"Who, that old-divine tree?" The strange stone answered instinctively, but quickly caught itself. Rather than call the broken willow an old Willow Tree to its face, it changed its wording. "Of course it's still alive. How could it not be?"
"Still alive?" Di Yi did not know much about the broken willow's condition, but the answer gave him a clearer idea.
Of course, although the strange stone said the broken willow was still alive, its condition probably was not very good. Its entire trunk was charred black, after all. Even if it lived, it was likely clinging to its last breath.
"All right, I've left a written statement explaining everything. If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving." With that, the strange stone eagerly took flight, vanishing from Stone Village in the blink of an eye and disappearing into the boundless mountains.
This time, Di Yi did not catch it again. His purpose had been achieved, after all, and where it went from here was none of his concern.
He then glanced at the charred, broken willow before looking away. He chose a relatively clean spot to sit down on his own, settling into silence and stillness.
That night, once everything had settled down and the mountain torrents no longer surged so fiercely but flowed quietly, the entire Great Wilderness seemed to come alive again. Countless fleeing herds returned one after another, and the oppressive atmosphere dissipated.
Of course, although that oppressive atmosphere had dispersed, the great beasts of the Great Wilderness remained exceedingly well behaved. They had been frightened; the scene of raging winds and torrential rain had left them with an indelible experience.
Who dared show their face at a time like this?
The divine might of that sky-supporting Willow Tree was still vivid in their minds. Judging others by their own past experience, they knew that anyone injured would surely seek something richly nourishing to replenish themselves. None wanted to become that hapless victim who died with eyes wide open, unable to rest.
Imperceptibly, the deep night shed its black veil. The morning sun peeked over the horizon, and brilliant dawn clouds scattered their light like shattered gold.
The sun rose, all things began anew, and another day quietly arrived.
One after another, the people of Stone Village awoke from their sleep, roused by the gentle warmth, and began to greet a brand-new day.
"You... stayed outside all night?" The old chief was the first to reach the village entrance. He had intended to offer the customary prayers, but the sight of Di Yi gazing up at the sun inexplicably shook him.
It could not be helped. Last night's disturbance had been immense, as though the end of the world had arrived. Lightning, thunder, raging winds, and torrential rain had terrified him. In such conditions, who would dare remain exposed outside without the slightest panic?
The guest before him might be even more powerful than he had imagined.
"Last night's rain was unusual. I wanted to take a look." Di Yi nodded, then pointed to the written statement on the altar. "By the way, some things happened last night. I don't know whether they're good or bad for you."
"Some things happened last night?" The old chief had already prepared himself for that possibility. After all, he had never witnessed anything like last night's commotion in his life.
But when he saw the written statement on the altar, he froze. He simply could not believe it; everything felt unreal.
The Sacrificial Spirit had actually left!
"This..." The old chief nearly blacked out, but soon steadied himself and carefully read the statement left behind.
"It felt that Stone Village needed to change. It thought the arrival of this broken willow might be an opportunity." Di Yi explained from beside him, helping the old chief understand the strange stone's intentions.
Of course, his main concern was avoiding a misunderstanding. He did not want them to think he had caused this to happen.
"The Willow... God...?" However hard the old chief found it to accept, he had no choice but to face reality and accept the Sacrificial Spirit's arrangements.
Yet although he accepted the truth, he could not adjust his feelings so quickly. Stone Village's former Sacrificial Spirit had been there for many years, after all, guarding the village since his ancestors' time.
He could not shake a hollow feeling inside.
Soon, the news that Stone Village's Sacrificial Spirit had left and been replaced by a new one spread throughout the village. Everyone felt differently, but none could believe such a major event had occurred in a single night.
"Quiet down. This is the Sacrificial Spirit's arrangement. It must have had a purpose in doing this..." The old chief lived up to his position. With a lengthy speech, he soon soothed the villagers' emotions and persuaded them to accept the change in Sacrificial Spirits.
But this was a major event, after all. Although the people of Stone Village had no choice but to accept their circumstances, truly embracing the broken willow as their new Sacrificial Spirit was not something they could do overnight.
They needed time to make the transition.
"All right, that settles the matter. Everyone, disperse. Although the Sacrificial Spirit has left us, we cannot stand still. We must keep moving forward." The old chief motioned for the villagers to disperse and return to what they had originally intended to do.
Hearing this, Stone Village's young and able-bodied adults gradually dispersed to resume their tasks. Only a few children and elderly people with little to do remained at the spacious village entrance.
For the people of Stone Village, the Sacrificial Spirit's departure was certainly a major event, but life mattered even more. To survive in this cruel Great Wilderness, every day was precious. They could not remain mired in sorrow forever.
"All right, although the Sacrificial Spirit has left, we do have a new one to take its place. It's time for you little monkeys to work hard at your morning exercises." A middle-aged man with a physique as powerful as a tiger or leopard stepped forward. He gathered the children who had stayed, arranged them in rows, and began addressing them.
"What are they doing?" Di Yi watched the children, who ranged from four or five to their teens. Standing at the village entrance facing the morning sun, they punched and kicked with proper form.
"Training. Strengthening their muscles and bones, invigorating their blood, and tempering their sinews. It's a required lesson for them. Only by training their bodies well will they have the means to stay alive in the Vast Mountain Range." The old chief explained, his gaze sweeping over every child. They were Stone Village's hope for the future.
The Great Wilderness was a harsh place to live, teeming with savage primordial beasts and venomous insects. For food and survival, working hard each morning to strengthen the body was a habit everyone had to develop from childhood.
After all, how could someone with a weak physique fight the ferocious beasts of the Great Wilderness? They would only become food in a giant beast's jaws, their lives cut short in this boundless wilderness.
"Training, strengthening muscles and bones, invigorating the blood, and tempering the sinews... does it help a lot?" Di Yi's eyes brightened. This seemed useful to him.
"It helps a great deal." The old chief nodded, but quickly added, "Of course, that's for us in Stone Village. You come from outside the Great Wilderness, honored guest. Our training methods naturally fall far short of those beyond it."
"As long as it helps. Training like this can strengthen the muscles and bones, invigorate the blood, and temper the sinews..." Di Yi paid no attention to the latter half of the old chief's remarks. He rose, walked into the children's ranks, and began copying their movements.
"Focus!"
With Di Yi joining them, the children grew curious, and their movements slowed.
But the middle-aged man responsible for overseeing and guiding their training quickly called them to order. Under his stern shout, they once again trained earnestly and vigorously, facing the morning sun.
"It seems to help a little..." Di Yi diligently replicated the movements. As he moved his arms and legs, the wind roared like thunder, and his blood began to circulate more freely. Every repetition revealed a different underlying essence of the Dao.
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