Ghost Valley

As the saying goes, if you don't want thieves breaking into your home, lock the door when you leave!

The Small Valley had no door.

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

Those fruit trees were ones she'd planted with her own hands!

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

Verdant Green Maiden shouted. She grabbed Hong Luan from her shoulder and tossed her out. "Bird Sister, go! Peck them!"

Hong Luan shrieked, "Stupid Snake!"

The commotion gave the group quite a fright. They watched as a blue bird came flying out, squawking, and dropped their tools as they fled toward the mouth of the valley as fast as their legs could carry them. As they ran, they shouted things like, "There's a ghost!" and "Someone help us!"

"Have you ever seen a ghost this pretty?"

Verdant Green Maiden muttered as she darted out of the bushes, a few leaves still perched on her head.

But before Verdant Green Maiden could fix her appearance, Hong Luan swooped down at full speed and pecked her right on the head, cursing as she went.

"Stupid Snake! What if they'd knocked me out of the sky?"

"What if I'd lost my balance and dropped you to your death?"

"I'm not talking to you anymore!"

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

Verdant Green Maiden covered her head and took a few small steps to Hong Luan's back. In a soft voice, she asked, "Bird Sister, how about I prepare some tasty fruit for you? I grew it myself, all-natural and pollution-free!"

"How's that?"

She even reached out and poked Hong Luan.

Hong Luan hopped to the side and said nothing.

"Are you really mad?"

Verdant Green Maiden blinked.

After her initial daze, Verdant Green Maiden's expression instantly turned pitiful. She crouched down and twisted a lock of her hanging black hair as she said, "I just... thought Bird Sister was so amazing, and could help me chase them away..."

"I didn't mean to..."

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

Hearing the sobs and sniffles, Hong Luan, who had her back to Verdant Green Maiden, secretly turned her head a little to peek.

When she saw Verdant Green Maiden really covering her face and crying, she hurriedly flew in front of her.

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

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

Sniffling, Verdant Green Maiden raised one finger ever so slightly and pointed at a nearby fruit tree. "Verdant Green Maiden wants to eat some fruit, Bird Sister. Since you're not mad at me, could you pick one for me? If you're still mad, then I'll just..."

"I'll pick one for you!"

Without a second thought, Hong Luan flew over and picked a fruit.

Halfway back, she suddenly realized what was going on and hurled the fruit at Verdant Green Maiden's head.

"Stupid Snake! How dare you trick me!"

Verdant Green Maiden caught the fruit and revealed her face.

There wasn't a single tear on it. She was beaming instead. She chuckled and said, "Bird Sister, don't be mad! I've been using this trick for a hundred or two years, and you still fell for it. Shouldn't you be asking yourself what you did wrong?"

"You... you... you little rascal!"

Hong Luan was furious. She flew up to a branch and ignored Verdant Green Maiden for days.

Good news stayed at home; bad news traveled a thousand miles.

At some point, the rumor that there were ghosts in the valley spread far and wide, with all sorts of variations added for good measure. It became impossible to tell what was true, and so people of the time called the place Ghost Valley.

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

"What? Is it another one of those things you know all about? What was it called again... history?"

Seeing Verdant Green Maiden fall silent, Hong Luan tilted her head.

"Ahem..."

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

Hong Luan suddenly had a bad feeling!

"Could you pluck some feathers so your little sister can buy a few outfits? Your feathers are so bright and beautiful, and they're the feathers of a divine bird that's lived for a hundred years without dying. They'd surely fetch a sky-high price! Forget a few outfits—even the State Rulers could trade dozens of cities for them!"

Verdant Green Maiden clasped her hands and gazed at Hong Luan expectantly.

"Why don't you pluck your own scales? The Azure Scale of a thousand-year-old Snake Demon is worth way more than my hundred-year-old feathers!"

Verdant Green Maiden pouted and said, "Wouldn't that hurt?"

"Would plucking my feathers not hurt?"

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

After twisting Verdant Green Maiden's hair into a bird's nest, Hong Luan settled comfortably inside it and asked, "Why'd you suddenly decide you need new clothes? You've been wearing that outfit for thousands of years, haven't you?"

Verdant Green Maiden coughed lightly and said solemnly, "From now on, please call me by my stage name: Gui Gu Zi!"

"Uh..."

Hong Luan tilted her head, her beady eyes full of confusion.

Verdant Green Maiden reached up and pulled her out of her hair. "Someone will be coming to see us soon. Go get ready!"

Hong Luan had no idea what was going on in that snake's head, but Verdant Green Maiden had called it right: someone really did come!

And not just one person.

Two young men knelt outside the valley, bowing toward it and shouting.

"Your student, Pang Juan, pays his respects to the Immortal!"

"Your student, Sun Boling, pays his respects!"

Hong Luan flapped her wings and circled in the sky, muttering, "What gibberish are they talking about? Are these the people that Stupid Snake was waiting for?"

Verdant Green Maiden had said that if someone came to pay their respects, she must ignore them the first time and the second time, and only answer them the third time.

That was the Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage!

Hong Luan didn't understand the reasoning, but since Verdant Green Maiden had instructed her, she would do as she was told.

But...

These two young men had only paid their respects twice. Why were they leaving?!

Hong Luan saw Pang Juan and Sun Boling packing their things and getting ready to go, so she shot down in front of them at once and shouted, "Stop!"

"Ah! The bird spoke?"

Pang Juan's eyes widened.

Sun Boling nodded slightly. "Mm, the bird spoke!"

Wow, an Immortal Bird!

The two young men gazed at Hong Luan in delight.

Hong Luan caught her breath, then flapped her wings and asked them, "Hey! You've only paid your respects twice. Why are you leaving? That Stupid Snake clearly said you'd bow three times!"

"Huh?"

Pang Juan and Sun Boling exchanged glances, their expressions bewildered.

"We weren't going to leave!"

Now it was Hong Luan's turn to be stunned. She tilted her head and asked, "Then where were you going?"

"Brother Pang said that since we still hadn't met the Immortal, our hearts must not be sincere enough. So we were going to prepare some gifts, hoping to catch the Immortal's attention!"

Sun Boling answered Hong Luan. His eyes shone as he looked at her. "I never thought Brother Pang's words would come true! We'd only just set out to prepare generous gifts, and the Immortal Bird appeared! Are you going to lead us to meet the Immortal in Ghost Valley?"

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

Hong Luan took a step back.

So... that was what had happened? She'd misunderstood!

"Why don't we... make a deal? You go prepare those generous gifts first, then come back?"

"Hm?"

The two young men tilted their heads, their wide eyes full of confusion.