Into The Sea

Ji Lingyue was still frowning as she carried clothes and belongings, escorting Lan Wu to Qianyun Peak.

In her view, Lan Wu, possessing dual spiritual roots and superior natural talent, could have excelled in alchemy or talisman cultivation even if she chose not to pursue the path of sword cultivation. Coming to the modest and ordinary Qianyun Peak seemed like a waste of her abilities.

What she didn’t know was that Lan Wu cared more about living comfortably.

Qianyun Peak had the most disciples among the five major peaks. Despite being within the snow-covered Haochen Mountain, it remained spring-like all year, shaded by lush green trees—perfect for someone like Lan Wu.

The peak master, Ye Qingjun, was a rare talent with all five spiritual roots. While not as specialized or peerless as the other peak masters, she was proficient in all areas. For most who weren’t top-tier talents, this was the best choice.

But ultimately, Ji Lingyue wasn’t in a position to control Lan Wu’s decisions. Seeing she couldn’t persuade her, she let it be.

Jianzhi Courtyard, where Lan Wu would reside, consisted of two rooms. Aside from Lan Wu, another girl occupied the other room. With her red attire and black hair, she exuded an air of confidence and strength.

Upon seeing Lan Wu and Ji Lingyue, she rushed over to help with their belongings, her eyes darting between them. “Which one of you is my new fellow disciple?” she asked.

“That would be me.” Lan Wu smiled. “I’m Lan Wu—’Lan’ as in blue, ‘Wu’ as in graceful.”

“I’m Yu Shanye,” She beamed and led the way. “Since we’re staying here, we’re basically Elder Ye’s direct disciples. I heard Elder Ye went to the Eastern Region to deliver medicine and will be back in a few days. Then we can meet our master together.”

Lan Wu nodded. “Alright.”

Inside the empty room, Ji Lingyue naturally picked up the bedding to help make the bed. Lan Wu tried to assist but ended up messing up what Ji Lingyue had just organized. Unable to bear it, Ji Lingyue shooed her away. “Why are you so clumsy?”

Lan Wu lowered her head, chastised. Shifting her weight, she obediently went to fold clothes instead. Yu Shanye watched them with interest and edged closer to Lan Wu, asking, “Which one of you is older?”

“Of course, I’m older,” Lan Wu replied.

“Then what’s your relationship?” Yu Shanye hesitated. “You two seem close.”

“We’re friends,” Lan Wu murmured as she placed the folded clothes into the cabinet. “Rather… close friends, I suppose.”

Suddenly, Ji Lingyue’s clear voice came from behind, “That’s not how you fold it.”

Lan Wu jumped, whirling around to stare at her with wide eyes. With practiced ease, Ji Lingyue pushed Lan Wu aside and proceeded to refold the clothes Lan Wu had just put away.

Lan Wu nervously fidgeted with her fingers, watching Ji Lingyue’s tense expression. A wave of realization washed over her.

Ji Lingyue was upset.

But why?

Lan Wu couldn’t figure out what was bothering her and stood quietly to the side.

After tidying up the room, Ji Lingyue glanced around and said calmly. “Alright, I’ll be going now.”

“Leaving already?” Lan Wu quickly stepped beside her, glancing at the sky outside. “Isn’t Jinling Peak quite far? Why not rest a bit before you go?”

“No need.” Ji Lingyue said, pulling out a palm-sized jade flute from her robe.

Lan Wu blinked, recognizing it as the one Qin Yu had given Ji Lingyue earlier. Ji Lingyue brought it to her lips and hesitantly blew into it.

The clear sound of the flute echoed in the air. Soon, a graceful white crane appeared in the distance, growing larger as it flew closer. With a final beat of its wings, it landed gracefully in the courtyard, stirring a gentle breeze.

This crane was much larger than ordinary ones in the mortal realm.

Yu Shanye gazed in amazement, circling the crane. “This… This is yours?”

“Master gave it to me,” Ji Lingyue replied casually.

Yu Shanye cast an envious glance at the crane before turning back to Lan Wu, muttering, “Look at her master, showering her with gifts right from the start. Meanwhile, we don’t even know where our master is.”

Lan Wu nodded in agreement, surprised that a man as cold and aloof as Qin Yu would be so attentive to his disciple. She stepped forward and helped Ji Lingyue onto the crane’s back, looking up with a worried frown. “Be careful.”

Ji Lingyue nodded, but just as she was about to leave, Lan Wu called out to her. Ji Lingyue looked down to see Lan Wu leaning closer, one hand shielding her mouth as she whispered, “Don’t forget to ask your master about the antidote.”

Ji Lingyue paused, then replied in a low voice, “I will.”

With a powerful beat of its wings, the white crane soared into the sky, carrying Ji Lingyue towards the towering peaks.

Strangely, despite the fierce wind whipping around her, Ji Lingyue felt no trace of the biting cold that usually accompanied such heights.

Jinling Peak pierced into the clouds, its summit perpetually capped with snow and ice. Nestled amongst the frost-covered trees at the peak was a modest two-story courtyard where Qin Yu lived, while Ji Lingyue resided halfway up the mountain with her fellow disciples.

Qin Yu held his disciples to high standards. Ji Lingyue was only his third direct disciple, each chosen for their pure single metal spiritual root. Her eldest senior brother, Gu Yu, had reportedly won first place at last year’s Immortal Sect Competition and had been in seclusion ever since. Her second senior sister, Meng Changge, was the renowned Red Blade Immortal, spending most of her time hunting demons and rarely returning to the peak.

Therefore, the vast Jinling Peak currently housed only Ji Lingyue and Qin Yu.

Upon landing at the peak, Ji Lingyue paid her respects to her master and brought up the matter of the antidote.

Qin Yu glanced at her and said, “Let me see.”

Ji Lingyue obediently stepped closer, extending her hand. Qin Yu placed his fingertips on her wrist, frowning slightly as he examined her. After a long moment, he said, “It’s best to seek out Elder Yao.”

“Elder Yao?”

Qin Yu nodded. “An elder from Qianyun Peak. She went with Ye Qingjun to deliver medicine and will return in a few days.” He paused before adding, “From what you’ve said, the poison only causes night sweats and doesn’t affect you otherwise. If you can endure it, wait for her return. If not, I can take you to see the Sect Leader; she can also help find a solution.”

He fixed his gaze on her. “What do you think?”

Ji Lingyue froze, her eyes meeting Qin Yu’s calm gaze. To her surprise, she found herself hesitating.

After a moment, she blinked, her voice soft. “I… I can endure it for now.”

Qin Yu nodded and opened his hand, revealing a small porcelain bottle resting in his palm. “These pills might help ease your discomfort. You haven’t reached the stage of abstaining from food yet, so if you’re hungry, you can go down the mountain to eat. You’re free to do as you please for the next few days. Cultivation can wait until after the initiation ceremony.”

Ji Lingyue accepted the bottle. “Thank you, Master.”

“No need to thank me,” Qin Yu replied calmly. “Make the most of these days; once you officially become my disciple, you won’t have much free time.”

As dusk settled, the sky above Qianyun Peak blazed with a fiery sunset, painting the western horizon in hues of crimson and gold. After tidying up the courtyard and washing her hands, Lan Wu sat obediently at the stone table, waiting for Yu Shanye to bring over the meal.

“Ah, hot, hot, hot!”

A steaming bowl of stir-fried bamboo shoots landed on the table, followed by two more bowls filled with steaming porridge. Lan Wu murmured her thanks, carefully picking up a bamboo shoot with her chopsticks and blowing on it until it was cool enough to eat.

Her eyes lit up as she took a bite. “This is delicious! Your cooking is really good.”

Relieved, Yu Shanye grinned. “Of course! My family runs a restaurant in the Central Region. Stir-fried bamboo shoots is easy. My specialty is actually the whole fish feast—crucian carp, common carp, white fish, redtail fish…”

Lan Wu suddenly lost her appetite and interrupted, “Let’s eat before the food gets cold.”

“Oh, right.” Yu Shanye continued chatting as she ate. “I wonder what our master looks like and if she has a good temper. It would be great if she was as generous as Elder Qin and gave us mounts.”

A laugh suddenly came from outside the door.

Both Lan Wu and Yu Shanye turned their heads to see a young girl, no older than thirteen, standing there with her arms crossed. She was dressed in a light green ruqun, her pretty face adorned with a playful smile.

“Who are you? What’s so funny?” Yu Shanye blurted out.

The girl narrowed her eyes, but when she spoke, her voice was soft and mature. “I’m amused by your wishful thinking. Including you two, I have nine direct disciples, not to mention twenty or thirty inner disciples. You can’t compare me to someone like Qin Yu, who only has three disciples.”

The two girls stared at her, stunned into silence.

After a moment, Yu Shanye’s eyes widened in horror. “Y-You… You’re… Elder Ye…” she stammered.

“How rude. You should address me as Master,” the girl chided gently, approaching the table and plopping down onto the empty seat.

Lan Wu couldn’t tear her eyes away, her brow frowned in confusion. “Master… why do you look like this?”

“Oh, this?” she replied lazily, glancing at Lan Wu. “This isn’t my real body. It’s a puppet crafted to resemble me when I was younger. I infused with a fragment of my consciousness. I heard two new disciples arrived, so I borrowed this body to come see you.”

Her gaze swept over the two girls, her lips curving into a satisfied smile. “You both look quite promising.”

“Thank you, Master,” Lan Wu replied politely.

“You’re certainly more composed than her,” Ye Qingjun commented, glancing at Yu Shanye. She opened her hand, revealing two jade tokens. “Wear these, and you’ll officially be my disciples. As for the initiation ceremony in three days, I probably won’t make it back in time. So, we’ll skip the formalities. If you have any questions, just ask your senior brothers and sisters.”

Lan Wu nodded dumbly.

Ye Qingjun chuckled, stood up, and said to Yu Shanye, “The food was good. From now on, you’ll be in charge of the kitchen at Qianyun Peak.”

Yu Shanye blinked, pleasantly surprised. “Really? Won’t you stay and eat something before you go, Master?”

“Eat? This puppet can’t taste anything.” Ye Qingjun shook her head and turned to leave.

She left as quietly as she had come, quickly disappearing from the doorway. Lan Wu’s long eyelashes trembled, and the tension in her heart slowly eased.

It seemed Ye Qingjun hadn’t noticed anything unusual about her.

She exhaled a sigh of relief, picked up the now-cool porridge, and ate it slowly.

The long journey had left Lan Wu sore and exhausted. After dinner and a quick wash, she retreated to her room, collapsing onto the bed and falling into a deep sleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

Night descended, blanketing the world in darkness. Stars twinkled overhead as the scattered lights on the mountain gradually winked out. The chirping of cicadas filled the air, their song carried on the gentle breeze along with the sweet scent of night-blooming flowers.

In this peaceful atmosphere, the sound of wind suddenly arose, followed by the flapping of a white crane’s wings as it landed in Jianzhi Courtyard. A slender girl slid off the crane’s back, her cheeks flushed with an unusual redness.

Clutching her chest, she panted heavily and staggered towards Lan Wu’s room. The white crane watched her for a moment before flapping its wings and flying back into the night sky.

The door was unlocked. Ji Lingyue pushed it open and stumbled inside, her tear-filled eyes searching for the familiar bed.

In the dim moonlight filtering through the window, she saw the outline of Lan Wu’s sleeping form.

A soft moan escaped her lips as she staggered towards the bed, her sash, outer robe, and shoes falling forgotten to the floor.

By the time she reached Lan Wu’s side and slipped under the covers, only a thin, sweat-soaked underwear remained on her body.

Her heated skin pressed against Lan Wu’s. Ji Lingyue lifted her head, her eyes fixated on the sleeping girl in front of her.

Lan Wu’s breath was even, her expression peaceful. Her delicate features were bathed in the silvery moonlight, her long lashes casting feathery shadows on her cheeks Ji Lingyue stared at her for a while, feeling a mix of emotions. She snuggled closer, burying her face in the crook of Lan Wu’s neck.

The unusual warmth roused Lan Wu awake. She blinked sleepily, her eyelids fluttering open as she felt the weight of Ji Lingyue’s body pressed against hers.

In the dim light, she saw a tangle of dark hair nestled against her.

“…Ah Yue?”

Ji Lingyue mumbled a response, her bare legs entwining with Lan Wu’s. Lan Wu blinked again, her mind slowly clearing as she reached up to touch Ji Lingyue’s cheek.

“Why are you so hot?” she asked in surprise, her voice still thick with sleep. “Didn’t Elder Qin give you the antidote?”

“Master… couldn’t do anything,” Ji Lingyue whispered, her voice trembling with a mixture of guilt and desperation. She closed her eyes. “Lan Wu… please… help me…”