"The holy mountain of Buxiu has vanished."
The shocking news of the sudden disappearance of Mount Buxiu spread like wildfire. Leaving the entire martial arts world in a panic-stricken frenzy. How could have this happened? How was this even possible?
The holy mountain of Buxiu, the nest of the last Pheonix vanished, overnight. What remained in its place was a huge lake with dark blood-red water with a tinge of purple. On its center, stood a lone sycamore tree with maple-like leaves and thorny rustic bark. White fringe trees surrounded the edges of this mystical lake. The four majestic mountains stood tall and firm at the back. The view was spectacular, almost spellbinding. But at the same time, it had an unexplainable eerie spine-chilling feeling to it. Like a mysterious beauty, beautiful but deadly.
There were four major sects in the world of martial arts: The Eastern Dragon, The Southern Firebird, The Western Tiger, and The Northern Tortoise. Each one of them ruled their corners with pride, power, and prejudice. Mount Buxiu laid at the heart of these giants as a reminder to maintain peace and prosperity. With the latter gone, it was obvious that the primordial peace treaty was no longer valid. Soon there would be chaos and bloodshed following. The hunger for power was insatiable, the desire to be at the top was unshakable in the world of martial arts. Though everyone knew about it, no one was brave enough to say it out loud.
The Western Tiger's lair was an ostentatious display of luxury and royalty. Snowy white walls with double-tiered golden swept roofs. Broad white jade pavements secured with gold fences. No matter which direction one would choose to look at, they would see a bit of gold. If not gold then most likely some other valuable metal. The only thing natural that attracted the visitor's attention was the koi pond. Built with generosity, one would think it was too big for the mere two pond inhabitants but these were no ordinary fishes. Hei, the full black koi represented Yin and Bai, the full white koi represented Yang. These divine beings signified the balance between good and evil. The people very much believed they owned supernatural powers. And so they worshipped them with sincerity and intense devotion. Thus, the infamous pond of Yin and Yang was more of a shrine and less of a regular fish pond.
The grand meeting hall was massive in size, close to palatial. An intricate painting of the prowling white tiger, the symbol of courage and strength covered the entire back wall. Long flowy silk curtains and tall towering panels with motifs, again in gold. A boisterous exhibition of rare ancient metal artifacts and exclusively carved mahogany furniture.
Yet the atmosphere inside this grandiose chamber was anything but pleasant or relaxing. The domineering presence of the guardian leaders created an ambiance that was rather awkward and unpleasant for those with low spiritual power. Their beastly auras made the air dense and too heavy to breathe. Cold and remorseless, knocking out some of the poor guards unconscious. The ones still standing were struggling to breathe while drowning in their own sea of sweat. At last, one of the twin leaders from the northern tortoise sect finally broke the deafening silence.
"Immortality, the mortal's desire for greed. A lake of blood, cries of unspeakable suffering. Melody of sorrow, grim reaper sings. Count your blessings, count your sins."
He cited it with much eloquence but there was a foreboding ring to it. He looked at his twin brother for some approval but Leader Zhihui remained silent like a Buddha. Dressed in a grey monk-like robe, pondering and contemplating on his own. Leader Ziran then turned his cold gaze towards the others and with a malicious smirk on his face.
"The ancient prophecy has come true. As shocking and unfortunate it is to lose Mount Buxiu in such a puzzling manner. The search for the elixir of immortality has already begun as we speak.", he said. There was a slight hint of excitement and no traces of concern in his voice.
"Young man, the elixir of immortality is nothing but a hoax to lure in victims into a death trap. Back in the day when this rumor started, a lot of martial art masters and wandering heroes set out in search of it. None of them were ever heard of or seen again. Don't tell me you actually believe this urban legend to be true?"
The old man asked with a surprised expression followed by a burst of roaring laughter. His laugh echoed throughout the chamber, subduing all the silent nooks and corners. Old Leader Jie of the Western Tiger was a man of great stature. What he lacked in height, his muscular built and strong personality made up for it. He had a great sense of humor, contradictory to his fierce appearance. His contribution to the martial arts world was well-known and well appreciated by all.
"With the recent incident, don't you think the possibilities are quite high, Old Leader Jie? And if such a tremendous power does exist, then who wouldn't want to own it? To become immortal and live their life without having the fear to grow old or die. Even a man with the strongest of the will may fail to resist such a tempting offer."
"But with great power comes great responsibility and even greater price to pay, young man."
A somewhat displeased voice cut the conversation short between the old and the young leaders.
"Let us not waste our time and stray away from the actual issue at hand. A mountain has disappeared from the face of the earth and a strange lake has appeared in its place. Other than the fact that this lake has an impenetrable barrier, we have no other clue. And here we are having petty discussions on whether the elixir of immortality exists or not."
"I agree with Lady Ai. The sooner we solve this puzzle, the better. I hope no great disaster will befall upon our world.", Leader Zhihui said.
Old Leader Jie nodded in agreement. Leader Ziran opened his hand fan and started to fan himself in clear annoyance.
He said, "Well I hate to be the bearer of the bad news but this disaster has already struck its victims. Several charred dead bodies are being discovered in the vicinity of Blood lake. But, this unfamiliar barrier does not react to any other living being, except humans. The one who put this barrier must be very powerful and skilled. He or she would make a formidable opponent."
"Even though the situation is quite perplexing and chaotic. The need to restore peace is dire. We as leaders have a responsibility towards our people, especially the commoners. We need to get a hold of the situation and calm them down so that their daily lives can go on without any complications. As for the Blood lake, I don't see any other option than to seal it."
"You took the words right from my mouth, Old Leader Jie. I would also like to suggest that we form a special investigation unit. They will report any information found during this confidential mission to us in person."
All the leaders nodded in unison after hearing Leader Zhuhius suggestion.
"Very well. I am on my way to visit Dragon's den to congratulate Leader Wei and his wife on the birth of their son. Since he couldn't join us today, I will make sure to give him all the details of this meeting. Please allow me to take my leave now. Thank you for your hospitality, Old Leader Jie.", Lady Ai said with a gracious bow.
Old Leader Jie stood up and the twin leaders Zhihui and Ziran followed and took their departing bow as well.
A few days later, all the guardian leaders gathered and sealed the mysterious Blood lake for good with their much-lauded four sect seal that consisted of four dome-shaped barriers merged as one. Hundreds of people flocked to the scene to watch the act, maintaining a safe distance from the mystical lake. The four sects each built their guardpost facing their respective regions. Blood lake was now under their authority. Anyone who tried or caught trespassing in this restricted area would be severely punished.
The loss of Mount Buxiu was irreplaceable and even time would have a hard time healing this wound. While it sparked a fire in the hearts of some people, it also instilled fear in most. The ancient prophecy spoke of a greater disaster with bloodshed, suffering, and karma. No one knew what the future had in store for them. And this scared them to their bones. They vowed to move forward doing good deeds to wash away their previous sins. Praying that they wouldn't be the ones persecuted when the judgment day came.
The first snow came early this year. The tiny snowflakes fell on the warm surface like gentle cold kisses. Covering every shrub and every tree under the fluffy blanket of their freezing love. Concealing all big and small paths. And along with them, an unnoticed track of giant footprints vanished in the dead of night. Never to be found again, following the same fate as the holy mountain of Buxiu.
