Ji Yuan immediately leaped off the side of the ship, landing lightly on General Giant Whaleâs back. Ying Ruoli swiftly followed suit, while Chi Gui and Lin Jian hesitated for a moment before ultimately deciding not to descend with them.
Ji Yuan stood on the giant whaleâs back and asked.
âGeneral Giant Whale, did you hear the drumbeats just now, and see the red light in the sky? â
General Giant Whaleâs current state was somewhat peculiar, and he hestiated before answering.
âTo answer Mr. Ji, I did not hear any drumbeats, nor did I see any red light. But⊠but just now I felt extremely suppressed, almost unable to control myself, nearly dove into the deep sea. In the end, I involuntarily let out a cry, and thenâŠâ
The General Giant Whale strained his eyes upwards, looking at Ji Yuan on his back.
âThen I heard a strange cry. That sound, it scared this General senseless! Thankfully, it disappeared immediately! â
âYou heard that cry? â
Ji Yuan was slightly surprised, but found that it made perfect sense.
âIndeed, I heard that strange cry. The sound was extremely eerie and a bit hoarse, as if it was close at hand yet also far away. I wasnât even this scared when the Dragon Mother was angry!â
The surface of the ocean beneath the giant whale rippled for a moment. He asked Ji Yuan with lingering fear.
âMr. Ji, you are a highly accomplished Taoist, widely experienced and knowledgeable. Do you know what that sound was? What kind of demon was it? â
âWait, you heard it too? Why didnât I hear it? â
Ying Ruoli questioned General Giant Whale incredulously. The General Giant Whaleâs cultivation was insignificant compared to hers, so how could this simple-minded whale hear it?
âAh? Lady Ruoli couldnât hear it? â
General Giant Whale was even more surprised. He quickly explained the feeling of oppressive terror he had just experienced to Ying Ruoli, who then looked thoughtfully at Ji Yuan.
This matter was highly unusual; even Uncle Ji seemed a bit baffled by it.
âThereâs no need to worry too much about this anymore. Since we have no further clues, letâs not dwell on it. I havenât paid for the meal yet; Iâll go back and settle the bill. â
Back on the flying ship, Ji Yuan returned to the restaurant directly. After paying, he had no further interest in lingering, and prepared to leave immediately.
Actually, Ji Yuan had originally wanted to experience riding Nine Peaks Mountainâs realm-crossing flying ship, but this trip had a clear purpose, and their destinations were different. Moreover, he couldnât possibly abandon General Giant Whale and travel by ship himself. This was a flying ship, it rarely sailed on the sea, and it was impossible for General Giant Whale to follow along.
The prices for food on the immortal flying ship were indeed exorbitant, costing a full ten taels of silver. Ji Yuanâs savings were almost instantly cut down by more than half. However, the ordinary dishes and wine accounted for less than one tael; the real bulk of the cost was that plate of so-called âImmortal Qi-Infused Seasonal Vegetables.â
He couldnât discern any special taste, yet the price was ridiculously high.
As they meant to establish a good relationship, the two Nine Peaks Mountain True Immortals naturally escorted him to the side of the ship.
âMr. Ji, it is destined fate that we met. I observe that your immortal aura is pure and harmonious, truly that of a highly virtuous, powerful cultivator. Our Nine Peaks Mountain is located in Heng Province, in the northern border region. Every sixty years, we hold a Cultivatorâs Grand Assembly. Judging from the current date, there arenât many years left before then; it will begin in the summer of the year of Wuxu in the calendar of Dazhen. If Senior has some free time then, you are welcome to visit our Nine Peaks Mountain. â
As Chi Gui spoke, he took out a bamboo slip from his person and handed it to Ji Yuan with both hands.
âMr. Ji, this is a command token from our Nine Peaks Mountain. If you come to visit, the mountain gate will guide you to either me or Lin Jian. We hope Senior will grace us with your presence when you have time; you are welcome at any time, not just during the Cultivatorâs Grand Assembly! â
Ji Yuan did not refuse. He took it, inspecting it, and saw that the bamboo slip bore the four characters âNine Peaks Token of Decree,â imbued with a special barrier.
âAlright, I will certainly visit when I have time! â
Ji Yuan bowed with cupped hands as he took the bamboo slip.
âThen we shall take our leave. No need to see us off! â
âMr. Ji, take care! â
The two True Immortals saw them off. Ji Yuan nodded once again before flying away from the realm-crossing ferry. Ying Ruoli, on the other hand, didnât even bother to say goodbye to the two and simply flew down.
The bamboo tokens and warm invitations the two True Immortals from Nine Peaks Mountain had extended were only to Ji Yuan, clearly not including the Dragon Daughter in their invitation list. Although the Dragon Daughter didnât care for it, a hint of displeasure still lingered in her heart, so much so that she didnât even bother to feign politeness.
As they stepped once more onto the solid back of General Giant Whale, the realm-crossing ferry had already flown to the side. On the flying ship, Chi Gui, Lin Jian, and some other cultivators from Nine Peaks Mountain bowed respectfully in Ji Yuanâs direction. Ji Yuan merely nodded, not returning the gesture.
âHmph, most cultivators are like this, holding many prejudices against us monsters.â
Seeing Ying Ruoliâs rare display of petulance, Ji Yuan smiled and consoled her.
âIn the end, inherent prejudices are like this. If you had revealed your identity as the River Goddess, perhaps you would have been treated better. Besides, if they had truly invited you just now, and you had actually gone, it might have only led to awkwardness. Better not to be invited at all.â
âI donât care, anyway! General Giant Whale, what are you gaping at? Hurry up and swim!â
âOh, oh, oh! Yes, maâam! â
Hearing Ying Ruoliâs angry words, General Giant Whale dared not delay. He quickly flicked his massive tail.
âBoom!â
A huge wave crashed behind him, and the giant whaleâs body shot forward. By now, the realm-crossing ferry had flown further and further away, leaving only a tiny, bright shadow of a ship in the night.
Ji Yuan had lost all interest in writing. Instead, he stood on the whaleâs back, letting the sea breeze buffet him, his thoughts drifting to the horizon.
What exactly was that strange drumbeat, and what was that cry? Why could General Giant Whale hear it, but why couldnât he hear it completely? What lay in that direction in the Eastern Sea?
Ji Yuan believed that such a strange occurrence at the transition between the old and new year must have a reason behind it, and that his ability to witness it might somehow be related to General Giant Whaleâs intensely loud whale cry from earlier.
âAlas. . . human power has its limits; itâs difficult to fully comprehend all the mysteries of the world!â
Ji Yuan sighed. The Dragon Daughter looked at him, wanting to say something, but ultimately remained silent.
âŠ
In the Tongtian Riverâs Dragon Palace, Ying Feng, the Dragon Son who had gone to visit and drink with some of his friends, returned to the underwater palace.
As soon as his dragon form swam into the forbidden area of the underwater palace, he found that several wings had actually collapsed, and some areas appeared to have been newly built.
The flood dragon transformed into a man in brocade robes, grabbing a passing half-fish girl.
âWhat happened? Did someone dare to attack my Tongtian River Dragon Palace? â
âYour Highness, you have returned? It was not someone that someone dared to attack the underwater palace, but rather that the Dragon Lord sneezed twice in his sleep, which completely destroyed this section of the Tongtian River. â
Ying Feng nodded knowingly.
âOh, I see. Father can actually sneeze? Iâve never seen him sneeze all these years. What a pityâŠâ
Ying Feng asked no further questions and went straight to the main hall. He flopped down onto a large, comfortable chair, propped his feet on the armrest, reached for a handful of pastries, and munched on them. Then he pulled out a flask of wine from his robes. After sniffing it, he carefully opened his mouth and drank a tiny sip from the water.
âTsk tsk tsk aah⊠I canât drink too much, I canât drink too much, this is for Uncle Ji! â
This translucent white jade flask was a âthousand-dou pot,â which was considered a treasure. As the name implied, despite its small size, it could hold a thousand âdouâ of wine, which was quite a lot.
1
âHehe, Uncle Ji will definitely like it! If heâs in a good mood, he might teach me the lightning technique, then IâllâŠâ
Ying Feng happily thought to himself again. Through his drinking buddy Gao Tianming, he had already learned of several other great divine abilities his Uncle Ji had never revealed. Among them, the True Fire of Samadhi was naturally terrifying, but what interested Ying Feng most was lightning techniques.
He wandered around the palace a few times, but couldnât find his sister.
âWhereâs Ruoli? â
Ying Feng frowned. His sister rarely went out, except when helping his father summon clouds and rain. Using language from Ji Yuanâs previous life, she was a complete homebody. But today, he had been back for so long, and he hadnât seen his sister come out yet.
âHey, you, have you seen Ruoli? â
Ying Feng asked a fish-girl who was bringing over new pastries. She shook her head repeatedly.
âThe River Goddess has not been in the underwater palace recently. This servant does not know where she went! â
Ying Feng frowned, rose from his seat, and went outside, where he saw a Yaksha approaching. He asked them directly.
âDo you know where Ruoli went? â
The two Yakshas, who had come to report to him, naturally stopped and bowed in reply.
âReplying to His Highness, some time ago, Mr. Ji visited and invited the Dragon Lord, the River Goddess, and His Highness to a certain place. The River Goddess went along at that time. â
âAh? My father went too? Iâm the only one who didnât go? â
The Yaksha replied hurriedly but cautiously.
âThe Dragon Lord was deep in sleep. Mr. Ji and the River Goddess called several times, but he did not awaken, so he is still in the Dragon Pool. â
Ying Fengâs eyes widened as he looked towards the Dragon Pool behind the palace.
âMy father didnât wake up? Nonsense! He must have been feigning sleep! Uncle Ji came looking for him, and he didnât go? Thereâs definitely something strange! â
Even in the water, the two Yakshas almost broke into a cold sweat, quickly lowering their heads and fixing their gaze downwards.
Ying Feng pressed on for more information.
âThen where did they go? Iâll chase after them! â
âI heard⊠I heard they went to the very edge of the Eastern Sea, near the Northern Sea, where a whale demon named General Giant Whale sought help from Mr. Ji, hoping the underwater palace here could rescue the Dragon Mother. â
âMy motherâ! â
Ying Feng cried out, a hint of panic flashing across his face.
âWhat happened? What happened to my mother? Why did they seek help from Uncle Ji, why didnât they come directly to the Tongtian River? Forget it, just tell me how to get there, Iâll go find them! â
âYour Highness, donât worry! Your Highness, donât worry! Mr. Ji and the River Goddess have been gone for a long time. We do not know their route, and you wouldnât be able to catch up with their speed, nor would you know which direction to go! â
Another Yaksha further advised.
âYes, Your Highness, you donât need to worry. With Mr. Ji accompanying them, itâs no different from the Dragon Lord going personally. Nothing will happen! â
Ying Feng paced back and forth, clapping his hands together forcefully.
âUgh, Iâll go find my father! â
Ying Feng, with hurried steps, arrived directly outside the Dragon Pool. Seeing his enraged expression, the Yakshas nearby dared not stop him, but as Ying Feng tried to rush in, he was bounced back by a water bubble.
âDad! Stop pretending to be asleep! Let me in! If not, at least tell me how to get to Motherâs side! DadâDad, youâre going too far! â
Ying Feng angrily punched the Dragon Poolâs entrance, only making a dent in the bubble barrier, which quickly restored itself.
âDad, you⊠you, you, you⊠youâre henpecked!â
âROAR! You scoundrelââ
The old dragonâs furious roar echoed.
RumbleâŠ
Large waves surged out, directly sweeping Ying Feng away. This section of the Tongtian River once again shook, and the entire underwater palace suffered another disasterâŠ
T/n: RIP the underwater construction budget. At least they have a lot of pearls to make up for it. Also RIP Ying Feng, poor guy just canât seem to get lucky with JYâŠ
1 dou = 10 liters, 1000 dou = 10 000 L/2642 gallons, about the size of a small swimming pool.