Deep within the Veil.
Dressed in blue, Fang Qing walked along a broken bridge.
Beneath it ran a mighty "river."
He heard its waters rushing endlessly, yet could not see them. He felt only currents of air passing by.
No one knew where this "illusory river" began or where it flowed.
The stretch before him seemed to be only one part of it.
The "broken bridge" had been built to confirm the river's existence. Ancient in style, it bore mysterious carvings on its piers.
"The concept of a great river appears throughout ancient civilizations... It was even once regarded as a 'mother'... Irrigation from river water was vital to ancient harvests, so rivers were seen as sources of abundance and blessing..."
Fang Qing took a few more steps and seemed to see a mysterious creature leap into the illusory river below.
Then the creature came fully into view: a fine horse with four strange wings!
One wing was wind, one was water, and the other two were fire and lightning.
But once it plunged into the "illusory river," its hide dissolved first, followed by its four wings... Before long, only a skeleton remained, with two points of dim light flickering in its skull.
It gave an excited whinny, beat its bony wings, and flew up once more, as though it had completed some rite of transformation...
"Not bad!"
Fang Qing spoke.
The horse seemed to notice Fang Qing only then. It landed before him and bowed respectfully on its forelegs. "He Xius greets the great being! Your radiance is boundless, and your authority over secrets is so powerful... When you do not wish the world to see you, even I cannot find a trace of you..."
"Where are you going? Take me along and show me."
Fang Qing spoke.
"It