The River Without Shores

The inspiration behind the story: The creator of this book has spent years reading Dou Dou’s The Distant Savior and shares its concerns. The ideas of “the Way of Heaven,” “cultural attributes,” and “There is no savior in this world; people can only save themselves” have long stayed with me. The original novel ends on an exceptionally sharp point: people must save themselves. But what comes after saving yourself? What comes after proving the Way of Heaven? How should one live with the feeling that “you’ve proved it, yet it still feels empty”? That was the thought that gave rise to River Without a Shore. This story picks up seven years after Rui Xiaodan’s death, with Ding Yuanying still trapped in his obsession with “proving the Way of Heaven.” In an echo of fate spanning Berlin, the ancient city, and Wangmiao Village, those from the past each seek their own path: Xiao Yawen shoulders the burden of Gree Electric; Ouyang Xue holds fast to the Way of Heaven found in common sense; Lin Mo casts off his arrogance in the shadow of his older brother Lin Yufeng; and Wang Yu, a second-generation resident of Wangmiao Village, inherits the “unyielding strength” embodied by that jade pendant. At last, Ding Yuanying understands that “proving the Way of Heaven is easy; living freely is hard.” Yet in a private moment when he sinks to the ground, a crack opens within him: he admits that he, too, can be afraid and may never reach shore. He lets go. He stops searching for shore, and stops searching for anyone. In a river without a shore, each swims away alone.