Once, there was a bird of profound misfortune, which was slain by the Lord of the Southern Seas while he was still a monastic cultivator.

After its reincarnation, the bird grew infatuated with the Lord. Having by then become a lesser immortal, the Lord slew it once more.

In its next life, the bird succumbed to darkness, yet the Lord, having purified it, commenced a romance with it. Nevertheless, the Lord, now a high immortal, ultimately delivered its death once again.

Weary of any further entanglement with the Lord of the Southern Seas, the bird desired only escape. Yet, in the end, the Lord killed it for a fourth time, scattering its soul so utterly that reincarnation became impossible.

Someone once asked the Lord, "Did you care for that bird?"

The Lord replied, "I did."

The questioner persisted, "If you could start over, would you slay it again?"

Since a fresh start was impossible, the Lord offered no answer. Yet, he defied the Heavenly Dao and resurrected the bird as a human.

Afterwards, the Lord heard a tale: the bird had bestowed its affection upon another...

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