The old woman seemed to have expected our return, waiting by the door.
As soon as she saw us approach, she burst into laughter before we could speak.
"Hahaha, ran into trouble, didn't you? Young people, you rush things and make mistakes."
I chuckled sheepishly and replied, "Hehehe, I didn't expect it to be so cold on the mountain. I didn't plan properly, so I came back."
"You must be frozen. Come in quickly."
A fire had already been lit inside. We entered and sat around the hearth. The old woman brought us two cups of hot tea.
Ah Li held his warm tea, took a sip, and couldn't help but ask, "Grandma, why is it colder on this mountain than anywhere else?"
The old woman smiled slightly and explained the reason. "Wanxue Mountain is different from other snow mountains. The snow here doesn't melt for a thousand years. It has long since frozen into old ice, becoming one with the mountain, making it incredibly cold. Most people wouldn't survive half a day here."
"Ah! It's that difficult?" I felt a bit discouraged.
Seeing our dejected spirits, the old woman changed the subject. "It's not entirely hopeless. Since we can live here, we naturally have our ways of survival."
I eagerly pressed, "Grandma, what can we do to get up the mountain?"
The old woman looked up at the sky outside. The heavens were gradually darkening, and a misty rain seemed imminent. Yet, on the other side, a half-red sunset still hung in the sky. She murmured to herself, "The night rain is coming."
I looked up in confusion, seeing no rain, only a sky half dark and half gray. I exclaimed, "The weather today is truly strange, half red and half black."
Ah Li also looked up and saw the half-red, half-black sky. He exclaimed, "I've never seen anything like this in Nanshan. It's truly special."
The old woman slowly withdrew her gaze and looked at Ah Li and me. "I'll tell you about going up the mountain tomorrow. I have a story about the origin of the Wanxue Spider. Would you like to hear it?"
I blinked curiously. Of course, I wanted to hear a story. "Yes, yes, we want to hear!" I quickly replied.
The old woman took a slow breath and began to tell the story of the Wanxue Spider's origin. "This Wanxue Spider was also an unfortunate soul. He was originally a capable general under the King of Ten Thousand Ghosts, named Xian Ling'er. He had followed the King of Ten Thousand Ghosts on campaigns, expanding the territory of the Ghost Clan. However, after the King of Ten Thousand Ghosts was besieged and killed by righteous individuals, he himself was gravely wounded. He had promised the King of Ten Thousand Ghosts to follow him for all eternity, until the day the Ghost Clan revived. So, in his dying moments, he used all his strength to cast out his three souls and seven spirits, drifting thousands of miles to Wanxue Mountain. He attached himself to a small snow spider and, after a thousand years, finally became the Wanxue Spider we know today."
I never imagined that the Wanxue Spider had such a touching past. I had heard the name King of Ten Thousand Ghosts several times on our journey. I wondered what kind of important figure he was, and perhaps the old woman would know. So, I boldly asked, "Grandma, what kind of person was that King of Ten Thousand Ghosts?"
To my surprise, the old woman sighed, her expression turning melancholic. "That person... in the first half of his life, he was a good person. A sword-wielder who emerged from the Ghost Clan to protect the weak. But as his influence grew, he became increasingly arrogant. Eventually, in pursuit of greater power, he became a sinner who killed indiscriminately. It was only when the Ghost Clan fell into internal strife and was then jointly hunted by righteous individuals that he met his tragic end."
It seemed that whether in the human world or other realms, no one could escape the temptation of power. I sighed, "I never thought a hero could end up like this."
The old woman also lamented, "Indeed. But it's all in the past, a thousand years ago. Just listen, and consider it a cautionary tale for future generations." As she spoke, she looked out the window again. By then, the half-red sky had been significantly encroached upon by gray and black. Only a sliver of the sun, hidden behind the clouds, could be faintly seen. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and the sound of pouring rain gradually approached. Hearing the sound, I turned and suddenly saw the downpour descending from the sky. As raindrops splashed into the house, I quickly stepped back.
Ah Li exclaimed, "What heavy rain!"
The old woman told us, "You've come at a good time. We grow Hundred-Colored Chrysanthemums here, and it's their blooming season. You can go see them tomorrow."
I shook my head. "We'll go another time. We still need to go up the mountain to find Celestial Master Zhang."
"Don't worry. Celestial Master Zhang will likely be on the mountain for the next few days."
"Grandma, how can you be so sure?"
"Every time he comes, he stays on Wanxue Mountain for a long time. If he comes down the mountain, he'll pass through the village. Once he passes the village, he'll come here for a meal."
Although the old woman's words were reassuring, I still felt a bit worried. I looked at Ah Li with a hazy gaze. To my surprise, Ah Li supported the idea this time. "What Grandma says is probably true. Let's go see the Hundred-Colored Chrysanthemums tomorrow. It's rare to come here."
The old woman added, "Yes, these Hundred-Colored Chrysanthemums aren't available every year. They have a three-year cycle of rest and blooming. If you come again next time, you might not get to see such beauty."
Since Ah Li also thought it was a good idea, and the old woman strongly recommended it, I agreed. "Alright, we'll go see them tomorrow."
The old woman looked out at the rain, which showed no sign of stopping. A hint of sleepiness appeared on her face, and she said to us, "It's getting late. You can sleep in the side room and get some rest." With that, she got up and went into the inner room.
"Thank you, Grandma," I said.
The side room was on the left side of the courtyard. Ah Li and I, braving the heavy rain, came out of the house and ran towards it. The door to the side room was wide open. We cautiously walked in and found only one bed in the entire room. Neither Ah Li nor I wanted to sleep on the floor, so we scrambled onto the bed. Disregarding propriety, we pulled the covers and lay down.
"Ah Li," I said sheepishly, "it's not very proper for us to sleep together."
Ah Li turned his head and pouted. "You could give me the bed."
"Why can't you let me sleep on the bed?"
"With only one bed, what else can we do but sleep together?"
"Alright, then. But we need something to separate us, otherwise, it will look improper between us."
"This is the first time I've seen you so reserved."
His words made it sound like I was very promiscuous before. "No matter what, I am a respectable woman. If we sleep in the same bed like this, and someone sees us, I'll be branded as a hussy. No, no, I care a lot about my reputation. Ah Li, can you transform something to create a barrier, Ah Li?"
Not hearing a response, I thought something might be wrong with him. I turned my head and saw him lying still, fast asleep. I propped myself up and looked closer. I could only see his chest rising and falling with his breath, and his face, full of fatigue, now relaxed in sleep. I sighed softly and mused, "He fell asleep so quickly. Ah Li and I don't have that complicated a relationship, so why should we care about worldly opinions?"
Listening to the torrential rain drumming on the roof outside, I felt an inexplicable sense of contentment. A cold wind blew in from the window, and suddenly I felt a chill on half my body. Looking down, I realized Ah Li had rolled over and taken the blanket with him. I quickly pulled the blanket back and burrowed under it, falling fast asleep.
The next morning, Ah Li woke up early. Rubbing his eyes, he saw me sprawled across more than half the bed, looking quite helpless. Seeing that I was still sound asleep, he didn't disturb me and went outside alone.
I was sleeping soundly when a gust of cold wind woke me. I slightly opened my eyes and saw that it was already bright daylight. Turning my head, I didn't see Ah Li, and I felt a sense of confusion. Drowsily, I got up and walked out the door, only to see Ah Li in the courtyard.
"Why are you up so early?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.
Ah Li turned around and grumbled, "Perhaps it's because you took up more than half the bed."
I looked at him, puzzled. "Really? Did I do that?"
"Yes, really."
"Then I'll be more careful next time."
At that moment, the old woman also came out of the house. Seeing that the two young people were already up, she called out to us, "You're up. Come have some tea cakes."
"Tea cakes?" What were those?
Seeing my confusion, the old woman explained, "Tea cakes are cakes made from tea. We eat them for breakfast here. You should try some."
"Cakes made from tea? I've never eaten that before."
Ah Li and I walked into the house, and were immediately greeted by a strong aroma of tea. Mingled with the tea scent was the fragrance of butter. We saw a black triangular iron rack set up in the fire pit, with a pot on top. Several pale green pancakes were cooking in the pot – these were the tea cakes. The old woman brought over a plate and a spatula, carefully scooping the tea cakes onto the plate and beckoning us over.
"Come, come, help yourselves. Don't burn your hands."
I eagerly reached out to grab one, only to yelp in pain. "It's so hot! So hot!"
The old woman couldn't help but laugh. "I just told you to be careful not to burn yourself, but you didn't listen."
I chuckled, "Hehehe, it smelled too good, I couldn't resist."
Ah Li carefully selected a tea cake that wasn't too hot and handed it to me. "Try this one. It's not hot."
"What about you?" I asked him.
"I'll get another one. There are still some here."
I took the tea cake from him and took a bite, my mouth filling with the aroma of tea. The taste was like hot tea that had been stir-fried and then put into my mouth. It was sweet and delicious, with a rich tea fragrance. After finishing one, I couldn't resist picking up a second one, exclaiming, "This is so delicious! It's the first time I've eaten something this good."
The old woman smiled. "We don't have much else to eat here. These tea cakes are all we can offer. I'm glad you like them."
"Of course, I like them, they're so delicious."
After breakfast, the old woman directed us, "Those Hundred-Colored Chrysanthemums are on the mountainside near the village. When you leave, go to the left. Follow the stone path into the mountains, and you'll find them."
"Okay, we'll go take a look."
"Yes, remember to come back early."
"Alright."
Ah Li and I left the house, following the old woman's directions to the left. After leaving the village and heading into the mountains, we should be able to see the Hundred-Colored Chrysanthemums. We followed the stone path into a valley between two large mountains. Suddenly, I caught a strong floral scent, but I couldn't see any flowers around.
"Are there really flowers here?" I asked doubtfully.
"There should be," Ah Li affirmed. "Otherwise, there wouldn't be such a strong floral scent."
I looked around. Suddenly, on the mountainside to my right, I saw a large expanse of colorful flowers. I excitedly shouted to Ah Li, "Ah Li! Ah Li! Look! Look! There are flowers!"
Ah Li followed my gaze and indeed saw a patch of colorful flowers blooming on the mountainside. A smile spread across his face, full of anticipation. "Let's go up and take a look."
"Okay."
Ah Li and I walked up the slope along a small path, gradually entering the field of chrysanthemums in various colors.
"Wow, this is too beautiful. Red, white, purple, yellow, blue." I carefully counted the colors of the flowers.
Ah Li spread his arms, enjoying the mountain breeze blowing from the foot of the mountain, and the scent of chrysanthemums carried within it. As he inhaled the fragrance, he began to feel a bit dazed. In a trance, he thought he heard a woman's laughter. He looked down carefully but suddenly found that I had disappeared. He looked around frantically but still couldn't find me. Then, he heard a girl's laughter again. He spun around abruptly and saw a woman, dressed in colorful attire, with a rabbit-ear hairstyle, wearing a veil, dancing gracefully among the chrysanthemums. She would shake her body, then bend over, casting alluring glances. Ah Li's soul was gradually captivated by her dance. He involuntarily walked forward, step by step, until he reached the woman. The woman, like a dancing snake, circled around him. She slowly moved closer, put an arm around Ah Li's shoulder, and whispered, "Young sir, am I beautiful?"
Ah Li looked at her blankly and replied, "Beautiful, as beautiful as these chrysanthemums."
The woman raised her other hand, gently caressed his face, and said shyly, "Young sir, you are so handsome, like a delicate young lady."
"Am I?"
Ah Li was completely lost in the illusion she had created. I woke up in a daze from the chrysanthemum patch, touching my slightly aching head, filled with confusion. "What happened to me?" I looked around and couldn't find Ah Li anywhere. Feeling strange, I shouted to him, "Ah Li! Ah Li! Where did you go?"
Drowsily, I thought I saw a figure ahead. It looked like Ah Li, and I wondered why he was so far away, but I didn't have time to question it. I ran quickly, but accidentally slipped and fell. "Ouch!" I got up slowly, holding my mud-covered knee, and complained, "Ah Li is really something, not saying where he's going." I brushed the dirt off my hands, and when I looked up, I saw a scene that pained me deeply. Ah Li was hugging a woman in a colorful skirt and kissing her passionately right before my eyes. They were sweet and quiet, as if I were an outsider to their intimacy. My face, filled with shock and disbelief, was instantly covered with sadness and sorrow. The tears that threatened to fall were held back by my eyes. I bit my lip tightly, and the overwhelming sadness filled my heart. Yet, I couldn't believe any of this was real. But my stubbornness and unwillingness to accept it drove me forward. I grabbed Ah Li and kissed him fiercely. The woman was stunned, and a look of envious admiration slowly appeared on her surprised face. Ah Li also came to his senses, looking at me in surprise. I gently let him go, pretending to be stubborn, and turned my head away, biting my lip hard to suppress the tears that were about to fall. Ah Li's mind went blank; he hadn't understood what had happened. The woman, who had been watching, smiled slightly, waved her hand, conjured a chrysanthemum, and sat on it. Dangling her legs, she explained, "I have had no physical contact with this young sir. What you saw, young lady, was merely a misperception." I had seen her kiss Ah Li with my own eyes, and now she was trying to trick me with a few words? Seeing my disbelief, she slowly stood up, came to my side, and touched my forehead with her finger. Instantly, I saw the scene again. I saw myself standing aside, watching Ah Li and the woman about to kiss. The woman smiled slightly and turned her face away, not kissing him. The reason I thought they had kissed was entirely because the woman had blocked my line of sight. Ah Li frowned beside me, not understanding.