Golden Orchids

Chapter 22

"Si Yin, can you sit still?" Yan Zhi told her. The fox had been extremely restless ever since she was found transformed in the Ten Miles Peach Forest. Yan Zhi had half a mind to tie her up with a leash.

Yan Zhi had never visited the Peach Valley before. When she was younger, her father didn't allow her to go. The high gods Zhe Yan and Mo Yuan were known to be good friends. After the war, Yan Zhi avoided the place like a plague. 

Out of all the places she visited, the Ten Miles Peach Forest was by far the most beautiful. She had never seen so many peach trees flowering before. Pink showers spread out through the entire valley. The place was pale in comparison to the gardens of the Grand Purple Palace.

No wonder, Si Yin loved the place so much. The energy emitting out of the place felt so peaceful, so welcoming.

The fox rolled around a bed of flower petals. Pink blossom stuck on her white fur. Even with the tranquilizing energy, Si Yin seemed very agitated. She kept circling around Yan Zhi, jumping at the slightest disturbance.

Yan Zhi picked her up and cradled her in her arms, hoping that it will calm her down. The fox sat still for only a second before getting startled when a man popped up in a puff of cloud.  

The Kunlun disciple walked up to her. With a hand carrying Si Yin, Yan Zhi summoned her sword and point it at him.

"What are you doing here?" She threatened, "How did you find me?"

After leaving Kunlun Mountain, Yan Zhi had made a lot of detours. She hoped to shake that disciple out of her hair. 

He eyed the sword like it wasn't a threat. "Easy, you tried to leave the second I mentioned Zhe Yan. I figured that you got the information you wanted and would try to look for him, "

Yan Zhi lowered her sword, You're smarter than you look, " 

Zi Lan just smiled. "You're not bad yourself, "

Si Yin looked between the two of them and barked for attention. Yan Zhi let go of her and the fox ran to Zi Lan's side. The disciple picked her up and examined her. 

"This is Si Yin?" He asked. 

Yan Zhi nodded. 

"But this is a female fox, " 

At that declaration, Si Yin kicked her senior with her hind leg and dropped to the floor, running back to Yan Zhi's side. "I guess that you'll have to ask Zhe Yan that yourself, "

"Ask me what?" A voice called behind her. The fox immediately ran to meet him. A man appeared out of the grove, he wore a soft pink robe matching with the color of the forest. Yan Zhi and Zi Lan's eyes widen and immediately greeted the high god. The fox pawed Zhe Yan's shoe. The high god raised an eyebrow and picked up the fox.

Yan Zhi instantly went tense, she didn't know what Zhe Yan was going to do to her sister. 

"This is?" He asked as he brushed the fox's tail. 

"High God, This is the immortal Si Yin, " Yan Zhi answered with a bow.

"Si Yin?" 

The three of them sat down by the stone table. The high god summoned some fruits and refreshments for them. Yan Zhi presented the Jaded Fan of Kunlun to Zhe Yan. 

She explained to him how she had met Si Yin down in the mortal realm. Yan Zhi had thought of her as a simple mortal woman and named her Su Su. Then she made up a story about how she accidentally cursed her with a transformation spell. She didn't think anything about it until Su Su transformed into a fox out of nowhere. Everything except for the Crown Prince's involvement.