Chapter Seven: A Few Incidents on the Mountain

He Bin-kun reached into his robe and tossed out a silver-shining object.

Yun Qi raised his hand to catch it; it was cold to the touch. Opening his palm, he saw it was a perfectly round silver coin.

Delicate snowflake patterns covered the surface, each one a flawless six-sided crystalline form. Yun Qi strained his eyes but could see no trace of carving.

“What is this?” he asked.

“Snowflake coin—the currency of the mountain. I’ve been too busy lately and neglected you. If Master Xuhuai knew, he’d surely blame me. Living off plain cakes every day isn’t right, especially since you’re buying them on credit. Take this and settle your account.”

Yun Qi smiled. “Life on the mountain is not like the mortal world. The plain cakes here are sweet and light—quite delicious.”

He Bin-kun shook his head repeatedly. “Enough talk. Take the money and buy yourself something good to eat. You haven’t started absorbing spiritual energy yet, so you mustn’t neglect nourishing food and medicine. This isn’t a gift—you’ll pay me back in time.”

Yun Qi could only agree and accept, thinking that since they would be living and working together, he’d have plenty of chances to repay the favor.

“These days you’ve been so absorbed in your studies that I didn’t want to interrupt you. Tonight, let’s take some time to chat, just the two of us.”

They sat down together on bamboo chairs in the courtyard. Moonlight spilled into the yard, clear as water, reflecting the shadows of pine and bamboo like floating algae and ribbon grass. Yun Qi set his feet on the ground, watching as if they were soaking in water, the movement of his toes rippling the “algae” shadows—an amusing scene.

“Don’t think that coming to the Immortal Mountain means you’re free of all worldly concerns. The truth is, without money, you can’t take even a single step here—sometimes even more so than in the human world. So listen carefully to what I’m about to say.

“For registered disciples like us, most of our money comes from the Administrative Office. First, they regularly post all sorts of labor tasks; complete them and you get paid. Second, if you possess any gemstones, spiritual herbs, magical tools, or techniques, you can exchange them at the office. But since you’ve just arrived and don’t have much, you’ll need to look for simple jobs to do.”

“I see,” Yun Qi replied, understanding that He Bin-kun was saving him the trouble of reading and asking around.

“There’s another kind of income, though, that has nothing to do with the Administrative Office. It comes from the Teaching Institute. It’s not easy to earn, but for those with real talent, it’s a natural part of their cultivation.

“On our Little Wanshan, as you progress through the stages—Absorbing Qi, Circulating Energy, Opening the House, Establishing the Mansion, Gathering the Five Qis, and even beyond—if you break through each stage quickly, you get a reward. If you make it onto the rankings, the prize is even more impressive: real gold. Moreover, if you come up with new ideas in cultivation or solve problems left by predecessors, there are bonuses as well.”

Yun Qi nodded; it was a good direction to strive toward.

“In the saying ‘Dharma, Wealth, Companions, and Land,’ wealth comes second. Let me tell you about the mountain’s currencies.

“The most common and cheapest currency is copper—Shoushan Copper. It goes by many names: Red Copper, Yuzhang Copper, Celestial Master Copper, Thunder Essence Copper, Cauldron Copper, Furnace Copper. All the same thing. The names give you some idea: reddish in color, first discovered by the Yellow Emperor on Mount Shouyang when he smelted copper to make cauldrons. That’s why it’s called Shoushan Copper.

“Today, the largest red copper mines are in Yuzhang, so it’s often called Yuzhang Copper. It’s resistant to smelting and attracts thunder, making it favored by alchemists and thunder-cultivators—hence the names Thunder Essence, Cauldron Copper, and Furnace Copper.

“Our neighbors at Dragon-Tiger Mountain are famous for alchemy and thunder techniques, so they’re especially fond of this copper. The Celestial Master’s estate directly oversees six red copper mines. Besides forging tools, they have nine family-run coin-casting furnaces. Each copper coin they mint weighs just seven zhu, but is worth a tael—meaning twenty-four zhu of copper.

“They also make a kind of copper coin sword, modeled after the Celestial Master’s Sword, said to summon thunder and fire. But I suspect it’s mostly for the name. Each sword can be exchanged for ten taels of copper, and is so sought after that even if you have the money, you may not get one. Every time they release a batch, people scramble for them.”

“The silver used on the mountain is called Snowflake Silver—the very coin you’re holding. It naturally bears a snowflake pattern, easily recognized, and is also called Moon Soul. Most snowflake silver mines lie north of the mountains and south of the rivers in the Heluo region. One zhu of snowflake silver is worth about one and a half taels of Shoushan Copper.

“The silver coins minted on Mount Laojun are the most widely circulated, also known as Exorcism Coins. It’s said they have a money tree that naturally produces silver coins—each weighing seven zhu and worth one tael. But these money trees are likely just legend, much like the claim that the Celestial Master’s coin furnaces were gifts from the Han emperor—best taken with a grain of salt.

“Mount Laojun also makes a silver bangle from snowflake silver, modeled after their sect treasure, the Tranquil Three Talents Ring, said to calm and ward off evil. A bangle weighing one tael can be exchanged for five taels of snowflake silver and is a popular item on the mountain.

“Finally, there’s gold—called Fangzhu Gold on the mountain, or Buddha’s Head Gold in the northwest. One tael of gold is worth a hundred taels of silver. The most common gold coins are Qionglai coins from Mount Emei and Five Directions coins from Mount Wutai, both weighing seven zhu and worth one tael each.”

Yun Qi nodded in understanding. The mountain’s economy wasn’t so different from the world below.

After finishing, He Bin-kun glanced at Yun Qi. “You’ve been here a few days now. Haven’t you tried to learn about Mingzhi Mountain?”

This was a bit unfair, for Yun Qi had planned to first read the general history, then the Yuzhang Immortal Chronicles and the Sanqing Mountain Sect Annals, before delving into Mingzhi Mountain’s affairs.

But He Bin-kun clearly wanted to speak and did not wait for him to answer. “Please, senior brother, enlighten me.”

He Bin-kun laughed. “Since you entered the sect, you’ve probably heard a lot about little Taoist masters, haven’t you?”

Yun Qi could only smile wryly and nod.

“Here at Sanqing Mountain, we recruit disciples once every two cycles—sixty years. Only cultivators who have reached the second realm are qualified to take disciples, but those at the second realm are usually too busy preparing for the third. So, typically, it’s those about to break through who take on apprentices, passing down the spiritual legacy.

“However, Mingzhi Mountain has an ancestral rule: only two disciples per generation. Both must reach the fourth realm, or one must perish, before the next generation can be accepted.

“Mingzhi Mountain is full of talent, and their cultivation is focused on longevity and harmonious living, not fighting. Most can reach the third realm, but few make it to the fourth, so they often take new disciples only when one has exhausted their lifespan. As a result, each generation is about three hundred years apart, making their seniority higher than other Daoist lineages.”

“And Master Sukong?”

Yun Qi noted that she did not seem old enough to be near the end of her life.

He Bin-kun lowered his voice. “Master has cultivated for less than two cycles. It’s likely that the elder uncle traveling outside met with some misfortune.”

Yun Qi was startled. “No news has come back to the sect?”

He Bin-kun shook his head. “Maybe there has, maybe not—I don’t know.”

He continued, “You are the chief disciple of this generation, so you’ll have another junior brother or sister. Either Master Sukong will take on a new disciple after she reaches the fourth realm, or you’ll take one on her behalf.

“Also, according to Mingzhi Mountain’s custom, if you fail to open your spiritual mansion within ten years, you’ll remain a registered disciple for life, and Master Sukong will take another disciple in ten years.

“So you see, you have to work harder than the others.”