Volume Two, Chapter Eighteen: Let's Give It a Name

“Who goes there, fiend!” shouted the newcomer, brandishing a pitchfork.
Looking closely, it turned out to be the three golden toads!
“Hey!” the chubby one stared at Xiaoyao in surprise.
“These three have latched onto me!” Xiaoyao wore a bitter smile.
“Oh, it’s you! Who’s that monster on your back?” The three golden toads immediately waved their steel forks at Hanyu and Meiniang.
“You’re the monsters!” Hanyu’s ears quivered in fury.
“We’re... anyway, we’re not fiends! Right, Master?” The three golden toads rolled their eyes at Xiaoyao.
“You’re spirits, but not fiends!” Xiaoyao’s beak was crooked with anger.
“Oh, Master says we’re spirits!” the golden toads replied earnestly.
“But we aren’t fiends!” Hanyu glanced at Meiniang and laughed.
“What’s that?” The three golden toads were puzzled.
“Oh, you’re even more talkative than me! Just shut up already!” The divine turtle couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Silence!” Xiaoyao quickly added. The three golden toads snapped their mouths shut in fear.
“Great Sage, we’re heading to Banyue Mound to see our master. Would you like to come with us?” Moyan asked warmly. Xiaoyao hesitated for a moment, then replied, “I’d better not. I’d rather avoid getting scolded!”
“Is your uncle that formidable?” The plump girl looked nervously at Yibing.
“No, the Great Sage is just joking!”
“Heh, hurry and climb on!” the divine turtle snickered.
“What are you laughing at?” Xiaoyao was instantly enraged.
“If you come back to Banyue Mound with me, I’ll tell you!” The divine turtle spoke with utmost seriousness.
“You...” Xiaoyao was about to lose his temper again, so Moyan quickly scrambled onto the turtle’s back.
“Great Sage, we’ll bring you some tasty treats when we return! Hurry up, everyone, Master is waiting!” Moyan urged them as he spoke. The others, sensing the situation, quickly crowded aboard. Xiaoyao could only sigh heavily with resignation.
“Great Sage, we take our leave!” Yibing bowed in farewell, and Xiaoyao nodded. The three golden toads, however, hid behind and bared their teeth at him.
Perhaps because Xiaoyao had been humbled, the divine turtle chuckled all the way, shaking his shell so much it rattled.
“Hey, enough already!” Hanyu couldn’t help but shout.
“You’ve really ticked off that old fellow!”
“Ticked off or not, I don’t know! But your shaking is making us sick!”
“Heh...” The divine turtle, laughing, dove down, and Banyue Mound appeared beneath their feet.
Suddenly, a giant turtle descended from the sky, startling every living creature at Banyue Mound! Not only did all the disciples rush out, even the rare birds and beasts peeked out from the grass, observing curiously. But what shocked them even more was another fat person arriving!
Seeing Daoist Xifeng standing with mouth agape before the hall, Yibing hurried over.
“Uncle!”
“Oh? Oh! So this is…” Daoist Xifeng asked excitedly.
“This is Miss Zhao! Miss Zhao, this is my uncle!” Yibing quickly introduced.
“Zhao Lingyao of the Wuyun Sect greets the Daoist!” The plump girl bowed deeply.
“No need for formalities! No need! Are you well now?” Xifeng looked at the plump girl, then at Yibing. Both were equally round, only their height differed.
The plump girl paused, then understood Xifeng’s meaning. “Reporting to Daoist, I’m fine now. The lotus seeds worked wonders!”
“So young and already able to project your soul—remarkable!” Xifeng couldn’t help but praise her.
“Oh, not at all! Master says I’m fat and clumsy, so it’s easier for me to succeed than other disciples!” The plump girl replied, embarrassed.
“That’s just your master teasing you! Do you think skinny people have lighter souls? You are single-minded and pure-hearted, not clumsy at all!” Xifeng said with a smile.

“Is that so!” The plump girl was overjoyed.
“Of course! And these are?” Daoist Xifeng turned to the waiting Jin Guishan and his companions.
“Jin Guishan of the Wuyun Sect, on orders from our revered master Tai Miao Zhenren, comes with junior brothers Qi Yuanxiao, junior sisters He Lingchi and Zhao Lingyao to thank your sect for your many assistances and to pay respects to the Daoist!” Jin Guishan quickly bowed.
“Tai Miao Zhenren is far too courteous! We of the Way should help one another!” Xifeng replied hurriedly.
“Reporting to Daoist, this is a token of my master’s goodwill!” Jin Guishan said as he took a small wooden box from his robe. Xifeng frowned slightly, for she always disliked such customary gifts. Yet, it would be rude to refuse someone’s kindness, so she accepted it.
“My master instructed that you open it in person!” Jin Guishan said with some embarrassment.
“Oh?” Xifeng was intrigued and immediately opened the box.
Inside, it was utterly empty!
Jin Guishan’s face fell, but Daoist Xifeng burst into laughter.
“Your master truly is ingenious! I accept this token. Don’t look so glum!” Xifeng quickly reassured him.
“Yes!” Jin Guishan, though puzzled, saw that Xifeng was genuinely delighted.
“Uncle! I don’t understand that token, but this one is really delicious!” Yibing suddenly remembered something. He quickly pulled out a large paper packet from his bundle, filled with a dozen big baked cakes.
“Yibing!” Hongkun scolded.
“No matter! If our plump friend says it’s tasty, it must be!” Xifeng took one, bit into it, and nodded repeatedly.
“Heh, it’s Brother Jin’s ancestral recipe! Super tasty! Everyone try some!” Yibing gave one to Hongpeng, but Biyi merely pursed her lips and refused it. Yibing awkwardly handed the packet to Tiezhu: “Please share them out!”
“They truly are delicious! Such a pity we can’t eat them every day!” Hongpeng exclaimed.
“Let my senior brother teach you how to make them! Then you can eat them anytime!” The plump girl said eagerly. Jin Guishan could only smile wryly, for his junior sister was quite adept at indebting others.
“No, no! It’s Brother Jin’s family secret recipe—can’t be taught to outsiders!” Hongpeng waved his hands.
“It’s fine! We’ve lived and died together—no need for such distinctions! Besides, my junior sister is already promised, how could I refuse?” Jin Guishan laughed, tapping the plump girl’s head, eliciting a burst of laughter in the hall.
“That’s wonderful! Yibing, you must help!” Hongpeng said excitedly. Yibing nodded vigorously.
“All right, Kun’er, tell us about Jiuxi Mountain!” Xifeng smiled.
Hongkun then hurriedly recounted their adventures of the past two days. Hearing of Zhengjia Sect’s disgraceful conduct, Daoist Xifeng sighed repeatedly. Their ancestors had all been upright and heroic; who would have thought their descendants would be so degenerate.
“Did you see a lot of tasty treats?” Xifeng laughed as soon as Hongkun finished Yibing’s five trials. Yibing blushed to the tips of his ears.
“Uncle, this cloth bag!” At last, Hongkun recalled the cloth sack. He took it out and respectfully handed it over.
“You keep it!” Xifeng shook her head, and Hongkun put it away again.
That evening, worn from travel, everyone shared a simple meal and retired early. Hongkun arranged a small courtyard for Jin Guishan and his group, right next to Hanyu’s, so the plump girl could easily chat with Hanyu and her friends.
During their visit to Hanyu's courtyard, the plump girl dragged Yibing to see Hongqin. Though still listless, Hongqin had stopped shedding feathers. Hongpeng said she ate more rice now, so her life seemed safe. Hongqin ignored Yibing completely, not even lifting an eyelid, but was much warmer to the plump girl, at least glancing at her a couple of times.
The next day, the hosts and guests switched roles, with Hongkun personally escorting Jin Guishan and his friends on a tour of Banyue Mound. Though both places were equally picturesque, Banyue Mound boasted more rare flowers, exotic plants, and unusual animals. The little creatures were already familiar with Hanyu, and seeing another plump newcomer, they flocked to follow her around. The plump girl and He Lingchi were overjoyed!
The divine turtle played along every day, behaving well, but constantly muttering about wanting a name. At first, no one understood why, but later gleaned from his hints that it was because Xiaoyao had a proper name.
“You should be called Juechen,” Hanyu frowned.
“Why?”
“Because you’re fast! Ha ha!” Meiniang laughed. The divine turtle's face turned green.
“How about Xing Tian? Like ‘Xing Tian, mightier than a dragon!’” Moyan blinked.
“Mightier than a dragon? Hmm…” The turtle shook his head hard.
“Chasing Wind? Chasing Sun?” the plump girl said eagerly.
“Chasing what?”
“Chasing Sun! The sun!”
“A bit too hot...” The divine turtle frowned.

“Why not call him Guiyuan?” Yibing suddenly slapped his forehead, explaining to the turtle, “If we hadn’t entered Guiyuan Cave, we wouldn’t have seen those tears, and without those tears, we wouldn’t have met you! Divine Turtle! Guiyuan!”
“Guiyuan? Round turtle?” The divine turtle muttered.
“To transcend the realm of life and death, returning to true essence!” Hongkun nodded.
“Excellent! Guiyuan it is! Hmph, that bald-tailed eagle!” The divine turtle grinned from ear to ear.
Within half a day, all of Banyue Mound knew the turtle was called Guiyuan. Daoist Xifeng praised the name, saying it was well chosen. The divine turtle was overjoyed, puffing his neck and strutting everywhere, introducing himself: “I am Guiyuan!” Even at Hongqin’s place, he boasted about it.
On the third evening, just as Yibing returned with the group from the back hills, he saw Hongkun and Hongpeng rushing toward them. Before Yibing could ask, Hongkun announced that their uncle had urgently summoned everyone to the main hall. Jin Guishan and his companions, being guests, went back to their rooms.
As they entered, Hongkun saw their uncle’s face was both worried and glad.
“Uncle, is there news from Master?” Hongkun asked eagerly.
“This afternoon, word arrived that on the banks of the Yellow River at Mengjin, a number of five-whiskered carp have been caught lately!” Daoist Xifeng said thoughtfully.
“It’s Master! It’s Master!” Hongkun cried.
“I thought so too! I want you to take a group to investigate!” Xifeng continued.
“Yes, I’ll depart immediately!”
“There’s no need to rush off in the dark! Tomorrow morning. Who will you take?” Xifeng asked.
“Well…” Hongkun hadn’t decided.
“Take Hongpeng, Biyi, and…” Xifeng glanced at Chengyan and Moyan, Moyan bowing repeatedly like a monkey.
“All right, Moyan!” Xifeng couldn’t help but smile. Since hearing of Moyan’s resourcefulness at Jiuxi Mountain, she felt Moyan would be a good fit. Biyi and Chengyan, one aloof and silent, the other sparing with words, weren’t the best companions.
“Thank you, Master!” Moyan jumped up.
“So reluctant to stay home and serve me?” Xifeng’s face turned mock-serious. Moyan playfully stuck out her tongue.
“Uncle, what about me?” Yibing couldn’t help but ask.
“You have guests! You can’t just leave them unattended, can you?” Xifeng explained. It made sense, so Yibing stayed quiet.
Back at the courtyard, Jin Guishan and his group were waiting by the pond. Hearing the reason, Jin Guishan insisted on joining. Hongkun tried to persuade him, but Jin Guishan was adamant, so Hongkun relented and sent Hongpeng to inform their uncle. Yibing was delighted, running inside to rummage through bags—those three would definitely need to be included.
At dawn, Hongkun and his group went straight to the main hall. Daoist Xifeng was already waiting, and upon seeing Jin Guishan’s party, she rose.
“Thank you, everyone!” Daoist Xifeng said gratefully.
“Daoist, you’re too kind! You’ve helped us so many times, and this is but a small favor. Moreover, our master sent us here to assist!” Jin Guishan bowed deeply.
“Truly worthy disciples of Tai Miao Zhenren!” Daoist Xifeng nodded in approval.
“Uncle, we’re ready to depart!” Hongkun requested eagerly.
“Very well, be careful on the road!” Daoist Xifeng nodded, but suddenly called after them, “Wait! Miss Zhao, on your back…”
By chance, Daoist Xifeng noticed the plump girl carrying three bags, whereas Yibing had none.
“Reporting to Daoist, it’s Miss Yu, Miss Mei, and Brother Turtle!” the plump girl quickly explained.
“Brother Gui!” came the turtle’s voice from behind.
“Why are you carrying them all?”
“Ha ha, as long as I’m here, I carry everyone! They don’t want Brother Mu to carry them!” the plump girl laughed.
“I’m being forced! Ouch!” The divine turtle hadn’t finished before he was kicked twice.
“Haha, so that’s it!” Daoist Xifeng laughed aloud. Biyi, however, frowned deeply.