Chapter 69: Mountains Beyond Mountains, Immortals Beyond Humans
Song You plucked a few newly-sprouted spring blades of Pacific island silvergrass[1], which were still short, fine, and tender, and casually wove them into a hollow ball. After examining it from all angles and finding it unsatisfactory, he discarded it and wove two more as he felt bored walking. Only then did he select one he liked and put it into his bedding bag.
Leisurely picking fruits and grasses like this didn't actually delay his journey. Instead, it added much enjoyment to walking. While distracted, it felt as if he had returned to his childhood. Back then, no matter where he went, no matter how long the road was, there was endless joy to be found in the fields beside the road and up the trees in the forest. At that time, walking was never just for walking.
Gradually, he found himself ascending higher and higher until he reached the mountain peak. The calico cat stopped, turned her head, and gazed into the distance. Song You also stopped. He didn't know where this place was, only that from this vantage point, the mountains and rivers lay beneath his feet, and the scenery was splendid.
This place was planted with a great deal of sugarcane. The land between the hillsides was flat and orderly, dyed densely green by the sugarcane forest. Small paths in between led to places he would never go, and large trees quietly grew beside the paths, their age unknown.
At the end of his line of sight, a village and houses could vaguely be seen. No one knew how long they had existed. Everything was clear, quiet, and beautiful.
Song You couldn't help but wonder if the scenery had been like this hundreds of years ago. Perhaps it would remain the same hundreds of years in the future. But whose hometown was this? What kind of people lived here? What kind of lives did they lead?
Song You appeared calm, but his heart surged with a desire to go down and see this land up close, to get to know its people, and to hear their stories. Yet he also knew that there were boundless mountains and rivers. Even immortals couldn't see them all. The world was vast, human lives were short, and regrets were inevitable. Perhaps regret was the norm.
“Sir.” A swallow landed on the horse's head at that moment and turned to look at him, “Where are we going?”
“Yan An...” Song You didn't answer immediately but instead asked, “Have you ever flown south for the winter?”