Into The Sea

On their second day at Penglai Island, Lan Wu and Ji Lingyue went to see the legendary Yunzhi Tree.

Contrary to expectations, the tree didn’t grow in sunlight. Instead, it grew in a damp cave, nestled beside a stretch of sandy beach. Standing beneath its branches, one could faintly hear the rhythmic crashing of waves.

Lan Wu scrutinized the small sapling, barely taller than a person, and couldn’t hide her disappointment. “This is it? It’s so… underwhelming.”

“We’re lucky it’s here at all,” Ji Lingyue remarked, deep in thought. “Penglai Island has been in the sea for hundreds of years. Do you think they might have more information about the merfolk?”

Lan Wu jumped, startled. “Why did you bring that up all of a sudden?”

Ji Lingyue turned to her, blinking innocently. “Because we only need the Sea Pearl now.”

Lan Wu hesitated, then mumbled, ” …I doubt it. The merfolk were spiritual beings born at the dawn of the ancient world. Rumor had it that consuming their flesh and blood granted immortality, so they were hunted to near extinction. At some point, they retreated into the deep sea, avoiding the world and never emerging again.”

Ji Lingyue nodded. “I know. The scrolls say they were once a thriving independent race. But they later forged an alliance with the Demon King, joining the demon race under the title of Sea Emperor.”

Lan Wu couldn’t help but retort, “Well… given how they were hunted back then, seeking protection by joining the demon clan wasn’t… wasn’t really wrong, was it?”

Ji Lingyue fixed her with an impassive stare. “Do you want to discuss this with me?”

“…Not really,” Lan Wu conceded, defeated.

She put her hands behind her back and slowly wandered to the other side, where she discovered a clear pool in the cave’s corner. She raised an eyebrow, reached out to touch the water, sniffed it, and exclaimed, “It’s freshwater!”

“Freshwater?” Ji Lingyue echoed, surprised.

“Yes, and it’s flowing,” Lan Wu tilted her head thoughtfully. “I bet the submerged part of Penglai Island is quite extensive.”

“Whether it’s big or not is none of our concern.” Ji Lingyue couldn’t help but nag. “If you put half as much effort into your cultivation as you do daydreaming, your spiritual power or swordsmanship would improve significantly. Then you wouldn’t always be scolded by my master…”

Lan Wu groaned, covering her face, and started to walk away. “Enough already! You’re turning into an old stick-in-the-mud like your master.”

Ji Lingyue pursed her lips, feeling a little hurt. “I’m only saying this for your own good…”

On their way back, they unexpectedly ran into Chu Jiangchi.

Ji Lingyue immediately tensed, moving protectively closer to Lan Wu.

Seemingly oblivious to her guarded stance, Chu Jiangchi greeted them with his usual friendly demeanor. “So, have you seen the Yunzhi Tree?”

Lan Wu nodded politely. “We did. Thank you, Island Master.”

“No need to thank me. The Yunzhi Tree only bears fruit once every forty years, and even then, just two at a time. We’re still left with one, so it’s no great sacrifice. Besides, Haochen Mountain has been generous with us over the years, consider this a small token of our gratitude.”

He patted Lan Wu’s shoulder again, sighing. “Young friend, you have excellent potential. Don’t let it go to waste.”

Ji Lingyue froze, her brow furrowing as she stared at him. But Chu Jiangchi seemed completely unfazed by her reaction, simply bidding them farewell before walking away. Once he was out of earshot, Ji Lingyue grabbed Lan Wu’s hand, “Did he use his spiritual sense to probe your body?”

Lan Wu nodded. “He did it yesterday too. This Island Master is rather straightforward, just like your master.”

“How can they be the same?” Ji Lingyue retorted, her frown deepening. “He did it without reason. Why would he do that?”

“How should I know?” Lan Wu stared back at her, equally puzzled.

She was certain she had never met Chu Jiangchi before, yet he acted as if he recognized her. But if Elder Yao, after all these years at Haochen Mountain, hadn’t detected anything unusual about her body, then this Island Master likely wouldn’t either.

“Maybe…” she mused, cupping her own face, “Do I really have one of those common faces?”

Ji Lingyue sighed. “Don’t say silly things.” She glanced at the endless sea and sighed again. “This place looks beautiful at first glance, but being isolated out here at sea with so few people around… I don’t think I could bear to stay here for long.”

Lan Wu chuckled. “And here I thought you didn’t like crowded places.”

Ji Lingyue shot her a sideways glance. “I just don’t like talking to others.”

She took Lan Wu’s hand, falling into step beside her. “Our Haochen Mountain is still better. Once we get the fruit, let’s hurry back.”

Lan Wu nodded in agreement. “Alright.”

Half a month later, the four of them stood once more beneath the Yunzhi Tree.

As expected, it bore only two fruits, each the size of a fist and a vibrant shade of red.

Chu Ji carefully picked one of the fruits, nestled it in a lacquered box, and presented it to Lan Wu. Lan Wu thanked him and cautiously took it. But as she glanced down, a grotesque face, contorted in a horrifying expression, stared back at her from the fruit.

She gasped, her hand jerking in fright. The box tumbled from her grasp, the round, red fruit rolling out and bouncing into the pool of fresh water she had discovered earlier.

Silence descended upon them.

“Why did you throw it away?” Yu Shanye finally asked.

“There was a face on it!” Lan Wu exclaimed, still shaken.

“Maybe that’s why it’s also called the Human-Faced Fruit,” Yu Shanye suggested.

“Really?” Lan Wu asked.

Lan Wu looked around and saw everyone staring at her as if she were a fool. Embarrassed, she said, “Then… I’ll go down and get it.”

“No, let me,” Chu Ji coughed, smiling. “You are our guests. We can’t possibly ask you to go into the water.”

Lan Wu started to protest, but Chu Ji was already casting a water-repelling spell, “Don’t worry, it’s nothing. I’ll be right back.”

With that, he jumped into the pool with a graceful dive.

Only when Chu Ji had disappeared beneath the water’s surface did Ji Lingyue break the silence, attempting to reassure Lan Wu “It’s okay. It’s understandable to be scared the first time. I was startled too.”

Yu Shanye scoffed. “You were startled? Your eyes didn’t even blink.”

Ignoring her, Ji Lingyue picked up the fallen box and turned to pluck the remaining fruit from the tree, carefully placing it inside. Once Chu Ji returned, they could bid farewell to the Island Master and begin their journey home.

After half an hour passed, Lan Wu broke the silence. “Why hasn’t he come up yet?”

The three exchanged uneasy glances, the same worry reflected in their eyes. They gathered around the pool, peering into its depths.

Unfortunately, being in a cave, the light was dim, and despite the clear water, they couldn’t see much below.

Yu Shanye hesitated. “Maybe we should wait a bit longer.”

“Wait for what?” Ji Lingyue disagreed. “It’s been half an hour! Even an ordinary person could swim back and forth in that time, let alone a cultivator.”

The Island Master’s son had vanished right under their noses, and it felt like no one would believe it if they told the tale.

Ji Lingyue hesitated, then said, “I’ll go down and check.”

“Wait!” Lan Wu exclaimed, rummaging through her storage ring. She pulled out a silver rope and quickly wound it around Ji Lingyue’s waist. “If anything feels wrong, tug on the rope.”

If even her cultivation powers couldn’t get her out, what good would the rope do?

But seeing the worry on Lan Wu’s face, Ji Lingyue kept her doubts to herself and nodded. “Alright.”

With that, she gracefully dove into the water.

Lan Wu held the rope firmly, her grip tight with worry as she slowly released it, inch by inch. After a while, it continued to pull downward, smoothly slipping through her hands.

“Is it really that deep?” Yu Shanye remarked, surprised.

“Yes, I noticed earlier…” Lan Wu began.

Before she could finish, the rope suddenly went tight, a large length of it disappearing into the water with a whoosh. Lan Wu gasped, her grip tightening instinctively. But the force of the pull was too strong. She stumbled, falling face-first towards the pool.

“Yu Shanye!” she shrieked in alarm.

Yu Shanye reacted instantly, lunging forward to wrap one arm around Lan Wu’s waist. With her free hand, she drew a silver dagger from her waist. Flames burst from the silver blade as she plunged it into the ground. The hard stone surface cracked, but despite their efforts, they couldn’t stop sliding toward the water.

Seeing they were still being dragged, Lan Wu tried to pry Yu Shanye’s hands off. “Let go of me!”

“Not until you let go of the rope!” Yu Shanye shouted back.

“I… You…” Lan Wu’s face was filled with panic. Before she could call Yu Shanye a fool, there was a splash, and they both plunged into the water, pulled by a powerful force towards the dark depths.

The water was far from calm. Soon, Yu Shanye was swept away by an undercurrent. Lan Wu lost all sense of direction, her body tossed and turned, with only bubbles rising before her eyes. In a panic, she tried to cast the water-repelling spell, but her head spun, and she crashed into a hard stone wall.

“Ugh…”

A pained groan escaped her lips as she inhaled a mouthful of water. Her throat burned, and she tried to cast the spell again, but her damaged core refused to cooperate, unable to muster even a sliver of spiritual energy. She struggled to right herself but was battered by the current, constantly slamming into the jagged stone walls.

After several agonizing blows, Lan Wu felt her lungs screaming for air. The last of it escaped her lips in a stream of bubbles, dissolving into the murky water.

Just as darkness threatened to engulf her, a strong arm wrapped around her waist. A rush of cool, fresh air flooded her lungs, and she choked back a sob, gasping desperately. As her vision swam back into focus, she found herself staring into Ji Lingyue’s worried eyes.

The girl was so close that their noses almost touched. Her long hair, floating behind like seaweed, swayed gently around her. For a moment, there was only the sound of her own racing heartbeat, loud in the sudden silence.

Ji Lingyue placed her fingers on Lan Wu’s throat, where a golden light flickered softly. Seeing Lan Wu still struggling to breathe, Ji Lingyue frowned and gently rubbed the delicate skin of Lan Wu’s neck. It felt more like a soothing gesture than casting a spell.

“It’s okay now,” Ji Lingyue’s lips moved, her voice carried through the water, soft and comforting. “I’ve got you.”