Volume Two, Chapter Five: Zen Comes, Zen Goes

“Who dares disturb this place?” Yi Bing couldn’t help but shout sternly. But then he realized that sound wouldn’t carry underwater. He hurriedly swam toward the three objects with his sword, but was met by three jets of black water. Having learned from previous encounters, he quickly dove downward to avoid them. With a series of swift rolls, he soon reached the lotus. Only then did he see clearly—it was three golden toads clinging tightly to the infernal lotus, desperately pulling it down and refusing to let it rise!

“No wonder the well water clears then turns black—these three creatures are causing trouble!” Yi Bing’s anger flared and he swung his sword at the toads. Two of them immediately released the lotus and came at him, each wielding a steel trident. One blocked, one attacked, and in a flash, they were locked in combat with Yi Bing. The third toad still clung stubbornly to the lotus, afraid it might struggle free and ascend.

Yi Bing was no longer the same as before. After many days of his uncle’s guidance, not only had his spells become seamless, but his martial skills had soared. He moved with confidence, his sword flashing up and down, and even underwater, he was unstoppable. As he gained the upper hand, the two toads suddenly guarded their positions, their hind legs kicking fiercely backward. The third toad followed suit, still clutching the lotus. Instantly, the waters of the marsh churned violently, like waves surging within a pot. Despite his bulk, Yi Bing was tossed about, dizzy and disoriented.

Yi Bing was alarmed. The two toads seemed unaffected, their tridents still aimed at his vital points. He had no choice but to swing his sword wildly and swim toward the surface, but as soon as he reached the muddy bottom, the undertow dragged him back. Amidst his panic, a smooth pillar crashed into his arms. He clung to it tightly, and upon closer inspection, realized it was the stem of the infernal lotus.

At that moment, two bronze eyes suddenly appeared before him. To his surprise, he was now only a foot away from the third toad, which was stabbing at him with its trident. Just as escape seemed impossible, the infernal lotus suddenly sprang upward, shooting straight toward the surface. The third toad immediately dropped its trident and wrapped all four limbs around the stem, desperately trying to drag it down. But the lotus was determined, surging upward with unstoppable force. Yi Bing dared not let go and rose with it. Wherever the lotus went, the mud parted, and in an instant, Yi Bing was brought to the mouth of the well.

“Yi Bing!” He Lingchi’s shrill cry jolted him back to his senses. He quickly reached up. At the moment Xiaoyao bit down to pull him out, the infernal lotus was yanked back below. The clear well water instantly turned pitch black.

“Oh! You’re alive!” Xiaoyao exclaimed in excitement, forgetting he still held Yi Bing in his beak. Yi Bing fell heavily to the ground.

“Great Immortal, please be gentle…” Jin Guishan couldn’t help but cry out.

“Yes, yes, are you alright?” Xiaoyao quickly used his wing to help Yi Bing up from his sprawled position.

“I’m fine… I’m fine…” Yi Bing managed to speak after a long pause.

“You were down there so long, we all thought…” He Lingchi broke into tears and laughter.

“Junior Sister, what are you saying?” Jin Guishan scolded.

“Yes, I thought I was done for too! But unexpectedly, it was just like that day in the Guiyuan Cave! Didn’t Zhao Junior Sister tell you?” Yi Bing glanced at He Lingchi, whose face was full of confusion.

“Guiyuan Cave?” Xiaoyao was clearly puzzled.

“Yes! The Guiyuan Cave on Pianma Mountain. When we were trapped, a tear-shaped, shining thing entered my body, and I could breathe and move freely underwater. Later, it slid out of my arm, so I thought it had left. But today, I realized it’s still inside me! As soon as I entered the water, I found I could breathe freely and even glow all over, while the mud and water parted around me. It must be because of that!”

“Whose tear? Junior Sister mentioned this, said it might be someone’s tear!” He Lingchi finally recalled.

“Whose tear…” Xiaoyao fell into deep thought.

“Great Immortal, I know what’s going on!” He Lingchi’s words reminded Yi Bing—it was time to try to save the lotus!

“What is it?” Xiaoyao snapped back to attention.

“There are three golden toads down there, pulling the lotus and refusing to let it rise!” Yi Bing explained, gesturing as he spoke.

“Golden toads?” Xiaoyao’s eyes widened.

“Yes, three golden toads! They wield steel tridents and fought me for a long time, but then they used magic to churn the waters, making me dizzy and unable to tell up from down. Just when I thought I was done for, I grabbed the stem of the infernal lotus, and it shot upward, bringing me with it!”

“So that means Zhao Junior Sister can still be saved?!” He Lingchi cried out excitedly. Jin Guishan glanced at Xiaoyao, his heart uneasy.

“Can you go down again?” Xiaoyao suddenly stared at Yi Bing.

“Go down again?” Yi Bing was taken aback.

“Yes, help me lure them up!” Xiaoyao’s eyes gleamed.

“Going down is easy, but how do I get back up? If I can’t come up myself, how can I lure them?” Yi Bing frowned.

“Don’t worry, I’ll tie a rope to you. Just pull it and I’ll haul you up,” Xiaoyao said confidently.

“Oh, that’s safer! But they might not…” Yi Bing grew excited.

“No need to worry! Use this to lure them…” Xiaoyao said, spitting out a blue pearl from his mouth. It sparkled, clearly extraordinary, but was covered in saliva, which made everyone queasy.

“This is my elixir pearl, with powers beyond ten thousand years. They won’t be able to resist snatching it!” Xiaoyao gestured for Yi Bing to take it.

“Oh…” Yi Bing reluctantly took it.

“You won’t sneak a bite, will you?” Xiaoyao asked, suddenly worried.

“Eat it?!” Yi Bing shook his head furiously. Not only would he never do such a thing, he couldn’t even stomach the idea!

“That’s true, how could a disciple of the Phoenix steal like that!” Xiaoyao spoke casually, but Jin Guishan and the others found it grating.

“Where’s the rope?” Yi Bing’s main concern was still how to get back up.

Without a word, Xiaoyao plucked two feathers and threw them to the ground, instantly transforming them into a rope and a golden thread. Before Xiaoyao could instruct them, Jin Guishan hurriedly tied the rope around Yi Bing’s waist. But he was puzzled about the golden thread and picked it up, looking at Xiaoyao in confusion. Xiaoyao ignored him, stepped forward, and muttered over Yi Bing’s elixir pearl, turning it into a shimmering jade-green worm.

“Ah!” Yi Bing nearly jumped in fright. The sticky worm wriggled in his palm.

“What are you waiting for? Tie up the worm, and the other end to his wrist!” Xiaoyao instructed Jin Guishan, who carefully tied the worm with the golden thread and attached the other end to Yi Bing’s left wrist.

“Seeing such a magical worm, they won’t be able to resist. Then, it’s up to you!” Xiaoyao chuckled slyly.

“Trust me!” Yi Bing straightened his neck with resolve.

Despite his words, as he approached the well, Yi Bing swallowed nervously. Taking a deep breath, he plunged in. The splash sent water over Xiaoyao and the others.

Yi Bing intended to approach quietly, but after only a few strokes, the two toads were alerted and rushed at him. Within moments, all three toads repeated their previous tricks. Instantly, the pool roiled like a stormy river, tossing Yi Bing like a floating reed. Strangely, this time he felt no dizziness—surely the effect of Xiaoyao’s elixir pearl.

Yi Bing feigned panic, swimming upward, and the two toads chased him relentlessly. Near the muddy bottom, they suddenly stopped. Yi Bing quickly released the jade-green worm. Turning back, he saw the toads’ eyes, wide as cart wheels, charging at him madly. Yi Bing yanked the rope, but it moved as slow as an old ox.

The two toads attacked Yi Bing’s vital points, forcing him to defend desperately with his sword. Dodging left and right, he kept pulling the rope, which only gradually sped up.

Just as he neared the well mouth, the toads grew frantic. They dropped their tridents and leaped forward, grabbing Yi Bing’s legs. At that moment, Xiaoyao snatched Yi Bing up in his beak, bringing the two toads out of the well along with him.

Seeing Xiaoyao, the toads immediately let go and leaped for the well. Xiaoyao blocked the opening with his left wing, and swept them down to the ground with his right. Before they could rise, his huge claws pinned them.

“Spare us, Great Immortal! Spare us!” the two toads cried.

“Isn’t there a third one?” He Lingchi called out.

“It’s still underwater, holding the lotus!” Yi Bing said, and at that moment, a splash echoed from the well. The infernal lotus surged upward, pushing the third toad out with it. The toad stared in astonishment at the lotus.

Xiaoyao dropped Yi Bing, extended his neck ten feet, and snapped up the third toad in his beak. But the infernal lotus immediately sank again.

“Oh!” Jin Guishan reached out but caught nothing.

“Let’s tie them up with the rope first!” Yi Bing said, glancing at Xiaoyao, who nodded approvingly.

So Qi Yuanxiao and He Lingchi quickly untied the rope from Yi Bing and bound the three toads in a row.

“Damn it, what sort of fiend dares steal my lotus?” Xiaoyao finally regained his speech and was itching to curse.

“Spare us, Great Immortal! We are…” The three toads kowtowed madly.

“You dare lie to me!” Xiaoyao’s anger flared and he raised his claw.

“I’m Little Black! Little Black! The three tadpoles you rescued five years ago!” cried one.

“Little Black?!” Xiaoyao was stunned. He remembered saving three tadpoles from a nearly dried puddle five years ago and putting them in Peach Marsh.

“Great Immortal?” Yi Bing looked curiously at Xiaoyao, who nodded awkwardly.

“Yes! You named us! On the road you kept calling us Little Black, Little Little Black, Little Little Little Black!”

“I saved your lives—you should repay me with kindness, yet you cultivate into spirits to harm me!”

“…It’s because of you…” Little Black’s voice was nearly inaudible.

“Because of me?” Xiaoyao’s feathers bristled.

“Yes, do you remember the second year when you drank too much?”

“What?” Xiaoyao swallowed nervously. That year, he’d gotten some immortal fruit and…

“…Later, you drank too much, and we divided the leftover immortal fruit among ourselves, which caused our transformation…”

“…I remember not finishing it, but when I awoke, it was gone…” Xiaoyao realized at last.

“After that, we grew obsessed, wanting to advance further and take human form. But relying on ourselves would take centuries, so we hatched the idea of stealing the lotus seed… So it’s because of you!” Little Black added.

“Ah! It’s really my fault! In that case, I’ll destroy you myself to correct this mistake!” Xiaoyao raised his claw again.

“Wait, Great Immortal!” Yi Bing, thinking of Hanyu and Meiniang, hurried to intervene. “You should take this first…” He handed over the jade-green worm.

“Ah, I nearly forgot!” Xiaoyao swallowed it in one gulp.

“Let’s check on the lotus first, shall we?” Yi Bing quickly changed the subject.

“Yes, yes, we’ll deal with you later!” Xiaoyao remembered he still needed to harvest the seed.

“It’s already sunk…” Jin Guishan, standing at the well, looked at Xiaoyao. Xiaoyao turned to Yi Bing.

“Oh, I understand! Please make another rope!” Yi Bing knew what he meant.

With the rope secured, Yi Bing dove again, now moving leisurely. But when he reached the lotus, his heart sank. Fat Girl was truly lost! The infernal lotus sprawled on the ground, its flower and stem completely severed.