In the summer of Incense Accumulation Year 105, in the western reaches of the North Sea, at the tail of the Long Sea, a Fragrance-Sensing Upside-Down Bird spread its colorful wings and soared.
Li Ling and Mu Qingsi sat cross-legged side by side on its broad back. The feathers along its neck stood erect ahead of them, shielding them from the biting gang wind. Its naturally exuded cardamom fragrance mingled with the rich scent of a hundred flowers-the Incense-Rhyme Flowing Wind that the bird normally kept contained within its feathers.
The two chatted comfortably as they admired the sunset.
Ahead, beneath the setting sun, the distant sky was as clear as if washed clean. The sun's lingering radiance shone upon the sea like scattered gold strewn across the ground, shimmering endlessly with the rise and fall of the waves.
At that moment, the sea revealed its calm, gentle side. Its waters reflected the color of the sky, taking on a jewel-like blue. Occasionally, seabirds swept past in the distance, soaring freely through the same vast expanse of heaven and earth.
Suddenly, more than a dozen jets of water surged upward. Amid high, resounding calls, a pod of whales surfaced.
Like cattle on a grassland, they took advantage of the clear weather to feed and breathe, enjoying a rare moment of leisure in their day.
"I never expected such scenery in this nameless place." After watching with keen interest for a while, Li Ling spoke to his wife with a touch of emotion.
Mu Qingsi said, "The scenery around Northsky Island and Nine-Wan Island is quite lovely too. We've simply lived there so long that we've grown used to it."
Li Ling said, "Yes. To mortals, any stretch of these seas would be a rare immortal mountain or sacred ground. But