Fellow Daoist! That scoundrel has written a new book again.

Chapter 56 Questioning the Osmanthus Fairy

"Sect Leader Fang, others may fear you, but I don't. Your Star-Picking Pavilion is quite something, refusing to see anyone. Fine, I can wait!"

"But it gave me a glimmer of hope, only to deliver this devastating news!"

"Get out of my way now, I'm going in to demand an explanation from her, and then I'll go find Shen Anzhi. What has my granddaughter ever done to wrong her? Why should she drag me into this mess?"

Ji Daoting held Ji Yuezhang's letter in his hand, his expression sorrowful, and he seemed to have aged considerably overnight.

He favored this child since childhood, which aroused the jealousy of other family members. Taking advantage of his absence, they almost killed his granddaughter.

His life was saved, but a chill lingered in his body.

He thought that this trip would at least alleviate the problem, if not completely eradicate it... But who knew that when he arrived in Nanli City, there was only this one statue left!

Sect Leader Fang shook his head and sighed softly, pointing to the Osmanthus Fairy Temple beneath him, and said:

"Your granddaughter's only chance of survival lies with that girl. Go and kill her."

……

Ye Xiaozhou was eating osmanthus cake at the other end of Nanli City, next to Zhang Zhihan who was holding a large white goose.

She sighed, quite dissatisfied, and said, "That's it?"

She was supposed to do something extraordinary, but when she arrived, she didn't even make it to the end.

Damn it!

It’s his mother’s fault!

Zhang Zhihan pinched the beak of the white goose with a solemn expression, preventing it from pecking at the osmanthus cake. It was rare for her to agree with what her junior sister said.

Ye Xiaozhou finished packing up the remaining osmanthus cakes and hung them around her waist.

"How can we not figure out where the person is?"

She muttered something and tossed a coin, then watched it fall and knew she'd failed again.

I wonder what Zhu Wuyao has on him...

Seeing his junior sister's fortune-telling fail, Zhang Zhihan displayed the air of a senior brother and confidently said:

“I will handle this matter.”

After saying that, he presented a goose.

Under their watchful eyes, the large white goose flapped its wings... and began pecking at crumbs of osmanthus cake under the table. Its loud honking was mixed with Ye Xiaozhou's maniacal laughter.

"Hahahahahaha!"

"Giggle!"

……

Gu Lang was by the river, instructing people to catch fish.

The water is cold in autumn, and there are fewer fish to begin with, let alone small ones.

He figured he might be officially recognized as a "fool" now, since everyone knew there was a rich, foolish young master who was paying people to fish.

Moreover, they didn't want the big fish, giving them all to the disaster victims, while only keeping the small fish for themselves.

Once they caught the small fish, they sent someone to the Osmanthus Temple.

The fish were displayed during the day, but people would secretly take them to eat at night, and they seemed to enjoy it.

Gu Lang kept fanning himself with a folding fan. Winter was just around the corner, but he was getting anxious and frustrated.

Which fish is it?

Alas, my first attempt at being a hero and saving the world ended so abruptly, and my own companions even became idols...

Heaven has been cruel to me!

He decided that when he had time, he would go and pay homage to the Osmanthus Fairy. Although he didn't know where Miss Ji was, she was still his friend.

They have a relationship!

Maybe it will bring good luck?

Hmm... I wonder if it would be possible to ask the Osmanthus Fairy to come back sooner.

……

Zhu Wuyao has been hiding in the temple these past few days.

Fortunately, some people had seen Guihua Xian before and recognized her as the fortune teller who had advised people to leave the city to seek refuge before the flood.

He remembered her kindness and would occasionally bring her some food.

She munched on an apple and smiled at the statue of Ji Yuezhang, saying, "I guess I'm basking in your glory."

Then, silence fell again.

Zhu Wuyao waited here for a long time, but did not encounter that little fish.

From initial high hopes to later wavering, she thought that perhaps she hadn't been serious enough and had missed the opportunity.

I felt a little resentful towards myself for not being serious enough.

It's getting dark.

There were some sounds coming from the doorway.

Zhu Wuyao was not surprised, assuming he was just another disaster victim coming to take away fish.

She lowered her head, smiled, and rallied herself, reconsidering each of the reasons why Ji Yuezhang was still alive.

But when he looked up, his pupils dilated slightly.

It seems I've witnessed something incredible.

She stared intently at the small figure, her breath almost stopping—

Before the statue of Osmanthus Fairy, a little girl knelt down devoutly. Her face was a little dirty, but her eyes were exceptionally clear.

I didn't take any fish; I only had a sprig of osmanthus in my hand.

"Sister Osmanthus Fairy, I have no money and I haven't caught any fish."

"They all say you like fish, so they catch fish to offer to you, but I think your favorite thing must be osmanthus!"

"So I picked a sprig of osmanthus and wanted to give it to you."

"Thank you for saving me, Sister Osmanthus Fairy!"

The little girl prayed earnestly several times, then stepped forward, stood on tiptoe, and placed the osmanthus flowers on a high place on the altar, at the feet of the osmanthus fairy statue.

Then, they left quietly.

After a long while, a soft laugh echoed through the once peaceful Osmanthus Temple.

She loves osmanthus flowers, especially osmanthus wine, osmanthus rice wine, and osmanthus cake...

Oh, it was this little fish.

Under the vast net of justice, a small fish managed to escape with its life.

It was the little flower girl whom she had predicted would die within a month, along with her mother.

She was the little girl that Ji Yuezhang saved on his way to his death.

She survived...

Who cares? This little fish that survived does!

Zhu Wuyao slowly emerged from the corner where she had been hiding. Looking at the osmanthus branch, tears welled in her eyes as she smiled. She raised her head, looked at the statue, and softly asked:

"We rescued a little fish, isn't that amazing?"

They crashed into this fate with all their might, and finally heard a faint echo.

One of the little fish survived...

Zhu Wuyao walked out of the temple.

It was getting dark.

She thought there was still something she could do, and this time, she would not ask about fate, but only follow her heart.

He counted the silver on his body; there was still a lot left, enough to collect the remains of countless people whose bodies lay exposed in the wilderness.

Zhu Wuyao walked forward, a candle flickering gently behind her in the temple.

The lamplight was dim, unable to pierce the cold night, only illuminating a small line of words before the statue of the Osmanthus Fairy—

Let the heavens know that I will not admit defeat.

She suddenly realized that although the statue was somewhat unlucky, it was actually quite nice.

Who knows, when Ji Yuezhang comes here and looks at his own statue, he'll probably be so ashamed he'll want to disappear into the ground.

To be honest, the craftsman who carved that statue was quite skilled; the statue had a touch of Ji Yuezhang's style.

The weather in Nanli City has also turned cold.

The cold presses down on the bamboo branches, which then sway back up; the wind blows at the mountain corner, and darkness turns to light. In a few days, perhaps snow will fall, and the osmanthus blossoms will gradually fade. After that, it will be the season for the winter plum to break through the ice.

The disciple assessment for the Star-Picking Tower in Beixuan City is about to begin.

Zhu Wuyao thought to herself that she should buy another bowl of osmanthus wine before the osmanthus blossoms had all fallen.

She looked up and silently mocked herself:

I ask the Osmanthus Fairy, will you drink wine tonight?