章 8: Fairy Playing With the Fish

At Xinyi's feet, the owl settled.

"Move. So that you don't think we're completely heartless, we've prepared a plush bed for you tonight. "Most importantly, we don't want the power of the sorceress in you to suffer from lack of sleep," he nudged her head as if to send her away.

Even after returning, she craved information about the sorceress this bird had mentioned. Everyone in Forsaken Valley, including the animals, told her the same thing, but no one could explain who this sorceress was or why she had gained that powerful person's abilities.

The oldest person she met there was a python, and he told her that once upon a time, there was a powerful sorceress known for loving and protecting the animals. Yet she went off to war and hasn't come back. While still a baby, the python had one and only encounter with the sorceress. That's how he knew Xinyi had the sorceress's power: she had it in her hands. The other animals remarked Xinyi seemed to call to them, but they could not specify why.

Each bird flew back to Anjing Pavilion carrying a handful of grass, leaves, and even ribbons from the knowledgeable residents who hung them there.

Xinyi squatted next to the owl while the birds worked, thinking of asking this owl about what it knew about this sorceress. "Ne, ne, Sir Owl. Is she still a part of me? Do her abilities extend beyond that of normal humans? With a tug on the owl's wings, Xinyi questioned it.

There was a twitch of anger at the owl's temple. For him, she was nothing but a distraction. "It befuddles me why I wound up giving her a hand. Because her magic makes me feel like I'm in the Sorceress's presence." The wise old owl was perplexed.

"When will you stop pulling my wingtips? Should you inadvertently remove one of my feathers, I shall be rendered an invalid, losing my ability to fly. Do you want me to suffer for the rest of my life because of your carelessness?" the angry owl asked.

There was no fooling Xinyi; she knew the owl was being dishonest. She had experience helping injured forest birds, and the owl was just playing along. But now was the time for modesty, or she risked losing the support she desperately needed. She would eventually show this old braggart a thing or two.

"Excuse me, Sir Owl. I've been wondering about this for a long time, but everyone I've asked about it has just told me that the sorceress' power is in me. Please tell me what you know about this," she said hastily as she prodded the owl's wings.

"Enough! When I get a chance, I'll fill you in. Sorry, but I've had enough for today. You had better get some shut-eye," the owl said, trying to hide his irritation.

When the last leaf fell from the mouth of the last bird that came into the pavilion, the pile of everything was ready for her to sleep on. When she saw the bed-height stacks of leaves, all her confusion and questions vanished.

"Wow! There are no words to describe how I feel. I thought you wouldn't want to assist me. Thank you very much!" She drew the owl to her and kissed its face. Stranger still, after being kissed by her, the owl's eyes became blurry and round.

"AHH?!?" The owl cried out, "Stop! Let me go!"

She released him with an "I'm sorry" and a series of apologies. She felt bad about touching the bird for fear of further injuring it.

The poor bird flew in circles before collapsing to the floor on its head. "That's something you shouldn't do again." As it lay there, it moaned, "I can't stand it."

"I'm sorry," After staring at the owl on the floor for a while, Xinyi was at a loss for words. "Are you going to be okay? It's okay for you to sleep on the floor? I'll keep you company."

The owl quickly got to its feet and replied, "No need." Away he went, swaying from left to right, up and down, all around. That guy looked hilarious with his weird movement as if he was drunk. All the other birds burst out laughing. The Anjing Pavilion may be in disrepair, but those with normal hearing can still hear the birds outside.

The birds were amused by the owl and his fainting, but they also felt bad for him because they understood what had happened. They realized they had to get away from Xinyi before they became the next victims of her growing strength. Xinyi had witnessed similar phenomena before. This had happened to her a few times before, and each time, she'd wake up to find the animals have fled. When she got excited, a powerful force reportedly struck them.

Though she was foolish to hug the owl without considering the consequences, at least her gratitude was genuine. Since this was the case, she needed to monitor herself to ensure she didn't make the same mistake twice. She certainly wouldn't want to do anything to scare them.

When this happened, she remembered the times in the valley when she sang to the animals to calm them down. Because of this, she sang again. Xinyi opened her mouth and sang the forest song her influential grandmother had taught her. Her grandmother had once owned the necklace she wore.

Her beautiful, gentle voice echoed through the darkness. The lilting song carried through the air and into the nearby bamboo grove.

Within the thick grove of bamboo, two enormous red eyes suddenly opened. The owner's ears perked up as they heard the song, and their cheeks gradually returned to their natural color. An eerie calm descended upon those eyes before they slid close, concealing the screams of some black figures that had just left their bodies.

Those eyes belonged to more than just the one who heard the song. It's true that many dark figures escaped the governor's mansion that one night. Lei Ming and the other two men saw them. They left Lei Ming's office quickly and looked around.

"Where are those ghosts disappearing?" a man said. He had tanned skin, long black hair, and a crown-shaped hair clip made of gold that he wore atop his head.

Another man, this one dressed as a warrior, added, "I want to know where they came from and where they are heading."

After making a quick U-turn, Lei Ming jumped from one roof to another. I believe they came from the woods behind here. Join us as we snoop around this situation.

The singing had finished, and Xinyi had gone to the brook a few yards away to wash before retiring to bed. Previous exposure to dust had left her feeling uneasy. She stripped down to her underwear, which she laid on the black cloth she'd brought, and dove headfirst into the pool.

Upon entering the forest, Lei Ming and his companions noticed nothing out of the ordinary. He noticed the pavilion and intended to go check on her, but his friend shouted at him.

"Someone is taking a dip in the brook," the warrior announced to Ming 'er. They ran in the brook's direction after hearing, and there, Xinyi splashed the water with her feet playfully, the moonlight illuminating her.

A silhouette of her gorgeous body and flowing hair appeared before their eyes, while fish swam around her, jumping at her side, their scales glistening in the moonlight. The three gentlemen halted abruptly, stunned by what they saw.

Lei Ming saw her and thought she was a fairy because she was interacting with the fish.