dn't be afraid.My brother spoke up: "Hey, old man, I just saw you looking like a piece of bark. Now how come you're looking so young again"The old man’s steps faltered, and he twisted his head around...Taken aback, the force came so fast that I didn't even have time to scream!

In that instant, I had mentally prepared myself and took a deep breath.

Hold your breath.

For a moment, maybe just a second, I felt the back of my head hit the stone slabs at the shallow end. A muffled rush of water filled my ears.

I was dragged down.

At that moment, I didn't have time to close my eyes. I saw a faint ink-like mass in the water, a shriveled and bald head with a long tongue sticking out, wrapping around my calf. The expression on his face was exactly like the one on the paper figurine's face.

The triangular eyes drooped at the corners, giving a look of profound sorrow and resentment, but the corners of their mouth twitched upward in a neurotic grin, revealing a long, crimson tongue.

Before I could even fear, a torrent of water suddenly surged at me from an oblique angle.

Bai Ni transformed into a giant flood dragon, her hair bristling. Her sharp mouth opened wide, and she bit down on the evil spirit before charging forward.

The current swept me around in the water for a few circles before a large hand grabbed me and pulled me out.

Mu Wanchen stood at the edge of the shallow water area, the water reaching his chest. He held me in his arms, lifting my upper body completely out of the water.

"Cough cough cough..." I hugged his shoulders, a fit of coughing.

My ears are full of water, I can't hear what he is saying at all.

I only saw his gaze deep, thin lips parted slightly.

Only seeing the white aurora in the distance, raging violently, suddenly burst out of the lake surface, bowing like a dragon under the moonlight.

I held Mu Wanchen's cheek in my hand and rubbed his nosetip: "I'm fine... I was mentally prepared."

And you're so close, I'm not that scared.

On an autumn night, the lake water was very cold. He picked me up and I shook the water out of my ears, laughing, "Fortunately, I reacted quickly. Instinctively, I held my breath at that moment and didn't get water in my lungs... Was that last night's phantom"

I'm actually used to saying "ghost," but in their shamanistic beliefs, they seem to prefer the term "spirit."

Mountains and rivers have spirits, every blade of grass, every tree, every flower, all possess spirits.

Mu Wanchen didn't let go of me, continuing to hug me, and said in a low voice: "This should be someone's pet. The mission failed and they dare not return."

"She swallowed it"

"Gu Ling's attack can make weak spirits vanish into smoke." Mu Wanchen frowned slightly. "There's no time to slowly interrogate it, I'm afraid that thing will hurt you."

This evil, ugly fiend is still weak

I turned my head to look at Bai Ni in the lake. She arched her back, her silver armor gleaming, and blinked at me.

Gu spirits can be large or small, it's hard to imagine that such a huge creature could also turn into a small snake.

"Can't other people see Bai Ni Quickly ask it to go back, if someone sees it, it would be terrible." I said with lingering fear.

This giant snake, seen up close, would be enough to make you faint.

I was drenched all over, but being held by Mu Wanchen, I didn't feel cold at all.

Bai Ni didn't seem willing to leave. It swam onto the shore and circled slowly around us, then lowered its head.

Want a cuddle

"The female and male gu are ancient secrets passed down by the Wuzhu clan. The Gu spirits will instinctively gravitate towards you. Soothe it, and let it return." Mu Wanchen said softly.

"Huh Me"

"Or what I'll hold you, Your Highness," Mu Wanchen frowned.

He used to always hold it with one hand, but today, he might have been a little surprised. Now, he's holding it tightly with both hands, unable to spare any to comfort this "little ancestor." I had to extend my hands and gently touch its jaw.

Bai Ni's eyes narrowed slightly, looking very affectionate.

So, being coiled around me in the snake pit was also a gesture of affection

Bai Ni was praised, after touching it for a while, it gradually disappeared, turning into a cool breeze and vanished.

Mu Wanchen held me back to the room, both of us were drenched.

"You shouldn't have obliterated that spirit, you should have interrogated it!" I felt a pang of regret.

I almost knew who was hurting me.

"...you're being dragged into the water, every second counts as dangerous. Where could you possibly have time to think about anything else" he frowned and said.

"Didn't your master teach you those ghost-binding methods Shackles and all that..."

"Yin Luo," Mu Wanchen said with a touch of helplessness, "Master is a revered immortal god who can control the cycle of life and death. But I'm not... So you can't have anything happen to you. Compared to your safety, other things are not that important. We'll find out eventually."

Okay...

I leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips, then jumped down to the bathroom and made a silly face at him: "That sounded really nice."

As I was closing the door, I saw him shaking his head with a helpless smile.

I am soaking in a tiny bathtub, a little resentful of myself for living such a lazy pig life for eighteen years. Besides being forced to study when I was young, I've been coddled ever since I grew up a bit.

What about morning and evening exercises, what about daily repetitions of basic skills

I'm too lazy to be like a pig, just taking things for granted.

Now that I've encountered problems, I regret not studying hard. The phrase "family tradition" has been tarnished by me.

From tomorrow onwards, I will never slack off again. Taoist inheritance emphasizes both family and teacher lineage. I haven't properly digested the family tradition, it's truly embarrassing.

There's a subtle understanding between Mu Wanchen and me. After what I said the previous night, he doesn't seem to be in a hurry to ask if I'm willing to marry him anymore.

My clinginess gives it away. Anyone can see it.

To avoid getting burned, even a kiss was held back to a very restrained degree.

But this kind of gentle intimacy makes my whole body feel comfortable, like melting into cotton. I just want to stretch lazily and enjoy myself.

Xi Nü's Master must have felt comfortable too, the next day I ate a chocolate, and she didn't make my stomach hurt either.

I woke up too early and had a bit of low blood sugar, so I came to the small courtyard in my house for morning prayers feeling groggy. The room is adorned with large statues of Taoist deities and paintings of our ancestors.

After all, it's within the family, not a mountain gate or temple. Therefore, the time for morning devotions is up to the individual, usually between 4 and 6 am.

Fifth Senior Sister was surprised to see me getting up for morning prayers and having breakfast. She gave me a chocolate to perk me up.

Ugh, I ate chocolate and now I have to brush my teeth and wash my hands again... but it was so delicious.

Because of the female gu, I haven't dared to eat chocolate for a long time.

Homework at home isn't too elaborate, unlike in a Taoist temple which requires hanging objects, grand invitations, and small invitations.

Reciting the mantras for purification of mind, speech, and body, as well as peace in heaven, earth, and oneself, I find this more akin to a process of self-reflection.

The Tao gives birth to Qi, the Tao gives birth to Qi…

Those who don't believe in the path won't experience this feeling. They always think that reciting scriptures is practice, isn't it too exaggerated

But how does one cultivate

I'm also somewhat clueless, but since Mu Wanchen said there's an example of a junior sister-in-law before me, I should calm down and focus. Morning and night, I should recite it diligently.

Perhaps one day I will be able to complete 3,000 good deeds and fulfill a hundred virtuous actions.

After finishing morning class, I followed my fifth senior sister to the flower hall for breakfast. While absentmindedly sipping soup, I didn't notice that my collar had opened because of my movements.

Fifth Senior Sister suddenly leaned closer and looked at me, asking, "Little Junior Sister, how did you get this red mark"hat this might be a punishment, a warning.Even a powerful sorcerer cannot go against the "Dao". The "Dao" refers to the natural law governing the birth and death of all things, from the vast universe...