Yun Xi's eyes narrowed. She had concealed her aura with an Immortal Artifact, so how had this little bamboo spirit seen through her disguise?
She then showed a gentle smile and asked:
"Little Bamboo, how did you know I am Sister?"
The young master seemed to realize it had said something wrong. It trembled a little, afraid, and whispered:
"Zhu Sheng can see."
Yun Xi was genuinely surprised. She glanced at her robe and touched the Glazed Jade Mask on her face, confirming she had no flaws in her disguise. She decided not to dwell on this question and continued:
"You asked me to help save your grandfather. What happened to him? Where is he now?"
Upon being asked the core question, Zhu Sheng stopped crying. Wiping away the tears on its little face, its pale green eyes met Yun Xi's as it said:
"Zhu Sheng does not know what happened. Grandfather woke me from my sleep, poured his essence into me, and then sent me away.
But when Zhu Sheng left, I saw Grandfather's body turn black, and his eyes changed from green to gray. It was scary. Then the entire bamboo forest changed."
Although vague, Yun Xi understood clearly. The little bamboo spirit's grandfather had been controlled by an unknown force and desperately sent his descendant to safety, hoping he could escape.
The little one, worried for his grandfather but powerless to help, could only seek aid from the cultivator entering the bamboo forest. Since Yun Xi had a pleasant scent and was a female cultivator, she was fortunate to be chosen.
Dian Dian, listening to Yun Xi's analysis, asked:
"Master, should we help?"
Yun Xi looked at the little bamboo spirit's eager gaze. She felt soft-hearted and somewhat moved, but still asked:
"What is your grandfather's cultivation level?"
"Grandfather is the Bamboo King. He is the strongest in this forest."
Yun Xi rubbed her forehead. She never doubted that. She only wanted to understand his strength to see if she could actually intervene. Clearly, the little bamboo spirit had no concept of this.
Yun Xi rephrased her question:
"Zhu Sheng, where did the other three who entered the bamboo forest with me go? Could they stand a chance against your grandfather?"
Zhu Sheng, no longer crying, fiddled with its little pudgy hands for a while before answering:
"They were probably led by Grandfather into the deep forest. He gave all his essence to me. Now, confronting the three of them will be difficult, but trapping them is no problem."
Yun Xi suppressed the urge to leave the bamboo spirit behind and asked:
"So, you've been leading us in circles for what reason?"
Zhu Sheng pointed with its tiny finger:
"To avoid the Green Bamboo Miasma, and then talk to you about conditions for saving Grandfather!"
This time, it spoke clearly and acted methodically.
Yun Xi lifted an eyebrow:
"And what do you offer as payment?"
Hearing this, the little bamboo spirit's pale green eyes sparkled with joy. It happily said:
"I can give you half of the bamboo sap in my body as payment to save Grandfather."
Yun Xi revealed a mischievous smile, pretending to be greedy:
"Little one, if you recognize me as your master, I will save your grandfather. With you, all the bamboo sap in your body will be mine."
Faced with Yun Xi's smile, Zhu Sheng trembled slightly, tears quickly filling its eyes. Just as Yun Xi prepared to release the little bamboo spirit, it said with a sob:
"Okay, it's a deal. You save Grandfather, and I will follow you!"
"Hmm?"
Yun Xi was stunned this time. She only intended to warn the little one off, not really take it along.
Zhu Sheng seemed to sense Yun Xi's hesitation. It plucked a fresh green bamboo leaf from above, tapped it with its pudgy hand, and the leaf glowed with soft jade-green light before it was placed in Yun Xi's palm.
In the next moment, the bamboo leaf merged into Yun Xi's palm and entered her sea of consciousness. Zhu Sheng had successfully recognized her as master.
Dian Dian was dumbfounded. It stomped its feet and said:
"This bamboo spirit is tricky. Our master has not even agreed yet!"
Zhu Sheng ignored it, obediently looking at Yun Xi:
"Master, I have recognized you as my master. Can we go save Grandfather now?"
Yun Xi felt like a thousand alpacas ran across her mind. Was there really someone rushing to recognize her as master? Had she not acted fiercely enough to scare the little one?
Zhu Sheng did not care. It urged:
"Master, we need to hurry! If we do not leave, your companions will be in danger."
Yun Xi wiped her face and said:
"You lead the way. We will follow."
"Yes, Master!"
This time, the little bamboo spirit eagerly agreed and chose a convenient place to stay. Its true form embedded itself in Yun Xi's hair, looking like a jade-green bamboo hairpin. For male cultivators, it would blend perfectly.
Dian Dian was annoyed but still jumped into Yun Xi's arms and transmitted:
"Master, this Zhu Sheng is clever, using itself as bait to get us to save its grandfather."
Yun Xi sighed: "Who am I to resist it? It must be a rare Tear Bamboo. If it survives the Transformation Thunder Tribulation, it can evolve into a Wood Spirit Body."
"No wonder this little bamboo spirit was so eager to recognize a master. You have the Wind Spirit Root, mutated from the Wood Spirit Root. Even if it evolves into a Wood Spirit Body, you cannot use it. Feeling safe, it clings to you."
Yun Xi smiled slightly. "Zhu Sheng is too young, raised in the secret realm, unaware of the treachery of humans.
I may not need it, but I can use it to exchange for cultivation resources. I believe even Divine Transformation cultivators would be tempted if I offered a Wood Spirit Body."
Dian Dian scratched its black ear:
"Master is right, but you will not do that."
"Oh? Why?"
Dian Dian twitched its whiskers and said: "Master is kind to all sentient beings. You only intervened against those loose cultivators to protect me, forcing them to break their contract before you eliminated them. Yet they deserved it."
Yun Xi smiled: "I believe all things have spirit, just in different forms. Once sentient, they have value. Without wrongdoing, I should not decide their fate lightly.
This little bamboo spirit has not even done harm. I intended to leave it be, but it acted first. I have no choice but to respond, treating it as experience. If I cannot win, I will retreat."
"Master is right."
Dian Dian immediately agreed.
At that moment, Zhu Sheng reminded her:
"Master, we are entering the Green Bamboo Miasma. Follow my directions exactly, or we will be trapped."
"Okay, lead the way."
Yun Xi replied. The bamboo forest ahead had turned deep ink green. The leaves rubbed together, creating eerie rustling, and a faint, unseen layer of pale green miasma enveloped her.
At the forest's center, under a thousand-year-old bamboo tree, Yun Chen Fózǐ struggled to support himself. Beside him, Han Lian Zhēnjūn sat cross-legged, trapped in a mysterious obstacle.