From the Ashes of Love

Chapter 89

Guihua was working in the grove, inspecting the cherry trees that would soon be blooming. In the distance she noticed the figures of three men coming in her direction.

"I wonder who that is?" she muttered, peering at them. As the figures got closer, she recognized the Fox Spirit by his unique hairpin and crooked staff. The man in green next to him must be Yanyou, but who was the man in black?

She watched them approach curiously. She wasn't sure why, but she felt a sense of trepidation. Maybe it was the way they walked?

"I might be in trouble..." she said to herself, "I wish Runyu was here."

She contemplated running for it, wondering if they had already seen her. Yanyou raised his arm, waving, and she knew it was already too late. She waited stoically for them to arrive.

"Guihua" the Fox Spirit hailed her, as he drew near. "A word."

"Uncle Fox" she replied politely, inclining her head. "Where have you been the last few days?" she asked, taking off her gloves, and stowing them in her apron.

"I've been visiting my nephew, XuFeng" he responded, gesturing to the man in black next to him.

So that was the Fire Immortal. She had never met him before. She raised her hands in front of her, palms facing inward and bowed to him.

"Guihua, we need to talk to you about Runyu" said Xu Feng.

"Runyu? Why do you need to talk to me about Runyu?" she asked.

"He's much more dangerous than you can imagine" Xu Feng warned her.

"Runyu would never hurt me" she responded with certainty.

"That's what Jimni thought" he replied in exasperation.

"Then, I would never hurt him" Guihua responded.

Xu Feng looked at the Fox Spirit, and shook his head.

"It's no good, Uncle" he said seriously.

The Fox Spirit pursed his lips. "I am sorry, my dear. We are going to have to take you out of here."

Guihua sucked in her breath in alarm, taking a step backwards.

"It's for your own safety" explained Uncle Fox.

Yanyou stepped in front of her, facing the other two.

"Woah, woah. Let's not be too hasty!" Yanyou implored, holding his hands up. "You can't just take her out of here. What about the important work that needs to be done before Spring?" he appealed to them.

"Jimni will supervise it" replied Xu Feng.

"NO WAY!" Guihua objected loudly. "She will kill off all my plants! Her touch is deadly!"

Xu Feng looked at her like she had two heads. "She tends many plants in the Mortal Realm, I see them all around the house. They seem perfectly fine to me" he reassured her.

Guihua huffed. "Those plants are acclimated to cold weather temperatures. They can take a chill or two. These plants" she gestured around her, "have lost all resistance to cold and disease because of that cursed Water Mirror. One would think that the Water Immortal would have figured out that the effects of it were harmful! One would think that the Water Immortal might have noticed that everyone who lives here has frost damage, even though they were living in a greenhouse. One would think that! But she never did! Why is that?" she asked hysterically.

She looked around helplessly. "I've put so much energy into healing the frost damage she caused by touching these weakened plants. If she comes back here..." she shook her head.