The Heavenly Book of the North Wind Rages On... Chapter 2: Fighting Wild Beasts

  Zhāo Dì, Pàn Dì, Dài Dì and other names are often given to girls. These names reflect the parents' hope for a son. They yearn for and wish to summon or await the birth of a boy, so they usually give their daughters such names. This is enough to illustrate that this phenomenon is very common.

  Last time we talked about Liang Qing's misfortune in the village of Shanjiao Wangcun and Nurhaci's indifference to death, which made him deeply resentful.

  He stayed overnight at the Shangong Temple in Wangcun Village at the foot of the mountain. The next day, he got up early and prepared himself properly, cooked a meal, and came to the outside of the mountain gate. Liang Qing knew clearly that if he forced his way through the mountain gate, he would likely be injured by the hidden arrows in the forest. So he shouted loudly at the mountain gate: "People inside the mountain listen! The general of the Ming Dynasty's Yun Riding Army, Liang Qing, is here to pay respects to the mountain, why don't you come out to welcome me?"

  After a long time, only the voice of a young woman in the mountain responded: "We have nothing to do with the world and don't understand what general or magnate you are talking about. Whether you are a common people or the king of heaven, our rule here is either to bring an invitation letter or 'if you want to pass through, leave your toll'."

  Li Qingzi angrily said: "This place is not the land of our great Ming dynasty, you are speaking wildly, don't tell me you want to rebel?"

  Again, a voice came from the mountain: "We have no country, how can we rebel? We advise this general to leave, this is our gang's sacred and inviolable land, don't lose face here."

  Li Qiangzi was furious upon hearing this: "Bastards, you turtles! I don't want to get entangled with you here. Come out and fight if you dare!" He strode towards the mountain gate, shouting as he went: "What kind of mountain pass is this? What logic is there in a rural village setting up its own tollgate? Do you dare come out?"

  As soon as his foot had just stepped into the mountain gate, he heard a loud arrow breaking through the wind and rushing towards him. It was nailed to the ground one foot away from his foot. He lowered his head to look at the trembling arrow tail, took a breath of cool air, and stopped in his tracks.

  Then a person flashed out of the mountain gate in front of him, an extremely beautiful woman, in her early twenties, with loose hair and wearing a white dress. Her voice was very low, "General Liang, why are you so stubborn and unyielding? This is not a place where you should come."

  Liáng Qìngzhī asked her: "What is your name?"

  The white-clothed beauty coldly said: "I am a celestial maiden"

  Li Qing said: "I don't care if you're the elder or younger brother. In any case, I want to pursue and kill the Japanese pirates, so don't block my way!"

  The fairy, Dai Gu, smiled coldly and said: "You haven't obtained our permission, yet you want to enter our territory and chase after our friends? What gives you the right? Do you think you can compare with them? We are located on the border of the Great Ming Dynasty, but we have never received a single recognition from the Great Ming Court. Those Japanese people not only recognize our existence, they also treat us as equals, country to country, which is the best recognition for us. They even send us grain, silver and gold, clothes, and the ornaments that our women love the most. Has your Great Ming Dynasty ever sent us these things? What does your Great Ming Dynasty take us for?"

  Li Qing shook his head and said: "They killed the villagers of a village! Are you all unmoved? Don't you know the principle of 'not eating food that comes easily'? I think you are colluding with foreigners, in cahoots with Japanese pirates. What they give you, my great Ming dynasty can also give."

  "Wait, what does that village have to do with me? And you, the Zhu Yuanzhang regime has been in power for so long, have you ever cared about us? What have you done for the past 200 years? Now that you need us, you suddenly remember to say this? Then your court sends a ninth-rank official like you, carrying a paper knife on his back, to intimidate and deceive us. I don't care who you are, I just want to tell you: either go back or go die. I won't stop you from going to your death!"

  Li Qing said: "Do you think I'm afraid? Do you think your fancy 'Breaking Array' technique can intimidate me? Your provocative tactics won't work on me. What's difficult about passing the test? If the Japanese pirates can escape, why can't I?"

  Dai Dian Xianzi said: "I don't care if you're a general of the Great Ming Dynasty or a great name from Fusang, as long as you are disrespectful to me, you won't be able to pass our eight passes alone, unless you're a god."

  Li Qingzi flew into a rage, saying: "Who do you think you are? Stop mentioning my name alongside that of the Japanese pirates! I must go into the mountains to capture the Japanese pirates. I am not a god, but I have justice on my side. And I will not permit you to collude with the Japanese pirates; otherwise, you will only have one road to death!"

  "Wait, fairy," said the girl. "I don't understand what you're talking about, and I don't care that much. On the first day of next month, our master will formally meet with the noble guest from the East. As for someone like you who stirs up trouble, I really hope you won't go in and cause a commotion."

  Li Qingzi was furious and said, "You bunch of traitors, you rural bandits! I'll chop you down first!" He raised his knife to strike, but Di Xianzi dodged lightly and jumped onto a big tree. She said with a smile, "You're really hopeless. Go ahead and try to pass through all our checkpoints! You're doomed for sure. Let me tell you, except for the path of death, there's no way for you to enter the mountain. Unless you grow wings or take a detour of thousands of miles to the other side of the mountain... but that side is heavily guarded by our troops. I doubt you can make it." Her face showed determination as she continued, "However, I've always admired tough guys. If you're not afraid of death and charge into our first checkpoint, I'll admire you. Let you continue your pursuit, but I believe even if you catch up, you won't be a match for the great men from Japan, because they are brave like gods."

  As soon as this was said, Liang Qing's nose almost crooked with anger. He burst into a loud scolding: "You cheap woman, what benefits did those Japanese pirates give you? Is it worth speaking for them like that?"

  Dai Dian Xianzi ignored Liang Qing, and continued: "What you will face next are the four great divine beasts of our mountain, they are our mountain's treasures."

  Li Qingzhi looked up at the sky and laughed loudly: "Do you take me for a three-year-old kid? I'll believe your nonsense?"

  The fairy maiden's face was expressionless, and she said in a low voice: "Believe it or not, I'll let you enter the mountain. Who made you so reckless as to offend me?"

  Liang Qingzhi listened and hummed, asking: "According to you, how did those Japanese pirates enter the mountain?"

  The cold face of the fairy-like woman, Dai Wei, floated with a triumphant smile: "Each guardian of our levels will escort them into the mountain. Because we cannot neglect our noble guests. As for you, if you feel that you are not up to the task, then leave quickly! Just follow this road and walk in, I'll let you die with clarity, we have the guidance of the 'Tian Shu Shen Ce', and we've tamed the four great divine beasts, they will take your life."

  Li Qingzi angrily said: "Heavenly book? Strange and evil spirits! I'm not afraid! I'll enter the mountain, I'll follow this road, let's see what you can do! You cheap person, wait for me to flatten your mountain stronghold!"

  The fairy's face was still cold as ice, and she said to Liang Qing: "I'm telling you, if you enter the mountain, today will be your unlucky day." After finishing speaking, she floated away, and before leaving, she shouted loudly towards the forest: "Withdraw your aim on him, let's go wake up the divine beasts together!" Liang Qing ignored her, but he was clear in his heart that there were countless eyes staring at him in this forest, and he didn't know how many hidden arrows were aimed at him. However, he curled his lips, shouldered his backpack, grasped his large knife, and stepped into the mountain along the small path pointed out by the woman. What kind of fortune or disaster lay ahead on this road? Liang Qing had no answer; if he wanted to kill the Japanese pirates, he could only walk to the end of this road.