Henry Stone gave a wry smile. “It’s not that I don’t agree, but with so many of us going up the mountain together, any wild animals would be scared off. What I mean is, let’s split into groups and see who’s best paired with whom. Once you’ve sorted out the groups, I’ll arrange for everyone to go up the mountain. How does that sound?”

Uncle Bolton nodded. “Henry is right. With so many of us rushing up there at once, even a tiger would be scared away.”

“All right, all right, we’ll go split into groups.”

The villagers all agreed, and right there in Henry Stone’s family field, they noisily began dividing into groups. As Henry Stone had expected, they argued from morning until sunset and still couldn’t come to a decision.

In the end, with no other choice, everyone had to disperse and put it off until tomorrow.

Henry Stone and his father returned home. His father finally realized something. “Henry, you’re having them split into groups, but how can you, alone, lead so many groups?”

As Henry Stone shoveled food into his mouth, he replied, “I never planned to take everyone hunting.”

His father immediately grew anxious, pushed his bowl aside, and stood up. “What did you say? I already promised everyone, and they’re all our fellow villagers. How can you just refuse to help?”

His mother also tried to persuade Henry Stone. “That’s right, Henry, all those uncles watched you grow up. You can’t go against your conscience.”

Only his younger sister, Sarah Stone, tugged at their mother’s sleeve. “Mom, let big brother finish what he’s saying.”

Looking at his father’s angry face, Henry Stone said helplessly, “Dad, I’m not refusing to help by not taking everyone hunting. Thirty animal pelts per person—never mind whether there’s enough time, how many wild animals are there in these mountains? There simply aren’t enough for us to hunt.”

His father was taken aback. He hadn’t thought of that, but still insisted, “We’ll just hunt as many as we can…”

“And who gets the pelts we do catch? Those who get some will be happy, but those who don’t will hold a grudge against us, Dad!” Henry Stone said, tapping his chopsticks on the table.

His father was stunned. After all, he was in his fifties or sixties, and once Henry Stone pointed it out, he understood.

“This…” His father sat down, at a loss. “What are we going to do…”

Henry Stone finished the last few bites of his meal. “I’ll think of something. My stalling tactic should get us through tomorrow.”

……

“Henry Stone” sat up from the bed and drifted out of the house. The moonlight bathed his soul, and faint silver threads could even be seen slowly merging into his body. But tonight, Henry Stone was in no mood. He had thought for a long time but still couldn’t find a way to save the entire village from conscription.

He wanted to give it one last try, wandering through the surrounding forests, hoping the number of wild animals had increased recently.

But, after years in these mountains, he knew exactly how many wild animals there were. There was no way their numbers would suddenly surge in just a few days.

He drifted around the area, trees and rocks flashing beneath his feet, and as expected, the number of animals was far from what the village needed.

Disappointed, he arrived at the foot of a mountain peak. This peak was far from the village, steep and solitary, and happened to be the tallest mountain in the area.

At first, Henry Stone couldn’t fly that high. Back then, this peak was his training ground—every night he would climb it, testing how high he could go.

Eventually, he reached the summit. It was atop this peak that he learned how to absorb moonlight and strengthen himself.

Usually, Henry Stone liked to sit alone at the summit, gazing at the endless mountains below. He couldn’t quite explain why, but when he was immersed in that tranquil state, every movement of the wild beasts, birds, and insects on the seven or eight surrounding peaks was vividly reflected in his mind.

Henry Stone ascended all the way to the summit, but was startled to find someone standing there in the biting wind. No—floating, rather than standing.

This person’s state was very similar to Henry Stone’s, except his soul was far less solid, still somewhat ethereal.

He stood gracefully atop a large rock at the summit, feet floating three feet above the ground, hands clasped behind his back, head tilted toward the sky, exuding an indescribable loneliness.

His lower body would occasionally fade away, then re-form into legs, only to fade again after a moment.

As Henry Stone approached, perhaps influenced by the faint silver glow around him, the man’s legs managed to stay solid for several breaths.

Sensing something, the man suddenly turned around. When he saw Henry Stone, his surprise was no less than Henry Stone’s at seeing him.

Chapter Four: Moonlight Like Jade (Part One)

It was the first time Henry Stone had ever seen someone like himself, and he was thrilled. “Who are you? Can you tell me what’s going on with us?”

The man stared at Henry Stone in astonishment, stammering, “What’s… going on with us?”

Henry Stone took a step forward, silver light flashing around him, and instantly appeared in front of the man. In his excitement, Henry Stone didn’t notice the flash of shock in the man’s eyes.