Half a day later.
A mountain range enveloped in ethereal mist appeared at the horizon, none other than the legendary Lingze Mountain. As Lin Zhao squinted, he detected a grand spiritual barrier surrounding the entire mountain, rendering direct sword-flight impossible. Lingze Mountain was encircled by water, meaning one had to cross the longest river in the world, the Lingze River, by ferry to ascend.
By the riverbank stood a ferry crossing, complete with taverns, tea houses, and inns. Many individuals, unable to ascend due to weather, lingered here. Lin Zhao, however, landed his sword in the woods several miles away. He then mounted a wild donkey, dressed in a simple green robe, his sword on his back, and pulled his bamboo hat low, embodying the true spirit of a wandering swordsman.
Before he even reached the ferry crossing, thunder rumbled in the sky, followed by a torrential downpour.
Lin Zhao hurried forward with the donkey. A waiter from the tavern called out with a smile, "Esteemed guest, hurry inside to take shelter from the rain. You may depart when it stops."
Lin Zhao smiled and nodded, tying the donkey under the eaves. He then stepped into the tavern, paid a few copper coins for a pot of cheap wine, and sat under the eaves, drinking and admiring the scenery. In the distance, the Lingze River was battered by the downpour, raindrops dancing on the surface, creating a magnificent spectacle. Even more astonishing, streams of river water were being drawn up into the clouds in vortexes, a phenomenon known as "dragon's pull."
Furthermore, swirling currents appeared intermittently in the river. At one moment, Lin Zhao saw a flash of a green tail surface and disappear in the water. It was clearly no fish or snake, but most likely a flood dragon. Based on Lin Zhao's cultivation, it was a Golden Core stage flood dragon, not an exceptionally powerful demon, but in this realm of a hundred flowers, a Golden Core flood dragon was considered a great demon.
This Lingze River was no ordinary body of water!
"Fellow Daoist."
A young sword cultivator in his fifth realm, clad in pristine white brocade, turned to Lin Zhao and said with a smile, "Judging by your attire, you don't seem to be from our Xu Dynasty. Are you perhaps from the ancient Shu Kingdom?"
Lin Zhao felt a jolt and then replied with a smile, "I wouldn't know. My master raised me in the mountains since I was young, so I don't know which dynasty our mountain belongs to. My master has sent me out to gain experience, so I came to see the renowned Lingze Mountain."
"Is that so..."
A middle-aged man in green chuckled, "Then it's unlikely you'll be able to ascend Lingze Mountain today."
"Why?" Lin Zhao asked, surprised.
The middle-aged man pointed to the great river ahead and said with a laugh, "Can't you see? The torrential rain has stirred the Lingze River into a fury. The flood dragons lurking at the bottom must have been agitated. The Lingze River is no longer peaceful. Which ferry dare to cross, which cultivator dares to cross?"
"Indeed."
The young fifth realm sword cultivator smiled, "It's fine. The scenery of Lingze River is unparalleled. Lingering here for a day is no problem. You can cross tomorrow."
"I see..."
Lin Zhao nodded and smiled, clasping his hands in a salute. "Thank you for the reminder."
The other cultivators also nodded and smiled. It seemed the customs on the mountains within the Xu Dynasty's territory were quite decent.
...
Shortly thereafter, a group of people in official attire, wearing straw cloaks, emerged from the ferry crossing, drenched to the bone. They removed their cloaks, hung them aside, and sat at a small table, ordering boisterously, "Innkeeper, bring us wine and meat!"
These were constables from the Xu Dynasty's magistrate's office, responsible for the official ferry.
"Sir, you're not ferrying today, are you?" someone inquired from upstairs.
"Ferry my ass!"
The constable grumbled, "There's only one life to live. Who wants to feed the flood dragons at the bottom of the river? Last month, an official boat was sunk by a flood dragon, and dozens of lives were lost without survivors. The rain is so heavy today, those flood dragons at the bottom must be out playing. Anyone who wants to cross now is just seeking death!"
"That's true."
Everyone nodded with a smile and descended the stairs to drink, no longer thinking about crossing the river.
Soon after, the downpour ceased, and the rain cleared. A rainbow even arched over the great river, a beautiful sight. However, the vortices on the river surface churned incessantly. Faint roars of flood dragons could even be heard, and splashes appeared on the water's surface as the flood dragons hunted fish and spirits.
Lin Zhao led the donkey, a frown on his face. He still decided to find a way to cross. A mere Golden Core flood dragon? To put it bluntly, Lin Zhao might not even fear such a creature even if he crossed on a single reed. However, as Lin Zhao approached the ferry crossing, in addition to the five official ferry boats neatly docked, a small boat was moored in the distant reeds. On it, an old man in a straw cloak was drinking from a wine gourd.
Lin Zhao, leading his donkey, approached and said with a smile, "Old man, will you ferry me across? I'll pay."
"Oh?"
The old man narrowed his eyes at Lin Zhao and said with a smile, "The Lingze River is full of flood dragons, and other cultivators are terrified. Why is your life tougher than theirs? You still want to cross?"
Lin Zhao laughed heartily. "If you're not ferrying, old man, no need to mock me."
The old man immediately put away his gourd, picked up the oar, and said with a smile, "Young man, if you're not afraid of death, then get on board. But let me tell you beforehand, I don't accept the copper coins of ordinary mortals. My ferry fee is one Flying Fish Coin!"
A single Flying Fish Coin, to an ordinary fisherman, was enough to support a family for at least twenty years.
Lin Zhao smiled faintly and led his donkey onto the boat. Before the old man began to row, he lifted a wooden plank from the boat's cabin and took out a rusty ancient sword. He tied the ancient sword to the bow of the boat and then set off.
A suspended sword?
Lin Zhao soothed the donkey, coaxing it to lie down on the boat. He then sat at the bow, smiling as he looked at the suspended sword beside him. He had only heard of the legendary Suspended Sword Bridge, where swords were suspended below to slay river flood dragons. This was the first time he had seen a sword suspended at the bow of a boat. Could it have the same effect, capable of beheading a flood dragon if one attacked?
This old man was likely no ordinary person!
The river currents were swift, and the small boat swayed constantly, yet Lin Zhao sat remarkably steady. He even took out a pot of green bamboo wine from his bag and drank, appearing as at ease and content as an immortal sword cultivator.
As the old man rowed, he looked at the young sword cultivator with a deep gaze and said with a smile, "Young man, are you a cultivator from one of the mountains?"
"Ah, I suppose so."
Lin Zhao smiled. "Aren't you a cultivator from the mountains as well, old man?"
The old man was not flustered, but instead laughed freely, "I am many decades older than you, yet there are still some principles I haven't figured out, some knots in my heart that haven't been untangled. Could you, young friend, enlighten me?"
"I would never dare to claim enlightenment, merely offer a personal opinion," Lin Zhao said with a smile. "Please speak freely, senior. There's no need to be secretive."
"Good."
The old man narrowed his eyes and smiled, "If the great tide of the world is about to descend, what do you think cultivators of the world should do? Should they go against the tide, or follow it?"
Lin Zhao took a large gulp of wine and, after a moment of thought, chuckled, "If the great tide benefits the world, then follow it. Conversely, if the great tide is detrimental to the world, then go against it."
"Hahahaha~~~"
The old man let out a hearty laugh. "You are truly a recluse of the outer world, young friend. Today, I shall forgo the Flying Fish Coin ferry fee, considering it a good deed for our encounter."
"Then thank you."
Just then, the ancient sword tied to the bow of the boat hummed, emitting sword energy. The old man looked into the river, his brow furrowed. "Abominable beast, you dare to collide with my vessel!? Edict—Slash!"
In the next moment, streaks of blood welled up from the river. Lin Zhao quickly detected that a seventh realm flood dragon, a large water snake, had been slain and its carcass sunk to the riverbed.
The small boat soared, and soon it docked. Lin Zhao led his donkey ashore. The old man untied the ancient sword from the bow and tied it to his waist. When Lin Zhao looked back, the old man had transformed into a wisp of mist and disappeared over the river.
...
Lin Zhao frowned. The old man's identity was unknown, but it was clear he had come specifically to find him. The conversation they had just had seemed like a gesture of goodwill, but more like a test. He wanted to know Lin Zhao's stance on the world, whether he would be an indifferent bystander or truly intervene in the affairs of the Hundred Flowers Realm. Lin Zhao's attitude was quite clear: if anyone sought to destabilize the realm, he would intervene.
He dismissed the thought and decided to focus on visiting the immortals in Lingze Mountain!
It was said that Lingze Mountain housed the Hundred Beauties Painting, created by the Painting Sage himself. That Painting Sage was none other than Wu Yuanzi, whom he had met on the Xianning River. His landscapes were indeed superb. He wondered about the beauty he depicted in his paintings, and felt a sense of anticipation.
At the foot of Lingze Mountain lay a small town, not large in scale, but equipped with eateries, taverns, inns, artifact shops, and the like. After all, the Ascension Platform and the Hundred Beauties Painting of Lingze Mountain had long been renowned throughout the world. Numerous people flocked here, not only cultivators who greatly admired the mountain, but also princes, nobles, scholars, and literati who lingered here. After the legend of the beautiful painted ladies and the opportunity to obtain one, the number of people coming to Lingze Mountain became even more abundant. Who wouldn't want to take away a divine maiden, as decreed by heaven and earth, from the painted beauties?
Lin Zhao rode his donkey into the town and bought a green oil-paper umbrella. In the misty and rainy Lingze Mountain, one always needed something to shield from the rain.
When he looked up, he saw a crowd gathered not far away, with two individuals walking amidst them as if they were the center of the universe. One was a young gentleman in flowing white robes, and the other was a woman in snow-white attire, of exceptional beauty. Her luminous eyes sparkled, yet they held a profound coldness, as if no man in the entire town could capture her attention. The gentleman beside her was exceedingly attentive.
Lin Zhao frowned and grabbed a passing pancake seller. "Who are those two, to have such an air about them?"
"Shh, young friend, you might not know,"
The pancake seller said, "The woman is Yu Qingqiu, the Saintess of the Yuyao Sect. She is both talented and beautiful, and a celestial maiden from the mountains. It's rare for someone like her to visit Lingze Mountain."
"And the man?"
"Shen Lanzhou, the young master of Qixing Valley. He's also said to be a celestial being from the mountains. For the past few days, he's been traveling with Yu Qingqiu, being very attentive."
"Oh..."
Lin Zhao opened his umbrella and rode forward, preparing to enter the mountain. However, his bamboo hat under the umbrella seemed out of place. He removed the hat and hung it on the side of the donkey. Just then, the divine couple walked past. Shen Lanzhou glanced at Lin Zhao and couldn't help but laugh, "Lingze Mountain truly has all sorts of people. Qingqiu, look, even such a boor is pretending to hold an umbrella and sightsee. Isn't he afraid of becoming a laughingstock?"
Yu Qingqiu smiled with dimpled cheeks.
Lin Zhao turned around, gently raised his oil-paper umbrella, and looked at them with his eyes, saying calmly, "Where am I boorish!?"