19 - The Cannon Fodder is Prepared to Divorce

Ji Wu Nian did not have high demands for Yin and Yang. He considered it complete once Yue Bai recognized the star maps in just two nights. However, even before those two days had passed, Ji Wu Nian voiced that with the new spring, life was flourishing, and it was time to take his young disciple to admire the flowers and plants to cultivate her character. Thus, they found themselves back at Bai Cao Peak, where Yue Bai had previously recuperated. Bai Cao Peak did not have a grand hall, but it did feature a medicine garden for cultivating herbs, a beast pavilion for nurturing spirit beasts, and a pill house for alchemy, covering a significant area. The place where Yue Bai had recuperated was in a remote part of the back mountain, and Ji Wu Nian had not taken her there either. They went to the pill house first, but Elder Wen Zheng, who was in charge of Bai Cao Peak, was not there. His chief disciple, who seemed to have known they were coming, simply told Ji Wu Nian to browse around freely. News had already reached Qi Yun Peak, indicating that Ji Wu Nian’s tour with his disciple to various places under the Sanqing Sect was nearing its end. Bai Cao Peak was the only place left that hadn’t been visited. Yue Bai followed Ji Wu Nian as he identified herbs. Most of the herbs they encountered were ones she had seen before, with components and effects very similar to what she was familiar with, making it an easy task for her. The spirit beasts were much the same, though this place no longer had the dragon or phoenix species, which had been extinct for thousands of years, leaving Yue Bai feeling somewhat melancholic. Ji Wu Nian held a newly hatched Bifang bird, playfully making it spit flames by tapping its beak with his fingertip. He was having a lot of fun. “Ye Er, don't you think our Qing Lin Hall is a bit too quiet?” With you around causing such a ruckus, how could it be quiet at all? But her master’s eyes were twinkling like those of a playful puppy, and Yue Bai, who also liked raising animals, decided to go along with him. “Ye Er heard that there are white foxes in the mountains. Would you like to raise one, master?” Ji Wu Nian rejected the idea, "Foxes have a very strong smell." “How about a spirit monkey?” “No circus acts.” “…A tiger?” “They’re fierce when they grow up,” Ji Wu Nian paused, “Get me a pretty, furry one that can guard the house, and don’t venture too far.” “Ye Er understands.” The disciples of Bai Cao Peak who overheard them exchanged glances, realizing that Ji Wu Nian wanted Ye Er to capture a spirit beast herself. “Miss Ye Er,” a young disciple spoke up, “The Luyi mountain range is full of spiritual energy, and there are many spirit beasts, but deep inside the mountains, there are numerous fierce beasts. Would you like to join us?” Yue Bai had only joined the sect recently, and everyone here was more advanced in cultivation than she was. It was rare for Ji Wu Nian not to be following her, so she had some time to herself, and she thought about doing other things. She asked the disciples of Bai Cao Peak about the Luyi mountain range and formed a plan in her mind. The protective mountain formation of the Sanqing Sect covered the seven peaks and stretched across the mountains below, but Luyi was an entire mountain range to the west of Sanqing, with rolling hills and valleys. According to the jade slip from the Bell Pavilion, Luyi was a place where spiritual veins converged, with the Sanqing Sect occupying the best part of the eastern line. The western line was long but less rich in spiritual energy, making it suitable for spirit beasts. With her divine sense, Yue Bai confirmed that Ji Wu Nian was still at Qing Lin Hall. She flew on her sword to a mountain hollow, found a flat and shady spot, and sat down. Her soul condensed outside of her body, casting a barrier over herself, and she leaped out of the protective mountain formation towards a certain peak in the western line. She had explored the western line before and, while there wasn’t much of interest, finding some cute little creatures was simple enough. Landing in the mountains, Yue Bai’s spiritual sense activated, and soon she heard rustling sounds. Before long, a round cat bear with black and white stripes, swaying as it walked, emerged from the forest. It was quite adorable. The cat bear had already developed spiritual awareness and knew it couldn’t provoke this powerful presence when it felt the overwhelming divine sense. So, when called, it readily appeared. Yue Bai smiled warmly at it, her icy aura giving way to a gentle spring breeze. “Do you have any newborn cubs that you’re willing to let me raise for a few decades?” “This…?” The cat bear hesitated. Although it was hard to refuse the great deity, it couldn’t easily part with a cub from its clan… “Just raising, no contract,” Yue Bai squatted down to meet its eyes, her demeanor soft and gentle like floating flurries in spring. “I know your clan has few offspring. I will take good care of the cub and keep it in the Sanqing Sect. I promise to return it to your clan within twenty years, after it develops spiritual awareness.” A golden light emanated from her fingertip and marked the cat bear’s forehead. “This is our agreement: in twenty years, I will bring it back.” The cat bear’s consciousness trembled, the contract forming visibly. Twenty years to develop spiritual awareness was unprecedented for its clan. It now seemed like a gift. After inspecting her a few more times, the cat bear made up its mind and agreed. “There’s a cub that was born just over four months ago,” the cat bear said. “It’s at its most adorable stage.” “That’s perfect,” Yue Bai was already fond of the idea of the furry little creature and eagerly looked forward to it. “Bring it to the guard formation at Sanqing in a few days, and I will find you.” “Understood.” “Has anything else happened recently?” Yue Bai rarely had informants here, and the birds and beasts were faster in transmitting news. The cat bear thought and mentioned several things - a fight between two demons in the mountains, a place that seemed to be breeding demonic energy. “…I heard the Demon King’s throne has changed hands, and a powerful demon has appeared by the coast…” “The coast?” Yue Bai asked. “Which coast? In which direction?” “Southeast.” Seeing her focus on the question, the cat bear provided more details, “The rumor is it’s in Jiangzhou.” Yue Bai delved into her mind, calculating Liu Li's current location. It seemed to be southeast as well. “He should be in Cangzhou now,” Jiu Yi, finally having a task, spoke earnestly. “Probably picking up shellfish for Ji Wu Nian…” Cangzhou and Jiangzhou were only separated by the Minjiang River as it flowed into the sea. The Yanwang Mansion was located in Yuegang, the capital of Jiangzhou, at the river mouth. Cangzhou, Jiangzhou, and Fuzhou further south were all under Yanwang’s jurisdiction. After the cat bear shared a few more details, Yue Bai internalized the information and then left with a few words of departure. *** Reading Ji He Guang’s mind again, Yue Bai saw that the southeast flooding had started months ago due to the Minjiang River overflowing and seawater surging, causing unpredictable tides. Yanwang Mansion's territory was along the coast, and this phenomenon disrupted maritime commerce and harmed the fishing industry. Despite having many capable officials, this particular situation rendered them helpless. Ji He Guang had planned to seek Ji Wu Nian’s advice, but since Sanqing Sect was in Sichuan, Ji Wu Nian couldn’t leave the mountain. Although he sent letters, Ji He Guang also sought help from the nearby Lingyun Hall. Yue Bai had already known about this situation and had considered it might be the work of demons, but she hadn’t connected it to Liu Li until now. Recently, Lingyun Hall responded to Ji He Guang, informing him that capable individuals were en route and would arrive soon. Realizing Liu Li was nearby, likely heading to Jiangzhou as well, aligned with the mission “Protect Liu Li's Life,” Yue Bai felt uneasy. She decided to take advantage of her “finding a spirit pet” time and transported herself towards Ji He Guang’s direction using the teleportation array. She landed in the mountains outside Yuegang, a few miles from the city, in her original form. Preferring not to use an illusion spell on herself, she donned a mask. She intended to draw her usual sword, Luofeng, but found it sealed in her spatial dimension. “Jiu Yi?” “…Is there something impossible in this world within your sword?” Jiu Yi pondered the restrictions of this world’s laws. While techniques could be recalled from Yue Bai's mind and used, and lost formations could exist, materials that didn’t belong here would be rejected, potentially invoking heavenly tribulation if forced. But, she was a cheat. “Choose another sword; you have plenty.” Yue Bai considered and drew a very ordinary sword called Qing Feng. Jiu Yi felt a bit regretful. He wanted to see Yue Bai show off but acknowledged her discretion. She was low-key and sensible, only revealing her power when necessary. He pondered, grateful that the cheat had a good temperament. Otherwise, he might be worried she’d destroy the world. “Impossible,” Yue Bai refuted Jiu Yi’s idea while rushing to the coast. “The body is too weak. Even with dedicated cultivation for thirty years, it’s not feasible. World destruction isn’t a trivial matter; it’s unachievable.” “You could take pills…” Jiu Yi knew Yue Bai had plenty of elixirs but hadn’t used them to adapt to her body’s state. It seemed she understood that pills were an option, "Even so, it’s not possible; the time is too short." … Indeed, you are a meticulous host. As they conversed, Yue Bai approached the tumultuous waves. Her divine sense swept over the shallow waters, finding nothing amiss. Advancing further, she spotted a jiao thrashing in the sea, causing the water to surge and crash against the shore. The jiao had a massive body, with black scales stretching for miles, each movement creating turbulent waves. It seemed unaware, sometimes crashing into rocks, other times sinking to the seabed. Occasionally, it writhed in agony. Yue Bai noticed a bulge on its forehead, as if something was attempting to break through the skin. Oh, a jiao about to grow horns, writhing in pain. …How dull. Yue Bai didn’t want to fight. The jiao, having lived for perhaps a thousand years, was powerful, and her current body might not withstand it. If Liu Li encountered this creature and fought, it’s no wonder he’d risk losing his life. Standing on a jutting reef, Yue Bai unleashed her divine soul, enveloping the black jiao in immense pressure. The jiao roared in the sea, generating more waves. “Calm down.” The black jiao’s eyes flashed with vigilance, wary of the intruder in its mind. “I’m giving you something to eat. Once you grow your horns, return to the sea.” Do you know what being a cheat means? In a world where dragons were extinct, throwing out a dragon core epitomized it. Jiu Yi watched the black jiao, or rather, the long-horned newly formed dragon, depart with a sense of calm, his inner thoughts surprisingly serene, "Why do you even have a dragon core?" Yue Bai glanced at the sun, realizing she needed to hurry back for lunch with Ji Wu Nian. "I used to play around with them when I had nothing else to do."