An hour and more had passed before the three of them, after expending considerable effort, finally surmounted the mountaintop.
Gazing into the distance from the high ground, Wu Qiyi found Qingfeng Village nestled within a valley, with streams from distant peaks flowing down on either side, their waters clear and meandering.
The two streams encircled Qingfeng Village before flowing onward toward the lower valley.
Turning to Wu Qiyi beside her, she asked, "Where do these streams flow to?"
Xi Yu answered on behalf of Wu Qiyi, "According to our past observations, there are many streams of varying sizes nearby, and they all eventually flow into a mountain lake a few kilometers from here."
Xi Yu added, "Because the mountain paths are difficult to traverse, we've considered taking the water routes, but that's even more troublesome, and the steep terrain makes accidents all too likely."
Upon hearing this, she couldn't help shaking her head, "That's not what I meant."
