During late summer, in the stone forest of Longzhou…0

Perched high in the mountains, a dirt path had been carved out by passing caravans. At the mountain's peak stood a simple pavilion, its wooden pillars supporting a thatched roof. Though unlikely to keep out the rain, it offered much-needed shade from the unforgiving northwestern sun.0

A Daoist stopped there with his horse, casually settling into the shade. As the mountain breeze brushed past, he gazed into the distance.0

Just a few steps ahead lay a cliff.0

Near him sat a calico cat, its back facing him. Its small, rounded body curled up like a fluffy ball, making it look like two lumps fused together—one larger for its body, the smaller one its head.2

The landscape beyond was both vast and perilous. Towering stone peaks, slender and sharp like a dense bamboo forest, rose in clusters from the ground. Except at noon, sunlight could hardly penetrate the thick maze of stone pillars.0

Now, in the morning light, the golden rays slanted across the stone forest, casting diagonal streaks of brightness amidst the dense formations. The sight was both mesmerizing and imposing.0

A group of travelers had just climbed up from below.0

While making their way through the forest, they had...0