Into The Sea

At the end of the month, every household in the western part of the town had pasted bright red spring festival couplets on their doors. Farmers pushed carts laden with New Year goods back and forth through the market.

Occasionally, Lan Wu could hear the crackling of firecrackers from the other end of the street.

Ji Lingyue looked out the window. “The New Year is coming.”

Lan Wu hummed, carefully adjusting her collar before wrapping her in a fluffy cloak. “Let’s go.”

“Okay.”

Over the past few days, the cultivators who had recovered from their injuries had gradually left.

Before leaving, Qi Yueyao had come to visit them, insisting that they must visit the Jintang Palace. Yao Zhu and Xuan Yu had set off for the Fenyin Valley. Everyone was either returning to their sects or their hometowns. Before long, the town had emptied out.

Demons had little connection to the human new year and didn’t understand the human desire for family reunions on this day. But after overhearing Yu Shanye mention it in passing, Lan Wu decided to accompany Ji Lingyue back to her home.

As they stepped out of the room, they saw a woman in a crimson dress lounging under a tree, dozing off. Hearing their footsteps, she lifted her lashes and lazily glanced at them. “Are you leaving?”

Lan Wu nodded. “Hasn’t Ah Li returned yet?”

“Not yet,” Yu Shanye yawned, her tone resigned. “If I had known she would be so good at everything, I wouldn’t have let her show off. Now, Jiang Luan is calling her back to the sea every day to help. She’s so busy, I’m afraid she’ll wear herself out.”

Lan Wu smiled. “Aren’t you happy that she’s being recognized by her clan?”

“Why should I be happy?” Yu Shanye curled her lips. “They used to look down on her for being a half-blood, and now they’re all over her. If I didn’t know Ah Li was happy, I have cursed them all out already.”

Lan Wu shook her head helplessly. “Okay, I’ll speak to my mother and tell my aunt to let her return earlier.”

“That would be great,” Yu Shanye stretched lazily. ” Oh, by the way, I’m going to take Ah Li back to my old home in the Central Region to meet my nieces and nephews, whom I’ve never met before. After that, I’ll return to Haochen Mountain. What about you? Are you going back?”

Lan Wu paused, exchanging a look with Ji Lingyue. “Well…”

Yu Shanye saw right through her hesitation and chuckled softly. “Don’t worry. With the sect leader around, there will always be a place for you two on the mountain. Besides, after everything you’ve done, stopping the war and defeated evil. Who wouldn’t welcome you home?”

Lan Wu smiled gently. “Ah Yue and I still have a few places to visit. Once we’re free, we might come back.”

“Then it’s settled,” Yu Shanye said. “I’ll get Jianzhi courtyard cleaned up and ready for you.”

Lan Wu nodded. After parting ways with Yu Shanye, she went to bid farewell to Ye Qingjun. The woman was standing in the courtyard, holding a cup of hot tea, occasionally offering guidance to Danqing as she trained.

Seeing her, Danqing was overjoyed, as if she had found a savior. “Mas…”

Ye Qingjun cleared her throat. “Hold your stance.”

The girl immediately closed her mouth, but her round eyes kept darting toward Lan Wu. Ye Qingjun narrowed her eyes, using her right hand to conjure a small wooden board, pushing her head to the other side. ” Staring at her won’t help. You’re not allowed to rest until you’ve held the stance for an hour.”

Danqing grumbled. “But… it’s so tiring…”

“You think this is tiring? Danbai has to hold her stance for three hours every day. Do you want to fall behind her?”

Danqing fell silent, pouting in frustration. Ye Qingjun finally turned to Lan Wu, smiling warmly. “She’s just like you were—afraid of hardship, afraid of pain, afraid of fatigue. Such a spoiled little thing.”

“Is that so?” Lan Wu chuckled awkwardly, changing the subject. “Master, Ah Yue and I are leaving for Jingzhou today.”

“You’re leaving today?”

“Yes, today.”

Ye Qingjun thought for a moment, then nodded. “There’s not much left to do here anyway. Are you two going alone?”

“Yes, my sister still has things to take care of. After the New Year, we’ll meet at Penglai and then head to the demon realm together.”

Danqing was shocked, turning her head quickly. “Master! You’re leaving without me again?!”

Lan Wu smiled gently. “Why would I take you? You’re now the Sect Leader’s disciple. You should stay by her side and focus on your cultivation, not wander around with me.”

“But, but…” The girl stammered for a while, abandoning her stance and running over to grab Lan Wu’s sleeve. “But you’re my master! Spirit beasts always have to follow their master!”

Lan Wu was silent for a moment, then squatted down, looking at her gently. “Danqing, there’s something I’ve wanted to ask you for a long time.”

Danqing looked at her expectantly. “What is it?”

“Would you be willing… to release our contract?”

The girl froze, a blank look on her face, which was soon replaced with surprise. “Release the contract? Why?” Her voice rose in panic. “You… you don’t want me anymore?!”

“Danqing, it’s not about wanting you or not,” she said patiently. “The contract binds you to me and makes you see me as your master. But you are a spirit beast, and I am a demon beast. There’s no difference between us. Because of this contract, I could hurt you, oppress you, and make you do things you don’t want to do…”

Danqing interrupted her. “But you haven’t done any of that! You’ve been good to me!”

“Whether I’ve done it or not doesn’t change the nature of the contract.” Lan Wu said gently. “Danqing, I formed this contract with you when your spiritual intelligence was just awakening. I gained your trust and admiration, and I’m grateful to have been your master. But it’s not fair to you.”

Danqing pressed her lips together, her eyes growing red. “I don’t feel that way…”

Lan Wu sighed, wiping away the tears from her eyes. “You’re still young. You’ll understand in time.”

“I don’t want to understand,” Danqing sobbed, her lashes trembling as tears streamed down her face. “I’ve been your spirit beast since I gained consciousness. How can you… how can you not want me anymore?”

The usually carefree little gyrfalcon was crying so hard for the first time. Lan Wu’s heart ached. She pulled her into a hug, stroking her head. “Breaking the contract doesn’t mean we’re strangers. The Sect Leader is my master too. Even if I’m no longer your master, I’ll still be your senior sister.”

Danqing clutched her clothes tightly. “I don’t want…”

Lan Wu was helpless. “Why are you so insistent on having me as your master?”

The girl choked back a sob, crying intermittently. “Senior sister… there are many senior sisters, but… there’s only one master…”

Lan Wu was stunned, holding the girl’s back, unsure of what to say. Beside her, Ji Lingyue lowered her gaze and sighed softly. She crouched down as well, smoothing Danqing’s hair. “It’s alright. There’s no rush.”

She patted the girl’s head, coaxing her softly. “If you don’t understand now, then we’ll wait until you do. How about that?”

Danqing nodded, her eyes still filled with tears. “Okay.”

Lan Wu turned to look at her. “Ah Yue…”

Ji Lingyue said again, “But you still need to focus on your cultivation. Lan Wu is now a famous demon. As her only spirit beast, do you want to hold her back?”

Danqing shook her head quickly. “No.”

“Then will you still follow us?”

Danqing hesitated, then shook her head again, tears still in her eyes. “I’ll stay with the Sect Leader and cultivate properly.”

Ji Lingyue smiled. “That’s the right attitude.”

She smiled gently. “When you grow stronger and travel the world, meeting more people and experiencing more things, you will understand what Lan Wu said today. I hope that when that time comes, you will make the right choice.”