Ghost Valley

As the saying goes, if you don't want thieves in your house, lock the door when you leave!

There was no door to the small mountain valley.

By the time Qingnu returned, the nest she had built over a hundred years ago was completely overgrown with wild grass. She even encountered several people in the valley cutting down trees and picking fruit!

These fruit trees were planted by her own hands!

"What bold thieves dare to steal this lady's fruit!"

Qingnu gave a loud shout, grabbed Hongluan from her shoulder, and tossed her out. "Sister Bird, go! Peck them!"

Hongluan shrieked and cursed, "Stupid snake!!"

The commotion gave the group of people quite a fright. Seeing a blue bird flying out while shouting, they abandoned their tools and ran toward the valley entrance as fast as their legs could carry them. As they ran, they cried out that there were ghosts and begged for someone to save them.

"Have you ever seen such a beautiful ghost?"

Qingnu muttered, emerging from the bushes with several leaves still stuck on her head.

However, before Qingnu could tidy her appearance, Hongluan dove toward her at high speed, pecking directly at her head while scolding her.

"Stupid snake! What if they had knocked me down?"

"What if I hadn't stabilized my flight and you dropped me to my death?"

"I'm ignoring you!"

The bird ruffled Qingnu's hair into a mess and then turned its head away in anger.

Qingnu clutched her head and took small steps until she was behind the bird, asking in a low voice, "Sister Bird, how about I go prepare some delicious fruit for you? I grew them myself; they're all-natural and pollution-free!"

"What do you say?"

She even reached out and poked Hongluan.

Hongluan hopped to the side and said nothing.

"Are you really angry?"

Qingnu blinked.

After the initial daze, Qingnu's expression instantly shifted into a look of grievance. She crouched down, fiddling with her long black hair as it hung down, and said, "I just... I thought Sister Bird was very powerful and could help me drive them away..."

"I didn't do it on purpose..."

"Sister Bird, don't be mad at me, boohoo..."

Hongluan, with its back to Qingnu, heard the sound of whimpering and sobbing and quietly turned its head slightly to peek back.

Seeing Qingnu actually covering her face and crying, it hurriedly flew in front of her.

"Hey, hey, stupid snake! Don't cry!"

"I'm not mad at you..."

Qingnu sobbed, raising a finger with a very small movement to point at a fruit tree to the side. "Qingnu—wants to eat fruit. Sister Bird, if you're not mad at me anymore, could you help me pick a fruit? If you're still angry, then I'll just..."

"I'll pick it for you!"

Without another word, Hongluan flew over and picked a fruit.

Only when it was halfway back did it suddenly realize what was happening. It flung the fruit right at Qingnu's head.

"Stupid snake! You dare trick me!"

Qingnu raised her hand to catch the fruit, revealing her face.

There wasn't a single tear on her face, only a brilliant smile. She chuckled and said, "Sister Bird, don't be mad! I've been using this trick for a hundred or two hundred years, yet you still fall for it. Shouldn't you look for the reason within yourself?"

"You... you... you rascal!!"

Hongluan was fuming. It flew up to a branch and ignored Qingnu for several days.

As the saying goes, good news stays indoors while bad news travels a thousand miles.

At some point, rumors that there were ghosts in the valley began to spread. Several variations of the story emerged, making it difficult for people to grasp the truth. Consequently, the people of the time began to call the place Ghost Valley.

When Hongluan brought this news back, Qingnu fell silent.

"What? Is it another thing you're familiar with, that so-called... what was it called? History?"

Seeing Qingnu's silent expression, Hongluan tilted its head.

"Ahem..."

Qingnu looked down at her clothes, then looked up at Hongluan. She pursed her lips slightly, revealed a smile, and called out, "Sister Bird..."

Hongluan suddenly had an ominous feeling!

"How about you pluck a few feathers so your sister can buy some new clothes? Your feathers are bright and beautiful, the feathers of a divine bird that has lived for centuries. They'd definitely be worth a fortune if sold. Forget a few sets of clothes; if you gave them to those lords, you could trade them for dozens of cities!"

Qingnu clasped her hands together and looked at Hongluan with an expectant face.

"Why don't you pluck your own scales! The green scales of a thousand-year-old snake demon are much more precious than my hundred-year-old bird feathers!"

Qingnu pouted and said, "That would hurt too much."

"And it won't hurt to pluck my feathers!"

Hongluan delivered a flying kick to Qingnu's head, messing up her hair again.

After turning Qingnu's hair into a bird's nest, Hongluan sat comfortably inside it and asked, "Why did you suddenly think about changing your clothes? Haven't you been wearing this set for thousands of years?"

Qingnu gave a light cough and said seriously, "From now on, please call me by my stage name: Guiguzi!"

"Uh..."

Hongluan tilted its head, its beady eyes full of confusion.

Qingnu reached up, pulled it out from her hair, and said, "People will be coming to the door soon. Let's go get ready!"

Hongluan didn't know what was going on inside the snake's head, but she turned out to be right—people really did come to the door!

And more than one.

Two youths knelt outside the mountain valley, bowing toward the interior and shouting.

"Student Pang Juan! I have come to pay my respects to the immortal!"

"Student Sun Boling pays his respects!"

Hongluan flapped its wings and circled in the sky, muttering, "What are they babbling about? Are they the ones that stupid snake is waiting for?"

Qingnu had said that if someone came to pay their respects, she couldn't acknowledge them the first time, shouldn't acknowledge them the second time, and could only do so on the third time.

She called it the "Three Visits to the Hut!"

Although Hongluan didn't understand the logic behind it, since Qingnu had instructed it so, it would follow orders.

But...

These two youths had only bowed twice. Why were they leaving already?!

Seeing Pang Juan and Sun Boling packing their things to depart, Hongluan immediately dove down in front of them and shouted, "Halt!"

"Ah! The bird spoke?"

Pang Juan's eyes widened.

Sun Boling nodded slightly. "Yes, the bird spoke!"

Wow, a celestial bird!

The two youths looked at Hongluan with immense surprise and joy.

Hongluan caught its breath and flapped its wings, asking them, "Hey! You only bowed twice, why are you leaving? That stupid snake clearly said you would bow three times!"

"Eh?"

Pang Juan and Sun Boling looked at each other, their expressions blank.

"We weren't going to leave!"

Now it was Hongluan's turn to be dazed. It tilted its head and asked, "Then where were you going?"

"Brother Pang said that since we hadn't seen the immortal yet, our hearts must not be sincere enough. So, we were going to prepare some generous gifts to catch the immortal's eye!"

Sun Boling answered Hongluan. He looked at the bird, his eyes shining. "I didn't expect Brother Pang's words to come true so quickly. Just as we were about to go prepare the gifts, the celestial bird appeared! Are you here to lead us to see the immortal of Ghost Valley?"

"Ah... uh... well..."

Hongluan backed away a little.

So... that was it? It had misunderstood!