Chapter 42: The Gloomy Valley of the Black Cliff

Three thousand li east of the Capital Prefecture lies Jeju Prefecture, where the Grand Void Taoist Sect resides.

The prefecture is rich in mountains and rivers, a blessed land of outstanding people.

Since ancient times, it has enjoyed the fine reputation of "mountains standing proud to their peaks, and bright moons shining through spring and summer."

In the slightly proud words of the old Taoist, it was "the myriad mountains are wondrous and majestic, and the flowing streams are clear to the bottom."

Do not underestimate those mountains; though not towering, they are exceptionally steep, and ordinary people can rarely climb them.

This was easy to see from the moment Chen Yi and the others entered Jeju Prefecture, as the carriage passed mostly between sheer cliffs and precipices along the way.

Occasionally, they would spot boulders blocking the imperial road, and some unlucky travelers might even have their heads bloodied by falling rocks.

Fortunately, Gu Tiangang, a great cultivator of the Second Rank Wandering Deity Realm, was leading the way. With a casual wave of his hand, he could sweep those multi-ton boulders aside.

Otherwise, they would have had to remain in place just like those blocked travelers, waiting for government officials to come and clear the path.

Of course, along this journey, Chen Yi and the others were not just admiring the scenery.

They also encountered some amusing events and interesting people along the way.

For instance, just as they arrived at Xishan Prefecture, the one closest to the Capital Prefecture, several bands of mountain bandits emerged on the imperial road between the two prefectures.

One particular gang had Chen Yi and the others laughing until their stomachs hurt.

Not only did they fail to notice the black-armored guards at the rear of the carriage, but they also failed to recognize the Grand Void Taoist robes worn by Gu Tiangang and Ning Xue.

Charging over, they spewed fluent underworld jargon, their accents thick with slang and local dialect rather than the official tongue of the Capital Prefecture.

Chen Yi did not hear it very clearly until Ning Xue explained it to him afterward, and then he understood the meaning.

The general gist was: consider yourselves out of luck, your grandfathers are starving, the men will do hard labor, and the women will be sold to brothels.

The result was self-evident. Without even needing Gu Tiangang to make a move, the charging black-armored guards sent them straight into the dirt in a single charge.

Unfortunately.

That bloody spectacle also brought a considerable shock to Wei Letian, Du Yanqing, and the others.

For the next few days, whenever they saw food, they wanted to vomit, and their little faces visibly thinned down quite a bit.

Only Chen Yi remained completely unaffected, eating his fill at every meal.

When a mischievous impulse struck him, he would take a golden, oil-dripping roasted mountain chicken, deliberately trot over in front of Wei Letian and the others, and devour it heartily.

While this annoyed them, it also gradually helped them forget the psychological shadows cast by the blood and corpses.

Oh, right.

There was also Lin Xeru, whose head could not hold onto so many heavy thoughts; she was able to hide behind him and eat a little something.

Presumably, that was because she had already witnessed life and death during the Lantern Festival.

However pleasant things might be, after more than ten days of traveling by starlight, Chen Yi and the others were starting to lose their enthusiasm.

The first one who could no longer sit still was Du Yan.

"Teacher Ning, could you tell us more about the Grand Void Taoist Sect?"

"Haven't you heard enough yet?"

Ning Xue sat by the carriage door, observing the movement outside through the cloth curtain while smiling:

"Then this time, I will tell you some things you do not know."

After this period of getting along, she was no longer as aloof and cold as when they first met.

Perhaps it was because she had spent a long time with these junior brothers and junior sisters, and had been influenced by their joy and frolicking.

Otherwise, perhaps it was because her failure in the sword spar with Chen Yi had deepened her understanding of the swordsmanship imparted by Li Qingzhou.

As the smiles on her face grew more frequent day by day, her demeanor also became much more casual and unrestrained.

This gave her, in addition to her peerless beauty, a few more shades of an easy-going and free-spirited temperament.

Even Gu Tiangang, who was quite familiar with her, did not stint on his praise:

"Disciple-niece Ning, if the compiler of the *Ten Taoist Fairies* does not rank you first next time, this old Taoist will certainly not spare him."

Although it was spoken in jest, there was no denying that a Ning Xue like this was even more charming.

At this moment, as Ning Xue smilingly recounted tales of the Grand Void Taoist path, Chen Yi and the others gradually regained some vigor.

They were no longer as sickly and listless as before.

"Aside from the Grand Void Taoist lineage of the main peak, the Grand Void Taoist Sect also has the lineages of Swordsmanship, Alchemy, Body Cultivation, and the Formation-focused Qimen."

"Among them, the Grand Void Taoist path and Swordsmanship focus primarily on killing and combat, Alchemy and Formations are generally auxiliary, and as for Body Cultivation..."

Body refiners face a thousand hardships and ten thousand difficulties; this holds true for both the Grand Void Taoist Sect and all other Taoist sects.

In addition to these, the Grand Void Taoist Sect also harbors two forbidden grounds.

One is located behind the main peak, a gloomy valley where demons and monsters are imprisoned, among which quite a few possess strengths reaching the second or third rank.

Rumor has it that there is even a great demon comparable to the First Rank Void Ultimate Realm, which is utterly terrifying.

The other forbidden ground is situated outside the five peaks.

That was also the terrifying place that Ning Xue repeatedly emphasized must never be entered without authorization.

It is called the Black Cliff.

According to some senior veterans of the sect, that place was originally not called the "Black Cliff," but bore a very evocative name—Qianmo.

It was said to be because the cliffside there was crisscrossed with various sword marks, one of which was even left by the patriarch of the Grand Void Taoist Sect.

Yet for some reason, the place was later sealed by the sect, closed to the outside world, and given the name "Black Cliff."

"The Black Cliff and the Gloomy Valley are two locations designated as forbidden grounds by the sect's rules."

"Once you enter the sect as disciples, remember never to set foot in these two places."

"Otherwise, if caught by the sect's Law Enforcement Hall, the outcome will be very miserable."

Seeing Ning Xue's solemn and serious expression, Chen Yi and the others had no choice but to nod obediently.

"Teacher Ning, does the sect even have a Law Enforcement Hall?" Chen Yi asked with some curiosity upon hearing this term for the first time.

"Of course."

Ning Xue nodded and continued: "Not only is there a Law Enforcement Hall, but there are also the Martial Arts Hall, the Book Mountain, and the Demon-Catching Hall."

"These four places are not sect inheritances, but were established specifically for several elders to handle sect affairs, and their personnel are mostly disciples from various peaks."

"Among them, the Law Enforcement Hall is mainly responsible for dealing with disciples who violate sect rules—minor offenses receive minor punishments, and major offenses receive major punishments."

"The Martial Arts Hall is responsible for patrolling the various peaks, and at the same time, they capture secret agents and spies hidden within the sect to prevent the leakage of the sect's heritage."

"The Book Mountain, as the name implies, is where the sect's scriptures are stored, and it is also the most heavily guarded place."

"The final Demon-Catching Hall is the most special, built specifically for issuing demon-slaying missions across various regions."

With a smile, Ning Xue said: "In the future, once you have achieved mastery in your studies, you might as well go there to accept missions and travel down the mountain."

"There are even spies on the mountain?" Wang Yongnian widened his eyes. "Are they like the demons and monsters talked about in storybooks?"

Chen Yi and the others also found it all quite novel.

Ning Xue had not mentioned any of these details previously; they had thought the Grand Void Taoist Sect consisted solely of various lineage heritages and forbidden grounds.

"Not only demons and monsters, but also some individuals with ulterior motives who wish to steal the heritage of the Grand Void."

A trace of coldness flashed across Ning Xue's face as she scoffed: "The Grand Void Taoist path ranks second among the Taoist sects; countless people covet its heritage."

"Naturally, there will always be desperate individuals willing to come and try their luck."

"What happens after they are caught?"

Wei Letian asked with great interest: "Will they be imprisoned and executed just like in the Capital Prefecture Yamen?"

"Some are, such as the demons and monsters..."

Right at that moment, Gu Tiangang knocked on the carriage and smiled, saying they had arrived at an inn closest to the Grand Void Taoist Sect, and they would rest for the night before setting off again.

Chen Yi and the others could no longer spare the energy to ask about sect matters, jumping out of the carriage one by one.

After all, matters concerning the sect could wait until after they joined, but the chance to get off and rest must not be missed.

Staying in the carriage a single minute longer was pure torture to them.

"Teacher Gu, will we be able to reach the Grand Void Taoist path tomorrow?"

"Indeed, tomorrow we shall arrive."

With that, Gu Tiangang pointed toward the indistinct outlines of several mountain ranges visible to the east, indicating that was where the mountain gate resided.

"Splendid!"

The little princess jumped five zhang high with joy; at last, there was only one final day of riding in the carriage left.

She would no longer have to endure such a boring, agonizing, and exhausting ordeal...

If anyone doubted it, they were welcome to try traveling by carriage for more than ten days themselves!