Chapter 653 Walking on the Mountain of Blades

“Uncle, how can you–” An Biru was shocked, hurrying to the stone door, staring at the falling shadow, stomping her feet in anxiety.

“Such a small torment, and the Holy Maiden can’t bear it?” Hannong laughed heartily, “That Hua lad, I don’t know what skills he has, to have stolen the heart of our Miao village’s Phoenix! Next time, we must interrogate him thoroughly!”

The elders laughed together. An Biru was so shy she dared not lift her head, her eyes rippling with gentle waves.

The second elder nodded, “This young man has quite some courage, and is devoted to the Holy Maiden. What’s more rare is that he does not discriminate against our Miao people, and is quite sincere to our Miao lands! But how much of what he says can we believe?”

This was the key. Everyone nodded in agreement with his opinion. The chief elder said, “Sincerity is valuable, but if he wants to marry our Holy Maiden, he can’t just succeed like that. At the very least, he must follow the rules of our Miao lands. This way, we can give an explanation to our villagers! Don’t you think so, Holy Maiden?”

An Biru’s face was flushed, she softly said, “Then please, uncles, evaluate him thoroughly! If he’s not suitable, I’ll send him back!”

The elders looked at each other and shook their heads with a wry smile: Send him back? If only you really could bring yourself to do it!

The cold wind, like bone-piercing steel knives, whistled by the ears, cutting into people’s cheeks. Lin Wanrong fell straight down, curling up in fear, lamenting: ‘Oh no, did I think wrong? Is there really a cliff below? If so, I’d be a wrongly dead ghost!’

The wind whistled, blinding his eyes, his thoughts in chaos as he fell faster, like a plummeting rocket.

With a “whoosh”, he suddenly felt a cold cheek. His body, like a heavy stone, plunged into a cold lake, diving straight to the bottom. The waves he stirred flew several meters high. His vision was all green, the turbulent lake water pouring into his mouth and nose from all sides, chilling to the bone.

‘So that’s it! This high platform dive, clearly a special event for me, the little white dragon of the river. No wonder Sister An was so calm!’ He rejoiced, kicking vigorously at the bottom, swimming freely towards the surface like a swift fish.

With a splash, he quietly emerged from the lake, wiping the water droplets from his face, relieved. The place he fell into was a vast, tranquil lake nestled atop the peak, only a vertical distance of five or six meters from the top of Wulian Peak. But with clouds and mist around the peak, those unfamiliar with the terrain couldn’t see the quiet lake below.

The trial set by chief elder Hannong was but a psychological battle. With this dive, whether his and the Holy Maiden’s feelings were true or false, the elders could clearly see.

“Now you old men have no reason to stop me!” He slapped the water surface, splashing sparkling droplets, overjoyed.

“Don’t be too proud. Get up quickly!” Suddenly, a deep, slightly angry voice came from the lakeside.

He quickly turned around and glanced towards the shore, immediately retreating back into the water: “Uncle Buyi, what are you doing here?!”

Buyi stood on the shore, holding a hatchet, and humphed, “The Holy Maiden sent me to bring you clothes!”

On a large rock beside him, lay the red Miao garment he had taken off for Sister An earlier, which was also given to Lin Wanrong by Yilian.

Looking at Buyi’s stern face, Lin Wanrong inwardly lamented, ‘Sister An, why did you have to send Uncle Buyi, of all people? Are you trying to embarrass me?’ He chuckled nervously and hurriedly said, “Thank you, uncle, but I think I’d better not wear the clothes!”

“What did you say?!” Buyi became furiously enraged, gripping the hatchet tightly and staring with wide eyes, “Say that again!”

Buyi, like a tail-stepped animal, was brimming with rage. Lin Wanrong quickly retracted into the water, not daring to move.

“I don’t care who you are, this is the garment Yilian gave you, and once you’ve worn it, you can’t take it off! Do you think our Miao daughters are easy to bully?”

Buyi, tall and thin, usually calm but with a certain majesty of a Red Miao leader when angered. He and his daughter were the first friends Lin Wanrong made upon entering the Miao regions of Xuzhou, and he owed them a debt of gratitude. Scratching his head and forcing a laugh, Lin Wanrong said, “Uncle, please don’t be angry, I’ll wear it! But please don’t misunderstand, I’ve always seen Yilian as a friend!”

Buyi snorted and ignored him. Lin Wanrong cautiously swam to the shore. Seeing that Buyi had no intention of swinging his hatchet, he quickly grabbed the garment and retreated far away.

His Master Sister had prepared a new set of underwear for him, along with the treasures in his arms, all packed in a Miao fabric bag, with the belt Yilian gave him clearly visible. He gazed at it silently for a long while, shaking his head with a sigh.

“Where is Yilian?!” Buyi, having traveled a long distance, had not yet had the chance to meet his daughter and was unaware of what had transpired between them. Seeing Lin Wanrong dressed neatly, he asked.

Lin Wanrong didn’t know how to answer and after a long while, sheepishly said, “At that time, Yilian and I had a quarrel, and she ran off in anger. But don’t worry, Kunshan, Zitong, and the others are with her.”

Buyi knew his daughter’s temperament too well. She was so enchanted by this despicable Hua man that she would forgo her own needs to give him everything. How could she possibly argue with him? There must be some reason behind it.

Seeing Lin Wanrong’s downcast appearance, Buyi said resignedly, “So the stories about you and the Holy Maiden are true. I always thought they were jokes! Does Yilian know about this?!”

Lin Wanrong shook his head in distress: “I’ve told her several times, but she never believes me. I’m at my wit’s end!”

‘She would have to be a fool to believe that!’ Buyi snorted and glared at him, “Then what do you plan to do with my daughter?!”

The question made Lin Wanrong’s head spin. He blinked cautiously, “Uncle, actually, there’s nothing between Yilian and me. She’s a lovely girl and will surely find her true love–”

“Bullshit!” Buyi fiercely spat, his face turning white with anger: “What do you think my daughter is? The sunflowers on the mountain, they only have one vine! The loyalty of our Miao daughters is renowned; once they fall in love with someone, they never change. Where do you expect Yilian to find another person like you?”

Miao women are known for their deep emotions, and this is not just a saying. A girl like Yilian, with a pure and noble heart, how easily could her affections change? Watching Uncle Buyi jumping and cursing, Lin Wanrong was at a loss, his heart filled with sorrow.

In his silence, he suddenly heard a clear and loud mountain song drifting down from the mountaintop:

—

“I love you, I love you, I love you to death,

I’ll have a painter come to draw you;

I’ll put your picture on my quilt,

So I can hug you day and night.”

—

On Wulian Peak stood a slender figure, her clothes fluttering in the cold wind, her silver ornaments tinkling softly. She looked serene yet lonely, like a solitary little flower.

Lin Wanrong was stunned at first, then leaped up, waving his arms with all his might: “Yilian, Yilian–”

The valley was quiet, and his voice carried far. Yilian turned at the sound, spotting the familiar figure. Her face showed a mix of joy and sorrow. Suddenly, she stepped back, grabbed a handful of small stones, and furiously threw them in his direction, continuing her plaintive and bitter song:

—

“I hate you, I hate you, I hate you to death,

I’ll have a carpenter come to carve you;

I’ll put your figure on a chopping board,

And chop you with a thousand cuts.”

—

The stones, thrown from a distance, fell midway, but Yilian, as if out of spite, kept throwing them continuously, like a celestial maiden scattering flowers.

The two songs, starkly different yet simple and straightforward, vividly expressed the girl’s love and hate. Lin Wanrong couldn’t help but laugh, shaking his head at how adorable this Miao girl was.

Seeing him continuously waving at her, but her stones unable to reach him, Yilian bit her silver teeth and pouted, gazing at him, lost in a daze. Suddenly, she stamped her foot fiercely and turned to run.

Lin Wanrong sighed in relief that the girl was unharmed, but turned around to a frightful sight. Uncle Buyi, holding a glittering hatchet, had his eyes fixed intently on him, and loudly warned, “Hua lad, I warn you, if you dare to mistreat my daughter, I will chop you alive!”

He swung the hatchet fiercely onto a large rock beside him, sending sparks flying, the head nicked in several places. Lin Wanrong hurriedly ducked with a nervous laugh, thinking it best to avoid the uncle’s wrath for now.

Yilian had disappeared, her figure no longer in sight. He was now at the back cliff of Wulian Peak, and the sounds of cheering from the front mountain indicated the Flower Mountain Festival was in full swing.

Following Buyi, they climbed the steps and crossed several slopes, arriving at a grassy clearing surrounded by Miao people. The sound of Lusheng flutes filled the air, and songs resonated. All eyes were intently focused on the two rows of wooden planks in the center of the clearing. The planks were filled with sharp steel blades, blade-up, densely tied together, their cold gleam frightening to behold.

“What is this?!” Lin Wanrong was greatly intrigued.

Buyi, following behind him, looked and showed some excitement, “This is called ‘Walking on the Mountain of Blades’, a traditional event of our Miao’s Flower Mountain Festival. Only the bravest Miao warriors dare to cross it!”

‘Ah, so this is the legendary ‘Walking on the Mountain of Blades’. Indeed, it looks challenging!’ Lin Wanrong nodded, then his face changed: ‘Bad, this is a reminder from uncle, to be the bravest Miao warrior, it’s not enough just to win the horse race, I must also have the skill to walk on the Mountain of Blades, or they still won’t accept me!’

This thought made him break out in a cold sweat, afraid to even breathe. He had dared to jump off the cliff before because he knew Sister An would not let him die; he had confidence, which was why he could jump so freely. But walking on the Mountain of Blades was different, it relied entirely on real skill, no faking it! How was this going to work?!

Gao Qiu was waiting halfway up the mountain. Seeing him come down with Buyi, Gao Qiu was quite surprised. Lin Wanrong, too anxious to explain, grabbed him and asked nervously, “Brother Gao, how can one cross this Mountain of Blades?!”

Old Gao had been observing for a while and whispered, “Walking on steel blades is no ordinary skill, you need to be proficient in both internal and external martial arts. If Brother Lin started practicing from a young age, and diligently trained for forty years, you could definitely do it.”

Lin Wanrong rolled his eyes at this, thinking, ‘If I had such skill, why would I need you?’

As he was trembling with fear, a Black Miao guard strode over, pointing at him and speaking rapidly in Miao language, looking very fierce. Uncle Buyi whispered in Lin Wanrong’s ear, “He’s asking if you’re the Red Miao’s Ah Lin Ge!”

‘So, my nickname as Ah Lin Ge has spread far, even the Black Miao know it,’ Lin Wanrong chuckled and nodded, “Yes, yes, I am Ah Lin Ge! Little brother, what do you need from me? Oh, right, in front of Lord Nie, you must speak the Hua people language. Have you forgotten the teachings of Leader Zhaguo?”

Had the leader really said that? The guard was puzzled, hesitating before saying, “Are you really Ah Lin Ge? The leader sent me to give you a message.”

A message from the leader?! Lin Wanrong quickly looked up to see Zhaguo standing in front of the Mountain of Blades, his face showing a cold smile.

Lin Wanrong felt an ominous feeling and asked urgently, “What did Zhaguo say?”

This Red Miao was indeed arrogant, daring to call the leader by name. The guard chuckled darkly, “The leader said that in the horse race, you used despicable tactics to defeat him. But now it’s different, in front of tens of thousands of villagers, do you dare to challenge him to walk on the Mountain of Blades and settle who’s superior?!”

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