📖 Backwater Dream Memoir

Late summer, the twenty-seventh day, rainy night. Time is like water. This is what Ah-Hui told me. Three years ago, during the rainy season, watching the tide in Qiantang. Heavy rain poured down, the river flowed backwards, and the water was turbulent. I stared into Ah-Hui's eyes. In his eyes, the tide surged and the mist was hazy. "I only know that the flow of water is determined by the terrain..." Ah-Hui turned to me excitedly, "It's not, Little Ying'er. As long as there is enough force, water can flow backwards." Ah-Hui wanted to create something earth-shattering at that time, something different from the principle of the water-powered armillary sphere, I knew it. "I believe you, Ah-Hui." He held my hand more firmly, his fingertips warm. And behind him, the river tide shook the sky, as if to devour everything I woke up from the dream. But I couldn't tell whether the deafening sound in the dream was the tide of that year or the explosion. Explosion My head was splitting. Vaguely, I saw Ah-Hui standing in front of the Celestial Algorithm waving to me. But, in an instant, the world in front of me was completely distorted. The shock wave knocked me unconscious, and I fell into the dark night in an instant. The entire Starshift Terrace was turned upside down, and I fell heavily to the ground. I couldn't see anything. The smell of smoke rushed into my nose, the heat wave scorched my body, and blood flowed down my arm to the snow... The physical sensations have faded, but I can still hear the never-ending roar, just like the tide, covering up the crying and screaming, and also covering up Ah-Hui's last call to me. Holding Ah-Hui's hand again. No, that can't even be called a hand. Broken, unrecognizable limbs. Only the unburnt knuckles, I am familiar with that mole. My fingertips wrapped around his knuckles as before. So cold. Not like Ah-Hui. Sanxun stood behind me, his left hand patting my shoulder. But I couldn't turn around. In the past, he liked to joke with Ah-Hui, always patting Ah-Hui's left shoulder with his right hand, causing Ah-Hui to turn his head to the left, and then laughing while standing on his right. But now, Sanxun's right sleeve is empty. At that time, we had just entered the sect. Ah-Hui talked proudly about his ideas, and Sanxun's skillful hand often flew like a flock of birds, simulating Ah-Hui's ideas. And I didn't like to talk the most, just buried my head in drawing page after page of sketches. An explosion, Sanxun lost his proud right arm. Ah-Hui's body was cold and he slept forever in the snow valley. I don't know how many fellow disciples were also seriously injured or died. And me? I happened to be the luckiest one. I lost my sleep. Every night, I wake up from a dream, sweating profusely, and my body feels like it's on fire. Baidi City is clearly cold for thousands of years, with a cold moon and frost, so why is there such burning pain every night? Found the sketches I drew for Ah-Hui and Sanxun back then. "Time is like water. As long as there is enough kinetic energy, time can be adjusted. The Time Instrument is shaped like a giant pot, with a wheel in the middle, cast with dark steel and mithril. The internal patterns are all engraved according to the art of Tianyan, connecting heaven and earth, and harmonizing time and space." Sanxun put down the sketch I sent and just shook his head. He said that it was just Ah-Hui's youthful and frivolous idea, and there is no way to reverse time in the world. But I don't want to give up.

Midwinter, the twenty-sixth day, heavy snow. The lonely lamp illuminates the night, sleeping in the evening and rising at night. Suddenly four years have passed, but the Time Instrument has made little progress. Reversing time? I also find it absurd. The way of heaven has its limits, and sometimes it cannot be exhausted by human intelligence. A Dayfly shaking a tree is nothing but a foolish obsession. For four years, although I have been avoiding recalling the explosion, I still can't help but pursue the truth. Ah-Hui, now I know that everything is man-made. The amazing work at the Master Artisan's Exhibition that year was the Puppet Armor named "Wu Huang," led by Senior Gongshu Xian, the "Machinist Extraordinaire." But his apprentice, Gongshu Huang, had ambitions beyond his master's for "Wu Huang." Although we are from the same sect, I have only met Gongshu Huang a few times. That boy was silent and withdrawn. I know very little about him, only that he locked himself in the Eternal Glacier all day long, concentrating on research, day and night, just to create a world-shaking creation. Ah-Hui was curious at that time and secretly went to see it once. When he came back, he held my hand and excitedly said that Ah-Huang would definitely be an outstanding genius of Mystech in the future. Ah-Hui, it was this boy you admired who caused the tragedy. He was too eager for success. When making "Wu Huang," he used extremely unstable materials. Unexpectedly, a malfunction was triggered, which caused the explosion. How can I not hate? But Gongshu Huang himself also died in that disaster. "Wu Huang" was sunk into the Eternal Glacier, and this place has now become a forbidden area. As a member of Mystech, how can I not know his obsession with pursuing the ultimate... just like me at this moment... I can't hate anyone. I can only bury myself deeply in mathematical theory, regardless of day and night, regardless of human affairs, to escape the nightmares that attack every night. I have deduced the calculation of the Time Instrument for four years. Ancient algorithms and new programs have been tried one by one. But Qingshang still shook her head after seeing it. She advised me not to do useless work. But I can't stop, because only by continuing can I have the possibility of seeing Ah-Hui again... even if it's just the last time. Ah-Hui once said that time is like water. Then why can the snow in Baidi City be eternally unfrozen, but our time keeps flowing forward? When I sit still and can't think, I dip my fingers in water and write Ah-Hui's name on the table over and over again. The strokes linger, just like I always hope he can come back to me. But every time before I finish writing, the water stain dries up. Ah-Hui, does it indicate that everything is futile? Like water, it will eventually evaporate and dissipate. Wait... Water vapor...?

Late Autumn, fourth day, clear night. Power source: water, combustion. Principle: fire heats water, generating steam pressure to drive the bellows. The connecting rods rotate the crankshaft, powering the mechanism and causing the astrarium to turn according to calculated patterns. Trial Record 1: Steam successfully turns the wheel, but the mechanism isn't smooth yet. Adjustments required. Trial Record 2: Steam drives the wheel smoothly, mechanisms function correctly, yet the astrarium's movement doesn't match predictions. Further testing needed. ... Trial Record No. 387: All mechanisms operate smoothly, but no unusual phenomena have occurred the experiment remains unsuccessful. ... Sanxun often comes to check on me. His right arm has been fully replaced with puppet armor but remains as nimble and steady as ever. Watching him finely adjust the instruments and set dials with perfect precision, I see again the boy from long ago kneeling with a furrowed brow, carefully repairing my clockwork goldfish. "Little Ying'er, after learning so much from your master, is this all you're doing making little fish?" Sanxun once teased me. I just laughed, admitting I'd never been very interested in those grand, world-changing projects. "Who would've guessed that Little Ying'er, who only cared about crafting tiny contraptions, would become the creator behind the time instrument?" Sanxun's words draw me back from my thoughts. Memories blur into reality, though the person before me is no longer the boy he once was. Even Sanxun was amazed at the complexity of the time instrument the calculations, mechanisms, star charts, every detail impeccably precise. Yet despite its flawless design, the instrument still cannot defy the iron law of time. What power could truly turn the heavens, shifting cosmic order itself? Ah-Hui, I cannot find it. The laws of this world must have their limits and I've reached mine. Sanxun urged me to let go of my obsession, to stop dwelling on shadows of the past. Gently tracing the puppet armor of his arm, he shared his vision with me human strength alone will always be limited, but mechanical craft could break those limits. With such devices, people could carry greater burdens, leap higher, run faster, and fight stronger as if they'd grown wings. He had already completed the first batch of the Mystanic Exo-suit. Some suits made the wearer agile as a swallow; others granted immense strength. Yet for now, only those with exceptional martial skill could control them. Sanxun, however, wasn't content. He dreamed of turning these creations into something beneficial for everyone, harnessing mechanical craft to serve the entire world. So he asked me to join him to help redesign the Mystanic Exo-suit, turning it into a true gift for all. I agreed. I never had such grand ambitions. My thoughts were simpler what if... if there truly were an "if"... if armor strong enough to protect the body really existed... then Ah Hui, maybe just maybe you could've survived that day...

Midsummer, the eleventh day, light rain. Separated by life and death, it has been almost two decades. The principle of water vapor evaporation researched for the Time Instrument back then promoted the development of the Justice Armor. Now, the Justice Armor has taken its initial shape. And my path has come to an end here. More than ten years of painstaking efforts, and I have devoted all my long nights to the vast world of books. Even if I am at the end of my rope, trapped in hopelessness, even in the coldest and loneliest snowy nights, I still light the green lamp, brush away the snow on the desk, and write line after line on the worn-out paper. The star tracks revolve, and the seconds drip. My life is consumed in the tik-toks of the gears turning. At such an age, my temples have already turned white. My eyes, which have stared at the dim lamp for a long time, are also gradually blurring. Lying in the silent snowy night of Baidi City, my heart sinks. In the quietest moment, I hear the sound of the tide again. The temperature of Ah-Hui's fingertips, the waves in her eyes, the look of youthful recklessness. All the vivid details, along with the dream, swept through my night like flowing water. We are still standing in the rainy season many years ago, with young faces, bright eyes, and fearless courage, holding hands tightly, standing in front of the towering giant waves. The heart is as high as the sky and as wide as the sea, reaching everywhere. With the birth of the Justice Armor, my heart began to calm down. I am no longer afraid of the scorching flames, no longer dream of endless explosions, and no longer fear the long night. I decided to leave Baidi City. On that day, Yaoxing saw me off in person. Probably all these years, she has seen my pain and understands why I want to leave. If she were still the little girl back then, she would definitely tug at my clothes and say something about not wanting me to leave. Now she just silently accompanied me to stand on the edge of the cliff. No retention. The strong wind blew, and the wild grass on the snowfield fluttered. I saw her somewhat tired eyes and felt a trance. Years are like a mere moment. The last time I looked back at this city that carried countless loves and hates of mine. The snow-capped mountains stretch for thousands of miles, the cloud ladder goes straight up, the mechanisms are heavy, and the gears reach the sky. Everything here becomes eternal. I decided to go to the rainy Jiangnan that Ah-Hui spoke of, which is his hometown. Go to the frontier he yearned for and bring his inventions to the soldiers on the front line. Go to the capital he read about in his books. He said that the red leaves of Jinming are falling, which must be a beautiful scenery in the world. For this, he brewed a jar of maple wine, and now it is a good year to open it. Ah-Hui, I think, I finally found the answer: Memory is the most powerful force to change time. As long as I remember you, you will never be far away. One day, we shall meet somewhere.