*Clang! Clang!*… Little Rascal pounded with all his might, yet his arms ached fiercely. For someone who could wield over a hundred thousand pounds of force with a single arm, this was utterly baffling. The ground was littered with stone dust—remnants of shattered bluestone. Without hesitation, he leaped down, hauled over a bronze cauldron from the courtyard, perched atop the old man’s neck, and resumed his relentless hammering. The scene resembled a blacksmith’s forge, ringing with metallic clashes and spraying sparks. Yet neither the skull nor the ancient sword budged an inch, unscathed and terrifyingly immovable.
Little Rascal scratched his head in disbelief. “This is too sturdy!” With a mighty heave of his arms—each capable of earth-shaking force—he still couldn’t pry it loose. The relentless *clangs* and flying sparks yielded no progress. “Old man, this sword in your head must be a supreme treasure artifact! If I pull it out, do I really have to return it?!” He nearly drooled at the thought.
In the distance, a group of youths gaped at his antics. Though they couldn’t see the elder, they understood exactly what he was doing. *This kid’s audacity is off the charts! And he’s actually scheming to keep that ancient sword?! Who thinks about treasure when their life’s on the line?!*
Unaware of the ancient legend—the lingering shadow of a supernatural curse—Little Rascal fearlessly hammered away, determined to wrench the sword free.
“Uh-oh, the old geezers are here,” he muttered, glancing back. Glowing beast hides, shimmering ancient horns, and radiant vines carried a flock of elders soaring toward him. At the forefront was Tao Ye, clutching a golden gourd swirling with primordial chaos, as if it could swallow heaven and earth.
Little Rascal didn’t want attention—his identity might be exposed—but he was stuck with this sword-pierced elder. As the group landed, their jaws dropped. *Who is this kid?! A deity in disguise?!* He was *riding* the legendary entity’s neck, pounding away like a madman! Never in history had anyone dared such disrespect toward this ancient horror.
“Am I hallucinating? Who *is* this brazen brat?!”
As the elders approached, Little Rascal tensed, clutching the sword and refusing to dismount. “What do you want?!” he demanded, eyes narrowed.
The elders exchanged baffled glances. *We’re here to save you, yet you’re acting like* we’re *the villains?!*
“That sword you’re holding—” one elder began.
“Mine! I found it!” Little Rascal hugged the blade protectively.
The elders nearly facepalmed. *This kid’s greed is legendary. You’re trying to steal from* death *itself?!*
Tao Ye coughed. “You misunderstand. We don’t want the sword. We’re here to *save* you.”
“Then speak,” Little Rascal said warily, one hand on the sword, the other lifting the cauldron for another round of hammering—clearly racing against time.
The elders groaned. *This kid’s shamelessness feels eerily familiar…*
“Stop that! No one’s stealing it!” Elder Xiong Fei barked, pale-faced. But Little Rascal ignored him, swinging the cauldron with thunderous force, making everyone’s hearts skip a beat. *This brat’s strength is monstrous!*
Elder Zhuo Yun grimly explained the ancient curse: an unsolved mystery shrouded in death, claiming lives—especially geniuses—for centuries.
“Wait, it *kills* people? Mostly talents?!” Little Rascal froze, the cauldron crashing to the ground. In a flash, he leaped onto Zhuo Yun, clinging like a koala.
“What are you doing?!” Zhuo Yun paled. Touching the cursed entity meant *death*—even for elders!
“I *gift* you the sword! Save me, Elder!” Little Rascal swung from his neck.
“I—don’t *want* it!” Zhuo Yun stammered, too proud to admit his terror before 3,000 youths.
Noticing his fear, Little Rascal promptly switched to Xiong Fei’s back, strangling him in a panic.
“By the Guardian Spirit!” Xiong Fei’s face turned green. *This brat’s faster than a phantom!* He felt the icy presence of the corpse looming inches away.
“Elder, don’t move! Your head’s almost touching its face,” Little Rascal “helpfully” warned.
Xiong Fei cursed inwardly. *This demon child’s going to get me killed!*
The elders herded the crowd away, then escorted Little Rascal—still glued to Xiong Fei—to the grand ancient hall. Xiong Fei shuffled backward, feeling the corpse’s chilling breath. *Why me?! This is worse than the Void God Realm’s brat!*
The hall, radiant with embedded spirit stones and primal bone inscriptions, dazzled Little Rascal. *So many treasures… I could grab a hammer and—*
“Sit,” an elder commanded.
As the group settled, the hall’s brilliance faded into austere simplicity—a metaphor for the sect’s philosophy: glory fades, truth endures.
Tao Ye, cradling his gourd, broke the silence. “The Hundred Shattered Mountains will soon reopen. That’s why *he* has appeared again.”
“This time, *he* bypassed the elite disciples and chose… *this* one,” another elder mused, eyeing Little Rascal.
“Boy, do you want to live?” Tao Ye smiled.
“Why would I *die*?!” Little Rascal tightened his grip on Xiong Fei, who wheezed.
“Ease up!” Xiong Fei hissed, then stiffened. *Wait—that strength… Could it be…*
“To survive, you must retrieve *his* sword from the Hundred Shattered Mountains,” Tao Ye said. “All who failed… perished.”
“But the sword’s *in his skull*!”
“No. That’s his *enemy’s* blade. His own lies in the mountains.”
“What *are* these mountains?”
“A place where ancient saints wept and bled,” Tao Ye said solemnly.
“*What?!* No way I’m going!” Little Rascal shook his head violently.
“Refuse, and you *will* die. None have ever survived denying *him*.”
Little Rascal’s eyes bulged. *What kind of monster did I provoke?!*
“But the mountains now hold great fortune,” Tao Ye added. “We planned to send prodigies like Shi Yi, the human emperor’s daughter, or descendants of ancient beasts. Yet *he* chose *you*.”
“I’m *not* going!” Little Rascal scowled.
“You’d reject this? Even pure-blooded dragons and gluttons fight for entry!”
“No *way*!”
—
**Note**: The translation preserves the humor, tension, and cultural nuances while adapting idioms and metaphors for an English fantasy audience. Key terms (e.g., “Hundred Shattered Mountains”) are rendered evocatively, and the protagonist’s mischievous tone (“Little Rascal”) remains consistent. The elders’ exasperation and the supernatural dread are amplified for dramatic effect.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage