My Name Is Ah Yin

My name was Ah Yin, the silver of Blue Silver Grass.

When I first "awoke," I found myself in the backyard of a human town.

The sunlight was lovely. Someone had deliberately loosened the soil, leaving it moist and soft, with the scent of immortal herbs seeping deep into the earth and flowing warmly along my roots into my essence.

Instinctively, I stretched my leaves, then immediately froze-someone was sitting beside me.

A human child.

He crouched beside me, holding a little green jade pot, slowly pouring something into the soil around my roots. His movements were gentle; even when his fingertips brushed my leaves, he softened his touch, as though afraid of disturbing a sleeping being.

I hurriedly drew my leaves back, doing my best to look like an ordinary stalk of blue silver grass that had yet to "awaken."

I vaguely remembered that my name was Ah Yin, that I was the Blue Silver Emperor of the Blue Silver Clan, and that I had once cultivated to a hundred thousand years.

But I had no idea why I had only a few thousand years of cultivation left, or how I had ended up in this human's courtyard.

My memories were like a cloud of mist torn to shreds. I could vaguely feel their outlines, yet could never piece them together.

I dared not speak. I did not know who this human was, or what intentions he harbored in keeping me here.

Fortunately, he came every day. He always gave me a drop or two of immortal herb essence to help me grow.

Even as I felt that using it this way was far too extravagant, I slowly began to feel at ease. At least he seemed to bear me no ill will.

Sometimes he crouched beside me and talked, speaking to himself, sometimes about cultivation, sometimes about interesting things he had read in books.

I listened quietly, letting my leaves sway gently in the breeze as a response only I knew of.

Gradually, I grew accustomed to his presence. Whenever he came near, my vines would unconsciously reach toward him.

Before long, he packed his bags, crouched before me, and said he would be leaving for a while.

Before departing, he arranged everything for me and told me to be good and wait for his return.

A sudden surge of panic welled up within me. It was not fear of loneliness, but the panic of being left alone in a human town.

My cultivation was shallow now. If my whereabouts were exposed and attracted soul masters with ill intentions, I would have no power to resist.

After hesitating for a long time, I finally gathered my courage and spoke for the first time, sending my voice to him through my thoughts.

"Who... are you?"

He visibly froze, surprise flashing in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and answered me.

And just like that, we formally became acquainted.

In the days that followed, I taught him the path of cultivation for blue silver grass, sharing a wisp of my essence power to guide his martial soul's evolution.

His comprehension was exceptional. A single hint was enough for him to understand, and his progress was astonishingly fast.

When he once again proposed going soul hunting, I begged him to take me along.

After a little consideration, he agreed.

That was the first time I took part in hunting a soul beast. Our target was an Ancient Evergreen Vine. Though we were both plants, I had to help a human take its life. Even though I only assisted, my heart was filled with anguish and guilt.

While he absorbed the soul ring, I secretly used my innate ability, "Everlasting Life," to condense a seed for it and buried it in the soil, hoping it could sprout again.

He discovered my little secret act all the same.

I had thought he would be displeased, but to my surprise, he merely fell silent for a moment before taking out some immortal herb liquid and dripping it onto the mound of soil.

"May it sprout again."

Only in that moment did I truly feel that he was different from every human I had ever seen.

In the days that followed, we grew closer and closer, and I trusted him more and more.

The immortal herb essence was immensely potent, and my cultivation rose rapidly. Before long, I crossed the ten-thousand-year threshold. But the aura of a ten-thousand-year soul beast was far too conspicuous to conceal any longer.

So he set off with me and returned to my homeland-the Blue Silver Forest.

Life in the Ancestral Land was peaceful and relaxed. Surrounded by the presence of my kin, I no longer had to guard against discovery every day.

I led him through the depths of the forest, telling him about the rhythms of plants withering and flourishing and amusing tales of soul beasts' lives, showing him all the Ancestral Land's budding springs, shady summers, dew-laden autumns, and snow-covered winters.

He, too, often sat on the branches of ancient trees and told me all manner of novel stories.

The first story was called "Legend of the White Snake." It told of a white snake who took human form and entered the mortal world, where she met and fell in love with a human man.

I listened with only a hazy understanding, still not knowing what love truly felt like. I only felt as though my heart were a blade of grass brushed by the breeze, tingling and trembling softly.

The beginning of the story was wonderfully told, but the ending was hurriedly passed over.

He seemed to have deliberately omitted many twists and hardships.

I did not understand, nor did I ask much. I simply tucked a few tender moments quietly into my heart.

After that, he rarely told love stories. Most were about extraordinary women who were independent and resilient, held all living beings in their hearts, and freely repaid kindness and settled grudges.

After each story, he would patiently explain the principles within it to me.

He said, "Why must saving your life be repaid by pledging yourself in marriage?"

He said, "The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility."

He said, "Women need not be trapped in romantic entanglements. A sovereign, above all, should shoulder their people and hold heaven and earth in their heart."

I listened with particular care, and the figures of those independent, radiant women were branded deep into my heart, one after another.

I quietly curled my slender vines, silently encouraging myself. I must become that kind of sovereign, true to my heart, true to my people, and true to his expectations.

Later still, he told me the story of the Gold Dragon Fish and the Silver Dragon Fish.

He said, "Love does not ask what species its beloved belongs to, but the ties of love cannot escape the question of species."

My heart tightened slightly.

Through our days and nights together, I had long since grown used to his warmth, craving the security of having him beside me.

I did not know whether this was the love in those stories, but whenever I stayed by his side, an indescribable joy welled up in my heart.

Even as I rejoiced, I held myself back.

The chasm between humans and soul beasts, and my responsibilities as the Blue Silver Emperor, made me quietly press those surging feelings back into my heart, not daring to reveal even a trace.

The Ancestral Land's nourishment was rich and enduring. Together with the immortal herb essence he fed me daily, it sent my cultivation climbing steadily, bringing me ever closer to the hundred-thousand-year heavenly tribulation.

If I wanted to live, my only choice was to take human form.

Instead, my heart grew conflicted. I did not fear the dangers after transformation, but feared that taking human form would blur my allegiance to my people, that I would fail as their sovereign and disappoint him.

Until that evening, when he handed me a little booklet he had bound himself, with "Transformation Breath Concealment Technique" written on its cover.

He said it was a secret technique he had devised especially for me. Once cultivated, it could conceal the aura of a soul beast's essence, making it difficult even for a Titled Douluo to discern the truth. He also said that, if I wished, I could freely pass this secret technique on to other soul beasts who wanted to take human form.

He said, "Plants have spirits, and all things have lives. They should never be born to serve as someone else's stepping stones."

He said, "Humans and soul beasts should not be natural enemies."

He said, "Soul beasts in human form are natural bridges of communication."

He said, "Perhaps that is precisely the meaning of soul beast transformation."

Only then did I understand that taking human form had never meant abandoning my people, but opening a broader path for my kin in another way.

All my bewilderment and conflict vanished like smoke and scattered clouds at his words.

Unable to restrain my stirring feelings, I formed a spiritual projection, leaned close, and gently kissed his cheek.

By the time I came to my senses, I had already scattered into specks of light and hastily retreated into my true body.

For many days afterward, I dared not form a projection to see him again. I only peeked secretly through my leaves, watching him sit beneath the shade of my trailing vines, a smile on his lips that he could not hide.

As the day of my transformation drew nearer, the anticipation in my heart grew stronger with each passing day.

I longed to truly meet his gentle gaze, without having to steal distant looks through my leaves;

I longed for my fingertips to touch the warmth of his palm, rather than only winding my vines secretly around his wrist;

I longed to walk beside him through long streets and narrow lanes, watching morning mist drift over stone paving and dusk dye the clouds on the horizon, exploring the bustle of the mortal world together.

Amid these restless thoughts, an idea quietly rose in my heart.

I wanted to give him a drop of life-bound essence blood and draw upon the Ancestral Land's power to help him transform his bloodline into the Blue Silver Emperor bloodline, then have him inherit the Blue Silver Emperor throne.

That way, I could help his martial soul transform while also making him a bridge between humans and soul beasts.

Then we could stand side by side with rightful standing.

Yet he refused.

He said that humans were humans, after all, and tying the fate of an entire people to the goodwill of someone from another species was far too risky.

He said he would protect me and the Blue Silver Clan without having to take that position.

I did not try to persuade him again.

Before transforming, I drew upon my own essence, condensed a drop of life-bound essence blood, and sent it into the space between his brows. Then I summoned the blue silver grass throughout the Ancestral Land, borrowing the power of all my subjects to condense a Life-bound Soul Ring for him and help his martial soul transform.

Once all this was done, I sank into the cocoon of light and began my transformation.

As my consciousness grew hazy, only one thought remained-

When I awoke, I could stand beside him forever in human form.