"That was a long time ago."
"How long?"
"Several thousand years, perhaps several tens of thousands..."
In the autumn mountain forest, everything was covered in gold.
Fallen leaves drifted down, swaying as they fell and sending ripples across the mirror-like lake, which reflected the boundless sky overhead. Hawks circled above, lingering for a long while without leaving.
A figure sat by the lake, with an enormous leaf planted beside her to provide a little shade.
She sat upright, like a stone statue, without moving for a very long time.
A small beast poked its head out from the tree, cautiously edging closer before darting away the moment it was about to make contact.
In the end, it simply sat atop the figure's bamboo hat and gazed into the distance.
The water shimmered.
The figure held a fishing rod, its fine line disappearing into the water without the slightest movement.
A jug of wine rested on a stone beside her, its rich, potent fragrance spreading on the wind.
The little beast lay sprawled atop the bamboo hat. Merely smelling the wine was enough to make it a little drunk, and at some point, it fell into a foolishly contented sleep.
At some point, rain began to fall, fine and unbroken like mist.
Amid the hazy waters and drifting rain, even this ordinary lakeside mountain scenery gained a touch of immortal charm.
Suddenly, the fishing line sank.
The half-closed eyes beneath the bamboo hat opened.
The figure shifted from stillness into motion, lifting the rod and flinging a fish onto the shore.
"There'll be grilled fish to eat."
Seeing the large fish, which looked to weigh more than ten pounds, Su Nan smiled faintly.
In truth, catching fish did not need to be this complicated for her. It was no more