Yinshan Record

Chapter 39 Mountain City
Walking on the animal trail trodden by some unknown wild beast, Su Che touched the Azure Emperor Wine Cup in his arms.

This was the most precious treasure he possessed.

Swords can kill, and yellow ropes can seal spirits, but this Azure Emperor's Wine Cup is a treasure that, in a sense, can influence the course of human affairs.

However, Qingqiu didn't seem to value this thing much, and simply placed it on his desk in a very formal manner.

This thing seems to have a master.

Su Che formed a judgment in his mind.

My destiny is called the Six Harmonies Azure Dragon. The Azure Dragon should refer to the seven constellations of the East, or it can be called the Azure Dragon.

There's really no difference between the Azure Dragon and the Green Dragon.

According to the Five Elements theory, the East belongs to Wood.

That's probably why I'm able to use this cup.

In a sense, my destiny is a specific type of Azure Emperor.

The mask of the Eastern King Duke at the Zhongshan Conference may also reveal some clues.

Looking at the lush greenery around him, Su Che felt a different kind of emotion.

"Now that we've come to Xuan Mountain, let me show you something rare before we leave."

The little fox, holding an umbrella, walked half-walked and half-floated through the mountains.

Her Yin spirit had not yet been cultivated to the point where she could walk in the daytime, and she could not withstand the scorching heat of the sun's true fire, so she could only move by using the shade of an umbrella.

This place is actually Xuan Mountain?
Su Che looked at the surrounding mountains and their contours. He was not familiar with the art of feng shui, but judging from the situation here, he could never have imagined that the remains of a reclusive master were lying quietly here.

"Beautiful mountains and rivers, take a few more glances, who knows what they will become in the future."

The little fox remarked with considerable emotion, "The demon king of this place, Lord Dushan, is quite interesting; he's created something quite unusual."

Su Che was confused. The previous statement about a major change in Xuan Mountain was inevitable.

Once word gets out about the old lion's remains, not only demons and ghosts, but also the imperial court, the Taoist sect, the Buddhist sect, and the Sword Palace—any one of them would probably want to attend the grand event.

After the grand spectacle, it's uncertain how much of the place retains its current appearance.

As for what was so special about the monster named Dushan Jun, Su Che couldn't understand.

After turning around a few times, the two saw smoke rising from the valley in the distance.

The everyday life of ordinary people.

Su Che did not possess the Confucian art of observing qi, but he could see a bustling crowd ahead, suggesting the presence of a town.

Following the mountain's contours, you soon come across a wooden wall, made up of large logs that a person could hug. On the wall, several animal heads, dressed in armor and holding swords and spears, patrol repeatedly.

Beyond the wooden wall was a large door. A monster with a goat's head, wearing an ill-fitting silk robe, with its hooves showing, was standing in the doorway. Its hands had already transformed into human form, and it was writing and drawing on a bamboo slip with a brush. A group of monsters with rabbit heads were also standing in the doorway.

A group of monsters with bull and wolf heads, armed and fully armored, were staring around with their eyes wide open.

Among the rabbit horde were several bold rabbit demons exchanging flirtatious glances with the guards at the gate.

They carried rough bamboo baskets filled with flowers, plants, and some minerals and fruits.

"According to the King's law, a fee of ten coins is required to enter the city."

Lord Yang, biting his brush, asked, "Are you all going to come at once, or are you going to count them one by one?"

"Sir, let's just fire one shot at a time."

"Ten coins for each one you receive, just throw it in."

The goat-headed monster pointed to a clay pot on a table next to the wooden door.

“Sir,” the rabbit-headed monster patted his body and pulled out seven copper coins, “we only have seven coins.”

"Seven coins it is." The goat-headed monster bit down hard, swallowing half of the brush handle. "Go in, go in." Good heavens, this monster's gatekeeper is much easier to talk to than the ones in Shanyin City.

"I don't have any money on me."

Su Che looked at Qingqiu holding an umbrella beside him: "I wonder, my wife..."

"Men, the sweeter their words, the less money they have in their pockets." Qingqiu pouted, "I do have some paper money here..."

Sending paper money? That's probably just asking the sheep demon to eat it as dessert.

"You two, are you also going into the city?"

The sheep demon saw Su Che and Qing Qiu from afar and quickly waved.

"What realm is this?"

Su Che looked at the group of monsters, each one resembling a human, yet he couldn't figure out what was going on inside them.

"They are all ninth-grade bone refining techniques. They can remove the transverse bone in the throat and speak human language, and incidentally make the beast body look a little more like a human. They are still far from truly transforming into human form."

The little fox led the way, holding an umbrella.

"We're heading into the city."

The sheep demon glanced at the little fox holding the paper umbrella, then looked at Su Che.

"According to the law of the king, ghosts do not accept money."

"According to the law of the king, a reward of five coins shall be given to anyone who comes here."

As he spoke, he took out a few copper coins from the earthenware jar and threw them into Su Che's hand.

“Isn’t it delightful that the moon comes from afar? Please come in, sir.”

Who taught these monsters? The quality of the teaching materials is questionable.

The sheep demon picked up the pen as if to make a record on the bamboo slip, only to find that it had already chewed the pen handle clean.

"Next time, tell Lao Wang to buy calligraphy brushes from a different store; the brush handles are really delicious."

The sheep demon grunted and ordered the monsters with wolf and bull heads around it to let it pass.

"How about it? It looks pretty good, doesn't it? My elders came here before and praised the local Dushan Jun for his exceptional vision, saying it was a pity he was born here."

Su Che ignored Qingqiu's praises and found that the wooden village was not as chaotic as he had imagined after entering it.

The streets inside are neat and orderly, with wooden houses lined up one after another. The signs and names are just like those of a city on earth. The animal heads and human faces complement each other, creating a scene of harmony between humans and demons.

"Sir, sir."

As Su Che was observing, the shopkeeper called to him. Turning his head, he saw a huge blue ox head lying there.

Born with curved horns like crescent moons, its body covered in green skin, weathered by time. It possesses the strength to move mountains and lift the sun and moon, and has helped farmers in their harvests.

“Master, you’ve made your fortune. Would you like to have a meal or stay at an inn? The beef at the small shop is the best, and you should also order the finest aged wine. You look travel-worn, sir. Why don’t you come and sit at the small shop?”

Su Che looked at this person and thought he looked like a green ox that had become a spirit, and definitely not a wood spirit in disguise.

Needless to say, the beef here must be fresh.

The old ox was tall and straight, and spoke naturally. He seemed to be a demon cultivator who had been cultivating for a long time. The signboard at the door was polished and shiny. Although the words "Niu Family Old Shop" were crooked, they were hung squarely.

Su Che glanced inside and found it to be quite clean and bright.

“I’m a vegetarian, so a bowl of vegetarian noodles will do.” Su Che glanced at the little fox beside him: “My wife doesn’t need vegetarian food.”

"Of course, of course, please come in, sir," Old Niu said with a smile, calling out loudly to the inside, "Two distinguished guests, a bowl of assorted mushroom noodles, please serve us well."

(End of this chapter)