Into The Sea

“I have something to tell you.”

They spoke at the same time. Lan Wu paused, then nodded. “You go first.”

Ji Lingyue seemed unsure how to begin. After a moment, she slowly spoke. “The stone tablet from the Penglai Island underground palace… it’s fake.”

Lan Wu was momentarily confused. “Fake?”

“Yes. The one we took is a recent fabrication, made within the last hundred years.”

Lan Wu was shocked. “Within the last hundred years? But it’s supposed to be…”

Halfway through her sentence, she suddenly remembered something. She pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from her robe. Ji Lingyue looked at the writing on it, surprised. “What is this?”

“It’s something the former High Priestess hid.” Lan Wu said softly. “If the tablet is fake, then is the resurrection technique written on it also fake?”

They exchanged a look. Suddenly, Ji Lingyue grabbed her arm and hurried back. “Let’s ask Yuan Zhen before he leaves.”

Fortunately, Yuan Zhen and his disciple were still resting in the pavilion. Seeing Ji Lingyue and Lan Wu rushing back, they looked surprised. “Immortal Master, why have you returned?”

Ji Lingyue spread the paper on the table. “Do you know what these words mean?”

Yuan Zhen paused, squinting at the paper. After a moment, he shook his head. “I’m afraid I’m not well-versed in this…”

Ji Lingyue bit her lip. Before she could feel disappointed, he turned to his disciple. “Bring out your grandmaster’s character scripture and some paper and ink.”

Under their surprised gaze, Yuan Zhen produced a thick book. As he slowly flipped through the pages, he said, “Before my master passed away, he gave this to me. It contains translations of many ancient scripts. It was his life’s work.”

As he spoke, he found the section on Zisang Kingdom’s script. Dipping his brush in ink, he began carefully translating the text, comparing it to the words on the paper.

Lan Wu leaned closer. After a moment, she read aloud. “The soul of the dead, the blood of a relative. Enter the realm of spirits, soak in the waters of the River of Forgetfulness for forty-nine days, possess a living body, and rise again…”

Her eyes widened. She suddenly grabbed the paper, staring intently at the lines of text. “There’s no… no mention of the Guling flower.”

The surroundings fell into a deathly silence. After a moment, Ji Lingyue gently took Lan Wu’s hand. “Lan Wu.”

“There’s no Guling flower,” Lan Wu murmured, turning to gaze at the massive barrier to the west. “Then what does all of this mean?”

“Lan Wu,” Ji Lingyue called again. Seeing that she didn’t react, she turned her to face her. “Get a hold of yourself. The most important thing now is to tell Lan Yueyao the truth.”

“Lan Yueyao?” Lan Wu blinked, her mind slowly returning. “Yes, her… I… I have to tell her…”

But as she spoke, she swayed unsteadily. “But how can I tell her?” Her voice trembled. “I can’t see her. Even if I could, how do I tell her that everything she’s done all these years… has been for nothing?”

“Lan Wu…”

“Chu Chen is still alive. Lan Zhichuan is still alive. The resurrection technique is fake,” Lan Wu said, her words tumbling out. “Yes, they must have switched the real tablet. This was all their plan. But why? Why would they do this? Where are they hiding?”

Ji Lingyue bit her lip. As Lan Wu continued her chaotic rambling, she suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” she said, soothingly patting her back. “Don’t worry, we’ll find them. We will.”

Lan Wu stiffened, then slowly lowered her head, letting out a sound like a sob. “How do I tell her? All those lives… they died for nothing. She… she bears all that bloodshed for nothing…”

***

Late that night, Fuyou finally received permission to enter the city, though she now wore a restriction curse on her wrist, identical to Ji Lingyue’s.

She followed Danqing to the small residence where Lan Wu and Ji Lingyue lived. Upon entering, she saw the third princess sitting by the water, hugging her knees and staring into space. As she approached, Lan Wu said, “The former high priestess hid that paper. Does that mean she knew about the tablet being swapped?”

Fuyou was silent for a moment. “Even if she knew, she hid it to keep it from being discovered.”

“By whom?” Lan Wu turned to her, staring intently. “Lan Zhichuan?”

Fuyou nodded. “Do you know how I found the box?”

Without waiting for Lan Wu’s reply, she continued. “I started suspecting that Lan Zhichuan’s soul lamp had been switched. The real one was hidden away. The one hanging on the Sea Emperor Tree must be a fake. But only Master could have done it. I didn’t understand why, so I kept searching her study for clues.”

“My master’s study was filled with bamboo scrolls about divination and prophecies. Only one book was from the human realm, a book about growing plants.”

“One day, I suddenly remembered that my master had asked me to take care of the peach tree she had planted before she died.” Fuyou sighed. “At the time, I thought she was delirious from her illness, as there would be no peach trees under the sea. But that day, I instinctively flipped to that page and found a sentence she had left behind.”

“‘The hanging lamps are dirty. They need to be cleaned.'”

“There were over 1700 hanging lamps in the Temple. I cleaned every single one. Finally, I found the clue to the secret room in one of them.” Fuyou shook her head, chuckling softly. “Why did she make it so complicated? Wouldn’t it have been easier to just tell me directly?”

Lan Wu looked at her for a moment, then buried her head in her knees again. “Fuyou.”

“Yes?”

“You always complain about your master, but… you really admired her, didn’t you?”

Fuyou was silent.

“You used to follow her around as a child. Even though you seemed indifferent to her death, you still unconditionally believed in her prophecies. You remember every word she said, and you’ve kept her study exactly the way she left it.”.” Lan Wu said softly, “You liked her, didn’t you?”

After a long silence, Fuyou lifted the hem of her robe and sat down beside Lan Wu. “What does it matter if I did?” she murmured. “She’s been dead for a long time.”

Looking at the still water in front of them, they both fell silent. Soon, the quiet was broken by the sound of footsteps.

“Lan Wu, why didn’t you tell me we had a guest?”

Lan Wu said listlessly, “It’s just Fuyou. It’s not like she’s a stranger.”

Ji Lingyue hummed, sitting down on Lan Wu’s other side. Her warm fingers brushed against the woman’s neck, gently rubbing her earlobe. “You’ve been sitting here for a while. Do you want something to eat?”

Lan Wu shook her head, looking worried. “I’m still thinking about how to get the message to Lan Yueyao.”

Ji Lingyue blinked, her gaze slowly turning to Fuyou. “Isn’t she a High Priestess? Can’t she use divination to help you?”

Lan Wu paused, then looked up. “That’s right! Can you help us?”

Facing their expectant eyes, Fuyou hesitated. “Maybe I can.”

***

The next morning, the four of them passed through the barrier again. Shi Lei, who was waiting for them, was much more serious this time. Qi Yueyao went to speak with him alone, while the other three waited nearby.

The desert was particularly cold in the morning. Lan Wu frowned, not wanting to waste her spiritual energy to keep warm. She put on a thick cloak. Ji Lingyue watched her for a moment, then couldn’t help but pull the drawstrings on the hood, pulling it down until her beautiful face was hidden in the soft fur.

She chuckled, but Lan Wu was plunged into darkness and struggled to free herself. “Are you a child?”

“It’s because you’re frowning,” Ji Lingyue whispered. “I don’t like seeing you like that.”

Lan Wu fell silent, then opened her cloak and pulled Ji Lingyue inside. The woman in her arms was soft and warm, and Lan Wu sighed contentedly, pulling the hood down and kissing Ji Lingyue’s cheek.

Through the thick fabric, the howling wind seemed to fade away. Ji Lingyue blinked, then reached up, grabbed her shoulders, and, guided by feeling, lifted her head and kissed her lips in the darkness.

Their hot breaths mingled. After a moment, Lan Wu pulled back, panting. Ji Lingyue, however, wouldn’t let go, nipping at her lips like a small animal. Lan Wu groaned and couldn’t help but pinch her chin. “There are other people here.”

Ji Lingyue narrowed her eyes, her voice soft and clingy. “You didn’t kiss me last night.”

Lan Wu paused, then rubbed her finger against her rosy lips. “You didn’t kiss me last night either.”

Ji Lingyue: ?

She opened her mouth, about to retort, when a voice called out nearby. “Hey!”

Lan Wu quickly looked up. Ji Lingyue also peeked out from her fluffy collar, both of them staring at Qi Yueyao, who was walking back.

Qi Yueyao looked displeased. “He said we can go into the desert, but we’re on our own. If something happens, no one will come to help us.”

“Perfect,” Ji Lingyue said, raising an eyebrow. “I don’t want any dead weight following us anyway.”

Qi Yueyao stiffened. “You’re not referring to anyone in particular, are you?”

Ji Lingyue smiled sweetly. “Of course not.”

Lan Wu smiled, hugging her closer. “Then let’s go, just the four of us.”

“You say let’s go, but you haven’t said what we’re doing,” Qi Yueyao said. “Where exactly are we going?”

“Southwest.”

“Southwest? Southwest where?”

“Just southwest,” Lan Wu said. “My friend told me the opportunity is in the southwest. We’ll find it today.”

Qi Yueyao frowned. “That doesn’t sound very reliable. Is your friend some sort of charlatan?”

“She’s very skilled.” Lan Wu wanted to explain, but she didn’t know how. “Just trust me. We’ll just head southwest. If we don’t find anything by nightfall, we’ll come back.”

“You make it sound so easy. What if we run into danger again…”

Ji Lingyue peeked out again, looking puzzled. “With me here, what danger are you afraid of?”

“…” Qi Yueyao gritted her teeth. “While that’s true, it’s really annoying when you say things like that.”

“Alright, alright,” Wen Shiyu quickly interjected. “Southwest it is. I brought some extra supplies this time. Here, concealment talismans, one for each of us.”

Qi Yueyao brightened, patting Wen Shiyu’s shoulder approvingly. “Well done. You’re much more reliable than those two.”

After saying that, she glared at Lan Wu. “Aren’t we leaving? What are you two doing? Are you planning to walk while hugging?”

Lan Wu smiled. “Of course not. We’re leaving now.”