Chapter 937: Mysterious Bai Ye

"Our Immortal Palace cannot receive such a bounty for nothing. Lu Yang, tell me, what does your Daoist Sect desire?" Luo Hongxia inquired, now regarding Lu Yang as the most exceptional lad under the heavens.

If the Twin River truly possessed such efficacy, it could amend countless regrets harbored by the folk of the Immortal Palace.

Even if Lu Yang demanded Lan Ting, she would have consented without a second thought.

"Err, perhaps you ought to consult First Senior Sister on such matters?" Lu Yang replied, entirely ignorant of the Daoist Sect's specific needs—such affairs fell strictly within the purview of his First Senior Sister.

"Quite right, quite right, I grew muddled," Luo Hongxia realized, collecting herself. Though Lu Yang was renowned throughout the realm, he had not yet entered the decision-making echelons of the Daoist Sect; this matter required deliberation with Yun Zhi.

With this realization, Luo Hongxia calmed her thoughts, understanding that a matter of such gravity brooked no haste. To barter with the Daoist Sect for a celestial treasure of this magnitude, they would need to thoroughly audit the possessions of their Immortal Palace to find something of equal value.

As the Palace Master, Luo Hongxia naturally weighed far more variables than the average practitioner.

Lest it result in a cruel, hollow joy, they could not afford to be indiscreet before verifying the river's true efficacy.

Having seen Lu Yang off, Luo Hongxia paced her cavern estate with hands clasped behind her back, her emotions having not suffered such a tumultuous disturbance in a very long time.

The last time her heart had been thrown into such disarray was upon learning that Lan Ting harbored feelings for Lu Yang.

"To determine whether the Twin River works, a subject must be found to test it."

"Preferably someone of advanced cultivation, to ensure they can be salvaged should things go awry."

Suddenly, a figure sprang to Luo Hongxia's mind. Leaving her cavern estate, she stealthily made her way to the forging chamber and found the Third Elder, Zhu Hong.

The Third Elder was a beauty of bronze-hued skin, hailing from a branch of the Barbarian Race; disdainful of tedious etiquette, she often wrapped only the essential parts of her form in a few scraps of cloth whilst forging implements.

Lifting her hammer mid-air, the Third Elder asked in bewilderment, "Senior Sister, why the sudden rush? Do you require me to forge some magical treasure on an urgent basis?"

"Third Sister, have you not always yearned for a child? I can grant you pregnancy. Will you accompany me to the Daoist Sect to try?"

The Third Elder’s mouth fell wide open as she stood frozen on the spot, her hammer slipping unnoticed from her grasp to crash against the floor, carving a deep crater.

Senior Sister, do you even hear the words leaving your mouth?

...

At Tianmen Peak, the Laurel Immortal Palace paid its visit.

"So, Palace Master Luo intends to sample the waters of the Twin River?" Yun Zhi inquired.

Initially, she had found it peculiar when informed that Luo Hongxia wished to call upon her. Her Junior Brother had only been at the Immortal Palace for two days; could he have already courted disaster, prompting Luo Hongxia to demand she take him back?

Such a pace for troublemaking would be record-breaking indeed.

Only when Luo Hongxia explained her purpose did the true nature of the visit become clear.

It was all for the sake of the Twin River.

"Is it permissible?"

"Naturally, it is permissible."

Since her Junior Brother had disclosed the intelligence of the Twin River to Luo Hongxia, it signified that the Immortal Fairy had granted her consent.

The Twin River belonged to the Immortal Fairy, and the Fairy was entirely free to dispose of her property as she pleased.

Luo Hongxia and Elder Zhu Hong exchanged glances, both visibly elated.

"Permissible it may be, yet the manner of consuming the Twin River's water and its attendant taboos are still being explored. I must ask you both to wait a few days. Once we have researched it thoroughly, we shall invite Elder Zhu Hong to drink."

Yun Zhi truly knew nothing of how to ingest the water, the required dosage, or the prohibitions; these details were known only to the Immortal Fairy, and she could only ask clearly once Lu Yang returned with her.

However, such matters could not be spoken of openly, lest they expose the existence of the Immortal Fairy.

Or worse, cause others to mistakenly believe that her Junior Brother harbored the Ying Tian Immortal within his body.

"I see," Luo Hongxia and Elder Zhu Hong murmured, unable to conceal a sliver of disappointment upon hearing this.

Yun Zhi felt compelled to supplement, "Though the manner of consumption remains unclear, please rest assured. The Twin River is guaranteed to induce pregnancy; this much can be promised."

Despite the absence of any concrete proof, Yun Zhi's assurance seemed to carry a miraculous weight that commanded instinctive belief, and the two women visibly brightened once more.

It was merely a matter of waiting a few days; time was of little consequence to two cultivators of the Body Integration Stage.

Watching their departing figures, Yun Zhi could not shake the bizarre impression that Luo Hongxia and Zhu Hong resembled a long-infertile couple, while she herself played the part of a brilliant old physician bringing back the spring of youth.

Should Elder Zhu Hong truly conceive, it would hardly feel out of place for them to present her with a silk banner praising her miraculous medical hands.

Yun Zhi shook her head, banishing the strange notion from her mind, feeling that frequent contact with the Immortal Fairy was beginning to warp her own way of thinking.

Once the pair had departed, Yun Mengmeng stealthily emerged from behind Yun Zhi, throwing herself directly onto her.

"There exists such a wondrously amusing thing as the Twin River?" Yun Mengmeng’s eyes shone with a brilliant light, intensely curious about the river.

Moreover, it inevitably reminded her of the Mother-Child River of her ancestral home.

Yun Zhi cast a cold glance at Yun Mengmeng, prying the clinging arms away from her neck, and warned sternly, "You are forbidden from researching the matters of the Twin River."

Yun Mengmeng stuck out her tongue in a silent act of rebellion against Yun Zhi.

...

Lan Ting increasingly felt that Lu Yang was truly remarkable; the moment he arrived at the Immortal Palace, he had resolved a dilemma that had plagued them for a hundred thousand years.

If she were to be with Lu Yang, her master would surely offer them her heartfelt blessings rather than placing obstacles in their path.

As night fell and Lan Ting bade Lu Yang farewell to return to her cultivation, Bai Ye from the previous evening sought him out once more, carrying a small wooden stool in her hand.

"Senior Brother Lu Yang, I have come to listen to your tales."

Lu Yang chuckled helplessly. "Slipping out again without practicing your cultivation. Where did we leave off yesterday?"

"We left off at the part where the three of you infiltrated the headquarters of the Immortal Sect, and then reported its location, leading the Daoist Sect and the imperial court to join forces and wipe them out."

Seated upon her small stool, Bai Ye’s eyes sparkled at the mere mention of storytelling.

The two sat beneath the laurel tree in the courtyard, one narrating while the other listened, and thus another night slipped away.

Having agreed to meet again on the morrow before taking her leave, Bai Ye merrily handed Lu Yang a paper bag.

At Bai Ye's prompting, Lu Yang opened the paper bag to find it filled with numerous flower petals.

"What is this?"

"These are petals from the laurel tree. They are quite delicious, Senior Brother Lu Yang. You can enjoy them as a snack when you have nothing to do."

Did the laurel tree even possess petals? It was the first Lu Yang had heard of it.

He pinched a blossom and placed it into his mouth. The fragrant sweetness of the laurel bloomed upon his palate, the sweet aroma intertwined with a trace of spiritual qi that required no refinement, transforming directly into his own spiritual energy.

"No wonder you dare to sneak out without cultivating."

Eating the laurel petals was tantamount to practicing cultivation itself, a marvel of convenience.

Seeing that Lu Yang enjoyed them, Bai Ye bared her teeth in a cheerful grin. "I do not possess many of these laurel petals myself, but if you like them, Senior Brother, I shall save some more for you in the future."

"Then it is a settled deal."

Never having tasted them before, Lu Yang had not anticipated that the laurel petals would be so delectable, growing more addicted with every bite.

Judging by Bai Ye's casual tone, it likely wasn't anything excessively precious.

Had it been too rare a treasure, he would have felt too embarrassed to accept it.

Within the spiritual domain, the Immortal Fairy had fashioned a throne out of snow. Seated upon it, she stared intently at the fading silhouette of Bai Ye, murmuring softly under her breath.

"Is this little girl truly a tree? It somehow doesn't quite feel like it."

"Xiao Yangzi was a simple, foolish soul, utterly blind to it all; perhaps that is the peculiar grace granted to the dim-witted."