Into The Sea

Ji Lingyue nodded, glancing at the disciples drying their clothes not far away. Guessing they were a team that had been out on a mission together, she said, “There are six rooms on the flying ship. I’ll take one, and my demon beast has another. You can divide the remaining four among yourselves. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

The others nodded eagerly. The younger disciples looked excited, probably having never stayed on a flying ship before. They went off to choose their rooms. Ji Lingyue said good night to Meng Changge and turned to go inside. Lan Wu was about to follow her when Meng Changge grabbed her collar. “Where do you think you’re going? Didn’t you hear about the demon beast’s separate room? My junior sister doesn’t like sharing a room with anyone, especially a demon.”

Lan Wu freed herself, looking at Ji Lingyue. Ji Lingyue glanced back at her before closing the door. Turning back, Meng Changge raised an eyebrow, a “I told you so” look on her face.

Lan Wu gave her a forced smile, smoothed out her clothes, and went to Xiao Niu’s room. The nightmare beast was curled up on the bed, fast asleep, completely undisturbed by the commotion outside. It was just a small bundle, not taking up much space. Lan Wu dejectedly lay down on the empty space, tossing and turning until she eventually fell asleep.

By the early morning, the heavy rain had finally stopped.

The air outside was fresh, filled with abundant spiritual energy. Several Haochen Mountain disciples were already up, sitting cross-legged on the deck, absorbing spiritual energy. Meng Changge and Ji Lingyue had set up a small table and were about to eat when they saw Lan Wu slowly emerge. Meng Changge glanced at Ji Lingyue before calling out, “Hey, you, come eat with us.”

Lan Wu paused, instinctively looking at Ji Lingyue. The woman sat properly, dressed in white, her smooth black hair cascading down her back like silk. She took a sip of her porridge, not looking up. “Come over here.” After a pause, she said to Meng Changge, “Just call her Yu San.”

The name was awful. After sitting down, Lan Wu glared at Ji Lingyue. “Weren’t you past the need for food? Why are you still eating?”

“It’s just a habit,” Meng Changge casually handed her a bowl of porridge. “I made it. Try it.”

Lan Wu was surprised. She took it, sniffed it, and said softly, “Thank you.”

“For a fish, you’re quite proper,” Meng Changge tapped her finger on the table. “Do you really have to wear a mask while eating? Isn’t that a hassle?”

Lan Wu paused, then smiled. “Not at all. I don’t like people staring at my face, so I wear a mask everywhere I go. If I’ve offended you, please forgive me, Immortal Master.”

“Is that so?” Meng Changge nodded. “You’re quite pretty though. I wanted to take another look, but if you don’t like it, then never mind.”

Just then, Ji Lingyue set down her bowl with a clear clink. She looked at them both and said seriously, “Don’t talk while eating.”

Meng Changge laughed. “Okay, we’ll listen to my junior sister.”

Finally, the table fell silent. The three ate quickly, finishing breakfast in no time. The task of washing the dishes naturally fell to Lan Wu. When she came out of the kitchen, she found that the other two were gone. As if sensing her intentions, a young Haochen Mountain disciple approached her cautiously and initiated a conversation. “Senior Sister Meng and Senior Sister Ji went to spar. They’ll be back soon.”

“Spar?”

“Yes,” the girl said, her face full of admiration. “Senior Sister Ji reached the Body Integration in just fifty years. She’s a role model for all of us younger disciples. Her cultivation is improving rapidly, so Senior Sister Meng often spars with her. We’re all used to it. Don’t worry.”

Lan Wu hummed. “Thank you for telling me.”

“You’re welcome.” With that, the girl scurried back to her companions. When Lan Wu looked over, she saw an older female disciple pulling the girl close, casting a wary glance in Lan Wu’s direction.

Lan Wu: …Perhaps I should just stay in my room

The nightmare beast was still sleeping soundly inside, not moving a muscle. Lan Wu sighed, poking its furry body. “How nice it would be if I could be as carefree as you…”

Perhaps because she was returning to her familiar ground, the closer they got to the Northern Region, the harder it was for her to sleep. On the night before they arrived, she couldn’t help but get out of bed. As soon as she opened the door, the cold air made her shiver. Lan Wu looked up, seeing the dark sky still sprinkled with stars. It seemed like dawn was still far away. She guessed that they had already entered the Northern Region. In a few more hours, they would reach Jixue City.

Even with spiritual energy protecting her, she didn’t like the cold weather. Seeing that no one was around, she opened Ji Lingyue’s door and slipped into her bed, bringing all the cold air with her.

Ji Lingyue moaned, frowning in her sleep, struggling against her embrace. Lan Wu had to warm herself up before carefully embracing her. “Ah Yue.”

Ji Lingyue frowned, turned over, and snuggled into her embrace. “Don’t move…”

Lan Wu stayed still. After a long pause, she asked softly, “Do you know what I was thinking about that night before we went to become disciples together?”

The woman in her arms only breathed evenly. Just as Lan Wu thought she had fallen asleep again, she asked, “What?”

“I was thinking that maybe after dropping you off, I would just leave. Once you entered the immortal sect, the poison on your body would surely be cured.”

Ji Lingyue slowly opened her eyes. After a moment, she lifted her head and asked, “Then why didn’t you leave?”

“Maybe… I couldn’t bear to leave you.”

She stroked Ji Lingyue’s wet eyelashes, which were heavy with sleep, and sighed. “It’s strange. Why was I so worried about you, even before I fell in love with you?”

Ji Lingyue was quiet for a moment, then lowered her gaze and loosely gripped Lan Wu’s wrist, turning to kiss her palm. “Because you’re good.”

She repeated, “So very good.”

When she woke up again, the sky was bright. Ji Lingyue was curled up in Lan Wu’s arms. She heard a loud bang. “Junior sister, don’t sleep! We’re almost there!”

The knocking continued for a while before Ji Lingyue sat up, frowning. “I know.”

Lan Wu took the opportunity to slip back to her own room. Ji Lingyue felt the sudden emptiness beside her, making her mood even worse. She got out of bed, quickly washed up, and pushed the door open with a bang.

Meng Changge was standing at the railing, looking down, her face bright. She didn’t notice her bad mood. She laughed, “You never used to like sleeping in. Why are you so lazy now? This won’t do. Master will definitely say you’re wasting your time and not striving for improvement.”

Ji Lingyue didn’t reply, standing beside her to look down. Through the swirling clouds, a bustling city came into view. Not far ahead, towering mountains rose into the sky. A faint golden barrier surrounded the peaks, encompassing the small towns and villages at their feet, covering an area of dozens of miles.

Lan Wu came out of her room, also seeing the faint barrier. She realized that this was the barrier that Ji Lingyue had mentioned, the one that could reveal demons in their true form. As they got closer to the barrier, she couldn’t help but feel nervous. But nothing happened. The flying ship passed through it without a hitch, heading toward the main peak of Haochen Mountain.

Ji Lingyue turned to look at her. Lan Wu understood. She transformed into a palm-sized silver carp, wrapped in a water sphere. She wiggled her tail, and the water sphere carried her to Ji Lingyue’s hand.

Perhaps because she had transformed into a fish, she looked both dumb and cute when she looked at Ji Lingyue with her big eyes. Her little mouth opened, and she gurgled out a string of bubbles.

Ji Lingyue couldn’t help but smile. She raised her hand, letting the carp float in the air. The flying ship stopped above the main peak and slowly descended. Many disciples who were on their way to morning classes looked up curiously, then quickly moved aside to make way for her.

As soon as Ji Lingyue stepped onto the ground, she received a spirit message from Qin Yu. She hesitated, then decided to take Lan Wu back to her courtyard before leaving. Seeing that no one was around, Lan Wu lazily wandered around the room. It was no different from how she remembered it. She circled around, guessing that Ji Lingyue wouldn’t be back for a while, then rolled onto Ji Lingyue’s bed, closing her eyes to absorb spiritual energy.

She didn’t know how long had passed, but she slowly opened her eyes. The sky outside was dark. Ji Lingyue, who had returned at some point, was quietly leaning against the window, looking up at the inky sky.

Lan Wu slowly swam over to her, following her gaze. “Looking at the stars?”

Ji Lingyue hummed. “It’s a pity. The stars are beautiful, but they’re always hanging high in the sky, forever beyond reach.”

Lan Wu blinked, seeing Ji Lingyue turn and sit on the bed. “Lan Wu, today Master asked me to give a lecture on beast taming at the main peak before I leave for Yunxiao Pavilion.”

She didn’t really need to tell Lan Wu this. After all, there was nothing she could do to help. But, as expected, Lan Wu became anxious and asked, “What… what happened to Elder Ye?”

Ji Lingyue said calmly, “She seems to be injured, but don’t worry. Elder Yao is by her side.”

“Injured?” The silver fish almost swam onto Ji Lingyue’s face, her big eyes wide with concern. “What kind of injury?”

Translation note:
Yu San – Third Fish