Chapter 784

Several people turned to look and saw others walking slowly in small groups, carrying wooden buckets, winnowing baskets, ropes, shovels, and other tools.

Seeing them make a fire here, they curiously approached, and upon seeing the large fish they held in their arms, everyone exclaimed in awe and grew excited: "Did you catch these from the sea?"

Pan Yun nodded: "Yes."

"Wonderful, wonderful! Looks like we'll find plenty of good things after the tide goes out—this stretch of sea hasn't been fished in a long time."

Pan Yun: "Are you here to gather during the tide?"

"Yes."

Pan Yun smiled faintly and reminded them: "The tide won't recede until around the hour of Yin—there's still plenty of time left. Why not go home and rest for now?"

They ignored her: "No, we can't. The sea ban just lifted, and our families have no boats to fish with—gathering during the tide is the best, easiest way."

"The New Year's coming soon. The more we gather, the better—even if we can't sell it, eating it at home is still good."

As they spoke, they stared at the fat fish in their hands and swallowed hard.

Pan Yun nodded slightly and generously invited them to sit with them and eat the grilled fish.

Catching fish was easy for Xiao Hong and Pan Xiaohei, and since the fish they caught were all large, two fish were enough for their group—so the rest could truly be shared with them.

Miao and Seeing Miao Zhen rolled up their sleeves to prepare the fish, while Pan Yun walked slowly toward the sea with Pan Xiaohei in hand; a fishing net had appeared in her grip without warning.

None of the surrounding people noticed—only to see Pan Yun float effortlessly onto distant rocks; before anyone could cry out in alarm, she cast her net, and moments later pulled it up, filled with over twenty fish.

The net was very heavy, yet Pan Yun dragged it up with sheer strength, then bundled it together and, using the motion of slapping it against the shore with seawater, floated gracefully back onto the beach.

Pan Yun hauled up the entire net of fish, ordered Wang Cong to take them all out, kept a few for roasting, and packed the rest away to take with them.

When returning home, shouldn't we bring back some local specialty?

The tide-gatherers stared at her blankly and couldn't help asking: "Miss, are you a Daoist Priest?"

Pan Yun glanced down at her casual clothes and smiled: "No."

The tide-gatherers looked disappointed: "Not? I thought you were so skilled—I thought you were Daoist Pan."

Pan Yun: "Daoist Pan is so powerful—how could I possibly compare to her?"

"True. I've never seen her, but I've heard Daoist Pan is beautiful, like a fairy—you definitely don't look like one."

Pan Yun: …

The man beside him said discontentedly, "What do you mean 'like a fairy'? Daoist Pan is a fairy—this person..."

He sized up Pan Yun from head to toe and shook his head: "Far from it."

Xue Shao couldn't help smiling faintly, cutting off their chatter and rescuing Pan Yun from the situation.

Pan Yun smoothly changed the subject: "Now that the sea ban is lifted, what are your plans for the future?"

They were all excited, talking over each other: "First, gather during the tide…"

"The magistrate's office rents boats—we plan to rent one together after the New Year to go fishing."

"I won't fish—my father says my swimming's poor, so I can't go to sea. But after the New Year, there'll be many ships at the port—I'll go there to run errands for people and earn something, so I can rent less land. The tenant rent is too high."

"Yes, tenant rent is too high—and whether we harvest or not still depends on heaven."

"Now it's better—we've got another livelihood. We'll all rent less land and see how those landlord masters dare raise the rent again."

The fish was done. Pan Yun ate while listening, thoroughly absorbed.

They roasted several fish by the fire, kept two for themselves, and gave the rest, along with the fire, to the tide-gatherers.

When they left, the beach was already crowded with people, sitting far from the water's edge, with burlap sacks spread out on the sand.

Most were young men; only a few were elderly or women.

As Pan Yun turned to look back before leaving, Wang Cong called her several times before she snapped out of it.

They entered the path, walked into the forest, and, when no one was watching, released the Three Treasures Cauldron; everyone climbed in one after another. Xi Jin's face glowed with excitement—he was sitting inside the Three Treasures Cauldron in full awareness for the first time, thrilled beyond words.

Inside, except for Pan Yun standing to control the flying cauldron, everyone else sat cross-legged inside, eyes closed, resting.

Xue Shao, seeing how overjoyed he was, patted his head and smiled: "If you want to look, just stand up."

Xi Jin stood up before Xue Shao finished speaking, leaning over the rim to peer out.

In the darkness, only distant specks of light below could be seen, as unreachable as stars in the sky.

But soon, the Three Treasures Cauldron flew past those places, and the faint starlight enveloped everything, blurring the mountains, rivers, grasses, and trees below…

Xi Jin stared blankly for a long while, then sat beside Xue Shao and asked softly: "Master, if you start cultivating now, will you be able to do this too someday?"

Xue Shao: "Likely so."

Xi Jin grabbed his arm: "Then don't sleep—start cultivating right now!"

Xue Shao: "... It's late. You should rest."

"But you're full of energy—you used to read late into the night. Missing one night's sleep won't hurt."

Xue Shao flicked his forehead: "Sleep. Don't disturb my peace."

Xi Jin reluctantly sat beside him and closed his eyes, but couldn't sleep at all—he was far too excited.

Just as he finally calmed his excited mind and drifted into sleep, someone shook him awake.

They had arrived—not only had they arrived, but the sky was faintly lightening.

Pan Yun stopped the Three Treasures Cauldron. She had slept for an hour, only waking them as dawn began to break.

She set the Three Treasures Cauldron midway between the Academy and Shangqing Town—halfway up the mountain path led to the gate.

The Academy had already closed for the holidays; few remained inside. But the Grand Shangqing Palace was bustling with incense, for the New Year was near, and many had come to climb the mountain and pray.

They entered through the Grand Shangqing Palace, slipped to the Academy's gate, and pushed straight in.

The gatekeeper brother sat on a meditation cushion, basking in the sun while cracking pine nuts; as the door opened, he was still battling a single pine nut.

He looked up, dazed, and met Pan Yun's gaze.

Pan Yun grinned and bowed: "Brother."

The gatekeeper brother silently swallowed the whole pine nut—shell and all—with a crunch: "Sister Pan, the Academy's closed."

"I know, we came back to get our luggage. Before going out to sea, a lot of our luggage was stored in the Academy."

The gate-guarding senior brother stared blankly at her for a moment. Seeing she really had no intention of yielding, he took out a register and handed it to her: "Fill it in."

Pan Yun filled out the registration at once, then waved her hand and started leading everyone toward Phoenix Perch Court.

The gate-guarding senior brother blocked Little Red and Hong Yan, the veins on his forehead twitching.

Pan Yun turned her head and silently met his gaze.

The gate-guarding senior brother's eyes swept over Xue Shao and Xi Jin, and he said expressionlessly: "Those two I can let slide — they're not Academy disciples, but at least they're human. What is the deal with these two?"

Pan Yun grabbed his hand and pulled him aside, lowering her voice: "Senior brother, the teachers in the Academy all know about it. Little Red is even an acquaintance of theirs. You've been guarding the gate all along, you should know about this."

"Don't talk nonsense, I don't know about it."

Pan Yun stuffed a silver ingot into his hand.

The gate-guarding senior brother glanced at the silver ingot in his hand, silently tucked it into his sleeve, and nodded: "Fine, I can come to know about it. Half a shichen — that's enough, right?"

Pan Yun nodded rapidly: "Enough, enough."

If they didn't come out after half a shichen, the gate-guarding senior brother wasn't about to abandon his post and go in after them. (End of chapter)