The mountaintop was unexpectedly flat, as if nature had deliberately cleared a stage for some mysterious ritual. The ground beneath their feet was crisscrossed with fine cracks, like the rings of time meticulously etched into the stone. The howling winds lashed their faces like blades, and the biting cold pierced through to their very bones, seemingly intent on freezing every spark of life. The wind's mournful wail echoed through the mountains, deep and lingering, as though the peaks themselves were sighing, lamenting their eternal solitude.
"Little Hong" clung to the basket of medicinal herbs as if it were his lifeline. Huddled in a wind-sheltered crevice, his lips were purple with cold, and he adamantly refused to take another step toward the summit.
Sora and Mo Wen had no choice but to press on, the peak tantalizingly close. As they reached the summit, they looked around in awe. The wind-bent trees seemed to bow in reverence, their branches prostrate as if praying devoutly to the towering peaks opposite them, which pierced the heavens. The mist swirled in the wind, momentarily revealing patches of blue sky before being quickly shrouded again by newborn clouds. In the ebb and flow of the mist, the world transformed into a celestial realm.
"So beautiful..." Sora stood at the mountaintop, her eyes wide with amazement, as though she had stepped into a dream.
Mo Wen took a deep breath, letting the frigid wind fill his lungs. Despite his exhaustion, he felt a profound and indescribable sense of fulfillment. Glancing at the ethereal young woman beside him, he thought that even if this journey had been a wrong turn, it was still a wondrous adventure.
The sun on the horizon hung like an unreachable red lantern. Though its warmth could not be felt, its light bathed the entire mountain range in crimson. Slowly, a dense sea of clouds began to rise, the air currents roiling like a boiling cauldron. As the mist parted, a vast blue sky unfolded like a scroll of fine rice paper unfurling at the hands of a celestial artist. In this dreamlike moment, the heavens were ignited with a touch of gold, and in an instant, the entire world was bathed in golden light, resembling an earthly paradise.
Before them stood an enormous sacred tree atop the mountain peak. Its trunk soared like a pillar supporting the heavens, with branches symmetrically spreading in breathtaking precision. The dense needle-like leaves reached upward like countless arms lifting the sun. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the foliage, scattering dappled light across the ridges like playful shadows. Could this be the legendary Solar Divine Tree?
Sora gazed at the majestic sight, her hands trembling with excitement as she pulled out a brush from her pocket, determined to capture this moment on paper. But her hands, red and trembling from the cold, could barely hold the brush.
Mo Wen quickly removed his coat and draped it over her shoulders, his eyes full of anticipation, as if expecting a heartfelt thank-you.
To his surprise, Sora simply looked up, her lips trembling as she said,"Mo Wen,open your mouth ...stick out your tongue!"
Mo Wen froze, stunned. They'd only known each other for a day—wasn't this moving a bit fast? But he wasn't about to object. Before Mo Wen could react, she was already dipping the brush into his tongue for moisture.
Mo Wen was irritated and yelling,"Hey, careful! What are you doing?"
"Borrowing ...your tongue... for the dry brush," Sora replied matter-of-factly.
" You're painting, not doing a COVID test!" Mo Wen yelped in protest."And why not use your own spit? I've got water in my bamboo flask here—you don't need to go this far!"
But Sora was entirely absorbed in her work. With a few bold strokes, the essence of the Solar Divine Tree began to come alive on her paper. Watching her focused expression, Mo Wen scratched his head and muttered,"Sigh, an adventure is fine, but why do I feel like I'm just the assistant here...?"
"Hmm, it's still too far to capture the details clearly," Sora remarked, frowning in disappointment as her gaze shifted to the towering sacred tree.
Hearing this, Mo Wen smiled faintly."No problem." He pulled a small folded sheet of paper from his pocket, gently opened it, and revealed a simple makeshift telescope. Adjusting the focus carefully, he handed it to Sora.
Sora took the paper tube with curiosity. As she peered through it, her pupils dilated in astonishment.
Through the telescope, the sacred tree's trunk came into sharp focus, its gnarled roots twisting like a labyrinth at its base. Near the ground, golden mushrooms dotted the earth, resembling miniature parasols of gold. The shimmering light cast vivid patterns across the surrounding grass, painting a mystical and beautiful tableau.
An elderly monkey slowly emerged from the dense foliage, its movements unsteady yet purposeful as it approached the sacred tree. Its sparse, grayed fur was matted with twigs and leaves, revealing patches of bare pink skin beneath. Despite its weary appearance, the monkey seemed invigorated upon reaching its destination. It eagerly grabbed a golden mushroom, devouring it with haste.
Moments later, an astonishing transformation began. Golden fur sprouted from the monkey's body, swiftly covering its once-bald patches. Its posture grew straighter, and its frail frame seemed to regain vitality. Even its worn, yellowed teeth fell out, replaced by new, gleaming white ones. The monkey let out an elated howl, leaping joyfully into the forest before disappearing from sight.
Mo Wen and Sora were captivated, unable to tear their eyes away from the spectacle. They huddled together under a massive boulder, taking turns with the telescope to observe the magical scene.
As the fierce mountaintop winds gradually subsided and the sun climbed higher into the sky, the golden mushrooms began to wither before their eyes, crumbling into fine dust.
The two stared in stunned silence, overwhelmed by the sheer wonder of it all. Gradually, the warmth of the sunlight seeped into their bodies, and only then did they realize how close they had been sitting. Embarrassed, they quickly moved apart.
"Ahem, it was really cold earlier," Mo Wen muttered.
"Yeah, we should head down now," Sora replied.
Their spirits high, they began the descent, their conversation lively as they marveled at the extraordinary sights they had witnessed. Suddenly, a fine, hair-like rain began to fall from the sunny sky. As sunlight intertwined with the rain, a rainbow formed, shimmering gently around the young pair. The vibrant colors framed their figures as they walked, one ahead of the other, into the mystical wilderness.
They moved through the trees, bathed in the sun shower, with tiny raindrops clinging to their hair and shoulders, shimmering with golden light. The world around them became soft and blurred in the sun shower, with only the figures of the young man and woman clearly visible, as if they were the main characters of a story, enjoying their moment together. The air after the rain was fresh, carrying the scent of earth, and as the sun shower gradually ceased, the ground was scattered with pearls of water. The young man and woman finally found Little Hong hiding in a stone crevice. They, too, were sheltering beneath a large tree, panting heavily with satisfied smiles on their faces. They exchanged a knowing look, aware that this would be the most beautiful memory in their lives.
Little Hong looked at the two of them suspiciously, their faces flushed. Hmm, something must have happened just now.