Sister Yao'er

In the early morning, a light mist curled upwards.

Lin Xiao struggled forward on a narrow mountain path, shouldering an extremely heavy iron axe and carrying a square iron basket three feet across. To his right was a cliff that soared into the clouds, and to his left, a bottomless abyss. Beyond the cliff, on the opposite mountain ridge, several tigers with glaring eyes and white foreheads were tearing into the flesh of a prey. One particularly ferocious old tiger occasionally lifted its head, baring its teeth and letting out low growls at Lin Xiao, who was over a hundred yards away across the deep chasm.

Lin Xiao bared his teeth and pushed forward with all his might. Even with the Evergreen Art's true qi that he had cultivated since childhood, and the strength he had honed at Spring Return Hall, carrying the iron axe and iron basket, he had only walked a few miles before he was so breathless he could barely stand. The thought of the light firewood axes and bamboo baskets used by the other white-robed Daoist boys made Lin Xiao feel like weeping without tears.

The other white-robed Daoist boys were also busy chopping wood and carrying water every day, but their range of activity was limited to the mountains and forests around Return Valley. Only Lin Xiao had been personally instructed by Daoist Danling to go to a Golden Birch Forest thirty miles away from Return Valley to specifically chop Golden Birch wood for firewood. Moreover, the special iron axe and iron basket that Lin Xiao was currently using had been exchanged for by Dan Fusheng, who had gone out for three to five days to trade medicinal pills with a sect specializing in artifact refining, all at Daoist Danling's behest. These two items were not large in size, but they were indeed quite heavy. Lin Xiao had been terribly tormented these past few days; his shoulders were already covered in a large patch of bruising from the weight.

Gulp. The spring morning dew was slippery, and Lin Xiao was burdened with heavy loads. He accidentally stepped on a patch of moss and nearly fell off the cliff.

"Ah!" Half of Lin Xiao's leg had already slipped over the cliff. A green shadow flashed behind him, and Yao'er flew over, grabbing his hair bun and yanking him upright.

"Hehehehe! Junior Brother, it's Senior Sister saving you again!" Yao'er dangled Lin Xiao by his hair bun, swaying him back and forth with a triumphant smile on her face.

"Help me~~~ Senior Sister Yao'er, it hurts, it hurts!" Lin Xiao held the iron axe in one hand and the basket in the other, terrified of them falling into the abyss. Yao'er dangled him from the cliff by his hair bun, swinging him around. Lin Xiao felt like his scalp was being ripped off, the piercing pain making his vision blur, and he nearly fainted.

"Hurts?" Yao'er blinked blankly and casually tossed Lin Xiao back onto the mountain path. Then, she grabbed her messy hair bun and pulled it hard, her mouth suddenly crooked. Frowning, she said, "It really does hurt! So, what should I grab to pull you up next time? Last time it was your belt, and you said I almost ripped your clothes off; the time before that it was your collar, your clothes tore and you almost fell; this time it's your hair bun, and you say it hurts~~~ Hmm, it really does hurt~~~ So, where should I grab you next time to save you?"

Yao'er's confused gaze swept over Lin Xiao's ears, neck, and other places. Lin Xiao felt his scalp prickle. He didn't dare say more to this muddled Senior Sister. He quickly picked up his firewood tools and hurried along the mountain path. However, Yao'er wouldn't let him go. She quickly caught up to Lin Xiao, wrapped her arms around his, and chuckled, "Little Junior Brother, don't be in such a hurry to leave. Come on, tell me, what should I grab next time to save you?"

Lin Xiao's arm was pressed tightly against Yao'er's soft chest. Having been disciplined by Lin Shan with the ways of a sage since childhood, Lin Xiao was terrified beyond measure. He quickly pulled his arm back and shouted, "Senior Sister, you underestimate me, Lin Xiao. I just slipped today, why would I need you to save me all the time?"

"Oh~~~ Is that so!" Yao'er, who had been cheerful moments ago, suddenly became a bit listless. She mumbled, "You don't need me to save your life every day? Then why did Master tell me to follow you? Wuwu, I can't refine pills, I can't mix medicines, and I just run around the mountain with you all day. I'm not like those monkeys who brew wine! Wuwuwu!"

As she spoke, Yao'er squatted on the mountain path and began to cry. Lin Xiao was at a loss for what to do. This troublesome Senior Sister, couldn't she just let him have some peace? Lin Xiao didn't know how to handle a young girl who cried one moment and laughed the next. He stood blankly on the mountain path, staring at Yao'er, completely helpless.

However, Yao'er's nerves were incredibly thick. She had only cried for a few moments after squatting on the ground, with only three or five tears hanging from her eyes, when she completely forgot why she had been crying. She jumped up excitedly, grabbed Lin Xiao, and laughed, "Little Junior Brother, if you walk so slowly, when will we get to the Golden Birch Forest? Senior Sister doesn't have that much free time to accompany you chopping wood every day! Hmm, Senior Sister will take you to a fun place."

She scooped Lin Xiao up in her hands. Before Lin Xiao could protest, Yao'er joyfully let out a loud yell towards the sky, and her figure streaked forward along the mountain path like the wind. Lin Xiao tightly gripped the two firewood tools in his hands. All he saw were hazy streaks of light flashing by, and all he heard was the whistling wind. After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, he had no idea where Yao'er had taken him. Suddenly, Yao'er stopped abruptly and roughly threw Lin Xiao onto the ground.

Clang. Lin Xiao, who had been nearly nauseated by Yao'er's wild ride, tumbled over a dozen times on the ground. The iron axe and basket in his hands were flung far away, scraping against the rocks on the ground and sending out a shower of sparks. Yao'er clapped her hands and laughed heartily, "Little Junior Brother, look, isn't the place Senior Sister found beautiful?"

Lin Xiao, dizzy and sore all over from the fall, struggled to get up. He looked around and couldn't help but nod repeatedly, "Beautiful, beautiful!"

It was indeed very beautiful. It was a vast underground cavern. Countless colorful stalagmites hung down from the high cave ceiling. The stalagmites themselves emitted faint wisps of purple smoke, and strands of purple smoke intertwined above the cave, forming a thick layer of purple mist. Drops of crystal-clear, viscous liquid dripped from the stalagmites, pooling on the jade-like, smooth, and transparent ground to form a small pond, only about ten feet in diameter. Several sections of pale pink, transparent lotus root lay scattered in the pond. Three slender stems grew from the lotus root, and on the pond, there were two ink-green lotus leaves the size of washbasins and a large, vermilion lotus flower.

Drops of viscous liquid fell onto the lotus flower, constantly splashing up thumb-sized clusters of green mist. As one such cluster floated towards Lin Xiao, he accidentally inhaled it. Instantly, he felt as if he had eaten a chilled watermelon in the height of summer. His entire body felt refreshed, and every pore seemed to be emitting cool air with great comfort.

Especially his shoulders, which had been battered and bruised by the iron axe and basket these past two days, now felt a pleasant, tingling coolness. Lin Xiao quickly pulled open his clothes to check. He saw that his bruised and bloody shoulders were rapidly reducing in swelling and healing. In just a short while, both his shoulders had returned to their original fair and delicate state, without a trace of injury.

Could just a small cluster of mist have such an effect? With the sensitivity of an alchemist, Lin Xiao pointed at the lotus flower and the two lotus leaves, opening his mouth to exclaim something, but no sound came out.

The green mist drifted aimlessly in all directions. Most of the mist turned into fine water vapor and fell into the small pond, which was about ten feet in diameter. Only a few clusters flew further away. What Lin Xiao had inhaled just now was one of these clusters that had flown further out.

"Senior Sister~~~ Senior Sister Yao'er~~~" Lin Xiao opened his mouth again and finally called out to Yao'er.

Yao'er yawned, withdrew her gaze from the lotus flower, winked triumphantly at Lin Xiao, and laughed heartily, "See, this is the place Senior Sister found. Isn't Senior Sister amazing? Hehe, actually, the medicinal pills Senior Sister refines all use the water from this pond! That's why Master and the others can't figure out the formula for the pills Senior Sister refines!"

Lin Xiao's face turned ashen. Looking at Yao'er, he felt as if he were looking at a demoness. He had received orthodox Daoist pill education at Spring Return Hall since childhood, so he naturally knew that a pill formula was often the result of tens of generations of painstaking refinement and careful consideration. When Yao'er refined pills, she had carelessly added this mysterious, viscous liquid. Who knew what strange changes had occurred in the pills she refined? The thought of the two black pills Yao'er had forced into his stomach made Lin Xiao tremble.

After a moment of silence, Lin Xiao gave a dry laugh, "Senior Sister, you haven't told Master and the others about this place?" Lin Xiao instinctively felt that this pond, the lotus root, the lotus flower, and the lotus leaves were all some kind of rare heavenly treasures. The Great Luo Pill Dao was famous throughout the cultivation world for its pill refining, so they would surely be able to make good use of these treasures.

"I won't tell them!" Yao'er, who had been smiling happily moments ago, suddenly became angry. She stomped her foot and yelled, "I won't tell them. Humph, Senior Sister just 'again' blew up a pill furnace, and they punished me by making me follow you around every day and not allowed to step into the pill room! Humph, such a beautiful place, I won't tell them!"

Swish. Yao'er suddenly rushed in front of Lin Xiao. She affectionately patted Lin Xiao's head and gently nudged his forehead with hers, chuckling, "Good Junior Brother, you won't tell Master and the others, will you? Hmm, Senior Sister will tell you, if you dare tell Master and the others about this place, humph humph, Senior Sister will strike you with Palm Lightning every day!"

Yao'er seemed to have no concept of gender boundaries. Her intimate actions made Lin Xiao blush profusely. Yao'er's fair face was less than an inch away from his, her rosy lips almost touching Lin Xiao's face. Especially the faint, cool fragrance emanating from her made Lin Xiao panic and retreat repeatedly. "Yes, yes, Junior Brother will absolutely not tell Master and the others. This place is your territory, Senior Sister, Junior Brother would never betray Senior Sister!"

As he retreated, Lin Xiao muttered to himself, "'Again' blew up a pill furnace '而已' (just/merely). The words 'again' and 'merely' are truly noteworthy."

Suddenly, Lin Xiao saw Yao'er put her hands behind her back, tilt her head, and look at him with a sly smile. Just as Lin Xiao felt something was wrong, his feet suddenly lost purchase, and he fell into the small pond. The viscous liquid in the pond, which seemed thick, was actually very light, its specific gravity even lighter than water. Lin Xiao plunged headfirst into the pond. His experience of trying to swim surfaced, but his body sank straight down. For a moment, he opened his mouth in horror, not knowing how much viscous liquid he had swallowed.

After finally steadying himself in the pond, Lin Xiao slowly climbed out and was horrified to find that Yao'er had taken off her shoes and socks and was soaking her fair legs in the pond. Lin Xiao stared blankly at Yao'er kicking her legs rapidly and yelled through gritted teeth, "Senior Sister, why are you washing your feet here?"

Yao'er blinked her big, innocent eyes at Lin Xiao. Seeing that Lin Xiao seemed a little angry, she also tilted her head in annoyance and hummed, "What's wrong with washing my feet? This is Senior Sister's bathtub!" She lightly tapped her chin with her slender fingers and giggled, "Senior Sister bathed here a few days ago. It's much more comfortable than the bathhouse at Spring Return Hall!"

"Bathtub!" The thought of the large amount of viscous liquid he had swallowed made Lin Xiao's insides crawl. He opened his mouth to try and spit something out, but the viscous liquid seemed to disappear as soon as it entered his body. His stomach felt empty, so what could he spit out?

With a dejected expression, Lin Xiao looked at Yao'er tearfully, no longer able to speak. He couldn't help but doubt Dan Fusheng's intentions. Was punishing Yao'er by making her follow him around all day, forbidding her from entering the pill room, or was it intentionally tormenting him? This Senior Sister, who was only a year older than Lin Xiao, had a much higher cultivation level than him. Yet, she was also incredibly carefree. In just these few days, Lin Xiao had already suffered enough from her.

Yao'er, however, continued to wash her feet, humming a song softly. She gently clapped her hands, and crisp "pa pa" sounds echoed through the cave.

Lin Xiao sat cross-legged behind Yao'er with a bitter gourd face and cautiously asked, "Senior Sister, are you just soaking your feet here? Junior Brother still has a lot of firewood to collect?"

Yao'er glanced at Lin Xiao absentmindedly, let out an absentminded "Oh," and then turned her attention back to the vermilion lotus flower in the center of the pond.

Lin Xiao's face twitched. Just as he was about to tell Yao'er that he would be punished by Dan Fusheng if he didn't bring back enough Golden Birch wood, Yao'er suddenly clapped her hands and laughed, "No rush, no rush. Just a moment, just a moment. Hmm, it's almost time. It happens once every forty-nine days, we can't miss it. The lotus seeds it produces are delicious."

Yao'er's nonsensical words left Lin Xiao bewildered. However, seeing that Yao'er's entire attention was focused on the vermilion lotus flower, he couldn't help but stare intently at it as well.

As time slowly passed, the two lotus leaves gradually unfurled. Ripples stirred the small pond, and wisps of ink-green mist sprayed from the leaves, enveloping the vermilion lotus flower. The lotus flower's stem trembled slightly, and a few drops of crystal-clear viscous liquid fell from the petals into the pond.

The colorful stalagmites in the air simultaneously emitted faint hums. From the tips of the stalagmites, streams of potent purple smoke shot out like arrows towards the lotus flower.

The vermilion lotus flower's petals swayed, and the stamens in the center of the flower suddenly sprayed out strands of colorful light, absorbing all the incoming purple smoke into the stamens. A radiant glow flowed through the thirty-six empty holes on the stamens, and a peculiar fragrance wafted from them. Lin Xiao inhaled this strange, clear fragrance and felt as if he had received a divine revelation. A surge of clear energy shot from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. His internal organs seemed to be actively absorbing this clear energy, and his entire body felt indescribably comfortable.

In the blink of an eye, thirty-six lotus seeds, glowing with flowing light, formed in the thirty-six empty holes of the stamens. The lotus flower's stem twitched violently, and with a few soft 'puff puff' sounds, the lotus seeds shot out from the stamens, streaking towards the sky with wisps of colorful light.

Yao'er let out a joyful cry, her body suddenly leaping up. With practiced skill, she caught the thirty-six lotus seeds in her hands.

She swooped down and casually tossed half the lotus seeds to Lin Xiao, urging, "Eat quickly, eat quickly. They won't be as tasty if they get cold."

While urging Lin Xiao, Yao'er haphazardly stuffed eighteen lotus seeds into her mouth. Instantly, rainbow light flickered across her fair face, and gradually, a refined fragrance emanated from her entire body. Yao'er took a deep breath, sat down cross-legged, formed a "lightning-drawing seal" with her hands, and slowly began to circulate her qi.

Lin Xiao was completely stunned. He had never imagined that such miraculous things could exist in the world! A strange lotus flower, a strange pond, a strange cave dwelling, and so many strange stalagmites, all resulted in the production of so many strange lotus seeds in just a few breaths of time!

The cultivation world was indeed a completely different world from the mortal world.

With a soft sigh, Lin Xiao followed Yao'er's example and stuffed all eighteen lotus seeds into his mouth in one go.

As soon as the Lotus Seeds entered his mouth, they transformed into eighteen streams of heat that surged into his body. Lin Xiao felt a fragrant aroma filling his mouth, and his entire body felt so light he thought he might float away. He imitated Yao'er and sat down cross-legged. Just as he was about to circulate the Evergreen Art to digest this obviously wondrous stream of heat, he suddenly saw Yao'er, who was also cross-legged and cultivating, open her eyes in absolute horror.

"Junior Brother, eat slower!" Yao'er screamed. "Senior Sister was confused. When I first started, I could only take two Lotus Seeds. Now, I can only eat eighteen at a time. Your cultivation is far inferior to mine; you can't eat eighteen!"

Lin Xiao's body stiffened abruptly. He glared at Yao'er, almost bursting into tears. "Senior Sister, when were you ever not confused?"

However, the words couldn't escape his lips. The stream of heat had already exploded like a bomb in Lin Xiao's stomach. He let out a muffled groan, his white Daoist robe stained crimson by blood sprayed from his pores. He rolled his eyes, gave Yao'er an incredibly resentful look, and promptly collapsed onto the ground.

Yao'er scrambled to her feet, rushed to Lin Xiao's side, and hugged his body, sobbing. "Junior Brother~~~ sob sob, you can't die~~~ sob sob, it's not that it doesn't matter if you die~~~ sob sob, Senior Sister probably won't be able to enter the pill room for the rest of her life~~~" Yao'er desperately shook Lin Xiao's body and slapped his cheeks forcefully, hoping to wake him up.

With crisp slapping sounds, Lin Xiao's cheeks puffed up, quickly becoming two large, swollen red patches.

Suddenly, Yao'er stopped crying. She blinked and muttered to herself, "That's strange. The first time I ate thirty-six Lotus Seeds, I almost died from being stuffed. Hmm, how did I survive?"

She scratched her head vigorously, mussing her hair into a messy tangle around her head. Yao'er, with her disheveled hair like a female ghost, suddenly burst into laughter and jumped up. "I remember now! This Lotus Root can save lives!"

She jumped up quickly, and her arm inadvertently lifted Lin Xiao more than three feet into the air. Lin Xiao, like a dead pig, crashed heavily back onto the ground.

Thump. Lin Xiao's head directly impacted the ground. Without the protection of his internal energy, a blood clot the size of a fist quickly swelled on his head.

Yao'er stuck out her tongue, blinked her eyes, and glanced around somewhat guiltily. When she saw that no one was around, she clapped her hands in delight, patted Lin Xiao's face forcefully, and whispered, "Serves you right for scaring me, hmph!"

Casually picking up Lin Xiao, Yao'er submerged him into the pond. Then, she jumped into the pond herself and dug out a fist-sized piece of Lotus Root from the bottom.

Returning to Lin Xiao's side, Yao'er pried open his mouth, intending to stuff the Lotus Root inside. However, the piece she dug out was too large, and unlike the Lotus Seeds, it wouldn't transform into pure energy and integrate into the body upon entering the mouth. Yao'er wore a distressed expression and pondered for a long time. Suddenly, she clapped her hands and laughed, "I have a way! Can this stump Yao'er? Master's wife said, hehe, actually Yao'er is the most, most, most, most intelligent, she just hasn't awakened her spiritual intelligence!"

"Uh, what is spiritual intelligence?" Yao'er became confused again. She blankly patted Lin Xiao's face, making it even redder and more swollen.

After thinking for a long time, Yao'er still couldn't figure out what 'spiritual intelligence' was. She shook her head, habitually ignoring the question she couldn't understand for the moment. She opened her small mouth, bit off a piece of Lotus Root, chewed it carefully, and slowly fed it into Lin Xiao's mouth.

As the Lotus Root entered his abdomen, it slowly transformed into a clear stream that flowed throughout Lin Xiao's body, gently collecting the explosive airflow generated by the Lotus Seeds into his Dantian.

Lin Xiao moaned and slowly opened his eyes. He happened to see Yao'er humming a little tune, leaning over with her small mouth, feeding him a mouthful of fragrant Lotus Root.

Yao'er's small mouth met Lin Xiao's lips tightly.

Yao'er felt nothing wrong with this action, but Lin Xiao was entranced. (To be continued)