully disappeared around the corner.

***

The flowing light quickly passed, often only turning around, and several years had passed hastily. Thousands of miles away, the fairy bell rang, the morning mist dissipated, and Nanhua Mountain floated majestically in the clouds. There is only one way to Xianshan [2]. You must first climb to the top of the mountain in front of you. Before the time came, the mountain gate closed and countless people were waiting outside.

[2] Xianshan (仙山) : The mountain where the gods live in myths and legends.

Nanhua School accepts students widely. Once every five years, Xianmen is always strict in accepting disciples, and young people are the best. Just like a piece of paper with many words written on it and a new white piece of paper. It's always better to wear a white sheet of paper. So the Nanhua School's rules are usually that children under the age of seven to fourteen can run.

The Nanhua faction is the leader of the Immortal Sect in the Four Directions and is the Immortal Sword Sect. This faction guards Tongtianmen [3]. Five years ago, Nanhua Tianzun [4] fought the demon Ni Lun. He finally defeated the demons and destroyed the demon palace so that the demons would have no place to live from now on and could no longer act recklessly. But Tianzun was seriously injured and died because of it. 

[3] Tongtianmen (通天门 ) : Gate of the Heavenly Palace in mythology .

[4] Tianzun (天尊): General Taoist term for the most exalted god they believe in

That battle made the Nanhua Sword Immortal Sect a holy place in the eyes of the world. The current Headmaster of Nanhua School was Tianzun's eldest disciple, Yu Du. School Head Yu currently only has eight direct disciples, and the rest are disciples and grandchildren. He had said in his early years that he would only accept nine disciples, so everyone was speculating that he was very likely to accept one this year. He would accept closed disciples, and the main condition for these closed disciples was that they have extraordinary talent and courage.

Adults are more nervous than children, and they have repeated the words they have said several times. Everyone hopes that their children can do well and learn from good teachers. Among those who came to run for office, some children especially attracted attention.

They were all wearing very shabby clothes and were not accompanied by an adult companion. Among them was a little girl, about 10 years old, her hair tied in two corners with a red string like the other children. Due to nutritional deficiencies, the skin is dry and lacks luster. Only those big eyes shone brightly, innocent and clever, showing a trace of mischievousness.

"Chongzi, are you really leaving?"

"Of course."

"Will a fairy take a beggar as her apprentice?"

"Do I look like a beggar?" 

The little girl was unconvinced, and lowered her head to pull out the clean but worn clothes. She had tried to wash it clean, and she took a string to tie her hair up. 

"Hey, I want to learn magic myself, so they don't dare to bully us!"

"Chongzi, if the immortal elders don't accept you, come back."

"They will accept me."

"How do you know?"

"I'm brave," the little girl raised her chest. "They like brave people. I'm very brave."

"Yes." The little beggar nodded.

The sound of hooves from far to near caught everyone's attention.

On the way, a beautiful carriage approached, slowly slowed down, and finally stopped at the foot of the mountain. The extravagantly dressed driver got off first, engaged the pedals and saved. After a while, a young man stepped out of the carriage. Jin Xiu in a purple outfit on the side, a small golden crown, and an engraved gold belt around his waist, at first glance, everyone could tell he was from a wealthy family.

Even though he was young, he was only twelve or thirteen years old. His appearance was outstanding, and he faintly revealed the demeanor of a handsome man. His eyebrows were like blades and his eyes were like autumn water. Her little white face was stretched tight and had an expression on her face. Seemingly impatient, he initially stood up for a moment, looked around condescendingly, and then stepped out of the carriage.

A richly dressed woman stepped out of the carriage, in a long black robe and a beautiful handkerchief. Like other adults, he also pulled the little boy and gave him gentle orders for a long time, and finally took out a letter and put it there. 

"Remember to give your father's letter to Headmaster Yu."

Even though his voice was low, many people around him heard it and started to speak.

The little son's face became more and more ugly, and he nodded reluctantly, "I understand. You can go back."

The woman was worried, "I will leave when the mountain gate opens."

The little son kept his face calm and didn't speak.

"Chongzi, his father recognizes Principal Yu."

"They have faith, School Head Yu will definitely accept them as a closed disciple." 

Do immortals also like rich people? 

The little girl was a little desperate. Since the other party had faith, most of them were friends with the principal. He pouted and snorted: "It's not a big deal to become a disciple of headmaster Yu with the help of parents. I want to become a disciple of the superintendent of Min Xianzun [5]!"

[5] Xianzun (仙尊) An honorary title for cultivator.

It turned out that apart from the principal, the Nanhua faction also had a supervisor and a guardian. The supervisor is called Min Yunzhong. He is a junior and disciple of Nanhua Tianzun. One of Principal Yu's disciples who was famous for his strictness in selecting his students. But his students were all famous. He was also the only one who dared to compete with the headmaster for disciples.

The voice he said was too loud, and the young master clearly heard it, and his face was blue and white with anger. After he turned his face to see clearly, his eyes immediately changed from anger to disgust.

Seeing that the young master was looking down on him, the little girl was about to get mad at him again when she suddenly heard a roar in her ears.

Everyone looked at the mountain gate at the same time. The mountain gate in front of him has disappeared, no, the entire mountain has disappeared, the lush trees we saw before have disappeared, and have turned into cliffs!

The cliff is bottomless and vast, but the sound of the wind is faint, and it is very scary. There is a bridge above. It was a bridge paved with white clouds, leading directly to the opposite side, with no end in sight. The bridge deck was only three or four feet wide. Although it is sufficient for walking, there are no guardrails around such high cliffs. If it fell it would have shattered to pieces.

Of course, the immortal elders wouldn't harm the children. They only set the first level to test them. Adults understand this and encourage children to go over the bridge. But children only believe what they see with their eyes. How could they know that it was an illusion, and they were all terrified. Their faces turned pale, and there were cowardly people who had already started crying, and would not go there no matter what.

"Chongzi how did this happen? You will fall to death!" The little beggar also exclaimed.

The little girl was white-faced and hesitated. Suddenly there was laughter from the side. When he looked again, the boy had already walked over.

Gods wish to accept disciples with extraordinary courage! The little girl remembered, and quickly said to her friends, "If it gets dark and I haven't come back, it must be the gods of Nanhua Mountain who have accepted me as a disciple, or maybe... I'm already dead. Then you can go back by yourself. Thank you for accompanying me this far."

Came from thousands of miles away, begged all the way for directions, and walked for three months.

The little beggar nodded. The little girl was a little sad. She stopped looking at everyone, gritted her teeth and stepped on the cloud bridge, looking like she was about to die.

After the first and second time, several brave children followed one after another. Of course, more children refused to leave. The adults were helpless, and they were so angry that they scolded "useless things" and beat them. After a while, they finally had to bring them back.

Unsurprisingly, more than half of the people were eliminated in the first stage. 

In Nanhua Xianshan, thousands of disciples were waiting outside the door. In the Liuhe Hall, tens of the oldest disciples stood respectfully on both sides, and the three chief immortals sat side by side above. In the center was a man in his thirties, wearing a cyan long robe, with fair skin and a cyan blue longsword standing in front of him. The sword was suspended in the air with the point downwards, surrounded by immortal energy. The owner of the Liuhe Sword, except for the current headmaster Yu Du, there is no one else.

The man on his left was in his fifties, with a black robe and some beard on his chin. His eyes were cold and dignified. He also held a dark gray longsword in his hand. Very odd shape.

On the seat on the right was an old man in his seventies, with white hair and beard, and a kind face, only holding an old and ancient yellow book in his hand.

There is another empty place.

The large bronze mirror in front of the hall clearly shows the scene of the children hesitating in front of the cloud bridge. The three immortals were calm and drinking tea leisurely, but their eyes were always looking up from time to time.

The eldest white-haired old man on the right laughed first and said, "Kids are still young, isn't it too difficult for Shishu [6] to level this up?"

[6] Shishu (师叔) : Shishu is an honorary title for the brother of one's own teacher; generally have the same academic relationship with the teacher

The black-robed old man who looked fierce on the left said, "It's better not to overuse it. What use are those who are greedy for life and afraid of death?"

Headmaster Yu Du only smiled and said nothing.

The black-robed old man suddenly asked, "Yinfan isn't coming?"

Yu Du replied, "Maybe he will come." 

The black-robed old man frowned, "He still doesn't accept disciples?" 

Yu Du said, “The Jiuyou Demon Palace has improved in the past two years, and has the potential for growth. As a guardian, he will have heavy responsibilities, and he must be dedicated to training in swordsmanship. Of course, he doesn't have the time to do it. . Wouldn't it be better if there were fewer people and Shishu to take disciples." 

He also called the old man in the black robe Shishu, so it was clear that the old man was His Highness Min Yunzhong.

Min Yunzhong said, "Having said that, one must hand over the coat."

While the two of them were talking, the white-haired old man suddenly said "Huh" and praised, "These two children are good!"

Above the huge bronze mirror, the two children walked to the cloud bridge one after another. The first was a boy in purple, who looked like a rich man with a high-spirited expression; The little girl's face was shy, and anyone with a keen eye could see that she was very scared, but the two calves still walked forward step by step.

There had been very few female disciples who had passed the exams in the past, and it was unexpected that an extremely daring child this time came out. Yu Du's eyes lit up, the corners of his mouth gradually curved upwards, and even Min Yunzhong's unsmiling face showed a look of admiration and satisfaction. Anyone with eyesight has seen that these two children are extraordinary. If you seriously compare it, the little girl is even better. In the Immortal Sect, good disciples were more important than rare treasures. The two of them were happy that the two children didn't go anywhere else and came to Nanhua.　

Min Yunzhong took the tea unhurriedly, "This time there are two. Which one do you want to take the principal?"

Yu Du smiled and said, "Which one does Shishu want?

Min Yunzhong seemed to be reluctant to give up, and after a while he waved his hand generously, "Although that girl is troublesome, I don't have any female students under my teaching. This time, I will make an exception and let the boy be." 

In the end, he added, "Let's see."

The white-haired old man said bitterly: "You two have forgotten me again. Have mercy on me, there is no one in my heaven."

Min Yunzhong immediately said, "These two children have extraordinary talent. It would be a shame to ask them to learn divination."

Yu Du nodded.

With these two, a good student doesn't always get his turn. The white-haired old man had already expected this result, and sighed helplessly, "Are the two of you underestimating me?"

Yu Du smiled and said, "Brother Mo Duo Xin, I'll let you in next time."　　

The principal should do as he says, but this sentence doesn't count every time. When he found a good one, he found an excuse to take it, and the white-haired old man smiled bitterly.

On the cloud bridge, the boy in purple clothes walked in front alone. He probably felt that something was wrong, so he couldn't help but stop and turn around to take a look. Sure enough, someone followed behind, it was the little guy. Girl dressed in rags.

The little girl's face was white, her big eyes stared at her in front of her, her legs trembled slightly, but she still moved forward vigorously, as if trying to catch up. He had never seen such a bold girl before, the young master finally got rid of his disgust, and looked her up and down in slight surprise.

The little girl misunderstood what he meant, pouted her mouth provocatively, and stepped up.　　

The little boy was stunned for a moment, then hummed, "Ugly girl."

The little girl also snorted loudly. "Relying on parents to become a Nanhua disciple. Shameless!"

The little boy said angrily, "What are you saying!"

The little girl lifted her face and said, "You have taken the letter."

The little boy blushed, "I don't have to give it up! I can still become a Nanhua disciple!" 

With a flick of his sleeve, he stepped forward, "Ugly girl, follow me if you can."

"Who is afraid!" The little girl quickly followed.

What looked like a soft white cloud at the feet, was actually extremely firm and dense, no different from walking on the ground, the two children walked dozens of meters one after another. Clouds and abyss in front of them. The bridge suddenly disappeared, but he saw the deep blue, the boundless ocean, the surging waves, and in his ears were the sound of the sea breeze, the sound of the waves, and the sound of seabirds.

Both stopped.

Character | Summary | Chapter 2