chapter 22
Chapter 22
Fox Shadow took the fish basket.
Inside, the carp was still alive, angrily slapping its tail.
Ye Piaoling said proudly, “I caught this fish myself!”
Fox Shadow frowned. “Eldest Miss, isn’t this fish a bit too small? Is it even enough for a meal?”
Ye Piaoling let out a geigeigei laugh. “Even though it’s small, it looks very nutritious. Maybe eating it will help us live longer!”
The carp: “…”
Fox Shadow said, “Eldest Miss, why don’t we keep it for a while, fatten it up, and then eat it?”
The carp agreed. Every extra day was a blessing.
Ye Piaoling disagreed. “What’s the point of keeping a black carp? It’s not even good-looking. Let’s just kill it and eat the meat!”
She said disdainfully, “If it were a beautiful koi, I might consider keeping it.”
As soon as she finished speaking-
Fox Shadow exclaimed, “Eldest Miss, look!!”
Ye Piaoling looked down and saw that the black carp in the basket had, at some point, turned into a strong and gorgeous koi!
Golden body, red back-absolutely stunning!
“This…”
Ye Piaoling stared at the koi in shock.
If you’d dressed up like this earlier, you wouldn’t have trouble finding a mate…
She was amazed for a while, blinked, and then tested, “This koi is just average. If its tail were like a rainbow skirt, I’d keep it.”
Calamity Heart Azure Dragon heard this and immediately turned its tail into seven colors, forming a skirt shape that seemed to float with immortal energy.
Inwardly, it was furious.
Damn it…
A grand ancient demon, and today, just to survive, I have to endure humiliation and wear a skirt!!!
Ye Piaoling didn’t notice the koi’s humiliated expression and was overjoyed.
“Fox Shadow, I’ve found a treasure!”
Ye Piaoling said excitedly, “This must be the legendary celestial fish that can grant human wishes!”
Fox Shadow was shocked. “Celestial fish?”
“Yes! It can change its gorgeous skin at will-it must be incredibly powerful!”
“…”
Ye Piaoling began to explain, “Haven’t you heard the story of the fisherman and the goldfish? A fisherman caught a goldfish but didn’t kill it. To thank him, the goldfish granted a series of wishes for the fisherman’s family-gold, jewels, houses, status… But in the end, the family became too greedy, and the goldfish took everything back.”
After hearing this, Fox Shadow suddenly understood. “So, this koi can grant your wishes too?”
“Of course it can!” Ye Piaoling nodded.
Fox Shadow: “So, what wish do you want to make?”
Ye Piaoling grinned. “That’s a secret.”
She urged Fox Shadow, “Go find some fish food. We can’t neglect the celestial fish.”
Fox Shadow nodded and went off to obey.
Ye Piaoling found a fish tank, filled it with water, and put the koi in.
As soon as the koi entered the water, it revived and began to swim around.
Ye Piaoling happily carried the tank into her room and closed the doors and windows.
Then, facing the koi in the tank, she spoke solemnly, “Great Celestial Fish, I know your powers are boundless. No matter what I want, you can do it… Don’t worry, I’ve learned from the fable and won’t be too greedy. I only have one small wish right now. As long as you help me, I promise to treat you like an ancestor!”
Ye Piaoling lowered her voice, winking and making faces:
“Um, I want the Regent King Di Xiulan’s bathrobe… Please use your magic to get his bathrobe for me, okay?”
The koi was silent for a while after hearing this.
Then, it slowly turned over, belly up, floating motionless on the water’s surface.
…
Fox Shadow returned with fish food and was startled by the sight in the tank.
“Eldest Miss, it’s only been a moment-how did it die already?”
Ye Piaoling: “Don’t panic, I guess it’s just backstroking.”
“But it’s turned belly-up! Only dead fish do that…”
Fox Shadow said, “Did you make some outrageous wish and force it to death?”
“Impossible!” Ye Piaoling wailed, “I only made a tiny wish, how could that force it to death? Maybe it just wants to lie in a different position, or maybe it’s just fainted from hunger. A little food will fix it!”
After speaking, Ye Piaoling took the fish food and poured it into the tank with a splash.
The fish food was made of cornmeal. As a large amount was dumped in, the whole tank instantly turned murky and filthy…
The next second, the koi gave a sudden jerk, flipped over, and started swimming around frantically.
It was a Virgo-never eating such low-grade feed, and even less able to tolerate such a filthy environment!
Ye Piaoling burst out laughing: “See, it was hungry! The moment it saw food, it got so excited!”
Fox Shadow frowned, muttering to himself, “Why do I feel like it’s not happy at all…”
Ye Piaoling said, “Alright, hurry and go find out about Aunt Liu. Before tomorrow night, I want to know her every move.”
“Yes!” Fox Shadow accepted the order and left.
After Fox Shadow left, Ye Piaoling looked at the koi and smiled, “You seem pretty tired today, so I won’t bother you. I’ll come back tomorrow to make a wish!”
With that, she turned and left.
Leaving the koi alone, adrift in a chaotic cornmeal soup…
…
That night, the Calamity Heart Azure Dragon used what little power it had left to send Ye Piaoling a dream.
Ye Piaoling dreamed of a big fish floating before her eyes.
“You’re that koi!”
Ye Piaoling recognized it, delighted: “Looks like I was right, you really are a celestial fish. What’s your name?”
The koi said, “Calamity Heart.”
“Calamity Heart?” Ye Piaoling frowned, “With a name like that, you don’t sound like a good guy…”
“Who are you calling a guy?!”
The koi was very displeased and immediately snapped, “I’m a great demon-how could I be compared to lowly humans!”
Ye Piaoling: “…”
Alright, humans look down on demons, and demons look down on humans. Mutual disdain, understandable.
Ye Piaoling apologized politely, “Sorry, you’re not human.”
The koi replied arrogantly, “As long as you know.”
Ye Piaoling: “Your name is Calamity Heart, so I’ll call you Huohuo from now on.”
“Whatever you like.”
The koi didn’t care about names anymore, only saying, “I sent you this dream to tell you to change my water immediately. Bring me a tank of clean water.”
“Change the water?” Ye Piaoling was puzzled. “But there’s so much fish food in there, wouldn’t it be a waste to throw it out?”
“I don’t eat fish food,” the koi said disdainfully.
“You don’t eat fish food? Then what do you eat?” Ye Piaoling asked.
The koi sneered in silence.
Once I regain my true form as the Calamity Heart Azure Dragon, you’ll know what I eat.
At that time, you’ll be the first one I eat!
Ye Piaoling: “I’m asking you a question! Tell me what you eat, and I can arrange it.”
The koi said, “Forget it. I don’t eat mortal things. From now on, you don’t need to feed me-just keep the water clean.”
“How can you not eat!”
Ye Piaoling said, “Man is iron, food is steel…”
“I told you, I’m not human!!!”
The koi roared in fury.
Ye Piaoling: “…”
The koi bellowed, “Stop using the word ‘human’ to insult me!”
Ye Piaoling: “Sorry, I promise it won’t happen again. I’ll take care of changing the water.”
She rubbed her hands together and smiled, “But I also want to ask you for a favor. I want the Regent King’s bathrobe.”
The koi: “…”