Notes from Peach Blossom Land

“Truly, the Immortal Master’s mind is vast and her insight clear.”

Magistrate Zhou sighed in admiration. His gaze swept over the three dejected figures in the hall. Just as he was about to pronounce judgment, he noticed Lu Qiancha’s thoughtful expression. An idea struck him, and he cupped his hands, “Regarding this case, I wonder if the Immortal Master has any wise insights?”

“Wise insights are too strong a word. At most, I have a few thoughts.”

Lu Qiancha shook her head and said.

“Immortal Master, please speak. This humble one is all ears.”

Magistrate Zhou’s posture became even more humble.

“In this case, all three are at fault.”

Lu Qiancha’s speech was steady. “However, in my opinion… perhaps it would be best to award Liu Ping to Li Da.”

“Oh?”

Magistrate Zhou’s brow furrowed slightly. The scales of justice in his heart had already tilted—Li Da’s coercion and Liu Ping’s immorality far outweighed Liu Wu’s domestic abuse.

He had originally intended to severely punish Li Da and Liu Ping, return Liu Ping to her original husband, and then administer further punishment.

But he dared not voice these thoughts now, only cautiously asking, “May I ask the Immortal Master… what is the reason for this?”

“Magistrate, please observe,”

A clear light flowed in Lu Qiancha’s eyes, her perception sharp. “Liu Ping’s affections no longer lie with Liu Wu. And what Liu Wu seeks is not the love of a wife, but merely a partner to manage the household and continue his lineage, correct?”

“The Immortal’s insight is keen,” Magistrate Zhou nodded.

“Then where does the root of the problem lie?”

“It is nothing more… than the word ‘money’,” Magistrate Zhou said with a bitter smile.

“Precisely!”

Lu Qiancha nodded, a flash of clarity in her eyes. “If we award Liu Ping to Li Da, and then fine Li Da a substantial sum of money to be given to Liu Wu, ordering him to use it for marriage…”

She paused, her words carrying a profound meaning, “The one who lost his wife is compensated, the one seeking a husband gets her wish, and the one lusting after beauty gets what he desires. Each gets what they need, and their grievances will naturally dissipate. Is this not a… ‘perfect’ resolution in the mortal world?”

A “boom” went off in Magistrate Zhou’s mind, as if the clouds had parted to reveal the moon.

Li Da was the son of a wealthy local gentry. Fining him a large sum was like plucking a single hair from nine oxen. And Liu Wu was poor; with this generous sum, finding a new wife would be as easy as turning over his hand. The interests of all three parties… were truly balanced.

“Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!”

Magistrate Zhou was thoroughly convinced and cupped his hands again. “The Immortal Master’s words have awakened me from a dream! This humble official… will now pass judgment with fairness!”

He slammed his gavel and announced the verdict, turning Lu Qiancha’s envisioned “perfect” resolution into the court’s golden words.

Hearing the verdict, Li Da was secretly pleased to have escaped disaster and gained the woman, Liu Wu was secretly pleased to have a large sum of money, and Liu Ping was relieved to have escaped her miserable life. The faces of all three showed that they had gotten what they wanted.

In the end, everyone left the court amidst the shouts of “Mighty!” and a mix of complex gazes.

A short while later, in the inner hall of the county yamen.

Fragrant tea was served. Magistrate Zhou’s expression was grave, “Immortal Master is knowledgeable. I wonder… have you heard the old tale of our Jiangling City regarding the ‘Peach Blossom Spring’?”

“I have not. I would like to hear the details.”

Lu Qiancha shook her head, her gaze slightly focused.

Magistrate Zhou took a deep breath, his voice lowered and somewhat ethereal, “It is said that thousands of years ago, there was a Master Tao who stumbled upon a pure land. After returning, he wrote the ‘Records of the Peach Blossom Spring’—in which he said: ‘At the end of the forest where the water source ends, walk a few hundred more steps, and suddenly it opens up to a vast, flat, and fertile land, with a thousand li of peach blossom forests, crisscrossing paths, mulberry and bamboo, and neat houses.’ He then took his family and relatives to live in seclusion there, losing track of time and sharing eternal life…”

Hearing this, Lu Qiancha couldn’t help but complain inwardly, ‘What is this, a cultivation world version of Tao Yuanming.’

“…Immortal Master,” Magistrate Zhou’s worry was now visible on his face, “This humble official speculates that the recent mysterious disappearances of over twenty people… are likely related to that illusory and thought-provoking… ‘Peach Blossom Spring’!”

“The Magistrate is saying… they all disappeared while searching for the Peach Blossom Spring?” Lu Qiancha said thoughtfully.

“Yes.”

Magistrate Zhou nodded heavily, cold sweat beading on his forehead. “And… what’s worse is that this humble official was so worried that I sent elite constables to investigate… but three groups, a total of five men… have also vanished like a clay ox entering the sea, never… to return!”

“Then do you know the place where these people disappeared?”

Lu Qiancha asked again.

“Of course! It’s just that place…”

Magistrate Zhou’s face showed a mix of awe and fear. “It’s no ordinary place! Immortal Master… please follow this humble official to have a look!”

Horse hooves clattered over the stone-paved road, through streets and alleys, and finally reined in before a sea of bamboo.

The sight before them made Lu Qiancha raise an eyebrow—it was not the vibrant, verdant sea of bamboo she had imagined, but… a boundless expanse of withered yellow!

The bamboo stalks were withered and yellow, their branches and leaves sere and brittle. The entire bamboo forest swayed in the wind, making a dry, rustling sound.

Lu Qiancha looked around, unable to hide her surprise, and asked, “This bamboo forest… why has it withered to such an extent?”

“In reply to the Immortal Master,”

The accompanying scribe quickly bowed and explained clearly, “This is the calamity of the ‘Withered Yellow Bamboo’. Bamboo is different from wood. Its root is the bamboo whip, which lies deep underground, spreading like dragons and snakes.”

“An ordinary bamboo forest will only flower once every sixty to one hundred and twenty years. When it flowers, it produces rice, which feeds the birds and beasts. However, its nature is rigid, almost foolish!”

The scribe continued with a tone of reverence, “Before it flowers, the bamboo whips grow wildly, expanding their territory. The root systems intertwine and tangle, as dense as a spider’s web. Over the years, the bamboo whips crush each other, fighting for soil, water, and nutrients… like a thousand armies fighting to cross a single log bridge!”

“Above ground, the forest is layered and dense. Old bamboo is not cut, and new shoots already block out the sun. The leaves cover the sky, and both old and new bamboo stalks have difficulty absorbing the essence of the sun and moon… eventually, the leaves become thin and pale, and the entire grove loses its vitality, leaving only this… desolate, withered yellow!”

“That shouldn’t be the case. If it were truly like this, the bamboo forest should have been completely wiped out long ago,” Lu Qiancha pressed with a frown.

“The Immortal Master may not know,” the scribe replied respectfully, “Although the bamboo forest is dead, it still does its utmost to flower and produce seeds. When a good rain comes, it can be lush and green again overnight.”

“I see. I have been enlightened.”

Lu Qiancha nodded. To put it simply, these bamboos spread through their underground rhizomes (bamboo whips). The rhizomes become overly dense and tangled, competing for underground space, water, and nutrients, and in the end, they all suffer and wither.

But when the bamboo dies, it leaves behind seeds. When the roots decay and the withered bamboo becomes fertilizer, and the rainy season comes again, new shoots can break through the soil, starting another cycle.

“Not at all! Not at all! It was just some idle talk, I have made a fool of myself before the Immortal Master!”

The scribe shivered in fear, waving his hands repeatedly, on the verge of kneeling.

Lu Qiancha had no intention of dwelling on it and said calmly, “You all can head back first. If there is danger here, I may be able to escape, but I cannot be distracted with protecting you.”

“This…”

Magistrate Zhou hesitated for a moment, then gave Lu Qiancha a solemn fist-and-palm salute, mounted his horse, and said, “Immortal Master, take care.”

He then rode back to the city with his men. He knew that he and his men would only be a burden to Lu Qiancha. It was better to just go back and be safe.

After the sound of horse hooves faded, Lu Qiancha dropped her disguise and slowly walked into the bamboo forest.

Walking through this golden-yellow bamboo forest, Lu Qiancha marveled at the sight. She had seen plenty of green bamboo forests, but this was her first time seeing a yellow one.

After walking for half a day, Lu Qiancha grew a little tired of the view. As far as the eye could see, it was all withered yellow. The initial novelty was gradually replaced by a dull monotony. She scanned the surroundings with her spiritual sense again and again, but found nothing unusual.

The sky gradually darkened, and the evening mist was like lead. After walking for nearly four more hours and still finding nothing, Lu Qiancha stopped. She casually chopped down a few withered bamboo stalks and lit a bonfire in a relatively flat, open area.

The crackling fire leaped, illuminating her thoughtful face. She was holding a pheasant she had just caught in her paw.

She plucked and cleaned it, skewered it over the fire, and controlled its rotation with her spiritual sense. The sizzling sound of fat dripping into the flames rose along with the aroma of roasted meat. She hummed a tuneless little song, finding a certain rustic leisure in this dead forest.

Just as the pheasant was roasted to a fragrant perfection, her jade signet suddenly rang.

Lu Qiancha probed it with her spiritual sense, and an unread message appeared before her.

[Xun Xue: Where did you run off to play?]

Lu Qiancha replied, [I went to do a sect mission.]

Before long, the buzzing sound came again.

[Xun Xue: You went out to play without taking Mama with you? QAQ!]

Looking at the “QAQ” at the end, Lu Qiancha could almost see the feigned, tearful face through the jade signet.

Her lip twitched silently.

‘Didn’t I come out to do a mission… precisely to hide from this “Mother”?’

Thinking of the scene of the bloodline resonance with Xun Xue earlier… a wave of panic couldn’t help but rise in her heart.

‘If I really, as Can Xin said, become Xun Xue’s little wolf baby in both body and mind, a fool who only knows comfort…’

‘Then how would Master see me? How would Gan Tang see me? Would they see me as an outcast, alienate me, despise me, and even… abandon me?’

She didn’t know the answer. But just the fragments of these possibilities flashing through her mind…

A helpless panic couldn’t help but rise in Lu Qiancha’s heart.