08, Reflecting by the Lake.

The air is filled with ambiguous moisture

A cool sensation rose from her feet, and Xin Zi felt as if she had merged with the lake water. Her bones and blood seemed to have found their kin, and in an instant, they stirred with a hidden surge. Several intertwined forces within her surged forth, seeking an outlet for their release.

Xin Zi gave Ruo Wu a disdainful glance, then climbed onto the large rock by the shore to let the sun warm her backside.

Her eyelashes, gently fluttering like butterfly wings, slightly parted to reveal her delicate cherry lips exuding a fragrance of orchids, and her long hair, as dark as brocade. Even though she is still wearing a boy's robe, she remains so beautiful, as if I have repeatedly sketched the contours of her exquisite features in my heart. I have once again fallen for her; I truly do not want anyone else to see her, and I do not want her to suffer even the slightest harm.

It is surprising that there are girls in the world who find jewelry too heavy and burdensome! If one does not completely turn around, it is difficult to understand.

The sky remains as blue as ever, and the unknown crimson leaves fall like a rain of flowers from the horizon, the beautiful scenery endures

What a strange thing, is there anything in this world that is not strange! Just now, the Grand Master punished those two to come here for reflection, and everyone gasped in surprise. After a long time, Xin Zi finally learned that this "Wen Tian Lake" is a forbidden area of the Shui family, a place that ordinary people cannot approach. It is protected by a barrier set by the Grand Master and shrouded in a mist, only the blood of the Shui family's descendants can unlock it. After a long time, Xin Zi finally learned that this "Wen Tian Lake" is a forbidden area of the Shui family, a place that ordinary people cannot approach. It is protected by a barrier set by the Grand Master and shrouded in a mist, only the blood of the Shui family's descendants can unlock it.

What on earth is this!

The surface of the lake is like a mirror, undisturbed by waves. There are neither lotus flowers with stems growing nor koi fish with red tails swimming. Only a faint aura seems to emanate from the bottom of the lake, making the heart feel particularly familiar. Looking up closely, one can see a simple shrine made of gray-white stones hidden among the bamboo forest, very familiar to the eyes and mind. It turns out that this place, known as Asking Heaven, is the very lake where she first arrived in Xuantian and nearly drowned!

The lake known as "Wen Tian" is the center where the beautiful scenery of the mountains converges. If the wind is flowing, the forest is swaying, and the colors are changing, then this vast expanse of azure lake water is the only tranquil element.

Tiny droplets of water scattered before her eyes, and Xin Zi suddenly saw two pairs of brownish-yellow eyes, with greenish vertical pupils, staring at her motionlessly

Suddenly, a tremendous sound erupted from the lake, as something broke through the water's surface, sending waves soaring several zhang high, splashing white water that burst in the air like fireworks. It drenched Ruo Wu from head to toe, leaving her feeling thoroughly chilled.

Next time, give me something that is both beautiful and lightweight! Without further ado, Xin Zi bent down, wrapping her hands around Ruo Wu's neck, and re-tied the blood jade. Seeing his flustered expression, a faint smile crept onto the corner of Xin Zi's mouth

I do not want it; you should keep it to find your father.

The wind carries the fresh scent of the unique timber and soil found in the mountains.

Without breaking into a cold sweat, I leaped up from the giant rock where I was sitting cross-legged and hurriedly pulled my heart, Zi, out of the water. Everything felt like a fleeting illusion, as if the earlier gloom had never existed. The sunlight once again poured down with fierce golden brilliance, illuminating the lake's surface as if it were a flawless and translucent jade disc

"No, I said no, so it must not be! It's so heavy hanging around my neck that I can't even lift my head!" Xin Zi shouted fiercely as she jumped up.

Pah! How strange. Not to mention that time travel could lead to encountering frozen chickens, or that someone comes to pick a fight when eating fish, or that the head of the Shui family was caught in the door with his arm twisted out. Even if a giant turtle were to jump out of the water to eat people right now, her dragon heart and purple eyelids would not flutter in the slightest

Then, it would be great if you could accompany me to find my father

Seeing Ruo Wu's silly smile, Xin Zi really wanted to turn around and flip a huge stone to crush him. She truly did not understand what schemes he was plotting in his heart

Watching Xin Zi roll up her pant legs, revealing a pair of feet as white as jade, her little feet splashed in the water, playing joyfully. The swelling on her forehead, pressed down by the Grand Master’s finger, no longer hurt as much as it did earlier.

If there were no one to hold back my heart and shout loudly at the turtle and the snake

Facing the lake in reflection? If facing the lake in reflection can be considered a punishment, then Xin Zi is willing to be "heavily" punished by the water scholar every day

I... I do not like this lake, it is very strange

Touching the blood jade of the coiling dragon hanging around his neck, he recalled the words his grandfather once said. After losing his memory, his father wandered to the village and fell in love with his beautiful mother while staying at their home. Not long after, he suddenly regained his memory and requested to leave, leaving behind this blood-red jade pendant carved with a coiling dragon for his mother, claiming that the wearer would be immediately aware of any danger and he would appear at once. As a result, his beautiful mother died during childbirth, and this blood jade, the only proof that a stranger had once visited the Shui family, was hung around his grandfather's neck. Not long after, he suddenly regained his memory and requested to leave, leaving behind this blood-red jade pendant carved with a coiling dragon for his mother, claiming that the wearer would be immediately aware of any danger and he would appear at once. As a result, his beautiful mother died during childbirth, and this blood jade, the only proof that a stranger had once visited the Shui family, was hung around his grandfather's neck.

From the moment she laid eyes on this large creature with a snake-like tail, Xin Zi inexplicably felt a sense of calm. Although their eyes were strikingly unusual, they did not exude a murderous intent, nor did they provoke the keen sense of danger that Xin Zi possessed like a beast. Moreover, it was unclear whether it was because they had leaped out of Wentiang Lake, but they carried a certain aura that attracted Xin Zi.

If there were no immediate three-legged steps following closely behind, upon seeing Xin Zi lazily lying down, I also sat cross-legged beside her. Looking at Xin Zi's small face, which was radiating happiness and drowsiness, I couldn't help but chuckle foolishly in my heart.

The heart is secretly warmed, knowing that this is the most precious gift in Ruowu's hands. Yet, the face still pretends to be indifferent, casually tossing the jade back into Ruowu's embrace.

The sky is a deep blue without a cloud, which makes the green appear even more vibrant and the red even more profound. The ubiquitous sunlight filters through the layers of intertwining branches, casting mottled patches of golden light upon the earth

Xin Zi, half asleep and half awake, held a hard object that still bore a faint warmth. Rubbing her eyes, she realized it was the piece of Blood Jade in the shape of a coiling dragon that she had always kept close to her heart. She had heard her grandfather speak of the origins of this jade; not to mention that it was the only clue to finding that deceitful father, the jade's flawless transparency and exquisite craftsmanship had already made it a priceless treasure.

If this foolish boy can still think on his feet at critical moments, his mind is racing: the jade is on Xinzi's body, and the jade is to be used to find father, which means Xinzi will follow Ruowu to find father, Xinzi and Ruowu, hehehehe

This is called the vibrant colors of the forest, where the distant mountains display hues of bright yellow, deep green, or crimson, intertwining like ribbons of a rainbow, both light and deep. Under the powerful mountain winds, they bow uniformly in one direction and then rise again. The brilliant colors, in this rhythmic motion akin to breathing, change their tones with a lively grace

It is uncertain how much sincerity lies in the words of that deceitful elder. This beautiful blood jade has never demonstrated any efficacy; at the very least, it did not inform the deceitful elder that when he left, there was already a little baby in my mother's womb who needed him to stay. When my mother faced complications during childbirth, it also did not call him back. But now, all I have in my hand is this beautiful piece of jade.

After making up his mind, if there was no one to pull the blood jade from his neck, a thin mark would remain on his neck. He gently shook the half-asleep Xin Zi awake, blushing as he placed the jade into her palm. He felt so nervous that he accidentally brushed against her delicate face, and his fingers instantly felt as if they were burned by fire, stinging with pain

What do you intend to do? If you want to eat, then eat; if not, then present your conditions!

I have sent it to you. If you do not have a face as familiar as that of a cooked shrimp, pretend to look at a little bird standing on the tree.

What a wonderful place! The ancestors of the Shui family truly have an exceptional eye for selecting mountain peaks!" Xin Zi silently praised in her heart

"Do not eat her; although she looks tender and delicate, she is thin and lacks meat, with no chewiness and gets stuck in your teeth. Eat me instead; I am delicious. Smell the blood from my wound, how fragrant it is!" As she spoke, she untied the gauze wrapped around her abdomen, revealing the wound pierced by the water spirit, wanting the beast to take a whiff.

Only a dark blue turtle the size of a grinding stone was seen, with a lake blue snake coiled on its back. The turtle was trembling its four plump little legs, slowly making its way as if it were being chased. It appeared clumsy, yet before long it reached the tip of Ruowu's foot, cornering him into a dead end formed by a cluster of rocks and branches.

Upon closer inspection, the lake-blue snake is not an independent entity at all, but rather connected to the tail of the black turtle beneath it, bizarrely spitting out red signals from its mouth. The black turtle also raises its hammer-shaped round head, and the two pairs of enchanting yellow eyes are strikingly similar. This leaves Xin Zi unable to discern whether this is a demonic beast or a group of demonic beasts.

Xin Zi was still immersed in the overwhelming sensation of power within her body, completely oblivious to the changes in the scenery before her in that fleeting moment. She couldn't help but complain about the foolish actions of Ruo Wu and Tu Shu Mo, who suddenly pulled her out of the water and tossed her onto the shore

Indeed, a giant turtle has jumped out of the water to eat people! Xin Zi deeply regrets the words she just thought of!

If dead, how could it be said that I have no substance! I covered the wound as if it were nonexistent and pinched his ear hard. Heart Purple glanced sideways at the two-headed monster in front of me

If one does not lower their head, the grass rope tied to the jade is wound around the finger again and again, the sound as fine as that of a mosquito or a fly

Just now, if it were not for the bite that broke the fingertip, causing blood to flow everywhere, a narrow, winding path resembling a fish's intestines would have emerged from the mist, pointing towards their current location

Before Xin Zi could take a closer look, without hesitation, he began to shout wildly while reaching out to pick her up and ran off with her tucked under his arm. Xin Zi had no choice but to endure the nauseating feeling of being jostled, turning her head to assess the "thing" behind her.

The two heads of the monster glanced at each other, then looked at Xin Zizi, and finally lowered their heads in contemplation. It is truly remarkable to witness a negotiation taking place while being pursued by a monster. Long Xin Zizi is known as the most arrogant "food" in the Xuantian Continent from ancient times to the present.

After pondering for a long time, my tongue tied in knots, I could not come up with a reason that would be acceptable to my heart, so I could only say pitifully

On the shore, if one were to gaze intently at Xin Zi playing in the water, they would see her suddenly stop in a peculiar manner, standing still in the water, lost in thought. It is unclear whether it is due to the dimming sunlight, but the azure lake water takes on a deep, dark hue that seems to draw one in, as if it were bottomless.

The Shui family mountain has always been enveloped by spiritual power, making it inaccessible to outsiders. Now, with the addition of a ghostly barrier, even someone like Ruo Wu, who possesses only half of the Shui family's bloodline, can breach it. It is truly unclear who this barrier is meant to protect against

A gentle breath brushed against the nape of his neck, and he felt a tingling sensation in his heart, accompanied by a prickling heat on his body