The time was six in the evening, yet because the sky was heavily overcast and the rain fell in torrents, it seemed as though night had already descended. On the roof of a high-rise building, under such weather and at such an hour, a lone figure appeared.

This was an ordinary man, yet perched upon his shoulder was a strangely shaped "bird": a single claw, blue eyes, eagle-sized, resembling a mythical phoenix, its feathers composed of burning flame. Raindrops struck it only to be instantly vaporized, causing its body to be perpetually wreathed in mist. This was Zhou Ying, the "Shadow Wraith," and his fire spirit beast, Huo'er, the "Bi Fang."

Zhou Ying had cast a water-repelling spell around himself, while Huo'er was entirely unconcerned by the downpour. They tilted their heads back, calculating the time. Although the rain had been falling for a day and a night, they were certain it would cease before the moon rose tonight, for there were other spirits dwelling in this city besides Zhou Ying and Huo'er. Everyone was absolutely unwilling to miss the moonlight of the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month in the Gengshen year.

A large black dog suddenly burst forth from the flooring and charged rapidly toward Zhou Ying. Although its body was exposed on the rooftop, its four paws remained embedded in the steel and concrete of the building, which in no way hindered its speed. As it neared Zhou Ying, it raised its forelimbs, transforming into a long-haired, sharp-clawed demon, and then immediately shifted again into a tall, handsome human male. This was Liu Di, the "Earth Wolf," Zhou Ying's only friend. Clearly, even this fellow, so devoted to revelry and pleasure, was unwilling to miss this night.

Liu Di approached Zhou Ying, and before the two could exchange words, the rain, which had been pouring down mercilessly, suddenly stopped. The heavy clouds in the sky seemed to be wiped away instantly, retreating rapidly toward the western horizon, vanishing completely in the blink of an eye.

"Oh, it's that zombie. She really is impatient, but she's the most suitable one for this kind of task," Liu Di chuckled. Zombies, also known as Hanba, like the one currently assuming the form of Nan Yu, a doctor at Lixin City Hospital, possess the ability to effortlessly lay waste to entire provinces and counties, leaving not a drop of water behind, should a Hanba who has cultivated for hundreds of years choose to do so. Therefore, having her halt this storm was indeed highly appropriate.

With the weather abruptly clearing, both Liu Di and Zhou Ying could vaguely discern the indistinct shapes of human figures atop dozens of scattered skyscrapers in the distance. Everyone shared the same thought: to receive the Gengshen year moonlight in a place free from obstruction.

With a "snap," a white, nine-tailed fox also leaped onto the roof, rolled on landing, and transformed into a boy about ten years old. He let out a sigh of relief, saying, "My mother is such a nag. I had to use magic to put her to sleep before I could sneak out. Good thing I didn't mess up the important event." This was Lin Rui, a nine-tailed fox from the state of Qingqiu. The mother he spoke of was an ordinary human woman; despite the mother and son not being of the same species, they lived happily together.

Liu Di, Zhou Ying, and Huo'er greeted him with smiles, but none lingered on pleasantries, for the moon had already begun to rise.

The bright moon ascended above the horizon. While the footsteps of the city's humans hurried past, oblivious to this beautiful moonlight, in the eyes of the long-waiting spirits, the moonlight that night seemed to hold billions of olive-like orbs of light, bound by silver threads of moonlight, descending upon the earth.

In a night unnoticed by humanity, the spirits celebrated their once-in-sixty-years festival. Only when the sun rose in the east did the spirits, exhausted from their night-long exertions, cease their "celebration."

"Hoo..." Lin Rui sat on the ground, letting out a breath, "So tiring."

Liu Di walked to the railing, looking at the city that was beginning its daily operations, and said with emotion, "I wonder how many creatures will become one of us tonight."

Zhou Ying nodded in agreement. He fully understood that last night was a night of "birth." He raised Huo'er and exclaimed loudly, "Huo'er, Happy Birthday!"

"Oh, it's Huo'er's birthday?" Lin Rui rushed over and pulled Huo'er into an embrace. "What gift should I give you?"

"I want a new bed, storybooks, a VCD player, snacks, and top-quality beef..." Huo'er stated without reserve, causing the poor Lin Rui to instinctively check his empty wallet.

"You have a birthday?" Liu Di clapped Zhou Ying on the shoulder and asked.

※※※※※

Deep mountains and vast marshes, where human traces were rare—this was the domain of animals and spirits. Beside a swamp in this primeval forest, as the morning sun filtered through the dense canopy to illuminate the water's surface, a large swarm of Shadow Wraiths materialized.

Shadow Wraiths were a type of Chimei formed from the humidity of the swamp and the yin energy of the primeval forest. They possessed no thought, no fixed form, drifting on the wind through the forest, born at dawn and perishing at dusk. Every day, vast numbers were generated, and every day, vast numbers perished. Yet today, after the power of the sunlight receded, one Shadow Wraith did not die.

Where there is light, there is shadow; the life source of the Shadow Wraith was sunlight. When the sun set, the brief lives of the Shadow Wraiths reached their end. But this one, huddled beside a rock, watched as its brethren vanished one by one, unable to comprehend it all. It only knew that the object it leaned against emitted a warmth like sunlight, an energy akin to the sun; as long as it stayed close, it felt as if the sun had not yet set.

The Shadow Wraith, lacking intellect, would not understand for many years that what it relied upon was a Bi Fang egg.

Bi Fang were a kind of "Spirit," a fire-attributed spirit beast. They normally resided in a realm called "Kunlun," and only "Gods," "Devils," or "Immortals" who had achieved true realization could summon them for service. For some unknown reason, a Bi Fang egg had been dropped in the forest of the mortal realm. Bi Fang eggs hatched through spiritual energy. As the Shadow Wraith survived by relying on this egg, its faint spiritual power also caused some activity within the eggshell.

Death was the first concept the Shadow Wraith understood after surviving for two days and two nights sustained only by the Bi Fang egg. It clung to the side of the egg, watching helplessly as countless kin were born in the morning and vanished at sunset. It held tightly to the egg, daring not to leave even when the sun rose. It did not grasp the meaning of "death," but the disappearance of tens of thousands of its kind had made it understand what "death" was. On the morning of the third day, the Bi Fang egg emitted a faint sound; first, a crack appeared, then a pointed beak stretched out, and finally, the shell split in two. A small, moving creature trembled as it stood up.

The Shadow Wraith gazed at the small thing that had just emerged from the shell. It resembled the things that flew about in the air, but it had only one foot, and its feathers radiated warmth. The Shadow Wraith felt comfortable leaning against it, just as it had felt leaning against the unhatched egg. It instinctively moved closer to the creature. At that moment, countless other Shadow Wraiths dancing above the swamp died and vanished.

"Bi, bibi, Bi Fang, Bi Fang..." the little creature chirped, nestling beside the Shadow Wraith. Newly hatched young of their species could not feed themselves; they needed the spiritual power of their parents to survive. This young beast had no parents nearby, and the only thing it could rely on was this Shadow Wraith with its low spiritual power. However, the Shadow Wraith's spiritual energy was insufficient to sustain its life. As time passed, its voice grew weaker, and its body color shifted to a deep red.

The Shadow Wraith could not comprehend these things, nor did it know that the young Bi Fang was approaching death. It only knew that the warm place it depended on was fading away, that the sun had set, and that its own existence would soon follow. The only way for it to continue existing was for this young creature to live—this was the first thought the Shadow Wraith developed after three days of survival without thought.

As the Bi Fang and the Shadow Wraith struggled together on the brink of life and death, the moon rose. The beasts in the mountains and forests stirred, though neither the Bi Fang nor the Shadow Wraith understood that this day was the fifteenth of the seventh month in the Gengshen year—they had received a sixty-year stroke of luck.

"Bi, Bi, Bi Fang..." The innate nature of the Bi Fang allowed it to realize that the things within the moonlight could extend its life. It stretched its neck with effort, trying to capture these things. After exerting all its strength, it finally swallowed one, and then another... The flames on its body began to shine brightly, and the temperature it radiated once again became the warmth the Shadow Wraith favored. The Shadow Wraith watched its actions in confusion, and only after a long while did it understand that the creature desired these things floating in the moonlight.

※※※※※

A demon resembling a rat, named Ju Ru, darted along the cliff face, closely followed by a group of monkeys it had just spotted. Moments later, a brutal war erupted among the monkeys. They lunged, bit, clawed, and tore at each other. One grasped another by the throat, refusing to let go even as its opponent ripped open its chest. On another front, the monkey king was besieged by several males; although it bit and killed several enemies, it was torn to shreds itself. Even infants in the arms of the female monkeys kicked and bit their mothers, and the mothers threw their young at each other, some even casting their own offspring onto the ground to be trampled... Before long, not a single monkey remained alive from the troop.

Ju Ru watched this spectacle with smug satisfaction.

This demon, weak in direct combat but possessing a spell that filled living creatures with murderous intent, delighted in inciting conflicts and then watching the process from the sidelines. It approached the small battlefield, sniffing at the severed limbs and flesh hanging from the branches, then biting a few of the corpses on the ground, rolling in the blood-soaked grass with supreme contentment.

A figure suddenly lunged toward its throat. It dodged with all its might but was still bitten. As it heard the sound of its own trachea rupturing, it realized the thing that had severed its neck was its own shadow. But it had no time left to ponder "why?"

The black shadow rose from the ground and formed itself into a humanoid silhouette. It lifted Ju Ru's corpse, and immediately a Bi Fang swooped down from the treetops, landing on its shoulder, and began to feast from the hand holding the body.

The Shadow Wraith had fully gained form and thought, and the Bi Fang had grown to the size of a pigeon. If they knew how to calculate dates, they would realize they had been wandering aimlessly in this forest for over twenty years.

The Shadow Wraith stroked the ravenously eating Bi Fang, musing: If one Ju Ru isn't enough to fill its belly, I wonder if it will eat the corpses of these monkeys on the ground.

"Eating" was something the Shadow Wraith found very difficult to comprehend. Sunlight provided all the energy it needed, and with the Bi Fang beside it, its own magic could even grow at night; it did not need to "eat" to sustain its life. But the Bi Fang needed to, and so did the other animals and demons in the forest. Through observation, the Shadow Wraith noted that many animals "ate" daily. Was "eating" the sole purpose of their existence?

No matter how perplexed the Shadow Wraith was, it had to find food for the young Bi Fang, and it gradually discovered the difference between "food" and "food." The Bi Fang did not eat grass, leaves, or fruit; it would eat some animal flesh, but it ate demons, Chimei, Liang, and Wang with great delight.

"Mmm, very tasty!" the Bi Fang declared contentedly after swallowing the last bite. "A bit lacking, though." It shook its head at the monkey corpses on the ground, not wanting that kind of fare.

Lately, the Shadow Wraith tried to hunt demons for the Bi Fang. Its own magic was already considerable, and the Bi Fang could increasingly lend a hand; they could easily subdue common demons. They wisely avoided provoking the powerful demons, and moreover, because of the Bi Fang's presence, the powerful demons did not bother them either.

The Shadow Wraith had good luck today. Soon after catching Ju Ru, it caught a Huan Gou. The Bi Fang, full, curled up in the Shadow Wraith's arms and fell asleep. The Shadow Wraith sat on the highest branch of a giant tree, basking in the sun—sitting quietly in the sunlight was its only hobby.

"Hello."

The Shadow Wraith looked up. An old man was standing shakily on the branch before him, greeting him. The Shadow Wraith had never spoken to any creature other than the Bi Fang.

"The view here is quite nice," the old man said, sitting beside him. "You have some taste."

"View..." The Shadow Wraith didn't know what "view" meant; this place was simply one where it could sunbathe without obstruction.

"You've killed many demons recently, haven't you?" The old man cut to the chase.

"Those foods?"

"You killed them just to eat?"

"It eats."

"There is plenty of food in this forest. Why eat your own kind!" The old man's voice grew stern.

"It likes to eat."

"You kill them just because it likes to!" The old man secretly clenched his five fingers.

"They also eat. They eat monkeys, birds, tigers and wolves, grass... Everyone eats, and is eaten," the Shadow Wraith tried its best to express what it understood using the language it possessed.

The old man studied the Shadow Wraith with surprise, then relaxed his grip: "What if one day you become food yourself?"

"I don't eat, nor can I become food."

"What if that Bi Fang is eaten?"

"Bi Fang?"

The old man pointed at the Bi Fang in his arms.

"No!" The Shadow Wraith tightened its grip. "It cannot. I won't allow it." The Shadow Wraith vaguely realized that for itself, this Bi Fang was different from other living things that could become "food."

"Hahahaha..." The old man burst out laughing. "After living so long, this is the first time I've met such an interesting Shadow Wraith." He jumped down from the treetop and beckoned, "Come, let's go."

The Shadow Wraith looked at him and suddenly said, "I have seen you before." It remembered once seeing a large gathering of demons, and this old man was being revered and clustered around by them.

The Shadow Wraith sat in the moonlight, holding a book filled with tadpole-like script. On its lap lay another book printed with block characters using the finest ink. Human writing had many variations; the Shadow Wraith did not know why they were so changeable, but the process of learning the script brought it great pleasure.

"'Human' is what?"

"Look at me! I am a human!"

The Shadow Wraith looked at the old man drunkenly lying on the blue stones by the river, then at the woman in a swimsuit from a pictorial magazine. "Human..." The Shadow Wraith shook its head. Then it seriously began to read the ancient spell book. When it turned to the last page of this book, the old man finally stopped his thunderous snoring, rubbed his eyes, and came to its side. "Get up. Today we start practicing body transformation."

"First, turn into a human."

"Human? Which kind?"

"Me! Try to become me first!"

The lesson in transforming into a human was more difficult than the Shadow Wraith had imagined. It could quickly change into the "old man," a "woman," or anyone pictured in the album, but it couldn't conjure a person from thin air all day long.

"Hey, why does a female have a beard!"

"Your hand! Is that a human hand!"

"Why do human ears grow upwards!"

"Are you a person or a dog! Such a long tongue!"

"Idiot!"

"Blockhead!"

"..."

The old man sat heavily on the ground, letting out a breath. "You're about to drive me to death! But this time, it finally looks somewhat right."

The human male form the Shadow Wraith had transformed into stood before him. Although the eyes were slightly too large, making him look more like a rabbit than a person, overall, it was acceptable to consider him a human.

"Now maintain this form for ten days. You need to learn how to be human." The Shadow Wraith tugged at the restrictive human clothing, then sat down quietly to read. The old man watched him from the side with interest. He had expected subduing this Shadow Wraith would take some effort, but unexpectedly, it was so obedient, accepting whatever he taught with earnest eagerness.

"I should give you a name."

The Shadow Wraith looked up when he spoke, listening intently.

"You are a Shadow Wraith, so let's call you... hmm, let's call you Ying." This method of naming was incredibly casual, but thankfully, Ying offered no objection. It simply extended a finger and wrote the character "Ying" () in the soft earth, then looked up again at the person naming it.

"Yes, that's the character. From today on, you are 'Ying.' Even if there are ten thousand Shadow Wraiths, you will no longer be the same as them."

"Ying" nodded thoughtfully.

"Ying, Ying, Ying..." Huo'er came fluttering down from the trees in a clamor, its mouth still stained with the blood of its prey—it had recently begun hunting on its own. Strangely, this creature, which had been intolerably picky, now ate whatever prey it caught with great relish, no longer refusing this or that. "Name, name, Shadow, Shadow... Ying, Shadow..." It circled Ying several times, chirping the name dozens of times before landing on a rock before the old man, tilting its head, squinting, and asking, "What about me? What is my name?"

"Since there is only one Bi Fang here, you won't be confused without a name. But..." Seeing Huo'er genuinely agitated, the old man changed his tune. "If you want a name, let Ying choose one for you."

"Huo... Huo'er," Ying had learned quickly in this regard, causing the old man to sigh inwardly. He had originally hoped this student would be more creative than himself.

"Huo'er..." Huo'er was slightly dissatisfied, believing it deserved a more resounding and impressive name. "But never mind, since you picked it for me." Huo'er rubbed against Ying to show its magnanimity and settled down for its post-breakfast nap.

Ying held it in its lap and suddenly asked, "And you? Your name?"

"Me? My name is Zhou Ju. Because I was originally a basket weaver during the Zhou Dynasty, hahahaha..."

"...So that's how it is..." Ying now understood the principle behind the naming.

"Ying, chase them quickly!"

Huo'er suddenly dove from the air, knocking down one enemy, then yelled at the few fleeing ones. Ying followed its cry, darting out like a bolt of lightning, merging with the shadows of the escaping foes and dispatching them neatly. It stood up and counted: "All seven are here, none got away."

They were pursuing a type of demon called Duo Ji, characterized by red eyes, white tails, and the appearance of a small pug. This demon could start fires, and one or two were manageable, but seven or eight gathered together could cause serious trouble. In just a few days, two sections of the forest had been burned to ashes, and the number of animals, plants, and even other demons that perished was countless.

"But why do we have to do this?" Huo'er mumbled while eating, "Always being sent around by him to meddle in other people's business."

Demons had always adhered to the principle of "mind your own business," yet Zhou Ju recently had frequently assigned Ying and Huo'er tasks like this. "You're enjoying the food, though," Ying patted the complaining Huo'er. A thought suddenly struck him: when Zhou Ju first approached him and Huo'er, wasn't his purpose similar to these actions? Did he originally... intend to kill us?

"Is that so? Did you originally intend to kill us?" Ying looked earnestly at Zhou Ju and asked.

Zhou Ju’s mouth fell open in disbelief. "What? You only just realized that now!"

Shadow felt an inexplicable emotion for some reason; he himself didn't know what was wrong. Zhou Ju saw him looking downcast and about to leave, then chuckled, stopping him: "What, unhappy? It's quite rare for you to learn 'unhappiness.'"

"I'm not unhappy," Shadow replied instinctively, avoiding the strange feeling in his heart.

"Oh, you've even learned to lie. Such rapid progress."

"I..."

Zhou Ju patted Shadow's shoulder and said, "It seems it's time for us to have a proper talk."

※※※※※

Shadow sat alone by the river, quietly pondering Zhou Ju's words: "You are no longer that ethereal Shadow Wraith. You possess life now."

"Life..."

"Yes. Even though you are a Yao guai (demon/spirit), life is life. Whether human, animal, plant, or Yao guai, there should be no distinction in worth. You exist in this world, capable of living, thinking, and feeling—that is your life."

"Is that so..." Shadow had never considered such things.

"Every life must have its purpose. Why does it exist? What is the purpose of its existence?"

"What purpose?"

"You don't need to look so troubled. You don't have to rack your brains over these matters. When the time comes, you will naturally have a sudden realization, and everything will become perfectly clear."

"Then can you tell me what my purpose is?"

"...How can one ask others such a thing..."

"If you can't tell me, how can I possibly know?"

"Didn't I say you don't need to rush these things? Before that, you should first learn to think for yourself. Stop constantly asking others what you should do. Learn to express and feel your own joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. Learn what you like and what you dislike. Learn what is right and what is wrong."

"What is right and what is wrong?"

"What is right and what is wrong isn't important. What you consider right and wrong—that is what matters most. Do you understand? Your own perspective is the most important."

"My own perspective..." Shadow thought, realizing he was unconsciously picking up small stones and tossing them into the river while pondering. A dragonfly, startled by his throw, zipped far away, then returned to skim the water's surface. When a bird's shadow fell upon it, the dragonfly panicked and darted toward the brush. The mountain finch missed its target, banking sharply over the water, and soared back into the sky. Before it could find a new target, another mountain finch swooped down, snatching it in its talons and flying toward the peaks. Shadow watched the eagle disappear, his gaze falling upon a nearby thicket. The dragonfly, having just escaped the finch's attack, had blundered into a spider's web and was struggling frantically as a large spider slowly crept out.

Shadow reached out and gently lifted the dragonfly from the web. After it flew away, he continued to look at his hand, the sensation of the dragonfly struggling between his fingers still lingering there.

Zhou Ju, watching from a distance, nodded slowly.

Shadow couldn't understand why he had let the dragonfly go. The spider only lived by eating insects, and didn't the dragonfly itself feed on other insects?

"Hey, Shadow!"

Shadow turned around. Zhou Ju beckoned to him. "Come over here. I think I can teach you some spells."

The torrential summer rain poured down for days. The saturated mountainside finally gave way, transforming into a mudslide that rushed headlong toward the valley floor.

"Evade!" Shadow roared, casting the 'Water Evasion Technique,' which manifested as an invisible wall, slightly deflecting the roaring torrent and nudging it a little off course. Huo'er immediately flapped its wings and unleashed a surge of fire, shifting the mudslide's direction further. Shadow instantly charged forward again... They took turns like this, finally diverting the mudslide into the direction they intended before it could smash down the slope. Mud, water, stones, trees, branches... everything charged into the swamp with irresistible force.

"Hoo..." Huo'er landed heavily on Shadow's shoulder, exhaling deeply. "Worn out!"

Shadow watched the fierce mudslide plunge into the swamp. Though exhausted, he was relieved that he and Huo'er had prevented it from devastating the lush forest further down the mountain.

Faint laughter and murmuring drifted from the nearby bushes. Shadow knew many Yao guai who lived in the woods that were supposed to be destroyed by the slide were hiding there. They had been there since Shadow and Huo'er began their efforts to block the mudslide, likely watching the spectacle, ready to flee if Shadow failed, yet none came out to help those who were actually protecting their home. A new emotion stirred in Shadow's heart; now he knew what it was called: "Anger."

"Those despicable things!" Huo'er cursed angrily. "Hiding there to watch us work! I’m tired and hungry, I’ll just catch one for dinner!" With that, it spread its wings and dove toward the bushes. Startled by Huo'er, the hiding Yao guai scattered in panic, and Huo'er, without caring who or what it chased, pursued them wildly. Shadow didn't care who Huo'er caught or ate. He slowly walked back around the slope ravaged by the mudslide. Strangely, the anger had already begun to fade.

"If I want to kill a certain Yao guai, is that right or wrong?"

Zhou Ju, who had been lifting a teacup to his lips, set it back down upon hearing Shadow's question. "Why do you want to do that?"

"For no reason at all, not for food, and not for self-defense. It was just a sudden urge." Shadow sat across from Zhou Ju, hands resting properly on his knees, clearly quite bewildered.

"It's because they provoked you, isn't it?" Zhou Ju hit the nail on the head. "Having the intent to kill doesn't always mean it's for food or self-defense. It can be for many other reasons—they made you angry, and that is one such reason."

"Then, is that right?"

"Whether it's right or wrong, you must ask yourself. Every person, every Yao guai, will likely have a different answer. My answer, your answer, even Huo'er's answer, will not be the same. Do you understand?"

"...No, I don't." Shadow knew he wouldn't get the answer to this question from Zhou Ju. He turned and walked out of Zhou Ju's wooden hut. Out of habit, he went to the riverbank, hugged his knees, and stared blankly at the water. Zhou Ju had begun teaching him spells a hundred years ago, along with knowledge of the "other worlds"—gods, demons, immortals, delicate spirits, strange creatures, and humans. But he stopped telling Shadow what to do, how to act, or what was right or wrong. Consequently, 'whys' piled up in Shadow's heart, accumulating more and more as time passed.

"Shadow," Huo'er flew back slowly, too sluggish even to talk properly from being so full. "What's been going on with you lately? You seem troubled?"

Shadow held the capricious little Bi Fang (a type of mythical bird) in his arms. Being cared for by Huo'er moved him slightly. "I'm fine, just a few feelings I can't quite grasp the reason for."

"Feelings..." Huo'er mumbled. "Eat your fill, take a nap, and all worries disappear." With that, it curled up, tucked in its wings, and began putting its own advice into practice.

Shadow stretched out his legs to make Huo'er more comfortable. "If only I could be like Huo'er, having no worries at all." But why did he have so many concerns? Zhou Ju seemed untroubled, and Huo'er lived completely carefree. The other Yao guai, the animals—Shadow hadn't seen any of them burdened with so many incomprehensible things. Was it because he was a Shadow Wraith, that his intellect was inherently lower than other species, causing him to be unable to figure things out? Shadow stretched and stood up. If it was due to his species, then there was nothing he could do, and worrying would be pointless.

Shadow and Huo'er walked back along the narrow path worn by mountain goats. They had just returned from delivering a message for Zhou Ju in the distance. Huo'er complained habitually about the errands Zhou Ju gave it, chattering incessantly.

"Hey!"

"Hey! Did you hear that! Come help quickly!"

Shadow turned around to see a Yao guai standing on a cliff waving at him. "Come and help!"

"Lunch!" Huo'er cheered, preparing to dive toward the creature.

"Huo'er, wait a moment," Shadow quickly restrained it. "He's asking for our help."

"Why should we help it!"

"There's no harm in checking it out, right?" Shadow thought, flying toward the cliff.

Huo'er grumbled in dissatisfaction: "Shadow is too willful, letting lunch slip away! But I am magnanimous, I'll go take a look!" It followed, flying over.

The one waving from the cliff was a Yao guai that had transformed into a human wearing a long dress. Shadow couldn't discern its original form. As he observed it, he asked, "What do you need our help with?" In truth, he felt a measure of respect for this creature; based on experience, no one besides Zhou Ju had ever dared to initiate contact with a Bi Fang.

"You need to help me," the Yao guai said without preamble, grabbing Shadow and pulling him along. "Quickly! I can't save them by myself!"

Shadow didn't know what it wanted him to do, so he followed. They walked until they reached a clearing, but Shadow still saw no one needing rescue.

"Why are you still standing there! Help me save them!" the Yao guai chided impatiently.

"What? Save who?" Shadow looked around.

"Where are you looking? Here, beneath your feet!"

Shadow looked down and saw a patch of shrubs nearby, trampled and chewed by a herd of wild goats—a complete mess. "Save... them?"

"Plants are part of this mountain forest, aren't they? Haven't you two been helping everyone protect this place? Doesn't that include the plants? I admired you as a hero!" the Yao guai said unhappily. "Among all things in heaven and earth, only plants survive with just sunlight, water, soil, and air, and they provide sustenance for other lives. How can they be looked down upon!"

"I can live without water, air, or soil, and I don't need to eat other creatures," Shadow stated seriously.

"What's wrong with eating other creatures!" Huo'er protested from Shadow's shoulder.

Hearing Shadow's words, the Yao guai couldn't help but laugh, then tilted its head and said seriously, "Well, you're right. You are even more advanced than plants."

Shadow's face flushed slightly. He knew the creature wasn't praising him but mocking him, after all, Shadow Wraiths were considered the lowest rank of Yao guai. "What do you need me to do?" he asked, wanting only to finish quickly and leave.

"Help me prop them up. Do you know the Earth Covering Spell?"

"Yes."

"When I restore their branches and leaves, you use the Earth Covering Spell to protect their roots."

"Fine."

The Yao guai raised a hand, and the broken shrubs stood up from the soil. Shadow protected the roots while the creature meticulously used magic to repair the branches and leaves. Shadow discovered for the first time that the magical power required to make plants thrive was far greater than that needed to heal animals or anything else.

By the time they had revived an entire section of shrubs, the moon had quietly appeared in the sky. Huo'er, likely hungry, had flown off long ago to find food. Shadow dusted the dirt from his hands and prepared to leave.

"Please wait a moment."

Shadow turned back. "Is there something else?"

"Can you stay with me a little longer?"

"?..."

"Just until tomorrow morning."

"I need to find Huo'er."

"What if I'm about to die? Would you be willing to stay with me for my final moments?"

"Die..."

"I am close to death! My life ends tomorrow morning!"

"..."

"I am a Yellow Thorn (Huang Ji). Tomorrow is the beginning of Autumn, isn't it?"

Shadow knew the peculiar nature of this plant spirit. Their physical body sprouts in the spring, giving birth to a Yao guai, but on the day of the first Autumn frost (Liqiu), that Yao guai dies. The Yellow Thorn tree itself, however, does not die, and a new Yao guai is generated the following spring. It was a strange, non-reproductive, short-lived yet functionally immortal monster.

"This is the first time I've seen a Yellow Thorn," Shadow said, looking at it. "I thought they were only things recorded in books."

It sat down and patted the rock beside it, signaling Shadow to sit as well. "Is seeing a Yellow Thorn about to die interesting to you?"

"Not exactly, but since you'll come alive again next spring, it doesn't really matter, right?"

"Next spring..." A bitter smile touched the Yellow Thorn's lips. It pointed toward the swamp below. "New Shadow Wraiths are born there every day. Are those you?"

"Certainly not me."

"Nor am I them."

Shadow took a few seconds to realize: "Every Yellow Thorn born each year is different. That means you can only live for three seasons."

"Correct. We retain the knowledge of the previous generation, but we cannot retain memories or emotions. We can only live this long, and tomorrow is my deadline," it said somewhat listlessly.

Shadow sat down beside it. He didn't know why it wanted his company, but accompanying it carried no loss.

"Why?" The Yellow Thorn stared straight at Shadow, repeating the three words over and over. "Why?"

Shadow looked at it, puzzled.

"Why can you survive!"

"Me?"

The Yellow Thorn turned its head away from him. "Actually, we Yellow Thorns have a way to live on."

"What way?" Shadow wondered if he could help.

"A chance once every sixty years... meaning we only have one survivor every sixty years! And you—you received such a chance! Why?"

The Yellow Thorn suddenly lunged out, clamping its hands around Shadow's neck. Countless roots snaked up from the soil, plunging toward Shadow's body, while it shrieked: "Why! Why can you survive and I have to die! Why!"

Shadow dissolved into a wisp of shadow, effortlessly slipping free of its attack. He extended his hand and released a spark of firelight, blasting the Yellow Thorn more than ten paces away, where it fell to the ground. Plant-based Yao guai feared fire the most. Shadow hadn't cultivated for hundreds of years in vain; dealing with such a minor spirit, he could effortlessly find its weakness and strike decisively.

The Yellow Thorn, struck down by Shadow's spell, struggled to rise. It would have been easy for Shadow to end its life now, but he hesitated, thinking it only had until morning anyway. He turned to leave, intending to find Zhou Ju and check if Huo'er had returned.

The Yellow Thorn managed to sit up, crying softly, and called out to Shadow's retreating back: "Please don't go. Please stay with me until morning? I only have until then, it won't waste much of your time. Can't you be kind?"

"You just tried to kill me," Shadow reminded it of its earlier action.

The Yellow Thorn only kept its head bowed, crying, saying nothing further. As Shadow took another step to leave, it begged again: "Really not?"

Shadow walked back and sat beside it.

The Yellow Thorn grasped Shadow's hand and said, "I am terrified of death, scared almost out of my mind! Please believe me, I truly admire everything you've done for this forest over the years, but in that moment, I... it was as if I hated everything that could live. I wished everything would just die..."

"Is that so," Shadow couldn't comprehend that feeling.

"Is there something you are particularly afraid of? If you felt afraid, what would you do?"

Shadow shook his head. "I don't know what fear is."

"That's wonderful..." The Yellow Thorn gazed at the moon. "I have been afraid constantly, and I forgot how to truly live. So now I am even more scared. In just a few hours, my time will be up, and then..." It shivered, shrinking into a ball. "It might be better to just die now, rather than keep feeling this constant fear!"

"Just pretend tomorrow nothing will happen. Forget about it."

"I can't forget, I can't forget!" The Yellow Thorn shook its head.

"Do you want to stay afraid like this until dawn?"

"Let me sleep, sleep straight through until morning, and pretend nothing happened. Yes, I need to fall asleep quickly." It leaned against Shadow's shoulder and closed its eyes, muttering repeatedly, "Sleep quickly, sleep quickly."

Shadow pressed a hand to its forehead, and it instantly fell into a deep slumber, a faint smile appearing in its dream—Shadow hadn't used a sleep spell, but an illusion, allowing it to see the life it desired. Shadow looked at the stars to calculate the time, wondering if there was enough time left before dawn for it to have a beautiful dream.

Shadow let it lean on him the entire time. He learned for the first time how much terror life could hold concerning death. Before this, he had never considered death. Did the Yao guai he had killed before feel this same fear when they died? He, too, would eventually die. Would he understand what 'fear' was when that time came?

When the first ray of sunlight touched Shadow, the Yellow Thorn leaning beside him was gone. In its place grew a tree with lush green branches, bearing lovely, bright red, orchid-like fruit, and small yellow flowers. Shadow knew that in the spring, a new Yao guai would sprout here, but it wouldn't be the one he knew. Shadow tapped the trunk, stood up, and began to wonder where Huo'er had gone all night. If he hadn't returned, would Zhou Ju be worried?

"Shadow." Zhou Ju jumped down from a tree.

Shadow's eyes widened. "Oh!" He had just been thinking of him, and there he was, jumping out. He was momentarily slow to react.

"It's a Yellow Thorn," Zhou Ju observed the tree. "I thought you had finally learned to date women. Turns out it was a Yellow Thorn." His voice held a note of disappointment.

"Woman?"

"Her," Zhou Ju patted Shadow's shoulder with a strange expression. "Don't play dumb. I saw you holding 'her' all night—didn't you do anything else?"

"You watched us all night?" Shadow frowned. "But is that a woman? The picture books you showed me, women looked like this..." He traced shapes in the air: women in bikinis, half-naked, or fully nude. "Shouldn't women look like this?"

"That one... hahahaha..." Zhou Ju scratched his head and laughed awkwardly.

Shadow looked at him, completely failing to understand what he was laughing about.

"Zhou Ju," Shadow suddenly asked as they walked back together, "What is death? Will you die? Are you afraid?"

"Death is... rest."

"Rest?"

"Dying doesn't mean non-existence. On the contrary, as long as you have lived earnestly, nothing can erase me. Of course, I will die, but I am not afraid." Zhou Ju clapped Shadow's shoulder. "You will understand soon enough." Then he strode ahead.

Shadow watched him, contemplating his words, a strange thread of unease weaving into his thoughts.

One morning, Shadow and Huo'er were woken early by Zhou Ju. When they arrived at Zhou Ju's hut, he was sitting solemnly on the grass in front of the hut, cross-legged.

Huo'er yawned. "Stinky old man, what are you sending us out for so early in the morning?"

Zhou Ju lowered his gaze and asked, "Do you remember how long we have been together?"

Shadow thought for a moment and replied, "Over two hundred years. Nobody bothers to keep track."

"Two hundred years. I have taught you everything I can. Shadow, you have a natural destiny; your cultivation will surely surpass mine one day."

"Why do you say that?"

"Do you remember asking me once if I feared death? What death even is?" "That was decades ago.

Why bring it up now?" "Because you are about to see it for yourself—I am about to die." "Lies..." Ying shook his head in disbelief. "I don't believe it, you won't die!" Even Huo'er, who had been dozing, sensed something was wrong and cried out, "Aren't you an old immortal who has lived for thousands of years!

How can you speak of death now! Are you trying to trick us into doing something for you again?" "Yes, that must be it!" Ying exclaimed.

"Zhou Ju, what do you want us to do?" "You have already done so much for this mountain forest over the years. After I am gone, whether you continue these tasks is entirely up to you." Zhou Ju tilted his head back, gazing at the sky, the distant mountains, the rivers, the forest, and finally, at Ying and Huo'er before him.

"Having lived here for millennia, I suppose I owe it my due, and it owes me. Now, it is time to part." "Zhou Ju!" Ying seized his hand.

"Stop lying to me! You won't die!" "Do I look like I am lying to you?" Zhou Ju asked with a smile.

"After teaching you for so many years, you still can't tell this much?" Ying released his hand and suddenly sank to his knees on the ground. He knew Zhou Ju was not lying this time.

"Where there is gathering, there is scattering; where there is life, there is death..." Zhou Ju said faintly. "My time has simply come." Ying asked, bewildered, "Why?

With your cultivation, you should have long surpassed life and death!" Zhou Ju replied, "Living as long as heaven and earth is merely one possible ending to life. I fled to the deep mountains back then to escape the turmoil of war.

My era is long gone now; the feudal lords who waged the wars, the soldiers who fought on the battlefields, have all long since turned to white bones, to dust. That I could watch the seas change into mulberry fields for so many years is satisfaction enough.

The most fearful thing for a person is insatiable greed!" Ying remained silent, but then he saw droplets falling one by one onto Zhou Ju’s hand. Ying reached up to touch his own face and realized the 'droplets' were coming from his own eyes.

He looked at his wet palm, not understanding what was happening. "You are crying..." Zhou Ju patted Ying's cheek with loving tenderness.

"Silly child, what is there to cry about? Here, wipe your tears—though perhaps it is good; you have finally learned to 'cry'." Ying obediently rubbed his face hard, but the tears would not stop: "I...

I..." "It's alright, cry if you must. In this life, one must first learn to 'cry' before one can learn to 'laugh.' It is just that I will not have the chance to see you 'laugh'..." "Laugh?

How does one do that? I can do it right now..." "Truly a silly child!" Zhou Ju chuckled.

"No need to rush. Someday you will learn.

You will always find a reason to laugh. It's a pity...

a pity... I cannot wait to see it..." "Zhou Ju?

Zhou Ju?" Seeing Zhou Ju's expression suddenly freeze, Ying hurriedly called his name, but Zhou Ju remained motionless, and the warmth of his body slowly dissipated. "Zhou Ju!

Zhou Ju!" Ying shook his body, shouting loudly. "He's dead," Huo'er approached Zhou Ju, looked closely, and concluded.

Ying stopped shaking Zhou Ju and large tears streamed down his face. "He really is dead.

It's a waste to just leave him here. Why don't I eat him?" Huo'er suggested.

Ying looked up furiously and rebuked, "Huo'er!" But what he saw in Huo'er's eyes were several balls of burning tears that ignited the grass beneath its feet. "But he doesn't look tasty.

I wouldn't eat something like that!" Huo'er complained, unfolded its wings, and flew away. As it flew, wisps of faint smoke rose from the vegetation it passed over...

"Ying! Hurry up and go!" "You go by yourself." "What's wrong with you?" Huo'er did not understand why Ying, who usually urged it to train, was now willing to give up a rare opportunity that came only once every sixty years.

"I don't know myself. My heart just feels hollow, as if I've lost something." "It's still about Zhou Ju, isn't it?" Huo'er said intelligently.

"Huo'er, what are we supposed to do from now on? Zhou Ju always told us what to do every day.

Now what?" "It's better without that fellow bossing us around! We can eat and sleep freely, do whatever we want!" Huo'er had no such worries.

"Is that so..." "You've been like this for several days. Are you going to continue?" Huo'er perched on his shoulder.

"Fine, I won't go either. I'll stay here with you." Ying stroked Huo'er's feathers.

After Zhou Ju's death, this Bi Fang was the only being that made him feel different from other creatures. But it was a Bi Fang; would it eventually have to return to 'Kunlun'?

What if a god, demon, or immortal summoned it to serve them? "Huo'er, what would you do if you were summoned?" "I wouldn't go!

I dislike being ordered around!" "But what if it were a god, demon, or immortal..." "I'd eat them!" Huo'er mumbled drowsily, almost asleep. Huo'er could not eat them!

Ying knew clearly that if such a thing happened, both he and Huo'er would be powerless to do anything but submit. Thinking of this possible future, Ying involuntarily held Huo'er tighter.

"Why must there be death? Why can't one refuse things one is unwilling to do?" Ying murmured, "I don't want to die, and I don't want Huo'er to become someone else's spirit beast!" Dawn was just breaking when Ying woke Huo'er by shaking it.

It asked sleepily, "What is it?" "I'm going to the human city." "What?" Huo'er's eyes snapped open wide. "I want to achieve true fulfillment, so I must first learn to be human!" "Human?

I haven't eaten that kind of thing before..." Huo'er mused thoughtfully. Ying had made up his mind.

Looking into the distance, he said, "I fear the day will come when I too will die, and I don't want the day to come when Huo'er becomes someone else's spirit beast... Huo'er, are you coming with me or staying here..." "I'm going!

I'm going!" Huo'er cried out before he could finish. "I've wanted to taste what humans are like for a long time!" Ying had worried that Huo'er would be unwilling to leave the forest it was used to, where it lived as it pleased.

Hearing this, he breathed a sigh of relief. That morning, the demons in the mountain forest celebrated, for the tyrannical Bi Fang and its accomplice, the Shadow Demon, had left the deep mountains.

Ying sat by the roadside of the first human town he found, looking at the fields to be filled on the identity card in his hand: "Name, Gender." Name? Ying frowned.

Zhou Ju had never told him what his surname should be. Finally, he flicked his finger across the blank ID card, and the following appeared: Name: Zhou Ying; Gender: Male...

Several decades later, Zhou Ying, living the life of a farmer in a small human town, left his small town at the insistence of Huo'er, who was clamoring to live in the biggest city, and arrived at the bustling metropolis... "Unlike you all, I haven't had such winding experiences," Zhou Ying said after finishing his story, seeing Liu Di and Lin Rui listening intently.

"My last few hundred years have been this simple." "Simple? Just having a Shadow Demon like you here is not simple!" Lin Rui glanced at the sun.

"Blast, I'm going to be late for class! I'll chat next time!

Huo'er, I'll figure out your birthday present, bye!" He waved goodbye and vanished. Zhou Ying watched the rising sun, took a deep breath, and narrowed his eyes.

Liu Di clapped him on the shoulder: "How about it, what birthday gift do you want? I'll get it for you." Zhou Ying shook his head and offered him a brilliant smile: "I'm starting my morning cultivation.

Want to join me?" "Cultivation again? You've been refining all night!" "Huo'er, let's go." Liu Di persisted, following close behind: "Really nothing you want?

Now you can cry, and you can laugh; you have no lack of joy and sorrow... Why don't I introduce you to a woman?

I wonder if one is truly a 'man' without knowing the pleasures of a woman!" "It's a beauty! How about it?

Want to?" "Hey, don't go... I'm serious..." Liu Di chased Zhou Ying into the stairwell.

The demons' banquet was over, and the rooftop returned to silence. A cat, which had accidentally swallowed a strange falling object the night before and felt an odd sensation in its body today, squatted in a corner, washing its face with its front paws, listening to their conversation with a semblance of understanding.

Then, its owner's call came, and the cat blurted out, "I'm here! What are we eating today?" The sound of a human voice came from its mouth, startling even itself, but its owner did not hear it.

Discovering it, the owner scooped it up: "Naughty Mimi, you made me worry all night! Come on, let's go home and eat."