Chapter Sixty-Four: Retreat in Guanyin Cave

By the time they returned to North Terrace, atop Leaf Dipper Peak, two days had passed. Both man and eagle were utterly exhausted, and the golden eagle, wounded as he was, appeared even more listless. They landed on the slope before the temple, where vines cascaded down the cliffs, the forest was lush and green, and rare flowers and exotic plants filled the air with their fragrance.

Leaf Hua could not help but feel invigorated. He scooped some water from the nearby stream to wash his face, and countless droplets sparkled like pearls on the verdant grass, rolling gently in the breeze. The flowers and grasses, nourished by the sacred spring, seemed even more vibrant, the soil rich and moss a deep green, petals shining as if smiling in the sunlight.

As Leaf Hua and the golden eagle stepped into Beshan Temple, they found the place eerily quiet, with few monks in sight. Perplexed, Leaf Hua passed through several halls and returned to the monastic quarters, where he found Li Yulin. Startled, Leaf Hua called out in delight, “Seventh Senior Brother!” Li Yulin, upon seeing Leaf Hua and the golden eagle, was first taken aback, then cried out joyfully, “Ah, little junior brother, you’ve finally returned!”

He hurried forward to examine Leaf Hua closely. “Little junior brother, how is your recovery? You look well enough!”

Leaf Hua replied, “There’s no need to worry, senior brother. I’m no longer in any serious danger.” He grinned, and Li Yulin laughed in relief. “That’s good to hear. When we learned you were gravely injured and that the grand-uncle had intervened to save you, Master and all the senior brothers were worried sick!”

Then Li Yulin asked, “Have you seen Sister Li Ruolan?” Leaf Hua was puzzled. “Sister Li Ruolan? Why would I see her?” Li Yulin explained, “During your recovery, she visited the Orchid Meditation Hall almost every day to ask after you. We thought for sure she’d see you before you left the temple, but somehow you two never crossed paths…” His voice trailed off, full of confusion.

Leaf Hua, embarrassed, replied, “It must be because we fought side by side that day. She was merely concerned about my injuries, nothing more.”

Li Yulin flushed, then looked at him slyly and said with a laugh, “We heard it was Sister Li Ningyue from Dragon Spring Temple who channeled her vital energy into you the entire way back, saving your life. Is that true?” Leaf Hua’s heart pounded wildly and he exclaimed, “Impossible! That never happened! Don’t spread rumors, senior brother!”

Li Yulin adopted a solemn tone. “I thought as much. People have just been passing the story around.” Leaf Hua forced a laugh, his expression uneasy. “Where are Master and the other senior brothers?”

Li Yulin replied, “Master, the grand-uncles, Eldest Brother, Fourth and Fifth Brothers, and Little Sister all left yesterday for Cool Breeze Temple on Central Terrace. I expect they’re heading for Cold City today. Second, Third, and Sixth Brothers are cultivating in Fortune Heaven Cave and Little Western Heaven Cave in front of the temple. Who knows when they’ll leave seclusion!”

Leaf Hua nodded, “So I was still a day too late. I didn’t get to see Sister Ling Yun’er. I wonder what she would have said to me…” He fell into a daze, lost in thought.

Seeing how exhausted Leaf Hua looked, Li Yulin led him to the meditation room to rest, then went to the kitchen to arrange a vegetarian meal for him. The golden eagle, meanwhile, had transformed into a half-human, half-bird form and lay on Leaf Hua’s bed, eyes closed in recuperation. Li Yulin, seeing this, took his leave so as not to disturb them, telling Leaf Hua to focus on his recovery. As he left, he couldn’t help but sigh to himself, “Little junior brother! I fear the reputation of that sister from Dragon Spring Temple has suffered greatly at your hands!”

Leaf Hua’s mind churned with unease. “Channeling vital energy… wouldn’t that mean she had to hold me in her arms, her palm pressed to my chest and energy center, another hand on my back… we would have been in such intimate contact! How could this be… this…”

His face flushed hotly at the thought. Then he shook his head, reasoning, “This must be just a rumor. I was unconscious and know nothing. And even if it did happen, it was done openly and out of necessity—nothing shameful! It’s just that… I was bare-chested, and she… as a young woman, for her to…”

Unable to put his feelings into words, Leaf Hua lay on his bed, eyes open, thoughts in turmoil, until he finally drifted into a deep sleep. When he awoke, it was already the next morning. The golden eagle was nowhere to be seen, but after a night’s rest, Leaf Hua felt exceptionally refreshed. He noticed yesterday’s dishes still on the table and smiled wryly. Stepping outside, he saw sunlight pouring through the trees, dappling the ground with shifting patterns.

In midair, the golden eagle circled and cried out, then slowly descended into the courtyard. Leaf Hua saw that the feathers where its wing had been damaged had regrown. He asked, “Xiaoyao, how is your injury?” The golden eagle shook its head, and Leaf Hua’s heart sank. Focusing his spirit, he sensed the eagle’s condition and found it much worse than expected. Not only had there been no improvement, its state had worsened: its core was shattered, its demonic energy dissipated, its strength waning, and its meridians were severed and misaligned. It was unlikely to fully recover for years.

Leaf Hua sighed inwardly, recalling what was written in the Ghost Valley Codex: the soul-binding blood exchange he had performed to save the golden eagle’s life was not a healing method but a way to subdue spirit beasts. Since then, the eagle’s meridians and vital essence could no longer regenerate on their own, and it was forever bound to him. Its three souls and seven spirits bore the imprint of his own life force; whether it lived or died depended on his will. Such a secret art was indeed sinister and cruel, to be used only as a last resort.

Now, with the golden eagle wounded, only his own blood could offer a chance of recovery. With this in mind, Leaf Hua resolved to enter seclusion in the Guanyin Cave behind the temple—not only to save the golden eagle but also to consolidate his own recent progress at Great Blessing Vulture Temple and practice his skills.

Leaf Hua smiled at the golden eagle. “Looks like you’ll be accompanying me into seclusion, Xiaoyao. You need careful nurturing.” The golden eagle gave a low cry in response. Leaf Hua made his way to the adjacent monastery quarters; only Seventh Senior Brother had not yet gone into seclusion. He went to inform him of his decision to cultivate in the Guanyin Cave.

However, Li Yulin was not there. Leaf Hua considered waiting, but fearing that the golden eagle’s injury could not wait, he quickly wrote a note explaining his departure to the cave for urgent cultivation, asking not to be worried after.

Leaf Hua and the golden eagle traversed the rear mountain, and after two or three miles saw a sheer cliff jutting forth, its surface covered in moss, ancient pines, and green bamboos clustered below like a curtain of mist. The Guanyin Cave lay beneath this stone face.

Once inside, Leaf Hua saw the meditation verses he had inscribed upon the wall during his earlier contemplation of the noble truths. On the ground were the water jug, porcelain bowl, and a few old clothes he had left behind. He could not help but recall the scene when Ling Yun’er had given him new robes, wondering where she was now.

With a wave of his hand, a sheet of blue light sealed the cave entrance. Leaf Hua settled before a stone wall, and after a moment’s thought drew the Shuying Universe Pouch from his robe. From it he took a jade volume, and when his vision cleared, the words “Ghost Valley Codex” appeared upon it.

Leaf Hua quickly turned to the chapter on soul-binding and blood exchange, pondering it before saying to the golden eagle, “Xiaoyao, you carry my blood within you. Only if I channel my energy and blood into you again can you recover. I will let you nestle at my arm, and use the Lung Meridian of the hand to send blood, connecting with you and healing your injuries. What do you think?”

The golden eagle hesitated, clearly reluctant, knowing that Leaf Hua would suffer greatly in the process. He had only just regained his life at Great Blessing Vulture Temple…

Sensing the eagle’s thoughts, Leaf Hua chuckled. “Don’t worry, Xiaoyao. This time I have plenty of nourishing elixirs, and after my experiences at the temple, my vitality far exceeds what you imagine.”

Still the golden eagle hesitated, but at Leaf Hua’s urging, it suddenly glowed with golden light, transformed into a golden shadow, and entered Leaf Hua’s left arm. Leaf Hua felt an excruciating pain, as if his arm were being torn apart—just as the manual had described.

He endured, and after a while the pain lessened. His Lung Meridian was now completely blocked, and as he tried to circulate his energy and blood, it vanished into the void of his left arm, disappearing as if into a bottomless pit. Golden light shimmered there, and the image of a mighty eagle appeared upon his skin, as if tattooed.

Looking at the eagle’s ghostly image, Leaf Hua gradually relaxed, focusing his energy on circulating his blood into his left arm. The golden eagle seemed to fall into a deep sleep, unresponsive.

And so, the seclusion began.