The Journal of Guilin—The Dragon King Emerges from Waters
Chapter one
On a midsummer afternoon, as clouds spread across the sky, the Lingui County (now Guilin City) which was a jurisdiction of Guilin State ,Lingnan Prefecture in Tang Dynasty was enveloped in a somber atmosphere. The Li River flowed with sandy stones and bamboo swayed gently, creating a sea of trees that danced with the wind. As the breeze brushed against Liao Tiehu's dark face in Lilong Village, he glanced at the sky and urgently asked his brother Liao Tongniu to row their bamboo raft from the heart of the river towards the dock. Barefooted, they hurriedly ran ashore just as raindrops began to fall from above like countless glimmering swords, causing osmanthus tree branches to scatter on the ground and piercing through red soil and yellow mud fragments. The muddy streams flowed relentlessly into the river, resembling rivers merging into an expansive sea.
The pebbles in the riverbed are readily discernible on a sunny day.However,In the span of a meal, the crystalline water transforms into a majestic "Yellow River," its once tranquil waves now turbid and swirling like a golden ribbon gracefully winding around the towering peaks.
In the Guilin region such unstable and changing climate is a familiar sight. The 22-year-old Liao Tiehu stood tall like an unwavering iron tower upon the wharf, adorned with a bamboo hat and straw cloak that danced gracefully in the wind. Meanwhile, the 11-year-old Liao Tongniu idly extended his palm to capture each water droplet which cascaded from bamboo hat, meticulously counting them one by one: "One, two, three..." As he counted up to number 264, the tempest gradually transformed into a gentle drizzle; The clouds shifted from light ink to a dense, opaque shade, with thunder and lightning persisting.
The Tiehu warrior firmly gripped the hilt of the transverse blade with one hand, while his other hand cautiously brushed against the gourd hanging from his waist, surveying the river flowing upstream.He anxiously awaited the arrival of the majestic dragon boat, a magnificent vessel known as "Jinjiao Daqinglong". Hailing from Bahuzhou Village, which holds utmost significance among the 28 villages of dragon boats in Lingnan District.Today was a day that the Bahuzhou Dragon fleet embarked on a crusade against the demon snake.
The world has been plagued by troubles for an extended period of time. In early April, an armed rebellion broke out in Lingnan, leading to the deployment of Guilin State troops to assist the governor and leaving the city deserted. Subsequently, a colossal bicephalous demon serpent suddenly emerged in the river, relentlessly preying on passing vessels. This alarming development caused great distress among merchants who refrained from navigating through this waterway, resulting in a scarcity of sails and worsening living conditions for city dwellers.
The villages on both sides of the Li River had also encountered crocodiles, boa constrictors, and other wild beasts before. In an effort to suppress the snakes, they sang "Fangbing" and organized dragon fleets. However, the elusive snake proved too difficult for the dragon fleets to conquer. Determined not to be defeated, Bahuzhou Village sent their "Jinjiao Daqinglong"boat to fight against the snakes and took vows—"The serpent not be slain, never to come back."