A Ze nodded, a faint blue light emanating from his fingertips. The flow of the Clear Creek River suddenly slowed down, and a few ripples followed his guidance, surging towards the pile of pebbles on the shallow beach. The water flowed gently, washing away the layers of pebbles to reveal a palm-sized fragment of Evil Bone underneath. The surface of the fragment was covered with very faint black lines and was slowly oozing Evil Energy.
" A Mu, you try." Loran handed a small fragment of the Purification Core to the boy. "Use the ' Power Condensation Form ' I taught you to inject Purification Power into the fragment, then use the wooden sword to pick it out. Remember, don't touch it directly with your hands."
A Mu took the core fragment, his palms slightly sweaty. He walked to the edge of the shallows and, following Loran's instructions, pressed the purification fragment onto the wooden sword. Pale white light patterns spread along the blade. The boy held his breath, and the wooden sword gently lifted the Evil Bone fragment—the moment they made contact, the black patterns on the Evil Bone were covered by the Purification Power, instantly turning into grayish-white powder, which was carried away by the water.
"We did it!" The boys cheered. A Mu held up his wooden sword, his face flushed with excitement. Liya smiled and flipped through the catalog, drawing the scene: On the shallows, a boy held a glowing wooden sword, Loran stood behind him, Icefield Wolf lay beside him, and in the distance, A Ze gently brushed the water's surface with his hand, the leaves of the Water-Purifying Grass turning green again.
"After the Evil Energy is cleared away, we need to observe for a few more days." A Ze squatted down, looking at the school of fish in the water— the Silver-Scale Fish that had been hiding in the crevices of the rocks were now swimming out in groups, pecking at the plankton on the surface. "You can come here tomorrow to check on the growth of the Water-Purifying Grass; this is also part of the protection."
As the sun set, the group sat on a haystack beside the wheat field. A Mu and the boys surrounded Loran, chattering about the battle in the abyss. Loran didn't recount the fierce fighting, only how the Icefield Wolf protected him and how his companions worked together to find a solution—"True protection is never a one-man battle."
Liya took out some freshly baked wheat cakes from her backpack and distributed them to everyone. "I just went to town, and the mayor said this year's wheat harvest will be bountiful. We should thank them for cleaning up the Clear Creek River —if the river had been polluted, the wheat fields wouldn't have had any water to irrigate."
Icefield Wolf, carrying a wheat cake, ran to a small hill nearby and gnawed on it with relish, watching the sunset. Loran gazed at the scene before him: the smiling faces of the boys, the water-patterned compass in A Ze's hand, the illustrations in Liya's drawing book, and the smoke rising from the distant Green Forest Town. Suddenly, he understood—peace wasn't a grand, decisive battle, but rather this kind of ordinary daily life: some guarded the river, some recorded life, and some taught children to grow.
As night fell, Loran received a message from Watchkeep: the opening ceremony of the Qilin Holy Land was scheduled for the first day of next month, Elder Cangxuan had invited him to preside over it; the last name had been engraved on the monument to the Chief Tongchui, the Water Whisperer Elder who had previously sacrificed himself; Elder Aila's Elf Clan had planted a " Watchkeep Grove " Clear Creek River, and the saplings were all cultivated from branches of the Tree of Life.
"I'm going to the Clear Creek River to see the Water-Purifying Grass tomorrow!" A Mu made a promise to Loran before leaving. Loran smiled and nodded, handing the Ice-Fire Crystal to the boy. "If you find anything unusual, just squeeze the crystal, and I'll come back."
The Icefield Wolf lay at Loran's feet, watching the boys run off into the distance, its golden eyes filled with gentle warmth. Loran looked up at the night sky; the stars were brighter than usual, as if echoing the lights on the ground—the lights of Green Forest Town, the firelight of Watchkeep, the icy and fiery glow of the Qilin Holy Land, and the faint light of protection from every corner of the continent.
The next morning, A Mu indeed led the boys to the Clear Creek River. They squatted on the bank, watching the dewdrops cling to the leaves of the Water-Purifying Grass, the Silver-Scale Fish darting among the grass, and occasionally a small bird perched on a branch, singing a clear song. In the distance, Loran rode his Cloudhorn Beast, flying towards the Watchkeep —he was going to attend the opening ceremony and also to tell his councilmates the story of the boys from Green Forest Town.
The Icefield Wolf ran ahead of the Cloudhorn Beast, its golden form dazzling in the morning light. The wind carried the fragrance of wheat fields, the moisture of the Clear Creek River, and the hope of new life—the story of " The Qilin of Falling Maple " did not end in a grand final battle, but continued in every ordinary morning and evening, in the hands of the young people holding wooden swords, and in the hearts of everyone who protects this land.