Into The Sea

At the break of dawn, Qi Yueyao sat alone on a pile of rocks outside the city, her chin resting on her hands, her gaze fixed unwaveringly on the depths of the desert.

“Why aren’t they back yet?”

She mumbled to herself, shifting into a more comfortable position. “I should have insisted on going with them,” she sighed.

The stars that had once filled the sky were gradually fading into the deep sky of the approaching day. On the distant horizon, a faint line of light began to spread outward.

The sun was about to rise.

Qi Yueyao frowned, unable to wait any longer. She brushed the sand off her clothes, picked up her spear, and stood up. Just then, two dark spots emerged on a distant dune.

She paused, shading her eyes with her hand. She recognized Ji Lingyue flying in front, unusually distant from Lan Wu, her face even more sour than usual. Lan Wu followed behind, calmly riding her sword, her expression serene.

Qi Yueyao nimbly leaped down from the tall rocks and ran towards them. “Why are you so late? Did you find anything?”

A whoosh of wind rushed past her as a black figure zipped by, leaving her momentarily stunned. Just as she was about to get angry, Lan Wu landed beside her. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Where else would I be?” Qi Yueyao retorted, annoyed. “What’s wrong with her? She looks like everyone owes her money.”

Lan Wu coughed, hesitating. “No, it’s nothing. She’s just… not in a good mood.”

Qi Yueyao frowned, scrutinizing Lan Wu. She noticed a small cut on her lip. Catching her gaze, Lan Wu stiffened, awkwardly pulling up her collar to conceal a faint bite mark on her neck. “What is it?” she asked.

After a moment of silence, Qi Yueyao planted her spear into the ground, hands on her hips. “Don’t tell me you spent the whole night out there and found nothing.”

“Of course we found something,” Lan Wu replied. “I will meet with the Demon Queen in three days.”

Qi Yueyao’s eyes widened. “You’re meeting the Demon Queen?! How? Why would she agree to see you?!”

Lan Wu replied, “You already know the Demon Queen is a mermaid, and she’s my aunt.”

“I know that, but she never cared about family ties before. Why would she suddenly agree to meet you now?”

Lan Wu pursed her lips, falling silent.

She had told them about Lan Yueyao’s identity and the atrocities that Penglai had committed against the merfolk. However, she had not revealed a single word about Chu Chunhan’s identity, her relationship with Lan Yueyao, or Lan Yueyao’s true intentions.

What would they think if they knew that the Demon Queen was doing all of this just to resurrect a human who had died years ago?

Lan Wu sighed silently and asked, “Where’s Miss Wen?”

“She took someone to the city for treatment… Don’t change the subject! You said the Demon Queen wants to meet you. Where and when? We need to tell the sect leaders and prepare.”

Lan Wu tilted her head, surprised. “Prepare for what?”

“For an ambush, of course! This is the perfect opportunity to capture the Demon Queen. Then all our problems will be solved!”

“You make it sound so simple,” Lan Wu frowned. “First of all, I doubt you could defeat the Demon Queen. Second, if you set an ambush, do you think she won’t do the same? Even if everything goes as smoothly as you say and you manage to capture her, what then? Do you think the demons would just surrender without a fight?”

Qi Yueyao was stunned. “They won’t?”

Lan Wu sighed. “The demons doesn’t follow human morals and ethics. They follow Lan Yueyao because she’s the strongest. If she’s captured, they’ll immediately abandon her and choose a new leader. They won’t give up what they’re fighting for just because their leader is no longer powerful.”

After a long pause, Qi Yueyao hissed, “That’s so ruthless.”

“That’s why targeting her alone is pointless,” Lan Wu said quietly. “The demons still respect and fear her. If we can persuade her to change her mind, that’s the only real turning point.”

“Just a turning point?”

Lan Wu nodded. “At this point, tens of thousands of demons have died in this desert. It’s not something she can just stop with a word.”

Qi Yueyao was quiet for a moment, then sighed, “You make it sound like the day we stop fighting is forever away.”

Lan Wu didn’t reply, her gaze fixed on the black shadow that was flying back towards them.

The woman landed silently, moving with a feline grace. Lan Wu’s lips curled into a smile. She wanted to compliment her on her cat-like movements, but then she realized that bringing that up would only make Ji Lingyue more angry. So she kept her mouth shut and stood obediently in place.

“How much longer do you plan to talk?” Ji Lingyue suddenly asked, her voice cold. “Should I set out two chairs for you? Warm a pot of tea while I’m at it??”

Qi Yueyao jumped back in surprise, quickly pulling her spear from the ground. “Why… why are you so quiet when you walk?!”

Ji Lingyue gave her a cold glance. “Those with high cultivation can conceal their presence. How shallow is your cultivation that you don’t even know that?”

“…” Qi Yueyao took a breath, furious. “What’s wrong with you today? You’re like a prickly hedgehog, stabbing everyone you see!”

Lan Wu couldn’t help but laugh. After the laughter subsided, she said, “We can’t just sit around doing nothing for the next three days.”

Ji Lingyue turned to her. “What do you want to do?”

“I want to see Chu Jiao again. I noticed that Penglai had people watching her, and her friend told me that Chu Jiao is a good person. Maybe… maybe she has a reason for what she’s doing.”

Qi Yueyao rolled her eyes. “Believing she’s a good person is like believing I’m a goddess.”

Ji Lingyue wasn’t optimistic either. “Someone who can control Gu to destroy the minds of so many companions doesn’t seem like a good person. If she has a friend, why not just kidnap that friend and use her as leverage?”

Lan Wu hesitated. “That… that doesn’t seem right.”

“It’s the easiest way. Or do you want to spend who knows how long trying to win Chu Jiao over with… sincerity?” Ji Lingyue paused, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Faced with her half-smiling, half-threatening gaze, Lan Wu felt a chill run down her back. She awkwardly clasped her hands together. “You’re right. We’ll go with the kidnapping.”

“Kidnap?” Qi Yueyao looked between them, surprised. “Are you serious? Kidnap a cultivator? In a city full of cultivators? Are you two crazy?”

“We’re not asking you to join us,” Ji Lingyue said. “But if you want to tell anyone about this, I don’t mind sending you a little black butterfly.”

It was obvious that the black butterfly was not an ordinary one.

Qi Yueyao hesitated, then frowned. “Will you hurt her after you kidnap her?”

“That depends,” Ji Lingyue said calmly. “If Chu Jiao doesn’t believe we’ll hurt her friend, I can personally demonstrate.”

A heavy silence fell.

Ji Lingyue turned her head to see Qi Yueyao’s horrified expression. She chuckled, her eyes curving into a mocking smile. “Of course, I’m just joking. This is Shiling City. Why would I hurt a cultivator?”

“…”

The longer Qi Yueyao stared at her smiling face, the creepier she felt.

She coughed awkwardly, gripped her spear tighter, and muttered, “Fine, I’ll join you. Better than letting you two do something reckless.”