I am a thousand-year-old, solitary flower growing on the cliff face of the Taihang Mountains.
Although it is an inconspicuous herb that is often overlooked, it is not like the old ginseng on the opposite mountain that is constantly coveted by all sorts of people, demons, and monsters.
Like a tortoise, he carries bulging luggage every day, always hiding or fleeing. Now he's quite old and still just a ten-thousand-year-old monster.
But I rely on my tenacious vitality—unafraid of severe cold and scorching heat, able to survive even in the cracks of rocks—and the superior conditions of constantly striving and swaying my head to enjoy the essence of the sun and moon in this world.
Um... of course, I can't forget my neighbor, the drunken mountain god uncle, who had a discerning eye and saw my extraordinary physique, innate wisdom, and affinity for immortality. Under his guidance, I was finally transformed into a spirit.
But I can only transform into human form at night and drift within the limited valley area. Sitting on the cliff, I face the bright moon above and vow to cultivate myself into a lovely, beautiful, and beloved flower fairy, so that I can quickly leave this mountain and see the outside world.
The uncle at the foot of the mountain in the province keeps threatening to use me to make wine in exchange for my help guarding the valley, while he himself slacks off and lives a carefree life in the human world.
It's been a long time since I've seen Uncle Drunkard Mountain God return, especially since I haven't had the roast goose he brought back in ages, and the storybooks I've been reading are practically falling apart.
Without the pleasure of entertainment, one can only gaze at the ancient ginseng tree on another distant mountain all day long.
Seeing him carrying his luggage again today, surrounded by two or three people, constantly dodging and hiding, the group of people scratched their heads but couldn't find him no matter what they did.
I curled my lip in disbelief: "What idiots, that old man is right under your feet and you can't even find him."
I'm tired of this trick after watching it for nearly a thousand years. It would be much better to return to my original form, lie down and absorb the spiritual energy of the bright moon so I can cultivate into an immortal sooner. With my freedom, I can go wherever I want with a single finger spell.
But in the end, I was so bored that I sent several more communication talismans to the Mountain God Uncle, using both threats and inducements: "If you don't bring back my favorite big fish and meat and storybooks, I'm quitting!"
Anyway, few people set foot in this valley, so there's no point in me, a spirit that can only transform at night, guarding it here.
Finally, on the third day after I gave up, Uncle Mountain God strolled up to me, carrying my favorite fragrant roast goose and duck, along with a Qiankun bag that could hold several library towers.
He then threw his Mountain God Seal into my arms and said righteously, "I'm going to have a romantic chat. You, little devil, will keep watch for me for a while longer. With the seal here to suppress you, you can protect this mountain range and help you quickly cultivate into an immortal."
I stared blankly at the dark, ugly square seal that the mountain god had thrown to me by the mountain god uncle for a long time, my mind reeling.
Then, he disdainfully tossed it aside, picked up the delicious whole roast duck, and put it in his mouth, mumbling between bites, "Trying to trick me again? No way!"
The mountain god uncle's face was covered in oil stains from the spray.
This is the seal of his divine power. Without the seal, it's the same as having no divine power. Who would be so foolish as to give up the position of mountain god to become a mortal without any magical power?
I've heard that mortals are very fragile, subject to birth, aging, sickness, and death. This drunken uncle is trying to trick her into escaping and going to the human world to have some fun.
The mountain god uncle was used to this and didn't care at all. He wiped the oil stains I sprayed on his face while waving his hand in front of me and said seriously, "Bound by the mountain god's seal, I can only travel within a hundred miles and cannot accompany my Arou to see the world's many mountains and rivers."
I looked at him in shock. This mountain god was actually having an affair with a mortal.
I gasped deeply. In the stories I'd read, countless people were tormented and wounded by love, most ending up with tragic fates. Even most immortals considered the tribulation of love the most heart-wrenching and difficult ordeal. Could this be the mountain god's "tribulation of love"?
Uncle Mountain God laughed heartily and patted me on the shoulder.
Looking at me with pity, who could only learn about the outside world through stories in storybooks every day, he said: "The fate of the people in the storybooks is controlled by the storybook masters, but my fate is in my own hands. The outside world is vast and wonderful. When you have the chance to go out and see for yourself, you will know that the outside world is vast and wonderful."
Is he serious? I angrily wiped the grease from the corner of my mouth and began to offer some worried but kind advice: "How can you give up your promising immortal path for the sake of romantic love? Foolish! Beware of the trouble that beauty brings!"
However, the mountain god uncle, gazing at the bright moon in the sky, looked at her with deep affection and said, "What is love in this world that makes people willing to die for it? I would die for her, so what does the position of mountain god matter?"
Well, it seems he's seriously gone mad, so obsessed that he'd risk his life for love.
No matter how much I tried to persuade him, he remained unmoved and determined to "run away from home." At his age, he was still like a naive child, bound by love.
Such a lack of ambition! I once suspected that he must have obtained his status as a mountain god through connections with some powerful deity.
Seeing his persistence, and also unable to resist the temptation to cultivate an immortal body as soon as possible, I realized that I originally had a hundred years to cultivate into an immortal, but now this magic seal can help me achieve personal freedom within fifty years.
With the mountain god's silver tongue and the sweet talk of offerings enough to fill several library towers, I finally agreed to his request, hoping he would keep his promise and return soon.
The mountain god made a promise to me that after fifty years, he would return to take over the position of mountain god after accompanying Arou through the rest of her life. I can also take this opportunity to cultivate myself properly and wait for his return. He will surely let me go to the human world to take a look.
In the years after the mountain god left, I, a little flower spirit with weak spiritual power, guarded a magic seal with abundant spiritual power, which attracted the covetousness and entanglement of many little ghosts in the surrounding area.
Fortunately, these little devils only dared to appear at night. As a spirit that had cultivated into human form, I was protected by the magic seal, so they didn't dare to cause trouble. Day after day, year after year, I guarded this valley for nearly fifty years.
With my diligent cultivation using the Mountain God Seal, I gradually became able to transform into human form during the day, allowing me to fly and roam freely in this valley, making my days quite pleasant.
In particular, the entire library in the Qiankun Bag that the mountain god gave me to relieve my boredom contained all sorts of strange tales and records, including those about the customs and traditions of the common people.
The stories of life's many facets, demons and myths, chivalrous heroes and tender immortals, and historical anecdotes make me even more eager to see the vast and open world described by the mountain god, a world so different from this place.
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