“I was just marveling at the majestic power of nature,” Su Mo explained quickly, feeling a sense of guilt for cursing in front of such a pure girl.
Vael smiled, noticing his embarrassment, and didn’t press further. Instead, she said, “I think Chinese is quite interesting.”
“How so?”
“Well, look. If Su Shi were here, he could say, ‘Rocks pierce the sky – terrifying waves crash upon the shore, rolling up a thousand piles of snow.’ Cao Cao would leave behind the famous line, ‘The waters are so vast, the mountains and islands stand tall.’ In the same environment, everyone says something different, each expressing a different mood.”
Su Mo looked at her, surprised. “You seem very interested in Chinese and Xia Country culture?”
“Exactly! My childhood dream was to live in Xia Country. So I’ve been learning about its history since I was little, and I even memorized Xia Country poems, all so that one day I could go there and have refined conversations with you all.”
Su Mo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “And instead, you met a crude person who only knows how to say ‘Holy crap’.”
“No, no, no! I actually think ‘Holy crap’ is pretty good. It not only expresses emotion but is also simple and clear. It’s not worse than those poetic lines I just mentioned.”
Su Mo’s eyes widened, feeling as if the ancient ancestors were poking his spine and scolding him: You tell us, which one is better?
Su Mo hurriedly said, “Please, don’t say that. They’re simply not on the same level.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, a massive wave suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The sea water exploded as if blasted by a cannon, accompanied by a thunderous roar.
Their attention was instantly captured. Vael became so excited she started dancing. “It’s coming! It’s here!”
Following her gaze, amidst the towering waves, a colossal figure began to emerge.
Its appearance instantly changed the weather. What was once just strong winds quickly turned into a torrential downpour.
In the wind and rain, the gigantic shadow in the sea, like a monster from ancient times, gradually revealed its true form. A whale hundreds of meters long leaped into the air, causing the sea level to seem to drop noticeably.
Sensing danger, Su Mo grabbed Vael, intending to retreat. Unexpectedly, she stood firm, unmoving, closing her eyes and enjoying the sea spray washing over her.
A huge waves crashed against the shore, the salty, fishy taste filling his mouth. An unprecedented sense of pleasure stimulated Su’s nerves, giving him a different kind of joy.
He began to understand why some foreigners seemed to enjoy these death-defying adventures. So this was how good it felt to challenge one’s limits.
The giant whale in the sea didn’t swim away. Instead, it drew closer to the shore, pressing its enormous body against the sea cliff.
Su Mo was nearly scared to death by this action. But Vael, acting as if it were nothing, not only showed no intention of running but stepped forward to pat its head, saying happily, “Big Whale, you came to see me again!”
Su Mo was utterly in awe of the scene before him. Using all his strength against the wind, he said, “You two are familiar?”
“Yep!” Vael affirmed. “I was bored one night and came here to look at the sea. I happened to meet it then. Ever since, whenever I come, I’m sure to encounter it.”
As if to confirm her words, the giant whale gently nudged her hand.
This slight nudge caused quite a few rocks from the sea cliff to crumble and fall immediately.
Su Mo gulped and marveled, “Being this big, it probably counts as a mystical beast, right?”
“I don’t know about that. We’re just friends.”
The whale’s strength was unfathomable, certainly far greater than Nan Gong Xuan’s or Ye Qing Yu’s. If it weren’t for their ability to fly, Su Mo felt they wouldn’t last a single round against this giant whale.
It was simply too big, beyond Su Mo’s comprehension.
In all the knowledge he had learned before, the largest blue whale was only a few dozen meters long. Compared to the one before him, it was truly pale in comparison.
It seemed only the Kun… oh no, the Kun fish mentioned in the Zhuangzi‘s ‘Free and Easy Wandering’ could compare.
This was more than “one pot can’t stew it all”—even a hundred pots wouldn’t be enough!
Suddenly, the giant whale seemed to sense something. It slowly retreated into the water, spouting a water column that reached for the sky, as if saying goodbye.
The giant whale left, and the rain stopped, leaving only the violent wind still blowing fiercely.
Vael looked disappointed for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, “Did you gain any insights?”
Su Mo hadn’t gained a single hair’s breadth of insight, so he told the truth. “No.”
“Then stand guard for me. I might be about to break through.”
Su Mo: “???”
Just like that? She’s breaking through?
And to B-level!
This seems so… casual.
He looked around worriedly. “The wind is so strong here; it feels a bit dangerous. Maybe we should change locations?”
Vael looked troubled. “But if we do that, my insights might disappear.”
Su Mo blinked. Weren’t you the one who never wanted to break through to B-level? So those were all just rumors, huh?
“Alright then,” Su Mo said, thinking the wind probably wouldn’t blow him into the sea, so he readily agreed, just finding a spot behind a large rock that offered some shelter from the wind.
Vael entered a meditative state in an instant. A profound, powerful aura emanated from her, reminiscent of an ancient primordial beast, completely at odds with her usual气质 (qìzhì) – temperament.
“Standing guard” essentially meant monitoring the surroundings to ensure the person undergoing breakthrough wasn’t disturbed, and potentially offering guidance if necessary.
Of course, him guiding Vael was out of the question. At most, it was just protection.
Su Mo stood to the side, admiring the scenery (literally, the ‘wind’-ery), occasionally waving his arms, feeling the exhilarating sensation of the strong wind rushing over him.
Suddenly, an aged voice sounded by his ear.
The speaker was clearly not within his line of sight, yet the voice felt very close. “Young lady, you may leave now. You can leave her to me.”
Su Mo frowned. He was one hundred percent certain the voice was completely unfamiliar; he had never heard it before. He replied immediately, “I just promised to stand guard for her. Leaving now without a word doesn’t meet my standards.”
“Oh?” The voice sounded disdainful. “A mere C-level dares to question my decision?”
Although Su Mo usually disliked losing out, he understood that “the wise man adapts to circumstances.” So, pretending not to detect the scorn in the other’s tone, he asked respectfully, “Senior, are you a family elder of hers?”
The other hesitated for a moment. “No.”
Su Mo smiled. “Then I’m sorry, but I cannot comply.”
The voice gradually held a hint of anger. “Seeking death!”
As soon as the words were spoken, a cross sword suddenly flew towards him. It was so fast that Su Mo hadn’t even reacted before it was right in front of him.
Su Mo stood his ground, not moving a muscle.
The cross sword hovered in front of him, its tip just half an inch from the center of his brow. Su Mo’s third eye instinctively wanted to open, but he suppressed it forcefully.
After a long moment, the sword suddenly flew away on its own. The voice now held a tone of appreciation. “Composed in the face of danger. Among the younger generation, you are quite outstanding. Would you be interested in joining us?”
Simultaneously, an old man with a white beard, dressed impeccably, gradually emerged from the darkness in the distance.
Su Mo sneered inwardly: You think you can trick me with this little act?
He pretended to let out a sigh of relief. “Phew… scared me to death. I thought I was done for…”
In the darkness, neither could see the other’s face clearly, but both could distinctly sense that the other was… different.