Elf

  "What's wrong with you?"

  Qiu Qiu was a bit puzzled, Xiao Tu was mischievous and that's okay, but Da Bai - the big rabbit who stole candles back then, and his wife Er Bai, were both well-behaved and wouldn't easily cause trouble for her.

  Now the big white dog jumped around her in circles, jumping so much that she became dizzy.

  After receiving the spiritual pet, and having that drop of Heart's Blood, Qiu Qiu could somewhat feel the emotional fluctuations of Da Bai and Er Bai. This kind of feeling is hard to describe, and it's not easy to put into words. Anyway, Da Bai's emotions are very simple: they want to eat, they're happy, they're hungry, they're getting into trouble - all very straightforward.

  "You want me to leave."

  Dàbái měng diǎn tóu.

  Translation:

  The big white nodded vigorously.

  Qiu Qiu put down his sword and followed Da Bai out of the door: "What happened?"

  She heard some noise at the gate from a distance.

  Mrs. Lu hurriedly walked by with a tray of tea, and Qiuqiu quickly followed her: "Auntie Lu, are there guests coming?"

  "It's not possible," said Aunt Lu: "The officials from the foot of the mountain have all arrived, asking us to exorcise the demon."

  "Exorcise demons? Are there demons nearby?"

  "Who knows. A few years ago, it was also said that a fox demon was causing trouble, and several scholars died as a result. Later, however, it was investigated and found to be false - it was actually a discarded woman taking revenge by killing people. This time, I don't know if it's true or not, but they say there is an aquatic demon, just about 50-60 li down the mountain, where there is a river called Chuan River. It's said that in recent months, there have been frequent cases of the aquatic demon killing people."

  Qiu Qiu had heard rumors of demons before, but it was the first time he had heard that there were actually demons in a place so close to him.

  It's unbelievable. But think about it, if humans can cultivate themselves to fly and live forever, why can't birds, beasts, flowers, and grasses become spirits?

  "Will Master help them?"

  "The immortal has always been kind and benevolent, with a good heart. In previous years when there were severe droughts and epidemics, the immortal had lent a helping hand. If that evil being is indeed the fish demon, the immortal would surely not decline to act. Moreover, this area of several hundred miles around us is our territory; if we let a monster wreak havoc unchecked, it would be a laughingstock for others."

  This is indeed true, just fifty or sixty miles away from the mountain, it can be said that it's right under our noses, and we really can't tolerate it. Not to mention losing face, this is truly a monster, this is what happens when you raise a tiger as a pet.

  "Will Master take action himself?"

  "It shouldn't be," said Lu Auntie. "In the past, there were two times when Jingxin was the one who took action. These small disturbances aren't worth a true master taking action personally, lest they lose face."

  It turned out that this time, Jing Xin Shifu was going down the mountain again. It seemed that it wasn't a particularly powerful spirit, and with Shifu's skills, she would definitely be able to capture it easily. Jing Yi also wanted to follow along, so Jing Xin Shifu thought about it for a night and asked Master for permission before agreeing to let her come along.

  After all, this matter is not far away and should not have too much danger. Taking Jingyi with her can also let her gain some experience and temper herself. As for Qiūqiū, she has just escaped the body shape of a three-headed chubby baby, first, she can't help, secondly, this appearance can't play any deterrent role, so I won't take her this time.

  Although Qiū Qiū was curious about the fish demon, Shì Jìng Shī Jiě had come on a serious matter, not for sightseeing. Bringing along a Jing Yi would already be distracting enough to take care of, and she couldn't bring another burden. However, she still cracked a joke: "Actually, Shī Jiě can clean me up and dress me nicely, saying I'm the fish demon's child bridegroom."

  "Ha ha, you're absolutely right! Just look at that plump face of yours. If I were a fish demon, I'd be drooling all over the place just looking at you. Such a tender and juicy little head, whether steamed or roasted, it's bound to be delicious!"

  "Ah, it's thinking beautifully, but it ran into the master sister. It can't eat me, instead I'll turn around and eat it. But if this fish becomes a spirit, will its meat still be edible?"

  Lost in thought for a moment, Autumn also got led astray, and after careful consideration for a while about whether the flesh of this fish spirit was different from ordinary fish meat, it took half a day to come back to one's senses, and again let this little foodie lead them off topic.

  Qiu Qiu pulled on Jing Xin's sleeve, carefreely playing the coquette and being adorable for a while. Jing Xin understood her well, knowing that watching the excitement wasn't important to her. However, the various fresh and delicious foods in the town below had captivated Little Shifu's heart, making her unable to forget. Smiling, she promised: "After we finish our task, I'll go to the town and buy you lots of pastries and snacks. You shouldn't be lazy either, you must get up at four in the morning to practice your sword."

  "Got it, don't worry, sister. I won't slack off. Even if I wanted to, there's still Master and the others keeping an eye on me."

  Jing Xin nodded slightly and saw Qiu Qiu already walking towards the door. Suddenly, she spoke up: "These past few days..."

  "What?"

  "It's nothing, you go ahead."

  Qiu Qiu smiled and said: "Alright, tomorrow when the sisters set off, I won't go see them off. First, let me wish you a victorious start and success upon arrival."

  In Autumn's opinion, since Shifu had taken action, those fish monsters and water ghosts should be no match for her. However, Jing Xin and Jing Yi had gone down the mountain four or five days ago, and there was still no news from them. Logically speaking, they were just at the foot of the mountain, and if things went smoothly, they should have returned in a day or two. Could it be that the fish monsters were particularly difficult to kill?

  Lian Yuxia was also getting anxious, so Qiuqiu had to say something to comfort her: "Master, don't worry, Master's sister will definitely be able to handle it. Maybe the fish monster is hiding in deep water and can't be found easily, that's why they're taking longer."

  Yu Xia nodded and said, "I suppose that's the case. Your Shifu's swordsmanship is naturally not a problem, but if that fish monster really hides in the deep water and doesn't come out, it's also quite difficult to deal with. As for swimming ability... your Shifu isn't very good at it."

  This autumn, I suddenly understood the part of Journey to the West where they cross the River of Flowing Sand. Sun Wukong is so powerful, but when it comes time to get in the water, he still makes Zhu Bajie go first.

  This is called professional expertise. In the river, it's the domain of fish spirits and water monsters. Those who don't know how to navigate the waters will have their abilities halved.

  Yu Xia didn't feel at ease after all, so she decided to go down the mountain personally the next day to take a look. Only Lu Nainai, Yu Nainai, Qiuqiu, and Shi'er were left on the mountain - oh, and also Da Bai's family.

  Qiu Qiu got up early to practice sword, and the child stood in front of the window for a few moments before losing interest, which also relieved Qiu Qiu's mind. Da Bai Erbai led the little whites far away over there, watching with serious expressions, but it was unknown whether they could understand what they were seeing.

  After she practiced for two hours, the sun had already risen high in the sky. Her back was drenched with sweat, but today's practice went smoothly and her heart felt very relieved.

  Lu's aunt brought them two bowls of breakfast, thick and golden millet porridge, as well as freshly steamed buns. Qiuqiu handed a bun to Shier and asked casually, "I wonder if Master has arrived yet? If everything goes smoothly, we might be able to return with the other sisters tonight."