Cui Lian stands at the courtyard entrance, waiting.
After that day in the forest, the little fox disappeared. No matter how long she waited, his figure never appeared, not even in the forest she ran from days ago.
Turning from the entrance, she went to lift the box full of medicinal herbs. But who would've thought, the moment she took a step, her legs gave out.
"Bam!"
The box of herbs scattered across the dirty floor as she laid face down on the ground. Looking up with reddened eyes, she thought, when was it? When did she become so weak that she can't even lift up one box? Before, it was always the little fox who carried the box into the house. Now that he's not here, she can't even do this one thing?
Gritting her teeth, she stood up as her body trembled from pain. Retrieving the box, she kneeled on the ground as she carefully gathered the herbs. One herb, two herbs, suddenly a drop of water landed on her hand.
"?"
Is it raining? She thought as she looked up at the sky. No rain. The sun shines brightly on her, so bright that it almost blinds her eyes. Another drop splashed on her hand. Where is it coming from? She ponders as her hand touches her cheeks.
"Huh?" Surprised, her other hand caressed her other cheek.
"Ah." It was at this moment she understood. The droplets of water came from her eyes. "It's raining,'' she whispered quietly.
______________________
Half a year somehow passed.
Everyday, Cui Lian will stand at the same place, same time, waiting for a small silhouette. In the end, half a year passed by without notice.
One day, Cui Lian was arranging her herbs thoughtlessly, when a small shadow appeared in view. Feeling a burning gaze on her, she looked up directly into a pair of golden pupils. Eyes widened in surprise, Cui Lian dropped the herbs onto the ground as she slowly staggered towards the courtyard entrance.
"Little fox?" Her lips quivered, as she asked the figure standing a few meters from her. "Is that you?"
The figure didn't answer her, instead, he observed her closely. She'd grown prettier, he thought, as his eyes wandered from her lips to her round eyes. He paused abruptly when his eyes met her painful expression.
Standing silently for a moment, he sighed before taking an arduous step forward. "A long time ago," he said. "There was a young fox that was abandoned in the forest." As he spoke, white smoke slowly appeared from his body.
"In order to survive, that fox learned to kill." With each step he took, a bloody footprint is left behind.
"In the lonely forest, he first killed other animals before he learned to kill humans." The smoke thickens as it covers his whole body.
"One day, a powerful sage told him, "you can become immortal the moment you achieve nine tails."" The figure of the fox became bigger within the smoke.
"But how? He thought, the only thing he ever learned was to kill. But soon, he learned one of the methods." The smoke disappeared, revealing the human form of the fox.
"By killing humans, the fox can absorb the energy left behind by them to cultivate his tails." The fox smiled lightly, blood oozing from his wounds.
"And so, he killed and killed till he achieved three tails." He stopped a few feet from Cui Lian, hand reaching into his robes.
"Until one day, because the fox killed too much, and a group of hunters started to chase after him. Due to heavy injuries, he fell down a cliff." His ears twitched in annoyance as he remembered that day.
"But fortunately, he was saved by a doctor's daughter. The days he spent with her were the happiest days of his life. It was the first time he felt the warmth of another. But at the same time, the most despair he ever felt when she abandoned him in the forest that day." His eyes lowered slightly as he pulled a dagger from his robes.
"At first, he felt lost and hopeless. Wondering if he should go find that woman again. But he didn't, instead, he went back to the forest where he first met the sage."
"While avoiding the hunters that found his location. The fox finally met the sage."
"What do you want?" The sage asked.
"The fox requested, "I want to-""
The fox paused a moment, eyes staring directly at Cui Lian as he lifted the dagger up.
Alarmed, Cui Lian shuts her eyes tightly, waiting for his strike. But the pain didn't come, slowly opening her eyes, a bloody fox tail dropped by her feet, staining her shoes. Looking up with alarm, Cui Lian's face shows bewilderment as the fox continues.
"Know the way to heal the legs of the woman I love." He answered with a bright smile, his eyes shining as if all the stars in the world fell into his eyes. "Cui Lian." He whispered. "I am smitten by you."
Cui Lian covered her mouth with tears falling from her eyes. Just as she was about to answer him, a hunter jumped out from a nearby tree. "Die!" He shouted, as he threw a dagger towards the fox's heart.
"No!" Cui Lian shouted as she ran to block in front of him.
Seeing her actions, the fox laughed in joy as he tightly embraced her small frame. Turning her away, his lips slowly covered hers in a gentle kiss as one hand covered her eyes.
Feeling the warmth of his lips, Cui Lian gradually fell into a sweet daze until the taste of blood filled her mouth. Opening her eyes in alarm, she pulled away to see the pale tone of the fox's skin and the dagger that pierced his heart.
"No…" She quivered as she carefully sunk to the ground with his weak body.
Smiling at her lightly, the fox moved his mouth slightly in an attempt to speak.
"What?" She asked as her trembling body lowered closer to his face.
"I…...have…..told you my... Have I?" He wheezed.
His eyes lowered slightly as he continued, "My name is…...name is...Feng Ling....murmurs of the wind….."
"Feng...Ling...." Cui Lian whispered in a hoarse voice, droplets of tears falling onto his face.
Smiling with difficulty, Feng Ling sighed, "ah. It's raining." Before completely closing his eyes.