Chapter 163 – Exquisite Boy
The lake which did not contain anything, but now, unexpectedly, a strange platform was floating in the air in the middle of the lake. That platform seemed to be constructed by layers upon layers of vegetation, causing it to appear like it was made of dark green foliage.
The platform was about the size of a round table for eight. Under the moonlight, it shone like dazzling glitter.
This was not what surprised Ning Xuemo the most, what made her stare agape was the small child sitting on top of the platform!
A small child who seemed as if he was carefully sculpted from fine jade appeared. The child looked to be around two years old. His eyes were closed. His nose was tall and straight, and his mouth was a light pink. In the middle of his forehead, there was a flower bud cinnabar mark.
He was only wearing a light silver apron which revealed his limbs, which were as white as lotus root.
His eyes were closed in meditation as his snow white hair covered his entire body like a curtain. Under the moonlight, it shone with a silver light.
The platform was located at the center of the lake, and the moonlight just so happened to fall on him, causing his surroundings to appear hazy, as if he was surrounded by a veil. In this partially lit environment, only he stood out clearly.
The moonlight was not stingy in weaving a light silver aura around him, like the aura surrounding Buddha’s head…
A deity? A demon?! Or a mountain spirit?!
Ning Xuemo stared at that child as many guesses flashed through her heart.
It was only natural she would not think that he was human. After all, normal people could not enter the 9th peak easily and no family would let their child accidentally run to this kind of place…
She held her breath as her gaze fell on the cinnabar mark on his forehead. That cinnabar mark seemed to have a shape… somewhat like a ginseng flower…
‘Could it be a ginseng spirit?!’
Ning Xuemo’s gaze shined!
As she watched his white limbs, the limbs became more and more similar to a plump and white ginseng…
Ginseng was a great tonic. She heard that ginseng could only form a human shape after a hundred years, had a proper head after 500 years of cultivation, and defined facial features after 1,000 years. They could only turn into an actual person after 10,000 years and even then, they could take the shape of a small child…
Folk stories and legends about ginseng spirits were countless, but the most famous one mentioned that eating one might help to reach immortality.
The legendary Zhang Guolao[1] only became a deity after he ate a ginseng spirit!
This place was inaccessible to most humans. That lake was so strange that even after 10,000 years it was possible that no one managed to reach this place. Hence, the existence of a ginseng that cultivated into a human form was quite possible.
She had not thought that she would accidentally stumble upon this place and discover the existence of such a ginseng! She was too lucky!
Since she came across it, she definitely could not let it slip away!
Perhaps eating this ginseng would allow her strength to make a great leap, turning her into a beautiful genius girl. She could then act as she pleased everywhere on this continent!
Even more importantly, after her strength greatly increases, she would have more chances to escape from this mountain.
She secretly let out a sigh of relief. She checked her possessions, since catching a ginseng spirit required silver needles and red threads.
She had silver needle and thread, but, unfortunately, the thread was not red.
But that would not trouble her. She used her short blade to make a light cut on her finger and used fresh blood to dye it red.
She then sealed it in a small bottle…
Everything was ready. She once again slipped into the water…
Her ability to move in water was extremely high; She could hide herself underwater while swimming without needing to surface for air for three minutes. In the water, she swam soundlessly and without disturbing the water surface, similar to a barracuda, as she made her way to the platform.
‘Almost! Almost there…’
The distance was roughly 500 meters. On the way, she surfaced for air twice during which she looked at the child. He was continuing to meditate, unknowing that danger was approaching…
As she was getting closer to the green platform, Ning Xuemo slowed down.
She gathered her strength while underwater as her hand gripped the silver needle.
[1] He’s a Taoist hermit during the Tang dynasty. Later, he ascended and became one of the Eight Immortals in the Taoist pantheon.