Hu Li and Hei, each of them sit on stone fox and watch the sky. She look at Hei, he seems all the same. Nothing have change between them.
"Hei, show me your new form."
"There is nothing to look at. Just some feline looking beast."
"Why did you morph into another beast?"
"I am not sure myself. I only notice that i have develop more muscles throughout the years. I run faster than usual. I like to climb on trees more than usual... Did you regret what you did?"
'Not really... if i know that punishment is this long boring days, i perhaps, maybe won't do what i did. However can i walk away knowing that so many people will die. I really don't know."
"Bai Xuan said that this punishment you are carrying out is to think over what you did. We walk along with the gods to know what to do and what to let go."
"I don't walk beside them. I am a beast that travels on my own."
"You do know that you don't walk alone. My brothers and i will walk with you."
The crickets are singing loudly again. She close her eyes and open them. She look at Hei who's eyes are yellowish and glowing in the night.
"In this long lonely life, we still have each other."
Hei left after the third day. Hu Li spend her days quietly in the scroll. Occasionally, Hong Hong when he is done with the work in the fields, he climbs up the mountain towards the temple. He decided to start to dig a path up. Holding a machete he work slowly to everyday little by little. He walk with Tai Huan in the village to talk about how a fairy safe his life. The villagers who hear the nearby village of a herbalist story of a chance to come across the temple. His wish is granted but getting up there is not easy. Thus the villagers believe that she must be powerful enough to have a temple high on in the temple. How did the temple appear and who built is is enough for the villagers to believe she is powerful. However climbing upwards to the temple is a terrible ordeal for older folks and wild animals around the mountain makes them hesitate to go up. Only the young and travel will endure the hardship. Hong Hong takes a nearly twelve years to clear a path to reach the path of the temple. By that time, he is a grown man. While Tai Huan is getting old and tired but he enjoys walking with Hong Hong who loves him and treats him kindly. Even grandpa always make a space at the table for him to have their meals together. With the path clear, there is more people climbing up towards the temple. Hu Li start to have more visitors from day and night. At night, she create magic floating lamps that light up the way down to the village. Once the last person walk past the last lamp, it goes off. The villiagers spread the news of a magical temple at mountain Tai Huan. People come from far to visit the temple. The tree beside the temple is soon hang with tags of wishes. Those tags will dance in the wind along with a windmill that Hu Li have place on the top of the tree. On the windmill, she have tie a red ribbon so that it will fly with the wind. Hu Li enjoy watching that in the night. Especially when it is looking like it is reaching for the moon. In her temple, people search for joss stick for prayers. Han Kong and Loon Tong inform them she does not like it. People ask who she is and why is there a scroll of a fox. They spin a story of a fox who is a helpful spirt that wants to protect this mountain.
Every year Hong Hong will come up to the temple to pray and bow to the scroll. Those days, he stay till late at night and be the last one who goes down from the temple. He is hoping to see her again but she never appear in front of him again. As he goes down, he turn back to see the magical floating lamps goes off. When he descend to the ground of the temple, the path to the temple is unclear. Even if he wants to go back up, it will be a difficult task. Tai Huan, his pet pig is waiting for him on the path to go home. Together, they walk home to grandpa. Every year he make the same wish that his grandpa will be healthy and live a long life. The wish seems to take place, his grandpa at ninety is still alert and no health issue. He is cheerful and able to do things on his own. Even when it rains, his bone doesn't ache much like the other old folks in the village. However his good health is not taken for granted. Hong Hong goes into the bottom of the mountain to look for good herbs for him to eat. In the morning Hong Hong goes to the field to work for other people after getting paid. He goes to the market to get meat for lunch and dinner. Grandpa will handle the cooking while Hong Hong read his books. He hope one day he will be ready to take the state examinations. Tai Huan knows not to disturb Hong Hong so he hangs around with grandpa. Grandpa treats him like his other grandson, he will talk to him and laugh about things that he said. Tai Huan who can't talk oink at respond. This delight the grandpa. Thus every year Hong Hong goes up to the temple to pray for his grandpa and his home. When Hong Hong reach the age of twenty four, his grandpa's health deteriorating fast. He is hundred and one. Hong Hong is in despair he climbed the mountain in the middle of the night. In sweat and tears, he reach the temple. He wipe his snort and open the door to the temple. He kneel down in front of the scroll.
"Please jie jie. Please don't let them take my only family away..."
He keep bowing and knocking head on the floor. Hu Li wake up from her nap. Through the black and white lines she see someone kneeling and begging. She step out of the scroll. Hong Hong who knows the magic that this temple holds. He is not frighten thus he watch her comes out. She ascend gently with her feet touching the ground. His face is fill with tears and sweat. He is desperate and his heart is beating fast.
"If you trust me, listen to what i have to say."
Hong Hong who is still on his knees listen to Hu Li. She sit beside him and adjust her dress.
"This is a circle of life. There is nothing we can do but eventually you will meet him again because he is in you and you are in him."
Hong Hong cry harder. Han Kong and Loon Tong who hears a human crying comes out from where they are hiding. Hu Li ask them to get water for Hong Hong. In the end, she ask them to accompany him back to his home and do a prayer for the old man. So that he can leave in peace.