“Hmph! That thing must be cut off!” As the supreme water goddess of the Three Realms, the Dragon Mother was famous for her cruelty and ruthlessness. How could she allow a mere mortal to defile her in such a trivial way? Thinking of Qiao San’s wanton display, her long, delicate eyebrows arched sharply, her high, delicate nose and full, vermilion lips tightening with a solemn, murderous aura.
No way! She must take revenge! But immortals could not harm mortals; each of the Three Realms had its own laws. Otherwise, she would be violating the celestial decrees!
At this thought, the Dragon Mother angrily slammed her palm onto the surface of the immortal spring water. In her fury, small ripples surged from her ample bosom, and even the entire East Sea trembled.
What should she do? Reporting to the Celestial Court could bring retribution upon the filthy mortal, but if this matter spread in the Immortal Realm, how could she still maintain her dignity and authority over the sea creatures?
“Hmph! That thing must be cut off!” As the supreme water deity of the three realms, the Dragon Mother, known for her ruthlessness, would never allow a mere mortal to defile her so casually! The mere thought of Qiao San’s shamelessly twitching member made her long, dark brows arch sharply, her high-bridged nose and full crimson lips tightening with solemn killing intent.
No matter what, she must seek revenge! But immortals cannot directly harm mortals; each realm has its own laws, and to do so would violate heavenly decrees!
At this thought, the Dragon Mother angrily slapped the surface of the celestial spring. In her fury, the ripples ranged from the rapid undulations of her ample bosom to the violent shaking of the entire East Sea.
What to do? Reporting to the heavens would surely bring retribution upon the filthy mortal, but if this matter spread throughout the immortal realm, how could she maintain her dignity as the ruler of the four seas’ aquatic clans?
Countless thoughts swirled in her mind until a flash of inspiration struck. The majestic Dragon Mother finally smiled and immediately ordered her maids, “Summon the Ghost Mistress of the Haunted Forest at once!”
※※※※※※※
As the first rays of dawn illuminated the earth, the passionate night finally came to an end.
“Achoo!” A sleepy yawn filled the temple’s entrance, where a lazy figure slouched, far from upright and imposing, yet it sent a wave of panic through the crowd gathered at the temple gate, eager to be the first to offer incense for the new year.
“Brother San, it’s not even dawn yet. Why have you called us here?” Another group of hunched, cat-like figures entered the scene.
“Brothers, go and claim the front spot! Tonight, drinks and brothels are on me!”
Bold San, ever the promising rogue, firmly adhered to the golden rule of rogues: stay close to the good, avoid the wicked, and always reward and punish fairly after “work”!
“No problem! Hehe…” The group of rogues surged forward with strange laughter, and under their “infamous” reputation, the timid common folk had no choice but to retreat a good distance.
Time flew, and it was almost time for the incense offering.
Suddenly, the crowd parted like a tide as another group of arrogant figures arrived.
The portly Squire Wang emerged from his sedan chair, straightened his robe, and spoke leisurely, “Bold San, is everything ready?”
“Squire Wang, please! The first incense offering is yours. No one in Liublind Town is worthy of competing with you!” Bold San’s loud words were deliberately spoken for all to hear, and Squire Wang was indeed delighted; he didn’t care much for the first incense offering but aimed to crush the Li family’s prestige and establish his own Wang family as the foremost in Liublind Town!
Amidst the bustling mortal world, the common folk tirelessly vied for fame and fortune, finding endless joy in it!
“How did you manage it? Hehe… tell me, old man! How did that old fool Li become so obedient?” Squire Wang strode into the temple gate, stroking his black beard with a smug chuckle.
“Reporting to the Squire, I didn’t do much. I just heard that the Li family prides itself on being a military household, always traveling on horseback, so…” Bold San chuckled softly, lowering his voice, “Coincidentally, a circus recently arrived in town, so I had some brothers smear tiger and lion dung on the Li family’s front and back gates, making it impossible for their horses to leave!”
“Haha… so that’s how it was! Well done, brilliantly done! You’re far cleverer than my servants! In the future, don’t hesitate to come to me for help!”
“Thank you for your favor, Squire!” Qiao San smiled, genuinely pleased, but a faint, almost imperceptible glint of hatred flashed in his narrow eyes.
Everything was proceeding flawlessly according to plan, and Qiao San almost wanted to raise his arms and shout to the heavens in excitement. Yet, he remained oblivious to the impending, irresistible danger that was about to descend upon him.
※※※※※※※
Just as Qiao San was securing his spot outside the Dragon Mother’s temple, a delicate, graceful figure floated towards the Crystal Palace.
Her waist-length hair cascaded freely, her white robes fluttered, and a faint mist enveloped her figure, instantly filling every inch of the Crystal Palace’s entrance with an ethereal aura.
The shrimp and crab guards at the gate were momentarily stunned. As the figure drew closer, they focused their gaze, and their instinctive wariness vanished, replaced by reverence.
The tall, graceful maiden stopped gracefully. Her delicate, oval face flushed with a hint of sorrow, her pure eyes flickering with faint melancholy. As she sighed softly, her jade-like countenance lowered, her willow-like brows furrowed, and her sorrowful figure seemed to evoke pity even from the heavens themselves.
—The beauty of Xi Shi holding her heart, how could the vast world resist it?
The aquatic guards stood dumbfounded for a long while before snapping back to reality as the maiden bowed gracefully. The leading officer hastily returned the gesture, “May I ask the immortal’s name? Have you come to see our Dragon Mother?”
The maiden, who had bowed so respectfully, instead showed a trace of sadness on her jade-like face. Her voice, clear as pearls rolling on a jade plate, carried a note of helplessness, “You misunderstand, General! I am not from the immortal realm. I am but a lonely ghost from the Haunted Forest, summoned by the Dragon Mother. Please report my arrival.”
“Ah!” The aquatic guards were stunned, blinking hard, unable to believe their eyes.
Who could have imagined, who would have believed, that this maiden, born of heaven and earth’s essence, was actually—a ghost?!
Whispers of astonishment rippled through the guards. Who would have thought there could be a ghost with such an immortal aura! What a pity—was this some grand jest of the heavens?
Just then, another enchanting figure approached from afar. Though not as pure and flawless as Xiao You, her mature charm was equally captivating.
※※※※※※※
As the first rays of dawn illuminated the earth, a passionate night finally came to an end.
“A…choo!” A drowsy sneeze echoed through the temple gate, followed by a lazy figure staggering forward. Gone was his usual upright and heroic posture, but this caused the crowd waiting at the temple entrance to vie for the first incense of the New Year to panic.
“Brother San, it’s not even dawn yet. Why did you call us here?” Another group of figures, as weak as sick cats, entered the crowd.
“Men, go seize the frontmost spot! Tonight, I’ll treat you all to wine and women!”
Fearless San, the most promising rogue, firmly remembered the golden rule of rogues: be close to the common folk and stay away from villains, always remembering to reward and punish accordingly after “work.”
“No problem! Hehe…” The rogues shouted in unison, their eerie laughter surrounding the temple gate. Under their former “reputation,” the timid commoners had no choice but to retreat.
Time passed quickly, and it was almost time for the first incense offering.
Suddenly, the crowd surged outward like waves. Another arrogant group had arrived.
The wealthy and plump Master Wang emerged from his palanquin, dressed in his usual gentleman’s attire, and calmly asked, “Fearless San, is everything taken care of?”
“Master Wang, please! The first incense is definitely yours. No one in Liuxiang Town dares to compete with you!” Fearless San loudly proclaimed his words for all to hear, and Master Wang was indeed delighted. Actually, he didn’t care much about the first incense; he just wanted to suppress the Li family’s arrogance and establish the Wang family as the most powerful in Liuxiang Town!
The bustling red dust, the mundane mortals, all vying for fame and fortune, endlessly indulging in their pursuits!
“How did you manage that? Hehe… Tell me how it went! Why would Old Li be so obedient?” Master Wang stepped into the temple gate with a self-satisfied smile, stroking his black beard.
“Master, I didn’t do much. I just heard that the Li family always prides itself on being military men and usually rides horses. So…” Fearless San chuckled slightly, lowering his voice, “Coincidentally, a circus recently came to town, so I had my brothers smear some tiger and lion excrement on the Li family’s front and back doors, making their horses unable to come out for a while!”
“Haha… So that’s how it was! Well done, very clever! Much smarter than my own guards! If you need help in the future, just let me know!”
“Thank you for your recognition!” Qiao San smiled, genuinely happy this time, a faint glimmer of hatred flashing through his narrow eyes.
Everything was going perfectly according to plan, and Qiao San almost wanted to raise his arms in excitement and howl to the sky; yet he was completely unaware that an irresistible danger was about to descend upon him.
※※※※※※※
Just as Qiao San was jostling for position outside the Dragon Mother Temple, outside the Crystal Palace, a graceful and elegant figure drifted gracefully.
Her long, waist-length hair, fluttering white dress, and the faint mist surrounding her exuded an ethereal aura that instantly filled every inch of the Crystal Palace gate.
The gate guards, a shrimp general and a crab warrior, were momentarily stunned. As the figure drew closer, they focused and instinctively dropped their guard, replaced by deep reverence.
The tall, graceful young girl stopped effortlessly, her delicate, oval face slightly flushed, her pure eyes filled with subtle sorrow, her breath uneven as she lowered her head, her delicate brows slightly furrowed. Her sorrowful figure was so heart-wrenching even heaven and earth could not help but pity her!
—How could even the beauty of Xi Zi holding her heart compare to this?
The water guards were completely entranced for quite a while before regaining their senses as the young girl bowed gracefully. The leading general hurriedly returned the bow, saying, “May we ask the immortal maiden’s name? Are you here to see our Dragon Lady?”
The young girl, receiving such respect, revealed a hint of sadness on her face. Her voice, as clear as pearls rolling on jade, was filled with obvious helplessness, “General, you misunderstood! I am not an immortal. I am merely a lonely wandering soul from the Ghost Forest. I have come at the goddess’s summons. Please inform her!”
“Ahh!” The water guards were all stunned, blinking hard, still unable to believe their eyes.
Who could imagine, who would believe, that this girl born of the essence of heaven and earth could actually be—a female ghost?!
A wave of sighs rippled among the soldiers. Who would have thought there could be a female ghost exuding such an immortal aura! What a pity! Was this a great joke played by heaven itself?!
At that moment, another enchanting figure approached from afar. Although not as pure and flawless as Xiao You, she exuded a mature charm of her own.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage