After the road incident, our journey seemed smooth. We met a few refugees who had fled the Guanzhong Plains, the former heartland of the Qin. Most of them were not commoners, as they came with their own bodyguards. Because of this, we didn't offer any help, but we did warn them about the narrow path ahead, as they were likely heading for the safety of a major city like Taiyuan.
It's a bit of a paradox in this ancient world. Sometimes staying in a city might be safer, while at other times it's best to stay out of it. During war people might be attacked by bandits, caught in the crossfire between armies, or simply raided by soldiers. But if you stay in a city, you might get trapped in a terrible siege situation.
We finally reached the point where we would cross the Yellow River to reach Huashan. Erik gave some of our gold to them. After crossing, the cavalrymen and Wang Hao would rest at the local city of Tongguan using some of their contacts. They would then continue west toward Xianyang, where they would join Liu Bang's forces at the southeastern path to Wuguan Pass. Meanwhile, we would not stop there but would continue moving south to Huashan with Altunay. We will meet with the cavalrymen again in Hanzhong after Liu Bang becomes the King of Han.
Upon reaching the foot of Mount Huashan, we sent our horses into Erik's realm. However, with Altunay being a mere human, our plan had to change. We would first test her loyalty by climbing Mount Huashan. After that, we would continue our pilgrimage along the Qinling Mountain range to Cuihua Mountain, where we would leave our marker at its peak.
Huashan is not simply a mountain. It is a fortress of stone, a sacred sentinel peak of incredible beauty and terrifying danger. The ascent was a true test of will, a monumental staircase carved into the very face of the cliff. The path began with a gentle rise but quickly transformed into the treacherous "Heavenly Stairs," a seemingly endless chain of stone steps that vanished into the swirling mist above. This was a journey of faith and endurance, and for a human, it was a battle.
For us, the Immortals, it was merely an inconvenience. My feet found sure footing on the ancient stone, and my breath remained even in the cold, thin air. Erik moved with a quiet, effortless grace, a shadow that simply appeared on the step above, the only sign of his presence a subtle shift in the air. Cynthia, as fluid as water, drifted up the incline as if the mountain itself was pulling her upward.
Below us, Altunay was a study in pure, unwavering effort. Her breath came in ragged, burning gasps that steamed in the cold mountain air. Her knuckles were white with strain as her hands gripped the iron chains bolted to the rock, pulling herself up. Her focus narrowed to the single step in front of her, she never looked up at the dizzying heights or down at the sheer drop, as if to acknowledge them would be to surrender.
We would wait for her at each of the small, carved-out landings. She never asked us to slow down, and we never offered to help. This was her mountain to climb, and her journey to own. We were simply her companions. Altunay's labored breathing was the only sound that pierced the mountain's silence. Her stride had shortened, her shoulders hunched, and every step was a deliberate, straining effort. We watched as a thin sheen of sweat beaded on her brow, and her hands clenched and unclenched around the worn handle of her walking stick. She wasn't just walking, she was enduring.
At one landing, as she finally caught her breath, she looked up at the vast expanse of mist and rock. She didn't collapse, but simply leaned forward, resting her hands on her knees, her head bowed in silent defeat. The world was nothing but the ache in her legs and the fire in her lungs. Every one of her steps was filled with faith in us, and so she gave her all into this journey.
For us, Altunay had proven herself more than enough. So, Cynthia put her hand on Altunay and began to bless and heal her. The blessing brought warmth and strength, a quiet fire against the mountain's chill. With her invigorated, we continued our journey, climbing toward the central peak of Mount Huashan. From there we prepared to glide toward the western peak, a test of my command over the wind. Erik spread his wings and flew with effortless grace, cradling Altunay in his arms. Glowing with a soft light, Cynthia drifted through the air. She appeared lighter, slowly descending as if gravity had no hold on her. But the moment her feet finally met the ground, it was almost like she sank into the stone as if the Earth welcomed her to became one.
After we landed, we continued to travel along the Qinling Mountains. We felt the shift in the air as we moved south, away from the dry climate of the north. The humid summer air grew heavy, thick with moisture from the impending rains. Mist clung to the lower valleys, a palpable, swirling presence that made the air feel wet, but the mountain peaks remained clear. The sun beat down, creating a stifling humidity that noticeable. This summer heat, however, was a welcome sign, it meant we were nearing our final destination.
As we traveled, Erik began teaching Altunay the "Shadow Step," a silently stepping footwork he had developed to combine with the "Shadow Cloak." As I watched him demonstrate his techniques, I incorporated these two skills into the Maidens Method and taught them to her.
After Cynthia saw this, she thought about passing down her skills as well. But since most of her fighting skills were based on Divine Power, so she asked Altunay if she was good at any musical instruments. Since Altunay hadn't really practiced any, Cynthia taught her how to use "Whispering Tongue," a technique that manipulates targets by using a low-pitched voice to persuade them, making them believe the user or hallucinate them based on what the user tells. At a higher level, Cynthia even used this technique in her singing or make it completely soundless.
I feel that we are creating an assassin or ninja organization out of all these techniques. While some of these skills might attract few people to join our organization, but we should keep the main techniques for our most faithful followers.
Therefore, we will teach the Iron Method to some of our elite enforcers and called them "Iron Guard." At the same time, we will teach Maidens Method and how to use hidden weapons like Flying Needles to our Moon Maidens. We will also teach Shadow Step and Shadow Cloak to the operative Maidens and begin instructing our team leaders, like the Mothers in the Whispering Tongue. We will then continue to teach the more Advanced Tongue to our generals, the Matrons. And I will personally teach the Divine Method to the next Moon Sisters.
With this teaching, Altunay will be Elder Sister among them and started to lead her own operation with team of Maidens and other agents. We might use her as the Leader of newly establish Chinese brunch, but I think we might need new name for this brunch in the future.
A man and a woman appeared, accompanied by various of beings—some resembled normal beasts, while others were more akin to demons. They immediately fell to their knees or bowed down before they spoke.
"We, the Spiritual Beings of this mountain range, greet you, Great Deities!" they said respectfully.
"Is this all of you? And what do you want, children?" Erik replied, his voice calm and condescending.
"Most of us are here, Great Deity. We just came to greet you out of respect after sensing your power," the man answered.
"Stop beating around the bush and speak! Where are the other Supreme Gods now?" Erik's calm facade shattered as he filled the air with his dark void aura.
"Please don't angry, Great Deity of Northern Peak." The woman spoke shakily, "The Yellow Emperor has chosen to wander the human realm alone, while the Red Emperor is now teaching architecture far to the South. The White Emperor ventured into the Western lands ages ago, with no word of his return. And the Blue Emperor, he simply swam into the Eastern Sea and never came back."
"Please give us your guidance, Black Emperor. All other Rulers have practically abandoned us," the man pleaded.
"Please give us your guidance, Great Deity of Northern Peak!" the others chanted repeatedly.
Erik stroked his beard before giving his answer. "Alright, alright! What is wrong with these Great Deities? Why did they have to be such lunatics? Ah... these two are my fellow comrades, they are also Blue and White Deities. They can temporarily take the place of those two lunatics and rule with me."
"Such great news! Long live the Great Deities! Let's spread this news to everyone!" someone shouted, and the crowd erupted in chatter.
"One more thing, we will be going to Cuihua mountain peak. Do not follow or let anyone interfere with us, do you understand?" Erik ordered them.
At this point of time, belief system of this land still didn't fully corporate into one. Taoism was just beginning to develop into a formal religion, and Confucianism was only starting to recover from the oppression of the Qin empire. The idea of Shangdi or the Highest Deity—which had evolved from the Shang dynasty's ancestor worship—had blended with the Zhou dynasty's concept of Tian or Heaven to form the Mandate of Heaven, an ideology that would shape future dynasties.
Currently, the unified ancestor worship of various major tribes had merged with the idea of the Five Phases to create the Highest Deities of the Five Regions, with the Yellow Emperor at its center. The deities of later Taoist belief systems would also rise from these foundations.
Later, Erik explained that what these supernatural beings truly want are protectors. The war has created numerous evil beings, some of which are far more dangerous than the people can handle on their own. With their Supreme Gods wandering around, they are in desperate need of help.
It seems my fighting skills might have come into play, but what surprised me most was how Erik had taken on many roles of gods. Is this why not many can ascend and become major gods? He might have already taken on the role of a death god in many regions. But the one who surprised me the most was Altunay, who didn't have any spiritual abilities before Cynthia blessed her. She almost went mad after seeing so many beings appear out of nowhere. It seems like two realms have to collide one way or another if we are to establish our organization here. They will sense our powers whenever we use them, at least for the spiritual entities who are close by, like those of this mountain range.
We finally reached the center of the Qinling mountain range, south of Xianyang. They also call this the Zhongnan mountain range, an ancient dwelling place for hermits and a birthplace of Taoism. Louguantai where Laozi composed the Tao Te Ching, is not far away. Here, we are at the highest peak of Zhongnan, directly south of modern-day Xi'an, known as Cuihua Peak. After we mark the peak, we will basically rule this Huaxia cultural sphere. While the rain poured down at the foot of the mountain, Erik summoned the man and woman and had them take care of Altunay and escort her to Hanzhong before we continued climbing.
We silently climbed the mountain, as if we were climbing inside ourselves. As we went higher, we have dived deeper into our spiritual landscapes. We became lost in a land of our own, traveling through our own world, speaking our own language and driven by our own desires.