You Can Touch It Now

Morning.

Lin Luoyu pushed open her door early and headed toward the deep pool.

Not a scrap remained of the dishes Master had prepared the day before. The little flood dragon named Qinghe had practically licked the plates clean.

Though Qinghe was small in stature, her appetite was anything but.

Even in human form, her stomach remained that of a true flood dragon—no downsizing whatsoever.

After the meal, Cui Hao had curiously pressed Master for details about the incidents in Cangzhou and Chizhou.

Master, amused, nudged the usually taciturn Second Senior Brother to take over the storytelling.

Second Senior Brother wasn’t exactly gifted in that department.

To Lin Luoyu’s ears, his account was dry and lackluster.

Before he could finish, Qinghe wiped her mouth, shoved him aside, and took over.

To be fair, Qinghe was a far better storyteller—dramatic, vivid, and engaging. The only issue was her tendency to embellish.

She skimmed over Master’s role in a few sentences, while lavishing attention on her own exploits, most of which were outright fabrications.

Lin Luoyu could tell Qinghe was exaggerating largely because of Xie Lingyu’s reactions.

Whenever Qinghe spun her tales, she’d drag Xie Lingyu into them, puffing her up to legendary proportions.

According to her, the chaos in Cangzhou and Chizhou had been quelled solely through the heroic efforts of these two, while Master and the others were reduced to mere cheerleaders, shouting encouragement from the sidelines.

Aunt Xie, clearly lacking Qinghe’s thick skin, grew visibly uncomfortable within minutes. She shot Qinghe multiple warning glances, but the flood dragon, now in full flow, ignored them all.

Halfway through, Aunt Xie could take no more. Covering her face in embarrassment, she fled the table.

Master showed no reaction to Qinghe’s tall tales, but he couldn’t suppress a laugh at Aunt Xie’s mortified exit.

Hearing his laughter, Aunt Xie didn’t dare look back—she just quickened her pace.

The evening’s planned activities were cut short after her departure.

Still, this brief interaction gave Lin Luoyu a clearer sense of Qinghe and Aunt Xie’s personalities.

Birds of a feather flock together, she mused. Those Master approved of always seemed easy to get along with.

For now, though, Lin Luoyu’s focus was on the manual Master had given her—something resembling a sword technique.

The book, titled Righteous Sword, contained a few basic sword forms at the beginning, followed by pages of abstract, almost mystical concepts about mental states and intent.

Yet, as she read, Lin Luoyu felt an odd stirring in her chest, as if she’d stumbled upon a kindred spirit.

It was strange, but Master had advised her to grasp the theory thoroughly before practicing and to ask if anything was unclear.

So now, she planned to consult Third Senior Sister first.

If that didn’t work… she’d try Second Senior Brother. Asking Eldest Senior Sister would be her last resort.

Not that she was afraid of Eldest Senior Sister.

It was more that Lin Luoyu had a nagging suspicion that even if Eldest Senior Sister explained it, she might still not understand.

As expected, Third Senior Sister Chen Baiqing was already seated by the deep pool, flipping through a book.

"Good morning, Third Senior Sister," Lin Luoyu greeted, moving to sit down. But when she saw Chen Baiqing reaching for a plate of candied fruits, she quickly added, "Ah—no need. I won’t have any today."

Chen Baiqing withdrew her hand and nodded. "Good morning."

Lin Luoyu got straight to the point. "Master gave me a manual called Righteous Sword yesterday. I’m having trouble understanding it. Could you take a look?"

"Of course."

Lin Luoyu retrieved the manual from her spatial ring and handed it over.

She was no longer a complete novice on the immortal path—she’d already reached the Foundation Establishment stage. She’d even read the introductory texts on cultivation basics that Chen Baiqing had recommended.

But this Righteous Sword manual, with its abstract concepts, left her baffled.

Chen Baiqing skimmed through a few pages and recognized it as a divine ability manual.

The fundamentals made sense to her, but since she didn’t practice sword arts, the deeper insights eluded her.

Divine abilities weren’t something to teach carelessly. Chen Baiqing spoke earnestly:

"This is a sword-based divine ability. I don’t practice the sword, but I believe Eldest Senior Sister does. You could ask her—or Master."

Lin Luoyu’s shoulders slumped slightly. She’d just have to ask Eldest Senior Sister to explain it multiple times, as clearly as possible.

"What’s this about not understanding something? You’d rather ask a Golden Core cultivator than Qinghe?"

Lin Luoyu turned toward the voice. Qinghe strolled over with her usual lack of restraint.

For a moment, Lin Luoyu was tempted, but she politely declined:

"Master said you’re here to relax. It’s just a small question. If Eldest Senior Sister can’t help, I can always ask Master."

Master never boasted about the quality of what he gave her, but he’d never handed her anything subpar—especially the heart technique she cultivated.

This manual, given with specific instructions, was likely a secret technique of the sect.

Qinghe might be Master’s guest and on good terms with him, but that didn’t mean she had the right to see such things.

Lin Luoyu clasped her hands in farewell to Qinghe and Chen Baiqing, then set off to find Eldest Senior Sister, bracing herself for sighs and confusion.

Qinghe didn’t mind. After Lin Luoyu left, she plopped onto the stone seat and fixed her gaze on Chen Baiqing.

She’d come here for a reason—a flood dragon’s intuition told her Chen Baiqing was a kindred spirit.

Someone who loved slacking off, good food, and a bit of drama.

With her trademark lack of restraint, Qinghe struck up a conversation: "Reading a storybook?"

Chen Baiqing glanced up. She’d been about to deny it, but the book in her hands—Chronicles of Mountains and Rivers—was filled with tales of spirits and their strange encounters.

Most were embellished versions of real events.

If Qinghe wanted to call it a storybook, she wasn’t entirely wrong.

After a pause, Chen Baiqing nodded. "Just something light."

Qinghe’s eyes lit up. A fellow enthusiast! Reading for leisure first thing in the morning? Definitely her kind of person.

"Ah, I used to love those too," Qinghe sighed, her tone turning mournful. "But then Granny Bai—wait, your Master doesn’t mind you reading them?"

"No. Master told me, ‘Live in a way that makes you happy.’"

"Wow! Who knew that stingy guy could be so nice?! Ugh, why couldn’t Granny Bai learn from him?"

Qinghe looked genuinely aggrieved.

Chen Baiqing smiled. "Master has always been good to me."

The words struck Qinghe as familiar, though she couldn’t place where she’d heard them before.

Oh well. Some things weren’t worth remembering.

Qinghe sighed. "I was going to swap tips on slacking off, but turns out you don’t even need to slack. So unfair."

"Techniques for catching fish?" Chen Baiqing slightly furrowed her brows before replying, "If you're talking about catching fish, I do know how, and I'd say I'm the best in the sect at it."

Qinghe looked utterly shocked. "Seriously?! Someone like you still needs to learn fishing tricks?!"

"Absolutely! Not just catching them—I can grill them too."

"Really?! Teach me, please!"

Chen Baiqing nodded, her gaze shifting toward a nearby deep pool.

Soon, an ordinary fish leaped out of the water, flopping onto the grass without so much as a struggle.

Qinghe's expression slowly shifted from astonishment to bewilderment as she watched the fish start flopping toward her.

In no time, it reached her feet.

Though Chen Baiqing didn’t understand why Qinghe was so fond of catching fish, it was hardly any trouble for her. She gestured with her hand and said,

"You can touch it now."

"Huh?"

Qinghe’s bewilderment turned right back into shock.