ATLAS TRANSLATES

In the Disciplinary Hall.

The ceiling beams rose high, and the light was dim. The Mountain Master sat in the main seat, looking down at those below. This was Xing Shuishui’s first time truly observing him – Master Suixu carried a dignified air, his Taoist robes flowing down.

Her celestial bell on her wrist remained silent, bringing her slight relief.

Master Suixu looked at He Liansheng: “Do you know your mistake?”

He Liansheng replied: “I do.”

Master Suixu’s voice turned cold: “Then you still dare to trespass into the forbidden mountain!”

“It wasn’t trespassing. I was saving someone.”

An invisible pressure filled the air. Xing Shuishui felt the force and her knees slightly buckled, but in the next moment, He Liansheng dispersed the pressure around her.

Master Suixu said: “You insist on protecting her today?”

“Master.”

“She did nothing wrong.”

He Liansheng spoke each word clearly: “The rule about not entering the forbidden mountain only applies to Lingshan cultivators. Xing Shuishui isn’t a cultivator.”

Master Suixu laughed coldly: “You know the mountain rules well.”

The two faced off in the hall, the atmosphere tense. Xing Shuishui’s voice cut in, trembling: “I… I didn’t mean to enter. Someone slipped me a note, telling me to get something there. I didn’t even see their face before being pushed into the forbidden mountain.”

He Liansheng narrowed his eyes.

Her reaction was completely different from before. She wasn’t avoiding anything.

She was lying. But she didn’t want to lie to him.

His anger dissipated instantly.

Master Suixu wasn’t so easily fooled: “You, a powerless mortal, stayed in the forbidden mountain for so long. Don’t you find that strange in itself?”

Xing Shuishui replied: “I was just lucky. If He Liansheng had come any later, I might have died.”

Seeing her neither servile nor arrogant, Master Suixu sneered: “You’re just a mortal. Who would go to such lengths to frame you? What benefit would they gain from framing you?”

“There is a benefit.”

Xing Shuishui took a deep breath and said: “He Liansheng brought me to Lingshan. If something happened to me here, people outside would blame him!”

He Liansheng: “?”

“Sharp-tongued.”

Master Suixu stared at her with his chin raised, as if trying to see through her. “You keep saying someone deliberately lured you to Lingshan, that you couldn’t see their face. What else do you know? Don’t tell me you forgot.”

Xing Shuishui thought for a moment, then said: “Bamboo forest… ghost mask… they smelled of plum blossoms!”

These were all sensations she’d gathered through magic that day. The person’s techniques were strange, their cultivation level not low – possibly an elder. But if it was an elder, something felt off.

Because they knew not only mirror techniques but other dark arts as well.

All of these were strictly forbidden at Lingshan.

Master Suixu said expressionlessly: “Lingshan forbids ghost masks, and there’s no such person here. Only you know if what you’re saying is true.”

“I gave you a chance to explain but you couldn’t. This matter cannot end here. Indeed, you are a mortal, and Lingshan’s rules don’t apply to you. But He Liansheng is different. He trespassed into the forbidden mountain and showed no respect for his elders. He must go to the Ten Thousand Ice Cave for punishment, and cannot leave until the Mountain Ceremony.”

His voice was severe.

Xing Shuishui froze, instinctively looking at He Liansheng. She hadn’t expected to cause him trouble.

She had trespassed into the mountain, so why was He Liansheng being punished?

She looked up, confused, and said: “The forbidden mountain is restricted, true, but He Liansheng entered to save me! If this is punishable, won’t more people ignore those in need in the future?”

“Lingshan has its rules. An outsider like you wouldn’t understand. Break them and face punishment. Blame him for not knowing better.”

Master Suixu looked at her, his eyes devoid of emotion: “You think you’re free of consequences? You think I won’t investigate further? The Disciplinary Hall is sacred ground at Lingshan. Those who come here for judgment cannot speak falsely. If the final results differ from what you’ve said, what do you think awaits you?”

At worst, her identity would be exposed. She had nothing left to lose.

Her only concern was He Liansheng.

Xing Shuishui lowered her eyes. She had approached him with ulterior motives from the start.

The young man gripped her wrist and looked at Master Suixu, asking seriously: “If I enter the Ten Thousand Ice Cave, will you stop troubling her now?”

Master Suixu finally lost his composure: “Have you gone mad!”

“Mountain Master, please reconsider! The Mountain Ceremony approaches, renowned masters from throughout the cultivation world will gather at Lingshan. Though He Lian has erred, he is your disciple and cannot be absent. He can be punished after the ceremony!”

“Mountain Master, you must not! The Ten Thousand Ice Cave is far worse than Fanxin Cliff. Even master-level cultivators emerge half-dead! Though He Lian trespassed, he had good reason! He could take a few lashes as punishment instead.”

“Mountain Master, don’t forget about the ceremony!”

Master Suixu took in all the hall’s pleas, maintaining eye contact with He Liansheng. He knew the ceremony’s importance. If He Liansheng would back down and stop protecting that mortal girl, everything could still be salvaged.

Everything could be worked out.

But He Liansheng mockingly said: “I admit to trespassing. This disciple is willing to enter the Ten Thousand Ice Cave without complaint.”

“I only ask that the senior masters not blame her. Xing Shuishui did not enter intentionally.”

The young man’s words rang through the hall. Everyone burst into discussion.

“While I’m gone, I’ll leave her with Li Guanyu. No one is to harm her.” After speaking, he glanced at her, deliberately avoiding her gaze. Xing Shuishui felt his hand loosening its grip on hers, and she instinctively looked up.

He Liansheng’s fingertips brushed over the bracelet on her hand, unexpectedly feeling attached to it.

Heaven knows how much he wanted to chop up the person who had tricked her into the forbidden mountain that day, but when he asked her about it, she simply wouldn’t say. Fine – at least she hadn’t tried to fool him with the same story she’d used on his master.

That was enough.

The young man spoke in a voice only they could hear: “Keep the bracelet on. Whether you choose to tell me or not, everything will be fine.”

Even the deception was okay.

Seeing the peach blossom in her hair wilting, he created a new one with his fingertips and tucked it into her hair.

His white robes were pure as snow, yet he possessed a warmth that even ice and snow could not have: “Then, wait for me to return. Don’t run off with anyone else, Xing Shuishui.”

Long after those words fell, Xing Shuishui’s heart felt like overcooked potatoes, unable to calm down. Even long after He Liansheng had been taken away, her heart remained soft and mushy.

She stayed dazed for a long while, unable to recover.

Li Guanyu heard what happened at the Disciplinary Hall and rushed over with her sword. After he left, the atmosphere in the Disciplinary Hall remained oppressive for a long time. Master Suixu left Xing Shuishui with the words: “Do as you will.” Then he departed with a cold expression.

Many Lingshan cultivators who witnessed this walked down the stone steps avoiding Xing Shuishui, their gazes containing confusion and contempt. Most suspected she was a reincarnated fox spirit.

A drizzling rain began to fall from the sky, creating a misty haze as dust floated in the air.

Li Guanyu stopped a few steps away from her.

The girl stood in the shadows and turned to ask: “Sister Guanyu, did I do something wrong?”

Her eyes were confused, tears at their corners, as she clutched Li Guanyu’s sleeve with trembling fingers.

Li Guanyu patted her back and sighed: “Don’t cry, Water Water. He Lian willingly accepted punishment in the Ice Cave hoping you would be happier.”

Hearing the constant murmuring around them, Li Guanyu drew her sword, its cold light facing the others. Her voice remained gentle: “Do you have so much free time to gossip because you’ve mastered all your techniques? Would you like to practice with your senior sister? Or perhaps – is this how your masters taught you to behave?”

The mountain fell silent.

Li Guanyu brought Xing Shuishui back to her quarters, where the table was laid with many of her favorite snacks. Inside, candlelight flickered, casting her crooked shadow to the doorway.

Once Xing Shuishui had calmed down.

Li Guanyu said: “Though He Lian left you in my care, after some thought, there are things you should know. The Mountain Ceremony is the cultivation world’s annual grand gathering. Masters from all directions will gather at Lingshan to observe it. Many outside are watching him, and now that he’s gone to the Ice Cave for punishment, they’re watching you.”

“I’m busy with ceremony preparations… I fear I can’t protect you. So I think the best way to keep you safe now is…”

Xing Shuishui finished for her: “To leave the mountain.”

Li Guanyu was startled.

“Shuishui…”

Xing Shuishui looked at her and smiled: “Sister Guanyu, I understand everything.”

Li Guanyu’s tone grew complex: “Actually… I just received a message from my master. He wants me to hand you over to him. He says he’ll take good care of you.”

Take good care? But everyone knew that Xing Shuishui was the only leverage they had against He Liansheng. As soon as he left, all the pressure fell on Li Guanyu. Lingshan began pressuring Li Guanyu, along with her master and family.

Suddenly Xing Shuishui understood the immense pressure He Liansheng had shouldered by bringing her to Lingshan, and how recklessly he had ignored it all.

She said: “I’m sorry, Sister Guanyu, for putting you in such a difficult position.”

“How is it difficult?” Li Guanyu smiled bitterly, “I just keep thinking, I’m not much older than He Lian, so why can he protect you while I cannot?”

Xing Shuishui stared at her blankly.

Li Guanyu said gently: “Shuishui, leave quickly. I’ll hold them off for you.”

“Alright,” she said.

But she couldn’t leave.

She was one step away from avenging her sister, and He Liansheng had asked her to wait for his return. So everything that happened after would have nothing to do with Li Guanyu.

Xing Shuishui silently said sorry.

Under cover of night, she left Li Guanyu’s courtyard, but not in the direction of the mountain’s base. The girl gripped her knife as rain-beaten leaves covered the ground. The night air was humid, and after running just a few steps, a thin layer of mist formed on her cheeks.

Xing Shuishui was going to find that person.

Before leaving, she had asked Li Guanyu – Lingshan’s largest bamboo forest was at the Shangguan family estate. The Shangguan estate… Guan Yinzi had emerged from their bamboo forest years ago carrying his sister’s child.

Bamboo forest… ghost mask… plum blossom scent…

These were all characteristics she had sensed from that person.

Xing Shuishui actually had her suspicions. She just needed to confirm them.

She remembered the bamboo forest’s location from Li Shixu’s memories. Xing Shuishui recalled the general location and entered with her knife. Water rippled through bamboo shadows, and the Shangguan family members weren’t asleep – many disciples were patrolling.

Xing Shuishui knocked them out one by one, proceeding unhindered into the bamboo forest. Fog rose, but the bell on her wrist didn’t ring – was that person not here?

Spirit energy flowed into the bell – indeed, his aura wasn’t present in the forest. Xing Shuishui entered deeper into the bamboo forest and discovered a small courtyard.

The courtyard was concealed by illusions, invisible unless you looked carefully, not to mention the thick fog in the forest severely limiting visibility. Bamboo shadows covered the eaves like a silent turtle.

Just as Xing Shuishui entered the small courtyard, she saw an old woman carrying a water bucket push open the door. Suddenly encountering a stranger, the old woman’s bucket swayed as she nearly fell. Xing Shuishui reached out to steady her.

This person looked familiar… Xing Shuishui noticed the large black birthmark on her neck. She had found all the answers – this was the maid of Guan Yinzi’s sister.

“Who are you?” the old woman asked, somewhat panicked.

Xing Shuishui casually observed the courtyard. This place showed signs of life: the windowsills had been wiped, the walls whitewashed, and winter plum trees that weren’t in season grew in the yard.

These plum blossoms dotted the branches, red as pomegranate seeds. She had seen them in Guan Yinzi’s courtyard in her past life, and in Li Shixu’s memories in this life: Guan Yousi was beautiful even without makeup, always wearing a winter plum blossom in her hair.

Xing Shuishui said: “Did I come to the wrong place? He told me to wait here.”

She deliberately used a vague reference.

Sure enough, the old woman’s face lit up: “No, no, are you a friend of our young master? Or perhaps a young lady?”

So… still alive.

Xing Shuishui nodded, pretending to be embarrassed: “I’m just a friend.”

The old woman’s voice trembled: “All these years… our young master has been consumed by vengeance… if the young miss knew from the afterlife, she would surely be relieved.”

Xing Shuishui asked: “Is your young master good to you?”

The old woman thought for a moment: “Very good. Our young master has always been good. Though perhaps because he was taken away and raised by his uncle at a young age, his personality is somewhat solitary like him. If there have been any oversights, please don’t hold it against him, miss.”

Xing Shuishui gripped the knife in her sleeve. Yes, this was it.

Everything stemmed from Guan Yousi being forced to marry into the Shangguan family after Shangguan Fu took a liking to her. Her brother Guan Yinzi was enraged, and when seeking justice failed, he massacred the Shangguan family. But he arrived too late – Guan Yousi was already dead. He only managed to take his sister’s orphaned child to Yin Mountain.

At Yin Mountain, he raised peach blossom spirits to refine medicine, committing countless evil deeds without restraint, yet kept the orphan’s existence well hidden – so well that even the Shangguan family believed the child had died long ago. But unexpectedly, the child was being raised well in another place.

Those evil techniques must have been taught by Guan Yinzi. No wonder the techniques recorded in the Yin Mountain Scripture appeared in Qingzhou. His puppet techniques… must have been taught by Li Shixu, who had always felt guilty toward Guan Yousi.

The day Guan Yinzi was killed, he must have seen it – just as she had seen Guan Yinzi kill her birth father the year she was born, and later kill her birth mother. She had killed Guan Yinzi. And now the person Guan Yinzi had raised killed her sister.

Xing Shuishui understood. Suddenly everything made sense – why this person held such inexplicable hatred toward her, why her sister had died.

She suddenly recalled a day at the Guan family estate when she was punished for breaking the sour plum soup meant for Guan Yinzi. As she knelt under a tree, out-of-season plum blossoms fell on her shoulders, and Xing Shuishui inexplicably shivered.

She thought Guan Yin would strangle her. She wondered what words she could use to beg for mercy and survive. At that time, she only wanted to live, just to live, to keep her family alive too.

She was so afraid of death…

Especially when she desperately begged the system but it completely ignored her – she felt like her world was collapsing.

So much so that later, when a ball flew over the wall and hit her head, leaving a bump on her forehead, she barely noticed.

“Throw it back.”

The voice came from across the wall, sounding a bit like Guan Shuangshuang, but with more gloom.

Xing Shuishui did as told, still pulling at her hair as she thought of what to say.

A moment later, from the other side of the wall: “Thank you.”

When Guan Yinzi returned and went in and out, the expected severe punishment never came. He only told her to go back and reflect. At the time, she thought Guan Shuangshuang had a change of heart. Only now did everything become clear.

With this, all the timelines converged.

Back in Lingshan’s bamboo forest, seeing Xing Shuishui silent for so long, the old woman set down her water bucket and invited her to sit.

Xing Shuishui asked: “Grandmother, when will he return?”

The old woman thought for a moment: “He won’t be back tonight. With Lingshan’s Mountain Ceremony approaching, our young master is planning a grand gift for Lingshan, while also dealing with another person. Miss can stay here for the night.”

Xing Shuishui naturally guessed who this “other person” was.

She touched her chin and said: “I’ve heard him mention it.”

The old woman said: “Our young master has put in quite some effort to replace the ceremony’s Right Ritualist. That old man is usually so careful, his skin is hard to peel.”

Right Ritualist.

Xing Shuishui made note of it. Already dead.

She glanced at several human skins hanging on the clothesline – clearly none of them were good people. Peeling human skin was even more chilling than Du Dizhu.

She stood up to leave. The old woman squinted: “You’re not really our young master’s friend, are you?”

So she saw through it?

Xing Shuishui tilted her head – but what did it matter?

She raised her Qitong Knife and struck at the other person. The old woman grabbed a nearby chopping knife and swung back. Then her entire arm was consumed by separation fire. Her eyes constricted, and Xing Shuishui quickly sliced her throat.

Another corpse lay on the ground.

Xing Shuishui wrote in the old woman’s blood: I’ve found you.

Dark clouds covered the moon as she stepped out of the bamboo forest. Lingshan’s nights were beautiful, but some were destined to lie sleepless. So he wanted to interfere with the Mountain Ceremony too? Xing Shuishui looked back at the bamboo forest – fine, she would wait until the ceremony to settle all debts.

He couldn’t escape.

But before that, there was one more thing to do.

She looked down at the bracelet on her wrist, thinking of the young man who had willingly entered the Ice Cave for her. It was time to return his possession to him.