Lu Hua gave a soft laugh and asked in return, "What is a dragon? A dragon can grow vast or shrink small, soar into the heavens or vanish from sight. When vast, it summons clouds and breathes mist; when small, it hides its form in the tiniest crevice. Its transformations are endless, its mysteries unfathomable."
At her words, a doubt stirred in your heart. Did dragons truly exist in this world?
You looked up at the bright moon in the night sky. A breeze brushed your face in the courtyard, bringing a hint of chill.
Lu Hua strolled over from beside the parasol tree. Clear moonlight fell across her, lending her a slender grace and an air of mystery. Her dress fluttered in the wind.
"Demonkind comes in countless forms. Apart from mountain spirits and wild beasts, there are poultry, pigs, dogs, and the fish, shrimp, turtles, and tortoises in the rivers. They all seem to arise the same way: by feeding on humans to strengthen themselves."
"But have you ever seen a human turn into a demon?" She changed tack abruptly, her voice taking on a deeper meaning.
You shook your head, thinking to yourself: Refugees flood the Jiangnan Circuit like a tide. If they could turn into demons, they would have breached prosperous Bianjing long ago.
"But if I told you that most of the demons in Marsh Lake were once human, would you be shocked, or would you think I was making baseless claims?"
Your heart jolted, though your face remained as calm as still water. The demons of Marsh Lake had once been human?
Wasn't that a tale from beyond the heavens?
Lu Hua continued, "Think of the Thirteen Provinces Circuit of Great Qi and the sixteen provinces of Great Sui. Across all that boundless land,