CHAPTER 32

— Scenery Within the Lake —

As a sect composed entirely of women, Nichang Valley managed to secure its place among the Five Great Sects not only due to its dual mastery of medicine and poison but also because of the natural barrier protecting their territory—the dreaded natural labyrinth known as Butterfly Sea.

On the outskirts of Nichang Valley grew a small white-pink flower called Phantom Peony, which released vast amounts of pollen. The sudden white mist Su Yan and her companions encountered was precisely this pollen from these Phantom Peonies.

Symbiotically coexisting with the Phantom Peony was a butterfly with black wings outlined in gold, known as the Golden-Winged Phantom Butterfly. These were not ordinary butterflies but first-level demonic beasts capable of releasing hallucinogenic gases that could confuse the mind and even k!ll directly—this was the source of Nichang Valley's infamous k!lling array.

And Tong Tong had clearly fallen victim to it.

Watching helplessly as she plunged into the dark, turbulent lake, Su Yan's eyes turned cold. With a sweep of her long sword, Changhong, she cleared a path and strode step by step toward the lake. Her spiritual sense swept across the lake's center, detecting a figure sinking rapidly before suddenly vanishing without a trace.

After a moment's thought, she retrieved a greenish-blue pearl from her Qiankun pouch and tossed it into the water. Instantly, as if a flame had licked through paper, the lake water parted to both sides, revealing a solid path.

—This pearl was called the "Sea-Calming Pearl," crafted from the essence of a millennia-old clam demon by a master artificer. It was a top-grade treasure for controlling water and treading waves.

Following the opened path, Su Yan ventured deeper until she reached the lake's center. Looking up, she was already dozens of zhang below the shore's waterline, yet there was still no sign of Tong Tong—a testament to the lake's profound depth!

Su Yan's furrowed brows tightened further.

By now, she had reached the very heart of the lake and finally noticed something unusual—a swirling vortex, its currents turbulent and unaffected by the Sea-Calming Pearl, as if deliberately created by someone's magic. This was likely where Tong Tong had disappeared.

Calming her mind, she beckoned the Sea-Calming Pearl back. Before the walls of water could close in, Su Yan stepped into the vortex...

"He—uh... Second Senior Sister, they'll be okay, right?" As the group cautiously made their way toward the array's source, the oppressive silence weighed heavily on Ding Ding, who couldn't help but tug gently at He Gu's sleeve and whisper.

Though he had deliberately lowered his voice, given the cultivation levels of those present, who wouldn't hear?

No one responded, but all pricked up their ears, awaiting He Gu's answer.

"Although First Senior Brother isn't particularly close to us, he is an extremely reliable person. I believe he will bring Little Seven back safely... So, we must also find a way out quickly and reunite with them!" He Gu gave a warm smile, her eyes full of resolve.

Everyone, including Ding Ding, felt somewhat reassured and regained their spirits, pressing onward.

—Only He Gu inwardly sighed bitterly: 'Senior Brother, please don't make me break my promise!'

"A-Si, what are you doing?" The newcomer had eyes like autumn waters, always seeming to hold a bright, cheerful smile. Even when questioning, her tone felt as refreshing as a spring breeze.

"Young Valley Master? I, I..." Qiu Si inwardly cursed her luck.

"Hmm? This is —Su Yan? Why is she here?" Yingying's eyes narrowed slightly, a glint of amusement flickering in them, though she didn't blame Qiu Si for acting on her own. She merely chuckled softly, "Never mind, let's just watch and see."

If he couldn't even make it through the Butterfly Sea, then the title of the Fierce Deity of Chonghua might as well be handed over to someone else.

Stepping into the vortex, Su Yan held her breath and focused. After a brief moment of dizziness, her feet landed on solid ground—or rather, the ground at the bottom of the lake.

Suddenly remembering something, she raised her head to look—only to find a massive water mirror, like a protective barrier, firmly blocking the way. It split the lake water and the lake bottom into two separate worlds—two inverted worlds that were perfect reflections of one another!

From her vantage point, the fish swimming freely in the lake seemed to float in mid-air, their bellies facing upward, their fins drifting lazily on their backs, giving off an eerie sense of unreality.

The lakebed by the Butterfly Sea truly held hidden wonders. It was likely that even the disciples of the Nichang Valley were unaware of this place, yet that clumsy girl had stumbled upon it by chance. Was it fortune or misfortune?

"Wahh..." A familiar voice, filled with sorrow and resentment, drifted from a corner, causing Su Yan's eyelids to twitch.

Quickly drawing her Changhong Sword, she followed the sound. What came into view was a circular platform, with a rectangular rock at its center densely carved with unknown characters—like an altar that might appear in some ancient shamanic ritual.

At the far end stood a lifelike stone sculpture: a rooster's head, a swallow's chin, a snake's neck, a turtle's back, and a fish's tail, its slender and graceful form poised as if ready to take flight!

A phoenix? No, it resembled one, but not quite—the phoenix's claws were sharp as hooks, its crest held high and majestic. This was...

As she pondered, she heard the sobbing she had momentarily ignored. After a brief pause, she quickly took a few steps toward the huddled "unknown creature" and gently patted her trembling shoulder. Her usually low and soft voice carried an uncharacteristic warmth of comfort: "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

—The lakebed, reflected by the rippling water, glowed with a soft azure light. The dim, hazy surroundings were illuminated by a gentle halo emanating from that corner, lighting up the entire cavern and allowing everything to be seen clearly.

The sobbing paused abruptly. The figure turned her face, two clear streams of tears flowing from its eyes and tracing down its cheeks—a pitiful sight. It was Tong Tong.

Startled at first, she turned and recognized Su Yan, immediately wrapping her arms around Su Yan's waist and burying her face against his abdomen, wailing loudly, "Senior Brother—waaahh..."

"What are you crying for?" Su Yan stiffened but didn't push her away. Her left hand, not holding the sword, clenched into a fist. Hesitating, she wanted to pat Tong Tong's back but withdrew halfway, placing it behind her back instead.

"My... my treasure, hic, my treasure is gone..." Tong Tong, her eyes red, sobbed as she wiped her tears and snot on Su Yan's robe.

"Treasure?" Su Yan frowned in confusion. "What treasure?"

Seeing her confusion, Tong Tong grew anxious. Using the momentum, she stood up and held up the glowing object she was clutching—a tail-wagging, pitiful-looking Cookie—illuminating the empty cavern to make it clearer for Su Yan to see.

Su Yan widened her eyes in astonishment—a gesture that, in Tong Tong's eyes, was a thousand times more adorable, almost making her forget the reason for her earlier distress. She couldn't believe that a noble mythical beast like the Zouyu, even if still in its immature juvenile form, had been reduced to a mere flashlight!

Yes, she remembered that time when Cookie swallowed the luminous pearl offered by the woman who called herself Xue'er—so, from then on, did the auspicious Zouyu gain another supernatural ability, named "illumination"?

Even Su Yan, who prided herself on having a heart of stone, couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for Cookie—how could a master be so heartless? The word "tragic" hardly did it justice.

A sudden premonition struck her: it was better not to expect an answer to Tong Tong's earlier question...

As expected, Tong Tong tugged at her sleeve, lamenting with heartfelt sorrow, "Senior Brother, do you know? We were one step too late!" She pointed at the empty altar—clearly, many artifacts had once been placed here, possibly a large number of spirit stones or rare magical treasures and elixirs—but now there was nothing. Apart from signs of disturbance, it was so clean that not even a speck of dust remained, indicating that the person responsible was cautious and highly experienced.

With one hand clutching her chest, she continued, "Once, a precious treasure lay within this cave, but I didn't cherish it. By the time I arrived, all the treasures had been taken away... If God would give me another chance, I would definitely come earlier! And if I had to set a deadline for it, I'd wish for... Oww! Senior Brother, why did you hit me... It hurts..."

Su Yan calmly retracted the hand she had just used to chop Tong Tong on the head, making up for her earlier regret of not patting it, and thought to herself: Not a bad feel.

She glared coldly at Tong Tong's bewildered face and asked in a sinister tone, "You're crying... over this?"

She had foolishly assumed that this silly girl had encountered some danger and rushed over in a hurry, even resolving to help her retaliate against whatever demons or monsters might be involved—only to find out it was for this reason.

Furious and unable to contain her anger, Su Yan flicked her sleeve and prepared to leave the way she came, but Tong Tong clung tightly to her waist: "Waaah, waaah, Senior Brother, I was wrong! Don't be angry—"

Su Yan ignored her and continued walking. Tong Tong refused to let go, allowing herself to be dragged along until her hands naturally slid down and wrapped around Su Yan's thigh, effectively halting his movement.

In the past, Su Yan would have kicked her away, sending her flying into the wall so hard she'd be stuck there—but this time, she suddenly couldn't bring herself to do it.

Su Yan was startled and abruptly stopped in her tracks—How could I not be able to bring myself to hurt her? Why is that?

Not only that, but she had worried about her, paid attention to the dishes she liked, and even threatened disciples on her behalf... Without realizing it, she had already broken so many of her own principles for her. Why was that?

"Senior Brother, look! There's something on the altar!" Tong Tong's words interrupted Su Yan's increasingly tangled thoughts, and she breathed a sigh of relief—Well, overthinking is pointless.

Following Tong Tong's finger, she saw a small black box placed on the rectangular table of the mottled altar. It was dark and dull, yet exuded an eerie aura, somewhat reminiscent of something from the demonic sects.

The Demonic Sect? With a flicker of thought, Su Yan beckoned the black box into her hand, examined it carefully, and then tucked it into her Qiankun pouch, paying no heed to Tong Tong, who was watching eagerly from the side.

After a casual inspection and finding nothing else worth taking, she said coldly, "Let's go." Without waiting for Tong Tong's reply, she turned and walked back the way they had come.

Pouting in dissatisfaction but knowing protest was futile, Tong Tong also ignored Cookie's displeased gaze, placating it with a flurry of promises of delicious treats before finally calming it down.

She returned Cookie to her spirit beast pouch and hurried to catch up with Su Yan.

Following the same path back, Su Yan stood with her arms crossed on the lakeshore, watching coldly as Tong Tong slowly emerged from the whirlpool and walked leisurely along the path cleared by the Sea-Calming Pearl. With a flash in her eyes, she raised her hand and recalled the Sea-Calming Pearl. As Tong Tong widened her eyes in panic and scrambled ashore, the corner of Su Yan's mouth lifted briefly before she quickly suppressed that mischievous curve—finally feeling much better about the earlier frustration.

Tong Tong, who had "lost her composure at the last moment," wrung out her long, dripping-wet hair and glared resentfully at Su Yan, too angry to speak, only muttering silently in her heart: 'Su Yan, you petty man! Are you even a man? Don't you know how to cherish and protect women, you jerk...'

—Young Tong Tong didn't realize that sometimes the truth was right in front of her, but people often overlooked it.

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