Chapter 117.1 – In the Deep Forest
The giant snake continued forward, and the mountain wind blew so strongly that it made it hard to open one’s eyes.
When learning to pilot aircraft, Lu Tinghan had undergone extensive training, so high speeds and weightlessness were not a big deal to him. Moreover, the white snake’s head remained steady. But… crossing mountains while riding on a giant snake? He had never imagined such a thing in his life.
“Look!” amidst the sound of the wind, Shi Yuan shouted at the top of his lungs, “There’s a river over there!”
Lu Tinghan saw it too.
This was a faraway place. Deep within the mountains, even though he had never been to this particular area, he could see a roaring river amidst the mountain valleys, cascading for miles, and crashing into cliff walls with snow-white flowers. Even the most adept swimmer would be unable to survive in its waters. This place was like its own world, with fish leaping and all kinds of strange and wondrous birds circling in the wind, building nests on the rock walls.
Further in the distance, countless valleys and cliffs were teeming with life, creatures moving about, some basking in the sunlight while others lurked and hid in the shadows. There were shrill cries, long roars, and whispers…
They had unexpectedly entered another world.
A world that belonged solely to monsters.
Humans found it terrifying, but for the monsters, overlooking the mountains and all living things brought them great joy and excitement. Lu Tinghan turned his head to look at Shi Yuan. The strong wind had tousled the boy’s black hair, and he stared intently into the distance, his eyes shining in the sunlight.
Lu Tinghan silently smiled.
After an unknown amount of time, the giant snake slowed down.
They kept going towards the high ground, and this area of mountains was shrouded in dense fog, like milk that couldn’t dissipate. As the giant snake gradually lowered its head, the two of them became immersed in the mist.
“Xiao Bai,” Shi Yuan asked it, “where are you taking us?”
Lu Tinghan: “…”
He would probably never be able to accept that name.
“Ssss,” the white snake hissed and spat out its tongue, as if responding.
Not long after, a strong gust of wind blew, causing the clouds and mist to surge and fragments of light to float around them.
It was the radiance of flower petals.
Interweaving pure white and pale pink flowers filled the sky, making it impossible to see clearly.
Viewing the flowers through the mist had its own charm, sometimes appearing and disappearing, real and unreal. Shi Yuan saw a cluster of blooming flowers right beside him and couldn’t help reaching out to pick one, only to realize that it was a cloud that dissipated in his hand. And in a place that seemed like a mass of white fog, upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a vast sea of swaying flowers.
Shi Yuan exclaimed, “Wow!”
Lu Tinghan also extended his hand, and the ethereal mist wrapped around his fingers, leaving behind a cool mist.
He said, “It’s beautiful.”
After more than ten minutes of the giant snake moving forward, it came to a stop.
“Hoo, hoo, hoo,” another gust of wind blew.
This time, the wind was particularly swift, sweeping across the world and causing the clouds and mist to swirl. It was truly magnificent, resembling a hurricane capable of annihilating the world in myths, yet gentle and carrying the scent of flowers.
The two of them looked up together, watching as flower petals and fragments of light rode on the mist, racing towards the dome. In that instant, the sky cleared up, and a sudden burst of azure blue rushed into their sight. The mountain landscape unfolded before them, with thousands of flowers blooming like snow.
This was a sea of xuejian flowers blooming in the secret valley.
The white snake did not understand beauty or ugliness. On the day when Shi Yuan presented flowers to it, the snake knew that this little deity liked flowers, so it had brought them here, crossing mountains and valleys.
The snake lowered its head to the ground.
Lu Tinghan jumped down first and reached out his hand to Shi Yuan.
But Shi Yuan didn’t take Lu Tinghan’s hand.
He smiled with his eyes narrowed, opened his arms, and jumped down—
Lu Tinghan caught him firmly.
They embraced amidst the sea of flowers, while the giant snake raised its head and roamed into the nearby mountains, resting among the peaks.
Shi Yuan and Lu Tinghan walked hand in hand through the mountain landscape.
Subtle lights undulated, and as they looked up, they noticed several black branches growing on the stone walls, adorned with pale pink flowers.
They also heard the sound of a stream.
After walking for a while, a clear creek appeared before their eyes. Some small crab-like creatures scurried away in a hurry upon seeing Shi Yuan.
Shi Yuan cupped his hands and splashed the water onto his face. It was cold, giving a refreshing feeling.
Lu Tinghan stood beside him and said, “Shi Yuan, look over there.”
Shi Yuan looked in that direction, but the dark mountains seemed devoid of anything.
He asked, “What am I supposed to see?”
Lu Tinghan replied, “There’s a path there.”
Shi Yuan: ?
He tried to look for a while and said, “Where is it?”
“Just keep going, and you’ll see it,” Lu Tinghan said with a smile.
The creek also flowed in that direction, so they followed its current, venturing deeper into the mountains. The sea of flowers occasionally emitted faint sounds, and a few groups of furry little creatures ran past, stealing glances at them.
While walking, Shi Yuan picked beautiful flowers.
This one was lovely, and so was the other one. Although they hadn’t walked far, he already had a large handful in his arms. Lu Tinghan turned his head and couldn’t see Shi Yuan’s face, but he saw a large bunch of white flowers moving, accompanied by a lively and cheerful tail.
Shi Yuan couldn’t hold them all, so Lu Tinghan reached out and took over most of the bouquet, saying, “Do you really like flowers that much?”
“Um,” Shi Yuan said, “I really do.” He paused for a moment and continued, “When we first met, you followed the sea of flowers.”
They arrived at the foot of the mountain.
Passing through the dense flowers and soft green grass, as expected, there was a path.
The path was covered with vegetation, and one had to look carefully to notice it. Fortunately, Lu Tinghan could still spot it from such a distance.
It was severely damaged and intermittent. They pushed aside the flowers and grass, occasionally catching sight of half-buried blue stone slabs or a few neatly arranged bricks. They followed these faint traces and walked up the mountain.
Shi Yuan asked, “Was there a city here before? How could there be a path?”
“It wasn’t a city. This terrain isn’t suitable, and there’s no mention of it on the map,” Lu Tinghan replied. “It might have been a mountain village.”
“Oh,” Shi Yuan said, “I’ve never seen a mountain village before.”
“Me neither.”
“What are mountain villages like?”
Lu Tinghan said, “They don’t have tall buildings like cities, and they’re not too crowded. You can see fields and animals.”
“That sounds nice,” Shi Yuan pondered, “I think I’ll like it too.”
