She Dominates the Immortal Realm with Her HP Bar-Chapter 81

"I’ve already spoken with the Alchemy Peak’s teaching disciple. Junior Sister Chang is lively and kind—she’ll take good care of you. If you need anything, just send me a message."

At this point, Kang Bashui suddenly paused, his expression turning oddly serious.

"Just one thing—promise me, if Junior Sister Chang asks for your snake molts or turtle shells… think carefully before giving them to her, alright?"

The warning came out of nowhere, leaving Yan Luoyue and Wu Manshuang bewildered. But out of respect for their senior brother and the camaraderie they’d built, they nodded in agreement.

Kang Bashui escorted them all the way to the edge of Talisman Peak before bidding them farewell.

"Goodbye, Senior Brother Bashui."

"Goodbye, Junior Brother Manshuang."

Yan Luoyue grinned. "See you later, Senior Brother Bashui!"

Kang Bashui waved all eight arms enthusiastically. "Take care, Junior Sister Batur!"

Yan Luoyue: "…"

No matter how many times she heard it, this new nickname still made her cringe.

Watching Kang Bashui’s retreating figure as he swayed his tentacle-like arms, Yan Luoyue muttered under her breath.

"One day, I’ll storm back to Talisman Peak, team up with Senior Brother Bashui, and hunt down everyone who gave us these ridiculous nicknames—then doodle little octopuses and turtles all over their faces."

Though she said it in jest, Wu Manshuang immediately began considering the feasibility of the plan.

"We’d need a proper justification before we can do something like that."

"Isn’t it obvious?" Yan Luoyue widened her eyes.

"Senior Brother Bashui and I both refuse to accept it—we’re suffering from ‘soil-and-water incompatibility’!"

Wu Manshuang: "…That does make sense."

After walking a while longer, they soon met up with the teaching disciple from Alchemy Peak.

The disciple sent to guide them was a cheerful and lovely young woman—tall, dressed simply, with a sweet and gentle demeanor.

Her delicate, arched eyebrows accentuated the intelligence in her eyes, making her all the more striking.

From Kang Bashui’s earlier remarks, Yan Luoyue immediately recognized her as Chang Lili, the teaching disciple of Alchemy Peak and the daughter of its peak master.

After exchanging greetings and introductions, Chang Lili led the way toward Alchemy Peak.

As they walked, conversation flowed naturally. At one point, the topic turned to the Alchemy Peak master.

Chang Lili sighed regretfully.

"Ah, my mother went into seclusion. She probably won’t emerge before your exchange period ends."

Yan Luoyue blinked. She distinctly remembered seeing the Alchemy Peak master among the spectators when she sparred with Kang Bashui.

"It’s a shame we won’t get to meet her. May I ask when she began her seclusion?"

Chang Lili answered without hesitation. "Oh, right after she returned from watching your match at Talisman Peak the other day."

Yan Luoyue: "…"

Wu Manshuang: "…"

Though it might just be a coincidence, the timing was… suspiciously precise.

After a moment of silence, Yan Luoyue decided it was best not to dwell on the matter and quickly changed the subject.

"Senior Sister Chang, what kind of arrangements are planned for our time at Alchemy Peak?"

Chang Lili waved a hand dismissively. "No need to be so formal. Alchemy and artifact-crafting are sister disciplines—this is just an exchange, not a formal study."

"At Alchemy Peak, we focus on pill refinement and herb identification. Unlike Sword Peak with its sword formations or Talisman Peak’s instant weather-changing talismans, our methods are quieter."

"Over these three months, I’d like you both to familiarize yourselves with five hundred common medicinal herbs and learn to refine seven or eight standard pill recipes. How does that sound?"

After half a year of relentless combat training at Sword Peak and Talisman Peak, Alchemy Peak’s peaceful, farming-like routine felt like a tranquil paradise.

Seeing no objections from Yan Luoyue and Wu Manshuang, Chang Lili smiled warmly.

"To be honest, aside from alchemy, I’m also a plant cultivator. If you’re interested in soil-based herb cultivation, feel free to ask me anything."

Compared to other peaks, Alchemy Peak had the most subsidiary mountains due to its vast medicinal herb gardens.

As the peak master’s daughter, Chang Lili had her own private hill.

Unlike their two rough-and-tumble senior brothers, Senior Sister Chang was exceptionally considerate.

Instead of immediately diving into lessons, her first priority was settling Yan Luoyue and Wu Manshuang into their accommodations.

She assigned them a cozy courtyard on her hill, ensuring they’d have a comfortable stay.

"You’ll stay here for the next three months. If you need anything, just ask the outer disciples or come to me directly."

After Chang Lili left, Yan Luoyue explored both her and Wu Manshuang’s rooms.

Hers had an extra vanity, complete with facial balms and hair perfumes—though, considering her age, there were no cosmetics like powder or rouge.

As for Wu Manshuang, his room lacked a vanity but had a small tree branch, likely for his serpent form to coil around.

Yan Luoyue sighed appreciatively. "Senior Sister is so thoughtful—she’s considered every detail."

Especially since she was both an alchemist and a plant cultivator, her knowledge was vast, and her presence carried a soothing herbal fragrance.

Who wouldn’t adore such a gentle, lovely alchemy senior sister?

—At least, that was what Yan Luoyue thought… until the next morning.

The following day, Chang Lili eagerly took Yan Luoyue and Wu Manshuang on a tour of her herb garden.

As she taught the two how to identify spiritual herbs, Chang Lili also shared her years of cultivation experiments with them.

When passing by an empty herb patch, Chang Lili paused with a regretful expression and lingered a little longer. The soil in that patch bore fresh signs of being turned, and the concentration of spiritual energy was notably high.

Clearly, Chang Lili had set up a small spirit-gathering array here, showing great care for this particular plot.

—But no matter how much care she took, it was useless! Because as Yan Luoyue listened, her eyebrows rose higher and higher, nearly reaching her hairline by the end.

"Um… Senior Sister," Yan Luoyue cautiously inquired, "what do you mean by ‘last year’s experiment also failed, and the vines didn’t grow any fish’?"

Had she misheard? Maybe "taro" instead of "fish"?

Or was this some kind of specialized alchemy term referring to perfectly formed fruits?

Chang Lili turned to her, looking genuinely puzzled.

"Fish are just fish—you’re a turtle demon, haven’t you eaten fish before?"

Yan Luoyue: "…"

Yan Luoyue asked, a little stunned, "I’ve eaten fish, but… can you even grow fish?"

At the very least, her rudimentary biological knowledge told her that plants and animals couldn’t hybridize.

—After all, just the cellular differences alone, like cell walls, chlorophyll, and large vacuoles, made it impossible.

How could this even work? It was completely unthinkable!

Yet, hearing Yan Luoyue’s skepticism, Chang Lili’s eyes widened in surprise.

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"Why not? Did you know there’s a tree in the demon realm called the Phantom Shaker Tree? Its branches can pierce human flesh and turn them into tree puppets."

Those turned into tree puppets—whether human or animal—no longer needed to eat, surviving solely on nutrients transmitted by the main tree.

Yan Luoyue and Wu Manshuang: "…"

Oh, that.

Not only had they heard of the Phantom Shaker Tree, but they’d also seen it in person—even chatted amiably with tree puppets.

Seeing their understanding, Chang Lili clapped her hands together, delighted.

"Exactly! That’s the idea."

"Similarly, there’s a plant in the human realm called the Immortal Dew Tree. If a cultivator is severely injured beyond healing, they can graft the tree’s vines into their flesh and borrow its spiritual energy to prolong their life."

Here, Chang Lili’s expression turned dreamy. "Since our predecessors have already proven that flesh and plants can merge, and humans or demons can survive on tree vines, then taking it one step further—growing organs or even whole creatures from trees—isn’t impossible, right?"

Yan Luoyue: "…"

Wait a minute, this didn’t feel like "one step further."

This was more like a full 180-degree split!

"That’s… quite a challenge."

Seeming to notice Yan Luoyue’s disbelief, Chang Lili’s eyes drooped slightly, her expression tinged with frustration.

"It is challenging, but I’ve already overcome the first major hurdle."

She casually pointed to another herb patch. "Look."

Yan Luoyue followed her gesture, and the next second, she gasped aloud.

—What had she just seen?

On a neatly arranged grape trellis, vibrant green vines climbed upward. And on those vines hung one, two, three, four… at least a hundred clusters of livers!

Livers! Actual livers, plump and pink, dangling in bunches from the vines!

For a moment, Yan Luoyue was speechless.

At this point, she couldn’t even trust her own eyes!

Turning to Wu Manshuang, she saw his face beneath the white veil equally stunned.

What was this? Some kind of cross-species alchemy unique to the cultivation world? Could animals and plants really hybridize?

—Come to think of it, Yan Luoyue had never heard of reproductive barriers in this world.

So, if rabbits and grass could have offspring… maybe it wasn’t impossible?

"Those are fish livers," Chang Lili explained cheerfully. "I grafted Immortal Dew Tree vines with fish livers and cultivated them separately. I usually extract fish liver oil from them for alchemy."

Noticing Yan Luoyue’s fixed stare, Chang Lili offered, "If fish is part of your diet, you can pick a cluster to eat."

Yan Luoyue: "…"

No, thank you. She wasn’t fond of raw food, much less livers of questionable origin.

Swallowing hard, Yan Luoyue finally began to realize that Chang Lili’s wild ambitions couldn’t be dismissed lightly.

She cautiously asked, "Senior Sister, what was your original motivation for researching this?"

"At first, it was a request from a friend."

Yan Luoyue: "…"

Her soul trembled.

—What kind of friend would ask for something like this?

And upon hearing such a request, why hadn’t Chang Lili just cut ties instead of actually pursuing it?

Chang Lili nodded matter-of-factly. "Yes, because I thought—if rare materials could be cultivated, wouldn’t that save us the trouble of hunting or buying them?"

Counting on her fingers, she listed, "The brain of a Water-Gazing Leopard, the eyes of a Wind-Chasing Eagle, the scales of a Silver-Shatter Fish…"

"First individual parts, then whole organisms. Eventually, not just specific organs, but complete living creatures…"

With every rare material Chang Lili mentioned, Yan Luoyue and Wu Manshuang’s eyelids twitched.

Both of them imagined grape trellises laden with brains, eyeballs, and fish scales, feeling their own skulls throb in protest.

By the time Chang Lili finished, Yan Luoyue had a splitting headache and buried her face in her hands.

In contrast to their horrified reactions, Chang Lili remained confident.

"Even though I’ve only succeeded with fish livers so far, I’ll make it work eventually."

Yan Luoyue: "…"

She wasn’t entirely sure whether she wanted Senior Sister Chang to succeed.

Wu Manshuang tentatively asked, "Senior Sister Chang, once you succeed… what do you plan to do?"

"Oh, the possibilities are endless!"

Chang Lili’s voice was bright and lively, fitting for her youthful demeanor—like a young girl finally getting her hands on a beloved rabbit lantern.

"If humans and medicine can be cultivated, then minerals should be possible too. Everyone’s had that childhood dream, right? Like burying a spirit stone in the morning and harvesting a tree of them by evening…"

—Ah, right. If reproductive barriers didn’t exist and plants could hybridize with animals, then growing minerals wasn’t far-fetched either.

After all, minerals were essentially fossilized remains of living creatures subjected to heat and pressure over time.

And this particular dream aligned perfectly with Yan Luoyue’s tastes.

Aside from potentially disrupting the market economy through mass production, it didn’t seem like it’d cause any major issues.

Hearing this, Yan Luoyue couldn’t help but smile slightly.

But then, Chang Lili added in an even breezier tone:

"Oh, and once we can cultivate humans, we could teach the technique to common folk too."

"In that case, if they want children, they wouldn’t need to have them themselves. They could just wait until their parents pass away, plant them in the ground, and then—"

Yan Luoyue didn’t let Chang Lili finish.

She no longer had the courage to listen. Swiftly, she jumped up and clamped a hand over Chang Lili’s mouth.

"Please, Senior Sister, stop talking," Yan Luoyue groaned in agony. "Let me recover first, just let me recover..."

This wasn’t just a breach of the experimenter’s ethics.

It was a complete violation of morality as humanity had known it!

—Suppose someone dug a hole today and planted their parents. Next year, a bunch of children sprouted from the tree.

Question: How should this person address these children?

Would he call them "Dad," while they considered themselves his sons, with both sides agreeing to disagree?

Just imagining the scene turned Yan Luoyue’s face green.

All she could say was, thank goodness Senior Sister Chang Lili hadn’t succeeded!

Chang Lili’s failure was a blessing for this world, for the entire cultivation realm, the demon realm, and even the demonic realm.

"Mmmph!"

Chang Lili shook off Yan Luoyue’s hand and gently set her down, chuckling helplessly.

"Junior Sister Yan, you’re still so young, so why do you react just like my mother?"

Yan Luoyue was utterly stunned. "This idea… Senior Sister, have you discussed it with the Peak Master of the Alchemy Peak?"

Did she actually dare? Wouldn’t that earn her a beating?

"Of course I have," Chang Lili sniffed. "But every time I bring it up, she hits me—and I’m being completely serious!"

Yan Luoyue: "..."

Wu Manshuang: "..."

At this moment, both of them wanted to tell Chang Lili: Is there a chance that the reason you get beaten is precisely because your mother knows you’re serious?

Clutching her liver, which had been aching ever since she visited the grapevine, Yan Luoyue asked with a tone of desperate hope:

"Senior Sister Chang, over all these years, is this fish liver vine the only thing you’ve successfully grown?"

—Please, let it just be fish liver, just fish liver...

"Oh, not at all." At the mention of this topic, Chang Lili instantly brightened.

She pointed toward something in the distance that Yan Luoyue had previously mistaken for an apple tree. "Look!"

One glance, and Yan Luoyue fell into silence: "..."

If she wasn’t mistaken, the fruits hanging from that tree… looked so familiar… they were unmistakably...

Chang Lili cheerfully explained, "I asked Senior Brother Kang Bashui for a severed tentacle, nourished it with a secret method, and carefully cultivated it for ten whole years. Not long ago, it finally bore fruit."

And the fruits it bore were, naturally, countless octopus tentacles!

—Damn! It really was!

Behind his white veil, Wu Manshuang closed his eyes in despair.

Beside him, Yan Luoyue’s expression wasn’t any better.

Now, they finally understood why Kang Bashui had solemnly warned them never to give their turtle shells or snake molts to Chang Lili.

Because Senior Sister Chang Lili might genuinely grow a living, breathing version of you one day!

Though Yan Luoyue already had a guess, she couldn’t help but confirm:

"Um… Senior Sister Chang, have you ever tried planting… yourself?"

The answer, of course, was yes.

"I have! Hair, nails, teeth, flesh, even a leg I lost during a mission… Ugh, but nothing ever grew."

Yan Luoyue: "..."

Thank heavens! At least there wasn’t a second Chang Lili!

If there truly was a Heavenly Dao, this must be its will.

After all, Yan Luoyue seriously doubted whether this world could handle a second Senior Sister Chang.

At this moment, she silently swore to herself: She would never let Chang Lili learn about the principle of cloning.

...

Though Chang Lili’s botanical cultivation methods were clearly beyond what normal people could accept, her vast knowledge and rock-solid experience in planting were undeniably impressive.

So, Yan Luoyue soon took out a seed and went to consult Chang Lili.

"Senior Sister, do you think this can be grown?"

If fish liver could be cultivated, surely a seed that was originally a spiritual plant would be easy, right?

The moment Chang Lili saw the seed, she recognized it immediately.

She straightened slightly, cradling the seed in her palm and examining it closely.

"Mirror Image Tree seed? These are incredibly rare. Junior Sister Yan, you’re truly remarkable to have one."

Yan Luoyue’s eyes lit up. "Then, does Senior Sister know how to plant it?"

Indeed, this was the Mirror Image Tree seed she had obtained after slaying the Illusionary Shaking Tree, kept all this time. Apart from Yin Wangyou, who had once recognized its origin, no one else had been able to explain how to cultivate it.

Chang Lili, of course, knew.

She smiled faintly and spoke with confidence. "If you asked anyone else, they wouldn’t have an answer."

"Junior Sister Yan, you may not know this, but the first mother tree of the Mirror Image Tree likely originated in the demon realm. So, to grow it, you must have soil from the demon realm."

"Does it have to be soil from the demon realm?" Yan Luoyue pondered. "What about soil from the borderlands between the demon realm and the human realm, like within the seals? Would that work?"

Chang Lili regretfully shook her head. "As far as I know, no."

That was troublesome.

Yan Luoyue couldn’t just break open the demonic seals and venture into the demon realm to dig up soil—unless she was insane.

Alternatively… maybe she could hunt demonic creatures near the seals for a year or so, scraping off traces of demonic dust from their fur, claws, or tails?

It wasn’t that Yan Luoyue was obsessed, but Mirror Image Fruit held special significance for her.

These fruits, capable of replicating damage in real time, could be refined by her into the ultimate weapon—such as a device that inflicted equal damage.

Before she could delve deeper into her thoughts, Chang Lili chuckled again.

"Fortunately, I know of something that can substitute for demon realm soil."

Yan Luoyue looked up sharply. "What is it?"

Chang Lili tapped a finger playfully beneath her eye. "Mermaid tears."

Legend had it that mermaids could cry pearls. If these pearls were ground into powder, the effect would be similar to demon realm soil.

As for the exact principle, Chang Lili wasn’t sure.

She had only stumbled upon this peculiar substitution by chance.

Yan Luoyue mentally calculated the base price of mermaid pearls.

Even for someone as wealthy as her, the sum made her click her tongue.

After all, the mermaid race was reclusive, rarely interacting with humans.

They were an all-female race.

According to legends, they were pure-hearted, full of love and devoid of hatred. The only goods they traded were a kind of white mermaid silk that never got wet.

As for the more exquisite colored silks and mermaid tears, only a select few in the world could obtain them.

If one were to grind mermaid pearls into powder for planting trees, Yan Luoyue would at least have to spend a sky-high sum of spirit stones.

And even then, money was only a secondary concern.

Whether there were even enough mermaid pearls available on the market remained up for debate.

But...

Turning her gaze to Chang Lili, Yan Luoyue noticed a mysterious smile playing on her senior sister’s lips, as if she were waiting for her to ask something.

Yan Luoyue’s heart stirred, and she quickly inquired, “Could it be that Senior Sister has a lead on mermaid pearls?”

Chang Lili clapped her hands together, her expression lively, as if to say, “Finally, you thought to ask me!”

“Of course I do,” Chang Lili replied with a sly grin. “Why do you think I wanted to grow fish in the first place?”

—Chang Lili’s original idea of cultivating fish had actually stemmed from a commission by the mermaid clan.

...

“I always thought mermaids lived in the sea,” Yan Luoyue murmured.

At first, she had assumed Chang Lili would pull out a communication spirit stone or a paper crane to send a message to the mermaids overseas.

But to her surprise, Chang Lili was a woman of action.

She immediately jumped up, grabbed Yan Luoyue’s hand, and embarked on an impromptu journey, taking both her and Wu Manshuang to the Biluo River, a ten-day trip from their sect.

Heavens knew that, judging by their course, Yan Luoyue had thought they were heading out to sea!

“Oh, there are mermaids in the ocean, but I’m not familiar with that kind,” Chang Lili said without hesitation. “The ones in the sea are saltwater mermaids, while the ones in rivers are freshwater mermaids—Huh, why are you making that face, Junior Sister?”

Yan Luoyue: “...”

Well, hearing that mermaids were categorized by saltwater and freshwater was both absurd and oddly scientific at the same time.

Following the Biluo River upstream, the trio soon arrived at a cascading waterfall, its source hidden within a roaring cataract.

The waterfall stretched at least a hundred zhang high, its spray forming a natural veil, the mist hanging like a delicate gauze three zhang away.

Chang Lili halted their flying artifact midair, leaned out to scan the surroundings, and soon chuckled.

“Found them. Just as I thought.”

“They’re practicing diving from the top of the waterfall.”

Yan ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍Luoyue: “???”

Wait, why were mermaids practicing diving?

On this topic, Chang Lili had plenty to say.

“Because mermaids are exclusively female, they must intermarry with males of other races to ensure their lineage continues.”

Yan Luoyue nodded—this much she knew.

In theory, cross-species marriages often produced hybrids, much like the mixed-blood descendants of humans and demons who had once built the Matchmaker’s Temple.

Though hybrids usually exhibited traits from only one side, with the other lineage fading over generations.

But mermaids were unique—no matter whom they married, their offspring were always mermaids, and every one of them female.

Thus, mermaids had no choice but to seek partners outside their race.

Chang Lili continued, “But the world is full of stories about fickle-hearted men breaking women’s hearts. Mermaids are pure of heart, naturally loving without hatred, and often fall for men who don’t deserve them.”

“—For some reason, in the last century or so, men of questionable character have developed a habit of forcing women to jump off cliffs, city walls, or high platforms, as if leaping to their deaths is the only way to prove their innocence.

“Though the mermaids find these foreign men utterly baffling, they’ve decided to adapt to the trend and train in advance, just in case...”

Yan Luoyue: “...”

She felt like this explanation was riddled with questionable logic, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on how to refute it.

So, she could only weakly offer, “But if someone’s forced to jump off a cliff... practicing diving wouldn’t really help, would it?”

If anything, they should be practicing bungee jumping!

“...Whether it’s a waterfall or a cliff, the principles are similar, so the skills required should be about the same,” Chang Lili speculated privately.

As their flying artifact entered the waterfall, the figures within gradually became clearer.

Several graceful women with shimmering fishtails were leaping from the top of the falls.

The torrent’s force could shatter bones, yet their movements were nimble and elegant, as if they were nature’s darlings.

Their figures flickered in and out of the white cascade, like beautiful insects gliding through honey.

Chang Lili took out a small whistle and blew it softly.

To Yan Luoyue, the whistle made no sound, but the mermaids below the falls all looked up at once.

The moment they recognized Chang Lili and her flying artifact, their faces lit up with gentle smiles.

The mermaids floated in the water, their hair spreading freely like luxurious silk.

Pearls the size of thumbnails dangled from their foreheads, and colorful beads were woven into their hairnets, cascading like stars scattered across the Milky Way.

Mermaids wore no gold or jade ornaments, for their iridescent scales were already the most exquisite adornment in the world.

Pale gold, lavender, moon-white, silvery red...

Every imaginable hue, every dazzling shade the eye could perceive, was woven into their magnificent scales.

These radiant scales draped over their slender necks, elegant chests, delicate waists, and powerful, pearl-like tails...

“Lili,” the lead mermaid spoke. She had a stunning azure tail, the color of forget-me-not petals.

Her voice carried a soft, watery lilt, light and sweet. “You’ve brought friends.”

“Yes,” Chang Lili replied. “This is my junior sister, and this is my junior brother. They’d like to purchase some mermaid pearls from you.”

The azure-tailed mermaid didn’t even hesitate.

Without a second thought, she plucked the pearl from her forehead and held it out. “Here, no need to buy—take it as a gift!”

A mermaid pearl worth tens or even hundreds of thousands of spirit stones, given away so casually.

Yan Luoyue blinked rapidly beside them: Mermaids truly were pure-hearted, loving without resentment.

No wonder they were practicing diving en masse.

If they didn’t leave themselves an escape route, with their trusting nature, they’d probably be devoured whole in the world of romance.

Chang Lili waved her hand. “Not just one—she wants to buy many.”

The azure-tailed mermaid quietly studied Yan Luoyue’s face for a moment.

Then, beaming, she tugged off her pearl hairnet in one swift motion.

“Many is fine too—I like her. Mermaids don’t do business with friends. If you want pearls, I’ll give them all to you!”

At her gesture, the other mermaids swam closer, their long, translucent tails gliding gracefully through the water. They plucked pearls from their own adornments, gathering them into a generous handful before offering the entire collection.

Yan Luoyue: “...”

A million spirit stones, two million, three million...

Never mind, she couldn’t keep count anymore.

All Yan Luoyue could think was: Rich and generous ladies, do you happen to need a turtle friend?

The kind who knows how to forge magical artifacts, can accompany you in practicing diving, and even craft bungee ropes for you!

Faced with such generosity from the mermaids, Chang Lili couldn’t help but feel a bit helpless.

She rubbed her forehead and asked, "Is Quan Xiang here? I’d like to speak with her directly."

"Yes, she’s here."

"You’re looking for her?"

"Don’t you want the mermaid pearls anymore?"

The mermaid girls chattered away while casually taking Yan Luoyue’s wrist and draping a piece of sheer, snow-white mermaid silk over the faces of each of the three visitors.

The silk remained dry even in water, and once worn, it allowed them to breathe freely underwater.

Hand in hand, they swam together toward the shallow waters downstream of the Bilo River.

...

Quan Xiang was also a beautiful mermaid.

She appeared older, exuding an elegant and gentle aura, with soft features and a tail the bright hue of daylilies, adorned with a delicate layer of pale golden silk.

"Lili, you’ve come, and brought guests," Quan Xiang said warmly.

After hearing their request, her first reaction was to blink in surprise. "Mermaid tears—can’t Lili grow those herself?"

Chang Lili looked slightly embarrassed. "My skills are still lacking… I can’t do that yet."

No kidding, Yan Luoyue thought, utterly stunned. If you could, it’d be a miracle.

"Of course," Quan Xiang replied with a smile as gentle as spring blossoms, taking Chang Lili’s hands in hers and gazing at her with unwavering trust.

"I believe one day, the girls of our clan will sprout right from your trees!"

Chang Lili’s eyes sparkled. "Yes!"

Yan Luoyue: "..."

Well, mystery solved. So you’re the friend who made that request!

But considering the nature of the mermaid clan, Yan Luoyue had to admit the request made a strange kind of sense.

Thankfully, Quan Xiang didn’t just haul out the clan’s entire stockpile of mermaid pearls and hand them over by the crate.

Otherwise, Yan Luoyue would have seriously wondered how the mermaids had survived this long.

Quan Xiang’s tail playfully splashed the water, its translucent, flowing fins swaying like a gauzy skirt—sometimes draping naturally, sometimes drifting with the currents.

"We usually only sell mermaid silk," Quan Xiang explained. "We never trade in mermaid tears."

Chang Lili nodded patiently. "I know."

Quan Xiang continued, "If you needed the tears yourself, we’d gather as many as you wanted. But you’re asking on behalf of little Luoyue."

Chang Lili agreed. "Yes, I’m aware."

Glancing at Yan Luoyue, Quan Xiang smiled. "I like little Luoyue very much and would gladly give her the tears. But if she could do us a favor in return, she’d earn the friendship of all the freshwater mermaids in the Bilo River."

Yan Luoyue asked, "What kind of favor?"

Quan Xiang’s voice was soft, not accusatory but full of concern:

"Your white crane friend once visited us. He left with unanswered questions, flying away in regret. I wonder if you might help us where he could not?"

Hmm? A white crane friend?

Yan Luoyue paused, suddenly remembering—back when they’d parted ways, hadn’t Little Ling been heading straight for the Bilo River?