Chapter 1 - Over the Mountains and Rivers

The sun was setting west, and a layer of golden light coated the flowing stream. The cool evening breeze broke the golden light into brilliant glimmers.

Bright red flames danced to the wind. The burning branches, still moist, crackled from time to time. The delicious smell of grilled fish poured into her nose, and Yao Beibei swallowed, staring at the fish in the cold-faced teenager’s hands.

On the first day she was teleported into this strange world, Yao Beibei was bought by Uncle Yun from a child trafficker. She was handed off to Baozhimen along with cold-face and others to become herb-pickers. However, Baozhimen was destroyed on the fifth night after she arrived. Fortunately, she did not die. That night she met the cold-faced young man, and she begged him to take her with him, and started a wandering life.

After they left Baozhimen, the lonely teenager took Yao Beibei over the mountains and river, and the bloody and cruel memory of Baozhimen’s destruction started to gradually fade. Her mood started to get better.

It had been almost half a month since she met the cold-faced boy. Yao Beibei finally figured out that he was cold outside and warm inside, and he wouldn’t abandon her companion “through life and death”. She was okay and ready to unveil his mystery!

“What’s your name?” Supporting her chin, Yao Beibei looked at the cold-faced teenager opposite of her. She was really serious and very sincere.

Silence.

“What’s your name?”

Silence.

“What’s your name?”

Silence.

“What’s your name?”

“Bai Ziming.”

Yao Beibei smiled. Bai Ziming? She has been asking for his name for days, and finally got her answer today. If you gave her sunshine, she would bloom; and if you gave her an inch, she’d take a foot: “Bai Ziming, can you be my teacher?”

Bai Ziming’s grilled fish shook: “No!”

She expected that Bai Ziming would reject her for the first time, so Yao Beibei was not discouraged at all. She tried to open her eyes wider to make herself look smarter: “Bai Ziming, can you be my teacher please?”

Bai Ziming was silent this time. It seemed that it cannot be done today, so Yao Beibei stopped asking. She would not give up. She would keep pestering him until he said yes. She grinned to herself.

If you’re wondering why Yao Beibei wanted Bai Ziming to be her teacher for any reason other than his 14-, 15-year-old appearance, it was his skills. She couldn’t help but envy his talents.

Bai Ziming could avoid beasts. Since they had been walking in mountains, they could often hear beasts roar, sometimes not even far away. But as long as she followed his steps, they would avoid danger every time.

Bai Ziming could cut trees. He had no weapon, but branches fell in front of him. She didn’t have to pick up any firewood. Yao Beibei thought, “Was he using a throwing knife? Is he a descendant of Throwing Knife Xiaoli?”

Bai Ziming could catch fish. Ice and snow had just melted away in early February, but he just took a few branches and stuck them in the water randomly. The fishes just jumped onto his branches willingly. Yao Beibei thought he had seduced the fishes. The fishes realized what was happening but it was all too late, so they only started to struggle after they’ve been caught.

Bai Ziming could grill fish. She couldn’t see when or how he gutted, unscaled and cleaned the fish. She couldn’t see what spices he used, but the fish tasted great without any stink!

Bai Ziming could…

The more she thought about it, the more Yao Beibei felt like she had met an immortal. She did not know there were such young and beautiful immortals like Bai Ziming!

His skin was soft and white. His eyebrows were like the black hills in traditional painting His eyes were deep and clear as if they bore great weight and saw through the mundane world. His nose was tall and proud. His lips like two pink, slender petals. A white jade needle held his shiny black hair. His shape was almost intentionally perfect. Yao Beibei couldn’t find a better word to describe him than devilish.

Was Bai Ziming an anthropomorphic transformer? Was he originally a sentient flower, bird, beast, fish and insect and had become a human being?

Yao Beibei was a college student and an atheist in China in the 21st century, but after this teleportation, she could accept anything incredible. Her teleportation experience was so weird. On a sunny day a white light flew into her forehand, and voila! she came to this strange world.

As a result, Yao Beibei stared straight at Bai Ziming, from top to bottom, and then from bottom to top, trying to see what did he transform from: a god or a devil, a monster or a beast? Ghost has been ruled out, because Bai Ziming could stay under the sun.

Although Yao Beibei had been staring at him since the first day, Bai Ziming got used to it. But today her eyes were too weird and her stare was too long, and it made him feel like he was being spotted by a vicious wolf. He felt extremely uncomfortable and coughed.

“Bai Ziming, how old are you?” Yao Beibei, who couldn’t see anything, wanted try a different way.

“Nineteen years old.” Bai Ziming was no longer concerned about Yao Beibei’s questions. He only answered occasionally, and he never spoke to her.

After Bai Ziming answered the age question, Yao Beibei’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped so low you could put an egg in it!

Nineteen? These people grew so slowly! Or maybe Bai Ziming is special? He looks like fourteen or fifteen! Still, Yao Beibei considered the possibilities. Nineteen is only one year younger than her real age. It would totally fine if she dated someone younger than him.

Bai Ziming didn’t know what Yao Beibei was thinking. As usual, he handed her two grilled fish. The two fishes were grilled golden, giving off a delicious smell. It made the hungry Yao Beibei swallowed again.

“Thank you!” Yao Beibei chuckled and took the fish from Bai Ziming. At first, she boasted that she would take care of him, but instead he had been taking care of her. His ability to survive in the wild was so amazing that she was embarrassed to have volunteered in the first place.

Yao Beibei, whose stomach was already groaning, started devouring the fish without a second thought. Bai Ziming was getting better and better at grilling fish!

After they ate, they could see the moon and the stars in the sky. These days they lived outside and ate healthy natural food. It was like they were on a vacation. In her past life, Yao Beibei could only dream of such things. It was not about money. If she had money but nobody was with her, she dared not sleep in the mountains at night.

It must be what it’s like in the kungfu novels? Yao Beibei realized that she embarked on a completely different road than before. Now she had nothing and did not know where to go. She just needed to follow Bai Ziming! The only thing that worried Yao Beibei was Uncle Yun’s niece, Yun Xiaoxiao. She thought that they could take care of each other at Baozhimen, but everything was shattered after the disaster. She wondered if she could see Yun Xiaoxiao again in her lifetime.

Time flowed like water. It was already mid-summer in the month of June. All kinds of mountain flowers were blooming on the hills, under the trees and between the roads. Beautiful shapes, colors and fragrances in the mountain wind; everything felts so harmonious. Between the mountains and waters, they felt the breeze and fragrance on their faces and forgot the summer heat.

Yao Beibei still followed Bai Ziming tightly. She didn’t think he was wandering aimlessly, but looking for somewhere, and it seemed that he was about to find it. Because he has always been expressionless, and recently he will also have a little joy on his face and a frown, so that she does not know whether he is happy or sad, or mixed?

Although she knew Bai Ziming would always take care of her, Yao Beibei still felt unsatisfied. After four months, she still wasn’t able to persuade him to accept her as an apprentice. He became more and more mysterious, like a flower in the water and the moon in a mirror. She couldn’t see what he truly was. He was so close, yet so far at the same time.

One night in July, there was no moon in the sky. The scattered stars were dim, as the night grew darker.

There was no wind in the woods, nor the sound of birds, beasts or insects, no frogs could be heard beside the stream. The night was very quiet, almost eerie in the silence. Even with Bai Ziming beside him, Yao Beibei felt inexplicably afraid and disturbed. She had never felt that before.

It felt as if somewhere horrible was hiding deep in the woods, and that thing could run out any time! It seemed that even the flames of the fire felt the horror, burning restlessly while trying to escape.

Bai Ziming, who had always been calm, would not lie down and sleep, or look up at the starry sky. He sat straight, holding a sword that came from nowhere, his dark eyes glowing vigilantly.

After they had been together for so long, Yao Beibei had never seen Bai Ziming so nervous. He didn’t even blink at bloody and cruel scene when Baozhimen was destroyed.

Yao Beibei realized that danger was approaching them, and it could not be avoided! Stay calm, stay calm, you need to help Bai Ziming, you can’t always pull his leg! She picked up a sharp stone from the ground and held it in her hand. Then she slowly approached the fire, so she could quickly pull out a burning branch. Man or beast, stone and fire would always be effective!