The heaven is Yang, the earth is Yin. Yang is above, Yin is below. At the edge of the Snowy Mountain, a giant volcano stood high over the earth and pointed towards the vast sky while bubbling lava flowed within. At the same time, this was an area that had falling snow year round, making this specific location an example of Yin and Yang reversal; here, it was the earth that was Yang and the sky that was Yin.
As Fang Xing stood at the boundary, his thoughts instantly began to turn. He didn't try to force anything and simply arrived at the mouth of the volcano, placed down a formation, and sat with his legs crossed to quietly soak it all in.
Dao is real; Dao is not fabricated.
When it came to understanding the Dao of the reversal of Yin and Yang, there was perhaps no better place than this to do so. In this bizarre place, Fang Xing managed to completely curb his temperament for the first time in order to meditate and quietly sense everything around him. All he had to do was understand the changes in Yin and Yang between the heavens and earth and he'd be able to understand the Dao of the Yin-Yang Sanding Disc.
Time passed. Seconds and minutes at first, then hours and days. He sat unmoving in front of the volcano's mouth, as though he himself had also become a piece of black stone. This location was covered with thick, low-hanging clouds throughout the year, making it impossible to see the stars or moon. There were still changes in lighting, yet no matter the change, Fang Xing neither knew nor cared.
Days passed just like this, and soon a little over half a month swept by. It was then that a red-dressed girl came along from afar, riding atop a silver spindle. She was around the age of thirteen or fourteen and her face was as clear as a porcelain vase. A long zither was situated on her back, and within her hands was a jade talisman she occasionally used to check her surroundings until she arrived at the mouth of the volcano. After hopping off her silver spindle, the little girl raised her head to look around and muttered, "Big Brother Xiaojiu should be here; how come there's no sight of him?"
This girl was naturally Ying Qiaoqiao. Because the speed of her cultivation within the Court of Enlightenment had surpassed the old man Hu Qin's expectations, the original plan of her finishing her seclusion twelve days ago had been extended up until five days ago. As it so happened, the disciple Fang Xing had asked to pass on the jade talisman hadn't paid much importance to the matter and completely forgot about doing so, too. It was only after Ying Qiaoqiao went to visit Fang Xing at the Wanluo Court and heard he'd left over half a month ago—causing her to feel worried enough to want to go search for him—that the disciple finally remembered the bandit-like guy who'd asked for her. He passed along the jade talisman and she immediately began her search, leading to her arriving at this volcano now.
Using the jade talisman to guide her, it didn't take long before she found a formation placed behind a black stone. Knowing he had to be within, she was just about to go inside but sensed something and stopped. "This is a formation that prevents others from disturbing him, and Big Brother Xiaojiu's aura seems to be calm and collected inside. He might be studying something or cultivating; I can't disturb him without a good reason…."
Ying Qiaoqiao immediately halted and collected her own aura. She was rather young, but she did have common sense; she knew what was important and what was not, so she forced herself to sit down outside. "For Big Brother Xiaojiu to seek me out, there has to be something important. I must wait for him to emerge!" Of course, if she'd actually known the reason Fang Xing had sought her out, she might've fearfully run away.
Even after sitting quietly for a day and night, Fang Xing still hadn't awakened. 'The Song of the Ancient Ice Soul that Esteemed Shifu taught me can be used to help others calm their mind and cultivate,' Ying Qiaoqiao began to think to herself, 'I haven't played it for anyone just yet, but this is a perfect chance to play it for Big Brother Xiaojiu….' With that, she placed her Dragon-String Guzheng over her lap and—after spending a burn of an incense of time to collect her thoughts—her fingers began to move.
The calm, low-pitched and languid sound of the guzheng merged into the wind and snow above and fused with the noise and movement of the lava in the volcano below. The sound was like a thin thread of silk sewing together the sounds between the heavens and earth. Gradually, it even seemed as though the land here had formed into a realm of its own, the sky and volcano connected by the guzheng's music, a boy and girl connected by a silken thread of affection….
A smile appeared on Fang Xing's face as all the thoughts within him gradually began to coalesce to a single place. Once one concept has been understood, the rest naturally follow. Under such a wondrous situation, Fang Xing's thoughts suddenly became clear and he completely understood the Dao of Yin and Yang. Amidst the sound of the guzheng playing in the background, the juncture between the heavens and earth—the connections between Yin and Yang—were finally completed, and Fang Xing—whose eyes had been closed for over half a month—suddenly opened his eyes.
He pointed one finger to the ground and another to the sky before yelling, "Reversal of Yin and Yang…." Both hands became one, forming into the shape of a grindstone. "Sanding of the heavens and earth….."
BOOM!
Although his movements were extremely fast and mysterious, they were also languid and at ease. Within the motions seemed to be some kind of extreme power between the heavens and earth, and as the two hands rotated, the endless wind and snow in the sky as well as the terrifying flows of lava within the volcano were all guided by him. The Yin property lowered while the Yang property rose, wind and snow combining together while the lava leapt up into the air and formed into a sphere. The two actually met in the air and began to slowly rotate counterclockwise, shifting like a giant grindstone—as though it could smoothen away everything between the heavens and earth.
Once the giant grindstone was formed, Fang Xing let out a loud laugh and completed his skill. The wind and snow dissipated while the lava fell down to the ground, sending sparks out hundreds of feet as though it had enough power to split the earth. As for Fang Xing, he simply stood in front of it all and continued to laugh.
Despite seeing such power, Ying Qiaoqiao continued to calmly play her guzheng, her expression unchanging. Fang Xing was standing between her and the terrifying splash of lava; this alone made her feel incredibly safe.
A blizzard, a volcano, a thin and tall formidable young man, a charming girl playing the guzheng—this scene was especially beautiful.
Yet this tranquil beauty was soon broken by Fang Xing. When he turned and saw Ying Qiaoqiao, he was filled with joy and drew closer. "Girl, what are you playing? All that ding and dong is so boring; do you know how to play 'Eighteen Touches'?"
Ying Qiaoqiao was left a bit speechless. She looked at Fang Xing with annoyance and replied, "Your taste is not very good, Big Brother Xiaojiu…."
Fang Xing rolled his eyes. "It's your level that's not good enough. Back in my village, there was a girl from the Spring Love House who'd play Eighteen Touches, and all the men three streets away would run there to hear her play. That is good music…."
Ying Qiaoqiao was surprised by this. "What kind of place is this Spring Love House?"
"A place where people sing music and blow flutes. Any one of them there would play much better than you do!"
Ying Qiaoqiao was suddenly filled with admiration. "Is it also a sacred place like the Melodic Ice Palace? If there's a chance, I'd love to go and see it!"
Fang Xing patted her shoulder and sat down beside her. "If there's an opportunity, I'll take you there for a visit."
Ying Qiaoqiao held onto his shoulder with slightly flushed cheeks. She let out a soft sound of agreement before asking, "What is it you wanted to see me about?"
"I originally wanted to discuss a matter with you."
"What is it you wished to discuss with me? Just telling me directly would have been fine," Ying Qiaoqiao replied with a smile.
"That's what I thought as well, but there's no need anymore; I've already understood this Dao of Yin and Yang!"
Ying Qiaoqiao smiled. Sitting next to him and holding on to him filled her heart with tenderness. She didn't want to think about anything and didn't ask for any details on what he'd wanted, or what Dao it had been. She merely let her mind wander and casually asked, "What was the spell you used just then? It looked very powerful; it seems even Elder Moye isn't as strong as you…." In Ying Qiaoqiao's eyes, Fang Xing was truly handsome.
"I know, right?" Fang Xing answered with pride. "It's a new skill I only just recently mastered!"
"Nn." Ying Qiaoqiao nodded, then suddenly began to ask, "By the way, Big Brother Xiaojiu, did the Wanluo Court…." She bit her lip and trailed off, raising her head to observe Fang Xing.
As it so happened, when she went to the Wanluo Court to seek out information, she heard from Leng Ziyan that Fang Xing had already left and hinted to her it was because Fang Xing's innate talent was lacking, causing the old Wanluo to give up on him. She'd been rather worried the entire time and had come to discuss things with him. Whatever had happened, if she were to plead with her esteemed shifu, it was possible he might take Fang Xing under his wing at the Grand Melody Court.
Fang Xing understood her thoughts and laughed. "I've already formed the foundation, so what is there to fear about them?"
Ying Qiaoqiao was left thoroughly surprised. She recalled the Yin-Yang Sanding Disc skill he'd performed earlier, and indeed it didn't seem to be a skill that could be used in Spirit Stage, so she quickly asked for the details. Fang Xing couldn't give her too many answers, of course, and simply said the old Wanluo had helped him increase his cultivation while gifting him a Foundation Pellet. Fang Xing also said he'd promised the old Wanluo he'd only return once he'd mastered this skill.
Normally, Ying Qiaoqiao would've been confused by Fang Xing's rapid improvement, but she'd had a conversation with her father—Ying Shihou from the Bohai Kingdom—about the detailed background of this "Big Brother Xiaojiu". Ying Shihou had thought she was asking on behalf of the old man Hu Qin, however, so he ended up fabricating a rather obscure background for Fang Xing.
In Ying Qiaoqiao's mind right now, Fang Xing was the disciple of one of Ying Shihou's departed old friends. Filled with vengeance and secrets, it'd been arranged for him to become a servant at the Myriad Beasts Sect as a cover from his enemy, and he ended up following Ying Qiaoqiao into the depths of the Snowy Mountain this time in order to seek out an opportunity for himself. An explanation like this had actually rather perfectly explained some of the questions she'd had.
"Big Brother Xiaojiu, what are your plans now?"
"I've already understood this theory of Dao, so it's only natural I would master this skill in one go!"
"Ok, I will accompany you here, then!"
"It's freezing cold out here, what are you doing accompanying me?"
"I… I just enjoy playing the guzheng for you while you cultivate. I want to give you a lifetime's worth of my playing…" Ying Qiaoqiao courageously spoke her mind while using the guzheng as an excuse. Her words left her face so red it went all the way up to her ears.
Fang Xing smirked when he heard this. "This song does seem to have something, as though it can help one communicate with the heaven and earth. But there's not much use listening to it while cultivating; I'll have to hear you play it for me when I kill people. I'm sure it'll be a miraculous help then!"
Ying Qiaoqiao glanced at him. "Then I will play it for you when you kill for as long as you'd like me to!"
"Good girl!" Fang Xing patted Ying Qiaoqiao's head before looking at her with pity. "If only you knew how to play Eighteen Touches…."
十八摸, the name of a folk song describing the erotic foreplays between a man and a woman.春来楼, literally "spring come house", the name of a brothel. In ancient China, brothels also had prostitutes playing instruments, somewhat similar to the Japanese geisha.