The Transverse Rift Valley is a mysterious place. No one knows how long it is, how wide it is, or how deep it goes. It is shrouded in clouds and mist all year round, making it hard for birds to fly over, and rocks fall silently. This valley stretches across the southernmost part of the Southern Li region, which is also the southernmost part of the entire continent.
People call it a valley, but it hardly feels like one; from a mortal's point of view, it’s more like the end of the world.
Qin Yi asked Liu Su, "Have you been there?"
"I don’t know where that is. I’ve never heard of such a place. I've been in the mountains for so long, and the world has changed so much over thousands of years. How could it be the same as when I was there? Wherever you’ve been, I’ve only been there too."
"Uh..." Qin Yi had only been to three places: Xianji Mountain, a nearby county town, and Lihuo City. He had passed through a certain county but couldn’t even remember its name.
The two of them looked at each other, and Qin Yi pushed open Ye Ling's door. Ye Ling was curled up in a small blanket, practicing on her bed. When she saw Qin Yi enter, her eyes blinked in surprise.
It was nighttime; what was he doing here?
Qin Yi grinned and picked her up, saying, "Uncle is taking you to see goldfish."
Ye Ling gave him a look that said he was silly. "Who hasn’t seen goldfish? What’s so interesting about that?"
"Alright." Qin Yi sighed. "Let’s go to the Transverse Rift..."
Ye Ling immediately turned to run, but Qin Yi grabbed her collar. Her legs flailed in the air, and she couldn’t escape, hanging there like a limp fish.
Qin Yi was surprised. "You’ve been there? Why are you so scared?"
"I grew up above the rift when I was little, but I never went down." Ye Ling sniffled. "Just thinking about it makes me scared..."
Qin Yi said, "Have you considered that none of us know your demon cultivation methods? If you just bury your head in practice for your whole life, that’s all it will be. But places like this might hold things you really need, whether it's techniques or... a community?"
Ye Ling paused, her eyes starting to shine with hope.
It really was possible.
The girl gathered her courage and put her hands on her hips, declaring, "I want to go!"
Qin Yi felt relieved and put a talisman on her back. Ye Ling had healed from her injuries, and her actual fighting power was definitely the strongest in Southern Li, aside from Ming He. If he didn’t take her along, what was the point?
"What’s this?" Ye Ling asked, reaching back to touch the talisman but couldn’t reach it.
Qin Yi slowly put one on himself too. "It's a Swift Movement Talisman."
Though Southern Li was small, traveling from Lihuo City in the northeast to the southern rift wasn’t something you could do in just a day or two; even on horseback, it would take several days. Qin Yi hadn’t thought of making the talisman for a quick escape; it was meant for traveling.
As they sped along the road, Qin Yi truly felt what it meant to be "light as a swallow." With each step, he could leap over ten meters, as if the world had lost its weight, running faster than a train on his own two legs.
The techniques in this world were so fascinating.
Qin Yi not only wanted to learn but was also very interested. Whether it was making talismans, alchemy, setting up formations, or internal cultivation, it was all so captivating.
He worried he wouldn’t have enough energy to learn everything.
But he had to admit he was pretty impressive too; he had only been studying for a short time and had already covered a lot of ground, even making eighth-grade talismans...
Lost in his thoughts, he suddenly heard Ye Ling’s voice. "What kind of broken talisman is this? It’s not even as fast as I can fly."
Qin Yi stumbled, almost falling over.
He saw Ye Ling spread her wings and vanish in an instant.
"Dang it..." Qin Yi chased after her, tears streaming down his face.
As he ran, the night faded, and the sun rose. Li Qingjun had been awake all night and walked out of the prince's residence with puffy eyes.
Just as she stepped outside, she froze.
Li Qinglin was slowly approaching, protected by several guards.
His steps were a bit steadier than before; he wasn’t as wobbly as he had been a few days ago. It seemed the medicine Qin Yi had given him was starting to take effect, stabilizing his energy.
"What are you doing here?" Li Qingjun asked in surprise. "Aren’t you supposed to attend court today?"
"Today is a court holiday." Li Qinglin smiled. "I thought I’d take a walk; it helps with the flow of energy."
Li Qingjun nodded. They were both martial artists and understood this principle.
Li Qinglin looked a bit strange. "How did you come out here? Have you already... met with Qin Yi?"
"No..." Li Qingjun replied. "Are you looking for Qin Yi? He said that kind of pill shouldn’t be taken too often. Taking too much won’t help."
Li Qinglin fell silent for a moment before saying, "It's fine. I just want to talk to him. You know, among all the officials and generals, there aren’t many who can speak their minds."
Li Qingjun stared at him, sighing inwardly.
She understood that her brother was struggling with inner conflicts. His visit to Qin Yi might not be about sharing feelings but rather a subconscious desire to feel closer to the path of cultivation and longevity. Yet, when they met, he wouldn’t talk about cultivation, often holding back what he wanted to say.
She had seen this happen several times.
But she didn’t find it funny; she could empathize with him.
Even hearing that her brother had been more irritable lately in the palace, often scolding maids and eunuchs, she didn’t like it, but she could understand his anxiety. She just hoped he could soon escape that mental state.
"You don’t need to look for Qin Yi anymore," she finally said. "He..."
Li Qinglin's expression changed. "He left? You couldn’t keep him here?"
Her brother's attitude made Li Qingjun feel sad. "Is that how you see Qin Yi?"
Li Qinglin’s expression shifted several times before he softened his tone. "Qin Yi is an outsider, not much different from Ming He. Perhaps as a friend, he is loyal, but he won’t have any attachment or feelings for Southern Li. To him, Southern Li is just something he observes from the sidelines. I’ve been thinking these days about whether he would leave."
"So you gave him the position of national teacher and offered generous rewards... and my marriage, just to keep him here?"
Li Qinglin sighed. "I know he doesn’t care about those things, but what else can I do?"
"Keeping him here, what good would it do?" Li Qingjun sighed. "Can he refine pills for you? Delay aging, or... grant you longevity?"
Li Qinglin's pupils slightly contracted.
"He has left, but he went to the dangerous Transverse Rift Valley to understand your curse," Li Qingjun said calmly. "He truly has no feelings for Southern Li, just like Ming He observes Southern Li’s rise and fall. But he has human emotions; he can’t just watch you and me."
Li Qinglin’s expression changed again, and he finally smiled. "Qin Yi is indeed a true friend."
"You two may not even be friends, whether in how you see each other or how he sees you." Li Qingjun said slowly, "But he is my husband."
Li Qinglin stared at her for a long while before suddenly smiling. "You’ve grown up."
With that, he turned and walked away slowly.
Li Qingjun watched his back, her delicate hands tightly gripping her sleeves. Inside was a cultivation technique that Qin Yi had given her.
She remembered Qin Yi’s words before he left: "I don’t know the outcome or how long it will take. Don’t pin all your hopes on this. If Qinglin can’t resist wanting to cultivate... then just give it to him. It’s better than him practicing the garbage techniques left behind by Dong Huazi."
She sighed softly and wearily turned back to the residence.
Ming He was watching her from behind.
Li Qingjun didn’t like Ming He.
Though she said she didn’t oppose Qin Yi and Ming He... it wasn’t that. She just felt uncomfortable under Ming He’s gaze.
It was like a pair of eyes looking down from the clouds, coldly observing Southern Li, watching Li Qinglin, watching Qin Yi, watching her, Li Qingjun, observing each person’s joys and sorrows, like flipping through a book of stories, ultimately turning into her own insights.
Sometimes, Li Qingjun would have this malicious thought... one day, when you fall into the mundane world yourself, I wonder what you’ll look like!
Days passed.
Qin Yi finally arrived at the Transverse Rift Valley, weary from travel.
Before him was a vast expanse of mist, obscuring everything—he couldn’t see the other side or the valley floor; it was ethereal and boundless.
Qin Yi took a deep breath, crouched at the edge of the cliff, and wanted to unfold the map to check his location.
Liu Su suddenly spoke, "So this is the Transverse Rift Valley?"
"Huh?" Qin Yi thought, "You’ve been here before?"
"Of course I have." Liu Su’s tone was strange. "Because this entire rift... was created by me."
Qin Yi stumbled, nearly falling into the abyss.
(End of chapter)