Fish Love - Part 2

Xuan stood with his back to the water tank, silently gazing at the oil painting on the room wall.

The water in the tank made a splashing sound as Tutu^[1] moved around with enthusiasm. Every now and then, she would leap from the water, creating a graceful arc in the air before splashing back into the water with a 'plop.'

"Xuan!" Tutu stopped her somewhat boring self-amusement, rising to the water's surface. "What's wrong? You seem really unhappy today."

Xuan didn't look back, his slender figure casting a shadow on the oil painting.

"I'll escort you back," he said, "back to the Western Waters of the Hidden Sea, your home."

Tutu's tail fin moved slowly, and the ripples in the water grew smaller and smaller.

"Endless nights of running for your life, and you still don't think it's a kind of torture?" Xuan walked over, sizing up the thick glass in front of him seriously and sternly. "If you stay any longer, you could die at any moment."

The movement in the water tank became smaller and smaller, and Tutu swam away in silence.

Xuan turned to the other side of the water tank and took off his shirt, exposing his right shoulder with its brutally obvious wound.

"You're injured?!" Tutu exclaimed, swimming over in surprise, almost crashing into the glass in her haste.

"Its power is getting stronger and stronger, and I don't have much confidence to resist it again." Xuan put his shirt back on. "You must leave."

There was absolute silence in the secret room, not even breathing could be heard.

"It's time for you to pick Kai up from school!" Tutu suddenly shouted, her voice crisp and clear, and she excitedly wagged her tail, her gaze fixed on the imaginary window outside, a smile in her eyes.

Yes, fish can smile too, as long as you look into their eyes carefully.

"Do you really need to do this?" Xuan stared at her in bewilderment. "You understand what I'm saying."

"Shouldn't you be asking yourself that question?" Tutu playfully blew out a string of bubbles, forming a comic face in the water. Her momentary silence and restraint were as elusive as popped bubbles.

Tutu was, of course, no ordinary fish. She was a monster, a fish demon named "Wangxing^[2]."

They roamed the Three Realms^[3] unhindered. As long as they wished, they could conceal their forms and go unnoticed by anyone, including the most profound experts who could find their targets without using their eyes.

Almost all monsters, and even some human cultivators, harbored an intense desire to taste a "Wangxing" in their lifetime or at the very least, catch a whiff of it. They were just like the monsters in "Journey to the West," where each and everyone was coveting a piece of Tang Monk's flesh that granted immortality^[4].

"Wangxing" was their shortcut to acquiring everything, a means to do as they pleased without anyone standing in their way. Even if it were just a low-level demon that consumed "Wangxing," they could descend into the Underworld and break into the Heavenly Palace, seizing its treasures as if they’d entered a deserted land.

"Wangxing" was their myth.

Precious things are always rare. The price one had to pay to catch a "Wangxing" most often amounted to a life. "Wangxing" was born in the depths of the Western Waters of the Hidden Sea. Since ancient times, the Western Waters of the Hidden Sea had been a sacred land teeming with monsters. It was already a difficult feat for those lucky enough to reach the seaside, but venturing into the sea to search for the fish meant risking being swallowed up by the strange undercurrents in the sea or being eaten by the monsters hiding in it.

So far, only an old man surnamed Jiang, who had ventured alone to the Western Waters of the Hidden Sea thousands of years ago, had successfully caught a "Wangxing" that was still in its infancy. However, on his way back, Old Man Jiang let it go because the "Wangxian" said something to him.

In a previous conversation, Xuan had asked Tutu what she had said to the old man all those years ago.

Tutu blew out a bubble, recalled it for a long time, and then replied, "I just said something very foolish and naive. I asked, 'Can you build a nation by eating a single fish? If so, then eat me.'"

Xuan smiled, "And then he let you go?"

"The old man didn't say anything. He just stood under the starry sky all night. The next morning, he put me in a river. The river was so clear back then, nothing like it is now with plastic bags and food containers everywhere," Tutu said earnestly.

Whenever he recalled the scene of chatting with Tutu, Xuan would be amused by her innocent expression. He was not someone who smiled easily.

But today, even though Tutu was displaying all her happiness and cuteness, he couldn't find a smile.

"The news said that tonight is the day of the blue moon. It's not too late to change your mind now." Xuan said heavily, walking straight out without looking at Tutu.

"Xuan……"

In that fleeting moment just before he left the secret room, Tutu called his name.

He didn't turn around, didn't want to look at her, and definitely didn't want to see those bright eyes.

"You and I are the same, including our choices."

Her figure gradually disappeared in the water.

---

Footnotes:

[1] Names like Tutu are often chosen for their simplicity, phonetic sound, or aesthetic qualities. The character tú means wish; draw; plot; map; picture; diagram; to seek.

[2] 忘形 (wàng xíng) : to be beside oneself (with glee, etc.); to have one's head turned; ecstasy; oblivion.

[3] 三 界 is actually Trailokya or the “three worlds” of Buddhism. However, in fantasy novels like this story, Three Realms usually refers to the Sky (God/Heaven) Realm and the Earth(Demon/Hell) Realm, with the Mortal Realm in between.

[4] Tang Monk is Tang Sanzang, a central character in the novel Journey to the West. He is sent by the Emperor Taizong on a mission to India to fetch a set of Buddhist scriptures back to China for the purpose of spreading Buddhism in his native land. Along the journey, Tang Sanzang is constantly terrorized by monsters and demons due to a legend which says that one can attain immortality by consuming his flesh because he is a reincarnation of a holy being.

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Previous ┃ TOC ┃ Next

Fish Love - Part 1

The piercing sound of sirens gradually faded into the distance on the tree-lined road, following the roar of the engine.

Early this morning, a cleaner in that villa area discovered dozens of cat corpses and the body of a mountain eagle, and, surprised, called 110^[1].

Cangtong Kai^[2] stood behind the French window, gazing at the departing police car from the second floor of the villa. The morning sunlight fell into his dark blue eyes, reflecting a cold glare.

Xuan^[3] was dressed in all black as always, and stood hidden and alert in a place untouched by the sunshine, just like a specter with a breath.

"She’ll attract more and more intruders," Xuan said with a hint of concern, his sword-like brows slightly furrowing, a rare sight for him. "Sir will be back soon, and if he finds out..."

"It's your responsibility to deal with intruders, no matter how many," Cangtong Kai interrupted Xuan and brushed past him. "I'm heading to school. Get the car ready."

"Kai," Xuan stood still like a statue.

Cangtong Kai stopped and turned his face slightly.

Xuan remained silent for a while, as if making a difficult decision, and then spoke in a deep voice, "Send her away."

"If I can't protect even her, then I shouldn't be surnamed Cangtong. I'm not afraid of any intruders," Cangtong Kai patted Xuan's shoulder and smiled. "You're the same, aren't you?"

Xuan's brows suddenly tightened, and his shoulder twitched slightly.

"What's wrong?" Cangtong Kai sensed something was amiss. "Are you injured?"

"A minor injury. During the scuffle with that eagle monster early this morning, I was accidentally cut," Xuan returned to his usual expression. "I'll go get the car."

"You rarely make mistakes," Cangtong Kai winked at him. "Do you want me to help?"

"An accident," Xuan shook his head, smiling wryly.

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. I'm not afraid to break the family rules."

Cangtong Kai whistled lightly as he descended the stairs. Xuan's eyes reflected his retreating figure and a vague hesitation to speak.

Cangtong Kai stood in front of the bedroom mirror. His crisp white shirt carried a faint smell of shower gel, and his black school uniform jacket stubbornly refused to button up. The tall and handsome young man in the mirror looked at himself indifferently.

Behind the mirror, there was a protruding button. When pressed, the massive wardrobe against the wall would move half a meter to the side, revealing a hidden door in the wall.

That was where Cangtong Kai had been going every day for the past seven years.

Behind the hidden door, the secret room had marble flooring and walls so smooth they resembled mirrors, with even the marble's delicate veining on full display. Apart from a large water tank that stood about the height of a person, there was nothing else inside. The walls lacked windows but featured a huge oil painting. In the painting, the sky was a pristine blue, and there were vast, finely detailed stretches of beach with no one in sight, except for two sets of footprints extending into the sea. The entire painting was so lifelike that one could almost hear the sound of the waves.

Paint brushes and paints lay scattered on the ground, and the colorful oil paints had splashed across the white floor, looking prettier than flowers.

Cangtong Kai walked up to the water tank positioned opposite the oil painting and lightly tapped on the glass, like a courteous gentleman knocking on a door.

"You start school today, right?"

The tranquil water's surface rippled, and a fish about a foot long, with diamond-like white scales, gracefully moved its lace-like fins and tail as it gradually appeared from the other end of the water tank. It happily swam up to Cangtong Kai.

"Yes. What flavor of ice cream are you in the mood for today?" Cangtong Kai revealed a rare smile, and every line on his face softened at the sound of the crisp and melodious female voice. His tone was filled with affection and indulgence.

Tutu was a fish, but she could talk and had a fondness for ice cream. So, in Cangtong Kai's heart, Tutu was never an "it" but always a "she."

"I want vanilla chocolate!"

"Single scoop?"

"Double scoop!!"

"You'll get chubby!"

"I can always get a bigger water tank!"

Cangtong Kai shook his head helplessly and placed his palm on the fish tank. Tutu happily did a few spins and her pink mouth planted a kiss on his palm. Chu~

Between them, there was always a thick pane of glass, but it couldn't separate their small warmth.

"Please pay attention in class!"

"I know!"

"Don't get into a fight!"

"I know!!"

"Be sure to button up your jacket when you come home. Swine flu has been rampant lately."

"Alright…"

"And don’t forget the ice cream! Double scoop!!"

"..."

Cangtong Kai raised his hands in surrender, looking childishly dejected. "Fine, double scoop it is!"

Tutu triumphantly blew a string of bubbles, which formed a big V in the water.

Tutu was the only true friend Cangtong Kai recognized.

Tutu was also someone he had to protect at all costs. 

---

Footnotes:

[1] Emergency number in China.

[2] cāng=blue-green/cold and tóng=pupil of the eye. kǎi=triumphant; victorious.

[3] xuán=black/mysterious.

---

Translator:

I forgot to add footnotes for names in the previous arc. I'll do it...soon.

Previous ┃ TOC ┃ Next

Fish Love - Introduction

I can’t believe I’m being threatened! Me, a majestic millennium-old tree demon.

The person across the table is smooth-skinned with fine features. He tilted his head and glared at me like an arrogant idler. His bangs covered half of his eyes and he wore an expression of cold arrogance that kept people at a distance. Unfortunately, his black high school uniform betrayed his fake maturity.

"Find me the purest water in the world," he said, assessing my dessert shop named "Unceasing" just ten minutes ago. There was nothing but disdain in his beautiful eyes. "If you can find it, besides the service fee, I'll give you ten storefronts, each ten times more luxurious than this lousy little store now."

"What if I can't find it?" I crossed my legs gracefully and blew away a tea leaf floating on the dark-green tea in front of me, mocking this ignorant^[1] brat^[2] N times.

"I'll demolish your shop." He picked up the taro milk cake on the plate, frowned as he sniffed it, and then threw it back.

When I used the words "See the visitor out!" to express the greatness of this shop owner who was "uncorrupted by wealth and honors, and would not yield to power^[3]," the two security guards I’d hired, Fatty and Skinny, were drooling over the Maserati parked in front of the store. Skinny even took out a calculator and was earnestly calculating how long it would take him to afford such a car on his salary.

I yelled these two shameful guys back to the kitchen.

"The information I received is that you love money the most," he said, turning a deaf ear to my dismissal and looking up at me. "You have no reason to refuse." Finally, he took a sip of the tea I had made for him, visibly wrinkled his nose as if he wanted to spit it out but forced himself to swallow it, and then sneered defiantly, "There is nothing impossible for my family to do. You should know that."

I also sneered and snorted disdainfully. I know his name is Cangtong Kai. Of course, I also know the secrets of the Cangtong family. But what of it? Threatening a senior demon is not the right way to go about it. Young people always make this kind of mistake.

"I like money, but I don't like you. So, the door is that way." I stood up and left, my back resolute.

Little brat, trying to challenge my character?!

Suddenly, I heard a muffled thud from behind. When I turned around, Cangtong Kai was actually kneeling on one knee.

"Please, save her," he pleaded, his voice filled with suppressed frustration.

On the table between us, aside from teacups and pastries, there was a small fish tank. Inside the clear glass, there was a white fish with fin and tail fringes that resembled lace, swimming slowly.

The water in the fish tank was a pale shade of red. When Cangtong Kai brought it in, the water had been colorless. There was a wound on the left fin of the fish, and blood was slowly seeping out, spreading through the water.

"I've used the most expensive medicine and sought the world's top experts, but I can't heal it," Cangtong Kai's beautiful eyes clouded with a layer of depressed gray. He traced his fingers over the fish tank, his expression pained. "Its wound won't heal. Someone told me that only the purest water can save it."

"I have a whole bucket of purified water here, you can take it if you like," I said, moving my eyes away from the fish tank and pointing to the water dispenser in the corner. I’m sure my expression is a hundred times more repulsive than when he had threatened me earlier.

"You..." He suddenly raised his head, his fists clenched so tightly they creaked. His fair face turned as red as a tomato, angry to the extreme yet unable to erupt.

As if I can’t deal with you, brat?! I evilly made a V for victory sign in my mind.

"Get up," I said, feeling quite satisfied, putting away my witch-like viciousness. I walked around the table and smiled as I took his arm. "How about we have tea and you tell me a story? About you, and about that fish."

---

Footnotes:

[1] bù zhī tiān gāo dì hòu: Idiom, to have an exaggerated opinion of one's abilities; to think one knows everything; to be ignorant.

[2] Xiǎopìhái: (derogatory) brat; wimpy kid; an unintelligent and unreasonable kid.

[3] From Mencius’s  富贵不能淫，贫贱不能移，威武不能屈: not corrupted by wealth and honors, not shaken by poverty/ to preserve one's ambitions although destitute, unyielding to power.

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Translator:

New story~

Previous ┃ TOC ┃ Next

Longevity - End

Fatty and Skinny were busy in the kitchen, and "Unceasing Dessert Shop" was filled with the smell of cream and powdered sugar.

"Are you really unable to find him?"

"Where to find, Shaluo? You should know better than anyone else that demons who can't pass the ordeal have only one end - death. At most, they leave behind a corpse in this world. Since the other party is a tree demon, you can go to his place of origin and look for his body. Use it to make a chair or stool or something as a memento."

"Jiu Jue, do you have to speak so venomously? I'm just asking casually!"

Hanging up the phone sullenly, I whipped the man on the other end of the phone to death a hundred times in my heart.

I admit, I had fantasized that Liang Yudong was still alive, just like in a soap opera plot, where he would miraculously encounter a master or secret technique at the last moment, escaping certain death.

The purity and longing in Ah-Liao's eyes made me unable to help but act on impulse and want to help her.

However, it is just a fantasy borne of a short-circuited brain.

Ah-Liao's future happiness can only be achieved by her alone.

I took a deep breath, stretched lazily, and walked out of the room while humming an old and rustic song - "Wishing You Peace."

The computer on the table was left on, and the web page displayed a short introduction: "Tang Dynasty poet Wang Wei spent his later years in seclusion in Wangchuan, and it is said that he personally planted a ginkgo tree."

In the center of the webpage with a ginkgo tree as its background, there were two lines written in regular script—

Of precious ginkgo wood are these graceful beams,
The eaves are woven lemongrass so sweet.
The lingering clouds between the purlins, it seems,
Would turn to downpour the human world to greet.

"Wangchuan Collection: Wenxingguan" by Wang Wei of Tang Dynasty.

---

Translator:

I copied the poem's English translation from this website. My limited linguistic skills are insufficient to translate Chinese poetry…

Can you guess who Jiu Jue is? Did you enjoy the first story arc? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Previous ┃ TOC ┃ Next

Longevity - Part 6

"I've been waiting for twenty years," the woman seemed to have grown accustomed to the taste of "fleeting life," and there was only half of the tea left in her cup. "He hasn't come back."

I turned around and looked at the dying ginkgo tree in the backyard.

"You're also a tree demon. Can you help me find him?" The woman leaned forward, tears welling up in her eyes. "He left a whole box of gold for me. As long as you can find him, I'll give you the rest."

"You still can't read, can you, Ah-Liao?" I replied without directly addressing her request.

She stared blankly before nodding sheepishly.

"That's also good." I chuckled.

She looked at me, puzzled.

"You'll always remember him, won't you? And all those days you spent together," I took a sip of my tea. "Remember the happiness you promised him."

"Yes," her tone held the gentlest determination.

I set down my cup and pushed the gold bars back toward her. "Please return."

"Miss Shaluo, you..." She was stunned, then disappointed.

"Live happily. Maybe there will be a chance to meet again."

I got up and saw her out.

"Boss, you... you actually refused so much gold!" Fatty, one of the workers, emerged from behind me and stared at Ah-Liao's retreating figure with a look of great sadness and frustration.

Skinny, the second worker, rapidly tapped on his calculator, calculating how much cash that pile of gold could fetch at today's gold price and how much of life's luxuries it could buy.

I ignored their presence, reached out, and plucked a book from the air. The yellowed cover bore the title "Prescription of Elixir of Immortality for Demons" in neatly written characters.

I flipped through it twice and landed on the "Tree Demon" section. My gaze rested on the last few lines—

"Ginkgo Nut: A panacea, born from the Sacred Ginkgo Tree in the heavenly realm. Four appear in the mortal world every thousand years, transforming into humanoid form upon landing. They all resemble young girls, with flesh, blood, heart and will indistinguishable from humans. They have a mellow and full appearance, are pure of heart, and devoid of evil thoughts. Where they reside, withered trees flourish, bearing abundant fruits even in winter. Take her heart on the day of the destined calamity, supplement it with the above mentioned medicinal ingredients to create the Elixir of Immortality for Tree Demons. Consuming it can protect the tree demon's primordial spirit from dispersing and its true body from getting destroyed. Longevity is assured."

"It's quite easy to deceive her," I chuckled, closing the book and walking towards the backyard.

"What? Boss also has this book?" Fatty and Skinny made a huge fuss as they rushed, their eyes fixed on what I held like it was a treasure.

"You'd be wise to abandon any thoughts of snooping," I gave them a withering look and raised an eyebrow. "Otherwise, I might take a leaf out of my kind's book and cast a forgetful spell on your food, leaving you illiterate for the rest of your life."

Fatty and Skinny looked at each other and whispered: "We don't seem to know many words to begin with..."

The moon arched gracefully in the sky, and its cool radiance gently bathed the courtyard at night.

"Why do I feel like this ginkgo tree suddenly looks much healthier? It has so many more leaves, and they're so green. It looked nearly dead during the day," Fatty exclaimed loudly, pointing at the once-wilting ginkgo tree.

"You're right..." Skinny wandered around the tree for a while, then suddenly pointed high up in the tree and shouted, "Look there, it's bearing fruit! Isn't it too early for that?"

"So...can we make stewed chicken with ginkgo in advance?" Fatty began to drool, "That woman really is a ginkgo nut. She only stayed in our store for a long time, that's all, and now even this rotten tree is bearing fruit."

"I'll go get a pole to knock down the ginkgo nuts," Skinny disappeared in a flash.

I stood under the tree, patting its rough trunk, and mumbled to myself, "Killing her to make medicine, this so-called immortality will probably turn into endless loneliness and sorrow..."

When there's someone who treats you well, a moment is also a form of immortality.

Being firmly concerned about in someone's heart, never to be forgotten, death is also a form of immortality.

Liang Yudong probably thought so too at the end.

"Boss, won't we also have to face the destined calamity someday?" Fatty sneaked up behind me, eyeing the book in my hand greedily. "Um... I'm sure it must mention how our kind can survive the ordeal..."

"You're a long way from that time," I glanced at him. "But I'd suggest losing weight, so you can run faster when the thunder god strikes you."

"You're mocking my physical shortcomings..." Fatty bit his finger and squatted in the corner, looking wronged.

Seeing Fatty like this made me suddenly think of the white cat, Mo Bai. She was the smartest, much smarter than Liang Yudong. At least she understood the importance of making herself hate Ah-Liao from the beginning, rejecting all her kindness, so she wouldn't be wrecked with guilt when eating the ginkgo nut in the future.

However, she still didn't have the heart to do it in the end.

She had hundreds of chances to kill Ah-Liao.

Neither Liang Yudong nor Mo Bai achieved immortality.

But they both lived longer than anyone else—in the heart of a somewhat stupid woman who couldn't read named Ah-Liao.

---

Previous ┃ TOC ┃ Next

Longevity - Part 5

Ginkgo nuts!

Ah-Liao grabbed a flashlight, staggering and stumbling as she ran on the road.

Mo Bai said that all demons in the world have a destined calamity. If they couldn’t pass the ordeal, it was a one-way path to death, with both body and spirit destroyed. Fortunately, an expert in antiquity left behind a mysterious book - "Prescriptions of Immortality Elixir for Demons." As long as you gathered the various rare ingredients according to the prescription written in the book, and combined them with the essence of the demon itself, you could create a colorless, odorless, and tasteless godly medicine called the 'Elixir of Immortality.' When taken on the day of the calamity, one could safely pass the ordeal. The bird that died under the ginkgo tree failed to survive because of two reasons. First, he couldn't find all the medicinal materials he needed; second, he couldn't create the Elixir of Immortality specific to the bird demon clan. As a result, the bird demon failed his ordeal. Hundreds of years of cultivation was lost in a single night, and his pitiful life finally ended on the day of his destined ordeal.

Liang Yudong was a thousand-year-old ginkgo tree demon, and Mo Bai said that his destined day of ordeal was just three days away.

Ah-Liao could not live without Shifu.

She ran faster and faster, determined to help her shifu find this final ingredient. There were so many ginkgo trees in the forest, and she would collect plenty of ginkgo nuts.

On this summer night mountain road, the fragrance of grass was faint, insects chirped everywhere, and the stars in the night sky blinked like eyes, watching the girl running madly below.

The mountain road was too dark, and she ran too fast. A stone tripped her hard, and her palms and knees seemed to be scraped and bleeding. It hurt, but Ah-Liao held back her tears and got up, only to be blocked by someone.

"I knew you'd run around recklessly," Liang Yudong panted slightly, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "I'm really in bad shape. I can't even perform small tricks like instant teleportation anymore."

"Shifu, I'll go get ginkgo nuts for you!" Ah-Liao looked up at him, her eyes filled with an unprecedented determination.

Liang Yudong bent down and habitually ruffled her hair. "Silly girl, ginkgo nuts are not something you can get."

"I can," Ah-Liao grabbed his hand. "I know it's not yet the season for ginkgo trees to bear fruit, but there must be ginkgo trees which bear fruit early. I'll search for them one by one!"

"Ah-Liao..."

"Haha, it took no effort at all. The cat demon's barrier was useless."

A gust of wind blew by, and from behind a ginkgo tree, two middle-aged men dressed in black robes emerged, their fierce presence causing countless leaves to fall. The thin man with a goatee pointed at Liang Yudong and said, "Monster, I've been chasing you for twenty years. Today, you won't get a chance to escape again!"

Liang Yudong sneered, and pulled Ah-Liao behind him.

The bald-headed man next to him calculated something and whispered to the goatee man, "Senior brother, the ginkgo tree demon's destined ordeal is approaching and he has almost no magic power left. It's a shame that he escaped twenty years ago, otherwise..."

"Even though capturing him now for alchemy won't be of great use to us, he's still a thousand-year-old ginkgo tree, and after he takes the elixir, he'll surely become immortal," the goatee man's triangular eyes gleamed with greed and malice.

Two long swords materialized in their hands like magic, their cold light as snow, and menacing.

Liang Yudong pushed Ah-Liao behind him and leaped forward, engaging in a bare-handed battle with the two fellow apprentices. As the swords clashed, several wounds appeared on Liang Yudong's arms and back, and a liquid as green as jade oozed from the wounds, glowing faintly in the night.

Ah-Liao seized an opportunity and pounced, grabbing the bald man's leg and biting fiercely. Never, never before had she so disliked…hated these two sword-wielding men like she did now.

The bald man screamed in pain and struck Ah-Liao in the chest with a palm, sending her flying backward like a kite with a broken string. She finally landed in a soft embrace.

"Stupid girl," Mo Bai held her as they landed on the ground. She pointed her finger at Ah-Liao's nose and said, "Stay here and don't move!" Her agile body moved at an imperceptible speed as she entered the battle like a blade.

After more than a dozen rounds, both Taoists had numerous bloody wounds on their faces, and Mo Bai's body was also bruised.

"Monster, you've already lost during the day, and you still dare to struggle in your dying moments!" The goatee man sneered. He touched his face with one hand, and angered, he pulled out a yellow talisman paper in a flash. A ball of fire suddenly ignited between his fingers. "You're asking for death!"

Before he could finish speaking, the fireball shot out and rapidly expanded, fiercely rushing toward Mo Bai and Liang Yudong.

"You can't take this move, get out of the way!" Mo Bai pushed Liang Yudong away with one hand, lunged forward, and put out both her palms simultaneously. She shouted loudly, and blood-red meridians instantly spread across every inch of her skin.

"Mo Bai!" Liang Yudong, who had fallen to the ground, shouted in alarm.

With a deafening explosion, the sky suddenly rained down a dense "shower," extinguishing the fireball that had aimed to destroy everything.

The Taoists' bodies emitted white smoke as they groaned in pain. The goatee man in particular, covered his eyes and rolled on the ground.

Ah-Liao touched her wet face and found her palm covered in blood red.

"Let's go!" Liang Yudong rushed over, one arm around Mo Bai's waist and the other grabbing Ah-Liao.

For a moment, Ah-Liao's mind went blank, and the sound of rushing wind filled her ears.

When Ah-Liao regained consciousness, she found herself on top of a mountain, with the small city below faintly visible, its lights flickering.

"Using the blood demon technique without sufficient cultivation, you're too reckless!" Liang Yudong hugged Mo Bai, who was covered in blood, and tried to calm down, "Hang in there, I'll go find medicine."

"Stop doing useless things." Mo Bai held him back. Her lips as white as paper, she struggled to speak, "I thought... I could live forever in your light... Haha... Although I can't live forever, living for so many more years like this is also good."

Ah-Liao panicked and rushed over to embrace Mo Bai, shouting loudly, "Sister Mo Bai, what's wrong with you?"

Mo Bai slowly turned her head, locked eyes with Ah-Liao, and smiled. "I hate how you're always so kind to the people around you... I just didn't want to like you... I was afraid I would end up like that idiot..." She glanced at Liang Yudong, "I hate people who act impetuously the most."

"You can hate her all you want," Liang Yudong smiled and held her even tighter.

"Live well... you silly girl," Mo Bai exhaled deeply, and the only smile she gave Ah-Liao in her life remained on her gorgeous face forever.

Ah-Liao stared blankly as Mo Bai's body gradually shrank until it transformed into a tiny white cat, and finally, it turned into a shimmering light that disappeared into Liang Yudong's embrace.

"Shifu...Sister Mo Bai, she..." Ah-Liao stroked the soil on the ground like a fool, "Where did Sister Mo Bai go?"

"To another place of eternal life," Liang Yudong grabbed her hand, his face devoid of sadness, only a sense of acceptance.

Ah-Liao looked up, her eyes shimmering with tears. "Is Shifu going too, if we can't make the Elixir of Immortality?"

"I won't need to go if we have ginkgo nuts." Liang Yudong flicked her nose and pointed sideways to something behind them, "Look what's over there."

Ah-Liao turned around to see a tall ginkgo tree, lush with leaves, under the starlight.

Liang Yudong walked over and gently placed his palm on the tree trunk, silently reciting a few words. A faint green light emanated from his hand, drawing a graceful glow in the air before landing in his open palm.

Ah-Liao watched the round, white ginkgo fruit in his hand and wiped away her tears, saying foolishly, "This ginkgo nut...is different from what I usually see."

"Of course, it's different from what you usually see. Ginkgo nuts are heavenly treasures and take a thousand years to grow. I calculated the timing, and tonight is when the ginkgo nuts mature. Mo Bai was too impatient," he sighed and leaned against the tree trunk, sitting down. "She was originally a sickly white cat that died. Three hundred years ago, she was buried under my true form by her owner. Because she was tainted by my aura and exposed to the essence of the sun and moon, she became a demon. Over time, her true body and my true body became one. If I can't avoid the ordeal this time, she will also be annihilated with me."

"Then... then, Shifu, quickly add the ginkgo nut to the medicine, and we can make the Elixir of Immortality!" Ah-Liao urged anxiously.

"It can be made tonight." Liang Yudong seemed to have a weight off his mind and smiled at Ah-Liao, "But after taking the medicine, I'll have to go to a remote place to recuperate alone for a while. During that time, you'll have to take care of yourself."

"For how long?"

"Ten years."

"Okay, I'll wait for Shifu to come back."

Ah-Liao sat down next to Liang Yudong, holding onto his arm, afraid that if she let go, he would disappear.

The mountain wind swept by, and all was silent. On the mountaintop, there were only two figures leaning on each other and the sound of their breathing…

"Ah-Liao, do you think immortality is good? A life without end."

"Of course, it's good. If every day is filled with happiness, immortality will make happiness endless too."

"Then what if you're unhappy?"

"Shifu, what is unhappy?"

"For example... when your Sister Mo Bai disappeared, or imagine when I disappear too."

"No! I... I hate being unhappy. I don't want unhappy days!"

"'I don't want unhappy days.' Hehe, Ah-Liao, you said it beautifully. Then promise me that from now on, you'll live each day happily."

"Mn, I know. I will wait for Shifu to come back."

In the early morning, Liang Yudong was gone.

On the mountaintop, there was only Ah-Liao, asleep as she continued leaning against the ginkgo tree...

Two nights later, the town encountered a severe thunderstorm that had not been seen in a century. The bright thunder and lightning almost tore the sky into pieces.

People spent the night trembling in fear and welcomed the sunshine of the following day.

"The thunder last night was so scary!"

"I know, the old ginkgo tree outside the Yucai Elementary School was split in half!"

"Is that so?"

"My nephew lives in the village nearby. It's so evil. I heard that it was chopped in half in the middle. There was a huge hole blasted at the tree's root, where they found some white bones that nobody could tell if they were from a cat or a dog!"

"It's really scary... What's up these days? First there was hail and then there was a thunderstorm. Did God lose his temper?"

In the evening, people in the neighborhood gathered together as they strolled around, enthusiastically discussing the thunderstorm from the previous night.

---

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Longevity - Part 4

With a loud "bang," the door was forcefully pushed open.

Mo Bai clutched her arm, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, and stumbled inside. Her legs went limp and she collapsed to the ground.

Ah-Liao, who was in the midst of clearing the table, was startled by her sudden entrance. She rushed over in a panic to assist Mo Bai, shouting towards the inner room, "Shifu, Shifu, Sister Mo Bai is hurt!"

"Let go!"

Mo Bai pushed her away, struggling to stand up. She frowned and looked directly at the hastily entering Liang Yudong, speaking softly, "They've found us. I can't beat them. I've set up a Seven Seals Barrier that can hold them off for three days."

"The so-called righteous path excels in taking advantage of others' weaknesses," Liang Yudong coldly observed the entrance. "Your injuries are not light. Come inside, and I'll administer some medicine."

"Yes, yes, Sister Mo Bai, you're bleeding!" A-Liao anxiously interjected.

"Except for the Elixir of Immortality, you know that those medicines only treat the symptoms but not the root cause," Mo Bai completely ignored her, grabbing Liang Yudong's arm. Her sharp nails almost dug into his flesh. "The ordeal is approaching, and both you and I don’t have much time. That bird demon with only five hundred years of cultivation has already faced the ordeal and died. We both know its fate. How much more do you need to finish it?"

Liang Yudong contemplated for a while and replied, "I’m just missing one ingredient... a ginkgo nut."

"Three days," Mo Bai sat down by the table, panting heavily. "If you still can't obtain the ginkgo nut and make the Elixir of Immortality in three days, we might evade human disasters, but we won't escape natural disasters."

"I understand," Liang Yudong withdrew his gaze from the distance and sat across from Mo Bai with a bitter smile. "Humans often say that eking out a living is not easy. They surely never expected that demons also feel the same way." The corners of his mouth raised reluctantly, "Haha, demons, too, want nothing but a calm and breezy life without struggling with time. But that seems unattainable."

Mo Bai lowered her eyes, her beautiful eyelashes trembling slightly.

One table, two people, creating a lonely world.

Ah-Liao couldn't read, but she wasn't stupid.

They had just mentioned "bird demon" and "facing ordeal and dying," and it was easy for her to think of that benevolent old man she had only crossed paths with once but who felt like an old acquaintance. The memory of that deceased bird still lingered.

"Shifu..." She stood between them, "Are you a demon?"

She always remained so calm and serene, with a clear and transparent demeanor, as if nothing unrelated to happiness could find its way into her heart. This included the word "demon," which made many people turn pale when they heard it.

Liang Yudong gazed into her pure, clear eyes like water, but he remained silent.

"Is there a need for secrecy?" Mo Bai glanced at him and then turned to Ah-Liao. "Anyway, you don't know what fear is. Let me tell you, neither your shifu nor I are human. He's a ginkgo tree demon. Don't be fooled by his youthful appearance; he's actually a thousand-year-old old ba$tard."

"And what about you?" Ah-Liao propped up her cheek, curiosity in her eyes but no fear.

"I..." Mo Bai curled her lip, "Why should I tell you."

Ah-Liao’s eyes flashed with understanding as she said, "Sister Mo Bai loves fish so much, is she just a kitty?"

"You damn brat..." Mo Bai struck a posture of wanting to beat her.

"Leave those genuine troublemakers to me," Liang Yudong stood up, interrupting their bickering. "Mo Bai, take Ah-Liao to hide elsewhere."

"Hide?" Mo Bai looked as if someone had stabbed her in a sore spot. She stood up with a whoosh and said sternly, "Where can we hide? Three days from now, if you still haven't found the ginkgo nut for the elixir, no matter where we are, there's only one end."

"I know." Liang Yudong nodded slightly.

"You know?!" Mo Bai's eyes turned as sharp as a knife in an instant. She completely ignored her still bleeding wound, leaping out like lightning and darting into Liang Yudong's room. Moments later, she emerged, holding a book in her hand. "You've been studying this Elixir of Immortality prescription for countless years. Did you think I wouldn't figure it out? Did you think your Forgetful Curse would work on me too? I'm not that foolish girl; I'm also a cultivated demon! I've just been waiting for you to decide!"

"You do indeed possess the cunning of a cat demon," Liang Yudong said calmly as he looked at the crumpled book in her hand. "But haven't you already made your decision?"

"I..." Mo Bai was momentarily at a loss for words. She tossed the book aside and grabbed Liang Yudong's collar, gritting her teeth. "I don't want to go down with you."

"Yes, I know." Liang Yudong remained motionless.

"I..." Mo Bai's beautiful eyebrows were knitted together, and her rosy lips were pursed so hard that they were about to bleed. After a moment’s stalemate, she reluctantly let go of him, her fist pounding against Liang Yudong's chest. She lowered her head and murmured, "I just want to wear nice clothes, eat all kinds of fish, live like a real woman, and be happy..."

"I know..." Liang Yudong sighed softly, holding Mo Bai in his arms. "I'm sorry..."

Mo Bai's shoulders quivered as she sobbed softly.

This was the first time Ah-Liao had heard Liang Yudong apologize, the first time she had seen Mo Bai cry, and the first time she had witnessed them being so close to each other.

But for an instant, she had a faint sense that her tranquil life had been severed by some unknown force.

---

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Longevity - Part 3

Liang Yudong first met Ah-Liao when Ah-Liao was only three years old.

When he threw a thick stack of banknotes onto the greasy, dirty wooden table, two greedy gazes sparkled like electricity. The woman's chapped lips trembled as she whispered, "I never thought we'd find a little girl in the mountains, and someone would actually be willing to pay for her." After saying this, she immediately changed her expression and cheerfully called out to the kitchen, "Girl, come out quickly."

It was the tail end of December, and it was snowing heavily in the mountains that day.

The little girl who appeared at the door looked to be about three or four years old. Her skinny body was wrapped in an old, thin sweater with cuffs and a collar that had loose threads. She held a freshly cooked pot of potatoes in her hands, and her big, dark eyes sparkled with liveliness on her small, round face covered in black and gray dust.

"Daddy," she trotted over to the man and joyfully tilted her head up, holding the potatoes in front of him, "Look, this time they didn't overcook."

The man impatiently took the bowl from her and set it aside, then lifted her up and pushed her toward the young man in front of the window. "Take her, she's yours now," he said. Then, he gave the little girl a stern look and said, "From now on, he's your dad, go with him."

What he handed over was not a person, just a commodity that could be bought and sold freely.

"Mom and dad will be really happy. That's great," the little girl stood in front of the crooked fence gate, looking back at her former "home" with a pair of big, sparkling eyes. There was no sorrow, no anger, no fear on her face, only a smile, as beautiful as a wildflower quietly blooming.

Liang Yudong watched the little girl from the moment he led her out of the house, holding her hand. She was like a docile kitten, without any resistance, letting him lead her towards a completely unknown path.

"Don't you even want to ask me where I'm taking you?" he asked her.

"I don't need to ask," she tilted her little face up, wiping her freezing nose and giggling, "You won't eat me, after all."

He shook his head, knelt down, and carefully wiped her dirty nose with a handkerchief, smiling, "You really are as clean as a blank sheet of paper."

A thin layer of snow covered the yard, and outside, a tall ginkgo tree stood next to the courtyard wall. Despite the bitterly cold weather and chilly wind, the tree was covered with layers of fresh, emerald green ginkgo leaves, so tender that it seemed they would ooze water with a pinch.

The abnormal combination of white snow and green leaves exuded an exuberant vitality.

Liang Yudong glanced at the tree, then turned and led his little girl away. On the winding mountain road, the footprints of the two, one large and one small, extended forward...

In a simple rural inn, Liang Yudong tidied up the messy bedding and frowned, "We'll be home tomorrow. Just make do for the night and go to bed early." He turned back to see her looking all around, "Ah-Liao, do you hear me?"

"Coming..." She ran to Liang Yudong's side, happily grabbing his hand, "The house here is so pretty!" With that, she leaped onto the bed, rolling around on the musty-smelling quilt and clapping her hands with laughter. "So soft and comfortable!"

"Have you never slept in a bed like this before?" Liang Yudong sat on the edge of the bed, watching the child who was flushed red with excitement with great interest.

"There are no beds in my house, only my parents' have one. But I have lots of straw! And I always sleep with Xiao Du. It's nice and warm cuddling up to Xiao Du." She hugged the pillow and pressed her little face against it, "I wonder if Xiao Du has eaten."

"Who is Xiao Du?"

"The doggy that helps Mom and Dad watch the yard. Its fur is as white as snow. It's quite big, but never seems to put on weight, always so skinny."

"Ah, that’s how it is."

Liang Yudong straightened her body and pulled the blanket up to her chin. "Go to sleep. It won't be cold tonight."

"Okay!" Her face, as red as an apple, quickly disappeared under the covers, leaving only a pair of sweetly smiling eyes. "Today, I'm so happy." She popped her head out again, looking serious. "Can I see Mom and Dad again?"

"They will be just fine," he patted her head. "Having a daughter like you is a blessing they have cultivated over several lifetimes."

"Yawn~ that's great!" She snuggled into the blanket contentedly, going to sleep peacefully. "You should go to bed early too, Shifu."

With that, she poked her head out again and smiled sweetly at Liang Yudong. "Shifu, you're really kind!"

"Uh-huh," Liang Yudong smiled awkwardly.

On the way there, he did two things. First, when they passed through a vast field, he casually gave her a name. Second, he clarified their future relationship. He didn't like calling her "girl," and he certainly didn't like her calling him "dad."

In the deep of night, the biting mountain wind whistled through the broken window. Winter in the mountains was damp and bone-chilling. Liang Yudong sat on the bed, reading by the dim light of an oil lamp. The pages of the book were yellowed, even older than the dusty lampshade. Ah-Liao slept soundly next to him, like a piglet, with her fingers innocently placed in her mouth.

Closing the book and looking at the little figure beside him, his dull face appeared deep and melancholic in the flickering lamplight.

A gust of strong wind blew in, extinguishing the oil lamp.

Liang Yudong couldn't help but sneeze.

He rubbed his nose and sighed bitterly. It turned out that he had become weak to this extent. His former abilities to traverse the skies and escape from the earth, point at wood and reshape it into a house, were now distant memories. Today, he couldn't even withstand a small bout of severe cold.

So what if he was a Ginkgo tree demon that had cultivated a human form, so what if he had practiced skills for millennia? When the great calamity approached, he, too, would be nothing more than a living skin^[1] dragging on his feeble existence.

To escape meant immortality, but to fail meant doom.

This was the predestined path of monsters.

In the darkness, the rhythmic and peaceful sound of breathing beside him filled his ears, and Ah-Liao's smiling face and laughter appeared in his heart, sometimes clear and sometimes blurry...

As the first light of dawn began to appear, Liang Yudong opened his eyes in warmth. He noticed that he had been covered with a blanket at some point. Although it had a strange smell, it effectively shielded him from the cold. Ah-Liao's corner of the blanket barely covered her, and she had curled up into a ball beside him, with a small hand resting on his arm, still snoring away and drooling.

Just as Liang Yudong was shaking his head to tuck her in properly, Ah-Liao stirred and woke up.

"It seems like I'll need to glue you to the blanket for you to sleep properly and not kick it off," Liang Yudong scolded her while giving her a stern look.

Rubbing her eyes, Ah-Liao sat up and said, "I didn't kick the blanket off!"

"Then how did it end up on me?"

"I heard you coughing in the middle of the night, so I covered you with the blanket," Ah-Liao replied honestly. "I didn't kick it off."

He was startled for a moment and asked: "Give me the blanket, wouldn’t you be cold?"

"Yes, but I'm not coughing," Ah-Liao pouted. "When Xiao Du used to cough and shiver, I would just put a thick layer of straw on it and hug it, and it would get better quickly!"

"I'm not Xiao Du," he teased, giving her nose a playful flick.

"But you are by my side." Ah-Liao tilted her head and earnestly clasped her fingers, "I don't want you to get sick. When you're sick, you'll be unhappy, and when you're unhappy, Ah-Liao won’t be happy either. Ah-Liao wants Mom and Dad, Xiao Du too, and there’s Shifu also; Ah-Liao wants everyone around to be happy!"

"Silly child," he ruffled her hair, and there was an unspeakable bitterness in the smile at the corner of his mouth.

Because you're by my side...

Alright, from now on, you will only be by my side.

Liang Yudong extended his index finger and gently tapped Ah-Liao's forehead. A faint light radiated from his fingertip.

Ah-Liao, you no longer have a past, only a future living alongside me.

---

Footnotes:

[1] pí náng: leather bag. A metaphor for the human body (mostly used in a derogatory sense).

---

Translator:

As this story contains elements of cultivation, I'll use terminology like ordeal, destined calamity, inner core, and so on. If you're new to this genre, I recommend you check out this website; the blogger has done an excellent job. I've also included the link to the TOC page. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments, and I will do my best to address them. See ya!

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Longevity - Part 2

That evening, an unusual and heavy hailstorm hit the small town, with large, marble-like ice pellets densely falling from the sky. It wreaked havoc on the flowers, plants, rooftops, and left widespread devastation.

The following morning, as Ah-Liao was on her way to school, she saw a dead bird under the ginkgo tree. It had a white back and black wings, with its wings stiffly spread, frozen in a flying posture even in death.

Ah-Liao felt an inexplicable sadness. She dug a hole under the tree and buried the bird.

Since that day, Ah-Liao never again heard the moving singing from the ginkgo tree. Her dreams under the tree lacked a warm voice.

Moreover, she never saw the gray-haired old man in black again.

On this day, the weather was exceptionally bad, with dark clouds obscuring the sun, making it oppressively hot.

As Ah-Liao walked alone on her way back home, approaching the ginkgo forest, she suddenly had a strange sensation behind her, as if someone was quietly following her.

Ah-Liao turned around, but there was nothing behind her, no sign of anyone.

She continued walking, and occasionally, a rare breeze would pass through the ginkgo forest, causing the leaves to rustle above. The strange feeling behind her still lingered.

Meow!!!

A sharp meow suddenly erupted from the forest, startling Ah-Liao. She turned around abruptly, and within the dim tree shadows, a streak of white light descended from the sky to the ground. It was followed by a gust of wind, carrying dirt and stones, violently striking Ah-Liao and blinding her eyes. The immense force pushed her backward dozens of meters, leaving long marks on the ground from her feet.

Standing outside the forest, gazing at this once-familiar grove, Ah-Liao suddenly felt a deep sense of unease and even fear. In that chaotic forest with flying sand and rocks, where there was no light and indistinguishable sounds, there was only danger.

Ah-Liao hurriedly ran back home.

"Did you get into another fight?" A bespectacled, mild-mannered man in an apron carefully placed a steaming bowl of soup on the Eight Immortals^[1] table in the middle of the room. He arranged several exquisite side dishes around the soup bowl.

Ah-Liao stood at the doorway, awkwardly rubbing her hands. Her ponytail was disheveled, there was a bruise on her cheek, and her red school uniform was stained with dirt. Most of the buttons on her jacket were missing, and the few that remained were hanging loosely.

"Two boys from the neighboring class were asking a first-grader for money, and the little kid was trembling with fear," Ah-Liao slowly edged closer to the table, eyeing the spread of food hungrily.

As soon as she stepped into this house and returned to his side, all of Ah-Liao's anxieties would disappear.

"Did anyone else see it?" the man adjusted his glasses and asked.

Ah-Liao stuck out her tongue. "It happened right in the middle of the alley behind the school, and there wasn't a soul around."

"That's good. Fighting and brawling can get you expelled. They've been waiting for this opportunity for a while now," the man sighed in relief. "Eat first or take medicine?"

"Eat!!" Ah-Liao cheered. Then she added, "By the way, something strange happened on my way back home today. It felt like someone was following me. When I passed through the ginkgo forest, I was pushed by a weird gust of wind. There were strange noises in the woods. I didn't dare to look closely; I just ran."

"Oh. I see. Come on, let's eat."

Ah-Liao had a home, but no parents.

The man by her side, tall and slender, with an inscrutable temperament, had a handsome appearance and an ordinary name—Liang Yudong.

She called him Shifu.

The title of "Shifu" was more form than substance. Over the course of eleven years, Liang Yudong, besides taking care of her food and daily life, didn't teach Ah-Liao anything.

He was skilled in medicine-making. He would gather medicinal herbs from the distant mountains, either drying or roasting them. On countless nights when the moon was bright and stars were sparse, the sound of pounding medicine could be heard from the westernmost room in the courtyard.  

Once, Ah-Liao secretly peeked into the west room through a crack in the window. Under the soft yellow light, Liang Yudong held a small spoon with great concentration, scooping a spoonful of powder from a dark medicine jar and placing it into a delicate white porcelain bottle in his hand, gently shaking it. As he shook, he glanced at an old-fashioned thread-bound book placed beside him, worn and fragile like dried leaves.

Ah-Liao thought he was completely absorbed in his work, but whenever she tried to get a closer look, a gust of wind would blow dust into her eyes from the window sill. By the time she forcibly opened her reddened eyes, Liang Yudong would have silently appeared by her side, twisting her ear and ushering her back to her room with her tongue sticking out.

This kind of scene would happen several times a year. That old book was the one thing besides red bean ice cream that fascinated Ah-Liao the most.

She had peeked at it, but she couldn't understand it. The words in the book were densely packed, and they seemed to mock her like little ants with their heads high and chests out. There was one page that had been turned so many times it was almost falling apart.

On many moonlit summer nights or snowy mornings when the red plum blossoms adorned the landscape, Liang Yudong would sit at the stone table in the courtyard, pouring himself wine. As he got slightly tipsy, he would bask in the moonlight or the sparse snow and softly recite odes.

"The cold mountains turn green, autumn waters gurgle all day,

Leaning on my staff outside the thatched gate, I face the wind, listening to the evening cicadas."

The mountain breeze that passed by ruffled his neatly arranged clothes, sweeping away a few fallen flower petals and adorning his dark hair. At moments like this, Ah-Liao would hop over to him like a rabbit, standing on the stone bench, giggling as she plucked the flower petals from his head.

"Are you done with your elegant play? You don't need to eat, do you?" The harmonious atmosphere was often interrupted by a soprano voice.

Dressed in a splendid white outfit, Mo Bai, holding a basin of vegetables, walked up to them with an icy demeanor and forcefully placed the basin in front of Ah-Liao. "You brat, go wash these vegetables!"

"As you bid, Sister Mo Bai!" Ah-Liao stuck her tongue out and picked up the basin before running off.

"You have a bad temper," Liang Yudong shrugged.

Mo Bai gave him a sharp look and, glancing at Ah-Liao running away, coldly said, "I don't have as many emotions as you do. I hate acting impetuously the most."

How should one explain Mo Bai, this woman? Liang Yudong was the first man Ah-Liao had seen in her memory, and Mo Bai was the first woman she had seen and could remember.

The three of them lived under the same roof.

Mo Bai was extremely beautiful, with captivating eyes and a charming aura. She loved to dress up, wearing different styles of clothing every day, but the color was always an unchanging white. She wasn't Liang Yudong's wife, nor was she a relative. She didn't seem like a friend either; she just spent most of her days being a foul-mouth as she took care of most of the household chores. Occasionally, she would go on long trips to help Liang Yudong gather herbs, and the rest of the time, she would disappear without a trace.

Growing up, Ah-Liao had never once seen Mo Bai smile at her. Mo Bai's interactions with her consisted of yelling things like, "Take off your dirty clothes!" or "Roll back to sleep!" and when she wasn't yelling, she simply gave Ah-Liao a disdainful look and ignored her.

Ah-Liao knew that Mo Bai loved to eat fish. One time when Mo Bai was sick and couldn't eat, Ah-Liao secretly went to the river behind the mountain to catch the freshest fish for her. She almost slipped and fell into the river and drowned. When she brought a bowl of fish soup to Mo Bai's bedside, Mo Bai overturned the bowl and told her to roll away.

Ah-Liao wasn't angry about this perverted witch vs. pure lamb's way of getting along; she was just baffled. After thinking long and hard, she couldn't figure out what she had done to offend Mo Bai. Could it be that Mo Bai thought she was too ugly?

Though she was a bit confused, Ah-Liao still didn't get angry. She simply didn't have the concepts of "getting angry" or "bearing grudges."

Mo Bai, like Liang Yudong, was still the most important person in her life.

As Liang Yudong applied the cool ointment to Ah-Liao's wound, he shook his head and said, "I've told you N times, you need to be more low-key. What if you get into a fight with someone and break something?"

"I'm not a porcelain cup, how can I break so easily?" Ah-Liao grimaced in pain, "Softer, softer."

He stopped what he was doing.

"To me, you're the only one," he looked at Ah-Liao in a daze for a moment before quickly regaining his usual composure. He got up and grabbed the medicine kit, heading back into the house. "There's soup in the kitchen; serve yourself."

Shifu seems to be different lately.

Ah-Liao watched his retreating figure and carefully rubbed the corners of her mouth.

---

Footnotes:

[1] A square table designed to seat eight people, with a bench for two on each side.

Edit: Surname Liáng. liáng means beam of roof/bridge. Liang is also of the dynasties in China. yǔ=room/space/universe;  dòng=main beam supporting a house/ridgepole(old). Figuratively, it means important person. So Yudong can be interpreted as "pillar of the universe" or "strong and vast."

mò=final/last/end. bái=white/snowy. 

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