My ancestors were spiritual plant growers, so it's not surprising that I hunt demons every day,

"This is the essence of the green leaf grass."

"What Greenleaf Grass Essence?"

Seeing Cui Ying use her spiritual energy to lift up a water plant about two inches tall, with a translucent, emerald-green body and a faint fluorescent glow, Cui Zhengming and Zhao Sihai were both drawn to it.

"The Jade Leaf Grass Essence is a naturally occurring herb with the spiritual essence of water and wood, extremely rare, and only born in places where the spiritual energy of water and wood is abundant. This medicine is warm in nature, and if swallowed directly, it can have the effects of driving away water and walking on waves, warding off poison and clearing the mind. It is also the main ingredient for refining spiritual medicines such as the Jade Leaf Pill and the Essence Crystal Powder."

Cui Ying held the medicine to her nose again and smelled it. Immediately, a cool and refreshing fragrance entered her nostrils, and she felt refreshed.

"Indeed, all the characteristics of this medicine match the description of the Jade Leaf Grass Spirit, and a mere sniff can refresh the mind and body, so its age must be quite high! It would be a waste to exchange such a good thing for spirit stones."

After Cui Ying finished speaking, she looked intently at her father, Cui Zhengming, and Zhao Sihai.

Before she could speak, the two people opposite her exchanged a glance, shook their heads with disgust, and turned away, each going about their own business without caring at all.

"Come on~ open your mouth, Ta Xue!"

Cui Ying seemed to understand what the two elders meant. She turned her head and looked at Ta Xue at her feet. After rinsing Ta Xue slightly with a water ball, she threw it into Ta Xue's mouth.

"∽It's returned to its rightful owner."

The moment the grass was thrown into Ta Xue's mouth, it melted into a glistening, translucent liquid that slid down her throat.

"how?"

Ta Xue stuck out its tongue and stared wide-eyed in surprise, but after standing up, shaking its limbs, and baring its teeth, its body did not undergo any abnormal changes.

"It seems that the change in this herb is a gradual process."

Cui Ying had never eaten this kind of spiritual herb in her previous life. Just as she was about to use her spiritual energy to dry the water stains on Ta Xue's body, the spirited Ta Xue suddenly jumped into the Xiushui River again with a "plop." Enveloped in a layer of hazy blue light, she either walked on the waves or swam happily forward.

-

The night was calm and peaceful. Before the sun had fully risen in the west, Zhao Sihai slowly opened his eyes.

"Haha, I guess I'm getting old. I closed my eyes and slept until now. Brother Cui, you've had a hard time!"

"Hey, Brother Zhao, what are you saying? I slept for two hours last night too, it's only right."

Cui Zhengming handed over some food and then stood up and stretched.

"Hoo∽"

Over here, Cui Ying slowly exhaled a breath of stale air towards the misty river surface and opened her eyes: "The sun has risen~ Hehe, it looks like we're going to have a good day today."

Zhao Sihai scooped up a handful of river water to wash his face, and replied with a smile, "That's right. I was worried about rain when I came here. I didn't want to waste my spiritual energy to set up a spiritual energy shield to block the rain, so I brought a raincoat from home. It seems I won't need it."

"Here you go, girl."

Cui Zhengming handed the last two steamed buns from his bundle to Cui Ying, then turned to Zhao Sihai beside him and smiled:

"Haha~ After we finish this mission and get the spirit stones, we'll get a better spirit boat when we go back. At least one of those covered boats with a spirit energy shield. It'll be better than sleeping in the open like this."

Zhao Sihai shook the water off his hands, shook his head, and laughed even more heartily:

"A covered boat with a spiritual energy shield would cost ten or more spirit stones. Brother Cui, are you really willing to spend that much?"

Cui Zhengming, facing the rising sun, checked their direction and, after confirming they hadn't strayed from the course, replied, "It's just twenty spirit stones. Spirit stones are meant to be spent, right, daughter?"

Cui Ying didn't respond, but instead gazed absently at the lush green bamboo grove along the riverbank. Just then, a morning breeze carried a few still-intact bamboo leaves. Cui Ying picked one up, washed it with a water balloon, and gently blew on it.

"Woo~"

Cui Zhengming and Zhao Sihai quickly quieted down, and soon only a deep, ethereal sound, like the wind, pierced through the boundless mist, ushering in the dazzling dawn.

~

Melodious music drifted across the calm river.

Unexplained chirping sounds could be heard from time to time in the mountains and forests on both sides of the river.

The three of them enjoyed the river breeze while remaining vigilant about their footing.

When Cui Ying finished playing her music, the small dark blue boat fell silent again, and everyone looked on with a look of utter rapture and lingering enjoyment.

Cui Ying glanced down and saw that Ta Xue was sitting steadily on the side of the boat, looking like she was protecting her. She couldn't help but smile with relief.

Just as she looked up, ready to admire the riverside mountain scenery, she suddenly caught a faint smell of blood in the wind.

As she frowned slightly, Ta Xue, who was standing at her feet, also perked up its ears, stood up, and looked warily in a certain direction at the bow of the boat.

Just then, Cui Zhengming, at the bow of the boat, suddenly pointed to the river ahead and exclaimed, "Look! Isn't there someone up ahead?"

Cui Ying looked in the direction her father was pointing. The first thing she saw were some broken branches and leaves, which looked like ancient trees in the nearby mountains. On the trunks of these trees, a motionless figure was lying.

As the small boat moved forward, Cui Ying and the others got closer and closer to the figure.

Cui Zhengming gradually made out the figure on the water's surface, which appeared to be a handsome young man.

His face was mostly obscured by his wet hair, making him look rather disheveled. He was also holding a cyan short sword and confronting four or five silver-finned monster fish with sharp teeth around him.

Cui Zhengming blinked:

"It looks like a person."

Meanwhile, Zhao Sihai pointed to the boy's scarlet back and said with a solemn expression:

"Judging from the appearance, those wounds on his body look like knife wounds."

As a rogue cultivator, Cui Zhengming considered himself to be someone who didn't like to meddle in other people's business.

After all, meddlesome monks don't live long.

Especially the sudden appearance of a severely injured boy on this deserted river surface made him think all sorts of things.

He glanced around and saw that some spirit fish were occasionally surfacing in the river, seemingly drawn by the smell of blood. His expression immediately turned grim.

"It's better to avoid trouble. We can't afford to offend anyone, so let's just pretend we didn't see anything and get to Huaxi Beach to complete our mission as quickly as possible."

Zhao Sihai understood the importance of the matter, tightened his grip on the Cold Light Crossbow, and did not object.

Just as Cui Zhengming was casting a spell to speed up the small boat across the river, Qin Simiao, who had just forced back the silver-finned monster fish with a sword strike, also noticed Cui Ying and the others not far away.

"Fellow Daoist~ cough cough"

His eyes lit up with the joy of being saved, but the girl on the ship, who was looking down at him, only glanced at him indifferently before looking away without a care in the world.

Qin Simiao felt a surge of anxiety, and his already pale face grew even paler. But as if remembering something, he tossed something out and, still unwilling to give up, shouted:

"Help me! Help me!"

Perhaps due to exhaustion, the boy managed to call out for help twice before slowly letting go of the driftwood, and his body gradually sank down.

The silver-finned monster fish that had been temporarily driven back then surrounded them again.

"Dad, wait a minute."