The splendid jadeite fell from the sky, washed by the ever-flowing cleansing waters. Freed from dark earth and rotten wood, every trace of residue removed. A primordial stone, chiseled and molded by the hands of mortal youth. Ultimately becoming a splendid jade instrument, awaiting a serendipitous moment to fulfill its sacred purpose... "It is just as I said," mused the researcher from the realm of rainforests over tea, "the arc of history bends towards decay and collapse." "The fall of humanity can only be prevented with the wisdom and mercy of the gods. Without these, humans will inevitably annihilate themselves." "Witness the silent testimony of the deserted ruins lying betwixt mountain and swamp. Witness the wild beasts in the hills, bereft of their powers of speech and spirit..." "The people of the past perished without a trace, and even their greatest kings and chiefs failed to make even a ripple." The people of Chenyu Vale did not always dwell there, but once called the crystal-veined mountains home. Life of family and tribe both revolved around the mines, and their settlements stretched from peak to peak. But the ancient sin lying buried beneath their feet and shovels was unknown to the mortals, hidden under the deepest shafts. Divine punishment is unforgiving, and cares not for the lives of mortals. After the catastrophe, their forebears were forced to bring their families northward. The elders of Qiaoying Village claim that the ancestors of the people of Chenyu Vale came from a chasm to the south. They brought with them a great jade altar, and left behind ancient, enigmatic ruins... When war among the gods brought tragedy, the ancestors of Chenyu Vale's people were reduced to wandering refugees. Their descendents once believed in a now-forgotten god, and all are now lost to history and consigned to dust. "An unsound theory," responded the consultant in the dark robes, "the history of mortals is one filled with rebirth." "Glory and ruin both spring from mortals themselves. Without agency, there is no rise or fall to speak of." "Ancient ruins lie forsaken, but their former inhabitants, buffeted by fate, live on to this day..." "The fading of their ancestors has given rise to the prosperity of today... even if they are now assimilated, one with the people of a new god." "Even if they are often helpless in matters great and small, they have not been destroyed by circumstance, but rather made their own choices." "As for the wisdom and laws of the gods, they are based on the consensus of mortals, and not personal whim." After a short while, the trivial debate over tea came to an inconclusive end. Such discussions between mortals and gods are wont to end in squabbling over this and that. But the Bishui River flows eternal, just as the luster of the sacred jade within remains as constant as its former master.