Shen Yu’s gaze also fell upon the woman in white, but his expression was not as shocked as Shen Da’s or Shen Er’s.
As a scion of the capital’s nobility, what sights had he not seen? He had been bored with those miraculous-seeming acrobatic tricks since childhood.
Fetching items from thin air or hiding treasures in sleeves—they were nothing more than deceptive parlor tricks used to fool the gullible.
Right now, his brother's whereabouts were unknown; finding him was the priority.
“Let’s go,” he said softly. Tightening his grip on the reins, he prepared to urge his horse forward.
However, at that moment...
Ripples suddenly broke the surface of the stream.
A reddish-gold carp poked its head out of the water. It looked toward the bank, its tail swaying gently, its posture as respectful as a subject kowtowing to a monarch.
Then came a second, a third...
Within moments, dozens of fish gathered from all directions, their scales interweaving into a flowing tapestry of radiant colors.
They nibbled at the white porridge in the woman’s hand before wagging their heads and tails in the shallow water at her feet.
It truly looked as if they were worshipping her.
The woman in white looked down at the fish, a faint, ethereal smile gracing her picturesque features.
The fish immediately grew jubilant, competing to leap out of the water. The sound of splashing echoed through the valley.
Finally.
The reddish-gold carp was the first to dive into the depths.
When it resurfaced, it held a blood-red jade stone in its mouth, its luster warm and gentle.
It swam to the woman’s feet, gently placed the jade on the bank, and then retreated half a foot to gaze up at her.
The rest of the fish followed suit.
Before long.
A pile of treasures sat before the woman in white.
Hairpins, jewelry, necklaces, and even several pearls the size of lotus seeds...
This bizarre phenomenon completely stunned the three men.
【Shock Value from Shen Da +100】
【Shock Value from Shen Er +100】
【Shock Value from Shen Yu +50】
The forest was silent.
Shen Da and Shen Er’s mouths hung open, unable to close. A faint sound of swallowing came from their throats.
Had they actually encountered an immortal?
Even Shen Yu, who prided himself on his vast knowledge, unconsciously tightened his grip on the reins until his knuckles turned white.
Such a miracle was definitely not something a mere parlor trick could achieve!
Those fish should have been mindless animals, yet they left the water to eat, bowed to the person on the bank, and even fetched treasures from the bottom of the stream to offer them with such devotion...
In a daze, he recalled a famous masterpiece he had seen in the palace as a child: 《The Nymph of the Luo River》.
The goddess in the painting stood upon the Luo River, surrounded by fish and dragons, her robes fluttering—divine and inviolable.
At the time, he only thought the artistry was exquisite and the atmosphere profound.
Only now did he realize that the artist's skill was limited; they couldn't capture even a ten-thousandth of the person before him.
Shen Yu stared at the woman by the stream, a single thought revolving in his mind.
Was she a deity? Or a ghost of the woods?
And the woman being feared, speculated about, and looked up to by Shen Yu’s group was, of course, Yun Shu.
Yun Shu kept her eyes lowered, maintaining her posture as a goddess looking down upon all living beings. However, her peripheral vision swept over the translucent system panel floating in the corner of her vision.
【Current Shock Value: 295】
From 0 to 295.
Not bad.
The corners of her lips twitched in a nearly imperceptible curve.
It was worth the effort of waiting by the stream for two full days and nights just to perform this scene.
The system had long since been rendered speechless by shock.
Its previous hosts had to expend immense effort just to save up 300 Shock Value for a single outfit draw.
But Yun Shu had obtained 295 Shock Value just by sitting there without saying a word...
It clearly hadn't chosen the wrong person!
Who said feeding Favorability Pills to fish was a waste?
This use of the Favorability Pill was absolutely worth it!
Sudden, heavy footsteps echoed from the forest.
About fifteen or sixteen ragged refugees emerged from the mountain path. They were all gaunt, with sunken eyes. Some limped, others leaned on each other—they looked like a group of lifeless ghosts crawling out of a grave.
Their leader was a lean man with high cheekbones and eyes that shone with a terrifying light.
It was the green glint found only in a starving wolf.
“Someone’s there!”
“Food!”
“She has porridge in her hand! And so much treasure...”
The refugees saw Yun Shu, and naturally, they saw the half-bowl of porridge in her hand, the blindingly bright treasures, and the plump carp in the stream.
Hunger made them gradually forget their fear, giving birth to unprecedented courage and malice.
The lean man was the first to charge forward.
His eyes were fixed on the porridge and the treasures. His pace grew faster and more urgent.
Shen Da and Shen Er’s expressions changed.
They instinctively wanted to draw their swords and rush out to protect her.
Though they didn't know if the woman in white was a god or a ghost, how could they let mere mortals offend her after witnessing such a spectacle?
Shen Yu, however, raised his hand to stop them.
He wanted to see how the woman would respond.
By the stream, the lean man had already rushed to within ten meters of Yun Shu. Looking at her, his heart pounded.
But hunger outweighed fear. He swallowed hard, a predatory light in his eyes. “Miss, you look like a lady from a wealthy family. Your life is precious. As long as you give me that porridge and the treasure, I won't make things difficult for you...”
Yun Shu slowly raised her eyes.
That light glance fell upon him, devoid of any emotion or warmth.
It was the gaze of a god looking down at an ant.
It wasn't contempt.
It was simply... indifference.
With just that one look.
The lean man was frozen in place by Yun Shu’s gaze, cold sweat drenching his back. He didn't dare move an inch.
Yun Shu withdrew her gaze. She turned her head to look at the carp still swimming in the stream.
Then, she did something unexpected: she poured all the remaining white porridge from the bowl into the water.
“No—!”
The lean man lunged forward, kneeling by the stream and desperately scooping his hands into the water. But he only came up with a handful of silt.
The fish scrambled to devour the porridge, and in an instant, it vanished completely.
He knelt in the stream, his eyes bloodshot and his voice as raspy as a broken bellows.
“We’re all about to starve to death! You’d rather dump the porridge than give us a morsel? Is human life nothing but weeds in your eyes?!”
His words were piercing, and the refugees began to weep.
A woman knelt down holding a child; an old man kowtowed tremulously, his forehead hitting the mud.
Yun Shu, however, remained unmoved. “In my eyes, you are no different from the fish and shrimp in this stream.”
She could have given the porridge to these refugees, but she wouldn't, and she couldn't.
Past experiences had taught her that excessive kindness could sometimes be a sin; one should never underestimate human nature.
“How can fish be compared to living people!”
The lean man was furious.
The refugees behind him also grew restless. Some cried, some cursed, and some picked up stones from the ground.
“This crazy woman!”
“She’d rather feed fish than us!”
“Why don't we just rob her!”
The refugees swarmed forward.
At that moment, another anomaly occurred.
The stream suddenly erupted with violent ripples.
With a splash.
A black carp leaped high out of the water, tracing an arc through the air.
It landed between the refugees and Yun Shu.
Then came a second, a third...
Splash! Splash! Splash!
Dozens of carp competed to leap out of the water, landing on the bank one after another.
They struggled, flopped, and rolled in the mud, their scales covered in silt and their gills gasping violently, yet they still used every ounce of strength to move in front of Yun Shu.
The fish were using their own bodies to block the refugees.
The fish were protecting her!
“Mon... Monsters! These fish have become spirits!”
“Run!”
The refugees screamed and scattered in terror.
Some of the more cowardly ones didn't even dare to run; their legs were too weak to stand. They collapsed on the bank, kneeling and begging for mercy.
“Spare us, Goddess! Spare us!”
“I... I was just crazed with hunger. I didn't mean to offend the Goddess! Please show mercy...”
【Shock Value from Shen Yu +20】
【Shock Value from Zhao Erniu +100】
【...】
【Current Shock Value: 1255】
Yun Shu’s peripheral vision swept over the system panel, and her mind stirred.
That’s enough.
It’s time to draw a new outfit.
Rate on N.U.
