Chapter 49 Chapter Forty-Nine — A Treasure of the Dragon Palace

Li Daoxuan widened his eyes and stared blankly at the scene.

He looked at the steaming bowl, then at the boiling river, and was astonished to find that as the bowl-water kept evaporating, the river's level slowly fell.

Countless water-mists rushed to the sky; in a moment white clouds turned to dark, and between heaven and earth a long wind howled — storm imminent.

Li Daoxuan looked at the smiling old woman, his pupils shocked.

"You… who in the world are you?"

To boil a river and cook a sea with a lift of the hand, turning it to sky-filling water-vapor — this divine power Li Daoxuan had never seen in his life; beside it, even his master's feat of summoning dozens of thunders paled somewhat.

The old woman did not answer his question, but smiled faintly. "Daoist rain-arts do exist and need no such trouble — but lately the old dragon imprisoned beneath Wanshou Palace went mad for reasons unknown, and caused this drought."

"Common rain-seeking methods are useless now; one must boil this river to break that old dragon's power and bring the rain down."

So saying she looked at Li Daoxuan and nodded with a smile. "You are very good."

Li Daoxuan started, not knowing what "good" referred to — his earlier rain upon the orchard, or his not complaining as he fetched and boiled water?

As Li Daoxuan would ask, the old woman flicked her sleeve and smiled. "The water is boiled, my thirst relieved; this water, I leave for you to drink."

Boom-rumble!

With a clap of thunder, a torrential rain poured down; Yuzhang City was drenched. When Li Daoxuan looked up again, the old woman had vanished.

Only half a bowl of clear water was left in place, seeming somewhat viscous, like transparent jelly, with a faint strange fragrance.

"This is perhaps…"

Li Daoxuan quickly raised the umbrella to shield the rain.

The wedding dress fluttered; Chen Ziyu appeared at his side, and the moment she showed, her gaze was drawn to that half-bowl of water, her eyes faintly rippling.

Li Daoxuan lifted the half-bowl and gazed closely.

"Sister Yu, this should be water-essence. My master said water-essence is the essential qi of water — but one drop from a hundred thousand drops; a treasure of the Dragon Palace, with the effect of raising cultivation and nourishing the spirit-soul."

In the Tale of Li Yi it is mentioned: when the scholar Li Yi visited the Lord of Dongting, he saw pillars of water-jade, walls of green-jade, a bed of coral, and curtains of water-essence.

Without hesitation, Li Daoxuan drank several mouthfuls.

It entered cool and mild, with none of the boiling heat; that cool feeling spread from the throat through the whole body, comfort to the extreme.

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The next moment the white gas in Li Daoxuan's lower dantian surged, like a spring, more than tenfold its former measure.

This was his essence; after bursting the Huangting it was unending, but never so exaggerated.

Li Daoxuan guessed: the kidney governs water; under the water-essence's nurture, much kidney-water essence was born within him, just right for refining essence into qi and raising mana!

He closed his eyes, sat cross-legged, and began to refine this surging essence into strands of pure mana.

Beneath the rain-curtain, Chen Ziyu held the oil-paper umbrella and shielded him from wind and rain, watching him quietly.

After a time Li Daoxuan slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze had grown more lustrous, his spirit contained, his bearing outstanding; even his skin seemed smoother, his face like jade — but for the Daoist robe he might pass for a graceful young gentleman.

A flicker of joy showed in his eyes — his cultivation had risen a full three years!

The mana-lake in his lower dantian had expanded further, and moreover his spirit felt stronger, his perception of his surroundings markedly keener.

Worthy indeed of a treasure that nourishes the spirit-soul!

His master had said that strengthening the spirit-soul is vital to cultivation; anything that enhances the spirit-soul is priceless — even the cultivation-raising Longhu Golden Elixir falls far short.

The water-essence was half gone; Li Daoxuan did not drink more, but handed it to Chen Ziyu with a smile. "Sister Yu, drink quickly."

Chen Ziyu started; those ice-snow cold pupils rippled, and she glanced sidelong at Li Daoxuan.

This was no candied haw — but rare water-essence; the great divine-power had refined a whole river to get this little, yet he was willing to share it?

Li Daoxuan's gaze was sincere. "Sister Yu, were it not for you, I might long since have lost my life; you are a ghost, but in my heart you surpass countless people."

He paused, then smiled. "Besides, we are friends — and friends, of course, share good things."

Friends…

Chen Ziyu watched the flying rain, listened to it tapping the oil-paper umbrella, her tresses drifted, and her gaze grew a little absent.

"Sister Yu?"

Li Daoxuan waved a hand before her face and urged, "Sister Yu, drink quickly."

She turned her head and gently parted her red lips.

The remaining water-essence drifted of itself into her mouth; then a faint flush appeared on her pale face, as if she were drunk.

Her wedding dress dripped blood, gathering two words upon the ground.

I… sleep…

So saying she fled into the umbrella and vanished.

Splash!

Without the oil-paper umbrella's shelter, the rain instantly fell upon Li Daoxuan, drenching him like a drowned rat.

Li Daoxuan shook his head and laughed, saying to the umbrella, "Sister Yu, that is not decent of you."

Though soaked, he was glad for her from the heart; she was of course not drunk, but had gained great benefit and needed to sleep to digest it.

Else, as a Red-Robe vengeful ghost, why would she need sleep?

It seemed the water-essence aided the soul immensely — pity there was only this much, and who knew who that old woman was, to wield such power?

In truth Li Daoxuan had a faint guess in his heart, only not yet certain.

The great rain fell a full two hours before it stopped.

Li Daoxuan walked the street and saw the people's faces alight with happy smiles; many children skipped about, cheering, and now and then got their clothes wet and were tweaked by the ear by their mothers.

This long-awaited great rain breathed new life into Yuzhang City.

Some by the roadside bowed toward the Green-Robe Temple, thanking the Lady in Green — it seemed that of late not a few had gone to the temple to pray for rain.

Caught up in the mood, Li Daoxuan too showed a smile.

Yet the next moment a heart-pang rose; he whirled and looked behind, his eyes full of wariness.

He was being watched!

That sense of crisis was like being fixed by some terrifying beast, chilling his spine.

Li Daoxuan trusted his feeling — especially now that, having refined the water-essence, his perception was heightened.

He turned and walked on without show, working Shrinking-the-Earth through alley after alley, yet that prick-on-the-back feeling never left.

He could not shake it!

Li Daoxuan showed a ruthless look; in his hand he had already quietly pinched a Five-Thunder Talisman.

Though Yuzhang City forbade fighting, when his own life was threatened Li Daoxuan could not care for that —

since he could not shake it, then he would slay him!