Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Prelude to the Struggle

My first visit to Wuyuan County captivated me with its rich display of Huizhou-style ancient architecture and its vibrant cultural atmosphere. The scene of winding streams and quaint bridges, homes nestled along the water’s edge, was a quintessential image of a southern riverside village. Fields of rapeseed flowers carpeted the entire valley, earning it the title of China’s most beautiful countryside.

In Shangrao, tourists wandered along riverside villages and country paths, enjoying the spring blossoms and the fresh air. Golden blooms adorned the land, and the scent of rapeseed flowers lingered along rural roads. Enchanted by the scenery, travelers lingered, unwilling to leave, while a small boat bobbed on waters tinged green and yellow.

After a day of exploration, He Zhixing painted a landscape entitled "Dwelling by the Waters and Mountains." He captured the Huizhou-style architecture before the mountains, the waterways in front of and behind the houses, and the long wooden bridge connecting two houses across the canal. Supported by timber frames, these bridges linked the homes on both sides of the water, forming a unique thread of scenery.

Some homes had vegetable gardens in front or behind, with stone steps leading down to the river, small boats moored by the bank, willow trees swaying on the bend, and peach and plum trees blossoming atop the steps. He Zhixing’s keen eye fixed upon a particular scene: a young woman, having finished washing clothes at the riverside platform, turning gracefully to ascend the steps. She moved left beneath the blooming peach and plum trees, carrying a basin of laundry, her elegant silhouette framed by nature.

The water’s edge, stone steps, small boat, and the graceful figure of the girl, all set against Huizhou architecture, the mountain backdrop, vegetable gardens, winding paths around the houses, and willow trees along the riverside lane, together formed a distinctive "Dwelling by the Waters and Mountains."

After a couple of hours, He Zhixing had finished his painting. Jiang Ni had watched him for a long time, admiring his artistry. For the first time, she truly respected He Zhixing, feeling that he always found the perfect spot to paint and that each of his works brought fresh surprises. Perhaps He Zhixing possessed something she lacked—a calmness of mind when painting, a single-minded focus that she herself could not attain.

For the sake of his art, he could ignore everything and everyone around him, merging with the scenery, reaching the sublime state where the boundary between self and surroundings dissolved.

Night fell, and they packed up and returned to the hotel. Master Jinyun saw the painting and praised him once again, declaring that He Zhixing was a natural-born talent, needing no imitation of others. His own style was already deeply established, and his future was boundless.

*****

After dinner, it was time for business. Master Jinyun had prepared several sets of special attire for everyone: thick clothing, gloves, helmets, face guards, and safety hats. He Zhixing asked in confusion, “What’s this for? Are we going up the mountain fully armed?”

Master Jinyun merely smiled and replied, “You’ll understand soon enough.”

He Zhixing pressed further, “Master, are we supposed to wear these now? Won’t people think we’re crazy if we walk around dressed like this? They’ll definitely mistake us for lunatics!”

Master Jinyun laughed heartily, “No, you don’t have to wear them now. Just carry them in bags, and put them on once we find a secluded spot in the mountains.”

“Oh, that’s better,” He Zhixing replied.

Under cover of darkness, they entered the mountains and changed into their special gear, following Master Jinyun’s lead through a dense bamboo forest, then up another mountain, this one dotted with just a few bamboo trees and otherwise covered in mixed woods and wild grasses.

Soon, Master Jinyun led them to the foot of a grassy slope. As He Zhixing was about to speak, Master Jinyun gestured for silence. They concealed themselves among the vegetation and peered ahead. “Oh my god, why are there so many people?”

Everyone was wearing the same special gear: helmets, face guards, safety hats, gloves. Groups clustered together, heading toward a hollow in the high grass not far away. They carried iron hoes, machetes, sickles, fire starters, gasoline, and other tools.

Their movements made it clear—they were no ordinary people. They all seemed skilled and capable of defending themselves. Swiftly, these groups cleared the grass and brush within ten meters of what looked like a giant hive. Before they could move closer, a sudden, deafening buzzing erupted—

A massive swarm of ground bees, led by their giant queen, surged forth in formation…