1314: A Thousand Peonies Bloom
The Desperate Valley

After spending the night at Chang Ling temple, Shuwan, Zhang, and Jiao continued their journey. The next place they had to pass was the Valley of Desperation. The three of them left on horseback, and continued to walk towards the north.

As usual, Zhang always tried to remind Shuwan, and did not forget their new member, Jiao. Zhang said, “In the meantime we will reach the Valley of Desperation. You guys stay careful. The valley has taken a lot of casualties.”

I already knew about it, Inner Shuwan chuckled.

Jiao continued Zhang's words, “The valley was inhabited by a terrible monster. Those who had crossed the valley no one had ever returned. For that reason, the valley was named ‘Second Valley Asa’.”

Shuwan saw a look of worry on Jiao's face, then he spoke to her, “Jiao, are you afraid to go through that valley?”

“That valley is always thick fog, I'm afraid we can separate and get lost. In addition, we do not know what kind of monsters we will face later,” said Jiao.

Zhang interjected, “Relax... You don't pass through the valley alone, there's me and Shuwan.”

Jiao looked towards Shuwan and Zhang. Shuwan nodded his head in agreement with Zhang's statement, and then said, “Before entering the valley, I have a plan.”

Jiao and Zhang spurred the horse they were riding on to run faster, so that it could arrive at its destination soon.

As soon as he reached the edge of the valley, Shuwan descended from the horse, and pulled out a long white scarf.

“Send?” Zhang astonished.

“True. This shawl will be tied in the hands of the three of us, so we will not get lost when we have entered the foggy valley that is in front of us.”

“What will this work? What if we meet that monster?” ask Zhang.

“If not tried how to know how it works or not? Solved monsters we will know after seeing it.”

Zhang immediately put on a shocked expression, and said, “What? Hey, miss, did your head just hit you and lose your mind? We should have prepared the defense from now on had the monster attacked us instead of finding a solution when we faced it!”

Jiao nodded, “I agree with Zhang. If we don't prepare anything how can we get past that monster?”

“Now I ask you, have any of you ever seen that monster?” ask Shuwan.

Zhang and Jiao just shook their heads. Then Zhang said, “But there have been many rumors spread that many people have passed through this valley, and none of them have ever returned. Whaddya think? Aren't we going to prepare something?”

“The plan to deal with the monster is that I will do it myself,” Shuwan said with a flat face.

Zhang approached Shuwan and held onto Shuwan's arms tightly. Then he said, “What are you thinking, Shuwan? Why should you do it? What do you think of me and Jiao?”

“You are my friends, but I cannot sacrifice you. It's enough I have to do it. Besides, I'm not from this world. Once our goal is achieved, I will go as far as possible.”

Jiao and Zhang who heard Shuwan's statement looked so shocked. Then Jiao said, “Ti-doesn't come from this world? Who are you, Shuwan?”

Shuwan simply smiled in response to Jiao's question, then he said, “Now is not the time for you to know, let time be that will answer all your questions.”

Zhang was angry at Shuwan and said, “You cannot accept, Shuwan!”

“There comes a time when you have to accept it, even though it feels so bitter. In any case, you can't shake me. If you don't want to follow my words, you can wait here until I finish my business with the monster that's in there.”

Shuwan immediately tied the shawl he had taken out earlier into Jiao and Zhang's hands. They were silent and looked at each other.

Zhang was still angry with Shuwan's attitude, on the other hand he remembered Shuwan's words just now that he would leave once his goal was achieved.

“Wait!”

Shuwan who had started walking was stopped by Zhang. Zhang then said, “Well I will follow your words.”

Shuwan looked at Jiao and Zhang, and said, “Alright. Then let's go.”

Shuwan rode on horseback with Zhang, and the three of them entered the Valley of Desperation.

The fog was indeed very thick, the surroundings were not visible. “Jiao, don't be far from us,” Shuwan said.

“Good.”

Jiao approached towards the horse that Shuwan and Zhang were riding on. All of a sudden..

“Eh... Ah... Please..”

Jiao shouted loudly. Jiao's body fell off the horse, he felt like he was being pulled and dragged by something, Shuwan and Zhang immediately got off the horse as they were also hit by the pull. The two of them tried to pull the shawl so that Jiao would not get carried away by the force pulling her.

“Hold, Jiao!” shuwan said while pulling the shawl as firmly as he calmed down.

However, for some reason the shawl was suddenly torn and severed. Along with the disconnection of the binding scarf, Jiao's voice disappeared amid the fog that now left behind the horse that Jiao was riding.

Zhang suddenly pulled Shuwan's hand and said, “See! Now you see, right? We just entered the valley and Jiao suddenly disappeared. Are you satisfied now?”

Zhang seemed to be panicking, and seemed to have lost control of himself. Shuwan remained silent. Then Shuwan opened his mouth, “It looks like I still don't deserve to be a trustworthy person.”

Zhang who was originally looking at him now threw away the face of Shuwan.

Shuwan then walked a few steps away from Zhang, and again Zhang stopped him.

Shuwan just put on a flat face and said, “You better stay there, and don't disturb my focus.”

“But.”

“Just obey what I say, don't make me repeat the second time.”

Zhang stood quietly near his horse. Shuwan was silent at the last place he stepped, he looked down and found an Oak tree seed. He took it and put it in his bag. After that, Shuwan closed his eyes as he felt the foreign energy that was nearby.

Shuwan reopened his eyes.

Apparently you showed up.

“Comeout! I won't hurt you.”

As soon as Shuwan said it, appeared a creature like a Panda, just had a giant body that was stocky and a look that more resembles a bear with a height of about 4 meters.

The creature was rampaging, by spouting cold water that could instantly freeze whatever was around him. Shuwan immediately dodged the attack and turned his attention away from harming Zhang.

Shuwan tries to talk to the monster, “Tinally, I know you're not an evil creature. I think I can help you. So I beg you, calm down.”

The monster calmed down, he sat down and closed his eyes. Shuwan climbed onto his back and touched the monster's head. As the touch flashed a dazzling light, Shuwan closed his eyes and began to focus.

Zhang only saw the light, he decided not to approach according to Shuwan's words.

Shuwan has entered the monster's subconscious. He was shown many memories like a walking movie roller. The memory is about the exploitation of animals and forests carried out by humans. The last memory is the burning of the forest which resulted in all the animals in the forest dead, charred by fire.

“You must not be an ordinary man.”

Suddenly someone talks to Shuwan, and Shuwan realizes that he is in a dark place. Shuwan felt like he was standing on water. Sure enough, he was standing on the surface of the water, in a place he did not know.

As he turned his body, a giant panda stared at him.

“Are you the original form of this creature?” shuwan asked the Panda.

“True. What you saw was part of my anger and hatred, and what you see now is the good side of me,”, Panda told Shuwan.

“When you are an adorable fat Panda, then why can you turn into a terrible monster?”

“Hey, I'm not a fat panda know! My name is Xiong Mao.”

Shuwan just chuckled at Panda's funny behavior. “Then try to explain why you turned into such a not cute monster? And were you also the one who caused people to disappear when entering this valley?”

“Actually I am the keeper of this forest. Life between humans and animals in the forest was peaceful and fine. Until one day, the humans began to destroy the forest, hunt down all kinds of animals in the forest, and then burn it. I am one of the animals that burn in the forest in this valley. But such a god blessed me, and gave me the ability to avenge human treatment on us.”

“Then are you a spirit beast?” ask Shuwan.

“True, I am a spirit beast who will guard this valley and forest until anytime.”

“Then, where did you actually take the people you kidnapped?”

“I take them to his subconscious, there they will feel deep sadness for losing something precious from him and they will never wake let alone return.”

“Are you going to free them someday?”

“No will! Humans have done so much evil to us animals and also destroyed the forest. They deserve it.”

“I know you hate humans, but if you repay them like this, doesn't that mean you're as bad as them?”

“You don't understand what we feel, what it's like to lose a family, a place to live and die. Do you know that?”

“Of course I understand, all this time I have also lost a lot of things. Since birth I have been cursed not to feel love, because of this I have lost love. Not until I grew up, I lost both my parents. What is more painful than the punishment of life?

If it wasn't for my brother, or my grandfather maybe I would have chosen to die quickly after my parents. But I still have hope, there are brothers and grandfathers who have given me a new life even though until now I still can not feel what love.”

The panda was silent. Shuwan then took out the acorn of the Oak tree he found in the valley to give to the Panda, he also said, “If I could rise up and have a new life, then I would, why don't you try it too? Forgiving those who have hurt you will make you relieved, and that way you have a new life to live.”

The panda picked up the Oak seeds Shuwan had given him, and then turned his body around like a Panda in general and disappeared in a light that also dazzled Shuwan's eyes.

The moment Shuwan opened his eyes, the monster had turned into a normal Panda even though he was actually a spirit beast. Shuwan takes off the hand that touched the Panda's head, and the Panda goes to walk away from Shuwan with the Oak seed that Shuwan gave him earlier.

The fog slowly disappeared. It turns out that in the forest there is a statue of a 2-meter tall Panda that has existed since long ago, and has been covered by a dense fog so that it is not visible to the eyes that cross this valley. The panda went to the statue and disappeared into the statue.

A miracle appeared, though, the trail left by the Panda was turned into a clump of bamboo trees and suddenly Jiao and the people who disappeared from the valley also came out of the bamboo trees with a good condition though the road is a little staggering.

Those who had just been freed were cheering happily for making it out of the valley safely.

Zhang who witnessed all the things that were happening before his eyes could only be fixated and confused. He was always amazed by the miracles Shuwan performed during their journey together.

After the incident had passed, Shuwan decided to make an inscription containing advice so that anyone who crosses the valley not to damage and exploit the forest and its contents if they want to survive out of the valley.

Finally Shuwan, Zhang, and Jiao left the valley and went back to the ocean of life full of meaning and lessons for those who are still alive.