Turquoise Pool pulled Li Changzhou momentarily.
Li Changzhou bowed to the swan, then turned and followed Turquoise Pool into the carriage, where Yang Qinglan and Li Qianxia were already waiting in the council hall.
"What's going on outside?" Li Qianxia asked hurriedly.
Li Changzhou described the situation and added, "I don't know who let the cat out of the bag... the White Snake and the Green Snake?"
Only these two could guess their purpose.
"Perhaps these people aren't guarding against us," Turquoise Pool paced thoughtfully, "Do you think Guanyin, being an Earth Immortal, would mobilize her forces for just four Immortals?"
"Is there someone else targeting her Bodhisattva position?" Li Changzhou asked.
"Since it's the Buddha Battle, even if others were to go after other Bodhisattvas and Arhats, Guanyin being one of the four great Bodhisattvas, it makes no sense for it to be just us—perhaps—"
Turquoise Pool lifted her head, looking at the three people: "—we also might have an Earth Immortal on our side."
Thump, thump, thump
All four immediately shut their mouths and looked towards the carriage door.
Turquoise Pool glanced at Li Changzhou, and he nodded, opening the carriage door.
"This carriage is a treasure indeed."
"What treasure, don't be blind, this is clearly a spell."
Three women entered, all very beautiful, with the leader being especially graceful and gorgeous, her forehead adorned with two small dragon horns.
"See," the proud young girl with the prominent horns boasted to the other two, "I told you there would be Immortals coming to help, and you wouldn't believe me. The Bodhisattva Guanyin saves all sentient beings, and now in times of trouble, what does it matter if a few Immortals show up?"
The two behind her quickly pulled her back, whispering, "Dragon Girl, there are four of them here, and they aren't ordinary Immortals!"
Dragon Girl looked at Li Changzhou and the others and said, "Isn't that even better?"
She came forward, bowing elegantly, "I am the Dragon Girl under Guanyin's command, may I ask who you are?"
"I have been cultivating on Gu She Mountain in the East Sea," Yang Qinglan, the only righteous character, stepped forward.
"Gu She Divine Woman?!" all three were taken aback.
They scrutinized her attire—a white silk skirt, skin whiter than snow, a pure and ice-clear demeanor, a beauty resembling a Heavenly Immortal, cradling a Jade Ruyi, indeed matching the rumored appearance of the Gu She Divine Woman.
Even if it were a Transformation Spell, it could hardly produce such an exceptional appearance.
They all looked on with envy.
"But," one of the women in green clothes curiously said, "isn't the Gu She Divine Woman a Daoist Fairy? Why would she help us?"
Yang Qinglan smiled slightly: "I am neither Daoist nor Buddhist. It's just that one of my sisters was enlightened by Guanyin, and the other was poisoned by a snake, so I came to the South Sea for both assistance and help."
With a wave of her Ruyi, she opened the doors to Bai Suzhen and Xiao Qing's room.
Li Changzhou stood closer to the two snakes than anyone else, his back to the crowd, transmitting his voice to them.
—Bai Niangzi, you've heard our conversation, collaborate well with us, you wouldn't want your sister to be in trouble, would you?
—Xiao Qing, if you dare to talk too much, I will make the King Cobra swallow you whole.
"Both sisters look quite unwell, who has been injured?" Dragon Girl asked curiously.
"Bai Suzhen greets the Dragon Girl," Bai Suzhen quickly greeted with a curtsey, "It's my sister Xiao Qing, who... recently fell victim to the hands of a Demon, was poisoned, and suffers severe pain when the poison acts up every day."
Dragon Girl stepped forward, grabbed Xiao Qing's wrist, and Bai Suzhen looked at her hopefully.
"This poison is severe," Dragon Girl said with a serious expression, "surely it has tens of thousands of components, each one intertwined and countering each other, any single detoxification drug, not only would fail to cure but could worsen the poison."
"Yes, someone has a very cruel heart," Li Changzhou sighed, "Dragon Girl, is there a way to detoxify it? Xiao Qing and I have been good friends for a century, and I, Li, am willing to go through fire and water to heal her."
Xiao Qing wanted to slap him to death with her tail.
It was your damn poison, and you're willing to go through fire and water!
"This poison, although tough, there are two ways I can think of," Dragon Girl contemplated.
"Oh?" Li Changzhou stepped forward.
Bai Suzhen's heartbeat quickened, the distance between Dragon Girl and Li Changzhou was now close enough for an attack.
"One is the Dragon Ball," Dragon Girl said, "the Dragon Clan governs all the waters, and the Dragon Ball has the power to purify everything. This poison is fierce but no match for the Dragon Ball, only... I am from the Dragon Clan but practice Buddhism, I don't have a Dragon Ball, we would have to wait until we get to the South Sea and ask the South Sea Dragon King for help."
"The South Sea Dragon King is always stingy, and the Dragon Ball is the lifeblood and mana of the Dragon Clan, would he be willing to help?" the woman in green said.
"Difficult," Dragon Girl shook her head, "the second method is the Bodhisattva Guanyin's Nectar of the Willow Branch, which is simpler. The Bodhisattva Guanyin aids those in suffering; while Nectar of the Willow Branch is precious, the Bodhisattva would never be stingy."
"That's reassuring," Li Changzhou sighed in relief, "Dragon Girl, when the time comes, please put in a good word for us in front of the Bodhisattva Guanyin."
"As long as your sister has committed no evil deeds and is devoted to goodness, why would I need to speak for her? If she is usually deceitful and wicked, even my kind words would be of no use."
"We siblings have been cultivating on Qingcheng Mountain, committing no evil deeds, nor performing good ones either," Li Changzhou cautiously asked.
"Then that counts as goodness," Dragon Girl sighed, "let me not dwell on this, I still have to lead the way. We're almost at South Sea Wind Wave Cliff now, without me, they can't cross."
Once more, the three hurriedly left.
"Now that we have a guide, can you finally let us go?" Xiao Qing glared at Li Changzhou.
"Once you're detoxified, you may go wherever you want," Li Changzhou didn't look at her, pondering his recent conversation with Dragon Girl.
"Hmph!" Xiao Qing moved beside Bai Suzhen, "Sister, I think he's full of lies, speaking of century-long friendship, he spouts lies effortlessly, even if we take him to see Guanyin, he might not let us go."