A few cumulus clouds drifted in the azure sky, the sun scorching scalps, and the cicadas' chorus sounded much hoarser than in early summer.
"Up ahead is Cuiyun Corridor."
Song You stepped forward, lifting his gaze.
A winding path, only wide enough for one person to pass at a time, flanked by fields on one side and earth on the other, led to an ancient official road covered by millennia-old cypresses.
The cypresses were ancient, the road was ancient, not destined to become history only many years later. Even in this era, they had already witnessed over a thousand years.
This road is called the Jinyang Road, built during the Yu Dynasty to connect Yizhou to the Guanzhong Plain. It was a common practice for ancient people to plant trees along the road to indicate the direction of the main road. By seeing trees on both sides, travelers would not stray from the path. Starting from the Yu Dynasty, cypress trees were planted on both sides of the Jinyang Road by the authorities. At its peak, there were tens of thousands of cypress trees along the Jinyang Road, resembling a corridor shrouded in green clouds, hence its other name, Cuiyun Corridor.
Walking a few more steps and arriving at the Cuiyun Corridor, the view became clearer.
It was late summer, and the ancient cypresses displayed a unique gray-blue color. With no one pruning them for centuries, their branches grew freely, intertwining wildly. The lush leaves blocked the sunlight, casting dappled shadows on the road, creating a hazy atmosphere.
The road below was paved with stone slabs, uneven and irregularly laid, with each slab varying in height and the gaps between them forming hollows and pits.
Song You stopped in his tracks and glanced backward.
After walking for half a day, he could no longer see the familiar mountains or the familiar Taoist temple.
Song You continued to gaze back, his expression serene.
Yesterday, after conversing with his master, he packed his belongings in the morning, bid farewell to his master and the old fellow disciple in the temple, and set out lightly. After walking for forty li in half a day, he finally arrived at this well-known road.
But where should he go next?
His master hadn't told him, and he didn't know either.
"..."
After a long while, Song You withdrew his gaze.
He continued forward.
After just a few steps, he stepped onto the Cuiyun Corridor. The sensation under his feet quickly became firm, and the scorching sunlight was mostly blocked.
Song You didn't look back again, walking forward firmly and steadily, always keeping an eye on the scenery along the road.
In this era, this road was no less significant than the highways of later generations, connecting Yizhou to the Guanzhong Plain. It even had a horse-blocking wall, similar to the guardrails of modern highways, but weathered by millennia, it appeared somewhat dilapidated.
Even so, it remained a vital artery of transportation in this era.
Song You carefully felt the atmosphere of this ancient road, experiencing the authentic scenes on the Cuiyun Corridor of this era.
Sometimes, the sound of mule bells tinkled as caravans passed by him, the interplay of light and shadow beneath the cypress trees, each side sizing each other up. Sometimes, he heard the approaching rhythm of hoofbeats, signaling the arrival of government couriers galloping past.
Sometimes, he encountered porters.
They were the only ones Song You could catch up with and surpass.
Yizhou's porters were often small and thin, almost skeletal, their entire bodies darkened by the sun. They carried goods that even strong men would struggle with, leaning on bamboo or wooden sticks, silently trudging forward, already exhausted from expending all their energy. How could they have any strength left to care about what was happening around them?
Fortunately, there were ancient cypresses providing shade.
No one dared to cut down these ancient cypresses.
Since the former dynasty, the court has legislated to protect the ancient cypresses, forbidding both military and civilians from cutting them down. When a local official leaves office, they must hand over the ancient cypresses to their successor.
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Rumors abound that amidst these perilous mountains and along the Cuiyun Corridor constructed during the Yu Dynasty, among the lush ancient cypresses, there are often spirits that have grown sentient over the years. There are even tales of merchants traveling at night, hearing the ancient trees speaking to them.
But really—
These trees have provided shade and shelter here for over twelve hundred years. How many people have passed by them? Perhaps they've learned to speak just from listening.
Song You actually wished to hear them speak to him.
Unfortunately, they did not.
This solitary journey was destined to be silent.
After walking who knows how long, passing by four soil embankments, he had traveled another twenty li. Looking through the gaps in the branches and leaves of the ancient cypresses, he could see the sun clearly tilting slightly to the west.
Song You felt a bit weary.
Seeing an ancient cypress up ahead, large enough for several people to embrace, with its trunk curved just right to lean against, and the ground beneath it clean, it seemed likely that many rested here.
Song You didn't fuss, walking over and sitting down.
He ate a piece of cake and drank some water.
At first, he still had some thoughts in his mind, as people passed by him continuously, he lifted his head to meet the faces of this era, always feeling a strange sense of encounter. When he felt sleepy, Song You didn't have the slightest intention of struggling against it. He packed his bag, closed his eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.
The cicadas' chirping wasn't disturbing, it was lulling.
During the nap, as the sun slanted to the west, shadows and light alternated before his eyes, even with his eyes closed, he could feel the overlapping of shadows and light.
When he woke up in a daze, he saw a group of small figures jumping and playing among the branches, endlessly frolicking.
Each little figure was only as tall as a palm, slender and beautiful, dressed in colorful attire, some male, some female, playing carefreely. But when he rubbed his eyes and looked closely, he realized they were nothing more than a few sparrows.
"Heh..."
Song You finally showed a smile, gradually waking up.
Looking up at the sky again, he saw that the several cumulus clouds that had been drifting had somehow gathered together, forming a large mass of cumulonimbus clouds, thick enough to block out the sunlight, casting a dark shadow below.
The direction was right ahead on the road.
It seemed that it was going to rain next—
"Heh..."
Song You finally showed a smile, gradually waking up.
Looking up at the sky again, he saw that the several cumulus clouds that had been drifting had somehow gathered together, forming a large mass of cumulonimbus clouds, thick enough to block out the sunlight, casting a dark shadow below.
The direction was right ahead on the road.
It seemed that it was going to rain next—
Most cumulus clouds don't bring rain or snow; instead, they often appear on sunny days, symbolizing good weather. However, when they turn into cumulonimbus clouds, they might bring short but heavy rain. Depending on temperature and airflow changes, they could even develop into more severe thunderclouds.
But Song You didn't mind. He packed his bag and continued on his journey.
To venture out is to experience both sunny and rainy days, both good and bad.
As expected, after walking just a few li, the bottom of the cumulonimbus cloud ahead became darker and darker. When Song You stopped and looked up, he saw the rain pouring down, connecting the sky and the earth in an instant.
The cloud was still drifting in this direction.
"..."
Song You hesitated for a moment, then chose to turn back.
A mile away, there was a pavilion split into two parts, left and right, built who knows when. Although it was now dilapidated and provided no shelter from the wind, it could at least offer some protection from the rain.
When he reached the pavilion, the rain had just arrived.
According to the road sign he had seen earlier, this pavilion used to be run by someone selling tea. However, Song You didn't see any tea vendors or people, only a pile of firewood in the pavilion and traces of a fire on the ground. He was the only one seeking shelter from the rain here.
Song You calmly chose a pavilion with a better roof and sat down, observing the rain.
When the rain first came, it was gentle, only splashing on the dry ground, creating small water splashes. But in the blink of an eye, it grew larger, and the sound of rain hitting the leaves became intense. The dense water splashes bloomed on the stone slabs, completely soaking them, and the soil was thoroughly wetted.
The heavy smell of dust almost hit him in the face.
This world slowly became moist, and all the colors in the mountains became much cleaner. The sound of cicadas ceased, leaving only the sound of rain on the mountain road.
Pitter-patter, crackle, it was calming.
After about half an hour, the sky grew darker, but the rain showed no signs of stopping. Judging by this, who knew how much longer it would rain. He had already wasted a lot of time during the afternoon nap, so even if the rain stopped now, he might not be able to reach the next stop.
Thinking this, Song You snapped out of his trance of watching the rain and listening to it. He turned his head to look at the half pile of firewood in the corner and the burn marks on the ground.
It seemed that travelers had spent the night here.
It was still a few days before the beginning of autumn, and the night wasn't cold. Even though it was cooler in the mountains, it wouldn't be too bad to spend the night here.
Song You calmed down and closed his eyes.
With the heavy rain falling, all things were born anew.
The spiritual energy in the mountains also became denser.
It wasn't until dark that the rain finally eased.
Song You got up, picked up some firewood, piled it together, and took a wooden stick in his hand.
"Let the wind die and the fire rise."
The wind in the pavilion paused briefly.
Then came a soft sound—
"Poof!"
A handful of orange flames ignited in his hand, looking no different from ordinary fire. Song You only treated it as such, hanging the wooden stick into the pile of firewood, holding it still for a moment before slowly igniting the firewood.
"Ah..."
The wind blew again, and the rain slanted in, soaking the edge of the pavilion.
The crackling sound of the fire burning transmitted to Song You's body, warming him up. His body felt warm, almost hot, and his face was a bit hot. Still, he continued to sit cross-legged, staring at the burning fire pit as if there were something extremely fascinating inside.
Sometimes, he would think about his future travel plans.
But it was impossible to come up with any.
Since he came to this world, he had been in the Taoist temple, growing up with his master. Although he had left many times, the places he had been to were limited. Moreover, he lacked enthusiasm and knowledge about this world, making it difficult to make detailed plans.
Sometimes, he would think about the past.
Some scenes would uncontrollably flash through his mind.
But most of the time, he didn't think about anything. He just watched the fire burn, feeling the warmth it emitted, gradually emptying his mind. A sense of security and comfort, deeply ingrained in his genes, made his heart even more peaceful.
The rain decreased, and the sound of rain also diminished. The mountain became quiet for a while, and the most noticeable sound was the crackling of the fire burning in front of him.
In the mountain rain at night, a lonely fire lit by a stranger.
Thinking about how far and how long he would travel alone in the future, he couldn't help but feel a sense of loneliness rising in his heart.
It was hard to endure.
After some time, he vaguely heard the sound of hooves.
Song You shifted his gaze away from the fire pit and looked towards the direction from which the sound came. In the dark of the night, a group of merchants came through the rain.
Mostly mules and horses, carrying large packages of goods, which seemed to be tea from the packaging. There were about a dozen people, accompanied by two guards. It could be seen that these travelers came from a relatively remote place. Otherwise, they wouldn't need guards even on this section of the official road.
The people hadn't arrived yet, but the sound of conversation reached him.
"We can't go any further. We should have passed that section already. There
's a pavilion up ahead. Let's spend the night here."
"We might have to walk a little further!"
"There's no shelter ahead."
"There's someone ahead!"
"Lighting a fire..."
Song You remained seated, watching the group of people approach.