Mountains and rivers bear witness, old fires linger Chapter Four: Lu Nan, Jinbei, and Huacheng

There is a continent called Yuzhou, divided among three kingdoms.

Jinwu, ranked second, lies in the south.

This land, blessed with talent and beauty, has produced many heroes, and Jinwu is also a place where flowers flourish. In the north of Jinwu sits a city that gathers every variety of flower in the world within its walls. Flowers bloom there through all four seasons, never withering year-round. This city is called All-Flowers.

Most of its citizens are lovers of flowers, refined and elegant, and every household is home to a master of horticulture. Jinwu boasts five great cities; though All-Flowers is last in rank, its influence rivals that of Tianlin, the foremost city. Especially during the grand All-Flowers Festival, countless scholars and poets are drawn here. Towers rise in succession throughout the city, each adorned with an abundance of flora. From a distance, the city appears as a rolling sea of blooms. Every ten steps one finds a flower, every fifty a tree, three trees mark a pavilion, five pavilions a tower, and the streets are interwoven with ancient paths, each lined with flowers and greenery. Silver-flowered trees, clear pools, and a river meandering through the city, sometimes bearing a solitary boat, complete the scene.

The master of the city is called the Flower Lord, and she is the only female among the five city lords, her strength rivaling any of the others.

At this moment, a lone rider entered the main street of All-Flowers, the horse’s hooves stirring petals in its wake. Even before the rider appeared, a voice rang out, “Make way! Everyone, clear the road!”

People hastily moved aside, turning to look. Behind the rider followed a carriage, and as the procession drew near, the crowd recognized them.

“It’s Chen Zhansheng!”

“He’s the second disciple of the Second City Lord!”

“Who could be inside that carriage, to warrant this battle-madman clearing the way for them?”

Ignoring the murmurs, the rider and carriage sped toward the City Lord’s Mansion. Upon arrival, the gate guards hurried forward, took the reins, and opened the doors. Chen Zhansheng, flustered and urgent, dashed inside, grabbing the first person he saw. “Are the City Lords here?”

“The City Lord is in the Fragrant Pavilion, but the Second City Lord left the city yesterday,” the man replied hastily.

Upon learning the City Lord’s location, Chen turned to rush over, but before he could move, a swirl of petals rose, and he looked up to see a breathtakingly beautiful woman gliding above them, stepping lightly on the petals as she soared out of the mansion.

“City Lord!” Chen Zhansheng and his companion watched her go. Moments later, the stunning figure returned, cradling a young girl in her arms. Before they could react, two figures hurried over from outside.

Looking at the man and woman before him, the three shared a glance, all gazing in the direction the City Lord had flown.

“We should go,” the young woman said, taking the lead toward the Fragrant Pavilion. “We must report everything to Master in detail.”

Inside the pavilion, the beautiful woman fed a white pill to the girl lying on the bed. Then, placing her hand on the girl’s forehead, streams of gentle radiance, delicate as blossoms, flowed from her fingertips into the girl’s brow. After a moment, she withdrew her hand and, as she tucked the girl in, noticed the pendant from her neck was missing. She murmured, “So that’s why…” and gently stroked the girl’s hair. “Silly child…”

At that moment, a voice called from outside.

“Master!”

The woman’s lips parted softly. “Enter.”

The three at the door stepped in; the young woman went quickly to her side. “Greetings, Master.”

“Greetings, City Lord,” said Chen Zhansheng and his companion, stepping forward with a respectful salute.

“There’s no need for formality,” the City Lord said, her gaze sweeping over them. “Ruoxi is out of danger, so you need not worry. Lu Ning, your father has been waiting for you. Since you’re back, go home and let him know you’re safe.”

“Yes, I’ll go at once,” Lu Ning replied, taking his leave.

Turning to Chen Zhansheng, the City Lord continued, “As for you, with your master and senior brother both away, there’s a mountain of tasks in the city to be handled. Now that you’re back, get to work.”

“Ah, bothersome chores again. Master and Senior Brother always leave me to clean up their messes,” Chen muttered, resignation written on his face as he departed.

After they left, the young woman turned to the City Lord. “Master, is Ruoxi truly unharmed?”

At this, the City Lord looked at the girl in the bed, then said, “Fortunately, the Spirit-Calming Pill saved her, or the consequences would have been dire. Tell me everything that happened along the way.”

The young woman recounted all that had transpired. Listening quietly, the City Lord pondered for a moment before sighing. “So be it. If she was willing to give that jade to the boy, let her follow her heart.” She walked to the bedside, watching the unconscious girl. “I am curious, though—what kind of young man could move you to part with this jade? Perhaps only when you’re older will you understand what this truly means. I wonder, will you accept the choice you’ve made today when that time comes, my foolish daughter…”

…

Lingwu

Ever since that day, the crowd that came to watch the young man play the zither grew larger by the day. Chen Zhiming’s paintings would sell out as soon as he set up his stall, and when he played, the audience packed in so tightly that not even water could pass through. Even his steady temperament was shaken, causing him to strike the wrong string several times. Still, his daily earnings now were several times greater than before. After a busy day, it was time to close shop.

A slant of golden light pierced the clouds and fell upon the streets of Lingwu. Chen Zhiming packed up his zither and returned home. He hadn’t had a proper rest in days; with the increased demand for his paintings, he had to create several more each day, and his small body was nearing its limit. So, the next day, he decided not to go out and sell but to rest.

…

At dawn, he rose as usual; though he wouldn’t be going to the market, early rising had become a habit. He opened the door, breathing in the fresh morning air, listening to the birdsong in the trees. He took a deep breath, relishing the rare sense of ease. In the courtyard, he began practicing the horse stance—a technique he’d picked up after passing by the local academy, where he’d seen the teacher instructing the students. Supposedly, it strengthened the body and encouraged healthy circulation, so he’d secretly learned and practiced it whenever he had time. Closing his eyes, he recalled the postures; his body followed suit. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he stopped, finding himself drenched in sweat. “Who would have thought such a simple drill could make me sweat so much?” he said, looking around for something to wash with. Suddenly, inspiration struck him. “I’ve got it!”

He slipped into the house, careful not to disturb his sleeping mother, grabbed a change of clothes, and made his way to the lake. Gazing at the clear waters, he undressed and leapt in, washing in the shallow parts. As he bathed, he thought of the jade pendant he always carried and took it out for a look. The moment he held it, a wave of comfort washed through him, fatigue vanishing without a trace. Staring at the pendant, he murmured, “I wonder how you’re doing now. You should have reached that Flower City you spoke of by now.” Lost in thought, he didn’t realize he’d drifted into deeper water. When he noticed, he hurried to retreat, but in his panic, his foot slipped on something, and he fell in. When he stood, he realized the pendant was gone.

“Oh no, where could it have fallen?” The water was clear, and before long, he spotted the pendant at the lake’s bottom. But now he faced a new problem: it was deep, and though he often came to the lakeside, he couldn’t swim. After thinking it through, he decided to fetch a stick and try to fish the jade out. Soon, he returned with a stick, waded into the water, and after some effort, managed to recover the precious jade. Relieved, he held it tightly. “That was close. She said you’re valuable—if I lost you, I’d never be able to pay her back.”

As he turned to leave, he suddenly noticed a scruffy man sitting on the shore, someone he hadn’t noticed before. The man, hair a tangled mess and face dirty, sat silently at the water’s edge.

Chen Zhiming climbed ashore and, intending to avoid the stranger, began to leave. Suddenly, the man called out, “Hey, kid, wait.”

Zhiming paused, but his steps quickened.

“Hey, hey!” The ragged man saw Zhiming hurrying away and sprang up to block his path. “Don’t be afraid, little one, I’m a good person. I just want to do a little business with you.”

“Not interested,” Chen replied, walking even faster.

“Don’t you want to know who that girl was—the one who gave you the Spirit-Calming Jade?”

At these words, Chen Zhiming stopped, gripping his pendant tightly. With his other hand, he grasped the stick, demanding, “Who are you, and how do you know about that?” He leveled the stick at the man, who shrank back at the sight.

“Don’t misunderstand, kid. Lots of people saw what happened that day,” the man explained quickly.

Hearing this, Zhiming relaxed his guard, but kept a firm hold on his stick. “Speak quickly, or you’ll taste the power of my stick.”

The ragged man sat down by the lake and motioned for Zhiming to join him. After a moment’s hesitation—reasoning that, true or not, the matter concerned that young girl and that he might be able to glean something useful if this man was up to no good—Zhiming sat down, but kept a full meter between them. “All right, I’m sitting. Now, tell me what you know.”

The scruffy man glanced at the pendant in Zhiming’s hand, but Zhiming only gripped it tighter. Paying no mind, the man began, “In the southern part of the continent, there’s a kingdom called Jinwu.”

Jinwu? Chen Zhiming thought. That name sounds familiar—my mother said once that our country is called Jinwu. He focused on the man’s words.

“Jinwu is home to many good people, but also many bad. Fortunately, the ruler is wise and just, so the people live in peace. Besides the capital, Jinwu has five great cities and six counties. We’re in Tianyu County, which ranks last among the six, in Lingwu town…”

“Can you get to the point? I know all this already,” Zhiming interrupted, impatient.

“All right, all right, the point,” the man agreed. “There’s a saying that praises a certain city—Jinwu’s fifth-ranked city, All-Flowers. The master of All-Flowers is known as the Flower Lord, a great beauty. Her daughter, the Young Mistress of All-Flowers, passed through Lingwu a few days ago in a double-horse carriage. With all that said, you should understand what I’m getting at. As for your pendant, that’s called the Spirit-Calming Jade. That’s all I’ll tell you. If you want to know more, ask that little miss yourself if you ever see her again.” With that, the ragged man stood and made to leave.

Chen Zhiming quickly called after him, “You’re just leaving like this? Aren’t you going to do your business?”

The man chuckled. “Actually, someone wanted to do business with me, and you were the stake. I never accepted—until today, now that I’ve met you. I’ll take the offer.” As he walked away, he muttered to himself,

“In the south lies Flower City, home to a great beauty…”

Zhiming watched him go. “What a strange man.”

He looked down at the pendant in his hand, murmuring, “Flower City…”

The evening wind picked up, and under the setting sun, Zhiming’s shadow stretched long across the ground…

Far away, the ragged man glanced back at Zhiming still standing there, a faint smile creeping onto his lips. “Silly boy. But that’s all right. If you end up with her one day, it wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

He continued on, where another man was already waiting. As he passed by, he patted the man’s shoulder. “I’ve agreed to that matter.”

“Good.”

…