Three years went by almost in the blink of an eye. At last, that's how it felt to Feng Jiu.
Before going to Si Ming for her first human experience, the little Fox Princess visited her family in Qing Qiu. Eating with them, playing with them and cooking for them were such happy experiences. When seeing them all together having such joyful moments, Feng Jiu truly realised how much she loved and appreciated her family.
Every single one of them knew about what she would go through, but they never cried or worried in front of her, just shared their love with their youngest clan member and made sure this visit would carry a lot of warm memories for all involved.
Nu Wa came to pick up Feng Jiu and take her to the arranged meeting point outside the Heavenly Palace.
"This necklace will hide your human form," High Goddess put a simple leather string with a small jade attached to it around Feng Jiu's neck. The jade had 'Jiu' carved on it. Immediately she took on the form of a fox.
"We can't allow the gossip about you to spread. When the time comes for you to marry, no good families will want to offer for you, even if you pass your bad faith. And your family will lose face if you are found out here running about with Si Ming instead of learning to be a lady at home."
"Thank you, Master. But will it really be so bad if people know that I come to learn from Star-Lord Si Ming?"
"Si Ming is not the problem, his master - Dong Hua Dijun is."
Feng Jiu was puzzled. Of course, she had heard about Dong Hua Dijun in lessons and reading about his exploits in historic texts was one of her most favourite past times. She hadn't known that he was Star Lord's master.
"You see, that man is too famous for his own good. He rarely does anything interesting besides teasing and annoying others, but gossip follows him like a bad smell. He was just too dashing in his youth," at this her Master sighed almost dreamily and then continued. "Women fall in love with him all the time. So any female within his vicinity is perceived as a threat by his fan club even if she is a little girl. The best you can do is to stay out of his notice, learn your lessons with Si Ming, live a human life and come back quickly."
This account of Dong Hua Dijun made the young Princess frown. Did young immortal girls really have nothing better to do than follow around a High God who could be their great grandfather probably a few times over? How strange was the life of such carefree creatures! If only she had such leisure time.
Feng Jiu's envy towards Dijun's fan club did not linger for long, as Star-Lord Si Ming was seen approaching from a distance.
"Remember, hide your nine tails into one and pretend you can't talk. You are just a regular young fox spirit.''
With those parting words, her Master disappeared into the wind.
(*^_^*)
Feng Jiu was assigned rooms in Si Ming's courtyard in Tai Chen Palace. Her first life in the human world would start in a few days. After she would stay a full year and try to learn something useful.
According to her Master, the little Fox was a burdensome creature to teach and Nu Wa would take this opportunity to enjoy short breaks every hundred years. This year the High Goddess had arranged a tour with Bai Quin to the human world. The two of them would watch plays and drink wine to their heart's content.
The evening before her first human life was due to start the young princess was eating dinner with Si Ming.
"How do you find your rooms?" her host started the conversation politely.
"Everything is excellent, Bai Feng Jiu is grateful for your hospitality," the rooms were actually very nice. There was no reason to complain. The only thing hampering the experience was that she had to be in the fox form at all times while in Heavenly Palace. It really seemed like too much space and with little to do in it.
"Before you go to sleep tonight, drink this," the little Immortal was pointed to a bowl with liquid. "This contains water from The River of Forgetfulness. We need to ensure that you do not remember who you are in the mortal world. That would hamper you experiencing hardships. I can control human fate, but not that of self-aware immortals that are born as humans."
The Princess of Qing Qiu nodded at Star Lord's explanation.
"Don't worry, Little Highness, you will just go to sleep and wake up in two months. When you come back, you will remember your life in the Human Realm, but memories will feel hazy, like dreams."
She thanked Si Ming, drank the Water of Forgetfulness and retired for the day.
(*^_^*)
Waking up felt different this time. It was like running down a long dark corridor towards barely visible light far far away. Bai Feng Jiu struggled and cried, just to reach that light. It felt like hands made out of shadows were trying to grab her and drag her somewhere where she would never be able to return from.
At last, a little red fox opened her eyes in Tai Chen Palace. She felt wet tear tracks on her furry face. Jiu focused on breathing in and out over and over again just trying to centre her thoughts like her Master taught her. After a moment the panic passed, but the terror of dying violent death still lingered in her bones. Being a human was a horrendous experience.
Jiu got up from her bed and ran outside still feeling confused. She couldn't fully shake feelings of panic and restlessness. Her body longed for some sort of physical outlet. Running in the wild woods around Qing Qiu would have been perfect just now. She would even settle for climbing the stairs to Temple of Destiny. Anything to stop feeling this way.
Feng Jiu quickly located the biggest garden in Tai Chen Palace and started to pace between trees. Slowly her equilibrium was returning when suddenly she was violently grabbed by her collar and picked up.
All her terror came back and she screamed loud, animalistic scream.
"Well, well. What is this filthy vermin doing in Tai Chen Palace?" The offender was somewhat pretty and very richly dressed immortal female.
The young fox still screamed and wiggled trying to get out of the iron grip.
"I think I will send you to the human world to cultivate. That will teach you not to go where you are not invited. "
Feng Jiu expected such cruelty out of the worst of demons and humans, but never from Heavenly Clan. She was taken aback by malice and coldness in immortal's face.
The little fox continued to struggle and attempted to bite the person holding her. The human world was just too awful to return there so soon.
"I never knew you had such a hobby, Zhi He '' came a soft, steady voice from behind her back. "I feel like I have neglected you before. But now that I know about this, I will ask my guards to go to the wilderness and capture many helpless animal spirits for you to terrify and torture. Would you like that Zhi He? Would that make you happy?"
Jiu had stopped screaming and struggling to listen to the new voice. Her offender then turned around. Immediately she spotted the owner of the soft and steady voice. It was a man dressed in purple and white robes with long silvery-white hair. If Jiu was older, she would have thought him very handsome.
The hand holding her started to tremble. Her fox nose could smell the fear coming from her captor. This was the chance to escape! But where to go? Si Ming was nowhere in sight and she did not quite know how to get back to her rooms.
Bai Feng Jiu evaluated the man in front of her. Would he chase her? Or should she deploy different tactics all together? Decision made, she turned her head sharply and managed to bite the hand holding her. Success! Her body was free, but not yet safe. Then Bai Feng Jiu, the Princess of Fox Clan took a leap of faith.
(*^_^*)
Dong Hua Dijun, the previous ruler of Nine Heavens was resting in the shade of his favourite tree. Enjoying the slight breeze and smell of summer flowers blooming nearby, reading Buddhist sutras.
This was his time of leisure and well-deserved peace.
Suddenly his peaceful afternoon was interrupted by a loud, animalistic scream. He rose to investigate the disturbance in his garden. Dijun quickly noticed his adopted sister Zhi He holding a small red fox spirit by the collar. The things he heard coming from her mouth made him frown. Why had his sister turned out so lacking in compassion? Princess of her station should know how to behave better. He decided to check if she was simply ignorant or truly cruel.
His voice made her turn around and pale. So, Zhi He understood she was wrong and she chose to abuse those weaker than her. This was a small incident that indicated a deeper flaw in her character. Was there a way to educate her better?
While Dong Hua Dijun was musing about the best way to teach his sister a lesson, the little red fox had gotten free. The animal turned in his direction and leapt at him. Not sensing any malice, Dong Hua did nothing to avoid it and it allowed the fox to land on his right shoulder. The fox quickly tunnelled into his hair and made herself comfortable on the back of his neck, her head laying on his other shoulder. He looked like he was wearing a red fur collar made of very much alive fox.
The former Emperor of Nine Heavens felt surprised. No creature before had the gall to approach his person in such an undignified manner. But it also considerably lifted his mood as not many things in this life could catch him unaware any longer.
In the meantime, Zhi He was stuttering excuses with two pairs of dark eyes now on her person. One belonging to her adopted brother and the other to the red little fox stretched around his neck.
"Dijun, I was just dealing with an intruder... There was really nothing... nothing... And how dare this filthy animal lay its paws on you, Dijun! You should throw it out of Heaven... Teach it a lesson!"
"Really?" Dong Hua appeared thoughtful.
"Should I throw you out of Heaven, little Fox Child?" he now was talking to the fox, who upon hearing his words just covered her eyes with one paw and shook her head energetically. Dijun found this to be strangely adorable.
"You see, Zhi He, this Fox Child does not want to go," he was strangely enjoying how his adopted sister was turning paler by the minute.
"I think you should understand life from the perspective of small and vulnerable. You shall go to the human realm to live as a rabbit for one hundred human years."
Dong Hua considered this punishment truly brilliant. A chance to cultivate and a life lesson rolled into one. He was such an excellent brother.
Princess Zhi He was now crying and begging for mercy on her knees.
Dong Hua Dijjun turned around as if not seeing the spectacle she was making out of herself and walked back towards his study with a red little fox still now asleep around his neck.