Chapter 35 — The Ancient Grotto

At this [Li Xun], standing nearby, gave a cold snort. "Senior Brother [Facheng] speaks sense. Otherwise, once we are inside, someone will find some excuse or other again."

Except for [Zhang Qingyue], every one of them — [Qi Hao], [Zeng Shuyan], and [Lu Xueqi], all from the renowned Qingyun — had been doted on by their masters within their own branches, and every one had pride in their bones. [Qi Hao] gave a cold laugh and said, "Senior Brother [Li Xun] speaks sense. Otherwise, tired as I am, if I had to save you in there, I fear I would be quite unable."

[Li Xun] had clearly not expected the Canglan disciples to be every bit as proud as himself. He came from the Fenxia Valley and had been favored by his masters since childhood; in the cultivation of Daoist arts, save for a handful among his peers, he far surpassed all others of his generation, and from this had grown a personality that looked down on everything. How could he stomach such a slight? His face changed at once, and he stared at [Qi Hao]. "By that account, Senior Brother [Qi]'s cultivation far exceeds mine. I should rather like to learn a thing or two."

Where the honor of the sect was at stake, [Qi Hao] straightened and was about to step forward, when [Lu Xueqi] suddenly came out from behind him, planted herself neatly in the middle of the open ground, and said coldly, "There is no need to trouble Senior Brother [Qi]. Let me sample the immortal arts of the Fenxia Valley."

[Li Xun] was momentarily stunned. Though [Lu Xueqi] was covered in blood and filth, the skin of her jade face seemed all the more white as snow for it; her expression was cold, yet in that austere bearing there was a natural, ethereal beauty that looked down upon all living things. He had never seen such peerless beauty, and for a moment he was struck dumb.

At the same moment [Facheng] of the Fanyin Temple stepped out and said with a smile, "Senior brothers, we came here to investigate the remnants of the demon cult. I imagine our masters and elders instructed us all before we set out. If they were to learn that we had let our tempers rule us here, I fear we should not escape reprimand on our return. Besides, this is a small matter after all. Let us each yield a step. What say you?"

[Li Xun] came back to himself and gave a snort, tilting his face to the sky. He said nothing, but his meaning was plain enough. [Qi Hao], recalling Master [Daoyan]'s instructions before his departure, felt some regret, and taking the chance to step down gracefully, called from behind, "Junior Sister [Lu], Senior Brother [Facheng] speaks sense. Let us put harmony first."

[Lu Xueqi] looked at the others, gave a snort, and walked back. Seeing [Zhang Qingyue] looking at her, she let her gaze sweep across his face once, then went off to one side alone.

Under that glance, [Zhang Qingyue] suddenly felt a chill, and an indescribable feeling welled up in his heart.

Then [Facheng] spoke again: "Since that is settled, let us first go down the mountain, and tomorrow at dawn we shall ascend and investigate."

By this point no one had any objection. So [Facheng] led the way, and the others followed him, flying on their swords, until they came to a small hill some thirty li from Kongsang Mountain. There was even a clear spring here — just what the Canglan disciples needed. They washed at the water's edge, found a quiet place to change their clothes, and only then came out to meet [Facheng] and the others.

[Lu Xueqi], being a young woman, found it less convenient; she sought the most distant spot to change and so was the last to emerge. When the others saw her, washed and refreshed, her face glowed, and to her natural clear loveliness was added a touch of delicate charm. Every eye brightened at once — needless to say, the eyes of [Zeng Shuyan] and [Li Xun] went wide, and even the hitherto silent [Yan Fei] of the Fenxia Valley stole several more glances at her.

These eight — the most "outstanding" disciples of the three great orthodox sects of the day — sat in a circle on the ground and talked. From [Facheng] and the others, [Zhang Qingyue] learned that the bats in the Ten Thousand Bats Ancient Grotto on Kongsang Mountain were a strange breed once raised by the demon cult: savage, cruel, and bloodthirsty by nature. They had been the demon cult's accomplices. After the cult's stronghold here was destroyed eight hundred years ago, a few bats survived; over long years they had flourished and multiplied, until they reached their present vast numbers. Whenever they came out to hunt, they left not a living soul within five hundred li around.

These bats, however, seemed to fear sunlight, and so moved only at night; by day they roosted within the Ten Thousand Bats Ancient Grotto. The Canglan party had merely happened upon them last night; had they gone up the mountain by day, all would have been well.

Hearing this, [Zeng Shuyan] said, "Senior Brother [Facheng], if those beasts are all inside the Ten Thousand Bats Ancient Grotto, how are we to get in and investigate?"

[Facheng] hesitated a moment. "From what this humble monk has observed these past days, by daylight those beasts only hang upside down from the roof of the grotto and do not stir. It may be that we can enter, though I cannot say for certain."

[Zeng Shuyan] was left speechless, but [Zhang Qingyue] could not hold back. "Then you mean to say, Senior Brother [Facheng], that even you are not sure — and if those creatures see us enter the cave and come swooping at us, what then?"

[Facheng] turned his gaze on him; something seemed to flicker faintly in his eyes, but his manner remained gentle. "Just so. This humble monk has no certainty of success either, but the sect has given us our orders, and the thing must be done. We can but make the attempt; at worst, we withdraw. Today my junior brother [Fajing] and I, together with these two benefactors from the Fenxia Valley, meant to go in and probe the place — and then we met you all. That is well; with more people there is more to rely on."

"Hmph" — it was [Li Xun] again, giving another cold snort. The four Canglan disciples all turned to look at him at once, and [Li Xun] showed not the slightest fear — only when his eyes met [Lu Xueqi]'s did his expression alter somewhat.

[Qi Hao] paid him no mind and turned to [Facheng]. "There is one other matter on which I would consult Senior Brother [Facheng]."

[Facheng] said, "Pray speak, Senior Brother [Qi]."

[Qi Hao] said, "Three months ago, a disciple of our Canglan Sect's Changmen faction, Senior Brother [Xiao Yichen], came here ahead of us. Do any of you know where he is now?"

[Facheng] shook his head. "We arrived here together with these two from the Fenxia Valley, and we have not seen Senior Brother [Xiao]."

[Qi Hao] frowned and fell silent in thought.

The next day, as the morning sun first rose, [Zhang Qingyue] and the other seven came up onto Kongsang Mountain. The whole mountain was barren, the ground strewn with sand and stone; on so great a mountain one could not hear even the ordinary song of birds. Likely they had long since become tidbits for those savage bats, or had fled the peak altogether.

[Facheng] and the others, having arrived several days earlier, had already found the location of the Ten Thousand Bats Ancient Grotto. The party followed him, cautious every step, and at last came to the mouth of the grotto.

It was a vast, half-open cave set on the shaded, sunless side of the mountain, sloping gently downward. Only near the entrance was there a little light; further in, all was pitch black. Standing five or six zhang from the opening, they all felt gusts of cold wind blowing out from within, brushing their faces, chill to the bone. At the same time a faint rustling came to them — like whispers, like the weeping of ghosts — raising the hair on their scalps.

[Qi Hao] looked at the cave a moment longer, then turned back with a forced laugh. "Well then. Let us go in."