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Instinctively, we ran towards that pure blue expanse, as if a red veil hanging in front of our faces had been suddenly pulled away, and the crimson mist retreated behind us in an instant. The scenery around us became clear—in the starlight and moonlight filtering through the trees, dew-covered grasses were even blooming with shimmering blue flowers, clustering around the winding mountain road, and in the middle of the road, there stood our abandoned, broken-down old jeep!

Before we knew it, we had arrived here!

Just as Icefin and I were about to run towards the car, we suddenly saw a dark shadow lying on the hood. The terrifying experience we had just had made us stop abruptly. However, the shadow moved and sneezed loudly. Then, a familiar voice reached my ears: "Huh? Where am I?"

"Uncle!" Icefin shouted angrily, "What are you doing here! Do you know how worried we were?"

Uncle A-Chao sat up on the hood, rubbing his head vigorously, and laughed somewhat embarrassedly: "You won't believe it, but I... encountered a mountain spirit!"

Icefin's anger flared even more: "Do you want to betray your aunt? You can't even dream about such a thing!"

“That’s right, it must be a dream, otherwise how could there be such a beautiful person!” Uncle shook his head without any sense of urgency. “But… no matter how beautiful she is, it won’t work. If your aunt gets angry, even ghosts will be afraid!”

"If you only like Auntie, just say it out loud!" Even in this situation, I couldn't help but laugh. Hearing my voice, my uncle turned to me and said, "Firewing, speaking of that mountain spirit..." But he couldn't finish his sentence before his expression suddenly froze...

I turned around, bewildered. In that instant, blood rushed to my ears, creating a deafening roar mixed with my rapid heartbeat—behind me, in the murky darkness, a figure holding a crossbow slowly emerged…

It was that hunter! His eyes were now vacant and numb, as if manipulated, making him look less like a human and more like the embodiment of madness and obsession! He approached with mechanical steps, his bony hands gripping the crossbow, pointing it directly at my head!

"After searching for so long, I've finally caught you!" The hunter's voice was shrouded in materialistic killing intent. "Give me back my child before I kill you, you monster!"

The man in the hunter's legend who broke his promise to the mountain spirit and ultimately lost his child was none other than himself! He wandered the mountains with peach wood arrows meant to destroy evil spirits, all to end the life of the mountain spirit who had taken his child! Perhaps the child never even existed, perhaps he and the mountain spirit once shared a time of love…

But I'm not a mountain spirit! Didn't the hunter already confirm that? Facing these arrows and powerful crossbow bolts, I felt my strength being drained away bit by bit, and I couldn't even utter a sound of protest! My uncle and the others beside me were also intimidated by the hunter's deathly aura, and for a moment they forgot how to act...

My ears were filled with the sound of the strings constantly tightening...

However, vibrant colors descended before the shadow of death... Dazzling clouds surged out from behind me, instantly obscuring my vision—they were packs of lynxes, their bodies covered in patterns as brilliant as the sunset, whistling like bullets as they pounced on the hunter in front of me!

In the blink of an eye, the spectacular sight of the rushing clouds had passed. After the cloud cloud that had enveloped the hunter left the towering figure, what remained was a pile of bones with a crossbow raised high!

He probably didn't even realize he was dead, that hunter—like a photographer lost in a dream of fame and fortune, he was consumed by hatred, sustained only by his obsession with hunting mountain spirits. His empty eye sockets, devoid of pupils, seemed to still hold an indelible resentment, and from his gaping jaw came a venomous voice: "Give me back my child!"

Instantly, a sharp whistling sound of a crossbow being fired erupted!

I didn't even have time to close my eyes... With the sharp screech of the wooden arrow piercing the air, a dark shadow shot towards me at breakneck speed, only grazing my cheek and severing a few strands of hair. The hurried footsteps, the desperate sound of the wooden arrow striking something, the dull thud of a heavy object falling to the ground, and Qinglan's screams all assaulted my ears in quick succession; my brain was no longer able to process anything. I simply stared blankly as the hunter's skeleton collapsed to the ground as if it had lost its support, turning to dust along with the crossbow and arrows he never parted from, dissipating into the damp night air...

"Firewing!" Icefin and Uncle, realizing what was happening, rushed over to support me as I swayed. With their help, I turned around and saw Qinglan helping Master Ge Yuan, who was clutching his shoulder, to his feet. Peach wood powder was falling from the master's slender fingers...

Behind me, my master rushed over at the critical moment! He shielded me from the incoming peach wood arrow with his body. If the hunter's resentment hadn't dissipated and the arrow hadn't turned to dust, the powerful crossbow bolt would have been fatal! The person my master risked his life to protect must have been Qinglan, who had just screamed in alarm!

When I turned to face the hunter, standing behind me was Qinglan! So... the hunter wasn't really aiming at me, but at Qinglan!

A mountain wind howled past, and the dew accumulated on the trees fell like raindrops, soaking everyone's clothes. A thin mist drifted in from somewhere, making the view blurry once more… I gripped the sleeve of Ice Fin's robe tightly, mustered my courage, and said, "Master, the Mountain Spirit…"

Master Ge Yuan raised one hand to stop me, then slowly turned to Qing Lan opposite him. His long, firm fingertips stroked his wife's unruly short hair, then glided across her smooth cheek, stopping at her slender neck. The hand that had once created endless beauty gently lifted the matching rings hanging from his wife's chest, and with a soft gasp from Qing Lan, the silver chain silently snapped…

"I'm sorry, Qinglan." The master gripped the ring tightly. "Please leave, leave Shiyu Mountain, and never come back..."

Even in the face of such words, Qinglan's crystal-clear face remained expressionless: "Is there something wrong with me?"

The master slowly shook his head: "No, you are good. The bad person... is me..."

"That doesn't matter. I don't love you because you're a good person," Qinglan said calmly.

Master Ge Yuan lowered his head, the subtle swaying of the silver chain hanging between his fingers conveying the immense turmoil in his heart: "But Qinglan... the person I love... is not you..."

Looking at his wife's slightly widened eyes, the master's wandering gaze was bound by a heavy sorrow: "I don't want you to get involved too. You saw those two people. One day I'll become like them... because I'm also someone who's obsessed with the mountain spirit..."

Can... I say it? Something's not right! I was about to speak to stop him when Icefin stopped me. I looked at him anxiously, and he was also gritting his teeth: "This... is no longer something we can stop!"

"The first time I came to Shiyu Mountain... I really wanted to die." The master looked at his wife with sorrow and frankness. "But... he saved me... I knew from the beginning that he wasn't a woman, not even human. But that beauty and nobility, even wild beasts bowed at his feet... He taught me to dye the most beautiful blue with dew grass, and he also taught me... the deepest love..."

The fog thickened, and through the misty rain that dampened her hair, came the master's sorrowful voice: "I really... want to be with him, but I'm also really afraid of being with him. The happiness of being with him terrifies me—I'm just an ordinary human being, I don't know how long I can hold onto my heart, the love that grows stronger every day terrifies me... I'm afraid the day I lose him will suddenly come..."

"So, you ran away." Qinglan reached out her finger and gently stroked her master's pale cheek.

The master smiled bitterly and pushed his wife's hand away: "Yes... I ran away, while he still loved me. I told him: I have some things that I must settle, so I have to go back, and I will be back soon, never to leave him again. I told him to believe me and wait patiently, because the person I love most is him... I said so many sweet words, all to deceive him, just to get him to let me go down the mountain..."

"And then?" Qinglan's clear eyes gazed quietly at her master, whose voice held a cruel self-mockery: "But he really didn't care about me. He didn't even ask me to come back sooner, he just told me not to mention him to anyone. Although it was painful, I was free, and then... I met you." The master's outstretched hand stopped because of guilt, the silver chain swaying empty. "You're a woman, you can be my family, you can let me live a peaceful life, and your eyes... they're a little like his. I thought, only you can make me forget him... but it's not possible! It turns out I'm more selfish than I thought—building my studio on Shiyu Mountain, constantly dyeing it with the ephemeral blue he taught me, was actually because subconsciously I was still hoping for his return... I have no right to ask for your forgiveness... I'm such a terrible person..."

"So what?" Qinglan said calmly, "He's a monster, isn't he? A terrifying monster that takes people's lives..."

Master took a deep breath and nodded. "Perhaps... my fate will be even worse than those two, but I can't stop now... When I heard others mention him today, I realized—I want to see him, this feeling is unstoppable! Even if he kills me, there are things I still must tell him—I've been lying since the day I left him... but only one thing is true: the person I love most is him, only him!" A firm smile slowly spread from the corners of Master's eyes, as if he would bear it to the end no matter what happened. He solemnly bowed to his wife, "So... I'm sorry."

A sorrowful smile gradually appeared on Qinglan's expressionless face. Perhaps she had realized that she could not keep this man no matter what. From her almost holy lips came a mesmerizing, deep voice: "Why did you tell me? Fool!" A tear slid down Qinglan's calm eye—it was a tear as blue as dew on grass!

In an instant, Qinglan's unruly short hair suddenly gushed out like a mountain stream, resembling an opaque, deep black waterfall. The fabric, intricately and beautifully folded, shimmered with a harmonious blue light, enveloping his tall, fair body—a perfect blue dyed with dew-kissed herbs! The spirit of the mountains and forests surged, trees and vines dancing joyfully, reverently entwining Qinglan's long hair and body, showering him with vibrant flowers that bloomed in an instant, defying the seasons…

There was no commotion as before. The red leopard and the civet cat arrived calmly. This group of felines, large and small, obediently surrounded Qinglan. The clouds that gathered and dispersed formed their shapes, like a magnificent procession surrounding the king of the forest spirits!

Qinglan is the Mountain Spirit!

Those pale, transparent amber eyes were a bewitchingly beautiful abyss. The moment they met those moist gazes, Master Ge Yuan, whose face lit up with ecstatic joy at their reunion, collapsed like a soulless puppet before he could utter a single word...

"I remember now! It's this one!" my uncle exclaimed. "No wonder the Mountain Spirit looked so familiar!" Icefin and I had a premonition that things would turn out this way: in the car on the mountain road, we had seen the beautiful owner of the Red Leopard and the Blue Fox—the one who appeared after the cloud beast roaming the forest was Qinglan! Just like the legend: the man who forgot his promise to keep quiet mentioned the Mountain Spirit to his most trusted wife, and then his wife revealed her true form as a demon—she was the Mountain Spirit in disguise!

Seemingly noticing us, the red leopard and the raccoon began to stir. Even in their ethereal forms, their eyes still revealed a thirst for prey. "Those souls won't do! They're unrelated people!" Mountain Spirit Qinglan surveyed the greedy beasts, but her icy gaze alone was enough to make them submit once more.

However, there were indeed "connected people" involved! The red leopard and the blue fox wouldn't let it go so easily; they leaped lightly and erratically, seemingly urging something, gradually approaching the fallen Master Ge Yuan...

"It's not your turn yet!" The Mountain Spirit flicked his sleeves, shaking off the vines' touch, and arrogantly walked towards his master. His flowing robes, upon touching the civets that were eyeing his master, emitted a burst of blue light. Within the light, the felines instantly turned into a cloud of murky smoke. The gluttons retreated dejectedly to a distance. Under their relentless gaze, the Mountain Spirit slowly lowered himself towards his master. He gently took his master's hand and rested it against his cheek, withdrawing the ring that had once belonged to him, adorned with a silver chain, from the numb finger. The billowing wind carried the Mountain Spirit's incredibly gentle whisper: "...So cunning... How can I kill you like this..."

Should we not kill the person who broke the agreement? Can the law of this shore and the other shore, which is so fair that it is almost ruthless, be broken so easily?

Suddenly, the red leopard roared angrily and leaped into the air. The spotted lynxes chased after it, soaring into the sky. In the darkness, countless dazzling streams of light surrounded the crimson pillar that rose from the ground… The ground trembled. Could it be that these cloud beasts, unable to enjoy human souls, could no longer be appeased and were about to break away from their master? A deafening roar echoed through the air…

"I have to go..." The Mountain Spirit slowly straightened up, looking up in the direction from which the roar came. Icefin suddenly let go of me and ran over to grab his sleeve: "Is this alright? Can't you take nothing with you? Are you really going to do this for this guy who lied to you..."

Qinglan, now a mountain spirit, stared at the boy before her in surprise. Suddenly, a haunting smile appeared on her face: "There's no way... If even one sentence out of a hundred is true, there's no way..."

The billowing smoke seemed to possess weight as it poured down from the sky. Through my increasingly blurred vision, I saw the Mountain Spirit leaning close to Icefin's ear, his lips, imbued with a chilling indifference, moving as if to speak, but a boiling roar drowned out his voice. The world was once again swallowed by a heavy crimson...

When the roar in my ears stopped, the clear and dry mountain breeze brushed against my damp hair, and the bright moon and sparse stars shone silently. If it weren't for the cool dewdrops still glistening on the grass, the heavy clouds and mist of Yushan would have seemed as if they had never existed.

Icefin's hand, which had once held onto Mountain Spirit's sleeve, suddenly stretched out forward, where no one remained. "...I still have some things to settle, so I have to go back. I'll be back soon, and I'll never leave you again. Please believe me, wait patiently, because the person I love most is you..." Icefin murmured to himself, then turned to me and my uncle with a faint smile: "This is what Mountain Spirit asked me to convey to Master..." He slowly opened his palm, the cold metallic light gleaming on his fingers—it was the Qinglan ring, a pair with Master's. Icefin lowered his head, but his voice betrayed his feelings: "It's a lie, because Mountain Spirit...he won't be coming back."

That's how it is: if elves and humans are together only to enjoy each other's souls, perhaps it would be easier—love between different races is always a taboo. The mountain spirit, willing to bear the sin of being rejected by its own world and constantly breaking taboos, can never receive true love from humans. Having no other choice but to cleanse itself of its sins, it can only offer sacrifices to its own kind—so in legends, the mountain spirit either takes away a person's life or their child with a human.

But deep down, he still longed for that vow of eternal love, even though that vow could vanish at any moment—if even one out of a hundred words is true, there's no way to escape it… This time, the mountain spirit, having taken nothing with him, could only surrender his life…

"These vows are like dew-dyed grass, beautiful yet easily faded..." I said, recalling the words I had once mocked my uncle for, but I didn't know what my expression was like at that moment...

In the deep, dark forest of Shiyu Mountain, the glistening blue dew-covered grass swayed forlornly. On the deserted mountain path, the enchanting voice of Qinglan would never again echo—"...That's why it's so precious..."

"Timely Rain Mountain" (Completed)

Baize Village

That memory is a bit hazy now, but it was probably before Icefin and I started elementary school. In my memory, we were both wearing the same bright red plum blossom patterned jackets and had long, childlike hair. Dressing us like that was a quirk of my grandfather, who passed away a long time ago. He said it was to make us easier to raise, so before we were seven years old, many people couldn't tell what our genders were.

I remember it was a gloomy afternoon. My father and Uncle Chonghua were returning from celebrating a relative's birthday across the river. Bingqi and I were on a bumpy long-distance bus. For some reason, there were very few people out and about that day. On the howling riverside highway, you could only see another car every now and then. Besides the four of us, there was only one other passenger: an old man sitting far away at the back of the bus. For some reason, I was a little afraid of him. Maybe it was because whenever Bingqi and I saw him, I would frown and turn away in annoyance. But my expression probably wasn't much better, because Bingqi and I had been arguing since home, and it was all Bingqi's fault. I would never forgive him!

Once they crossed the river, they would be home. But as they approached the ferry terminal, a red light appeared in the direction of the dock. The driver began to worry: "Sure enough, the fog has blocked the river. This closure means the boats might not be able to depart until tomorrow morning... It's fine if you're going to Baize Village; you can just get off at the fork in the road ahead. But what about you who need to cross the river?"

"But there's clearly no fog on the river!" Uncle Chonghua protested. "They should be able to make a round trip in time! Master, please help us! Look at our children, it's so cold, they can't go home, how pitiful!"

"Even if I wanted to give you a ride, I don't drive the ferry!" the driver said with a wry smile. "Besides... you probably don't know, but when the ghost fog rolls in, it only takes the blink of an eye!"

"Walking through the ghost fog?"

"You should understand the meaning from the name, right? Our ancestors are returning on this fog! If you have to blame someone, blame you for going out at this time. Today is the dead of winter, the day our ancestors return. We should let them pass! We have no choice but to make a living, why didn't you know to take shelter?"

Uncle Chonghua stared wide-eyed in disbelief: "Who would take these old stories seriously!"

"The usual thing, there are always people who care!" the driver sighed. "Are you coming back with me or looking for a place to stay?"

"If we go back to our relatives' house now, it might be dawn by the time we get there..." Dad pushed up his glasses. "Driver, are there any hotels or anything up ahead..."

“If you don’t mind…” An unexpected thing happened. The old man sitting at the back of the car suddenly hesitated and said, “If you don’t mind, please stay at my house. My house is in Baize Village just ahead.”

“This is too much trouble for you… It’s the dead of winter today, won’t it be inconvenient for your family to entertain outsiders?” Dad was a little hesitant. The old man at the back of the car answered very readily: “It’s alright, we don’t have any taboos about this. Welcoming ancestors is just a formality.”

I climbed onto my dad's shoulders to peek at the old man. Although he hadn't seemed friendly at all just now, his smile was quite kind now. Dad and Uncle Chonghua discussed it back and forth, but couldn't come up with a good solution. It seemed they would have to bother him.

We got off the bus at the fork in the road. An old man from Baize Village led us along the village path overgrown with withered grass. At the far end of the road, the lights of the village houses cast a warm, yellowish glow against the night sky, and the bitter aroma of burning firewood filled the air. Because of the cold weather, the path through the mixed woods was already frosty as night fell. The feeling underfoot was quite unique. Excited by this completely unfamiliar experience, I ran ahead, but Bingqi, that pampered brat, said he couldn't walk anymore and insisted that Uncle Chonghua carry him. The old man's laughter came from behind me: "So cute, dressed exactly alike! At first, I thought they were twins, but then I heard them call each of you 'Dad,' and I was relieved."

Is that why the old man was giving me and Icefin a hard time?

“Twins aren’t strange at all! My brother Konghua and I are twins!” Uncle Chonghua laughed as he took off his father’s glasses. “Before Konghua wore glasses, even my mother often got them mixed up, but for some reason, my father never got them wrong…”

"Are you twins?" The old man's exclamation made me stop and turn around. Are adults this timid too? Although I couldn't see his expression, I could hear his voice trembling. "I'm sorry, I can't host you! It's true I invited you, but twins are taboo in our village! My family can't afford that kind of trouble, and I'll tell everyone else in the village not to take you in. And... don't follow me anymore!"

The old man seemed to be hiding from something terrifying. He quickened his pace and left, leaving the four of us stranded in the middle of the village road, completely bewildered. "What... what is this? Do they think we're contagious germs?" Uncle Chonghua was both angry and amused, stamping his feet repeatedly. Dad could only say, "It doesn't seem like that person was playing a trick on us. Maybe twins are really taboo in their village."

“No matter what, I’ll go to every door in the village and knock on every door. I refuse to believe that no one will take us in!” Uncle Chonghua came over and tried to pick me up. “Look how cute our Firewing and Icefin are. Who could bear to let them sleep in the open?” I didn’t want to get close to Icefin, so I immediately quickened my pace and started running. But I stopped after a few steps—the undulating hills in front of the mixed forest emerged in the dim light, their outlines not very clear, layered upon layer, just like those in picture books… mass graves…

"So many graves..." Faced with this sight I had never seen before, my curiosity outweighed my fear.

"Nonsense!" Dad pretended to slap my head. "That's a kiln! Baize Village produces very good porcelain clay, so there are many kilns for firing porcelain!"

I nodded, but I still had some doubts: Is this really a kiln? It really does look like a grave mound...

Not only around the village, but also in front of and behind the villagers' houses, there were kilns of all sizes. Baize Village looked like it was built on a mound of graves. Perhaps because it was a winter night, the village was unusually quiet, but every household had its doors open. In the main room facing the door, a banquet was being held. The seat on the north side of the table was empty, but the other sides were neatly arranged with cups, plates and bowls. Strangely, there was no one around the table.

"It seems they really are holding a funeral feast..." Dad frowned. "According to the rules, the feast for the winter solstice must be served first to the ancestral spirits. The living must hide in the side rooms and can only come out after the appointed time..."

"I don't believe every family follows the old rules and won't help us, living people!" Uncle Chonghua went to knock on the door of a house without saying a word. After a long time, the window of the side room opened a crack, and the person inside showed half of their face. They said irritably, "Don't you know it's the dead of winter today? Who knocks on the door at this time? Don't you know any manners?"

"We're not here to cause trouble, we just can't go home today because of some reason..."

"So you're the twins Third Uncle was talking about!" The window slammed shut; the old man had really informed the villagers about our situation! The impatient tone from inside the room continued: "We're not trying to make things difficult, but twins can't stay in Baize Village, that's the old rule! There are other villages thirty li ahead, so for your own sake, please get there as soon as possible!"

They were almost at the end of the village, but every family gave the same answer. Uncle Chonghua finally lost his temper. He stood in front of the village's small threshing ground and shouted, "If it weren't for the people in your village inviting us to stay overnight, we would have already asked the driver to take us to the village ahead. Who wants to come to this cold-blooded and strange village!"

Dad took Icefin from Uncle Chonghua: "Complaining won't help. Just save your energy! It seems we have no choice but to go to the next village as they said. Firewing, can you still walk?"

Although my curiosity was now completely overwhelmed by the cold and exhaustion, seeing Icefin in my father's arms, I still ran a few steps as if to prove myself, loudly proclaiming, "I won't be that delicate!" As the scenery shifted, a sliver of light flickered and emerged from among the mounds of earth beside the village. I stopped and gazed at that pierced corner of darkness. In the frozen air, a song, like frosty sand, flowed from the faint light that represented human habitation…

I couldn't understand what the folk song was about, but I stopped and pointed deep into the kiln pile: "There are people there..."

"Really? They live so far from the village...we might have a chance!" Uncle Chonghua immediately perked up: "Firewing, let's race to which house's door first!"

I sprinted ahead of Uncle Chonghua, but after only a few steps, I bumped into something, something hard and brittle, making a rather eerie cracking sound. Before I could react, I felt my body lighten, and my feet were completely off the ground. "It's been a long time since we've had any visitors. This time, it's a little guest!" A voice like sand rang in my ears, but the tone was surprisingly cheerful—it was the voice of the person who had been singing! I looked down at the ground far away and finally understood what was going on—I had been picked up by the person who had been singing! Because this person was tall, I was afraid of falling and clung tightly to his neck; it was a soft touch, so why did I hear a strange cracking sound when I bumped into him…?

I gazed at his face up close, bewildered. Even as a child, I felt that "beautiful" was the most fitting word to describe him! Moreover, unlike some beauties who seem untouchable like glass or porcelain, he was like... like the most beautiful pottery I had ever seen. He gave off a gentle feeling that made you want to touch him!

"How rude of me! My child is so clumsy!" Uncle Chonghua caught up, apologizing profusely as he tried to take me from the man. The man didn't immediately return me, but instead showed a surprised expression. After seeing my father and Bingqi following behind, he smiled wryly as if suddenly realizing something: "What a headache, oh, he's lost..."

"That's right!" Uncle Chonghua immediately began to complain, "We can't cross the river to go home today, and we're worried about not being able to find a place to stay!" He didn't mention at all that they were refused lodging because they were twins.

"It's really a headache. Very few people will welcome guests to stay on the coldest day of winter..." The person holding me was very beautiful, but spoke somewhat slowly. "If you don't mind, you can stay here. Look, the child's hands are frozen..." But his hands were clearly colder than mine!

"Won't this be a hassle for you? Don't you have any ancestral rites or anything like that?" Uncle Chonghua said politely, but his eyes were fixed on the house behind me, which was lit with warm lights. The person holding me laughed: "I'm learning the craft of porcelain making in Baize Village, so my home isn't here. Besides, I have to watch the kiln today, so I won't be able to sleep tonight. If you don't mind the simplicity, you can use my room."

"Thank you so much, how could I possibly mind!" Dad quickly replied, while Uncle Chonghua had already walked towards the light: "Thank you so much, I haven't even had a chance to ask your name yet!" But Icefin, held in Dad's arms, suddenly let out a small protest: "No... I don't want to live in a place like this..." Icefin, that willful little thing, must be deliberately causing trouble because I found this place first!

"Don't talk nonsense, little kid! You're so ignorant! Look how well-behaved Firewing is!" Uncle Chonghua turned around and scolded Icefin in a low voice. The person holding me smiled without caring at all, completely ignoring Icefin's rudeness: "You can just call me Cangke." After saying that, he walked ahead to lead the way, humming that song that I couldn't understand again.