Clothes

Yun Zhi considered herself an unflappable person who could calmly analyze any situation. Take the terrifying lightning tribulation she had faced when undergoing Tribulation Transcendence, for instance, or her first clash with an immortal, or even discovering Lu Yang's remarkable talent for spells... Even if some problems remained unresolved, she had at least kept her composure. Yet after hearing the Immortal Fairy's proclamation, her mind genuinely ground to a halt. *Plop.* Lu Yang was so terrified that the spiritual fruit slipped from his hands, tumbled onto the floor, and rolled off to who knew where. "I—I'm Lu Yang!" Lu Yang hurriedly declared his true identity. If he let the Immortal Fairy keep talking, there was no telling what shocking, scandalous nonsense she might blurt out next. When the time came, if Eldest Senior Sister couldn't bring herself to lay a hand on the fairy, then he would be the one to suffer! *** Inside the guest room, Lu Yang and the Immortal Fairy knelt obediently side by side, listening meekly to Yun Zhi's lecture. Yun Zhi paced back and forth in front of them with a ferule in hand, frightening them so badly that they trembled, not daring to make the slightest move or even lift their heads for fear of taking a strike from the ruler. "Senior Fairy, some things cannot be said thoughtlessly. It can easily cause massive chaos, do you understand?" "I can understand your desire to protect Junior Brother, but you cannot take it too far. If outsiders were to hear that, they would think something improper happened between the two of you, tarnishing both your reputation and his." "I was wrong. I'll never lie again," the Immortal Fairy admitted contritely with her head hung low. Her attitude was remarkably sincere; had she not lacked formal education, she might have even felt the urge to write a self-criticism. Seeing the Immortal Fairy apologize so earnestly, the heart-stopping shock Yun Zhi had felt earlier mostly dissolved. Scaring them was enough; she couldn't actually strike them with the ferule. It was just a pity that the imperial chair remained on Tianmen Peak and hadn't been brought along. Yun Zhi simply grabbed a chair from the guest room, sat down before them, and listened as Lu Yang recounted the events. "So to sum up, there was a problem with the moon laurel tree, and when you burned it as firewood, you were unfortunate enough to be affected and shrink into a child?" "It wasn't just me. All the Immortal Palace disciples shrunk too." Yun Zhi nodded. The matter was neither entirely negligible nor particularly grave. Just as Elder Zhou Yulu had said, shrinking and losing their cultivation bases were temporary. So long as they didn't step outside during this period, nothing would go wrong. Of course, it was also best if no one else secretly sneaked into the Immortal Palace as she had. "Eldest Senior Sister, do you have any way to change me back?" Lu Yang looked up hopefully at his all-powerful senior sister. A child's body was simply too inconvenient—he had to hop up just to sit on a stool, and reaching for a spiritual fruit required stretching with all his might. Yun Zhi gave no immediate answer. She beckoned him over. "Come here and let me examine you." "Oh." Yun Zhi pinched Lu Yang's cheeks, patted his little head, and shook her head with regret, shattering his hopes. "I cannot. I am not skilled in pharmacology. In your condition, you can only wait for time to run its course." A puzzled look crossed the Immortal Fairy's face. Was this really so difficult? She wasn't skilled in pharmacology either, yet turning Xiao Yangzi back would be quite easy—a mere flick of the wrist. It was just that if he changed back, she wouldn't be able to knead and pinch him as she pleased anymore. Girl Yun had just lectured her not to lie, so she was surely telling the truth now, which proved she genuinely lacked the ability. *Looks like Girl Yun really can't compare to me after all,* the Immortal Fairy thought with smug satisfaction. Aside from wit, she had found yet another area where she surpassed Girl Yun. "Do you not have any clothes that fit?" Yun Zhi noticed Lu Yang's exceptionally baggy attire. "No." "How about this: find an outfit, and I'll tailor it for you." Lu Yang beamed with delight. "Eldest Senior Sister, you know how to tailor clothes?" "I learned when I was young. I haven't done it in a long time, so I hope I haven't gotten rusty." When Lu Yang went to look for clothes, he realized that aside from what was draped over him, the rest of his clothing was stored inside his identity jade pendant. And having no mana at the moment, he couldn't open it. Yun Zhi stepped in and retrieved a set of clothes from his identity jade pendant. This had nothing to do with cultivation base; it was a privilege of being the Acting Sect Master. She looked Lu Yang over carefully, visualizing the design in her mind. Using her finger as a blade, she trimmed the fabric to a size suitable for Lu Yang's current frame. Then, she produced a needle and thread from her own identity jade pendant and began crafting his outfit stitch by stitch—cutting, sewing, designing patterns, and pleating the hems... Her movements were remarkably fluid, not at all rusty as she had claimed. Quite the contrary, Lu Yang had never seen anyone with needlework superior to Eldest Senior Sister's. "All done." Yun Zhi gave the garment a light shake, revealing an exquisitely crafted outfit of white robes with blue trim. Lu Yang received it carefully, treating it like a supreme treasure. Come to think of it, this was the first time he had ever received something made by Eldest Senior Sister's own hands. Practical value aside, its commemorative significance was extraordinary. "By the way, Senior Fairy, did you suggest that the people of the Immortal Palace drink the water of the Twin River?" Only then did Yun Zhi recall the original purpose of her visit. "Yes. Didn't they say they wanted a child? Drinking the Twin River water is perfect for that." "Are there any precautions they should know about when drinking it? For example, how much can be consumed at once?" "Things created by this fairy aren't so fussy. A single bowl is plenty. Even if someone drinks too much or dives headfirst into the river, nothing bad will happen; drinking more won't give them quadruplets." "Also, a person can only drink from the Twin River once in their lifetime. A second drink will have no effect, just like ordinary river water." Yun Zhi nodded to herself. It seemed the Twin River was used the same way as the Child-and-Mother River, differing only slightly in its effect. "Then take care of yourself here at the Immortal Palace, Junior Brother. You can return whenever you wish to come back to the Dao Seeking Sect." Yun Zhi rose to take her leave. Though the trip had met with a few unexpected twists, her objective had been achieved. After seeing off Eldest Senior Sister, Lu Yang told the Immortal Fairy to close her eyes and not look. "I'm going to change now." "Don't worry, this fairy won't look." Lu Yang changed into his new clothes with a rustle of fabric. They fit comfortably and neatly, making him feel refreshed and full of vigor. Before, he had been wrapped up like a quilt, looking just like an invalid. Not long after Lu Yang finished changing, he heard Lan Ting knock on the door. "Senior Brother Lu Yang, are you there?" "Come in." Lan Ting pushed open the door dressed in new clothes, cradling another set of garments in her arms, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "Senior Brother Lu Yang, an elder just went down the mountain and bought clothes for everyone. But she was a bit careless and forgot about your situation, so she only bought women's clothing. Would you mind making do with... wait, you already have clothes to wear?" Lan Ting stared in astonishment at Lu Yang in his properly fitting outfit, her prank foiled. "Ah, yes. I happened to bring a set of child-sized clothes with me," Lu Yang gave a hollow laugh, brushing it off. He could hardly tell her that Eldest Senior Sister had paid a visit and tailored him a brand-new outfit on the spot. Lan Ting cast a strange look at him. *Why would Senior Brother Lu carry children's clothing with him?*