Fish Transformation Illness; Lotus Seed Soup

The Xiao Yu were not placed by the lake, but halfway up the mountain.

This is the area where ordinary cultivators of Jade Ring Pool live. Compared to the lakeside palace where only Ji Xueruo resides, the buildings here are much more densely packed. Fortunately, it was already late at night, there were no pedestrians on the road, and the lights were sparse.

Even among cultivators of the Jade Ring Pool, there are different ranks based on talent and cultivation level. The immortals of the Jade Ring Pool are collectively known as the Jade Clan. The ancestors of the Jade Clan did not care about the so-called main family or branch family in order to encourage all clan members to advance. As long as one had the surname Jade, one could earn what one deserved in the Jade Ring Pool through strength. It is said that Venerable Shenxi, one of the three family heads, walked step by step from the outer edge of the Jade Ring Pool to the inner ring, and eventually miraculously became the family head.

Ji Xueruo concealed her cultivation level using specially learned Technique Method, making her difficult to detect unless there was a significant difference in their cultivation levels. As a result, she traveled without any obstacles.

She secretly sighed, perhaps because Jade Ring Pool was secluded from the world and protected by a great array, it rarely encountered any villains with ulterior motives, which was why the security measures in the pool were so lax.

She pushed open the door, used a silent-suppressing technique to mute the sound, and quietly went inside.

Unexpectedly, upon entering, there was a huge wooden basin filled with water, and small Xiao Yu draped in thin cloaks lay quietly in the water.

Her bright eyes blinked, like two jewels in the dim candlelight. And her lower body, which had been submerged in water, was now much better than before.

This agile fisherwoman has a pair of long, strong legs, now covered in a fine black liquid, with lingering fish scales on her calves, reflecting the faint light in the water.

After carefully observing the visitor who had suddenly arrived late at night, Xiao Yu quickly put away her guard. She remembered Ji Xueruo's appearance, not only because Ji Xueruo had impersonated her for a period of time, but also because the girl's beauty was unforgettable.

"Sister Ji, you've come to see me!"

The Xiao Yu was pleasantly surprised. She wrapped her clothes tighter and prepared to stand up from the water, but her legs were clearly not strong enough to support her movement, and she only managed to create a few splashes.

"Hmm..." Ji Xueruo closed the door and took a few more steps toward the wooden tub.

Seeing Xiao Yu getting better, most of her worries disappeared.

"It's so late, aren't you asleep yet?"

Xiao Yu was taken aback for a moment, then said, "When I was sick before, I slept all day long. How can I sleep now?"

"It seems the Jade Ring Pool has helped you recover quite well." Ji Xueruo's voice was as cold as ever, even when she was expressing concern.

"Yes, I'm truly grateful to the immortal masters of Jade Ring Pool. I thought I was destined to become that kind of monster forever."

The Xiao Yu clenched its tiny hands, looking as if it were still shaken.

"But I'm most grateful to Grandpa and Sister Ji."

"No need to thank me. Your grandfather worked very hard to catch fish for you. Once you get better, you should take good care of him."

"Xiao Yu will!" Xiao Yu said confidently, adding, "After Xiao Yu turned into a monster, she lost her mind. I was afraid that others would find out, so I asked Sister Ji to disguise herself in such a crude appearance. Now that I think about it, I really felt bad for Sister Ji."

"It's alright, Xiao Yu is very pretty too." It felt a bit awkward for Ji Xueruo to comfort people, so she added, "Besides, my relationship with your grandfather was just a transaction. I got your family heirloom by acting for a few days, so I made a good profit too."

As she spoke, she took out the necklace that Old Yu had given her from her bosom. Hanging from the necklace was a nearly withered, off-white lotus seed.

Xiao Yu glanced at the necklace and said sadly:

"That thing was actually useless to us, but our ancestors treasured it and passed it down from generation to generation. Thinking about it now, it's actually quite ridiculous."

"Why do you say that?" Ji Xueruo asked curiously.

The Xiao Yu lowered her head, placing her hand on her empty collarbone. Her grandfather had given her the necklace when she was three years old, and she wore it day and night as she grew up. Now that the necklace was gone, she didn't feel lost at all, but rather a sense of relief.

"The lotus seeds on the necklace are the fruits that grow after the ten thousand lotus flowers in Jade Ring Pool wither. Each time they bear fruit, tens of thousands of lotus seeds are born. The immortals have more lotus seeds than they can use. They casually tossed one to the fisherman as a reward, and the Yu family ancestors were overwhelmed with gratitude. Then they diligently fished for more than ten generations. Isn't that foolish and ridiculous?"

The Xiao Yu's voice was tinged with melancholy, yet also with excitement:

"The immortal master who healed me told me that Xiao Yu possesses Spirit Vein, and once I am cured, I will be bestowed the surname Yu and remain at Jade Ring Pool as an immortal. Xiao Yu was overjoyed when she heard this, because she would no longer have to be a fisherwoman. Her father and mother died of illness, yet she still had to inherit the Yu family's destiny of fishing for generations. This necklace, a reward from the immortals for the Yu family's fishing achievements, was like a shackle, preventing the Yu family from ever leaving the lake. Fortunately, Jade Ring Pool accepted me! From now on, there will be no more Little Xiao Yu, only Little Xiao Yu!"

Ji Xueruo opened her beautiful eyes slightly. The aura emanating from this fisherwoman with somewhat dark skin surprised her, yet also felt somewhat familiar to her.

It turns out that even such a frail little girl wants to change her fate.

"Congratulations, Xiao Yu! But don't be arrogant just because you're capable of cultivation. You've only just reached the threshold."

"Yes, yes, I definitely will! I want to become Fairy like Sister Ji, both powerful and beautiful! And I want to bring Grandpa in too!"

"It's good that you have this intention." Ji Xueruo asked, "Have the people at Jade Ring Pool said what kind of illness you have?"

"They say it's called fish disease. Besides me, two other maids at Jade Ring Pool also had this disease before, and they both recovered."

"Is it a case of fish turning into jelly? Do you know the cause of this disease?"

Xiao Yu shook her head. "They don't know either."

"If they didn't know your illness, how did they cure you?"

"The lotus seeds from these jade lotuses in Jade Ring Pool are a miraculous spirit medicine. I eat one every day, and my illness naturally improves. However, it will take some time for me to fully recover."

Lotus seeds... Ji Xueruo looked at the lotus seed necklace in her hand. In the past, the Yu family regarded it as a family heirloom and were reluctant to eat it. Now, Xiao Yu could get it easily. No wonder she felt such a big sense of disparity.

"Xiao Yu, do you remember how you got this strange disease?"

When Xiao Yu was sick before, she suffered terribly, often fell into a coma, and was unable to communicate at all.

Xiao Yu pondered for a moment and replied, "Xiao Yu really doesn't know. At the time, I only knew that I was sick and lying in bed feeling very uncomfortable. I kept wanting to drink water, but no matter how much I drank, I couldn't get enough. In the end, I could only soak in the fish cellar, and that's how I ended up like that."

"This disease is truly unheard of..."

"Don't worry, Sister Ji. The Immortal Master told me that they also take this disease very seriously and will definitely figure it out soon."

I hope so.

Ji Xueruo sighed. If the Xiao Yu also recovered, then the stubborn thorn that couldn't be completely removed would also heal. Surrounded by this idyllic Jade Ring Pool, had she really been too suspicious...?

"Sister Ji, did you complete what you needed to do at the Jade Ring Pool?"

"Soon, just a few more days." Ji Xueruo nodded.

"Yay! Jade Ring Pool is wonderful!" the Xiao Yu exclaimed.

"Mm." Ji Xueruo responded softly, then added, "Then you should rest well. I'll come see you again in a couple of days. Once you've fully recovered, I'll give you some more gifts to help you ascend to immortality soon."

"Thank you, Sister Ji! You're such a kind person, Sister Ji!"

Ji Xueruo simply nodded, then turned back to say goodbye to Xiao Yu with her eyes before disappearing into the night.

The Xiao Yu remained seated in the wooden tub. Her hand stroked the scales on her calves, and the black blood seemed to begin to move, gradually spreading towards her feet.

Behind her, Yu Zhen emerged silently, like a ghost gradually taking shape in the darkness.

"Xiao Yu did a great job, here's your reward."

Yu Zhen slowly opened her hand, revealing three fresh white lotus seeds in her palm, emitting a refreshing fragrance.

Xiao Yu was startled by the person who came. She had guessed that Yu Zhen would come, but she did not expect her to come so suddenly.

"Lord Zhen." Xiao Yu bowed respectfully.

Yu Zhen hummed in agreement, walked to the wooden basin, and gazed at the Xiao Yu's agile legs covered in black veins and scales, her eyes growing increasingly fascinated.

She's getting more and more beautiful...

"Thank you for your praise, Lord Xie Zhen. This is all thanks to Jade Ring Pool. But will my deception really work?"

"Lie? But what word have you uttered?!" Yu Zhen's voice suddenly turned as cold as iron. He glared at Xiao Yu, "Or do you really believe that this is an illness?"

"Xiao Yu wouldn't dare!"

Xiao Yu's face paled instantly, and she tried to struggle to her feet and kneel down. Yu Zhen pressed down on her shoulder, preventing her from moving.

"You're still at a crucial stage of transformation, don't make any rash moves!"

Yu Zhen's tone was icy, sending chills down one's spine. He sighed again and said gently:

"Xiao Yu, don't forget, when you were three years old, your grandfather knelt on the deck of the boat begging me to take you into the immortal sect, but you had no Spirit Vein, and I refused him. Now you have suddenly developed Spirit Vein. You must know that this is not an illness, but a gift from the Water God."

The Xiao Yu trembled all over and nodded vigorously.

"This is merely the necessary process for a mortal to transform into an immortal. Do not be afraid, accept it, and feel its beauty... Isn't it what made you who you are?"

Yu Zhen was a refined and handsome middle-aged man. A shadow shrouded half of his face as he stretched out his finger and caressed Xiao Yu's face with rapt attention.

"How did you end up with such smooth skin after all that wind and sun? Weren't you always insecure about your dark complexion? It's okay, once you become an immortal, you'll have flawless, fair skin just like them, becoming Fairy adored by everyone..."

The Xiao Yu's trembling gradually subsided, and its two straight legs pressed tightly together.

"Besides, don't you want your grandfather to receive the Water God's blessing too? He's very old; if he doesn't become an immortal soon, he'll be buried..."

Yu Zhen lifted Xiao Yu's chin and raised her head. Xiao Yu slowly raised her eyes, her gaze filled with unwavering determination.

Yu Zhen looked into her eyes and smiled contentedly.

He gently pried open the Xiao Yu's mouth, and the Xiao Yu eagerly stuck out its tongue to reach for the three lotus seeds, as if it were addicted.

The night sky was like a black sea, silent, vast, and mysterious.

Ji Xueruo walked along the wooden path, her steps very slow and even.

She didn't understand why she was still worried when the Xiao Yu was fine.

If Jade Ring Pool really wanted to harm her, she had no power to resist on his territory.

She sighed softly. At first, she was a little proud, thinking she could see through the secrets of the Jade Ring Pool. Now, she realized that its millennia-old heritage was far beyond her comprehension.

Now, all she hopes for is for the Lotus Root Heart to mature quickly so she can take it back to the snake clan.

She looked up at the sky; the stars and moon were dim tonight.

The distant mountains are faintly visible, like clouds, or perhaps floating pavilions in the sky. Within these pavilions dwell immortals, where a flickering orange-red light shines...

"Saintess, you sought me out here so late just to release Sky Lantern?"

You Su stood by the rocks, and in his pitch-black vision, a bright orange-red hue could be seen.

The candlelight inside the Sky Lantern was so bright that it cast a rosy glow on Yu Die's exquisite face, making her look like a goddess emerging from the candlelight.

"What's wrong? Is it not allowed?" Yu Die asked playfully.

You Su remained silent. Perhaps because he had been suppressed by this small world for too long, the Saintess was far more lively and charming than he had imagined. In fact, one could say she had become somewhat unruly.

You Su rarely refused the Saintess's requests. He always had a feeling that this young girl, in the prime of her life, would soon die. Her beauty seemed to have a magical power, making it unbearable to watch her wither away with regret.

"I read in a book that there is a custom of releasing Sky Lantern in the mortal world. Every year during festivals, people in towns Sky Lantern cities of all sizes will release Sky Lantern together. They write their wishes and hopes on them and send Heavenly Dao to the heavens to pray for their blessings. Young Master You, have you ever released Sky Lantern?"

"I am a practitioner of spiritual cultivation; I do not believe in these things."

"What's wrong with cultivators?" Yu Die no longer spoke to You Su with the same politeness as before. She scoffed, "Isn't it precisely because they are cultivators that they should revere the Heavenly Dao even more?"

"The Saintess is right." You Su had no intention of arguing with her.

"I made this Sky Lantern myself based on what I learned in a book, and I don't know if it can actually fly."

Ever since she lit the candle, Yu Die had been intentionally or unintentionally pressing down on the Sky Lantern, not daring to know the answer to the question too soon.

"If this one can't fly, we can just make another one. It will fly eventually," You Su comforted her.

Yu Die glanced at him, somewhat wistfully, "But for it, it only has one chance to take off, doesn't it? The ones that fly up after it are also called Sky Lantern, but they're not it anymore."

You Su listened without saying a word.

This young girl is innocent, yet she often expresses mature sentiments, her words always seeming to hint at her own fate—like the White Dragon Carp that can't swim out of the Jade Ring Pool, or the Wish Lantern that can't fly into the sky.

"Young Master You, I'm going to release Sky Lantern on the cliff ahead. Thank you so much; without your company, I wouldn't have been allowed to come this far."

"The Saintess doesn't actually need to release it from such a high place. If you release Sky Lantern at the Little Pond Palace, it will fly just as well."

"Young Master You, please don't be such a spoilsport." Yu Die put her hands on her hips and pouted her cherry lips.

You Su gave a soft "hmm," Yu Die smiled, the curve of her lips as perfect as a crescent moon.

Barefoot, she tiptoed towards the edge of the cliff. She was born with the legs of a peerless dancer, straight and slender like two jade chopsticks.

The wind howled from the cliff, carrying the sound of leaves rustling through the forest.

Beneath the cliff, the carved towers and the Jade Ring Pool slumbered in the tranquil night.

Because You Su was standing right behind her, she boldly stepped directly onto the edge of the cliff.

Gravel rolled down at her feet, hitting the mountainside with a soft sound. Yu Die's face turned crimson, not from shyness, but from her inner excitement.

She rarely had the chance to stand in such a dangerous place, and looking at the tiny things below, she felt an urge to take flight herself.

Yu Die held the Sky Lantern, which was wider than herself, between her hands, and then smiled at the sky:

"Young Master You, in my world, things either bloom or wither. So, it either falls to the ground and shatters into pieces, or it soars straight up to the heavens. Now, do you understand why I placed it here?"

"It will take off."

I think so too.

Yu Die smiled freely, her black hair cascading down like a waterfall, and she released her grip on the Sky Lantern.

But the next scene made her pale. The Sky Lantern showed no sign of rising, even though she had felt a slight lift when she pressed it to the ground.

Unexpectedly, this lift was just an unrealistic fantasy. Once it was truly lifted off the ground, the Sky Lantern's own gravity acted like a leg being held back by fate, causing it to fall endlessly.

Yu Die couldn't believe the Sky Lantern's failure, just as she didn't want to admit that she would never be able to escape this exquisite birdcage.

Her eyes instantly hardened, and she leaned forward, reaching out as if to save the Sky Lantern!

But she couldn't save the Sky Lantern she had made herself, the one that embodied her boundless thoughts, just as she couldn't save herself.

The sand and gravel beneath her feet offered no support for such a movement, and her body seemed to be suspended in mid-air, about to fall towards the cliff face!

She looked straight at the ground, and the tears that rolled down her cheeks seemed to freeze in mid-air for a moment.

That's it... Let's end it here...

A wave of intense fatigue washed over her, making her body, which was as light as a willow leaf, feel as heavy as a stone.

At the critical moment, a broad and strong hand embraced her slender waist.

She turned around in surprise, meeting You Su's face, which remained bright even in the darkness:

"Young Master You..."

"Saintess, do you really want to die?!"

You Su practically roared those words.

Yu Die didn't know why, but she felt a great sense of security from the hand pressed against her abdomen. She couldn't tell if she was doing it to save the lamp, or if she was just feeling fearless because she knew the boy behind her would come to her rescue.

Her eyes suddenly shone like stars:

"I don't want to die now, please save me, Young Master You."

The hand suddenly tightened, You Su's brows furrowed, and he coldly squeezed out a few words through clenched teeth:

"This will not be allowed to happen again!"

The gale rushed into their robes, blowing their flowing skirts and black hair into waves that surged like on a lake.

Yu Die had already released the Sky Lantern, and they fell even faster than the Sky Lantern; in her eyes, the Sky Lantern had truly flown away.

She opened her arms, her pink dress sleeves billowing, like a butterfly unfolding its colorful wings.

"Young Master You! It's so high, we won't fall to our deaths!"

Yu Die's excitement didn't seem at all like she was worried about her own life or death.

"We will all die, but... not today!"

With one arm around You Su, You Su had already drawn her Yu Die and planted it against the rock wall to slow her fall. The Ink Pine Sword emitted a resounding clang, and sparks flew through the air.

You Su is not at the Feather Transformation Realm, so of course he can't fly. But as a Spirit Platform Realm cultivator, he's not completely incapable of anything. Moreover, he also possesses the Ruyi Wind-Controlling Technique.

He had always used the Wind Riding Ladder Technique, but now the Wind Riding Vertical Technique finally came in handy.

They kept falling, but they didn't seem like helpless drifting catkins; rather, they seemed like fallen leaves being carried by the wind.

Yu Die had never felt so happy; if she could, she would fly in the sky forever.

"Young Master You, I'm coming in."

Yu Meng carefully knocked on the screen.

"Um."

You Su closed his eyes and soaked in the warm pool, soothing the fatigue from taking the Saintess "flying" earlier. Every pore on his body greedily absorbed the nutrients from the pool water.

Perhaps the Saintess had already planned what would happen next when she brought him to the cliff.

She took revenge by experiencing thrills she had never tried before, but this caused suffering for You Su, who was accompanying her.

"Young Master You, you've worked so hard playing with my young lady," Yu Meng said with a smile as she helped You Su put the medicinal herbs into the water.

"It is only right that the Saintess regards me as a friend."

Wasn't it because of the transaction?

Yu Meng smiled knowingly:

"Young Master You, this is lotus seed soup that Miss personally cooked for you. It's very beneficial to your health. She specifically instructed me to make sure you drink it while it's hot."

As she spoke, she took out a bowl of steaming lotus seed soup from behind her.

The lotus seeds in the small white porcelain bowl are crystal clear.