All Things Flourish

Ji Yuan tried to sleep, but the more he wanted to, the more he couldn't. Time stretched unbearably long, and his usually optimistic nature was being worn down by loneliness, nearly driving him to despair.

"Boom... rumble..."

A sudden, mighty clap of thunder startled Ji Yuan.

Hearing the thunder in this state gave Ji Yuan an unprecedented sensation, as if he were suspended in the sky, feeling the dance of lightning.

This mystical feeling pierced into his heart like a flash of lightning, sweeping away the fear, anxiety, oppression, and chaos within, calming his mind.

"Pitter-patter..."

Soon after, raindrops fell densely.

Ji Yuan's eyelids twitched as he heard each drop land, distinguishing the sounds of rain striking the ground, rocks, flowers, and grass.

Time seemed to slow down in that moment.

"Plip..."

"Plop..."

"Plip..."

Each raindrop fell on leaves and the ground, sending out its sound.

The falling raindrops rippled through the darkness in Ji Yuan's heart, each ripple outlining a source of sound. Thousands of ripples formed a picture—leaves, tree canopies, the ground, mountain rocks, houses, tiles, flowers, grass, and animals darting through the rain. The lines of all things materialized in his mind along with the sound of rain...

Without color yet vivid and three-dimensional, it felt as if Ji Yuan was touching everything on the earth with every drop of rain.

Rain falls, hearing all things; the picture unfolds from the heart!

It was an indescribably mystical experience. Ji Yuan forgot all his restlessness, even forgot to breathe, quietly savoring it. The closer things were, the clearer they became; the farther, the more blurred.

'So I really am still in the mountains, lying in an old, dilapidated hut. Is it a broken temple... The rain came so suddenly. So many small animals are scurrying in panic... How beautiful!'

Though he still couldn't move or open his eyes, a faint smile tugged at the corner of Ji Yuan's mouth.

The turmoil in his heart eased, and this extraordinary hearing made him wonder if he had gained something from that chess game.

After a short while, Ji Yuan's heart stirred. He finally heard the sound he had been waiting for most.

In the mountain rain, a group of people carrying large covered baskets was hurrying forward. These baskets resembled the book trunks of ancient Scholars traveling for exams, with a cloth cover, but they were noticeably larger.

Ji Yuan couldn't make out their full forms, only the range where raindrops fell, so in his mind, he perceived their limbs, baskets, and covers, while their faces remained hazy.

What puzzled Ji Yuan wasn't just these large baskets, but also that some wore rain gear like Straw Raincoats while others didn't—none of it resembled any modern rain gear.

"Hurry up, everyone, keep up! The Mountain God Temple is just ahead!"

"Watch your step! The mountain path is slippery in the rain!"

"Those behind, catch up! We'll take shelter at the Mountain God Temple and start a fire. Move it!"

Voices in the crowd kept warning each other to be careful, urging everyone to speed up, and some stopped to check if the others were following.

Rounding a few big trees and skirting an upright mountain rock, the leading man finally saw the Mountain God Temple right ahead.

"Put some effort in, everyone! The Mountain God Temple is here. See if anyone's fallen behind."

"We're all here."

"Get into the temple quick! This mountain rain is too cold!"

The group quickened their pace, rushing into the Mountain God Temple one after another.

"Whew, this rain came out of nowhere! Almost soaked me to the bone!"

The leading man was a Man with a short beard, dripping water like the rest. He first set down his heavy basket, then took off his dripping Straw Raincoat.

Stretching his limbs, he looked back and counted—twelve people in total, not one missing.

"Everyone, put the goods over there. Liu Quan and Li Gui, get out our Firewood and Charcoal. Let's start a fire to warm up."

"Got it."

"That spot's drier. Come on, put it there."

"I need to dry my clothes. Ah, I didn't have time to put on my Straw Raincoat."

The group either moved baskets or fetched firewood to start a fire, while someone swept a dry patch of floor clean.

They were a band of Traveling Merchants, used to crossing mountains and braving harsh weather. They always kept dry firewood and charcoal in their baskets for emergencies.

The team leader was called Zhang Shilin. His parents had hoped he'd study the sages' books, earn a title, and enter the scholarly ranks to bring glory to the Zhang family's Family Status. But he wasn't cut out for study, and when the family fortunes declined, he took up the hard life of a Traveling Merchant to earn money.

As the leader, he bore the heavy responsibility of ensuring everyone's safety, but he also had some perks. For instance, while everyone else was busy, Zhang Shilin could rub his shoulders and relax a bit—no one complained about that. Everyone recognized his value; he was a good, capable leader.

The Mountain God Temple was small, just a few zhang in length and width, with three walls still sturdy. Except for a damaged eave at the entrance, the interior didn't leak, but the two doors had long since collapsed and vanished, letting cold wind blow in from time to time.

Inside, the temple was utterly dilapidated, covered in Cobwebs and animal droppings. The incense burner and candlesticks on the altar were overturned, Offerings were nonexistent, and even the clay statue of the Master had crumbled to the point of missing its head.

"Ah, at least this Mountain God Temple is still standing. If it ever collapses, we'll lose one more resting place in these Niu Kui Mountains!"

Ji Yuan heard every footstep and every word of these people.

He found himself in the mountain's Mountain God Temple. Niu Kui Mountain? Probably a slip of the tongue for Ox Head Mountain, or maybe a dialect thing?

So these people were likely hikers, carrying gear like tents—definitely not kidnappers, at least.

But the voices were clearly very close, and the temple wasn't big. He must be in some corner of it; otherwise, they couldn't possibly miss him.

"Ah, Brother Shilin, there's someone over here!"

Hearing the startled cry nearby, Ji Yuan breathed a heavy sigh of relief in his heart. Finally found me! Next step should be calling for help and sending me to the hospital. My little life should be saved.

Zhang Shilin heard the voice and quickly circled around the Deity Statue, sure enough spotting a person lying behind it. The Traveling Merchants also gathered around in twos and threes.

The person behind the Mountain God Statue lay motionless with eyes tightly shut, disheveled and ragged, impossible to tell if alive or dead.

The Young Person who first spotted the Beggar stepped closer, crouched down, checked his breath and felt his forehead.

"Brother Shilin, this Beggar still has breath, but his forehead is burning hot. What should we do?"

What should you do? Are you brain-dead? Call the police!

If he could speak right now, Ji Yuan would have roared it out. He hadn't yet noticed they were calling him a Beggar.

Zhang Shilin furrowed his brow, then let out a sigh.

"In this Barren Mountain wilderness, looks like this Beggar won't last much longer. Give him some Hot Water later and see if he can drink it. Ah, damn this world!"

"Ah..."

"Let's go, let's go, start the fire..."

The Traveling Merchants shook their heads and sighed, scattering away.

Wait, wait! What are you doing? Why are you walking away? Call the police! Hey!

No way? No way!

These people's reactions were completely different from what Ji Yuan had imagined, leaving him both bewildered and panicked.