The Cliff of Self-Sacrifice

　　   The Cliff of Self-Sacrifice is full of jagged rocks and towers thousands of feet high. From top to bottom, it is covered in dark-hued stone. The upper edge of the cliff juts out precariously over the void; the middle sections of the rock seem to cower inward; some rocks even sink abruptly inward, revealing deep hidden caves within the cliffs. In the crevices of the black rocks, wild shrubs with twisted branches grow everywhere—some trees are so thick they thrust sideways through the mist. Looking down from above, the depth is unfathomable, the cliffs appear ready to split apart, and the ancient trees loom eerily, making one’s head spin and heart race.

　　   Legend has it that there used to be a narrow, winding stone path on the Cliff of Self-Sacrifice, connecting the top and bottom. It spiraled down all the way to the Immortal Cave of Guiguzi. That slender trail was so narrow that only one person could pass through at a time, like a suspended ribbon dancing in the clouds and mist. In the past, it was a path once walked by Guiguzi himself. Now, no one can see it anymore.

　　   Midway up the Cliff of Self-Sacrifice lies a cave. According to elders, it is called the Scripture Cave, where Guiguzi, Su Qin, and Zhang Yi were said to have stored their books. In the early 1950s, two bamboo cutters from Zhenba County once ventured into that cave. Inside, they found many bamboo slips inscribed with text, which they burned for warmth.

　　   The Cliff of Self-Sacrifice rises a thousand zhang high, its depths immeasurable, with hanging rocks and hidden caves, and ancient trees looming eerily in the shadows. Beneath the cliff, clouds and mist churn endlessly all day long, shrouding everything in mystery and leaving one to wonder what secrets still lie hidden below.