Salted Fish Sanctuary

Ning Zhongzi took Liu Xuanye back to Hot Spring Valley.

She washed her clean, changed her into a white sleeping robe, and laid her flat on a bamboo bed. Then she gave her two specially made pills and began setting up a healing array.

At Sword Terrace.

With nothing to do, Lu Ya sent Muyu Feifei down the mountain to chop bamboo.

Using the thick stalks of dozens of Sword Bamboos, he built a suspended Bamboo Platform beside the cliff at one edge of Sword Terrace, then placed the Immortal Boat on it.

A simple harbor had taken shape.

Lu Ya could have put the Immortal Boat in his spatial ring or casually opened up a space to store it.

But seeing how much Muyu Feifei liked the Immortal Boat, he built a harbor on one side of Sword Terrace and left the boat there for the girls to play with.

Ship girls had to be raised from a young age!

Lu Ya used the Immortal Boat in the harbor as bait, making it easier to send the two little girls running errands for him later.

That way, he wouldn't have to do everything himself. His beautiful Salted Fish life was just within reach.

Once the harbor was finished, Lu Ya sat at the bow of the Immortal Boat.

His feet dangled over the side as he basked in the gentle evening breeze, feeling especially relaxed.

Tired from playing in the cabin, Muyu Feifei came out onto the deck and clambered onto his shoulders.

One on the left, one on the right.

Four chubby little legs swung back and forth, their soft heels rhythmically tapping Lu Ya's chest.

Perhaps because feline feet had long, soft pads, their kicks didn't hurt Lu Ya at all.

They even had the miraculous effect of a massage.

Muyu Feifei looked carefree, but in reality, they were fishing for answers.

"Little Lu Ya, you're only in your early twenties. How come you're so powerful?"

"Could you teach us?"

"Little... Lu Ya?"

Lu Ya arched a brow, putting on a solemn, self-important air.

"I'm the Sword-Wielding Elder of Bamboo Spring Sect now. The least you can do is call me Martial Uncle."

"Martial Uncle, how come you're so powerful?"

"..."

"Didn't I tell you not to put 'little' in front of a man's name?"

"Got it, Martial Uncle. How come you're so powerful?"

"..."

"Martial Uncle, when you said you'd raise us to be sword maidens, did you mean you'd teach us swordsmanship?"

"No!"

Looks like turning these two little troublemakers into maids was going to be harder than he thought!

Lu Ya tried tempting them with a reward.

"If you behave from now on, I'll teach you swordsmanship."

"Oh. Then I won't learn."

"I hate learning swordsmanship."

Lu Ya:

"..."

This was exactly why he hated troublesome kids.

With a shiver, the two girls hopped down from Lu Ya's shoulders and listlessly sprawled over the railing, pretending to be snot-snails as they breathed in the gentle evening breeze.

"Tomorrow I'm sailing to East Floating City!"

"Haha, I'm going to live on the boat from now on."

"I don't want to live with the nanny!"

As they were talking, two sharp thwacks—

Two knuckle raps landed on their heads.

Ning Zhongzi had arrived.

She brought Lu Ya two sets of men's green robes, two pairs of bamboo shoes, a sword reserved for the Sword-Wielding Elder, and a green spatial ring.

"These are the sect's standard garments. As the Sword-Wielding Elder, Senior Brother isn't under any strict dress requirements and may wear them however he likes."

Senior Brother?

You called me Senior, I called you Senior Sister, and now you were calling me Senior Brother...

Lu Ya felt a headache coming on, and couldn't be bothered to correct her again.

Call me whatever you like.

He took the clothes and put on the green ring, stuffing everything else inside it.

He could take the spoils he'd gathered to an Immortal City later and trade them for some meat and wine.

"Sorry for the trouble, Senior Sister."

Lu Ya nodded.

Seeing Lu Ya seated by the boat while she stood, Ning Zhongzi felt it would be a little awkward and impolite.

So she sent Muyu Feifei away, dusted off her clothes, gathered her green robe, and sat down two feet away from Lu Ya.

She no longer distrusted him.

Even if she worried that Lu Ya might be hiding some secret, the Bamboo Spring Sect would no longer exist without him, so there was little point in worrying.

It was just that the Sect Master was so aloof she had never spoken with any man, while Lu Ya seemed rather passive too. Ning Zhongzi had to act as the go-between and learn a few basic things about him.

She was practically a matchmaker.

Faced with a strange man like Lu Ya, wrapped in mystery from head to toe, she felt a little nervous too.

The gentle evening breeze stirred the generous expanse of her neckline, setting it rippling like pine waves.

A few loose strands of hair fluttered in the mountain breeze, unexpectedly lending her a hint of softness.

"Have you settled in at Bamboo Spring Sect, Senior Brother?"

"Not bad."

Lu Ya nodded, though he really wasn't used to it.

The Immortal sect had no food or drink, no cigarettes or wine, and precious little entertainment.

Being a Salted Fish was all well and good, but you still needed to have fun.

Without anything fun to do, what was the point of being a Salted Fish? Might as well hibernate.

Looks like he'd have to take care of the food, drink, and fun himself.

At least he had Muyu Feifei. The two little girls were unruly, but didn't seem very bright. If he trained them properly, they might save him some effort.

Ning Zhongzi mulled it over for a long while, then finally asked:

"How did you meet the Azure Phoenix, Senior Brother?"

Was this a background check?

Lu Ya didn't mind. After all, he'd only just arrived, and they didn't know each other well yet.

"I've been traveling around for the past few years. I passed by here today and saw a beautiful Azure Phoenix along the way, so... ahem, then Muyu Feifei brought me here."

Traveling around...

A wandering rogue immortal?

Ning Zhongzi seemed thoughtful and nodded slightly before continuing:

"You're so young, yet you've already reached such a high level of cultivation. Any Immortal sect would make you a top priority for cultivation. Now that you've deigned to come to Bamboo Spring Sect, Junior Sister truly doesn't know what to do."

"Just do as you please, Senior Sister. I only wanted to find a quiet place to... grow some crops and temper my Dao Heart."

"Have you run into a bottleneck in your cultivation, Senior Brother?"

A bottleneck? Hmm...

"Something like that."

Lu Ya thought that since all his professions were maxed out and he couldn't advance any further, it probably counted as a kind of bottleneck.

Ning Zhongzi sat stiffly, tugging at her neckline, as cautious as a young girl, afraid she might say the wrong thing.

In truth, she was already 3,800 years old. But in the Immortal Realm, strength was what mattered; seniority wasn't determined by age.

Whether she or the Sect Master, they were both little sisters before this young man who had crushed an Immortal Sect Master on the verge of a breakthrough.

The longer one lived in the Immortal Realm, the more one understood the ironclad gulf between different levels of power.

If Lu Ya didn't dislike being called old, she would have called him Senior forever.

"The Sect Master has been under a restriction since childhood. Afraid of hurting people, she has always presented herself as heartless. I hope you'll understand, Senior Brother, and give her some time to adjust."

"She doesn't need to adjust. I like how aloof she is."

Lu Ya thought to himself.

Aloof meant she wouldn't cling to him or turn the place into a jungle, and he could take her out and impress people.

A wife like that was perfect for a stay-at-home Salted Fish, a fine partner for killing and scattering ashes!

He liked aloof women?

Ning Zhongzi didn't know whether that was true, but for now, she would assume the two of them were made for each other.

"I've already sent an Immortal Pigeon to notify the Immortal Court's officials. They'll arrange the paperwork for Senior Brother to join the ranks of the Immortals as soon as possible. Once the Sect Master wakes up, we'll hold the Partner Sealing Ceremony, and after that, Bamboo Spring Sect will gradually get back on track."

Lu Ya nodded, then suddenly asked:

"After that, you won't need me for anything, right?"

"Of course we won't disturb your cultivation, Senior Brother."

Ning Zhongzi rose and bowed.

"You must be tired from your journey, Senior Brother. I'll take you to rest."

"Where will I be staying?"

"Senior Brother can stay with the Sect Master in the bedchamber beside Hot Spring Valley, to the west."

We're living together right away?

Lu Ya felt a little uneasy.

After all, he wasn't some fated person. He'd simply relied on his invincible strength to withstand Liu Xuanye's Husband-Killing Restriction. A little excitement now and then was fine, but living together every day would mean being cut a thousand times, losing blood and skin, and exhausting himself...

"The Sect Master needs plenty of rest. I'll find another room to stay in for now."

Ning Zhongzi was a little surprised. But it was their first night, after all; it was only natural for things to feel awkward.

"That works too."

Lu Ya surveyed the mountaintop of Bamboo Spring Sect.

There was a lake in the middle, with poor lighting and limited views.

To the west lay Hot Spring Valley and Liu Xuanye's bedchamber.

To the east were the medicinal herb garden and Ning Zhongzi's bedchamber.

The main hall was to the south.

It seemed the open, uninhabited Sword Terrace to the north was the only place with a clear view, perfect for lying down and sunbathing.

With that in mind, Lu Ya said:

"As the Sword-Wielding Elder, it's only natural that I stay at Sword Terrace. If you don't mind, Senior Sister, I can build a Bamboo Cottage beside the bamboo grove."

Ning Zhongzi hurriedly said:

"You're a guest, having just arrived, Senior Brother. Your Junior Sister will build you a Bamboo Cottage tonight."

Lu Ya didn't refuse.

"Sorry for the trouble, Senior Sister."

"You must be exhausted from your journey, Senior Brother, and you just fought a battle for Bamboo Spring Sect. You must be tired. I'll take you to Hot Spring Valley to rest and recuperate."

"Sounds good."

Hot Spring Valley lay at the western end of the mountaintop.

They entered the pitch-black bamboo grove, passed the lake sprinkled with starlight, and followed the winding, shadowy path westward until the view opened suddenly onto an endless sea of clouds.

Hot Spring Valley was shrouded in dense mist and a formation that glowed green.

Cliffs surrounded the valley, their uneven heights resembling rockeries.

In the middle stood a bamboo palace built atop a cliff.

The two-story bamboo palace was steeped in ancient elegance and immortal charm, rising tall and graceful as it radiated a chilling sword intent.

"This is the Sect Master's bedchamber. She's resting inside."

"Then I won't disturb her."

"No need. There are many pools throughout the valley, at different elevations."

As they went deeper into the valley, Lu Ya found numerous flat outcroppings jutting over the cliffs, where a dozen or so irregular hot spring pools were scattered at different heights.

The pools varied in size and depth. Depending on the medicinal herbs growing around them, they reflected different colors, like a patchwork of brilliant amber.

Ning Zhongzi led Lu Ya to a hot spring with clear water.

Strange, craggy rocks lined the shore, interspersed with slender bamboo and immortal flowers and herbs. Mountains enclosed it on three sides, while on the fourth, it faced a sea of clouds glowing green. The thick steam merged with the clouds beyond the platform, making it feel as if they were in a heavenly palace.

"This pool is good for easing fatigue. You can soak in it until dawn, Senior Brother. There's no need to worry about your skin."

"There are towels in the bamboo box beside it. You can put your clothes on the stone platform."

Having finished her instructions, Ning Zhongzi bowed and took her leave.

"I won't disturb your rest, Senior Brother. If you need anything, just call me with your spiritual sense."

Lu Ya nodded slightly.

"Thanks for taking the trouble, Senior Sister."

Silence.

Green-glowing clouds.

The water and sky met as one.

Lu Ya left his clothes on the stone platform beside the pool, draped a bamboo-fiber bath towel over his shoulders, and slipped into the water.

A light mist drifted above the surface, carrying the fragrance of flowers and herbs. Beneath the warm, emerald glow, the scene looked like a fairyland.

The water came only up to his waist. It was clear and silky-smooth, with a refreshing chill like melting snow and a faint trace of sulfur. Every pebble on the bottom stood out beneath the water, and aquatic plants grew in thick clusters. Even brightly colored fish swam back and forth, circling Lu Ya's skin and gently nibbling at it. Their tiny mouths made him itch all over, but it felt wonderfully soothing.

A sea of clouds, starlight, emerald glow, and curling mist: man and water, water and sky, all blended into perfect harmony.

Lu Ya suddenly realized that, despite having lived this long, this was actually his first time soaking in a hot spring.

Not just in real life—even in games, he'd never tried cultivating in a hot spring. For five years, he'd either been grinding monsters in dungeons or fighting in the sect arena, missing out on so many chances to enjoy life.

Fortunately, after transmigrating to the real Immortal Realm, he'd found a place to belong just when he'd lost all purpose in life. He was max level in every profession, and now he had a cool, aloof immortal wife, a gentle senior sister, a tiger immortal loli, bamboo groves and mountain streams, and hot springs above a sea of clouds...

Bamboo Spring Sect really was a Salted Fish paradise!

Lu Ya soaked in the warm, flowing water, feeling as though he were nestled in a woman's embrace. He drifted as if walking among the clouds, light as an immortal, and soon fell asleep.

At midnight, a dazzling white light suddenly jolted him awake—

The heavenly tribulation had arrived.