Shan Hai and Dai Luan walked in this mountain peak for five days.
Back to the wild life is not easy. They escaped in a hurry, without any preparation, and could only live hard with the limited things they had. The warm whirlpool in the sea carried them to the cave below the mountainside. The cave was very damp and warm, and there were many luminous plants growing there, which made Shanhai feel like he had returned to the cave in Xuanzhuang Town at a certain moment. Unfortunately, he knew it was not the case. After the two went out, the temperature suddenly dropped a lot, and they couldn't help shivering at the same time. And it seemed that clouds appeared halfway up the mountain. Although they were not at the base of the mountain, they were still far away.
In the next few days, they climbed all the way up using winter clothes that they had only added once. To eat, we dug wild vegetables or set traps to catch small animals. Shan Hai is sometimes surprised by the tricks Dai Luan is skilled in. Compared with the rich girl who grew up in a boudoir, she is more like a wild girl who goes up the mountain and down to the ground. This is a good thing. The yin and yang technique made it easy to make fire and draw water. The first two days were relatively easy.
Dai Luan had a rusty dagger in her hand, and she said that Tang Huailan gave it to her casually. Shan Hai was afraid that she would be in danger, so he kept it on himself and cut some necessary things along the way, which was very convenient. She probably didn't expect that this unintentional move would save the master and apprentice some trouble. For her and Tang Qinglan, they neither liked nor disliked them. In their eyes, those two people were like countless passers-by. Everything they did was to make a living, and there was nothing wrong with it.
As for Tang He, Shanhai is not easy to evaluate either. He always felt that everything he did had a purpose, and that they did not exist independently. Behind all these details, it seems that there is an unknown behemoth lurking in the dark. But it's just a feeling, it doesn't mean anything. He wanted no more contact with him if he could help it, and preferably neither did his friends.
The next days started to be difficult. The higher they walked, the colder the air became, and the limited clothing could not withstand the cold air of the mountains. This kind of cold is not a simple cold, it passes through clothes and penetrates into the skin, and it cannot be stopped no matter how tightly you cover it. There is less water and plants, and the few animals are even more alert. They are hungry and full.
But when I raised my head, I saw that there was still a long way to go before the long sea of clouds.
Dai Luan may have caught the cold and couldn't stop coughing, maybe because the air was thin. Shan Hai was okay, but her heartbeat became faster and her breathing became heavier. She feels sleepy from time to time and dare not sleep. Shanhai felt a little hot when she touched her forehead. But Dai Luan recovered a little, and the low fever subsided. Repeating this was not an option, but she never mentioned giving up.
She must be in pain, Shanhai thought, both physically and mentally.
Yun Wai Jing, even just hearing its name, feels like it is a magical weapon from beyond the sky. It is not something that mortals can easily obtain. This was not the first time that Lin Shanhai felt that his abilities were insufficient, but this time, he felt particularly powerless.
On the sixth day, he had to carry Dai Luan on his back.
He had lived in Linxiaoguan where the air was thin all year round, and had done menial and tiring jobs. Carrying a teenage girl was not difficult, but he didn't expect that the medicine box was also heavy. But even if it was added up, it wasn't too heavy. For him, something heavier pressed on his heart, giving him a feeling of difficulty breathing similar to Aluan's.
The clouds are near. Thin fog has appeared around me, very hazy and very cool. When you grab it with your hand, you can feel the coolness but not freezing. There was a lot of snow on the road, and he often felt cold under his feet. But even though he was freezing, he didn't say a word, just gritted his teeth and kept walking.
He recalled the time when he was saved by Lord Jiyue when he was a child. There was more and thicker snow there, making him miss the mark. Although the snow is not that heavy this time, Lord Jiyue may not appear.
Shan Hai seemed to have not seen him for a long time.
When Dai Luan felt better, she would make trouble, swinging on his back until he couldn't carry it, and then walk down on his own. But usually after walking for a short time, I have to rest and let the master carry it again. At noon, there were some scattered snow in the sky. Dai Luan lay on his back, stretched out her hand, caught some snowflakes, and sighed.
"Let's go back."
Shan Hai knew that she didn't mean to give up. In the past few days, she had never shown any reluctance. On the contrary, she was more active than him who had many worries. So when she said these words now, firstly, she didn't want to trouble Shanhai anymore, and secondly, she had to adjust her strategy.
"Okay. Now? If you want to go back, I will turn around."
"……let me see."
Shan Hai stopped and raised his face, feeling the coldness of the snowflakes falling on his face and the heat of Aluan's breath. Snow is not the coldest, melting snow is. When the light snow stops, either in the afternoon or tomorrow morning, it will be too cold to survive - at least the things they have now are not enough to keep out the cold, and there is not enough food.
After a moment of silence, Dai Luan still had no idea. Shan Hai knew her temperament, but he didn't persuade her directly. Instead, he said:
"We were in a hurry on this trip and were not well prepared. We rushed up rashly, which was a bit careless. It would be better to leave the green mountains and go down to find some villages or a warmer place to regroup. By the way, we can also Ask about Yun Waijing."
"Isn't this main peak in the center of the Suiyun Mountains? There...are there really villages and people coming here? Mountains and seas, you know, we have walked so far but haven't seen the slightest trace of human activity."
They all stopped talking. The snow continued unabated and even got heavier. This made Aluan sneeze.
"Take another look and then go down the mountain. We are almost reaching the clouds."
She compromised a bit. After all, she is not stupid, and she will not really drag her fragile body to hold back her master. She started to get anxious and wanted to find Yun Waijing quickly. Now, for her and them, Yun Waijing has nothing to do with the lost Wan Gui Zhi, but has become a symbol of Shi Wuqi and Mu Wan's safety.
Shanhai agrees. Dai Luan jumped off his back again and walked on her own. She was more energetic than before, perhaps because she knew the deadline for the next step and had some hope. The snow no longer gets heavier, it just keeps falling. They walked for a while, until they were really in the vast sea of clouds. It was already dusk.
When I encountered the devil, everything was eerily quiet, and the snow stopped. The clouds wrapped around their eyes, and they held each other's hands tightly. The sun has set, dyeing the clouds and mist in this area golden yellow from the side, like being in a wheat field, giving people the illusion of warmth and harvest.
At least the momentary joy was real.
The snow on the ground is also shining with crystal and dots of light, as if tiny diamonds are sprinkled in it and covered with snow. The master and apprentice knew very well that searching for Yun Wai Jing here was the same as looking for a needle in a haystack or a blossoming iron tree. The exhaustion of the past few days has completely awakened them from the panic, and their mentality has been sharpened a lot.
"Let's go." Shan Hai said, squatting down and letting her come up.
Dai Luan no longer had the energy to lose her temper, so she just lay down obediently. She was really tired, but also relieved. Although the whole sea of clouds still has a long way to go, climbing to the top is never for the purpose of conquering, but just to prove that you have been there.
Next time.
The sky was getting dark and the sun was setting quickly. In the final glory, Shanhai decided to walk a few more steps and find a relatively safe place to rest. They say it’s easier to go up a mountain than it is to go down, and this is true. First of all, my body and bones are already tired. Secondly, the way down the mountain is steeper than the way up the mountain, so you need to pay more attention to your footing. Last but not least, the road he came from was covered with a new layer of snow, making it impossible for him to tell the original path he had taken, so he could only go back by feeling.
The sky was getting darker, and strange bird sounds could be heard in the distance. They may be returning to their nest, or they may be hunting under the cover of darkness. But that didn't matter. He just wanted to find a hiding place quickly so he could rest and ensure that the two of them left safely.
The surroundings were completely dark. He had his luggage hanging on his arm and holding Dai Luan with his other hand. He was unable to cast a spell to make a fire. He didn't dare to slow down, so he kept his eyes wide open in the dark night and relied on the reflection of the snow to move forward. This is probably what it feels like to cross the river by feeling for the stones. He didn't want to take the gamble, but they turned back too late and couldn't lose a moment.
The more anxious I feel, the more chaotic the rhythm of my feet becomes. He suddenly stepped onto a piece of frozen snow, his feet slipped, and he fell sideways. Dai Luan fell off his back and slid down the steep terrain. For a moment, she screamed in panic and struggled to stop. But it's like falling into quicksand. The more you move, the faster you fall. Shanhai wanted to stand up and stop her, but he seemed to have sprained his foot just now and couldn't use any strength at all. He almost rolled and crawled down with her.
Then, there is a cliff.
It all happened so fast - or logically, but not by any means. Shan Hai exerted his strength with his other foot and relied on Qinggong to jump further than Aluan and closer to the cliff. He grabbed a piece of dead vine on the ground with one hand and grabbed his disciple with the other hand. The two of them were still sliding down, but the mountains and the sea were one step closer to danger.
They fell off the cliff, clutching the dead vine tightly in their hands. The vine was still strong, but not long enough, and soon stopped. The inertia made him tremble, and the dead vines made a crisp sound on the sharp edge of the cliff.
Shanhai tried his best to throw Dai Luan up, but he couldn't use his strength. Ah Luan only held the upper part of him, but there was still some distance from the top. With such a tug, the vines made another sound.
"Can you climb up?!" he shouted from below, with snow and gravel hitting his face.
"No, not quite!"
Dai Luan's voice sounded a little crying. He had hardly heard her cry, and now he was getting a little anxious.
It was too dark and they couldn't see anything clearly. Dai Luan used her hands and feet to grab this life-saving straw. In the past, when she had the courage and energy, she might have been able to climb up, but now she was in such a bad situation that she didn't dare to move. Shan Hai glanced in front of him. The cliff was so concave that he couldn't step up the cliff. Otherwise, he could bear the pain and jump up to pull her.
"What should I do..." The frail Dai Luan had trouble even holding the rope, so she asked for help, "Shan Hai, Shan Hai, you must have a way. What should we do, what should we do now..."
Shanhai looked at the unreachable cliff in front of him. At this time, the knife-like edge of the cliff cut the dead vine deeper again. The weight of the two of them couldn't hold it for much longer.
He raised his head and glanced at the helpless full moon; he lowered his head and saw an abyss beneath his feet that the moonlight could not touch.
"...Well, I have a way."
With that said, Shanhai took out the dagger from his waist.
Dai Luan probably felt something. When he lowered his head, he saw the dagger that was particularly dazzling in the moonlight. Even the rust was clearly visible. She panicked, but didn't dare to struggle, so she just shouted at the top of her lungs.
"What are you doing! What are you doing? Stop! We have a way, there must be other ways, Shanhai, listen to me..."
Shanhai didn't look at her, but seriously sawed the dry vines and said to himself:
"Aluan, listen to me - you have to live."
"No, you threw the knife away, I'm not kidding you! Stop, Shan..."
——Master.
After the clear and crisp cracking sound, only Dai Luan's heart-rending echoes were left in the valley, layer upon layer.
That should be the first time she called him Master.
