I thought to myself, if you won't speak to me, fine; I can at least organize my own thoughts? Walking certainly doesn't prevent one from thinking.

My mind was a complete mess because I kept wanting to question Ji Ye, coupled with constantly surveying our surroundings, so a jumble of thoughts was inevitable.

So, as I walked, I meticulously sorted through the thoughts accumulated over the past couple of days, laying out my doubts one, two, and three.

The first question was why Ji Ye rushed off to find the Suoluo Divine Tree without waiting for us. According to the ferryman's description, after Ji Ye and Man Niaoniao arrived at Suobuya, Ji Ye entered the Qingjiang Grand Canyon alone. So, why the haste? And how did he locate this Suoluo Divine Tree? Initially, I feared Ji Ye had met with some misfortune, but based on the ferryman's fragmented words, I suspect Ji Ye was tracking that group of foreigners, getting ahead of us. If so, did Ji Ye know that group of foreigners was also searching for the Suoluo Divine Tree? Did they have any contact? And where did that group of foreigners go? Could our initial assumption be wrong—that the foreigners were merely curious about the cliff coffins on the Cliff of Hanging Coffins? The relationship between Ji Ye and that group of foreigners forms a huge enigma.

The second enigma concerned how Master Qinghe died so bizarrely at Nanliu Temple, and why he bore such a striking resemblance to my grandfather. And by what means did he manage to carve the three characters "Nanliu Cheng" () onto the coffin wall? Given the current situation, Master Qinghe’s decision to leave these three characters was undoubtedly meant to convey a signal to us—a clue for finding the Suoluo Divine Tree. In that light, Master Qinghe at least knew about the Suoluo Divine Tree, and very likely knew about the task described in the silk manuscript. However, when he and Tan Ping'er were dependent on each other, why didn't he just tell Tan Ping'er everything? The mysterious actions of the enigmatic Master Qinghe are undoubtedly the puzzle that currently confounds me most.

The third secret lay in "Nanliu Cheng" (). At first, I assumed the "Nan" () meant "difficult," and I even speculated that the name's origin might be related to the grievances between the Goddess of Salt Water and the Marquis Lin Jun Bawuxiang. The Goddess of Salt Water desperately tried to keep Lin Jun, with whom she had shared intimacy, hence the name "Nanliu Cheng." But later, Ji Ye’s explanation proved me wrong: that "Nan" wasn't "difficult" but "disaster." So, what message was this name intended to convey? Furthermore, Ji Ye said, "The city is the mountain, and the mountain is the tree." This suggests that the so-called "Nanliu Cheng" is this very Suoluo Divine Tree. If we link "Nanliu Cheng" with the legend of the Suoluo Divine Tree, could it be interpreted as: this Suoluo Divine Tree was a sanctuary for our Tujia ancestors? Because the people living on the Suoluo Divine Tree back then formed a small society, it was thus referred to as a "city"? If it's called a "city," where exactly is this "city" located? Why are there no legends about it in the world?

The fourth mystery concerned everything that happened last night: what was the cause? Who was that person in white? How do I possess such memories? I recall the soul in Anle Cave telling me that I looked very much like Lin Jun Bawuxiang and saying some nonsensical things. At the time, I thought she had mistaken me for someone else. Now, thinking back, I can't help but venture a bold thought: am I truly the reincarnation of Lin Jun Bawuxiang, or have Lin Jun Bawuxiang's memories been transferred to me through some unknown means? If that is the case, then the events of last night become understandable; that person in white might be someone connected to the Goddess of Salt Water. This is truly bizarre! Yet, it is also complex. If that person in white was indeed someone related to the Goddess of Salt Water, why didn't he approach me directly but instead take Tan Ping'er away?

The fifth enigma, naturally, concerned the character "Zhu" () branded on my forehead. This is a question that leaves me helpless. Ji Ye shockingly called me "Zhuque" (, Vermilion Bird) directly; I have no idea what he meant, nor do I understand the significance of the scars that have formed sequentially on my forehead.

The sixth mystery lay in Man Niaoniao’s utterly unexpected actions. This fellow is usually timid as a mouse and terrified of anything inexplicable or ambiguous. So why did he act so righteously last night, leaving Tan Ping'er and me alone in the dark to search for Ji Ye in the desolate wilderness, and why did he not return all night, only for us to learn that he actually climbed to the top of the Suoluo Tree ahead of us? This behavior is diametrically opposed to his usual demeanor, and it’s something I really cannot fathom.

The final mystery returns to Ji Ye. After we finally caught up with him, he spoke only a few cryptic words in a perfectly serious yet extremely brief manner, and before I could even ask, he immediately dragged Tan Ping'er up the tree, moving with surprising familiarity. What exactly does this old fox know, and what connection do his secrets have with Tan Ping'er?

Therefore, all these mysteries ultimately involve several groups of mysterious figures: Ji Ye, that group of foreigners, Master Qinghe, the person in white, Man Niaoniao, and even the innocent Tan Ping'er. It now seems that unraveling the truth behind these mysterious parties will likely fall to Ji Ye, the emerging Tujia Tima, because only he possesses the immense capability to potentially commune with the gods—whether he can truly commune with the divine remains something I doubt to this day, but I have personally experienced the sacrificial knife erupting in violent red light twice, which proves Ji Ye is no ordinary person.

Once my thoughts were straightened out, I seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and my mood became less agitated. Since there are riddles, there must be solutions; uncovering the answers is only a matter of time. Since I cannot verify anything with Ji Ye now, everything must wait until we reach the summit of the Suoluo Divine Tree. Didn't the silk manuscript clearly state the task—reach the top of the Suoluo Tree, combine the Blood Soul Stele and the two ceramic seals into one, and then place it on the summit?

However, there is one question I never considered: the Blood Soul Stele and the two ceramic seals are so small; where exactly are we supposed to place them? This has now become another perplexing puzzle.

Still, seeing Ji Ye walking briskly ahead, and remembering he said, "Everything should end now," suggests that the complete unraveling of all mysteries cannot be far off.

With this thought, I cast aside all worries and stopped observing the grandeur of the Suoluo Divine Tree, focusing only on the ground as I walked with my head down. What is meant to come will come; what is meant to leave will leave; what is meant to be solved will be solved. This is a philosophical proposition no one can evade.

At this time, the branches of the Suoluo Tree were still shrouded in swirling mist, and visibility remained poor. We moved left and right through layer upon layer of branches, ascending. During this process, we passed many stone caves containing decaying coffins, all situated at the ends of the Suoluo Divine Tree's branches. Of course, the sheer cliffs on either side of the Suoluo Divine Tree held not only hanging coffin caves but also numerous protruding rocks supporting horizontal coffins... In short, the Suoluo Divine Tree and the hanging coffins resembled a vast maze, but while the maze was large, the path was just so convoluted and winding that our progress felt cumbersome. Fortunately, with Ji Ye leading the way, perhaps aided by his sacrificial knife, we traveled for a long time and managed to remain safe all the way, which reassured me considerably.

As I moved forward, I also noticed faint traces of human activity in many parts of the Suoluo Divine Tree, such as rudimentary shelters barely recognizable in shape, and even a circular clearing on one of the massive branches. It was regrettable that this place appeared to have been deserted for millennia; everything felt out of place, as if abandoned by the world for thousands of years.

Following the branches in silence, I soon realized that the subsequent branches were growing narrower. This observation told me we were nearing the summit. What was inexplicable was that the closer we got to the top, the denser the mist became, and the colder the temperature dropped. Had I not already worked up a sweat from the exertion, my teeth would surely have been chattering uncontrollably.

Thinking about reaching the treetop soon energized me. I stopped dwelling on where the sun that offered warmth had gone, or why this place resembled the hell of legends. I was solely focused on reaching the summit as quickly as possible. Eventually, I was practically climbing using all four limbs as I scaled the increasingly steep branches.

Ji Ye and Tan Ping'er weren't having an easy time either; I could hear their heavy, labored breathing from behind. Despite this, Ji Ye seemed to grow more urgent, his speed never diminishing. Moreover, he had never let go of Tan Ping'er's hand from start to finish, dragging her so thoroughly that her back was soaked through—it was impossible to tell if the result was due to the thick fog or her own sweat.

After traversing the final branch, we found ourselves completely enveloped in a sea of clouds, with the world above appearing extremely chaotic. Visibility extended only two or three meters. I couldn't help but wonder, are we actually climbing into the heavens? Are we about to reach the Cloud Palace? I recalled the legend that the siblings Yongni and Buxuo traveled to the Celestial Palace to meet the immortals via the mythical Suoluo Divine Tree—this struck me as ridiculous, yet it harbored a subtle sense of anticipation.

This peculiar state of mind was quickly shattered by a sound that seemed like both weeping and laughter. That sound, of course, was intimately familiar: who else could it be but Man Niaoniao?

Upon hearing Man Niaoniao’s voice, my first thought was that perhaps this unlucky, money-grubbing fellow had struck it rich, but then met with sudden disaster, dropping his treasure from the tree, resulting in that agonizing sound that was neither quite crying nor quite laughing.

Regardless of the cause, Man Niaoniao's mournful howling galvanized me. I understood that where his voice originated was the treetop. Unfortunately, due to the thick fog, I couldn't make out his figure, only knowing that his voice was coming from above.

I waved my hands frantically, trying to push away the mist to find a path upward, but I vaguely saw Ji Ye and Tan Ping'er already ascending the trunk.