After some time had passed, Tai Bai came over to entice He Qing into visiting the Bodhisattva’s lotus pond to pick out a koi fish. He Qing poked his head out of the Spirit Pool. “Are we going now?”

“Yes.” Tai Bai asked, “What color fish do you want?”

He Qing thought for a moment. “I don’t know. I’ll figure it out when I see them.”

Duan Chenhui picked He Qing up, guessing that He Qing just wanted to take a look. “Alright, let’s go.”

He Qing lay in Duan Chenhui’s hand, feeling a bit sleepy, probably because he had been eating too much lately and felt like sleeping. He perked up and, after a while, they arrived at Bodhisattva’s lotus pond. The pond was vast, stretching for almost a thousand miles.

He Qing wanted to jump in but was caught by Duan Chenhui. “Wait, we’ll take a boat.”

When they arrived, a boy dressed in white was waiting for them. Seeing them, he bowed. “The Bodhisattva has instructed me to let the two Dragon Lords choose freely.”

“Where did he go?” Tai Bai looked around, but didn’t see anyone.

The boy replied, “The Bodhisattva is out on business, and I don’t know where. I’ll guide the two Dragon Lords through the lotus pond.”

“Xiao Hei, you’re still so serious.” Tai Bai chuckled. Xiao Hei was a koi fish spirit… Was the Bodhisattva leaving him behind to welcome them for some reason?

“I’m not called Xiao Hei,” the celestial boy retorted.

Tai Bai shook his head and waved his hand, conjuring a small boat. “Alright, come aboard. We’ll look around ourselves.”

Duan Chenhui stepped onto the boat, and the celestial boy followed. He took hold of a bamboo pole and began steering the boat, which moved forward slowly.

He Qing looked down into the pond and saw many colorful koi swimming around the boat.

Tai Bai smiled. “He Qing, see any you like?”

He Qing looked at the fish. “They haven’t awakened their intelligence yet.”

Duan Chenhui glanced at the koi fish. They all seemed the same to him. “They should soon. A soak in the Spirit Pool will do the trick.”

Hearing this, He Qing suddenly didn’t know how to choose. Each fish seemed like a baby waiting to be nurtured. He hesitated for a long time, unable to make a decision.

Duan Chenhui wasn’t in a hurry. He stroked He Qing without saying anything. After circling the pond once, He Qing still hadn’t made a choice.

Just then, Tai Bai looked at the horizon and saw someone standing on a lotus platform, flying toward them. It was the Bodhisattva, finally appearing—what a coincidence!

“Greetings, Dragon Lords.” Bodhisattva smiled as he landed. “Apologies for not welcoming you earlier.”

Tai Bai jumped ashore, smirking. “Not at all. We finished our tour just in time.”

Bodhisattva glanced at him and smiled slightly. “Have you chosen a koi fish?”

“No,” Duan Chenhui replied. “I’m sorry for the trouble.”

He Qing nodded along with Duan Chenhui, still unsure of how to choose, so he decided not to choose at all.

“It’s no trouble.” Bodhisattva’s smile didn’t falter. “However, I have a recommendation.”

“Oh? Who?” Tai Bai thought, finally getting to the point.

Duan Chenhui raised an eyebrow, curious as Bodhisattva continued, “What do you think of Xiao Tu?”

The celestial boy standing nearby widened his eyes. “Bodhisattva, I—”

The Bodhisattva glanced at him, and the boy fell silent.

Duan Chenhui didn’t immediately agree but looked down at He Qing. “What do you think?”

He Qing looked at the boy. “Can he play with me?”

“He can,” Bodhisattva said with a smile. “Xiao Tu is a large koi and can carry you through the skies and across the earth.”

He Qing’s eyes lit up. “Will you come with us? If not, then forget it.”

The boy called Xiao Tu glanced at the Bodhisattva, then back at them. After a moment, he said, “I’m willing.”

Tai Bai didn’t know why the Bodhisattva had made such arrangements. He thought about it for a moment, even tried divining it, but couldn’t see the outcome. Was it a good thing or a bad thing?

Duan Chenhui said nothing, and Bodhisattva closed his eyes slightly. “Xiao Tu, you may go with them.”

“Yes.” Xiao Tu transformed into a koi fish and swam toward them.

He Qing looked at him. He turned out to be a black koi.

“Alright, we’ll take our leave. Farewell,” Duan Chenhui said, feeling a bit uneasy as he took He Qing and the newly acquired koi back.

Halfway back, Tai Bai said, “Maybe He Qing is about to sprout. Otherwise, the Bodhisattva wouldn’t have done this.”

Hearing this, Duan Chenhui felt a little more at ease. He brought the black koi back and observed him for a few days. The koi stayed quietly in the Spirit Pool, showing no unusual behavior.

One day, He Qing swam over to ask the black koi, “Do you like it here?”

“No,” Sun Tu snapped at him.

He Qing swam a little closer. “Can you carry me?”

Sun Tu thought this guy didn’t understand human speech. “I said I don’t like it. It’s childish here.” Besides, even my master doesn’t want me anymore, leaving me here like this!

He Qing sank to the bottom of the pool and rolled around. “Then let’s go somewhere we like?”

Sun Tu’s eyes shifted as he glanced at He Qing. Taking advantage of the fact that Duan Chenhui was away at a meeting, Sun Tu grabbed He Qing and took off. He had heard that this lotus seed could break through barriers.

“What are you doing?” He Qing thought Sun Tu was going to eat him. “I don’t taste good.”

“You’re hard as a rock! Who would want to eat you? My teeth would shatter!” Sun Tu retorted angrily.

“Oh, right.” He Qing quieted down, allowing Sun Tu to carry him away. “So, where are we going?”

“We’re going on an adventure!” Sun Tu thought for a moment. If they kept going this way, they’d reach the Bodhisattva’s lotus pond again. He’d just take another look…

Sun Tu carried He Qing out of the Spirit Pool and into the Milky Way, swimming farther and farther. He Qing wasn’t visiting the Milky Way for the first time, so he greeted the big fish in the river. “How’s it going lately?”

The big fish trembled. “All good… Everything’s been fine…” Holy cow, why is the War God’s treasure here again? Last time He Qing accidentally wandered into the Milky Way, we all got beaten up… Wait, no. Someone thought He Qing was fish food and ended up getting beaten up.

“…” Sun Tu carefully swam on. These guys were only behaving because they were terrified of Duan Chenhui. If they could just get past the Milky Way, they’d reach the Buddhist realm.

He swam for a while when suddenly, he noticed thunderclouds gathering in the sky. “??!!” Who’s undergoing a heavenly tribulation in the celestial realm? We’re doomed!

The big fish saw this and immediately scattered. “It’s the Ninth Heaven Tribulation! Run!”

“Who triggered this?!” Sun Tu thought he might die as he desperately swam faster. “Who’s causing the tribulation?”

“What should we do?” He Qing looked up. Why did it feel like the tribulation was targeting him? Was he about to sprout?

“Let’s avoid it for now,” Sun Tu swam around in a panic. Suddenly, he felt the ground give way beneath him, and a sensation of freefall hit. Oh no!

The big fish all shouted, “We almost forgot! There’s a huge hole at the edge of the Milky Way!”

“Damn it! Why haven’t you guys fixed it?!” Sun Tu was so scared he dropped He Qing.

Sun Tu struggled to fly back up, but a lightning strike came crashing down, scaring him so much that he dove down instead, trying to escape.

He Qing clung tightly to him. “What do we do now? Are we going to crash?”

“…We’ll just take it easy!” Sun Tu had no choice. “You’re heavy! Get off me!”

“No way.” He Qing latched onto his back. “That’s the mortal realm below. Should we hide there for a while?”

“Good idea! We’ll wait for the General to come and get us.”

“Smart!”

“You’re the dumb one!” Sun Tu plunged into the clouds. But what awaited them below wasn’t solid ground—it was the boundless ocean…

With a loud “splash,” the two of them fell into the sea and were immediately swept apart by the waves.