Legend of Baima Village

Chapter 5

The three of them went to the teahouse and each ordered a serving of hot dried bean curd strips, two meat buns, and a cup of tea. Jin Yan, who had a big appetite, ordered four meat buns and sat down to wait.

The dishes arrived shortly. The most distinctive dish was blanched dried tofu strips, made by slicing tender dried tofu into thin strips, blanching them briefly in boiling water, placing them on a small plate, drizzling with aged vinegar, crushed peanuts, sesame oil, and sprinkling with chopped cilantro. It was steaming hot and incredibly fragrant. The three of them ate breakfast while drinking tea. Jin Hui was trying blanched dried tofu strips for the first time, and after one bite, he praised it highly. He buried his head and ate it all up before looking up and seeing Bai Fang watching him with a half-smile, he blushed. Bai Fang asked, "How was it? Would you like another plate?" Jin Hui quickly shook his head and refused. Seeing Jin Hui's embarrassed expression, Bai Fang couldn't help but laugh out loud. Bai Fang was usually a reserved and serious person, but she couldn't help teasing Jin Hui, which she found quite strange.

After breakfast, Bai Fang said, "I still need to go to Baima, otherwise I won't be able to get past Principal Zhang." Jin Yan said, "I'm free anyway, I'll go with you." Jin Hui was also willing to go and see for himself.

The three of them found a car and bumped along the way to Baima, only to find that the reeds there had all withered and turned yellow, and there wasn't a single pedestrian in sight, which made them feel a chill in their hearts.

Bai Fang had assumed that going to Baima Village in broad daylight wouldn't be a problem, so she confidently led Jin Hui and Jin Yan there. However, upon entering Baima Village, they were immediately plunged into darkness, unable to distinguish between day and night. Bai Fang hesitated, wondering if they should retreat, when she heard A Tu scream frantically, his eyes filled with terror, shrinking to Bai Fang's side. A gust of wind rose, and the fog seemed to thicken further. The sound gradually approached, and the three looked up to see a black wind! It was mixed with the faint sounds of wolves howling and ghostly wails. Even the bold Jin Hui and Jin Yan turned pale! Only Bai Fang remained calm. She knew that if they were careless now, none of them would be able to leave Baima Village! She quickly shouted, "Don't panic! Let's go together! No matter what happens, we won't separate!" A Tu was too frightened to scream, curled up in a ball. Jin Hui quickly picked up A Tu and followed closely behind Bai Fang. The wind grew closer, and the howling of wolves and ghosts became clearer. The wind, like bubbles, took on many shapes, and a hideous ghost head emerged, seemingly mixed with the voices of Bai Fang's students, all crying, "Teacher Bai, please stay! Teacher Bai, please stay!" Bai Fang's hair stood on end.

Looking back at Jin Hui and Jin Yan, they seemed mesmerized by the voice, walking straight ahead. Bai Fang quickly grabbed them, and they stopped, looking at her blankly, seemingly unaware of what was happening. Bai Fang sighed inwardly, thinking, "With these two here, things are probably doomed today. I wasn't very confident to begin with, and now, all three of us might have to stay here."

But unwilling to give up entirely, Bai Fang steeled herself, bit her tongue, and sprayed a spray of blood at the black wind. The black wind dispersed, and the wailing gradually faded. Bai Fang still dared not be careless, cautiously taking steps forward. It was pitch black, and she couldn't tell where she was at all. Helpless, Bai Fang told the two, "Stay close to me. If anything happens, call for help immediately." The two nodded, and Bai Fang looked pityingly at A-Tu, who was trembling with fear, and sighed softly. Fortunately, having worked at Baima for so long, Bai Fang was still relatively familiar with the terrain. She remembered the woman had asked to meet her, but didn't know how to find her. After much thought, only two places seemed most likely: the Baima Temple and the small temple by the river. The White Horse Temple is where the White Horse lurks, making it the most dangerous place. However, the last time they encountered danger was right next to the White Horse Temple. The woman appeared in time, so she must be not far from the White Horse Temple. Therefore, relying on the route in their memory, the two followed closely behind and headed towards the White Horse Temple.

The scene was even more horrific than she remembered. With each step, she seemed to hear agonizing cries rising from the ground, sending chills down her spine. Jin Hui and Jin Yan stayed close to Bai Fang, while A Tu remained silent. In Bai Fang's memory, they should have arrived at the White Horse Temple, but why couldn't she make out any outline of it? The black fog in the campus was as thick as night. Suddenly, something lunged at them. Bai Fang leaped aside to shield them, and upon closer inspection, she saw it was a human head! It had tangled hair, and where it was connected to the neck, it was still covered in blood. Upon seeing this, Bai Fang was terrified and took two steps back, quickly bowing and praying, "Rest in peace." Fortunately, the other two hadn't seen clearly, which relieved Bai Fang somewhat, but A Tu smelled the blood and began to scream again.

Bai Fang was walking when she noticed a door ahead. Reaching out, she felt the doorknob was familiar – it was her dormitory door. She quickly led the two inside. The building was shrouded in thick black fog. Bai Fang's dormitory was on the third floor. Opening the door, she found everything was unchanged. The faucet was still rusty and dripping, the pillowcases and blankets, the carved wooden chair, the worn-out table, and the rusty mirror – everything was exactly as it had been. Bai Fang breathed a sigh of relief. Just as she had settled Jin Hui and Jin Yan down, she suddenly saw A Tu jump up and try to run towards the door. Bai Fang quickly caught and calmed him down. Then she noticed the two sitting on the bed with strange expressions. She tried to go over, but Jin Hui waved her away, signaling her not to. Just as she was wondering what was wrong, she also felt something strange – why was there steam coming from the bed? "Oh no!" Bai Fang cried out, reaching out to pull the two away. Before she could get close, the bed transformed into a giant mouth, swallowing them whole! Before Bai Fang could react, Atu protected his master, leaping out of Bai Fang's grasp and darting into that huge mouth!

Bai Fang was filled with remorse. Knowing that everything here had changed beyond recognition, how could she have been so careless as to bring them here? She had even comfortably assumed that the dormitory was at least a safe space.

With a swift movement, the enormous mouth transformed into a gigantic beast, laughing as it departed. Bai Fang looked up and realized it was the Taotie! Bai Fang tried to rush forward, but discovered she wasn't in her dormitory at all; she had actually arrived at the White Horse Temple!

Startled, Bai Fang cried out in alarm, fearing that not only would she be unable to rescue the two, but she herself would also have no hope of escaping.

At this moment, the entire Baima Temple shook violently, dust fell from above, and Bai Fang's life was in imminent danger!

Bai Fang strained her eyes, trying to see everything in the White Horse Temple, but the dust obscured everything, making it impossible to see anything. In Bai Fang's memory, the White Horse Temple was originally a small courtyard surrounded by three two-story buildings. There were red-lacquered wooden railings, wooden staircases, and red-lacquered wooden lattice windows. She remembered that each room seemed to have a set of tables and chairs, as well as some display counters. But there was no place to place a shrine. Perhaps it was all destroyed during the "Destroy the Four Olds" campaign? Or perhaps it was never intended to be there? Bai Fang didn't know. Now, figuring out which building she was in was crucial; without familiarity with the layout, she was truly like a blind man riding a blind horse. Although the White Horse Temple was ancient, it had once served as a command post, so people often came to clean and maintain it. Only recently had it become deserted. Bai Fang reached out and touched a table, but upon closer inspection, it wasn't a table; it looked more like a counter. Bai Fang shielded her head with her hand and carefully examined it; indeed, it was a display counter. Inside were some tools used by the commanders and soldiers back then, a map, an oil lamp, and a box of matches. The arrangement was exactly as it had been. Bai Fang hesitated for a moment, then grabbed a table and smashed it against the counter. The glass shattered with a crack. Bai Fang reached for the matches, only to find they were just for show, too old to be used. Bai Fang thought to herself, "Heaven is not on my side." In a moment of distraction, she cut her hand on the glass, and blood immediately flowed out. A quick thought struck her. She squeezed the blood onto the oil lamp, then focused her energy and pointed her finger; the lamp lit up.

With the light on, everything in the room became clearly visible, though dust still clung to it, at least the path was now clear. This type of lamp was still common in rural areas in earlier years, known as the "American prisoner-of-war lamp," apparently originally taken from American prisoners of war. The oil lamp had a glass shade over it, so it wasn't afraid of the wind. Bai Fang, as a child, often used this lamp to do her homework outside in the stuffy evenings, so she remembered it vividly. After walking around for a while with the lamp on, she finally managed to make out the basic layout of the room. Strangely, she couldn't find the exit or the stairs.

Bai Fang was anxious. Jin Hui and Jin Yan were in a predicament, and if they were delayed any longer, they would be in danger. How could she save them now?

In her haste, she cried out in her heart, "Phoenix, where are you? Grandpa, where are you? Liu Hong, come quickly!"

The mole between her brows twitched again, and Bai Fang's heart tightened, fearing another attack was imminent. However, she found nothing unusual. Bai Fang looked around carefully again and noticed that while everything was covered in dust, one spot remained spotless. Suspicious, she slowly approached this spot, walking with extreme caution, as if on thin ice. Just as she was about to reach it, the mole between her brows twitched violently again. Reaching out to touch it, she found it hard and bulging—a highly unusual occurrence. Bai Fang stopped, afraid to go any further. The flame of the oil lamp flickered and danced without wind.

After pausing for a moment, finding nothing amiss, she slowly pushed her breath forward, only feeling a faint obstruction. However, this airflow wasn't the malevolent and domineering one she had imagined; instead, it was a familiar warmth. Bai Fang pondered for a moment, then bowed and asked, "Phoenix Fairy, are you here?"

A figure slowly appeared before Bai Fang. Bai Fang was slightly startled at first glance, wondering how she could see herself. Then she realized it must be the woman who had saved her that day. She bowed and greeted her. The woman said leisurely, "I am Phoenix."

Bai Fang was at a loss for words. In her imagination, only the phoenix could rival the white horse, but she never expected that the phoenix would look just like her. She had just sensed that the phoenix's magic power was almost gone, and the phoenix's life and death were unknown. A sense of helplessness and sorrow welled up in her heart, and tears welled up in her eyes. The oil lamp in her hand almost fell to the ground.

Fortunately, the phoenix reacted quickly and prevented the oil lamp from falling. She said to Bai Fang, "You don't need to do that. Let's sit down and discuss this further." "Sit?" Bai Fang was taken aback. The phoenix smiled and said, "It seems that although you've awakened, you're still not quite adept at using your magic." Bai Fang blushed and asked for guidance from the fairy.

Phoenix laughed, "You are no ordinary person, why be so rigid in your actions? Simply think it in your heart, and you can do what you want. Once you're familiar with it, a single thought is all it takes." Bai Fang was about to interject when Phoenix laughed, "Dealing with the White Horse is the same, except his mental power is stronger than yours, so you can't easily eliminate him." Bai Fang, her thoughts exposed, blushed again. She then asked, "Then, how can I gather all five elements to deal with the White Horse?"

Phoenix also sighed heavily, "This is truly not an easy task." Then she began to recount the events of that day.

It turned out that the five elements were reincarnated on the same day. At the beginning of their reincarnation, firecrackers went off incessantly in the mortal world, a time of celebration. Originally, being reincarnated at this time meant that one could immediately gain the cultivation level of the celestial realm upon entering the human world. However, the White Horse had already learned of this and used magic to cause chaos. When Metal was reincarnated, the White Horse used its magic to seal its spiritual aperture, thus it was trapped in the mortal world and could not awaken for a long time. Wood was stolen by the White Horse as soon as it was born. Water managed to escape, but lost all its magic power. Moreover, it did not want to work in White Horse Village as an adult and was tricked and trapped by the White Horse. Fire and Earth had their primordial spirits scattered by the White Horse during their reincarnation, almost falling into an abyss of no return! Phoenix risked its life to save them that day, and seeing that it was hopeless, it used most of its cultivation to save their primordial spirits. Bai Fang was shocked and was about to ask what was happening below when she heard a lot of dust falling from the beam. The two of them cried out in alarm, and the beam crashed to the ground, and the bricks and tiles fell down with it.

After the dust settled, the phoenix, being formless, remained calm despite the falling dust and bricks. Bai Fang, however, was a mess, covered in dust from head to toe. She shook herself, and another thick layer of dust washed away. Looking at herself, Bai Fang blushed slightly. The phoenix smiled, "You don't need to be like this. Why be so concerned about your physical appearance?" Eager to know what happened next, Bai Fang pressed, "Sister, tell me what happens next! I really want to know." The phoenix smiled and said, "Do you know how you got this mole?" Bai Fang shook her head. "I only heard my mother say that when I was born, it was just a tiny red dot, the size of a pinhead, bright red. It grew into this." The phoenix said, "That day, when I rescued your souls, I found you in the most danger. Your seven souls and six spirits had already dissipated. A moment's delay would have been fatal. I had to use my blood to replenish your soul. This blood was injected into your eyebrow, which is why you have this mole." As for Tu's soul, I only retrieved half of it and couldn't complete it. I had no choice but to send him back. Only after being tempered could he be reincarnated at an auspicious time. Therefore, his birth was more than a year later than yours. Furthermore, the part he lost—the part with magical power—was rendered imperceptible because my own magical power was weakening. Bai Fang's subsequent good fortune in all her misfortunes was entirely due to the phoenix's spiritual blood.

Bai Fang was horrified, never imagining she had once faced death so close to home! She felt immense gratitude towards the phoenix. Thinking of this, she anxiously asked, "I have two friends who came here with me; it seems they were swallowed whole by the Taotie. I don't know how to save them?"

Phoenix laughed and said, "Now, you can use your spiritual power to sense them."

"Sensation?" Bai Fang asked, puzzled.

Phoenix laughs, "In my two thousand years in the human world, I have never seen anyone more incorrigible and unruly than you! You have never studied properly since you were a child. If it weren't for my help in college, I'm afraid you would be somewhere knitting with your baby right now!"

Bai Fang blushed deeply, recalling the headache that had nearly made her faint before her college entrance exams. She realized it was Phoenix's doing, for since then, she had felt divinely aided. Bai Fang was both embarrassed and grateful, and asked, "Sister, please stop teasing me! Tell me how it feels!"

Phoenix poked Bai Fang on the head and said, "You're so stupid!"

He then chuckled and said, "You must have used a TV and a radio before, right?" Bai Fang replied, "Yes."

Seeing that Bai Fang still didn't understand, Phoenix laughed and got angry at the same time, saying, "People have brainwaves, right?" Bai Fang understood a little and said, "You want me to receive their brainwaves? That can only be measured by a machine."

Phoenix nearly coughed up blood. "Have you forgotten who you are? You can adjust your brainwaves to match theirs."

Bai Fang suddenly realized, sticking out her tongue, "Oh, I see. How was I supposed to know that humans and machines operate on the same principle?" She then sat down quietly and slowly adjusted the mechanism. By this time, Bai Fang no longer saw the waste bricks and dust as anything.

Now, let's talk about Jin Hui and Jin Yan. Suddenly, everything went black, and they didn't know where they were. They vaguely sensed warmth, accompanied by a slightly fishy, foul odor, like the bad breath of someone who hadn't brushed their teeth in years. Then, hearing a bark, A Tu also leaped in. They involuntarily slid down several meters, finding themselves in a soft, stuffy, and hot place. Just as they were feeling confused, they sensed that the place was moving, and in a rhythmic way, like walking. Their faces paled.

"Oh no!" Jin Hui cried out. "Sun Wukong was able to get out of Princess Iron Fan's stomach, but how are we going to get out of here?" A'Tu was also barking. Jin Yan was sweating profusely as he searched for a way out.

The air inside seemed to be getting thinner and thinner, and their breathing became increasingly rapid. Both of them were drenched in sweat, and A-Tu was panting heavily with his tongue lolling out.

What's worse is that it's like magma inside, with water bubbling up; it's unmistakably the guy's stomach acid.

Jin Yan clung to the walls, struggling to stay upright, his head spinning from lack of oxygen.

Jin Yan had never encountered such a critical situation in his life. He was relieved that Bai Fang hadn't been sucked in. Perhaps she was trying to rescue her outside. Little did he know that Bai Fang was also in danger.

The monster's stomach churned again, and Jin Yan was almost swept away. Some of the gastric juice got on his trouser leg, and several holes appeared immediately!

Jin Hui and A Tu were in a relatively flat area and were not in any immediate danger. However, their oxygen levels were running low, and they were already feeling dizzy and about to collapse.

Jin Yan was well-trained, remained calm in the face of battle, and had a good physique, which enabled him to stay clear-headed.

The monster stirred things up again, and Jin Yan felt dizzy and was about to fall into its stomach! Jin Yan thought to himself, "It's over. I never thought I'd die here!"

In that critical moment, Jin Yan felt a chill run down his spine. He reached out and frantically grabbed and scratched, only to grab a piece of stomach lining. It was soft and slippery in his hand, making him feel utterly nauseous. But he knew that if he let go, he would surely die, so he held on tightly, his nails digging into the lining. The monster, in pain, jumped even more vigorously. Jin Hui, already in a semi-conscious state, swayed precariously, almost tumbling down. A Tu bit down hard on Jin Hui's trouser leg, using his legs to pull back and prevent Jin Hui from falling. Seeing the critical situation, Jin Yan shouted at Jin Hui, "Do you have any sharp weapons on you?" "Sharp weapons?" Jin Hui hesitated for a moment, then unbuckled a bunch of keys from his belt. Jin Yan was both amused and exasperated, but at this point, he had no choice but to make do. Supporting himself with one hand, he ordered Jin Hui to hand over the keys. After obtaining the key, he vigorously rubbed it against the stomach wall he was gripping. Since it was made of flesh, he managed to grind the key until it broke, creating a hole large enough to grip. Thinking of Jin Hui, a weak scholar, and fearing his strength wouldn't be enough to fight the monster, he moved forward a step and repeated the process, giving Jin Hui the spot to hold onto. The monster, in unbearable pain, flew into a rage.

Jin Yan realized that since they were already inside the monster's stomach, getting out wouldn't be easy. Therefore, they needed to hurry and find an exit. The monster was enormous; its intestines and other structures should be large enough for a person to pass through after its stomach. Looking across the flat area where Jin Hui was, Jin Yan could vaguely see a black passage. In this life-or-death situation, he couldn't worry about that now. So, Jin Yan gritted his teeth and clung tightly to the wall, entering the black passage. Jin Hui, carrying A Tu, carefully followed. Due to the lack of oxygen, every movement inside was difficult. However, their survival instincts kicked in, unleashing tremendous potential.

Upon entering the black passage, it was pitch black with soft, yielding edges. Each step left a deep crater, from which one would bounce back up, making walking extremely difficult. Fortunately, the warm air from the monster in my stomach had reduced oxygen levels, but breathing here was relatively easy.

After the two stopped struggling inside the monster's stomach, the monster calmed down and ingested something else, which then entered its intestines. A sudden surge of heat rushed down onto the two. Fortunately, the acidity of the heat had greatly decreased after entering the monster's intestines; otherwise, they would likely have had no chance of survival.

With a soft "plop," the two found themselves outside. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, they both collapsed onto the ground. Once they caught their breath, they realized they were covered in a sticky, nauseating substance, especially Jin Hui, who was very clean and felt like vomiting. Luckily, there was a river nearby, so they quickly went to wash themselves. A-Tu also jumped into the water and had a good wash.

As Jin Hui washed, he wondered how Bai Fang was doing. He worried about how she would laugh at him if she saw his current state. Suddenly, Bai Fang's smiling eyes appeared before him, and he blushed again. Luckily, Jin Yan was busy scrubbing his soiled clothes and didn't notice. A Tu finished his bath and ran ashore, vigorously shaking the water off his fur, then barked loudly at Jin Hui.

Jin Hui sensed that A Tu had discovered his secret, and his face flushed again. He wanted to chase after A Tu, but then realized his clothes weren't dry yet, so he had to dive back into the water, leaving only his head above water. A Tu wagged its tail proudly on the shore, barking at Jin Hui. Actually, A Tu's fur was soaked too, clinging wetly to its body and not looking very good, but as a dog, A Tu obviously didn't need to worry about its appearance.

When the two emerged from numerous dangers, it was precisely at this time that Bai Fang encountered Fenghuang. Bai Fang had just calmed herself down to search for the two when she first discovered Jin Hui. Bai Fang sensed that Jin Hui's emotions were fluctuating greatly. Out of curiosity, she peered closer and discovered that Jin Hui was thinking of her. She couldn't help but blush. Seeing Bai Fang's flushed face, Fenghuang explained that she had unintentionally sensed something inappropriate to know, hence her shyness. However, Fenghuang couldn't comprehend Bai Fang's complex emotions—a mixture of excitement, joy, and embarrassment. Although she had also lived a human life, that was a thousand years ago. The girls of that time were incredibly simple compared to people today.

Bai Fang saw Phoenix staring at her, her face flushed even more, then she stole a glance at Jin Hui and saw that his fair face was also red, which looked quite adorable. She couldn't help but smile and said to Phoenix, "The two of them are out of danger and are... are bathing in the river." Phoenix said "Oh," and then said, "In that case, you don't need to worry."

Bai Fang remembered something else and asked, "Do you know anything strange about the sixth floor of the main school's office building?" She then told Fenghuang about the strange events she had encountered that day. Fenghuang shook her head and said, "I've never heard of anything strange there. Over the years, just guarding this place has been exhausting. I only hope you grow up quickly so you can share my burdens. How could I have worried about anything else? I thought, no matter how dangerous it is, it couldn't be more dangerous than here." Little did she know that this was wrong. The danger there far exceeded that of the White Horse Temple! It was just temporarily concealed, which is why Fenghuang was unaware of it.

After hearing what Fenghuang said, Bai Fang had no choice but to put that matter aside for the time being.

Phoenix said, "Now, go and find your friends." Bai Fang felt a little embarrassed thinking about what she had just seen, but since the matter was more important, she had no choice but to go and find Jin Hui and the others. It was quite a distance from Bai Ma Temple to the riverbank, and Bai Fang figured they would be properly dressed by the time they reached the river, so she deliberately walked slowly.

As they approached the riverbank, Bai Fang heard A Tu's call and called out, "A Tu!" A Tu jumped from the riverbank onto the road, barking and rushing towards Bai Fang. Hearing Bai Fang's voice, Jin Hui and Jin Yan quickly put on their half-dry clothes and hurriedly ran up. Their hair was still wet. Bai Fang, recalling the scene from earlier, chuckled. Seeing Bai Fang like this, and then looking at himself, Jin Hui blushed deeply with embarrassment.

Bai Fang smiled and said, "Alright, let's go. I'll take you to see someone."

"Who is it?" they both asked at the same time.

Bai Fang said, "You'll know when you see it."

The three of them walked back into the campus along the same route, still feeling a little uneasy. Jin Yan, in particular, looked around warily.

Unlike when I first arrived, the fog had dissipated considerably, and the scenery had become clearer.

When they saw the White Horse Temple, Jin Hui and Jin Yan were both taken aback. They didn't seem to have seen this scene of broken walls and ruins just now. Could it be that everything they had seen just now was an illusion?

Upon entering the temple, the phoenix appeared. Jin Hui and Jin Yan couldn't help but wonder if they were seeing things. How could there be two Bai Fangs in front of them? Upon closer inspection, they noticed subtle differences: Bai Fang had a mole between her eyebrows, while the other woman did not. They looked at Bai Fang with suspicion. Bai Fang smiled and said, "Let's talk slowly."

Looking at the phoenix again, it was standing still without moving. Bai Fang asked in surprise, "Sister, is something wrong with you?"

The phoenix swayed slightly and laughed, "Truly, it's the will of Heaven!"

"What divine will?" Bai Fang asked, puzzled.

Phoenix laughed and said, "Let's sit down and talk."

Jin Hui and Jin Yan stared blankly at the pile of broken bricks and tiles on the ground. Sit? How could they sit? Jin Hui, in particular, who was always very particular about cleanliness, frowned.

Bai Fang rolled her eyes at Jin Hui and laughed, "Why are you so fussy? Even more obsessed with cleanliness than me, a woman?" With that, she sat down on a broken brick. The two had no choice but to follow suit. Phoenix moved swiftly and sat down on the ground as well.

Phoenix said, "Bai Fang, you already know what happened before, why don't you tell them about it?"

Bai Fang paused for a moment, then recounted the whole story from beginning to end. She started with the legendary battle between the phoenix and the white horse, then moved on to recent developments and the reincarnation of the Five Elements into the human world. She also described the strange events that had recently occurred around her.

Jin Yan had already witnessed many strange things and was no longer surprised. Jin Hui, however, had come to deliver the array diagram to Jin Hong and had not seen many things before, so he was filled with astonishment and doubt. He didn't know whether to believe it or not. However, since he had known Bai Fang and Jin Yan for a long time, he had come to trust them quite a bit, and gradually accepted Bai Fang's explanation.

After finishing her story, Bai Fang looked at Fenghuang and said, "Sister, it's your turn to tell me the rest. I still have many questions. Besides, what did you mean by 'divine will'?"

Phoenix laughed and said, "Of the five elements, I have met three today, and two more are close by. Don't you think this is fate?"

Three? The three of them looked at each other in bewilderment. Could it be that the three of us are all beings of the Five Elements?

Phoenix laughed and said, "Yes, but it's not three people, it's three people plus a cute little dog."

When Atu heard Phoenix speak, it poked its head out of Bai Fang's arms and barked twice.

Phoenix said, “That day, you pointed to Jin Hui and said that your soul was scattered by the white horse. I only found half of it and could not reincarnate, so I sent you back to the Heavenly Court to complete your soul before reincarnation. I never expected that today, you would actually be able to gather it all together on your own!”

What?

Jin Hui found it unbelievable. Me? Such a strange thing actually happened to me?

Bai Fang said, "I don't need to tell you the story in between, do I? You just need to think about your connection with Atu and you'll know!"

Jin Hui hesitated upon hearing this. He remembered a small, yellow-haired mongrel dog his family had when he was a child. It had short, bowed legs and was very aggressive; nobody dared approach it. Because dogs have short lifespans, it died of old age by the time Jin Hui graduated from university. But the day after the dog's death, A-Tu appeared at their doorstep, refusing to leave no matter how much they chased it away, and pitifully barking and sticking out its tongue at Jin Hui. Jin Hui noticed A-Tu's eyes; they resembled the yellow dog's, only much more docile. As soon as Jin Hui crouched down and beckoned, A-Tu jumped over and placed its two front paws on Jin Hui's hands, just like the yellow dog. However, Jin Hui didn't think much of it at the time.

Later, Jin Hui returned to school to pursue his graduate studies, but A Tu insisted on following him. Since pets weren't allowed on the train, they couldn't get him to come back, and it took Jin Hui's brother and father working together to tie A Tu up and bring him home. A Tu's pitiful look at that moment deeply moved Jin Hui. Every time he returned home, his family told him that after Jin Hui left, A Tu wouldn't eat or drink for several days, and was listless. A week before Jin Hui was scheduled to return for vacation, it would become excited, seemingly knowing the news even before Jin Hui did. Once, Jin Hui needed to go back home for some business, without telling anyone beforehand. His family only noticed A Tu's unusual excitement, which seemed strange. Unexpectedly, as soon as Jin Hui got off the train, he saw A Tu waiting outside the station fence. Jin Hui simply thought A Tu was exceptionally intelligent; little did he know there was such a story behind it!

Phoenix then laughed and said, "A-Tu's soul is incomplete, so it can only reside in a beast. The problem now is that you and it can no longer merge, so you must stay together at all times. Perhaps it can play a role at a critical moment. It follows you closely everywhere, which is also for your safety."

Jin Hui let out a long sigh. Although he and A Tu had a deep bond, accepting this fact was still quite difficult for him.

Jin Yan curiously observed Jin Hui, Bai Fang, Phoenix, and A Tu; everything seemed incredibly new and exciting. Lost in thought, Phoenix spoke to him again, "Do you... do you remember who you are?"

Jin Yan was taken aback when Phoenix spoke of him. "Me? I am who I am."

Phoenix said, "Close your eyes." Then she hinted to Bai Fang to perform the technique on him. Bai Fang raised her palms, first clasping them together in a gesture of respect, then turning them slowly. After a while, she felt her sleeves moving without wind, as she channeled the energy from her palms into Jin Yan's Baihui point. At first, Jin Yan just found it fun, but gradually she felt a warm current slowly flowing down from the top of her head, making her feel comfortable all over. Gradually, her body and mind relaxed completely, as if she were in the warm spring sunshine, feeling weak and listless, wanting to take a comfortable nap in the spring sunshine. Just as she was about to fall asleep, she suddenly became alert for no reason. How could she sleep at this time? She opened her eyes abruptly. Seeing Bai Fang's actions, she jumped up and shouted, "What are you doing?" With a grappling move, she twisted Bai Fang's arm around her body. Bai Fang was in excruciating pain and cursed, "What are you doing!" Jin Yanfang remembered that Bai Fang was his old classmate, so he stopped what he was doing and said, "I'm sorry, it's because of my past training that I react instinctively in certain situations." He quickly apologized to Bai Fang.

Phoenix smiled, but his expression immediately darkened again. He said, "It seems that his years of military service have made it even more difficult for him to open his spiritual apertures!"

Jin Yan found it unbelievable, but seeing that both Fenghuang and Bai Fang had solemn expressions, he didn't say anything more.

After a moment of contemplation, Phoenix said, "Now, let's try to get the water out first."

Bai Fang asked, "Should I call Liu Hong over as well?"

Phoenix asked in surprise, "Liu Hong, have you returned to our side now?"

Bai Fang then recounted Hu Chengtian's story and asked, "I wonder if this will arouse Bai Ma's suspicion?"

Phoenix said, "That's good. Besides, we've already made it clear that we want to deal with White Horse. Calling her over will give us more strength."

Bai Fang used his internal energy to call out to Liu Hong, but he did not hear a single reply!

He then tried to sense Liu Hong's location using his internal energy, but the emitted radio waves disappeared without a trace!