The Three Pure Ones' Secret: Expressing Spirit

Afterwards, I waited a few days and finally chose one of the many stories Lao Fan told me. He said it was something he had encountered before and asked me to adapt it. But the more I listened, the more familiar the story seemed.

The story is actually quite simple; it's about friends. But the story is rather bizarre, somewhat resembling a text we learned in elementary school called "The Big Tree and the Little Bird."

But he was telling a story about a fox and a turtledove.

At the foot of the mountains lies a quiet little town, and in the forest outside the town lives a very special fox.

Unlike other foxes in the mountains, this one wasn't raised in the wild; it was raised by a hunter. The hunter, who made a living by hunting, took exceptional care of the little fox, feeding it daily and looking after it meticulously. Later, when the government banned guns, the hunter could no longer hunt and had to find other work. Unable to continue raising it, he finally made the difficult decision to release the fox back into the vast mountains.

This fox was used to being waited on hand and foot from a young age. When the hunter was around, it never had to worry about food, let alone learn to hunt or prey on small animals in the mountains. Even after being released back into the wild, it never changed its nature. It never harmed other small animals in the forest, and just managed to survive by wandering around the town, rummaging through roadside trash cans, and occasionally accepting a little charity from kind-hearted people in town.

It has a very kind nature. Even if it lives a life of irregular meals, sometimes not even having enough to eat, it still wanders slowly through the forest every day with a cheerful attitude and never complains.

Winter arrived in the blink of an eye, and a heavy snow fell, covering the mountains and fields in a blanket of white. The branches and the ground were completely covered by a thick layer of snow, and even the wind carried a biting chill. The fox's stomach was growling with hunger, and he could no longer bear it. He could only trudge through the snow, following the path he remembered, slowly making his way towards the edge of the town, hoping to find something to fill his stomach.

It walked slowly through the snow, its steps light and gentle. All around was quiet, save for the crunching sound of its feet on the snow. As it walked, it suddenly heard a faint struggling sound ahead, like some small animal struggling desperately.

Curious, the fox quickened its pace and approached. Looking down, it saw a dove lying in the snow. The dove was covered in snowflakes, its wings drooping limply at its sides, struggling desperately to fly but unable to take off.

It turned out that the wind and snow were too heavy, blinding the dove. In its panic, it crashed headfirst into a tree trunk, breaking its wing. The pain made it tremble all over, and it could only stay trapped in the snow, unable to move.

The dove looked up and saw the fox approaching. It instantly froze, its eyes filled with terror, and it shrank back repeatedly. Thinking the fox was coming to eat it, it pleaded in a trembling voice, "Don't...don't kill me! Please, I'm injured, I can't fly anymore, please let me go!"

The fox simply sat quietly in front of it, neither revealing its sharp fangs nor making any move to attack. It slowly approached, gently nudging the injured dove with its wet nose, its eyes innocent and curious, and softly asked, "What's wrong? Why are you lying motionless in the snow?"

The dove huddled in the snow, its wings throbbing with pain, its feathers standing on end from the cold. Its voice trembled as it replied, "I...I broke my wing, I can't fly anymore. The snowstorm was too strong, I crashed into a tree." As it spoke, it stared intently at the fox, still wary. In its eyes, foxes were inherently cunning and ferocious, and this one was merely feigning kindness.

The fox looked up at the falling snow, the cold wind whipping up sleet that pelted down, then looked at the dove, shivering and unable to move, and immediately frowned. In this freezing weather, the dove was so badly injured; if it stayed outside any longer, it would soon freeze to death.

It lowered its head, gently approached the dove, and said softly without any fierceness, "It's too cold here, you'll freeze to death. Come back to my place with me, where we can avoid the wind and snow."

Upon hearing this, the dove became even more terrified, desperately twisting its body to retreat. Only one thought occupied its mind: "The fox is definitely up to no good; he's going to take me to a secluded place and eat me!" Its eyes were filled with despair, but because of its injuries, it couldn't escape. It could only cry out in a trembling voice, "Don't come any closer... don't lie to me! I know you want to eat me. Kill me or do whatever you want, I won't hide anymore..."

Seeing how terrified the dove was, the fox said nothing more, but moved with exceptional gentleness, carefully picking up the dove with its beak, afraid of hurting its broken wing. The dove, held in the fox's mouth, kept its eyes tightly shut, its heart pounding wildly, its mind filled with the image of being eaten. It felt both fear and hatred, yet was utterly powerless to resist.

A moment later, the fox led the dove into a hollow in a large tree. The fox had cleaned the hollow thoroughly, keeping it out of the cold wind and making it much warmer than the snowy ground. The fox gently placed the dove on a pile of dry grass, then turned and disappeared back into the hollow without saying a word.

The tree hollow was pitch black. The dove huddled in the hay, its heart filled with fear and despair. It thought the fox must have gone out to prepare, and would return to eat it when it was ready. The more it thought about it, the more frightened it became. The pain in its wings and the fear in its heart were intertwined, making each day feel like an eternity. It waited in fear for a very, very long time.

Just when it thought it was about to despair, there was finally some noise outside the tree hole; the fox had returned.

The dove immediately tensed up, bracing itself for harm, but when it looked up, it froze in shock.

The fox, with a golden ear of dried corn in its mouth and covered in snowflakes, had clearly traveled a long way through the snow to find it. It gently placed the corn in front of the dove, squatted down beside it, and urged with tender, sincere eyes, "Eat quickly, this will fill your stomach. Eat more to build up your strength so your wounds will heal faster and you can fly again sooner."

The dove looked at the corn in front of it, then at the fox that exuded a chilling aura but showed no intention of harming it. It stood frozen in place, all its suspicions and fears slowly dissipating in that instant.

As spring slowly arrived, the dove recovered from its injuries under the fox's care. One sunny morning, the fox used its head to push the dove out of the burrow. As soon as the dove emerged from the burrow, it flew into the sky without hesitation.

The fox watched the dove fly away and disappear beyond the woods, silently thinking: Perhaps it still thinks I'm a bad guy, and after being frightened, it ultimately dares not stay by my side. It probably will never come back.

The fox felt a void in its heart, a bitter feeling welling up inside it. It sighed inwardly, "Even people find it hard to truly connect, let alone us, who are different kinds of creatures. Perhaps from beginning to end, I was just being delusional; it never considered me a true friend."

As the fox pondered, its ears drooped, and its expression became forlorn and dejected. It slowly moved its feet, preparing to leave the tree hole and return to the days when it wandered aimlessly through the mountains and forests alone.

It hadn't gone far when it was walking slowly with its head down when it suddenly heard a clear and familiar bird song.

The fox paused for a moment, then slowly raised its head and looked in the direction of the sound.

A nimble figure swooped down from the horizon—it was the dove that had flown away! It didn't fly far away; it simply circled the distant woods once before flying straight back and landing steadily on the grass in front of the fox.

The fox was stunned, standing there dumbfounded, staring at it in disbelief.

The dove gently flapped its wings, its eyes no longer filled with the fear and defensiveness of the past, only tenderness and guilt. Looking at the fox, it softly said, "Don't be sad. I didn't fly away because I disliked you. My wings have healed, and I wanted to try flying around and see if I could bring you some food."

The fox stared at it blankly, its voice tinged with grievance: "Then... why did you fly away without looking back? I thought you never wanted to see me again."

The dove took two steps closer, gently nuzzled the fox's fur, and said earnestly, "I used to be narrow-minded, always thinking that foxes were all fierce and cunning. But these past few days, you saved me in the snow, gave me a sheltered tree hollow, found me food, and watched over me day and night as I recovered. I've long since seen through you; you're kind-hearted and not bad at all."

"I'm willing to believe in you and be your best friend for life."

Upon hearing these words, the fox's grievances and disappointment vanished instantly. Its droopy ears slowly perked up, and its tail began to wag gently.

As the spring breeze swept through the forest and the warm sun shone on the earth, a kind fox and a grateful dove, setting aside their species barriers and prejudices, forged a pure and warm friendship amidst the green hills and dense forests.

The lonely fox finally had a friend, and life became peaceful and warm. Every morning, a dove would perch on the fox's shoulder, accompanying it on its walks through the forest; at dusk, the fox would sit under a tree, listening to the dove's melodious songs from the branches. The wind in the forest was warm, and life was sweet. The fox no longer had to wander alone in the snow, no longer had to feel lonely.

But good times don't last long. Time flies, and a few years have passed in the blink of an eye.

It was another bleak autumn. The mountains and forests were turning yellow, and fallen leaves covered the forest paths. Those poachers, who had long been prohibited from hunting, took a chance and sneaked into the mountains. They figured out the usual routes that foxes used to roam and hunt all year round, and quietly set up hidden animal traps in the secluded forest paths. They were so well disguised that no one could see through them.

That day, the fox, as usual, strolled leisurely along the familiar path towards the small town at the foot of the mountain, intending to find some food. Unsuspecting, it stepped into the trap set by poachers.

With a sharp, piercing "click," the heavy trap instantly clamped tightly onto the fox's front leg.

Intense pain instantly swept through its body, causing the fox to tremble and let out a painful whimper. It struggled desperately, but the trap was tightly closed, and the more it struggled, the more painful it became. Its legs were locked in place, and it couldn't move at all.

Seeing this, the poachers hiding in the shadows immediately came out, their faces showing greed. Without any mercy, they grabbed the trapped fox, roughly tied its body, and, ignoring the fox's terrified cries, took it straight away from the forest, intending to sell it secretly for profit.

A dove, foraging in the distant woods, heard the fox's painful cries from afar. Its heart tightened, and it hurriedly spread its wings and flew towards the scene. But when it reached the path where the incident had occurred, all that remained were scattered fallen leaves, traces of blood on the ground, and an empty trap; the fox had vanished without a trace.

The autumn wind howled, leaves fluttered down, and a turtledove circled in the air, cooing anxiously, calling out to its friend, but receiving no response. The vast forest suddenly became desolate and bleak. Only withered yellow leaves covered the ground. The turtledove circled the empty trap all night, its mournful cries echoing through the forest, but it never saw the fox. It knew in its heart that it couldn't give up. The kind fox that had saved it and kept it company through the harsh winter was its only true friend in this life, and it would find the fox no matter where it was, no matter where it was.

From that day on, the turtledove bid farewell to the familiar mountains and forests, and soared into the distance. It flew over rolling green hills, winding rivers, and country lanes, then traversed the skies above bustling yet unfamiliar cities. By day, braving wind and sun, it circled back and forth in the streets and alleys, its eyes scanning everywhere, hoping to spot a fox. It meticulously searched the corners of markets and sparsely populated suburban courtyards, leaving no place unchecked where a fox might be hiding. At night, it rested under the eaves of deserted houses and on the branches of old trees, and at the first light of dawn, it set off again in its search. It flew over bustling towns, over desolate suburbs, over busy streets, and over remote mountain villages. Along the way, it endured wind and rain, its wings soaked by the elements, its journey tiring, and its hunger pangs, yet it never wavered or gave up.

In every unfamiliar place, the dove circles low, cooing incessantly, calling out to its friends, hoping to hear a familiar response. Even if the hope is slim, even if it flies thousands of miles, it is determined to find the fox captured by poachers, never abandoning it, until the day of reunion.

Days passed, spring turned to autumn, and the seasons changed. The story of the turtledove tirelessly searching for the fox day and night gradually spread among the animals of the entire forest. All the birds and beasts had heard of this little turtledove, who, to repay the life-saving grace and to find his dear friend, crossed mountains and rivers, flew to towns and cities, endured wind and rain, and suffered all the hardships of the journey, yet never gave up.

Deep in the forest lived a great black bear who had long since cultivated his spirituality and attained enlightenment. Hearing of the turtledove's journey of searching for its friend, it was deeply moved and could not bear to see it wander aimlessly and suffer like this.

So the big black bear went to the dove and spoke in a deep voice, instructing it: "Little fellow, we have seen your sincerity and persistence. You don't need to fly around blindly anymore. I know there is a farmhouse beyond the mountains and forests, with a faint scent of foxes. Follow the scent to the southwest, and you will surely find the friend you are looking for."

Upon hearing this, the dove was both surprised and delighted. It quickly nodded deeply to the black bear in gratitude and, without daring to delay for a moment, immediately flew southwest with all its might. Without stopping, it finally found the family in a secluded village.

The dove gently landed on the big tree outside the courtyard, cautiously looking down. Its gaze swept over the tree, and it froze instantly.

In the center of the courtyard stood a large iron cage, and inside it was the fox it had been searching for for so long.

But the fox before me was no longer the well-proportioned, gentle-eyed creature it once was. Now it was skin and bones, its fur was messy and dull, having lost its former luster, its eyes were empty and numb, and it spent its days curled up in the corner of its cage, listless.

The owner would put food and water in the fox's mouth on time every day, but the fox kept its mouth tightly shut and refused to touch it. It was filled with despair. It had left the mountains and forests, left its freedom, and thought it would never see its only friend again. It had long lost the will to live and just wanted to silently endure the days, letting itself grow thinner and thinner.

The dove perched on a branch, gazing at its emaciated friend in the cage. Its heart clenched, its eyes stung, and it let out a series of low, mournful cries, filled with heartache and sorrow: "Silly fox, I've found you!"

The fox, looking at the dove before him, stood up shakily, tears streaming down his face. "Silly bird, is it really you?"

The dove looked at the fox and cried out mournfully, "It's me, it's me! I've finally found you! I thought you had met with misfortune, but the Black Immortal told me where you are!"

The dove stared intently at the fox in the iron cage, flapping its wings and repeatedly crashing against the cold iron bars. But it was too small and too weak. No matter how hard it tried, it couldn't open the cage and couldn't rescue its dear friend.

An overwhelming sense of powerlessness washed over the fox, and the dove could only give up the struggle, guarding the branches in the courtyard day and night, never leaving its side. During the day, it would land by the cage and coo softly, gently comforting the fox with its calls; at night, it would huddle on the branches by the courtyard wall, keeping watch all night, fearing that the fox might suffer even the slightest mishap.

It stayed there, day after day, never leaving.

The farmer who kept the foxes gradually noticed this strange phenomenon. A small dove spent its days guarding the fox's cage, sometimes cooing softly, sometimes gently pecking at the cage, as if keeping the fox company, showing no fear of people. The kind-hearted farmer, seeing the deep affection between the two little creatures, assumed it was just animals playing together. Instead of chasing the dove away, he even found planks and dry grass and built a warm and sturdy little nest for it in a large tree in the yard.

With a place to stay, the dove's days of guarding the fox finally had a little more warmth, but seeing the fox growing more and more haggard, its heart was still full of anxiety.

After some time, Bai He and Fan Biao happened to visit this family to hold a funeral. After hearing the strange things happening in their home, they asked the family to lead the way to see what was going on.

Bai He immediately noticed the listless fox in the cage and the dove that stood guard nearby, refusing to leave. A thought stirred in her heart; she felt there was an unusual story between these two creatures. Bai He knew the Hundred Immortals Sect's spirit communication technique, which allowed her to communicate with living beings. She immediately focused her mind, closed her eyes, and cast the spirit communication spell.

After talking with the fox and the dove, I felt a pang of sadness for their past relationship, and then I lowered my voice and told the story to Lao Fan.

Fan Biao frowned, his already dark face now showing even more anger. He exclaimed in surprise, "This is outrageous! We have to rescue them and take them back to the mountains!"

Bai He pondered for a moment and quickly came up with an idea. This family was relatively kind and probably believed in folk beliefs about yin and yang, so she could use that to help them.

Bai He urged Fan Biao forward, deliberately walking up to the house and speaking with a solemn expression, concocting a frightening statement: "Fellow villager, the fox and dove in your yard are no ordinary creature! These two are spiritual beings who have cultivated in the mountains for many years, guardian beasts under the mountain god. Keeping the fox in a cage is an offense against the mountain god! Within three days, strange things will surely happen to your house, affecting your fortune and your home. You absolutely cannot keep them imprisoned any longer!"

Fan Biao, following Bai He's lead, straightened his muscular frame, nodded solemnly, and said in a deep voice, "That's right! It's true. Release them quickly to ensure your safety!"

The farmer was kind-hearted, and Bai He and Lao Fan's words made him look flustered. Looking at the fox and dove he kept company with day and night, he believed most of it and had no doubts at all. He immediately found the key and opened the iron cage.

The fox, now free, staggered out of its cage, and a dove immediately cooed merrily and landed on its shoulder.

Bai He and Fan Biao watched the fox and the dove huddled together, calling to each other. They led them step by step towards the forest. Upon reaching the forest, the fox and the dove thanked Bai He and Fan Biao. Bai He told them, "Since you have such a connection, you must cultivate yourselves well in the mountains!"

The fox then walked away while looking back, and the dove perched on a branch above its head. Fan Biao and Bai He watched the two small animals until their figures disappeared into the woods before turning away.

The mountains remain the same, the forests unchanged. The fox and the dove, having endured many hardships, finally returned to their home and never separated again. Year after year, they stayed by each other's side, becoming the most touching tale of life in the mountains and forests.