Su Yi and Qing Wan proceeded northwest under the cover of darkness.

Throughout their journey, they heard nothing but the chirping of crickets, the rustling of leaves, and the occasional bestial howl. They didn’t run into any other ghosts.

Su Yi naturally understood why.

When a tiger went out for a stroll, all other beasts got out of its way.

To the various low-class ghosts roaming the mountains, Qing Wan’s aura was like a tiger’s; it was more than enough to send them scampering off in terror.

However, it was difficult for a bashful girl like Qing Wan to make such a mental connection.

They traveled northwest for an hour.

A patch of multi-colored mists rose within the darkness. From a distance, it looked like silk ribbons floating down to the mortal world. The sight was particularly eye-catching at night.

The rainbow mists covered a peach orchard that stretched as far as the eye could see.

Before they even drew close, Qing Wan stopped in her tracks, then exclaimed, “Mystic Master, that powerful yin energy is deep inside the peach orchard, but I can sense another terrifying presence within the woods. It seems like it's specifically designed to counter yin souls like me.”

Su Yi stared for a moment. Then, his eyes lit up with a strange light, and he whispered, “Here, yin harbors yang. Yang conceives yin, and yin gives rise to yang. This is actually a natural ‘Yin-Yang polarity land.’ No wonder the woods give off such a dense Peachblossom Miasma.”

The colorful mists looked bright and beautiful, but they contained one of the most deadly poisons in the world. It was known as Peachblossom Miasma.

The miasma would invade the body of any living thing that drew near, melting them into nothing but a pile of pus.

Suddenly, Su Yi laughed. “If I’m not mistaken, in addition to the inauspicious yin spirit vein I’ve been searching for, there’s also a Pure Yang Fire Peach Tree with its roots planted directly in the spirit vein!”

He understood.

Even if the Six-Severings Yin Corpse knew the inauspicious yin spirit vein was buried here, there was no way he’d dare approach the peach orchard.

The reason was simple: the pure yang aura of the Fire Peaches was a natural counter to wicked creatures like him!  

“To produce such dense Peachblossom Miasma, that Fire Peach Tree has to be at least five hundred years old. Both its fruit and its heartwood are tier-four. Within the Great Zhou Dynasty, that’s extremely rare!”

When he realized this, Su Yi inwardly celebrated that he hadn’t left earlier. Otherwise, he would likely have missed this grand stroke of fortune.

“Hold this piece of bamboo in your hand.” Su Yi took out two bamboo talismans. He kept one for himself, then passed the other to Qing Wan.

The bamboo was inscribed with a basic mark called a “Cloth-Cleansing Inscription.” When you held it in your hand, it warded off filth and the taint of wicked creatures. It could protect you from toxins, miasma, and corpse poison. It was one of the treasures Su Yi had prepared specifically for their journey into Mother Ghost Ridge.

When Qing Wan held her talisman, her keen senses picked up on threads of clean energy flowing around her, like gentle breezes. It was indescribably comfortable. 

The two of them immediately proceeded toward the peach grove.

Whoosh~!

The lustrous, rainbow mists of Peachblossom Miasma receded like the tides before reaching them, unable to draw any closer. It was an amazing sight.

Even Qing Wan couldn’t help but exclaim to herself, The Mystic Master’s methods really are indescribably wondrous.

The incomparably toxic Peachblossom Miasma cleared a path for them, so their journey was smooth and uninhibited. They walked for a few more miles until suddenly, Su Yi paused.

In the distance, he saw a tree that emitted a radiance as bright and red as flame. It lit up the night sky, dazzling to the extreme.

The tree wasn’t large; it was only about ten feet tall. Its branches curved like an umbrella of jade-green leaves. Each individual leaf flowed with halos of verdant light.

The trunk was about as thick as a human wrist, and the bark looked like a dragon’s scales.

That surging, fiery light originated from the tree. Even from a distance, it gave off a burning sensation, much like staring directly into the sun. 

“Yin alone cannot grow, and yang alone cannot create. In this Yin-Yang polarity land, only the inauspicious yin vein could give rise to a Pure Yang Fire Peach Tree of this level….” Su Yi felt great.

It was fair to say that all of his gains from this journey combined paled in comparison to this single peach tree!

Especially since there was an inauspicious yin spirit vein beneath it. That was no less valuable than the tree.

“Mystic Master, that peach tree’s power is too scary. I… I don’t dare get any closer….” Qing Wan was still far away from it, but she was trembling, anxiety written all over her pretty little face.

Peach wood was a natural counter for ghosts.

Each time the common folk welcomed a new year, they’d carve peachwood talismans and place them above their doors to ward off evil, calamity, and ghosts of all kinds. 

But this Pure Yang Fire Peach Tree was no ordinary peach wood; it was a tier-four spiritual material, brimming with power. How could any ghost endure it?

If Qing Wan could cultivate to the “phantasm” level and step into the Origin Dao, she would no longer need to fear such spiritual materials. 

“You can just remain here,” said Su Yi, proceeding on his own. He could already tell that this Pure Yang Fire Peach Tree was eight hundred years old, far older than his initial estimate.

Furthermore, peaches red as flames dangled beneath the leaves, like radiant miniature suns. They were only dimly discernable beneath the cover of jade-green leaves.

But when Su Yi drew near, his pupils suddenly constricted.

That was because he saw a stone stele embedded in the dirt beside the Fire Peach Tree. 

The words “This stele was left by Ge Changling. No one is to approach. Anyone who does shall be summarily executed!” were written on its surface.

The characters were with vigorous strokes and fine details, and they emanated a solemn killing intent.

Ge Changling? Su Yi furrowed his brow. The name sounded a bit familiar; he dimly recalled hearing it during his first seventeen years in this body. However, he still couldn’t quite recall who that was.

But that didn’t stop him from realizing that Ge Changling had long since discovered the Pure Yang Fire Peach Tree, and furthermore, that he saw it as his private property. The sign was a warning for others to stay away.

“Spiritual lifeforms like this are born of heaven and nourished in earth. Are they yours just because you say they are?” Su Yi sneered and shook his head, disregarding the warning completely.

But when he approached, the leaves shook. Fiery light condensed within the branches, outlining a short, stumpy figure.

The dwarf looked like a child, but his hair and eyebrows were white with age, and his eyes were bright green.

As soon as he appeared, he shouted, “Young man, didn’t you see the words written on that stone stele? Leave right this instant! Or else, don’t blame this old man for killing you on the spot!”

Both his words and expression were harsh.

But Su Yi merely glanced at him inquisitively. “And here I almost took you seriously. It turns out you’re nothing but a teensy little nature spirit!”

The dwarf was stunned, then he roared, “What a mouth you’ve got on you! You dare look down on me?”

Su Yi suddenly stepped forward, his eyes flashing with terrifyingly cold light. He stared directly at the dwarf and said flatly, “Even someone who’d cultivated into a yao emperor wouldn’t dare be so impudent before me. You’re nothing but a puny little nature spirit. Who the hell do you think you are?”

When he met Su Yi’s gaze, the dwarf felt his soul palpitate. Indescribable terror coursed through him, as if a divine monarch were bearing down on him. He quivered in fright, then fell from the tree with a thud. He lay there, sprawled in the dirt, unable to get back up. 

“Mystic Master, forgive me! Forgive me!” The dwarf lowered his head and begged for mercy, trembling from head to toe. He looked as if he were about to collapse.

A mere thread of the Sword of the Nine Hell’s aura scared him this badly? No wonder that, despite countless years, few figures of note have emerged from the ranks of nature spirits. Su Yi inwardly shook his head.

He put his hands behind his back, then turned his attention to the Fire Peach Tree. “Get up. So long as you answer a few questions honestly, I’ll forgive your earlier display of poor manners.”

“Thank you for sparing my life!” The dwarf kowtowed repeatedly. Only then did he dare get back up.

Su Yi pointed to the words on the stone stele. “Who is this Ge Changling guy?”

“Mystic Master, Ge Changling is one of the nine ‘non-Zhou’ kings, the ‘Sea-Swallowing King.’ He’s in the Anāsrava Realm. When he first came here thirty years ago, he was already publicly recognized as one of the dynasty’s ten Xiantian Martial Ancestors,” Said the dwarf respectfully.

Anāsrava was the last of the Four Realms of the Martial Dao. Reaching it meant stepping into the ranks of “xiantian”, or “precelestial” cultivators. This represented a full-body metamorphosis, akin to rebirth.

Thus, such cultivators were known as “Xiantian Martial Ancestors.” 

Setting aside those so-called “Earthly Immortals”, Xiantian Martial Ancestors were the strongest experts the Great Zhou had to offer.

As he said this, the dwarf snuck a glance at Su Yi, only to discover that he seemed perfectly calm, as if he didn’t care in the least. Su Yi’s casual composure made the dwarf’s heart shake.

This youth made it here easily, and his aura was so terrifying earlier. Now, he doesn’t even seem afraid of a Xiantian Martial Ancestor. Then he… Just how terrifying of an existence is he?

“This Ge Changling guy didn’t just cut the tree down. Was that because he planned to come back periodically and pluck the Fire Peaches? Does he plan to use them as a medicinal foundation for his attempt to break into the Origin Dao?'' asked Su Yi.

The dwarf said hurriedly, “Mystic Master, your eyes are bright as torches. The Sea-Swallowing King once said that Fire Peaches were born of heaven and nourished by the earth, and that they were rare treasures. Cutting the tree down would be like desecrating a divine treasure. That’s why he left that stone stele to warn people from coming too close.”

He paused, then continued, “The Fire Peach Tree flowers and fruits once every ten years. Each time, it will produce nine Fire Peaches. Judging by the time, the Sea-Swallowing King will visit to pick the fruit within the year.”

Su Yi smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “You’re saying that if I pick the peaches, I’ll offend the Sea-Swallowing King? Should I take that as a warning?”

The dwarf was so scared, his lips quivered. “I wouldn’t dare! Mystic Master, please don’t misunderstand!”

Su Yi rubbed his chin, then looked over the fruit. “How many of the fruits currently on the tree are ripe?”

“Three,” said the dwarf honestly. “The other six still need time to mature. It’ll be at least half a year until they’re ready.”

Su Yi furrowed his brow, then sighed. “Fine, then. You can just go fetch the three ripe Fire Peaches.”

I really came at the wrong time. If the Fire Peaches aren’t ripe, they’re tier-two spiritual medicines at most—not worth much at all.

“Uh….” The dwarf hesitated, then whispered, “Mystic Master, this humble one dares not offend you, but I dare not offend the Sea-Swallowing King either. How….”

Su Yi walked right up to the stone stele and shook his wrist. Mortal Edge emerged from its sheath, and he used the blade like a writing brush. After a few quick swishes and scattered stone fragments, a line of text appeared on the stele:

“On the fourth day of the second month of the Great Zhou’s calendar, Su Yi took three Fire Peaches and left.”

The words were clear and elegant, yet they surged with power.

Su Yi then returned his sword to its sheath and looked at the dwarf. “If Ge Changling shows up, just show him the words on the stele.”

The dwarf sighed in relief, then bowed gratefully. “Thank you for your understanding, Mystic Master. This old man will go pick your peaches now.”

Poof!

He vanished, then reappeared above the tree.

Before long, he’d plucked three lustrous Fire Peaches, each glowing with spirituality. They were about the size of a fist, bright red and translucent, with an enticing, fruity aroma. The smell alone soothed the nerves and calmed the heart.

Su Yi took out three jade boxes, then placed one peach into each box and sealed them away.    

Then, he pointed to the ground beneath the tree. “I’m here for the inauspicious yin spirit vein too. I’ll have to trouble you to remove it for me.”

It was just one sentence, but the dwarf felt as if he’d been struck by lightning. He wanted to cry, but he had no tears. 

This was no “mystic master.” This was obviously a demon king hellbent on ransacking the place!

TLDR I’m going with the pinyin “yao” over the common translation “demon.” 

It seems the most common translation for 妖, “yao” is “demon”, and a part of me is like “well, if ‘demon’ is good enough for -insert translator I admire-, it’s good enough for me”.

But another part of me is like “yeah, but come on. A tree or stone or cat that obtains sentience is not the least bit ‘demonic’ and if readers of Japanese content can handle the word ‘youkai’, readers of Chinese content can handle ‘yao/yaoguai.’”

Also, “Demon” has specific connotations I’d just as soon avoid, especially since there may or may not be actual demons (魔) in this novel. Are there? We’ll just have to wait and see. ;) 

I think “spirit” is closer in feel to the Chinese word “yao”, but I use spirit in eight million other unrelated terms already. I think I’m going to do is use “yao” as an overarching term for this whole broad category of creatures, and “spirit” for individual varieties, ie “fox spirits.” Like, "I saw a yao, I think it was a fox spirit." 

Is that confusing? I hope not, but if you think so, feel free to tell me in the comments. I’m reasonably well-versed in these novels and their tropes by now, but I’m not as well-versed in their translation conventions since I generally read these things raw. I’m happy to just make decisions on my own, but I’m open to reader feedback and constructive criticism, too. If you object, don't be shy!

BTW, the word I’m translating as “nature spirit” is 精怪, which is a bit more specific, and doesn’t contain the character “yao.” Su Yi’s remark about yao emperors implies that “nature spirits” are either a subset of yao, or that they have the potential to become yao through cultivation.