Deep in Wuwang Hill, on a stony riverbank, little Hu Tao sat among the rocks. She saw her tearful reflection in the water and finally reached up to wipe her eyes.
"There's still enough. As long as I have a little food, I'll find my grandfather."
She carefully packed the two soaked pieces of dried rations into her backpack. She also opened all her bottles and filled them with clean river water to drink. After gathering everything, she dried her tears and murmured, "I should be close now. Grandfather said Wuwang Hill isn't actually that big. I'm sure I'll find the boundary between life and death."
With that, she tucked her remaining rations and water into her pack, slung it over her shoulder, and shook the water from her clothes before setting off once more.
But as she turned around, she caught sight of a small red flower behind her and froze.
A crimson flower. A red spider lily.
The moment she saw it, tears of joy welled up in her eyes. The ancient texts of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor said that red spider lilies only grew at the end of Wuwang Hill, at the boundary where life and death meet. That meant the end was nearby.
She stared at the flower for a long moment, then wiped her tears and began searching for more. Sure enough, she found a second, then a third. Her hope grew.
Soon, she would see her grandfather again. She would tell him about the funeral she had held for him, about all she had endured on her journey. She would throw herself into his arms and embrace him one last time. A smile tugged at her lips at the thought.
But she quickly composed herself and carefully tracked the spider lilies through the underbrush, following their trail toward Wuwang Hill's end.
After finding many more, she finally emerged from the forest to see a vast expanse of land. Though it was night, the moonlight illuminated everything clearly.
An endless sea of red spider lilies spread before her like a crimson ocean, inspiring awe in all who saw it. Tiny lights like fireflies drifted through the blood‑red flowers, and scarlet butterflies danced freely above them.
But what stunned Hu Tao most was the massive crimson tree in the distance, rising high into the clouds. It was so tall it took her breath away.
For a moment, she didn't know if she was afraid or simply awestruck. She stood frozen in place.
Then the spirits drifting through the sea of flowers noticed her presence and gathered around in curiosity.
"Why is there a little girl here? Did she just die? But she still has a physical body."
"You fool—the dead don't have physical bodies. This girl is alive."
"Alive? It's dangerous for a living person to be here."
"Oh, isn't this Old Hu's granddaughter? What are you doing here? Looking for your grandfather?"
"Sigh, Old Hu has passed on too?"
"This silly girl came all this way alone, searching for her grandfather."
"Little Hu Tao, be careful. Don't breathe in too much of the pollen—it's poisonous to the living."
"Leave, silly girl. Old Hu is already gone."
These lingering spirits were those with unfinished business, reluctant to leave. Many of them knew Hu Tao and her grandfather. When they saw her, their eyes were full of pity as they urged her to go back.
But Hu Tao had spent two full days and nights getting here, and she was so close to finding her grandfather. How could she give up now?
"No. Grandfather must be here. I know he is."
Clutching her backpack, she began searching through the crowd of spirits. This was the end of Wuwang Hill, the entrance to the underworld, where souls lingered before crossing over. There were so many spirits that she was overwhelmed. Some had been waiting for decades, their obsessions driving them mad, yet they had never found their loved ones.
Finding her grandfather among so many spirits was no easy task. So she mustered her courage and began asking spirits she recognized.
"Have you seen my grandfather? Please tell me where he is."
The spirit looked confused. "Little Hu Tao? Your grandfather? Has Old Hu passed on too?"
She asked another, "Have you seen an old man who recited strange poems? That's my grandfather."
One by one, she stopped every spirit she could, asking for news of him. But each time, the answer was the same. No one had seen her grandfather. They all urged her to leave before the living world corrupted her flesh and turned her into one of them, trapping her forever.
But how could she give up without finding him?
So she searched the entire sea of red spider lilies, walking through every corner of the end of Wuwang Hill. Still, she couldn't find him.
She broke down and cried.
Alone, she sat at the base of the great crimson tree, watching the countless spirits drift by, watching the endless sea of flowers, and silently wiped her tears. In that moment, she was so fragile.
Just then, a few mischievous spirits began circling her, trying to scare her with simple tricks. But after everything she had been through, even at thirteen, Hu Tao was much braver. She wasn't afraid of a few prankster spirits—not even a vengeful one would frighten her with her grandfather's walking stick in hand.
Annoyed by their antics and already heartbroken, she made a scary face. The spirits flinched and backed away in surprise. It took them a moment to realize they were the spirits and she was the living one. How dare she scare them?
They laughed and taunted her.
"What a little fool, coming all this way to find her grandfather. She must be out of her mind."
"Absolutely crazy."