Chapter Four: The First Day of Misfortune on Earth

The more I thought about it, the sadder and more aggrieved I became, wiping away bitter tears and sighing over my misfortune. Suddenly, someone tossed a small pebble at my feet; under the sunlight, it glittered. Curious, I picked it up, examined it closely in my palm, then even bit it, yet found nothing special about it, so I threw it back to the ground.

To think that I, once a princess, used to have stones thrown at me while swimming in the river, and now, having taken human form, am still targeted by stones. Is my life cursed with such misfortune? Doubt began to creep into my heart—maybe I ought to return to the Demon Realm. If I keep lingering here, I’ll probably perish before I even find Zilian.

“Foolish girl!”

An old man walked by, casting a pitying glance my way and shaking his head with a sigh.

“What a lovely girl, such a shame she’s not right in the head,” an elderly woman murmured as she passed, shaking her head and sighing deeply.

“I’m not stupid, I’m not a fool!” I shouted in protest, but the crowd only continued to shake their heads and sigh, unmoved by my cries.

“All right, all right!”

After hearing the chorus of “fool” from the onlookers, I shamefully shuffled forward, picked up the glittering pebble, and rolled it in my hand. Was it just a single stone thrown, and yet these mortals branded me as a fool? Ah, how could someone like me, a witch, ever hope to understand the ways of this vast world?

“Master, look.”

A melodious female voice rang out. The word “Master” piqued my curiosity. I looked up and saw a woman in a green dress and a man in white standing across the street, both gazing in my direction. The man’s appearance was striking—so handsome he seemed almost ethereal, his elegance rivaling even Zilian, whom I missed day and night. The woman in green, however, was not so pleasing to the eye, her left cheek marked by a birthmark shaped like a spider lily that covered half her face.

Noticing my gaze, the woman nodded slightly in greeting, then slipped her arm through the man’s and walked toward me. I felt her glance pierce me, for she looked at me with such sympathy that my small sense of grievance grew into full-blown self-pity.

I swallowed nervously and edged into the corner, raising my voice, “What are you looking at? Haven’t you ever seen a beauty sunbathing on the street?”

The woman covered her lips and laughed; I had to admit, when she smiled, a gentle charm lit up her face, captivating any onlooker.

The man frowned slightly, lifting his eyes to glare at me before turning with a gentle expression to the woman. “Qing’er, there are too many beggars in Tears City. You come here every day to give them coins, but it’s not a solution.”

“Master, I know what you’re saying, but I…”

She turned to him, her eyes pleading. Before she could finish, her shameless master wrapped her in his arms.

“Silly girl, I’m not saying you can’t help. If you wish, we’ll gather more herbs in the mountains and sell them. That way, you’ll have enough silver to be generous.”

His voice was soft, and he tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

“Master, you…”

And so, right in front of me, the two began their display of affection, utterly oblivious to the world around them.