Chu Wanning's neither humble nor arrogant attitude was the same even in front of the gods. He said indifferently: "You recognize me?"
"How can I not?" Gouchen smiled politely. "Many years ago, you came to Jincheng Lake to ask for a sword. Your spiritual power was so profound and pure that I almost couldn't help coming out to see you. How's it going, are you still using your weapon well?"
"Which one are you talking about?"
"… Ah." Gouchen was taken aback and then smiled. "Look at my memory. I forgot that I gave you two."
Chu Wanning said: "That's alright. Tianwen is very good."
"Tianwen?"
"The willow vine."
"Oh. I see." Gouchen chuckled. "You named it Tianwen? What about the other one? What's it called?"
Chu Wanning said: "Jiuge."
"How is Jiuge?"
"Its spiritual energy is so profound that I don't use it much."
Gouchen sighed: "That's a pity."
After this conversation, Gouchen rested his hands behind his back, and said, "Wangyue, I'll take them down. The spiritual energy in the water is weak and it's not good for your health, so you should go back first."
The old dragon nodded and, with a bang, set off a huge wave. Dragon scales shone as the dragon dove into the abyss.
At the same time, Chu Wanning cast a water-repelling enchantment on the other three people. Gouchen noticed and took another glance at Chu Wanning, wondering: Among cultivators, it's rare to see a technique as great as his. I wonder who he learned it from.
But Chu Wanning looked like a reserved person who didn't want to talk nonsense with others and Gouchen didn't want to make a fool out of himself. When everyone was ready, they waded into the water together and dived into the frigid Jincheng Lake.
Because of the enchantment, Mo Ran and the others' movements were no different from their actions on the shore. As they dove to the bottom, a vast underwater world gradually emerged in front of them.
The bottom of the lake was covered with a large area of soft white sand. Streets and alleys were crisscrossed, plants flowed in the water, and well-constructed houses were lined up one after another. In those streets and alleys, spiritual beasts and immortal demons of different shapes and sizes were walking around. In the human realm, certain spirits and monsters could never coexist peacefully, but here, they could live in peace.
Gouchen said: "Jincheng Lake is rich in spiritual energy and it's a naturally-formed paradise. Spirits settle here and often do not migrate for generations so there are many things that are different from the human realm. If you're interested, you can take a look around."
As they were talking, they saw a rabbit with snow-white hair and red eyes riding a tiger with a white forehead ostentatiously parading around the city. The rabbit spirit was wearing an elegant and noble white robe, yelling at the tiger to go faster. And looking at the tiger's bashful and obedient visage again, he lowered his eyes with embarrassment, without the slightest prestige.
Everyone was speechless: "…"
Gouchen took them along the main road. The shops on both sides of the road were crowded with spirits and beasts. After walking for a while, when they reached the downtown area, there was an even bigger crowd. The scene was a sight to behold.
"Jincheng Lake rarely communicates with the outside world so most of the items one would need are exchanged here."
Xue Meng said: "It's rumoured that Jincheng Lake is made of your blood. If that's the case, they are all supported by your spiritual energy, so you must be the master of this place, right?"
"I'm not a master." Gouchen smiled softly. "Too many years have passed. I have been away from the divine realm for many years, and my spiritual energy is not what it used to be. The things that happened when the heavens and the earth were created are like a dream when I think about it. How much does it have to do with me now? Now, what stands in front of you is a lowly swordsmith."
As he spoke, he took the group for a walk around the city centre. The creatures at the bottom of the lake lived alongside Gouchen for so long that they had gradually forgotten his identity as a primordial god. When they saw him coming, they didn't have any special reaction, they just kept bartering their products.
"Fish blood steamed buns, freshly caught fish blood steamed buns."
"Fresh snake skin, perfect material for any clothing. Only three feet left. Once its gone, you'll have to wait until the next molting season."
"Selling squid eyebrow dye. This young master just extracted the ink this morning. It's best to take a dab of ink and trace - ah ah, don't leave, young lady."
The marketplace was full of shouting, and the spectacle was a sight like no other.
A headless ghost was sitting in front of a stall selling combs and hair products. A pair of long fingernails painted with red cardamom held an angular comb. The ghost rested his bloody head on his knees, combing his hair while gently saying: "This is the finest bone comb. Please take one with you."
Xue Meng's eyes widened and he looked around him. He saw a pharmacy beside him with many bustling people coming and going. He was thinking of his mother's love for rare herbs and was about to move closer to see them when he suddenly heard a shrill voice shouting from behind him: "Make way, make way! Let me go first!"
Xue Meng shrank back and turned his head to look, but he couldn't see anyone. Gouchen smiled and said: "Under your feet. Take a closer look."
Obediently, Xue Meng took a closer look and saw a pile of small stones walking by itself.
"How surprising, even stones can walk. Is it a stone spirit?" Xue Meng muttered.
Chu Wanning, however, said: "A fuban*."
"The wealthy class**?"
*(T/N: A fuban (蝜蝂) is a small insect that is good at carrying things on its back.)
**(T/N: wealthy class (富班) and the small insect (蝜蝂) are both pronounced "fuban")
"…" Chu Wanning vaguely glanced at him. "It's okay if Mo Ran doesn't listen in class, but even you aren't paying attention?"
Xue Meng was engrossed in his martial arts training, but he was indifferent to literature and history which only hindered Chu Wanning's dignity. He pretended to sit upright in his lessons, but, in fact, everything being said went in one ear and out the other. Now that he had been caught by his shizun, he instantly flushed.
Mo Ran covered his laugh with his hand: "I'm sad to hear Shizun say that. I really listened carefully to that part."
Xue Meng was not convinced: "Oh? Then you can it to us?"
"Alright then, a fuban is a type of insect. They're very greedy by nature. Whenever it sees a beautiful stone, it wants to carry it on its back. In the end, it is often crushed to death by the stones that it picked up."
Mo Ran looked at Chu Wanning with a smile.
"Shizun, would you say I'm right?"
Chu Wanning nodded, and then said: "Fubans are extinct in the human realm. I didn't expect that there were still some left here."
When Gouchen heard this, he smiled: "It's because of a small pharmacy that it's been able to survive. You see, there it is."
They saw the fuban moving laboriously to the steps of the pharmacy when it suddenly shouted: "I can't take it anymore! Come and save my life!"
A blue jiao* quickly swam out. He had obviously dealt with this situation countless times. He took a white porcelain bottle and poured some golden-red coloured potion on the fuban. While pouring the liquid, he chuckled: "Yugong, you seem to have harvested a lot today"
*(T/N: a jiao (蛟) is a legendary dragon with the ability control rain and floods, usually also called a "scaled dragon")
The fuban called Yugong hummed. His voice was relaxed, obviously very comfortable under the nourishment of the potion: "Hmph, it's still good, it's still good. If I go back with a hundred tomorrow, I'll have four hundred and eighty-five thousand six hundred and seventeen stones at home."
Mo Ran: "…"
Chu Wanning: "…"
Shi Mei murmured: "Have you actually hoarded that much already?"
The blue jiao sprinkled the medicinal elixir on the fuban and said: "Remember to come here early tomorrow. I'm afraid that if you're any later, pouring this replenishing elixir on you might not work."
"I got it, I got it. I'll come earlier." The fuban responded in a perfunctory manner. He suddenly caught sight of a beautiful pale yellow stone in the corner, and shouted again. "Hey, mudfish – ah no, Dr.Jiao, that stone over there looks good. Please pick it up and put it on my back. Then I will have four hundred and eighty-five thousand six hundred and eighteen stones tomorrow. ."
Xue Meng couldn't help but walked over and interject: "Why do you want so many stones? Do you want to build a house?"
The fuban's shrill condescending voice came out from under the stone pile: "What? A mortal? Oh, I haven't seen a mortal for many years – you ask me what I'm doing with the stones? Of course, I'm not building a house, how could I be so boring!"
Shi Mei couldn't help but be curious: "Then what do you do with them?"
The fuban said confidently: "I count them!"
"…"
Everyone was speechless.
After a leisurely stroll, Gouchen led them back to his mansion.
On the corner of the street, a huge shell stood up like a screen wall from the human realm. After turning into the courtyard, they saw that the courtyard was divided into six spacious and grand entrances. There were halls and compartments, corridors and gardens, seaweed and pearls woven into beaded curtains gently swayed with the water waves. Some of the compartments were dark while others were lit, and there was dim candlelight inside and faint sounds of a konghou* and an ocarina.
*(T/N: a konghou (箜篌) is a Chinese harp)
Like the pharmacy, the servants in Gouchen's mansion were also jiao people.
Some of the jiaos kept their tails and some turned the dragon's tail into legs for the convenience of walking. However, they were still not used to wearing shoes, and they all walked around on the ground barefoot.
When Gouchen saw the strange expressions between the four of them, he smiled delicately, as faint as a cloud of smoke: "Don't be surprised gentlemen. I'm friends with Wangyue so we live together. He was once the Prince of the Eastern Sea, and these servants all came with him after he settled here."
Wangyue was the old black dragon.
Because he got his divine weapon from the black dragon in his previous life, it was more or less the thing he cared about the most. Hearing what Gouchen said, he couldn't help laughing: "Then where is he? A behemoth like him should have transformed after returning to the bottom of the water, right? Otherwise, it can't live here."
Gouchen nodded and said happily: "It's natural, but he's getting old and physically weak. He just went to the surface and needs to rest now. If you want to see him, you need to wait until he wakes up."
As he spoke, a long brown-haired jiao floated up. He bent down and bowed to Gouchen. When he opened his mouth, an elegant and ethereal voice rang out:
"The supreme god has returned. His Highness Wangyue has already told his subordinates about the matter. Is the Lord God going to take the guests to the Divine Weapon Treasury immediately?"
Gouchen didn't answer at first but looked at the guests gently. Seeing that the four had no objection, he nodded: "That's fine, and please make the kitchen prepare some wine and small dishes. After we return from the Divine Weapon Treasury, we will have a feast."
The group went deep through the courtyard and came to the last doorway. In the center of the courtyard, they saw a huge willow, perhaps different from the willow tree species in the human realm. The trunk of this willow tree was as thick as ten adult men grouped together. The bark of the tree was old and gnarled, the willow leaves drooping in thousands of strands, like a turquoise tent.
Xue Meng's voice was dry: "Wow, how many years has this tree been growing?"
Gouchen said: "I haven't calculated it, but it's been there for more than 100,000 years."
Xue Meng was shocked: "What tree species can live that long?"
"Trees are supposed to be older than people, not to mention that it's nourished by the energy of Jincheng Lake, so it's not really that surprising. Please follow me closely, the entrance to the Divine Weapon Treasury is in this willow tree hole." Gouchen said. He suddenly stopped and looked at Xue Meng.
"Try not to touch the willow branches. The tree is spiritual and it will hurt."
But it was a little late to say this because Xue Meng had already pulled a branch off.
He could only hear his own "ah", and at the same time there was an ethereal sound in the void as if a hoarse voice was sighing softly - "Ouch".
As if he had been struck by lightning, Xue Meng quickly drew his blade, his face drained of colour: "What's going on? Why is there blood?"
Sure enough, blood gurgled out from the break in the willow branch, and the leaves he had thrown seemed to be alive, spasming and twitching on the ground. After a while, it gradually slowed, it lay in the distance then quickly curled up and burned away.
Gouchen said helplessly: "I told you that the tree was spiritual. Why would the young master still…" He shook his head. He went forward to check the severed branch and urged his spiritual energy to calm the willow tree's bleeding.
Chu Wanning said: "Xue Meng, come to me. Don't move."
"Yes, Shizun." Xue Meng made a mistake and hung his head.
Fortunately, this little episode did not cause too much trouble. Chu Wanning apologized to Gouchen. The other part, worthy of being a primordial god, was generous and only laughed: "This young gentleman is a little too quick."
Xue Meng's face flushed red and he walked behind Chu Wanning without saying a word. During the conversation, the group walked through the lush willows and came to the thick trunk. Upon closer inspection, they found that this willow tree was even bigger than when viewed from a distance. At first, they thought that it was as thick as a group of ten men, but when they looked again, they realized that they had really underestimated its gnarly nature.
There was a tree hole in the willow trunk. Not so much a tree hole, it should be described as a huge archway, wide and tall enough for three strong men to pass through at the same time. Several complicated boundaries were laid in front of the tree hole. Gouchen dissolved them one by one, and then looked back and smiled: "Inside is the Divine Weapon Treasury. It's a little small and messy, please don't laugh."
Mo Ran was curious. He was about to go in after Gouchen, but Chu Wanning seemed to inadvertently step in front of him, and calmly said: "Slow down." He went up first.
Mo Ran was very familiar with this behaviour. In his previous life, when the four of them killed monsters and exorcised demons, Chu Wanning always took the lead. At that time, he only thought that his shizun was impatient and arrogant, and didn't want to fall behind the younger generation.
However, today Mo Ran has been reborn and his thoughts are not the same as before. He watched Chu Wanning's white robe disappear into the darkness of the tree hole, and suddenly there was a slight hesitation in his heart –
This man taking the lead, was it really because he was impatient and arrogant?