Chapter Seventeen: When Paths Cross, the Brave Prevail 1

At dawn, Hao Dan had already left the city the night before, seizing a city guard’s prized Ferghana horse and riding through the night. He crossed Mount Song, skirted swamps, and took shortcuts, all in the hope of heading straight south to Yuzhou, the Summer Capital of Yu of the Great Xia. Today, however, fortune turned against him. His journey, smooth at first, grew increasingly perplexing, for just moments ago, he sensed as if he’d wandered into a hidden maze, an array laid in secret by another’s hand. He felt as if he were circling endlessly within an intricate formation.

Before him now stretched the same banyan grove he’d just passed. No matter how many times he rode through, the scene repeated itself. After careful observation, Hao Dan concluded he must have unwittingly stumbled into a formation crafted by some reclusive master. If he pressed on blindly, who knew what dangers awaited? So, he dismounted and proceeded on foot, preparing to use the secret arts taught to him by Little Bai Ling. Interlacing his fingers, he recited in a low chant: “Heaven and Earth’s divine power, mysterious ways of the Eight Gates, the art of the Closed Door, Woodquake—Open the Eye!”

This technique was a direct transmission from Little Bai Ling herself, a secret among the immortals and rarely practiced even by them—a forbidden art kept hidden for millennia. Hao Dan’s confidence on returning to the mortal realm was born of his mastery of such supreme arts. The Eight Gates of the Mysterious Way, encompassing “Hurt, Rest, Life, Shut, View, Shock, Death, and Open,” each contained eight esoteric techniques, amounting to sixty-four paths in all. Even after seven years of cultivation in the Illusory Spirit Realm, Hao Dan had mastered only a handful, yet even that small measure was enough to contend with immortals and gods. Thus, he remained unflustered in the face of adversity.

The Eight Gates corresponded to different arts: “Hurt—attack, Rest—immobilize, Life—heal, Shut—support, View—illusion, Shock—ambush, Death—finality, Open—enhance.” The art Hao Dan now employed, the Woodquake Open Eye, borrowed the vision of all living things in the forest to survey his surroundings. Every formation, no matter how profound, would have a focal point. Once it was located, his cultivation was more than sufficient to break it.

But a strange thing happened. Though the trees, swaying grass, birds, insects, and beasts appeared before his spiritual eye, he saw not a trace of a formation’s core. Yet at that very moment, another surprise occurred—an old man and a young girl emerged within his spiritual sight, stepping into his field of vision.

“Those two—are they not the elder and the young girl from last night?” Hao Dan murmured in confusion.

The pair, too, were wandering the woods. The elder in white, leading the green-clad girl by the hand, approached Hao Dan’s position with great caution, as if sensing a disturbance.

“Hm! Why is there a familiar aura here?” the old man in white quickened his pace, pulling the girl toward Hao Dan.

Soon, as Hao Dan saw them hurry over, he withdrew his spiritual vision. Prolonged use of such arts taxed his cultivation, and he dared not overextend himself. He stepped into their view and called out, “We meet again, you two!”

“Ah! Young friend, what brings you here?” the elder asked in puzzlement.

“Last night I rode through the night and found myself trapped here at dawn. Unable to proceed, I suspected a hidden maze formation had ensnared me. Only by finding the formation’s core can one escape,” Hao Dan replied truthfully.

“So that’s how it is. My young mistress and I have been circling these woods all morning. Just as we began to wonder, I sensed a familiar aura—and now see it was you, young friend!” the old man exclaimed.

Hao Dan scratched his head sheepishly, then turned to the green-clad girl. “Senior, now that we meet again, I must thank your young mistress. Only upon returning to the city last night did I learn it was she who drove away the fiends haunting the area days ago, saving the people of Shangqiu from calamity. I am deeply grateful!”

“Is that so? I knew nothing of this. Last night, I saw my young mistress and you within an illusionary formation, but as for evil spirits, I am entirely unaware!” The old man looked astonished, for he had left his clan to search for his mistress and encountered no such monsters along the way.

“So you, too, did not know? There must be something strange behind these events. For now, let us travel together—it’s safer, especially as we know not what kind of fiends might lurk ahead,” Hao Dan suggested, reasoning that with uncertainty all around, traveling alone would be unwise.

Just then, the green-clad girl suddenly called out sweetly, “Susu, Susu!”

“Oh?” The old man was shocked.

“Susu?” Hao Dan looked at the girl in surprise.

“You may not know this, young friend, but my mistress’s childhood name is ‘Susu.’ I thought she’d lost all memory, yet now she recalls her name—Heaven be praised! If she can remember this much, perhaps her memory will return in time!” The old man was overjoyed, recalling how his mistress, once so formidable, had been reduced to this state by treachery and diminished cultivation.

“Susu is a lovely name,” Hao Dan praised with a smile.

The girl Susu giggled, her smile radiant as a hundred flowers in bloom, leaving Hao Dan entranced.

“Young friend, it seems you and my mistress are deeply connected. For some reason, she is more attached to you than to me—perhaps fate has a hand in this,” the old man mused.

“Perhaps it is fate,” Hao Dan replied, brushing off the thought and gently ruffling Susu’s hair.

“Hold...hold hands!” Susu stepped forward, her small hand reaching for Hao Dan’s. Her childish voice was slightly vacant, but utterly endearing.

Hearing her, Hao Dan smiled warmly. Unable to refuse such an adorable child, he took her hand, then turned to the old man and said, “Let us proceed together. If danger arises, I promise to protect you and Susu and see us safely through this maze.”

“Such spirit! I am honored to accompany you,” the old man replied with a grateful bow.

“No need for formality. I, too, am bound for Great Xia on urgent business—our paths align, and escaping this maze is our priority,” Hao Dan responded politely.

“You speak wisely. Forgive my curiosity, young friend, but with skills such as yours, why travel to Great Xia alone? If we break through this formation together, I would accompany you, for my young mistress cannot linger in the wild and must seek a safe haven. Though Great Xia is perilous, it may be the safest place for us now,” the old man reasoned, thinking that the most dangerous place was often the safest, hidden in plain sight.

“In truth, I’m not certain myself—only that something feels amiss, and I must see for myself what’s happening in Great Xia,” Hao Dan admitted.

Suddenly, a cold, emotionless woman’s voice echoed through the forest: “So, you’ve finally appeared?”

Another, softer female voice followed: “You’ve kept us waiting so long. But what a pleasant surprise! Looks like our trip will be most rewarding. Hehe!”

“Who’s there? Show yourselves!” Hao Dan called sharply, instantly alert and looking toward the source of the voices.

At that moment, two female figures leaped down from the trees. None of the group had sensed their approach. To Hao Dan’s shock, these women were stunningly beautiful, their figures enticing and their attire scandalously revealing—their exotic allure only putting him further on guard.

“So this is where we die,” the old man whispered to Susu, sorrowful.

“Why do you say that, Senior?” Hao Dan asked, tense and confused.

“You may not know, young friend, but these two are the masters of the Seven Star Tower in Great Xia—the personal sorceresses of the mysterious State Preceptor. Their power is unmatched. If my mistress had not lost her cultivation and memory, we might stand a chance. As it is, none of us can best them. Heaven truly seeks our end—how bitter!” The old man’s face was a mask of grief and unwillingness.

“Duna, go inform ‘Profiled Face Jialuo’ of the situation here. Leave these three to me—I won’t let teacher down. Go on now!” The witch with sky-blue hair, Eighth Pearl, seemed intent on handling the three alone and claiming all the credit upon her return to Seven Star Tower.

“Just you? Are you sure you can manage?” Duna’s voice was utterly devoid of feeling.

“You dare belittle me? I outrank you by two floors; you’re a third-floor master, I’m fifth. We must follow orders—you need only do as I say!” Eighth Pearl snapped, clearly annoyed at her companion’s challenge.

“Heh! I’ll wait for your good news then. But don’t forget teacher’s warning—that boy is not to be underestimated. If you fail, the blame is yours alone,” Duna replied, her silver hair glinting, a faint emotion coloring her usually flat tone.

With that, Duna vanished without a sound. None of Hao Dan’s group had expected the witches to quarrel, let alone for the arrogant Eighth Pearl to insist on facing them alone.

“Bah! What an insufferable face, always trying to steal my glory. Today, I’ll see you fail!” Eighth Pearl laughed, shaking with delight at her supposed triumph.

“My friend, aren’t you celebrating a bit too soon?” Hao Dan retorted coolly. He had no time to waste on her theatrics.

“Insolent brat! Facing death, yet you still boast!” Eighth Pearl’s face darkened, clearly angered by Hao Dan’s disregard.

“Susu, stay with the elder. I’ll deal with this witch and see what she’s really capable of,” Hao Dan said, carefully handing Susu to the old man. Suddenly recalling something, he asked, “Senior, may I know your name?”

“Young friend, with such courage, I am shamed. Just call me ‘Old Hei,’” the old man replied, his face flushing with embarrassment.

The incongruity of the name struck Hao Dan—an elder dressed in white furs calling himself ‘Old Hei’ was certainly unexpected.

“Do you really think you can ignore me?” Eighth Pearl demanded, furious at being overlooked.

“Frankly, your presence or absence means little to me,” Hao Dan replied with a careless shrug.

“You... you! The nerve! How dare you—” Eighth Pearl’s anger shook her whole body, her raised arm causing her voluptuous figure to tremble with rage.

“Today is your death day! I’ll make you three regret ever crossing me!” Eighth Pearl’s beautiful face twisted in fury as she formed a seal with her hands and chanted, “Come forth, my servants! Tear them limb from limb!”

But recalling something, she quickly amended, “No, don’t kill them—just subdue them. Don’t disappoint me!” With that, Eighth Pearl vanished, and a horde of ghastly creatures—part man, part beast—emerged from nowhere, charging toward Hao Dan and his companions.

“Ah! At last, we’re free! We’ve been starving for so long!” the monsters shrieked.

A chill ran through Hao Dan as he realized these were the very fiends that had lately plagued the city and its outskirts—only lesser versions had been seen before, clearly controlled by the witches of Seven Star Tower.