Stranger Danger

Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou had stayed behind at Goddess City for ten days or so to assist Wen Anran in rescuing and treating the innocent citizens who were harmed by the great battle. It was only today that they finally bade her goodbye and left the city.

Although their journey was delayed by ten whole days, since they started early, it did not impact their plan whatsoever. Even now, the only reason they were passing through the Swamp of Eternal Rain was because Ye Qing wished to witness its beauty with his own eyes.

Yes, the Swamp of Eternal Rain was, contrary to what most people would believe, quite the beautiful place. Unlike most parts of Yan where only snowy mountains, sheer cliffs, and barren deserts could be found, the Swamp of Eternal Rain sported a light drizzle, bluish green grass, and rippling waters. It possessed an idyllic appeal that was similar to Jiangnan.

“To experience the beauty of the Marsh of Eternal Rain, we should travel twenty five kilometers straight to the center of the land where a three-hundred-meter tall tower stands. They call it the Rain Listening Tower.”

Feng Qingyou stepped out of the horse carriage and gazed at the rainy marsh in front of them. “Once you’ve reached the top, you’ll be able to view the entire marsh from every angle. If the time and weather are just right, you’ll even be able to enjoy a gorgeous sunset where the sun and moon trade places with each other amidst the fine drizzle. That is the most beautiful scenery in the Marsh of Eternal Rain.”

“I can’t wait,” Ye Qing replied with shiny, anticipatory eyes. “There are still over four hours before evening. It’s a tight window, but I think we can get there right on time.”

“In that case, let us not dilly-dally any longer.”

Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou refrained from riding their horse carriage after entering the Marsh of the Eternal Rain. Instead, they held up a pair of oil-paper umbrellas and walked between the wet grass and fine raindrops.

The air was clean, and the rain was soothing. It wiped away all the fatigue Ye Qing had accumulated for the past ten days.

Besides the wet grass and fine rain, the Rain People were part of the scenery as well. Despite being dead, they looked no different from your ordinary person. In fact, they looked unnaturally vibrant and healthy despite roaming under the rain all year long. They also lacked the eeriness, rot and decay that accompanied the dead.

Appearance wise, there were only two things that differentiated them from a normal person. One, their eyes were blank and glassy. Two, they walked slowly and stiffly as if their joints were rusted. They could be found anywhere and everywhere in the marshland.

Although the victims’ souls were completely eroded by the Anomaly, their physical body and vitality remained unharmed. If anything, they were practically immortal after they turned into Rain People. For example, they did not need to eat or drink to sustain themselves. They could simply absorb the rainwater to maintain their vitality and prevent their physical body from rotting.

This was also why the Rain People were categorized as living dead.

But of course, the rainwater was only beneficial to the Rain People. To an outsider, it was no more beneficial than ordinary rain water.

As usual, an Anomaly played by no one’s rules but its own.

There were a lot of Rain People in the Marsh of Eternal Rain, so it was impossible to avoid them completely. Thankfully, they would not attack unless provoked, so they generally did not pose a threat whatsoever.

After walking for about two hours or so, Ye Qing finally saw a lone tower at the far end of the horizon. It was so tall that the tip was hidden by the clouds above.

“Is that the Raining Listening Tower?”

The tower was built from black stone, and it looked old, roughly-built, and decrepit. It felt strangely noble and divine given that it was the one thing in this marshland that stretched all the way to the heavens, but at the same time, there was no denying that it looked like the smallest breeze could topple it.

“That is correct.”

Feng Qingyou explained while staring at the tall tower as well, “Long, long ago, the Marsh of Eternal Rain used to be a city called the Prayer for Rain. The reason it got its name was because Prayer For Rain was constantly beset by long, unbearable droughts. The Rain Listening Tower was built as an altar to offer sacrifices to the heavens and pray for rain.”

“Ironically, Prayer For Rain was ultimately destroyed by the Rain Master and transformed into an Anomaly that is eternally flooded by rainwater, and the only thing that proved they once existed was the Rain Listening Tower. It is a lamentable and tragic fate.”

“It really is ironic!” Ye Qing sighed as well. “Rather than praying to the gods, they should have found a solution themselves.”

When they got closer to the Rain Listening Tower, Ye Qing realized that the building was even worse than he thought. It was covered in cracks from head to toe, and he seriously feared that it would fall over if he put a little too much strength into his footsteps.

He asked, “Are you sure we can climb up this thing? It looks like it might fall over if we so much as sneeze in its direction!”

Feng Qingyou chuckled. “Don’t worry. The Rain Listening Tower is built from Blackmoon Stone, a hard and sturdy type of rock. Otherwise, it would have collapsed a long, long time ago.”

“Thank goodness.”

Despite what he said, Ye Qing wasn’t really that worried. Even if the building did collapse mid-climb, the fall would not harm even a hair on his or Feng Qingyou’s person. And so they began climbing up its stairs.

The peak of the Rain Listening Tower was a flat platform with no roof. Not only did it provide an unobstructed view from every angle, it was tall enough that a traveler could view the entire marshland. Looking at the falling rain, the rolling mist and clouds, and the blurred line that separated heaven and earth, one almost felt like they were a god or Buddha admiring the mortal realm from the heavens.

They were lucky. Beyond the curtain of rain at the farthest end of the sky, a sun slowly descended toward the mountain while its orange light slowly spread across the clouds. At the same time, a crescent slowly rose up from the horizon and into the sky, crystalline and pure.

The blend between sun and moon, warm orange and crystalline silver were beyond fantastical. It was a sight to be remembered for eternity.

As he watched, Ye Qing praised from the bottom of his heart, “The sun and moon appearing in the same sky, the rain and light embracing each other, and the heavens and the earth combining into one. It truly is a one-of-a-kind scenery.”

He waited, but received no response from Feng Qingyou. Surprised, he turned around and saw Feng Qingyou standing in the soft drizzle with an even expression. Her eyes were so old, so distant, that her gaze seemed to pierce through the hail of time and the everchanging kaleidoscope of life and see something… beyond.

Not only that, Ye Qing felt like Feng Qingyou was standing at the far end of the horizon even though she was clearly right in front of him. He felt as if she was flying among the sun and moon, cloud and rain.

Right here and now, the world felt like the human, and the human felt like the sun and moon.

“Is she… experiencing Enlightenment?” Ye Qing exclaimed with both surprise and envy in his voice.

A journeyer on the Martial Way walked with their eyes set on the world around them, dreamed of embracing the sun and moon, and was washed clean by the red dust they waded across. The higher their cultivation level, the more they needed to search for insight from the world around them, understand the myriad laws of nature, and seek out the mysteries and order of the Heavenly Way.

“The heavens’ heart is my heart, the world fills my chest.” That was how it should be.

This was also why some warriors would set off on a journey after reaching a certain cultivation level. They willingly threw themselves into the storm of life and swam across the sea of red dust all in search for that glimmer of opportunity; to catch a glimpse of the truth of the Heavenly Way.

Clearly, Feng Qingyou was experiencing such a moment right now. By chance, her heart had become one with the world around her, and thus she was Enlightened.

Obviously, Enlightenment was neither a common occurrence nor something any warrior could experience. It was strongly related to one’s fortune, destiny, and personal accumulation.

Part of the reason Feng Qingyou suddenly experienced Enlightenment was definitely because she was lucky enough to be in the right place and the right time, but it was also because her martial cultivation was deep and strong. Otherwise, she would not be able to comprehend anything even if the opportunity were to fall into her lap.

As time passed, the rain and clouds began gathering around the Rain Listening Tower as if drawn by some sort of invisible power. The embrace was completely soundless and smooth, and yet it was undeniably powerful and magnificent-looking as well.

A sun and a moon appeared in Feng Qingyou’s eyes, their light seemingly mingling with the ones in the sky. Ye Qing could also sense invisible energies mingling, clashing, and scattering in the air. It was happening throughout the marshland.

The next moment, the origin qi and spiritual energy from all across the area flowed into Feng Qingyou’s body like hundreds of streams.

The amount of origin qi Feng Qingyou was absorbing was such that even Ye Qing felt pressured by it, but it was as if Feng Qingyou’s body was a black hole. No matter how much qi she absorbed, she could never be satisfied.

As time passed, her presence slowly grew deeper, bigger, and difficult to comprehend. At the same time, a vast reservoir of spiritual power spread throughout the Anomaly like a sea of smoke and dyed everything in all sorts of colors, gorgeous and dreamlike.