Of Mountains and Rivers 58

Chu Huan had just finished washing his hands and hadn’t had the chance to stand up when he was suddenly pulled by Nanshan by his shirt.

Chu Huan exclaimed, “Gasp—if this shirt is ruined, I won’t have a spare to wear!”

But no one cared whether he had spare clothes or not. Chu Huan was dragged by the underdog Nanshan, and he found that everyone seemed to have forgotten about the precarious Mountain Gate. They were all looking in one direction, exchanging signals from afar via whistling.

Chu Huan, still with water droplets on his hands, asked in bafflement, “What are they looking at so eagerly?”

“Mountain Gate is closed,” said Nanshan.

Chu Huan was puzzled for a moment and finally understood the concept of “Mountain Gate is closed”. He asked, “So it means no one is guarding the big stone gate, and the little monsters can’t come in, right? Isn’t that a good thing?”

Nanshan turned to look at him and whispered, “When the Mountain Gate is closed, the inner gate leading to the other side may open. Do you understand?”

Chu Huan recalled the time and place he first met Luger, and almost got into a fight with him. He fell silent for a few seconds and finally understood.

However, he didn’t know if it was a good thing or a bad thing. He couldn’t help but look back at the sealed mountain rocks. They were seamlessly aligned, and the stone was dark and stern. Even if there were corpses scattered around Mountain Gate, it remained unmoved.

What is Mountain Gate anyway? Isn’t it just a large stone?

Why is it so intelligent?

Suddenly, Chu Huan had a feeling that this mountain seemed to have a life of its own.

As this thought emerged, he was stunned and found that this idea made sense. Chu Huan remembered Yuan Ping had said before that in a sense, the Gatekeeper was the mountain itself. Since the mountain’s sacred water could give birth to people, the idea that “the mountain has life” was entirely reasonable.

Chu Huan was mechanically dragged by Nanshan as his mind had drifted to a faraway place. Once he opened up this line of thinking, he suddenly found himself getting chills—if the mountain has life, could the world also have a life?

Could the so-called “Fallen Land” and “Dead Zone” also be a form of life?

As Chu Huan’s thoughts were racing inside his head, his steps came into a sudden halt after being dragged along for a while. They had reached a cave near the Mountain Gate.

Luger continued walking without a pause, heading deeper into the cave. They quickly passed the Sacred Spring, which was still glowing faintly. Chu Huan felt that there was something different about it, but he only had time for a quick glance before being pulled away by Nanshan without a chance to observe it closely.

Further in was an area that Chu Huan had never entered before. The paths inside the cave were long and winding, not particularly narrow, but it felt as if there was no end, creating a sense of psychological oppression.

The initial chaos, excitement, and nervousness had already passed. The two clan patriarchs quickly regained their composure, with Nanshan pulling Chu Huan through the crowd and toward Luger’s side. Suddenly, he asked, “If that side opens up, what is your plan?”

Luger resumed his cold and icy demeanor, saying, “Not much to do. Send your group of elderly, weak, and sick away, and we’ll continue to guard here.”

Nanshan’s face darkened, and he asked, “What are you talking about?”

“No disrespect,” Luger, probably influenced by Nanshan’s blood, still spoke bluntly but managed to provide a somewhat crude explanation. “The Fallen Land has definitely reached the foot of the mountain by now. The Mountain Gate is closed at this abnormal time, and no one knows what will happen in the future. If the inner gate really opens, you should leave as soon as possible—maybe it will never open again. But we, the Gatekeepers, cannot leave the mountains. Do you understand?”

Nanshan did not reply, and Luger did not turn around.

After a while, Luger sighed, “With your families in tow, I know the difficulties that you and the Mountain Keepers have to face.”

Nanshan’s throat twitched, as if someone had unexpectedly touched a sensitive spot in his heart. After a long pause, he spoke softly, “It’s not the time to talk about this yet. Let’s go.”

With the two patriarchs leading, they moved swiftly. The long, tunnel-like path abruptly ended, revealing a spacious area flooded with beams of light that made Chu Huan instinctively shield his eyes. A peculiar smell hung in the air.

Upon closer inspection, the scent wasn't unusual; it was the familiar scent of damp earth lingering within the cave. Different dampness carries distinct nuances – some bring a sense of mustiness, while others hint at decay. Yet, in this place, an illusion formed – a vision of lush young shoots covering mountainsides.

In reality, it was just a cave.

The cave, expectedly pitch-black, allowed a mysterious beam of light to filter through, creating an atrium-like space. The surroundings were rugged rocks, but the ground material was peculiar, resembling an enormous natural crystal. It emanated a milky white fluorescence, polishing the shadowy features, making even the coarsest appearance distinct.

Chu Huan whispered, "This is…"

Nanshan hushed him, "Shh."

Luger stepped onto the large crystal, creating ripple-like patterns. At this point, Chu Huan, accustomed to the wonders, observed Patriarch Luger reaching the crystal's center, bathed in a glowing light like a figurine on a music box.

Luger took a deep breath, knelt down, and softly chanted, as if singing a distant ritual.

Everyone held their breath, focusing on Luger's chant. As minutes passed, the ripples on the crystal's surface dissipated, and nothing happened.

Luger's expression shifted. He opened his eyes, stood up, and shook his head towards Nanshan.

Nanshan remarked, "So, the gate on this side didn't open."

One end closed, and this end didn't open, indicating they were now completely trapped on the mountain.

Nanshan, rather than appearing disappointed, seemed resigned. Calmly, he turned around and waved to the people behind him, instructing, "Let’s all go back. Ten people per group. And from now on, we’ll take turns every half day, but don’t leave the Mountain Gate."

Luger walked over from the massive crystal surface, saying, "Come with me up the mountain; I need to see the Elder."

Before ascending, the Elder, seemingly through some unknown feudal intuition, had sensed the disturbance at Mountain Gate. As they emerged from the cave, the old goat-faced individual was already waiting outside. Chu Huan marveled at how someone of his age managed to descend from the mountaintop step by step.

The Elder had a bodyguard with him, a man not much taller than the height of his cane, Little Bald-Head.

A group of people formed a circle at the cave entrance, and the Elder was frantically directing the others with his cane, shouting, “Hurry, hurry! Hey, get out of the way, don’t get in the way… Where’s the medicine? Not enough! Increase the dosage, increase it!”

Nanshan and the others pushed through the crowd and walked over. He asked, “What’s going on?”

A person lay on the ground, and it was Da Shan himself. Chu Huan had lost count of how many days he had seen Da Shan having no injuries on his body throughout the year. The eyes of this young man were oozing with dark blood, a clear sign of an Eye-Feasting Beast’s attack. Regarding the injuries, Da Shan was practically accustomed to them, and at this time, he was handling the medicine with an air of familiarity, guiding others while wheezing.

Upon hearing Nanshan’s voice, Da Shan immediately reached out his hand, fumbled around, rolled over, and grabbed Nanshan’s pants leg, “Patriarch!”

Luger came closer to inspect the eye injury, “Didn’t the Mountain Gate close? What were you doing just now?”

Da Shan replied, “I went to a higher place and looked from there, Patriarch Luger. I saw the Fallen Land.”

This young man had risked his eyes just to climb to a high point. For a moment, no one knew whether to praise him or to scold him.

Chu Huan crouched down and asked, “You saw it? The border is probably not at the foot of the mountain anymore.”

Da Shan responded, “It’s not at the foot of the mountain, it’s too close.”

The Elder nonchalantly patted his shoulder and inquired, “Where is it? How far is it?”

Da Shan replied, “Less than ten miles.”

For a moment, everyone fell silent, except for Luger, who now only had one eye. He suddenly said, “When I glimpsed the Eye-Feasting Beast, I didn’t see any sign of the Fallen Land outside the Mountain Gate.”

It was moving at high speed.

Was it because of this that the Mountain Gate closed?

Just then, the venomous snake, Little Green, which had been aimlessly slithering around Chu Huan, abruptly raised its upper body. It made a motion towards the sky that looked like a combination of an attack and fear. Chu Huan followed its gaze towards the sky and saw the eagles that the Gatekeepers raised, which were supposed to circle around the base of the mountain, had suddenly let out an extremely piercing cry. Unnaturally, one of them veered off course, falling straight out the Mountain Gate.

It was as if… it had been drawn away by something.

These sky assassins, the fierce raptors, fluttered and landed on the mountain ridge, their talons nervously tapping the ground. They trembled, looking more like a group of quails than their usual menacing self.

Someone muttered softly, “It’s coming… it’s here!”

Everyone turned around simultaneously. The sky visibly darkened at an alarming rate. All the people inside the Mountain Gate saw it—the boundless shadow was approaching, irresistibly like an impending storm.

All living creatures—humans, snakes, pythons, giant eagles—when faced with this unknown shadow, were overcome by a deep-seated fear, rendering the entire mountain ridge eerily silent.

“We’re going to be swallowed up!” This thought raced through everyone’s mind, but under the looming darkness, no one could utter a single word.

At that moment, a burst of intense light erupted from behind the people.

Chu Huan couldn’t help but close his eyes. It took him a while to regain his senses. When he looked back, he saw a blinding white light emanating from the corner of the mountain, like the light from a midday sun, almost searing. It engulfed the entire mountain.

Was that… the Sacred Spring?

The white light emanating from the Sacred Spring was like a defiant sharp blade, firmly blocking the shadow beyond the Mountain Gate. The people who had been too afraid to breathe finally regained their senses. They realized they were standing at the boundary between light and shadow, utterly uncertain about what they should do.

The first to speak was Nanshan, whose voice had an unnatural, lowered tone, as if he was afraid of alerting something. He urgently said, “Carry the Elder and Ankaraiya on your backs. Everyone, immediately retreat to the cave now, quickly! Don’t linger here.”

One of the Gatekeepers seemed to be in a daze. While following the Patriarch’s command instinctively, he asked in confusion, “Patriarch, didn’t you just order us to patrol the Mountain Gate in groups of ten?”

Luger interjected, “What’s the point of patrolling now? Haven’t you noticed that there’s no sound from outside anymore?”

Everyone who heard this statement couldn’t help but shiver. There were countless creatures and monsters relentlessly slamming their bodies against the mountain rocks at the Mountain Gate earlier, trying to force their way inside. Due to their sheer numbers, despite the thick mountain rocks, the muffled impact sounds and roars could still be heard on this side.

But now there was nothing.

The enemies they had battled fiercely with for a day and night seemed to have vanished in the blink of an eye. That side of the Mountain Gate was shrouded in silence.

No, it was a silence that enveloped the entire world. This mountain, like Noah’s Ark in the biblical deluge, precariously carried the world’s remaining life.

It appeared that everyone present would rather face a group of deadly Eye-Feasting Beasts than be in such “peace”.

Quickly, the two clans retreated to the living quarters where the Gatekeepers rested in their daily lives. This area was close to the Sacred Spring in the mountain core, where the white light seemed even stronger than before. Despite being in the caves, it felt as though they were under the bright sun, giving a semblance of safety. 

The group gathered, forming a circle around the two Patriarchs and the Elder at the center. Chu Huan, feeling like an outsider with limited authority, picked up Little Bald-Head and Little Green, finding a corner to sit in—a self-designated mascot zone.

Despite the clanspeople's panic, the Elder, unperturbed, got straight to the point, stating, “The Mountain Gate's closure without reversal is ominous. It serves as our foundation, connecting both ends through our blood and flesh. With the gate sealed, the Sacred Spring of the divine mountain will dry up, delaying the Fallen Land but giving us limited time.”

Luger added, “So, we're running out of time to wait for death.”

The Elder, thinking the Gatekeepers' Patriarch too blunt, was about to elaborate when Yuan Ping beside him said, “Can the crystal gate be broken or blown open? If shattered, can we return to the other side?”

The Elder paused, visibly annoyed by the Gatekeepers' directness.

“Nonsense,” he said, lightly tapping Yuan Ping's head with his cane. Coughing hoarsely, he continued, “The Sacred Text foresaw this day. In our irreversible decline, only those who can cross the river offer a solution…”

All eyes shifted to Chu Huan.

Crossing his legs, placing Little Bald-Head on his knee, Chu Huan sat up straight. He felt the need to speak but hadn't fully grasped the situation. The rapid developments left him uncertain. Speaking too bluntly could heighten anxiety, yet excessive optimism might lead to greater disappointment.

Before Chu Huan could utter a word, Nanshan interjected, “If someone entering the Fallen Land brings hope, I'll go with him.”

Nanshan's words stirred the gathering like hot water in a frying pan. Xiao Fang, quick to react, stared in astonishment, “Patriarch, what are you saying?”

Remaining composed, Nanshan stated, “I'll go with him. If something happens here, listen to the Elder and Patriarch Luger.”

Luger silently pointed to the ground with his knife, prompting a hushed atmosphere.

“But…”

Nanshan smiled, silencing any objections. He walked over, pulled Chu Huan off the ground, and declared, “Rest tonight. We'll set out tomorrow.”

“Patriarch!”

“Patriarch, wait!”

Without waiting or hesitating, Nanshan proceeded with determination.

As Nanshan uttered those words, he felt a profound sense of liberation, as though breaking free from a constraint.

Picking up the venomous snake entwined around Chu Huan, Nanshan tossed it to Luger. He then lifted the unresponsive Chu Huan, dragging him away without ceremony.

Chu Huan managed, “Wait…”

He yearned to discuss the "108 Speculations about the Fallen Land" with the Elder and inquire about the middle-aged man from his dream.

Luger, dodging the snake flung by Nanshan, sidestepped swiftly, allowing Little Green to crash down with an angry hiss. Bewildered calls filled the air, and amid the confusion, Yuan Ping, previously motionless, leaped up, declaring, “I’ll go too!”

Luger, with keen eyes and quick reflexes, tripped him using his knife's hilt. Stumbling, Yuan Ping was pressed down by Luger's knife. Luger stated bluntly, “Sit down. It’s none of your business.”

Yuan Ping retorted, “But…”

Luger, addressing the venomous snake, said, “Don’t let him wander around.” Little Green, forgetting its recent tussle, coiled around Yuan Ping, playfully binding him.

Nanshan ran uphill with Chu Huan, following the usual path. If not for Chu Huan's daily forest chase with Yuan Ping, the run might have left him dizzy.

Breathless, Nanshan guided him to a natural cave halfway up the mountain. Rarely visited, the cave entrance was adorned with unusually large willow trees. Their soft branches, like curtains, framed a faint light emanating from inside.

Peering inside, Chu Huan raised his foot to enter, asking, “What produces this light?”

However, Nanshan pulled him back. “Do you know what this place is?” a mysterious gleam in Nanshan’s eyes.

Chu Huan glanced at the cave's mysterious light and back at Nanshan, a sudden hunch making his throat dry.

“Here's where my people make marriage vows.” Nanshan held Chu Huan's face with one hand, fingers brushing against his hair, as if reluctant to let go.

Chu Huan's palm, marked by calluses, felt slightly itchy under Nanshan's touch. Despite the discomfort on his skin, he resisted the urge to pull away, the uneasiness in his heart outweighing the physical sensation.

Nanshan explained, “Mountain Keepers’ vows are life-and-death commitments. It might differ from your customs, but once made, it cannot be changed in a lifetime, and never to be violated.”

Stepping back, Nanshan knelt on one knee, grasped Chu Huan’s hand, and extended his open palm.

“Please,” Nanshan, unblinking, looked into Chu Huan’s eyes and said, “Give yourself to me.”