Old friends gathered, and then parted ways in haste.
After we had eaten and drunk our fill, Shui Fang asked us.
"Where are you all headed?"
"We're going to the border of Xizi Country to handle some matters. What about you two?"
Tian Shi replied.
"Ying Lu and I plan to leave Xizi Country tomorrow and explore elsewhere."
Shui Fang said.
"And you?"
Tian Shi asked Yue Jiu Cong.
"I still need to catch up with Sister Liu. I haven't seen her all afternoon, and she's probably waiting anxiously somewhere."
Thinking of how good Brother Yue's relationship was with his fiancée,
Tian Shi couldn't help but laugh.
"Hahaha, I say, old friend, how long will this chasing back and forth go on?
May you be a couple soon, so I can share in your joy."
Yue Jiu Cong waved his hand.
"No rush, no rush."
Tian Shi looked up at the sky outside, seeing that the horizon was gradually dimming.
The sunlight had retreated to the left side of the city.
He suddenly stood up, cupped his hands to everyone, and said,
"Everyone, we shall take our leave. May we meet again."
"So soon?"
Ying Lu had hoped to spend more time with us.
"Indeed, there are some matters that require my personal attention."
Yue Jiu Cong knew that everyone was about to disperse.
He didn't linger, eager to find his Sister Liu, and stood up, saying,
"Then I shall take my leave first."
"Alas!"
Shui Fang and Ying Lu wanted to ask him to stay for a few more drinks.
However, Yue Jiu Cong cupped his hands to them.
Then he leaped out, onto the opposite rooftop, and shouted back before leaving,
"Thank you for your hospitality, Tian Shi. I'll be going now."
"Alas, he's too much in a hurry."
Ying Lu watched Yue Jiu Cong's receding figure, feeling a sense of dissatisfaction.
Now there was no one to drink with.
Tian Shi smiled.
"He's eager for his beloved. If you have someone you care about in the future,
you'll be even more eager than him."
Ying Lu couldn't help but laugh at this.
"I don't know who would fancy me. Among the girls that Shui Fang and I know,
only Mu Ye is more familiar."
I looked at him with a hint of pride.
Tian Shi looked back at Ah Li and me, then at Ying Lu.
With a hint of helplessness, he explained,
"You might be disappointed. Mu Ye already has someone she likes."
Ying Lu smiled slightly and said,
"I know. She likes Ah Li the most."
My carefully guarded little secret was thus revealed by them.
For a moment, Ah Li and I both blushed.
Shui Fang glanced at the two of us and couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Then, Shui Fang cupped his hands and said,
"Mu Ye, Ah Li, Tian Shi, since you are leaving, we shall depart as well."
The three of us also cupped our hands and said,
"Farewell."
Ying Lu said,
"Mu Ye, Ah Li, Tian Shi, may we meet again."
"May we meet again."
Ah Li replied.
"May we meet again."
I also said.
We left the restaurant together and mounted our horses with Tian Shi.
Ying Lu and Shui Fang cupped their hands to us again and said,
"Everyone, take care on your journey."
"Yes, you too."
Tian Shi replied.
With a shout of "Giddy up!", the horses neighed and galloped west.
Shui Fang and Ying Lu watched our receding backs, gradually let go of their thoughts, and turned to leave.
We rode at a gallop, exiting the west city gate and heading west.
The journey to Wang Shan Valley was not far, only two days and two nights.
As the horses stepped onto a flat, low-lying plain, night had just fallen.
Tian Shi slowed the horses, dismounted, and called to us,
"Let's rest here for tonight. We'll continue our journey tomorrow."
"Alright."
Saying this, Ah Li and I dismounted, leading our horses.
Together with Tian Shi, we found a sheltered corner.
At night, a cool wind blew, making it cold, just like the day before.
I let out an involuntary yawn.
Ah Li reached into his embrace and took out a leaf, placing it on me.
It then transformed into a thick piece of clothing.
I was a little surprised and turned my head to ask him,
"Aren't you cold?"
He shook his head, as quiet as ever.
Tian Shi watched from the side, full of envy, and smiled slightly, fiddling with a match.
At this moment, no one spoke, and the surroundings suddenly became silent.
We could only hear the cold wind whistling through the plain, as if blowing from the mountains.
Suddenly, the sound of urgent hoofbeats came from afar.
The sound grew closer and closer. Tian Shi stood up alertly and looked into the distance.
We saw a line of fiery lights, like phantoms, galloping across the plain.
Ah Li and I also stood up to watch.
When the horses drew near, a long whip suddenly fell.
Tian Shi, quick as lightning, stepped forward and grabbed the whip.
Then we heard someone say,
"Who are you? Why are you here?"
It was a woman's voice.
Tian Shi replied,
"We are passing through. I don't know where we have offended you, to be whipped upon arrival?"
The woman said arrogantly,
"This area for a hundred miles around belongs to my Li family."
"As far as I know, the entire Xizi Country belongs to the Lord of Xizi Country.
Since it is the Lord's land, what is wrong with us passing through?"
"You are quibbling."
"I am merely stating facts."
The woman was clearly unconvinced. She dismounted and walked closer.
Only then did I see clearly the woman before me. She was dressed in red, with a clear and beautiful face, and a spoiled expression.
It was evident at a glance that she was the daughter of a wealthy family.
"Give it back to me!"
She was referring to the long whip.
Tian Shi was quite straightforward and flicked it back, throwing it at her.
"You!"
She was slightly angered but had no recourse.
Suddenly, she noticed the two people hiding behind him.
She saw that Ah Li was very unusual, with a fluffy tail and a pair of warm-looking furry ears. She was very curious.
She bypassed Tian Shi and walked to Ah Li's side.
She looked at Ah Li with curious and amused eyes.
She couldn't help but reach out to touch him.
I quickly pulled Ah Li behind me and said to her seriously,
Her brow furrowed slightly, and she asked doubtfully,
"Who are you?"
"My name is Liu Mu Ye."
"Liu Mu Ye? Then who is he?"
She tilted her head and looked at Ah Li, saying,
"His name is Ah Li."
Since she asked, I answered for Ah Li.
"Ah Li, what a cute name. Oh! Why are you so cute? Where do you live?"
She had never seen anyone as cute and special as Ah Li and was very curious.
Tian Shi looked back and casually told her,
"Miss, don't get your hopes up. Ah Li is already taken."
"Taken?"
She clearly didn't understand.
Tian Shi pointed at me and said,
"See? The one he belongs to is right in front of you."
She looked at me doubtfully and asked, confused,
"You, are you his wife?"
I was speechless and shook my head.
"We, we are just, just friends."
"Friends?"
Hearing that they were friends, she didn't think further. She bypassed me and went to Ah Li's side.
With a smile, she asked him,
"Young Master Ah Li, would you like to come home with me?"
Ah!!! So direct!!!
I was stunned for a moment, unsure how Ah Li would answer.
Ah Li smiled faintly and replied,
"I have a home, so I won't be going to your house."
So clever.
"Oh, can I touch your tail?"
Ah Li twitched his tail, grabbed her hand, and touched it, generously saying,
"Then you can touch it."
"Wonderful!"
Having received the desired answer, she was overjoyed. She grabbed it with one hand and rubbed it haphazardly.
I watched from the side. She was clearly just a child.
She was overjoyed and then pointed to her ears.
"That, that, can I touch those too?"
Ah Li nodded slightly, letting her approach. Her hands shot out.
She grabbed his furry ears and rubbed them.
Then, she withdrew her hands, satisfied.
Ah Li then asked her,
"What is your name?"
She grinned and replied,
"Me? My name is Li Qiushui. Qiu from autumn, Shui from water."
Tian Shi then recalled,
"Li Qiushui? Could it be the famous Li family of Xizi Country?"
"Precisely. I didn't expect you to know."
"As a person of Xizi Country, of course I know."
She smiled sweetly, full of joy, and her earlier displeasure vanished.
"Today, I, this young lady, am happy, so I won't hold it against you. I'm going back."
Saying this, she mounted her horse and rode away with a smile.
I watched her receding back, full of doubt.
"This young lady, out in the wilderness in the middle of the night, what is she doing here?"
Tian Shi smiled slightly and said slowly,
"This young lady is accustomed to being spoiled and has no one to manage her. She goes wherever she pleases."
"Wow, so fortunate."
I couldn't help but envy her. What good deeds must she have done in past lives to have such good fortune.
Alas! Thinking of myself, I am either unlucky or on the path to misfortune. I truly envy her.
Living so freely.
Tian Shi stretched and found a place to lean against, then lay down.
Resting his hands behind his head, he looked at Ah Li and me and said,
"We have to get up early to travel tomorrow, so you two should rest early too."
He was right.
Ah Li and I casually found a spot and lay down to rest.
The next morning, as the sun rose, a ray of light fell upon the calm grassland.
A gentle breeze blew, carrying a faint fragrance. Ah Li sneezed and woke from his sleep.
He looked up and saw that Tian Shi had already risen and was by the horses, grooming their manes.
Turning back, he saw that Mu Ye was still asleep and poked him.
He lowered his head slightly and called softly,
"Mu Ye, wake up, it's time to go."
Hearing the call, I rubbed my eyes and woke up groggily.
The moment I opened my eyes, I saw Ah Li. I raised my hand slightly and stroked his furry ears, smiling foolishly.
Ah Li said softly,
"Wake up, we need to go."
"Where is Tian Shi?"
I thought, if he hadn't woken up, I'd sleep a little longer.
Ah Li said,
"Tian Shi is already up. Look, he's grooming the horses over there."
I turned my head to look, and indeed, that was the case.
I rubbed my eyes, struggled to get up, and asked Tian Shi,
"Tian Shi, are we leaving?"
"Yes, hurry over, it's time to go."
He replied.
"Oh."
Ah Li and I slowly walked closer and mounted our horses.
Tian Shi then mounted his horse at a leisurely pace.
With a loud shout of "Giddy up!", he spurred his horse forward.
Ah Li and I also mounted our horses and followed him.
From then on, we rode for a day and a night without rest.
Finally, before dawn on the second day, we arrived before a twin-peaked mountain.
Looking up, the twin peaks were peculiar.
The two mountains were connected, sharp as knives, with a depression in between.
Zhang Tian Shi reined in his horse and looked at the mountain path.
"Wang Shan Valley is up there. The terrain here is too steep to ride a horse.
We can only go on foot."
So, we dismounted and tied our horses by the roadside.
We ascended the winding mountain path. Zhang Tian Shi spoke as we walked,
"This wondrous place can only be seen by those with pure hearts.
Therefore, you must not harbor any evil thoughts, or you will not be able to enter Wang Shan Valley."
I kept his words in mind, not to have any evil thoughts.
Upon reaching the summit, he led us into the depression.
The depression was barren all around, overgrown with weeds, desolate and lonely.
It looked like a place where birds wouldn't even shit.
However, from here, we could see a desert on the other side of the mountain, devoid of human habitation.
The yellowed desert was often swept by gusts of violent wind and sand.
Dyeing the sky yellow.
I asked curiously,
"Where is that?"
Ah Li followed my gaze and saw the desolate desert.
He explained,
"That is the desert."
"The desert? Why does it look like a place with no human trace?"
"Naturally. That is the barren land where evildoers and refugees are exiled."
Tian Shi heard us talking and couldn't help but interject,
"That is also where the followers of the Ten Thousand Ghost King were exiled."
"Why can't I see anyone?"
I felt confused.
"That's because they were exiled to the depths of the desert, and you can't see them from here."
Tian Shi replied, then called us over.
"Come here."
He called us over and asked us to reach out and feel forward.
He reminded us,
"Do not have any distracting thoughts in your mind. Maintain a pure heart."
"Mm."
We nodded slightly, remembering his words.
I reached out, maintaining purity in my heart.
Ah Li closed his eyes slightly, maintaining purity in his heart.
Tian Shi walked behind us and gave us a strong push, sending us into the immortal realm.
"Wow!"
I was amazed by the beautiful scenery before me.
It was spring, with wildflowers blooming everywhere.
A small stream flowed down from a cliff in a nearby valley.
We stood on a rock, taking in the entire Wang Shan Valley.
I even saw a few small, brownish-yellow birds alight on branches and sing softly.
I also saw a few sika deer dart out from the forest and stoop to drink water by the river.
Everything here was as if, as if we had returned to the human world, returned to our own home.
Tian Shi explained the characteristics of Wang Shan Valley to us.
"The biggest characteristic here is that there is one season per day.
Today is spring, tomorrow will be summer, the day after tomorrow will be autumn, and the day after that will be winter."
"How magical."
I exclaimed, surprised that this place was so magical.
Ah Li was also shocked by the beautiful scenery, his eyes full of smiles, looking entranced.
He exclaimed,
"This place is so beautiful, more beautiful than Nanshan."
"Yes."
After the surprise, Ah Li seemed to remember something and asked,
"Tian Shi, where is the eminent monk?"
"The eminent monk does not come in spring. He only comes during the winter solstice and early spring."
Zhang Tian Shi replied.
"Winter solstice and early spring? If it's one season per day, then that's still three days away."
"Yes."
"So, do we have to wait for him in Wang Shan Valley?"
"Yes, we'll wait for him here. The scenery here is lovely.
I think you will all like it here.
Especially Mu Ye."
I didn't expect Tian Shi to guess so accurately. I truly liked this place. It was like paradise.
Beautiful as a painting.
Tian Shi said,
"Alright, you all can play around. I'm going to see an old friend."
"Old friend? Is there anyone else here?"
"Hahaha, no. The sika deer are my friends.
The little yellow birds are also my friends.
These green mountains and clear waters are also my friends."
"Oh, I understand."
This is revisiting an old place, where all things are friends.