Her master cautioned, “On the fifteenth, yin energy is at its peak. The tree spirits and wandering souls will emerge to absorb the spiritual essence of heaven and earth. Do not stray too far, and make sure to return by midday.”
“Yes, yes, you say this every time,” Hong Ning grumbled. Then, gesturing toward the table with a grin, she teased, “You’re both cultivating immortality—one of you lives on medicine, and the other only drinks water. Meanwhile, look at me, enjoying all this delicious food.”
She picked up a piece of vegetable with her chopsticks and sighed dramatically. “Master’s cooking is getting better and better!”
The youth beside her let out a disdainful snort.
The man in blue robes shook his head with a smile. “The art of fasting can lead to immortality, yet you refuse to cultivate.”
Hong Ning was indifferent. “Spending every day detached from worldly pleasures, cultivating immortality while ignoring all the wonderful things in the mortal world—what’s the point of living forever? I have no luck in becoming an immortal this lifetime, so I might as well focus on being your assistant. When you two finally ascend to immortality, don’t forget about me.”
The young man sneered coldly. “Longevity is naturally a good thing. We’ll remain young while you’ll already be an old woman.”
Hong Ning rolled her eyes. “Say whatever you like. I’m not going to cultivate.”
The young man scoffed. “Born with a mortal heart.”
* * *
A mountain stream cascaded down, gathering into a pool. It was April, yet the water here radiated an intense chill. To the left stood a towering cliff.
After sweating excessively in her sleep the previous night, Hong Ning felt sticky and uncomfortable. Setting down her basket filled with medicinal herbs, she stripped off her outer clothes and leaped into the pool.
The deep green water rippled gently. Though crystal clear, its depths were unfathomable. The pool was known as the Evil Dragon’s Pool. Whether an actual dragon lurked below was uncertain, but after living in these mountains for over ten years, Hong Ning had long stopped being afraid. Even her master had never detected any demonic aura here. It was likely just a name. And even if a dragon had once lived here, it was probably captured or had perished under heavenly punishment long ago.
If someone had told her in the past that dragons existed, she would have laughed and dismissed it as superstition. But after coming to this world and witnessing countless inexplicable events over the past ten years, her scientific beliefs had long since crumbled.
Yes, before crossing over, her name was Hong Ling—a thoroughly modern woman.
As for how she ended up here, she still had no idea. All she remembered was fainting while strolling through a grove of camellia flowers. When she woke up, she had become an infant, abandoned by the roadside, and was soon rescued by her current master.
Her master’s name was Wen Xin, and her senior brother was Bai Ling.
Becoming a baby was already hard to accept, but what was even more shocking was that her gentle, refined master—who appeared to be in his thirties—was actually 133 years old! And her senior brother Bai Ling was an astonishing 396 years old—because he was an ice demon.
Having trained under her master since childhood, she had grown accustomed to practicing techniques to strengthen her body. Soaking in icy water didn’t feel cold to her at all. Looking down at her fair, delicate arms, Hong Ning smiled bitterly.
In another life, she had already been 22 years old. But now, she was only 12.
Twelve years had passed—she had grown from an infant into a young girl. Yet her master and senior brother had barely changed. She had to admit, immortality had its benefits when it came to beauty.
If she were back in the modern world, she could probably open a fasting-based beauty clinic—no food, weight loss, skincare benefits, and cost savings all in one. She figured plenty of women would be eager to sign up.
Ten years had passed, and her memories of that other life had become hazy. The only thing that remained as a keepsake was a name that sounded somewhat similar to her original one.
Could this transmigration have something to do with that strange dream?
She had once asked her master, Wen Xin, about it in private. But he, too, had no clear answer. He simply said that her past life must have been deeply connected to that mysterious woman.
Hong Ning soaked in the water, lost in thought.
Just then, not far from her, the once-still surface of the deep green pool suddenly began to ripple. The waves grew larger and larger, and soon, a strange gurgling sound echoed across the water.
Years of training had heightened her senses—something was wrong.
Alarmed, she focused her gaze and saw that the center of the pool was boiling, as if the water were being cooked. At the same time, a surge of demonic energy shot straight into the sky.
Her heart pounded in terror. She instinctively tried to leap onto the shore—
Something coiled around her left leg.
Cold. Slippery. Hard.
A water snake that had gained sentience? A shiver ran down her spine as goosebumps broke out over her skin. She looked down—
The deep, murky water made it impossible to see where the creature began or ended, but what she could see was horrifying. The thing wrapped around her leg was as thick as a barrel, black as ink, covered in hard, glistening scales!
This was no snake!
0 Comments