The next morning came, a good day to be outside. The sun was brighter in this city than anywhere else. Sometimes blinding the passersby with its intense sunlight. But even the sun cannot eradicate the shadow underneath the roof of every residence. It reminded Shen ZhaoChun of Ying Jiyu, the one whose guts were bigger than his own head, and dared to challenge the sun.
Ying… Jiyu…
“Rise and shine!” As Guai Zuoren yelled into Shen ZhaoChun’s ear, he also used the pellet drum he bought from a vendor earlier to make loud noises. The noises startled Shen ZhaoChun out of bed, and also scared the birds on the windowsill away.
“You-” Shen ZhaoChun winced as his head ached.
“I’m the ‘navigator’ in this, and if you wanted to get this over with, you better wake up before dawn!” Guai Zuoren threw a bottle at Shen ZhaoChun’s lap. “Drink it, it’ll make you feel better.”
“I have some business to attend to, wait for me at the temple.” Shen ZhaoChun swiftly put on his outer robe, then looked at Guai Zuoren.
Guai Zuoren stared back, not knowing what was the look on Shen ZhaoChun’s face for. “Oh- right, sorry.” He then left the room.
As Guai Zuoren waited underneath the temple’s roof, his straw hat faintly shook. And at that moment he knew, trouble was following him. His gaze focused on Shen ZhaoChun’s silhouette from afar now that his straw hat stopped shaking, and for a moment, he calmed down. It seemed like the “trouble” left as soon as it, or they, saw Shen ZhaoChun. More convenient for Guai Zuoren.
Pass the pond to see the gem
Find the place where the dawn rests
Sleeping on a bed of rock
In a narrow river of mud
To awaken and ready to mate
In the sky of bright wonders
The riddle was pointing towards the Dilong Stone.
Go pass Bailing Pond, the gem of Zhi Si Xinghu
Follow the dawn
The Stone rests on the rocks
From the bottom of a river
Waiting for the seeker of Stones
And the Stone shall bathe in the light upon discovery
The mysterious “deity-like” male pondered about the riddle, wondering if he’d correctly interpreted the enigmatic writing on the stone of clues.
“East.” He told Shen ZhaoChun. “Second line, East.”
“I know. All we need to do now is find ‘where’ in ‘East.’ ” Shen ZhaoChun paused, looking at the male. How did he understand the riddle?
There are nine riddles, equivalent to nine stones, the only clues to the stone’s resting spots. Seven out of nine were solved, and three were found over the past ten years. Even Shen ZhaoChun struggled to learn the ancient dragontongue, passed down from generations to generations of pure-blooded dragon lineage. At first, he wanted to ask Guai Zuoren about his knowledge of the language, but he knew Guai Zuoren would tell another white lie. Gut feelings.
“Say, where do you come from?” His soft voice found its way to Guai Zuoren’s heart. After a moment of silence, the wanderer then responded to the probing.
“I can’t tell you where I came from, but my journey first started at the Valley of Hellbloom.” A certain warmth could be felt from the wanderer’s answer. Somewhat sincere but held back. The truth had been spoken for once. Gut feelings.
After a while, the scorching sun intensifies, making their journey to the unknown East even more difficult than before. The pair had been walking for hours, miles away from the City. If only we had a horse or some transportation device, Guai Zouren sighed loudly from thirst and exhaustion. Shen ZhaoChun then lended his hand to the other, lifting the wanderer up. At first, Guai Zuoren was about to start spewing profanity, guilt tripping the other for looking at him as a weak peasant, but instead, he silently appreciated the help. Although the terrain they’re walking on seemed deserted and ancient, there had seemed to be a small village, hidden from the mist that lingered on within the shadow from the mountain faraway.
“Hang on tight, we’re almost there.” Shen ZhaoChun assured the other, with his eyes on the seemingly lively village ahead.
Within the journey, they had used up almost all of their supplies, but because they wanted to get to their destination quickly, Guai Zuoren had told the cultivator not to pack much. For cultivators, their endurance is inhuman; unlike the commoners, whom endurance is not much. Shen ZhaoChun did warn the wanderer, but he knew what he was doing.
Somehow, the seemingly lively village reminded Guai Zuoren of a once similar place deep in the valley of Two Mountains, except the villagers were the Abyssal Creatures of Hellbloom Valley. Such bonds, but so little time to spend. All he could recall was the cruel punishment that struck the village to ashes.
The province seemed run down, but still in good condition overall. Moreover, it was humid and misty. Not a perfect place for ghost hunting, but a place for ghosts nonetheless. Therefore, lots of ghosts could be found around some twists and turns. Quite the inconvenience, but they have to make it, at least for the night. Upon their approach, the villagers scattered and locked themselves inside with a loud thump.
One villager courageous enough let them stay in for the night, although the pair were stared by wary eyes. Guai Zuoren looked at Shen ZhaoChun, knowing something fishy was going on behind their backs. However, as soon as they settled in, the villager was gone, without a trace. The wanderer took a sip of his water, but then tensed. He knew they were both being watched. Shen ZhaoChun held his wrist tight, restraining him to warn him of his temper, just as he was about to act.
“I know being robbed of privacy is torture, considering our jobs need a lot of communication. But don’t act rash.” Shen ZhaoChun whispered into the other's ear, grip tight, reminding Guai Zuoren once more.
“I couldn't sense any incoming danger, perhaps we should patrol around to see how big this village is, see what's with their attitudes.” Guai Zuoren's eyes subtly glanced at the crack at the corner of the room, between two walls, then back at Shen ZhaoChun.
“It's nightfall. For now, you need rest.” Shen ZhaoChun loosened his grip on Guai Zuoren, and lied down, while the other, tense, struggled to keep his eyes open.
