Volume One: The Dragon Rises from the Wilderness Chapter Seven: Calamity
Snow drifted down from the heavens.
The snowflakes were crimson, like clouds at dusk, spreading across the sky. They floated through fleeting warmth, resembling drops of blood, sprinkling sorrow in their wake.
Warmth was the days one had a home.
Mother was gone, father too, and the home had vanished as well.
Before he could comprehend the taste of grief, flames surged forth, devouring light, consuming all. Blood boiled, chest shattered. The raging fire still tormented every limb, pain crashing in waves, driving him to howl and scream. Yet his stubborn spirit refused to be bound, desperate to break free from suffering, soothed only by a hint of coldness caressing his wounds. The world trembled; darkness faded...
He did not know how much time had passed before Yu Ye slowly opened his eyes.
He lay on a moving wagon.
The sky was gray, snowflakes scattered chaotically.
Snow had fallen again—white flakes landing on his face, cold to the touch.
It was that thread of chill that roused him from his pain.
Beside the wagon walked Yu Youcai, Yu Ergou, and several companions—Yu Quan, Yu Meng—bearing knives and staffs.
"Yu Ye's awake!"
Yu Ergou called out.
Yu Youcai glanced back, relief in his voice, "This child is truly fortunate. Had he not stripped bare to prove his innocence, he could not have escaped the other day. He kept rambling nonsense on the road, his face unlike a living man's. By rights, with broken bones, he shouldn't look like this!"
Yu Ergou craned his neck, smiling, "You've slept for three days. Are you hungry?"
Yu Ye blinked, bewildered.
Three days of unconsciousness?
How had he left Spirit Jiao Valley?
From the conversation between Yu Shitou and his son, he learned he had collapsed after vomiting blood, robe removed. Dustrise would not relent, stirring the crowd's anger. Perhaps Bai Zhi felt guilty and intervened, holding back her senior brother. Yu Youcai, fearing further trouble, led everyone away from Spirit Jiao Valley that very day.
Dustrise!
He was the one who wounded Yu Ye, pursuing him relentlessly.
And the jiao pellet had been swallowed by Yu Ye—why would Dustrise not let him speak the truth? Now that they had left Spirit Jiao Valley, had disaster truly been left behind...?
...
Inside a mountain cave.
A torch burned upon the stone wall.
In its flickering glow, a man and woman stood back to back.
Ash covered the ground, a pungent stink lingered, several clear sword marks bore witness to what had transpired.
Dustrise spoke with displeasure, "Junior sister, this was the hiding place of a master from Qizhou. After his death, he left behind a spirit snake and a beast pellet. I slew the snake, fearing word would spread, hurried to destroy the corpse, and so the beast pellet fell into Yu Ye's hands. Had you not intervened today, that boy would never have escaped Spirit Jiao Valley."
Bai Zhi was silent a moment, then replied, "Senior brother, you wounded Yu Ye, forced him to strip and defend himself. As you saw with your own eyes, he carried no jiao pellet. If you took him away, neither Yu Village nor Feng Village, nor even Bai Village would permit it. How could I face my kin?"
"And how would you answer to our master?"
"Upon return to the sect, I will admit my fault!"
"If so, then you should go back to the mountain!"
"Senior brother, why not together?"
"Well... Tell our master I have matters to attend, I will return to report another day."
"Is there something more than the beast pellet, some hidden truth...?"
Bai Zhi turned around; only she remained in the cave. Her senior brother Dustrise had gone.
Helpless, she felt even more confused.
She and her senior brother had always been close—why had they quarreled today?
He had found the remains of the Qizhou master—why hurry to incinerate them? Was the beast pellet truly real? Was there something hidden beyond it? Why had he left so abruptly?
Regardless, the legendary demonic cultivator and the Qizhou master had finally been located—she must report to her master without delay...
...
Starfield Valley.
Yu Village’s ancestral hall.
---
In the ancestral hall’s back courtyard stood a small hut. Inside, a brazier glowed hot. On a fur mat, Yu Ye lay in deep sleep.
After leaving Spirit Jiao Valley, the Yu Village party hurried through snow and wind, returning to Yu Village in Starfield Valley by evening on the fourth day. Yu Youcai saw Yu Ye’s injuries had not improved, so he settled him in the ancestral hall. Everyone, weary from their efforts, went home to rest, postponing discussions.
Along the journey, Yu Ye drifted between wakefulness and delirium, shaking, convulsing, groaning in agony. Even after arriving home, his mind was clouded. Only when silence fell around him did he finally let out a moan.
“Ah—”
Piercing cold and scorching fire alternately clashed within his organs, tearing every bone, devouring his quivering soul. The pain was unbearable—he wished only for death to escape the endless torment. Yet he could not move, his fate not his own.
“Child, how did you end up like this?”
With a crisp tap of a bamboo cane, someone entered.
Yu Ye’s teeth chattered as he forced his eyes open.
There was no lamp in the room; by the faint glow of the brazier, he saw an elder with a bamboo staff. The old man walked closer, muttering, “Tonight Youcai came to me, said a young one from the village had been injured. I intended to visit in the morning, but Shitou and his son pleaded for me to come now. I’ve long ceased meddling in village affairs, but fate connects us. I gave you your name, after all…”
It was Elder Qiu, who lived at the village entrance.
He could not see Qiu’s expression in the dim light, but remembered his face—like other mountain elders, fond of recalling old times. The old man shook his head self-mockingly, then said in surprise, “Your bones are not broken, so why is your energy reversed, showing signs of a cosmic struggle?”
Yu Ye did not understand and lacked the strength to reply.
Elder Qiu sat cross-legged, leaned over, and examined Yu Ye’s wounds. He grasped Yu Ye’s wrist, pondering, “Your hand, wrist, and shoulder bones were broken by external force—serious, but your organs unharmed. Yet your dantian is charged—why is your energy reversed, causing a cosmic battle and the tiger and dragon unable to unite? As if poisoned. Did you eat something by mistake?”
No mistake—he had swallowed the jiao pellet!
Yu Ye’s breathing grew rapid.
Elder Qiu waved his hand, signaling him to stay silent, covered him with the fur, and stroked his beard in thought. “This child, orphaned, now in such plight. If I help, there may be hope. Disaster, ah…” He hesitated, silent for a long time, then swiftly flicked his sleeve and produced a pill from his robe.
“Open your mouth!”
Before Yu Ye could respond, the pill was forced into his mouth. Elder Qiu slapped his chest, gripped his shoulder and arm. A warm current surged through Yu Ye’s belly and body, the pain receding like a tide.
“Broken bones mended, external wounds resolved. The pill must be properly regulated, and you may survive!”
Elder Qiu’s voice carried fatigue. He picked up his staff, mused, “This place is not fit for recovery—follow me.”
“Mm!”
Yu Ye agreed, struggled upright, and moved his feet in surprise.
He had been unable to move or speak, yet now he rose at once, though his steps were unsteady, his body swaying, but he could walk without much trouble. Even the pain in his organs, wrist, and shoulder had eased greatly.
Elder Qiu’s pill was truly miraculous.
Yu Ye exclaimed, “Elder Qiu…”
...
Night deepened.
Two figures entered the ancestral hall’s back courtyard.
Leading was Yu Baoshan, yawning, complaining, “My father said Yu Ye had no one to look after him, so we have to keep watch tonight!”
Yu Ergou followed, holding an oil lamp and grinning, “He’s our brother, it’s only right!”
“Hmph, after driving the wagon all day, then working since dusk—I’m exhausted.”
“I’m tired too.”
“This winter hunt was ruined by Yu Ye. Not only did he offend Miss Bai, Yu and Bai Villages nearly became enemies. If he weren’t so badly hurt, I’d give him a beating.”
The brothers chatted as they entered the hut.
“Huh, where is he?”
The fur mat remained, but the person was gone.
“Maybe he got up to relieve himself.”
“He only has half a life left—how could he wander?”
“Eaten by wild animals?”
“Don’t say that.”
“Hmph, I don’t care, I’m going to sleep!”
Yu Baoshan, unwilling to fuss, stirred the brazier, pulled the mat onto the ground, and soon began snoring.
Yu Ergou put down the lamp and stepped outside.
Snow still blanketed the yard and surroundings. Even under the night’s shroud, one could see vaguely near and far. Yet there was no sign of Yu Ye in the small courtyard.
---
Had his injuries improved, allowing him to return home alone?
Yu Ergou scratched his head, heading out.
Unable to find Yu Ye, he grew uneasy, deciding to search around so his good brother wouldn’t come to harm.
“Woof woof—”
As he stepped outside, a dog barked.
Who’s dog was howling at midnight? But then the sound faded.
Curious, Yu Ergou followed the noise. Not far from the hall, his foot struck something soft. Bending down, he found a mongrel lying on the ground, severed in half, blood steaming.
He was shocked—who killed the dog?
Some thirty feet away, a snow mound concealed a fleeting figure.
He rubbed his eyes in haste.
He hadn’t imagined it—another figure leapt past the mound, like a black bird, rushing toward the ancestral hall.
Who was that, and for what purpose? A thief? Or connected to Yu Ye’s disappearance?
Yu Ergou hurried back, but slipped and fell. Scrambling up, he looked around, then ran toward the village, shouting, “Fire at the ancestral hall—!”
...
Behind the village lay a grove.
Across the river from the grove rose the mountains of Starfield Valley.
On a cold winter night, the river was frozen.
Crossing the ice, a path wound upward. At its end, a cliff towered. Beneath it, hidden by snow and ice, was a cave.
Inside the cramped, dark cave, an oil lamp burned. In its weak light, an old man and a youth sat.
The elder was Qiu, nodding as if enlightened, silent in deep thought.
The youth was Yu Ye, leaning against the stone wall, gasping.
Having taken the pill, Yu Ye felt his pain vanish, his spirits restored. On the way, he recounted all he had experienced to Elder Qiu. Since Qiu had saved him, he owed him honesty. Unexpectedly, after hearing the origin of the jiao pellet, Qiu seemed a changed man.
Yu Ye had no time to wonder at Elder Qiu’s transformation. After a half hour’s trek through snow, he was utterly exhausted. Especially since the eccentric Qiu had made him sweep away his footprints with a branch, nearly collapsing on the way. Wounded as he was, such exertion left him sprawled on the cave floor, the pain, once gone, now returning faintly.
After a brief rest, Yu Ye managed to sit upright. He said, “Elder Qiu, your pill is truly magical…”
“Oh?”
Qiu seemed roused from his contemplation, his voice bitter, “It was my last Longyang Pill, meant to prolong my life. Sensing my days are numbered, I gave it to you.”
“Elder Qiu, forgive me—I did not know…”
Yu Ye felt guilt and unease.
The pill was Qiu’s life-saving treasure, and his last. Had he known, he would never dare accept such kindness.
Qiu shook his head, speaking, “Your energy has reversed, caused by magical force, yet you are at death’s door. Only the Longyang Pill could suppress it. In the northern marshes, cultivators have been absent for years. I sought answers from you, so saving you was reasonable. But…”
He sighed, continuing, “I did not expect that the one who tried to kill you was not seeking silence, but the jiao pellet in your belly! The jiao pellet comes from Qizhou’s deep sea, refined to help cultivators form their core, a rare treasure. Yet it carries jiao poison—how can a mortal body withstand it? The Longyang Pill is potent, but only buys time. If the poison flares, you cannot escape your fate!”
Yu Ye was silent, then whispered, “Elder Qiu, I am not afraid of death.”
Qiu’s words were profound, difficult to grasp, but enough to leave him despondent.
The jiao pellet is poisonous, incurable.
Even fear of death is useless now. What a pity—having lived only fifteen years, never leaving the marshes to explore the world, now forced to depart so soon—he felt reluctant.
Yu Ye forced a light tone, “Elder Qiu, the calamity you spoke of…”
Qiu took out a bottle and placed it on the ground, slowly rising. “I cannot save you. These pills may strengthen your foundation—a small comfort. As for the calamity…”
He looked down at Yu Ye, his face revealing a mysterious, weary smile.
“Long ago, your mother dreamed of a great snake, was frightened, and then gave birth to you. Your father asked me to divine your fate, and I named you Yu Ye. ‘Dragon battles in the wild’—a sign of great misfortune. Now, in the northern marshes, dragons and snakes rise again. Who will survive the calamity, who will fall into the underworld? If you live, perhaps you will see the answer one day!”
Qiu pinched out the oil lamp, leaning on his bamboo staff, and with slow, deliberate steps, left the cave...