Burgeon Valley, the strangest and most dazzling place in the world.
Spring had yet to arrive, but a thin mist already drifted through the valley. Blossoms in shades of pink and white, indigo, and gold twined together, climbing from the valley floor to the cliff tops. The flowers grew with wild abandon. Their petals were as thin as a cicada's wings, yet could hold the morning dew, shimmering like colored glass in the gloom, as if the world had poured all the beauty it had gathered into this place.
Hua Jin stood at the mouth of the valley. A little dirt clung to his plain white hemp shoes, and the mountain wind stirred his moon-white robe. Golden blossoms embroidered on its hem swirled with his movements, mingling with the real flowers in the valley. His golden crown was simple, yet a faint Buddhist radiance seemed to flow around it. A vermilion mark between his brows stood out against his pale skin, lending him an air of detachment from the mortal world.
“This Burgeon Valley certainly suits my name,” Hua Jin said with a soft laugh. His clear voice startled several colorful birds, which fluttered over the flower beds. He had entered the mortal world this time to investigate the “surge of demonic aura.” A secret Buddhist text had sounded the alarm: demonic energy was roiling around Burgeon Valley, seemingly on the verge of breaking free from its seal.
He had barely gone a hundred steps into the valley when a strange fragrance washed over him, so cloying it made his head swim. Hua Jin activated the Buddhist Heart-Cleansing Art and spread his spiritual sense like a net. He saw the flower branches thrashing and petals flying like blades, weaving a barrier before him. He remained unruffled, gathering Buddhist light at his fingertips and shaping it into a golden lotus. With a gentle turn, the sharp petals dissolved in its radiance.
“There's something to this place,” Hua Jin said, raising an eyebrow as he moved lightly farther in.
He reached a pool of clear water. Its surface reflected twisted flower shadows, and faint wails could be heard rising from within.
