Days passed, and nights passed. Grandmaster Gongzhang, with his calm steps, walked along every path like a peacock in the rain. Sometimes, even in rocky valleys where even the stones were trained to test his steps, Grandmaster Gongzhang walked calmly, except for Gu Zong, whose single step didn't land on a straight stone. Then they passed through dry forests where the snowfall had created such a fury that even the tender branches of the trees were parched in the cold. But as always, the Grandmaster's steps remained unstopped and continued on in a tranquil manner, with Gu Zong following behind him, enjoying the dangers and hardships surrounding them. They reached the last trail in the dry forest, where the trail ended as the forest itself ended. Gu Zong, following behind the Grandmaster, carefully looked around, where the silence now seemed as serene as a graveyard. There were no birds to be seen, only the swaying wind. The sound of the trees falling and the occasional snow falling could be heard. Gu Zong's eyes and soul felt something strange in this silence, "Grand Master, where are we traveling to?" Gu Zong's voice was heavy as he looked around at the emptiness around him, then turned to the Grandmaster. "Because I think we've reached the border of our land. Beyond this, other regions begin," Gu Zong said, furrowing his eyebrows slightly. Just then, Grandmaster Gongzhang turned back and looked at Gu Zong. His eyes held a twinkle in them, the kind of twinkle a painter has for his art. "Absolutely right, Gu Zong" he said with a deep but humble expression. "We're standing at the border of our land, and as you asked, we're traveling to the region, where the seasons run contrary to the rest of the world," the Grandmaster said with a slight smile and pointed ahead to a spot where some lush green mountains were visible in the distance. Seeing them, Gu Zong took a few steps forward, gazing at them with wide eyes, and stood next to the Grandmaster.
"Gu Zong, we're standing at the 'end of the land’, Our ancestors used to say 'Zūgzūg Shī?'." As he said this, Grandmaster looked toward the mountains, where the breeze carried a mild warmth and the scent of freshly bloomed flowers. As Gu Zong's face was buffeted by the warm breeze, his eyes closed in a soothing smirk, a small smile forming on his lips. Seeing this, Grandmaster chuckled softly, "I knew you'd like it. After all, this is the land where jiuhuang yin was invented." He said this, and moved on, leaving behind the impression of his lightness on Gu Zong, who was also smiling at his calm move.
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Even though the destination was only a few steps away, Gu Zong felt worse about the end of the road than about reaching it. The destination was indeed beautiful. The valley filled with lush green grass and colorful blooming flowers, with butterflies fluttering about. The smile that spread across Gu Zong's eyes and lips, even for a moment, was enough to make Gu Zong's eyes and lips smile. It wasn't giving them any rest, but the path they had just finished was much more beautiful than this one.
Grandmaster Gongzhang and Gu Zong walked back and forth along a path of green, soft grass, reaching their destination. Grandmaster Gongzhang was mesmerized by the warm breeze and the fresh scent of flowers, but Gu Zong's soul was wandering around the entire valley. This valley is known as Di?n V??o Valley, where not just one but thousands of stories were born, but what made this valley most famous was its seven rivers, which before entering the valley, would merge into a single river. This valley was located on the shore of an ocean. It is said that this river formed by the confluence of those seven rivers is called wan gu su. When the ancestors entered the valley many years ago, they named this valley after this river, but in their Tìmotì language, it was known as di?n v??o. But there was something even more sacred about this valley, which Grandmaster Gongzhang knew very well. "Gu Zong," he said, looking at Gu Zong who was looking around. "Open that crimson scroll," Grandmaster Gongzhang said with a little seriousness, his eyes had now become a little sharper, seeing which even Gu Zong became alert to the core.
