“Hmph! That thing must be cut off!” As the supreme water goddess of the Three Realms, the Dragon Mother, famous for her cruelty, could never allow a mere mortal to defile her so easily. Thinking of Qiao San’s wanton display, her long, delicate eyebrows arched sharply towards her temples. Her high, noble nose and full, vermilion lips tightly compressed into a grim, murderous expression.
No matter what, she must retaliate! But immortals could not harm ordinary humans; each of the Three Realms had its own laws, and breaking them would violate the celestial code.
Thinking thus, the Dragon Mother angrily slammed her palm onto the surface of the immortal spring. In her fury, small ripples surged from her ample bosom while the entire East Sea trembled.
What should she do? Reporting to the heavenly court could bring retribution upon the filthy mortal, but if this matter spread throughout the immortal realm, how could she still face the sea creatures she governed?
A thousand thoughts swirled in her mind when suddenly a flash of inspiration struck. The dignified Dragon Mother finally broke into a smile and immediately ordered her maidens, “Come! Quickly summon the Ghost姬 from Ghost Forest!”
(Note: “姬” is a Chinese term often used to denote a young girl or a noblewoman, sometimes in a historical or fantasy context. In English, it can be transliterated as “Ji” or adapted contextually. Since this appears to be a fantasy setting, retaining “Ghost姬” as “Ghost Ji” or another suitable transliteration might be appropriate depending on the world-building. Let me know if you’d like me to adjust this term further.)
Here’s a revised version with a more naturalized English fantasy tone:
A thousand thoughts swirled in her mind when suddenly a flash of inspiration struck. The dignified Dragon Mother finally broke into a smile and immediately ordered her maidens, “Come! Quickly summon the Ghost Seer from Ghost Forest!”
※※※※※※※
As the first rays of dawn illuminated the earth, a night filled with passion finally passed.
“A…choo!” A drowsy sneeze filled the temple gate area. A lazy figure staggered in, lacking any upright majesty, yet causing a group of people waiting at the temple entrance to vie for the first incense of the New Year to panic.
“It’s not even dawn yet, Three Brother. Why did you call us here?” Another group of figures, like sickly cats, twisted and turned into view.
“Brothers, go seize the front spot! Tonight’s drinking and whoring is on me!”
Fearless San, truly the most promising rogue, firmly remembered the rogue’s golden rule: befriend the commoners and avoid the villains, making sure to reward and punish fairly after “work.”
“No problem! Hehehe…” The rogues shouted in unison, laughing weirdly as they surrounded the temple gate. Under their former “reputation,” the timid commoners had no choice but to retreat.
Time passed quickly, and it was nearly time for the incense offering.
Suddenly, the crowd surged to both sides like a tide, as another arrogant group arrived.
The wealthy Wang Yuanwai emerged from his palanquin, dressed in his usual attire, and calmly asked, “Fearless San, is everything handled?”
“Rest assured, Master Yuanwai! The first incense will be yours. No one in Liubian Town dares to compete with you!” Fearless San loudly declared, intentionally making his voice heard by everyone. As expected, Master Yuanwai was delighted; he actually didn’t care much for the first incense, but wanted to suppress the Li family’s momentum and establish the Wang family as the most prestigious in Liubian Town!
The bustling red dust, the mediocre mortals, endlessly chasing fame and fortune, enjoying it tirelessly!
“How did you manage that? Hehe… Tell me how!” Master Yuanwai stepped into the temple gate with a square gait, stroking his black beard smugly.
“Master Yuanwai, I didn’t do much. I just heard that the Li family always prides itself on being military men, always riding horses when going out, so…” Fearless San smiled slightly, lowering his voice, “Coincidentally, a circus recently came to town. I had some of my brothers smear the Li family’s front and back doors with tiger and lion dung, so their horses couldn’t come out for a while!”
“Haha… So that’s how! Well done, very clever! Much smarter than my own servants! If you need anything else, feel free to ask me for help!”
“Thank you for your appreciation!” Qiao San laughed, genuinely delighted. A faint, almost imperceptible flicker of hatred flashed rapidly through his narrow eye slits.
Everything had gone perfectly according to plan. Qiao San almost wanted to raise his arms in excitement and howl to the heavens, completely unaware that an irresistible danger from the heavens was about to descend upon him.
※※※※※※※
Just as Qiao San was seizing a spot outside the Dragon Mother Temple, outside the Crystal Palace, a graceful and delicate figure drifted gracefully forward.
Her waist-length, loosely flowing hair, her fluttering white dress, and the faint mist surrounding her body instantly filled every inch of the Crystal Palace entrance with an ethereal aura.
The gate-guarding shrimp soldiers and crab generals were momentarily stunned. As the figure floated closer, they focused their gaze and instinctive vigilance immediately vanished, replaced by a look of reverence.
The tall, graceful young girl stopped leisurely, her delicate, oval face blushing faintly, her pure eyes revealing a hint of sorrow. Her gentle breathing and sighs, her lowered face and slightly furrowed brows, made her sorrowful figure so pitiable that even heaven and earth couldn’t help but feel compassion!
— How could the beauty of a woman in pain, like Xi Zi holding her chest, be resisted by the myriad worlds!
The water creatures guarding the gate stood there in a daze for quite a while before regaining their senses when the young girl bowed gracefully. The leading general hurriedly returned the bow, saying, “May we know the immortal maiden’s name? Have you come to see our Dragon Lady?”
The young girl, who had received such respect, revealed a trace of sadness on her jade-like face. Her voice, clear like pearls rolling on a jade plate, revealed obvious helplessness. “General, you misunderstood! I am not an immortal. I am just a lonely female ghost from Ghost Forest. I have come in response to the Dragon Mother’s summons. Please inform the general.”
“Ahh!” The water creature soldiers were all stunned again, 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 series of sighs echoed among the soldiers. Who would have thought there could be a female ghost exuding such an immortal aura! What a pity, was this perhaps a great joke played by heaven?
At that moment, another enchanting figure approached from afar. Although she wasn’t as pure and flawless as Xiaoyou, she had her own mature charm.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage