It was hard to remember which era it was, in a remote mountain village, there was a young herbalist named Dong Fang, who lived with his mother. Apart from collecting and drying herbs, and treating the villagers' illnesses, Dong Fang spent his spare time reading medical books, leading a peaceful and fulfilling life. The mother and son were diligent and frugal, yet they were also kind-hearted, often reducing or even waiving medicine fees for poor villagers in need, gaining a good reputation in the village.
One summer morning, as the first wisp of smoke rose from the village, Dong Fang had already filled his back basket with dew-laden herbs. The mountain breeze was refreshing, and the forest was alive with birdsong. Dong Fang walked quickly down the mountain, enjoying this pleasant moment. At a turn, he suddenly saw a white orchid, bright and dazzling, as if smiling at Dong Fang. He crouched down, taking a deep breath, its faint fragrance filling his heart. Although he liked it very much, he waved goodbye to the orchid and continued on his way. Living in the mountains, he naturally understood that all things were equal and had the right to exist in the world. Dong Fang especially loved the trees and plants in the mountains, gathering herbs only for the purpose of healing the villagers. So even though he liked this orchid, he didn't think of taking it home. When Dong Fang returned home, his mother had already prepared breakfast. Hungry, he sat down to eat. Suddenly, Dong's mother smelled a fragrance different from the usual herbal scent. Looking at the top of the herb basket, she found a white orchid with roots intact and planted it in the courtyard. When Dong Fang saw it, he thought it was accidentally picked up. The fragrant flower made him happy.
That day, Dong's mother felt unwell. After serving his mother breakfast and giving her medicine in the morning, Dong hurried to treat some patients in a neighboring village. The mountain roads were rugged, and although the villages could be seen from afar, it took time to reach them. When Dong returned home, the sun was already setting. Worried that his mother might be hungry, he entered the courtyard but smelled the aroma of food. He thought his mother must have been able to cook, so he called out, "Mother!" and heard his mother respond from inside. Entering the room, he helped his mother sit up and said:
"Mother, I'm sorry I came back late and made you get up to cook."
Dong's mother replied, "I feel dizzy and couldn't get up to cook." Dong was puzzled and said, "Maybe it was Aunt Wang from the neighbor, let's eat first." Then he helped his mother up and served a few dishes of stir-fried vegetables and a pot of wild mushroom soup, all grown in the mountains, light yet delicious. His mother had a big appetite and felt much better. After eating, Dong went to Aunt Wang's house to thank her. Aunt Wang was slightly embarrassed: "Today I had something to go back to my parents' house, I didn't have time to take care of your mother, the meal wasn't made by me." Dong asked the neighbors, and they all said it wasn't them. When he told his mother, he smiled and said, "Perhaps we have a girl from the snail in our house!"
Although the mother and son found it strange, they were busy with daily tasks and gradually stopped thinking about it.
However, there were still strange things happening at home, such as: waking up in the morning, finding the courtyard already swept, the water jar used half, and the next day full again, and no mosquitoes in the courtyard in summer. Dong thought about it for a long time but couldn't figure it out. He just felt that since the white orchid was planted at home, the house became clean, and he always took special care of the orchid, regularly weeding and watering it.
One afternoon, a summer rain began to fall. Dong's mother was doing needlework, and Dong was reading medical books in the courtyard. Suddenly, the room was illuminated, and a girl in a white dress and green apron appeared. Her black hair was neatly tied, her face beautiful, like a fairy from a painting. The mother and son were stunned, and the girl bowed and said:
"Dong Mother, Master Dong, my name is Yue Lan. I am the white orchid in the courtyard. I am now in trouble and ask Master Dong to help me."
The mother and son were surprised, their mouths open, looking at the girl's pitiful appearance, which moved them. They quickly invited the girl to sit and talk. The girl explained calmly.
It turned out that this orchid was a Lan Po in the Jade Pool's garden, who accidentally sneezed and dropped a seed into the human world. When the Lan Po discovered that one of the orchids was missing, this orchid had already taken root in the human world. Immortal grass could not be planted on earth freely. This white orchid fell into the human world, absorbed earthly impurities, and needed cultivation to return to the Jade Pool. Lan Po had to secretly descend to find the orchid, warned it, and promised to come to fetch it after a hundred years, leaving a piece of incense as a signal. If it was captured, lighting the incense would notify Lan Po. Yue Lan had lived freely in the mountains, residing in a sheltered and sunny place, with a spiritual glow, and wild beasts dared not approach. However, a distant Three Immortals Mountain had three ancient cypress trees that had become spirits, gained some power, recognized it as an immortal orchid, and forcibly transplanted the orchid to the Three Immortals Mountain, intending to use Yue Lan to make elixirs in autumn. The three demons did not know that Yue Lan could transform into a human. Unaware of the danger, Yue Lan secretly escaped when the three demons were drunk, hiding in this small mountain, concealing its spiritual glow. Soon, it noticed that the three demons' steed—a vulture—was always circling around the area, indicating that its presence had been discovered. Seeing that Dong Fang was diligent and kind, Yue Lan wanted to live in Dong Fang's house, using human energy to avoid the three demons, so it ran into the herb basket, where it was planted in the courtyard by Dong's mother. But recently, the vulture kept circling over the courtyard, meaning it had been found.
After saying this, Yue Lan took out a handkerchief wrapped with an incense stick and gave it to Dong Fang, saying:
"This is the incense left by Lan Po. If I am captured, please open the handkerchief at noon facing the sun, and it will ignite to send a signal."
Dong Fang quickly accepted it and comforted Yue Lan, saying, "There are many excellent hunters in the village. When we see the vulture, we'll make sure it never returns. Don't worry." Yue Lan smiled and said, "Those old demons have some power; hunters can't beat them." Dong's mother also comforted, "Evil cannot defeat righteousness, don't be afraid of them!" Yue Lan said nothing more, helped Dong's mother with household chores, and talked. However, Dong Fang could no longer concentrate on reading, and went out in the rain to pick some sour jujubes and other mountain fruits for Yue Lan to eat.
At night, Dong Fang couldn't sleep, thinking about the strange things that had happened at home before. He had secretly fallen in love with this pure and beautiful girl. Without realizing it, he got up through the window to look at Yue Lan in the courtyard. Suddenly, the courtyard darkened, and he looked up to see a bird with wings spanning ten feet carrying a Taoist, diving into the courtyard. Dong Fang rushed out immediately, grabbed a wooden knife, and swung it at the bird. The bird flapped its wings, causing a strong wind that blew Dong Fang backward, making him unable to stand. After a while, the wind subsided, and Dong Fang stood up. First, he looked at the spot where the orchid was planted: only a deep pit remained! Dong Fang hurriedly ran out of the courtyard, and everything around was quiet, with only the sound of heavy rain falling. There was no sign of the strange bird in the sky. His mother also woke up, and the two of them sat together, anxiously waiting for daylight to light the incense. Heaven understood people's wishes, and Dong Fang went out several times during the night to check if the rain had stopped. When the sky finally cleared and the dawn revealed a faint glow, the mother and son wished they could pull the sun to the middle of the sky with a rope. At noon, Dong Fang opened the handkerchief, held the incense toward the sun. A moment later, the incense ignited, sending a thin line of smoke straight into the sky!
The mother and son waited anxiously at home, not knowing whether Yue Lan had been rescued. If she had been rescued, this thoughtful girl would surely tell them. Dong Fang, holding the handkerchief with the incense, was restless. On the third day, Dong Fang decided to go to the Three Immortals Mountain to rescue Yue Lan! His mother, understanding the bigger picture, thought about the lonely girl who had been taken by the demons and the suffering she must have endured. Although worried about her son, she still made some pancakes and packed a few clothes overnight. Dong Fang packed them, put a chopping knife on his waist, and set off on the journey.
Dong Fang traveled through wind and rain, drank mountain spring water when thirsty, and ate pancakes when hungry. Fortunately, he was used to hiking in the mountains, and his body was strong, so he didn't feel tired. He headed west toward the Three Immortals Mountain.
