At nineteen, she followed her master out of the Mist-Hidden Vale to Hidden Mountain, the fabled city of mechan…
At nineteen, she followed her master out of the Mist-Hidden Vale to Hidden Mountain, the fabled city of mechanisms, for an academic exchange.
Upon arriving at the Mohist Hill, she was captivated by the mountain's exquisite mortise tenons and mechanical wonders.
Soaring wooden eagles, earth-bound wooden scarabs, celestial chronometers, and the towering zipline anchors... Not to mention that perfect vantage point upon the Heaven's Threshold for stargazing!
Though far from home, the stars remained suspended in the heights, awaiting a mere upward glance.
It turned out that beyond the Mist-Hidden Vale, within the reclusive Hidden Mountain, there were so many others captivated by mathematics and yearning for the infinite void.
Together, amidst the Flower Expanse at Driftseed Moor, they observed night after night, eagerly sharing the truths they unearthed with all who turned their eyes to the stars.
When the exchange ended, her peers who had come to lecture and debate all departed. She alone remained, lost in her maps and surveys, staying on as a teacher of mathematics and stargazing.
By the time she came to her senses, she had found many kindred spirits and pupils who called her "Master." In time, she made this place her home.
But the stars... they are visible yet forever beyond reach. Why chase them at all? Much like those who rode the winds toward the firmament, they were always just out of her grasp.
Yet humans are such creatures: knowing full well the stars cannot be caught, we still cannot help but run a few steps, or stand on tiptoe... Even now, in her old age, when the paths home often slip her mind, she still finds herself wandering out the door, still chasing the stars.
Wait... Did she truly never reach them?
She froze for a moment. Her rough, withered hand was clasping a soft, tiny palm, as the little girl beside her prattled on without end.
Where were they going? Ah, right. They were walking home.
Xiao Yuelu... This is Granny's Xiao Yuelu.
"Xiao Yuelu, do you remember how we used to soothe you when you cried as a babe?"
"With stars?"
"That's right! I had a star-fishing rod when I was little, and you have one too. A pity that we can never truly reach the real stars..."
"Stars aren't out of reach, Granny, you silly. Don't the storybooks say so? The Lord of Clouds plucked the stars and shared them with the world, so everyone has a star of their own. If you don't believe me, I can give you many, many stars too.
Had Xiao Yuelu prepared more "stars" at home? Was it the Twenty-Eight Mansions this time, or the Northern Dipper?
But Xiao Yuelu is right this time. Granny has had many stars in her life.
She gently squeezed the child's tiny hand, the one she held now was the brightest star Granny had ever found.
Granny reached it at last.