Upon the South Hutuo Bank, there lies a shoal named Reed Flower. When the autumn gales rise, the reeds sway in…
Upon the South Hutuo Bank, there lies a shoal named Reed Flower. When the autumn gales rise, the reeds sway in the wind, their white tufts drifting like a flurry of snow. Enshrouded in mist, the shoal breathes forth vapors at dawn and dusk. Many travelers, mooring their boat by night, become ensnared within the labyrinth of reeds. At times, an ethereal song wafts through the fog, sounding so near it brushes the ear. Following the strain, one may find deliverance from the misty maze. Thus grew the legend of the Reed Fairy, a lady who drifts across the waters to guide the lost back to their ancestral homes. But this year, the frost bites deep, and Hutuo River is locked in ice. Due to the marauders, the folk have fled south for sanctuary, and the song upon the river is heard no more. Now, as we drift homeless across the realm, only the soughing reeds remain by the desolate ramparts in the autumn chill.