Immortal

Book 2: Chapter 16

Translated by FireTrucker.

Book 2: The Golden Lock of the Eight Gates

Chapter 16: Raise The Glass To The Moon

Hearing Beiqingsi's words, Zhong Shan frowned as he slowly filled the glasses with wine.

"Revenge? I don't think you should take revenge." Zhong Shan said suddenly as he handed out a glass of wine.

Beiqingsi, who was in despair, widened her eyes upon hearing Zhong Shan's suggestion. The anger was apparent in her eyes and she didn't move to receive the glass.

"There were three hundred and twelve people in your family, by now that servant's luck has probably ran out and so you are the last member of your family alive." said Zhong Shan carefully, nudging the glass forward for her to take.

Beiqingsi still frowned at Zhong Shan but took the glass from his hand.

Seeing Beiqingsi take the glass of wine, Zhong Shan shook his head and carried on, "You are the last of your family and you want to take revenge? If you die without succeeding then wouldn't you have just ended your family's bloodline? As the last of the Bei bloodline, would you really accept that?"

Gripping the glass, Beiqingsi's frown deepened. Those white eyebrows somehow seems softer while she's frowning.

"Then what should I do?" asked Beiqingsi, staring at Zhong Shan.

"Don't seek revenge, just live your life. Don't throw away your bloodline's future." said Zhong Shan softly.

Zhong Shan felt like he owed her something for accidentally seeing her bathe naked that time. The favor of delivering the jade slip had been repaid by getting into the Kaiyang school. As for Beiqingsi, he naturally thought of a way to compensate her for seeing what he shouldn't have. And of course, that is to guide her back onto the right path.

"No, I must avenge this injustice." Beiqingsi said resolutely.

Seeing Beiqingsi, Zhong Shan sighed and said, "If you absolutely have to take revenge, shouldn't you at least leave an heir to the Bei bloodline?"

Watching, Zhong Shan, Beiqingsi's expression was slightly quizzical and then flushed red and she softly shook her head.

"You wouldn't understand, and stop trying to persuade me otherwise. What happened that day, just let it go. I'm still me, Beiqingsi." she said with a sigh.

Seeing Beiqingsi be so stubborn, Zhong Shan knew that he couldn't change her mind, and could only give up, so instead he said, "Fine, but if you're taking revenge, just please don't be reckless. Defend yourself as best as you can."

Having said that, Zhong Shan raised his glass to Beiqingsi.

Watching Zhong Shan, Beiqingsi smiled slightly and raise her glass as well and softly knocked it against his.

"Clink~"

When the two glasses made contact they made a quiet sound and that quiet sound seemed to have resonated right into Beiqingsi's heart. It was as if in that moment, she completely forgot about her resentment, dropped all the burden and she felt more relaxed than she had ever been.

After the two of them finished drinking, they looked up and watched the moon.

"You haven't had cake in a long time right? Have a taste." Zhong Shan said as he offered a plate of cake.

Beiqingsi, oddly, didn't object. At that moment, it was like Beiqingsi had let everything go. After confessing everything to Zhong Shan, she felt so much more relaxed, it was as though a giant yoke attached to her body had finally been unlocked and removed. That being said, Beiqingsi also knew that after this night, she must once again wear that yoke and as such, she ate, enjoying it while it lasts.

Watching Beiqingsi, Zhong Shan shook his head. He could see her heavy heart. He sighed because he couldn't do anything except let Beiqingsi enjoy this night as much as possible.

During the night, Zhong Shan and Beiqingsi drank as they watched the moon and shared conversations. Beiqingsi was very happy that night.

That was the happiest time of her life ever since the massacre of her family. After all these years, she's never been happy, so how come she is tonight with Zhong Shan? She had never talked to anyone about this path of vengeance. Even in Kaiyang School, only Tianxingzi, Xuanxinzi and Gushuangzi, the three first generation dizi, know about it. She has no idea why she would even tell Zhong Shan all of this.

As for Zhong Shan, he knew why. When she cried at the moon earlier, it must have been because she was remembering her family. That time, she was emotional and full of sadness and frustration, but it's also when her spirit is the weakest. As for Zhong Shan, he was the one who saw her naked, who she didn't kill, and who brought the object that could right the wrong that was done to her father, so of course in her heart, Beiqingsi saw him as someone who she could talk to.

Zhong Shan was also someone who can understand others. He knew that he wouldn't be able to change her mind, so instead he opted to make things easier on her, otherwise, eventually either that giant yoke crushes her or she goes insane.

It wasn't until the moon started dipping past the mountains that he suddenly asked, "I heard that you were going to the Eight Gates Mountain soon?"

She looked at Zhong Shan, realising that after so many hours of conversation, all the awkwardness disappeared long ago. Beiqingsi was also amazed that she talked with him for so long. After her family's slaughter, other than her master, Gushuangzi, she had never talked to anyone for so long.

"The Eight Gates Mountain is one of them." Beiqingsi said softly.

"A piece of those three evidence?" asked Zhong Shan frowning, staring at Beiqingsi.

"Yeah" nodded Beiqingsi softly.

Watching Beiqingsi, Zhong Shan nodded. He didn't bother saying much else, he knew he couldn't persuade her. He wasn't going to accompany her so it was best not to ask too many question. It'll just upset her.

"Alright." sighed Zhong Shan. It was a sigh for Beiqingsi.

Seeing Zhong Shan sighed, Beiqingsi felt this warmth in her heart, something she hasn't felt in a long time. In the end, she turned her head and with Zhong Shan, she watched the moon set.

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Day two, Just after noon.

In the hall, the servants boiled some tea and slowly placed it in front of Zhong Shan, Tianling-er and Beiqingsi.

After last night's events, Beiqingsi already opened up her heart and let it all out. As for Zhong Shan seeing her naked that time, she got over that a long time ago, furthermore, between her and Zhong Shan, there was a bond of friendship. This bond was very special, it was like a friendship between two old friends but there was also a mix of ambiguity and slightly unclear however, the both of them chose to ignore that.

"Qingsi jiejie, where were you yesterday? I had something I wanted to ask you." Said Tianling-er watching Beiqingsi.

"Sorry, I had to sort something out." Beiqingsi answered slightly awkwardly.

"Oh, well that's alright. So Qingsi jiejie, I wanted to ask you, how do you reach the Gold Core Stage?" asked Tianling-er.

"Huh? You've reached the tenth level of Xiantian?" asked Beiqingsi surprised.

"Yeah, I want to reach the Gold Core Stage in this training period. I want to surprise my dad when we go back a year later." Said Tianling-er with eyes shining with eagerness.

Zhong Shan sat to the side, not saying anything, he lifted his cup and sipped on the tea. He enjoyed watching the two beautiful, peerless girls.

Still surprised, Beiqingsi looked at Tianling-er. After thinking a moment, she said, "You're currently at the tenth level of Xiantian, so all your acupoints are open and your genuine energy is circulating fully. Now you just need to take that genuine energy and mold it into a physical form. Through your acupoints absorb the energy of everything around you and when you become one with this mix of energy, you'll have reached the Gold Core Stage."

Hearing Beiqingsi's explanation, Zhong Shan was also interested. Gold Core Stage? So the Gold Core in question is training one's body to be this mix of energy? Using this energy to turn one's body into the Gold Core?

"So that's to say, using my body to form the Gold Core? I become the Gold Core?" asked Tianling-er after thinking about it for a moment.

"I think, it won't be long before we'll be calling you shimei." laughed Beiqingsi.

Beiqingsi, who normally is cold and unemotional and basically doesn't smile, was now smiling. Even Tianling-er was stunned.

"Qingsi jiejie, your smile is really pretty." Tianling-er commented suddenly.

"Ling-er, don't exaggerate." said Beiqingsi.

"It's true! Ask Zhong Shan if you don't believe me, it's really pretty." said Tianling-er immediately.

After being pointed at by Tianling-er, Zhong Shan gave a little choke, and nodded.

Seeing Zhong Shan nod, Beiqingsi's face flushed red and she immediately tried to change the subject, "Although there is something, Ling-er, you ought to be careful."

"Huh?" Tianling-er followed Beiqingsi's change of subject.

"To reach the Gold Core Stage is a very slow process. It can't be rushed. You must also not be disturbed at all during that time, as such it's best that you wait until you get back to Kaiyang School before you try." Said Beiqingsi after thinking a while.

"Oh." nodded Tianling-er, with disappointment in her heart. It seemed she wouldn't be able to reach the Gold Core Stage before returning to Kaiyang School.

Seeing Tianling-er's reaction, Beiqingsi could guess the reason. She immediately added, "Reaching the Gold Core Stage is not a game, not only do you have to be isolated for an extended period of time, sometimes you'd even need a large amount of Spirit Stones to help."

"Spirit Stone?" asked Zhong Shan, with curiosity in his eyes. It was something he's never come across before.

Looking at Zhong Shan, Beiqingsi thought for a moment and said, "People who have reached the Gold Core Stage have a life expectancy of four hundred years, however, the training to reach there is many times harder than the Xiantian levels, it's incredibly hard, unless it's some exceptional person. Normally, you'd need to be somewhere where a massive amount of spirit energy collects, only then can you borrow spirit energy to try and break through to the Gold Core Stage."

"Oh?" commented Zhong Shan, curiously.

"Places like these are where the sky meets the earth, because only there will large amounts of spirit energy gather. Just like how the Kaiyang School is a place where a lot of spirit energy gathers, but here, there is very little spirit energy. A place where a large amount of spirit energy gathers is a requirement for anybody trying to break through to the Gold Core Stage." explained Beiqingsi.

"Alright." said Zhong Shan listening intently.

"Normally, if you don't have such a place, the Gold Core Stage is the limit for a person. Because then, the person only lives four hundred years. However, there is an item which can store spirit energy. That's called a Spirit Stone." Said Beiqingsi.

Zhong Shan frowned as he listened, although Tianling-er already knew some of this, she wasn't clear on it and so she patiently listened as well.

Seeing Zhong Shan so interested, Beiqingsi, really wanted to explain it to him for some reason.

"The Spirit Stones are created when spirit energy is absorbed into a certain type of rock. It must be worked until it turns transparent, only then is it a perfect Spirit Stone, otherwise, it's basically useless. There are two types of Spirit Stones, the clear red Spirit Sun Stones and the clear blue Spirit Moon Stones." said Beiqingsi.

Flourishing her hand, she retrieved two spherical stones, one blue and one red. She carefully placed them in front of Zhong Shan.

Zhong Shan carefully picked one up and felt it in his hand. He could feel the large amount of spirit energy inside of it, as though it was going to overflow.

Tianling-er also picked one up and inspected it.

"These two are the Spirit Sun Stone and Spirit Moon Stone. Usually, you'd only need these two types of stones to be able to perpetually absorb spirit energy to empower yourself." explained Beiqingsi.

"So the ones trying to break through the Gold Core Stage are really in need of these stones?" asked Zhong Shan frowning.

"That's correct. If ever a Spirit Stone quarry is discovered, people will kill for it." said Beiqingsi after thinking for a moment.

"Alright." Nodded Zhong Shan.

"Even in the practicing world, these Spirit Stones are used to trade, with one of these you can buy anything you want." said Beiqingsi.

"Okay, so as you say, everyone at the Golden Core Stage needs these stones, so that means these stones are fair commodity-equivalents ." Zhong Shan nodded as he spoke, when it comes to business, Zhong Shan is an expert.

"Yes, the Spirit Stones are valued based on how much spirit energy is inside, that is to say they are valued based on depth of colour. This is split into three tiers, first, second and third. These stone that I have are second tier. The third tier Spirit Stones are a deeper shade and the first tier ones are a lighter shade." explained Beiqingsi.

"Oh? So how is this priced?" asked Zhong Shan.

"One third tier Spirit Stone is worth ten second tier Spirit Stones. One second tier Spirit stone is worth ten first tier Spirit Stones." said Beiqingsi.

"Alright." nodded Zhong Shan, remembering this fact.

"Shijie? Ling-er? Da shixiong has arrived." called Yunqian from outside suddenly.

With the conversation interrupted, Zhong Shan frowned, but stood up. Ling-er also ran out as soon as she heard.

Sharing a glance with Beiqingsi, Zhong Shan and Beiqingsi both stepped out of the hall.