Not long ago, she had rushed up to the Heavenly Court in such a flurry that she never even had a chance to properly appreciate the scenery of the Mortal Realm.
A succession of white clouds drifted past her sides, with countless more rolling out ahead, catching the dazzling sunlight and glowing with a seven-colored aura. It felt as though she were standing right inside the Goddess's bedchamber, forged from multicolored stones—surreal and dreamlike, so captivating that one could easily lose oneself in the experience.
Fortunately, birds would occasionally dart past, breaking the stillness and infusing the scene with boundless vitality.
Before long, Mount Qingcheng loomed close ahead. Having asked the Great Golden Crow for directions in advance this time, she had no fear of losing her way.
Following the contours of the mountains, she slowly descended, touching down at the foot of the mountain right at the Nuwa Palace. With its verdant trees and ring of surrounding peaks, Mount Qingcheng truly lived up to its name.
Looking around this sole Nuwa Palace in the Mortal Realm, she found the tiny sanctuary rarely visited and somewhat run-down. A thick carpet of fallen leaves covered the courtyard floor, adding a touch of desolate loneliness.
Stepping inside, she saw that the main hall's walls were mottled and thick with dust, while the doors and windows had long since vanished. Fortunately, the Goddess's statue remained intact, still benevolent and solemn.
Approaching the statue, Weining executed a solemn bow and offered a sincere prayer: "Goddess, your disciple has arrived in the Mortal Realm. I shall certainly fulfill my mission and not let you down."
Her prayer finished, Weining stood up, looked around, and set to work.
With a wave of her hand, she conjured a broom. A thorough cleaning was in order; the Goddess did not like dirt and clutter.
Out of deep respect, Weining chose not to use her magical powers. It took her a full two days to clean the place thoroughly from top to bottom, replacing every door, window, desk, and praying mat.
Looking at the clean and refreshed Nuwa Palace, she felt a surge of joy, yet she sensed something was missing. Near the doorway in the courtyard stood two towering pine trees, their lush branches overflowing with vibrant green. The main hall featured blue bricks and tiles, the courtyard walls and ground were paved with bluestone, and even the Goddess's statue was crafted from blue clay... The entire Nuwa Palace was dignified and solemn, but it somehow felt a bit oppressive.
As her gaze swept past the hall doors, her eyes lit up, and she knew what was lacking.
With a flick of her finger, two peach trees instantly sprouted on either side of the main hall, growing from roots to blossoms in mere moments.
Looking at the brilliantly blooming peach blossoms before her, Weining smiled smugly. Weren't these very much like her? With these two splashes of vibrant pink, the entire Nuwa Palace instantly gained a renewed sense of vitality. It was only a pity that Qingluan and Huofeng were missing; she would have to find a pair of similar birds when the opportunity arose.
Having tidied up the sanctuary for Goddess Nuwa, Weining also built a thatched cottage not far from the Nuwa Palace to serve as her residence.
Seeing that the area outside the palace was completely barren, she planted peach groves all around, enclosing both the Nuwa Palace and her cottage.
Whenever the blossoms bloomed, they drew countless birds to roost and linger. Their chirping swept away the past silence of the Nuwa Palace, filling the air with the sounds of birdsong and the fragrance of flowers, vibrant with life.
In her daily routine, Weining rarely stayed put on Mount Qingcheng. She traveled far and wide, encountering many demons, ghosts, and strange tales, which greatly broadened her horizons.
She had often heard that demons were cunning, and after seeing plenty of them, she was deeply convinced. Though their magical powers were meager and dealing with them required little effort, her lack of experience caused her to stumble a bit at first. Yet as days passed, she accumulated a wealth of experience, and her martial techniques and cultivation improved significantly.
Among the demons she encountered, she would warn the ones without grave sins and let them go. But for those who wreaked havoc, committed evil, and refused to mend their ways, she showed no mercy.
Weining still remembered the first demon she killed: a thousand-year-old cat demon who cultivated human blood to sustain her practice. Cunning to the extreme, the demon had slipped through her fingers several times. Weining kept her in her sights, pressed forward step by step, and ultimately executed her with her own sword.
The moment the Danxin Sword pierced the creature's body, Weining froze for a fraction of a second; after all, this was her first kill.
That brief lapse in focus almost cost her dearly against the cat demon's dying counterattack. Realizing the danger, Weining tilted her head to dodge and leaped backward. The sword slid out of the cat demon's body following her momentum, and a jet of crimson blood spurted forth, splashing onto the hem of Weining's skirt.
Having no time to worry about the bright red stains on her clothes, Weining stared fixedly as the cat demon convulsed until it died. Recalling the danger just moments before, she still felt somewhat short of breath.
For the very first time, danger had been so close. Even if the cat demon had succeeded, it would only have injured her, but that brush with death was truly terrifying.
Following the shock came confusion. Having finally taken a life with her own hands, Weining felt a whirl of emotions within, yet she had no idea what to make of it.
Weining's confusion did not last long. Soon after, she accidentally overheard mortals discussing the matter: "No one is having their blood drained by demons and dying in terror anymore. An immortal must have wiped out the demon and brought blessings to the people—what boundless compassion! If only we knew which immortal it was, we would surely build a shrine and temple in their honor."
Hearing this felt like a sudden enlightenment; Weining's heart instantly cleared. Qingluan had once said that killing one person to save ten thousand was supreme compassion, while harming several for the sake of one was supreme cruelty.
Furthermore, the Great Golden Crow had also written to tell her: "Punishing evil and promoting goodness is our bounden duty; wicked beasts acting out deserve their fate."
Therefore, she had done the right thing!
From that day on, Weining punished the wicked and spared the benevolent, never to be troubled by such doubts again.
When she had free time, she would often take walks through the towns near Mount Qingcheng.
She watched the mortals laugh, quarrel, gather in celebration, and labor side by side; watching them busy themselves for survival and tremble in fear of death...
Was this the myriad facets of mortal life? Weining found it novel and endearing. Compared to the solemn and majestic Heavenly Court, she much preferred the earthy warmth of the Mortal Realm, even though she had only spent a short time in heaven. As for why, she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
One day, with nothing to do and on a sudden whim, Weining decided to climb the mountain on foot. Standing at the peak, she looked out at the vast expanse of scenery below, and her spirits soared.
Suddenly, a tiger's roar echoed from the dense woods to the south. This was no ordinary tiger; it was likely the tiger spirit on the verge of taking human form. It kept a low profile and had never committed any evil over hundreds of years of cultivation, which was why Weining had spared it the few times she had crossed paths with it.
What had happened to make it roar with such fury? Finding it strange yet unhesitating, Weining immediately took off toward the source of the sound.
Passing through layers of branches, the view suddenly opened up. A mottled fierce tiger, easily the height of a grown man, stood before her, its back turned as it roared toward the sky. Just a stone's throw away lay two mortal youths, flat on their backs, clutching each other and crying out in terror.
Seeing the imminent danger, Weining flicked her sleeve and lashed out with a long silk ribbon, knocking the tiger spirit tumbling to the side, and landed gracefully between the two youths and the beast.
"Audacious tiger spirit! I previously saw that you practiced with a focused mind and acted with kindness toward others, so I spared you and let you cultivate here on Mount Qingcheng. Yet now you actually dare to casually harm mortals. You had better have a reasonable explanation, or I will never let you bring disaster upon the mortal world!" Weining rebuked in a deep voice.
Knocked head-over-heels to the side, the tiger spirit heard her stern question, hurriedly transformed into human form, and dropped to its knees, kowtowing repeatedly. "Please, Fairy, hear me out. This humble entity would never dare to casually harm mortals. It's just that these two individuals ambushed me today while I was in deep meditation. My cultivation was disrupted, causing my internal energy to backfire, and I suffered severe injuries. In my blinding agony, I lost control and accidentally harmed them. I had no malicious intent whatsoever and would never dare to harm mortals. I beg the Fairy to perceive the truth!" With that, it kowtowed unceasingly.
Weining furrowed her brow. "Get up first."
The tiger spirit stumbled before steadying itself. Across its lower right leg lay a long blade; the flesh of the wound was a bloody mess, and the flowing blood had stained its trouser leg, shoe, and the ground beneath its feet a deep red.
Weining was speechless. What a pair of death-defying brats.
She turned to stare at the two mortal youths, who were looking at her in utter bewilderment.
They were covered in blood and looked quite severely injured. She walked over, crouched down beside them, and reached out to check their pulses. Their pulses were steady and beat strongly with no internal injuries, suggesting the tiger spirit hadn't lied.
Then, she casually channeled her energy to heal them. The older one's healing went smoothly, but when it came to the younger one, her magic circulated through his body only to be repelled by another force.
Weining looked at the child in bewilderment. How could he possess internal energy yet show no outward signs of it?
Appraising them, she saw that the older one was tall and sturdy with an honest, simple face, though stark terror still lingered in his expression. The younger one was shorter and thinner, but his eyes were bright, and his face displayed more curiosity than fear.
Weining broke the silence. "Your injuries are nothing serious. Now tell me, what is going on here? Was the tiger spirit telling the truth?"
The older one sat in a daze without a word. The younger one looked rather sharp, yet he acted blank, failing to answer when spoken to. Weining swept her sleeve across them, and only then did the younger one snap out of his daze, asking blankly what she had said. With a mental sigh, she had no choice but to repeat herself.
Upon hearing her, his face flushed red. He muttered to himself for a long moment while his eyes darted everywhere—just like that cat demon she had killed, looking at a glance like he was plotting mischief.
Weining's face darkened. "You had better tell the truth."
At her words, the two exchanged glances, and the younger one began to recount the tale.
It turned out that the two of them had learned a few martial arts moves and fancied themselves invincible under heaven. Hearing that their father was going to buy tiger bones, they had taken it upon themselves to hunt a tiger and harvest its bones!
Listening in silent disbelief, Weining couldn't help lecturing them once he finished. "You two really don't know the immensity of heaven and earth! After learning a few days of tricks, you dared to come hunting tigers. What's more, you had such exquisite taste that you picked a tiger spirit with centuries of cultivation—truly a stroke of supreme fortune on your way to court death! If it hadn't been for its benevolent heart, you would have been swallowed whole and digested before I arrived!"
The pair flushed as red as fire under her scolding, hanging their heads and muttering in silence.
Ignoring them, Weining walked over to the tiger spirit. Its breath was unstable, and it sat slumped on the ground, clearly grievously wounded.
She retrieved a jade vial from her robes, poured out a translucent emerald pill, and handed it to the tiger. "Swallow this pill. It will solidify your foundation and greatly benefit your injuries." Seeing the beast take it and swallow, she handed it the vial as well, then hitched up her skirt and knelt to examine its leg wound.
Hovering her hand in the air, she tapped a few acupoints on its leg to finally stem the bleeding. "Bear with it." Grasping the hilt of her sword tightly, she yanked it out in one fierce motion. The beast let out a muffled groan, its leg trembling violently.
Weining pressed her palm over its wound and stroked gently. Within moments, the injury healed, leaving behind only a faint scar.
Weining smiled with satisfaction and stood up.
The tiger spirit immediately rolled over to its knees and kowtowed in gratitude. "Thank you, Fairy, for saving my life and bestowing this medicinal gift."
"Do not thank me; thank your own compassion. If you had given in to your pain today and resorted to slaughter, not only would I not have saved you, but I would have killed you with my own hands. You are quite remarkable. Though born a beast, you possess such a compassionate heart and managed to spare human lives even in a rage. I hope you will always maintain this benevolent spirit. As long as you keep your state of mind and practice diligently, I believe it won't be long before you achieve Dao and ascend. Consider this medicine compensation for your unearned misfortune; it will also aid your cultivation. Get up, no need for formalities." Weining encouraged.
Hearing her words, the tiger spirit grew deeply moved and slowly rose to its feet. "Thank you, Fairy, for your guidance. This humble entity is eternally grateful and will now take its leave."
"Wait," I said, seeing it turn to leave.
"Does the Fairy have further instructions?" it asked respectfully.
Weining turned to look at the Yang brothers. "Do you know you were wrong?"
The two, who had helped each other to their feet, flushed and exchanged glances. The older one lowered his head and murmured, "Fairy, my brother and I know we were wrong. We beg the Fairy's forgiveness."
Weining shook her head. "It isn't me who needs to grant forgiveness. Moreover, do you know where you went wrong?"
Nodding, the older one replied, "We were wrong to be arrogant, conceited, and blind to the immensity of heaven and earth. We were wrong to lack perseverance and fail to master our skills."
"We were also wrong," the younger one chimed in, "to take advantage of someone's vulnerability and launch a sneak attack."
The two exchanged glances and bowed deeply to the tiger spirit. "We used despicable methods today to injure you, Big Uncle Tiger. We know we were wrong and will never dare do it again. Please forgive us."
Weining nodded inwardly, feeling a bit more pleased. At least they had some sense of reason, or she truly wouldn't have wanted to bother with them.
The tiger spirit gave a hearty laugh. "I won't hold today against you, but you must never act this way again, or you will surely invite disaster."
With that, the tiger spirit cupped its fists toward Weining. "This humble entity takes its leave." Instantly reverting to its beastly form, it bolted deep into the woods.
As the tiger vanished from sight, Weining fixed her gaze on the two children. "What are your names?"
"My name is Yang Jiao, and this is my second brother, Yang Jian," the older boy—Yang Jiao—replied.
They were brothers, so why did one possess magical power while the other had none at all? Furthermore, Yang Jian's magical power seemed to be forcibly sealed within his body. What on earth was going on here?
A flurry of questions flashed through her mind. Yet Weining didn't press further; it was obvious they were completely clueless.
"Your brother's injuries are much lighter than yours, so I won't bother treating him. Just apply some medicine when you get back, and he'll be fine. It's getting late, the two of you should head home early." Weining waved her hand and turned to leave.
Instead of moving, the two hesitated for a long moment until Yang Jian called out, stopping Weining with a cupped-fist salute: "May I ask where the Fairy practices her cultivation?"
She had originally intended to send them home and then tail them to investigate, but she hadn't expected them to be in no rush to leave.
With a helpless sigh, Weining soared into the forest. "My cultivation is naturally right here on Mount Qingcheng. Hurry along now."
She hadn't flown far before stopping atop a tree, watching their movements. Finally, she saw the two brothers heading southeast.
Only when they cleared the tree line did Weining move to follow. Once they exited the woods and entered town, she cast an illusion to alter her appearance, trailing a short distance behind them all the way.