Ghost Valley

As the saying goes, if you don't want thieves in your house, lock the door when you go out!

Small Valley didn't have a door.

By the time Verdant Green Maiden returned, the nest she'd built over a hundred years ago was already overgrown with weeds, and she even ran into a few people cutting down trees and picking fruit in the valley!

Those fruit trees were planted by her own hands!

"Where did you bold Bandits come from, daring to pick Grand Aunt's fruit!"

Verdant Green Maiden shouted, grabbing Hong Luan from her shoulder and tossing her out. "Bird Sister, go, peck them!"

Hong Luan shrieked in anger: "Stupid Snake!!"

The commotion startled those people badly. They watched as a blue bird flew out screeching, dropped their tools without a second thought, and fled like the wind toward the valley entrance. As they ran, they shouted about ghosts and begged for help.

"Have you ever seen a ghost this pretty?"

Verdant Green Maiden muttered, bursting out of the bushes with a few leaves still stuck on her head.

But before she could tidy herself up, Hong Luan dove straight at her, pecking at her head while cursing.

"Stupid Snake! What if they'd shot me down?"

"What if I hadn't flown steady and you'd killed me from the fall?"

"I'm done with you!"

She ruffled Verdant Green Maiden's hair, then turned away in a huff.

Verdant Green Maiden covered her head, shuffled up behind her, and asked softly: "Bird Sister, how about I go get you some nice fruit? All grown by me, pure and natural, no pollution!"

"What do you think?"

She even reached out and poked Hong Luan.

Hong Luan hopped aside, saying nothing.

"Really mad?"

Verdant Green Maiden blinked.

After a moment of stunned silence, her expression instantly shifted to one of pitiful grievance. She crouched down, twisting her long black hair in her hands, and said: "I just... thought Bird Sister was really strong, that you could chase them away for me..."

"I didn't mean to..."

"Bird Sister, don't be mad at me, boohoo..."

Hong Luan, still facing away, heard the sobbing and quietly turned her head a little to peek.

Seeing Verdant Green Maiden truly crying into her hands, she hurriedly flew in front of her.

"Hey hey, Stupid Snake! Don't cry!"

"I'm not mad at you..."

Verdant Green Maiden sniffled, barely lifting a finger to point at the fruit tree beside them. "Verdant Green Maiden—wants to eat fruit. Bird Sister, if you're not mad anymore, could you pick one for me? If you're still angry, then I'll just..."

"I'll pick it for you!"

Without a second word, Hong Luan flew over and plucked a fruit.

Halfway back, she suddenly realized what had happened and hurled the fruit at Verdant Green Maiden's head.

"Stupid Snake! How dare you trick me!"

Verdant Green Maiden caught the fruit and showed her face.

There wasn't a tear in sight—only a brilliant, beaming smile. She chuckled and said: "Bird Sister, don't be mad! I've been using this trick for a hundred or two hundred years, and you still fall for it. Don't you think you should look inward?"

"You... you... This Guy!!"

Hong Luan was furious. She flew up to a branch and didn't speak to Verdant Green Maiden for days.

As they say, good news stays home, bad news travels far.

Before long, rumors spread that there were ghosts in the valley, complete with multiple variant versions that made it hard to pin down, so people began calling the place Ghost Valley.

When Hong Luan brought this news back, Verdant Green Maiden fell silent.

"What? Something you're familiar with again, that... what's it called? History?"

Seeing Verdant Green Maiden's pensive look, Hong Luan tilted her head.

"Ahem..."

Verdant Green Maiden looked down at her clothes, then up at Hong Luan. She pursed her lips slightly, smiled, and called out: "Bird Sister..."

Hong Luan suddenly had a bad feeling!

"Pluck a few feathers to buy your little sister some clothes, won't you? Your feathers are so bright and beautiful, and as a hundred-year undying Divine Bird's plumage, they'd be worth a fortune. Forget a few outfits—you could trade them for dozens of cities from those State Rulers!"

Verdant Green Maiden clasped her hands together, staring at Hong Luan with hopeful eyes.

"Why don't you pluck your own scales! A thousand-year-old Snake Demon's Azure Scale is far more precious than my hundred-year bird feathers!"

Verdant Green Maiden pouted. "But that hurts so much?"

"And plucking my feathers doesn't?!"

Hong Luan landed a flying kick on Verdant Green Maiden's head, messing up her hair.

After coiling Verdant Green Maiden's hair into a bird's nest, Hong Luan settled comfortably inside it and asked, "What made you suddenly think of changing clothes? Haven't you been wearing this set for a few thousand years now?"

Verdant Green Maiden gave a light cough and said seriously, "From now on, please call me by my stage name, Gui Gu Zi!"

"Uh..."

Hong Luan tilted its head, its mung-bean-sized eyes full of confusion.

Verdant Green Maiden reached up and plucked it from her hair, saying, "Someone will be coming soon. Go get ready first!"

Hong Luan had no idea what was going on in that snake's head, but she was right—someone did come!

And not just one.

Two youths knelt outside the valley, kowtowing and shouting toward its depths.

"Student Pang Juan! Paying respects to the Immortal!"

"Student Sun Boling pays homage!"

Hong Luan flapped its wings, circling in the sky, muttering, "What are they jabbering about? Are they the ones Stupid Snake was waiting for?"

Verdant Green Maiden had said that when someone came to pay respects, the first time you don't respond, the second time you don't respond either—only the third time counts.

This was called Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage!

Hong Luan didn't understand the reasoning behind it, but since Verdant Green Maiden had instructed so, it would follow along.

But...

These two youths had only bowed twice—why were they about to leave already!!

Seeing Pang Juan and Sun Boling packing up their things to go, Hong Luan immediately shot forward in a blur, stopping in front of them and shouting, "Stop right there!"

"Ah! A bird that talks?"

Pang Juan's eyes went wide.

Sun Boling nodded lightly, "Mm, a bird that talks!"

Wow, an Immortal Bird!

The two youths stared at Hong Luan in delighted surprise.

Hong Luan caught its breath, fluttering its wings as it asked them, "Hey! You've only bowed twice—why are you leaving? That Stupid Snake clearly said you'd bow three times!"

"Huh?"

Pang Juan and Sun Boling exchanged a glance, looking bewildered.

"We weren't leaving!"

Now it was Hong Luan's turn to be stunned. It tilted its head and asked, "Then where are you going?"

"Brother Pang said that since we've yet to meet the Immortal after so long, it must mean our hearts aren't sincere enough. So we're going to prepare some gifts to catch the Immortal's attention!"

Sun Boling answered Hong Luan, his eyes shining as he looked at it, "I never thought Brother Pang's words would come true so quickly—we were just about to set off for gifts when the Immortal Bird appeared! Are you here to lead us to the Immortal in Ghost Valley?"

"Ah... uh... well..."

Hong Luan backed up a little.

So... that was it? It had misunderstood!

"How about... we make a deal—you go prepare those lavish gifts first, then come back?"

"Huh?"

The two youths tilted their heads, their big eyes full of confusion.

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