Yinze said, “Discuss these matters in two hundred years. It’s not that long anyway.”
Repeatedly emphasizing my lifespan like this—was it interesting?! I was furious and didn’t want to look at him at all, turning and leaving. If not for that conversation, I would have almost forgotten that Xuanyue was a Qiongqi with a thousand-year lifespan—it too would outlive me.
How laughable. In the immortal realm, probably even mayflies in ponds could live a hundred years. When would Master ever stop being angry with me? Probably since his lifespan was long, even his emotional fluctuations lasted longer.
If he got angry once and ignored me, most of my life would be gone. If he got angry again, I’d be ready for my coffin.
That midnight, as snow fell heavier and heavier, I wrapped myself in a coat and knocked on Fu Chenzhi’s door. He opened it, looking at me with some surprise: “What’s wrong? Can’t sleep?”
I said: “Brother… is there some reason you’re good to me?”
“Because I like you.” He answered so quickly, as if he’d never thought about it.
“If I were a demon, would you still like me?”
“Yes.”
“What if I were a devil?”
He placed his hands on my shoulders: “Weiwei, no matter what you are—even if you were flowers, birds, fish, insects, wild grass, or withered trees—I would like you. So stop asking these silly questions and obediently go back to sleep.”
I was moved beyond words. After he escorted me back to my room, I finally made my final decision.
The next day, I left a letter and departed alone by roc, returning to the East Sea’s nameless island. Within half an hour, I found the snow snake again and asked him about demon transformation methods. Then he took me to the seaside to meet their elder.
The elder brought a group of snake shamans, made me drink some strange things, and performed magic dances before me all night, then had me return to the water. As soon as I reached the beach, my whole body felt burning pain. The detailed changes in my body were both unbearable and terrifyingly disturbing.
I touched my face and said to the snow snake: “Am I beginning to transform into a demon? Why? Why do I feel even my face is changing?”
Snow Snake said, “You’re too nervous. Relax. Cultivating into a demon is a wonderful thing. Just sit here quietly and wait to become a water demon.”
“Water demon?!”
“Yes, you’re a water spirit. If you become a demon, what else would you be but a water demon?”
At this moment, unbearable memories suddenly flooded my mind. Huangdao Immortal Lord and Ruyue Weng had come to Suozhao precisely under the pretext of eliminating water demons. And I had made this decision, turning myself into what I least wanted to become.
But if asked whether I felt regret, the answer was no.
I didn’t want to deeply examine why I so wanted to live longer.
Nor did I want to investigate why this terrible desire would make me pay any price, even hurt myself.
I only knew I didn’t want to be so weak anymore. I didn’t want others to wait for me to die like waiting to drink tea, then take away everything belonging to me.
Pain spread to my hands. Looking down, I found my skin had turned light azure, the same color as my hair, with small scale-like patches on the backs of my hands.
This situation was very wrong. I ran to the water’s edge to look at my reflection and was startled by my appearance: my entire face’s skin had become light azure scales, my eyes were golden yellow and slightly bulging. If one didn’t look carefully, my previous appearance was completely unrecognizable.
I said incredulously: “What’s happening? Why have I become like this?” Even my voice had changed, becoming coarse and unpleasant, like a drowning duck.
Snow Snake said: “Miss Luowei, I know you love beauty, but you must think—you’re only fifty-some years old. A demon with fifty-some years of cultivation can hardly transform into human form. You can barely maintain a human shape because your spiritual power is high. Next, you’ll need your efforts. If you cultivate diligently, within two hundred years, you’ll become as beautiful as before. Don’t worry—even though you’re so ugly now, I still like you very much and want to lay eggs with you.”
He settled me by the seaside, comforting me until nightfall, then returned to the nameless island to rest. He would come for me in seven days because that would be when my demon transformation was complete. During this time, I had to remain quiet and stay in the water. The demon’s body was very different from the spirit’s body.
My magic had weakened considerably. I could control water, but could no longer ascend to heaven. However, my physical strength became extraordinarily robust. No matter how much I ran, jumped, or swam, I felt almost no fatigue. Regarding water affinity, rather than saying it improved, it was more like I’d become a fish. Breathing underwater was completely fine, and I could absorb water into my body and spray it from my mouth for attacks.
This completely new and unfamiliar self made me feel very fresh, though with considerable regret—for example, I no longer wanted to see my reflection.
The ocean floor at night was darker and colder than anywhere else. The feeling of merging with water didn’t give me more security. On the contrary, only boundless loneliness remained.
When the cold moon faced the sea, shadows stretching ten thousand zhang, the firmament often seemed particularly lofty and ethereal. Where those clouds drifted to the far east, seven constellations connected in a stretch. I counted here and found the middle one—the Room constellation.
That was where Tianshi City was located. The azure heavens there, misty painted towers, Fahua Cherry Plain, Floating Buddha Star Sea—all would take over a hundred years to see again. To say I didn’t feel sad would be a lie.
But I didn’t feel regret…
On the fifth day after the demon transformation, immortals came to the seaside. They used magic to pull several unformed water demons from the water, used thunder orbs to blast them to smithereens, then brushed off their sleeves and departed gracefully.
I stood behind rocks, breathing rapidly while supporting myself against the stone, so frightened that my legs went weak.
I thought I’d escaped disaster, but someone shouted: “Senior Brother, look quickly—there’s another water demon there!”
I turned to look and found several Cangying Sect disciples flying in the air, one pointing at me: “Monster! Still trying to hide? Come out and die!”
A ball of lightning rushed toward my face. I leaped up, sprayed water that froze, stabbing that disciple’s hand seven or eight inches deep, then jumped into the sea.
When my body was immersed in the icy sea, I heard someone above say: “Senior Brother, this demon has strong magic and is in the sea that favors her. I’m afraid we’re no match. We should return to Tianshi City first and report to Master.”
“Good!” After speaking, this group of disciples returned to the immortal realm.
The master they mentioned should be several Master Uncles. I thought water demons were numerous and posed no threat, so they shouldn’t go to great lengths to personally descend and eliminate harm. So I anxiously waited for the final demon transformation.
But I was completely wrong.
On the sixth night, just as the last dawn was about to pass and everything would be set, at the moment that should have been most foolproof, I saw the most impossible person appear.
“Divine Lord, that water demon appeared around here.”
“Fine. You go back first.” Yinze said indifferently.
Just looking at his silhouette under the moon made my nose sting, and tears wanted to fall. But I couldn’t see him, or everything would be wasted. I hid behind rocks, quietly waiting for him to leave. Strangely, though I’d become a demon, logically, I shouldn’t be as weak as before.
But why did I feel the distance between us was even farther than before…
I shouldn’t think this way. The master had no prejudice against demons. As long as I could live, anything was possible.
I secretly poked my head out from behind the rocks, wanting one last look at Yinze, but his trace was already gone.