I was coiled in the muck at the foot of Buzhou Mountain, having only just opened my eyes. Three little ones, one gold, one deep purple, and one scarlet, swayed on the Gourd Vine. When Eastern Emperor Taiyi appeared out of nowhere and plucked the white gourd, I dropped to my knees with a thud and cried that I was willing to join the Demon Court and serve as his groom, holding his reins and whip. He flicked his sleeve and sent me flying thirty feet, telling me to get lost. I wiped my face and crawled out of the rubble. He was strolling toward the horizon, twirling the gourd’s stem, his hem fluttering like a burning cloud.
