My girlfriend is a Miao demon.

On Wangshan Mountain in the twelfth lunar month, just after the Great Cold, although the nights in South China are not as bitterly cold as the "thousands of miles of ice" in the north, the humid air still carries a coolness of 8 degrees Celsius, and breathing it in brings a refreshing clarity.

The inky blue sky looked as if it had been repeatedly polished with the finest velvet, gradually transitioning from the horizon to the dome. Near the ground, it was a light indigo, gradually deepening into a deep black as it rose. Without a single cloud obstructing the view, its purity inspired awe.

The moon is currently in the waxing gibbous phase, three days away from the full moon. The bright lunar disk hangs in the southeastern sky, at an altitude of about 43° above the horizon. The outlines of the lunar craters and maria are clearly visible: the dark gray of Mare Serenitatis resembles splashed ink, the patterns of Mare Tranquillitatis are like wisps of smoke, and the edges of the Apennine Mountains gleam with a delicate silver glow under the reflected sunlight, like a delicate lace trimming the lunar disk.

The outline of the Milky Way faintly emerges in the region from Aquila to Cygnus, like a diluted silver-gray ribbon gently stretching across the center of the night sky.

The iconic winter sky feature—the Winter Triangle—hangs high in the southern sky. Betelgeuse in Orion glows with a warm orange-red light, forming a regular isosceles triangle with Procyon in Canis Minor and Sirius in Canis Major. The three first-magnitude stars still shine brightly under the moonlight, like three beacons in the night sky.

Mao Xigu, standing at the entrance of alleyway 16-20 in Zone 3 of the East Circle Art City, glanced at the art museum in the distance, which was shaped like half an eggshell, and turned to Xiang Nanfeng beside him: "Nanfeng, Wangshan is your home turf, why don't you lead the way and take a walk around the park?"

Upon hearing this, Xiang Nanfeng quickly waved his hand, a helpless yet slightly embarrassed smile on his face.

"Don't flatter me. What home turf or home turf?" He pointed to the maze of cement roads under the dim streetlights ahead and said, "I've heard of Circle Art City before, but I only came in for the first time this noon. I spent twenty minutes following the navigation to get to No. 18 in Section 3. If you ask me to lead the way, I might lead you into some dead end."

As Xiang Nanfeng spoke, his gaze turned to Sawako standing to the side, and he smiled as he offered, "Didn't Miss Zuo stay here for a few days? She must know this place better than you or I. Why don't we have her lead the way?"

Upon hearing this, Sawako first bowed slightly and gave a polite smile: "You're too kind, reporter. Although I've been here twice, I've only stayed for less than a week in total, and I've never strolled around the park. But... well, since Master Maoxi wants to take a look, I'll try to lead the way."

Upon hearing this, the leader of the Maoxi Gu sect gave a thumbs-up and nodded slightly, saying, "Then I'll have to trouble Miss Zuo."

The three of them casually walked onto a concrete road and headed towards the central square of the Circle Art City. The sculptures along the roadside revealed their cold, hard outlines in the moonlight; the bronze figures had their eyes lowered, as if listening to the whispers of the evening breeze.

Posters were pasted on the display stands outside the gallery, depicting ink wash landscapes, abstract color blocks, and realistic portraits, each one swaying slightly in the night breeze.

As the guide, Sawako walked ahead, with Mao Xigu Master and Xiang Nanfeng following behind, each half a step apart. The streetlights cast long shadows on the concrete pavement, swaying gently with each step, sometimes overlapping, sometimes separating.

After walking for about five minutes, the leader of the Maoxi Gu suddenly spoke, breaking the silence of the night:

"Nanfeng, I remember you once told me on QQ that you knew about astrology?"

Xiang Nanfeng was taken aback upon hearing this, then said with a wry smile:

"You've got this wrong! I wouldn't dare say I know anything about the stars! I just did an internship during my senior year of college with a production crew that specializes in shooting documentaries about the natural environment, like National Geographic. I went with the team to several uninhabited areas, like deserts, primeval forests, and plateaus, and stayed there for a few months. I learned a lot about wilderness survival from the experienced directors, wildlife biologists, and other people on the production crew, including some practical astronomical knowledge."

"I don't understand astrology. I can only tell directions by the North Star. Other than that, I know nothing."

As he spoke, he looked up at the night sky, his gaze sweeping over the stars overhead, a hint of nostalgia and lingering melancholy in his eyes. He suddenly gave a bitter laugh, then said self-deprecatingly:

"Hey, really! The night Luyao and I climbed Shounan Mountain, before we set off, at Grandpa Hexiao's snack shop, Luyao was playing with a compass, and I was bragging to her that I didn't need it at all. I could bring it out safely just by relying on the stars! Bringing this was just to be on the safe side, but it was actually unnecessary."

At this point, Xiang Nanfeng's smile gradually stiffened, and his voice lowered slightly:

"But reality slapped me in the face! The fog was so thick, there weren't any stars to be seen, it was pitch black. And to make matters worse, the magnetic field was disrupted, even the compass didn't work. Heh, she still lost it in the end!"

After saying those last few words, Xiang Nanfeng's eyes dimmed. Although he probably had to believe that the so-called accident of climbing Shou Nanshan at night was not an accident, he still felt endless self-blame and resentment whenever he mentioned that night climb.

That unexpected separation had long been a scar in his heart, and as long as it was there, it would cause him a subtle pain.

"You know this isn't your fault," the leader of the Maoxi Gu sect patted him on the shoulder. "Why blame yourself?"

"Yes, it's all in the past." Xiang Nanfeng nodded. He took a deep breath, looked up at the night sky, and the moonlight shone on his face. Although it couldn't dispel the anxiety in his heart, it was enough to calm his sensitive mind. Xiang Nanfeng recalled that the topic had just been about astrology. He realized that Mao Xi Gu Master's mention of this matter was probably not unfounded, so he quickly steered the conversation back to the past:

"Master Maoxi, you just mentioned astrology, is there something you want to say?"

Sure enough, the leader of the Maoxi Gu clan picked up the conversation, nodded, and then said:

"That's true. I wanted to talk about astrology. In our Miao region, in the Miao villages, many elderly people know a little about astrology. I once heard my grandmother say that the astrology of the Sanmiao Kingdom, which is what we now call astronomy, was very, very advanced back then, even more advanced than that of the Han Chinese at the same time."

When Mao Xigu Master spoke of this point, his voice became somewhat solemn, as if he were recounting a long-forgotten history:

"My grandmother said that during the time when Jiang Yang was in power, the most advanced tribal alliance in the Central Plains was the Dongyi. The Dongyi had a country called Xihe, whose ruler was a woman, and their country was a matriarchal society."

"There's a myth in the Classic of Mountains and Seas called 'Xihe Bathing the Sun,' which tells the story of how the Xihe Kingdom determined its calendar. The people of Xihe Kingdom created the Xihe Calendar, one of the earliest calendars in East Asia. The Xia Dynasty, also known as the Xiahou Dynasty, adopted the Xihe Calendar. This Xihe Kingdom was undoubtedly the best at astrology. And according to my grandmother, the astrology of our Sanmiao Kingdom could be ranked after Xihe, making it second to none."

"Does the Sanmiao Kingdom also practice astrology?" Xiang Nanfeng asked curiously. "I thought the Sanmiao were only good at witchcraft."

Mao Xi Gu Master shook his head helplessly and continued, "Of course not. Five thousand years ago, many ancient countries in East Asia had advanced astrology and formulated their own different calendars. Even just talking about the Sanmiao Kingdom, the Hua Miao, Hei Miao, and Bai Miao each had their own astrology and their own calendars."

As Mao Xigu spoke, he stretched out his right hand and pointed his index finger to the eastern sky: "Look, that cluster of stars in the eastern sky is the location of the Azure Dragon's Seven Mansions. The Azure Dragon is one of the Four Symbols, representing the east, and is composed of the seven mansions: Horn, Neck, Root, Room, Heart, Tail, and Winnowing Basket."

His fingers traced the path of the stars, his voice delicate:

"The brightest star at the very front is Spica, representing the horns of the Azure Dragon; the two stars behind it are Neck, representing the neck of the Azure Dragon; further back, Di, Fang, and Xin form a line, which is the body and heart of the Azure Dragon. Xin is what we often call Antares. Although it is not the brightest now, in ancient times it was an important marker for judging the seasons; the last two stars, Tail and Winnowing Basket, are like the Azure Dragon's spread tail, stretching across the eastern sky."

Xiang Nanfeng and Zuo Hezi looked in the direction he was pointing and carefully examined the shape of the star cluster. The originally chaotic stars actually formed a winding blue dragon under his explanation, which was very lifelike.

"It really looks like a dragon!" Zuo Hezi couldn't help but exclaim, her tone filled with excitement. "I had only ever seen records of the Four Symbols in books before, but I never imagined that seeing it with my own eyes would be so amazing."

Mao Xigu Master smiled and pointed to the western sky:

"The western constellation is the White Tiger Seven Mansions, consisting of Kui, Lou, Wei, Mao, Bi, Zi, and Shen, representing the west. You see, Kui is at the front, like the head of the White Tiger; Mao is that dense cluster of stars, the Seven Sisters, like the eyes of the White Tiger; Shen is where the three stars of Orion's Belt we saw earlier are located, representing the body of the White Tiger; Zi is adjacent to Shen, like the mouth of the White Tiger; and Bi is like the claws of the White Tiger."

His explanation was easy to understand, and the two quickly recognized the outline of the White Tiger constellation. Xiang Nanfeng clicked his tongue in amazement: "So Orion is actually part of the White Tiger constellation! I only knew that the stars were beautiful before, I never imagined there were so many intricacies involved."

Then, Mao Xigu pointed to the northern sky: "The north is the Seven Mansions of Xuanwu, composed of the seven mansions of Dou, Niu, Nu, Xu, Wei, Shi, and Bi, representing the north. Xuanwu is an image of a tortoise and a snake combined. Dou is the Big Dipper, which resembles the snake's body; Niu and Nu are adjacent, resembling the tortoise shell; Xu, Wei, Shi, and Bi form Xuanwu's limbs and tail. The Big Dipper is currently very high up and easy to identify."

Following his directions, the two found the location of the Big Dipper. The dipper-shaped formation formed by the seven stars was particularly striking, shining brightly in the night sky. Zuo Hezi exclaimed excitedly, "We've really learned something new today!"

After explaining the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise, the Mao west Gu Master turned his gaze to the southern sky, his tone becoming more refined:

"Finally, there is the Vermilion Bird constellation in the south, which is the most complex and intricate of the four symbols. The Vermilion Bird represents the south and is composed of the seven constellations: Well, Ghost, Willow, Star, Extended Net, Wings, and Chariot, resembling a Vermilion Bird spreading its wings and flying."

His finger moved slowly across the southern sky, explaining each point one by one:

"The first constellation, Jing, resembles the base of the Vermilion Bird's wings; Gui, behind Jing, is composed of several dark stars, resembling the Vermilion Bird's eyes; further back are Liu, Xing, and Zhang, these three constellations forming a line, representing the Vermilion Bird's body and neck; Yi and Zhen are at the very back, like the Vermilion Bird's outstretched tail feathers, stretching across the southern sky."

He explained in exceptional detail, clearly stating the position of each star and the parts it represented. Xiang Nanfeng and Zuo Hezi held their breath, carefully following his guidance to identify the stars. Slowly, the image of a Vermilion Bird with outstretched wings appeared in the night sky—its long neck formed by the constellations Liu, Xing, and Zhang, and its flowing tail feathers like the constellations Yi and Zhen, as if it were about to break through the sky and fly into the distance at any moment.

"It's so lifelike!" Xiang Nanfeng couldn't help but exclaim. "The shape of this Vermilion Bird is even clearer than that of the Azure Dragon and the White Tiger."

Mao west Gu Master nodded, his gaze falling on the Vermilion Bird's head, his tone tinged with mystery: "Take a closer look. There's something very special about this Vermilion Bird. Have you noticed it?"

Upon hearing this, the two immediately focused their attention, scrutinizing the Vermilion Bird's head. Under the moonlight, the stars varied in brightness, some dazzling, others dim. After about a minute, Zuo Hezi spoke first, her tone tinged with uncertainty: "I've noticed something; the Vermilion Bird's beak seems particularly bright."

Xiang Nanfeng nodded quickly, his tone certain: "Yes, it is indeed the brightest part of the mouth! The stars in other parts are relatively uniform in brightness, but there is one star in the mouth area that is exceptionally bright, more dazzling than the surrounding constellations."

Mao Xigu Master's eyes revealed a hint of approval: "You observed very carefully. The star representing the Vermilion Bird's beak is called Willow Constellation. The Records of the Grand Historian, Book of Celestial Offices, states: 'Willow is the beak of the bird, in charge of trees and grasses.' This means that Willow Constellation is the beak of the Vermilion Bird, in charge of the growth of all the plants in the world."

He paused, his tone becoming serious: "The Willow Constellation governs plants and trees, but it's January now, the coldest and driest time of the year, when plants and trees are dormant. Logically, the brightness of the Willow Constellation should be at its lowest point of the year. But as you can see, the brightness of the Willow Constellation is far greater than usual, which is a very abnormal phenomenon."

Upon hearing this, both Xiang Nanfeng and Zuo Hezi looked puzzled. Xiang Nanfeng frowned: "Abnormal? Could the brightness of the stars be related to the seasons?"

"Of course it's related." The Maoxi Gu Master nodded. "In our Sanmiao Kingdom's astrology, the brightness and position of stars are closely related to the changes in all things in the world. The willow tree governs plants and trees; when plants and trees are dormant, it naturally dims; when plants and trees flourish, it becomes bright. Now it's deep winter, and plants and trees are withering, yet it shines so brightly."

"What exactly is the reason?"

Zuo Hezi couldn't help but press for an answer.

The Demon Lord Mao Xi turned his gaze back to the bright willow tree, his eyes deep and his tone solemn as he said, word by word, "It's because of the Child-Losing Gu! The Child-Losing Gu's mulberry tree has blossomed!"

A night breeze blew by, carrying a damp, fishy smell—not from decaying vegetation, nor from rusting metal. The bright Willow Star shone brightly in the night sky, as if confirming the words of the Gu Master Mao Xi—that the Gu Mulberry Flowers in the distance were blooming in the distance.