Stone Fairy!

The green snake's three-foot-long body was coiled up like a carefully arranged jade ring, its scales gleaming with an emerald green luster in the sunlight.

The green snake's head was buried between its body, with only two blood-red vertical pupils showing, half-open and half-closed, as if it were dozing off, or as if it were enjoying this rare warmth.

The tip of its tail occasionally twitches, striking the stone slab with a soft pattering sound.

The old turtle lay beside it, its palm-sized body stretched out, limbs outstretched, head sticking out, chin resting on the stone slab, eyes narrowed into slits.

The Taoist inscriptions on its back were faintly visible in the sunlight.

They are also quite exhausted from the continuous water diversion and drainage efforts.

Now that the rain has stopped and the crisis is over, they can finally rest.

Sunlight fell on them, and the green snake comfortably rolled over, its tail flicking twice in the air before drooping down again.

The old turtle stretched out its limbs even further, its entire body pressed against the stone slab.

Footsteps could be heard at the gate of the courtyard.

Xie Ning walked in.

She changed her clothes today, wearing a light blue narrow-sleeved top and dark trousers. Her black hair was simply tied back, making her look refreshing and neat.

Dao Zhen sat down at the stone table, with a teapot and two teacups in front of him.

When he saw Xie Ning come in, he smiled slightly, picked up the teapot, poured a cup of tea, and pushed it to the other side of the table.

Xie Ning walked over, sat down, and took a sip of tea.

The tea was still warm, and it had a faint orchid fragrance, which was her favorite flavor.

Xie Ning didn't rush to speak, his gaze lingering on the green snake and the old turtle on the stone slab for a long while.

"These past few days," Xie Ning said, her voice much softer than usual, filled with sincere gratitude, "thank you both very much, seniors."

She bowed to the green snake and the old turtle.

The green snake flicked its tail tip in response, but did not raise its head from the middle of its body.

The old turtle opened its eyes, its emerald pupils glancing at Xie Ning before slowly speaking in a hoarse and lazy voice: "No need to thank us, we didn't do this for you."

Xie Ning smiled and did not refute. Regardless of their purpose, the two beasts had genuinely contributed, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they had saved Yunmei City.

"Regardless," Xie Ning picked up his teacup and raised it towards the old turtle and the green snake, "I, Xie Ning, will remember this favor."

The old turtle didn't reply, and closed its eyes again with its eyes half-closed.

The tip of the green snake's tail swayed again.

Xie Ning finished his tea in one gulp, put down the cup, chatted with Daozhen for a while, and was about to get up and leave when the old turtle suddenly spoke again.

"You've just gotten through this one hurdle." Its voice was languid, as if it were talking about something insignificant.

"You still have a lot to do."

Xie Ning paused, turned to look at the old turtle, and instead of asking why, asked directly.

"Please enlighten me, senior."

The old turtle opened one of its emerald green eyes, glanced at Xie Ning, and then closed it again.

Old Turtle's voice was slow and leisurely, carrying the calmness of someone who had been through it all: "The two of us simply dredged up this section of the Black River's waterway."

"The Heihe River is not just a name, it really is eight hundred li long. We don't have that kind of capability."

Xie Ning frowned slightly.

"Without our help, the downstream area would have already been flooded. It won't be long before you see even more refugees in Yunmei City."

The old turtle's voice was unhurried: "Those people whose homes were destroyed by the flood, who have lost their fields, their houses, and their livelihoods, where else can they go but to flee to big cities like yours?"

It paused, then added, "It's always better to prepare in advance."

Xie Ning fell into deep thought.

She had considered what the old turtle was saying. These days, the number of refugees in the outer city had been steadily increasing. At first, it was only a dozen or so at a time, but in the last few days, hundreds were pouring in.

They were with their families, dressed in rags, emaciated, and some even had injuries.

Several soup kitchens have been opened in the city, but medicinal herbs are in short supply, and even accommodation is running out. The refugees are temporarily housed in open areas outside the city, living in makeshift shacks, exposed to the elements, and their lives are extremely difficult.

Xie Ning didn't stay in the courtyard for long. After drinking two more cups of tea, he got up and left.

On the stone slab, the old turtle rolled over and found a more comfortable position to sunbathe.

"Little Green Snake," it suddenly spoke, its voice carrying a lazy, world-weary air, "what do you think will happen to Yunmei City next?"

The green snake's head emerged from the middle of its body, its blood-red vertical pupils glancing at the old turtle before retreating back into its shell.

"What does this have to do with me?" Its voice was muffled, with a hint of impatience.

The old turtle chuckled twice, not paying any attention.

It squinted its emerald green eyes, gazing at the long-absent sun in the sky, and slowly said, "Now that demons have begun to appear, Yunmei City is likely to start to get lively."

The tip of the green snake's tail twitched.

The swaying wasn't significant, but the old turtle understood—it meant agreement.

A turtle and a snake lay quietly in the sunlight, enjoying this rare tranquility.

Daozhen sat at the stone table, his teacup empty but unfilled. His gaze swept over the courtyard wall, fixed on the distance.

That gaze seemed to pierce through the courtyard and encompass the entire city of Yunmei.

"Yunmei City will be more than just lively in the future," Daozhen said softly.

The old turtle and the green snake looked towards Daozhen.

The green snake spoke up: "What else?"

Daozhen stood up, and the sunlight fell on him, making his white clothes almost transparent. He looked like a piece of white jade that had been penetrated by the sunlight, warm and clear.

After a pause, Daozhen replied, "This place will be a gathering place for powerful figures."

The old turtle was also curious upon hearing this. What he had said before was based on what he had seen before, so the old turtle immediately began to perform divination on the spot.

Then, the turtle's carapace began to glow, and golden lines appeared, forming a mysterious engraving.

The golden patterns disappeared in a short while.

The old turtle exclaimed in disbelief, "The air here has actually changed!"

"What do you mean?" the green snake asked, flicking its tongue in confusion.

Old Turtle glanced involuntarily at Daozhen, then looked at Green Snake and explained, "It means that the original course of this place has been changed. In my calculations, Yunmei City should have suffered from floods and its people should have been displaced."

"Now it seems there are signs of a surge in momentum."

The old turtle was somewhat worried: "We have altered the power dynamics of so many people here, and have incurred considerable karmic consequences."

Upon hearing this, the Green Snake said indifferently, "Since it's about riding the wind and gaining momentum, even if it involves karma, it's still a good thing."

"That's true, but if this momentum fades, we'll also suffer some backlash," the old turtle retorted.

After saying that, he glanced at Daozhen.

Daozhen naturally noticed the old turtle's little trick and chuckled, "It's nothing."

"Just make some preparations in advance."