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Bai Tang said, "More than ninety years ago, there were two people named Zi and Yin Kexi who stole this scripture from the Scripture Pavilion of the Shaolin Temple. They were pursued by Master Jueyuan to the peak of Huashan. Just as they found themselves unable to escape, there happened to be an Azure Ape nearby. The two devised a plan and cut open the belly of the Azure Ape, hiding the scripture inside. Later, Jueyuan, Zhang Sanfeng, Yang Guo, and others searched for Zi and Yin Kexi but found no scripture, so they allowed them to take the Azure Ape down the mountain. Since then, the whereabouts of the Nine Yang Manual has become a major mystery in the martial world for nearly a hundred years..."
"Later, Zi and Yin Kexi took the Azure Ape far into the Western Regions. Each had their own concerns, fearing that the other would master the martial arts in the scripture first and harm them. They restrained each other and hesitated to take out the scripture hidden in the ape's belly. Eventually, they arrived at Jing Shen Peak on Kunlun Mountain, where Yin Xiao plotted against Zi, resulting in both suffering serious injuries. This supreme inner cultivation method remained in the belly of the Azure Ape from then on. The Azure Ape fed on celestial peaches in Kunlun Mountain and absorbed the Qi of the earth. After more than ninety years, it still leaped as if flying, its once dark fur now turned completely white, becoming a White Ape. However, with the scripture hidden in its belly pressing on its intestines, it often suffered from stomach pain, and sores on its belly would flare up from time to time. Later, my disciple Yi Qian came to this valley and retrieved the scripture from the White Ape's belly, helping it heal its sores. Yi Qian copied a version of the Nine Yang Manual and buried the original under the valley, waiting for a fated person..."
Song Youth was delighted, his eyes wide open as he asked, "Am I that fated person?"
Bai Tang smiled and nodded; he was indeed still a child, looking quite adorable with his round eyes.
Suddenly, a white figure flashed by, startling Song Youth. Upon closer inspection, it was a large White Ape with its front paws extended forward, each holding a fist-sized Peach of Immortality that was bright red and plump.
"Senior, is this the White Ape?" Song Youth exclaimed in surprise. He still had a child's heart and often played with monkeys while at Wudang Mountain; naturally, he was very fond of White Apes.
"That's right! Although this White Ape has never seen me before, it is drawn to me because my disciple and I emit similar energies," Bai Tang explained. Both he and Yi Qian were cultivators with profound natural energies that animals and plants were inclined to approach.
Bai Tang took one of the Peaches of Immortality and gave two Peiyuan Pills to the White Ape: "Thank you for your gift of the Peach of Immortality; these two Elixirs are my token of appreciation."
After eating a Peiyuan Pill and realizing its value, the White Ape was overjoyed to receive two at once. It let out a joyful scream and leaped five zhang high into the air, performing several flips before landing back in the forest.
Seeing Song Qing Shu gazing excitedly at the forest, Bai Tang stuffed one of the Peaches of Immortality into his hand and nudged him: "Go ahead; play until you're satisfied before coming back to find me!"
Song Youth cheered and ran into the forest after the White Ape.
Bai Tang casually walked while eating his Peach of Immortality. After taking a bite, sweet juice flowed down his throat slowly; it was far superior to any unknown fruits found in valleys. After walking more than two miles westward, he saw a great waterfall crashing down from a cliff. It seemed to be formed from melting snow; under sunlight, it looked like a great jade dragon—truly magnificent. The waterfall cascaded into a clear green deep pool below; however, it did not appear full as there must have been another outlet for drainage. Occasionally, one or two large white fish leaped out of the water—each over a foot long—while other large fish swam leisurely in the emerald waters.
This place is quite nice for accommodation. Bai Tang instructed Karen Adrian to chop some wood; after all, there was no shortage of trees here. By the time Song Qing Shu returned from playing, a simple wooden cabin had already been built by the pond.
Song Qing Shu was dumbfounded, watching Bai Tang continuously pull out blankets, pillows, pots, bowls, and food from his backpack.
"Bai Senior, are you really a deity?"
Bai Tang smiled without answering and directed Song Qing Shu to catch fish in the pond for dinner. In Wudang Mountain, Song Qing Shu was treated like a young master; aside from practicing martial arts, he had never done household chores. Catching fish was fine, but grilling them was simply a disaster.
Bai Tang did not lend a hand but occasionally offered guidance. This child would need to live alone in the valley for at least four or five years; how could he manage without learning to cook and do laundry? Would he only eat fruits and end up looking like a wild man or beggar when he left the mountain, just like Zhang Wuji in the original story?
After finally having a meal of half-raw and half-burnt grilled fish—only for Song Qing Shu—Bai Tang had him begin practicing the Nine Yang Divine Skill. The Wudang Nine Yang Skill originated from the Nine Yang Divine Skill. Having already laid a solid foundation with the Wudang Nine Yang Skill, Song Qing Shu's comprehension of the Nine Yang Divine Skill surpassed that of non-Wudang practitioners. He completed the first volume in just ten hours. In the original story, Zhang Wuji took a month to finish the first volume, indicating that Song Qing Shu's talent was even better than Zhang Wuji's; he just lacked the same opportunities.
Bai Tang left a bottle of Peiyuan Pills for Song Qing Shu and told him to use them to break through when he hit a bottleneck. With the powerful effects of the Peiyuan Pills, Song Qing Shu could master the Nine Yang Divine Skill without needing a Qiankun bag.
When Bai Tang stepped out of the cabin, he saw White Ape squatting under a nearby tree, staring eagerly at the cabin. It had come to play with Song Qing Shu; whenever Song Youth wasn't training, he would play with White Ape and its descendants while also practicing his Lightness Skill. The Wudang technique of Cloud Stepping was an excellent Lightness Skill. Initially, Song Qing Shu could only chase after the monkeys' tails, but now his speed had surpassed theirs, allowing him to keep pace with White Ape.
Bai Tang waved his hand, and White Ape happily ran over. Bai Tang took out three Peiyuan Pills and handed them to White Ape, pointing at the cabin. "I'm leaving now; please take care of Qing Shu for me. These three elixirs are my gift to you."
Having lived for nearly a hundred years, White Ape had become quite intelligent and nodded repeatedly in assurance before swallowing one Peiyuan Pill and carefully holding onto the other two, unsure whether to save them for later or reward them to favored descendants.
Bai Tang left enough food for Song Qing Shu to last five years. In the original story, Zhang Wuji took five years to master the Nine Yang Divine Skill before leaving the valley. Bai Tang estimated that Song Qing Shu could complete it in four years but thought it wise to store extra food in case of any unforeseen events—like someone falling off a cliff—since Bai Tang had an uncanny knack for predicting such things; someone really did fall off a cliff.
Song Qing Shu worked hard, combined with his good talent and the effects of Peiyuan Pills—each capable of enhancing internal strength by at least ten years—Bai Tang had given him five pills. In just three years, Song Qing Shu achieved mastery of Nine Yang Divine Skill. Just as he was preparing to leave the valley, two people fell from the cliff. Fortunately, Young Master Song's extraordinary skills allowed him to save them; otherwise, they would have turned into mush upon impact.
These two people were none other than Hu Qingniu and Wang Nangu. Since Zhang Wuji had not been struck by Xuanming Palm, he did not go to Butterfly Valley for Hu Qingniu's treatment. Therefore, when Golden Flower Granny came seeking revenge, Hu Qingniu did not pretend to be ill but fled directly with Wang Nangu. The couple thought nowhere was safe and decided it would be better to return to Ming Jiao headquarters. However, as soon as they reached Kunlun Mountain, they were pursued by Golden Flower Granny. In their panic, they ran towards the edge of a cliff and were forced off by Golden Flower Granny...
Hu Qingniu and his wife woke up knowing the location of the mountain valley and decided not to leave anymore, choosing to live in seclusion there. Song Qing Shu helped them build a house and climbed up the cliff to buy a large batch of supplies from the town below Kunlun Mountain, including grain seeds, vegetable seeds, two pigs, several chickens, and ducks. The valley had fish, rabbits, and wild chickens, but eating only these three would eventually become monotonous.
With the supplies, the couple could be self-sufficient in the valley, and Hu Qingniu and his wife settled down comfortably. They also cleared a piece of land specifically for growing medicinal herbs. Song Qing Shu would drive iron nails into the cliff wall at intervals and tie ropes to them, making it convenient for the couple to go down the mountain when they felt bored in the valley. To express their gratitude for Song Qing Shu's life-saving help and kindness in taking them in, they taught him all their unique skills. After two years of hard work, Song Qing Shu mastered their techniques and became a renowned doctor skilled in both medicine and poison.
Upon returning to Wudang Mountain, Song Qing Shu presented the "Nine Yang Divine Skill" to Zhang Sanfeng, who was overjoyed to finally have the complete text he had long wished for. In return, he taught Song Qing Shu the Tai Chi Sword he had just developed. Song Qing Shu’s internal skills had far surpassed those of his father and several uncles, making him arguably the top expert in Wudang aside from Zhang Sanfeng. This made his father, Song Yuanqiao, both happy and proud, while Zhang Cui Shan and Yin Susu felt envious and regretful. If they hadn’t offended Bai Tang, would she have also taught Zhang Wuji and given him a great opportunity?
While Zhang Cui Shan and Yin Susu were filled with regret, Bai Tang had descended from Kunlun Mountain and headed to the Han River, determined to change her fate as a mere pawn and now ready to help her favorite girl. In the original story, Zhou Zhiruo’s father worked as a ferryman by the Han River, but with such a vast area along its banks, Bai Tang had no idea of his exact location and could only search from upstream to downstream village by village. Finally, her efforts paid off when she found Zhou Zhiruo within hb territory.
The times had changed, and so had Zhou Zhiruo’s life significantly. The common people lived stable lives—the rebellion of Ming Jiao was contained within a limited scope and did not affect other areas. Aside from working as a ferryman on the banks of the Han River, Zhou Father also owned three acres of land at home, enough to support five or six people. Thus, when Zhou Zhiruo was three years old, her father remarried. As the saying goes, with a stepmother comes a stepfather; although he cared for his daughter, he was often out early and back late—either ferrying on the river or laboring in the fields—leaving him little time to attend to family matters or notice that his daughter was being mistreated by her stepmother.
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