Autumn of 1971
Months passed, and the family drifted from place to place before finally settling in Shihu Mountain.
Compared to Liujia Village, this place was even more remote and rarely visited by outsiders. Fortunately, the climate was quite pleasant, and a stream wound its way down from the mountain peak, easily supplying water for daily use and irrigation.
Thus, in a relatively flat clearing, through the tireless efforts of the family, several wooden cabins rose from the ground. Enclosed by a simple fence, they formed a small courtyard.
When spring came the following year, they would plant some vegetables in the yard and raise a few chickens and ducks. After reclaiming a few acres of land nearby, they could finally live a stable life.
Spring of 1973
Witnessed by Zhang Xilin, Zhang Qiling and Mo Shanshan officially became husband and wife.
Due to limited conditions, the wedding was kept as simple as possible. The two of them bowed to heaven and earth, offered a cup of wine to Zhang Xilin, and the ceremony was complete. Zhang Xilin's smile never left his face all day, and the wrinkles on his face deepened with joy.
He had thought his life would just drift away like this, but who would have expected him to have a son, and by next year, he might even be holding a grandson.
Thinking this way, he suddenly felt several years younger.
Night fell. Red candles burned in the newlyweds' room, and a large double-happiness character was pasted on the wall. Mo Shanshan sat with a red bridal veil over her head, her heart pounding with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.
Zhang Qiling sat down beside Mo Shanshan. From this day forward, they would be true husband and wife. The thought made him somewhat nervous, and he took a deep breath. Reaching out, he lifted the veil. There was no phoenix coronet, no elaborate makeup—only the wooden hairpin carved with a little rabbit that he had given her during the New Year, and the shy, nervous face of the woman he loved.
Seeing that the man beside her remained silent after lifting the veil, Mo Shanshan lowered her head, feeling too shy to look at him, and softly called out, "Husband."
Only then did he snap out of it.
After drinking the nuptial wine and setting down their cups, the two merely gazed at each other for a brief moment before simultaneously closing their eyes and pressing their lips together.
Mo Shanshan let herself fall back, ignoring his clumsy hands fumbling with her clothes, and slowly raised her arms to wrap them around his neck, her lips passionately responding to his demands...
A single moment of a spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold, and this night was long, beautiful, and anything but quiet...
After a fierce bout of passion, the night finally grew still. Mo Shanshan sat up and tried to reach for her clothes, which had been tossed not far away. After stretching for a long time without success, she noticed that Zhang Qiling was staring intently at her, and she finally gave up on the idea of finding her clothes.
As Zhang Qiling looked at her lovely figure, however, his mind wandered to other matters. With the continuous advancement of his vital energy and cultivation, he was gradually recalling fragments of his past: the Zhang Family, Nine Gates, The Ultimate behind the Bronze Gate, and—Medog.
These scattered images gradually strung themselves together into a clear thread.
Yet now, he was married. He forced himself to stop thinking about these things, but the Zhang Family was gone. If he ignored these matters, a catastrophe would eventually befall the two people he cherished most.
For a moment, it felt as though a crushing weight had settled on his shoulders, making it hard to breathe.
Seemingly sensing the strange mood of the person beside her, Mo Shanshan burrowed into his embrace, her graceful curves pressing tightly against his burning body as she held him. He stopped thinking about those chaotic thoughts and simply focused on cherishing the warmth of the present moment.
Time slipped away bit by bit amidst a life of happiness, until the arrival of 1974.Until a newspaper jolted him once again from the dream-like beauty back into the cruel reality.
The newspaper reported that a man had been blinded in one eye by the local Miao people, and beside the report was a picture of a strange artifact.
Yet Zhang Qiling recognized it at a single glance: it was none other than a Snake-Brow Copper Fish.
At that instant, the bone-chilling frost of his destiny found him once more like a nightmare.
Ever since then, Mo Shanshan noticed he would often stare blankly toward the northeast with profound eyes, a lingering gravity deep within his gaze.
In the evening, as Zhang Qiling sat on a small stool, Mo Shanshan dampened a towel in hot water and washed his back. As his body temperature rose, the Kirin Tattoo gradually emerged across his skin, inscribed upon it his destined fate.
It was the mark of his family, a taboo restriction that both imprisoned and protected him.
Reaching out, Mo Shanshan stroked the Kirin Tattoo that sprawled from his shoulder across his chest. A moment later, she withdrew her hand and continued washing his back. Once she finished, she placed the square cloth back into the wooden basin. As Zhang Qiling stood up, intending to leave, Mo Shanshan could not shake the feeling that the present scene was identical to when he had once drawn away the pursuers all by himself. Her heart ached as though pierced by a sharp blade; she wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, desperately fighting to suppress her emotions, and softly spoke, "You promised me you wouldn't leave me all alone."
Zhang Qiling turned around, pulled her into his embrace, and coaxed her in the very tone she had once used, "Be a good girl and wait for me at home."
Looking at him with displeasure, Mo Shanshan said, "Are you trying to humor a child?" Before she could finish her sentence, she was swept up into his arms, leaving her no choice but to obediently close her mouth and wrap her arms tightly around his neck.
The man placed her on the bed and said in a somewhat hoarse voice, "Then let's try a different way." With that, he kissed her soft lips.Even as she responded to his kiss, she cupped his face with her delicate, slender hands, while her other hand caressed his abdominal muscles and slowly reached downward...
Late at night, Mo Shanshan finally exhausted her strength, closed her eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.
Zhang Qiling lifted the quilt, quietly put on his clothes, and left the small courtyard without taking a single thing.
Only after walking some distance did he discover that Zhang Xilin was waiting for him right along the path he had to take down the mountain, holding a bundle in his hand.
Zhang Xilin sat down on a large rock not far away, looked at him, and said, "Yude, skilled as you are, you aren't ruthless enough, and that will cost you dearly. The people of this world—if you are stronger than them, they will push you out; if you are weaker than them, they will bully you. Only by being just like them can you survive in this world. Therefore, when necessary, you must know how to conceal yourself. Lastly, your father hopes you will understand that far more terrifying than ghosts and spirits in this world is the human heart."
With that, he handed the bundle to Zhang Qiling, and added, "Inside are a few pairs of shoes and clothes, as well as some talismans. I've taught you how to use them before. If you run into any trouble you can't resolve, remember to come back and find me. Your father may not have any great abilities, but I can still manage a fight."
Then, without looking back, he turned and walked away. Zhang Qiling gazed blankly at his retreating figure until he could no longer see the old man's not particularly tall back. Only then did he lift his feet and walk down the mountain, stepping into the darkness to face the destiny forced upon him.
Perhaps from that moment, or perhaps even earlier, the young Kirin shouldered the entire Zhang Family once more with his not-yet-broad shoulders.