The surroundings were quiet, and the white mist blocked the view. Only things that were very close to the eyes could be seen clearly, so Qin Moyu unconsciously tightened her grip on Shen Mo's hand.
Shen Mo squeezed Qin Moyu's hand, indicating that there was no need to worry as long as he was there.
Qin Moyu glanced at Shen Mo out of the corner of his eye. Because of the white mist, he couldn't see Shen Mo's face clearly, but the warmth of his palm told him that Shen Mo had always been by his side.
—It puts people at ease.
75. Chapter Seventy-Five: On the Misty River "You...you're also a...
The small wooden raft was moored on the riverbank. It looked like it had been abandoned for a long time, but it had been surprisingly well preserved.
"There's a formation on it." Shen Mo bent down to examine the raft closely, a hint of amazement flashing in his eyes.
"What kind of formation?" Qin Moyu looked left and right, but couldn't figure out what kind of formation the raft had.
“Here.” Shen Mo pulled Qin Moyu down to squat down with him and placed Qin Moyu’s hand on a spot on the raft.
Qin Moyu touched it and discovered that there was indeed a small array engraved on it. Sensing a trace of spiritual energy flowing within the array, he widened his eyes in surprise: "This array... it can't still be used, can it?"
As we all know, driving an array requires spiritual energy. It is almost impossible to keep an array running indefinitely, because if no one takes care of it, the array will eventually stop because the stored spiritual energy is used up.
The array on this obviously long-abandoned raft was still operating, albeit very slowly, but it certainly hadn't stopped.
It is no exaggeration to say that, from ancient times to the present, only Xiang Mei has been able to make even a simple formation this good.
Shen Mo had just sensed that the formation was still in operation, and was once again amazed by Xiang Mei's talent in formations.
“I have a gut feeling.” Qin Moyu looked at the simple wooden raft, gazed at the fog-shrouded river, and murmured to himself, “This raft might be the key to finding the inheritance.”
Otherwise, why would Xiang Mei leave a raft in this foggy place, and even carve an array on it?
Shen Mo nodded in agreement: "I think so too. Mo Yu, stand behind me later, and I'll try to activate this formation."
"Okay." Qin Moyu stood up upon hearing this, and without any pretense, walked directly behind Shen Mo.
Shen Mo was multitasking, paying attention to the changes in the raft after it was infused with spiritual energy, and also keeping an eye on whether there was any danger around Qin Moyu.
Fortunately, the array master did not seem to have any intention of making things difficult for the visitors.
When Shen Mo infused spiritual energy, the originally dusty wooden raft was automatically cleaned and refreshed. A soft orange light emanated from the bottom of the raft, like a lamp in the dark night, silently dispelling the surrounding white mist and making it possible to see things within half a meter of each other, whereas the original pitch-black mist was now clear.
Tiny ripples spread beneath the raft, as if inviting the two to come aboard.
Qin Moyu and Shen Mo exchanged a glance and tacitly boarded the raft.
After they boarded, the raft actually began to slowly drift towards the middle of the river on its own.
The raft emitted a warm, orange glow, softening the otherwise somber scenery.
This was Qin Moyu's first time riding a raft, and a fully automatic one at that. Looking at the hazy white mist around him, he felt as if he were in the clouds, and could reach out and touch the soft clouds.
This realization made Qin Moyu unable to help but curl the corners of his lips, and the warm light made his crystal-clear eyes even more gentle.
He hummed an unknown song, dipped his hand into the river, and felt a shiver run through his palm as the icy water flowed over it.
"Hiss, it's so cold." Qin Moyu clicked his tongue inwardly. Although he said that, he still didn't pull his hand back. Instead, he was having a great time playing with it.
Well, isn't this a clear demonstration of the benefits of cultivation? Playing in the water like this, you won't catch a cold at all.
On the river raft, Shen Mo couldn't help but chuckle as he watched Qin Moyu happily playing in the water. He asked with a smile, "Moyu, would you like to hear the flute?"
"You can play the flute?" Qin Moyu asked in surprise.
“Of course, a gentleman is proficient in all six arts.” Shen Mo, like a male peacock seeking a mate, displayed his magnificent plumage. “I only brought the flute with me now. You can listen to whatever you want when you have the chance in the future.”
"Just don't complain that I don't understand when the time comes," Qin Moyu said with a light laugh.
"If you don't understand, that's my problem." Shen Mo smiled and took out his flute.
Alone in his cave, he found that the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, which he had previously considered useless, had become a way to relieve his loneliness during the long years. In recent years, not only had his cultivation improved, but his skills in these arts had also improved considerably. He was not at the level of a master, but he could still perform them without feeling ashamed.
Shen Mo placed the flute to his lips, and a melody began.
The flute music rose and lingered, and Qin Moyu couldn't tell what tune it was, but she could understand the passionate love that was not concealed in the flute music.
Qin Moyu finally understood what Shen Mo meant by those words, and her ears turned red again.
Whether in her past life or this one, Qin Moyu seems unable to escape the shyness that comes from others' genuine affection.
The raft drifted along with the sound of the flute. The further inland we went, the clearer the scenery became. Mountains stretched endlessly, towering into the clouds with no visible top.
A beam of golden afterglow pierced through the white mist, connecting the sky and the river, like an arrow from the heavens, shattering all confusion.
It was only at this moment that Qin Moyu realized that it was already dusk without her noticing.
The melodious flute music stirred the afterglow of the setting sun. The raft rested on the river, and the orange-red river water seemed like nectar flowing from a torn corner of the sky, dreamlike and enchanting.
At this moment, the small raft is an insignificant speck of ink in this magnificent natural landscape. Only then do people realize how weak they are, like a mayfly trying to shake a tree, or a summer insect trying to talk about ice.
"Where is my hometown at sunset? The misty waves on the river make me sad [1]..." Qin Moyu found himself in the scene and unconsciously recited that poem.
It's unimaginable how desperate Xiang Mei, who was so determined to go home, would feel when she saw this place and was reminded of this poem. But at least for this moment, Qin Moyu felt the sadness of sympathizing with her own kind.
But this sadness didn't last long, because Qin Moyu saw Shen Mo playing the flute intently.
The afterglow softened his overly sharp eyebrows and eyes, his dark and deep eyes were deep and profound, his nose was high and straight, his lips were thin and slightly pursed, and his black robe made him look tall and straight. The simple and elegant piping embroidery gave him an indescribable noble and graceful appearance.