The thousand-year cold pond was the most suitable source of water for water spirits, with its mere aura enough to make them salivate. Compared to humans, it was akin to the most delicious delicacy in the mortal realm.
Indeed, as Dongfang Cangwu opened the stopper of the bottle, the water spirit eagerly pounced forward, greedily sniffing the scent within.
"Follow me, and I'll take you to this thousand-year cold pond," Dongfang Cangwu offered the bait.
The water spirit nodded joyfully, then seemed to recall something. It waved its hand at Dongfang Cangwu, re-corked the bottle, and looked at Yan Jiaojiao, "No, no, Jiaojiao doesn't want to go."
Dongfang Cangwu was perplexed, "But that's a thousand-year cold pond."
"No," the water spirit shook its head firmly.
Dongfang Cangwu lost his patience. With a wave of his hand, he cast a barrier, trapping the water spirit entirely.
The water spirit sensed something was wrong and let out a startled cry, but the barrier absorbed all sound, leaving no trace outside.
However, just as Dongfang Cangwu was about to forcibly take the water spirit, a primitive "Chuan" character mark suddenly flashed on Yan Jiaojiao's forehead. In the next second, Yan Jiaojiao awoke from her sleep.
The scene of Dongfang Cangwu trapping the water spirit in a barrier was laid out plainly before Yan Jiaojiao.
"Who are you, and what do you want?" Yan Jiaojiao sat up with a roll.
Dongfang Cangwu showed no signs of being caught, merely furrowing his brows even tighter.
This was already an unknown number of times Yan Jiaojiao had asked him who he was. If Yan Jiaojiao truly had a bad memory, then she remembered other things with perfect clarity. If her memory was fine, it seemed she had never remembered anything related to Dongfang Cangwu, nor could she recall him at all.
"Jiaojiao," the water spirit called from within the barrier, seeing Yan Jiaojiao had woken up.
Yan Jiaojiao couldn't hear the voice but understood. She glared at Dongfang Cangwu, "Are you here to snatch the water spirit?"
Dongfang Cangwu merely glanced at the mark on Yan Jiaojiao's forehead and ignored her, instead asking the water spirit, "You actually recognized her as your master?"
The water spirit nodded, its innocent eyes looking quite earnest, "I like Jiaojiao."
Something touched a chord within Dongfang Cangwu's heart. He froze for a moment before suppressing the strange feeling and saying to the water spirit, "Since that's the case, you are no longer useful."
Once a natural spirit body recognized a master, separating them forcibly would cause the spirit body to gradually wither. To absorb their spiritual energy, one would have to devour the water spirit in one go, which would lead to its immediate demise.
Dongfang Cangwu disdained such actions and had never intended to kill the water spirit.
Yan Jiaojiao wanted to say more, but Dongfang Cangwu turned and vanished. With Yan Jiaojiao's current cultivation, she couldn't even capture a trace of him.
The barrier trapping the water spirit vanished with him. The water spirit, now free, immediately circled Yan Jiaojiao, showing no signs of the crisis it had just faced.
Yan Jiaojiao, however, was greatly alarmed. This person could come and go as he pleased; not only could he take the water spirit, but he could also kill her with ease. She was truly too weak now.
Still, this man looked somewhat familiar. She felt as if she had seen him somewhere before.
Yan Jiaojiao concentrated, thinking for a moment, but her mind remained blank regarding any information about Dongfang Cangwu. She could only attribute it to the fact that handsome people often shared a certain delicate resemblance.
"What a shame, he's a thief," Yan Jiaojiao couldn't help but sigh.
The water spirit didn't understand, "Thief? You mean Little Black?"
Yan Jiaojiao didn't understand why Little Black was brought up. She simply patted the water spirit's head, "From now on, unless I summon you, do not leave the Spirit Jade space on your own. If I hadn't woken up today, you would have been captured. Go back quickly."
The water spirit seemed to understand, nodding obediently, and then slipped back into the Spirit Jade space in a flash.
The room fell silent. Yan Jiaojiao, however, could no longer sleep. Anyone whose room was silently entered and easily exited by a man in the middle of the night would find it difficult to rest.
Yan Jiaojiao lay awake with her eyes open until dawn.
The day of the assessment for entry into Gunan Academy had officially arrived.
Since Yan Jiaojiao couldn't sleep, she got up and walked out of her courtyard.
The sky was still dimly lit, and the breakfast stalls on the street had already begun to operate. Although Yan Jiaojiao wasn't hungry, as she passed a wonton stall, the aroma of sesame bone broth wafted out, compelling her to turn in and order a bowl.
This wonton stall was an old establishment. The owner, though elderly, worked with great agility. In no time, a bowl of glistening and plump wontons was served.
Yan Jiaojiao's appetite was whetted. Just as she was about to eat, she suddenly heard a clear "gulp" sound.
Yan Jiaojiao looked over and saw a thin young man standing not far away. His clothes were neat but visibly old, and he carried a small bundle on his back. He stared at Yan Jiaojiao's wontons while swallowing hard.
His gaze was so intense that Yan Jiaojiao felt embarrassed to eat.
"Why don't you have it?" Yan Jiaojiao put her spoon back into the bowl and pushed it towards the young man.
The young man hadn't expected Yan Jiaojiao to notice him. His ears immediately turned red, and he looked somewhat embarrassed, yet he stood tall and said seriously, "I'm not hungry. Cultivators can abstain from eating. I don't need to eat."
As soon as he finished speaking, a rumbling sound came from his stomach. The young man immediately pressed his hand to his abdomen, his expression still serious, but his ears turned even redder.
Yan Jiaojiao found it somewhat amusing. Even if cultivators could abstain from eating, in the long run, they occasionally needed sustenance. From the young man's appearance, it seemed he was short on funds and had been abstaining for a long time, thus his craving.
Yan Jiaojiao then said, "I am also a cultivator, but these wontons are truly too fragrant. I couldn't resist coming in for a bowl myself. I know you're not hungry, and since we're fellow practitioners, let me treat you this once since we've met by chance. Please, try these wontons."
Before the young man could respond, Yan Jiaojiao called out to the owner, "Boss, another bowl of wontons."
"Coming right up," the boss replied, already lowering wontons into the pot.
Yan Jiaojiao gestured for the young man to sit opposite her at the table. The young man hesitated for a moment, but the alluring scent of the wontons and his rumbling stomach eventually won out, and he sat down.
They spoke no further. The boss served another bowl of wontons, and they each ate their fill.
After the young man finished the entire bowl of wontons, he stood up and bowed to Yan Jiaojiao, "Thank you, miss."
"It's just a bowl of wontons, no need to mention it," Yan Jiaojiao said with a smile, waving her hand.
The young man looked at her again, said his farewells, and turned to leave.
Yan Jiaojiao then got up to pay. By the time she left the wonton stall, the young man had disappeared from the street.
She glanced at the sky. It wasn't long until the Gunan Academy exam. Yan Jiaojiao continued on her way, knowing that a tough battle lay ahead.