As Heyun Shi hurried to and fro in search of rare beasts, most of the immortals in Heaven learned that Emperor Danzhu wished to keep a spirit beast. Before Heyun could even ask, they began bringing out their own exotic creatures for his inspection. In just one day, Heyun returned with another rare beast for Danzhu.
This one was a gift strongly recommended by the Marshal of the Five Thunders. To demonstrate his sincerity, the marshal personally accompanied Heyun to Danxiao Palace with the creature.
Danzhu reclined in his chair in the great hall and looked down at the rare beast beside the marshal’s feet. It had silver-black fur, erect ears, bright, watery eyes, and four plump, sturdy paws. It looked something like a wolf cub, somewhat like a puppy, and even a little like a fox cub. The Marshal of the Five Thunders patted its head. “I wonder whether this thunder wolf might please Your Majesty.”
A thunder wolf’s full name was cloud-thunder battle wolf. It was an exceptionally powerful and exceedingly rare member of the celestial wolf clan. Whenever Heaven managed to acquire one, it was generally kept by a military immortal. Thunder wolves loved to fight, and in the space of a moment could annihilate countless ordinary demons.
The thunder wolf the marshal had brought possessed silver-black fur, a color found only among the pure-blooded royal line of thunder wolves. It was indeed extraordinarily precious.
Danzhu said, “I merely want a rare beast to keep beside me. This is a battle wolf. Wouldn’t it be rather unfair to keep it simply as a pet?”
“Your Majesty may not know this,” said the marshal, “but perhaps because it was brought to my residence before its eyes were even open, it hasn’t the least bit of a battle wolf’s temperament. It’s affectionate with everyone it meets, and that’s how we’ve always raised it. When I heard from Heyun Shi that Your Majesty wished for a good-tempered, affectionate creature, I immediately thought it could not be more suitable.”
Though the little thunder wolf sat beside the marshal’s feet, its front paws kept shifting restlessly, and it fixed Danzhu with wide, sparkling eyes full of eager excitement.
Danzhu smiled. “From your description, it really does sound like an interesting little fellow. What’s its name?”
“Your Majesty, its name is Wulei.”
Danzhu raised a hand. “Let it come over so I can have a look.”
The marshal released his grip on the fur at the back of the cub’s neck. The little thunder wolf sprang up in delight and charged straight toward Danzhu on the dais.
Reaching the chair, it leaped into Danzhu’s arms with a resounding thump. Crouching on his lap, it tilted its head and stared, puzzled, at the utterly unmoved emperor. Then, undeterred, it slammed its head into Danzhu’s chest again with another thump. Again, and again, and again, headbutting him without end…
Danzhu looked at the marshal. “Is it… trying to knock me over…?”
The marshal wiped the sweat from his forehead and laughed weakly. “Ahem, Your Majesty, it has a little habit. This is how it shows affection…” The little wolf liked to knock over whoever it wanted to befriend, pin them beneath its belly, roll around on top of them a couple of times, and then lie down on them to sleep. That was its way of showing fondness.
What was more, the thunder wolf was curious by nature. Danzhu, blazing with immortal energy, fascinated it and set its blood racing. It had therefore thrown its full strength into the charge. When even that failed to topple Danzhu, it simply persisted with its efforts.
Danzhu caught it by the scruff and pulled its head half an inch away from his chest. The little wolf whimpered unhappily, looked up at him, wagged its tail excitedly, and gave his cheek a wet lick.
Danzhu sighed. “Well, when someone expresses affection quite this enthusiastically, it can be rather difficult to withstand.” The marshal hastily prostrated himself. “I was reckless to bring an untrained spirit beast here to offend Your Majesty. Please forgive me! I’ll take it away at once.” Scrambling up, he lifted the little wolf out of Danzhu’s arms.
The cub struggled in the marshal’s grasp, whining and rumbling, still eager to complete its great enterprise of knocking Danzhu over. Danzhu narrowed his eyes in thought for a moment, then suddenly said, “Actually, I find it very cute just as it is. I’d like to keep it. Would you be willing to part with it?”
The marshal froze, holding the cub aloft, then hurriedly replied, “Of course, of course! I’d be delighted if Your Majesty finds it pleasing.” Even after being so thoroughly jostled, His Majesty had not only refrained from blaming the cub but had praised Wulei as adorable. Clearly, Emperor Danzhu was every bit the magnanimous, gentle, and benevolent ruler described in the ancient records.
After the marshal took his leave, Heyun stepped forward to take the cub for a bath. The instant the wolf saw him, it charged toward him with equal enthusiasm, both forepaws raised, pouncing once, twice, and yet again. Watching the scene, Danzhu smiled faintly.
The reason Danzhu had sent Heyun to scour the realms for a furry, four-pawed creature that Bihua did not own was so that Bihua would notice it when he came to return the bed. Ideally, Bihua would take such a liking to it that he would have a reason to visit often. Danzhu himself had little interest in four-pawed spirit beasts. He had once been much more interested in creatures in human form, but recently even that interest seemed to have faded. Now he had only one object of interest: Bihua.
If Qingxi could come by regularly, perhaps affection would grow between them over time. At the very least, seeing him often would be good.
Danzhu gazed dreamily at the thunder wolf cub still trying to knock Heyun off his feet. A delightful scene was playing out in his imagination.
Bihua Lingjun would float into the hall, dragging the cloud bed behind him, then sit down at Danzhu’s side. Suddenly noticing the little wolf, his eyes would light up. The cub would charge at him as it had before, slam into him, crouch on Bihua’s lap, and keep butting his chest with its head. Then Danzhu would promptly reach over and lift it away, asking in a gentle, concerned voice, “Qingxi, does your chest hurt? Shall I rub it better for you?”
Danzhu stroked his chin and smiled.
If, at this very moment two days from now, his hand were resting against Qingxi’s chest…
Hmm. Qingxi could be a little reserved. Perhaps he would refuse to be touched and insist that there was no need to trouble His Majesty, that it didn’t hurt. At that moment, the little wolf dangling by its scruff would raise its head and plant a wet lick on Qingxi’s cheek. Danzhu would naturally say, “This little thing doesn’t know any better. It’s left some saliva on you.” Then he could gently wipe Qingxi’s cheek for him…
Heyun carried the little wolf off for its bath. Alone in the empty hall, Emperor Danzhu sat in his chair, gazing off into some indeterminate distance with a smile full of private meaning.
In recent days, attending Danzhu at Danxiao Palace had given Heyun the habit of anticipating problems before they arose. When Danzhu remarked that the cub’s enthusiasm was a little excessive, Heyun wondered whether His Majesty really wanted a creature that was gentle, affectionate, good-tempered, and knew when to stop. Perhaps a new imperial instruction would be issued at any moment. Thus, after ordering the young immortals to put the wolf into a bathing tub, Heyun left Danxiao Palace once more, intending to find such a beast before Danzhu could ask.
At last, in the care of the Old Immortal of the South Pole, Heyun found a spirit beast that might satisfy the emperor.
The next day, after Danzhu had risen and was eating a breakfast of fruit in the Glazed Pavilion, Heyun approached respectfully with something cradled in his hands and presented it to him.
Having devised his little plan, Danzhu was already perfectly content, so he was somewhat surprised to find Heyun offering another spirit beast. Still, the more the merrier. The more rare and remarkable beasts he had, the greater the chance that Bihua would find one to his liking. Thus Danzhu examined the creature with interest.
It was a pale-yellow spirit mouse marked with a pattern like mica clouds. Its fur was as soft and fluffy as warm clouds, and it resembled a little ball of down that fit neatly into a person’s palm. Brought before Danzhu, it actually stood upright on Heyun’s hand, clasped its front paws together, and said with great respect, “This humble one pays his respects to the Purple-Void Immortal Emperor.” Its manner of speaking was surprisingly refined.
Danzhu could not help praising it for its good manners. The spirit mouse immediately clasped its paws again. “Your Majesty flatters this humble one. I am unworthy of such praise.” Danzhu exclaimed in surprise, “Very good! Even young immortals newly admitted to Heaven aren’t always so well versed in etiquette.”
Heyun explained, “Your Majesty, it has cultivated under the Old Immortal of the South Pole for nearly a thousand years. It knows the classics, diligently practices the Dao, and has already earned a place on the registers of immortality.”
The mouse modestly bowed its head over its clasped paws. “I merely had the good fortune to enter the Old Immortal’s service. Over the years I heard something of his teachings and, by luck, managed to grasp the barest surface of the Dao.”
Danzhu tossed aside an apricot pit and asked with interest, “Do you have a name? Since you’ve cultivated for so long, you should be able to take human form by now.”
The mouse immediately answered, “Your Majesty, through the Old Immortal’s kindness, I received the name Jianmeng. I can indeed assume a human form.”
Jianmeng. The name had a rather interesting ring to it. Danzhu said, “Then take human form and let me see.”
The mouse assented and leaped down from Heyun’s palm. Prostrating itself at Danzhu’s feet, it was enveloped in a flash of immortal light. When the light faded, a figure in pale-yellow robes patterned with clouds lay bowed on the floor. Judging by the figure alone, it was slender and elegant.
Jianmeng bowed at Danzhu’s feet and lifted his head. Danzhu started in astonishment.
The face was as deeply furrowed as tree bark, with three long wisps of graying beard. Even Heyun was startled. Danzhu could hardly bear to look at him. Turning instead toward an apricot on his plate, he frowned. “Why does your human form look like this?”
Jianmeng’s beard trembled as he smiled with modest restraint. “This humble one admires the bearing of the Old Immortal, Emperor Donghua, and the other exalted immortals. I therefore sought to imitate them.”
Danzhu released a long breath. “So you made yourself look like this in imitation of them? It isn’t your natural appearance? In that case, it’s easily fixed.” He lifted a hand casually, and a beam of immortal light fell upon Jianmeng. “I like those around me to look young. You’re only a little over a thousand years old. Why make yourself look so elderly?”
Immortal light wrapped around Jianmeng. After a moment, its glow faded. The tree-bark face had vanished, replaced by a handsome young man with neat, delicate features, standing in its place. He bowed respectfully with clasped fists. “Many thanks to Your Majesty for bestowing a new appearance upon me.” His speech, however, remained as old-fashioned as ever.
Danzhu waved a hand helplessly and instructed Heyun to take him away.
All the way out, Jianmeng chattered incessantly with Heyun. Only then did Heyun discover that the creature he had brought back was a tremendous talker. Jianmeng earnestly sought Heyun’s guidance on cultivating the Dao, moving from one classical text to another. Heyun’s head began to buzz, but the mouse continued talking without pause.
The next day, Jianmeng even approached Danzhu in the hall to humbly seek instruction in the Dao. He had barely finished a few rambling sentences, and Danzhu was just about to send him away, when a young attendant arrived to report that Bihua Lingjun had come to return the cloud bed and was waiting outside Danxiao Palace.
By their agreement, Bihua Lingjun wasn’t supposed to arrive until the following day. Why had he come already?
Danzhu had no time to wonder, much less to order someone to bring the little thunder wolf in. Bihua Lingjun had already entered Danxiao Palace. The moment he stepped into Ziyuan Hall, he saw Danzhu seated above, with a young immortal in pale-yellow cloud-patterned robes sitting very close beside him, saying something or other.
Bihua Lingjun couldn’t help raising an eyebrow. Evidently the old phoenix had been enjoying himself very comfortably since returning to Danxiao Palace.