The myth begins with the Lotus Lantern

Chapter 226 Gift Pill
The seven fairies' eyes slowly shifted from astonishment to guilt.

"I'm just a little tired, my soul should be unharmed," the Seventh Fairy said. Then, perhaps to cover up her feelings, she quickly changed the subject, jokingly saying, "Weren't you very reluctant to part with this Soul-Stabilizing Pill before? Why are you suddenly willing to take it out again?"

“Aren’t we friends?” the stone monkey patted his chest proudly. “High-grade items like Soul Pills are something a lowly palace maid like you probably wouldn’t have. I have some pills on me, and seeing that you’re uncomfortable, I can’t just pretend to be indifferent. Besides,” the stone monkey’s tone softened slightly, becoming somewhat embarrassed, “this one is a Soul Nourishing Pill, not that Soul Stabilizing Pill…”

“However, this is also a golden elixir!” the stone monkey added.

"Old Sun knows how much I'm capable of. I held back, so there's no way my soul will suffer any serious damage. This Soul Nourishing Pill is more than enough," the stone monkey said, explaining in a manner much like a child afraid of being called stingy.

The seven fairies found it amusing and sensed the stone monkey's goodwill, so they decided not to tease him any further.

"No need for so much talk. I know you're not being stingy. Just put this pill away. I'm not being polite; it's really nothing," the Seventh Fairy said, her voice softening unconsciously. It was like a parent realizing they'd misunderstood their child and wanting to apologize, but also feeling a little guilty for not being able to bring themselves to do it.

"Then I'll put it away?" The stone monkey flipped his hand, but no spiritual light appeared in his palm. After hesitating for a moment, he handed over the jade bottle again. "The soul is different from other things. Sometimes the senses are not necessarily accurate. Besides, you feel annoyed by the sounds now, so you must have some damage, even if you don't realize it. Furthermore, it's just a pill. Even if I'm wrong, this pill can strengthen your soul and benefit your future cultivation. It won't be a waste."

The stone monkey said that he was sincere in his words, but although he said he didn't care, the pain on his face was not fake.

“There are special Soul Strengthening Pills for strengthening the soul. Besides, my cultivation is weak. Even if my soul is really injured, ordinary Soul Nourishing Pills are enough. Golden Pills are really a waste.”

The more the stone monkey acted this way, the more guilty the Seven Fairies felt. But she couldn't very well admit that she just thought he was too noisy and wanted some peace and quiet. Her claim that her soul was unstable was just an excuse.

"Keep it." The stone monkey's tone was domineering and forceful.

"You're going to give me this pill, right?" The Seventh Fairy sighed. "I'm just a lowly palace maid. I don't usually need such good things. Besides, with my cultivation at the Nascent Soul Realm, I really don't need a Golden Pill. You want me to take this Golden Pill because you don't have any other pills on hand right now, right?"

The stone monkey nodded.

“This secret realm has its own mechanism. When it senses that the inside is calm, the person who entered has stopped cultivating, and the spiritual energy no longer fluctuates, the exit will automatically appear after another day. I brought a Soul Nourishing Pill with me, so I can use it as soon as I get out,” the Seventh Fairy smiled. “Look at me, even if my soul is really damaged, I can’t wait even a day, there’s no need to waste a golden pill.”

The stone monkey hesitated for a moment and did not insist.

“This pill is precious, but my body and spirit are currently in disharmony, so I can’t use my magic at all,” said the Seventh Fairy. “How about this, you keep it for me for now, and give it back to me after we get out of here?”

"No matter what, I'm giving you this pill," the stone monkey said.

"What are you thinking? Of course the pills are mine, I'm just asking you to keep them for now." The Seventh Fairy changed the subject. "One Soul-Stabilizing Pill and one Soul-Nourishing Pill, both golden pills. You haven't been in the Heavenly Realm for long, yet you have so many good things on you. It seems you had quite a few good fortunes back in the mortal realm." "Back in the mortal realm, the Underworld Dragon Palace and my subordinates presented me with many treasures, but I used them all up. No matter how good external things are, they can't compare to your own strength. Only these Soul Pills are ones I don't need right now, so I kept them."

The stone monkey had no reservations. He spoke frankly.

"The Soul-Nourishing Pill was compensation given to me, the King of Hell, by Yama after he mistakenly took my soul. He was so stingy with his gifts that I got angry and destroyed several of his Books of Life and Death." The stone monkey spoke casually, but his eyebrows were practically flying up as he tried his best to show off to his new friend. He then smiled mysteriously, "As for the Soul-Stabilizing Pill, I found it by chance in Heaven."

"You found it?" the Seventh Fairy asked.

"Of course I found it. That day, I went to the residence of the Fire Virtue Star Lord and saw a child with golden horns on his head. His magic power was shallow, and he must have just started cultivating. He didn't even know how to use storage magic. He was holding a gourd in his hand. When I saw that the gourd was red, I liked it and casually threw a sleep bug out to put the child to sleep. I then took the gourd and found an unexpected surprise. There was actually a fifth-level Soul-Stabilizing Pill inside the gourd. With such luck, how is it any different from finding it for free?"

As the stone monkey spoke, he became smug and didn't notice that the Seven Fairies' gaze had changed again.

Golden horns on its head, isn't that...?

The Seven Fairy Maidens then remembered that once when mother and son were reunited, Niu Jin asked her for advice on storage magic. In the process, he mentioned that he had lost Laozi's elixir. It turned out that the culprit was this monkey in front of them.

“Taking without asking is theft. How could you snatch something from a child?” said the Seventh Fairy.

"What's the big deal?" the stone monkey said dismissively. "It's wrong for a child to carry gold in the marketplace. Since his family allowed him to do it, they must have been prepared for the loss. For me, it's a gift from heaven that I shouldn't take, and I'll only suffer the consequences. I was lucky to come across it, so it's only right that it should be mine."

This righteous and thuggish logic silenced the Seven Fairies again, but upon reflection, it was quite normal for a stone monkey demon to have such thoughts.

“Then you shouldn’t have… You took this child’s things, which will surely lead to his punishment. Besides, this is not the mortal realm. The Heavenly Court is orderly. Your actions are incredibly audacious. If you are discovered, things will not end well,” said the Seventh Fairy.

"As long as we don't get discovered, that's fine. As for that child... I have no relation to him. I've already obtained the treasure, so I don't care what he does..."

The stone monkey gave the seven fairies a strange look. The fifth fairy's expression was subtle, making the stone monkey very uncomfortable. Suddenly, as if he had discovered something, he jumped in front of the seventh fairy and carefully examined her from head to toe. Although they had only met once, with the stone monkey's cultivation level, he would not forget anyone he had seen before. The more he looked, the more he felt that the seventh fairy and the little boy looked alike.

"That child isn't yours, is he?"

(End of this chapter)