This was a shallow river basin, with small tributaries crisscrossing and covering a vast expanse of land. The moist soil provided natural conditions for wetland plants, and clusters of tall grass resembling reeds dominated an enormous area.
Standing about five meters tall, with robust stems and roots, they bore fluffy white and red blossoms. Swaying in the wind, they conveyed a graceful charm.
On a high knoll farther from the shallow water, where the soil was dry and the terrain open, lived a group of peculiar humanoid creatures—the Kui Ru.
While a year had passed outside, much more time had elapsed inside.
The Kui Ru originally lived near a tributary on the south bank of the Dahe. Tall creatures resembling a mix of monkeys and deer, they had horns on their heads, thick fur, five toes on each hand and foot, and white tails at their backs.
