Twilight of the Drought King: The Eulogy of a Mountain and Sea

In the heart of ancient China, where the Great Wall meets the boundless horizon, there lay a mountain known as Mount Jiuli. It was said that Mount Jiuli was not just a geographical feature but a guardian of the land, its roots entwined with the very essence of the sea. The Drought King, a figure of legend, had ruled over the land for a millennium, his rule marked by prosperity and, as the years waned, an unyielding drought.

The Drought King's reign had been one of unparalleled power and wisdom. His people, the Jiuli, revered him as a deity, a being of both mountain and sea. However, as the drought deepened, whispers of his divine nature waned, replaced by fears that the land was forsaken by the gods.

The people turned to their elders, seeking a way to end the drought. The elders, wise in the ways of ancient rituals, spoke of the Drought King's Last Rites, a ceremony that would be the ultimate test of his divinity. It was said that the king would die, his life force consumed by the elements, and in doing so, the drought would be lifted.

The Last Rites were to be a grand spectacle, a ritual that would bridge the divide between mountain and sea. The Drought King, with a heavy heart, agreed to the ceremony, knowing it would be his final act as the king.

The ritual began under the watchful eyes of the Jiuli, who gathered at the foot of Mount Jiuli. The king, adorned in robes of white silk, ascended the mountain, his every step echoing with the weight of his destiny. The people of the sea, too, were drawn to witness the spectacle, their boats floating on the surface of the vast, barren sea.

As the king reached the peak, the elders performed a series of complex incantations. The mountain, once a majestic sentinel, began to tremble, its peaks shrouded in mist. The sea, normally calm, roared with a fury, waves crashing against the rocks as if to protest the king's sacrifice.

The king stood at the precipice, facing the abyss. The elders whispered, "To end the drought, you must embrace the elements of earth and water, fire and air, and let them consume you."

With a solemn nod, the Drought King stepped off the edge, his body a mere shadow against the sky. The sea surged forward, its waves engulfing him, and the mountain, now bereft of its guardian, seemed to weep, its tears becoming rain that began to fall in torrents.

The people of the Jiuli and the sea watched in awe as the king's body was consumed by the elements. His spirit, however, did not fade. It rose into the sky, transforming into a figure of light, a beacon that would guide the people through the darkness.

The drought ended that day. The land bloomed with life, the sea returned to its former splendor, and the people of the Jiuli rejoiced. The Drought King, though no longer among them, was forever remembered as the one who gave up his life for the sake of his people.

The elders spoke of the ritual as a testament to the king's divinity, a story that would be told for generations. They spoke of the mountain and the sea, now in harmony, as a symbol of the eternal balance between life and death.

As the years passed, the story of the Drought King's Last Rites became a legend, a tale of sacrifice and redemption. It was said that on the anniversary of the king's death, the mountain and the sea would perform a final ritual, a dance of light and water that would remind the people of the king's enduring legacy.

And so, the people of the Jiuli and the sea, year after year, would gather to witness the ritual, a testament to the enduring power of love and sacrifice. For in the end, the Drought King's Last Rites had not only ended a drought but had also given birth to a new understanding of life, death, and the eternal cycle of nature.