Feng (Chinese: 凤, “Wind”) was a spirit loong who lived in the Age of Desolation (10,000 BCE). She was the former owner of the Fengtai Loong Ball from which Leiting inherited her power. Leiting occasionally experiences flashbacks of Feng’s memories in her dreams or triggered by specific stimuli. Through these memories and Chinese folklore, she and her friends gradually piece together Feng’s story.
Origin
Ancient Loong: In Leiting’s intuition, Feng was originally an Eastern Loong (scientific name: Loong sinensis sanhai, conservation status: Extinct) that lived on the ancient Sanhai Plain (Chinese: 古三海平原, the Ancient Three China Seas Plain) 12,000 years ago. Her species might have inspired the Loong (龙, Chinese Dragon) totems in Chinese culture. This species went extinct due to its inability to adapt to the sudden temperature drop during the Younger Dryas cool period of the Upper Paleolithic era (Old Stone Age).
Judging by Leiting’s animal form and Feng’s memory, the Eastern Loongs were slender creatures with long necks, bodies, legs, and tails, resembling Tang Dynasty’s Golden Walking Loong figurines. They had blue, white, and yellow feathers like birds, but they also had pawpads. The yellow areas of their bodies could discharge bioelectricity, and they featured glowing antlers. They were omnivorous creatures well-adapted for running, jumping, and swimming.
Leiting’s natural sleeping posture in her animal form closely resembles the Erlitou Green Stone Loong artifact from the Xia Dynasty. Her sleeping body shows a relaxed wavy arc, which is also quite similar to the ancient Loong constellation.
Joining the human clan of Nüwa: Feng was the last Eastern Loong to survive the Upper Paleolithic era. During a harsh winter, she became a spirit animal and initially used her power to create fire. Later, she transformed into a human and was taken in by a tribe called “Nüwa” (Chinese: 女娲).
Although Qiuye guessed that Feng might be the inspiration of the genesis goddess Nüwa in Chinese folklore who repaired the sky, based on Leiting’s description of Feng’s interests in making pottery and engaging in astronomical observations, Leiting doesn’t think it was likely because Feng did both tasks quite poorly.
Name: The day Feng joined the tribe was cold and windy, so the people in the tribe named her Feng (Chinese: 凤, the Phoenix, an interchangeable character to 风, the wind).
Personality
Cheerful and rash: Feng was cheerful, positive, and straightforward but also rough. Her impulsiveness often leads to broken things, leaving everyone feeling both amused and frustrated.
Curious and eager to try everything: Feng has a keen interest in human affairs and an enthusiastic desire to try everything.
Animal-like, lacking patience: Feng struggles with abstract concepts in language and prefers hands-on experience to grasp skills. At times, she displays impatience and anger like a typical animal.
Survival comes first: Because Feng had experienced the demise of her pack, Feng was highly sensitive to matters concerning her tribe’s survival.
Specialties
Smart and fast learner: Feng was a keen observer and fast learner, quickly adapting to new situations. The tribe’s elders recognized her potential and dedicated themselves to training her.
Strong warrior: Feng had the agile physique of the Loong species, making her the fastest runner in the tribe. She excelled in archery and close-quarters combat, having once subdued large carnivorous animals like a Pixiu (Chinese: 貔貅, ancient north Asian lion) with basic weapons, earning her a reputation as a skilled hunter both near and far.
Talented spirit power user: Feng possessed remarkable spirit power and actively experimented with it, gradually creating “spells” to aid her daily life.
Tendency to break stuff: Feng somehow has a “talent” for breaking things, often getting into trouble despite not intending to.
Bioelectricity and bioluminescence: Feng can discharge bioelectricity, her antlers can emit light powered by this bioelectricity.
Cold-blooded animal: As a loong, Feng cannot fully regulate her body temperature and was weak to coldness. To maintain her body temperature by drinking hot water anytime, she designed a spherical spirit item with thermal spell and placed it in her water bag to heat the water.
Life
Playing an oracle: Feng used her powers to help the tribe maintain fires, heal the sick, and sense natural disasters, earning her the status of an “oracle.” She embodied the early symbiotic relationship between humans and spirit animals.
Learning to make pottery: Feng was learning to make pottery, but her skills weren’t very good. She enjoyed creating primitive animal-themed pieces and casting spells to make them “come alive” for pranks.
Learning astrology and calendar: Feng was studying astrology and calendars under the guidance of the tribe’s priests, but she was struggling. Leiting notices that the ancient night sky in Feng’s time looked quite different from the modern one.
Searching for her kind: Unable to accept her kind’s extinction, Feng continued searching for the remaining Eastern Loongs.
Relationships
Xi, her non-blood related brother: After arriving at the Nüwa clan, Feng was arranged to live with a member named Xi (Chinese: 羲, the sun), and the two became like siblings.
Leiting, who inherited her spirit power: 12,000 years later, Leiting inherited Feng’s spirit power from the Fengtai Loong Ball and became a spirit loong.
All China: Although the spirit power Leiting inherited from Feng’s Loong Ball was weak, the karma associated with it is exceptionally strong. It seems that all of China owes a significant favor to the former owner of this power. This aligns with Qiuye’s hypothesis that Feng inspired the legend of Nüwa, the goddess who repaired the sky and created humanity.
Due to this karma, Leiting’s spirit power easily influences external objects; for instance, many artifacts in museums would “come alive” in her presence.
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