Of Mountains and Rivers 18
I’ll Send Him Away Before Winter Comes
Chu Huan didn’t move. It was impossible for him to leave Nanshan and escape himself, nor would he, under these unclear sequences of events, rashly interfere, so he watched from the sidelines for any changes.
Nanshan turned around and switched to his native language, ignoring the gigantic python, and spoke familiarly with the ‘water ghost’ on the snake’s head. “You, come down.”
The water ghost glanced at Chu Huan. Chu Huan sat upright on his horse with an ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about’ expression, indifferently enduring the other’s ‘you killed my father and seized my wife’ look of hatred.
The water ghost wore an unrelenting and stubborn expression, unwilling to move regardless of the consequences – if he had to come down whenever someone told him to ‘come down’, where would his reputation go?
But compared to people, animals were more honest. After a moment of hesitation, the snake slowly drooped its head and half-submerged into the water.
The water ghost’s expression stiffened and his complexion paled further. His breaths turned loud and jarring, and one could almost see the flame of fury burning above his head.
Chu Huan was the hateful object he wanted to burn to death.
The water ghost suddenly made a low bellow of rage and leapt from the snake’s head. He jumped over Nanshan and pounced towards Chu Huan.
Nanshan raised his hand and turned his sceptre horizontally, causing the rod to ram against the water ghost’s neck. This move was ruthless and accurate – the water ghost’s face changed from excessive white rice to mosquito blood. Nanshan’s palms suddenly tightened and the water ghost’s entire body was slammed backwards. The gigantic python hurriedly went to support him – in any case, it didn’t let him fall down and drink water.
The water ghost had to take a few steps back before he could stand stably again. He bent down and coughed harshly.
The large snake anxiously swayed its tail, causing the river to restlessly undulate.
Nanshan expressionlessly glanced at him before grabbing the venomous snake with a bird still on its head from the horse’s back. He gently patted the horse and told Chu Huan and the others, “It’s all right now, you can leave. There happen to be some issues in the clan recently, so lessons will be stopped for a few days.”
Only after confirming he’d settled this matter did Chu Huan turn his horse’s head.
They’d travelled a fair distance, but Chu Huan could still hear the water ghost use his unique voice to shout at Nanshan, “You actually brought an outsider here! Have you forgotten the previous one?”
Compared to his utterly discomfited tone, Nanshan’s voice was more soothing. “There’s no need for you to be concerned.”
The water ghost flew into a rage and jabbered a bunch of things. He had to be speaking over two hundred miles per hour – with Chu Huan’s semi-proficiency in the Liyi Clan’s native language, he truly couldn’t understand it.
As they travelled further, not only could he not understand, he couldn’t hear them anymore either. Once they reached the foggiest section, he couldn’t see anyone in front or behind him, and all noise seemed to be cut off.
Only after they’ve gone far enough did Nanshan lean down and touch the gigantic python’s head. He sighed. “Go.”
The ‘water ghost’ stood stiffly in the water, trembling with fury.
Nanshan glanced at him and heavied his tone. “Luger.”
The water ghost named ‘Luger’ angrily jumped onto the gigantic python’s body. “I think you’ve gone completely crazy!”
After that, he drove the gigantic python and it quickly swam away.
Nanshan stood alone in the middle of the quiet river for a little while. Then, he turned around and looked in the direction where Chu Huan and the others had already disappeared in. His entire legs were immersed in the icy-cold river water, but he didn’t feel cold; the fog was just too big and there was a sense of vague bewilderment in his heart.
At that moment, Nanshan suddenly remembered a sentence he read from one of the old magazines Chu Huan brought back – contemplating Heaven and earth’s perpetuity1. The person who wrote the article seemed to be quoting something. From what Chu Huan said, it was taken from a certain ancient poem.
“Heaven and earth’ Nanshan understood, but what was ‘perpetuity'?
When he asked Chu Huan, Chu Huan said all the work he received from his ‘appreciation of Chinese classic poems’ class had been long returned untouched to his teacher, so he wasn’t sure either; he could only explain to Nanshan according to his own understanding. “Maybe it means very big or very wide. So big it makes people feel as if there’s nowhere to put their efforts – that they’re completely powerless.”
Although the river water didn’t reach his waist and wasn’t big or wide, right now, Nanshan could feel ‘perpetuity’.
The little venomous snake slowly wound around his arm and reached his shoulder, the small wooden bird still held in his mouth.
“This time the Gate opened too early. I’m afraid ‘that side’ won’t be able to hold on.” Nanshan stretched out his palm and closed it around the snake’s head, continuing to soliloquise. “What should we do by then?”
The little venomous snake made a hissing sound. Then, probably after realising it couldn’t offer any constructive suggestions, it spat the bird onto Nanshan’s palm, giving him a gift of comfort.
Nanshan lowered his eyes to look and pinch at the big-headed and small-bodied bird. He worriedly patted the venomous snake’s head. “You don’t understand anything. All you do is make trouble, ai.”
He didn’t have a majestic snake-riding method of leaving. He just lowered his head and silently walked back.
•·················•·················•
If Chu Huan had come back and seen this, he’d definitely been taken aback.
The Liyi Clan, which was usually a vast but sparsely populated settlement, was unusually overcrowded on this day. Big and scary raptors were standing on the branch roofings while gigantic pythons coiled around tree trunks, slowly spitting out their tongues. The sky was abnormally gloomy, like a large pot lid pressed above everyone’s heads, brewing wind and rain and carrying thunder and lightning.
Many pallor-skinned people like Luger seemed to have come out from the underground overnight. They stood tightly behind Luger, as clearly separated from the Liyi Clan as the Jing and Wei rivers.
There were men, women, the elderly, and children in the Liyi Clan, but Luger and his group only consisted of men and women in their prime youth.
Luger sat leaning on the tall and erected snake’s head, staring at the nearby Nanshan with seductive disdain from the corners of his eyes.
Under everyone’s attentive gaze, Nanshan calmly bent down and carefully wrung dry his pants and hair.
Little Bald-Head ran over. Unable to make discerning judgements and regardless of the situation, he tilted his head and asked Nanshan, “Patriarch, where did My King go?”
Nanshan replied, “He went out. I entrusted him to do some things.”
Little Bald-Head worriedly asked, “Will he come back?”
Hearing this, Nanshan paused his self-organising actions. After a while, he beckoned Little Bald-Head. “Come.”
Since the Patriarch was Little Bald-Head’s former idol, he still had the power to rally his supporters – Little Bald-Head delightfully went over. He stood on his tip-toes and hugged Nanshan’s thigh, saliva flowing down as he looked up at Nanshan and giggled. He was a natural starry-eyed fanboy.
“He’ll come back in a few days.” Nanshan touched his head, then swept his gaze around. Under everyone’s watchful stare, he asked Little Bald-Head with hidden meaning, “If there’s a day he wants to leave this place, would you want to go with him?”
Little Bald-Head was too young. He hadn’t yet developed the heavy concepts of native place, homeland, relatives, etc. From his perspective, one should follow whoever they liked – this was the right and unalterable logic. Hearing Nanshan asking this, he immediately and unhesitatingly nodded his head, and gave a resounding answer, “Yes.”
Since Nanshan asked that question, Luger, who was still on the snake’s head, wore an expression that could no longer even be called ugly.
Nanshan didn’t look at him. He raised Little Bald-Head’s chin and continued to ask. “Why would you want to leave with him? Don’t you want us anymore?”
So, Little Bald-Head began counting his fingers. “My King gives me candy – if he gives candy, I’ll like him. Whoever I like most is the best-looking, which means My King is the best-looking. My A-ma said that when I grow up, I must marry the best-looking person to be my wife!”
Nanshan smiled faintly. He didn’t make an ‘adult-style’ evaluation against this naive and ‘invulnerable’ reasoning.
But as he spoke, Little Bald-Head began frowning on his own. He involuntarily put his hand into his mouth and bit it unconsciously. “But if I leave with My King, I won’t be able to see A-ba and A-ma anymore. I won’t be able to see Patriarch.”
Nanshan: “Yes. What will you do?”
Little Bald-Head continued frowning and was at a loss for a very long time; at last, his young brain discovered it was very difficult to achieve the best of both worlds for this matter. The little boy thought more and more, forgetting this was just a hypothesis and taking this very seriously; he was so anxious that after he finished biting his fingers he began biting Nanshan’s pants.
But even if he bit a hole through Nanshan’s pants, it’d still be useless. Little Bald-Head couldn’t help but burst into tears from great sorrow.
Little Bald-Head’s mother hurriedly stepped forward and made an ancient courtesy of respect to Nanshan. Before this damned child could sloppily wipe his snot and tears on the Patriarch’s pants, he was carried away.
Luger coldly asked, “Nanshan, what’s the meaning of this?”
Nanshan turned around to face him. “This year’s ‘Gate’ seems to have opened early.”
Luger gritted his teeth. “Don't change the subject – how do you explain yourself for casually bringing an outsider into the clan?”
Nanshan tranquilly erected his Patriarch’s sceptre on one side. The inlaid fist-sized jade on the top had been washed with water, exposing a sparkling, glossy lustre.
“One day, when this place has completely fallen, I hope our clans-people won’t reach a dead end. If they can speak the language of the other side of the river, after they cross it they can make a living by selling things or helping others.” Nanshan continued, “So I found someone who could teach us how to speak. Is there a problem with this?”
“Bullshit,” Luger fiercely interrupted. “After many generations of Mountain Keepers, this is my first time encountering such a spineless Patriarch!”
‘Liyi Clan’ meant ‘Mountain Keeper’; they had a symbiotic relationship with Luger and the other ‘Gatekeepers’. Each generation followed the same way of life – to guard the same land and secrets.
Nanshan took his time. “The Mountain Keepers from early generations never had to face the issue of ‘falling’.”
Luger snared lowly, “Then you Mountain Keepers should die with this land! Are you afraid of death? Coward!”
Nanshan went silent.
He looked around at his people – Little Bald-Head was still eating his hand; Flower Bud had the exact same pair of beautiful big eyes as her mother… They had children who didn’t understand anything; young girls who hadn’t married yet; young fellows who would recite and memorise Chinese words during patrols; elders who just wanted to spend their remaining years in comfort.
They were different from these ‘Gatekeepers’ before them.
Although Gatekeepers and Mountain Keepers had a close relationship, there were huge differences between them.
Gatekeepers were made by the ‘Gate’. They were born without parents and were all alone in the world. They’d never experienced an ignorant childhood, as the moment they opened their eyes to this world they already looked like adults; according to rules, when they become old and weak, their own race would send them to death.
A ‘Gatekeeper’s life is not even the slightest real. Right before the end, they were just like moth-eaten pants or corn sprouts with rotten roots.
What was the best thing to say?
There’s no need. They wouldn’t understand.
Nanshan’s complexion paled and he unceremoniously said, “Whether it be life or death is up to us Mountain Keepers. You have no right to shoot your mouth off.”
Luger’s fingers dug into the gigantic python’s scales. The giant python felt a flare of pain – it trembled abruptly and lifted its upper body halfway, but then forced itself to suppress it. As Luger’s carrier, it didn’t dare move.
The atmosphere between the two suddenly turned into a heavy state of mutual hostility; even the raptors and pythons didn’t dare make a sound.
An unknown amount of time passed before a sudden wail sounded behind Nanshan, breaking this suffocating stand-off – it was from a little guy who was just born last year. He got scared.
Nanshan’s gaze finally moved. He collected himself and sighed lowly. “Come down. Everyone only gathers together three days a year, so let’s not waste it on arguing.”
Luger paused and the fingers pinching into the snake slightly loosened. A good while passed before he carelessly nodded. When he could be considered to have stepped down, he said, “This year’s ‘Gate’ opened half a month earlier than previous years, so it’s best if you prepare yourselves mentally. From our recent observations, I’m afraid ‘That Side’ is going to undergo a drastic change within a year or two.”
Nanshan deemphasised it with a nod. “Many thanks.”
After, he turned around and waved his hand. Spring was holding a jar of wine with both hands whilst her daughter, Flower Bud, held a plate of handmade pastries on her head; they walked towards Luger.
Luger’s expression slightly relaxed and he patted the large snake’s head. The gigantic python leaned down with exceptional obedience.
Luger first broke half a piece of pastry from Flower Bud’s plate and ceremoniously took a tasting bite. Then, he stretched out his cold hand and pressed it against the young girl’s forehead. Another ‘Gatekeeper’ from behind him stepped out and took the plate from Flower Bud’s hands.
Luger then took the jar of wine from Spring’s hands and swallowed a mouthful before he similarly passed it to the person behind him. He gently lowered his eyebrows and greeted her politely. “Sister Spring.”
Spring smiled at him. Like every adult, there seemed to be a secret concern behind it.
Every year, when autumn ended and winter arrived, the Gatekeeper and Mountain Keeper clans would get together for a few days. Normally, Liy- The Mountain Keeper Clan would treat them to dinner after their arrival.
The singing and dancing began under an oppressive atmosphere, but it gradually eased as everyone soon found a familiar intimacy.
Nanshan carried two jars of wine and walked towards Luger. He handed him one. He looked towards the already-setted sun and whispered, “Don’t worry. Even though I want him to stay, he refused me. I’ll send him away before winter comes.”
Luger glanced at him before he silently held up his jar and bumped it against Nanshan’s. The two each took a mouthful. Although none of them spoke, this could be considered a reconciliation.
It was getting dark. Several brats who secretly drank alcohol slept in disorder in the clearing while voices ceaselessly continued.
