Volume One: Flames on the Frontier Chapter Eighteen: The Blood Spirit Pearl

The bead was exceedingly light; as soon as it touched the ground, it bounced up like a balloon, hovered in the air, drifted with the wind, emitting dazzling radiance and filling the entire room with a fragrant aroma.

“This is bad. This is the Blood Spirit Pearl, condensed from the lifelong cultivation of Elder Taiping—a supreme treasure. I must not let it escape.” He Yu realized the situation, carefully reached out, and caught the bead in his hand.

“According to the inscription on the wall, this bead can be taken directly, and its uses are endless. Should I eat it, or not?” He Yu, with modern hygiene knowledge, was wary of ingesting unknown substances.

He wrestled inwardly for a long while, then shut his eyes and decided to take a gamble, placing the Blood Spirit Pearl directly into his mouth.

The bead melted instantly upon entering, a warm, sweet sensation sliding down his throat. In that moment, his dantian seemed to boil; true energy surged forth, roiling and flowing throughout his body, forming waves of qi beneath his skin.

He Yu hurriedly calmed his mind, using the recently learned breathing technique to channel and gather the true energy, storing it in his dantian, then circulating it throughout his body in sequence. When the exercise was completed, his mind was clear and refreshed, a sense of exhilaration flooded his heart, and he nearly cried out in joy.

Looking again at the skeleton, the bones had scattered into fragments, and beneath the leg bones was a stone fissure. Upon closer inspection, the fissure was set into the stone bed and turned out to be a stone box.

He Yu had been troubled by having nothing with which to collect his master’s bones; now he had the perfect vessel.

Carefully, he pried open the lid with his firewood knife. The stone box was empty inside. As he moved it with the knife’s tip, it shifted, revealing that it could be detached from the stone bed.

He Yu thought, “This stone chamber may collapse at any moment; my master’s remains cannot be left to the elements. I must take them down the mountain and find a sacred place to bury them.”

He carefully picked up the bones and placed them in the box. Just as he was about to close the lid, he noticed a small drawing on the inside—simple, with an arrow pointing straight to the top of the chamber.

“Above is a large luminous pearl—my master must be reminding me to take the treasure.”

“In truth, even without his reminder, I wouldn’t have forgotten.” He Yu chuckled inwardly, leapt up to reach for the luminous pearl overhead. Unexpectedly, as soon as he exerted himself, his body shot upward like a rocket, unable to stop, and his head crashed heavily into the stone ceiling, making his ears ring.

He reached to touch his head, finding a large bump there. Ordinary people would struggle to jump even a meter, but He Yu, with a light leap, nearly reached three meters—clearly the effect of the Blood Spirit Pearl.

He Yu shook his head, adjusted his strength, and jumped again. This time, his hands touched the base of the luminous pearl, and, suspended in midair, he spun slightly, causing the pearl to fall.

At that moment, he heard the sound of gears clicking nearby; an inner wall of the stone chamber revealed a hidden door. Truly astonishing—the base of the luminous pearl was actually the mechanism for the secret door.

Light faintly shone from within the secret door, and attentive listening revealed the sound of flowing water.

He Yu knew that ancient sealed caves like this often contained harmful gases; entering rashly could be deadly. But judging by the passageway, ventilation seemed good, and there was no need for concern.

He was naturally bold; having inadvertently unlocked the secret door, there was no reason not to go in. He Yu took up the firewood knife and, using the luminous pearl for illumination, stepped into the passageway.

It was narrow, barely wide enough for one person, with cold, damp walls and steep stone stairs descending below, slippery and occasionally swept by mountain winds.

He Yu moved down step by step, fully attentive, heart pounding.

The stone staircase was steep and long—over a hundred steps. After about half an hour, the steps ended, becoming a level path, a bit wider. Ahead, the sound of water crashing grew louder.

He walked less than thirty paces down the path before a massive boulder blocked his way. Circling around it, his eyes were suddenly dazzled—a small valley, about ten acres in size, appeared before him. The boulder was mottled with moss, and carved upon it were four ancient seal characters: “Heavenly Jar Paradise.”

The valley was surrounded by sheer cliffs, rising straight up and down. Looking upward, mist shrouded the heights, with neither sun nor direction discernible.

A waterfall, like a silken ribbon, cascaded from mid-mountain, branching into several streams, one of which flowed into a small lake at the valley’s floor. By the lake stood three stone houses and a stone pavilion.

A thin mist hovered over the lake; the hills and meadows around were filled with flowers and fruit trees, though their names were unknown.

The northern climate was harsh, and though it was the Qingming season, the weather remained cold. Yet here, the valley was lush with greenery, birds singing and flowers blooming—a true earthly paradise.

He Yu guessed there must be geothermal resources here. Sure enough, when he stepped into the pavilion—which bore the inscription “Sword Testing Pavilion”—and admired the view by the lake, he entered the first stone chamber. It was a bathing room, with a warm spring bubbling ceaselessly at its center. The other two chambers served as living quarters, named “Inquiry Retreat,” but age had rendered all garments and objects decayed and unrecognizable.

“I thought Elder Taiping was fasting in the mountains, but it turns out there was such a wonderful haven below.”

For a moment, he felt a strong desire to retire here. Whether the world was chaotic or prosperous, he could live in seclusion with Deng’er and become a hermit—what could be more delightful? Yet, such a life might grow lonely; he feared that after a while, he might forget how to speak.

He Yu smiled and shook his head, returning to the pavilion by the lake. The lake was not wide, and across the water, a group of white deer slowly emerged from the woods. Entranced, he heard a splash—a white fish broke the surface, then vanished beneath the water.

He Yu explored the valley for half a day before remembering the matter of burying his master’s bones. He retraced his steps, obtained the stone box, and dug a pit beneath a peach tree by the pavilion, burying the remains. Knowing the route, the return trip took only half the time.

When he finished, it was already late. He Yu took the luminous pearl and returned to the stone chamber halfway up the mountain. The mountain wind blew, and the wall paintings had faded. The secret stone door, not very thick, had broken into four pieces after being opened—clearly impossible to close again.

He never imagined such an encounter today. Life’s unpredictability truly defies description.

Descending the mountain, He Yu casually bundled a cartload of firewood, loaded it onto the ox cart, and drove back to the manor.

He arrived home at dinner time. Deng’er had prepared his favorite braised pork and was waiting eagerly. Life at home was improving; though Deng’er was frugal, she would occasionally buy chicken, duck, or fish to enrich their meals.

With He Yu’s guidance, Deng’er had mastered modern culinary techniques. Being clever, she learned quickly and even improved upon what her brother taught, making their dishes far better than before.

They ate and chatted about the day. He Yu recounted his strange adventure in the mountains, leaving Deng’er astonished and shaking her head in disbelief.

He Yu did not explain further, just laughed and produced the luminous pearl from his pocket, holding it in his palm as the room lit up. The pearl’s glow was faint by day but bright at night.

Deng’er was delighted, took the pearl, studied it for a long time, and said, “I thought you were teasing me, but it’s real. This pearl is a treasure and must be worth a fortune. Even if we don’t sell it, it could serve as a lamp and save a lot of oil money.”

Deng’er managed the household’s expenses, so everything was considered in terms of money. Such thinking was perfectly normal.

“Deng’er, this pearl is yours—be sure to keep it safe.”

“When we have time, I’ll take you there for a visit—you’ll love it,” He Yu said.

Deng’er’s smile bloomed like a flower, and she whispered, “Brother, don’t tell anyone about this place. It’s not very big, and if everyone went, it wouldn’t fit us all.”

In chaotic times, the wise rabbit has three burrows; Deng’er’s caution was perfectly reasonable. If war erupted and Chen Family Manor became unsafe, that little valley would make an excellent refuge.

He Yu replied, “I’ll remember, I won’t mention it to anyone.”

Deng’er recalled something, “Today, Lady Chen came to visit.”

“Which Lady Chen?”

“Who else? The master’s younger sister, Chen Qingyun. She heard we built a heated kang and loved it. She even asked if you could build one for her next year.”

He Yu laughed, “That’s no trouble. Next year, I’ll build several for her family.”

Then he thought, “It seems these heated kangs are in demand at the manor. Perhaps next year I could gather a team of masons and start a construction crew. Building kangs for everyone would surely earn a handsome sum.”

Unconsciously, his modern entrepreneurial mind revealed itself again.

After Qingming, the weather gradually warmed.

One day, it was He Yu’s turn to be on duty at the south gate. Around noon, armed and drowsy, he was startled by a peach-colored horse galloping from afar. Its rider, dressed in sleek attire and with an elegant figure, was Chen Qingyun, the second most important person at Chen Family Manor. Following closely behind was a white horse, ridden by Li Jun.

Li Jun managed all the manor’s retainers and was He Yu’s direct superior. After He Yu had bested Li Yu in the drill ground, he worried that Li Jun might seek revenge for his brother. Yet, months had passed peacefully.

He Yu thought, “The Li family is second only to the lord here, commanding thousands. They wouldn’t stoop to trouble someone as insignificant as me for such a minor issue—it was needless worry.”

The two horses quickly approached, raising a cloud of dust. The guards hurriedly lowered the drawbridge and let the pair into the manor.

A fragrant breeze swept past He Yu as Chen Qingyun exclaimed, “Li Jun, stop following me! My brother agreed, and I do not.”

Li Jun, embarrassed, followed and stammered, “Qingyun, Qingyun, listen to me… please listen…”

He Yu privately chuckled, “The next scene will surely be the girl covering her ears and saying, ‘I won’t listen, I won’t listen.’”

As expected, just as he imagined, Chen Qingyun clasped her head and repeated, “I won’t listen, I won’t listen…”

It seems human nature changes little through the ages. Sixteen hundred years ago, when a Han girl threw a tantrum, it was much like those of later times. Still, Chen Qingyun rode with both hands free, her horsemanship truly remarkable.

Li Jun, thirty-two, had lost his first wife early; now his eyes were fixed on Chen Qingyun, hoping to marry her as his second wife.