Into The Sea

The gray tunic had been hung out to dry overnight and was almost dry by morning.

Ji Lingyue hurriedly got dressed, her entire face flushed all the way to her ears. Seeing her so embarrassed, Lan Wu didn’t dare to make a sound and shuffled a bit further away from her.

After a while, Ji Lingyue fiddled with the hem of her clothes and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Lan Wu blinked, a little surprised. Why did this girl apologize so much? “It’s alright,” she replied smoothly. Then, after a beat of silence, she added, “Actually, I should be the one apologizing. You… I…”

Ji Lingyue shook her head, hesitantly looking back at her before quickly averting her gaze. “I know you were only trying to help me,” Her face grew even redder as she stammered. “It’s really fine. I won’t blame you…”

Her thoughtfulness made Lan Wu feel even guiltier. An awkward silence stretched between them before Lan Wu cleared her throat and offered the demon core to Ji Lingyue. “Here,” she said, “You killed it, so it’s yours.”

Ji Lingyue hesitated for a moment before accepting it. “What’s it for?”

“Well, after you form your dantian, you can refine it and absorb the cultivation essence within…”

Before Lan Wu could finish explaining, Ji Lingyue looked up, her eyes narrowed with suspicion. “How do you know so much?”

Lan Wu froze, blinking rapidly as she stammered, “Well… you see… there are cultivators in my family. I’ve been around these things since I was little…”

“Really?” Ji Lingyue didn’t question her further, not even considering how someone from a cultivation family hadn’t heard of Haochen Mountain. She nodded trustingly and carefully placed the round demon core into her pouch.

After packing up, she stood up and said, “Let’s get going.”

Lan Wu couldn’t be happier and quickly stood by her side.

Lan Wu was slightly taller than Ji Lingyue, so the girl had to look up at her. However, one glance at Lan Wu’s face was enough to send a fresh wave of heat creeping up Ji Lingyue’s neck, and she quickly averted her gaze, leading the way down the mountain path.

Lan Wu wondered if it was just her imagination, but after last night, Ji Lingyue seemed much softer. She no longer looked directly into her eyes when speaking, and her gaze would quickly sweep over her, making her seem shy and reserved.

Lan Wu pretended not to notice, keeping her own gaze fixed on the path ahead. Inwardly, however, she was already planning how to say goodbye to Ji Lingyue once they descended the mountain.

Although last night had been… what it was, Ji Lingyue had said it was okay, so I… I shouldn’t dwell on it too much.

After all, she was just a mischievous little mermaid, not some noble and righteous cultivator.

By afternoon, the town Ji Lingyue had mentioned finally came into view. Lan Wu’s felt a surge of relief. Her previously aching legs found strength as she followed the girl down the mountain.

The small town was nestled against the mountain, with white walls and gray tiles. Shadows of people bustled along the streets, vendors shouting one after another—a lively atmosphere full of daily life.

Lan Wu lingered behind Ji Lingyue, her gaze flitting from one sight to another, taking in the unfamiliar sights and sounds. Ji Lingyue, noticing that Lan Wu had fallen behind, paused and instinctively waited for her.

They eventually stopped in front of a food stall selling steaming bowls of wonton soup.

Ji Lingyue glanced at Lan Wu, noticing her staring eagerly at the steaming pot of soup. She frowned slightly and instinctively squeezed the small black pouch hanging from her waist.

“Are you hungry?” she asked.

Lan Wu snapped out of her daze. “Uh, not really…”

Before she could finish, she suddenly noticed, not far down the street, an old cultivator with a white beard strolling casually in their direction. Recognizing him as the very cultivator who had been chasing her before, Lan Wu’s heart skipped a beat.

She quickly changed her tune. “Actually, I am a bit hungry. I just saw a vendor over there selling pastries. They’d go great with wontons. Wait here, and I’ll go grab a couple.”

Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked away. Ji Lingyue raised her hand, but before she could say anything, Lan Wu had already run off. Sighing, Ji Lingyue squeezed her empty purse, feeling a bit troubled.

A gentle breeze swept through the street, carrying away the last traces of Lan Wu’s presence.

Lan Wu didn’t stop running until the sounds of the bustling market faded into the distance. The old cultivator hadn’t given chase; he must not have seen her. Relieved, she slowed to a stop, wiping the sweat from her brow.

As she glanced around, she realized she had stumbled to the outskirts of town. Gone was the lively atmosphere of the market, replaced by quiet streets and sparse crowds. A simple gate stood not far away, marking the edge of town, with a dirt road winding out towards the distance.

She hesitated for a moment, then instinctively looked back.

The street behind her was quiet, with only a few passersby, and no sign of Ji Lingyue. Lan Wu stood there, hesitating for a while, before slowly turning and heading out of the town.

She planned to leave without a word. After all, they had only known each other for two days. Although they had been through a lot together, Ji Lingyue seemed to harbor a deep hatred for demons. Staying with her would only lead to more anxiety and fear.

As Lan Wu walked further and further away from town, a strange heaviness settled in her chest.

After a while, she stopped and muttered to herself, “I told her to wait for me. She wouldn’t actually wait, would she?”

Surely, Ji Lingyue wouldn’t be that foolish?

Lan Wu continued walking, but the further she went, the more anxious she felt. Finally, she sighed, squatted down in frustration, and rubbed her head, conflicted.

It was as if two little voices were arguing in her head.

One insisted: Why do you care? You’re a demon, she’s a human. You barely know each other. Now that you’ve left, you won’t have to worry about it anymore.

The other countered: Even a demon should have some decency. Running off without a word is just wrong.

Lan Wu chewed on her lip, her brow furrowed in thought. Finally, she stood up with a determined look on her face and turned back towards town.

At the very least, she should say goodbye.

By the time Lan Wu returned to where they’d been, two hours had passed. She stood wearily in front of the wonton stall but didn’t see Ji Lingyue.

After a moment of silence, Lan Wu rubbed her face and sighed quietly.

She was the fool for thinking Ji Lingyue would wait for her.

As she turned to leave, a voice called out to her, “Miss.”

Lan Wu turned, puzzled. “Are you talking to me?”

The elderly woman nodded, looking her over. “You had a companion, didn’t you? Young, and thin?”

“…Yes,” Lan Wu replied, surprised. “How did you know?”

“That’s right, she’s looking for you,” the elderly woman said kindly, pointing to the east. “When I came by earlier, she asked if I’d seen you. She seemed quite worried.”

Lan Wu’s heart leaped. Following the woman’s direction, she could only make out a sea of moving bodies. Mumbling a quick thanks, she hurried towards the indicated direction.

It didn’t take much effort to find Ji Lingyue. She was standing in the middle of the street, looking around anxiously while stopping passersby. Her voice was filled with urgency and concern, “Excuse me, have you seen a girl taller than me, about nineteen or twenty, very pretty, wearing blue robes?”

“No, now get out of the way!”

“I’m sorry, but have you seen…”

After being waved off impatiently several times, someone finally listened to her question. Raising an eyebrow, he looked past Ji Lingyue at Lan Wu and asked curiously, “Isn’t that her behind you?”

Ji Lingyue froze and quickly turned around.

Feeling a mix of emotions, Lan Wu gave a small smile. “Ah Ji.”

Ji Lingyue’s eyes were slightly red. She hurried forward, grabbing Lan Wu’s wrist, and anxiously asked, “Where did you go?”

“I…” Lan Wu hesitated and lowered her head, “I ran too far and got lost. When I came back, I couldn’t find you…”

The more she spoke, the guiltier she felt. After all, she had been gone for two hours, and it was almost dark. The town was small, and even if she got lost, it shouldn’t have taken so long.

To her surprise, Ji Lingyue simply tightened her grip on Lan Wu’s wrist, murmuring, “Don’t wander off alone anymore.”

Lan Wu was taken aback, looking at her in surprise.

Ji Lingyue led her back to the wonton stall, but someone else had already taken her previous seat, and the bowl of wontons she had left behind was gone. The stall owner must have thought no one was going to eat it and took it away.

As Ji Lingyue explained what had happened, Lan Wu opened her mouth to brush it off, but Ji Lingyue was already pulling her towards the stall, placing a few copper coins on the table. “Two bowls of wonton soup, please,” she said to the vendor.

“Coming right up!”

Lan Wu’s face changed, and she couldn’t help but ask, “Where did you get the money?”

She had noticed earlier that the pendant Ji Lingyue wore around her neck was missing. Although Lan Wu couldn’t tell its value, Ji Lingyue had been carefully cleaning it after getting dressed this morning, so it must have been important.

Sure enough, Ji Lingyue looked at her and calmly said, “I sold it.”

Lan Wu was horrified. “Sold it? Where?”

Ji Lingyue remained silent.

Lan Wu, frustrated, said, “If you don’t tell me, I won’t eat!”

The threat worked. Ji Lingyue looked at her for a moment, then slowly said, “I sold it at the jade shop over there.”

Lan Wu nodded and grabbed her wrist, this time pulling Ji Lingyue along. She quickly walked to the shop named ‘Pinyu Jade House.’ As soon as she entered, she said, “Shopkeeper, we want to buy back the item we sold earlier.”

Inside the shop, a middle-aged man with a neatly trimmed mustache sat behind the counter. He glanced at them briefly before resuming his meticulous polishing of a small trinket in his hand. Lan Wu’s sharp eyes recognized it instantly: Ji Lingyue’s jade pendant.

She strode forward, pointing at the object. “That’s the one!”

Then she turned to Ji Lingyue and asked, “How much did you sell it for?”

“Twenty silvers,” Ji Lingyue replied meekly.

Only twenty silvers! Lan Wu shot her an incredulous look before rummaging through her own pockets. After gathering enough coins, she took the remaining silver from Ji Lingyue and placed it all on the counter. “Here’s the money, now give us back the pendant.”

The shopkeeper eyed the pile of silver with a smug smirk on his lips. “Little girl,” he drawled, “business doesn’t work that way. You can’t buy something back for the same price you sold it. If you want it back, it’ll be fifty silvers.”

Lan Wu was shocked. “Fifty silvers? That’s outrageous! You’re taking advantage of us!”

“Take it or leave it.” The shopkeeper closed his hand around the pendant and turned towards the back room. “Now, if there’s nothing else, please leave. Don’t disrupt my business.”

“You… you people…” Lan Wu was so angry she could hardly speak. Ji Lingyue tugged at her sleeve and whispered, “Forget it. Let’s go. I don’t need it anymore.”

“How can we just forget it?” Lan Wu bit her lip, reluctantly removing the crimson jade bracelet from her wrist and slamming it onto the table. “We’ll trade for this!”

***

By the time they left the jade shop, the sky had fully darkened. Looking up, they saw half the sky filled with twinkling stars, while the other half still burned with the fiery hues of the sunset.

The wonton stall owner was just placing bowls on the table. Seeing them return, he smiled with relief. “I thought you two had left.”

Lan Wu nodded and sat down at the table. Ji Lingyue followed a few steps behind and sat across from her. After a moment’s hesitation, she softly said, “Thank you.”

“It was nothing,” Lan Wu mumbled, stirring her fragrant seaweed soup with a pair of chopsticks. “That pendant seemed important to you. You didn’t have to sell it because of me.”

Ji Lingyue blinked and looked at her with bright, black eyes. But quickly, she lowered her lashes and said quietly, “I know.”