Cleansing Curtain; Ji Muba

"Distinguished guests, please don't stand on ceremony. I am merely an ordinary servant at Jade Ring Pool, unworthy of the title of Immortal Master. Given your status, please address me simply by my name, Yu Zhen."

Yu Zhen walked ahead, her blue brocade robe billowing like the clear sky reflected in a lake.

"A cultivator at the Condensing Water Realm could establish a sect in the outside world, yet he's merely a servant in the Jade Ring Pool. The Jade Ring Pool certainly has a grand vision."

Xiao Yu was still dressed as a fisherwoman, and her appearance remained unchanged. You Su was secretly surprised, though. This woman was not particularly tall among the women You Su knew, yet she exuded a noble and dignified aura.

"You flatter me, Fairy. In the Divine Mountain, Condensing Water Realm wouldn't even qualify as a servant," Yu Zhen replied with a faint smile, glancing at You Su behind her, seemingly implying something.

"Jade Immortal Master Yu is too modest. The path of the Great Dao is judged by progress, not status. Your cultivation is far superior to mine, so you deserve to be addressed as Immortal Master." You Su was polite and had a warm smile.

Yu Zhen smiled broadly, "People say that the geniuses of Mount Henggao are all arrogant and look down on cultivators outside the mountain. In my opinion, this is nonsense."

Yu Zhen speaks with great sophistication. He seems to put himself in a very low position, yet he never makes anyone look down on him. When you talk to him, it feels like a gentle spring breeze.

The three walked slowly into the green mountains. Along the way, the path was paved with ancient and neat spirit wood flooring, each piece carefully carved with intricate lotus pond patterns. On both sides of the forest path were exotic flowers and jade trees that exuded a faint fragrance, yet their outstretched branches and leaves did not appear messy.

Even though You Su couldn't see it, he could sense that the path leading to the pool had been built with great elegance, which was enough to show how much Jade Ring Pool valued its guests. But strangely, Jade Ring Pool, which was willing to spend a lot of money to build such a path, suddenly refused to accept guests.

After walking several hundred steps, a sudden splashing sound of water coming from deep within the forest path came from the little fish. The Xiao Yu frowned and looked ahead. Sure enough, a curtain of water blocked its way.

The rugged rocks are polished smooth as a mirror by the waterfall. The source of this waterfall is the clear water flowing down from the mountain. The water droplets fall on the wooden path, stirring up a thin mist, which then condenses into water and flows into the streams on both sides.

"This is the Cleansing Curtain."

Yu Zhen paused, turned back, and smiled as she introduced the two visitors You Su and Xiao Yu, to the newcomers:

"Only after passing through this curtain will you be in the true territory of Jade Ring Pool. Distinguished guests, need not worry; the Cleansing Curtain will not actually wet you, but will merely wash away worldly dust and restore your true self. Even someone who has just crawled out of the mud will find their robes sparkling clean after passing through Cleansing Curtain."

Is there any water in the world that won't get your clothes wet?

Although she was wearing a plain dress made of coarse linen, Xiao Yu was, after all, a woman, and she still cared about such things.

"My Fairy, you may not know this, but the water in the Cleansing Curtain is from the Unstained Spring on the mountain. This spring is quite miraculous, and it can only be found in the Jade Ring Pool. It is normal that Fairy do not know this."

Yu Zhen took two steps forward, walked to the pool formed by the waterfall, scooped up a handful of water, and then sprinkled it on the soil beside the wooden path. He said:

"If you don't believe me, Fairy, look. The water from the Unstained Spring not only doesn't stain clothes, but it can't even let soil seep in."

The Xiao Yu looked closely and saw that the water that Yu Zhen had sprinkled was still spread on the soil, not a single drop had seeped in, like transparent gems falling into the soil.

"Although Jade Ring Pool is one of the sacred lands of the Five Continents and its reputation is not widespread, it doesn't mean that Jade Ring Jade Ring Pool doesn't care about its reputation. It's just that Jade Ring Pool doesn't seek a illustrious name, but rather a name of purity and nobility." Yu Zhen straightened up, his tone calm, yet one could hear the innate pride of being Jade Ring Pool Immortal Master. "This Unstained Spring is unstained by all things and has the power to purify all things, so passing through this Cleansing Curtain is a necessary etiquette for entering Jade Ring Pool. I hope the Fairy understands."

Xiao Yu hesitated for a moment. She knew very well that Yu Zhen had seen through her disguise, and Yu Zhen's attitude also made Xiao Yu understand that if she wanted to enter the Jade Ring Pool, she had to take off all her disguises and show her true identity.

The girl with pale yellow skin straightened her expression, no longer hesitating, and walked towards the Cleansing Curtain.

As she stepped into the water curtain, droplets of water slid down her head, flowed over her cheeks, and then ran down her clothes.

Surprisingly, Xiao Yu had expected the spring water to be icy cold, but it was actually warm as jade.

After she walked through the water curtain, her coarse clothes and linen skirt were indeed transformed, but what changed even more was her face—

She was no longer the pretty fisherwoman; her new face was fair and white as snow, with exquisitely beautiful features. Yet, her beauty was not without its flaws; it was a perfect blend of coldness and allure, like a noble venomous snake lurking in the moonlight, its tongue flicking.

If You Su could open his eyes, he might even discover that this face was exactly the same as that of his beloved junior sister Ji Lingruo.

Ji Xueruo standing on the other side of the water curtain. She looked back at the flowing water on the ground and found that the water was still clear, so she turned her gaze away with relief.

She had gone to great lengths to disguise herself as Xiao Yu, and now the water had been Cleansing Curtain washed clean. If she were to turn the water black and that man surnamed Xu saw her, he might mistakenly think she was very dirty, which would be disastrous.

She was of high moral character and held a prominent position, so of course she didn't want others to have such misunderstandings about her.

"Young Master You, please." Yu Zhen gestured with her hand.

You Su nodded and walked towards the water curtain without hesitation.

Ji Xueruo watched You Su walk towards her step by step, she thought to herself that this young man from the sacred mountain was indeed not surnamed Xu, and she wondered if his exquisite appearance was also a disguise.

You Su quickly gave her an answer. The Cleansing Curtain did not change his appearance at all; it only made his black robe appear even more profound. Dazzling water droplets fell from his body, making him appear even more radiant.

"Young Master You is truly a man of extraordinary talent and refined manners," Yu Zhen exclaimed sincerely.

Ji Xueruo hearing this, but silently grumbled a few words to herself.

She looked at Yu Zhen, who had appeared on the other side of the water curtain without her noticing, and was somewhat surprised.

She seemed... not to have seen him pass through the Cleansing Curtain. But since he was a person from Jade Ring Pool, whether he passed through the curtain or not seemed to be irrelevant.

"You two distinguished guests have finished cleaning up. Please follow me, and I will lead you to your resting place."

You Su was slightly taken aback. The man immediately led his people to a resting place; did Yu Zhen mean they would stay there for an extended period?

"Jade Immortal Master, I don't need to rest. I have important business at Jade Immortal Master Jade Ring Pool, and I hope you can introduce me to someone."

"Young Master You, who would you like me to introduce you to?"

"I have come here on the orders of the Third Elder of the Xuanxiao Sect and Bihua Venerable, to pay my respects to the Venerables of Jade Ring Pool," You Su replied respectfully.

Yu Zhen smiled in response and said:

"Young Master You, please don't be impatient. Even if the Third Elder were to come in person, it wouldn't be easy for the elders to see him. However, Young Master You need not worry. Jade Ring Pool hasn't had a distinguished guest of your caliber for a long time. Jade Ring Pool will fulfill your desires for whoever you wish to see and what you want. You only need to wait patiently."

You Su remained silent, knowing that haste makes waste.

The arrogance that Yu Zhen had just revealed showed that although the people of the Divine Mountain seemed to be a cut above the people of the other ten Spiritual Life Blessed Land, the people of those ten Spiritual Life Blessed Land did not see it that way.

In the end, he was just a True Disciple. It was neither appropriate for his status nor proper for him to want to see the head of the family as soon as he entered.

For now, we can only wait and see.

"It was You Su who offended you, Jade Immortal Master. Please lead the way."

"Young Master You, there's no need to apologize. As I said, you are a long-awaited distinguished guest of Jade Ring Pool. You have a favor to ask of Jade Ring Pool, and Jade Ring Pool also has a favor to ask of you, so please rest assured."

"You need something from me?"

You Su was somewhat surprised, not understanding what this vast blessed land could ask of a naive young man like himself; even less did he understand how he had become a long-absent honored guest of Jade Ring Pool.

Yu Zhen smiled and nodded, then walked up to the two of them, preparing to continue leading the way.

Ji Xueruo walked with an air of superiority, her graceful steps carrying her onward. Even her worn-out fishing skirt couldn't conceal her noble bearing. She glanced at You Su and said:

"How stupid."

You Su naturally knew that the girl was cursing him. He found it amusing. This Xiao Yu girl was enthusiastic when he first met her, aloof when he met her again, and now she had become sharp-tongued. He felt that she was ever-changing and wondered which one was her true self.

He cast a questioning look at the girl and asked, "Does Miss Xiao Yu have any insightful opinion?"

Ji Xueruo smiled disdainfully:

"Jade Ring Pool is currently in seclusion, and few outsiders enter. There is much discussion about Jade Ring Pool outside. You are a rare guest from the sacred mountain, so Jade Ring Pool will naturally treat you with the utmost courtesy so that you can clear Jade Ring Pool's name after you leave. Otherwise, why would Jade Ring Pool treat a mere junior in the Spirit Platform Middle Stage Realm as such an honored guest?"

You Su then realized what was happening and clasped her hands in thanks to Ji Xueruo, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Miss Xiao Yu."

Yu Zhen then turned to Ji Xueruo and smiled, "Miss Ji, don't forget, you are also a long-awaited distinguished guest of Jade Ring Pool."

"Miss Ji?!"

Ji Xueruo she was startled by the exclamation. She glared at You Su and asked:

"What's the big deal?"

"It was my rudeness, but I have an old friend who also shares the surname Ji."

Looking at You Su's handsome face, Ji Xueruo was filled with doubt and surprise. This young man first said that he came from Chuyun City and had a connection with the Xuanxiao Sect. He was not only the handsome young man with a sword in his sister's words, but also an old friend with the surname Ji... The most coincidental thing was that he really did have the surname You.

Could it be that I've searched high and low without finding him, only to discover he's my brother-in-law right in front of me?!

"It's alright. What's the full name of your old friend with the surname Ji? The surname Ji is rare; perhaps I really do know him."

"Her name... is Ji Lingruo," You Su said, enunciating each word carefully.

Upon uttering those three words, Ji Xueruo's entire demeanor changed drastically. The cold, venomous snake, its scales touched, immediately revealed its fierce fangs.

You Su, puzzled, asked, "Do you know Miss Ji?"

Upon being asked, Ji Xueruo completely suppressed her hostility, as if it had all been a misunderstanding.

Regardless of You Su's constitution or what benefits he brought to Lingruo, he was still a bad person who took Lingruo's virginity without any legal status.

Seeing that she had not yet been exposed, Ji Xueruo devised a plan. She could use her identity as a stranger to carefully assess whether this young man was qualified to become the son-in-law of their snake clan.

"I don't know him."

You Su blinked. "If you don't know me, why were you acting so fierce just now?"

"May I ask what Miss Ji's full name is?"

"Asking a woman's name on the first meeting, you're quite adept at doing that?" Ji Xueruo frowned slightly, her tone cold.

"Miss Ji, you misunderstand. I had no intention of offending you."

You Su smiled awkwardly and apologized, but inwardly he was equally surprised and uncertain, wishing he could open his eyes immediately to see the face of the person in front of him.

Even if the other person might not be her junior sister's biological sister, they must be someone close to her. You Su immediately straightened her back, hoping that she would appear tall and imposing in the other person's eyes.

"Young Master Xu, you should tell me your name first," Ji Xueruo glanced at You Su again, and said disdainfully, "Don't tell me your name is You Haolong, will it?"

"I was out in the world and had no choice in what I was doing. I didn't mean to deceive Miss Ji. My name is You Su. Miss Ji, please just call me by my name."

"How could I dare? Let's just call him Young Master You, so that the 'Su' in his name isn't fake either." Ji Xueruo withdrew her gaze, speaking sarcastically.

You Su felt helpless, but she couldn't argue with the woman about her double standards. She had clearly been using a false identity until she passed through the Cleansing Curtain.

"Then, Miss Ji..."

"Ji Muba," Ji Xueruo blurted out casually.

You Su remained silent. It seemed the other party wasn't prepared to be honest with him. Despite having a thousand questions about his junior sister, he couldn't bring himself to ask them with Yu Zhen beside him. He could only hope that once things settled down, Ji Muba would lower her guard against him.

Yu Zhen walked ahead, secretly sighing that the name given by the snake clan chief was rather unbelievable, and turned back to tease him:

"Miss Ji's name is truly powerful."

Ji Xueruo's expression froze, slightly embarrassed. Fortunately, Yu Zhen didn't expose her disguise directly. She glanced at You Su's eyes again. Knowing that he was blind, Ji Xueruo felt more confident. Since he couldn't see, as long as she didn't admit it, he couldn't make any judgment.

"Can't women be assertive?" Ji Xueruo retorted seriously.

"Yu Zhen had no such intention. Both of you are outstanding individuals, and in Yu Zhen's eyes, you are both extremely domineering."

Upon Ji Xueruo glanced at You Su and felt that this 'skinny monkey' had absolutely nothing to do with the word 'domineering'.

The three remained silent afterward and continued on their way, until the welcoming road finally came to an end.

Descending over the mountain, a vast expanse of water came into view. From a distance, the lake surface looked like fragments of the sky fallen to earth, forming a natural mirror that reflected the verdant mountains and the magnificent palaces that seemed to connect with the stars.

Despite it being autumn, ten thousand lotus flowers of the Five-Colored Heavenly Flower bloom wildly on the vast lake, their emerald green leaves standing tall like canopies, resembling the emerald umbrellas held up by the goddess of the lake.

You Su smelled the sweet, refreshing lake breeze rising up the slope, he knew that he had finally arrived at Jade Ring Pool.

"Young Master You, this is your bedchamber. There are two maids attending to you outside. Please feel free to ask them if you have any needs or questions."

Yu Zhen poured half a cup of tea for You Su and handed it to him.

"Thank you for your trouble, Jade Immortal Master You Su. I am but an ignorant young man, yet Jade Ring Pool has prepared such a luxurious palace for me. I am filled with trepidation."

You Su dared not accept the tea. He had already scanned the private bedroom prepared for him with his Divine Sense. Its size was as large as the entire Mandarin Sword Sect. More importantly, this bedroom was not a carved building built on the mountain surrounding Jade Ring Pool, but a waterside pavilion by Jade Ring Pool. This was definitely not the kind of treatment a Spirit Platform Realm like him should enjoy.

"Young Master You, please do not be modest. Even True Disciple of the Xuanxiao Sect would not receive better treatment here. All this is because you are the disciple of Lotus Sword Venerable Young Master You. Lotus Sword Venerable has a close relationship with Jade Ring Pool, and the heads of the various clans have long instructed that you be given special care."

"Does Jade Immortal Master know when I may meet with the heads of the various families?"

Yu Zhen looked up and met You Suqing's eyes, then comforted him, "It won't be long, Young Master You, please don't be so reserved. Just think of it as a visit to Yu Huan Pond."

Yu Zhen stood up, suddenly clapped her hands, and shouted towards the outside of the hall:

"Yu Meng, Yu Long, come in and help Young Master You bathe and change."

At his command, a pair of exquisitely beautiful sisters gracefully entered the hall.

They possessed strikingly similar beauty, one in a blue dress and the other in a green one, yet both were scantily clad, revealing most of their snow-white breasts and long, shapely legs...