Stone Lake Mountain

Resting in her room, Bai Yujun lay down in the comfortable bedding as she pleased, trying hard to control herself from devouring the Wolf Demon. She didn't even notice her mouth watering and soaking the pillow.

Eating prey was a good habit; wasting food in nature was a shameful act.

Although her cultivation might not improve significantly, she just wanted to eat. It was a pity that Chu Zhe had taken the wolf's corpse, saying he would sell it to cover their travel expenses.

"So stingy, so stingy. What a waste of wolf meat."

Bored, she propped herself up on the bed, placing one hand flat on the ground. She used her abdomen and palms to feel the vibrations from the ground, eavesdropping on what Chu Zhe, Xu Ling, and Yang Mu were saying outside the door. Her ears were just for show; Bai Yujun's greatest skill was sensing sound through vibrations. This was a specialty of snakes, after all.

In other words, even if they hid in a secret chamber, they couldn't escape Bai Yujun's eavesdropping and searching.

Outside in the courtyard, Chu Zhe was teaching his junior disciples.

"Your performance tonight was very poor. Especially you, Xu Ling. If I hadn't concealed your presence, that Wolf Demon wouldn't have fallen into our trap. You wasted your spiritual energy indiscriminately during the fight. Do you know that if your spiritual energy were depleted and the opponent still had the strength to fight, you would surely die?"

Xu Ling lowered her head, saying nothing, her small hands continuously rubbing the corner of her clothes. She occasionally lifted her eyes to secretly glance at Chu Zhe.

"Yang Mu, slightly better."

Yang Mu, who had expected praise, opened his mouth to retort, but after thinking it over, he reluctantly gave up.

"I can understand your lack of combat experience, but why did you charge forward when you knew the opponent was better at close combat? Did you learn nothing from the many techniques taught in the sect?"

"If it weren't for Bai Yujun's surprise attack, your skills alone wouldn't have been enough to stop the Wolf Demon from escaping. Remember to ask Bai Yujun for advice on combat. When she learned of an enemy, the first thing she did was conceal her presence and look for an opportunity, using the scent of the osmanthus tree to mask her tracks. She patiently waited for the right moment to strike, then quickly retreated to avoid a desperate counterattack from the enemy. While her cultivation and techniques aren't as powerful as yours, her experience is vast. Learn from her more in the future."

Xu Ling lowered her head and mumbled, clearly displeased with Chu Zhe mentioning Bai Yujun's name repeatedly.

"Alright, go rest. We still have to travel tomorrow."

The outside gradually quieted down. Bai Yujun withdrew her hand and rolled over, making herself more comfortable. Fighting and combat were everyday occurrences in the Hundred Thousand Mountains; there was nothing special about it.

Early morning.

The trio and the snake settled their bill and left the inn, heading out of the city gates for a leisurely journey.

Young Master Zhang, a noble from Liu City, was so frightened after learning that a Wolf Demon had died in the Fu Ji Inn last night that he hid himself away, fearing that those people would follow the clues and find him, their accomplice who had been dealing with demons. After hiding for a long time and seeing no unusual activity, he breathed a sigh of relief, deciding that the most important thing was to stay home and avoid being seen by others. Thus, Liu City enjoyed a rare few days of peace.

Bai Yujun and the others had no intention of wasting too much time in Liu City; there was simply no need.

The journey was relaxed and carefree.

This world was vast. Although some place names were similar to Earth's, they were entirely different. The rivers, lakes, and seas bore no resemblance. Traveling along the way, they didn't feel bored. Ancient people didn't have the inclination for tourism or hiking. Bai Yujun enjoyed a leisurely pace, as she wasn't going to die anytime soon. Why rush? Who knew if she would live for hundreds or thousands of years? Judging by her current state, living for a few more centuries was no problem. Since that was the case, why hurry?

During the journey, she still babbled and learned to speak every day. After repeated practice, her throat gradually adapted to speaking coherent sentences, with only occasional stutters.

Bored on the road, Bai Yujun bought a bamboo flute and practiced diligently every day.

Chu Zhe nodded inwardly, thinking that Bai Yujun was more suited to practicing vocal music. Before the thought could settle, Bai Yujun, angered by her inability to play the tune well, smashed the bamboo flute on a rock.

Chu Zhe was speechless...

One day, they arrived at Stone Lake Mountain.

"Senior Brother, why is this place called Stone Lake Mountain? A lake is a lake, and a mountain is a mountain. Is there some story behind it?" Xu Ling asked curiously.

Chu Zhe smiled. A warm and pleasant smile before speaking was definitely a great tool for a senior brother to get closer to ordinary disciples, especially female disciples.

"Words cannot fully explain it. Why don't we go and see for ourselves? I also want to see that mountain and that lake."

"Great~ Let's go play~"

Bai Yujun narrowed her eyes and smiled. Xu Ling hopped around excitedly. This girl had recently forgotten to pester her Senior Brother. Perhaps Chu Zhe's various rules and etiquette made her feel too constrained, making her forget the days when she used to mention her Senior Brother every day.

The trio and the snake entered the mountain and asked a woodcutter for directions.

After walking for several miles, they arrived at a waterfall. The waterfall splashed with pearls and jade, and the roaring sound of the falling water echoed through the valley. The misty spray was cool and bone-chilling. Standing before the waterfall and taking a deep breath made them feel refreshed.

Yang Mu and Xu Ling ran to the large rocks exposed by the water at the base of the waterfall to play. Bai Yujun stood at a higher elevation, her arms spread wide, her eyes closed, feeling the mountain spring. Her white skirt swayed gently in the wind, and the cool breeze stirred her long black hair, echoing the waterfall like an ink painting. Bai Yujun felt that she wasn't like a pure snake; she enjoyed swallowing clouds, exhaling mist, and playing in the water. She had never seen a snake that enjoyed this.

The beautiful woman was like a painting, causing Chu Zhe, who had been paying attention to Bai Yujun, to lose his composure...

Stone Lake Mountain not only had a waterfall. The stones were the giant rocks on either side of the waterfall, like a gate. The mountain was the majestic mountains surrounding it. The lake was not the small pool at the base of the waterfall. The real lake was above the waterfall. The vast lake was closely connected to the waterfall. Locals called it Stone Lake. The mountain was high and the paths were treacherous, rarely frequented by people. The lake was very large, about twenty li in circumference, and its water was clear and sweet.

Chu Zhe used his Sword Control Technique to bring Bai Yujun and the other two to the top of the waterfall. Upon seeing the scenery before them, they were all amazed.

"Several green peaks rise above the lake in the lingering rain, the lake water connects to the sky like a smooth mirror."

The lake was very still, without a single ripple, like a bronze mirror before a lady's dressing table, reflecting her beauty. In the water, reflections of green mountains, lush trees, leaping beasts, and flying birds could be seen. In the clear lake water, ancient trees covered in water weeds, submerged at the bottom, were visible. Such beautiful scenery would make even an immortal linger and forget to return.

Chu Zhe noticed that since arriving here, Bai Yujun had started to smile. In the past, she was either curious or blank. This smile seemed to be a kind of genuine happiness. Indeed, demonic beasts liked freedom, especially snake demons who preferred deep lakes and mountains. The thought of "snake demon" brought a wave of inexplicable entanglement to his heart again.

"Hiss, water, very deep, swim." Bai Yujun said, stammering.

"Go into the water to swim?"

Xu Ling's eyes lit up. Swimming in such a beautiful lake would surely be wonderful, but... what if she wasn't a good swimmer?

She looked at Yang Mu, who was also at a loss. Having grown up on the mountains, he was a typical landlubber. Moreover, he hadn't learned water control techniques. Rashly entering the water would quickly lead to him drinking his fill. At most, he could use his lightness skill to play on the water's surface for a while.

"Let's go."

Bai Yujun leaped forward first, then stepped on the water surface consecutively, creating ripples and barely floating to skip across the water. Yang Mu and Xu Ling followed closely. Their movements were much more graceful, their toes lightly touching the water like dragonflies skimming the surface, much better than Bai Yujun's splashes each time.

Chu Zhe stood by the shore, smiling and watching.

Suddenly, Bai Yujun, who was skipping on the water, fell into the water with a splash. Chu Zhe was greatly alarmed. He quickly used his lightness skill and, almost instantly, appeared at the spot where Bai Yujun had fallen into the water and dove in