The mountain winds of Liyue were cool and refreshing. Jiang Bai walked along the cliffs of Jueyun Karst, still racking his brain over what to give Hu Tao for her birthday.
There were less than three days left until her birthday, and he still hadn't made up his mind.
Buying something from a shop felt too impersonal. But making something himself? With his lack of skill, anything he made would be... questionable, to say the least.
He'd been stuck in this indecision for days. Which was why he'd come to the mountains today—maybe he'd stumble across some kind of hidden treasure.
He carried a notebook, flipping through it as he studied the terrain around him.
"Where the heck is this so-called 'Heaven's Trial' supposed to be?"
The notebook had been given to him by Wu Cong the first time he came to this area. It contained the writings of their ancestors, who had once sought out the adepti and the Dao.
Among its contents was a mention of the Trial of Heaven.
According to the text, one who completed the trial would stand as if on the clouds themselves, the rivers and seas of the world beneath their feet, the sun and stars close enough to touch—a breathtaking view unmatched by mortal eyes.
Reading that, Jiang Bai had an epiphany.
If he could present such a view as a birthday gift, and spend that day with her atop the peak—wouldn't that be unforgettable? Something to remember for years to come.
Only problem was... finding the place.
The notebook didn't exactly contain clear directions. The only clue it gave was this line:
To ascend to the clouds, one must bow to three mountains.
Let sun, moon, and stars reflect upon the three lights.
When phoenix and luan gather, the three auspicious signs shall rise.
"'Bow to three mountains'? What kind of bow? Why not just write it plainly—why all the riddles?!"
Staring at the cryptic line, Jiang Bai practically scratched his scalp raw.
People from Liyue really loved this kind of poetic nonsense—it drove a simple guy like him up the wall.
He couldn't make heads or tails of it. So he could only wander the mountain paths, hoping he might spot some hidden clue.
Jueyun Karst was vast. Even though he'd been here a few times to unlock waypoints when he was bored, he'd probably explored less than a tenth of the region.
He definitely wasn't going to find anything useful on his own.
Maybe someone who lives around here would know. People who've spent years in the mountains might be able to make sense of that cryptic line.
"Now where would people even live around here?" Jiang Bai stood atop a large boulder, scanning the horizon.
Then he saw it—smoke rising from a forested slope.
Where there's smoke, there's people!
Jiang Bai picked a direction and glided toward the mountainside.
---
Shenhe stood high atop the crown of a massive tree, its trunk as thick as a man. Expression calm and unreadable, she watched a small group of Treasure Hoarders gathered around a campfire below, roasting food and chatting about the grand lives they'd live once they struck it rich.
She was the personal disciple of Cloud Retainer, and had cultivated with her master in these mountains for decades.
Unfortunately, the mountains often attracted unwanted guests—shifty-eyed, thieving types who came with impure intentions. Just looking at them was irritating.
If this were Mt. Aocang, she would have driven them off with talismans and magic—no need to let them disturb her master's peace.
But this was Jueyun Karst. The region was too vast, made up of more than just a few peaks. And they were still quite far from the inner sanctums where adepti dwelled. It would be a stretch to say these people were truly intruding on any sacred ground.
Still, the real reason she was here was simple: they were loud.
Too loud. Their voices had disturbed her cultivation.
Seeing them grow louder and rowdier, Shenhe frowned slightly and leapt down from the tree.
Years of living in the wild had left her unaccustomed to polite speech. She was straightforward, direct, and matter-of-fact.
She approached and said flatly, "You're being too noisy."
The Treasure Hoarders flinched. A pale-haired woman had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and opened with "You're too loud." Immediately on alert, they stood up, weapons at the ready.
A person this clean, this elegant, with silver-white hair and dressed like no one they'd ever seen—what kind of forest spirit had they run into?!
She was probably some kind of beast-turned-human or reclusive cultivator. If they could capture her—jackpot.
The men exchanged glances. The greed in their eyes said it all.
Couldn't really blame them. If they had half a brain, they wouldn't still be at the bottom of the Treasure Hoarders' pecking order.
One of them stepped forward, hefting a large wooden hammer in his hands.
"Now that's not fair, miss," he said with feigned politeness. "If you think we're too loud, you could just move along. We're just a few guys chatting around a fire—no need to come pick a fight, yeah?"
He tapped the hammer rhythmically against his palm as he walked forward, ready to knock her out cold the second her guard dropped.
The others drew their weapons. A few of them had already pulled out elemental flasks, waiting for the signal to strike—ready to take down this ethereal-looking woman all at once.
Shenhe didn't even look at them. She paused for a moment, considering his words.
...They weren't entirely wrong.
So she turned and began to walk away.
The Treasure Hoarders had already considered her as good as caught—no way were they letting her leave now.
The gravedigger among them scooped a shovelful of dirt and flung it at her. Meanwhile, the one with the hammer sprang forward, leaping into the air to bring the weapon down on her head.
Others hurled their elemental flasks in perfect sync, determined to overwhelm her all at once.
The moment Shenhe sensed the killing intent at her back, her brow furrowed.
"[True Form of the Talisman: Manifest]!"
With a low incantation, a talisman appeared in her hand. Ice burst from her form, and a spectral frost swept out in all directions.
In an instant, the entire group of Treasure Hoarders was frozen in place—locked in crystal-clear blocks of ice, unable to resist or move.
At that very moment, Jiang Bai descended from the sky.
What he saw made him freeze mid-air, wide-eyed in shock.
…Did I just walk into something I shouldn't have?
But he was already mid-descent and couldn't exactly veer off without crashing.
Shenhe spotted him, her gaze cool and steady.
She looked at him for just a moment—then turned and began to walk away.
Jiang Bai was bewildered. What just happened? He had come here looking for someone to ask directions, only to find… this?
He'd thought there was a house in the forest. Turned out it was just a bunch of Treasure Hoarders.
No way they'd understand the cryptic riddle. If he wanted answers, his best shot was clearly this mysterious—and very powerful—woman.
Though she walked slowly, each of Shenhe's steps covered great distance, light as drifting mist. Within moments, she was nearly out of sight.
"Wait! Please wait!"
Seeing her leave so quickly, Jiang Bai stopped gliding, stowed his wind glider, and jumped down, calling out as he chased after her.
Shenhe paused and turned to look at him, puzzled.
"Are you here to avenge them?"
She hadn't seriously harmed the Treasure Hoarders—just frozen them temporarily. They'd thaw by tomorrow.
But this stranger had appeared right after the fight, so her first instinct was to assume he had come to confront her.