Chapter Twenty-One: Cliff of Reflection

That morning at dawn, Elder Huo Zhongmou of the Danxia Sect arrived at Mo Zhanpeng’s private residence, leading a group of his disciples. Without delay, they headed straight for the secluded cultivation chamber where Qi Fei was training. Huo Zhongmou’s face was clouded with displeasure as he raised his hand and pushed open the iron door to the chamber.

Inside, Qi Fei, who had been training under Mo Zhanpeng, started in surprise at the sight of Elder Huo. Only then did he remember abruptly that today was the day he was to be escorted to the Cliff of Remorse to serve his punishment.

“The seven days are up,” Huo Zhongmou announced coldly. “Today, I shall personally escort your disciple Qi Fei to the Cliff of Remorse to serve his sentence. If this offends, I ask for Elder Mo’s understanding.”

Mo Zhanpeng frowned in displeasure. “My disciple has erred; there’s no need for Elder Huo to trouble yourself. Now that the time is up, I will escort Qi Fei to the Cliff myself.”

Huo Zhongmou slowly shook his head. “Have you forgotten, Elder Mo? The sect master and chief elder have decreed that the place of Qi Fei’s punishment shall be sealed with my own restriction. The Four Aspects Infinite Sword Formation is a complicated arrangement, so I came early to prepare.”

At the mention of the formation, Mo Zhanpeng’s expression changed dramatically. He burst out, “Elder Huo, my disciple is only at the beginning of his martial path. If you set the Four Aspects Infinite Sword Formation, how could he ever break free in his lifetime?”

Huo Zhongmou smiled faintly. “Your disciple is headstrong and unruly. Without proper discipline, he will become a threat to the sect. I am thinking only of you, Elder Mo, and so I go to the trouble of arranging the formation, to temper your disciple’s character.”

Mo Zhanpeng roared in anger, “Huo Zhongmou, do you truly intend to imprison him on the Cliff of Remorse until his death?”

Before Huo Zhongmou could reply, Qi Fei stepped forward. “Master, there’s no need to worry. I have made grave mistakes and willingly accept the sect’s punishment. Your guidance these past days has been invaluable, and I shall repay you someday.”

Qi Fei, having discerned that Sect Master Lu Qingxuan intended to test him through Mo Zhanpeng, had spent the recent days in constant vigilance, not daring to act rashly in the chamber. Now that Huo Zhongmou was eager to confine him to the Cliff of Remorse, Qi Fei was all too glad for the opportunity.

Huo Zhongmou gazed at Qi Fei, his tone icy. “Don’t say I bully the young. Qi Fei, if you kneel and admit your faults, I might consider withdrawing the formation.”

Qi Fei was unmoved. “No need, Elder Huo. Before the entire sect, I asked that you show no mercy. Why should I now beg for leniency? If one day I break your Four Aspects Infinite Sword Formation, I’ll be sure to seek your instruction in the mysteries of the Dao.”

Huo Zhongmou was taken aback, then laughed heartily. “You are stubborn, boy. Let’s see how long you last on the Cliff of Remorse.”

Mo Zhanpeng sighed inwardly. Before parting, he handed Qi Fei a secret manual. “If you awaken your Martial Soul, you can use this ‘Tiger Roar Fist’ to temper your bones and tendons, and advance your cultivation. The sect forbids me from visiting the Cliff, but on the fourth day of each month, when the elders share their insights, I’ll guide you further.”

“Thank you, Master. Take care. I must take my leave,” Qi Fei said, moved as he accepted the manual, then composed himself. “Elder Huo, please lead the way!”

With a cold snort, Huo Zhongmou swept his sleeves and strode from the chamber, his disciples escorting Qi Fei swiftly out of Mo Zhanpeng’s residence.

The party traveled quickly along the rugged mountain path, finally arriving at the Cliff of Remorse, Danxia Sect’s place of punishment.

The mountain that housed the Cliff of Remorse was steep, surrounded by peaks, with only a narrow path a few feet wide leading to the caves where errant disciples were confined.

Qi Fei looked up and saw that beneath the cliff, caves of various sizes dotted the face of the mountain. Occasionally, flashes of light flickered outside several cave entrances—presumably protective wards set by the sect, with other punished disciples confined within.

Elder Guo Huai, chief elder of Danxia Sect, had been waiting at the cliff for some time. Seeing Huo Zhongmou arrive with Qi Fei, Guo Huai’s expression was solemn as he proclaimed, “Disciple Qi Fei, for breaking the sect’s rules, you are hereby sentenced to meditate upon your faults at the Cliff of Remorse. If you can one day break the elders’ barrier, your punishment will be lifted and you may return to the sect. Do you understand?”

Qi Fei nodded slowly. “Yes, Elder, I understand.”

Guo Huai paused, then added, “Disciples will deliver food and water at intervals. On the fourth day of each month, you may leave the cliff to receive instruction from the elders in the main hall.”

“I understand,” Qi Fei replied, already wary of Guo Huai and unwilling to engage further. He chose a relatively spacious cave and walked into its darkness without a backward glance.

“This Qi Fei has some courage, it’s a pity,” Guo Huai sighed, shaking his head as he watched Qi Fei’s departing figure.

Huo Zhongmou sneered, “The boy has no idea how perilous the Cliff of Remorse is. He’ll be begging for mercy in no time. Once I set up the Four Aspects Infinite Sword Formation at the cave entrance, all his hopes will be dashed.”

At the mention of the formation, even Guo Huai looked startled. Huo Zhongmou truly bore a grudge; even Mo Zhanpeng himself would struggle to break that formation. Qi Fei had only some inner energy and a scant seven days of Mo Zhanpeng’s teaching. Awakening a Martial Soul would be no easy feat, let alone breaking the formation. In this situation, Qi Fei was truly a bird trapped in a cage.

Huo Zhongmou called forth four talismans, channeling his Daoist energy. In a flash, the talismans became four streams of fire, swirling around the mouth of Qi Fei’s cave. Raising his peachwood sword, Huo Zhongmou formed intricate hand seals, summoning the art of sword control. The wooden sword shot skyward, trailing the flames.

Sparks and sword auras clashed and interwove at the cave entrance, forming a blazing web. A flash of killing intent passed across Huo Zhongmou’s face as he bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood into the air.

The blood, imbued with his cultivation, caused the sword and talismans to blaze with crimson light, forming a vast, imposing net of blood-red sword energy before the cave.

Wiping the blood from his mouth, Huo Zhongmou said coldly, “Qi Fei, as you wished, I have set the Four Aspects Infinite Sword Formation at your cave. Only on the fourth of each month will I personally dispel it and let you out. If you wish to leave on your own, you’ll have to test the strength of my barrier.”

He waited for some time, but heard no reply from within. Growing suspicious, he focused his inner energy to listen closely—only for his face to change drastically.

Inside the cave, Qi Fei, unconcerned by all the effort spent on the barrier, was already fast asleep.

“You impudent brat! Facing death, and you still dare to mock me?” Huo Zhongmou was furious, itching to storm in and tear Qi Fei limb from limb.

Guo Huai held him back, shaking his head. “Enough. If a mere disciple can rattle you so, how will you handle greater matters? Our priority is to deal with the threat from Xuan Zhen Monastery and the Seven Absolutes Sect. The sect master has gone to negotiate with them—who knows if he can preserve the foundation of Danxia Sect.”

Though Huo Zhongmou’s character was questionable and he often accepted bribes from disciples, his loyalty to Danxia Sect was unshakable. He knew well that his cultivation was the highest in the sect, second only to the sect master and chief elder. When the outer court incident occurred, neither leader pursued the matter. But if Danxia Sect fell to Xuan Zhen Monastery or the Seven Absolutes Sect, his days of comfort would be over.

Once calm, Huo Zhongmou let go of his resentment. “Chief Elder, you know my devotion to the sect. If those rivals dare attack, I will ensure none return alive.”

Guo Huai nodded. “Xuan Zhen Monastery and the Seven Absolutes Sect are too powerful for us to confront head-on. You saw it yourself: even a nameless disciple from Seven Absolutes wounded one of our elders. The sect master and I have decided—you are to leave the sect and go to serve under the Marquis of Martial Valor.”

“Why?” Huo Zhongmou was perplexed.

“A few years ago, the Great Zhou emperor died, plunging the realm into chaos. The Marquis, who controls the nine counties of Yong Prefecture, is ambitious. Both Xuan Zhen Monastery and the Seven Absolutes have gained his favor and are growing stronger by the day. When you leave the mountain, you must become the Marquis’s trusted retainer. Only then can we use his power to deter our enemies and weather this storm.”

“If that is the order, I will obey. But if I leave Cangyun Mountain, what of the fourth day visits…”

Guo Huai answered, “No matter. Qi Fei has already been shown mercy in being spared his life. Let him reflect on his faults at the Cliff of Remorse.”

After entering the cave, Qi Fei’s apparent recklessness and deliberate provocation of Huo Zhongmou had in fact been a test of Guo Huai, the chief elder. Why would the chief elder trouble himself to come to the cliff for an ordinary disciple, unless he suspected Qi Fei of hiding some treasure?

Sure enough, the chief elder not only wanted to spare his life, but also intended to keep him imprisoned indefinitely. It was clear now that on the day when experts lurked outside the secret chamber, Guo Huai must have been among them.

Qi Fei circulated his energy, ears pricked as he listened to the secrets of the sect. Gradually, things became clearer in his mind. With Danxia Sect under pressure from Xuan Zhen Monastery and the Seven Absolutes Sect, Sect Master Lu Qingxuan and the chief elder had no time to deal with him directly. Thus, they sent Huo Zhongmou away after setting the barrier, intending to keep him trapped until they could seize his hidden treasure.

It seemed that, confined to the Cliff of Remorse, he would have to advance his cultivation as quickly as possible.