Strangely enough, whether back in the mountains or here in the village, no matter how sleepless Yi Shuyuan was, he still felt full of energy when dawn came the next day.
This time, Yi Shuyuan simply stopped trying to sleep and got straight out of bed to the crowing of roosters.
After letting his family know, Yi Shuyuan set off alone for the northern mountain to seek some peace in its quiet depths and visit his parents' graves. He also hoped to arrive before the sun came up and watch the sunrise.
Fresh green had already begun to spread through the mountains, and birds chirped without pause. Carrying a bamboo flask of water, with a cold steamed corn bun left over from last night tucked into his clothes, Yi Shuyuan walked along the rugged mountain path.
The sky was still somewhat gray and dim, but that posed little difficulty for Yi Shuyuan. He had already realized that his current physique was certainly stronger than it had been in his previous life.
Hurrying along as best he could, Yi Shuyuan finally reached South Hill Ridge as the rosy glow on the horizon grew brighter. Standing on the ridge facing east, he watched a golden morning sun slowly rise, lighting his face as well.
Yi Shuyuan stood spellbound, feeling only that his spirit roamed with the rosy light, his heart wandering freely. Almost without realizing it, he gently closed his eyes.
Yet the light of the morning sun seemed not to disappear from his sight.
In that hazy state, Yi Shuyuan seemed able to feel sunlight spilling over the mountain and shining on him, like a soft, warm veil, or gently flowing water. Something pulsed faintly within that veil-like, water-like sensation, like indistinct specks of flame.
Yi Shuyuan did not know why he could sense such things, but in a season when the air still felt rather cold, he felt every pore in his body relax. It was wonderfully pleasant.
"Chirp, chirp~"
A birdcall startled Yi Shuyuan out of his hazy waking dream. Turning toward the sound, he discovered a small patch of bitter bamboo not far behind the grave mound of his mother, née Chen. A little bird had just flown onto a slender, slightly crooked stalk.
The little bird landed on a bamboo twig, making the stalk bob up and down. Dewdrops pattered off the leaves like a fine shower.
Yi Shuyuan's attention was instinctively drawn to the bird. It had a yellow belly, a blue back, green around its neck and breast, white feathers beside its bright eyes. Perched on the twig, it swayed back and forth, gazing at him.
The little bird called twice, pecked beneath its feet, then opened its beak and called a few more times. Its voice was clear, sweet, and wonderfully lively, as though it could stir little ripples in Yi Shuyuan's heart.
Yi Shuyuan listened quietly, thoroughly enjoying the feeling.
Hmm, looks like a hwamei.
At that thought, a sudden playful urge rose in Yi Shuyuan. Compared with the muddled past of this life, everything from his previous life remained vivid in his mind, including, of course, the things he had once loved.
Yi Shuyuan gently raised his right hand and covered the lower half of his face with his sleeve.
"Chirp, chirp, cheeeep~~~~ chirp~"
His vocal mimicry had not grown rusty in the slightest!
The little bird on the bitter bamboo hopped several times, then called back, turning its head left and right as though searching for the companion that had suddenly spoken.
"Chirp, cheep-cheep~~~"
This time, his call might not have been completely identical to the bird's call when it first landed, but at least its timbre and pitch matched.
At once, the little bird began hopping about on the bamboo. Apparently quite puzzled, it looked this way and that for a while, then seemed to take fright, spread its wings, and flew away.
Yi Shuyuan guessed that the call must have conveyed something like a questioning mood and meaning. He had thought he could tease the little bird a little longer, but instead it had flown straight off.
"Ah!"
Yi Shuyuan sighed softly, yet the smile remained on his face. Suddenly, he no longer felt bored. Suddenly, his spirits lifted. Suddenly, some of his anxieties faded, and he rediscovered that original spark of joy.
Yi Shuyuan found reality both interesting and amusing, and could not help thinking, Yi Shuyuan, oh, Yi Shuyuan. Once, you were gloomy and joyless, feeling that dreams and reality lay impossibly far apart, that the world was restless and so was your heart. But what about now?
Less clutter, less arguing, less pressure, and no keyboard gods or keyboard saints. Isn't this exactly the environment I wanted? Nobody here is dragging me into a rat race, either!
Then if I'm still spending every day in a state of dread, am I not like Lord Ye, who loved dragons until a real one appeared?
All this time without a phone or the internet, and it's not as if I couldn't live!
Look at it another way: in this world beyond the history I know, between this heaven and earth, how many new things are waiting for me to see?
How many beautiful, unspoiled landscapes are waiting for me to explore?
What works could I create here, showing off my skills-perhaps even spreading them throughout the world and leaving a fragrant name for a hundred generations? Above all, I should please myself!
If I could go back and present all the stories of this life to millions upon millions of people, what sparks might fly?
At that moment, Yi Shuyuan felt himself gradually laying down the burdens in his heart and finding his own direction. His thoughts grew excited, and increasingly lively.
Of course, this place would have its own worries, such as the dangers he might encounter along the way, but it would naturally have its own ways of dealing with them, too. In Yi Shuyuan's words: If other people can live here, why can't I?
Indeed, that different kind of yearning within Yi Shuyuan gained the upper hand as well: the longing to personally encounter strange tales of gods and ghosts, to experience all the mysteries and wonders of the world!
"Hehehehe, hahahahahaha!"
In excellent spirits, Yi Shuyuan laughed freely into the mountain woods, then drew a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Long confined within a cage, I have returned to nature at last-"
"Returned to nature... nature..."
His voice echoed through the mountains, lingering for a long time.
Sometimes, a knot in the heart that had troubled someone for ages needed only a little nudge-one that might seem utterly insignificant to an outsider. With the right time and place already in hand, all that remained was a touch of human harmony.
For a moment, Yi Shuyuan felt entirely at ease in body and mind, and the colors of heaven and earth grew more vivid.
In that instant, his heart and spirit transformed!
He had books to read, and the Yuanjiang County Gazetteer to organize and compile. Perhaps he could even try practicing martial arts.
Although he now had a goal, Yi Shuyuan was no longer in a hurry. In his previous life, he would surely have been unable to wait, but now he felt no urgency. It was not only because he knew full well that he needed to prepare rather than act blindly, but also because he felt something like an awakening within his heart.
What I envision, what I desire-no one will compete with me for it, nor could anyone. Beneath all heaven, there is only me!
Much later, still in excellent spirits, Yi Shuyuan seemed to feel like looking for that hwamei. He strolled leisurely through the mountains, though with the forest so lush, how could he casually find a single bird?
And so, whenever Yi Shuyuan heard a birdcall, he would answer with a couple of teasing calls, whether his imitation sounded accurate or not. Wherever he went, the woods broke into a chorus of chirping.
As he walked, Yi Shuyuan abruptly fell silent. Ahead, a middle-aged woodcutter carrying a small bundle of firewood was walking along another mountain path. The woodcutter stopped and turned sideways; clearly, he had seen him.
Yi Shuyuan hurriedly cupped his hands in greeting toward the woodcutter. This man might be from their village. Yi Shuyuan did not recognize everyone and dared not take a chance-he could hardly let someone go back and say the Yi family's eldest son had gone mad on the mountain again.
The woodcutter was a man of manners, too. He returned the cupped-hand greeting before saying irritably,
"I was wondering why the mountain was so noisy with chirping this morning. Turns out you're the one stirring up trouble!"
Hahaha, so he really did hear! Yi Shuyuan grinned and hurriedly explained with a smile.
"The mood took me, that's all. I was just playing with the birds and beasts in the woods. I've made a fool of myself!"
The woodcutter waved a hand and left with his firewood. Yi Shuyuan dared not play around any longer. He turned back toward South Hill Ridge to weed his parents' graves. He had wandered rather far today, so it would take him a while to get there.
Although Yi Shuyuan and A Fei had stripped the ground around his parents' graves bare some time ago, leaving not a single weed, spring brought green to grass and trees, and shoots kept growing. When Yi Shuyuan arrived today, he saw some fresh growth again.
Before you continue