「Qingshui Stream.」
From a cliff hundreds of feet high, a clear stream trickled down the smooth rock face. It splashed against the jutting stones below, atomizing into a fine mist that filled the air.
At the base of the cliff lay a deep, turquoise pool. Due to the drought, its water level had dropped significantly, leaving a gap of nearly ten feet between the surface and the bank. The aquatic plants along the edge were all left exposed.
On a giant rock by the side of the pool, the mangled carcass of a spotted deer lay torn to shreds.
Forty to fifty young girls in coarse-spun clothes were gathered in small groups on the grass near the giant rock. Each group had lit its own bonfire and was roasting the deer meat.
From a distance, they looked just like a group of farm girls having an autumn picnic by the water, roasting meat over open flames.
But this was clearly no picnic. There was no laughter, no cheerful chatter, no playful games.
