Chapter 4: The Waterside Willow Valley
Whitewing sat quietly in his chair, waiting for Lofty Feather's instructions. It was the first day after the protection period had ended, and the first time he would formally make contact with the outside world.
Lofty Feather hovered above the table, the Red Qi around it flowing evenly.
“Ready?” Lofty Feather asked.
“Ready,” Whitewing replied.
“Then let's go to the bedroom. We only need to do two things: take control of the Empty Shell successfully, and get used to the outside environment.” Lofty Feather drifted toward the bedroom.
“This has to be done somewhere calm. Come in.”
Whitewing entered the little windowless bedroom. It remained utterly dark and quiet, with only a shaft of light falling in when the door opened.
“Lie down,” Lofty Feather said.
He did as he was told and lay on the bed, his body sinking into the soft cotton mattress. Lofty Feather closed the door, and the room returned to darkness.
“Inside Restsoil, you are the Wandering Soul you used to be; outside, you are that Soul in control of the Empty Shell.” Lofty Feather's voice rang through the dark, steady and clear. “You need to draw your awareness away from here and connect it to that Shell. It's like when you send Red Qi out of your body—only this time, you're the one who has to leave.”
“What should I do?” Whitewing asked.
“Close your eyes. Relax your body. Don't deliberately notice the bed beneath you, and don't listen closely to my voice.”
Whether his eyes were open or shut, everything before him was black, but he did as Lofty Feather asked.
He adjusted his breathing and let his body relax.
“Right now, you're just a point, a pure awareness, like when you first woke up,” Lofty Feather went on, guiding him. “Everything around you is Black. Reach outward, farther and farther. At the edge of Restsoil there's a barrier of Red Qi, connecting this place to the outside. Find it.”
Whitewing felt his way through the dark. There was no threat to his life this time, so he didn't need to move his hands or feet. He only had to let his thoughts spread outward.
Before long, he sensed a faint pull in the void. One end was tied to the depths of his awareness; the other stretched away into the unknown.
“I can feel it,” Whitewing said softly.
“Follow it. If your awareness touches it, you should feel some resistance. That's the Empty Shell's barrier. Get through it, and you'll be able to take control.”
Whitewing focused and moved forward along the pull. Restsoil receded swiftly behind him. The Three-Primal Hut, the willow, the stream—all the scenery became a blur in the background.
Some points of light appeared ahead. As he approached, they grew denser and denser, until at last he was standing before the barrier.
He reached out with his awareness, trying to connect with it.
Just as expected, resistance met him. He thought of the Wuping Robe's fabric: tough and thick, impossible to tear. But this was different.
Did he have to break through it? The barrier was Red Qi, a cloud made of Red Qi—only vastly larger than Lofty Feather's Qi cloud...
Could he control it?
He decided he had to at least try.
In the bedroom, Lofty Feather immediately sensed what he intended. It was screaming inwardly at his audacity, but it made no sound. This was Whitewing's moment of insight. It mustn't disturb him.
Whitewing was exultant. He really could, barely, move this enormous Qi cloud! But after managing to part it into a narrow slit, he couldn't keep going.
Still, the task was done. He gazed at the opening with satisfaction. Now he could go outside...
...
Heavy.
That was Whitewing's first feeling.
His eyelids felt as heavy as a thousand catties, his arms and legs bound by something, hard to move. An unfamiliar rhythm sounded inside his chest. Once, twice. Slow and strong.
His heartbeat.
His lungs tightened, yearning for something. Instinct made him open his mouth and draw in a sharp breath.
Air rushed down his throat and filled his chest.
“Cough—”
The breath caught in his throat. His body jerked, finally breaking out of its rigid stillness.
Whitewing opened his eyes.
A pair of arresting, bright-red eyes. The black pupils narrowed to vertical slits in the light, while shades of red pressed in against them, squeezing a sliver of clarity out of his bewilderment.
Green filled his vision. Countless slender leaves drooped above him, swaying softly in the breeze. Sunlight filtered through their gaps, a little too bright. He instinctively raised a hand to shield his eyes, only to find that his arm moved much more slowly than it had in Restsoil.
So this was the outside world?!
“How does it feel?” Lofty Feather's voice sounded directly in his awareness. After all, inside Restsoil, Lofty Feather had been right beside Whitewing while he lay there, so of course he could hear it.
“Heavy,” Whitewing answered in his mind. “My body feels heavy, but the air is warm.”
“That's gravity. A Wandering Soul would barely feel it, but an Empty Shell is different. You'll get used to it.”
As it answered Whitewing, Lofty Feather curiously looked around. They were in a valley, after all, rich with vegetation and Green Qi. It tried to draw on a wisp of Green Qi and send it circling once around the Empty Shell.
It saw an outline. A small figure, in a red-and-white robe trailing behind him, gazed up at the willow leaves drifting overhead.
“So that's another way to see it...”
It quietly unfurled the light screen and saved the image.
Outside, Whitewing pressed his hands against the ground and slowly sat up. Beneath his palms were rough tree roots and damp soil; he had bent a few blades of grass. The feel was coarse and real, utterly different from Restsoil's gentle simulation.
He lowered his head and saw the red-and-white robe he was wearing. Wuping? Why was it here too?
At least it still kept its original colors in the real world. The fabric looked more complex, as if woven from countless fine threads, yet he couldn't find their ends.
Still, it was nice to be dressed in something familiar.
Lofty Feather: “I ran the numbers on the Empty Shell. This human-shaped Shell is only one meter tall, which should make it pretty young. But since we're beings who took root, you can make up your age. Seven or eight should be about right.”
Whitewing nodded in agreement and used the willow behind him for support as he stood. The bark was scored with cracks of varying depths and felt a little rough against his hands. He drew a deep breath and took his first step.
Inside Restsoil, he had been floating almost all the time. Now that he had to walk on two legs, he found it a little awkward. His bare feet brushed through the grass with a faint rustle.
This was a valley, surrounded by rolling green mountains. The slopes were not high, but thick with vegetation. A stream flowed from deep in the valley and wound past the giant willow.
“I checked the Knowledge Base just now. It has a map of the outside world. The scene inside Restsoil is a replica of this valley.”
“This is the Waterside Willow Valley.”
Whitewing walked over to the stream. The water was so clear he could see the smooth pebbles and small fish swimming along the bottom. He crouched and put his hand in. Cold wrapped around his fingers at once.
He snatched his hand back. Drops of water fell from his fingertips.
“Water is cold,” Whitewing observed.
“That's right. The temperature in Restsoil hardly ever changes,” Lofty Feather recorded. “Try moving Red Qi.”
Whitewing stood and stilled his mind. By habit, he tried to draw Qi straight from the surroundings, as he had inside Restsoil, but the energy in the air around him was thin and chaotic.
“Qi in the outside world isn't as pure as it is in Restsoil. You'll need to use what you've stored inside your body,” Lofty Feather reminded him.
Whitewing changed his approach and drew on the Red Qi inside him. A warm current rose from his abdomen and flowed along his channels to his fingertips. A faint red glow lit his hand, barely noticeable in the sunlight.
He swung his arm. Fine Cut activated. Red Qi shot from his hand, sliced through a leaf ahead, and then dispersed into the air.
“It takes more energy than in Restsoil,” Whitewing said, sensing the change in his body. “And it disperses faster.”
“That's normal. Remember what I told you before? Unclaimed Qi returns to the surrounding environment on its own. Inside Restsoil, the hut stores it for us. Outside, there's no hut.”
Whitewing nodded. He looked up at the sky, where several white clouds floated.
“I want to try flying. I don't like walking.”
“Be careful. The wind here can't be controlled.”
Whitewing took a deep breath and focused his mind on the Wuping he wore. The red-and-white robe opened gently. He ran forward a few paces, made a simple jump, and rose into the air.
Air currents supported him, but they also pushed against him. He climbed much more slowly than he had in Restsoil, as wind blew in from all sides and tried to throw off his balance.
He worked to adjust his posture and follow the wind's flow. After swaying a few times, he finally steadied himself, hovering ten meters above the ground.
It felt... a little heavier than his soul form. A little heavier than the Wandering Souls that had floated for years.
But the view had opened up.
The whole Waterside Willow Valley lay before him. Greens of every shade rolled with the mountains, and the stream cut through the endless sameness. The great willow's branches danced in the wind.
There was no Three-Primal Hut, no inverted-triangle boulder, no wall covered in poems. Only nature, pure and quiet and wide.
Whitewing circled once through the air, feeling the wind brush his face, then slowly descended. The instant his toes touched the ground, he stumbled, but quickly caught his balance.
“Your posture looks great!” Lofty Feather said. “You're adapting really well.”
Whitewing gave a slight nod and quietly studied his surroundings. He walked to a wildflower and crouched to examine its petals. It was pale purple, with a yellow center. A tiny insect crawled across one petal.
“Is this a living thing?” Whitewing asked.
“Yes. There are countless living things in the outside world.”
He wandered through the valley without a particular destination, touching the patterns in the rocks and listening to the rhythm of birdsong. Time slipped by as he explored. The sun sank gradually toward the west, spilling golden light over the valley and turning the stream orange-red.
Whitewing sat back under the willow and watched the sunset sink, little by little, behind the mountains.
The red clouds on the horizon reminded him of the illusion, and of Lofty Feather's name.
Restsoil had endless daylight, after all... He didn't know how to describe it. He just wanted to watch a little longer.
“It'll be dark soon,” Lofty Feather said. “Your mind will grow tired outside. But first, let's find somewhere to hide, just to be safe.”
“All right.”
Whitewing found a narrow crevice in the mountainside, small but big enough for him to fit inside. Once he had checked that it was safe, he closed his eyes and prepared to switch his view back to Restsoil—
At that very moment, the world stopped. The wind fell silent. The water froze. The light and shadows no longer moved.
Everything came to a sudden halt.
...
Light poured through the open door into the living room of the Three-Primal Hut. Whitewing was already sitting quietly in his chair, waiting for Lofty Feather's instructions. Today was the day he got his name, and the first time he would formally make contact with the outside world.
Lofty Feather hovered above the table, the Red Qi around it flowing evenly.
“Ready?” Lofty Feather asked.
“Ready,” Whitewing replied.
That was how the day began.
“Then let's go to the bedroom.”
The two of them stood and went into the little windowless bedroom. It was quiet as ever, with only a shaft of light falling in when the door opened.
“Lie down,” Lofty Feather said.
Whitewing did as he was told and lay on the bed, his body sinking into the soft cotton mattress. Lofty Feather closed the door, and the room returned to pitch darkness. It carefully explained the steps.
Whitewing, of course, would choose to control the barrier rather than force his way through. After slipping out through the gap—
Heavy.
That was what Whitewing felt.
His eyelids were heavy, his limbs stiff. An unfamiliar heartbeat sounded inside his chest. His tightening lungs yearned for air.
He opened his mouth and drew in a sharp breath.
Cool air rushed in.
“Cough—”
He choked, his body jerking and breaking through the stiffness.
Whitewing opened his eyes.
Green filled his vision. Willow leaves hung above him, swaying in the breeze.
So this is the outside world, he told himself.
“How does it feel?” Lofty Feather asked, recording the view with the help of Green Qi.
“It's heavy,” Whitewing answered in his mind. “My body feels heavy, but the air is warm.”
“That's gravity—and the limits of a physical body. You'll get used to it.”
Whitewing pressed against the ground and sat up. Beneath his palms were rough tree roots and damp soil. He lowered his head and saw the red-and-white robe he was wearing.
He used the willow for support as he stood, took a deep breath, and took his first step. Lofty Feather consulted its references as it explained, “This is the Waterside Willow Valley.”
Whitewing walked over to the stream. The water was clear, and he could see the pebbles on the bottom. He didn't reach in to touch it. He only listened quietly to its sound.
Splash, splash—
The water struck the stones with a clear ringing sound. It was more complicated, more varied, than the water sounds simulated inside Restsoil.
“The water is loud,” Whitewing observed.
“That's right. Sounds in the outside world contain more vibrations,” Lofty Feather recorded. “Try moving Red Qi.”
Whitewing stood and focused his awareness. The energy in the air around him was thin and chaotic.
“Qi in the outside world isn't as pure as it is in Restsoil. You'll need to use your body's reserves first,” Lofty Feather reminded him.
Whitewing drew on the Red Qi inside him. A faint red glow lit his hand. He swung his arm. Red Qi formed a blade, sliced through a leaf ahead, and then dispersed.
“It takes more energy than in Restsoil,” Whitewing said. “And it disperses faster.”
“That's normal...” Lofty Feather repeated what it had read in the Knowledge Base. “...Anyway, you can't use Qi freely in the outside world. You have to conserve it.”
Whitewing nodded. He looked up at the sky.
“I want to try flying.”
“Be careful. The wind here can't be controlled.”
The Wuping opened, becoming a pair of wings. He rose into the air.
Air currents supported him, and wind blew in from all sides. He worked to adjust his posture. After swaying a few times, he steadied himself, hovered in the air, and then looked around.
He noticed a boulder on a distant slope. He stayed in the air a little longer, then slowly descended.
He stumbled as he landed, but quickly caught his balance.
“Nicely done,” Lofty Feather said. “For your first time outside, you've already mastered your balance. You're adapting really well.”
Whitewing said nothing. He walked over to the pale purple wildflower and crouched beside it. A tiny insect crawled across one of its petals.
“This is a living thing,” Whitewing said.
“Yes. The outside world is full of living things.”
He walked through the valley, watching the way light and shadow shifted across the grass. Time passed. The sun sank westward, and golden light spread across the valley.
Whitewing sat under the willow again and watched the sunset. The red clouds on the horizon reminded him of the illusion and of Lofty Feather's name.
“It's beautiful. But it'll be dark soon,” Lofty Feather said. “Your mind will grow tired outside. First, let's find somewhere to hide, so no other living things will find you.”
Dark? Would everything around him turn dark? No, not black. There'd be something white in the sky...
Was it called the moon?
For some reason, he sudden ly wanted to wait for it to appear. But he should hide first, as Lofty Feather had said...
“...All right.”
Whitewing found a narrow crevice in the mountainside, small but big enough for him to fit inside. Once he had checked that it was safe, he closed his eyes and switched his view back to Restsoil.
When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the bedroom of the Three-Primal Hut. Only Lofty Feather's faint red glow flickered in the room. The light, unreal feeling of Restsoil had returned.
“I'm back,” Lofty Feather's voice sounded beside him.
Whitewing sat up and rubbed his head. His soul form hadn't moved, but he felt strangely tired.
“There was too much in the outside world. Watching it all took a lot out of you,” Lofty Feather explained. “You need to rest.”
“Mm.” Whitewing answered, then lay down again. “I'm going to sleep.”
“Good night.”
Lofty Feather teleported out of the bedroom, whose door remained firmly shut. It went to the living room.
Time to review the day's events. It unfurled the light screen and opened the log interface.
“Record: First Day Outside.”
It called up all the images and notes it had made that day.
It was his first day outside, after all. What they had seen in the Waterside Willow Valley, Whitewing's test data, its analysis of the outside environment—all of it had to be sorted by category and entered into the records.
But when its awareness touched the field for today's date, it stopped.
There was already a log there.
Lofty Feather's red glow flickered faintly. It was confused.
It had only just gotten ready to start recording. Why was there already a log in the Knowledge Base?
It opened the log.
【Date: First Day Outside, Crimson Hub Calendar, 1136/07/15.】
【Location: Flowmark State, Greensource Basin, Southern Azure Realm, Green Wood Mountains, Waterside Willow Valley.】
【Event Log:
06:00 Naming ceremony. Nameless chose his name: Whitewing. The Flint Spirit chose its name: Lofty Feather.
07:30 Reward from mysterious voice received. Rule Editor installed; purpose unknown. “Trash Bag” acquired; purpose unknown.
...
09:00 Guided Whitewing through awareness connection. Connection went smoothly.
09:15 Whitewing woke. Empty Shell functions normal; senses adapting.
09:30 Tested Red Qi release. Red Qi in the outside world is thin; expenditure increased, must conserve.
10:30 Tested flight. Whitewing completed his first flight successfully; balance was good.
...
19:30 Sunset. Found a place to hide, then returned to Restsoil successfully.】
Lofty Feather skimmed through the log. Every detail, every time stamp, even every word Whitewing had said, basically matched its memory of the day. But what about those few differences?
It checked when the log had been created.
Creation time: today, 19:31.
Current time: today, 19:36.
In other words, the log had been created five minutes ago. That was when Whitewing had just returned to the bedroom.
Lofty Feather silently thought it over. It began searching its own operation records. Nothing unusual. It checked the hut's system status. Everything was normal.
Then where had the log come from? Lofty Feather thought carefully.
Possibility one: when Whitewing returned to the bedroom, it had unconsciously autosaved the log.
Possibility two: some error in the hut's records had caused the draft it had just written to be marked complete.
Possibility three: it had forgotten. Perhaps it had already written the log.
Lofty Feather checked the records again. Nothing was unusual.
Could it really have forgotten? That was strange...
Never mind. It was more important to finish writing. It looked at the two versions—the memories and the log—nearly identical in content. It marked their differences one by one, then wrote a final line:
【19:50 A storage error occurred. The cause is unknown, so both versions of the log have been retained.】
Finally, it admired the images it had recorded that day. Once all that was done, Lofty Feather closed the light screen.
It had explained everything logically, but that faint sense that something was off still hadn't gone away.
It circled once around the living room, then stopped by the foot of the stairs leading upstairs.
“Maybe I'm just tired from all the work lately,” it said to itself. “I could slack off a little too... Maybe take a nap?”
Teleport, slip under the covers—done in one smooth motion. It absolutely couldn't make another mistake next time!
— End of Chapter —