The myth begins with the Lotus Lantern

Chapter 18: Slip of the tongue
This is the dojo of the Three Holy Mothers.

The fairy maid asked questions of this kind.

In fact, the intention is not difficult to guess.

The story of Chenxiang splitting the mountain to save his mother in "The Lotus Lantern" is well-known to everyone. Before that, Yang Jian had also split a mountain once, and Yang Chan had a similar experience to Chenxiang.

Ding Lin guessed that even these were not the questions the fairy maid wanted to ask. The one who wanted to know was the Three Holy Mothers behind her, and she was just a messenger.

As for the other guess in my heart, that vague feeling.

Ding Lin just thought about it for a moment and then put it out of his mind.

The immortal light seen that day was like the sea, so sacred and noble that no one who saw it would associate it with a young girl in plain clothes and a hairpin.

"She is now... in the sea. You are not yet skilled enough to enter the sea. When you have practiced enough, you can go find her."

The fairy maid comforted her, saying that she had some more questions to ask, but today was obviously not the right time.

Ding Lin understood, and his eyes flashed again.

But there was no explanation.

"Sorry, I...I have to go now."

The fairy maid leaned over and put the pill into the pool as she did last night, then turned and left.

……

Ding Lin's eyes followed the body-purifying pill, watching it slowly fall to the bottom of the lake. The scorching sun he saw in the early morning flashed through his mind. Without any more hesitation, he flicked his tail, chased after it, and swallowed the pill into his stomach in one gulp.

Little moment.

In the lotus pond, an undercurrent surged again.

It was not until the moon was at its highest point that peace was restored.

This time, the pain was much less than last time.

Ding Lin surfaced and began to breathe towards the moon again.

At dawn, the bright moon set, and when Ding Lin opened his eyes again, his eyes were full of surprise.

In the darkness, Ding Lin slapped the water's surface with his tail and leapt into the air with all his strength.

how many years.

Finally, his cultivation improved again.

……

The days seemed to have returned to the past.

Practice at night and rest during the day.

Five or six days passed quickly.

After another night of practice.

At dawn, Ding Lin opened his eyes and looked up.

A figure was sitting in a small pavilion beside the pond. Seeing that Ding Lin had finished his practice, she walked out and came to the pond on the night dew.

"I……"

The fairy maid looked a little embarrassed.

"Just ask."

Ding Lin said.

"Thank you. Between you and her, you..." The fairy maid seemed to hesitate for a moment, then glanced at Ding Lin. Seeing that the latter's eyes were normal, she continued to ask, "When did you realize that you fell in love with her?"

Love?
Ding Lin was stunned for a moment. He never expected that the fairy maid's question would be this.

But after thinking about it carefully, it suddenly dawned on her that the fairy maid didn't know that he had a human soul hidden in his body, and from the same high-level perspective, she saw two fish supporting each other. If this is not love, what else could it be?
Ding Lin even guessed that the reason why he was brought back to the Three Holy Mothers' temple was because of this "love". Because this situation was very similar to what the female fairy servant had witnessed before, that kind of reliance between life and death, never leaving each other.

But after all, Ding Lin is not a pure fish. Hidden beneath this fish body is a human soul.

Can a person fall in love with a fish?
A complete fish that has not yet transformed.

Even so, this person now looks like a complete fish.

The answer is of course no.

Ding Lin felt guilty and grateful. After receiving such a favor for so long, he also felt a sense of responsibility, pity, and...

Ding Lin lowered his head, his eyes flashing.

It's a complicated feeling.

But it shouldn’t be love.

just.

Suddenly, I felt a little uncomfortable.

"If you're asking why I didn't leave in the end, it's probably because..." Ding Lin's voice was low and deep, "Because she sacrificed her life first, giving me the chance to escape."

"If you give me a mulberry tree, will you give me a peach tree in return?"

The fairy maid asked.

"probably."

Ding Lin's voice was dull.

"An... exchange?"

Female fairy servant.

"The fairy thinks so, probably because she has not been to the mortal world for a long time."

Ding Lin lowered his head, with unspeakable emotions churning in his heart, making him feel a little resentful towards the female fairy servant. He subconsciously opened his mouth to refute without overthinking.

"Exchange is barter. You get what you give in return. Look at ordinary couples. Are there any couples who are so calculative? In a married life, one party always gives more. If they are so calculative, there is no point in living..."

The fairy maid listened quietly.

Ding Lin suddenly stopped talking, finally realizing that something was wrong.

A carp spirit whose spiritual intelligence has only been awakened for a few decades, and who has only lived in a lake and a lotus pond. The lake is deserted and the lotus pond is a place for immortals. It has never experienced the mundane world. Where did it get these insights from?

Sure enough, the more you talk, the easier it is to make mistakes, and if you are not careful, you will miss something.

Ding Lin felt annoyed, but he couldn't take back what he had said. He kept his head down and his eyes didn't show anything, but it must have looked very ugly.

Suddenly it became quiet.

"Been taught a lesson."

The fairy maid's voice was still calm, and seemed to be no different from before, but the words she used showed that she was not unaware, but just didn't want to reveal it and pretended not to know.

"Fairy, there used to be a family by the lake where I lived before, but they moved away later. I heard and saw a lot of quarrels between the couple and gossip over the years, so what you just said may not be true."

Ding Lin raised his head and spoke slowly without changing his voice. He looked up at the sky. The sunlight was a little dazzling. Against the azure background, the clouds rolled and unfolded, each one different.

"In fact, emotions are just like clouds, no two clouds are alike. Everyone's understanding and opinions are different. Everything we see and hear is one-sided. I think the fairy must have asked me more than once over the years. Thousands of people and thousands of answers are all different. Only one's own experience is the most real and clear."

The fairy maid didn't speak.

"Give."

The fairy maid bent down and placed a cleansing pill into the water, just like the previous two times.

This is her fixed action before leaving.

"Thank you, fairy," Ding Lin thanked, but his eyes did not look at the pill that entered the water. His eyes flickered, and he suddenly asked, "I have lived in this pool for many years. I am grateful for the care of the fairy and the kindness of the master. That day, I was fortunate to see the divine power like the sea. If it is convenient for you, fairy, could you tell me the title of the immortal you serve in this Taoist temple?"

Since some information has been revealed, I might as well take the opportunity to ask about my doubts. After all, even though I already have a guess in my mind, it still needs some supporting evidence to make it come true.

I serve...

I?
This fish thinks I'm a maid?

Female fairy servant.

No.

It should be Yang Chan.

(End of this chapter)