Chapter 348 - 346: A Grand Spectacle

Not only would this turn their village shrine into a larger temple, but it would also stimulate the local economy. With more money in the village coffers, it was a win-win-win situation no matter how you looked at it.

To be honest, this year’s turn of events had been a pleasant surprise for the village chief.

And speaking of Daoists, one had just arrived outside the village chief’s house.

It was the very same old Daoist whom Yun Jiao and the others had encountered. He was now dressed in a worn Daoist robe, his white-streaked hair tied up in a topknot.

Once he had tidied himself up, he actually had the air of a sagely immortal about him.

"Are you the chief of Bailong Village?"

The village chief and the clan elders all turned to look at him.

That’s right—the old Daoist had come to offer his services in managing the village shrine.

Regardless of whether the Daoist was the real deal or a fraud, they decided to invite him inside and test him first.

To their surprise, the old Daoist actually had some real skills. Not only could he draw talismans, but he knew the names of all the deities in the Daoist pantheon like the back of his hand. Most importantly, he produced several paintings.

Aside from a portrait of Mazu, the paintings depicted the various other deities worshipped in the region.

The legends of the immortals had been passed down since ancient times, but their stories were mostly preserved through oral traditions or written descriptions. Very few people had ever been able to capture their likeness in a painting.

The moment they saw the portraits, it was as if a voice in their hearts spoke to them.

’This is it. This is exactly right.’

And so, his face wrinkling into a wide smile, the village chief grasped the old Daoist’s hand.

"May I ask for your name, Daoist, and where you come from?"

"Of course, of course. Village Chief, you may simply call me Daoist Qingfeng. I come from Wudang Mountain."

After some discussion, Daoist Qingfeng successfully took up residence in Bailong Village.

He then began helping Bailong Village plan its new shrine.

While the village chief and the others were busy with their work, Yun Jiao’s birthday arrived.

She had wanted to celebrate it simply, just like her brothers’ birthdays—a nice meal at home would have been enough.

But then, her godfather and godmother arrived with their family.

And they came by boat.

On the day of Yun Jiao’s birthday, a large ship pulled up to the pier.

In comparison, the metal fishing boat that came along with it seemed quite unremarkable.

But when Yun Jiao and her family arrived, the first thing they noticed was that very same metal fishing boat.

Because while the large ship belonged to someone else, the small fishing boat was theirs!

"Godfather! Godmother!"

Yun Jiao, who was now five, hadn’t grown much taller. She ran up to Sun Yaotong and Wang Yun on her short little legs.

Wang Yun scooped the little girl into her arms.

"You’ve gotten taller!"

Yun Jiao’s face immediately lit up. She loved hearing that.

"Wow, Godmother, is this your family’s ship? It’s huge!"

"That’s right, it’s ours. Go on, have a look around."

"Okay, okay!"

She and her brothers skipped and hopped excitedly onto the large ship.

The ship wasn’t primarily for fishing, so the interior was as luxurious as a house.

A floating luxury home on the sea.

Plus, there was tons of food inside.

There was even a personal chef preparing a meal.

"Did Sister Qin not come today?"

"Ah, her. We’re going to be here for quite a while before we head back, and she couldn’t miss that much school. She didn’t come, but she sent a videotape and a letter for you."

"Come on, I’ll take you to watch it."

The ship had a dedicated area for playing videotapes.

Yun Jiao watched the video of the birthday message Sun Yaoqin had recorded for her.

’This is pretty cool,’ she thought.

"Jiaojiao, why don’t you record a video to send back to your Sister Qin?"

Yun Jiao’s eyes lit up. "Can I? Can I really?"

"Of course you can."

"Then, Godmother, you can record for me! Wait, let’s go outside."

Yun Jiao wanted to introduce all her friends to Sister Qin.

Holding the camcorder, Wang Yun followed Yun Jiao out onto the deck.

Yun Jiao walked to the railing and looked out. She saw her family’s boat, with her dad, younger uncle, and grandpa on board.

They were all looking around curiously, taking in the sights of the large ship.

Yun Jiao let out a whistle.

The people on the boat below all looked up at her.

"Dad, move the boat a little farther away! I’m going to introduce my friends to Sister Qin, and we’re recording it!"

"What? Recording? Count me in, count me in!"

Wang Yi and his parents were just walking over. When he heard that, he immediately hoisted a camcorder onto his shoulder and ran toward them.

It was obvious to anyone that Yun Jiao’s "friends" weren’t human.

"Uncle Wang, Auntie, you’re here too!"

Liu Yun held up the cake she was carrying.

"We came to celebrate with you. Happy birthday, Jiaojiao!"

Yun Jiao grinned and said, "Thank you!"

’Oh, dear. I was hoping for a low-key birthday, but I guess that’s not happening,’ she thought.

After the Wang family, Yun Jiao’s masters and teachers also arrived.

"Little Yun Jiao, how could you? It’s your birthday and you didn’t even invite us!"

Ancient tucked a red envelope into her hand.

Hugging the envelope, Yun Jiao flashed a smile that showed off her little white teeth. "Well, I just wanted a simple meal, but I’m just too popular!"

Her comically narcissistic act made everyone burst out laughing.

Even more people came this year than the last. Once most of the guests had arrived, the Sun Family’s ship sailed out into the open sea, where Yun Jiao stood at the bow and began to sing.

Her voice was ethereal and piercing, and the sound of it captivated everyone.

Wang Yi was particularly thrilled. While keeping the camcorder trained on Yun Jiao, he also made sure to film the vast sea before her.

They didn’t have to wait long. A chorus of soaring whale song rose from the depths of the ocean.

It sounded like a call from an ancient era, harmonizing perfectly with Yun Jiao’s song.

"They’re here! They’re here!"

Wang Yi’s hushed voice couldn’t contain his excitement.

The other people on the ship were already dumbfounded.

Wang Yun took a deep breath, her eyes wide, determined not to miss a single moment.

The camcorder in her hand faithfully recorded it all.

The sounds from the water grew closer. Killer whales and dolphins began to leap from the sea, one after another, forming strange yet harmonious lines. It was as if they were performing an acrobatic show.

Behind them, Humpback Whales gradually surfaced, spouting spectacular columns of water from their blowholes in perfect unison.

"WHOA!!!"

Everyone on the ship, as well as those on boats in the distance who could make out the scene, gasped in amazement.

"That’s spectacular! It’s incredible!"

Killer whales had also come for Yun Jiao’s birthday last year, but they had appeared on their own. This time, Yun Jiao had summoned them.

What’s more, there were also the much larger Humpback Whales and the now-grown pink Manta Ray, making the spectacle even more magnificent and breathtaking than before.

They even began to circle the ship, a truly magical sight to behold.

Yun Jiao leaned over the railing to greet them, then turned to Wang Yun.

"Godmother, they’re all my friends! Next time Sister Qin comes to visit, I’ll have my friends take her out to play in the ocean."

When Wang Yun processed what she was seeing, the way she looked at Yun Jiao completely changed.

’Just what kind of amazing little girl have I taken as my goddaughter?’ she thought. ’I’ve really hit the jackpot.’

"Yes, yes, of course! We’ll bring her to visit during her summer vacation."

The weather in March was still quite cold. Yun Jiao really wanted to shed her heavy clothes and jump into the sea to play with the killer whales.

But she figured she’d get a spanking when she got home.

’I’m not a three-year-old anymore. Getting a spanking is a little embarrassing. Better not.’

After "meeting" Yun Jiao’s friends, everyone was left wanting more, even long after the creatures had departed.

Sun Yaotong, however, was thinking more deeply about the situation.

"With an ability like Jiaojiao’s, you all need to be careful. Don’t let anyone exploit her for nefarious purposes."

Yun Linhai clapped him on the shoulder. "Don’t worry. Jiaojiao holds a nominal post with the military, so they’re keeping an eye on things. Besides, she’s no fool."