The swimming contest began under the fair judgment of Mu Yang and Medicine Master.
The facts proved it.
There was no way Lingyuan, a lion beast, could beat Fujin, a koi, in the water.
Even though she had secretly learned from Mu Yang how to take human form.
She had planned to use that form to gain an unfair advantage.
But Fujin was a fish, after all.
So naturally, Lingyuan lost in the end.
The blue-haired, mature beauty climbed out of the water.
Mu Yang hurriedly turned his face away to avoid suspicion.
He really should not be looking at such a scene of a beauty emerging from the bath.
As for the beauty who had just emerged from the water—
She wore a dejected expression.
She found a straw hat Mu Yang had woven nearby.
And carelessly pulled it over her head.
Her defeat had been far too humiliating.
Without that hat to hide behind.
She did not even know what she would do now.
But Fujin had no intention of letting her off.
She poked her head out of the water.
As if showing off her victory in this contest.
Her colorful koi scales glittered brilliantly.
Then she leaped out of the water again.
Swimming circles around Lingyuan.
Positively smug.
Mu Yang and Medicine Master exchanged smiles.
They had lost count of how many times they had seen this scene.
Lingyuan held it in for a long time.
Then said indignantly.
"Is being able to swim such a big deal? I curse you to drown someday!"
Of course, Lingyuan was joking.
After all, how could Fujin possibly drown?
Lingyuan was just like that—her temper came quickly and faded just as fast.
Before long, she and Fujin were playing together again.
Mu Yang fell asleep again.
When he woke this time.
Mu Yang felt that the bond of friendship among the four of them had deepened once more.
His memories also contained many more fragments concerning the adepti.
They were of Cloud Retainer and the others.
That day, the four of them had wandered rather far on an outing.
They arrived near Mount Aocang.
And happened to run into Cloud Retainer's group, who were out traveling as well.
That was how they became friends.
Now, it was another new point in time.
The ancestors of Chenyu Vale had already migrated over from The Chasm.
Fujin had always been rather interested in human life.
After observing humans for some time.
She decided to take human form.
And live among human society.
In her words—
The cries of children broke her heart.
The sound of old people's memories shattering saddened her.
She could not set aside her worries over any of it.
She wanted to help them.
Medicine Master had thoughts similar to Fujin's.
Medicine Master felt the same way.
Medicine Master took human form.
She used her knowledge of nature to make medicine and save lives.
Writing prescriptions, dispensing medicine, and such tasks.
Clearly, nimble human hands were much more convenient than a snake's body.
The two of them both went to live among humans.
Only Mu Yang and Lingyuan remained in the mountains.
The moment Mu Yang stepped out of the little wooden cabin.
Lingyuan, who had been waiting there for a long time, spoke up.
"Are you going to live with humans today too?"
Mu Yang sighed helplessly.
"No, and this is already the seventy-eighth time you've asked me that."
Mu Yang checked his memories.
Ever since Fujin and Medicine Master had left the mountains.
Lingyuan had become suspicious of everything.
She was terrified that Mu Yang would leave her too.
Every day, she stood watch outside the cabin and asked him that very question.
Though Mu Yang had told her many times.
That he liked the peaceful life in the mountains.
No one disturbed him while he practiced his swordsmanship here.
And he would not disturb anyone else either.
Still, she insisted on keeping watch every day.
Mu Yang jumped down from the cabin.
And leaned against Lingyuan's side.
"If you miss them that much, why not go see them?"
Lingyuan turned her head away.
"No! I don't like humans."
"They always take too much and hoard too much."
"They always desire things beyond their needs, always ignoring the needs of those who lack..."
When it came to humanity's flaws.
Lingyuan could talk for three days and three nights without running out of things to say.
She truly could not understand.
Why Fujin and Medicine Master did so much for humans.
She knew Medicine Master took human form to make things more convenient.
She simply did not know why Medicine Master wanted to do those things. That was all.
"Mu Yang, you know so much. Can you explain it to me?"
Of course Mu Yang could not explain it.
After all, everyone had their own thoughts.
Just as Mu Yang was considering how to begin.
Fujin returned.
When Lingyuan saw her old friend, whom she had not seen in days.
She was not happy.
Instead, she started sulking.
"Why did you come back? Were you unhappy being a human?"
Fujin had Lingyuan completely wrapped around her finger.
She simply did not respond to Lingyuan's words.
Instead, she walked over to them with a beaming smile.
Then hugged Lingyuan.
"Hehe, I'm taking you to see something good. Come on, come on!"
The moment Fujin hugged her.
All of Lingyuan's earlier sulking vanished without a trace.
She asked happily.
"Where are we going?"
Mu Yang shook his head helplessly.
She really had her wrapped around her finger.
Lingyuan would have a hard time turning the tables in this lifetime.
"You'll know when we get there!"
She led the way ahead.
The three of them arrived at Ancient Tea Tree Slope.
Medicine Master had also been waiting there for quite some time.
Medicine Master's human form was practically engineered to appeal to Dragon Country tastes.
She had long white hair and ruby-like eyes.
Her features were exquisitely beautiful.
And she did not like wearing shoes.
Maybe it was because she was a snake.
In any case, if miHoYo made her playable.
The players would probably gain another new wife.
Judging solely from her appearance.
Many people might mistake Medicine Master for someone cold and aloof.
But Medicine Master was not an icy beauty.
She often made playful remarks too.
Though she was not as boisterous as Fujin.
When Fujin and Lingyuan did something foolish.
Medicine Master would show a helpless expression as well.
Then laugh heartily along with them.
When Medicine Master saw the three of them arrive.
"You're finally here. Can you tell us now?"
"Why did you call us here?"
Fujin walked mysteriously to the open space.
Then snapped her fingers.
"Ta-da—!"
After Fujin snapped her fingers.
The sound of bubbles bursting came from beside her.
Then the surrounding space seemed to distort.
It turned out that an illusion had been placed there.
What was the illusion protecting?
A tiny sapling that had only just sprouted.
Lingyuan frowned. "I haven't even decided what I want to plant yet."
"How did you beat me to it?"
Fujin spread her hands. "Do I need your permission to plant something on my mountain?"
"Your mountain???"
Lingyuan looked toward Mu Yang.
Whenever she felt Fujin was deceiving her.
She instinctively sought his help.
Mu Yang was fair most of the time.
Mu Yang searched his memories.
Then he recited in a stiff, formal tone.
"On the xx day, Fujin and Lingyuan competed in swimming. The wager was a mountain peak. Fujin won."
Fujin put on an innocent expression.
"It's my mountain, isn't it?"
In truth, she was already holding back her laughter.
Medicine Master watched the scene.
He felt rather moved.
It seemed like it had been a long time since the four of them had gathered like this.
Mu Yang asked,
"What kind of trees are these?"
Fujin said, "Tea trees."
"Once they grow a little bigger, I'll pick the leaves and make tea for you all."
"Then we can gather here and invite Cloud Retainer, Mountain Shaper, and the others..."
Lingyuan lowered her head and sulked.
"Hmph. You secretly planted trees on someone else's land, and you still have the nerve to say that."
Mu Yang knew.
Lingyuan was not a sore loser.
She was merely sulking out loud.
For all he knew, she had already begun imagining the fragrance of the tea.
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