Xuanzang ran his hands over the stone sliding blocks. He shifted a few, then moved the wooden tile nearer to the puzzle's exit. Together, the sliding blocks formed the archway of the chamber's exit. It seemed that once he could retrieve the wooden tile, Xuanzang would be able to escape the Mountain God's trap.

Xuanzang had travelled to the Bayan Har Mountains following the disappearance of China's* Great Rivers. Long ago, the Four Great Dragons gifted Earth with water. This led the Mountain God to imprison them within the mountains. Yet the dragons' essence transformed into giant rivers, which sustained the Chinese people ever since.

But now the rivers were gone, and the people were suffering. His prayers going unanswered, Xuanzang knew it was time to visit the Mountain God to ask for the dragons' freedoms.

Yet the last thing the monk remembered was descending into a cavern before darkness snuffed the flame from his lantern. And then nothing. When he came to, Xuanzang was in a strange underground chamber. In the light of his reignited lantern, Xuanzang saw the sliding block puzzle built into the chamber's exit. No doubt a personal challenge from the Mountain God himself.

A hopeless task, rumbled a brass masculine voice. You shall suffocate before you finish.

"I have faith," Xuanzang replied. He paused and closed his eyes as another bout of dizziness washed over him.

It was an arduous process. Time crawled by as Xuanzang worked deftly, sliding the stone blocks back and forth. He wondered if the characters carved upon them would help him in any way. All through this, Xuanzang prayed for the Great Dragons' assistance. Their presences were faint, but there. They guided the monk's hands. Finally, Xuanzang slid the wooden tile out of the archway's frame.

Such infinite patience! I should expect nothing less from the famed Xuanzang.

The tile was a thin box. Xuanzhang pried it open. Inside were tiny bamboo shoots, all seventy-one of them perfectly preserved. Xuanzhang looked back at the puzzle.

Solved, the stone blocks revealed a message on either side of the doorway.

"Plant the bamboo along the routes where our waters used to flow," Xuanzhang read out loud, "and we will find the strength to return."

The words of the Great Dragons' promise faded on his lips.

Very clever. I see they had used my own puzzle against me, the Mountain God grumbled.

Xuanzang said, "Why wait until now for your revenge? Please, leave the past behind."

The Mountain God was silent. The chamber shook. Slowly, the doorway rolled open.

Xuanzang stepped outside. Craggy black-faced mountains rose up around him, reaching into the predawn darkness. From his home in Chang'an, the Bayan Har mountains were majestic. But it was here that Xuanzang could admire the rock formations that were reminiscent of slumbering stone dragons.

The bamboo shoots tucked safely in his robes, Xuanzang headed towards the Yellow River basin. There was much to do before he could go home.

Footnotes

-Xuanzang was a Chinese Buddhist monk and scholar well-known for his famous 17-year pilgrimage to India. After returning to China, he spent the rest of his life transcribing the Buddhist texts he had brought back from his journey. (This story is set around 650, several years after his return.) The Journey to the West is a famous story inspired by the real-life man.

-Technically, the Mountain God was only following the Jade Emperor's orders. The Four Dragons brought water to Earth without the Jade Emperor's permission, which was why the dragons got trapped. But thanks to Xin Jing, the goddess of courage, the dragons were still able to provide Earth with water. I couldn't explain it fully in 500 words.

-The title is a Chinese proverb: "When you drink water, remember the mountain spring."

*China wasn't known as "China" until 1912 (or 1689 if you count the usage of "Zhongguo," which was later shortened to "China"). During the story's time period, China was made up of several dynasties, but I didn't know how to address the entirety of China without being wordy.