The mattress that Bai Ruyi had slept in was once again neatly folded up and stored away. That night, Qing Xue didn’t spread it out again. Exhausted in both body and spirit, he went to sleep and dreamt.
They were not peaceful dreams. In one, he was pushing a boulder up a steep slope. The way wasn’t always smooth, but he had the necessary strength and determination to eventually reach the summit.
Just as he reached his goal, however, the mountain transformed into a volcano, and the boulder he’d expended all his effort into pushing upward ended up falling all the way to the bottom again. He had no way to reach it except fall down the volcano’s mouth after it.
Forget about being able to push the boulder up again from inside that fiery prison. They’d both melt from the heat and perish even
