Chapter 7 (2/2)

Glancing out the door, I saw that yifu still hadn’t returned yet.

I shook open the cloth scroll, scattering dust everywhere, before spreading it out across my palms.

The lighting was a bit dim…

I couldn’t see very clearly, but felt that everything was densely packed together. There were very delicate, fine characters written neatly across the work.

I hadn’t been able to find the flint for half a day, so I had no way to light the lamps. Still holding up the object, I walked straight to the window and saw a thin, warm ray of moonlight. Fortunately, it shone right upon my piece of silk.

‘The Fang Hua Beast is a primarily male animal with a peaceful disposition. It prefers to live alone and its figure is not much different from a mortal’s. It is skilled in growing unusual, treasured medicinal herbs. Initially nameless, its flowers (hua) gave rise to Hua (or splendor) and the ancient name Fang Hua Beast.’

Ah…

Fang Hua Beast?

Wasn’t this talking about yifu?

I narrowed my eyes and leaned against the wall, raising my sleeves as I lifted the length of silk closer to the light to continue reading.

‘The Fang Hua Beast is taciturn and often has still and silent expressions. Its white skin resembles that of a woman, and it exudes an unusually sweet scent all year round. Beneath its eyes and eyebrows is a cinnabar mole, and the color of its teardrop-shaped mark pales according to youth. Upon reaching blackish-red, dim red, or pitch-black, the Fang Hua Beast will flee. After fleeing it turns into a sea, then transforms into a piece of dead wood called Fang Hua Wood. This is considered the Fang Hua Beast’s soul, and it is capable of dispelling tens of thousands of poisons on Earth. If one buries the wood in the dirt, and feeds it a mixture of crushed medicinal herbs mixed with dew touched by the first rays of the morning sun, one month later the dead wood will be as red as fire, with the disposition of jade.

Two months later, the wood will grow four branches, and its color will fade. Three months later, the wood will develop the five senses of a human adult, whereupon the wood will turn soft and supple, white without compare. Four months later, the root of the wood will break, and the Fang Hua Beast will be born. If the Beast grows to be ten months old, use true love’s blood to wash it daily so its soul can continue to exist. This will help the young Beast recall its memories from a previous incarnation.

A young newborn Beast does not know human language and eats flower nectar as well as a small amount of medicinal herbs. But he grows very quickly, and in half a year will appear no different from a young child. His language skills will become fluid and smooth, and he will become exceedingly intelligent. Afterwards, its every ten days will be equivalent to a cycle of one year in human terms as it continues to mature.

Fang Hua Beasts are animals who possess pure feelings. If adult Beasts can maintain a heart of clarity in the world of mortals, they can extend their longevity and cultivate to become Immortals. Those who are moved by sentiment[2] end up as gra.s.sy weeds, withering year by year, bathing in a sea of fire until they return to the cycle of reincarnation. If they are injured by sentiment, its every ten days will be equivalent to a cycle of one year in human terms, and it will sink into the cycle of reincarnation, turning back into dead wood. If they are heavily injured by sentiment, the color of the wood will turn black, and act as a strong dilution agent against poisons.’

Fang Hua have an exceedingly unrivaled beauty resembling that of a woman’s, that is difficult to find in the world. As an animal that possesses a sentimental disposition, they will be tied down by the threads of sentiment all their lives. Those who cannot escape the bonds of sentiment are robbed of their lives and die young, leaving the numbers who manage to attain Right Fruit[3] fewer and fewer.’

Ah…

So it was like this… …I clutched my head. This wasn’t written like vernacular speech.

I can’t understand it…

Again I clutched at my head. This wasn’t a secret martial arts manual, nor did it resemble a love poem or similar things. It was a pity I didn’t usually put in much effort studying, so my literacy rate was too low. I sucked in a deep breath and prepared to fold it carefully so I could replace it in the original place. But suddenly a voice came in from the window.

“What are you doing?”

The voice was neither high or low, nor fast or slow, but possessed a level of severity I’d never heard before.

-o- [Most up to date translations for this series can be found on volaretranslations.]

[1]qin (琴) －a seven-stringed plucked instrument similar in some ways to the zither. In ancient times, qin strings used silk or other soft materials; metal strings are a relatively modern invention, made after the world got a bit too noisy. ^^;

[2]sentiment (情) －this is something to describe the entire realm of human feelings/emotions/attachments. Cultivators shouldn’t be attracted to things in the mundane world if they want to ascend to immortality, those who are can be said to be lost/entrapped by qing, or sentiment, whether it be bonds between people or unresolved feelings in their hearts. More or less.

[3]Right Fruit (正果) －a cultivation status in Buddhist belief that occurs right before enlightenment.