Feng Wu hadn't let go of Lin Wuyue the entire way. He only released her when he saw the White Fish Lake nearby.
When Lin Wuyue looked at the lake, she was truly amazed. It was beautiful—crystal clear with a faint sky-blue hue, and under the sunlight, the water seemed to shimmer. It looked incredibly refreshing.
Lin Wuyue walked closer to the lake and saw her reflection. Her eyebrows were slightly dark, her eyelashes long and black, and her eyes were green—shaped like a cat's. Her skin was pale and flawless, her cheeks soft and round, still carrying the traces of baby fat that made her look childish. Lin Wuyue touched her face a few times.
No matter how many times she thought about it, it made no sense. She kept staring at the crystal-clear water that reflected her cute face. Then she noticed a pair of beast-like eyes watching her from beneath the surface. Lin Wuyue was aware of its gaze, but she didn't care.
"It's just a lake serpent. It's not like it's going to eat me," Lin Wuyue thought to herself as she touched the water with her fingers. Seeing how she wasn't scared—worse, how she didn't pay the slightest bit of attention—the serpent felt slightly offended and narrowed its eyes.
Its long, beautiful white tail moved over the sand as it prepared to give the arrogant girl a bite.
"Little Yue, what are you doing?" a calm, pleasant voice asked. It was Linyuan, Feng Wu's older brother.
"Big brother, I'm looking at the lake." She pointed at some rocks on the other side. "I want to take a bath. I'm really dirty. Big brother, can I go over there?"
Linyuan looked where the girl pointed. The child wasn't wrong—she had run from wild wolves and fallen into mud. He wasn't sure whether he should let her bathe in that lake, especially since they were in a hurry.
"Little Yue, even if you want to bathe, those rocks are too far. If something happens while you're far from us, we won't be able to save you. And besides, what clothes will you wear? You only have those rags. It's not like you have more clothes."
Lin Wuyue became instantly irritated. She knew Linyuan didn't want to let her bathe because they were in a hurry to find the liquid, but still, she put on a confused expression.
"Big brother, didn't you say you picked up a bag with my clothes when you found me?"
They had indeed found it. The clothes she was wearing came from that same bag, but he hadn't checked the rest. Seeing his doubts, Lin Wuyue added:
"Big brother, it won't take long. Look at me—I'm covered in mud and I smell bad. Big brother, it's very uncomfortable."
Seeing her aggrieved face, he sighed. It's just a bath; nothing will happen. In this area, wild beasts are scarce, so there's no need to worry. He looked away and searched inside his storage pouch, taking out an old, slightly dirty bag from when it had fallen on the ground. Linyuan had only taken out one set of clothes earlier and hadn't checked what else was inside. Since the bag only had boys' clothing, he had mistakenly assumed Lin Wuyue was a boy.
He handed her the bag but looked at her seriously.
"Don't take too long. As soon as you finish bathing, we're leaving. We must return to the sect so our master can accept you."
Lin Wuyue nodded and took the bag, quickly walking—on her short little legs—to the back of the lake.
When she reached the back side of the rocks, she quickly removed her clothes and glanced down. She was still wrapped in bandages from earlier wounds. One by one, she removed them, revealing pale, beautiful skin. Her back was completely healed.
She sighed. I guess the healing power of the Sun-Moon Herb really is as good as they say. Even though I'm just a mortal, it didn't leave a single scar.
After taking off all her garments and tossing them aside, she checked the bag Linyuan had given her. As expected, there were small, high-quality clothes, a little comb to fix her hair, some money, and fabric. Her old butler had insisted she pack fabric, and she hadn't listened—but in the end, he packed them anyway.
After counting the coins, she felt reassured. It would be enough to survive for a while once she left this forest. In a remote village, she would be able to buy a house and live quietly while she grew up and earned money on her own. That seemed like the best option—and the one she would choose without hesitation.
Not daring to delay any longer, she dipped one foot into the water. She could still feel the sharp gaze of the serpent, which seemed to have followed her, but she wasn't afraid. She knew it wouldn't try to eat her. At most, it would bite her, and its bite wasn't venomous—so it was harmless.
As she stepped into the lake, the crystal-clear water turned slightly brown, proof of how dirty she was. She hadn't had the chance to bathe since they picked her up, and she truly was filthy.
After soaking her short ink-black hair several times to wash off the dust and mud—which were really sticky and tangled—she sensed the water moving around her. She knew that serpent had come out to greet her.
Sure enough, when she looked back, a serpent's head surfaced from the lake.
"Hssssss…" It flicked its tongue, cold eyes staring at the girl who dared ignore it. Lin Wuyue looked at it calmly.
"What's wrong? I know you don't want to eat me, so I'm not your prey. I haven't bothered you either, so tell me—what do you want from me?"
The serpent narrowed its eyes. This child… she had guts. She wasn't afraid at all.
And she was right. It didn't want to eat her. It only wanted to bite her a little and scare her to relieve some frustration from being ignored. After watching her carefully—and seeing her calm eyes, free of fear or disgust like other girls—it felt conflicted.
Where did this girl get so much courage?