Storyteller: Previously, we were at ...
Citizen VI: Lùshǔ the Xiángruì came to the human world to go through the god's test, but she repented!
Storyteller: Exactly. She had been troubled by the repentance until the New Year's Eve. That night, her tutor straightened her out, and she was very grateful. After that, she bid him goodbye and went to the broken bridge alone.
Storyteller: However, ladies and gentlemen, the Shuòrì this year happened to be the beginning of spring. Such a coincidence happens only once every 100 years. On this peculiar day, the thunderstorm was raging, and all the strangest things happened!
Storyteller: The cliff was shrouded in confusing fog, and below was a bottomless abyss! No one had ever jumped over the bridge successfully, yet the Lùshǔ decided to make an attempt, for the sake of the people who believed in her! She was determined to retrieve the tortoise shell divination ...
Citizen VI: That's not it! She used the wooden chip! Not the tortoise shell!
Storyteller: Emm ...
Citizen II: You've told this story for many times, and still getting it wrong? You have to admit you're not young anymore.
Storyteller: Well, there is no such thing as a perfect story. Adaptations are always allowed, right? Please pretend you didn't hear me and forget about it ...
Citizen VII: Give me a break. He's telling that story again? I thought he'd be done with it after last time. I even bought a ticket!
Citizen V: "Last time"? When, last year? Did you sleep for a whole year?
Storyteller: I hear you, gentleman in blue.
Citizen VII: Now he's listening ...
Storyteller: You know, you're part of the story, just like me.
Citizen VII: Me? What do you mean?
Storyteller: Listen and you'll know. So the Lùshǔ jumped over the bridge, awakened the Yuān Temple, and revived the Pèilín River. As a result, more and more people come to the Pèi City at festivals, so I start telling stories again.
Storyteller: As for you ...
Storyteller: The Lùshǔ took over your tavern and turned you into her kind because you were an unscrupulous profiteer. You gave short weight to the people. That caused the decline of your business, yet you blamed it on the poor harvest.
Storyteller: But I think the Lùshǔ saved you from the plight! She ran the tavern for you, and you had a good sleep during that time. In a word, you did nothing good, but things ended up well for you!
Citizen VI: What? No way!
Citizen VI: I want that, too. If only somebody could finish my essay when I fall asleep!
Storyteller: Already writing a political essay at this age? You have a promising future, young man ...
Storyteller: But I think you should go home now and get some sleep. You need to rest well, so you can continue with your studies tomorrow.
Storyteller: After all, the essay matters much more than the story, right?
Amidst the festive hustle and bustle, a farewell brews in front of the city gates.
This is the place from which people come, and people go.
Bessmert: I have so many things to write about this time, enough for me to write a travel note.
Bessmert: What should I call it? Travel in the East? Journey to Pèi City?
Yenisei: Neither of them sounds good.
Yenisei: There are already too many Travels and Journeys. I think you are different from those authors, Madam, so ...
Gětiān escorts the group to a spot near the city gate, where the road splits into two. On one side lies the road up the mountain, and on the other lies the road down.
He slowly descends to the ground, standing still, stiff and slightly uncomfortable.
The human companions of the two arcanists retreat in caution and fear from the strange bird creature.
Getian: Indeed. Unlike others, the two of you have experienced it in its entirety.
Yenisei: What do you mean?
Getian: There was a beginning, and now here is an end. Forget not where you came from at the end—this is entirety.
Getian: Thus, happiness is found.
Bessmert: I'm sorry that I still don't understand your riddles.
Getian: That's no matter.
Krolik: Emm ... Sorry to interrupt you. Can we go? I really want to go home right away ...
Bessmert: Ah, then we shall ...
Getian: Please wait. There's one more thing.
Bessmert: Certainly, please.
Getian: The questions you asked—have you had the answers?
Yenisei: ...
Bessmert: I'm not sure.
Getian: What do you mean?
Bessmert: When Jiǔ Niángzǐ jumped over the bridge, Yenisei saw a pattern being formed where I wrote my question.
Bessmert: We didn't understand it. It didn't bother us either, perhaps because there was no answer to my question ...
Getian: A question is asked, and a divination is made. What you saw might be a Hexagram, not the interpretation of it.
Getian: Do you still remember what it looks like?
Yenisei thinks for a moment and uses a rock hammer handle to draw crooked and twisted lines in the sand, with occasional breaks in the middle of them.
Yenisei: It changed a little ... and ended up like this.
Getian: The Hexagram of Water and Fire.
Getian: I'd assume this belongs to an elderly person. What about yours?
Yenisei is stunned for a moment, then draws a few more lines. By the end of it, her offering is already rather messy, so much so that she stretches out a section of it.
Fortunately, Gětiān can still read it.
Getian: This is ... Xū, the Hexagram of waiting. Though I don't know what could be derived from it ...
Getian: The interpretation is simple. Above is Water, the stranding dragon, advising patience. Below is uprightness, which means you will smooth away the obstacles.
Yenisei: Which means ...?
Getian: You will find your water. All you need to do is wait.
Yenisei: Yes, thank you. I didn't know that.
Getian: As for your Hexagram ...
Getian: You have gone across the river. A decision has been made.
Bessmert: I see.
Yenisei: Turns out The Divination doesn't help at all.
Getian: It does, if you believe in it.
Bessmert: No. I know what you mean.
Bessmert: It is exactly how I expected it to be. Thank you, Mr. Gětiān.
Getian: No need.
Bessmert: And what about you? Have you learned your answer?
Getian: It told me to let things be.
Getian: Since I have left the mountain ... I should follow what's inside my mind.
Gětiān turns his head and points his wings toward the path up the mountain.
Getian: I remember that at the end of the Pèilín River, where the lanterns float, stands a great building.
Getian: It might be real or illusional. I have seen it many times, yet I have never thought of going there.
The two of them look in the direction pointed out by Gětiān, only seeing the jungle into which Jiǔ Niángzǐ disappeared, and nothing more.
Yenisei: There's nothing there.
Getian: I will go anyway.
Yenisei: ...
Yenisei: Then ...
Yenisei: What about Jiǔ Niángzǐ? She jumped over the bridge. Is she never coming back?
Gětiān doesn't answer, he only shakes his head. All Yenisei can do is glance over to Gětiān filled with unspoken inquiries.
Bessmert turns toward the distant cliffs and jungle, standing without speaking for a long while.
Until at last she breaks her silence.
Bessmert: Perhaps ...
Bessmert: Perhaps we will meet again one day.
