📖 Eastern Sea Chronicles

In the Gengyin year, on the last day of August, I sailed to Jiangning Prefecture. Along the banks of the Qinhuai River, flowers and willows flourished, and the gates gleamed like brocade. In the evening, I met with friends, drinking, enjoying music, and discussing poetry and swordsmanship. We were so carefree, we didn't notice the dawn had arrived. To the south of the tavern lies the ancient site of the Taichu Palace from the Three Kingdoms era, which we visited together. "Taichu" signifies the beginning of all things. Sun Quan built the Taichu Palace hoping to leave an eternal legacy, but within a century, it was destroyed by war. Though rebuilt several times, now only ancient trees remain. Commoners and traders pass through Shenlong Hall. Looking east to Zhongshan and north to Xuanwu, the mountains surround and the waters embrace, hiding spiritual energy. At the center stands the Gongche Gate, flanked by the Azure Dragon Gate to the east, White Tiger Gate to the west, and Xuanwu Gate to the north, aligning Heaven and Earth. My friend mentioned that the geomantic design was crafted by Liu Lingye of Mirror Sky Pavilion, and while the area spans a hundred zhang without high platforms, it still evokes the image of soaring dragons and flying phoenixes. I once read about Liu Lingye, the junior of Shuijing, mentor to Zhuge Liang, known as Master Lingjing, a master of Yin and Yang. After the Battle of Chibi, Sun Quan, wary of Zhuge Liang's brilliance, frequently visited the Liu family, offering power and status to persuade Liu Lingye to assist him. When Sun Quan became Emperor, the Liu family controlled Mirror Sky Pavilion, gaining great influence. Seeing my continued interest, my friend and I walked five miles to the old Liu residence east of the city. The grand gates were decayed, the painted beams faded, and the building deserted. We spoke with an old servant, who shared a few words about the rivalry between the two palaces. In the past, Mirror Sky Pavilion had supported Crown Prince Sun He, but after his dethronement, the pavilion declined. With the fall of Eastern Wu, to preserve the Liu family, they fled to the Eastern Sea. As the great mansion crumbled, even the once-proud family had to leave their homeland. Power struggles were more dangerous than the clash of swords. My heart grew heavy. In a world like this, where can one find refuge?

Last night, the mountains and rivers entered my dreams. Cold sweat soaked my inner garments. The seats in Mirror Sky Pavilion's main hall were freezing to the bone. The strategist in the pavilion knelt at your feet, murmuring like a chant: "Young Master, Sima Yan is preparing for war, watching us like a tiger. We must remain vigilant. If we can steal the mechanical Eight Trigrams secret from Baidi City, the Wu Kingdom will have a chance to fight. Young Master, everything hinges on this. Don't forget the Pavilion Master's instructions." You were speechless, your hands gripping the carved armrest, nodding in silence. Since childhood, when the Pavilion Master instructed you to study, you studied; when told to practice martial arts, you did so. The expectations of your family and sect weighed heavily on you, leaving no room for other thoughts, except in the quiet of night when you would play a few tunes to soothe your worries. A pair of hands, rough with calluses yet as cold as snow, rested on your furrowed brow. You opened your eyes to see a young man in white gazing at you with concern. You sat up. "Purity, you're here." He wrote in your palm, "Another nightmare?" You nodded, and before you could explain, Purity seemed to remember something and grabbed your wrist, signaling for you to follow him. He led you through the city center. Baidi City was filled with traps and heavily guarded, but the moment the guards saw Purity, the adopted son of the city lord, they obediently opened the gates. No one dared stop him. You ran across the blue bricks, your footsteps echoing through narrow alleys, resonating like bells and drums. The wind carried fine rain, the mist obscured your view, and for a brief moment, you felt as though you'd returned to Jiangnan. Exiting the alley and climbing stairs, you came to a grand hall at the end of the winding path. You realized this was Crouching Dragon Pavilion. Steeling yourself, you and Purity used Windstride to leap onto the roof. He traced figures in the air with his finger, watching the people of the city pass by. It brought a sense of peace, easing the mind. Though Purity could not speak, he understood your thoughts better than anyone else. You forced a smile and absentmindedly replied. The "Strategy for Northern Expeditions," written by Zhuge Liang and summarizing the mechanical arts of the Mo and Lu schools, was said to be hidden in Crouching Dragon Pavilion. This was your true purpose for coming. He turned to you, his gaze clear and unwavering, reflecting the streets and alleys of Baidi City in his eyes, untouched by the world's impurities. The ridge beast on the roof gently nudged your hand, as though advising or urging. The rise and fall of the nation might depend on this thought, and you only needed a reason to distract him... Purity trusted you completely, seeing you as a confidant. To him, you were simply a young master from an ordinary family, dissatisfied with the path of fame laid before you, and had left home to travel. He thought your meeting was by chance, by fate, unaware that everything had been planned from the start. You had hidden beneath the stone platform where he usually played the zither, and soon, the music rang out clear, vast, like blossoms flying in the snow. You followed the sound, seeing the blossoms swirling around with the ethereal zither music, the cold moonlight shifting with the melody, ever-changing, serene but not sorrowful. As the final note faded, you sighed, "How mournful the wind, on the ridge of the phoenix." He turned back with a smile, pointed at you, and gestured in his palm. Without bothering to use a false name, you wrote two words in his palm: Jing Feng.

Upon returning to the Crouching Dragon Pavilion, just as you were about to close the door, Master Zhu slipped in quietly, his voice low and urgent: "Tonight is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Why hesitate?" You replied, "He's been at my side every step. I couldn't make a move." Zhu fell silent, then said, "You don't actually think of yourself as that adopted son's confidant, do you? If you can't bear to act... then let this old servant do it." Startled, you quickly shook your head, swearing that you've never once forgotten the cause of Wu. Master Zhu held your gaze for a long, silent moment, then nodded and leapt out the window, vanishing into the night. Three days later, Master Zhu was caught triggering a trap while trying to steal the Strategy for Northern Expeditions. Purity and the city lord interrogate him. Just as the city lord raises his hand to give the execution order "Wait! Don't shoot!" You arrived, breathless. Master Zhu once served Mirror Sky Pavilion. I can't let him die here. Master Zhu, long silent, suddenly roared the moment he saw you. "Young master, go! Do what you must! My life means nothing!" Purity turned slowly, calm as ever, as if everything was unfolding exactly as he expected. But in his eyes you saw it a shimmer of sorrow. You thought he must be utterly disappointed; what did it matter if your music resonated when lies of status, a fallen nation, and betrayed sincerity stood between you? Yet he still mouthed the words, "Melody of nature, a rare kindred soul." The wind howls atop the city walls. Dust stings your eyes. You let out a long sigh and release the sword in your hand. You agreed to a fair and open contest, with the winner taking the tomes from the Crouching Dragon Pavilion. On the chosen day, the skies were clear and the dawn glows like fire. You put everything on the line, setting your Stellar Formation on Phoenix Terrace, waiting for Wuchen just like the day you first met. He arrived, jade zither in hand, wide sleeves fluttering in the breeze. Step by step, he walked straight into your killing formation. He held his breath, calmed his spirit, and gazed straight at you as if looking through you, to something far beyond.

As September dawned, I retraced past journeys westward a thousand miles, upstream along the river, reaching Baidi City. Its structures felt familiar, requiring no maps or guides to navigate. Every detail matched dreams. Sighing at karmic threads, I trekked five barren miles to the cliffs beyond the city. Biography of Eastern Wu Figures records Gaotai's battle: Purity's melodies channeled Inner Force to crush Liu Jingfeng. Hearing Eastern Wu's irreversible fall, Liu, severed by despair, leapt to his death. His lament, woven into cliff winds, still whispers through time. I stood transfixed, tears streaming unwiped. Dawn broke as if lifetimes had passed. All worldly forms illusions: moon on water, flowers in mirrors. Truth and fiction merge as Zhuangzi's dream of butterflies.

Oct 1, traveled fifty miles from Linhai County to Ying Archipelago, then another ten miles to Mirror Archipelago. Few visit this place; the islanders were astonished. I truthfully explained my presence, and they treated me with courtesy. When asked about past dreams, I answered them all. Purity later founded the Celestune sect, spreading the art of the zither, while descendants of the Mirror Sky Pavilion moved to Mirror Archipelago, leading the Eastern Sea islands and bringing prosperity to the people a fortunate turn of events. Strolling along the shore, I witnessed the Eastern Sea tide rise, surging waves swallowing the sky and sun. I deeply felt that humans are like ants, achievements like grains of sand. Here, I built houses and boats, seeking seclusion from the world. Having spent half of my life traveling and exploring mountains and rivers, I compiled what I learned throughout the journey into the Eastern Sea Chronicles to aid those at crossroads. Past events concluded, I sailed the sea, abandoning desires for fame and fortune, discarding thoughts of right and wrong, victory and defeat. I entrusted my spirit to the vastness of Heaven and Earth, unconcerned with direction, following the waves. The frightened pigeons finally found peace, and the exhausted fish gained eternal joy.