Du Ruohua

In the second year after my death, Ji Huai ascended the throne to become the Emperor. Originally, I was a single Iris of Qing Mountain. When I transformed into human form, I eagerly ran to the tree spirit to flaunt my achievements. Yet, the tree spirit was displeased. "What's so great about becoming a human? Humans are terrible creatures. Some of them even possess magic, specifically hunting us spirits to elevate their own cultivation." I felt the tree spirit was merely envious of my successful transformation into a human form, while he remained an immobile tree. Sister Ziwei said, "There are many kind-hearted people among humans. When she was still a little fox, she went down the mountain out of curiosity. She saw that humans had all sorts of delicious and appealing food, and many were performing tricks, making the place lively and fun. She was so dazzled that she was caught by a few human children. They even injured her leg to prevent her from running away. She thought she would never be able to return to Qing Mountain. But then a handsome man appeared. He chased the children away and held her in his arms, carefully dressing her wound. For the following days, he took care of her, feeding her delicious cakes and grooming her fox fur. When he was reading, he would keep her by his side and chat with her. At this point, I turned my head to look at Sister Ziwei. The soft, smooth white fur of her fox ears fluttered, and her eyes, as clear as water, sparkled under the sunlight. I couldn't help but ask, "Did he treat you like a pet dog?" Sister Ziwei slapped me in retaliation, "I am a noble fox! Look at my smooth fur and graceful demeanor. How dare you compare me to a dog!" Her loud voice scared me into trembling silence, and I dared not speak again. Sister Ziwei continued, "Day after day, her leg injury healed. He brought her to the foot of Qing Mountain and gently told her to go home." Sister Ziwei's eyes shone brightly, "Once I have transformed into a human, I will go down the mountain to find him and repay his life-saving grace." Finally, two years ago, Sister Ziwei transformed into a human and left Qing Mountain. Before she left, she promised me, "I will definitely bring my savior to see you and will also bring you human food." Now, I have already transformed into a human form, yet Sister Ziwei has not returned. As a flower sprite, my days still revolved around the same routine. The tree spirit constantly complained to me about the malevolence of humans, how they were nothing but harmful to us sprites. I would merely humor him, my mind preoccupied with the tantalizing descriptions of delicious and beautiful foods that my sister Ziwei had once mentioned. One day, as I lay basking on a tree branch, sunlight filtered through the leaves and bathed me in warmth. Feeling incredibly comfortable and relaxed, I closed my eyes, deeply inhaling the fresh air of the forest and savoring the scent of the leaves and the abundant energy of the verdant mountains. Suddenly, the sounds of a struggle reached my ears. Startled, I asked the tree spirit what was going on. "What else could it be? Humans are once again at each other's throats. I told you they're no good; they not only kill sprites, but also their own kind," he retorted. Intrigued, I decided to go investigate. A group of men in black were attacking a single man, who was already covered in wounds. Blood dripped from a gash on his arm, staining the green grass beneath him red. "What a disgraceful display of bullying! Perhaps the tree spirit was right about humans lacking morality after all," I murmured. Picking up a stone from the ground, I infused it with energy and aimed at the head of one of the attackers, who promptly fell. As I approached the beleaguered man, I noticed that despite his injuries, he was incredibly handsome. His features were sharp and well-defined, his eyes, a captivating black, held a mesmerizing gleam. His face was tinged with a blush from the fight, enhancing his fragile beauty. "Who knew humans could be so attractive," I sighed, taken aback by my own thought. "Thank you for saving my life, miss. Once my men find me, I... I will repay you," he managed to croak out, his voice raspy from blood loss. "Alright, then you can take me to eat...." Before he could respond, he collapsed onto the grass. Determined to taste those delicious pastries, I decided to bring him back to the tree spirit and used my energy to heal his wounds. All the while, the tree spirit was complaining, "Are you mad? Wasting your energy on this human! Do you know how hard it is to restore your spent energy? And humans are all bad, he's probably going to repay your kindness with ingratitude...." He continued grumbling, reminding me of a nagging monk, his incessant chatter buzzing around my head like a swarm of flies. I decided that his inability to attain humanity was due to his excessive talking, which consumed too much of his energy. Unable to bear it any longer, I decided to take the wounded man back to my dwelling. After two days, the man finally woke up. He introduced himself as Ji Huai, and shared that he had been targeted for assassination by his stepmother, who wanted her own son to inherit the family's title. "Isn't going back like walking into a tiger's den?" I asked, suddenly finding the complexities of human society hard to fathom. "My father is still at home. She wouldn't dare act so brazenly. This time was just bad luck; I was out on business and she seized the opportunity. It won't happen again," Ji Huai replied, his voice low, a fierce glint in his eyes. A few days later, Ji Huai's men found him. His wounds were nearly healed, and they were preparing to return to the capital. I felt a pang of loneliness at the thought of being left alone with the tree spirit and his incessant nagging. As Ji Huai prepared to leave, he asked me if I wanted to accompany him to the bustling capital. I was torn and asked him, "Are there really those delicious and beautiful pastries that Ziwei mentioned?" Ji Huai chuckled lightly, "Not just pastries, there's a plethora of other delicious foods too. Donglaige's roast duck, Dongpo's pork knuckle, and sliced carp are all delectable. Many ladies from noble families in the capital love them." After saying this, Ji Huai extended his hand towards me, "Will you come with me?" Perhaps it was the dazzling sunlight on the mountains that day, or the glow on Ji Huai's face, his words were incredibly tempting. I impulsively stepped forward and took his hand, "I'll go with you." On the other hand, I felt uneasy about him returning alone, and decided to escort Ji Huai to the capital myself. Before leaving, I thought about telling the tree spirit about my plans, but I quickly dismissed the idea. He would surely oppose my decision and call me foolish, telling me I would be exploited by humans and end up counting the money I was sold for. It's better to wait until I return from the capital with delicious food to shut him up. So, I left the mountains with Ji Huai for the capital, carrying my Iris along. Little did I know, I would never have the chance to return to the mountains, nor see the tree spirit again.