V.

According to Dun Yi"s plan, every night Duke Guangling would hold A Chan to sleep, and so every night A Chan can see Ling Xiao sitting under a peach tree.

Every time they meet they would be very happy.

Ling Xiao would blow the jade flute for A Chan to listen, A Chan would plant radish/carrot for Ling Xiao to eat. They chat, chat about mundane things of the heavenly palace, and also chat about stories of mortal realm. Ling Xiao would tell A Chan heaven gossip while A Chan would tell Ling Xiao stories about the rabbit family. The two would often laughed heartily.

“You’re interesting,” Ling Xiao happily said to A Chan, “Before I used to live in the hanging gardens (Xuan Pu), I was alone, having no one to talk to me."

“But you have a heavenly animal, Dun Yi is not bad," A Chan said.

Ling Xiao shook his head, “Dun Yi is a melon that loves to sleep, I want to walk him but he is not willing to."

A Chan cannot help but sympathize, Ling Xiao is truly a lonely G.o.d.

“Can you get out of here?” She said, “It"s lonesome here, Dun Yi, Queen Mother are looking forward to your return."

Ling Xiao heard this, his beautiful eyes mixed with sadness.

“I cannot get out.” He whispered, “I want to call spring to come." When he finished, he kept on blowing the jade flute, the gentle melody was full of sadness.

Every day time pa.s.ses and gone by, within a flash, it"s March. But the ground is still covered in snow, completely a winter season.

The entire land whether person or birds flying, fish jumping are all in panic. It"s heard that the emperor has on several occasions personally offer sacrifice to heaven, praying for the arrival of spring.

In the villa was also uneasy [be on tenterhooks (idiom)].

Since that day, A Chan cannot escape dream to see Ling Xiao. After two months later [February], Duke Guangling suddenly became ill, a low fever all day, and bedridden.

His mother, princess consort Huai Yang, heard such and was alamred, thinking that the disaster was caused by raising animals in the small building. She immediately ordered people to kill the puppy and the white rabbit of Duke Guangling. The strange thing was, when chamberlains carrying staves came, the two beasts have disappeared. Princess consort was sure that her son possessed by evil spirits, and invited Taoist priests to exorcise spirits.

At night, small building lights ama.s.s solitude.

The inner night watch guard sitting on the bedside yawned, then suddenly, a m.u.f.fled sound on the back of the head echoed, and he fell down.

“Gently!” A Chan glared at Dun Yi biting the wooden sticks.

“I know!” Dun Yi bit the clothes collar of the watch guard, dragged him to the side, and said, “You be faster, in an hour the watch guard is changed! His grandpa[1], really is useless without magical powers, ruff!"

[1]It"s like cursing another one"s mom in the western world.

A Chan did not wait to him to finish, and climbed into the quilt.

Duke Guangling"s face is pale, his lips slightly moving, seemed to be malaise.

A Chan extended her paws, comforting by touching his face, and then concentrate, lying down with palms (paws) on his chest.

The clouds now changed erratically, the snow on the ground was thicker than before, and the wind blew much stronger.

Peach and plum flowers cannot be seen, the rugged braches were skinny like a patient, dispirited and listless. The river has been frozen in ice, glowing a deathly pale light.

But the melody of the flute still came sporadically, withered and fallen-like, and stretching long without a break.

A Chan followed the sounds of the flute, before long, suddenly seeing under the peach tree, Ling Xiao leaning against the trunk blowing the flute.

“Ling Xiao!” A Chan ran.

Ling Xiao heard, and looked up.

A Chan was surprised.

It was sickly face, pale as snow. Ling Xiao with no strength lean helplessly against the trunk, still persistent in playing the flute, thin sounds yet strong enough in fighting against the howling wind.

“Ling Xiao! You &h.e.l.lip;” A Chan took his hand, suddenly felt bitter coldness to the bone. “A Chan.” Ling Xiao smiled, bitter and weak, “You should not have come here.”

A Chan wiped the tears on face, “If I don"t come then who will. Ling Xiao, like this you will die."

Ling Xiao looked at the jade flute in his hands, and shook his head, "A Chan, I cannot leave, do you know why?" Then he opened the robe garment.

A Chan looked down, and immediately her eyes grew wide.

His legs have been frozen into the ice, hard as rock.

Ling Xiao smiled, “Ever since I came here, my legs have been frozen, now the cold has rose to the chest, not for long will freeze the whole body."

“Is it the Xuan Ming arctic poison?” A Chan shakily asked.

Ling Xiao did not answer, weakly gave a transparent smile, "A Chan, leave, when I cannot blow the flute anymore, even you cannot get out."

A Chan pondered for a while, then softly said, "I am here to melt it."

“No!” Ling Xiao"s face suddenly change, wanting to push her away, but A Chan has already placed both hands on his feet. Xuan Ming arctic chill was like a blunt knife piercing through, A Chan was in pain to the point of twitching.

“A Chan!” Ling Xiao shouted, using force to throw her hands off, but A Chan remained motionless.

“No! I want to take you with me!” A Chan also shouted at him. Light appeared around the whole body, steamed upward, like fire.

Within an instant, waves of heat attacked, Ling Xiao"s legs began to feel again. The snow on the peach tree began to melt, the baby leaves from the branches bloom, shaking the ice crystals above.

Ling Xiao"s hands trembled and could not move A Chan.

A Chan is using her millennium old power, because of him [she was] withstanding against the Xuan Ming arctic poison.

Tears fell from Ling Xiao"s eyes, landed on the snow, leaving a mark in each direction.

“Ling Xiao&h.e.l.lip; play flute&h.e.l.lip; play the flute!" A Chan gasped, her face white.

Ling Xiao restrained the sorrow, and pulled the flute up to the lips.

Within the howling wind, the flute sounds were like sharp knives, piercing through the ice. The last sound, A Chan"s voice was like the gurgling spring river, "Ling Xiao&h.e.l.lip; I have not eaten radishes/carrots at hanging gardens (Xuan Pu). In the future, when you want to eat radishes/carrots then you must plant a lot there, okay?"

VI.

Like the time when winter suddenly appeared, overnight, spring wind from the South blew, the entire ground every where are flowing sounds of melting snow.

People can finally escape from the bitter cold, one after another came out from secluded residences, celebrating the late spring.

Living things are rebirthed, gra.s.s grew and birds flew. Spring flowers compete with each other to bloom, especially peach blossoms, powder white with captivating red, blooming like the sea.

Duke Guangling"s illness is cured, but he refused to stay in fu[2],

[2] The living complex

He said farewell to his parents, carried his bags alone, and boarded a ship for the south. Following him, a golden puppy.

“Where does Duke want to go?” The group of chamberlains discussed spiritedly, “Why go south?”

“Does not know, I"ve heard he still spoke about the white rabbit, perhaps want to go south to find the rabbit?"

&h.e.l.lip;

South of Purple Haze mountain, old trees towered, and rivers gurgling. The rays of sunset shone through the tips of the trees, falling on the forest mist, and dying a pale purple.

However, this place is not quiet.

In the valley, thousands of rabbits gathered, one transformed into human form holding a cane. While the rest in animal forms glared with red angry eyes and bared teeth at one [unwelcome] intruder in the front.

“A Chan is not here!” A rabbit elder with wrinkled face stood on a stone, speaking in a low m.u.f.fed voice at the several feet tall youth and dog.

“Why not?” Dun Yi urgently shouted, “Back then I was the one who brought A Chan here, it"s to hand over to you elder!"

“Not here not here!” The rabbits yelled one after another, “Go back, go back!”

“A Chan was a good rabbit, painstakingly became an immortal, the millennium power has been ruined!"

“Precisely! The heavenly immortals are all bad&h.e.l.lip;”

Dun Yi finally grew angry, "roar" one sound and turned into giant golden monster, baring its teeth and glaring at the rabbits, terrifyingly majestic.

Rabbits were scared and retreated a few steps back, but did not flee.

“Dun Yi!” Cried a clear voice, Ling Xiao gave a reproaching stare at Dun Yi, and caused him to withdrew.

“Retainer is impatient, please forgive elder." He stepped forward, correctly performed etiquette gestures, and said "Is A Chan really not here?"

“Oh ah, the gift [referring to etiquette gesture] of deity, little demon wouldn"t dare accept!" The elder slowly said, like chipping nail and slicing iron [idiom for irritating sounds], "Not here!"

Ling Xiao mutter to oneself irresolutely for a bit, then nodded, "Like this&h.e.l.lip;" Finished speaking, he took out something, and both hands clasped it forward, "A Chan said she wanted to eat radish/carrot at hanging garden (Xuan Pu). These past days I finally able to plant it. When elder sees A Chan, if it"s not too troublesome then please give it to her."

The elder and rabbits are stunned.

Saw that the radish/carrot was white and healthy, outside skin was smooth and flawless, like a piece of fine first-rate white jade.

“Eh eh, will do.” The elder hid his envious eyes, was about to take it, speaking was slow but what happened was fast, a white shadow suddenly flew up, and grabbed the radish/carrot.

The rabbits were shocked.

Ling Xiao looked, on his face was a smile. It"s of course the white rabbit that he yearned for days and nights. At this time it is holding onto the radish while on the ground, gnawing on it contentedly.

Elder"s face showed defeat.

Ling Xiao stepped forward, hugged the rabbit and the radish/carrot together.

“Is it delicious?” He asked softly.

The white rabbit"s ears moved, did not answer.

“Shenjun[3], she was reborn only for a year, does not understand anything." Dun Yi on the side regretfully said.

[3] G.o.dly monarch/lord address

Ling Xiao did not respond, silently stroke the rabbit"s head.

“Wait!” Elder knew he could not stopped it, but was unwilling and fumingly said, "A Chan is not an immortal, what"s the point in going to the heavenly realm!"

“Because she has said to me that she wanted to eat radishes/carrots at hanging garden (Xuan Pu)." Ling Xiao smiled, the sunset light shone on a pair of jet black eyes that glowed gentle color and light, "I planted a lot." Finished speaking, he turned around to leave. Gentle wind blew the flapping wide sleeves, and within the arms, two pointy ears left a long shadow on the ground.

END