Chapter 510: As Seen

Petals drifted slowly down the stream, changing direction gradually, spinning gently, yet the three seated upon them remained calm, sipping tea and chatting leisurely. The forests lining the stream stood like mythical towering trees, blocking the sunlight and casting shadows that crisscrossed across the blue sky like a chaotic painting.

No one knew where they would drift.

"By the way—————"

Lin Jue pulled a pill vial from his robe and handed it to his junior sister: "These are the Soul-Returning Pills from last month and the month before."

The vial held only three pills.

The junior sister took it, glanced inside, tucked it away, then asked: "Have your two new disciples begun their cultivation?"

"They've entered the Foundation Establishment."

"Since they've already entered cultivation, won't you refine Soul-Returning Pills for them?"

"Of course I will."

"But you haven't touched copper or silver in ages," the junior sister said. "Even for a morning sip of wine, you cheat me out of my coins."

"What do you mean 'cheat'?" Lin Jue frowned. "You grew up under my watch. Must we be so precise between us?"

"I grew up under your watch too."

"Are you really arguing over this?"

"… " The junior sister lowered her head and sipped her fruit tea. "But where will the silver for refining pills come from?"

"Each disciple has his own fortune. Since the pills are for them, they must find the silver themselves," Lin Jue said, sipping his flower tea, having already planned it all. "They've now entered cultivation, and I've taught them two defensive spells. It's time they went out again to subdue demons and eradicate evil. How many Soul-Returning Pills they earn depends on how hard they work."

"…"

The junior sister held her cup, thinking:

"Master, what a brilliant plan!"

She had long known of the Silver-Eater's existence—and had guessed it even before he told her.

After all, they were fellow disciples, living side by side. They had witnessed the Corpse Tiger King's affair together. How could she not have guessed?

For a long while now, she had been feeding the Silver-Eater, and the monthly Soul-Returning Pills it spat out naturally went to her and Bai Yun.

But since she often traveled to seek Golden Core materials and was rarely at Fengshan, she lacked the energy to hunt for silver. Even when she found some, she had to trade it for gold—so she usually got only ten taels a month, barely enough to keep the Silver-Eater alive. In good months, twenty taels, all of which she gave to Bai Yun.

Now that her master's disciples had entered cultivation, he was letting them find silver themselves—helping their cultivation, eliminating evil, motivating them, and feeding the Silver-Eater—all at once.

It was one stone, four birds.

"Sigh…"

The junior sister sighed. She doubted she'd ever learn her master's skill.

Suddenly, a drop of water fell from above.

A pea-sized droplet, ordinary enough to go unnoticed on the skin—but here, it was as large as their sitting mats. It struck the magnolia petals, jolting the vessel violently, shattering into a lotus of raindrops more vivid than any they'd ever seen. The splashing droplets were as big as their heads; even raising their sleeves couldn't block them.

The shattered water slid down the petals, leaving not a trace, then reformed into a single crystal-clear pearl in the center of the boat, making all three leap back in alarm.

"It's raining!"

A fox's voice chimed from the side, gleeful, as if delighted.

They had assumed the fox caused it—but when they looked up, raindrops were indeed piercing through the tangled canopy above, and the sky had already turned dark.

Plop!

The fox leapt into the stream, splashing more droplets. The ripples rocked the petal boat wildly, tossing it up and down.

Lin Jue was about to scold it—until he looked ahead and saw a small ledge in the stream, no more than a foot high. To their vessel and its three riders, it was a miniature waterfall. The fox waded through the water, lifting its furry little paw to block the boat.

"The fox is protecting you!"

The fox spoke to him, serious.

Lin Jue looked up—and saw the fox was looking down.

The fox's expression was indeed grave, its amber eyes bright—but hiding within them was a sly, mischievous joy.

"You little thing…"

Lin Jue pointed at it, smiling.

It was hard to say it wasn't deliberately doing this.

He lowered his head and exchanged glances with the two beside him.

Both stood up.

"Today's gathering has been most pleasant," said Daoist Jiang. "To drift on petals, this way, is truly unique. Since it's raining, let's end here. We'll meet again another day."

"Hah! I think this is fun too!" Lin Jue laughed. "Then we'll meet again!"

"Thank you for the Dragon Whisker lead," the junior sister said. "And if you could ask the heavens about the Phoenix Feather, I'd be grateful."

"A small favor."

After speaking, Daoist Jiang picked up his fly whisk, brushed off his robes, and without pause, transformed into a divine light and soared into the sky.

The junior sister lifted her cup again.

Only a sip remained.

Before, when she drank, the tart-sweet taste made her purse her lips tightly after each swallow. Now, she drained it in one go, then smacked her lips several times, savoring the flavor, before smiling at her master.

"You clean up the table and chairs."

She picked up her long sword and fly whisk, tapped the petal with her toe, and soared into the sky, growing larger, then dissolving into a gentle breeze.

…

Unaware, they had drifted to the outskirts of Fengshan.

Since the new dynasty's founding, though southern campaigns remained incomplete, peace had settled everywhere except battle zones. Combined with the chaos of demons and spirits from the previous age—and the auspicious signs since the new regime—more people than ever sought immortals.

A group of travelers knocked on the door of a wooden hut, believing an immortal lived inside. But the occupant replied he was merely a hermit who had grown weary of worldly fame and fortune, fleeing war to settle in Fengshan. He had seen many such seekers over the years.

As they questioned how true the legend of immortals in Fengshan truly was, a sudden rainstorm struck, deepening their despair.

Yet as they followed a path to the stream, they suddenly heard voices nearby.

The voice was soft and clear—human, yet not quite. Like the spirits in ghost tales: appearing human, yet subtly strange upon closer look.

They were far from the hermit's hut now, deep in the mountains, with no other dwellings or figures in sight. How could anyone be speaking?

They fell silent and listened. A faint buzzing hum emerged—barely audible, just a murmur of conversation, words indistinct.

Following the sound to the stream—they saw:

A white fox splashing in the water, strikingly divine, breathtakingly beautiful, clearly no ordinary beast.

Beside it, a single petal floated on the current.

Peering closer, they thought it held something—perhaps an ant or insect—but the moment they stared, a divine light shot from the petal, soaring into the sky. Only when it reached the air could they faintly make out: a spirit.

Then another figure emerged from the petal, dissolving into a breeze, vanishing above the stream and forest.

The forest leaves rustled. The stream rippled.

The travelers stood frozen.

When they looked again at the petal, something still lingered.

Only then did they realize: it was a person.

A few breaths later, the final figure rose from the petal, briefly swelling in size, then dissolving into a breeze—gone. In that fleeting instant, one of them swore the figure had noticed them, turning its head to glance their way.

Coming to their senses, they looked down—and saw only the fox, staring at them.

"You've been seen!"

The fox dissolved into a breeze and vanished.

The travelers stood stunned, trembling with awe and fear. After a long while, they dared look again—only to find the petal had drifted over the ledge, capsized, and been swept to the streambed. When they fished it out, it was just an ordinary magnolia petal.

Who could drift on petals, ride them down the stream, and gather to chat?

Some said: immortals.

Others claimed they'd seen tables and mats on the petals. Searching the stream, they found them—yet the "table" was merely a sliver of wood the size of a fingernail, like a broken twig, and the "mat" was just a clump of grass.

Another, eyes glazed, stared into the distance, murmuring the fox's words: "As seen," while mentally writing a tale—he was a bookish fool.

The fox left, muttering the fox's phrase "What I have seen," while already drafting a story in his mind—a bookish fool.

The Daoist had returned to his pavilion, holding a wooden statue.

"Are you there?"

At his voice, a gaunt, giant-headed ghost floated out of the carving.

At the sound of his voice, a large-headed ghost with a ravenous belly immediately drifted out of the wooden carving.

"These past months, only ten taels of silver each month—surely you've been starving?"

"No, no!" The giant-headed ghost waved frantically. "Ten taels are enough for me!"

"After all these years, you're still so cautious," Lin Jue sighed. "You've grown thin."

"No rush, no rush. Soon, I'll let you eat your fill."

He called: "Chen Niu!"

His two disciples appeared.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Master, after eating the immortal fruit, my cultivation soared!" Xu Yi said. "I can spit fire even stronger now!"

"Same for me!" Pu Mei added. "And my cultivation advances faster—now I feel the spiritual essence of heaven and earth far more clearly!"

The two disciples thought their master was merely concerned for them, when suddenly they heard him say:

The disciples thought their master was merely checking on them—until he said:

【98】 "The realm is newly stabilized, still unstable. Demons still roam, troubling mortals. You've trained long, yet never ventured out to subdue them. Every disturbance has been handled by Master Wan and others. I've seen how hard they've worked. Though your breath expulsion is simple, it can drive off minor spirits. Though your Flame Repulsion only spits mortal fire, it can still harm some demons. And now, having eaten the immortal fruit, your spiritual progress is substantial. It's time you went out to subdue demons, to uphold the human world."