“The name ‘Yunding Mountain’ means cloud’s peak mountain. It’s so high that it reaches into the clouds. Unless it's a clear day, the summit is always shrouded in mist,” the innkeeper said. “Yunding Mountain has four seasons on the mountain. Although it’s the hottest time of the year now, you might still need to wear a coat when you get up there.”

“Have some tea,” Song You offered.

“No thanks. How could I possibly drink the tea you bought from me?” the innkeeper replied.

“Is there snow on the summit?”

“Yes, there’s snow in winter.”

“Is there grass?”

“Yes, small grass.”

“Then it’s not very high.”

“How can it not be high? Is there a taller mountain in Pingzhou than Yunding Mountain?” the innkeeper said. “But if you’re talking about mountains that are snowy all year round, it might not be that high in comparison. However, Yunding Mountain isn’t a place everyone can easily climb.”

“Is there a path to the summit?”

“There is a path, but it depends on whether you dare to take it.”

“Why’s that?”

“Hmph! Just say, throughout the year, countless people come to Yunding Mountain seeking gods and immortals, but most only visit the area around Mirror Island Lake. The brave ones might climb halfway up the mountain before descending. But beyond that, it’s a remote ancient forest. The roads are difficult, wild beasts are fierce, and there are cliffs to cross. Ordinary people don’t have the courage for that.”

The innkeeper sneered, “It’s quite remarkable if someone makes it to the top even once a day.”

“Have you ever been up there?”

“Well...”

“How is the scenery around Mirror Island Lake?”

“Great! Very beautiful, but only if the weather is good. When it’s bad, it’s all foggy...”

“Has anyone ever found a god or an immortal on the mountain?”

“That’s said to be quite common...” The innkeeper began to recount various tales in a fragmented manner.

Song You listened quietly without commenting.

***

After Song You stayed for two days, the innkeeper finally managed to get some beef. Half was sliced into raw meat, and half was boiled. Song You also bought two small fish, one cooked and one sliced raw, and asked the innkeeper to stew a chicken to celebrate Lady Calico's birthday.

With that, Lady Calico ate contentedly.

At night, Song You lay in bed, while Lady Calico remained nestled at his feet. From the corner of the bed, the little cat couldn’t help but turn her head to look at him, asking, “When is the next Beginning of Autumn?”

Song You lay with his eyes open, staring into pure darkness, unable to see anything. He wasn't asleep, nor was he thinking about anything. Upon hearing the words, he quietly replied, “In another year.”

“In another year, huh?”

“By then, you will be a year older.”

“A year older.”

“Maybe we’ll end up by the sea one day, and you could spend a Beginning of Autumn by the sea,” Song You whispered, afraid of disturbing the night. “You’d probably like it.”

“I don’t know what the sea is.”

“It's like an enormous lake. It’s so vast and much larger than all the places you’ve ever walked combined, and possibly even bigger than all the land in the world put together,” Song You explained.

Perhaps feeling sleepy or due to the quiet surroundings, both the cat and the Daoist spoke in soft, slow, and languid tones, creating a strangely peaceful atmosphere.

“The sea has more creatures than the land. Just the fish you can find by the shore might be more numerous than all the insects you've seen in your life. There are also shrimp bigger than you, crabs as big as washbasins, and very large shells…”

“Crabs don’t have meat!”

“Only the ones in the streams don’t.”

“Are they all edible?”

“Most of them are.”

“And what else?”

“The beach is covered in sand. It is fine, thick, and feels soft under the feet. You can dig, but you’ll never reach the bottom. There are many little crabs in the sand. If you’re lucky, you might find edible shells, fish and shrimp washed up by the waves, and other things you can eat.”

“Do you just pick them up?”

“Pretty much.”

“…” Lady Calico’s eyes widened in the darkness with a sense of yearning.

Perhaps tonight she would dream of a vast, imagined lake, filled with countless different kinds of fish in her imagination. Though it would be different from a real sea and its fish, it would be a sea and fish unique to her dreams tonight.

“Sleep now. Tomorrow we’ll go to Mirror Island Lake.”

“Okay…”

Both the person and the cat settled into silence.

The night here was so quiet that not a single sound could be heard once their voices ceased; it was pure silence and deep darkness.

The next morning, they set out early. They would be traveling a hundred li in a day.

In the intense heat and scorching sun, though Song You had to wear a bamboo hat, his heart remained untroubled. He kept his eyes on the sun, walking at his own pace without quickening or slowing his steps. The world under the blazing sun was extraordinarily vivid.

He walked with his staff, and the sky had gradually darkened and cooled by the time he reached Mirror Island Lake. It was then that he suddenly realized that it was already dusk.

The evening breeze brought a touch of water vapor, refreshing him.

“Are we there yet?”

“Perhaps.” Song You continued forward along the lakeside path as a horse followed behind him.

Mirror Island Lake at dusk might have been different from the daytime, but it had its own kind of beauty, living up to the innkeeper's praise.

The lake stretched wide and seemingly endless, its surface as calm as a mirror, dotted with countless islands of various sizes. The sky was turning shades of red and purple, with all the light reflecting in the water. In the distance, faint lights could be seen, perhaps from some refined gentleman’s boat leisurely anchored in the middle of the lake for the night—such a tranquil scene.

The lakeside was overgrown with reeds, and both sides of the paths were lined with them. It was near autumn, and clusters of white reeds swayed in the evening breeze, all bending in the same direction.

This did not seem like the human world. It was clearly the wind’s world.

Song You did not hurry to find a ferry or lodging. He led the horse forward slowly, glancing back at the dusk and the lake while walking, silently absorbing the scene while his mind wandered to more expansive places.

He only heard the wind and waited for nightfall.

“Is this what cultivation is?” He suddenly recalled the old Daoist priest’s words.

As he continued forward, the light grew dimmer, and the sky redder. The mountains and sunset were reflected in the lake, bringing an increasing calm to his heart.

Unbeknownst to them, fireflies had appeared in the night sky.

At first, there were only a few, but as the night deepened, more and more of these glowing insects emerged and gradually covered the surroundings. They filled the darkness, fluttering freely in the night.

Lady Calico was also drawn to them, hopping ahead and trying to catch them with her paws.

“Don’t catch them, Lady Calico.”

“Why not?”

“They’re beautiful.”

“But they can be eaten.”

“Please, Lady Calico.”

“Do you really like them?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm…” Lady Calico fell into deep thought.

“Alright then.” The cat shook her head and came back.

The sky was filled with stars, and fireflies danced in the night, as if starlight had fallen to the ground. Whether illuminated by the starlight or the fireflies, the lakeside path was faintly visible. They walked slowly along this path, gradually seeing a cluster of lights gathered at the ferry dock by the lake.

As the sound of hooves approached, water sounds could be heard. A middle-aged ferryman came ashore from his boat, holding a lantern high to illuminate the area.

“Sir?”

“Yes.”

“Are you going to the base of Yunding Mountain?”

“Exactly.”

“It’s too late now; you can only take the boat there tomorrow morning,” the ferryman said. “However, if you’re willing to pay a bit more, you can stay on the boat tonight. I can even take you to the middle of the lake.”

“What would we do in the middle of the lake at night?”

“You may not know, but Mirror Island Lake is as smooth as a mirror. Even when the wind passes by, it rarely stirs up any waves. Many distinguished guests find it fascinating and enjoy it a lot. Whether it's morning or afternoon, day or night, there are always many people renting boats to sail on the lake, each enjoying its own unique scenery.”

“And the lights in the middle of the lake…?”

“They’re all boats!”

“Can they carry horses?”

“Oh, I’m afraid not. We don’t have boats that can carry horses right now. We only have small rowboats and small black awning boats.”

“Can I rent a boat tonight to stay in the middle of the lake for one night and return tomorrow?”

“That’s possible, but where will you leave your horse?”

“Just leave it on the shore.”

“It might get stolen!”

“It won’t.”

“Although you’re only going to the middle of the lake, you’re only coming back tomorrow morning. It’s still a journey there and back, and it takes about two hours each way. It’s so late, and there’s no one to share the boat with…” The ferryman thought for a moment. “It's not right for me to haggle in front of a gentleman, so I'll charge you fifty wen.”

“Alright.”

The boatman pulled the boat over and watched as the gentleman unloaded his saddle bag from the horse's back. Then, the gentleman spoke to the horse, asking it to wait by the lakeside for the night and graze as it pleased. Amazingly, the horse seemed to have a sense of spirituality and understood his words. It then trotted off into the night with a jingling sound—it was truly remarkable.

The gentleman then boarded the boat, accompanied by a cat.

“Let’s go, ferryman.”

“Certainly!”

With a push of the oar, the boat left the shore. In the midst of the wind, there was now the added sound of water.

As night fell, it became difficult to distinguish whether the sky above or below was the real sky. The twilight glow was reflected both in the sky and the lake. The sky was filled with countless stars, and the lake mirrored them. But as the small black awning boat slowly glided across the water, the starlight below began to ripple and wrinkle.

Sitting at the bow of the boat, Song You quietly enjoyed the night breeze and the scenery while chatting with the ferryman.

He learned that the calm surface of the lake was maintained by the presence of spirits, which kept the water smooth even in the wind and mirror-like. He also discovered that the lake contained 791 islands, most of which were quite small. By day, one would be able to admire the countless islands on the emerald waters.

Additionally, he learned that there were over a hundred villages of various sizes along the lake, many of which worshiped the Frog God. They believed that it resurrected in the spring and brought fertility and good fortune, making it very auspicious.

“We’ve reached the center of the lake.”

“Thank you for your hard work, ferryman.”

“Oh, don’t mention it…”

Song You looked ahead.

In the distance, he could make out other boats at the lake's center—some with lights, some already dark, and some with glowing fires inside. Though, it was unclear what they were cooking or roasting. The liveliest boat close by had faint sounds of a pipa and a

dongxiao

, along with the sounds of people drinking and having fun—clearly, some refined guests were enjoying themselves here.

The coolness of the lake brought tranquility to the heart.

Gradually, all the lights on the lake went out, leaving only the mirror-like lake reflecting the dazzling stars. The wind moved the boat, creating ripples in the reflection of the lake, and only then did the lake truly resemble a lake.

Song You remained at the bow, gazing at the Milky Way. Meanwhile, the cat climbed around him, looking this way and that.

Whether there were gods or immortals, it really didn’t seem to matter.