The first step in saving Jiujiao Mountain

“Waaah… Waaah… Grandpa Langzhi…” Su Yuyao stood blankly at the crossroads, sobbing softly.

This news was a devastating blow to her, one that she could not bear.

"Miss! Miss!" Bai Er caught up anxiously. Looking at the grieving Su Yuyao, she asked in surprise, "Miss! What happened to you?"

"White, White Ear...Grandpa Langzhi...is dead..."

"What?!" Bai Er stared wide-eyed at Su Yuyao in shock. "Lady Langzhi... what's wrong?"

“He’s dead…” Su Yuyao cried, gasping for breath, “What do we do…”

"How could Lord Langzhi be dead?" Bai Er asked doubtfully. "Lord Langzhi's mother is the mountain goddess here! Although their mother-son relationship... well... Lord Langzhi's origin as a mountain goddess will not change!"

"Grandpa Langzhi... was he born a mountain god?" Su Yuyao wiped away her tears and said, "Then how did Grandpa Langzhi become a Snow Hermit who cleans latrines?"

"Lord Langzhi was demoted to Snow Hermit due to certain matters, but no matter what position he is demoted to, Lord Langzhi will not die easily!"

"Oh...that's good..." Su Yuyao breathed a sigh of relief, but her heart was still uneasy and her heart was still pounding.

She looked up at the gray sky above her, which was blocked out by clouds. "Grandpa Langzhi, you must not be hurt!"

Suddenly, through a few sparse branches, she saw something moving in the gray sky in the distance!

Su Yuyao rubbed her eyes. Ah! It was that familiar yet unfamiliar name—Yu Ji Lei!

"White Ear!" Su Yuyao glared at Yu Jilei, pointed at the tree branch and shouted, "Look over there!"

Bai Er looked in the direction Su Yuyao was pointing and said, "There's nothing there! It's just a patch of dark rain!"

"You can't see it either..." Su Yuyao sighed. What to do? Brother Yue'er and Meng Yu weren't there, and Fei Hua...

Fei Hua?! Su Yuyao suddenly remembered that Fei Hua had been making her recite her lessons, saying she didn't have enough time... and even mentioned using Qi...

Su Yuyao turned and ran back to the courtyard, "Feihua! Feihua! I'm asking you, is Grandpa Langzhi in danger?"

“We are all in danger…” Fei Hua stared blankly at Su Yuyao, leaning against the door frame.

"I'm asking about Grandpa Langzhi!" Su Yuyao grabbed Feihua's shoulder and asked, "Is Grandpa Langzhi in any danger?!"

Feihua suddenly became terrified, and she cried out in a trembling voice, "Yao'er! Go quickly! It's too late! Only you can save us! Only you..."

"Huh? Then... what should I do?" Su Yuyao asked again.

“You should…” Fei Hua looked at the gray sky, pondered for a moment, “I don’t know either…”

Su Yuyao sighed, "Is Grandpa Langzhi in any danger?"

“We are all in danger…” Fei Hua said blankly.

Su Yuyao gave up. She ran back to her room, tears streaming down her face, and pretended to put on her "tools".

"Miss! Where are you going?" Bai Er asked with heartache as she looked at Su Yuyao, who was pouting and shedding tears.

“I… I don’t know…” Su Yuyao trembled slightly. “I feel that Grandpa Langzhi is in danger. If Grandpa Langzhi is in danger, then… the entire Jiujiao Mountain is in danger!”

"Miss, with Her Majesty here, you don't need to worry, nothing will happen..."

"No, something must have happened!" Su Yuyao shook her head and said, "If everything had gone smoothly for them, Brother Yue'er and Meng Yu wouldn't have rushed out with their people in such a hurry..."

Bai Er, upon hearing this, also began to worry, but she still tried her best to reassure Su Yuyao, "Miss, even if something happens, with Her Majesty and all the officials here, as well as Young Master Meng Yu and Young Master Guan Yue, there will always be a way to solve it..."

"Waaah...waaah...but Feihua said that only I can save everyone..." Su Yuyao started crying again, "Bai Er...I'm scared...what should I do..."

Rumble... Rumble...

The mountain started shaking again!

Su Yuyao quickly wiped away her tears, checked the weapon she was carrying (which could hardly be called a weapon), and said with forced strength, "I'm going out. You and Granny Fangchun take good care of the house..."

Su Yuyao pouted as she spoke, tears welling up in her eyes again, "Waaah... White Ear... I'm scared..."

“Miss… if you’re scared, don’t go! No one is forcing you to go!” Bai Er said, wiping away Su Yuyao’s tears with concern.

“I’m worried… Feihua said… only I can save everyone…” Su Yuyao muttered as she cried as she walked out of the courtyard.

“Miss…” Bai Er followed behind Su Yuyao, looking at Su Yuyao’s young figure, “You shouldn’t go…it’s too dangerous…”

"She has to go!" Feihua said, poking her head out from inside the door. "If she doesn't go, we'll all die!"

"Okay, Feihua, I'm going. You stay home and take care of yourself..." Su Yuyao said, wiping away her tears, and walked down the mountain without any confidence...

She stood at the fork in the road leading down the mountain, peering out through the gap in the tree branch where she had just been, and Yu Ji Lei was still there!

"What should I do..." Su Yuyao had never felt so helpless before.

She didn't know where to begin. Should she go to find the Empress? Where should I look? Even if I found the Empress, what could I do? So many of them had already gone, and each one was more capable than me, better than me in every way!

She stared helplessly at Yu Ji Lei, "What should I do?"

Hmm? Su Yuyao suddenly realized that although she was inferior to others in some aspects, she also had something unique about her: only she could see the Fish Princess's Tears!

The Empress and the adults are having trouble making progress, probably because of Yu Ji Lei's surveillance!

Perhaps the noise and tremors just now were the result of the people over there reacting to what they were doing here! I never expected them to be so ruthless!

It seems this gamble was a mistake!

They are unjust, so I will be even more unjust!

Su Yuyao stared at Yu Jilei, her thoughts gradually becoming clearer: first, get rid of Yu Jilei and make them blind, then find out who the mastermind is!

Yes! First, I'll go find Baihu's father, Baijinsi, and ask him to help me find some useful people...

Su Yuyao lifted her skirt and ran down the mountain, but after running around several times, she still couldn't find Bai Jinsi, or even meet a single person.

She ran to the old tree and finally saw an old woman, frail and trembling, sitting under the tree with her eyes closed, resting.

"Grandpa! Grandpa! Where have all the people here gone?" Su Yuyao asked anxiously.

“Oh… Miss Yao’er… they saw… Young Master Meng Yu and Young Master Guan Yue leading people down the mountain, so they all went to help…” the old lady said in a hoarse voice.

"Huh?! They're all gone?!" Su Yuyao's heart sank.

“No…no…” the old woman said slowly, “The children didn’t leave…”

"What's the use of children!" Su Yuyao stamped her feet in frustration.

"Hahahaha..." the old woman laughed loudly, "Aren't you... a child too?"

Huh? Su Yuyao was stunned. Yes! I'm a child too!

White Tiger!

Yes! Go find the White Tiger!

"Grandpa! Where are the children?" Su Yuyao finally had hope.

The old lady looked at Su Yuyao, smiled, and waved for Su Yuyao to come over.

"What are you doing? Where are the children?" Su Yuyao walked quickly to the old lady.

The old woman stretched out a withered, wooden finger and tapped Su Yuyao's swollen belly a few times.

"What are you doing?" Su Yuyao asked, puzzled.

"The children... are at the academy... go on..." The old lady stroked Su Yuyao's lower abdomen and said with a smile.

Su Yuyao clutched her stomach and took a few steps back. This old lady was so strange!

Hmm? Su Yuyao's lower abdomen suddenly felt hot, and a warm current emanated from it, spreading throughout her body's meridians.

This feels really strange!

"Hahahaha..." The old lady's laughter was even stranger.

Su Yuyao quickly covered her stomach and ran away. For some reason, although the old lady hadn't done anything to her, she felt a little scared of this old lady she was meeting for the first time.

"White Tiger! White Tiger!" Su Yuyao rushed into the academy shouting White Tiger's name.

The children were reciting their lessons in the classroom when they heard Su Yuyao's shout. They all ran to the window and peered out to see Su Yuyao in a panic in the courtyard.

"Hey? White Tiger! Sister Yao'er is calling you!" Feng Zhan said with a grin.

"Huh?" Baihu looked troubled. "Oh dear... my dad won't let me play with her..."

"White Tiger!" Su Yuyao rushed into the classroom, which was packed with little heads. "White Tiger! Come here quickly! I need your help!"

Amidst snickers, Baihu was awkwardly dragged away by Su Yuyao.

"White Tiger! To make a long story short, I'm going out to do something big! Are you coming or not?!" Su Yuyao asked bluntly.

"Huh?" White Tiger scratched his head awkwardly. "I... might not be able to..."

"I need someone who can fly like an eagle, someone who can use illusion magic, and if possible... I also need someone with immense Qi power!" Su Yuyao completely disregarded Baihu's declining attitude.

"Huh? It can fly? Phoenix can fly! Zangmao has the strongest Qi!" Baihu said cheerfully, as if he had grasped a lifeline. "I'll go find one for you!"

Under the big tree in the academy, Su Yuyao, Baihu, Fengzhan, and Zangmao squatted in a circle.

"You three come with me!" Su Yuyao said confidently, "We're going to save Jiujiao Mountain!"

"What?!" The three children looked at Su Yuyao, who was looking very serious, in surprise. "Save Jiujiao Mountain?!"

“That’s right!” Su Yuyao nodded and said, “Feng Zhan, can you fly in the heavy rain?”

“In the rain? I’ve never tried it…” Feng Zhan said hesitantly.

“Okay!” Su Yuyao turned to the white tiger again, “You know illusion magic, so can you hide me?”

"I...haven't tried it..." the white tiger said, shaking its head.

"Okay!" Su Yuyao then looked at Zang Mao, "Do you... know how to smash seashells?"

"Huh?!" Zang Mao asked, puzzled.

Su Yuyao clapped her hands. "I think it's all set! Let's not delay! Let's get going!"

After saying that, Su Yuyao stood up, grabbed the white tiger by the collar, and was about to leave.

"Wait! Sister Yao'er, what do you mean 'no problem'?" Baihu plopped down, grabbed Su Yuyao's arm, and shouted, "I think there's a big problem!"

"Baihu! How can you be a coward at a crucial moment! I'm not afraid! What are you afraid of?!" Without saying a word, Su Yuyao dragged Baihu away. "Fengzhan! Zangmao! Help me lift his leg!"

Feng Zhan and Zang Mao were momentarily confused by the situation. "What? Everything's alright? Lift... lift your leg?"

The two children instinctively lifted the white tiger's legs, ignoring its cries, and followed Su Yuyao as she dragged the white tiger to the doorway.

"Su Yuyao! Put the white tiger down!"

Su Yuyao stopped and turned around. Yu Qing was blocking the doorway with her hands on her hips, glaring at Su Yuyao.

"Yuqing! Get out of the way! Grandpa Langzhi is in danger! We're going to rescue him!" Su Yuyao used Langzhi as an excuse, which immediately threw Yuqing into a panic.

"What?! Brother Langzhi is in danger? Where? I'm going too!"

"You?!" Su Yuyao glanced at Yu Qing. "Forget about it! Protecting a lunchbox is the most you can do! A few of us can go!"

Su Yuyao exerted even more force, pulling the white tiger until it howled in pain.

“But… Miss Yao’er!” Yu Qing grabbed Su Yu Yao’s arm and said firmly, “Grandma Zhong specifically told me to take good care of the children before she left, so you can’t take them with you!”

Su Yuyao sighed, released Baihu, turned around and suddenly rammed into Yuqing.

"Ah!" Caught off guard, Yu Qing was knocked flat on her back by Su Yuyao and fell to the ground.

Before Yu Qing could react, Su Yuyao pounced on her like a little wild boar.

"Yuqing, I'm sorry!" Su Yuyao said, raising her fist and slamming it down on Yuqing's face.

"Su Yuyao! What are you doing!" Yuqing covered her face and struggled.

"Yuqing, don't get up! We have to leave. Although we don't know if we can succeed, we might all die if we stay here!" Su Yuyao got up, grabbed the white tiger again, and said to Yuqing, "I'll take responsibility for whatever happens!"

Seeing Su Yuyao's serious face, Baihu finally realized the gravity of the situation. "Sister Yao'er, what exactly happened? Is Jiujiao Mountain really in danger?"

"White Tiger, I don't have time to explain to you, but you have to help me!" Su Yuyao said, grabbing White Tiger by the collar.

"White Tiger... what should we do?" Feng Zhan hesitated.

"What should we do? Shall we... go?" Zang Mao seemed somewhat excited.

Su Yuyao kicked open the courtyard gate and dragged Baihu out, yelling, "What?! Come with me right now!"

Baihu was still somewhat reluctant, but he followed Su Yuyao's lead, while Fengzhan and Zangmao had already begun to circulate their Qi to prepare.

When the children returned to the crossroads, Yu Ji Lei was gone...