act31side

Pitch black.

Unfathomable depth, without a shred of sunlight. The stifling atmosphere almost feels as heavy as the roof's own weight.

The roof of a tomb.

What's going on...? Why am I back here?

Wei, old thing, still alive? I came to see you.

(Hoarse howl)

The sound emanates from behind the heavy door before her.

You've been sleeping for so long, and you're still as pissy as ever...

Drop the scary act already. Can you even do anything after lying here all this time?

Hoo...

Nothing to be afraid of... right?

Shangshu?

Which mountain is this? Why isn't there a single road sign... no, what year is it even?

Judging from the houses by the road, this looks like Shangshu before it went nomadic... why does it look like the city I saw when I first got here?

*ding*— *dong*—

A man hangs from a steep cliff with a rope, engraving a sentence with the hammer and chisel in his hands.

Wei—you, up on the mountain! What'cha doing?

You don't know who I am?!

Why would I?

It was I who designed and created this city!

Oh, that's pretty cool.

The Catastrophe's about to arrive, and everyone's already evacuated. But the disaster will destroy all the houses I built.

I can't let it happen just like that!

The fifth year of Jingyan, when I had just arrived here, and stayed for three decades... 'Record of Shangshu City'?

I'm carving how I crafted the city onto this cliff so future generations will remember my achievements!

But the Catastrophe's just around the corner. You're risking your life for this, but what if a thunderbolt cleaves the mountain into two? Wouldn't your hard work be in vain?

I couldn't care less. This is the only thing I can do. Why even bother living, if no one will know of my feats?

How do you even live like that...? Fine, just keep working, I'll disturb you no more.

Wei, where does this mountain path lead?

I don't know.

It's you...

Sir, I wish for you to grant me a sword.

What for?

To save. To avenge.

I've told you, my swords don't come cheap. What're you offering?

My life.

Again...

...I should've said no already.

Do you hate me for giving you that rusty piece of scrap metal?

What am I saying? This is just an illusion.

But you do remember me.

Just thinking about that screenplay draft... I still can't help but wonder if the story would've ended differently, had I given you a proper blade then.

How can someone so remarkable and knowledgeable show compassion to a nobody like me?

A mere mortal life is honestly worthless to you.

Hey, don't go that far. I still like you mortals a lot.

You look at us as if you're watching a play.

Your casual acts can add a little marvel to the show and change the fates of countless people. Sometimes you'll even be in the mood to join us for a few songs.

But in the myriad of plays, you're the only one offstage.

You've been alone all along.

Jeez, I didn't think I'd get this kind of hallucination...

I'm tired. Just take the sword. It's made for proper combat.

Let me see if the story ends differently.

Sir, a young man asked me to deliver this to package to you before the day of Dongzhi.

Don't have the guts to see me in person?

I suppose... he's passed on by now...

The bag is empty.

Countries turn to rust. A brief spark in the wind. A bubble gone without a trace.

What's this...?

Sir, I've been anticipating this for a long time.

You've been waiting for me?

I'm puzzled by something that I'd like you to clarify.

Do elaborate.

I went to collect references at the edge of the city today, and saw an odd fowlbeast perched by the riverbank.

I've never seen a fowlbeast so beautiful... I was just about to whip out my brush and paper when it flapped its wings and vanished from sight.

I tried to paint it from what I could remember, but I could not do it.

Just let it go, some things are beyond your control.

That holds true for others, but I still call myself a painter for the time being... so I'll always want to capture it somehow.

I've painted quite a lot these past few years. I always thought one had to paint plenty of paintings and see many sights to make life worthwhile.

But I finally realized... that paintings are ultimately inanimate objects.

What do you mean?

The scenes I paint turn into a passing cloud a moment later. The more I paint, the more insignificant I feel my paintings become.

That's only natural, no?

One can only dream of seeing the entire land if one won't even make it to a hundred years of age.

No... I think you still don't understand.

Sir, I'd like to ask for some thoughts on this undeserving work of mine.

Is this a painting?

My painting.

This is the view we ignorant mortals see.

Even one like you with all the views you have seen are only a drop in the ocean when compared to the tumultuous changes this land has experienced over the last millennium.

Please, take a good look once more.

For we only have this one dusk.

Halt brush, wind scroll. As besotted as drunk. One dusk, to ash.

They're growing well...

Did you plant all these?

The people here did.

As you said, I can't use my abilities to meddle with their growth... I'll disappear one day, but these people will still be here for a long time.

You've worked so hard...

It's been a while, Shu.

How very strange. That brother of mine has been telling me he's seen you in his dreams lately.

Why do you keep thinking about me...? Are you getting nostalgic with age?

You know how to make fun of me too now.

The people here all remember a 'Shennong' who compiled the twenty-four jieqi solar terms, taught them how to till the land, and even risked her life to cultivate a vast expanse of frozen soil into fertile fields.

How can I bear that title on my own? We achieved it all together, so why put everything on my shoulders?

It's been so long, is there still a difference between you or me?

All I remember is someone taking me in when I was wandering about aimlessly like a child, and giving me a <i>home.</i>

She told me I needn't care about the differences between man and beast... that I should just live as a human.

I didn't expect you to stay here even now.

I promised you I would. To stay and guard this land, so people wouldn't have to go hungry.

Oh, Shu... have you ever resented me?

A thousand years. How can you call this devotion? This is clearly incarceration...