Out of the Mountains

The scholarly White Ape waited at the entrance to the ruins.

His folding fan tapped lightly against his left palm. The fox demon had already left; aside from him, only the white flood dragon who had lived inside for a long while remained around the ruins. He quietly gazed at the cloudy sky and rain mist, looking exactly like a talented scholar before a garden cottage, forcing sorrow into a poem for the sake of writing new verses.

"This rain... it still hasn't stopped. Strange."

There was never three clear days in the Southern Wilderness, but it was not the rainy season. Where had this endless drizzle come from?

A mysterious barrier hung over the ruins, impossible to enter through, with only the main gate allowing passage. Strangely, the rain and mist drifted freely without obstruction. The ancient, enormous palace complex appeared even more vivid after the rain washed over it, yet apart from the sound of rainfall, there was nothing else. An indescribable silence lingered, as though the ruins were asleep.

"The white flood dragon has remained in the ruins for days, with no one knowing what she has been doing..."

The White Ape lightly tapped his folding fan now and then, muttering to himself.

The wind picked up, rustling the leaves and slanting the raindrops. The scholarly White Ape suddenly stopped tapping his fan, replaced his expression with an elegant smile, and turned toward the ruins' gate.

A black-haired girl in white emerged from the wide road of the ancient ruins, walking into the wind and rain.

The wind was strong, tossing the long white ribbon binding her hair into disarray. She seemed lost in thought and walked very slowly. Her exquisite face was a rarity in the world; her neat, agile fitted clothes made her seem slender,