Once upon a time, in the warm and sunny lands of the South, where the sun shines brightest and the days are long, there lived a magnificent creature known as Zhuque, the Vermilion Bird.
She was the spirit of Summer and of Fire. Her body was shaped like a great and beautiful pheasant, but she was covered in feathers of the most brilliant red and gold, shining like burning embers or the setting sun.
Wherever she flew, the air grew warm, flowers bloomed, and life grew abundant. She was the queen of the southern sky, powerful, proud, and full of fiery energy.
But one year, a great shadow fell upon the land. A terrible Ice Witch came from the north, bringing with her freezing winds and endless frost. She hated the warmth and the light, and she wanted to turn the whole world into ice and snow.
"Your time is over!" the Witch shrieked, casting her dark magic. "Cold shall rule forever!"
The frost spread quickly. The rivers froze, the trees turned white, and the beautiful red flowers withered and died. The people shivered and hid, afraid that the sun would never shine again.
Zhuque spread her wings and let out a cry that sounded like crackling flames.
"I am the guardian of this land!" she proclaimed. "I represent the fire that gives life! I will not let you extinguish the light!"
She dove from the sky, her feathers blazing with heat. She fought against the wind and the snow. Her fire melted the ice, and her wings pushed back the cold. It was a mighty battle between Fire and Ice, between Summer and Winter.
But the Witch was very powerful. She gathered all her strength and cast a spell of eternal frost.
"Freeze, forever!" she yelled.
A giant block of ice trapped the great bird. The flames went out. The red feathers turned pale. Zhuque grew still and cold, and it seemed as if the spirit of fire had vanished forever.
The Witch laughed and flew away, thinking she had won.
But she did not know the secret of Zhuque.
The Vermilion Bird is not just fire—she is the fire that never dies. Even when she seems to be gone, the embers still glow deep inside.
Deep within the ice, a tiny spark remained. Slowly, gently, it began to grow hotter. The ice started to drip, then to crack.
Crack... Pop... Whoosh!
With a roar like a volcano, the ice exploded into thousands of pieces.
Out of the smoke and the ashes, rose Zhuque once more!
She was not weakened—she was stronger! Her feathers were even brighter, burning with a crimson light that hurt the eyes to look upon. She had risen from the cold and the darkness, reborn and more magnificent than before.
"Immortal is the flame!" she sang. "It may die down, but it always rises again!"
She flew higher and higher, spreading her wings wide. The heat from her body was so intense that it chased away the last of the winter clouds. The sun broke through, the snow melted instantly, and the land turned green again.
The Ice Witch felt this heat from far away and knew she could never win. She fled and never returned.
The people cheered as they saw their beautiful guardian circling in the sky. She taught them that no matter how dark or cold things become, hope and life will always return, brighter than ever.
And so Zhuque remains the guardian of the South, the symbol of summer, of heat, and of a spirit that can never be destroyed.
And her fire burns on, forever and ever.