Since this group of people had fled back, the situation in other markets and small outposts was likely similar.
One after another, fiery-red signal arrows darted through the rain, carrying messages.
The most important task at hand was to count the number of people.
About an hour and a half after they returned, a signal arrow adorned with a cluster of fiery-red rooster feathers shot through the rain toward the Qilihe Market.
Everyone knew that a decision had been made.
Someone picked up the rooster-feather signal arrow, a symbol of promise, and read the message written on it:
"Meet at the west bank of the Drunken Dragon Bridge at the western valley entrance during the Wei hour. Those who can ward off miasma, come here. We will enter the valley to retrieve the bodies, approximately one hundred and twenty in number."
The signal arrow was passed around.
Yun Qi also took a look at it.
This matter wasn’t unexpected.
The Miao people held the dead in the highest regard, with an almost obsessive focus on funeral rites.
At this moment, Yun Qi recalled the words of Mu Naigong:
"Sometimes it rains for months. During such times, the dead buried in the ground can come back to life."
This was the phenomenon of corpse transformation.
That’s why the Miao people practiced tree burials.
Tree burial involved wrapping the corpse in a special kind of Miao reed and placing it in the canopy of a young tree less than twenty years old.
This was done to cut off the yin energy and prevent corpse transformation.
Now, there were over one hundred and twenty Miao corpses in the Rotten Peach Mountain valley, and the rain continued to fall.
No one knew when a flash flood might bury them all underground.
"I’ll go!" said the one-eyed man.
"I’ve practiced turtle breathing and can hold my breath for three hours."
"But the Peach Mud Miasma doesn’t just kill through breathing. It will rot your flesh too," someone reminded him.
The one-eyed man just smiled.
"I should be able to hold out for a while."
"I’ll go too!" said a Daoist from the Green Dragon Cave.
A chunk of skin had been sliced off his cheek, and it was clear that if he hadn’t dodged quickly, his head would have been cut off.
Just by looking at his disheveled state, everyone knew he had just come out of Rotten Peach Mountain.
Naturally, they disagreed with his decision.
"I’ve refined the Lone Star Cold Pool Miasma, which I can use for protection. Plus, I know the situation inside," the Daoist said, standing up and moving to the one-eyed man’s side, leaving no room for further argument.
"Count me in as well!"
Everyone turned to Yun Qi, surprised.
Yun Qi, feeling downcast, forced a smile.
"What, do you all think this poor Daoist only knows how to draw talismans in the market and is too afraid to step up when it counts? I can refine filth for everyone, so naturally, I can protect myself in the miasma."
The group exchanged glances.
Finally, the one-eyed man spoke.
"Master Cheng, Daoist Cheng, it’s not that we doubt your abilities. It’s just that you’re not from Miao territory. You’re just a wanderer who happened to stop here, staying temporarily to earn some coin. This trip is voluntary, with no payment. If we succeed, we bring back our brothers’ bodies. If we fail, we bury ourselves there too. What’s your reason for going?"
Everyone looked at Yun Qi, puzzled.
Yun Qi formed a hand seal with his left hand, his index and middle fingers curled together, each joint forming a right angle, while his thumb pressed against the tips of his ring and little fingers.
It looked like a gesture of knocking on a door.
He placed his hand over his left chest, palm tilted slightly forward and to the right.
This was the "Heart-Knocking Seal," a gesture used to show that the speaker’s words and actions were true to their heart and to the Dao.
"Today, my Miao friends fought against the Demon Sect and were ambushed by treacherous villains, leading to their deaths beneath the Peach Mud. They cannot return home for a proper burial. I will retrieve their bodies. Do I need any other reason?"
Hearing this, the Miao people’s expressions shifted.
Someone else asked, "Master Cheng, you’re Han, and we’re Miao. There’s a difference in blood and lineage, and we’ve only known each other for a few months in this market. Yet you’re willing to risk your life to retrieve our people’s bodies. Is it worth it?"
Yun Qi replied, "Can’t we be friends after just a few months? Can’t Han and Miao people be friends? Can’t Daoists and outsiders call each other brothers? My parents and teachers never taught me such divisions."
He looked around at the people standing and lying nearby, then continued, "I know Hu Jinliu. He helped me find gold essence and took me to the Green Dragon Cave. I know Bai Heqiao.
He practiced swords with me late into the night, and when I accidentally injured his arm, he used the wound to teach me how to exert force. I know Dong Tiandang. His family grows flowing dew leaves, and he once brought some especially for me to taste.
And I know you, He Qiumo. After learning I practiced swordsmanship, you brought me three sword manuals in exchange for talisman arrows. I heard you traded Demon Sect heads to get those.
And you, Gao Shanxiang, and you, Hai Jinqi. All of you, all of them—who among you isn’t my friend?"
As Yun Qi spoke, the listeners’ expressions shifted from confusion and doubt to seriousness and solemnity.
Then, smiles began to appear, and finally, they burst into laughter.
"Exactly! Exactly! Retrieving a friend’s body is the greatest principle of all!"
The one-eyed man, Hai Jinqi, laughed so hard that tears streamed from his remaining eye.
Yun Qi also smiled.
When he was young, his father had taught him that a gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall.
When he left the mountains, his elders had warned him not to take unnecessary risks.
He had always kept these teachings in mind.
But now, risking his life to retrieve his friends’ bodies did not fall under either of those warnings.
And so, it was decided.
Only these three from the Qilihe Market would go.
The others had no means to protect themselves and would only be throwing their lives away.
Yun Qi left his dog behind in the market.
The miasma was too strong, and the dog, being an ordinary creature, couldn’t go and wouldn’t be of help.
The three of them packed lightly, taking weapons and medicinal herbs, and left the market, heading straight for Rotten Peach Mountain.
Rotten Peach Mountain lay at the southwestern border between Miao territory and the Southern Wilds, covering an area of two to three hundred miles.
The most peculiar thing about this mountain was that it was covered entirely in peach trees.
Aside from low-lying grass and flowers, no other trees grew there, a testament to the dominance of the peach trees.
Some said the peach forest was formed from the peachwood sword of Lü Dongbin during the Tang Dynasty.
Others claimed it was the staff of the ancient giant Kua Fu.
Still, others believed it was the result of heavenly peaches falling to the earth, taking root, and sprouting.
Regardless of its origins, the peaches from this forest, though sweet and fragrant, did not possess any life-extending properties.
Thus, the vast peach forest deep in the mountains saw few visitors.
With no one to pick the peaches, how many could the birds and beasts eat? Year after year, the peaches ripened and fell, layer upon layer.
Over the centuries, the peaches on the ground rotted into mud.
The new peaches and old mud, their fragrances and stench intertwined, combined with the humid heat of the southwest, the soaking rain, and the scorching sun.
Over time, this created a poisonous miasma.
The mud, tainted by the miasma, seeped back into the peach trees, turning the entire forest into a toxic grove.
Even the scent released by the peach blossoms became a potent miasma.
The peaches themselves became highly toxic, and when they fell into the mud, they further intensified the poison, creating a mud miasma that even second-realm cultivators dared not touch.
This turned the area into a true death zone.
This was the origin of the name "Rotten Peach Mountain."
Only at the western valley entrance of Rotten Peach Mountain did a large river flow through.
The river, with its water and wind, diluted much of the miasma, using the vitality of nature to counteract the deathly energy.
Thus, this place became a treasure for those in Miao territory and the Southern Wilds who sought to harvest miasma.
Every year, when the peach blossoms bloomed, people would fight for the best spots.
Upstream of the western valley entrance, on the Miao side, there was a large bridge spanning the river, known as the Drunken Dragon Bridge.
Legend had it that a dragon, traveling along the river, reached this spot and became intoxicated by the fragrance wafting from Rotten Peach Mountain.
Enchanted, it lingered and transformed into a bridge, wishing to stay forever.
Hence, the name.
On this day of bitter wind and rain, figures emerged from the Miao jungle, gathering at the head of the Drunken Dragon Bridge.
End of Chapter.
1. Today, the reader group has been established.
Welcome everyone to join and discuss!
2. The tree burial mentioned in the text is based on real Miao customs, though it’s not limited to tree burial, and there are many specific traditions surrounding it.
I’ve adapted it for the story, so I hope it doesn’t cause any misunderstandings or offense.
3. Please vote and recommend! Comments and feedback are welcome!
(End of Chapter)