0007 The Greatest Sect in the Martial World

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Zhaling Lake is a vast freshwater lake located at the source of the Yellow River. Its name is a transliteration from Tibetan, meaning “White Long Lake.” To its east lies a pair of twin-like lakes named Oling Lake, meaning “Blue Long Lake,” historically known as Bohai. Between the two lakes, a mountain ridge forms a natural dam, with a gorge cutting through it. The Maqu River flows from the west into the White Lake, passes through the gorge into the Blue Lake, and then exits from the northeast as the Yellow River, winding eastward with nine twists and turns, gathering countless streams before flowing thousands of miles to the sea.

To the west of Zhaling Lake, in the Maqu River basin, towering mountains rise on both the north and south sides like screens. Between them lies a basin dotted with innumerable lakes and marshes, reflecting the sky like a scattering of stars, hence the name “Starry River Valley,” also called “Starry Sea.” Amidst thousands of lakes, fragrant grasses spread like a lush carpet, and blossoms burst into color like a vibrant tapestry. This is why the Tibetans call this place “Cuocha,” meaning “Sea of Flowers.” The Maqu River’s name also derives from this, meaning “Peacock River.”

This land was once occupied by the Tuyuhun people. During the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty, generals Hou Junji and Li Daozong led the southern army to this region. Historical records state: “Hou and Li fought through Starry River Valley, reached Bohai, and repeatedly clashed with the barbarians, securing great victories. Looking north toward Jishi Mountain, they observed the source of the river.”

Later, Songtsen Gampo, in order to marry Princess Wencheng, led his troops to wipe out the Tuyuhun, and from then on, Starry River Valley belonged to the Tibetan Empire.

In the fifteenth year of Zhenguan, the Tang escort party crossed Riyue Mountain and Qinghai Lake, while Songtsen Gampo’s welcoming party crossed the Tanggula and Bayan Har mountains to meet at Bohai.

Jiang Mingzhe had heard these stories from a guide before, but the Starry Sea of later times had dried up, turning into a desolate desert, no longer resembling its former glory.

Now, wandering among the large and small lakes with A Zi, Jiang Mingzhe finally truly appreciated the magnificent beauty of the Starry Sea. Gazing at the wondrous scene and inhaling the floral fragrance, much of the gloom born of his time-traveling ordeal dissipated.

After walking several more miles, they spotted a large cluster of buildings with yellow walls and red roofs standing out vividly against the green grass and blue sky. A Zi cried out joyfully, pointing, “Da Shengjiang, do you see? That’s the headquarters of our Starry Sect!”

Jiang Mingzhe blinked in surprise—by the number of buildings alone, the Starry Sect was much larger than he had imagined.

He couldn’t help but ask, “Senior Sister, how many disciples does our sect have?”

A Zi walked briskly and replied casually, “We have thirty-six registered disciples. As for the unregistered ones—well, there are over a thousand of them.”

“Over a thousand?” Jiang Mingzhe was stunned. He hadn’t expected the Starry Sect to have so many disciples.

Considering the sect was led solely by Ding Chunqiu, with no peers or brothers-in-training, and disciples were forbidden to pass on their skills to one another, it would take three years to train just these thousand people if taught individually. How could he possibly manage that?

Seeing his expression, A Zi guessed his thoughts and chuckled, “You think all those thousand-plus are like us registered disciples? Hmph, do you think our Starry Sect is some kind of charitable organization? Only the thirty-six registered disciples receive direct, personal instruction from the Master. The rest are only allowed to attend lectures twice a year. How much they learn depends entirely on their own aptitude. If they want to become registered, they must defeat any one of the thirty-six registered disciples to take their place.”

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She continued, “Besides, those fools have many chores—herding cattle and horses, fishing and hunting, gathering poisons. If they didn’t handle these tedious tasks, who else would? Do you think we registered disciples would do them? Only those with wealthy or influential families can offer large tributes to the Master and be exempt from chores, focusing solely on their training.”

Jiang Mingzhe nodded, thinking this was probably the sect’s formal and temporary worker system.

Suddenly, he had another question: “Senior Sister, since there are only thirty-six registered disciples, do I count as registered or unregistered?”

A Zi smiled, “Since the Master personally accepted you, you’re certainly not unregistered, but you’re also not among the thirty-six registered disciples. Your case isn’t unique; you receive the same benefits as registered disciples, but you don’t occupy one of the thirty-six spots. After two years, if you can compete and win a spot, you become registered. If not, you can try again next year.”

At this, A Zi sighed dramatically and shook her head, “But if you fail three years in a row, even with good luck, you’ll end up herding horses and cattle.”

Jiang Mingzhe instantly understood and smiled wryly, “And if my luck is bad, I’ll get beaten to death during the competition, right?”

A Zi giggled, standing on tiptoe to pat his shoulder, “Congratulations, Junior Brother, you’re already adapting to sect life.”

Then she scolded him, “You stinky Shengjiang, why did you have to grow so tall? Next time I hit you, you better squat down yourself, got it?”

The two laughed and chatted as they approached the Starry Sect’s headquarters. Along the way, they met sect members dressed in yellow hemp shirts, black trousers, and leather boots, either herding livestock or cutting grass.

Upon seeing A Zi, these disciples stopped far away and respectfully clasped their fists, greeting, “Greetings, Senior Sister A Zi! May you be blessed with longevity, health, and good fortune.”

A Zi lifted her chin arrogantly and snorted coldly in response.

Once out of earshot, she brightened and whispered to Jiang Mingzhe, “Those are the unregistered disciples. Don’t be fooled by their humble appearance—they’re eager to kill us registered ones. We don’t have to be polite to them. Especially you, since you’re the Master’s new disciple. If you ever become registered, those with less training will challenge you constantly. When that happens, don’t go easy on them. Kill every one of them. The more brutal you are, the more they’ll respect you.”

Jiang Mingzhe glanced at A Zi, whose eyes were serious, clearly worried he might suffer losses.

His heart warmed, thinking that despite her cruel streak, this little girl genuinely cared for him.

He nodded earnestly and clasped his fists, “Thank you for your guidance, Senior Sister. I will remember it.”

A Zi laughed and lightly tapped him, “You’ll be my little Qing in the future, so no need to be so formal with me.”

Just then, a few more disciples approached. A Zi cleared her throat and reverted to her cold, aloof demeanor, walking past their praises without a glance.

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After half an hour’s walk, the two finally arrived at the Starry Sect headquarters.

Jiang Mingzhe examined the place carefully. The sect had neither gates nor walls. At the center stood a hall rising at least six zhang (about 20 meters). On either side were dozens of two- or three-story buildings. Behind these were hundreds of houses of varying heights, none exceeding two zhang.

All these buildings were constructed from large stones carefully stacked, their outer walls plastered with yellow earth. The roof tiles were various shades of red, but oddly shaped—neither fired nor resembling any known ore.

Having traveled all the way from Zhaling Lake, where stones were scarce, Jiang Mingzhe guessed these massive constructions must have required quarrying from the mountains on either side. Given the era’s tools and technology, the scale of this project was enormous.

He sighed, thinking beneath this seemingly splendid grassland must lie the bodies of countless peasants who died from exhaustion or torture.

A Zi pointed enthusiastically, “Look! That tallest building is the Starry Treasure Hall. When the Master has important orders, all disciples must gather there. The small buildings flanking the hall house us registered disciples. Behind those large houses, three are storerooms, one is the Iron Forging Hall for weapon crafting, one is the Myriad Venoms Hall for raising poisonous insects. The rest are for the registered-name disciples. At the very back, near the water, are large livestock sheds. Everyone practices martial arts and alchemy in their own rooms.”

Curious, Jiang Mingzhe asked, “Does the Master live in the Starry Treasure Hall?”

A Zi chuckled and shot him a glance, “Though he’s called the Starry Immortal, he hates being called ‘old.’ If he hears you say ‘elderly,’ you’ll lose a refining heart pellet for sure.”

Jiang Mingzhe suddenly recalled his earlier conversations with Ding Chunqiu, who never referred to himself as ‘old man’ but as ‘myself’ or ‘I.’

He broke out in a cold sweat, thinking how fortunate he was to have always respectfully called him ‘Immortal Master.’ Had he called him ‘Old Immortal,’ his life might have been forfeit.

A Zi added, “The Master doesn’t usually live here.”

She pointed north, “If you go a dozen miles that way, there’s a valley filled with the most poisons. The Master’s residence is in that Myriad Venoms Valley.”

Jiang Mingzhe was about to speak when A Zi gave him a warning look, then turned with a smile and called out loudly, “Eighth Senior Brother, is your divine weapon ready yet?”