HS-8 Sow the Cause

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

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

(Hoarse howl)

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?

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...

...

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.

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 home.

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...

Even though your consciousness is gone, you're still trapped here by your ties to this land, rather than go free.

All because of one mistake I made...

I don't resent you for it... only myself. For not going north in your place.

Shu... You know I've never seen you as a Xian, the whole time we were together. I almost forgot that you weren't mortal.

I only realized when we parted ways, I had my own selfish motives, a 'human' selfishness.

I wanted to beg you to stay, to continue helping the people here. All of my kin need you.

But I wasn't sure if you would love them, as you loved me...

I'm afraid I've let you down.

So we failed in the end, right?

...

You never found the seeds, and I never managed to grow crops on Originium-tainted soil.

We couldn't even protect this land.

Man can prevail over nature... but when will that happen for real?

Shu... Do you regret it?

...

You knew that everything I said would come to pass, didn't you?

Yes, I always knew.

You shouldn't have met me here.

You're only a shred of consciousness left in this device, and I'm a memory within.

I am you.

Ghaah—?

You're still here.

I'm always with you.

A command to want and rage, in greed for life and fear for death.

I nearly forgot why I even created you back then.

No place of place amidst high mounts or waters far; no matter to me free amidst the human realm.

I've been muddleheaded for so long that I even lost track of why I'm awake.

Who ever said you had to paint the entire realm to be considered an artist? Just paint a realm, and true it be.

Wei, wake up.

A director can't be sleeping on set, right? That's crazy irresponsible.

What's wrong with taking a snooze when you're tired... which one are we shooting this time?

Mecha-Feranmut vs Feranmut.

Oh. Isn't that the screenplay I stashed away in the bottom of my drawer?

You mean it's that bad...?

I swear, this year is the last one.

Anything can be spun into a good story, that's what legends and strange tales are...

I gotta ask, li'l Lava.

What makes you so willing to humor me for so long?

The legendary weapon you promised. When are you going to give it to me?

Sure enough, you're still after that...

Would you miss me, if I were to vanish one day without a trace? For good?

Nope.

If that day comes, no one will remember you.

The weapons, tools, cities, and those films you made will all vanish... you know that.

You're right... I shouldn't be seeing you here either.

...

Yeah, you called it. The dumb stuff I waste time on again and again all amounts to nothing in the end. But I can't help it. I just wanna have some fun and leave some memories behind.

Leave something behind and have fun. That's enough for me.

Thanks, li'l Lava. It was pretty fun making trouble with you at Rhodes Island.

Humiliating... I ended up giving myself a lecture with something I crafted with my own hands.

Letting people go through these old and irrelevant memories just like that is really something...

Well, enough of that. We answered that question when we managed to split off from chaos.

You're just a heart. So stop dreaming about taking us back in.

We worked hard to be free from that pitch-black tomb. We're not about to go back to living under your shadow, old thing.

So I'll—

There's too many... we can't handle them all...

We might not even manage to save the nearby fields.

The situation is dire, we should prioritize saving the people...

Am I imagining things...? They don't seem as fearsome as before...

What's that sound?

This plate is separating from the core city...

As I thought... the vitality of these monsters is bound to Dahuang's energy core. So once we break that connection, they'll grow weaker.

Hold on! Has everyone managed to evacuate here?

We notified the entire city, but is everyone here?

Everyone from Residential Sections 1 to 4 is here.

Sections 9 through 12, all present!

Everyone from 6 to 8 is here, but we haven't heard back from the group dispatched to Section 5.

What?!

They were on their way from the city center when they encountered a patch of farmland under attack. Things were going badly, and that's when we lost contact.

The energy core has broken down, and our communications systems went with it...

I'll go look for them!

Wait!

You're always chide me for acting tough, but now you're dashing ahead of us? We don't even know how many monsters are swarming the place, and you plan on charging forward alone?

That's my experimental plot, I know it better than anyone else!

The residents there usually help me with the farmwork. I even lied to them, saying my research was going well lately...

It's fine if you want to go, just take me along. I run fast too. I can help.

You're not from here. You've got nothing to do with the people here, and you're even a year younger than I am—

'...He Sheng was promoted to an Intermediate Nongye Tianshi in the year 1101 at the age of seventeen.'

You—

When I was looking through the intel on Dahuang, I checked the Tianshi Bureaus' roster, and found you're a year younger than me.

So no need to act tough at such a critical juncture, boy.

Shao lai zhe tao, do you normally speak like this back home?!

I NEVER speak like this, xin qiu!

Enough talk, let's go already!

You're back.

You seem exhausted. Are you alright?

So... you're already awake.

Where am I? Have I always been here?

Why do I... have memories from long ago?

I saw so much...

I feel so... frightened.

The outside... is frightening.

Pain.

I can hear the cries of many.

I am you.

...

No, you're just a shadow... my shadow.

But it isn't your suffering, it belongs to the people living on this land.

No—

You fear because you haven't really lived yet, you don't know how this great land truly is.

This world isn't frightening at all.

Sleep.

Over here! Help!

AHHHH! Stay away!

...Wha!

(Hiss)

Are... Are we saved?

Uncle Wang! Why are you still here? Are you alright?

Xiaohe! I knew you'd come back!

Jian gui le, these beasts just appeared out of nowhere and started chewing up all the crops here. .

But don't worry! We protected the plot well, and didn't let a single beast pass us—

Uncle Wang!

It's alright... he's only fainted from shock.

The communication equipment's not working at all. The Tumu Tianshis don't know there's still people here, and they've already begun disconnecting the plate.

Let's hurry and move before it's too late!

What a deep ravine...

Have we been... left behind?

...Pardon me!

You... you're amazing!

Careful now...

Many thanks...

Everyone's safe now, so hold onto me and I'll bring you over too!

(Hiss)

There's more of them?!

Don't get distracted...

You're using your Arts too much.

No need to worry about me... the students of the Tianshi Bureaus aren't as weak as you think.

Damn it!

Are we... stuck here...?

This plate is about to fall, so we'd best prepare for impact... Find somewhere with soft soil to hide it, and we might...

I never noticed till now that Dahuang's plates were built so high...

Zuo Le... How many people did we save?

Don't worry, I did a headcount earlier and everyone who was here has already made it over.

Cheer up, we just have to find a way to make it back alive, and this rescue mission will be a complete success.

The legends always say as long as everyone stands together, we'll make it through any crisis, no matter how dire it gets...

Everyone's been taking care of me all these years... I've never managed to pay them back, but today...

You're hurt?! When did you—I'll stop the bleeding!

Zuo Le, let me give you something.

Right now?!

This is my Tianshi apparatus with important data inside. You have to keep it safe, no matter what happens.

Alright... I'll take it.

What are you doing?!

I was hard on you before, but I've realized... you have a good heart.

So I can't, leave you here...

(Menacing howl)

I don't know where you came from...

But I'm not scared...

Huh...?

Oink—?

You awake? Hey, wake up!

Wei, you hear that?

Seems like he's still breathing. Make way.

I...

Mianmian?

(Concerned nudging)

Stop... licking me... I don't have any treats on me...

Is... everyone alright?

I...

Everyone was about to look for you when Mianmian suddenly showed up with you in tow.

But, why did you—

...Thank you for saving me.

...

The monsters... did we beat them?

Yes...

Is... is it over?

It's over...

We won, right?

What Shennong did then, we've managed it too...

Indeed...

Someone's managed to get the energy core under control, we did it...

Looking back at it all, isn't this the birth of a new legend?

Now that things have died down, we should head back...

Wait! If my eyes don't deceive me...

That's... Plate A-5... the Wanqing experimental plot!

Zuo Le! Help me out!

Why do you want to go back? It's still dangerous!

What is it?

It worked! We did it!

Wanqing, the Ten Thousand Qing of Fertile Fields... all's not lost! There's still hope for us!

What exactly...?

You'll probably just say 'You wouldn't understand, even if I told you.', right...?

I'll just take you at your word...

For these creatures to grow, they must endure a calamity. Those that survive will break out of their cocoons; those that do not will have their lives quietly snuffed out in the darkness.

No living being can escape the cycle of destruction and rebirth.

What exactly is he planning...?

The Feranmut's Heart...?

We meet again.

Your presence here must mean you've figured out my plans, Lord Zuo?

What are you doing?

Weaving, as you can see.

Weaving what?

Something for sale once it's completed, of course.

For sale to whom?

It's standard practice to keep customer information confidential.

What's that... on the cloth?

Scenes from across the country... or perhaps to phrase it in your words, the 'splendor' of Yan?

I spent many years traveling across Yan, visiting every city, and Dahuang is my final stop. Only today do I consider this bolt of cloth complete.

One should use dyes of an appropriate quality for a design this beautiful. Is there any material better than Yan's splendor to dye this weave? My Hundred Scenic Portraits of Great Yan?