Chronicles of Daoist Fan

The water was cold and the air was fresh. At the peak of winter, but still not as cold as during the night of Shang.

Counting properly, I found out that it was the 12th day of Second Falling. We had gotten to the otherside safely. There was a little difficulty at the middle of the river, but the craoca was strong enough to shrug it off.

"I'll go over there," Ling'er said, squeezing the excess water from her cloth.

She had her bosom wrapped with a long white scarf. Cold touched her uncovered arms, waist and back. Goosebumps appeared on her naked legs. Hairs would have stood on them, if there were any.

Feng Yi sneezed beside me, rubbing her shoulders. She followed Ling'er who went to take a bath. There was a small stream branching out from the mainstream. It shouldn't be shallow.

"Won't you go?" I asked my sister who just finished searching for her clothes.

With a light purple robe in her hands, she stood up after closing the bag. Along with her hair, other things had also experienced growth. A common growth for her current mortal body.

"I want to undress," she softly said, looking at the flowing water. Her eyes did not dare to glance at me. Not a blush, no shyness… just a little bit awkward, she was feeling.

She could've just gone with them and undressed there. Still, why should I make things difficult? I was already naked except for the half pants covering my lower part. I felt no cold.

Walking away, I found another small stream. I jumped straight into it. The water washed not just the filth but also the heat of my body. This much cold was nothing but relaxation to me.

By now, my muscles were already refined. I was nearing the last stage of body tempering, after all. I felt like my height had also increased. I was around 1.8m now, normal considering the age of my mortal body.

I idly played in the water for some good minutes. It only reached my neck here. All of us knew how to swim- wait second, Feng Yi and Ling'er hadn't seen a river until now, how would they know!?

I, of course, didn't want them to die after coming all the way here. What would be the meaning of escaping the formation if they were to drown?

I quickly got out of the water and ran in the direction they had gone. As expected, I heard a cry. Maybe Chunu knew how to swim? I wasn't sure, though.

When I reached there, I saw Feng Yi crying for help while wildly splashing the water with her hands. Her head still remained over the water body, though. Ling'er was the same.

Uh… I felt all that worry wash away as I wanted to facepalm now. I would've jumped straight into the stream if they were actually drowning but this was just unnecessary shouting and too much drama.

Only my sister, who had gotten too near the stream actually, needed help.

''Zuifan!'' Lingling called but I didn't listen. I told them to feel the pebbles at the bottom and stabilize themselves.

''Chunu, stay there and keep kicking.'' I jumped into the water and quickly caught her. She was worse than the two of them. Who told her to try and swim towards the mainstream? If I hadn't come at the right time, she would have been floated downstream by the strong waves.

They really ought to learn how to swim. Not today, but sometime at a later date. As practitioners, it would be too embarrassing to not know how to swim.

I took Chunu out of the water as she gasped for breath. Water droplets ran down both of our bodies. She was shaking, not because the river water was cold but because of fear.

She had only been immortal for about 17 years after her birth, and that was baby age compared to her other siblings who were hundreds of years old, including myself.

''Hey! Aaaaa- I'm slippi- guguu…''

I sighed. Imagine drowning in a body of water that only reached just below your shoulders. Then again, this was their first time entering a stream…

I stood up and went to help them. The water embraced me from all sides. Its coldness touched all of my skin, not leaving even an inch. I gently swimmed towards Feng Yi first. Ling'er seemed to be doing better now.

The girl was like a dead log with no control of herself, just floating with her head down. I grabbed her neck and pulled her out of the water. She spurted water from her mouth the moment she was allowed to breathe.

''Now, stay like this.'' My hands underwater, I held her waist and kept her in a standing position.

''Wha- what are you doing?!'' She panicked and moved her legs. I pinched her and scolded, ''Idiot, walk now.''

''Eh?'' She could feel the pebbles and the sand. This sand was different from that of Shang desert. Nourished by river water, it was soft… so soft that she felt like walking all the way.

''Don't go too far,'' I called out and she replied with an absentminded ''Okay.''

I swam to Ling'er and helped her adjust her position. She was trying to swim. Though now was not the time for that.

Coming out of the stream, I saw a green bar lying on Feng Yi's clothes. What was this? I picked it up and smelled it. Hmm, this had a fresh herbal scent. Feng Yi saw me at that time.

''Hey that's mine!''

''What is this?'' I could guess but asking was necessary.

''I bought it from an alchemist. It's for washing the body. Only girls should use it.''

What bulshit was she spouting? This was a quality soap. Only for girls? Meh, women always hoarded products like these for themselves. I broke the bar in two parts and used one half of it.

After having all of my body covered in foams, I entered the stream once again.

''You people keep playing in the water and we'll leave.'' I came out and searched for the towel only to remember that I had kept it at a different bank. I was about to leave when I accidentally turned my head to the left.

''Don't look, big brother!'' Chunu covered her chest with her palms and crouched hurriedly, her thighs touching her belly.

'Uh okay…' I just closed my eyes and went past her. Whatever there was to see, I had already seen it. She wasn't even fully naked at that time. Though, the water had made her 'bathing wear' transparent.

'Not fully developed… no, I should forget about this.' I stroked my chin and looked up.. The weather was pretty damn good today. Hmm, very good…