Below, everything was pitch black, but the sound of the Reverse Falls suddenly became crystal clear. I stared in shock, realizing something important: the strangest thing about this place was the silvery waterfall before me, splashing and flowing upward. Earlier, I hadn't heard a single sound from it.
Perhaps it was because Hidden Falls Temple atop the mountain was so quiet that I didn't find it odd at first. Seeing the Reverse Falls flowing upward was strange enough, but now I realized something even more bizarre: not only did the waterfall flow in reverse, it had been utterly silent until now. Suddenly, the roar and splashes of water echoed clearly.
Below the mountain, it was pitch dark—nothing could be seen. The white mist that once curled around the peak had dispersed. It seemed the Reverse Falls and the vanishing mist were connected; only after the mist faded did I hear the sound of rushing water.
I kept watching for a while. Though I could faintly hear sounds rising from below, the chaotic noise of the waterfall made it impossible to distinguish them.
All night long, I observed this strange phenomenon. Sure enough, when the mist began to shroud the mountain again, the roaring sound of the Reverse Falls abruptly ceased.
I listened quietly for a while. Suddenly, a loud cry rose from below the mountain. I felt someone behind me; turning around, I saw Abbot Fortune. He was already up, tending the vegetable garden in front of the three small cottages with a hoe.
The garden was planted with simple vegetables—many varieties. Yet I found it odd: how could these vegetables grow here without sunlight?
After a while, Abbot Fortune walked over.
"Benefactor Zhang, I am heading to the back mountain to pick some fruit. Join me, won't you?"
I responded and followed him. Behind the main hall of Hidden Falls Temple, a path led upward through dense woods. I followed Abbot Fortune to a level clearing filled with peach trees, pear trees, and several other fruit trees. He picked some fruit and headed back down, but I grew increasingly puzzled: fruit from several different seasons hung on the branches, and each was unusually large. Whenever Abbot Fortune picked one, a new fruit would slowly grow in its place.
Back in the Grand Buddha Hall, Abbot Fortune first offered the fruit, then entered the monk’s quarters on the far right. Smoke curled upward as he started the fire and began to cook.
“Every day is like this. Doesn’t it get tedious?”
Unable to hold back my curiosity any longer, I finally asked. Abbot Fortune just smiled.
“Ethan, even if you do the same thing every day, there are thousands—no, tens of thousands—of ways to do it. How could it ever be boring?”
I let out a soft “oh.” When the rice was ready, I caught a whiff of its fragrance. After Abbot Fortune finished his offering, he invited me to eat. Ghosts don’t need food, but I could smell its aroma, and I ate two bowls of rice. It tasted wonderful—the rice and dishes were excellent. After eating, my body felt inexplicably comfortable.
But strangely, I still wasn’t healed. I couldn’t release my Deathbane Aura. Whenever I tried, the pain was unbearable.
“Abbot Fortune, do you know how I can recover from my wounds?”
I was out of options and could only turn to Abbot Fortune for help. He smiled lightly, unfazed.
“Ethan, first of all, you’re not a ghost. You can’t even be called a ghost.”
I let out another soft “oh,” then looked at Abbot Fortune, puzzled.