Lore.

Long ago, in the age of gods and spirits, there was a little fox with fur white as snow. Others of her kind thought that she was the most beautiful-- yet none of them would catch the young fox's eye.Though the humans of the land greatly admired the fox as a creature with not only great intelligence, but potential for great spiritual power-- There was no denying the demand for such pelts to be used in the creation of warm clothing for the winter months. It was not uncommon for this fox, with her white fur, to be forced to outsmart the huntsmen that came for her-- A task that, though annoying, was hardly a challenge.And yet, in time, her cunning would fail her. When she believed that she had outsmarted the hunter, the fox found herself stepping directly into a trap that had been laid out for her-- Now caged, there was nowhere for her to run.It was by chance-- or perhaps it was fate-- that the huntsman was not the only individual in the forest that day. A beautiful young woman had stumbled upon the the two of them, as the huntsman was moving the trapped fox to his cart. Perhaps the young woman could see the fear in the creature's eyes-- Or, if fate had a hand in their meeting, she could feel the red string of fate pulling on her being. The beautiful young woman, the daughter of a wealthy merchant, urged the huntsman to allow her to purchase the fox from him; and she willingly paid far more than he could have anticipated to receive for the pelt alone.The young woman carried the fox away from the huntsman-- And only once she was certain that he was on his way out of the forest did she place the cage on the ground, leaving it open for the fox to escape. She did not wish to keep such a beautiful creature for herself-- she only wished to know that she could live another day.The fox watched as the woman made her way out of the forest-- She would follow her silently, hiding amidst the underbrush as she made her way back to her father's home. As the young woman passed through the gates, the fox found herself staring longingly. What had come over her?Even after she returned to her home in the forest, she would find herself staring at the gates to that estate each and every day-- Waiting for a chance to see that beautiful young woman again. Days passed, and she would grow impatient-- And thus she would hatch a scheme to allow her to see that woman again.Not only that, the scheme would allow her the chance to get to know her-- The chance to learn more about her, and why she had done such a strange thing.The fox would take on the form of a beautiful woman-- And, with her smooth tongue and fox-like cunning, was able to become a lady in waiting to that kind and beautiful woman who had saved her that day. In time she would learn many things about her.Though she came from a wealthy family, she was humble and kind. She was adored by the children of the nearby village. She loved to spend time in the estate's garden-- And her favorite thing to do was paint. She was as gentle and kind in her every day existence as she had been in the forest-- And the fox, who had taken on the name Ningjing (Tranquil), found herself more enthralled with her by the day.The years would pass, and she would remain by her side-- Never revealing the truth of who she was. She would learn to paint, enjoying the moments spent with that woman's gentle hands over her own-- The paint made from the pink camellias in the garden leaving stains that seemed as though they would never wash out.In time, she would become more than just one of her ladies in waiting. Though she was expected to marry the son of another wealthy family, there was no denying that Ningjing was the one who had managed to steal her heart. ... And though she had freed her from that cage, she had stolen hers away on that very same day.When the woman was finally sent away to her husband, Ningjing would come with her. Her lady in waiting-- her true beloved. Though where the two of them lived had changed, their days remained the same-- They only had eyes for each other, though the woman was a dutiful wife to her husband.Yet he would be the reason that it would all fall apart. The woman was too kind for a man such as him. He despised the way that she would spend her days in the village, assisting the elderly with their laundry and laughing as the children excitedly showed her what they had found in the forest or lake. The fox's beloved would ignore his complaints in the evenings-- Continuing her paintings as she always did.But the moment that he decided to strike her was the moment he would take his last breath. Though Ningjing had remained disguised as a human for all these years, the illusion faded as she lunged for the man. The kind woman's lady in waiting transformed into the fox that had been saved on that day all those years ago-- Her fur still white as the winter's first snow.And yet her fur would be stained with blood as she bit into the throat of that despicable man. She looked back to her beloved, who stared at the scene with widened eyes--But when she finally managed to speak, her voice remained soft and gentle; just as it always had. "You must leave, my love. You will certainly be killed if you remain."The fox hesitated-- But her decision was made within an instant as the man's mother came into the garden, witnessing the scene before her. With that blood-curdling scream echoing in her ears, Ningjing leaped over the wall and escaped into the forest. No one chased after her-- But there was no denying that everyone would be on the hunt for the white fox that had killed such a wealthy man.Remembering the way that her beloved's paint had stained her hands so harshly, the fox would gather as many pink camellias as she could-- Dyeing her once pristine fur a beautiful shade of pink. No one would know that she had been the one to commit such a gruesome deed.Years would pass from that day, and she would not return to the estate that had belonged to her beloved's husband. Instead, she would wander from place to place-- But the grave sin that she had committed; the blood that she had spilled; allowed corruption to seep into her being. A mark would begin to spread out from her chest-- The darkness and bitterness in her heart only growing.Many years would pass, and her bitterness would only grow-- But, eventually, something would draw her back to the estate where that corruption had begun. In the years that had passed, her beloved had remained a widow-- And now, an old woman, laid on her death bead.As she had done on many nights in their past, Ningjing would sneak into her beloved's room unseen-- And, for the first time in so many years, they were able to see each other face to face. Their final night together was beautiful and calm-- They told each other of the lives they had led after that day... But Ningjing could not hide the corruption from her beloved.Using the last of her strength, she would reach out her hand to brush over her chest-- Over her heart. "The punishment that he faced is not your sin to carry. ... Promise me that you will not allow it to consume you further."Silence filled the room for several moments-- But the fox slowly nodded. "... If that is your final wish, then I will make it so."And so her beloved was able to pass on with peace of mind-- And Ningjing, in the centuries that followed, would keep her promise. Not only that, but she would make an effort to understand humanity more than she had ever intended. All so that she may bring about the same peace that her beloved brought to her.