萍萍 Pingping
生来命中多灾愆，聚散分合有谁怜。
莫如寄身好山水，自在行路自在眠。
Born to a fate of trials and woes,
Who pities the ebb and flow of those?
Better to live in nature's embrace,
Freely to wander, freely to repose.
萍萍向母亲交明了当日的功课后，来到灰烬台，哥哥今天约她来这里说要事交代。
待她到时，见红孩儿正插着腰，指使着急如火快如风烧得牛妖们满山跑，笑声豪横。
“哥哥。”萍萍小声唤，自打红孩儿从南海回来，她感觉他有些不同，每次和他说话，自己都有些害怕。
红孩儿见她到了，招手停下演武，道:“今日先与你做个游戏，你逃，我追，看我能不能一炷香的时间捉到你。”
从前萍萍化作一只小狐狸，跳石穿缝，占尽先机。
如今，红孩儿一枪便打碎她藏身的岩石，一口火就能烧焦她立身的枯木，化为一团红云就能飞过她跳过的悬崖。
不出半炷香，红孩儿就毫不费力地捉到了她，叹道:“母亲教你，到底还是慈和些。”
萍萍心里不大欢喜，红孩儿又拉着她，去丹灶谷的崖边休息，还把火尖枪甩出来，在空中舞出了许多枪花给她看。
小姑娘连连叫好，红孩儿问道:“我的本事与父亲比，你觉得如何?”
萍萍答不上来，她从未敢做这种比较，只好从兜里将母亲赏的火枣分与红孩儿吃，扯开话头，聊些山中趣事。
红孩儿见状，也不再与她较真，跟着敷衍了几句。
萍萍小心道:“哥哥，我和你素日最好的，你有心事，可以说与我听。”
一家团聚不易，萍萍只想在这山里好好生活，与世无争。
红孩儿望着天上烧红的云，道:“妹妹，你该多去外面看看。这世上哪有什么与世无争，都是争不过后的自欺欺人!”
萍萍很想问他，争不过是与谁争，为何要争。但话未及开口，后颈就挨了一下，昏死了过去。
After delivering her homework to her mother, Pingping went to the Height of Ember. Her brother had asked her to meet him there, saying he had something important to discuss.
When she arrived, she saw Red Boy standing with his hands on his hips, directing Quick as Fire and Fast as Wind to burn the bull guais to flee as his way of training them. Amused at the scene, he laughed loudly and boisterously.
"Brother," Pingping called softly. Ever since Red Boy returned from Guanyin's tutelage, she felt he had changed. Every time she spoke to him, a subtle fear tugged at her heart.
Upon seeing her arrival, Red Boy waved to halt the training and turned to her, "Pingping, let's engage in a game," he proposed, "You will run, and I shall chase you. Let us see if I can catch you before an incense stick burns out."
In the past, Pingping would transform into a little fox, leaping through rocks and crevices, always having the upper hand. Yet this time, Red Boy shattered her hiding rocks with a single spear thrust, scorched her standing deadwood with a breath of fire, and flew over the cliffs she jumped across as a red cloud.
In less than half the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Red Boy effortlessly caught her and sighed, "Mother's teachings are still too gentle."
Seeing his sister's gloomy face, Red Boy took her to rest by the cliff in the Furnace Valley. To cheer her up, he twirled his Firepoint for her entertainment.
Seeing his little sister clapping and cheering, Red Boy asked, "How do you think my skills compare to Father's?"
Pingping couldn't answer. She had never dared to make such a comparison. She took out the Fire Dates her mother had rewarded her and shared them with Red Boy, changing the subject to talk about anecdotes in the mountains. Seeing this, Red Boy didn't press further and responded perfunctorily.
Pingping cautiously said, "Brother, you and I have always been the closest. If you have something on your mind, you can tell me. It's not easy for our family to be reunited. I just want to live peacefully in these mountains, away from worldly strife."
Gazing at the burning clouds, Red Boy said, "Sister, you should see more of the outside world. There's no such thing as living away from worldly strife. It's just self-deception of losers!"
Pingping wanted to ask him who he was competing with and why he had to compete. But before she could speak, she felt a blow to the back of her neck and fainted.
