Sons of Nature

4 The Last Rose of Winter (5)

Fu Yun wasn't even sure where to start asking his questions at this moment. But watching Yue Ji's transformation made him aware of how different they actually were. Mulling it over for a moment, he finally seemed to grasp the core of the issue. "So ... what you're saying is that, actually, you're a plant?"

Yue Ji laughed lightly and reached up to the white fur around his shoulders, hiding Petal inside so she wouldn't feel cold. "I guess you could say it like this. At the very least, I was a plant at first. We are called spirits because that is what slowly forms though."

Fu Yun nodded. "I guess I get it somewhat?"

Yue Ji gave a hum. He knew it was difficult to get used to the idea at first so he didn't push the issue either. Anyway, sooner or later, Fu Yun would understand better just by spending time together.

Seeing that Yue Ji wasn't adding anything, Fu Yun thought about everything he had heard so far and then continued with his questions. "You said that humans would call out Yue Ji when coming by. So, do you have been in a lot of contact with humans?" He hadn't thought so yesterday because of Yue Ji's reaction but from what he had said so far, maybe it was different after all and he had only been afraid of him because of the bow and arrow.

Yue Ji's gaze turned thoughtful in response. "A lot ... I don't know if you can say it that way. You probably don't know this but the world of the spirits is often separated from that of humans. It is like a separate realm that you can only open if you have the ability or if you stumble upon some special places. Only in some regions do the two overlap.

"This forest, it is usually a place for humans only. After I was enlightened and my spirit formed, I lived in the part of the forest where the humans couldn't enter. Because of that, I didn't see them any longer." He lowered his head, his gaze turning nostalgic. "That is until one day, a human stumbled into the spirit realm."

Fu Yun's expression had turned thoughtful when he heard the first part. In a sense, it seemed like he was lucky to be able to see Yue Ji at all. It made him wonder whether he had entered a place he shouldn't have though. Then, hearing that somebody had indeed entered the spirit realm at this place, he felt that it seemed even more likely. "What happened then?"

Yue Ji raised his head and smiled at him. "What happened? If I were to describe it in a few sentences, then I helped him even though he didn't seem to appreciate it at first. Later, we fell in love. It was a pity though since he was human after all." His head tilted faintly, the white hair falling over his shoulder.

Fu Yun wasn't sure what to make of this story but he suddenly felt flustered. "Is it bad that he was a human?" He didn't know if it was some kind of taboo for a spirit to be with a human. It shouldn't be, right? After all, Yue Ji had said that he didn't have any family here. Other than the small fairy he had shown him, there didn't seem to be anyone else around either. So who could tell him what to do? If he liked a human, he could stay with them if he wanted to.

Yue Ji could see that Fu Yun didn't understand. He reached up and put a hand on his chest, directly above his heart. "You humans, even if the love is there, the time is not. We would be lucky if we could spend a hundred years together and often, it will be less. Back then, that man, he did not have that much time left in him. So even though we lived side by side for some years, he finally left me behind."

Fu Yun's brows furrowed. Even though Yue Ji wasn't saying much, he could feel the sadness from him. It wasn't that strange either. To have to live without the one you loved ... it had to be difficult. "That ... how long does a spirit live?"

"A plant spirit like me? Oh, it can be a few thousand years. It depends on how you spend your life. If you continue to soak up the essence of the world around you and hone your mind and body, then it will be much longer. If you fill your life with other things, then maybe it will just be a couple hundred years."