“Look at that cloud, doesn’t it look like a little dog?” Jiu Hui pointed at the cloud in the sky. “And the cloud next to it looks like a bone.”
“Does it?” Luo Yan looked at it for a long time. “Why do I think it looks like a cat?”
The two of them stuck their heads out the window and watched as a beam of golden light pierced through the clouds, splitting the dog- and cat-shaped clouds in two.
“Tsk.” The two of them immediately lost interest in the discussion. Jiu Hui asked curiously, “What was that golden light?”
“An urgent summons from Zhenxing Tower.” Jin Qingqiu turned sideways and dragged the stool towards Jiu Hui. “Zhenxing Tower is guarded by the four great Elders of the immortal cultivation world. They wouldn’t send out messages to other sects unless something major happened. I see that fellow Daoist knows very little about the immortal cultivation world. Could it be that you’re a new junior who just joined the sect this year?”
Jiu Hui nodded.
“I wonder if my fellow Daoist has ever met the young lady who bravely fought the demon in Wenxian City?” Jin Qingqiu did not miss any opportunity to inquire about news.
“I’ve seen her.“carpreads.pages.dev
Jin Qingqiu’s eyes lit up.
“At that time, the girl was captured by the demon, and my fellow apprentices and I hid behind the stone pillar.” Jiu Hui took a sip of the soup and sighed with regret. “Afterwards, the Elder kept blaming himself, blaming us for our low cultivation, and for not being able to save the girl from danger. Fortunately, Young Master Jin’s sect is willing to accept her as a disciple, which is also a blessing for her.”
“Yes.” Jin Qingqiu sighed in agreement. “I also hope that this young lady can become a disciple of our humble sect.”
He glanced at the others at the same table as Jiu Hui. The oldest one was munching on a prawn without even looking up. The other two, a man and a woman who seemed to be senior and junior siblings, were chatting about the Zhenxing Tower and paid no attention to what he was saying. The young man sitting next to Jiu Hui used his chopsticks to separate the bones from the meat, then neatly arranged the meat on his plate.
At first glance, it was obvious that they were not disciples of a minor sect who cared about the major events of the immortal cultivation world, so naturally, he would not be able to get any news about that girl from them. Based on Jin Qingqiu’s personality, he would not waste his energy on these people who had no value to him, but this girl, who was called Jiu Hui by her fellow disciples, was beautiful and charming, which caught his attention and made him wanting to talk to her more.
“Fellow Daoist, are there any other delicacies that you fancy? I shall have them sent up at once.” Jin Qingqiu personally poured a cup of tea for Jiu Hui. Noticing that Jiu Hui enjoyed eating fish, he said, “There is a type of fish called moonfish. When it is first born, it is as clear as glass. It fears sunlight but loves moonlight. After bathing in moonlight for a hundred years, it can transform into a yao. Eating this type of fish can beautify the skin and improve eyesight. I see that Fellow Daoist enjoys eating fish. May I ask which sect you cultivate in, Fellow Daoist? Once I obtain this fish, I shall send it to your sect.”
“Although this fish can beautify the skin and brighten the eyes, it’s a bit fishy and smelly, so I don’t like it very much.” Jiu Hui didn’t stand on ceremony with him: “The dishes that Young Master Jin ordered today are very delicious. How could I have the cheek to ask for anything else?”
“Since that’s the case, Jin-mou* won’t force you.” He was not happy about being rejected by the disciple of the Jiutian Sect, but Jin Qingqiu was not annoyed at all about being rejected by the beautiful girl: “When I meet you again next time, I will definitely invite you to taste the delicious food.”
TN: self-address, like “a certain Jin”
He looked out the window, and two more golden lights flew past.
Zhenxing Tower actually issued three urgent orders in a row?
“It is an honor to dine with you fellow Daoists today, but I have other pressing matters to attend to, so I must take my leave.” Jin Qingqiu had a bad feeling, so he stood up and bid farewell to everyone.
“Young Master Jin, take care.”
“Farewell.”
Everyone put down their chopsticks and bid farewell to Jin Qingqiu.
“Fellow Daoist, farewell.” Jin Qingqiu cupped his hands towards Jiu Hui.
Jiu Hui returned the greeting, “Young Master Jin, travel safely.”
Jin Qingqiu didn’t delay. He placed the brocade pouch containing spirit stones on the table and, taking the boy with him, turned into a beam of light and disappeared out the window.
“Elder, has something major happened?” Jiu Hui looked at the cloud that had been cut in half, and her heart still ached with pity.
It was rare to see a cloud that looked so much like a dog.
“The top ten sects will handle this major event, so it’s useless for us to worry about it.” Elder Mo put down the bone in his hand. “Once we’re full, we’ll continue on our journey and try to make it back to the sect by sunrise the day after tomorrow.”
Seeing that the other four were about to put down their chopsticks, Zhi You ate the neatly stacked meat and took out a handkerchief from his storage ring to wipe the corners of his mouth.
After the five of them sat back down on the gourd, Luo Yan asked Jiu Hui curiously, “Junior Sister Jiu Hui, did you really eat moonfish when you were little?”
“Never had it before.” Jiu Hui said with confidence.
“Then how do you know it’s fishy?” Chang He was also curious.
“When I’m out and about, my status is something I give myself, not something someone give to me. That would be shameless of me.” Jiu Hui lifted her chin. “I can accept a meal when everyone’s invited, but I wouldn’t dare accept fish from just one person. I’m not stupid.”
“When I was three, I learned a lesson: anything that benefits everyone is a bargain, and unprovoked favoritism is a trap.” Jiu Hui sat cross-legged on the rug. “But if you want to eat moonfish, I’ll write a letter to Grandpa Long* and ask if he can catch a few. He’s the best fisherman in our village. All the fish we eat in our village are caught by him.”
TN: it’s the long for dragon
“Moonfish are born from the flowing moonlight and can only be seen during a full moon. You can’t catch moonfish in the river.” Zhi You took out a food box from his storage ring and pushed it in front of the four of them.
“Junior Brother Zhi You!” Chang He opened the food box and saw a box full of dried moonfish. He plopped down on his knees. “Junior Brother Zhi You, you’re my own brother.”
Zhi You lowered his eyelids. “If you like them, take them and eat them.”
“This is delicious.” Jiu Hui took a bite and also took out a food box from her storage ring. She took out a dried fish from it and handed it to Zhi You. “This is a dried fish that Grandpa Long made himself. Let’s eat it together.”
Zhi You was stunned for a moment before taking the dried fish from Jiu Hui’s hand. The dried fish was only two fingers wide, with golden flesh and bones, and it gave off an enticing fragrance.
The three people from Wangshu Pavilion ate with great relish. They had no idea what kind of fish Jiu Hui’s dried fish was made from. Not only did it taste better the more they ate it, but after swallowing it, their spiritual platforms were also filled up quite a bit.
“Junior Sister, what kind of fish is this?” Chang He’s expression grew more and more surprised as he ate.
“I don’t know.” Jiu Hui preferred Zhi You’s dried moonfish more. She had eaten this fish when she was a child, when she grew up, and even on the road. She had long since grown tired of it. “If you like it, I’ll ask Grandpa Long to make more next time.”
“Bones can be turned into spiritual energy, and the flesh is golden.” Zhi You handed Jiu Hui a handkerchief to wipe her hands. “It should be a dragonbone fish.”
“What dragon? What bone?” The master and his two disciples were shocked, and the fish jerky in their hands felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.
“A d-dragonbone fish?” Luo Yan covered the food box with trembling hands. “Junior Sister, put that thing away quickly.”
“What’s wrong?” Jiu Hui opened the lid of the box, took out a piece of dried fish, and tasted it. The taste was not bad.
“Quickly put it back in the ring, don’t let anyone see it.” Luo Yan pressed the lid back on again: “Don’t take this out in front of outsiders.”
How could she have the audacity to eat a dragonbone fish worth nearly ten thousand spirit stones, and she even ate three of them in one go!
Three of them would be thirty thousand spirit stones!
How dare she?!
Who gave her the courage?
“But you’re not just anyone.” Jiu Hui looked at Luo Yan. “This is just dried fish for eating. How can it compare to the Elder, Senior Brother, and Senior Sister?”
“Oh, and Zhi You,” Jiu Hui added, “same goes for you.”
The hearts of the master and his two disciples quivered slightly.
“Junior Sister, do you know how much it’s worth?” Chang He swallowed his saliva and couldn’t help but speak, “Moonfish are expensive because they only appear during the full moon. Catching one depends entirely on fate. Dragonbone fish are expensive because they are very rare. Eating them can increase spiritual power and help improve cultivation.”
“Since it’s such a good fish, you should eat more of it.” Jiu Hui pushed the entire box of fish in front of Elder Mo: “It’s all yours.”
Elder Mo looked at the box of dragonbone fish in front of him, and after a long while, he chuckled and gently pushed the food box back to Jiu Hui. “Dragonbone fish is full of spiritual energy, but your Senior Brother and Senior Sister have limited cultivation, and eating more won’t help them. You can keep these fish here, and when they successfully form their Golden Cores, you can give them these fish as a congratulatory gift.”
“Alright.” Jiu Hui put the food box containing the fish back into her storage ring: “I still have some other dried shrimp, crab, and fruit here. How about…”
“No, no, no, we’re already full. We ate a lot at noon, and we can’t eat anymore.” Luo Yan held Jiu Hui’s hand, afraid that she would continue to take out some valuable things, and her heart would not be able to bear it: “In two hours, we will arrive at Fuguang Mountain. That will be the time when the sun sets in the west. You must not miss the beautiful scenery that is hard to see in the world.”
Jiu Hui and Zhi You, these two junior siblings, were not ordinary golden treasures, but rather wealthy young master and young lady who came to pursue their dreams in the world of immortal cultivation!
Two hours later, Jiu Hui finally understood why Senior Sister Luo Yan said that Fuguang Mountain at sunset was a beautiful sight that was hard to find in the world.
The golden-red sunlight fell on the silver-white snow-capped mountains, and the colorful rays of light were trapped in a golden-red glow, just like countless burning rainbows.
Half-hidden and half-revealed, the palace on the mountaintop appeared to be carved from golden-red glazed jade under the setting sun. For a moment, Jiu Hui could not tell whether the mountain or the palace was more beautiful.
“How could there be a palace on the mountain?” Jiu Hui was absent-minded for a long time. It wasn’t until the sun set at the foot of the mountain and the palace returned to its original appearance as an ice sculpture that she gradually regained her senses. “Who lives inside?”
“That is the Fuguang Palace, and only one person lives there.” Elder Mo stood on top of the gourd, bowed deeply towards the palace, and Chang He and Luo Yan, who were standing behind him, followed suit and bowed respectfully.
“Who lives inside?” Seeing that even Elder Mo, who was usually carefree and frivolous, was so serious, Jiu Hui’s expression became a bit more solemn.
“It’s Lord Fuguang.” Elder Mo bowed three times before letting the gourd continue to fly forward at a leisurely pace.
“Five hundred years ago, Lord Fuguang was born in response to the mandate of heaven, and he has lived here ever since he was born. His spiritual power is special. In the fifth year after his birth, a great plague suddenly descended from the sky, and neither humans nor yaos could escape it. Fortunately, the ten major sects searched the world and finally found the spiritual medicine to eradicate the plague. They then refined ten immortal cauldrons to guard the cultivation world, and the spiritual energy that sustains the ten immortal cauldrons is drawn from his body.”
“He hasn’t left the mountain in five hundred years?”
“The outside spiritual energy is mixed, and Lord Fuguang must guard the Immortal Cauldrons, so there can be no mistakes.” Elder Mo said: “This mountain is named after him, the palace was built because of him, and the safety of thousands of creatures depends on him alone.”
“So he has never left the mountain since he was born?” Jiu Hui looked back, the towering white mountain still standing tall among the mountains.
Jiu Hui suddenly shivered. The magnificent palace gradually transformed into a cage in her eyes.
“Cold?” Zhi You asked her.
“Not cold.” Jiu Hui whispered to him, “For five hundred years, Lord Fuguang has lived alone in the palace. Even the most beautiful scenery must have become tiresome by now.”
Zhi You took a cloak from his storage ring and handed it to Jiu Hui, his expression indifferent. “Yes.”
“Zhi You, Jiu Hui, look over there!” Luo Yan pointed to the distant north, where a faint light flickered: “That glowing thing over there is the Zhenshan Cauldron, one of the Ten Immortal Cauldrons.”
Jiu Hui looked into the distance and happened to see a flash of light. She instinctively reached out, and the rapidly moving light landed in her palm, transforming into a jade slip.
Elder Mo and the other two were stunned, and so was Jiu Hui herself.
She smiled awkwardly. “If I said that I really just reached out my hand casually, would you believe me?”
Author’s Note:
Jiu Hui: It bumped into me! It’s not my fault!
The three master and disciples: Where did these young master and young lady from wealthy families come from to pursue their dreams in the immortal cultivation circle?