Valle del Hombre Salvaje de Qingshan

Capítulo 1

Volume One: Ten Years in the Martial World, A Wine-Drinking Journey (Prologue) - Time Travel

People who know him often use Mo Xibei to discipline their own children, because in everyone's eyes, Mo Xibei has always been a well-behaved child since childhood.

When I was in elementary school, my mother said I couldn't watch TV at night, otherwise it would affect my studies. So, while other kids watched TV, Mo Xibei refused to. Back then, there was no cable TV, and signals were transmitted without a signal. Every night after dinner, I would go back to my room, turn on my FM radio, and carefully, little by little, tune to the same frequency as the TV program my parents were watching next door. I would listen to it without fail all night long.

In middle school, the teacher said not to talk to your deskmate in class. So while everyone else whispered among themselves, Mo Xibei remained silent. She liked to sit by the window, and there was always a circle drawn on her desk. During class, she would hold a pen upright in the center of the circle, calling it a simple sundial. Leaning against the sundial, even without a watch, she knew how many minutes were left before get out of class ended. By repeatedly calculating the time, she passed countless classes she disliked.

Fortunately, Mo Xibei inherited his parents' good brains and was able to get into a not-so-good school and a not-so-good major when he took the college entrance exam.

From childhood to adulthood, many people have asked her, "Beibei, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

Northwest always says, "When I grow up, I want to retire and then eat all the delicious food in the world."

Many people dismiss such a child's "strange" ideal as mere childish naiveté. Only her close friends know that Mo Xibei possesses a stubborn innocence deep within her, a naiveté she can earnestly plan and prepare to carry out. She's unemployed, but the relentless competition of her childhood has worn her down. Why can't she be herself? Sleep when she wants to sleep, eat when she wants to eat, watch TV when she wants to watch TV, and of course, play when she wants to play. What a wonderful life!

Time travel was definitely an element Mo Xibei hadn't considered in her life plan. Although she always believed that the world was composed of many parallel timelines, the question of why ancient sites existed in these parallel timelines had always troubled her. Without a clear explanation, many other questions were impossible to answer. Nevertheless, she still insisted on memorizing the ancient and modern place names of all the rare metal producing areas in China from her geography book, just in case, even though it seemed a bit funny to her.

Many things are just waiting for an opportunity. Later, Mo Xibei often thought that everything started when she and her classmates went on a trip to another city during the summer vacation and drew a strange fortune slip at the famous Yue Lao Temple.

The words on the fortune slip were in classical Chinese poetry, but she didn't pay attention to what it said. She only saw the words "medium" on the slip before being pulled into a small room by a young girl who was interpreting fortune slips and promoting them. What else did the girl say? Northwest forgot. She only remembered leaving with a talisman that was said to be able to ward off bad luck.

That night, she and her classmates stayed at a supposedly old-fashioned inn with an antique feel. That night, she repeatedly heard someone sighing in her ear. That night, her dreams were complicated and chaotic, with many figures appearing clearly in her dreams, dressed in clothing from before the Qing Dynasty, one fragment after another, with laughter and tears.

When she woke up again, Mo Xibei found that she was no longer herself. She chose to remain silent and quietly looked at everything around her.

She became a little girl of about 3 years old, living in a high-walled compound. No one noticed her transformation, and Mo Xibei then realized that she was no longer welcomed by others.

Unlike the indifference of those around her, a little boy who was about her age, or even slightly shorter, would often come to play with her. Gradually, Northwest learned her current name: Jingjia, the daughter of the Prince of Xing. At that time, the princess was pregnant for ten months and gave birth to twins. The boy was named Houcong according to the family genealogy, and he was the one who often played with her. As for herself, she was the other girl.

The birth of twins, a dragon and a phoenix, should have been the happiest event. However, a fortune teller said that the two babies born in the Prince of Xing's mansion were destined to fight for their lives. Twins could not both live, and one had to be sacrificed to save the other.

At first, the prince and princess did not believe such rumors. However, over the course of three years, the heir Hou Cong fell seriously ill several times. The last time was just a few days before he arrived from the Northwest. The best doctors had already given up. However, each time, as long as the little girl Jing Jia also fell ill at the same time, Hou Cong's illness would always be miraculously cured.

Northwest remained silent amidst the rumors and gossip around her. She thought she probably understood why Jingjia had disappeared and why she had come here.

Northwest rarely saw the princess. She had no feelings for her current mother, but whenever she saw the princess's gloomy eyes, Northwest instinctively felt afraid. Fortunately, Hou Cong suited her heart well. He was small and chubby, like a meatball that could run and jump on its own.

Speaking of meatballs, Northwest swallowed hard. Her meals at the Prince's mansion were terrible, almost no different from those of her maid, Xiao Tao, who served her. Meat was a rare treat.

I'm not afraid of time travel, but could I at least have meat to eat every meal? Northwest asked this question in his sleep, and when he woke up, he felt even hungrier.

Actually, hunger isn't the scariest thing. The scariest thing is Hou Cong's body. It's said that his round and chubby body is prone to illness every three days and minor illness every two days. Having a meatball to amuse himself is a good thing, but who would be willing to risk their life for a meatball?

However, what was bound to happen could not be avoided in the end. Hou Cong, who would secretly bring Xiang Rou to see him every day, did not appear for several days in a row. Everyone in the Prince's mansion was in a panic. Doctors were called in one after another, and then sent away in batches. Northwest knew that Hou Cong was sick again, and very seriously.

That night, the princess, for the first time ever, came to the room of the Northwest—no, now the Northwest called Jingjia. Her gentle voice was heavenly music to Xiao Tao's ears, but to the Northwest's ears, it was a death knell.

“Jia’er, your mother doesn’t want this either, but your brother’s condition is really bad, even worse than last time…”

"I know you don't understand yet, but I still have to tell you. When I gave birth to you, the doctor said I couldn't have any more children, so I only have your brother. This palace is too big, and it's so hard to find a place for everyone. So, don't blame me. In your next life, you must be a boy. I will pray to heaven for you..."

Northwest remained silent and watched the princess's every move warily. When the princess took out the white silk from her bosom, he suddenly spoke, saying, "This will leave a trace. It would be better for me to throw myself into the river. We can then say to the outside world that I drowned."

The princess took a few steps back in alarm, her eyes filled with disbelief.

That afternoon, rumors circulated that Princess Jingjia of the Xing Prince's Mansion had accidentally drowned in Mochou Lake. A few days later, her son, Houcong, recovered. Nine years later, the Xing Prince passed away, and Houcong succeeded him. Two years later, the Emperor died without an heir. According to the Empress Dowager's decree, succession should be made by brother. Among the imperial clan, the Xing Prince was the closest to the Emperor by blood and the youngest, so he ascended the throne.

Volume One: Ten Years in the Martial World, Chapter One: Ten Years in the Martial World, Carrying Wine

More than a decade later...

The fine wine of Qingfengju, the dishes of Xieyilou, the beauties on the painted boats, and the residence of Feicuige.

Anyone who has ever been to Jiangnan has heard of this nursery rhyme that children in the streets sing. They sing about four places that wealthy young men who come to Jiangnan and consider themselves refined must visit. It is said that if you haven't been to these four places, you haven't truly been to Jiangnan.

When exactly did Qingfengju, Xieyilou, Huafang, and Feicuige, these four dens of extravagance, appear? Most people are clueless when asked, as if they had been there all along, or as if they had only appeared recently.

It is said that these four places, representing the ultimate enjoyment in life, all share a common owner. However, legend has it that this owner comes and goes like the wind, is unpredictable, and rarely seen.

"Sigh!" Honglu, the maid standing guard in front of a private room on the second floor of Xieyilou, sighed for the nth time. It had been a whole day. She thought bitterly, if other bosses had such a thriving business with so many customers, wouldn't they be calculating how to make more money every day? But what about her master? All she did every day was eat in the shop or search for food all over the world. It seemed that nothing could cheer her up except eating. She didn't even blink when it came to abalone, bird's nest, shark fin, or anything that flew in the sky or ran on the ground. She was happy to travel thousands of miles and spend tens of thousands of taels of silver just to eat a good dish, and she even called it developing new varieties. Honglu thought with frustration, how did she end up with such a spendthrift master? Every day he said that this was the era of money making money, and it was a sin to earn money but not be able to spend it.

“Sister Honglu, if you keep sighing, you’ll really turn into an old woman. I can support you even if you can’t get married, but you’ll inevitably get angry when you see me, and then you’ll age even faster. What should I do?” The door suddenly opened, and a figure flashed before my eyes like the wind. She wore a light white silk robe, smelled of fine lotus dew, and had big, round eyes. She left these words behind and then quickly disappeared.

"Miss, where are you going—" The word "where" was omitted because the person had already disappeared. Honglu thought bitterly, it's always like this, leaving whenever she wants, not knowing whether she'll be gone for days or months. It's really a mistake to call her master Northwest, she should be called Northwest Wind, she comes and goes in a flash, unpredictable, and impossible to catch.

Honglu met Mo Xibei three years ago. At that time, her father owed a rich man one tael of silver. With interest compounding, three months later, the rich man wanted to take her as a concubine to pay off the debt. The rich man was sixty-five years old and had a shrewish wife. She did not want to be defiled and tortured to death, so she hardened her heart and thought that she would just jump into Mochou Lake to end it all. As a result, she met Xibei.

"The lake is beautiful, but it's too cold to take a bath in this weather." Northwest's words made Honglv want to kick her in too.

"I want to commit suicide, not take a bath," Honglu said, as the rich man caught up with them.

“The water is very deep here. If you commit suicide, you won’t be able to get back up for a while. It stinks.” Northwest covered his nose and looked at her, as if she had already been soaked and rotten. Then, the rich man caught up and shouted, “Arrest him!”

What happened next was rather cliché: someone intervened to help someone in need, but it wasn't Northwest who saved Honglv; rather, Honglv wielded a stick and chased away the greedy landlord. Once they became familiar with each other and learned of Northwest's impressive martial arts skills, Honglv harbored resentment for a long time.

"Back then, you didn't ask me if I knew martial arts. No, you didn't give me a chance to be a hero and save the damsel in distress. Hehe, Sister Honglv, actually, the first time I saw you, I thought you were a woman who was just as capable as any man, and you had the potential to be a shrew. No, no, I was wrong. You have the potential to be a female knight-errant." Northwest dodged the jasmine-scented pillow that Honglv threw at him, and also avoided her murderous gaze. He stretched smugly, and then, with a thud, collapsed back onto the bed.

Northwest was very wealthy; she claimed to own several gold and silver mines. Honglu wasn't sure if it was true, and given Northwest's past behavior, she doubted the veracity of her claims. Yet, she had witnessed Northwest build four extremely luxurious buildings, brew the finest wines, cook the best dishes, and even hire the most beautiful girls to play music and provide the most luxurious and comfortable rooms and beds. Honglu didn't understand why Northwest insisted on brewing the best wines, cooking the best dishes, hiring the most beautiful girls to play music, and providing the most luxurious and comfortable rooms and beds. She only heard Northwest frequently mention enjoying life and how short life was. Sometimes, out of curiosity, she would ask her more questions, and Northwest would solemnly reply, "In some eras, it was easier to make money off women and children, but in this era, it's easier to make money off wealthy men." Knowing that Northwest's words were often unreliable, Honglu frowned, her face filled with disgust.

Northwest was highly skilled in martial arts. She said her master was her mother's senior brother, who took her in out of guilt. Over the years, he had taught her everything he knew, but he was always worried that she would use the martial arts he taught her to take revenge on his still beloved junior sister and her mother. Honglu was stunned by her long string of words. "Actually, I don't hate her at all, so why would I take revenge?" Northwest said casually, but Honglu looked at her with rare pity. She felt that Northwest finally had her own sad past. People are all the same after all. But after feeling sorry for her, she looked at Northwest again. She ate and slept, and when she woke up, she ate again. There was no trace of sadness on her face.

Over time, Honglu learned that Xibei was very lazy and didn't like socializing, so she would stay behind the scenes and order her around doing this and that. She would sit rather than stand, lie down rather than sit, and stay still as much as possible. The only thing that could attract her was delicious food. As long as there was good food, Xibei would walk any distance.

Where did Northwest go this time? Honglu slowly went outside to inquire and learned that the martial arts alliance leader was choosing a son-in-law and had invited a famous chef from the north to cook a grand banquet for three days and three nights.

Wait a minute, the martial arts alliance leader is choosing a son-in-law? Honglu slapped her forehead. Didn't someone send an invitation from Henan Prefecture the day before yesterday, inviting Manager Mo to come and give him some pointers? The invitation is still in the accountant's drawer. She doesn't have an invitation. How can she go?

Volume One: Ten Years of Wandering the Jianghu, Chapter Two: First Peril on the Canal