Chapter 3: A Chance Encounter

Several days of strange discoveries had left Long Hua restless. He tried searching for materials on ancient optics or astronomy in the school library, hoping to find clues explaining those runes and light phenomena, but with little success. The school library's collection was limited, mostly standard textbooks and general popular science books, with no specialized works covering those fringe areas.

After the last class on Friday afternoon, Long Hua decided to try his luck at the city library. Though not large, this small city's library had a respectable ancient texts section containing local chronicles and historical documents. Perhaps he could find clues there about the "old pavilion on the mountaintop."

The city library stood beside the cultural square in the city center, a three-story building blending modern and classical styles. Long Hua walked into the hall, greeted by cool air conditioning and the distinctive smell of ink and paper.

He entered keywords like "astronomy," "optics," and "ancient" into the electronic catalog system, which displayed several relevant books distributed across different sections. Following the call numbers, Long Hua first visited the natural sciences section, where he found "History of Ancient Chinese Astronomy" and "A Brief History of Optics."

As he browsed, he found some records of ancient stargazing instruments and methods, but these were conventional content with no mention of the "Thousand-Eye Light" or similar phenomena. "A Brief History of Optics" did mention some curious ancient observations about light, such as the ancient Greek belief that light was a "visual ray" emitted from the eyes, and ancient Chinese classifications of light into different types like "sunlight," "moonlight," and "starlight," each believed to possess different properties and influences.

Though interesting, this content was far from the answers he sought. Long Hua sighed, returned the books to the shelves, and decided to try his luck in the historical documents section.

The historical documents section occupied a quiet corner on the library's second floor, where sunlight streamed through high windows onto wooden bookshelves, giving the entire space an antiquated atmosphere. This area had noticeably fewer visitors than the popular science section downstairs. Long Hua walked along the lengthy bookshelves, searching for potentially relevant books.

"'A Study of Ancient Sites in the County'... 'Geography of Mountains and Rivers'..." he murmured, reading the titles on the spines as his fingers gently traced across rows of books.

Suddenly, a familiar figure entered his field of vision. At a reading table near the window, Lin Ruoxi was intently examining a heavy ancient text. Sunlight fell across her profile, creating a soft halo. Several books and notes lay open on the table, suggesting she had been there for some time.

Long Hua hesitated, unsure whether to disturb her. Just then, Lin Ruoxi seemed to sense something and looked up, meeting his gaze. After a moment of surprise, she smiled slightly and waved him over.

"What a coincidence," Long Hua approached her table and greeted her in a low voice. "You're also researching?"

Lin Ruoxi nodded, gesturing for him to sit down. "I'm studying some local chronicles, looking for records of special geographical phenomena. What about you?"

"Similar purpose," Long Hua sat across from her, glancing at the books on her table. "I'm looking for information about that mountain and pavilion."

"Any progress?" Lin Ruoxi asked.

Long Hua shook his head. "No concrete leads yet. My father's note only mentioned 'the old pavilion on the mountaintop' without specifying the location. There are several mountains around this city, and I'm not sure which one it is."

Lin Ruoxi thought for a moment. "While researching local chronicles, I came across some records of mountains in this area. There are mainly three mountains around this city: Dragon Mountain to the east, Vermilion Bird Peak to the south, and White Tiger Ridge to the west. On Dragon Mountain, there is indeed an ancient pavilion called 'Star-Gazing Pavilion,' reportedly built during the Ming Dynasty as a place for observing stars."

"Star-Gazing Pavilion..." Long Hua's eyes lit up. "This could be the clue! With a name like that, it must be related to astronomical observations."

"Not only that," Lin Ruoxi opened a local chronicle and pointed to a passage, "it records that the Star-Gazing Pavilion was built by a Ming Dynasty astronomer named Li Tianming, who was said to 'see the anomalies in celestial phenomena and know the rise and fall of human affairs.'"

Long Hua exclaimed in surprise, "Li Tianming? My father's name was Li Ming! Could this be some kind of family inheritance?"

"Very possible," Lin Ruoxi nodded. "Many special skills in ancient times were passed down within families. If Li Tianming was indeed your ancestor, then your 'Clear-Eyed One' ability might be a hereditary trait."

This hypothesis both shocked and excited Long Hua. If true, it provided a reasonable explanatory framework for everything he had experienced. He was not merely an accidental anomaly but an inheritor continuing a family tradition.

"I need to visit that pavilion," Long Hua said firmly. "My father's note specifically mentioned that the answer lies there."

Lin Ruoxi closed her book. "Dragon Mountain isn't far from the urban area. Following the eastern suburban mountain path, you can reach the summit in about two hours. If you're planning to go, I'd like to accompany you. I'm also interested in these ancient astronomical observation points."

Long Hua hesitated. He had known Lin Ruoxi for less than a week, and although she seemed to know a lot about these strange phenomena, his understanding of her was limited. Nevertheless, having a companion would be safer, and her professional knowledge might be helpful.

"Alright, let's go together tomorrow," Long Hua finally decided. "There are no classes on Saturday, so we can set off early."

Lin Ruoxi nodded in agreement. "Perfect arrangement. We can meet at the eastern suburban bus station, which has direct routes to the foot of the mountain."

As they discussed details, an elderly librarian approached them. He was a white-haired man wearing round-framed glasses, looking at least in his seventies.

"Excuse the interruption," the elderly librarian said, "but I couldn't help overhearing you discuss the Star-Gazing Pavilion."

Long Hua and Lin Ruoxi exchanged glances, then Long Hua politely responded, "Yes, we're interested in its history."

The elderly librarian pushed up his glasses. "I've worked in this library for over forty years and have studied local history extensively. The Star-Gazing Pavilion is indeed an interesting place, though few people visit it nowadays." He paused, seeming to choose his words carefully. "That pavilion is... special. Local people believe that on certain nights, unusual celestial phenomena can be observed there."

Long Hua's heart quickened. "What kind of phenomena?"

"It's said to be an unusual gathering of starlight, sometimes forming strange patterns around the pavilion," the elderly librarian spoke calmly, as if merely stating an ordinary folk legend. "Of course, this might just be an optical phenomenon caused by mountain weather changes, or simply a folk tale."

"Have you been there?" Lin Ruoxi asked.

The elderly librarian smiled slightly. "Several times when I was younger. Interestingly, I did witness some inexplicable light phenomena, but my friends who accompanied me saw nothing." He gave Long Hua a meaningful look. "Perhaps everyone naturally sees a different world."

This statement sent a chill down Long Hua's spine. The elderly librarian's experience was too similar to his own—both could see light phenomena invisible to others. Could this old man also be...

"We're planning to visit Star-Gazing Pavilion tomorrow," Long Hua tentatively said. "Is there anything we should be aware of?"

The elderly librarian considered for a moment. "Although the pavilion is ancient, its structure remains relatively stable. However, the mountain path is somewhat rugged, especially the final section, so be careful." He took out a small notebook from his pocket, tore out a page, and quickly drew a simple map. "There's a small path branching from the main road here, a shortcut to the Star-Gazing Pavilion that saves considerable time. Most tourists don't know about this route."

Long Hua accepted the paper gratefully. "Thank you for your guidance."

"You're welcome," the elderly librarian nodded slightly. "It's good that young people take an interest in history. I hope you find what you're looking for." With that, he turned and disappeared among the bookshelves.

Lin Ruoxi and Long Hua looked at each other, both seeing surprise and confusion in the other's eyes.

"He seems to know something," Lin Ruoxi said softly. "That phrase, 'I hope you find what you're looking for,' as if he knows we're not just going for sightseeing."

Long Hua nodded, looking again at the map the elderly librarian had drawn. "In any case, this will be helpful for our journey tomorrow. I'm increasingly curious about that pavilion."

They continued discussing their travel plans for a while, then each borrowed several potentially useful books before preparing to leave the library. At the entrance, Long Hua suddenly remembered a question and returned to the front desk to inquire about the elderly librarian's name.

"Mr. Zhou Dao?" The young female staff at the front desk looked puzzled. "We don't have any employee by that name."

"A white-haired elderly gentleman with round glasses, appearing to be in his seventies," Long Hua described.

The young woman shook her head. "Our oldest librarian is Director Li, who's just in his early sixties, and he's on leave today. Perhaps you've mistaken someone else?"

Long Hua was stunned. He was certain that they had just spoken with an elderly librarian who had explicitly stated he had worked in this library for over forty years. How could this be a mistake?

Perplexed, he returned to Lin Ruoxi and told her about this strange situation.

After listening, Lin Ruoxi pondered thoughtfully. "This is very strange. We couldn't both have hallucinated simultaneously. That elderly man did exist, just... perhaps he wasn't a library employee."

"Then who was he? Why pretend to be a librarian? And why help us?" Long Hua asked a series of questions.

Lin Ruoxi shook her head. "These questions may only be answered when we reach the Star-Gazing Pavilion."

Leaving the library, they parted ways at the cultural square. As the sun set, Long Hua stood in the center of the square, watching Lin Ruoxi's receding figure, his heart filled with anticipation for tomorrow mingled with a touch of unease. The mysterious "elderly librarian," the secrets hidden in the Star-Gazing Pavilion, and his own increasingly strange abilities all pointed toward an unknown new world.

He took a deep breath and gripped the compass in his pocket tightly. Whatever awaited him, he was ready to face it.

On his way home, Long Hua casually looked up toward the eastern mountain silhouette. The setting sun's glow illuminated the peak of Dragon Mountain, highlighting a small protrusion—which should be the location of the Star-Gazing Pavilion. Just as he was watching, an unusual flash of light seemed to emanate from that direction, so quick that one might doubt whether it was merely an illusion.

But Long Hua knew it was no illusion. It was a call from the past, from the secrets flowing in his bloodline. Tomorrow, he would embark on a journey to find the truth.