Chapter 11: After the Storm Comes the Rainbow

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Chapter 11: After the Storm Comes the Rainbow

“Someone, come quickly! A tsunami is about to hit the island—everyone, prepare yourselves!”
Upon hearing Li Hongshen’s urgent message, anxiety rippled through the people inside the cave. Their previous tribe had been destroyed by a tsunami; those who survived had been swept onto this very island, so they knew all too well the terrifying power of the waves.
Fortunately, Li Hongshen had already calmed the group and laid out a plan.
With a year’s worth of authority built up, the crowd remained relatively composed. They pressed themselves against the walls, gripping sturdy wooden posts so that even if the mountain shook, they could keep their footing.
Li Hongshen, accompanied by more than a dozen warriors, approached the mouth of the cave. Forming a long line, they passed sandbags from the rear forward to block the entrance. Others stood ready near several ventilation shafts, sandbags in hand, poised to seal them and prevent seawater from flooding in.
In addition to sandbags, they had prepared several long, thick bamboo poles, hollowed out through charcoal-burning. Should the worst happen, these could be angled outward to allow breathing air from outside.
Within the mountain, Li Hongshen could not witness the spectacle outside. The streak that divided the sky was actually a massive wave—nearly thirty meters tall—pushing a white line high into the air, then surging forward with relentless force.
Minutes after Li Hongshen rushed back into the cave, the giant wave struck the island, and seawater surged inland, rapidly spreading from the coast across the entire land.
When the tide crashed against the island, everyone inside the mountain felt the cave tremble violently; cries of alarm escaped their lips. Thankfully, the mountain was solid, and the cave had been reinforced with support beams. No collapse or disaster occurred.
Outside the cave, the place where the Trial Seeker was docked was now submerged, with only a few masts protruding to show the ship remained anchored, unmoved by the flood.
The smelting workshop and the cane fields, along with the sugar and paper mills, were spared major damage due to their higher elevation; meanwhile, the waterwheel spun wildly backward under the forceful winds.
Phoenix Valley, sheltered by a dense forest, saw the tide slow as it passed through the trees. The surge swept over the small plain at the mouth of the valley, destroyed some hemp grass, then gently struck the camp’s fence and receded along the river.
After the tsunami swept across the island, it collapsed outward like dominoes, the waves folding in on themselves and finally transforming into smaller ripples that rolled away into the distance.
Following in the wake of the tsunami came the typhoon. Within just one hour after the deluge, the storm made landfall on the island.

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Even inside the cave, the tearing force of the wind was palpable. The howling grew louder from outside, and the drafts through the vents caused the hanging leather armor and cured meats to sway and collide.
Li Hongshen dared not venture out; besides the necessary ventilation openings, the cave entrance was sealed completely. He lay quietly in his hammock within the mountain, waiting for the typhoon to pass.
Still, he felt a measure of relief. The wind roared outside, but no seawater poured in through the vents, proof that the tsunami had indeed passed.
On Wednesday, a sudden hush fell over the outside world. The sounds of wind and rain diminished drastically. Li Hongshen peered out from the cave and saw a breathtaking, awe-inspiring scene.
The typhoon had not ended, but now the island sat in the eye of the storm. Overhead stretched a clear sky, ten miles wide, encircled by a wall of gray-white wind.
Through his telescope, he could see water vapor and small stones lifted by the wind, rising into the sky before being swept into the wind wall at a certain height.
Within the eye, near the cave, he felt the wind blowing downward, pressing on his chest—an oppressive, uncomfortable sensation.
The typhoon moved swiftly. By the time Li Hongshen noticed the quiet and looked out, the wind wall was already upon them. Startled, he withdrew into the cave, waiting for the storm to fade.
The typhoon persisted until Saturday night. During that time, Li Hongshen checked the cave entrance several times. The weather was too harsh for him to inspect the camp at the foot of the mountain, but he was not overly worried. If worst came to worst, they could rebuild.
As the saying goes, “If you keep the people but lose the land, you can regain both; if you keep the land but lose the people, you lose everything.”
As long as people remain, hope endures. Camps can always be rebuilt, but without people, the camp is meaningless.
This truth was clear, but each year, some candidates grew greedy and refused to compromise.
The lucky lost only a few people; the unfortunate quietly withdrew from the trial.
On Sunday—half a month before the trial’s end—the wind and rain finally ceased. The cries of seabirds echoed beyond the valley. Li Hongshen knew the ordeal had been overcome.
This experience of surviving natural disaster left a deep mark on Li Hongshen’s heart, shattering the pride he’d carried as a transmigrant from another world.

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In the face of such calamity, how was he any different from the other trial seekers? He too lay down, letting disaster run its course; he too hid in the shelter he had built, waiting for nature’s fury to abate.
Li Hongshen, accompanied by a few others, stepped out of the cave. He looked up at the sky—now clear, with not a single cloud. The blue expanse was dotted with pairs of soaring seabirds, filling him with a sense of ease.
“Look there—a rainbow! It’s beautiful!”
Li Li’s excited shout drew Li Hongshen’s gaze from the sky. Following Li Li’s pointing finger, he saw a vast rainbow bridge stretching across the heavens, from the western mountains all the way to the foot of the cave, spanning the entire island.
Under the morning sun, the vibrant, seven-colored arc was especially enchanting. Gazing at the scene, Li Hongshen drew a deep breath:
“Ahhhhhhhhh—!”
He shouted until his face flushed and the veins in his neck stood out, and after he finished, he felt an incredible sense of relief.
Half a month spent in the cave had brought a sense of oppression. For years as a transmigrant in this unfamiliar civilization, he’d always felt out of place, never trusting anyone, never daring to open his heart.
With this shout, he released the pent-up frustration, dispelled the tension, and shed the pressure that had weighed on his mind. Now, his spirits soared; all those chaotic thoughts were cast aside.
Li Hongshen turned to the elders at his side—Li Li and the others—his gaze firm and gentle as he declared:
“I will face this world with reverence, but I will stand beside you. I will always lead from the front, and I will guide you all to the summit.”
Li Li did not understand what had changed in Li Hongshen, only that after the chief’s shout, his aura grew steadier—like a rock, or a mountain—instilling trust and inspiring others to follow him.
“Chief, don’t worry—I’ll always be with you!”
(End of chapter)