"So, you see the grass and trees on this entire mountain grow at an angle – they've been angled like this for four hundred years – it's said this is because of the marks left when the White Dragon King dragged the Black Dragon King's wife, the grass and trees were pulled by the dragon's body."
I observed and indeed, the vegetation on the nearby mountains all grew towards the south, like a still photograph of trees bent by a strong wind. However, this could be explained by botany. I had seen similar patches of slanted trees in the south before.
"While they were locked in combat, the Black Dragon King, who was studying chess nearby, finally became enraged. He wasn't angry about his wife being stolen, but about losing the game. In his fury, he diverted the waters of the Heilongjiang River southwards, flooding the White Dragon River."
Yaoyao continued her story with great dramatic flair, captivating Bingbing.
"Dragons are also considered demon beasts, and the demon race has an unwritten rule that there shall be no infighting among members of the same species. These two great dragons fought for selfish reasons, causing devastation to the people along the banks of the White Dragon River. The ruler of the Tang Dynasty at that time was very angry and dispatched the Peony Imperial Guards to the northeast to handle the matter. After investigation, they found that the Black Dragon had made the first move. He was punished and killed, while the White Dragon, for instigating the conflict, was exiled to the extremely cold north to become the Arctic White Dragon King. As for the Black Dragon King's wife, she was gravely injured during her ordeal with the White Dragon King and died not long after."
"The commotion was immense, and many common folk witnessed the true dragons. Terrified of them, to avoid this association, Dragon Mountain was henceforth renamed 'Chessboard Mountain,' and the word 'dragon' was no longer used. However, the legend of two dragons playing chess persisted. Oh, and another thing, the snakes on this mountain are all small black snakes. The locals say they are the posthumous children of the Black Dragon King – his wife was pregnant when she died, carrying a clutch of little black dragons. Since they were premature, they hadn't transformed into dragon form when they were born, hence they could only be snakes. That's the end of the story."
Yaoyao was truly gifted at storytelling.
At the same time, I realized my previous understanding was flawed. I had thought Chessboard Mountain was just the mountain we were standing on. In fact, "Chessboard" wasn't a single mountain, but this cluster of mountains. The strange rocks on the mountaintop where we were were not chess pieces; the mountains themselves were the chess pieces.
After listening, Bingbing mused, "If this were before, I would have just dismissed this as a story. But now, I'm a bit uncertain. Is this just a story, or is it real history?"
Yaoyao chuckled, "Of course, it's a story."
"Why?" Bingbing asked.
"Because dragons don't exist in this world," Yaoyao stated definitively.
"Then why do they appear in human legends as such mysterious creatures?" Bingbing persisted.
Just then, the eldest and fourth arrived together. The eldest was carrying half a gray wild rabbit, dripping with blood, but her face was clean, perhaps she had eaten and washed up.
"Eldest, show them what a snake looks like," Yaoyao said.
The eldest looked around, making sure no tourists were present, then turned and went behind a large rock.
"Where is she going?" I asked.
"To change clothes. When a human transforms into a demon, their clothes get stretched and torn."
"Huh?" I was puzzled. "Doesn't transforming from a human into a snake involve shrinking? Why would they tear?"
In my understanding, a human's waist was surely thicker than a snake's. When she transformed, I imagined her clothes would just slide off, and the snake would slither out from the pile of clothes on the ground.
A few seconds later, I heard the sound of branches snapping from behind the rock. Just as I was about to check if the eldest was stuck, a colossal creature slithered over the top of the rock!
Seeing it, I let out a stunned exclamation and slumped onto the ground!
No wonder the owner of that small inn last night was so terrified!
No wonder the ancients mistook snake demons for dragons!
This is… too enormous!