[Proud, Aloof Beauty: Crane Queen Bottom]
[Gentle, Considerate Daoist Master Top, Whose Immortal Bearing Goes Unappreciated]
Huoshाओ Town was neither big nor small. It had a Taoist temple called Qingyun Temple, where the incense offerings were fairly plentiful.
The temple was home to an “unranked” young Daoist master named Li Qingyun, who had an immortal bearing despite being not yet twenty. He spent his days rushing about with a few disciples in tow.
From curing the sick and warding off disasters for the townsfolk to finding their lost pigs, dogs, cattle, chickens, ducks, and geese, he did it all.
One day, a townsman brought him a demon crane that had broken into his home to steal rice and could speak human language.
Li Qingyun took a closer look. The crane was graceful and elegant, with exceptionally beautiful feathers. It was unmistakably an immortal crane! But it had choked so badly that its eyes were rolling back, and it looked ready to die.
Li Qingyun kept the crane and took good care of it. Who knew the bird would be so delicate? It wouldn't eat uncooked rice, found steamed buns too dry, and thought the tea tasted too bitter.
Every day, it hogged the altar table of the temple's founding master to nap. The worshippers who came to pay their respects didn't know whether to kneel or stand, and could only stare at one another in confusion.
At a loss, Li Qingyun decided to release it back into the mountains.
But one morning, when he got up, he searched the entire temple and couldn't find the crane. He went to take a look in the main hall, only to find a man sitting on the altar table. His features were exquisitely beautiful, his expression cold. A pair of long, pale legs dangled lazily over the edge.
Li Qingyun stared, dumbstruck, then asked hesitantly, “Immortal crane?”
The man's beautiful, upturned eyes lowered slightly as he glanced at him, thinking, Another commoner struck dumb by my beauty. Since he has been attentive these past few days, I shall reward him by letting him help me up. The man raised a hand with noble composure. “I am Crane Immortal.”
Unexpectedly, Li Qingyun took off his Daoist robe and wrapped it around him from head to toe, then carried him, clothes and all, toward the room, muttering, “I don't care if you're an immortal crane or Crane Immortal. Don't sit naked on the founding master's altar table!”
Wrapped up tightly, Crane Immortal angrily turned to peck him. But he forgot he was in human form now. As he lifted his head, he planted a kiss squarely on Li Qingyun's lips as the latter turned around.
They both froze, staring wide-eyed at each other until they looked cross-eyed.
Then one day, strange groups of people began arriving in town one after another, a motley mix of immortals, demons, and devils, all fixing their gaze on the little Taoist temple.
“The half-immortal who failed to ascend is inside this tiny temple. Eat him, and you'll reach the realm of human immortals!”
Note:
A slice-of-life story, chaotic and lively, but sweet and doting.
Theme: The simple, peaceful life is the real thing!
