Rebirth of the Black-bellied Princess Mo

Chapter 3 : Returning to Zilan Mountain

Early next morning, Xia Chu got up. Not wanting to disturb the maids and make a fuss, she tiptoed and silently got dressed. She took a pen to leave a letter to her father, stating that she would go back to Zilan Mountain again. And not to worry, she will return in two days. Then she left the house quietly.

When she reached the bottom of Zilan Mountain, the sky was had just turned bright, and the sun showed a soft orange light that was unique to the morning.

Xia Chu looked at the Chinese pine tree at the foot of the mountain which was as tall and sturdy as she remembered, with five red silk hanging on the top branches fluttering in the wind.

Not far from the Pine tree was the maze and her heart felt sour after entering the maze. She grew up on this mountain since she was a child. When she was eight years old, she sneaked down the mountain and suffered some serious injuries. She also ruined the maze at the foot of the mountain. Later, her master Bai Ruofei found her and took her back, after that she was strictly forbidden to go down the mountain.

Only at the age of thirteen, when her father sent a letter to her master, did Bai Ruofei let her go home. If the circumstances of her previous life were to be added, she shouldn’t have returned for more than ten years. According to her memory, she easily walked out of the maze. Xia Chu did not use Qinggong[1]. She climbed the mountain on foot, and seemed to feel the scenery along the way.

Zilan Mountain had two peaks, which split two mountain roads halfway up the mountain, and the formations of the two mountain roads are also different. One leads to Zishan Peak and the other leads to Lan Mountain Peak. Xia Chu, after thinking about it at the fork in the road, he decided to go to the Lan Mountain first. There were various flowers on the back mountain of the Lan Peak and along the way. Even in the depths of winter, the sea of ​​flowers over the mountains has not been affected by the cold winter at all, blooming with the curves of the mountains. It was so breathtaking and refreshing.

Xia Chu climbed all the way to the top of the mountain and saw a wooden house in front of her surrounded by a fence. There was also a plaque with the word ‘Lan Courtyard’ on it. She opened the door and saw Lan Yuying. Xia Chu remembered that they were only five when they first met. Old man Lan brought Lan Yuying who was sick to Bai Ruofei. It was the first time Xia Chu saw another child of her size on the mountain. So, she was very happy, and pestered her endlessly with her chattering.

“How old are you? What’s your name? What’s your illness? It’s okay, no matter what the disease is, Bai Ruofei has great medical skills, just need to take medicine. But it’s too bitter, ah” Speaking of this, her small face wrinkled as if thinking of the past.

“Here you are,” Lan Yuying took out a vial from the kit and handed it to Xia Chu. “The nectar I brewed can be drunk after taking medicine.”

Xia Chu grinned, “You are so kind. My name is Xia Chu, and my little name is Yunyi.”

“I’m Lan Yuying, nicknamed named Meng’an.”

“When you’re done taking the medicine, I’ll take you to fight the birds.”

“Okay.”

Childhood friendship was so easy. Besides, they were each other’s only playmates. Since then, Xia Chu took Lan Yuying to climb trees to pick fruits, go up the mountain to fight birds, and ruined Bai Ruofei’s medicinal fields. Lan Yuying took her to know how many rare flower species she grew in Lan Courtyard, and gave her an unknown number of bottles of nectar.

These memories were so good that Xia Chu couldn’t help but smile. She shook her head and saw Lan Yuying at this time. She wore a sky-blue brocade dress, with a few butterflies with spread wings embroidered on the skirt. She stood in the flower field and when the wind blew, it was as is the butterflies were flying among the flowers. Lan Yuying’s cold temperament was particularly eye catching.

“Meng’an, I’m back.”

Lan Yuying’s hand which were holding a wooden scoop to water the plants loosened, and the wooden scoop fell down. She turned around and faced Xia Chu. Her eyes were obviously more charming than peach blossoms. She had tears in her eyes at this time.

“Beautiful woman in the flower field, peerless and independent.”[2] Xia Chu blinked at her and opened her arms.

Lan Yuying carried her skirt and smiled. Step by step, she rushed to embrace Xia Chu.

“You have been gone for more than a month, and Mr. Bai said that you will not come back this time when you descend the mountain.” Lan Yuying choked with tears.

It was only a month or so, but it has been more than ten years since Xia Chu had seen her.

“Where’s Old Man Lan?”

“He has gone to see Mr. Bai.”

“Let’s go. We will also go to see master. I also want to cook a meal for you.”

“Since when can you cook?”

“Well, when I went back home, I learned.” Of course, she learned how to cook in her last life. After going down the mountain, she delved into a cooking lot of Xiao Yanjun’s favorite dishes.

Xia Chu, held Lan Yuying’s waist, and this time, unlike when she walked up the mountain, she directly performed Qinggong towards the peak of Zi Mountain. When she reached her master’s courtyard, they could see Bai Ruofei and Lan Xilin were playing chess in the yard. When Bai Ruofei saw Xia Chu, his hand that was about to place a chess piece froze in mid-air. Lan Xilin was about to lose, and he simply messed up the chess pieces on the chessboard, “I won’t be playing any longer. Hey, why did Little Chu come back?”

Xia Chu knelt down and raised her hand in salute. “This disciple misses master. One day was like three autumns. Although I have been down the mountain only for more than a month, I don’t know how many springs and autumns have passed.”

Bai Ruofei’s mouth twitched slightly invisibly. “How is it that when you go down the mountain, your mouth became so glib? Get up, well, why did you suddenly come back without rhyme or reason? “

Lan Yuying pulled Xia Chu to stand up. Xia Chu sighed lightly, and thought to herself, her being glib tongued was true, and her missing her master was also true. It was also true that many springs and autumns have passed.

“Master, this disciple wants to learn martial arts. Say, out of swords, arrows, sticks, daggers and whips, which can make this disciple invincible in a short time?”

Bai Ruofei sneered, “Before, when I taught you, you didn’t practice. You only have a slight accomplishment in Qinggong skills and medical skills. Now you want to learn? I say, you can’t learn any of them now, in a short time.”

“Ah? Master… Then what hidden weapon can be deadly?”

Bai Ruofei helped thought for a moment, “There is one thing which is very suitable, and you are also very familiar with it.” Suddenly, a silver needle flew out and plunged into Xia Chi’s shoulder and her body suddenly felt numb.

“You should know that the lethal acupuncture points are divided into four types: Ruǎn má xué, hūnxuàn xué, qīng xué, zhòng xué. There are nine points in each of them. Thus, a total of thirty-six deadly points. In a Life-or-Death battle, this can used as a killer move. If Baihui is hit, one cannot return to life, Zhangmen was hit, nine out of ten people would be dead.” Bai Ruofei read the dictum. He walked to Xia Chu’s side and pulled out the silver needle from her Jianjing point. “It’s just that you have to work harder on the strength of this flying needle.”

“This disciple understands. Flying needle is very suitable for me as a hidden weapon.”

“Did you come back for this?” Bai Ruofei raised his eyebrows.

“I will go to Hanyang to join the military camp in the next year, but other than my incomplete skills, I needed something that can save my life.”

“You want to join the army?”

“Well. There are some things that I have to do.”

Bai Ruofei saw that she was not intending to tell him fully and rolled his eyes at her.

Xia Chu was relieved to see that Bai Ruofei stopped asking questions, and turned to Lan Yuying and said, “Meng’an, I have to trouble you to prepare some incense for me.”

“Uh? What kind of fragrance?”

“Well, all kinds of functional types.” Get them all for me. Make incense powder, incense tablets, incense pills and incense sticks separately.” Early Xia stuck to Lan Yuying’s ear, lowered her voice and said softly: “I also need some aphrodisiac.”

“What? You are telling the descendant of the Lan family to make aphrodisiac incense for you?!” Lan Xilin exploded when he heard Xia Chu’s low words. Bai Ruofei was also embarrassed, he just looked up at the sky, pretending not to know her. Lan Yuying’s face was flushed.

Xia Chu coughed and cleared her throat, “While walking in the Jianghu, in case of emergency, it is never too many to have one extra life saving measure. Old man Lan, how is your thinking so dirty?”

Lan Xilin was angry, and kicked Xia Chu. Xia Chu dodged and hid behind Lan Yuying. Lan Xilin was furious, and tried to attack her, Xia Chu swept back and dodged again. Lan Xilin chased Xia Chu and Xia Chu used her Qinggong to move up the tree, and suddenly she jumped down and ran in front of the house and behind the house. Lan Xilin chased her relentlessly and the two kept on playing around for half an hour.

Xia Chu smiled, “Old man Lan, you forgot. Since last year, you have been unable to beat me in Qinggong…”

Lan Xilin was panting and didn’t chase anymore. He stood on the spot and gritted his teeth and said, “You… I will break your leg when you fall into my hand, and I will bury it in my Lan Courtyard as a fertilizer for the flowers.”

Xia Chu sat on the tree trunk, and her one leg kept on swaying back and forth. Listening to Lan Xilin irritated voice, she smiled even more brilliantly. “Your Lan Courtyard can’t keep me. Moreover, I’m going to bring Meng’an down the mountain.”

“Dram on! I won’t allow it!”

Xia Chu saw the longing and hope in Lan Yuying’s eyes and ignored Lan Xilin. She jumped down from the tree and said to Lan Yuying, “Meng’an, when I return from Hanyang, I will go up the mountain to pick you up.” Without waiting for her answer, she took Lan Yuying’s hands and pulled her back to the Lan Mountain.

“I’m going to hunt some animals, and Meng’an will pick some vegetables with me. I’m going to cook.”

Lan Xilin looked back at their distant back and stared at Bai Ruofei fiercely. “What a good apprentice you have taught.”

Bai Ruofei muttered, “I have taught her very well, naturally.”

“What are you muttering?”

“Nothing, let’s have another round of chess? Don’t you are mees up the pieces again!”

Notes:

[1] Lightness Skills. Refer here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qinggong

[2] “花田有佳人，绝世而独立。” It is a verse from a poem written by a famous Han Dynasty’s musician Li Yinian.