[Light and Night Event] Sariel's 2022 Birthday Event Story 01: Commemorative Token from Afar || 光与夜之恋 齐司礼生日： 千山净色・远方的纪念

You may consider reading Prologue here.

For this part of the story, you can start watching the video recording from this timestamp:

First station, highland road.

The wide road extends into the endless highlands, where the networks of mountain under the clear skies of Mount KunLun are majestically beautiful, with never-melting frozen rivers glistening in a silvery-white glow.

You: Sariel, hurry and look! The snowy mountain over there is so beautiful!

I am holding the oxygen bottle as I keep snapping pictures of the towering mountains that appears from the sea of clouds.

Sariel: You've already repeated that a hundred times.

Sariel took a glance towards the direction I mentioned, looking unsurprised.

Sariel: Don't bounce around with all that excitement, not feeling dizzy anymore?

You: Since when was I bouncing around...

Recalling that I almost caught altitude sickness due to my overexcitement from the views of snowy mountains, I let out a soft cough in embarrassment.

You: I actually ate some Rhodiola* before departure, I've also made many other preparations in advance.

*A Chinese herbal medicine that is said to help you adapt more towards your surrounding environment. 

You: I was just overly excited just now... I'm all good now!

Sariel and I took a plane ride to somewhere nearby where we are currently at, then rented an off-road vehicle, and we are now driving along the road headed towards Mount KunLun.

There were many times I've imagined traveling with Sariel, to live in seclusion for a few days in the depths of a bamboo forest, or to listen to the tides by the seaside...

But none of what I've imagined would be anything like this, where we are now sitting in a car, on a road trip in the highlands.

Many unknown and beautiful legends lie in this mountainous land where signs of human life are scarce, so I can't help but to look forward to them.

Sariel looks much calmer compared to my excitement, that I can't help but to recall the time he invited me a few days ago.

Sariel: We're heading to the hills of Mount KunLun, it's to see an old acquaintance.

I was in a blur for a moment right when I first heard this name, then repeated after him in uncertainty.

You: Hills of Mount KunLun?

Sariel nodded, and before I could completely return to my senses, I subconsciously continued.

You: Then that's somewhere really far away indeed...

It all felt so unreal until the plane took flight from GuangQi and landed on this highland after flying across half of the nation.

You: How about we get down from the car to take a couple of photos? Since there aren't many cars around after all.

Sariel: Haven't you been taking photos throughout your way here? Haven't you gotten enough photos?

You: Those are different, the most important souls are still missing from the photos-- and that'd be us!

Sariel did not respond, but very quickly, he still parked the car by the roadside.

I hopped off the car, stretched my arms and took a deep breath. Sariel walks to my side, and sighed helplessly.

Sariel: We're leaving after we're done with the photo.

You: Okay!

I placed the camera on the bonnet, adjusted the camera angle and set up the timer, then posed with a peace sign after walking somewhere a little far away from it, but only to notice Sariel is still staring into the distant.

You: Sariel, hurry and look at the camera!

He startled slightly, turned around, and the camera clicked just in time.

I took a look at the photo we took, and made a conclusion.

You: Pfft, your expression looks like a passerby that entered the frame by accident.

Sariel frowns. I can already guess him saying something like "delete it" right on the next second, and quickly waved at him.

You: This doesn't count, how about we take another one?

I spoke as I set the camera again, and dragged him to the place I stood earlier.

Sariel: The last one. Also, remember to delete the photo earlier.

I responded him perfunctorily, but I've been thinking of making that photo as a keepsake.

Sariel seems like he's planning to emphasize it again, so I quickly pointed towards the camera, and tugged his sleeve.

You: Don't talk for now, it's almost time for the photo. Three, two, one... cheese!

The camera clicks again, and leaves us with this photo of us.

In the photo, I smiled very brightly, Sariel's lips were just curved up slightly, but it's already way better than the photo earlier.

I carried the camera, and nodded in satisfaction.

Sariel: The sun will set if we're delaying any longer, let's get going.

I took another glance at the skies that are still bright. Other than a herdsmen tent in the distant, there are no longer signs of human life seen.

You: Are we still going into the mountains?

Sariel: Yeah, it's still quite a journey.

You: I've been wanting to ask this earlier, why are your old friends living in places more secluded from one to another?

You: Are Erdas all preferring to live in seclusion like sages?

You: The place you're living in is also very far from the city, it takes up quite a lot of time every time I head over.

Sariel: Then you can choose to not visit my place every other day.

You: Uh, actually compared to places like Rainy Island and KunLun, where you live isn't actually THAT far.

An almost undistinguishable smile blooms from Sariel's lips. He looks into the snowy mountains in the distant, and began explaining to me.

Sariel: Unoccupied and undeveloped areas that maintains its natural habitat contains more vitality, so they are more suitable for Erdas to live in.

Sariel: It's just like how humans in their early days chose to live by the waters, the reasoning behind it are the same.

Sariel: Erdas living in the hills of Mount KunLun probably had very little chance to be in touch with humans.

Sariel: But it's also because of this reason, that they aren't hostile towards humans in comparison to Rainy Island.

You: There's something that I don't understand.

You: If I didn't follow you here in KunLun, I would've thought all Erdas came from Rainy Island.

Sariel shook his head.

Sariel: It's merely a place that was built as the "bridge" for Erdas that were unwilling to give up when they failed in their attempts to blend into human lives.

Sariel: Erdas can be born, and live in anywhere in the world.

Sariel: However, just like humans, a majority of Erdas would choose to live with their kind.

Sariel: Naturally, a settlement like KunLun would eventually form.

I looked at Sariel. He has always been on his own, and he doesn't seem to participate much in his tribal matter either, so I understood that he is definitely not the "majority".

I remembered the stories I've heard from the Classic of Mountains and Seas. Mount KunLun has always been the mountains where Gods reside in, and it was rumored that the God Palace of the HuangDi is also on it.

You: Sariel, is there really a palace for gods on Mount KunLun?

Sariel: What? God Palace? That's just a mythical legend.

You: Okay then...

I regretfully kept the legends that popped out from my mind aside, but with a change of thought, I realized something--

To humans who have short lifespans, the ancient Erdas that reside in Mount KunLun might actually be "God-like" like those depicted in mythical legends.

With this in mind, I turned towards Sariel, who's now by my side.

He looks just like the cold frosts of snow, as though he's just the same as the surrounding towering snowy mountains, standing high above, unreachable in the distant, forever standing at this very moment.

I only knew he has lived for a very, very long time, but how long exactly, is something that I have no idea of, nor it's something that I've ever asked him.

The network of mountains of Mount KunLun were formed by crustal movements over billions of years ago, and how are the existence of the Erdas like throughout the millions of years of human history...?

Sariel: What's wrong? Not feeling well?

I returned to my senses and met Sariel's concerned gaze, then shook my head.

You: It's nothing, let's get going!

While speaking, as though I wanted to toss away the odd thoughts in mind, I quickly walked over and got into the car.

Under the azure skies, the vehicle drives into the depths of the KunLun mountains.

Photos are the best way to commemorate happenings.

Other parts:

Prologue | Part 01 | Part 02 | Part 03 | Part 04 + Phone Call