Mu Ran reached out her hand towards it, and Han Yu swam over docilely, landing in the palm of her hand.
Looking down at it with great interest, she said, "When I was wandering as a ghost, I saw it. It looked so cute and adorable, and I never expected it could transform into a giant, world-devouring beast like a flood dragon."
Han Yu raised its head and proudly flicked its tail.
As if to say: It's not too late for you to finally realize how amazing I am.
Cangshu Bai also bent down, bringing his head close to Mu Ran's. Looking at the little blue fish together with her, he said softly, "When I first picked it up, I never thought it would one day be able to transform into a flood dragon either."
Mu Ran's eyes shifted. "Then why did Jinzhi decide to keep such a tiny fish in the first place?"
Having seen Cangshu Bai's murderous appearance with her own eyes, Mu Ran could somewhat guess what he looked like when he wasn't hiding his true nature in front of her.
He was cold, ruthless, and decisive in killing, never leaving any future troubles for himself.
Naturally, he wasn't the type to keep something that had no use or value.
The little fish also looked at Cangshu Bai with its big, watery eyes, waiting expectantly for his answer.
Yes, it was also very curious. Why did its master choose it?
Cangshu Bai said, "At that time, my fellow disciples ambushed me to steal the pills I had on me. I fell off a cliff and was at my last breath. I met it in that small stream."
Back then, it was just the most ordinary-looking little fish.
But it was ostracized by its own kind, unable to snatch even a little bit of food. Yet, its thin, tiny body constantly hovered among its peers who were fighting for food. Even if it couldn't beat them and got injured, it relied on its brute strength to stubbornly fight against them.
Cangshu Bai felt that it was just like him.
"Just like that, I took it in as a spiritual pet."
But he hadn't expected that the spiritual pet he took in on a whim was actually an innate spiritual entity. It grew stronger as its master grew stronger, until eventually, it became a fierce beast.
Mu Ran sighed in her heart, thinking that Cangshu Bai truly lived up to being the male lead.
He could pick up a random fish and it would turn out to be a treasure.
Han Yu was also sighing, thinking about how extraordinarily gifted it was. Even looking so scrawny, it could attract its master's attention.
It looked at Mu Ran again, shook its head, and couldn't help but recall a scene it had witnessed one day in the minor world.
Its master was hugging the mistress's body, crying bitterly, while the mistress's soul was standing right beside him.
At that time, it thought it was just an illusion, never expecting it to be real.
If it had told its master then that the mistress's soul had always been accompanying him, would he have avoided that misunderstanding with the mistress?
Suddenly, Han Yu felt a chill all over its body.
It stiffly raised its head and met its master's dark eyes, which were faintly gleaming with a dark red hue.
Oh no, it had forgotten that its spiritual consciousness was linked to its master's!
Cangshu Bai suddenly grabbed the little fish.
Mu Ran was startled and hurriedly hugged his arm. "Jinzhi, what are you doing?"
Suppressing the violent aura that was about to surge out of his body, he said in a low voice, "It clearly saw your soul by my side long ago, yet it didn't tell me. If it weren't for that, if it weren't for that..."
How could he have kept his plans entirely a secret, needlessly causing her grief and sorrow?
How could he have let her write that soul-shattering divorce letter in her sorrow?
How could he have reached the point of falling into demonic madness, wasting so much time they should have spent depending on and accompanying each other?
But Mu Ran said, "But I really like it."
Cangshu Bai's lips were tightly pursed, refusing to let go.
The little fish shivered in fear.
Mu Ran said, "I am also very grateful to it. It accompanied you for five hundred years, making sure you wouldn't be left without even someone to talk to."
Cangshu Bai's gaze shifted slightly, his eyes falling on her face.
Mu Ran smiled. "I also want to thank it for staying by your side all these years, fighting alongside you, and protecting you so well. Otherwise, the thought that Jinzhi only had me and no other bonds would have made me very sad."
Cangshu Bai's throat tightened slightly.
He never thought someone would thank a spiritual fish for his sake.
Not coveting its spiritual power, not envying its divine abilities, but thanking it for accompanying him for five hundred years, thanking it for watching over him in her stead during the years she was gone.
Mu Ran looked down at the little fish clutched in his hand. "You didn't intentionally hide my existence from Jinzhi back then, did you?"
Han Yu nodded and blew a bubble to show its eagerness to please.
Cangshu Bai slowly loosened his grip. Regaining its freedom, it blew several more bubbles toward Mu Ran.
Mu Ran held his hand, watching with great interest as Han Yu fluttered briskly in the air, and said casually, "If our future child is this lively and cute, that would be wonderful."
The speaker had no particular intention, but the listener took it to heart.
Cangshu Bai's heart tightened slightly, and his face grew tense.
The higher one's cultivation realm, the harder it was to have offspring, but having children wasn't entirely impossible.
During the two years they were married, including after reuniting with Mu Ran five hundred years later, their frequency of intimacy had not been low, yet Mu Ran's belly still showed no signs of movement.
Added to the fact that not long ago, he had finished in a mere instant during that one time.
Cangshu Bai lowered his disappointed eyes, actually wondering with a lack of confidence if he was inadequate.
Mu Ran didn't notice Cangshu Bai's bizarre thoughts. She ate this dinner with relish and even tossed quite a bit of meat for Han Yu to eat.
When they headed back, the stars were shining brightly.
The Lantern Festival was fast approaching. The streets were already hung with lanterns in advance, brightly lit, and there were many people out for a stroll after dinner.
In the shadows, a pair of scarlet eyes peered at the people coming and going on the street, trying to pick out the most suitable target.
Finally, this dark gaze landed on a young woman not far away.
The girl was standing on her tiptoes, her fingertips gently fiddling with a lotus lantern. The shadow of the light fell on her face, illuminating her smiling eyes and skin as lustrous as jade. More importantly, her bone structure for cultivation was quite good.
In the eyes of the evil spirit, she was the perfect vessel.
This figure suddenly darted out of the dark corner, lunging straight for the girl's back.
But in the next instant, that figure with green clothes and white hair had somehow appeared behind her.
He kept his eyes lowered, his expression as cold as ice. His single hand moved so fast it left only an afterimage, accurately strangling the person's neck.
Mu Ran, holding the lotus lantern, turned her head.
The person Cangshu Bai was pinching between his fingers was actually a little girl who looked no older than seven or eight.
The child was wearing an old, washed-out cloth dress. Her small face was flushed red, and her limbs were kicking wildly, making her look extremely pitiful.
Seeing this sudden turn of events, the people around immediately looked over.
The little girl struggled, trembling as she held out the flower clutched in her hand, and said with difficulty, "I just... I just wanted to give the pretty sister a flower."
Her appearance was highly deceptive and could easily arouse the sympathy of others.
At the same time, she cursed in her heart. She had been too eager and actually failed to notice that there was an expert hiding his aura here.
Cangshu Bai had always been ruthless in his attacks, but now hesitation flickered in his eyes.
He didn't want to become a murderous monster in Mu Ran's heart.
The little girl was certain that women were naturally more soft-hearted. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Big sister... save me..."
Mu Ran walked over carrying a lantern and asked, "Jinzhi, do you want to kill her?"
Hope flickered in the little girl's eyes.
Cangshu Bai pressed his lips together slightly, then gave a soft, "Mm."
Mu Ran stood on her tiptoes and whispered something in his ear.
Shortly after, Cangshu Bai's grip loosened.
The little girl fell to the ground, knowing she had narrowly escaped disaster. Not daring to look back, she scrambled to her feet and ran as fast as her legs could carry her until she disappeared from sight.
Once she had gotten far enough away, she ducked into a dark alley, leaning against the wall and panting heavily for a long time.
At this moment, her expression had lost all the innocence of a little girl. Instead, her face was clouded with gloom, displaying an exasperation completely unsuited for her age.
"Such a good body... what a pity!"
She coughed, her face deathly pale, looking as if she were terminally ill.
If this body wasn't on the verge of dying, she wouldn't have been in such a rush to find the next one.
Suddenly, a chill crept over her.
Just as she turned around in alarm, she was sent flying by a powerful force. She slammed heavily against the wall and, upon hitting the ground, broke several bones.
The flower in her hand fell to the ground. She coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, and as she struggled to raise her eyes, she saw a tall, slender figure approaching against the light.
Hair as white as snow, the corners of his green robes fluttering in the wind—everything about him was excessively cold.
Cangshu Bai glanced at the flower on the ground and crushed it under his foot. "Five hundred years have passed, and the methods of the Life-Borrowing Note have certainly kept up with the times."
The little girl's eyes filled with terror. "You... just who are you?"
Han Yu slipped out quietly.
In the rumors, The Green-Clad Guest, much like the black-robed reverend who had wiped out several sects, possessed a magical treasure in the shape of a small fish.
"You're... you're The Green-Clad Guest!" She crawled backward desperately. "No, you can't kill me! That woman... that woman told you not to kill me!"
"My wife merely told me not to kill in public, so as not to frighten the people."
The little girl's eyes widened. In the very next instant, her head tilted and fell to the ground, her dull eyes still holding a look of disbelief.
Han Yu wanted to swallow her soul, but saw the little girl's corpse rapidly being consumed by blooming, spreading red flowers. In a short span of time, the pool of blood was covered in red spider lilies.
This was the symbol of demon-beast transformation.
Han Yu floated back in disgust. It wouldn't eat something so red and unpalatable.
Cangshu Bai looked at the bright red flowers, deep in thought.
But he still had someone on his mind, so he didn't linger for long. Exiting the dim alley, beneath the willow tree by the riverbank, he saw the person waiting for him.
Mu Ran was bathed in the moonlight, fiddling with the flower lantern she had just bought to pass the time. Turning around and seeing the familiar figure, the corners of her lips curled up into a radiant smile.
"Jinzhi, you're back."
The murderous aura covering Cangshu Bai was suddenly soothed. Step by step, he walked out of the darkness, crossed the boundary between shadow and light, returned to the bright moonlight, and took her hand.
He chuckled softly, "Mm, I'm back."
Mu Ran didn't ask anything; she merely smiled and said, "Let's go home."
He replied, "Alright, let's go home."
