The forest was alive with the whispers of the wind and the faint glow of fireflies dancing among ancient trees. Taiyi Zhenren leaned lazily atop his ever-gurgling furnace, humming a half-remembered tune. He had ventured out to gather rare herbs for an experiment but was instead greeted by an unexpected sound—a faint cry, carried on the breeze.

Taiyi froze. "Huh? Did you hear that?" he asked the furnace.

The furnace gurgled dismissively. "Probably a fox. Or a ghost. Either way, not our problem."

Taiyi squinted into the darkness, the green glow from the pot illuminating a narrow path. "Nonsense! That was no fox. It sounded... small. Vulnerable. A cry for help!"

Walking toward the sound, pushing aside branches and stepping over roots. The cries grew louder until, finally, he stopped in his tracks.

There, nestled in a bundle of worn cloth beneath an old tree, was a baby.

Taiyi's glowing eyes widened. "By the Tao! A child?! What is a baby doing here, all alone in the wilderness?"

The furnace let out a skeptical puff of smoke. "You sure it’s not some Yaoguai disguised? Or an illusion to trap us?"

Taiyi ignored the furnace and leaned down, his small body carefully picking up the tiny bundle.

"Oh, poor thing," Taiyi murmured, his tone uncharacteristically gentle. "You must be cold and hungry." He glanced around the dark forest. "No sign of parents... No village nearby... How peculiar."

The furnace grumbled, "Great. Just what we needed. Another mouth to feed. You can barely keep me stoked with coal, and now you're taking in strays?"

"Silence, you cynical pot!" Taiyi snapped, cradling the baby awkwardly. "This is destiny, I’m sure of it!" He looked down at the baby, who had stopped crying and was now staring at him. "See? Already impressed by my brilliance!" Taiyi said smugly. "Come, child! To the workshop we go! There’s a warm fire, plenty of strange contraptions to look at, and, most importantly, a genius alchemist to guide your fate!"