The wooden boat passed through the waterfall of Floating Mountain, the mist cool and refreshing.
Bai Yujun sat with one leg crossed over the other, idly watching the prisoners. Their True Spirits, stripped of all magical power, were frail beyond measure. Once Immortal Officials and Clerks holding divine posts in the Heavenly Court, in the blink of an eye their past had come to nothing.
In truth, this was not so bad. At least they still had a chance to reincarnate.
She poured a cup of immortal brew and swayed it before the prisoner. Its rich, enticing fragrance made the Immortal Official swallow hard.
"Give... give me a sip..."
"Take it."
The Immortal Official trembled as he accepted the cup and drained it in one gulp. The immortal energy nourished him, stabilizing his True Spirit considerably. At least he would not fade away halfway to the underworld. This counted as owing Bai Yujun a karmic debt of gratitude.
Taking back the empty cup, she leaned against the rail and waited for him to offer something worthwhile. If he refused, Bai Yujun would not mind drawing the immortal energy back out of him. She was a professional peddler with an excellent reputation—nothing in this world came free; it all depended on how you paid.
"Say something. Consider it a transaction. This dragon dealt fairly and cheated neither old nor young. You are entering reincarnation anyway, aren't you?"
The prisoner's expression was complicated. He had never imagined he would fall so low that a mere cup of immortal wine could buy him.
Bai Yujun smiled faintly, looking particularly amiable.
"Don't lose heart. Since things are already like this, be more open-minded."
"..."
It truly left one not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Bai Yujun spread her hands and continued questioning him.