Into The Sea

Early in the morning, Yu Shanye stepped from her room, stretched, and slowly walked to the neighboring door to knock. “Lan Wu, are you in there?”

Silence. She clicked her tongue, muttering, “Where could she have gone?”

After thinking for a moment, she decided against going to Jinling Peak to look for her. Instead, she took out some talisman paper she usually used for drawing charms, wrote a note to convey Elder Bai’s message, and stuck it on Lan Wu’s door.

With that done, Yu Shanye turned around and headed down the mountain with a spring in her step.

In a few days, Ye Qingjun would be departing for the Western Region to attend the Kanse Cultivator Conference, and she was taking Yu Shanye along for the experience. It was said that the region was incredibly hot, rendering even spiritual energy ineffective against the heat. The most practical solution was to wear water and ice talismans directly on the body. Unfortunately, Yu Shanye’s wasn’t skilled at drawing talismans yet, so she needed to visit the disciples specializing in talisman crafting at Guanyin Peak.

As she reached the mountainside, she noticed a young woman dressed in black standing at a fork in the path. Despite the bright daylight, she carried a lantern in her hand.

Haochen Mountain had a simple barrier, but it was mainly to prevent ordinary villagers from wandering in. Over the years, it wasn’t uncommon for rogue cultivators to sneak in for a visit, so Yu Shanye wasn’t particularly alarmed by the sight of a stranger not wearing the sect’s robes. She approached the woman and greeted her warmly: “Excuse me, fellow cultivator, do you need any help?”

The woman looked startled, turning her head so that her soft black hair fell back to reveal a strikingly pale face. Despite her lack of expression, her delicate and pretty features made her appear very young.

“I… am looking for someone,” she said, her voice soft and hesitant.

“Who are you looking for?”

“Lan Yuan.”

Yu Shanye blinked. “Lan Yuan? I haven’t heard of anyone named Lan Yuan. If you’re looking for Lan Wu, I might be able to help…”

“Lan Wu?” The woman’s eyes lit up. “Lan Wu is here too?”

“You know Lan Wu?”

She nodded. “We grew up together.”

Yu Shanye instantly felt a sense of kinship with the stranger. She studied her with curiosity. “Your family… they all seem to be quite good-looking. By the way, what’s your name?”

“Fuyou.”

“Fuyou… Lan Fuyou?” Yu Shanye mused, tapping her chin. “Well then, come with me. I’ll take you to Lan Wu.”

Fuyou seemed to hesitate, as if about to clarify that her surname wasn’t Lan, but Yu Shanye was already leading the way. “This way, Miss Lan.”

To her surprise, they were headed towards Jinling Peak. As they walked, Yu Shanye’s gaze was drawn to the lantern Fuyou carried. It was a beautiful object, crafted entirely in white. Its base was adorned with silver coral branches, and the shade was made of a papery material, though it seemed lighter and more delicate than that used for ordinary lanterns. As it swayed, a faint golden light emanated from within.

She couldn’t help but take a few more glances and asked, “Where did you get that lantern, Miss Lan? It’s so unique.”

“It wasn’t bought,” Fuyou replied. “It was made by my family.”

“Oh.” Yu Shanye sounded disappointed. “It’s really beautiful. If it were for sale, I’d love to have one.”

Fuyou paused, then lowered her head, silently tucking the lantern away.

Yu Shanye was speechless.

What a stingy person, Yu Shanye thought.

She looked up helplessly, only to spot a figure emerging on the mountain path in the distance. Tall and graceful, with a red saber hanging from her waist, the figure moved with a grace that could only belong to Meng Changge.

As Meng Changge approached, Yu Shanye greeted her. Meng Changge nodded and was about to pass by when she suddenly stopped, frowned, and grabbed Fuyou’s arm.

“A demon?”

***

It was a rare sunny day on Jinling Peak.

Lan Wu sat by the window, her chin resting on her hand as she lazily basked in the warm sunlight. Her eyes were half-closed, her face bathed in golden light, with her long lashes casting delicate shadows. The warmth lulled her into a state of comfortable drowsiness.

“Don’t move.”

Lan Wu jolted, sitting up straight. She turned her head groggily to look at the girl sitting at the painting table. “Is it not done yet?”

Ji Lingyue shook her head. “Not yet.”

She lifted her brush, hovering it over the paper for a long moment before carefully adding another stroke.

With the added stroke, the image on the paper began to resemble a head.

Ji Lingyue let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Just as she was about to continue, a cheerful voice called out from beyond the door.

“Lan Wu!”

Lan Wu turned towards the sound, a smile spreading across her face as she spotted the approaching figure. “What brings you here?” she called back, waving.

Yu Shanye rushed over, her face etched with worry. Without waiting to be invited inside, she grabbed Lan Wu’s hand through the window, her words tumbling out in a panicked rush. “It’s… someone, Senior Sister Meng…”

Lan Wu frowned and comforted her. “Slow down, Shanye. What’s going on with Senior Sister Meng?”

Yu Shanye clenched her fists, glancing at Ji Lingyue, who was staring at them curiously. “You, come outside,” she blurted out. “I need to talk to you. Alone.”

Lan Wu was taken aback. “Even Ah Yue can’t hear this?”

Yu Shanye nodded vigorously. “Yes!”

“Alright…” Lan Wu agreed reluctantly. She followed Yu Shanye to a secluded spot. Once there, Yu Shanye blurted out, “Your sister has been captured!”

Lan Wu blinked, momentarily stunned. “Um… I don’t have a sister.”

“That’s impossible! She said she knew you, that you grew up together. Her name is Fuyou…”

“Fuyou?” Lan Wu’s body tensed up, and she asked in shock. “You’re sure? You heard that right?”

“Of course! She’s about this tall,” Yu Shanye gestured, “with a baby face, wearing black…”

Lan Wu grabbed her arm. “Captured? By who? Where did they take her?”

“Senior Sister Meng! I ran into her down the mountain, and she said she was looking for you, so I brought her back. But on the way, we bumped into Senior Sister Meng, and she sensed a demonic aura on your sister. She took her straight to the Sect Leader!”

Lan Wu bit her lip, already turning to race towards the main peak. She took a few steps before whirling back around. “Do they know… know that she came to find me?”

Yu Shanye shook her head. “I didn’t say anything. I promised to keep it a secret, remember? But your sister… she seems a bit naive. If they interrogate her, she might spill everything…”

“Fuyou isn’t that naive,” Lan Wu said.

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Yu Shanye countered. “She walked right into an immortal sect carrying a demonic artifact. How smart can she be?”

Lan Wu fell silent, unable to worry about that now. She jumped on her spirit sword, wobbling as she flew toward the main peak. “Please tell Ah Yue not to wait for me tonight!”

By the time she arrived at the Xianyun Hall on the main peak, a sizable crowd had gathered outside. She landed too hastily, stumbling several steps before steadying herself, then couldn’t push through the crowd and had to strain on tiptoes to look inside.

A slender figure stood alone in the center of the hall. Facing her, seated on an ornate jade throne, was Chi Jinghe, her white hair gleaming in the light streaming through the hall. She was carefully examining a lantern she held in her hands. She stood up and slowly walked down the steps.

Lan Wu saw clearly what she was holding and gasped sharply.

It was a soul lamp of the merfolk, similar to the identity tokens carried by disciples of the immortal sects. Each merfolk possessed only one soul lamp in their lifetime, which housed a strand of soul extracted at their birth. While it possesses no substantial power, the lamp emits an intensely demonic aura.

The closer the lamp was to its owner, the brighter it glowed. Should the merfolk perish, their soul lamp would extinguish along with them. Although the soul lamp in Chi Jinghe’s hand wasn’t hers, Lan Wu couldn’t help but feel anxious, hoping Chi Jinghe didn’t know its purpose.

Meanwhile, Chi Jinghe slowly walked up to Fuyou, her gaze finally leaving the soul lamp. She extended her hand and touched the girl’s forehead.

After a moment, she said in a low voice, “No demonic energy and no spiritual core. Are you just an ordinary mortal?”

Fuyou blinked but remained silent.

“If you’re just an ordinary mortal, how did you break through the barrier and enter my Haochen Mountain?” Chi Jinghe scrutinized her. “Tell me, who are you, and what is your purpose here?”

Fuyou raised her eyes and replied calmly, “I’m here to find someone.”

“Who?”

“Lan Yuan.”

Chi Jinghe frowned, her brow furrowing in thought. “There is no one by that name in Haochen Mountain,” she stated firmly.

Fuyou’s expression remained unchanged. “Then perhaps I came to the wrong place.”

The hall fell silent. Chi Jinghe stared at her for a while and said, “Came to the wrong place? I doubt it. I may not know your identity or purpose, but this item must be important.”

She lifted the soul lamp lightly. “I may not have seen this before, but the demonic aura it emits is undeniable. To brazenly enter my immortal sect carrying a demonic artifact, you must be prepared to face the consequences. I will investigate this matter thoroughly. Until then, consider yourself our guest. However, if you’re willing to tell the truth, I won’t make things difficult for you.”

Fuyou remained silent for a moment, then said, “I understand.”

Her unwavering composure drew a sigh from Chi Jinghe. She shook her head, her tone softening slightly. “Chongyu, take this young lady to the Wan Pavilion.”

“Yes, Sect Leader,” a young man dressed in white responded. He approached Fuyou and gestured politely. “Miss, please follow me.”

Fuyou nodded and followed him outside. The crowd parted to make way, and as she passed Lan Wu, Fuyou’s ears twitched slightly. She glanced at Lan Wu without a word.

Lan Wu pressed her lips tightly together, pushed back by the crowd until she could no longer see her.