Trees, roots sunk deep into the mountain soil, reached their verdant hands toward the sky.
Sturdy trunks stood across from one another at a distance, their lush canopies intertwining in midair.
Nestled among these trees stood a wooden cabin.
The cabin was built entirely from thick, rough-hewn trunks, exuding an air of solid, unyielding sturdiness. It was no recent construction — years had weathered its surface with patches of moss, and some of the logs had even sprouted tender new shoots.
Encircling the cabin was a tall fence of Green Spear Bamboo. Vegetable plots flanked both the front and rear, and at the center of the plots stood a well.
At this moment, a young and beautiful girl was drawing water from the well.
Though her clothing was exceedingly plain, it could barely conceal her looks. She was sixteen years old — a pair of large, lustrous eyes, black and white sharply defined, pure as crystal.
Sunlight filtered through the layered canopy of leaves and fell upon her face, rendering her skin like fresh snow while bringing out a translucent blush and warm glow.
Her dark hair fell playfully to one side, half concealing a delicate ear.
Her rose-pink lips were pressed together, teeth biting lightly, her face full of effort.
With considerable strain, she hauled the brimming bucket up from the depths of the well. Then, drawing another breath, she shifted the wooden bucket onto the gray brick ground beside the well.
"Hoo!" The girl puffed out her rosy cheeks, blowing out a breath of exhaustion, then raised a slender white hand to fan her own cheeks.
At the sound of the bucket thudding to the ground, the cabin door creaked open and an old man stepped out.
His hair was streaked black and white, his face layered with wrinkles. His aged eyes, though weathered by years, occasionally flashed with a keen, piercing light — like an old tiger, past its prime but still commanding.
"Girl, that bucket is too heavy. I told you to let me carry it. Why are you sneaking behind my back to water the vegetables again?" The old man looked at the girl by the well, a fond expression on his face.
"Dad!" The girl called out sweetly. "You were out hunting so late yesterday — you should have slept in this morning. It's just a bucket, see? I got it up, didn't I?"
"You — always insisting on doing everything yourself." The old man's tone carried helplessness, but his gaze was full of doting affection.
He strode over to the well, reached down with one hand, and lifted the bucket as though it weighed nothing. "Come, girl. Dad will water the vegetables with you."
The air was filled with the fragrance of wild grass and flowers. The summer wind blew warmly, sweeping across the treetops before turning cool and fresh.
On the small vegetable plot before the mountain cabin, the daughter ladled water with a gourd dipper, bending carefully to tend each plant. The father drew the water, the two buckets alternating between them. A warm, familial atmosphere permeated the little clearing.
"Sigh, I really am getting old. Just a few lifts and I can't manage anymore." After a while, the old man stood by the well, wiped the sweat from his brow, and let out a deep sigh.
The girl turned around, her smile radiant as a flower, and chided him: "Dad, so you've finally figured that out? You're getting on in years, and yet you insist on pushing yourself. I've told you time and again — let Second Brother go hunting. A man your age should be lying at home, enjoying some peace and quiet."
"Heh heh heh." The old man laughed and nodded. "With your Second Brother's skills, roaming these mountains is more than enough for him. His archery in particular is better than mine was when I was young. But there's one thing I still worry about with him — his heart is too restless. He relies on his strength and dreams of flying high. Young people love to fantasize; they all have that flaw to some degree."
"Dad..." The girl drawled out the word in protest.
The old man laughed even more heartily and teased, "That's right, and there's you too. You're not getting any younger — it's time we found you a husband. Dad will look carefully for a good match. Our girl is the prettiest in this whole area; there's no shortage of fine families who'd want you!"
Two rosy clouds immediately bloomed across the girl's cheeks, and she was too embarrassed to say a word.
The old man gazed off into the sky as though he could see a beautiful future ahead. He sighed with contentment: "Once your Second Brother takes a few knocks and learns to temper himself, I'll retire for good. No more going up the mountain. We'll find you a good husband, and I'll watch you marry and have children — preferably a big, chubby grandson. Heh heh, your old man can raise a grandson and be satisfied. Life is really not easy, you know. How many hunters get to end their days peacefully? All my companions from when I was young are gone by now. I'm the only one left."
"Dad, you're wrong about that," the girl said with a smile, comforting him. "What do you mean you're the only one left? You still have us."
"Heh heh... hmm?" The old man was laughing, about to speak, when he suddenly caught a sound and whipped his head around.
The small bamboo gate had been violently kicked open from the outside.
"You are Wang Laohan?" Fang Yuan stepped forward, his expression cold, his dark eyes deep and unreadable. Cupped in his right hand was a ball of moonlight.
The old man was stunned. At the sight of the moonlight in Fang Yuan's hand, he immediately dropped to his knees. "This old man greets the Gu Master!"