My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion-Chapter 776 - 486: Bright Moonlight (Two in One)_2

The shrimp soldiers and crab generals shouted in unison. Chen Yi leaped onto one of the small boats; a shrimp soldier stood at the bow, a crab general at the stern, and with a crisp snap, severed the tether.

Yin Tingxue looked curious as Chen Yi extended his hand, beckoning her to step aboard.

She cautiously stepped into the boat, entered the cabin, and slowly sat down, marveling, "This is so amazing."

"It's just Taoist Skill. Who told you not to study Taoist techniques?" Chen Yi chuckled.

"Well, Master Zhou never taught me…" Yin Tingxue replied sheepishly before asking, "What kind of Taoist Skill is this?"

"Just a simple Spirit-giving Skill combined with a Transformation Technique."

With that, Chen Yi waved his hand, and the shrimp and crab leapt into the water. Rippling waves carried the boat gently forward.

"Want to sit at the bow for a bit?" Chen Yi asked casually.

"Hmm." Yin Tingxue nodded.

The two moved to the bow, where a light breeze and gentle waves caused the boat to sway softly.

Feeling a bit apprehensive, Yin Tingxue clutched Chen Yi's sleeve tightly. The vast river sparkled with silvery glimmers under the moonlight, as a fluffy round moon hung overhead.

The scent of brackish water drifted past her nose, and waves rippled in concentric circles as Yin Tingxue glanced down. Beneath the boat's bow, she spotted the big shrimp tirelessly swimming forward, pulling the small boat along.

The sight was utterly delightful, and the little fox couldn't help but laugh out loud.

What fun this was.

...…

Through the quiet night, the small boat continued on, eventually coming to a slow stop in a calm stretch of water.

Chen Yi had long gone back to the cabin to rest, leaving Yin Tingxue alone at the bow, head raised to enjoy the river's scenery.

The water's surface flowed silently; the shrimp soldiers and crab generals had vanished, leaving no trace under the boat.

Dark clouds inched across the sky, veiling the moonlight, and the world suddenly grew dim.

Shadows crept from every direction as Yin Tingxue inhaled deeply. The surroundings fell eerily silent, and a faint piercing chill seeped into her clothes.

The water lay utterly still, a deep and inky black.

Splash…

Yin Tingxue heard faint sounds.

It sounded like something beneath the water.

The shrimp soldiers and crab generals…

As she listened closer, Yin Tingxue realized it wasn't the sound of shrimp or crabs snapping their claws within the water—it was something rising from below.

Everything around her was deathly quiet, absent of other sounds.

Yin Tingxue couldn't help but call out, "Who… who's there?"

It seemed as if the movement beneath the water paused briefly, then continued to rise.

Her gaze slowly shifted past the bow, down into the water.

The jet-black depths churned like unbound strands of hair, as a bloated, pallid human face surfaced from the water below!

Yin Tingxue froze in place, the cold crawling swiftly up her spine.

From beneath the water, the ghostly face grinned eerily at her.

Just as the girl stood paralyzed, a hand extended from behind, plunging abruptly into the water.

The ghost's grin immediately twisted into terror, retreating frantically into the depths.

But the tangled mass of hair couldn't escape in time, snatched by Chen Yi's hand. Part of the ghastly face was dragged pitifully out of the water.

"A pathetic little water ghost, dare to make trouble?"

A still-shaken Yin Tingxue shrank back, cautiously examining the water ghost.

Its face was human, its body fish-like, with long tangled hair—resembling a monstrous carp with the visage of a person.

Chen Yi retrieved a talisman from his pocket with his other hand, tearing it into pieces and throwing them into the water.

The water ghost first struggled, then stiffened, before dissipating into a misty green vapor, disappearing entirely in the water.

After finishing, Chen Yi turned to Yin Tingxue and chuckled, "Scared stiff?"

Yin Tingxue nodded blankly.

"Who told you not to understand Taoist skills? There's more to come." With that, Chen Yi gestured toward the water.

In the distance beneath the surface, countless wisps of black hair surrounded the boat heavily.

Yin Tingxue shuddered involuntarily.

Her gaze flickered uneasily, hesitant to look yet unable to resist. She stole quick glances again and again.

"Don't be afraid. They won't dare approach."

Chen Yi continued:

"Now sit tight. It's time I teach you how to become a proper Taoist."

Yin Tingxue heard him, setting aside her curious expression and scattered thoughts. She sat upright opposite him.

The boat swayed gently, fractured starlight illuminating the depths. No one knew how many shrimp soldiers and crab generals lay underneath, as the lake remained windless, with currents still propelling the little boat onward.

Chen Yi recalled the excitement and curiosity he felt the first time he witnessed these marvels, unable to stop gawking, his heart itching fiercely yet feeling helplessly unsatisfied. Now that he had reached mastery in Taoism, he wouldn't let Yin Tingxue lay eyes on them, ensuring she endured the same itching torment.

"Don't look out."

Yin Tingxue suppressed the urge to steal another glance, instantly pulling her gaze back, obediently following his words.

Chen Yi spoke slowly, "Do you know… what's the most important thing about being a Taoist?"

"To save others?" Yin Tingxue answered instinctively.

"No."

Thinking of Sister Wei Ying, Yin Tingxue added, "Then… to cultivate for immortality?"

"Not that either."

"Then what? Freedom and happiness?" Still puzzled, Yin Tingxue asked again, "So what is it?"

A teasing smile surfaced on Chen Yi's face, "It's… yielding to destiny, and Taoists often pursue fate—that's a form of yielding to destiny."

"Yielding to destiny?" Yin Tingxue asked skeptically. "Isn't it more like, 'My fate is mine, not Heaven's?'"

She had glimpsed Taoist verses and remembered one saying: "One Golden Core swallowed, my fate is no longer Heaven's."

Chen Yi laughed softly, "The phrase 'My fate is not Heaven's' is preceded by 'a Golden Core swallowed'—there's a condition. It lies in the Golden Core Realm. To achieve liberation, one's soul must be whole, radiant, and flawless, repelling all external malice. Then, indeed, 'My fate is not Heaven's.'"

Chen Yi himself had previously been severed of his upper and middle attachments by Zhou Yitang, leaving him free from worldly desires for fame, food, clothing, and shelter, thus shielding himself from external malice. With the Heavenly Vision granted to him, he quickly achieved the Golden Core Realm.

"But I've reached the Golden Core Realm too," Yin Tingxue said.

Certainly aware, Chen Yi grinned, "Then do you understand that yielding to destiny does not conflict with claiming one's fate as their own?"

"No conflict?"

"Yielding to Heaven means hearing Heaven's words, not necessarily obeying them. Claiming your fate means it belongs to you, not Heaven. Ordinary people mistake yielding to destiny as passivity, failing to realize it's merely a method, intended to align with natural order."

After pausing briefly, a shred of wildness flashed in Chen Yi's eyes as he declared:

"If Heaven's voice is pleasant, I'll listen to it. If not—then get lost."

"Oh." Yin Tingxue's expression lifted in realization before she quipped, "Then if your words are pleasant in the future, I'll listen. But if not, you should…"

Chen Yi squinted at her.

Yin Tingxue immediately corrected, "I'll still listen even if they're not pleasant."

Chen Yi shot her a glare while Yin Tingxue sighed in relief, giggling happily.

Looking far into the distance, the water ghosts indeed stayed as Chen Yi said, circling far away without daring to approach. In no time, they dispersed into the water.

Yin Tingxue thought for a moment before nestling closer to Chen Yi, leaning against him. Chen Yi turned and embraced her in his arms.

"In truth, most demons and ghosts aren't worth fearing. Once you've learned some Taoist skills, subduing them is as easy as eating. Yet I've been cautious about teaching you much, for fear your chivalrous pursuits might bring trouble," Chen Yi said gently.

Yin Tingxue nodded slightly, "I trust you. I'll follow your lead."

"You'd listen to anything I say?" Chen Yi replied amused.

"You're the Heavenly Eye, I'm the Heavenly Ear, aren't I?" She spoke matter-of-factly.

"We make quite the pair, huh."

"If you say so." She affirmed.

A warmth spread through Chen Yi's heart, but he quickly teased, "Then where does Master Zhou stand in this? What's her 'Heavenly' ability?"

Yin Tingxue pondered briefly.

Moments later, she laughed, "The Heavenly Mouth."

Chen Yi found her invented title amusing, "Why's that?"

"Because Master Zhou has a sharp tongue!"

Chen Yi was momentarily stunned before bursting into laughter.

He then turned to Yin Tingxue with mock reprimand, "How dare you disrespect your teacher. Are you planning to betray your master someday?"

"No, I wouldn't."

"I suspect you've hidden your intentions well. Perhaps you plan to betray this senior brother of yours first…"

With that, he reached out to grab Yin Tingxue, but the little fox was quick to dodge, jumping away toward the cabin. Chen Yi chased her down, intent on catching her in his arms...

"Not here, not on the boat!"

"Just for a hug. Who's desperate for you anyway?"

"Then don't lie… Ah, no, no, you said just a hug…"

"Evil must be eradicated."

"Ugh..."

Soon enough, their playful noises faded into the night.

The sparkling waves,

and the gentle water held only the solitary light of a serene river moon.