An Immortal Love

Immortality

He didn't have to say it like that, Yijun thinks bitterly as he splashes his face with the cold water of the lake. It wasn't his fault he smelled; he hadn't exactly planned on tagging along with a dragon, and certainly hadn't packed a change of clothes.

When Lord HuO made that cutting remark about his scent, Yijun felt a wave of shame crash over him. His shame made him shrink into a ball and the phoenix clutched him in his talons and carried them both to the dragon. They find him at the heart of a massive crater, beside the collapsed entrance of a wolf den. The air is thick with the stench of death, and the ground was littered with the carcasses of giant wolves. The remains of a fierce battle are scattered around the crater—charred and splintered tree trunks lay like the bones of fallen giants, their blackened limbs reaching out in twisted agony.

Lord HuO then picks them both up and fly them to a lake where the dragon now naps. Grateful for the opportunity, Yijun wades into the water some distance away, finally able to take his first bath in weeks. He plunges his whole head under the surface, letting the cold water muffle Lord HuO's voice as he vigorously scrubbed his scalp. The water around him darkens with grime as it washes away from his hair. There is no soap around so he rubs at his skin until it tingles, scrubbing every inch of himself until his flesh stings. Even when he finished, he goes over his body again, determined to rid himself of every last bit of filth. When he finally emerges from the water, his skin is raw and red like a boiled shrimp from the rough bath.

His clothes are still filthy, so he strips them off and begin to wash them in the lake, scrubbing furiously. When it shines clean and spotless, he looks towards the shore. Lord HuO had set a nearby tree ablaze, its fire casting a warm, flickering light over the clearing, so Yijun thinks he can use the heat to dry his clothes before the cold sets in. He weaves a makeshift skirt from wide leaves and vines, draping them around his underclothes in an attempt to appear presentable to the gods.

The summer air clings to Yijun like a warm blanket as he walks toward the flickering glow of the burning tree. As he draws closer, he notices the dragon is awake, frowning at HuO, who seemed to be enjoying the dragon's irritation. Yijun glances around and find a sturdy branch to hang his wet clothes, positioning them near the bonfire to dry. Meanwhile, the dragon's mild scolding meets HuO's playful teasing, their conversation quickly turning to matters far beyond Yijun's understanding.

The air around them thrums with an energy that seemed to pulse in time with their words. Each exchange between the dragon and HuO sends ripples of pressure through Yijun's head, making his temples throb and his heart race. His body heats up, a strange, uncomfortable sensation that dissipated only when he deliberately tunes out their discussion. Perhaps this is what enlightenment felt like, but to Yijun, it was more of a curse than a blessing.

Deciding he will no longer listen to the gods only to make his head ache, Yijun turns his attention to preparing dinner for the three of them. The gods' conversation is too much for him, so he quietly moves away, his steps taking him toward a patch of wild greenery. There, he finds a cluster of shepherd's purse growing close to the ground, and he kneels down happily to uproot a bunch. Nearby, wild onions, garlic, and chives sprouts in abundance, and he meticulously harvests the entire patch, his hands moving quickly as he gathers the fragrant herbs.

His foraging leads him to the water's edge, where he spots a cluster of lotus plants. Rolling up the legs of his underpants, Yijun wades into the cool water, carefully harvesting the lotus seeds, picking off the broad leaves, and digging up the roots from the muddy bed. As he straightens up, his gaze fell upon a clump of bamboo growing in the distance. With his harvest piled onto the lotus leaves, he makes his way to the bamboo grove, where fresh shoots pokes out from the earth. He collects a few shoots, and while he is at it, snapped off some stems and twigs, which he cleaned and set aside to use as makeshift chopsticks.