Guangxia Mountain, shrouded in clouds and mists, while Yanzi Peak is devoid of any trace of birds. The Sword Immortal Cave hides between solitary peaks, and Maple Ridge is stained with blood across a hundred miles.
On Guangxia Mountain's Yanzi Peak, there exists a platform about a hundred feet square, edged as if cut by a knife, as if the sword light itself had carved it out of the thousand-zhang cliff. Beside it, there's another mountain gate. Gazing around, it is suspended in mid-air, much like a lonely boat floating above a sea of clouds; this is indeed the Sword Immortal's Daoist field.
In the clear sky, a thunderclap sounds, and lightning bursts forth, crashing down from the Sky Dome, slicing straight into the top of Yanzi Peak.
Afterward, a turn of golden light reveals an enormous sphere of light, landing on the neatly arranged square platform.
In an instant, that sphere rotates rapidly, lightning dances amidst the rosy light, and wind and thunder illuminate in brilliance, shining a myriad of radiance, the dust and wind howling.
And in the blink of an eye, the light gradually subsides, and from within the swirling gleam and shadow, a figure emerges with a dragon's stride and a tiger's step.
This is a swordsman, eight feet tall, carrying a Sword Box made of paulownia wood, three feet six inches in length, akin to the size of an ancient zither, with a blood-dripping cloth bag in hand.
He casually flips the felt on his shoulder, entering the cave, first offering his respects at the entrance, before a painting of a Female Sword Immortal flying with a sword.
The face that emerges is that of a man with exceedingly dense and vigorous hair, thick eyebrows, large eyes, a square forehead, and tiger cheeks. He sports a full face of a bristly beard, with broad shoulders and a robust physique, tiger-backed and bear-waisted. A single person can almost block the entire door—this is the Sword Immortal of this cave mansion.
"Master, you've returned."
Hearing the sound, the young swordsman with big and small eyes also emerges from the cave to greet him.
The Bearded Sword Immortal nods, casually tossing the cloth bag, from which rolls out several human heads.
"Cook them."
The young man with big and small eyes shakes his head,
"There's lamb stew in the furnace; the flavors would mix."
The Bearded Sword Immortal frowns deeply, his brows knit tightly like a silkworm,
"...You're using my sword casting furnace to stew lamb?"
The young man with big and small eyes nods,
"Indeed, it's fragrant. Master, won't you try a piece?"
The Bearded Sword Immortal, "...Then hand me a piece."
"Hey, Gou Dan, I'm Yue Peng, I'm the one who picked you up. Hungry? How about some fresh lamb? Eat up?
If you want to eat, come out and kowtow to our Master Chen Huzi—no, to Immortal Chen—and you'll be a part of Yanzi Cave!
From then on, Senior Brother will look after you, eating the best, drinking the spiciest, and you can chop whoever you like, cultivating to become immortal."
After a while, the young man with big and small eyes brings a full basin of lamb offal into the inner room, crouching and negotiating with the kid hiding in the rock cave, pinching an eyeball to eat, deliberately chewing it, the juices splattering, seeming very fragrant.
Chen Huzi also gnaws on a lamb leg, watching the kid hiding in the crevices of the rock cave, with a Healing Talisman stuck on his face, half of his face covered by a yellow talisman, the other half full of blood and mud.
As a True Monarch Sword Immortal like him, naturally, he can see clearly that although the kid got stabbed once and is frail and small, his eyes are bright, with a wisp of sword energy on the tip of his tongue, pressed under his tongue, hidden but not expressed.
"Just taught breathing techniques, and he can refine sword energy?"
The young man with big and small eyes, Senior Brother Yue, nods,
"Among the sword boys found this time, he's the most talented, only thirteen or fourteen, overheard a couple of lines and became the first to turn refining Qi into a sword.
Oh, by the way, midway, a young marquis appeared out of nowhere. He had trained himself well with Day and Night Gang Fist, equipped with a body full of magic artifacts, and learned some sidebar sword technique guide, near Foundation Establishment, but wasn't a match for him, just got stabbed in the heart with sword energy to the face—clean and neat.
Tsk tsk, I reckon this kid is young but no stranger to killing, already more formidable than me."
Chen Huzi is also intrigued by this, closes his eyes, then opens them, instantly projecting two beams of grand light, dazzling like golden pillars, shining right onto the kid named Gou Dan, scaring him into shrinking his neck, barely drawn out by the fragrance only to skitter back into the cave.
"Wow... Innate Sword Bone, First Grade Divine Gang, a natural Sword Servant. Where did you snatch this Dao Seed? What's his name?"
Senior Brother Yue shakes his head, placing the lamb basin at the cave entrance.
"Picked up from the north, no proper name. Still, he's peculiar, seems to have been raised like a dog, living with dogs as a child. Right off the bat, they call him Gou Dan."
"Oh, a human-faced dog. No wonder."
Chen Huzi nods. Senior Brother Yue hasn't heard of it and turns his big and small eyes over, nudging,
"What kind of dog? What thing?"
Chen Huzi tosses the meat bone carelessly,
"It's people and animals raised by noble families for guarding estates, youths with good root bone selected from the market, fed with tonic and medicine since childhood, trained to be like spiritual beasts, usually kept with the household dog pack, grown to become Head Dogs. The skin is peeled off when they mature, donned dog skin, and lead the dog pack.
Such human-faced dogs are not only steel-boned, able to battle like wild spiritual pets, but smarter than dogs, understanding the master's commands, leading the pack to serve loyally, and since identifying themselves as dogs since childhood, never develop rebellious thoughts, forming the most loyal death soldiers.
This is the Three Constellations' so-called 'Dragon Taming and Tiger Controlling, Hawk Training and Dog Drilling' technique, considered a secretive Beast Taming Technique of the Demon Palace, not shared externally. It's quite common among northern clans and frontier military towns, used as hunters or scouts."
Senior Brother Yue listens, stunned for a moment until a loud clang brings him back to his senses.
It turns out it was Gou Dan reaching out to grab a handful of lamb offal, shoving it into his mouth, nearly tipping the basin over.
"These beasts..."
Chen Huzi isn't much surprised, perhaps having seen it often,
"Though it's said a vulgar name is easier to raise, calling him Gou Dan is too belittling; calling dog over and over might make him forget he's human,
Hmm, since he's entered my mountain gate with a body of Divine Gang Bone, let's call him... Tie Dan."
Senior Brother Yue hesitates for a moment, then can't resist squinting with his right eye,
"...Master, look at your naming, should make it a bit more elegant, like a name such as Gentle Breeze and Bright Moon, Plum Orchid Bamboo Chrysanthemum."
"What do you know, with him the way he is, what's gentle breeze and moon? Probably doesn't even know his letters—if not called something like Dan, would he understand?
Once he's entered the gate and taught the sword, another Taoist name will be conferred."
"Master's words are so true..."
"Alright, this one isn't bad, what about the others?"
"Junior Brother Zhou is leading them below the mountain, gazing at swords and refining Qi. But...
There's another who came with that young marquis, claiming to be Senior Brother Shen's successor, seemingly a friend of yours, insisting on practicing in the mountains, unsure how to handle..."
Chen Huzi looks at the Stone Box handed by the disciple, immediately recognizing it,
"Oh, the descendant of Shen Huai. I owe him a life. Accept."
Senior Brother Yue scratches his head,
"But... it's a girl. How do you teach?"
Chen Huzi pauses a moment,
"First, let's take a look."
Thus, the two men don't bother the kid eating meat anymore and get up to leave.
Listening as their footsteps gradually fade away until no sound remains, Gou Dan—no, Tie Dan—carefully crawls out from the crevice.
The sword wound on his face burns hot, hurting and itching as if nibbled by insects and ants. He reaches to scratch it, but the yellow talisman stuck on his face, like steel woven paper, adheres to most of his face, impossible to tear or peel off, with the wound healing rapidly thanks to the talisman's effect, unbearably painful and itchy, making him anxious, accompanied by the growling of his stomach, gurgling...
So hungry...
But seeing the lamb in front of him, Tie Dan restrains himself from leaping on it and gobbling it up. Having just swallowed a piece, it's best to wait a while, ensuring it's not poisoned before feasting. For now, he holds back, surveying the stone cave of Yanzi Peak around him.
This mountain chamber, indeed, holds a world of its own, its caverns interconnected, with seventeen or eighteen stone rooms and caves of various sizes. Yet it's evidently a place of solitary cultivation, with only large stone beds, a few stone stools and tables, incense burners on a desk table, quilts and pillows, meditation cushions and rain cloaks inside. Except for some skin sacks and gourds hanging on the walls, there's no other decoration.
The area is quite compact; Tie Dan circles twice, familiarizing himself with the layout and paths.
At the Mysterious Gate at the entrance, there is a shrine offering an ancient painting, depicting a life-like female fairy performing a sword dance.
Tie Dan cannot make out clearly the appearance of that female fairy, only seeing her wield a treasure sword, whirling and twisting her form, like a monkey or a crane, a curious dance of some sort, where the sword blade flickers like light and shadow, a single thrust producing over a hundred moves, seemingly manifesting seven or eight arms, dizzying to the eyes.
The swordplay routine is abundant, and the actions myriad, leaving Tie Dan also dizzied, so he focuses solely on the sword's blade, and indeed it becomes better.
Amidst the myriad sword auras, the sword tip, like a piece of bamboo leaf, glows with dimming brilliance, sparkling like a radiant star, piercing left, circling right, all without method but exceedingly seamless, as if that thrust paints a perfect circle in the world... no, it seems like a sphere...
Tie Dan watches for a while, until his stomach growls again, rubs his abdomen, and upon raising his head once more, the female Sword Immortal in the painting had ceased her dance, merely holding her treasure sword, glaring through the scroll at him, seemingly angry at the boy's lack of attention in class.
"Dance if you want or don't if you don't feel like it."
Tie Dan couldn't be bothered to answer her, turning his head elsewhere.
At this moment, the main gate of the cave mansion is shut, heavy as a thousand pounds, presently unopenable.
All the other meditation rooms are approachable, but the largest stone cave seems blocked by an air barrier at the entrance; Tie Dan's attempt to charge in results in being swept out by a gentle breeze, wrapping him away.
Though unable to enter, observing from outside, he can faintly see inside, it seems like a shimmering cold pond.
For the moment, Tie Dan cannot find any other exit. Feeling no adverse effects in his stomach, the lamb must be fine, and he plans to first fill his belly...
Eh? The meat? Where's that large basin of lamb?
Tie Dan is shocked, pouncing forward, clutching the basin, inspecting it repeatedly.
It wasn't an illusion, a massive basin of lamb! Gone in the blink of an eye!
No meat, even the bones are gone from the basin!
"Burp!"
Suddenly, a burp flavored with meat emanates nearby, Tie Dan turns his head to look and is dumbfounded.
A fat catfish is perched on his shoulder, bulging its eyes to glare at him.
What on earth is this creature??
"Ptooey!"
Before Tie Dan can respond, the catfish spat something into his mouth!
"Ugh! Spit, spit, spit!"
Tie Dan, utterly shocked, spits several times! But nothing comes out!
Swallowed, down it goes!
Turning his head again, the fat catfish has vanished.
What...what's happening...an illusion? Could it be that the lamb was truly poisoned?
"Boom, boom, boom boom!"
And what ghostly thing is this...
Tie Dan squeezes into the crevice, peering outside cautiously, seeing a bundle of things resembling clusters of grapes rolling about in the shadows of the stone cave.
Upon closer inspection, it turns out to be brought back by Chen Huzi, the sack full of human heads!
Dead human heads! They've come back to life!

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