Balala the Magic Fairy

On this day, blacksmith Zhou Ninghai, hunter Jiang Fuhai, and butcher Kang Luhai gathered in a tavern, sat around the table, and drank and chatted happily.

Zhou Ninghai raised his glass first and said, "My two dear brothers, how are you these days?"

Jiang Fuhai drank the wine in his glass and said, "It's going well, but making a living is really stressful."

Kang Luhai said loudly: "We are all rough people, so let's not talk about those troublesome things, and enjoy this moment of happiness."

The three of them clinked glasses and after three rounds of drinks, they started talking more.

Zhou Ninghai's face flushed slightly, and he was a little drunk. He said, "I've often heard that there are so many beautiful women in the brothels in the city, and they are full of charm. I wonder if you two brothers have ever been there?"

Jiang Fuhai snorted and said, "Brother, you are wrong. Although we are rough people, we also know the rules of propriety and honor. Such romantic places are not places that we can easily set foot in."

Kang Luhai also nodded in agreement and said, "That's right. Although we like to drink, we dare not do such absurd things."

Zhou Ninghai laughed and said, "My two brothers, don't be so reserved. We should enjoy life while we can."

Jiang Fuhai frowned and said, "Brother, please don't talk nonsense. Although we are in the mortal world, we should also have the ambition to cultivate immortality. How can we indulge in the romantic world?"

Kang Luhai continued, "Brother Jiang is right. Now in the Grand View Garden, everyone is cultivating immortality and seeking the truth. We should also be diligent and not miss our future."

Zhou Ninghai sobered up a bit after hearing this and sighed, "My two brothers are right. I was confused. The road to becoming an immortal is long. We should concentrate on practicing and seek the right result."

Jiang Fuhai said: "We should take this as a warning and never mention such romantic matters again."

Kang Luhai raised his cup and said, "Come, let's drink this cup together and concentrate on cultivating immortality from now on."

The three of them drank it all in one gulp and never mentioned such romantic matters again.

Soon, the three of them dispersed. On his way back, Zhou Ninghai secretly regretted his gaffe.

Jiang Fuhai sat in meditation at home and reflected, determined to practice more diligently.

Kang Luhai also tossed and turned on the couch, thinking about the hardships of cultivating immortals, and secretly made up his mind to achieve something.

A few days later, Zhou Ninghai was working in the blacksmith shop, sparks flying and sweat pouring down his back.

However, he was thinking about something, and the rise and fall of the hammer in his hand was not as powerful as before.

Recalling the conversations I had with Jiang Fuhai and Kang Luhai a few days ago, I felt ashamed and decided to focus more on the path of cultivating immortality.

That night, the moon was hanging high on the branches. Zhou Ninghai sat alone in the yard, gazing at the stars, his heart beating fast.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. He opened the door and saw Jiang Fuhai. Jiang Fuhai bowed and said, "Brother Zhou, I came here tonight for the matter before."

Zhou Ninghai hurriedly welcomed him in and treated him to wine.

Jiang Fuhai said, "I have been hunting in the mountains recently, and I often feel the fluctuation of spiritual energy. It seems to be a sign of good fortune, or there may be evil lurking. I feel quite uneasy."

Zhou Ninghai frowned and said, "I feel the same way. When practicing, the aura is disordered. I think something may have happened in the garden."

The two of them sighed to each other, drank and thought.

At the same time, Kang Luhai stood in his butcher shop, holding a knife, but he had no intention of slaughtering. His mind was full of thoughts of cultivating immortals, and suddenly he felt a flash of inspiration in his mind, remembering that he had heard of an ancient method that might help him break through the bottleneck of cultivation.

The next day, the three of them gathered again in a remote corner of the Grand View Garden.

Kang Luhai couldn't wait to say: "I thought of a method yesterday, maybe it can help us practice."

Zhou Ninghai and Jiang Fuhai both listened attentively. Kang Luhai then explained in detail that this method required finding a mysterious spring in the garden and using its spiritual power to cleanse the body and mind.

Zhou Ninghai asked doubtfully: "Where can we find this spring?" Kang Luhai also shook his head: "I don't know either, we need to explore further."

Jiang Fuhai pondered for a moment and said, "We can split up and search the garden, maybe we can find something."

The three of them agreed and then took action separately.

Zhou Ninghai shuttled between the rockery and the forest, his eyes anxious; Jiang Fuhai went deep into the forest path and carefully explored; Kang Luhai walked around the lake, paying attention to the surrounding movements. However, after a day, none of them found anything.

Just when the three were exhausted and frustrated, a crane suddenly flew over, holding a bamboo slip in its mouth, and landed in front of Zhou Ninghai. Zhou Ninghai picked up the bamboo slip and unfolded it. There was a map drawn on it, which seemed to point to the location of Lingquan. The three were surprised and delighted, and followed the map.

When we walked to the depths of a secluded valley, we saw a spring with gurgling water and rich spiritual energy.

The three were overjoyed and were about to approach when they heard a loud shout: "Who are you, madman, to dare to trespass here?"

An old man appeared out of nowhere, with a celestial look and bright eyes. Zhou Ninghai and others were shocked, and hurriedly bowed and explained their purpose.

The old man examined it for a moment and said, "This is a cold spring, which is only available to those who are destined to have it. If you can pass my test, you can enjoy it."

The three of them looked at each other and said in unison: "I am willing to be tested."

The old man smiled slightly, and with a flick of his sleeve, a difficult problem appeared in the air. It was a chess game, with black and white pieces interlaced and a mystery hidden.

Zhou Ninghai and the other three looked at each other, feeling uneasy.

Kang Luhai took the lead and said, "Let's try it, don't shrink back."

He then took a step forward and looked at the chess piece intently, but after thinking it over, he dared not make a move easily. Jiang Fuhai also came forward, frowning, thinking hard. Zhou Ninghai paced around the chessboard, muttering to himself.

After a while, he seemed to realize something and stretched out his hand to place a move.

The old man shook his head slightly. Zhou Ninghai's heart tightened and he retracted his hand.

As time passed, the three men still hadn't found a way out of the impasse, and beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads.

Kang Luhai was impatient and could not help but sigh: "This situation is very difficult. I am afraid we will not be able to cope with it."

Jiang Fuhai glared at him and said, "Don't give up so easily. Think about it again."

After a while, Zhou Ninghai suddenly had an idea and said, "I have an idea. Is it feasible?"

The two of them came over and Zhou Ninghai whispered what he was thinking. Jiang Fuhai and Kang Luhai thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

Zhou Ninghai took a deep breath and made a crucial move. The old man saw this and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. The three of them took advantage of the victory and pursued the opponent step by step, eventually turning the situation around.

The old man stroked his beard and smiled, saying: "You guys do have some understanding."

After saying this, he waved his sleeves and the chessboard disappeared. The three of them breathed a sigh of relief, their faces showing joy.

The old man said: "This is the first level, there are two more levels waiting for you."

As he spoke, he conjured up three strange herbs in his hand and said, "This herb needs to be nourished with spiritual energy to make it bloom before you can pass."

The three of them took the magic herbs, sat cross-legged, and used their spiritual power.

Zhou Ninghai concentrated his attention and slowly input his spiritual power into the magic grass, causing the magic grass to tremble slightly.

Jiang Fuhai's forehead was bulging with veins, and it was obvious that he was trying his best. Kang Luhai gritted his teeth, not daring to slack off even a little.

After a long time, the fairy grass in Jiang Fuhai's hand first bloomed a small flower, and he showed a gratified look on his face. Then, Zhou Ninghai and Kang Luhai's fairy grass also bloomed one after another.

The old man nodded and said, "Not bad, not bad. The last level is a test of the heart."

As he finished speaking, the surrounding scene suddenly changed and the three of them found themselves in a fantasy world.

Zhou Ninghai felt a little shaken when he saw that all he had seen were his unfulfilled wishes from the past.

When Kang Luhai saw so much gold, silver and treasures, his eyes became blurred for a moment.

What Jiang Fuhai encountered was the result of his past mistakes, and he was overwhelmed with guilt.

However, the three of them eventually suppressed their distracting thoughts and stuck to their original intentions.

The illusion disappeared, and the old man smiled and said, "You have passed the test. You can use this cold spring as you wish."

The three of them were filled with gratitude and bowed to express their gratitude.

After that, the three of them relied on the power of Lingquan to make their way to immortality more smoothly. However, they knew that there were many tests on the way to immortality, so they dared not slack off.

That day, Yan Lili went out and met Kang Luhai, Jiang Fuhai and Zhou Ninghai by chance, and the four of them discussed philosophy together.

Seeing these three people, Yan Lili nodded slightly and said, "Three brothers, I believe you have gained something from gathering here."

Kang Luhai hurriedly said, "Miss Yan, we have been practicing recently and have gained some insights. We are just about to discuss them with you."

Jiang Fuhai also said: "Miss, you came at the right time. We can discuss the way of cultivating immortality together."

Zhou Ninghai bowed and said, "I hope you can give me some advice, young lady."

Yan Lili opened her red lips and said, "The road to becoming an immortal is long and difficult. One needs to be determined and not be disturbed by external things. I wonder what your three brothers think about this?"

Kang Luhai took the lead and said, "I believe that cultivating immortals requires courage and the courage to face difficulties and obstacles in order to achieve success."

Jiang Fuhai shook his head and said, "No, cultivating immortals focuses on cultivating the mind. If the mind is not right, even if you have all kinds of magical powers, it is difficult to enter the right path."

Zhou Ninghai pondered for a moment and said, "I feel that both are important. Being brave and cultivating the mind complement each other."

Yan Lili smiled slightly and said, "What the three of you said is reasonable. However, cultivating immortals also requires understanding the way of heaven and earth and following the laws of nature, so that you can achieve twice the result with half the effort."

All three of them nodded in agreement.

Jiang Fuhai asked, "Miss, I often feel that my spiritual power is not flowing smoothly. I wonder why?"

Yan Lili said: "It may be because of distracting thoughts in your mind, or because your cultivation method is wrong. You should calm down and reflect on yourself, and adjust your method."

Zhou Ninghai continued, "When I was practicing, I often felt that my progress was slow, which was very distressing."

Yan Lili replied: "Don't worry, cultivating immortality is not a one-day job. If you persevere, you will definitely have a breakthrough."

Kang Luhai suddenly said, "I heard that there have been some supernatural things happening in the garden recently. Do you know the reason, young lady?"

Yan Lili frowned slightly and said, "I am also investigating this matter. It may be related to the evil spirits from the outside world."

The three of them turned pale when they heard this.

Yan Lili added: "However, we don't need to be afraid. As long as we work together, we will be able to resolve the crisis."

Kang Luhai said in a strong voice: "If there is anything you need us to help you with, please feel free to tell me, young lady."

Jiang Fuhai and Zhou Ninghai also expressed their determination.

After discussing for a long time, the four of them all gained something. Yan Lili said, "I have benefited a lot from talking with the three brothers today."

The three of them said in unison: "Miss, you are too modest. We are grateful for your guidance."

After that, the four of them dispersed. Yan Lili returned to her room to continue practicing, while Kang Luhai and the other three also became more determined to cultivate immortality and practiced diligently in preparation for possible changes in the garden in the future.

A few days later, there was trouble in the garden. A mysterious shadow often appeared at night, disturbing everyone. Kang Luhai, Jiang Fuhai, and Zhou Ninghai remembered what they had said to Yan Lili, and decided to step forward. They hid at night, trying to find the shadow.

That night, the moon was dark and the wind was strong, and the shadow reappeared. The three carefully followed it to a remote corner. The shadow suddenly stopped and turned to face the three people. It looked like a ghost, emitting a gloomy aura.

Kang Luhai shouted: "Who is this evildoer causing trouble here?"

The shadow didn't answer, but rushed over. Jiang Fuhai and Zhou Ninghai quickly cast spells and fought with the shadow.

However, the black shadow was very powerful, and the three gradually felt exhausted. At the critical moment, Yan Lili arrived in time. She waved her jade flute, and a beam of light shot out and hit the black shadow. The black shadow screamed and tried to escape. Yan Lili was unwilling to let it go, and she worked together with the three to finally subdue the black shadow.

After subduing the shadow, the four of them finally had a chance to catch their breath. Yan Lili frowned and stared at the shadow, trying to find out what it was. Kang Luhai, Jiang Fuhai and Zhou Ninghai were panting, their faces still tense.

After a while, Yan Lili opened her red lips and said, "This black shadow seems to be controlled by evil magic. There may be a bigger conspiracy behind it."

Kang Luhai glared at him and said, "No matter what his conspiracy is, we will not let him succeed."

Jiang Fuhai nodded slightly and said, "But this matter cannot be taken lightly, we should consider it in the long run."