Night of the Broken Gliph

Four Seasons Heaven, Imperial Sunset Palace and Blazing Skies Mountain were the most powerful organisations in the North. 

The northern part of the continent was known for its nasty climate that was unsuitable for survival; the further north you went, the colder it was. However, the North Pole was home to a natural volcano that emitted great heat, making the area a few kilometres around it burning hot. On discovering this bizarre phenomenon, a powerful ancient cultivator set up a sect at its top, naming it Blazing Skies Mountain. 

Unlike Blazing Skies Mountain, Four Seasons Heaven was located closer to South, on the Four Seasons Mountain that towered over the clouds. The climate on the mountain was special; the warmth of spring, burning summer, autumn breeze and the cold of winter could occur on the same day. This gave the Four Seasons Mountain its name. 

Another sect was situated in the center of the North, surrounded by the Spiky Tree Woods. The woods acted as a natural defence, and further in was a thousand-year-old poisonous pond, poisonous enough to kill even three-chambered gliphers. 

It was a dangerous zone, but a powerful cultivator still established his sect here and built a magnificent range of palaces which was hidden within colourful fog and could only be discovered from a bird’s-eye view. And this sect was the well-known Imperial Sunset Palace.

Inside the Imperial Sunset Palace stood a courtyard with a pavilion outside. Colourful silk gauze hung down from the pavilion. 

A woman sat within the pavilion, practising her embroidery with a smile. This was her way of cultivating. This woman was the most famous embroidery master of the whole continent when she was younger. 

Her beautiful fingers lit up as they worked, controlling more than a thousand silver needles at the same time. 

Szz…

The sound of her silver needles made even a three-chambered glipher nervous. In the blink of an eye, an embroidered picture appeared on the silk gauze. Over a hundred metres long, the silk gauze floated in the air. A beautiful and majestic scenery slowly appeared. The raving beauty took a look and shook her head, smiling lightly. She waved her hands as the silk gauze vanished into thin air. 

Just as she was about to return to the pavilion, her eyes turned sharp. “Who is it?” 

As soon as she spoke, thousands of silver needles sliced space open as she appeared at the entrance of her courtyard instantly. 

There stood a boy, and in front of him were countless silver needles that could kill a four-chambered state glipher with a single strike. The needles together looked just like a mirror that sent shivers down one’s spine when looking at it. 

But the boy was unfazed. 

He might be a young boy whose height was roughly one hundred and fifty centimetres. He looked ordinary, but it seemed as if he had experienced all life had to offer. The beauty waved her hands as the needles vanished. At the same time, she appeared in front of the boy, frowning slightly as she scanned him. “Little kid, where are you from?” 

The boy stared at her seriously, looking like he couldn’t understand her. After a short moment, he pointed to the woods at the mountain’s base. That was the first layer of natural protection of the Imperial Sunset Palace, the Spiky Tree Woods. 

Confusion fell over the beauty’s face as she looked at the young boy whose eyes and expressions spoke a thousand words. 

Such an odd child. Is he deaf or mute? 

“How did you arrive here?” 

They were currently situated within the deepest part of the palace; one needed to cross the Spiky Tree Woods, Rainbow Cloud Pond and her Thousand Mile Layered Yarn that she made personally. Even a five-chambered glipher wouldn’t be able to do this without alerting her. 

The boy looked at her confusedly. 

“How did you get here?” The boy piqued the beauty’s interest as she tried to convey her question physically. If anyone of the Imperial Sunset Palace saw her in this manner, they would surely be fascinated. 

As if finally understanding her, the boy pointed towards another direction which made her face change. 

The boy was pointing towards the door, the passage of the Thousand Mile Layered Yarn. She turned back towards him, extremely intrigued. “Such an interesting fellow, but it’s such a pity that you’re mute. Little boy, are you interested in learning martial arts with this elder sister?” 

“Ahh…” The boy let out an indistinct sound, trying to convey his message that he didn’t understand. He sounded sore, just like rusty weapons scratching against each other. He was frustrated as he didn’t have a language to communicate with others. Since this was the first time he came across another human, the boy was determined to make the other party teach him how to reach and write. He nodded and gestured in the air.  

“So you don’t understand my language.” The beauty finally understood. 

A famous rumour of the palace then came to her mind. There were sayings that the ron-armed ape living in the Spiky Tree Woods which turned powerful due to a variation, always had a human child following it.  

So that’s him? Is he a genius, or is it just a coincidence that he broke through my Thousand Mile Layered Yarn with just a glance? 

“Okay, let elder sister teach you then. Let’s give you a name first… Hmm…You’ll take my surname, Man.” 

She would have never expected that it was his original surname too. 

His name was Man Yee Ho.