Unrest in the City

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The sun was just rising, casting its golden rays across the land. The gentle light dispelled the shadows left by the night before. Bathed in sunlight, the Baili Mountains showed not a trace of darkness.

At the summit, only Nuoluo’s solitary figure stood. She was entirely enveloped in sunlight; she appeared to possess everything, yet what was it that she truly owned?

It has been said since ancient times: the heights are always cold. Perhaps only those who have ascended to the pinnacle of power can comprehend such indescribable loneliness.

The mountains stretched endlessly into the distance. Nuoluo gazed toward the horizon that vanished into infinity. Silence. She could not explain the sudden surge of solitude in her heart, a loneliness she could not put into words.

The Baili Mountains had returned to their usual tranquility. By day, the mountains were the complete opposite of their nighttime aspect; perhaps their secrets could only be revealed under the veil of darkness.

After a long while, Nuoluo turned. The night had passed. Shaoguang and Niaoniao were still waiting for her return.

Inside the Temple of the Earth Goddess, Shaoguang waited anxiously. Niaoniao had tried several times to rush out of the temple, but Shaoguang had stopped her each time. Though she herself longed to go out, she restrained herself.

Nuoluo’s arrival finally put Shaoguang’s mind at ease.

Niaoniao leapt joyfully into Nuoluo’s arms; she too had been worried for Nuoluo’s safety.

“Your Highness, what is so strange about the Baili Mountains?” Shaoguang asked urgently.

“It was the King of the Underworld who appeared, not the God of Death.”

“His Majesty the King of the Underworld? I thought he had returned to the Netherworld. Why has he suddenly appeared here?” Shaoguang was puzzled.

Nuoluo produced the objects formed from bones and handed them to Shaoguang.

Niaoniao looked at these stone-like things in wonder. “Nuoluo, what are these stones?” She picked one up casually, but saw nothing unusual about it.

Shaoguang also did not understand why Her Highness had suddenly given her these strange items. Were these what she had found in the Baili Mountains?

Shaoguang examined the seemingly stone objects closely. Faintly, some strange horizontal patterns were engraved on them, as if signifying some mysterious force.

Nuoluo explained their origins. It was the first time she noticed the patterns, too—had she overlooked them before, or had they just appeared now?

These objects, condensed from the bones of wild beasts, looked bizarre and sinister within the temple. It was as if something was seething within them.

“Your Highness, can these things really be used in Fengdu City? Could the King of the Underworld be plotting something?” Shaoguang still could not trust him. He had volunteered these objects; what if there were hidden dangers?

A plot—what could the King of the Underworld be scheming? Nuoluo could not think of anything for the moment. She, too, found his actions unusual, but what could be amiss? According to their previous agreement, since Fengdu City had been designated the city of reincarnation, except for the conditions of reincarnation over which she could object, the lineage of the Earth God was not to meddle in the city’s affairs. The King of the Underworld had no reason to make a fuss over it.

Nuoluo shook her head. “I haven’t discovered anything unusual for now. On the contrary, the wild beasts that suddenly appeared in the Baili Mountains have aroused my suspicion. And it seems that a mysterious force is also hiding within Baili City.”

“Your Highness, did you notice anything strange?” Shaoguang asked in confusion; she had noticed nothing.

Now, they needed to return to the inn.

At dawn, people waking from their slumber began a new day.

When Nuoluo and Shaoguang returned to the inn, they disturbed no one.

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The inn’s boy bustled about as usual; the proprietor was still poring over his account books. A few guests lounged in the hall, chatting leisurely.

Nuoluo, as she had the day before, asked only for a glass of water. She watched the cup, observing the subtle changes in the water. All was calm, as she expected.

The inn boy could not understand why this extraordinary woman seemed so enamored of water.

But he dared not ask, for the proprietor had sternly warned him yesterday not to question anything this woman did. Perhaps the worldly-wise proprietor had sensed something unusual.

And the woman beside her—though not as striking as Nuoluo, she too was no ordinary person. Not to mention the strange bird with them.

They were certainly an unusual group.

A thought often crossed the inn boy’s mind: only a goddess could possess such bearing, though their dress was no different from common folk.

A goddess—such a noble title. People believed that gods existed in this world, as evidenced by the City’s Temple of the Earth Goddess, but no one had ever seen a goddess.

Legend had it that gods would appear before mortals in other guises, listening to their pleas, easing their suffering, but never revealing their true faces.

If the inn boy knew that these two women before him were the very goddesses he imagined, what would he do?

Of course, Nuoluo would never let that happen. Gods must always remain mysterious to mortals. Some secrets must be kept forever.

Niaoniao tried to speak several times, but each time Nuoluo silenced her with a look. Niaoniao had to give up the thought. She resolved once more to attain human form as soon as possible—then she could appear openly among humans, instead of being forced into silence, a mute bird.

Nuoluo glanced out the window, watching for any change in Baili City—everything was as usual.

The guests in the inn chatted in low voices.

“Did you hear anything strange last night?” one asked.

“No, did you?” the other replied.

The two guests spoke in hushed tones, but such voices could never escape Nuoluo’s sharp ears.

“Oh, it scared me terribly,” one man said, glancing around furtively before whispering, “Last night, I heard the cries of wild beasts coming from the Baili Mountains. The sound was so harrowing, I was frightened out of my wits.” He looked around, as if fearing the sound would suddenly appear before him.

“Really? I didn’t hear a thing. Don’t scare me. There are no wild beasts—before the snow disaster, no one ever heard of any in the Baili Mountains.”

“Believe it or not.” The man protested, but deep down, he hoped he had misheard.

The two seemed unwilling to discuss the topic further and changed to other subjects.

Nuoluo, though gazing outside, had been listening closely to their conversation.

She was startled. Last night, she had sealed off the Baili Mountains herself, ensuring no sound could escape before she reached the summit. How could this man have heard the cries of beasts? Was he lying, and happened to mention the Baili Mountains by coincidence? Or was it just chance?

The innkeeper, too, had heard their exchange. He looked up at the two men, then calmly lowered his head again.

Nuoluo was now certain of one thing: last night, a sound really had escaped from the Baili Mountains. From the innkeeper’s calm gaze, she saw understanding.

The innkeeper had heard it, too.

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This city was far from as peaceful as it seemed. Nuoluo lowered her gaze to the cup before her, noticing at last something odd in the water. Something strange must have happened.

She stood, leaving the inn—of course, leaving behind ample payment.

This had become her habit since meeting the Dream Goddess; Nuoluo did not wish to find herself penniless again, though she still had little concept of money.

Shaoguang followed behind, puzzled by Her Highness’s sudden urgency—was it that matters here had been resolved?

Nuoluo and Shaoguang walked through Baili City as ordinary mortals would, traversing nearly every corner. At last, they left the city, standing at the entrance to the Baili Mountains.

“Shaoguang, have you discovered anything?” Nuoluo asked.

Shaoguang shook her head. She had noticed nothing unusual, yet she could not shake a sense of strangeness.

“There is an abnormal aura hidden in the city,” Nuoluo explained her findings.

“Did the King of the Underworld leave it?” Shaoguang asked. Though she had not detected anything, she suspected him of everything.

“No, not the King of the Underworld. All things of the Netherworld can only conceal themselves in darkness, and I am now familiar with their nature,” Nuoluo replied. Her journey to the Netherworld had deepened her understanding.

“Then who could it be?” Shaoguang could think of no one else.

Nuoluo pondered for a long moment. “Shaoguang, you must leave for Fengdu City now, and also verify whether those objects are useful.”

“Your Highness…” Shaoguang was reluctant to leave. If there was danger, it could threaten her mistress—how could she leave now?

“Go. I can handle things here. Besides Fengdu City, you have more important tasks. If everything proceeds smoothly there, you must move on. I have only been to Fengdu and Baili City; I know nothing of the other places. You will go in my stead. If you find anything amiss, handle it if you can; if not, inform me.”

Nuoluo reflected on how weak the Earth God’s lineage had become, almost incapable of being in more than one place at once. She could not afford to concentrate her limited strength in one location.

Shaoguang understood the gravity of her task and nodded.

Nuoluo turned to Niaoniao. “Niaoniao, you go with Shaoguang. You can help her in crucial moments.”

Niaoniao’s power was not to be underestimated.

“No, I want to stay with you,” Niaoniao refused without hesitation.

“Niaoniao, the strength of the Earth God’s line is feeble. I need your help. I can manage Baili City for now, but the situation elsewhere is unknown. Please help me, won’t you?” Nuoluo looked at Niaoniao expectantly.

Niaoniao nodded reluctantly. Since Nuoluo had put it this way, how could she refuse? Besides, if she went with Shaoguang, she would not need to remain so silent—Shaoguang would never order her about as Nuoluo did.

With that, Shaoguang and Niaoniao departed. Nuoluo’s gaze once again rested on the silent, mysterious Baili Mountains.

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