Book 8: Chapter 52: Nostalgia
Book 8: Chapter 52: Nostalgia
“What is that?” Qianxue front end slightly and could not help but ask. She was certain that this was an enormous beast much stronger than the soaring snake, and it was very large. It had a stunning amount of energy in its body.
“It is the Jie Fish.”
Ding Ning looked at her and knew that she may not understand even if she heard the name. He slowly explained, “In the ancient legends, this is an enormous dragon, half dragon, half fish. In many myths on the islands, it is the manifestation of the rain god. In some cultivation records, there are details. This is a special beast. When it is grown, it will be about seventy-five acres in area, and have a vast energy sea. Its strongest ability is being able to swallow all of the energies in an area. So even if it is a grandmaster who has reached the Mountain Moving Realm, if they face this beast, when they arrive, they will find that they cannot move much energy. When an infant, it is not very large, just about ten feet or so. It flies very fast and is very restless and active.”
Ding Ning did not hide anything, looking at her with clear eyes and said, “The reason I am familiar is because when Zheng Xiu first entered Changling, it was her steed.”
Zhangsun Qianxue reacted. “Rainbow fish?”
Ding Ning nodded. “When young, it does look like a five-colored fish. When it flies, rainbows form. So the people who saw it back then and did not know its name called it rainbow fish.”
“I really do not understand why she is such an idiot.” Zhangsun Qianxue could not help but get a bit angry. When she became angry, frost formed and danced in the air in front of her. “Back then, when she came to Changling on the rainbow fish, many talents fell in love with her. She quickly got on good terms with Ba Mountain Sword Field, and won against the three dynasties. She also got together with the strongest cultivator in the world. What can be more glorious than that? All the women in the world admired her, but then she turned to Yuanwu. Even if she became the highest person into Changling, in the eyes of ordinary women, I fear she had lost her glory.” Then, she said coldly, “How many women admire her now?”
“Back then, I did not understand, but now, I see clearly. A person like her never cared for what other people thought. She only sees status. She has to climb to a height that she can see but cannot reach. When she gets there and looks back, she will then think of the past.” Lin Zhujiu took a sip of wine and looked at the faint city in the mist. He said coolly, “Even this beast remembers past friends, and has more humanity than her.”
“Other than this Jie Fish, are there any other Jiaodong Commandery cultivators here?” Ding Ning asked Lin Zhujiu.
At this time, in his eyes, Lin Zhujiu was much older than decades ago. But thinking of the countless things they had done together, even if Lin Zhujiu did nothing right now, and just stood there, it gave him endless confidence.
What he wanted now was not to destroy this floating city, but to take over the treasure hoard of Jiaodong Commandery that they spent centuries to create. He must make sure that before he got to the floating city, people inside did not destroy everything.
“It is almost a dead city.” Lin Zhujiu smiled scornfully and said, “Each generation of Jiaodong Commandery are people like her who do not trust anyone, much less giving everything to a person to manage. So other than this Jie Fish, there are only medicine slaves guarding the treasury, realm seven cultivators who have lost their minds because of medicine. Zheng Xiu likely added this Jie Fish later on, to prevent her family’s people from getting close and taking things from here without her permission and using them against her in the future.”
“In my life, I have rarely admired a person’s strategy and intelligence, but she is one of them.” Lin Zhujiu took another bite of fish, and let the delicious taste melt the last bit of bitterness from the wine. Then he said, “This Jie Fish swallows the energies from all around. As a result, if her family members in Jiaodong Commandery come here without her permission, when the Jie Fish takes a breath, they would not be able to react and defeat the slaves on the city.” As he spoke, he glanced at Ding Ning and Zhangsun Qianxue, did not say anything, and turned to look at the vast water. He had met Wang Jingmeng long before Zheng Xiu. He knew everything about Wang Jingmeng and Zheng Xiu very well.
Zheng Xiu and Wang Jingmeng had been the match in heaven, admired by all. They naturally once had a very good honeymoon period. Back then, the “rainbow fish” had accompanied the two for a long time. Zheng Xiu had tamed and used the “rainbow fish” as a steed since childhood, raising it with her own hands. After the change in Changling, she became so cold that no one in the world recognized her, and no one was able to get close to her. And this “rainbow fish” became the Jie Fish, hidden deep in the ocean. Other than Wang Jingmeng, there was no one else able to get close to it. Other than Zheng Xiu, Wang Jingmeng was its second master.
He knew that Zhangsun Qianxue naturally knew such matters, but of course he knew if he mentioned them, she would be displeased. And a true friend would let a friend have happier times. Especially after experiencing countless deaths, when one’s eyes were forced to turn old, Lin Zhujiu had learned to think less of unhappy things, mention them less, and think more of happy things. For example, the delicious wine and food. These were worthy of being remembered, they were pleasing to think of.
Ding Ning nodded and was in a hurry.
Zhang Shiwu fished several other fish, carefully cutting the best parts. They drank and ate. When they were full, Ding Ning had the snail ship get close to the floating city.
“Since it is nostalgia, it is much easier. Old friend, I need to borrow your power.”
When the snail ship came close to the white mist of the floating city which never dissipated, and hearing the loud splash, Ding Ning said seriously. His body floated up from the ship.
At this moment, an enormous wave dozens of feet high formed in front of the ship. Behind it dozens of feet high, an enormous being rose from the water below, flashes with oily black light. It was like a whale, but even the largest whale in the ocean could not be so large.
Zhang Shiwu lightly pressed on the water, and the snail ship flew up. They saw more clearly. This Jie Fish was like a new and small island. At this time, it was not multicolored like it had been when young in Changling. It was black all over, like it was covered in oil. It no longer looked like a flying fish, but was half dragon and half fish. It looked very fat and plump, but the presence it gave off was terrifying.