Volume 4: Immeasurable
Since We’re Already Here.1
As a Qinyuan2, even if You Yan was heavily injured, crossing a sheer cliff at this moment was by no means a difficult task.
At that moment, the morning glow was just rising, and the sky was just beginning to brighten.
Yi Qiu was standing there in a daze when You Yan, who was beside her, wrapped an arm around her waist.
The next second, all she heard was the sound of wings unfurling behind her. Before her brain had time to react, her feet had already left the ground. She was lifted into the air, and in a single instant, she was brought to the edge of the Spirit Pool on the other side of the cliff.
If this had been in the past, Yi Qiu would have been scared out of her wits by this sudden “takeoff.”
But the her of today had already matured considerably in her dreams. Never mind being flown while held by You Yan; she had even experienced being carried by You Yan’s two bird talons. She wasn’t afraid at all.
However, this cold pool before her was the place the Yi Bird3 used to suppress its old injuries every full moon. There wasn’t even a living creature in the vicinity, which must have meant the Yi Bird never permitted the beings of Snake Mountain to approach this place.
You Yan had brought her over just like that. If the Yi Bird found out, wouldn’t it get so angry it would explode into a bundle of colorful fireworks on the spot?
While Yi Qiu was still hesitating in her heart, she saw that You Yan had already stepped into the cold pool.
“Hey, You Yan, you…” Yi Qiu subconsciously took two steps forward to chase her but was forced back several steps by the cold qi4 of the Spirit Pool. For a moment, she could only stand at the pool’s edge, gazing through the cold mist at You Yan, who was gradually walking toward the center of the Spirit Pool.
You Yan didn’t remove her clothes. Her red robes fanned out in the water of the cold pool, like a red lotus just beginning to bloom, appearing and disappearing in the cold mist—a beauty that made it impossible to look away.
She walked slowly to the side of that Five-Colored Thousand-Petal Lotus, extended a fair and slender index finger, and gently tapped the lotus’s stamen.
That incredibly soft, five-colored spiritual light then flowed along her fingertip, slowly entering her body and traveling through every Spirit Acupoints5 within her.
“That flower, what’s its deal?” Yi Qiu couldn’t help but mutter to herself.
【The Five-Colored Thousand-Petal Lotus, in the world of 《Thin, Withered Branch》, was originally a gift from the Flower God6 to the Wood God7. This flower contains extremely strong spiritual power and can heal a thousand worldly pains and injuries. It is exceptionally rare.】
“A flower the Flower God gave to the Wood God was just given to the Yi Bird by the Wood God like that?”
【Yes. Back then, the Yi Bird was wounded by the Heavenly Fire8 of the Huodou9, injuring its Heart Meridian10. To save its life, the Wood God gifted it this flower.】
“This Female Number Two11 is really something else. To go through such pains to save this bad bird, only to have her kindness repaid with enmity12 in the end…”
Yi Qiu mumbled in a low voice and couldn’t help but squat down by the pool. She stuck out a finger and gently stirred the chilly water’s surface.
She didn’t have You Yan’s profound Spiritual Energy13; she wouldn’t dare jump into this freezing-to-death pool.
If only this were a hot spring…
If it were a hot spring, she could also get in for a soak. Just thinking about it felt extremely comfortable.
Speaking of which, You Yan was acting so recklessly because she had backing and therefore no fear14; she had probably figured that even if the Yi Bird wanted to search for someone, it would never think that the person it was looking for would dare to run into its own “bathhouse.”
People always say the most dangerous place is the safest place. Looking at it now, that saying was really true.
Just like now, time passed minute by minute. You Yan soaked inside for a long time, so long that Yi Qiu, who hadn’t closed her eyes all night, had curled up by the pool and fallen asleep, yet the Yi Bird never came to check.
Having not slept all of last night and having walked such a long mountain path with You Yan, Yi Qiu was simply too tired. So tired that even though the cold qi here was biting, so tired that even though the ground was very cold and hard, she still couldn’t help but curl up and take a nap.
She slept very uncomfortably, waking and sleeping, sleeping and waking. In her hazy consciousness, her whole body was cold and hungry.
And every time she forced her exhausted eyes open, she could only see You Yan’s motionless, thin back next to the Five-Colored Thousand-Petal Lotus.
You Yan’s injuries were too severe. It was already a feat for her to have held on all the way here while bringing her along. At this moment, she was concentrating on healing and likely had no time for anything else.
Yi Qiu didn’t want to disturb her healing either, so no matter how uncomfortably she slept, she never made a single sound.
Fortunately, after leaving the Floating Dream Pearl’s illusion, the Spirit Pouch15 on her body that had been out of commission for so long could be used again. She was able to take some clothes out from the Spirit Pouch and layer them over herself, which saved her from getting too cold.
Just like that, she slept groggily for a long time when a somewhat dazzling spiritual light suddenly flashed before her eyes.
This spiritual light was so piercing it made her squint her eyes open a crack.
It was fine not to look, but one look gave her a shock—that dazzling spiritual light was actually emanating from the Five-Colored Thousand-Petal Lotus in the pool.
At this very moment, You Yan was no longer soaking motionlessly in the cold pool. At some point, she had once again reached her hand out toward the lotus.
This time, however, it was no longer a gentle touch. Instead, with an icy gaze, she grabbed the flower’s stem, which was rooted in the pool, as if wanting to break it off.
“You Yan!” Yi Qiu couldn’t help but bolt upright. The clothes on her body scattered onto the ground, but she just cried out in alarm, “What are you trying to do?”
Hearing her, You Yan turned her head and glanced at Yi Qiu, saying flatly, “Since we’re already here.”
The corner of Yi Qiu’s eye couldn’t help but twitch.
What did she mean, since we’re already here…
Could it be—since we’re already here, we can’t possibly leave empty-handed?
Who would have thought? This bird-woman was a three-thousand-year-old bandit?
“But, but if we pick it, what if the Yi Bird finds out?”
“Would I be afraid of it?” You Yan retorted, not a hint of fear in her eyes.
Yi Qiu was momentarily speechless. After a good while, she managed to stammer out, “This Five-Colored Thousand-Petal Lotus… was a gift from the Wood God to it.”
As she spoke, she couldn’t help but bite her lip and start to panic.
She knew that when You Yan wanted something, she never needed anyone’s permission. To You Yan, this Five-Colored Thousand-Petal Lotus was like the musicians she could summon from the Demon Realm16 with a single sentence, like the tributes offered by vassal clans in the Devil Realm17, like a flower that could be easily picked from any random mountain. It wasn’t such a big deal.
But to the Yi Bird, this flower was probably extremely precious, because it wasn’t just for healing its injuries; it was also something the Wood God had given it…
If that big bird found out the flower the Wood God gave it had been picked by someone, wouldn’t it go completely insane? She still remembered how the Vicious Female Number Three18 looked when she went crazy in the original novel. It was simply terrifying.
“You Yan, if you gave me something, and someone else just took it away, I…”
“You’re pitying someone who nearly took your life?” You Yan said, frowning.
Yi Qiu froze for a moment, then quickly shook her head. “No, no, that’s not what I mean!”
She thought for a moment and explained, “What I mean is, if the Yi Bird finds out, it’ll probably go crazy… It’s terrifying just thinking about it!”
She wasn’t an idiot. How could she possibly pity an Vicious Female Number Three who did all sorts of evil in the original novel and still showed no remorse in this new timeline?
She just felt that with You Yan currently being heavily injured, facing such a big bird, if it really went crazy, probably no one could handle it.
Hearing this, You Yan fell silent for a moment, then hesitantly released her hand.
The next second, she flew back to Yi Qiu’s side. With a jolt of her Spiritual Energy, she dispersed all the moisture from her body.
“Are your injuries healed?” Yi Qiu asked, surprised.
“No, but my movement is no longer hindered,” You Yan said flatly, turning her gaze to the Five-Colored Thousand-Petal Lotus in the pool. “If I were to consume it and meditate for a few days, I should be able to mostly recover.”
“Then…” Yi Qiu felt awkward for a moment, scratching behind her ear. She pointed at the Five-Colored Thousand-Petal Lotus and said blankly, “Then why don’t you… go eat it?”
Why should she be afraid of whether an Vicious Female Number Three goes crazy or not?
Once You Yan recovered all her Spiritual Energy, would she still need to be afraid of an Yi Bird that she had completely dominated in the original story?
“No rush. You’ve reminded me of something,” You Yan said, falling into deep thought.
Yi Qiu waited by her side for a good while but didn’t get another word out of You Yan. Overcome with curiosity, she couldn’t help but reach out and tug on You Yan’s sleeve, asking, “What is it?”
“If I pick this flower, it’s impossible for the Yi Bird not to sense it. Chao Yun should still be here. To save her, it’s best not to beat the grass and startle the snake19.”
As she spoke, You Yan took Yi Qiu’s small hand in hers.
The icy touch made her frown. She looked down at Yi Qiu and asked in a low voice, “Caught a chill?”
Yi Qiu snapped back to her senses and quickly shook her head. “No, no! It’s a little cold here, but it’s okay. I had my ‘blanket’ on, I’m not sick!”
As she said that, she quickly followed up, “You Yan, you said Chao Yun is here. Can you sense her presence?”
“I can’t,” You Yan said flatly. “The Yi Bird is skilled at concealing its Spiritual Aura20. On this point, I truly have no way to deal with it.”
“Then…”
“Snake Mountain is only so big. If we search for a few more days, we’ll find her eventually.”
“You plan to stay and look for Chao Yun?” Yi Qiu said, astonished. “You’re not leaving until you find her?”
“What else?” You Yan’s eyes were filled with the sense that her justice is straight, and her confidence is strong21. “Since we’re already here.”
What on earth was this? This was the Yi Bird’s territory. Was You Yan really planning on living here?
Did she come here to jungle22?
Could this be the legendary “your jungle is my home,” all for the thrill of counter-jungling23?
The author has something to say:
The party involved, Yi Bird, deeply regrets capturing such a paternal great-aunt24 back.
Since you’re already here, why not leave a comment?
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