Of Mountains and Rivers 71

What’s the situation?

Chu Huan couldn’t help but turn his head to glance at Nanshan. Even across the water, he could perceive the shock in Nanshan’s face. Wasn’t it rumored in the martial world that there were no two leaves exactly alike in the world?

Two identical mountains—what was going on? Even if tectonic movements created twin peaks, could the subtle traces of weathering and erosion over the years magically overlap?

With the taste of salty seawater filling his mouth, Chu Huan’s exposed wounds stung even more intensely. Underwater currents seemed like a mysterious passage, pushing them relentlessly forward, straight toward the mountain.

At this moment, human strength seemed utterly insignificant. Even Nanshan, the formidable Mountain Keeper akin to a superhuman, could only go with the flow reluctantly.

As they approached the Mountain Gate, the speed of the water flow increased. Chu Huan felt like he was running out of breath, and they were being pressed by the immense water pressure onto the mountain.

In the blink of an eye, there was no time for people to react at all. Chu Huan really wanted to know where his earlier confidence had come from. Upon reflection, even though his prediction was wrong, there was nothing to regret about—even if he had anticipated this brutal situation, there was nothing he could have done to prepare. Compared to this irrational world, they were so fragile and helpless.

The taste of rapidly increasing pressure and resistance was indescribable. Chu Huan felt flattened. He finally understood a thing or two about the living conditions of ribbonfish.

Chu Huan thought that if he ever saw the light of day again, he would never mock ribbonfish at the market for resembling watch bands.

In these scattered thoughts, Chu Huan's vision was completely obscured by bubbles spraying and darting around. Then, a massive shadow loomed overhead. The fate of being flattened into a pancake seemed imminent.

However, the anticipated impact did not happen. Chu Huan felt as if he had been sucked into a very narrow space, constantly bumping and colliding. He involuntarily swallowed a few mouthfuls of water, and the air in his chest choked out through coughs. His fragile primate lungs issued a stern warning.

Just when Chu Huan doubted if he would drown, he suddenly felt a lightness on his body. He reached out and waved in the air, realizing he had somehow surfaced!

Choking on water, Chu Huan had lost much of his sense of direction, but he felt he hadn't fainted to that extent. Just now, he felt like he was continuously being pressed down by seawater. How could he suddenly emerge from the water's surface?

Could it be oxygen deprivation-inducing hallucinations?

Chu Huan struggled to open his eyes for a moment. The faint light beneath his eyelids assured him that the staff was still there. The hand clasping his right hand, fingers entwined, assured him that Nanshan was still present. The weight transmitted through the rope on his left wrist indicated that Yuan Ping was also accounted for… Well, it just wasn't very convenient to move his left wrist; it may be a bit cumbersome.

However, Chu Huan believed that with the physical resilience of a Gatekeeper, he wouldn't succumb to drowning so easily on the spot.

After counting the three crucial “assets”, Chu Huan inexplicably felt a sense of relief.

"Since we've come to this point," he thought, "it probably can't get any worse. Whether the sky falls or the earth collapses, who cares."

The dark current pushing them forward didn't stop for a moment, but the speed seemed to have slowed down. Chu Huan suppressed his cough and, after struggling to open his eyes, he discovered they were in a narrow passage, like a mountain cave. Nanshan, on the other hand, was anxiously watching him at his side.

Meeting Chu Huan’s gaze, Nanshan visibly relaxed and said with a sigh of relief, "Your hand loosened a moment earlier, and that scared the life out of me." 

Chu Huan wanted to tease him, but his throat was hoarse from seawater, so he raised the hand they were holding in the rushing current. His "teasing" ring was still on Nanshan's finger, which was a comforting sight to see. Chu Huan struggled to lower his head, kissed Nanshan's hand, and tasted a mouthful of sea salt.

Suddenly, a more intense and heart-wrenching cough erupted behind them. The rope on Chu Huan's left hand lightened, and Yuan Ping surfaced like a drowned rat—apparently, he wasn't adept in water, and he looked utterly clueless. He struggled in the water, or rather, the snake was the one who dragged him up.

Chu Huan quickly cleared his throat, ready to mock Yuan Ping, but before he could, Nanshan said, "Hold your breath!"

Chu Huan reacted swiftly; as soon as Nanshan spoke, he held his breath. The next moment, the narrow passage abruptly turned downward, taking a curious roller-coaster-like angle. A giant wave submerged them once again.

Already prepared, Chu Huan simultaneously imagined how Yuan Ping would look in such waves. When Yuan Ping resurfaced, spitting out bitter seawater, Chu Huan was ready to mock him. 

But when he opened his eyes again, he found himself unable to laugh.

Chu Huan saw something he had once taken for granted, something he thought he'd never see again in months. For a moment, his shallow joy and shock didn't arrive as expected. He was stunned, as if he had seen a ghost—at the end of this winding narrow passage, there was a beam of light.

Pure, blinding, scorching sunlight.

Chu Huan was still in a daze, and before he could recover, the rushing water was already carrying them out.

The piercing sunlight entered his pupils, causing them to contract sharply. Tears welled up in Chu Huan's eyes, not from an emotional but a physiological response. Yet, he didn't dodge or blink; he didn't even close his eyes.

Chu Huan once considered himself someone who didn't enjoy basking in the sunlight. When he lived alone, whether it was day or night, regardless of the season, he would always draw the curtains in his room to block out any light. This was how he found peace of mind. Even during the days when he first arrived at the Liyi Clan, he always preferred to stay in shaded areas beneath lush trees.

At that time, he could never have imagined that one day he would reunite with the sunlight, and the reunion would be so emotionally overwhelming as well.

It wasn't just him; all three of them seemed to be in a dreamlike state. Chu Huan heard Nanshan say in disbelief, "Did we… Did we come out from the Fallen Land?"

Yes, there were no terrifying shadows here, and no people being swallowed up by darkness.

Nanshan tightly clasped Chu Huan's hand, causing him to feel the firm joints of Chu Huan’s finger, which reassured him that he wasn't dreaming.

"But… but how did we get out?" Nanshan murmured.

This question entered Chu Huan's severely paranoid mind, triggering an instant surge of confusion that snapped him back from the scattered state induced by the sunlight.

Chu Huan quickly snapped out of the excited state of blankness in his brain and rebounded into a state of intense skepticism and vigilance.

He skeptically surveyed the surroundings and quickly discovered the incredibility of this place – the natural law dictates that "water flows downhill," but here, the water was flowing uphill.

It wasn't like those "weird slope" models in children's science museums that use basic visual illusions to make it seem like a small car can roll uphill. Chu Huan could sense that the seawater carrying them forward was climbing and decelerating. This meant that the water wasn't accelerating under the influence of gravity; indeed, it was flowing "upward." Simultaneously, another unidentified force was overcoming gravity, continuously drawing the massive seawater uphill.

Midway through, the current was still flowing, but its force had weakened to the point where it couldn't shake an adult's body. The three people and a snake finally reached the shore and looked up at the "mountain" before them.

Yes, the water flowing upward had formed a mountain in front of them. The surface of this "mountain" had no rocks or trees; it was covered in water. It seemed like it was wearing a flowing and translucent cloak, sparkling brilliantly under the sunlight.

Chu Huan heard Yuan Ping, trembling beside him, exhale a breath and quietly say, "'At the end of the divine mountain, atop the sacred water'—is this… the pinnacle of sacred water?"

Chu Huan, whether influenced by the dazzling water-mountain or something else, suddenly felt an irresistible fatigue. He forced himself to stay alert, continuing to doubt the entire world like a neurotic teenager. He paid little attention to Yuan Ping's statement, turning his gaze towards the Patriarch's staff in Nanshan's hand.

With just one glance, he noticed something was wrong.

The flame on the staff appeared dim under the sunlight, so they hadn't noticed it earlier—the flame was completely motionless.

Chu Huan snatched the Patriarch's staff and, upon closer inspection, realized the flame was encapsulated in Nanshan's bubble. The bubble was covered with a layer of seawater, and at some point, the seawater had frozen, turning the bubble into a solid entity.

"Don't get too excited just yet," Chu Huan said, poking the staff between the three of them. He crouched down and carefully examined the little flame sealed in ice at the center, resembling a specimen. "Let's figure out what's going on here."

His words seemed to have poured a bucket of cold water mercilessly over his companions' heads. Nanshan tentatively reached out to touch the ice, and to everyone's surprise, the ice was extremely thin and delicate. With a gentle stroke, it shattered instantly.

The three of them then stared with wide eyes as the flame, once trapped in the ice, flickered weakly before extinguishing.

The flame that had served as their protective umbrella and talisman on their journey had gone out.

Yuan Ping felt a silent fear gripping him. Like a startled bird, he scanned his surroundings, wondering if the extinguished flame meant that his own consciousness was now trapped here.

Could all of this be an illusion? Had he been swallowed?

In panic, he hastily glanced at Chu Huan, who was running his hand over the Patriarch’s staff, attempting to produce some kind of result.

Following that, Chu Huan unexpectedly sat down on the ground and announced in a dazed manner, "I'm going to take a nap."

Yuan Ping went mad instantly. He grabbed Chu Huan's shoulder, transforming into Roaring Yuan in a second. "You still have the mood to sleep? Oh my God, are you crazy? What if we've been swallowed? Can't you feel it? Being the savior doesn’t mean you can be so indifferent, big brother!"

Chu Huan weakly shook off his hand. "We haven't been swallowed because…"

Because of what?

The rest of the words couldn't be heard as they had faded into a blurry mutter. Suddenly, Chu Huan silently slumped to one side before being caught by Nanshan's outstretched hand.

Yuan Ping asked, “What’s wrong with him…”

Nanshan lowered his head to take a closer look. He then whispered, “He’s fine, just sleeping.”

Yuan Ping had no words to say.

For some reason, Nanshan also felt a slight heaviness in his eyelids. He gestured quietly to Yuan Ping and explained in a subdued tone, "We haven't been consumed; we have come out of the Fallen Land. Didn't you notice along the way? After everyone is consumed, they become a part of 'it’ to express one of 'its' emotions—which is quite monotonous. So, even if you are aware of 'its' existence, being consumed is not that easy because you can sense that something is amiss."

Yuan Ping was momentarily stunned.

As Nanshan spoke, he pulled Chu Huan into his arms and rubbed his eyes. “Regardless, let’s rest first—after spending so much time in the Fallen Land, aren’t you tired?”

As his words faded, Yuan Ping, as if infected, felt the excitement in his mind dissipate. He belatedly sensed an overwhelming numbness, the aftermath of extreme exhaustion. Just as he was about to say something, it slipped from his mind. His entire being felt vacant, like someone who hadn't closed their eyes for three days and nights.

Upon closer observation, Nanshan's hands were clasped in front of Chu Huan, and he, too, had drifted into sleep.

When Nanshan woke again, the sunlight had vanished.

He saw the vast Milky Way silently blanketing the sky, reflecting in the exceptionally clear seawater. The "water mountain" that sparkled with colorful brilliance during the day was now adorned with countless diamond-like starlights, creating a breathtaking beauty that left one breathless.

On one side, Yuan Ping sprawled out in a deep sleep, and Little Green was in an equally worrisome posture as well. The snake, with its head and tail flat, had the middle section draped over Yuan Ping's waist, looking like an undignified piece of hemp rope.

Finally, Nanshan lowered his head.

Chu Huan's head rested on his chest, showing no signs of waking up, and his chest rose and fell slightly with each breath.

After observing for a moment, Nanshan felt that Chu Huan's neck seemed somewhat uncomfortable in this position. So, he made a slight adjustment, laying him on his back in his arms.

The days in the Fallen Land were not worth remembering, and Chu Huan's appearance, if not exactly wild, wasn't far off. Yet, to Nanshan's eyes, he seemed like the most beautiful person. Silently admiring for a long time, and unable to resist, Nanshan lowered his head, lightly kissed Chu Huan's lips, and gently brushed away the hair at his temple. He whispered, "Would you really stew my bones for soup?"

Chu Huan, easily disturbed by sounds, hadn't woken up. Still not fully recovered from extreme exhaustion, he unconsciously made a soft "Hmm" sound, turning to the side as if trying to escape the subtle disturbance near his ears.

Nanshan couldn't help but smile. He didn't understand why being threatened with being turned into a pot of soup was something to be proud of. However, every time he recalled this sentence, he secretly reveled in it, savoring a myriad of flavors.

Except for Nanshan, there was no other living creature half-awake around. Nanshan felt a bit bolder than usual.

He opened his palm and delicately stroked Chu Huan's back. With gentle movements that wouldn't wake him, he followed the smooth lines of his spine until he lingered at his waist. His fingertips hesitated for a moment on Chu Huan's belt, rubbing back and forth. Finally, after a brief hesitation, he reluctantly retracted.

Nanshan leaned in and whispered in Chu Huan's ear, "There’s no rush in drinking my bone soup. When we find the Sacred Text and defeat 'it', how about you make up for what you owe me on the night we establish our marriage contract?"

Chu Huan remained motionless, offering no response.

A faint smile curled on Nanshan's lips as if he had received an implicit agreement. He gazed once again at the vast starry sky, briefly unloading a burden—never did he imagine that stars could be so breathtakingly beautiful.

When Chu Huan woke up again, it was already dawn on the second day. As he opened his eyes, he was almost blinded by the radiant light of the sunrise reflecting off the towering "water mountain" in front of him. He quickly shielded his eyes and realized that he was leaning against Nanshan's chest.

Judging by the daylight, he could tell that he had slept for an astonishingly long time. He hastily sat up, grabbed Nanshan's arm, and began massaging it. Nanshan's muscles were a bit stiff, and the pressure from Chu Huan made him wince and emit a low, muffled groan.

Chu Huan sighed, "Are you working out, or do you want me to help you develop the ninth and tenth abdominal muscles?"

Nanshan didn’t answer. He just watched him silently with a smile.

Chu Huan asked, “What are you laughing at?”

“I like it,” Nanshan extended his slightly stiff hand and cupped Chu Huan’s face, “I like you.”

Even though he knew Nanshan was always straightforward, Chu Huan still felt a bit defenseless. He paused for a moment and couldn’t help but shake his head with a bit of embarrassment. He jokingly said, “Leader, can we be a bit more reserved?”

Nanshan remained silent as if really intending to be a bit “reserved”. Only his clear gaze stared at Chu Huan without blinking. This kind of behavior was almost voyeuristic, and although it appeared completely pure, it made the observer feel a bit guilty, as if they were the one with impure thoughts. It seemed quite improper.

Chu Huan nonchalantly diverted his attention from Nanshan’s “improper” gaze and started observing the Sunken Star Island.

Presumably, due to the presence of the twin brother of the divine mountain, there were caves on the island. These caves, through some mechanism, created a tremendous suction force on the seawater outside. Some fishermen's boats were wrecked by hidden reefs a little further away, and if they were fortunate enough not to die, they would be washed ashore with the water flow.

The island was quite large, and what blocked their view was a tall and bizarre "water mountain". It obscured their vision, making it difficult for the tiny humans to see what was on the other side.

The flowing water was endless, appearing tranquil and peaceful, without any trace of collapse, resembling a paradise.

… Well, of course, it could also be deceptively the eye of a typhoon.