The dogtail grass was living well. She glared at me with round eyes and angrily pounded me, gripping my collar.

"When I'm not around, you curse me like that?"

"And, how many times have I said it? I'm an ancient spirit grass that can separate yin and yang, preserve souls. Why do you keep calling me such an ugly nickname?"

I was pressed against the wall, blinked my eyes, and hoarsely replied,

"I didn't, I didn't. Don't make things up."

"Don't hit the god, hitting the face hurts my self-esteem! Cuihua, cough cough cough..."

With a cold snort, Cuihua let go of my collar.

Cuihua was very beautiful, a rare and beautiful celestial fairy from the Ninth Heaven, just half a star short of being as good as me.

But I don't know where she learned her temper from.

I still remember how innocent she was when she was young.

With just one line from me, "From the poems of the mortal realm, 'The delicate washing of forest flowers lightly tinted, the low-lying willow on the shore, the verdant flowers of emerald,'" she wholeheartedly believed that Cuihua was a good name.

"Where have you been hiding during this time?" I asked.

Cuihua's gaze fell on my chest.

I lowered my head, missing a button, the third one down from the collar.

"You hid well. If you hadn't escaped without me, how could I have come up with this plan?"

Cuihua pouted, which was rare for her.

"Besides, those people are so scary. How could I dare to show my face? Although I have extraordinary talent, I'm just a little immortality grass with no skills in terms of combat strength."

She really takes after me!

I covered my face.

"Wait, the Emperor is here."

Cuihua wrinkled her nose and crawled back onto my clothes.

Only then did I push open the door and meet the Emperor and Qing Lianzi standing at the entrance.

They truly matched each other with his talent and her beauty.

My master, after being single for tens of thousands of years, finally found a good match.

Qing Lianzi held a string of well-prepared fish and waved at me,

"Zhulan, how about hot pot?"

"The Emperor caught some fish by the river today, and I'm going to make a fish hot pot!"

I frowned, somewhat puzzled.

"What is hot pot?"

Qing Lianzi casually grabbed my hand and hooked her arm with mine.

"In any case, it's an extremely delicious thing. Just come with me."

I looked at the Emperor's signal in his eyes and accepted it gladly.

My master seems to be henpecked.

Hot pot is a good thing, very delicious, and the way of eating is also interesting.

But it made the Cuihua on my clothes really crave it, and she tried several times to detach herself.

After returning to my room, Cuihua was still sulking, blaming me for not letting her eat.

I had no choice but to take out a portion of the vegetables she wanted to eat from my sleeve to appease her.

Since the Emperor often left early and returned late, Qing Lianzi and I would often keep each other company in the courtyard.

Qing Lianzi came from a place called the "modern world," so she could always make many novel and interesting things, and she liked to make spicy dishes.

But every time I praised Qing Lianzi, a blade of grass would get jealous.

"Yes, yes, everything about her is great. Unlike me, a blade of grass that came out with nothing and followed you. I'm just a poor weed!"

"I'm so miserable as this weed at the bottom. It's so bitter!"

Me: "..."

I don't know where I learned such a provoking manner.

These days were unusually peaceful.

I started to develop a feeling that perhaps it was fine to continue living like this.

However, for some reason, the longer I stayed, the heavier my eyelids becameand the more I felt a sense of unease. It was as if there was something lurking in the shadows, waiting to disrupt the tranquility we had found. One evening, as we sat around the table enjoying our meal, a sudden gust of wind blew through the courtyard, extinguishing the candles and plunging us into darkness. The air grew heavy, and an eerie silence settled over us. Qing Lianzi and I exchanged worried glances. The Emperor, ever composed, stood up and drew his sword, ready to face whatever threat may come our way. Cuihua, sensing the tension, clung tightly to my clothes, her leaves trembling with fear. Suddenly, a voice echoed through the darkness, chilling us to the bone. "You thought you could escape, but you cannot hide. The time has come for you to face your destiny." The voice sent shivers down my spine, and I felt a surge of energy emanating from it. The courtyard was illuminated by a dim, otherworldly light, revealing a figure standing before us. It was a ghostly apparition, its form shifting and ethereal. The Emperor stepped forward, his sword raised. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice steady despite the unease in the air. The apparition chuckled, a sound that seemed to come from all directions at once. "I am the spirit of the ancient forest, awakened by the disturbance in the balance of the realms. You have meddled in forces you cannot comprehend, and now you must face the consequences." My heart pounded in my chest as I realized the gravity of the situation. We had unwittingly stumbled upon a power far beyond our understanding, and now we had to pay the price. The spirit's gaze fell upon Cuihua, who clung to me in fear. "You, little grass spirit, were never meant to exist in this realm. Your presence disrupts the natural order, and for that, you must be eradicated." "No!" I cried out, my voice filled with desperation. "She is innocent! We had no knowledge of the consequences." The spirit's eyes glowed with an otherworldly light as it raised a hand, ready to strike. But before it could, a brilliant beam of light pierced through the darkness, engulfing the spirit and forcing it back. A figure emerged from the light, radiating a powerful aura. It was a celestial being, adorned in flowing robes and wielding a staff that crackled with energy. It was none other than the Goddess of Balance, come to restore order. She cast a stern gaze upon the spirit and spoke with a voice that resonated with authority. "Your actions are unforgivable. You have disrupted the harmony of the realms and endangered innocent lives." With a wave of her staff, the spirit was banished, its presence fading into the night. The Goddess turned to us, her expression softening. "Fear not, for I shall restore balance and protect you from further harm." Relief washed over us as we realized we had been saved from certain doom. The Goddess extended a hand towards Cuihua, her touch gentle and comforting. "Little one, you are an anomaly, but you carry a spark of life that should not be extinguished. I shall grant you a place in this realm, under my watchful eye." Cuihua's leaves quivered with gratitude as she bowed before the Goddess. From that day forward, she became a guardian of the balance, using her unique abilities to preserve harmony in the world. As for the Emperor, Qing Lianzi, and myself, we continued to live in the courtyard, grateful for the protection of the Goddess and the peace that had been restored. But we never forgot the lessons we had learned—the delicate balance of the realms and the consequences that come with tampering with forces beyond our comprehension.