"What immortal maiden? I am an immortal snake!"
Qingnu corrected Liu An's way of addressing her as she jumped out of the pit and lightly dusted off her dress.
Even though she had already begun her transformation into a jiao, Qingnu still referred to herself as a snake. 'Immortal Jiao' did not sound right; it sounded far too much like 'shrimp dumplings'.
"Our Lady the Immortal Snake!" Liu An shouted in pleasant surprise.
He had been fascinated by myths, ghosts, and strange tales since childhood, so he immediately invited Qingnu and Hongluan to return with him, promising to host them with the utmost hospitality!
Qingnu considered it. Since she didn't want to return to the Kunlun Mountains just yet, she figured it wouldn't hurt to accompany this boy for a while.
Hongluan, having no desire to interact with too many humans, transformed into a bird and landed on Qingnu's shoulder.
This act caused Liu An to cry out in wonder yet again.
The Marquisate of Fuling was not large, but Liu An kept many retainers. He treated Qingnu with the reverence due to an immortal, constantly asking if she required offerings or if she wished for a temple to be built in her honor.
What offerings could Qingnu possibly want? Meat was more than enough for her.
As for building a temple—anyone who dared mention that was looking for trouble with a snake!
After being soundly beaten once, Liu An never spoke of building a temple for Qingnu again. Instead, he began to inquire about every myth and ghost story she knew. For the snake girl, having someone new to chat with was naturally a good thing!
She knew the myths and legends spanning nearly three thousand years—from the era of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to Yu the Great's taming of the floods, and from Tang of Shang's conquest of the Xia to King Wu's campaign against Di Xin.
Qingnu kept nothing back; whatever Liu An wanted to know, she told him. All she asked in return was a steady supply of meat!
Over the years, the bamboo slips recording these tales filled several rooms.
Qingnu's perception of time had dulled significantly. She only noticed that as the bamboo slips grew in number, the youth of the past grew older and older.
Liu An no longer spent every waking moment following Qingnu around as he had in his youth.
Many years later, a messenger arrived from Chang'an.
The Emperor issued an imperial decree, promoting Liu An to King of Huainan, with his capital at Shouchun.
Liu An was overjoyed. Since his father's rebellion, the title of King of Huainan had been stripped from their family. He never expected to reclaim the throne!
It must be the blessing of the immortal Qingnu!
However, when Liu An arrived with various gifts to thank her, he found her packing her belongings.
Liu An froze. "Our Lady the Immortal Snake, are you... leaving?"
Qingnu glanced back at Liu An. Seeing him in his royal robes, she chuckled softly. "Oh? You've become a King?"
Liu An immediately cupped his hands. "It is all thanks to your blessing, My Lady!"
"What blessing? I am not that divine," Qingnu waved her hand dismissively, then added, "The Han empire is vast, and the scenery differs from place to place. I have stayed here for many years, which is long enough. It is time for me to see other parts of the world. Since you have provided me with meat for several years, I will give you a word of advice before I go. Do you want to hear it?"
Liu An immediately offered up some meat and said, "Gua Ren is all ears!"
"Write your storybooks in peace, and do not think about things you shouldn't!"
Qingnu patted Liu An on the shoulder and took the meat from his hands. As she was about to leave, Liu An turned and called out, "Our Lady the Immortal Maiden, I still do not know your true name! Could you tell Gua Ren?"
"Just call me Qingnu."
Qingnu waved her hand with her back to him and vanished before his eyes.
Liu An began to mutter to himself.
"Qingnu... Qingnu?"
"Legend says there is a Jade Maiden of the Azure Heavens in Chang'an. Could it be her?"
But Qingnu was already gone. Even if he wanted to ask, he no longer had the chance.
Not many years after Qingnu left Liu An, Liu Heng passed away. The Han chess master, Liu Qi, ascended the throne. Within a few short years, the Rebellion of the Seven States broke out, and the Shandong region was engulfed in conflict.
Mt. Tai was a mountain of spirit. Commoners seeking refuge from the war flocked there in droves.
During this time of worldly strife, rumors spread of a benevolent Our Lady the Jade Maiden descending from Mt. Tai to save the suffering people.
When Qingnu heard this, she found it strange.
Was there another Jade Maiden on Mt. Tai besides her?
The snake girl decided to go back and check. When she flew over Mt. Tai, she saw people moving back and forth among the palaces on Jade Emperor Peak. Cooking smoke rose into the air, and the scent of medicine wafted through the breeze.
In a courtyard, Chunyu Tiying was carefully tending to a medicinal stove when she suddenly heard a voice behind her.
"So, it turns out this benevolent Our Lady the Jade Maiden is you."
Chunyu Tiying whipped around. She saw Qingnu leaning leisurely against a pillar, lifting her bamboo hat slightly as Hongluan fluttered its wings on the brim.
She hurriedly stepped forward and bowed to Qingnu. "This common girl has presumed to use your title. Please forgive my sin, My Lady!"
"What sin have you committed?"
Qingnu helped her up. She patted Chunyu Tiying's shoulder and asked, "Why not use your real name? That way they would know it is you saving them, not some immortal or spirit."
Chunyu Tiying shook her head. "This is your place of cultivation, My Lady. I am merely borrowing it! Naturally, I must practice medicine and save lives in your name!"
"In that case, you are helping me build a reputation," Qingnu noted.
Chunyu Tiying smiled and said earnestly, "I am willing to do so!"
"Willingness is one thing, but this snake is not one to take advantage of others, especially in matters concerning karma and providence!"
Qingnu thought for a moment and came up with an idea.
She summoned the jiao-snake pearl, took out the Goddess Seal from within, and pressed it against the center of Chunyu Tiying's brow.
The golden mark merged into her skin and vanished.
Qingnu spoke slowly, "I give you a title. From this day forth, you are the Medicine-Dispensing Fairy under the seat of Our Lady the Jade Maiden of Mt. Tai. Mt. Tai is a mountain of spirit where war cannot reach. You may live on the mountain in peace; no one will dare harass you! If you run low on medicinal herbs, I will have someone deliver more."
Chunyu Tiying felt a surge of warmth seep from her brow into her entire body. Her eyes filled with astonishment, and she hurriedly knelt down again.
"Thank you, My Lady!"
Investiture? No, this was not exactly an investiture.
The snake girl herself didn't fully understand her own status as an immortal, so how could she appoint others? At most, she had simply infused Chunyu Tiying with a non-human aura so that Mt. Tai would protect her.
Because of Chunyu Tiying, the legend of a goddess on Mt. Tai grew even more prevalent. Commoners seeking protection arrived in an endless stream.
Even after the Rebellion of the Seven States was suppressed, the legend of the goddess of Mt. Tai continued to spread among the people, eventually reaching other regions.
When Qingnu reached Chang'an, she heard people discussing this matter, comparing the goddess of Mt. Tai to the Jade Maiden of the Azure Heavens.
Oh... it was said that in the Han empire, there were Jade Maidens in both the east and the west. One was her, and the other was also her.
Upon reaching Pingyang County, while passing the Pingyang Residence, Qingnu heard someone crying at the end of an alley. The sound was weak and the sobbing was continuous.
She stopped and peeked inside. A woman was huddled in a corner, weeping into her hands.
"Tsk, tsk... what a sorrowful cry. Truly, a sight to inspire pity."
Qingnu shook her head. Just as she was about to leave, a man walked out of the Pingyang Residence and shouted at the woman, "Wei Ao! What are you crying for here? If the Marquis hears you, be careful he doesn't punish you!"
The woman hurriedly wiped her tears and bowed to apologize. "Please forgive me, sir. Wei Ao was wrong!"
Wei Ao?
Qingnu, who had already lifted her foot to leave, pulled back and turned to look at the young woman.
Hongluan saw her stop and asked, 'Do you know her too?'
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