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Chapter 1: Carry a smile out the door, Journey with petals dancing in the wind
Scattered cumulus clouds hung in the sapphire-blue sky, the sun so bright it could scald one’s scalp, and cicadas were buzzing softer than in early summer.
It should be the Emerald Cloud Corridor(翠云廊) ahead.
Song You walked with measured steps, lifting his head to gaze ahead. Before him was a winding path only wide enough for one person to pass. With fields on one side and earth on the other, it led to a thoroughfare covered by millennia-old cypress trees.
The cypresses were ancient, so was the road, not destined to become history only in later years. Even in this era, they had already stood for over a thousand years.
This road was called the Golden Sun Path(金阳道), constructed during the Yu Dynasty(虞朝) to connect Yizhou(逸州) to the Guanzhong Plain(关中平原). It was a custom of ancient people to plant trees along roads to indicate the direction. With those trees, people would no longer stray from the path. From the Yu Dynasty onwards, cypress trees were officially planted along the Golden Sun Path. At its peak, there were hundreds of thousands of cypress trees, resembling a corridor shrouded in emerald clouds when viewed from a distance.
Hence, it was also known as the Emerald Cloud Corridor.
After walking a few more steps and reaching the corridor, the view became clearer.
During the transition between summer and autumn, the ancient cypresses exhibited a unique bluish-gray color. With no pruning for a millennium, the branches grew freely, intertwining and casting a dense shadow. Even the sunlight struggled to penetrate, creating speckled patterns of light and shadow on the road.
Below was a road paved with stone slabs, uneven and loosely laid, with gaps and depressions.
Song You stopped and looked back.
After walking for half a day, the familiar mountains and Daoist temple were already out of sight.
Song You continued to gaze, his expression calm.
Yesterday, after discussing with his master, he packed his belongings in the morning, bid farewell to his master and the old Starling(八哥) in the temple, and set off light. After walking over ten miles in half a day, he finally arrived at this well-known road.
But where should he go next?
His master didn't tell him, and he didn't know.
"..."
After a while, Song You finally withdrew his gaze.
He decided to keep moving forward.
Soon, he stepped onto the Emerald Cloud Corridor. The sensation under his feet quickly became firm, and most of the scorching sunlight was now blocked.
Song You didn't look back again, walking forward with determination, always paying attention to the scenery on the roadside.
In this era, this road's significance was no less than that of highways in the modern world. It connected Yizhou and the Guanzhong Plain, equipped with horse barriers similar to the guardrails on modern highways. However, weathering over a thousand years had left it somewhat worn.
Nevertheless, it remained a crucial transportation route of this era.
Song You carefully felt the essence of this ancient road, experiencing the real scenes on the Emerald Cloud Corridor in this era.
Sometimes, the jingling of bells from passing caravans echoed as they looked at each other under the cypress trees. Occasionally, the sound of approaching horse hooves resonated with a rhythm unique to this era, as government couriers sped by on horseback.
Sometimes, he encountered porters.
That was the only group Song You could catch up with and surpass.
The porters in Yizhou were often small and skinny, resembling skeletons, carrying goods that even a strong man would find hard to bear. Leaning on bamboo staffs, they walked with their heads down, exhausted from expending all their strength, with no energy to care about their surroundings.
Fortunately, there was shade under the ancient cypresses.
These cypresses were untouchable.
Since the Yu Dynasty, the government had legislated to protect the ancient cypresses. Cutting or felling them was prohibited. When local officials left their positions, they had to account for and hand over the ancient cypresses to their successors.
It was rumored that within these perilous mountains and on the Emerald Cloud Corridor built during the Yu Dynasty, among the lush ancient cypresses, there were often spirits that had become sentient after countless years. Some even claimed to have heard the trees speaking during night travels.
Such claims seemed reasonable. After all, these trees had provided shade and shelter for over twelve hundred years. Many people had walked by their side. Perhaps, only by listening to passersby’s conversations, they might have already learned to speak.
Song You really wished to hear them speak to him.
Unfortunately, that didn’t seem possible.
This solitary journey was destined to be quiet.
After walking for an unknown duration, passing four earthen mounds by the roadside, which meant he had walked roughly six more miles, he noticed the sunlight through the cypress branches shifting westward.
Song You felt a bit weary.
Seeing a massive cypress ahead, likely needing several people to embrace it fully, with its trunk leaning just right, and the ground beneath it clean, it seemed like a place where people often rested.
Song You didn't mind and walked over, sitting down.
Having a piece of cake and drinking some water, at first, his mind was occupied with various thoughts. People kept passing by him, and as he lifted his head, he encountered the faces of this era, experiencing a strange sense of serendipity in each encounter. When fatigue set in, Song You had no intention to contend with it. He hugged his belongings, closed his eyes, and soon drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep.
The cicadas' sound wasn't disturbing but rather sleep-inducing.
During the noon break, as the sun slanted westward, he could sense the alternating shadows and light through his closed eyes. When he woke up in a daze, he saw a group of small figures jumping and playing among the tree branches.
Each figure was only about the size of a palm, petite and beautiful, dressed in colorful clothes. Male and female, they played carefreely. When Song You rubbed his eyes and looked closely, he realized it was just a group of three or five sparrows.
"Heh..." Song You finally showed a smile, gradually waking up.
Looking up at the sky again, he saw several cumulus clouds gathering into a large, thick mass, obscuring the sunlight. It seemed like rain was coming—
Most cumulus clouds wouldn't bring rain or snow. They often appeared on sunny days, symbolizing good weather. However, when they turned into thick cumulus clouds, they might bring short but heavy rain, or, depending on temperature and airflow changes, even develop into more intense cumulonimbus clouds.
Song You didn't mind. He shouldered his bag and continued the journey.
Once embarking on a journey, be it under clear skies or in the rain, every encounter, whether good or bad, would become an experience.
As expected, after walking a few more miles, the cloud cover grew darker, and when Song You stood still and looked up, rain began to pour, instantly connecting the sky and the ground.
And the clouds were still drifting in his direction.
"..." Song You hesitated for a moment and chose to turn back.
Less than a mile away, there was a pavilion, divided into two sections on the left and right. It was hard to tell which dynasty it was built, but now, although dilapidated and unable to block the wind, it could still provide some shelter from the rain.
As he approached the pavilion, the rain arrived.
According to the road signs seen earlier, this pavilion used to be a place where tea was sold. However, Song You didn't see any tea vendors or people; there was only a pile of firewood in the pavilion, and traces of a fire on the ground. He seemed to be the only one seeking shelter from the rain.
Song You calmly chose a section with a better roof, sat down, and started observing the rain.
The rain started gently, creating splashes on the dry ground. However, it quickly intensified. The sound of raindrops hitting the stone slabs resonated, completely soaking the stones and wetting the soil.
The strong scent of dust rushed in.
This world was gradually becoming damp, and all colors in the mountains seemed cleaner. The sound of cicadas ceased, leaving only the sound of rain on the mountain road.
Drip, drop, pitter-patter; it calmed the heart.
After about half an hour, the sky was getting darker, but there was no sign of the rain stopping. It seemed uncertain how much longer it would continue. Considering the time already spent during the noon break, even if the rain stopped now, he might not reach the next stop.
With such thoughts, Song You shifted his focus from watching and listening to the rain, turning his head to look at the corner where a pile of firewood was stacked and the traces of a fire on the ground.
Perhaps, other travellers had spent a night here.
It was still a couple of days before the official start of autumn, and the night wasn't cold. Even in the mountains, it was bearable to stay overnight.
Song You calmed his mind and closed his eyes.
The rain fell, and all things came to life.
The spiritual energy in the mountains grew denser.
Until it was dark, the rain finally eased.
Song You stood up, picked up some dry firewood, and placed it in a pile. He then took a wooden branch in his hand.
"Winds cease, flames ignite."
The wind passing through the pavilion briefly stopped.
Then came a light sound—
"Poof!"
A handful of orange flames rose from the wooden branch. It looked no different from ordinary fire. Song You treated it as such, holding the wooden branch in the pile of firewood, keeping it still for a moment before slowly igniting the firewood.
"Woosh..."
The wind blew again, and rain drifted in at an angle. The edges of the pavilion were already wet.
The crackling sound of the burning fire echoed, and the warmth reached Song You. His body felt comfortably warm, and his face was a bit hot. However, he continued to sit cross-legged, staring at the burning fire as if it contained something extremely fascinating.
Sometimes, he would think about the future itinerary.
But it was destined to be inconclusive.
Since coming to this world, he had grown up with his master in the Daoist temple, leaving several times but only exploring limited areas. Moreover, he had little interest and longing for this world, lacking sufficient knowledge and motivation to plan a detailed journey.
Sometimes, he would recall the past.
Some scenes would uncontrollably emerge from his mind.
But most of the time, he didn't think about anything, just watching the fire burn, feeling the warmth, gradually emptying his mind. A sense of security and comfort hidden deep in his genes made his heart even more tranquil.
The rain diminished, and the sound of rain also subsided. The mountains temporarily fell into silence, and the most prominent sound was the crackling fire in front of him.
Amid dilapidated mountain pavilion and night's soft rain,
A lone fire burns, a stranger in this foreign domain.
Thinking about how far and how long he would travel alone in the future, he felt a sense of loneliness rising in his heart.
It was difficult to endure.
After an unknown period, there were faint hoofbeats.
Song You shifted his gaze from the fire, turning to look in the direction of the approaching sound. In the night, a group of traveling merchants came in the rain.
Mainly relying on horses and mules, they carried extremely large bundles of goods, likely tea leaves. There were about ten people, accompanied by two guards. From this, it could be inferred that these travelers came from a relatively remote place, and this section of the thoroughfare was relatively safe.
The people hadn't arrived yet, but their voices could be heard.
"We can't go any further. We should have passed that section; there's a pavilion ahead. Let's make do and spend the night here."
"We might have to walk a bit more!"
"There's no place ahead to shelter from the rain."
"There's someone up ahead!"
"Campfire..."
Song You remained seated, watching the group approach.
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