Chapter 14

Azure Dragon by the Lake

A single careless remark leads to endless regret. For the rest of that night, I became a miserable wretch, taking turns with Xuan Yue to serve the mighty dragon by watering it like a plant. I could channel water magic, but poor Xuan Yue had to fly up and down with a tiny bowl to pour water.

The mighty dragon seemed utterly unbothered by this arrangement. Despite Xuan Yue and me being juveniles, it didn’t find using us improper at all. Instead, it luxuriated like an empress dowager being pampered.

Sometimes, my ancestors’ words brim with life wisdom, worthy of lifelong reflection. For example: “Tangled threads are hard to untangle; shrews are hard to manage.” I would bet ten pieces of Xuan Yue’s plump, tender rump that this dragon lord was an aged, unmarried female dragon. With such a peculiar temper, it clearly hadn’t seriously considered its lifelong plans—just bullying little girls and tiger cubs instead.

As I mulled over this, I snuck a sideways glance at the dragon. Still, it wasn’t entirely its fault. After all, for women, weight isn’t as concerning as bulk. No matter how handsome it looked, if it were as massive and mighty as a Kunlun beast like Lu Wu, who would dare bring it back to their den? Now that it was injured, both its body and spirit had taken a hit. Fine, I pitied it. I’d stick around a bit longer.

Xuan Yue and I toiled until midnight before finally preparing to leave. Before departing, I said, “Lord Dragon, this humble one will return to rest now and come back tomorrow morning to visit. Please take care of yourself in the meantime. Farewell.”

The next morning, I rose early and headed for the Qiong Wood Forest with an empty basket on my back. Since the Qiong Wood Forest wasn’t located near my cultivation peak, I had to go to the transit station and catch a luan bird to reach the forest on the adjacent mountain.

The station, built on the northern peak, was somewhat distant from the disciples’ usual activities. As such, those using it were often young semi-immortals who hadn’t yet learned to fly or immortals embarking on long journeys.

Since it was so early, most were diligently cultivating, and the station was deserted. I watched all sorts of fantastic beasts soar through the clouds and mist, arriving from all directions. They would linger briefly but, seeing I wasn’t intending to ride, flew off again. A polished wooden noticeboard stood on the cliffside, inscribed with the following routes:

Wen Yao – West Sea → Kunlun → Blackwater → Fan Ye → Mount Zhaoyao 

Three-Legged Crow – East Sea → Penglai → Shaohao → Sky Poison 

Pao Xiao – North Sea → Single Fox Mountain → Buzhou Mountain → Long-Legged Nation 

… 

… 

Elephant Snake – Northern Skies → Xuanyuan Constellation 

Suan Yu – Northern Skies → Yao Guang 

… 

…

The first column listed the beast names, the second their realm, and the subsequent destinations. Routes to the Nine Provinces typically had more stops, while those within the Immortal Realm usually had just one. Intriguingly, some Immortal Realm endpoints even noted, “Transfer to Fire Phoenix for the Divine Realm Yama” or “Transfer to Wind Jiao for the Divine Realm White Tiger Mountain” or “Transfer to Coiled Dragon for the Divine-Demonic Chasm Outskirts.”

When I first saw these terms, my immediate reaction was: Oh no, the Divine-Demonic Chasm is the passage between the Divine and Demonic Realms! With demons running amok there, who would dare visit such a place?!

The Qinghong Mountain transit station did have one appealing perk: rides on luan birds were entirely free within cultivation grounds. The luan birds operated exclusively within training zones, making it easy for me to reach the Qiong Wood Forest. Settling comfortably on a seat carved from the roots of a millennia-old tree, I stretched lazily, only to bump into someone.

Turning around, I saw a disciple with thick brows and large eyes. He asked, “Who are you? I’ve never seen you here before.”

Before I could reply, a familiar girl’s voice rang out, “She’s a new disciple taken in by Gao Yang Lingren. We found her fainted at the foot of the mountain and brought her here.”

Looking toward the source of the voice, I saw the three disciples who had saved me. The thick-browed disciple scrutinized me briefly, then said, “Your appearance differs from ordinary folk. Are you a demi-immortal?”

The girl said, “Demi-immortal? Second Senior Brother, are you confused? Obviously, she’s a half-demon. Immortals don’t look like that.”

I replied, “I’m not a demon. Virtual Star Master-Uncle said so himself—I have no demonic aura.”

“Don’t use our master to pressure us. He’s so compassionate he’d even spare ants crawling into his bowl. We’re not so easily fooled. If you’re not a demon, then tell us—what exactly are you?” The girl strode toward me, aggressive.

“Rou Li, don’t act like a spoiled princess,” the second senior brother said.

“So what if I act spoiled?” Rou Li said smugly. “My father is Xu Chang’s wealthiest man. If he hadn’t married my immortal mother, I would’ve been born a rich young lady!”

The chubby man said, “Junior Sister, you’re amazing, haha, haha...” 

Well done. A mere daughter of the wealthiest man in a Nine Provinces city dares to compare herself to this little princess of Suluo Zhao. 

This lady? I am a royal princess! I’d love to pour the entire Snowpeak Mountain’s waters on her head to wake her up. If this conversation had taken place a year ago, this so-called “rich lady” would already be kneeling and calling me “great aunt.” Unfortunately, the royal princess is down and out right now! I endure! 

Who would’ve thought this spoiled little “rich lady” would take an inch and demand a mile? She scrutinized me with disdain in her eyes and said, “Hey, you! Among the six realms—divine, celestial, human, ghost, demon—you don’t look like any of them. You just look like a demon. Probably the offspring of a human and a demon.” 

She dared to insult my parents! This is intolerable! While I inwardly threw tens of thousands of ice balls at her, I still smiled sweetly and said, “Senior Sister, it’s not appropriate to speak this way.” 

“She even says I’m wrong.” This spoiled girl outright ignored me and whined to the second senior brother, “Second Senior Brother, look at her! She’s so pale, all demonic-like. She’s probably a snow demon.” 

The chubby man added, “Junior Sister, aren’t you always bragging about how much you love being praised for your fairness?” 

“Shut up!” the girl snapped angrily. 

“Senior Sister, speaking this way is obviously not good. Think about it. You’re so beautiful; surely, admirers abound here on Qinghong Mountain. Now, if you guess that I am a demon and you’re right, it wouldn’t affect their admiration in the slightest. After all, you’re already as beautiful as a flower, no embellishments needed. But if you’re wrong, people might start to think you’re all beauty but no brains.” I glanced at the cliff’s edge where the luan bird had already arrived. Smiling, I added, “Don’t you agree, Senior Sister?” 

The spoiled girl was taken aback and seemed to calm down a bit. “I’m not that superficial. As long as Third Senior Brother likes me, that’s all that matters. But you—stop trying to change the subject. We’re still talking about what you are!” 

“I’m an orphan, so I have no way of asking my parents whether I’m human or ghost. But Senior Sister, your question intrigues me just as much as it intrigues you. So, if the day comes when I discover what I really am, I will definitely let you know first. If I turn out to be a demon, you can punish me then.” 

The second senior brother nodded. “This junior sister’s words have some merit.” 

The luan bird had arrived. Seeing that the girl was about to say more, I hurriedly hopped onto the bird’s back and waved goodbye to them. 

On the way to the Qiongmulin, I looked at the morning glow and felt a bit puzzled. The world outside was so different from what I’d imagined. Growing up in Suluo Zhao in the extreme north, it had always felt like a divine capital to me. We had the most beautiful moonlight in the world, the richest wine, and the surrounding demons and mortals were all desperate to squeeze into our homeland. The Suluo Zhao clan was considered the most beautiful among all clans. Even those garishly dressed fox spirits loved to imitate the women of Suluo Zhao, powdering their skin until it was snow-white. That famous line from the poet Xijian Wang, “My old friend is ten thousand miles away, yet new guests still come crossing nine provinces,” reflected just how many outsiders came to us out of admiration. 

I couldn’t figure out why, now that I was the outsider, life seemed so difficult. Ah, the world is vast, and it’s full of oddities. As I gazed northward toward my homeland, my longing for it was hard to quell... 

Wait a moment—I’ve really healed the scar and forgotten the pain! It was all because of that unreasonable second sister and her nonsense about my brother and me “playing favorites.” That’s why I was hurt so badly and almost lost my life. If not for my youth, I’d probably be walking around with tiger-striped scars right now. With my parents, eldest sister, and brother all gone, what’s the point of going back? 

That treacherous second sister! Saying she didn’t care about Kai Xuan-jun, but inwardly not being honest at all—hmph! These past two months, I secretly cried in the woodshed countless times, and no one came looking for me. In that case, I’ll never go back for the rest of my life! From now on, I’ll call the four seas my home and let them fend for themselves! 

Feeling a bit more at peace with this decision, I focused on my current priority: visiting that terrifying Dragon God. 

When I returned to Xiang’e Lake, the Dragon God was still lying in the water, not having changed its posture one bit. It was clearly awake but didn’t even glance at me. So lazy that even the gods can’t save it! Since my spiritual power was nearly exhausted the night before, I had no energy to help it sprinkle water. After saying good morning, I joined Xuan Yue in cleaning the lakeside. 

After finishing the cleanup, I glanced at the Dragon God’s back and asked, “Dragon God, is your injury feeling any better? How about I help clean the area around the wound? It might make you more comfortable.” 

It looked at me, said nothing, and I took that as consent. Aha! What a great chance to ride a dragon! Sneaking a peek at its tail resting on the shore, I excitedly ran over, grabbed a tuft of its silver fur, and crawled up inch by inch like a caterpillar climbing a tree... 

Who would’ve thought something terrifying would happen next? 

The Dragon God let out a hoarse, guttural growl, shaking the lake water as it rumbled. I froze, too scared to move. Then, its body trembled, causing a mountain-quaking earthquake. It raised its tail and flung me ten thousand miles away. 

As I flew through the air, I stretched my arms forward and screamed, “Why!!!” 

It was just a tail touch—was there a need to be so shy? 

Luckily, the biggest perk of raising an ancient beast is that even if its divine power is sealed, its reflexes are still far superior to that of a regular little tiger. Just before I hit the ground, Xuan Yue bit the back of my collar, sparing me from a harsher fall. Still, I landed on my backside, leaving a large bruise. 

Lying in the lush grass, I realized how extraordinarily wise I was. My earlier suspicion about it being female turned out to be true. Only a lady could be so bashful, furious just because of a little touch. Then I contemplated a secret my parents never told me in my forty-some years of life: I must be a masochist. 

Even after being treated like this, I was still inclined to magnanimously run back to check on the Dragon God’s condition. 

To make things worse, I actually did it. 

When I returned to the lakeside, everything was calm again. However, the water in the lake was tinged with a bit of red. It turned out that its earlier struggles had caused its wound to reopen. Yet, a Dragon God is still a Dragon God. Despite its condition, it didn’t make a sound, maintaining that cold and proud demeanor as if it were owed the world. 

This girl’s tough, I thought. Time to have a gentlemanly negotiation with her. 

Clenching my fist, I said, “Dragon God, let’s make a deal. While I take care of you here, even if I accidentally touch your reverse scale, you can’t be rough with me. Otherwise, I’m done helping!” 

I clenched my fists and waited as clouds floated by one after another. Fine, it didn’t listen.

After that, I split the chores with Xuan Yue. It gathered firewood, and I attended to the Dragon Lord. When we were hungry, we’d go to the nearby forest, like monkeys, and pick celestial peaches to eat. It took us nearly an hour to gather a full basket of peaches, which we offered to the Dragon Lord.

It opened its massive jaws, grabbed the edge of the bamboo basket, tilted its head, and swallowed everything in one gulp—without even chewing. Xuan Yue and I widened our eyes in unison, staring in shock and heartbreak, as if watching a water deity devour a sacrificial village child.

Then, the Dragon Lord stretched its long, elegant neck and placed the empty bamboo basket back on the shore, lying down again, gazing at us with a slightly mocking look.

I understood immediately. I patted Xuan Yue on the shoulder. “Let’s go. Time for a second basket.”

“Roar, roar, roar, roar! Roar! Roar!!” Xuan Yue flapped its wings in protest, chirping furiously. I grabbed its tail and dragged it back to the celestial peach grove.

By dusk, with the clouds glowing crimson in the sky, we were utterly exhausted. We bid farewell to the Dragon Lord and went back to rest. From that day forward, I developed a good habit of bringing Xuan Yue to care for the Dragon Lord every day.

One evening, beneath a vast night sky, with the crescent moon hanging like a hook, I returned after dinner and found that the Dragon Lord’s wounds had mostly healed. I was so excited that I hugged Xuan Yue and spun around several times. “Dragon Lord! Your wounds are healed! Now you can leap over the dragon gate like a lively koi fish!”

Obviously, that flattery lacked finesse. The Dragon Lord merely rolled its eyes and ignored me. Seeing its indifferent reaction, I inexplicably felt a sense of melancholy. Hugging Xuan Yue, I sighed, “Alas, people have their joys and sorrows; the moon waxes and wanes. No banquet lasts forever. I fear the Dragon Lord will leave soon, and we won’t see it again.”

The lake shimmered faintly under the blue-green sky, and a young man’s voice echoed between the mountain valleys. “What do you want? Speak.”

His tone was cold, but his voice was deep and resonant, slow yet melodious, like the sound of an ancient zither in a serene valley. It was so captivating that I shivered involuntarily, a wave of tingling spreading from head to toe. Yet once the tingling passed, I immediately realized something was amiss. I quickly knelt on the ground, knocking my head three times. “Mercy, Thunder Lord! I’ll never dare again!”

No lightning struck. My quick wits had saved me. But the man’s voice came again: “What nonsense are you spouting? Get up.”

After pressing my forehead to the ground for a moment, I located the source of the voice and slowly raised my head. “D-D-Dragon Lord…?”

“What?”

“You’re a male?! And you can speak!!”

It ignored both my questions and said, “You’ve cared for me here for some days now. You must want something. Speak. What do you desire?”

“Yes, yes, yes! My homeland…”

Halfway through, I choked. Thinking of what Huang Dao Xianjun and Ruyue Weng had done, I couldn’t tell whether the Dragon Lord was on their side. Even if it wasn’t, there was no way it would oppose so many immortals over a few days of simple care.

I changed my request. “My homeland doesn’t have any dragons! Could the Dragon Lord take me flying for a bit?”

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that after all the kindness I had shown, enduring its endless torment, the last words it would say to me would consist of just three syllables. After saying them, it soared out of the lake. Instantly, waves surged, and frost filled the air. The heavens shook as it vanished into the clouds.

And those three syllables were: “Keep dreaming.”

The next morning, with nothing better to do, I went to the library and pulled out the Compendium of Gods and Mythical Beasts, turning to the dragon chapter. What I saw nearly made me drop the book in shock. On the first page, in full-color illustrations, was a creature identical to the Dragon Lord, with two large characters written above: Azure Dragon. The first line of the description read:

“The Azure Dragon, deity of the East, one of the Four Symbols. Commanded by the gods, it wields authority across the six realms. The element of wood in the East, associated with water and mercury, pure yet without sentiment…”

We had learned from books since childhood: The Four Symbols—Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, and White Tiger. In other words, this nitpicky, over-the-top dragon was the Azure Dragon… I refuse to believe it!! The book must be wrong!!

Suddenly, a voice called out from behind me: “Junior Sister?”

I turned to see who it was and found my Second Senior Brother standing there. I quickly closed the book and greeted him. “Ah, Second Senior Brother, good morning.”

“Junior Sister, you truly have refined tastes, reading alone here so early,” he said.

“Haha, yes, yes. Without food, one goes hungry; without books, one grows ignorant.” I glanced around. “Though I remember this library being busier on previous visits.”

“That’s because the Grandmaster has been in seclusion recovering from injuries. He only recently came out and is currently discussing matters with the Master.”

“I see…”

I chatted with him absentmindedly for a bit before hastily taking my leave. I couldn’t calm my racing heart. The Dragon Lord wasn’t just the Dragon Lord—it was the Azure Dragon. This was even more shocking than learning the Grandmaster was a god!

Had I known this earlier, when it asked me what I wanted the night before, I would’ve directly said, “Mountains of gold and silver, and handsome men for company.” What a regret.

Shaking my head, I left the library and saw a fleeting glimpse of Rou Li near the entrance. I didn’t pay much attention, though, and went to fetch a basket from the firewood shed, taking Xuan Yue to Qiongmu Forest.

As expected, the Dragon Lord had not returned to Xiang’e Lake, which wasn’t surprising. What was surprising, though, was that after two hours of gathering firewood and returning along the same path, planning to put the firewood away and come back, I stepped into a trap and fell into a deep pit. I don’t want to recall the struggle that followed. Suffice it to say, even with Xuan Yue trying its hardest, it couldn’t lift me an inch.

I told it to go find our Master for help. But as soon as it left the pit, I heard a childish shriek.

Then, someone stuffed Xuan Yue into a cloth sack and dangled it over the pit’s opening. “If I don’t teach you a lesson, you’ll never rein in your demonic nature.”

I looked up sharply. “…Senior Sister?”

Xuan Yue squirmed inside the sack like a slippery eel. Rou Li snorted. “Luo Wei, I knew I’d seen you somewhere before. You’re a demon, a water demon from Suozhao. It’s bad enough that you seduced your elder brother, but now you’re after Second Senior Brother as well. Stay put down there!”

“Wait! Senior Sister, you’ve misunderstood! We can talk this out!” I called from the bottom of the pit for quite some time, but no one responded. She seemed to have gone far away.

That night, heavy snow fell. With the melted snow, I finally managed to climb out of the filthy, foul-smelling pit, but I was no better off—just as dirty and wretched. Having gone the entire day without food or water, I dragged my exhausted self back to the peak of the cultivation sect.

However, I hadn’t even had the chance to sit down when a disciple came to inform me that the Master had ordered me to kneel in punishment at the north gate of Yiyao Hall, with no explanation given. I guessed it must have been Senior Sister Rouli who tattled on me. No one would listen to my explanation anyway. Fine, kneeling it is!

One night later, I deeply regretted my defiance…

The heavy snow blanketed Qinghong Mountain, blending seamlessly with the white peaks in the distance. My head hung low, my entire body was covered in grime, and I looked utterly miserable. The cold, accumulating snow seeped into my bones, as if they might shatter at any moment. Oh great Cangying God, my venerable ancestor, have you tripped and fallen while trying to bless my path?

The disciples of the immortal sect flew past, each minding their own business, without even a sympathetic glance.

Cultivation is truly arduous; to transcend seven emotions and six desires is simply another way of saying to harden one’s heart. Just as I was about to lose even the strength to breathe, I heard a middle-aged man’s voice gradually emerge from within Yiyao Hall: 

“…Her meager aptitude only leads to trouble; truly infuriating. Divine Sovereign, matters as trivial as this do not warrant your intervention. I will personally take this disgraceful child away…”

Shortly after, several figures approached. I instinctively looked up. Following behind were my Master, my Martial Uncle, and a group of highly esteemed immortals. Walking at the forefront were three individuals: on the left was Lingyin Shenjun with his peach blossom eyes, whom I’d met before; on the right was the white-haired elder, likely Grandmaster. 

And in the center was…

The youth stood on the jade steps, his skin as pale as snow, his tall frame clad in a dark blue robe that trailed the ground. His long, jet-black hair cascaded down like a deep mountain stream, partially covering the robe, and water-like divine marks adorned his high cheekbones.

Simply standing there, he became the sole vibrant color amidst the vast snowy landscape.

It was him—the youth who had repeatedly appeared in my illusions.

I froze in place. Why was he here?

A gust of cold wind swept past, and his dark hair danced like clouds. When his cold eyes met mine, they were as deep as the sea.

At this moment, my Master spoke, “Luo Wei, what are you dazing about? Hurry and bow to the Grandmaster!”

“Greet... Greetings to the Grandmaster.” When it came to bowing, I had always been quite diligent, so I immediately complied.

“Stand.”

The one who spoke was not the white-haired elder but the youth in the middle.