"Stop!"
Yan Jiaojiao shouted. This water spirit was about to divert the river directly into the residence.
The river had already accumulated a lot of water from days of rain, and the water spirit had been trying to gather it into a lake. A large volume of water had been amassed in the mountains, and now it was unleashed like a flood!
The water spirit completely ignored Yan Jiaojiao's pleas, controlling the river's source and continuously pouring it down the mountain.
"Quickly, help me," Yan Jiaojiao pleaded, holding the little black dog. Her current spiritual power was insufficient to stop such a large amount of river water; she had to rely on the little black dog.
Dongfang Cangwu had no objections to the water spirit's revenge. If someone destroyed his home, flooding it with water? He would even make that person wish they were dead.
Seeing that the little black dog remained unmoved, Yan Jiaojiao, in her desperation, flew to the front of the surging water herself and, with all her might, unfurled a massive spiritual barrier to try and divert the river's course.
However, in the face of the water spirit's natural power, her Red Level three cultivation was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. Without a moment's resistance, the river shattered the spiritual barrier and instantly rushed into the valley with even greater force.
In an instant, the river water flooded the new residence. The craftsmen inside were caught completely off guard. Those who tried to escape the house were washed back by the surging water before they could even reach the exit. In the blink of an eye, the water reached waist-deep.
The newly built mansion now resembled a massive reservoir, with figures floating within.
When Yan Jiaojiao chased after the water spirit, the people here were already struggling, bobbing and sinking. Even those who were good swimmers couldn't withstand the continuous impact of the water and were involuntarily thrown against the walls.
Seeing that a human tragedy was about to unfold, Yan Jiaojiao appealed to the little black dog again, "Please stop her, just help me this once!"
Dongfang Cangwu initially intended to ignore it, but upon meeting Yan Jiaojiao's pleading eyes, he involuntarily intervened.
The rushing river instantly froze into ice, halting its advance in front of the mansion.
The water spirit frowned in confusion, then looked at the frozen river with renewed anger. The ice then melted completely, transforming back into river water and surging forward again.
"This is useless. The water spirit's control over water is too strong," Yan Jiaojiao said, drenched and helpless.
The little black dog narrowed its round eyes. The next moment, the river suddenly changed course and flowed towards the dry lake.
The water spirit would not allow this. With a pull of her hands, the river once again surged towards the residence.
Dongfang Cangwu was growing impatient, but Yan Jiaojiao seemed to sense his mood and anxiously said to the little black dog, "Don't hurt the water spirit. She's also innocent."
So many demands, the little black dog silently withdrew the spiritual sword it was about to throw at the water spirit.
The water spirit controlled water with her mind. Even restraining her wouldn't stop her actions unless she was knocked unconscious, but Yan Jiaojiao wouldn't allow that.
Dongfang Cangwu had no choice but to battle the water spirit. This water spirit, born from the essence of heaven and earth, had a control over water that was on par with Dongfang Cangwu's power. The people in the mansion were choked by the water, unable to breathe, then relieved for a moment, struggling desperately to escape.
Yan Jiaojiao watched anxiously, wanting to help but lacking the strength. She regretted losing her millennium of cultivation, leaving her helpless now.
As the stalemate continued, Yan Jiaojiao suddenly had an inspiration and shouted to the water spirit, "I'll help you find another clean place to live. Please let them go!"
The water spirit's actions stopped.
It worked.
Yan Jiaojiao pressed on, "There are definitely other suitable places to live. I'll keep looking until you're satisfied. Can I?"
The water spirit slowly turned towards Yan Jiaojiao. The anger in her eyes gradually faded, and the river stopped attacking the mansion.
The little black dog's large round eyes revealed its disbelief. It had heard that natural spirits weren't very intelligent, but it never expected them to be so easily appeased.
The water spirit had already floated back in front of Yan Jiaojiao, her earlier anger gone. She looked at Yan Jiaojiao with an expectant expression, innocent like a child.
As if by an impulse, Yan Jiaojiao couldn't resist patting the water spirit's small head and continued to coax her, "Be good, and I'll help you find a new home, okay?"
The water spirit blinked, then showed an expression of enjoyment, nodding with an innocent smile and happily circling Yan Jiaojiao.
Yan Jiaojiao's lips twitched imperceptibly. She truly had a child's disposition. It was no wonder these natural spirits didn't live long; they were too easily captured by people with complex intentions.
Dongfang Cangwu also seized this opportunity to drain the river water that had flooded the mansion. The people, half-drowned and on the verge of death, were finally saved, each lying or sitting there in a pathetic state, utterly exhausted.
The corpulent landlord, in particular, had been caught in a whirlpool formed by the water, nearly drowning. His already bulging belly had expanded even further. He lay there weakly, on the verge of death.
With the danger passed, the people, after recovering slightly, all noticed Yan Jiaojiao.
Their gazes were intense, and they looked at the water spirit with a mixture of awe and fear.
Yan Jiaojiao worried they might resent the water spirit. Thinking that the water spirit was a natural spirit and not a living being, perhaps she could be contained within the Spirit Jade space. In her urgency, she opened the Spirit Jade space and, to her surprise, managed to collect the still-spinning water spirit.
"The immortal saved us! Look, she trapped the malevolent spirit in her artifact!"
Someone among the craftsmen shouted, and the others quickly came to their senses, all thanking Yan Jiaojiao. Some even bowed and knelt.
In the countryside, it was not uncommon for cultivators to be referred to as "Immortals." Yan Jiaojiao hadn't expected this misunderstanding, but she figured it was for the best. If they thought of the water spirit as a demon, it would be better than attracting the greedy attention of other cultivators.
However, she now had to travel with an extra water spirit.
"Immortal, please save Master Xu! He looks like he's about to die," a craftsman said to Yan Jiaojiao, pointing to the corpulent landlord still lying on the ground.
Yan Jiaojiao, still carrying the water spirit, dared not jump down from the eaves to offer direct aid. She merely pointed at the landlord's stomach and used her spiritual power to press down heavily. The landlord began to spew out streams of water like a fountain. After a while, he finally caught his breath and, with a roll of his eyes, regained consciousness.
Everyone praised and thanked Yan Jiaojiao again.
The local landlord, known as Master Xu, slowly sat up. Hearing the words of those around him, he understood that Yan Jiaojiao had saved them. He shook his fat, then cupped his hands towards Yan Jiaojiao, saying, "May I ask the immortal's name? In the future, I... I will definitely have a golden statue of you built to worship, as thanks for saving my life."
"No need," Yan Jiaojiao said, a bead of sweat trickling down her temple. This was too exaggerated. She simply said, "From now on, do not labor the people or waste resources, nor damage a single blade of grass or tree in this village. What happened just now was the mountain demon's revenge for you."