Chapter 1, Beneath the Orphan of the Deep Mountains

The little girl's laughter had not yet ceased when the man reproached her in a low voice: "Yuer! How can you be so mischievous as to shoot at someone else's cow?" The little girl giggled, her laughter quite delightful, and said, "I can't hit the small ones, so I have to aim for the bigger ones." She appeared very playful and adorable. The man couldn't help but laugh and said, "You must not do that again, understand?" Just as the little girl was about to speak, Lin Jian interjected, "Hmph! So it was you, little girl, who shot my Ah Huang!" The little girl covered her eyes with her small hand and said, "You are such a shameless child, running around naked." Lin Jian's face turned red, and he hurriedly jumped ashore to cover himself with his clothes. The man also couldn't help but laugh and said, "You must not do that again, understand?" Just as the little girl was about to speak, Lin Jian interjected again, "Hmph! So it was you, little girl, who shot my Ah Huang!" The little girl covered her eyes with her small hand and said, "You are such a shameless child, running around naked." Lin Jian's face turned red again, and he hurriedly jumped ashore to cover himself with his clothes, shouting, "Hmph! Hmph! What does it matter to you! Hmph!" He turned around and ran towards the deep forest, no longer paying attention to the father and daughter.

Only then did Yun Ya's left palm press down from above, striking towards Yan Beitian's hand back. Yan Beitian's claw technique changed instantly, directly pointing to Yun Ya's palm at the "Lao Gong" acupoint. Yun Ya's left palm shifted, and his wrist quickly flipped, seizing Yan Beitian's hand back, with his thumb pressing on Yan Beitian's "Tai Yuan" acupoint. This move was executed with great skill, integrating palm techniques, grappling methods, and finger techniques all in one. Unexpectedly, just as Yun Ya pressed on Yan Beitian's "Tai Yuan" acupoint, a surge of internal energy, both firm and soft, suddenly rushed in. Yun Ya was taken aback and hurriedly released his grip. Yan Beitian's wrist twisted, counter-seizing Yun Ya's vital point. Although Yun Ya's vital point was captured, making it difficult to move, the internal energy of Yun Ya's "Liu He Shen Gong" circulated throughout his body. Even though Yan Beitian had seized Yun Ya's vital point, he could not immediately subdue him. Yun Ya exerted force to shake off Yan Beitian with his left hand, while his right hand thrust the long sword fiercely. The two engaged in close combat, and Yun Ya's sword thrust was exceptionally fierce, making it extremely difficult for Yan Beitian to evade.

Lin Qiu cradled Yun Jian in his arms and, glancing over, noticed the jade pendant hanging from the child's neck. He took it in his hand to examine it closely and saw that it was inscribed on both sides, one side bearing the character "Lan" and the other "Jian." He was taken aback and thought, "This child is named Jianlan, which is indeed a name for a girl; calling her Lan Jian would not be appropriate." Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the engraving of the character "Lan" was quite old, while the engraving of the character "Jian" was still fresh. Lin Qiu, who had once been a bodyguard, had not read much but was quite astute in matters of the martial world. He pondered, "This must have been inscribed by the person who left this child, perhaps by the parents. This 'Jian' character might very well be the child's name. Hmm, my surname is Lin, so from now on, this child shall be called Lin Jian." Lin Qiu, having passed fifty, was immensely pleased to have this grandchild, even though he was not his biological descendant. He scrutinized Lin Jian (Yun Jian) carefully and increasingly felt that this child would surely grow up to be a handsome young man, which made him even fonder of the child. However, he soon thought, "This child will eventually grow up, and he bears no resemblance to me at all. Although he is my grandson, he will eventually notice the discrepancy. If he were to ask about it, how should I respond?" A sense of unease washed over him, but he then reasoned, "Perhaps by that time I will have already passed away; what is there to worry about? One step at a time, I suppose." With this self-deprecating reasoning, he decided not to dwell on the matter.

Yan Beitian was filled with rage, rising to draw his Huaiqin sword, ready to stab at Yun Ya's throat. Suddenly, he heard a startled cry from behind, "Senior Brother!" Yan Beitian's entire body jolted, and the sword in his hand clattered to the ground. Trembling, he turned around and was once again shaken; the caller was none other than Xu Ruolan. Her tears had not yet dried, her face was pale, and she walked directly to Yun Ya's side. Yan Beitian stood there in a daze, motionless, while Xu Ruolan helped Yun Ya up. Upon seeing that the baby in her arms was gone, Yun Ya could only assume that Qiu Burin had taken him, and he couldn't help but ask, "Where is the sword, where is the child?" Xu Ruolan did not answer, only weeping. It turned out she had not been captured by Qiu Burin; she was the daughter of Xu Xiao, and her martial skills were certainly not lacking. However, as a woman, she was not suited to practice the vigorous "Six Harmonies Divine Skill." Yet, she was proficient in all other martial arts of the Six Harmonies Sect. Had it not been for Qiu Burin threatening her son's life by setting fire to their home, they might not have been able to capture her. Taking advantage of the distraction when Yun Ya and others focused on the master of the Ghost Valley, Xu Ruolan secretly circulated her energy to unlock her acupoints and hid in the forest to protect her son from harm. When she saw Yan Beitian's martial skills had advanced so significantly, she feared he would kill her and Yun Ya's child. Meanwhile, the Crane Immortal went out to search for Xu Ruolan and her son, unaware that Xu Ruolan was still in the woods. Xu Ruolan quietly took her son and used lightness skills to descend the mountain, while Yan Beitian and Yun Ya were deeply engaged in their battle, completely oblivious.

Yan Beitian, lost in thought, sighed: "You do not know, back then I only glanced at a little of the martial arts recorded in the Tianzhong Divine Skill, truly something you could only dream of achieving. It is merely that you have not seen it; otherwise, as a martial artist, you would be unable to suppress your desire to look and learn." Yunya smiled and said: "It is a pity that I wish to see but cannot." Yan Beitian's expression changed, and he said in a deep voice: "What did you say?" Yunya sneered: "Pity that the thing you have been longing for has turned to ashes three years ago!" Yan Beitian's body trembled, and he shouted: "What nonsense are you talking about? Do you think I would believe that!" Yunya replied: "That day, my master called me, it was the day of my betrothal to Alan. That night, after the wedding ceremony, he took out a thin manuscript from under his meditation mat and burned it. At that time, I asked my master why he wanted to burn this thing. He said while burning it that it was a harmful thing, better to burn it. My master said he did not know before, but after he deeply studied and practiced the martial arts in that manuscript, he realized it was harmful. Therefore, your years of dreaming have been in vain!"

Xu Ruolan's words deeply pierced Yan Beitian's heart. Yan Beitian laughed maniacally, saying, "I was wrong? What did I do wrong! Is it wrong for me to love you?" Xu Ruolan helped her husband up and said, "You can go to any lengths for your own desires; you are right, you are absolutely right!" Xu Ruolan shouted, "Yan Beitian! The Heavenly Clock Divine Skill you seek is over there!" As she spoke, she pointed, and Yan Beitian followed her finger to see the Huaqin Sword. Xu Ruolan continued, "My father’s Heavenly Clock Divine Skill was copied from this sword. Just burn the sword in the fire, and the inscriptions will reveal themselves. Only I know this; Yun Ge does not know either." Yan Beitian was momentarily stunned and said, "You can go to any lengths for your own desires; you are right, you are absolutely right!" Xu Ruolan shouted again, "Yan Beitian! The Heavenly Clock Divine Skill you seek is over there!" She pointed again, and Yan Beitian looked to see the Huaqin Sword. Xu Ruolan explained, "My father’s Heavenly Clock Divine Skill was copied from this sword. Just burn the sword in the fire, and the inscriptions will reveal themselves. Only I know this; Yun Ge does not know either." Yan Beitian was momentarily dazed, then walked over and picked up the Huaqin Sword. Turning back, he saw Xu Ruolan standing at the edge of the cliff, supporting Yun Ya's corpse. Yan Beitian exclaimed, "No! Lan Mei..." Xu Ruolan smiled sweetly and fell off the cliff with Yun Ya's corpse. Yan Beitian rushed to the edge of the cliff, only to see the swirling mist; the two had already disappeared within it. Yan Beitian was filled with grief and cried out loud. The only thing that surged in his heart was Xu Ruolan's last smile. He picked up the black sword and suddenly laughed heartily, dragging the sword down the cliff.

On this day, Lin Jian stepped out of the house. The milk cow his family had owned had long been sold, replaced by a plow ox. Lin Jian led the ox out of the barn and called to Lin Qiu inside the house, "Grandfather, I am going out to graze the ox!" What he referred to as "grazing the ox" was actually taking the ox out to play. Lin Qiu shouted back, "Alright, but be careful and don't wander too far!" He couldn't help but feel uneasy. Lin Qiu climbed onto the railing of the barn, then swung himself onto the back of the ox, cracking his whip and saying, "Got it! Grandfather, don't worry!" Lin Jian mounted the yellow ox and shouted, "Ox, oh ox, plow, oh plow, after plowing the fields, go take a bath, after the bath, call out, drive, drive, drive!" These so-called "little tunes" were just his whimsical musings. Under the "mighty" influence of Lin Jian's long whip, the yellow ox slowly made its way toward the forest.

In the forest, there is a shallow stream where Lin Jian often catches fish and shrimp and takes baths. This area is near the Beast Forest, and few people pass by. Lin Jian led the yellow cow to the river, allowing it to bathe in the water. It was spring, and the grass on the bank was lush, with dew still glistening, creating a charming scene. The yellow cow, immersed in the water, raised its head to graze on the grass by the bank. Lin Jian chuckled, stripped off his clothes, and jumped into the river, splashing water on the yellow cow. The cow genuinely appreciated him, stood up, and let out a few loud calls. Lin Jian laughed heartily, patted the cow's back, and said, "Ah Huang, besides me, you are the most well-behaved here." Suddenly, the yellow cow let out a loud cry, went wild, and ran forward. Lin Jian was startled and tumbled into the river. He climbed up and saw a small arrow stuck in the yellow cow's rear, which then dashed into the deep forest ahead. Lin Jian was taken aback when he suddenly heard a silver bell-like laughter behind him. He turned around to see a white horse, ridden by a tall and strong man who resembled Zhang Fei. In front of the man sat an eleven or twelve-year-old girl with two braids, very fair skin, and a rosy little face that was quite adorable. She was the one laughing, holding a small red bow in her hand. It seemed that the arrow in the yellow cow's rear was shot by her.

Yan Beitian was unaware of the complexities involved; he only thought that Yun Jian was dead, and his heart felt as if all the spices had been spilled together, leaving him at a loss for words. Upon seeing Xu Ruolan's expression, Yun Ya felt that something was amiss, but he was suffering from severe poison, unable to articulate his pain, his mouth opening and closing with a 'gurgling' sound yet no words came out. Xu Ruolan gently said, 'Yun Ge, do not be sad, Jian'er has already departed.' Her words were double-edged; she meant that Yun Jian had been carried away by the water, but to Yan Beitian and Yun Ya, it sounded as if Yun Jian was already dead. Suddenly, Yun Ya burst into wild laughter, exclaiming, 'Good! Good! I want to see my son!' Xu Ruolan trembled all over, her voice quivering as she asked, 'Is it really... there is no hope?' Yun Ya slightly nodded. Xu Ruolan sighed softly, saying, 'Alright...' Yan Beitian felt a sense of foreboding and was about to step forward, but it was too late. A sword tip suddenly pierced through Yun Ya's chest, and he instantly lost his breath. Yan Beitian's whole body shook, and he couldn't help but exclaim 'Ah.' Xu Ruolan sighed softly, saying, 'Alright...' Yan Beitian felt a sense of foreboding and was about to step forward, but it was too late. A sword tip suddenly pierced through Yun Ya's chest, and he instantly lost his breath. Yan Beitian's whole body shook, and he couldn't help but exclaim 'Ah.'

In the blink of an eye, time flows by, and the seasons change. Year after year, Lin Qiu has grown old, a frail elder with white hair, his face etched with deep wrinkles that bear witness to the relentless passage of time. Under Lin Qiu's meticulous care, Lin Jian has gradually grown up, now a thirteen-year-old child. He is unaware whether he has become accustomed to a life without parents or if he simply lacks the concept of parents; all he knows is that he has a grandfather who has never mentioned his parents. Lin Qiu sees that Lin Jian has reached the age to attend private school, yet he is worried about Lin Jian's safety. Lin Jian was found by the stream at the village's edge, and the enemy is likely nearby, so he is reluctant to let Lin Jian attend the village's private school. However, he did not consider that, after more than a decade, even if he were to encounter the enemy, how would that person recognize Lin Jian as the child from so many years ago? Moreover, Lin Qiu secretly fears that Lin Jian might be discovered by his family; he truly cannot bear to part with this child. Due to this selfish concern and worry, he has not allowed Lin Jian to attend school, instead teaching him what he knows. Having once been a bodyguard and possessing some martial skills, Lin Qiu has taught Lin Jian some basic techniques since childhood to strengthen his body.

Yun Ya thought: "So this fellow also has such a strange encounter. No wonder his martial arts have become so formidable after years of absence. It seems today I will ultimately meet my end at his hands. However, I cannot avenge my master nor ascertain the fate of my wife and children who have been captured; I will die with my eyes wide open!" Driven by a desperate will to survive, he immediately activated the "Six Harmonies Divine Skill" to break open his acupoints. Originally, Yun Ya had the true energy of the "Six Harmonies Divine Skill" circulating throughout his body, making it difficult for ordinary acupoint strikes to affect him. However, he was shaken by Yan Beitian's powerful internal force, causing his true energy to disperse, which allowed the acupoint to be struck. Yun Ya attempted to channel his internal energy, but not only could the Six Harmonies true energy not break open the struck acupoint, it was instead rebounded, causing his meridians to feel sore and numb. Yan Beitian, seeing Yun Ya sweating profusely, knew he was trying to circulate his energy to relieve the acupoint. He laughed and said: "Junior brother, you need not waste your effort. This ghostly hand acupoint striking technique cannot be easily resolved by merely circulating your energy. If you do not understand the strength and technique with which I struck your acupoint, it is utterly impossible to unlock it." Yun Ya sighed and said: "It seems today I will indeed fall into your hands. However, I do not understand, since your martial arts are already so advanced, why do you still need that so-called Heavenly Clock Divine Skill?"

End of this chapter

After Ye Erniang and Qian Siniang finished their conversation, they prepared to leave. Lin Qiu repeatedly asked them for some silver, but Ye Erniang and her companion were unwilling to give any, stating that it was for the sake of the child's cuteness. After a round of polite refusals, the two hurried back to the village. Lin Qiu carried Yun Jian into the house and placed him on the table. Having had his fill of milk, Yun Jian was sound asleep. Lin Qiu looked at him with the affection of a collector who had acquired a rare treasure. He gently closed the door and went to the village to buy some baby supplies, as well as a cow. He hurried along the way, unable to shake off his worry about Yun Jian being home alone. When he opened the door, he finally felt a weight lift from his heart. Lin Qiu changed Yun Jian's clothes, and when he removed the belly pouch, he caught a whiff of a bloody smell. This startled him greatly, and he quickly checked to see if Yun Jian was injured. After a thorough inspection, he felt relieved, realizing that the bloody smell came from the belly pouch. He thought to himself, "This child has an unknown origin, seems to be only a little over a year old, and was left by the stream, presumably to escape from enemies. This belly pouch must have a story behind it." With this thought in mind, he wanted to discard the belly pouch, but then he considered, "I have lived for half my life; although I am still healthy, who knows how long I will live in the future? If this child grows up not knowing his biological parents, wouldn't that be very pitiful?" Thus, he placed the belly pouch and the items that Yun Jian had brought with him into a wooden basin and hid them away.