Hou Niao returned to his quarters and said without another word, "Nineteenth Aunt, pack up. We're going back to Dushan!"
The little peacock cheered. She was exceedingly restless by nature and liked lively places, but that behavior was only curiosity; the Peacock Clan's nature made her better suited to solitude deep in her bones.
"Good, Little Niao, that's the way. Don't stay in one place too long, especially somewhere lively..."
"Dushan is very quiet. There's nothing but wind and snow, and nowhere for you to go on shopping sprees. Think it through, Nineteenth Aunt."
"However quiet it is, can it compare to the void of space? To a life that stays the same for hundreds of years? Little Niao, if you ever visit my home someday, you'll know what true solitude is."
Hou Niao was speechless. He realized that whether with those Five Old Foxes or this little peacock, he had made one enormous mistake: underestimating them.
Fortunately, they were all friends, and afterward they could simply laugh it off. But if they had been enemies or opponents, would he still have had a chance to reflect?
He knew he had become somewhat carried away over the years. As the leader of a faith, he had yet to face a genuine test. His position was the result of those old fellows' tolerance, not entirely his own ability.
Before they left, a visitor came. Daoist Zhan displayed a rare gentleness and brought them many gifts: numerous Treasure Gourds containing all sorts of strange and curious things, prepared for the little peacock. Naturally, there were gifts for him too.
Looking at this beauty who seemed so changed, Hou Niao still could not resist complaining.
"You shouldn't have deceived me. After all these years of friendship..."
Now everything was clear: why Daoist Zhan