「The next morning.」
When Xiao Mo woke up and walked out of his bedroom, he saw Ruxue bustling about in the courtyard.
She wrung out the freshly washed clothes, hanging them one by one on a line.
A sea breeze swept by, gently lifting her long, silver-white hair.
She tucked a few stray strands behind her ear. Droplets of water from the clothes clung to her pale, slender arms like dewdrops on white silk.
Watching her, Xiao Mo felt a montary daze.
It was as if he had returned to that courtyard in Shiqiao Village.
As if those past days had never changed.
"Xiao Mo, you’re awake! Hold on, I’ll go to the kitchen and get so hot water for you to wash up."
Seeing Xiao Mo erge from his room, Bai Ruxue quickly set down the laundry and hurried into the kitchen.
A mont later, Bai Ruxue ca out with a basin of water. She wrung out a washcloth with her delicate, jade-like fingers, intending to wash Xiao Mo’s face for him.
"Sister Bai, I can do it myself."
"It’s all right, let help you." Bai Ruxue gently pushed down Xiao Mo’s small hand and happily wiped his face.
Xiao Mo’s head turned to and fro with the motion of the washcloth.
As Bai Ruxue’s gaze fell on the Snake Scale Pendant around Xiao Mo’s neck, her expression grew even gentler.
"There, all done. Go sit in the courtyard for a bit. I’ll bring out so hot congee for you."
After helping Xiao Mo wash up, Bai Ruxue went back into the kitchen and brought out the hot congee she had prepared.
After breakfast, Bai Ruxue asked Xiao Mo to take her for a walk around the village. She wanted to et the won who usually looked after him.
Naturally, Xiao Mo agreed.
The villagers were stunned when they saw Bai Ruxue. They couldn’t believe such a beautiful woman had co to Huanyu Village, and her full head of long, silver-white hair was an exceptionally rare sight.
Moreover, they felt she carried herself with the air of a lady from a prominent family.
To be honest, the villagers were a bit uneasy about a woman like her lodging at Xiao Mo’s house.
But when the village chief stepped forward to say it was all right, they didn’t pursue the matter.
It was true, after all. ’Huanyu Village had nothing to offer; it’s just an ordinary little fishing village.’
’And Xiao Mo is just an ordinary child. What motive could she possibly have for getting close to him?’
’Perhaps she really did just want a place to rest for a while, happened to run into Xiao Mo, and took pity on him, so she decided to stay and look after him.’
However, anyone who resided in Huanyu Village for an extended period was required to visit the ancestral hall and offer three sticks of incense. This was to show respect for the village’s ancestors and to pray for their blessing and protection.
The village chief led Xiao Mo and Bai Ruxue into the ancestral hall.
At the far end of the ancestral hall stood the statue of a scholar dressed in a green robe.
The scholar held a scroll in one hand, his other hand clasped behind his back as he gazed into the distance.
’Isn’t that... ?’
Xiao Mo froze.
He never imagined he would see a statue of himself here.
Xiao Mo glanced over at Bai Ruxue. Her eyes flickered for a fraction of a second before she smoothed her expression, all within half a breath.
Bai Ruxue stepped forward, took the incense sticks from Granny Wang’s hand, made three deep bows, and placed them in the incense burner at the front.
"Grandpa Village Chief, is that our ancestor?" Xiao Mo asked.
"Mm-hmm."
Village Chief Zhao smiled and nodded.
"That he is. His na was Xiao Mo, a Great Saint from three thousand years ago. And a long ti ago, our village wasn’t called Huanyu Village; it was known as Shiqiao Village."
"But fifteen hundred years ago, war broke out in the Qi Kingdom. To escape the devastation, our ancestors fled to the coast and established this very village, Huanyu Village."
As he spoke, the old village chief patted Xiao Mo’s head.
"And legend has it that the ancestors of Shiqiao Village were able to reach this place safely because a silver-white Flood Dragon protected them. We used to have a statue of the Flood Dragon here in the hall, but the County Magistrate said relations between the Human Race and the Demon Race were becoming too tense, so we had to take it down for the ti being."
"I see..."
Xiao Mo lowered his head. Hearing that the Qi Kingdom had fallen, he naturally felt a pang of regret.
’But in this world, what dynasty can last forever?’
’For the Qi Kingdom’s dynasty to have lasted a thousand years was already an incredible feat.’
Once Bai Ruxue finished offering the incense and making her three bows, the simple ceremony was complete.
Bai Ruxue and Xiao Mo wandered around the village for a while longer, not heading back until it was nearly noon.
But just as the two of them were approaching their courtyard...
Xiao Mo saw a woman in a long, green dress standing outside.
Hearing their footsteps, Xiao Qing turned around. She looked at her older sister, then at the child whose hand her sister was holding, a complex expression on her face.
"Sister..." Xiao Qing called out softly to Bai Ruxue.
Bai Ruxue smoothed her dress, crouching down to pat Xiao Mo’s head. "Xiao Mo, I have a little sothing to take care of. Can you go ho and wait for , please?"
"Mhm," Xiao Mo nodded and ran into the house.
Bai Ruxue stood up and walked over to Xiao Qing. "Let’s talk sowhere else," she said calmly.
Bai Ruxue started walking toward the sea, with Xiao Qing following at her side.
Half an incense stick’s ti later, they reached the shore. Bai Ruxue gazed out at the boundless sea, her hands folded before her. "Xiao Qing, what is it? What’s happened?"
"Sister..." Xiao Qing said, looking at her sister’s profile. "The Demon Race’s World has sent another envoy."
"What did they say?"
"The envoy said that as a Demon Emperor of the Immortal Realm in control of the North Sea, you should join them in their campaign against the World of Ten Thousand Laws."
"Furthermore, they said that if you’re willing to side with them, once the World of Ten Thousand Laws has fallen, the entire territory of the forr Qi Kingdom from three thousand years ago will be yours. Your domain will no longer be limited to just the North Sea."
"But if you insist on siding with the Human Race and betray the Demon Race, they..."
Xiao Qing’s voice trailed off. She lowered her head, saying no more.
"If I defend the Human Race, I beco their traitor, and they will destroy my North Sea?" Bai Ruxue finished Xiao Qing’s thought.
"..."
Xiao Qing remained silent.
Her silence was confirmation enough.
"I understand the situation. Tell the envoy from the Demon Race’s World that I do not need them to teach how to manage the affairs of the North Sea."
Bai Ruxue gazed at the calm surface of the sea and continued.
"I likely won’t be returning to the Dragon Palace for so ti. I am leaving all matters of the North Sea entirely in your hands. Furthermore, go and prepare these dicinal ingredients for : Ganlan Grass, Dragon Blood Flower, and a Netherworld Spirit Pearl. Then, tell Qi Long and the others to head to the Dragon Abyss. I am going to refine a certain elixir."
Bai Ruxue handed a list to her sister.
Xiao Qing took one look at it and instantly understood what her sister was planning.
’These ingredients... they were all items used to unblock Spirit Veins and strengthen one’s Root Bone. They were all ant to maximize the efficacy of a single thing!’
Bai Ruxue held up a blue Glazed Bottle, facing the sea. The cyan light of the Dragon Thunder Liquid within it reflected on her exquisitely beautiful face.
’This ti, I will not let him leave again!’
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