Chapter 16: Changyi

This little world crafted by the jade phoenix was really quite ingenious. A luscious field of grass laid in the front with a charming grove and a babbling brook, the wooden cabin sat in the middle, and a small pool of unknown depth was in the back, full of lotus flowers in bloom.

Ji Yunhe had intended to carry the jiaoren into the cabin, but after seeing the pool out back, she was overjoyed.

"Big-tailed fish, would you heal faster in water?"

"Yes."

She carried him directly to the back, turned around, and threw him into the pool. Although he looked delicately pretty, his size was quite massive. The toss created a huge splash that doused Ji Yunhe with water, soaking her. A rainbow appeared within the lingering mist in the air.

Ji Yunhe looked through the rainbow and watched as his tail arched out of the surface then gracefully sank in. It was as smooth in the water as it was clumsy on land. He was finally in his most natural form. Ji Yunhe felt no matter what the reason was, he should never be plundered out onto the shore.

The jiaoren flipped and tossed a few times in the pool. The saying "like a fish in water" was a perfect reflection of him right now.

"Is the water here suitable for you?" Ji Yunhe asked. He emerged from the surface.

"No issues, thank you very much." He answered Ji Yunhe's question seriously and earnestly, but she no longer cared about what he was saying. After being moistened by the water, his ice blue eyes emitted a jewel-like sparkle, and the long silver hair was plastered on his well-defined body. Alluring in a way that was both unattainable and extremely seductive.

"Big-tailed fish," Ji Yunhe looked at him and said, "no wonder Princess Shunde wanted you so badly. Too much of a good thing!"

(Meaning when someone has too much of something desirable, it becomes a burden and brings him harm.)

The jiaoren's face sank slightly upon hearing that name. Ji Yunhe saw his expression and grew curious. Due to the vastness of the ocean, the jiaoren species was very rarely seen.

Humans were not designed for the underwater world while every drop of it existed at a jiaoren's command. So…

"How exactly did you get caught by Princess Shunde?" Ji Yunhe asked him.

"You can come and go freely in the sea, not even the fastest ships in the world can catch up. And even if they do, you can just sink down into the depths..."

The jiaoren remained silent. His tail swayed in the water, forming ripples across the surface.

"Very few jiaoren have been caught and brought out onto the shore. Either they were injured and got washed up by the waves, or they were tricked and lured out. Which one were you?"

"Neither."

"Then how did you get caught? According to the books, the tail symbolizes a jiaoren's power and status. I see that you have such a big one, you... should be a nobleman or even royalty, right?" He did not deny it.

"I saved her."

"Saved who?"

"Your Princess Shunde." Ji Yunhe was a little surprised by this answer.

"That day, the sea was windy and the waves were high. Your man-made ship was smashed to pieces and she fell into the water. I saved her and carried her back to the shore."

"And then what happened? You didn't leave right away?"

"When we reached the shore, there were already hundreds of men searching for her. She immediately ordered them to capture me."

"But..."

Ji Yunhe was still confused, "even so, you were close enough to the sea where you could just turn around and swim away, who caught you?"

His eyes grew colder.

"The Grand Master."

Ji Yunhe had nearly forgotten that Princess Shunde and the current emperor were siblings of the same mother. The former emperor really favored Concubine De and had specifically asked the Grand Master to teach both of her kids. The current emperor did not have a hidden pulse, so he's a disciple in name only. Princess Shunde, on the other hand, did.

In fact, she was the only one among royalty with a true double pulse, and the sole personal disciple of the Grand Master. She held tremendous power in the court. The imperial rule was a world of both the Dragon and the Phoenix. If she had gotten lost at sea, the Grand Master was bound to personally go search...

What terrible luck that this jiaoren, out of all the people in the world, had to save a person like her...

She sighed and looked at him, then teased, "See? Blindly saving humans… regret it now?"

The jiaoren nodded honestly with a "mhm."

"Next time, will you still recklessly save someone?" He went silent and seemed to be seriously considering her question. After thinking for a long time, he asked, "How do you know if you are recklessly saving someone?"

This philosophical question caught Ji Yunhe by surprise. She also thought for a long time, then said, "I do not know. Maybe it is better to save haphazardly. Just go with your mood, as fate will have it. Do what you want to do, and then take the consequences."

"That's it?"

"That's it." Simple, brutal, direct, and clear. He accepted it.

"You're right." The jiaoren looked at Ji Yunhe from the pool. "I am fond of you. I want to know your name." It was the first time Ji Yunhe had heard such words from a demon.

She walked through the faint rainbow in the air, squatted down by the water, and stared into his beautiful eyes.

"My surname is Ji, the Chinese character for discipline. My first name is Yunhe."

("Yun" is the Chinese character for clouds, and "he" is the sprout of a plant such as rice or wheat)

"Nice name, but Ji means discipline?" Ji Yunhe nodded, "Is this surname inappropriate?"

"This surname does not suit you," the jiaoren said.

"I saw it in prison. You do not believe in human methods of discipline." Ji Yunhe smiled at his words, and found this fish more likeable than ever.