Of Mountains and Rivers 43

“Are they afraid of fire? Can they be burned?” Chu Huan asked in a hushed tone as if afraid of disturbing something. As he delved further into this world, a sense of awe began to wash over him.

Yuan Ping was uncertain, “I’ve heard of them, but this is the first time I’ve seen one. Maybe they’re scared of fire? Should we try?”

The rest of the group collectively disregarded his suggestion. Xiao Fang turned to Nanshan, seeking guidance, “Patriarch, the Wangsi Flower is known to spread rapidly. If we don’t deal with it now, it might keep growing and attract more beasts upstream. The Mutayi have already surrounded the mountain – what if the Eye-Feasting Beasts follow suit later?”

All eyes turned to Nanshan as he spoke.

Nanshan hesitated. After the Mountain Gate was reversed, the Keeper’s top priority was to patrol the mountain, gaining an overview of the area. Then, a thorough “winter” cleansing was carried out before passing on the responsibility to the Gatekeeper the following year. 

A typical patrol would last around ten days on foot. Once they arrived at their final destination, they’d find several large stone tablets left by their predecessors. Each time the Mountain Keepers reached these stone tablets, they’d carve their encounters during their journey – this was their custom. 

They had only completed half the journey, but they’d already encountered a slew of Mutayi, Sound Beasts, and even Eye-Feasting Beasts…

Now they faced the Wangsi Flower, a legendary plant that Nanshan had only heard stories of. 

Why had it suddenly appeared here? Nanshan had a sinking feeling that they might not make it to the stone tablets this time.

He shook his head and said, “No, let’s not complicate matters. Let’s keep going.”

Although everyone had suggestions, it ultimately fell on the Patriarch to determine what their next step was. So, even though Nanshan passed his decision without explanation, everyone swallowed down their objections.

As they moved forward, Chu Huan naturally let the others lead, falling behind in thought. The more he explored this world, the more he felt a profound reverence for it.

Wooden Club turned back and asked, “What’s up with you? You’re acting strangely.”

Yuan Ping impatiently chimed in too. “Yeah, what’s going on with you?”

Chu Huan replied absentmindedly, catching up with just a few steps, “My vision blurred for a moment. It’s nothing.”

“You might as well change your name to Chu Daiyu¹,” Yuan Ping retorted. “Or should I give you a bar of Snickers?”

Chu Huan expressionlessly responded, “Piss off.”

Having once teetered on the brink of death by jumping off a cliff, Chu Huan had become overly sensitive to hallucinations or auditory illusions when alone.

Something felt off, but he couldn’t articulate it.

Suppressing these thoughts, the group moved beyond the Wangsi Flowers. Once they left the danger behind, they finally breathed a sigh of relief and stopped to catch their breath and rest.

Wooden Club had nearly exhausted himself, having carried Da Shan for half the day with a sprained foot. He released Da Shan’s crutch and sat on the ground, asking, “We’ve never encountered these things during our previous annual patrols. Are we nearing the Fallen Land?”

Xiao Fang dismissed the idea, “Don’t talk nonsense! How could the Fallen Land be-” 

How could the Fallen Land be this close? If that was so, they’d be the only isolated island in this world. 

However, when he saw Nanshan’s expression, he couldn’t finish his sentence. 

Nanshan remained silent. When faced with uncomfortable questions or discussions, he’d fixate on one spot and say nothing. In the past, he’d stare at his harmonica, but now his gaze was fixed on Chu Huan in silence.

Wooden Club sensed he might have said something he shouldn’t have and quickly changed the subject with a joke, “Patriarch, has anyone ever been to the Fallen Land?”

“Yes,” Nanshan answered. “I’ve heard the Elder mention it before. Decades ago, a warrior from the Clan left the Mountain Gate alone, saying he wanted to explore the Dead Zone.”

Wooden Club pressed further, “What happened to him?”

“I don’t know, but he never returned,” Nanshan replied, gazing at the distant mountains. “But after so many years, he’s probably gone. I used to think that one day when I’m no longer the Clan’s Patriarch, I’d explore the boundary too. We’re all crammed together here—Mutayi, Sound Beasts, Eye-Feasting Beasts—fighting for a small piece of land. It often feels like we’re trapped. If we grow old and die on this mountain, I’d like to see what lies beyond before closing my eyes.”

In every passionate life, there’s an unwavering pursuit of freedom. Unfortunately, they were conversing with Wooden Club, who couldn’t quite grasp their Patriarch’s emotions and fixated on one word: “You used to want this? You don’t want to anymore?”

“…”

Nanshan remained silent, choosing not to respond. Instead, he gave Wooden Club a playful kick and stole another sneaky glance at Chu Huan.

A new sense of dissatisfaction began to creep into Nanshan’s heart. Why am I keeping this a secret?

However, Chu Huan seemed lost in thought, paying little attention to their conversation. His brow was furrowed and his gaze was distant, as if pondering something deep.

Wooden Club, dissatisfied with Chu Huan’s lack of response, tried to provoke him, poking Chu Huan and gesturing ahead. “Look, there’s a tree hollow just up ahead, sheltered from the wind and prying eyes. A tree hollow is a good spot. That’s where my little one was born.”

Chu Huan was initially reflecting on what he’d overlooked. However, it was completely forgotten by Wooden Club’s interference. He frustratedly glanced at the shit-stirrer and used Mandarin to speak in a show of seriousness, “No wonder I always thought your son was affiliated with the Wood Element. It turns out he was born as a wild monkey.”

Wooden Club looked puzzled. Chu Huan unintentionally glanced in the direction he’d pointed at and found himself confused as well. “Are your eyes okay? Where’s the tree?”

Wooden Club said, “Right there. How can you not see it?”

Chu Huan stared in the direction he indicated, then turned back to Wooden Club with a perplexed expression. When he confirmed that he wasn’t joking, a thin layer of cold sweat formed on Chu Huan’s palm.

Suddenly, he remembered what he had overlooked.

Chu Huan stood up, turned to Nanshan, and placed his hand on Nanshan’s shoulder. While Nanshan’s expression turned shocked, he leaned in closer and sniffed Nanshan’s long hair carefully.

Yuan Ping and Wooden Club were initially shocked but quickly decided to act ill and started coughing uncontrollably.

Yuan Ping, though he understood it, still found it hard to accept. He exclaimed, neck held high, “This is broad daylight, with so many people around! Some people need to mind their manners!”

Chu Huan’s face soured. “Mind your own business! Shut up!”

He realized he couldn’t smell the osmanthus fragrance on Nanshan’s hair anymore.

There were scents of plants, water, and earth, but no human scent.

Chu Huan’s lingering feeling of unsettlement finally came to the surface. Despite their long journey of wind and water where they shed blood and sweat, he couldn’t detect such scents. 

It was as if…

It was as if everything he smelled was fabricated by something stiff and artificial.

“Hallucination.” Chu Huan surveyed his surroundings. “I fear we haven’t left those white flowers behind.”

Nanshan’s expression turned grave. “Don’t stray. Come here, sit down, and form a circle around Da Shan.”

Everyone promptly gathered together, encircling Da Shan at the center.

“Tell me what you all saw,” Nanshan said. “I’ll begin. I saw mountains on one side and a river on the other. The hills were covered in fresh grass and fish in the water were playing as usual. But I didn’t see any trees.”

“No trees for me either,” Chu Huan added. “Not even much grass, just a few sparse patches.”

Xiao Fang pointed into the air. “I saw a big tree over there, but no hollow tree.”

Nervously, Yuan Ping said, “I didn’t see any fish in the water.”

Wooden Club chimed in, “I spotted a few dead trees over there. One had a large hollow.”

“I…” Da Shan suddenly spoke, “Chief, I smell the fragrance of flowers.”

For a moment, everyone exchanged bewildered glances, speechless.

After a lengthy pause, Yuan Ping raised his trembling hand and suggested, “This place isn’t suitable for a long stay. Let’s leave quickly.”

“Which way?” Xiao Fang inquired.

Yuan Ping and Wooden Club raised their hands simultaneously, pointing in opposite directions. “That way.”

Then, they exchanged uneasy glances, a sharp chill running down their spines. 

Surprisingly calm, Nanshan took charge. When faced with danger, the Patriarch had to lead as he could handle the situation with more experience than anyone else: “Don’t panic; we’re fine. Tell me where you saw water. Was it in that direction?”

This time, everyone agreed.

Nanshan said, “Good. Now move away from the water’s direction. Step back, all of you—Chu Huan, give me your small square box—move back quickly!”

For some reason, every time Chu Huan spoke, he had a knack for startling the others, but it was the opposite with Nanshan. Perhaps it was because Nanshan’s long tenure as the Patriarch lent his words a weight that soothed people’s nerves.

Chu Huan handed Nanshan the lighter and inquired, “What’s your plan?”

Nanshan responded solemnly, “You should step back too.”

Nanshan kept his gaze on Chu Huan until he was ten steps away. Then he turned to face the direction of the water. He scanned the surroundings, picked up a stick from the ground, and then ignited it with the lighter.

As the flames illuminated the area, the ground seemed to coil like a spring, trembling and rolling. A furious roar resounded from nearby. The wooden stick Nanshan held suddenly sprang to life, breaking free and transforming into a fiery projectile mid-air, hurtling toward him like a comet.

Chu Huan attempted to intercept it as soon as the fire ignited, but it was too swift and he couldn’t reach it in time. He could only dive onto Nanshan and use his momentum to pin him to the ground. In the next instant, a sharp pain shot through his back; his elbow gave way and he fell directly onto Nanshan.

The ignited wooden stick wasn’t a stick at all; it was a massive vine covered in thorn-like spikes, about as thick as a human wrist, which resembled an invisible monster. Nanshan’s fire had unveiled its true form.

The burning vine writhed in agony, akin to a whip yanked out of the flames, leaving a bloody gash on Chu Huan’s back from his right shoulder to his left waist. It tore through a layer of flesh and left charred marks on both sides of the wound.

Chu Huan stifled a scream, thinking, Damn it, I’m 70% cooked!

Nanshan also seemed to feel a lash on his back; it was an imagined pain that felt more real than anything else. His body felt as if it’d been torn in two, sending a numbing sensation coursing through his chest. 

He clung tightly to Chu Huan, pulling him back about ten meters. Chu Huan’s ears rang and he had to blink repeatedly to regain focus. Glancing back, he saw not a net woven from dry branches but an enormous creature spanning the riverbanks. Massive, vine-like octopus tentacles thrashed wildly, their thorns glistening with blood, casting a pitifully terrifying aura over the small white flowers growing at the base of the vines.

Yes, these white flowers were pitifully terrifying as they secreted their deadly nectar.

Chu Huan took several deep breaths in an attempt to suppress the pain. After steadying himself, he forced a smile and remarked, “No problem, it’s just a minor burn for disinfection and pain relief.”

Nanshan’s expression didn’t look any better.

Yuan Ping patted Xiao Fang’s shoulder, who was still dazed, and commented, “Brother, weren’t we talking about burning someone? I think we should just set ourselves on fire!”

The Wangsi Flower had turned into a ferocious monster.

Wooden Club swiftly hoisted Da Shan onto his back and asked, “Patriarch, should we run or fight?”

Nanshan lowered his eyelids and stared intensely at the severe wound across Chu Huan’s back. His heart blazed with fury, consuming his shyness with a malevolent flame. He seethed with unbearable intent to kill.

Nanshan lowered his head, causing his chin to rub gently upon Chu Huan’s sweat-covered neck. The action was incredibly gentle, but his hand trembled violently. He couldn’t detect any scent of burned flesh or blood from the wound.

“It’s fixated on us, so we can’t escape,” Nanshan declared.

He wiped away the cold sweat from Chu Huan’s forehead and, with a firm resolve, he said, “Fight.”

As he uttered those words, as if in response to his challenge, countless withered branches of the dead flowers burst from the ground, intent on showing these ignorant fools their power.

Yuan Ping felt like he was performing a tap dance, barely allowing his feet to touch the ground in the same spot twice. He unsheathed a crescent moon-shaped knife and clashed with the thorny vines, shouting, “Patriarch, you may be tough, but how are we supposed to fucking fight this?”

The vines weren’t indestructible, but they regenerated faster than they were cut. Soon, the dead branches formed a thorny cage that covered the sky above them.

Chu Huan’s wound on his back throbbed with pain and he felt like rolling on the ground. Oddly, this pain reassured him. It meant that the thorns on the vines didn’t carry the same deadly poison as the flowers. He sliced off a portion of the vine with his dagger, grinning as he remarked, “This thing is probably a plant; I’m going vegetarian from now on.”

Nanshan caught the vine that flew off from Chu Huan’s actions and ignited it with the lighter before hurling it onto the thorny cage.

The nearly airtight vine was instantly incinerated and the enraged Wangsi Flower emitted another hoarse roar.

Chu Huan’s eyes lit up. “It’s truly afraid of fire!”

Nanshan tossed the lighter to him and Chu Huan adeptly caught it, effortlessly coordinating with both hands as if engaged in a graceful dance. The sequence of actions—chopping and igniting—appeared perfectly fluid.

Yuan Ping couldn’t help but exclaim, “What in the-?!”

The lighter was swiftly passed between them, turning the situation into a fiery battle reminiscent of the Battle of Red Cliffs, but Plants vs Zombies style.

The flames soared into the sky. The Wangsi flower, resembling an octopus looming over the water, raised its grotesque head, clawing and writhing.

Chu Huan experienced the same visual distortion as before, but this time he didn’t freeze. Instead, the aggressive vines collectively retreated and submerged into the water. The fire clashed with the water, burning for a while before ultimately extinguishing in a cloud of smoke.

The dead flower ceased moving.

After a moment of silence, Yuan Ping was the first to break it: “Is it defeated?”

Chu Huan responded calmly, “Didn’t you notice? Now, there’s no smell at all. The scent of water and plants has completely vanished. We’ve lost our sense of smell entirely.”

Xiao Fang sat on the ground, his hands still trembling. “Regardless of anything, when I get back, I must boast about this. I’ve seen the Wangsi flower—everyone’s heard of it, but no one has seen it, right? I’ve seen it!”

Nanshan remained silent, maintaining an extremely vigilant stance. Indeed, even the Clan Elder might never have witnessed the Wangsi flower. Everything concerning this formidable creature was based on hearsay. Besides this, he’d also heard of another legend.

The Wangsi Flower does not have a fragrance.