Yun Qingxue, Shui Liu, and Shi Yu walked leisurely toward the Coral Garden. As they progressed, their field of vision gradually widened. Fish of various colors and forms swam around them from time to time, unafraid of humans, circling the trio playfully.
“Shi Yu, who is this beautiful sister? We’ve never seen her before. Is she a newly transformed member of our clan?” A small, rainbow-colored fish swam over, its mouth opening and closing as it spoke human words.
“Pearl, this is Miss Yun, a guest invited by His Majesty. Mind your manners!” Shi Yu scolded the little fish with a stern expression.
“Hello, Miss Yun.” The little fish, chastened by Shi Yu’s reprimand, drooped slightly and greeted Yun Qingxue politely.
“Hello,” Yun Qingxue replied with a smile.
The fish named Pearl circled her twice before cheerfully exclaiming, “Sister Yun, you’re so beautiful!”
“Thank you for the compliment. You’re very beautiful too,” Yun Qingxue replied warmly, maintaining her kind smile.
“Really?” Pearl perked up, wagging her tail excitedly. “I still need at least fifty more years of cultivation to take human form. When that happens, I hope I can become as beautiful as you!”
“You will definitely be very beautiful.”
After all, when spirits transform into humans, unless they fail to fully take human form and retain some animal features, how many of them could possibly be ugly?
“We still need to escort Miss Yun to the Coral Garden. If you have nothing else to do, go play by yourself,” Shi Yu said sternly.
“Goodbye, Sister Qingxue!” Pearl waved her tail and swam away.
“Goodbye,” Yun Qingxue waved back. As she raised her hand, the snake coiled around her wrist—A’Dai—was revealed in Shui Liu’s line of sight.
“A’Dai?” Shui Liu looked incredulous.
“Hiss.”
A’Dai lazily flicked its tongue, acknowledging Shui Liu.
“You… Why are you with Miss Yun?”
“He formed a master-servant contract with me,” Yun Qingxue explained with a smile.
Shui Liu, however, seemed stunned. “A… master-servant contract?”
“Ha ha ha ha!” After a brief pause, Shui Liu burst into laughter.
“A’Dai, well done! Jin Lin must be absolutely furious! He raised you for two hundred years just to form a contract with you, and yet… Pfft… Ha ha ha…”
“With you backing Miss Yun, once they get married, Jin Lin will probably end up being a henpecked husband! Ha ha ha…”
“Whoosh!”
A water blade shot from behind Yun Qingxue, aiming straight at Shui Liu, who was laughing mockingly.
Shui Liu effortlessly dodged with a leap, still laughing as he looked past Yun Qingxue. “Someone seems to be throwing a tantrum, huh?”
“Hmph!”
Yun Qingxue felt a blur before her eyes, and when her vision cleared, Jin Lin—dressed in a golden robe—stood before her, his back turned as he faced Shui Liu.
“You dared to trick me yesterday, you scoundrel!” Jin Lin roared with righteous fury, the minor irritation from his earlier banter with A’Dai now finding an outlet in Shui Liu.
“All’s fair in war, Your Majesty. If your intelligence can’t keep up, don’t blame me!” Shui Liu retorted with a smirk, his tone deliberately provoking.
“Fine! Let’s have another match today!” Jin Lin pointed at Shui Liu. “Use whatever tricks you have—I dare you!”
“If Your Majesty insists, then I won’t hold back!” Shui Liu grinned slyly. Before his words even faded, a surge of water shot from his hand toward Jin Lin.
Since Yun Qingxue stood behind him, Jin Lin couldn’t dodge midair and had to block the attack directly.
With a flick of his right hand, Jin Lin conjured a golden barrier. The force of Shui Liu’s attack struck the barrier, only to rebound like a spring.
The water wave dented the golden shield inward before instantly bouncing back.
Shui Liu chuckled, leaping into the air and extending his right hand. Like a tai chi master, he used softness to overcome hardness, effortlessly dispersing the rebounding force.
Landing gracefully, he raised an eyebrow with a roguish smirk. “That was just an appetizer, Your Majesty. Shall we begin the real match now?”
Jin Lin glanced upward toward the palace ceiling, then turned his nose up at Shui Liu with an air of superiority. “It’s already over.”
“Huh? We haven’t even started. Is Your Majesty surrendering?” Shui Liu teased maliciously. “Since ancient times, beauties love heroes. Even if you’re usually a coward, you shouldn’t act so pathetically in front of a—OW!”
Before he could finish, Shui Liu let out a strange cry, his body twitching uncontrollably.
“Pfft… Ha ha ha!”
“Ha ha ha ha!”
“You… Ha ha ha… What did you… Ha ha ha… do to me?”
“Nothing much,” Jin Lin replied cheerfully, enjoying Shui Liu’s hysterical laughter. “I just slightly modified the powder you used on me during last night’s match.”
“Pfft, ha ha ha… You villain!” Shui Liu laughed until tears nearly streamed down his face, his body itching unbearably.
“All’s fair in war—your own words,” Jin Lin said innocently, his eyes wide and guileless.
“Ha ha ha…” Shui Liu could barely speak through his laughter. With no energy left to banter, he leaped into the air and vanished in the blink of an eye.
“This is an enhanced version. You’ll need to soak in running water for at least six hours!” Jin Lin called out “helpfully” toward the direction Shui Liu had disappeared.
Having avenged yesterday’s humiliation, Jin Lin was in high spirits.
He turned with a smile, only to find Yun Qingxue staring at him thoughtfully.
Instantly, Jin Lin grew uneasy. His first thought was that his underhanded trick had left a bad impression on her.
“Uh… I usually fight fair and square. I only used that move on Shui Liu because he did the same to me. You have no idea how shameless he is during our spars—he’ll do anything to win…”
“Can you teach me?” Yun Qingxue interrupted his flustered explanation, her eyes filled with determination.
“Huh? Teach? Teach you what?” Jin Lin was momentarily confused.
“Teach me magic. Teach me how to use poisons.”
Yun Qingxue gazed at him expectantly. This world was too fantastical, and learning some magic would increase her chances of survival. In her haste, she could only turn to Jin Lin—someone she had just met a day ago but who seemed approachable.
“Um…” Jin Lin hesitated, his expression conflicted.
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