Chapter 15: Immortal Jade Fish Soup

Seeing that Qin Xiaomo had no intention of returning, Qian Mubai could no longer sit still. With a few swift strides, he blocked her path. “If I had intervened to save you earlier, all the pain you endured would have been for nothing. Everything would have been wasted. Are you truly willing to let that happen?”

“Then why is it fine for White Dumpling to save me? It’s so small and yet more sensible than you, a grown man!” Qin Xiaomo was so angry she could practically spit blood.

“It is your spirit beast. You two are bound by a seal and are already one in essence.”

“We’re nominally husband and wife too!” The words slipped out of Qin Xiaomo’s mouth, her cheeks coloring as she suddenly realized something was off.

For a moment, Qian Mubai gazed at her face and replied as naturally as if discussing the weather, “But we... have not consummated our marriage.” Upon hearing this, Qin Xiaomo’s face flushed all the way to her ears, and she found herself unable to scold him.

Her anger faded considerably, but she couldn’t simply stay just because of a few words—she had her pride. Just as she thought this, a pair of strong hands suddenly swept her up by the waist and carried her straight to the fire.

“The fish soup is ready. Drink it while it’s hot.” Qian Mubai ladled a bowl of soup and offered it to her in a white jade bowl.

“Where did you get the fish?” Qin Xiaomo, still muddled from the recent fight, hadn’t pieced it together.

Qian Mubai nodded toward the fish she had slain not far away.

“Ugh…” Qin Xiaomo scrunched up her face in distaste. Thinking of how that fish had clung to her, and recalling the peculiar stench from the Earth Fish King's mouth, she felt nauseous. She pushed the bowl away, frowning. “I’m not drinking that.”

Qian Mubai didn’t move, persistently holding the bowl before her. “Drink it. The earth fish is a rare tonic, especially for someone like you who needs to refine the Violet Spirit Pearl but can’t yet gather qi. It will make the process much easier.”

“So fish soup is like a digestive pill for this Violet Spirit Pearl?” Qin Xiaomo asked, only half understanding.

“Digestive?” Qian Mubai’s expression flickered with confusion, then he said, “Hmm… something like that. This fish soup will invigorate your qi and blood. Later, when you begin refining the Violet Spirit Pearl, the process of opening your meridians will be twice as effective.”

“Oh, so it’s a warm-up. Got it. By the way, I have so many questions for you.” Qin Xiaomo accepted the soup, running her fingers along the rim of the jade bowl.

“Ask after you finish. We have all night.”

White Dumpling glanced at the soup, but perhaps having eaten its fill, promptly curled up on Qin Xiaomo’s lap and fell asleep. Qin Xiaomo eyed the soup in her bowl—it was a pale green, almost like poisoned milk. She wrinkled her nose, pinched her nose shut, and braced herself. If this was the way to escape her current predicament, so be it. As the soup slid down her throat, she was surprised by its smooth sweetness, reminiscent of honeydew melon syrup. Smacking her lips, she grinned. “Heh, another bowl, please. It’s actually pretty tasty.”

Qian Mubai looked at her, a helpless smile on his lips, and ladled her another bowl.

Whether she had let down her guard from exhaustion, or Qian Mubai was especially warm today, or simply because they were alone with no one to disturb them, the starry sky above, a crackling fire before them, and fireflies glimmering in the distance—all conspired to make the moment feel incredibly romantic and serene. Watching his gentle smile, Qin Xiaomo felt an unfamiliar flutter in her heart. For a moment, she even forgot the pain of her wounds.

“Ask away,” Qian Mubai said suddenly, turning to Qin Xiaomo.

She wiped her mouth, straightened up, and asked, “Why are you helping me? How did I wake up and become your so-called wife? Even if I am a Seer, that hardly seems reason enough for you to go to such lengths to save and train me.”

With a sweep of his sleeve, Qian Mubai made the bowl and pot vanish, replacing them with a tea set. This sleight of hand, as if by magic, astonished Qin Xiaomo—she had never seen him act this way before.

He picked up a cup of tea, gently blowing away the steam. “When I removed your veil that day, I found you looked very much like someone I once knew. Out of affection for her, I saved you. Your identity as a Seer is only part of the reason.”

“Was she your wife? Did she… pass away?” Qin Xiaomo leaned in, her curiosity piqued, and asked softly.

Qian Mubai met her eyes, his voice serious. “That’s a private matter. Ask something else.”

“Oh, you really value your privacy. Then, what’s the story with White Dumpling? What exactly is it?”

Qian Mubai considered for a moment. “You want to know? Very well. But remember this—absolute secrecy. If others learn the truth, it could bring you a fate worse than what your Seer identity would.”

“Is it really that serious?” Qin Xiaomo’s heart pounded with anxiety. What if she blurted it out in her sleep? Despite her misgivings, she steeled herself—she had to know her spirit beast’s origins if she was to teach it well. “Go on, tell me.”

“It is a Devourer Beast.”

“A Devourer Beast? Why does that sound so familiar?” Qin Xiaomo racked her brain to recall where she had heard the name.

“There’s no need to think so hard. It’s an ancient divine beast. If you want to defeat the Four Guardian Beasts of the Nether Tears, the Devourer Beast is the best choice. Haven’t you noticed that wherever it goes, there isn’t a single insect or bird song?”

“So that’s why the Earth Fish King trembled at the sight of it.” Qin Xiaomo tilted her head, the realization dawning on her. “So the chaos in the seventh level of the Earth-rank Spirit Beast Zone was caused by it? And it appeared there because the Fengtian Wheel broke?!”

She lifted one of White Dumpling’s legs, then pried open its mouth to inspect its teeth, but its dopey, sprawled-out pose made it impossible to see any of the dignity of an ancient divine beast.

“But at home it seems perfectly well-behaved. Even the koi in the pond aren’t afraid of it,” Qin Xiaomo remarked suddenly.

At the mention of koi, Qian Mubai felt a pang in his heart. Those koi in the pond were no ordinary goldfish—they were hundred-year-old spirit fish fished from the Heaven Jade Pool of the Third Heavenly Rank. He had planned to raise them for another couple of years to make soup or pills to restore his vitality. But now, all of them had been devoured by this little beast, and it had only picked out the most valuable ones. The mere thought made Qian Mubai’s liver ache. In the end, he replaced all the koi with common ones, which ironically saved them from destruction. To keep White Dumpling hidden from others, he had cast a disguise spell on it as soon as they returned home, making it appear to everyone else as nothing more than a plump white rabbit.

Taking a deep breath, Qian Mubai gritted his teeth, muttering, “That little rascal.”

Seeing his reaction, Qin Xiaomo quickly gathered White Dumpling into her arms protectively. “One last question. Weren’t you supposed to be ugly and crippled? How is your martial skill so profound, almost unfathomable?”

A wicked smile played on Qian Mubai’s lips. “I am unfathomable.” With a sudden turn, he leaned in close, teasing, “Do I look ugly to you?”

The unexpected closeness flustered Qin Xiaomo, making her nod mechanically.

Seeing her dazed expression, Qian Mubai said, “In a few days, you’ll be attending the entrance selection.”

At the mention of school, Qin Xiaomo’s knees nearly buckled. She had only just managed to escape that hellish place and now she was to return? Before he could finish, she was already shaking her head vigorously.

“This selection is to choose the hundred most gifted individuals from the Three Counties for a year of accelerated training to become Heaven-rank experts. The ultimate goal is to cultivate a Ninth Heaven expert to seize the Nether Tears.”

“I don’t want to fight for the Nether Tears. It’s too dangerous. Whoever wants to go can go. Besides, if reaching Ninth Heaven were so easy, you would already have plenty of Heaven-rank experts. Why bother with this training?” The unknown dangers frightened Qin Xiaomo. In the last two battles, had Qian Mubai not been by her side, she would have fled in terror.

“Everyone knows it’s not easy to reach Ninth Heaven, yet they’re all desperate to try. Do you know why?”

“Why?”

“Even without reaching Ninth Heaven, anyone who becomes Heaven-rank is half-immortal. Even emperors must treat them as honored guests and show deference. Moreover, this time, Grandmaster Willow himself will be instructing the disciples. Once you become his student, no one will dare trouble you. If you’re selected, any one of these benefits would be enough to free you from being hunted by the Three Counties.”

Hearing Qian Mubai’s analysis, Qin Xiaomo knew she would inevitably go, but in her heart, she hoped he would go with her—he made her feel safe in a way she couldn’t explain.

At that moment, Qian Mubai looked at her earnestly and said, “I will go with you.”