At dawn, the mist curled around the mountains, shrouding the forest in a hazy veil. A sliver of red light appeared atop the peaks as the sun broke free, casting warm, golden rays that painted the morning fog in a soft, flowing radiance. The villagers of Stone Village were already up, and a group of children trained under the morning glow, exhaling vital energy, each as robust as young *pixiu* cubs. Little Rascal sat to the side, watching them with a heart heavy with reluctance. Zi Yun, Da Peng, and Xiao Qing nestled close, unwilling to let him go, insisting on following, but he refused. The journey ahead was perilous—three hundred thousand miles, a vast distance crossing countless mountain ranges, fraught with dangers.
Within the towering peaks, colossal shadows often streaked across the sky, and terrifying, unknown birds of prey were far from rare. Once, while cultivating, Little Rascal had witnessed a fifty-meter-long giant bird soaring through the air, spewing flames that melted an entire mountaintop into lava. Another time, he saw a raptor over a hundred meters long vanish into the clouds, only to descend with a *jiao* dragon in its talons, tearing it in two and devouring it, blood raining down like a storm. Though Zi Yun, Da Peng, and Xiao Qing were extraordinary—capable of flight and earth-splitting speed—they were still young. Such a long journey would be too dangerous for them. Who knew when a monstrous bird might surge from the mountains and tear them apart mid-flight?
“Little Rascal, are you really leaving?” The children finished their training and crowded around him.
“Yes,” Shi Hao nodded. He had made the decision yesterday and wouldn’t change it now.
“Three hundred thousand miles is so far! We’re all still so small—why do you have to go?” Their eyes widened at the astronomical distance.
“When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow!” Little Rascal glanced at a herd of unicorns nearby. If he couldn’t soar through the skies, taming one of these swift beasts would be a fine alternative.
“Wait—you’re going to catch a unicorn?” The children’s eyes sparkled with excitement. They had long dreamed of doing the same but lacked the strength. Even adults like Shi Lin Hu and Shi Fei Jiao had schemed about it but never dared act. The unicorns, with their gleaming silver scales, were powerful creatures, not easily subdued.
Little Rascal stood, locking eyes with a particularly majestic male unicorn—its body shimmering like silver fire, limbs long and strong, eyes like crystal, and a spiraled horn wreathed in silver light.
“That’s the one.”
With his target set, he skirted the village, slipping into the underbrush to ambush the herd. The children held their breath, watching intently.
“What are those rascals up to?” The adults, too, were drawn to the commotion.
“Wait—they’re trying to catch a unicorn?” In moments, the entire village had gathered by the lakeside to watch.
Little Rascal burst from the bushes, darting toward the herd, his focus fixed on the towering unicorn. The lakeside erupted in chaos as the resident beasts screeched in alarm, sensing the intruder. The unicorns, intelligent creatures, remembered how this very child had once lifted a hundred-thousand-pound boulder with one hand. Their bodies flared with light, hooves pawing the ground.
“Little Rascal, be careful!” the villagers cried.
The herd surged as one, their horns glowing, unleashing a barrage of silver beams like a storm. Little Rascal dodged effortlessly, his movements fluid and precise, darting like a golden-winged roc. He had learned this technique from the *Primordial True Record*, mimicking the divine battle between the Golden-Winged Roc and the gods.
The unicorns reared, their attacks now scattered as Little Rascal weaved through them, his speed unmatched. He lunged onto the back of the great unicorn, gripping its silver mane tightly. The beast bucked and roared, but against his immense strength—ten thousand and eight hundred pounds per arm—it was futile.
“Easy now,” Little Rascal whispered into its ear. “Come with me and see the world. It might help your cultivation.”
By sunset, the unicorn had yielded. Little Rascal demonstrated a set of runes before it, and the creature finally calmed.
The next morning, the entire village gathered to bid him farewell—elders, children, mothers, and brothers alike, their eyes red with emotion.
“Don’t push yourself too hard. If there’s danger, turn back!”
“Stay safe, Little Rascal!”
With a final wave, he urged the unicorn forward, a streak of silver vanishing into the endless mountains.
“Ancient kingdoms, here I come!” he whispered, clenching his fists.
The unicorn’s speed was breathtaking, covering thousands of miles by noon, its keen senses guiding them past lurking dangers.
Then, suddenly, the golden-furred *Mao Qiu* screeched, its fur standing on end.
Back in Stone Village, the willow tree trembled violently, its withered bark shedding as a surge of green light pierced the heavens.
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