On the way back to the mountain.
Jiang Huai glanced at Luo Yueguan’s profile. At this moment, Luo Yueguan was beaming with excitement, like a little girl. He looked at her helplessly, “Are you that happy?”
“You don’t know what Fu Zirou’s expression was just now, it was as if she had eaten a fly. That Bitch always likes to oppose me. Her face must be hurting terribly now, right?”
“Actually, you can’t really blame her. If it weren’t for Bai Li, the spot in the Immortal Spirit Secret Realm would indeed belong to her child.”
Luo Yueguan reached out and patted Jiang Huai’s head. “Isn’t it because Auntie Luo wants what’s best for you that she gave the spot to Bai Li? You get the advantage and still act like a victim. I can’t stand hypocritical guys like you the most.”
Jiang Huai could only give a wry smile and nod. “Alright, alright, my fault.”
“I don’t care. In any case, you’re not allowed to favor outsiders. Am I not prettier than her?” Luo Yueguan snorted lightly, her steps bouncing.
Luo Yueguan seemed to be in particularly good spirits now. After some thought, Jiang Huai didn’t say anything more, leaving her to her own devices. Luo Yueguan suddenly grabbed Jiang Huai’s wrist. Jiang Huai was startled. “What now?”
“Accompany me fishing,” Luo Yueguan said with a smile like a little girl.
“No, Qingyu will wake up soon.”
“It’s perfect timing to accompany me fishing. We can make fish soup for Qingyu later. Accompany me, accompany me, accompany me!” Luo Yueguan no longer just held Jiang Huai’s wrist, but tightly hugged his arm. The softness of her chest pressed against his hand. Jiang Huai looked all around, and seeing no one, he understood.
When there were outsiders, she was the dignified and elegant Sect Master Luo. When there were no outsiders, in front of him, she was a madwoman. It seemed Luo Yueguan didn’t consider him an outsider at all.
The summer sunlight was dim, and the trees by the roadside rustled in the wind. Her arm was held tightly by him, sinking deep into her soft chest. He looked into Luo Yueguan’s expectant eyes.
Damn it, for a moment, he had a strange illusion, as if he heard his sister from memory acting spoiled towards him, holding him tightly with such shamelessness and playfulness, saying, “Brother, you’re the best.” After he agreed, she would then reveal a sly, triumphant smile.
“Where are we going fishing?” Jiang Huai asked her helplessly.
Upon hearing Jiang Huai’s response, Luo Yueguan’s eyes lit up. She stepped forward, and the pleasant fragrance from her body hit Jiang Huai’s nose. “To Dream Marsh Lake in Qingxuan Sect.”
***
Jiang Huai had indeed heard of Qingxuan Sect’s Dream Marsh Lake.
He had heard of it because Dream Marsh Lake was very famous. There were many precious Spirit Fish in Dream Marsh Lake, even more famous than Master of Snow Spirit’s Snow Lake. In the past, Qingxuan Sect had incorporated Dream Marsh Lake into its territory. To fish there, one had to pay Spirit Stones to Qingxuan Sect, and Qingxuan Sect was responsible for raising the Spirit Fish in the lake.
Luo Yueguan Sword rode ahead, taking Jiang Huai on her Spirit Sword, all the way to the depths of Dream Marsh Lake. Dream Marsh Lake was incredibly vast and had been divided into several areas by Qingxuan Sect. Luo Yueguan had come to the most luxurious area, where one could catch many rare and delicious Spirit Fish. Correspondingly, the price of Spirit Stones was higher.
“Fortunately, I stepped in and snatched ownership of Dream Marsh Lake back then. It’s earned Qingxuan Sect a lot of Spirit Stones over the years,” Luo Yueguan said, lifting her head with a hint of pride. At this moment, the two of them were in a pavilion by the lake, and there was no one around. The sky was gloomy, as if a downpour was imminent. The air was slightly damp, and small ripples had already appeared on the lake surface.
Luo Yueguan had already taken out her fishing rod. She looked at Jiang Huai in front of her and asked, “Do you have a fishing rod?”
“Yes, I often accompany my Master fishing.” Jiang Huai also took out his fishing rod. However, looking at the vast expanse of the lake before him and the dark, hazy sky in the distance, he sighed helplessly, “It’s going to rain soon, how can we catch anything?”
The two sat in the waterside pavilion. Luo Yueguan took off her shoes and socks, shifted her position, and soaked her white and tender little feet into the cold lake water. She gently swung her jade-white feet, causing ripples to spread across the water surface, and then replied to Jiang Huai, “The important thing about fishing is the mood. It doesn’t matter if you don’t catch anything.”
“I don’t think so,” Jiang Huai shrugged and replied, “The so-called mood means that no one knows if they will catch anything, but at least they can wait with hope. If the outcome is doomed to be a wasted effort from the beginning, I won’t wait.”
“I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care. You’re not allowed to leave if you don’t accompany me fishing today,” Luo Yueguan stirred the lake water with her white and tender little feet. She carefully baited the hook, cast it high into the lake. Jiang Huai was too lazy to prepare new bait, so he simply took some of her bait, put it on the hook, and cast it into the lake together.
Distant dark skies flashed with lightning, and after a while, thunder rumbled. Luo Yueguan’s body trembled slightly.
Jiang Huai turned to look at her profile. “Are you afraid of thunder?”
“Who? Who’s afraid!” Luo Yueguan straightened her back. “I’m not afraid.”
“Then why are you moving so close to me?”
“It’s going to rain soon. If you don’t get closer to me, how can I shield you from the rain?” Luo Yueguan answered righteously, and moved even closer to him. Now, the two of them were really very, very close.
The rain soon poured down from the sky, sprinkling on the lake surface and creating ripples. The spiritual energy around Luo Yueguan dispersed the rainwater. The sound of rain filled her ears. Jiang Huai looked at the bobbers in the lake, disturbed by the rain, and knew that fishing was likely to be in vain this time.
Perhaps what Luo Yueguan cared about wasn’t whether they actually caught fish, but just wanted someone to talk to? Jiang Huai suddenly had this thought for no reason… could it be like this?
But when he looked at Luo Yueguan’s profile, Luo Yueguan seemed to be looking at the lake surface with focus, silent, as still as a sculpture.
Only then did Jiang Huai have the leisure to examine her features closely. Luo Yueguan was truly stunningly beautiful, indeed qualified to be mentioned alongside his Master Chu Xianning as one of the two great fairies of Moon Wave Continent. Jiang Huai suddenly leaned closer to her, his nose almost touching her neck. Luo Yueguan immediately turned her head, looking at him warily. “What are you doing?”
“Besides the flower dew, you also have a very faint fragrance. You can only smell it when you get close.”
“Didn’t I tell you already? Humph.” Luo Yueguan’s lips curled upward. Then she asked, “Does your Master smell better, or do I?”
“Of course, it’s my Master.”
“You won’t get tired of smelling her after so many years?”
“No.”
“You wretched dog, hmph.” Luo Yueguan began to swing her slender legs in the lake again, splashing water. Even if there were fish, she would have scared them away.
Perhaps because Jiang Huai’s breath on her neck made her feel a little itchy, Luo Yueguan shrunk her neck and moved away from Jiang Huai slightly, muttering, “Go smell your Master.”
Jiang Huai couldn’t help but laugh.
His gaze also turned to the distant lake surface, ripples spreading across the water. Raindrops hit the pavilion’s tiles and the water. He didn’t speak anymore, just sat there quietly, watching the fish float in the water, with no sign of any fish taking the bait.
Luo Yueguan held the fishing rod in her hand, propped her cheek with one hand, and suddenly looked back at him. Seeing him staring blankly at the water, she said nothing more and just sat there quietly. Occasionally, a flash of lightning appeared in the distance, followed by rumbling thunder in her ears.
“What if we don’t catch any fish?” she suddenly asked.
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that? If we can’t catch any after fishing for a while, we’ll just go back.”
“No, I must drink fish soup tonight.”
Jiang Huai looked into her eyes. “Why don’t we come back to fish on a nice day?”
“No.”
“So stubborn?”
“Just this stubborn.”
Jiang Huai took out a chessboard and placed it on his lap. He looked at Luo Yueguan. Luo Yueguan’s lips curled upwards, and she picked up a black piece. Jiang Huai held the white pieces and played chess with her. He didn’t cheat, so he was easily defeated by Luo Yueguan.
Actually, he thought he had some talent in chess skills. However, Chu Xianning and Luo Yueguan had played for five to six hundred years, and just the accumulation of experience allowed them to easily defeat him. Moreover, Luo Yueguan was even more skilled than Chu Xianning?
“Boring. You’re too stupid when you’re not cheating.” Luo Yueguan disdainfully threw the chess piece back onto the chessboard. It was another effortless victory. There was still a hint of disdain in her eyes. Jiang Huai was not angry at all and just quietly put away the chessboard.
Still no fish were caught.
Just as Jiang Huai was about to speak, Luo Yueguan seemed to sense something and said, “I’m not leaving. I want to drink fish soup, I really want to.”
“That would take until tomorrow.”
“Then we’ll fish until tomorrow.”
Jiang Huai looked at her eyes helplessly. At this moment, she was the epitome of unreasonableness, but he was not impatient. He simply put down the fishing rod in his hand and stood up.
Luo Yueguan was stunned, then watched him dive into the lake.
Jiang Huai opened his eyes and began to search for Spirit Fish in the dim water. He wanted to find one suitable for stewing and began to search earnestly, holding his breath in the lake. Luo Yueguan on the bank was first stunned, then laughed herself into stitches.
“You’re so stupid. I could have just used my spiritual energy to grab one.”
Jiang Huai seemed to not hear her, and just diligently caught a fish. The lake water was slightly cold now. After swimming for a while, Jiang Huai caught a plump Emerald Spirit Fish in his hand. He emerged from the water and looked at Luo Yueguan on the bank, who was laughing so hard she couldn’t straighten her waist.
Jiang Huai just looked at her helplessly. The fish in his hand was held tightly. Luo Yueguan looked at him in the lake and pouted slightly. “The important thing isn’t the fish.”
“Then what’s important?”
“I just wanted you to spend more time talking with me.”
“But you didn’t seem to have anything to say earlier.”
“If there’s nothing to say, we can just sit together longer. But you’re so stingy, you wouldn’t accompany me.”
“Qingyu will wake up soon, and it’s almost time for dinner. How about this, after midnight tonight, I’ll come here to fish with you again.” Jiang Huai’s gaze was calm and gentle as he looked at her, but Luo Yueguan covered her mouth and laughed.
“You don’t like me, do you? Jiang Huai.”
She gently raised her white and tender little feet and splashed lake water onto Jiang Huai’s chest, her eyes full of undisguised disdain.
