Night fell.
Chen Jinshu was playing the melody Butterfly Dream of Zhuangzi in the courtyard.
A multitude of colorful butterflies fluttered beneath the moonlight, dancing gracefully above her. At times, they encircled her like a living aura; other times, they drifted like petals beneath the shadow of the ink-plum tree.
Fragrance saturated the air. At some point, the entire ground had become a riot of blooming flowers—vibrant, lush, and extravagant. It was as if she had stepped into a dreamlike garden.
This was exactly the image in her mind's eye: surrounded by blossoms, butterflies dancing in the moonlight, the scent of grass and flowers enveloping her.
A few steps away from her sat two blooming lotus plants. One was an eerie pair of conjoined white-and-blood-colored blossoms, sinister in appearance. The other was pure white—immaculate, as if kissed by moonlight, resembling a celestial maiden.
Fine, vein-like red tendrils crept around the base of the pots like blood vessels.
"Chirp, chirp!"
The Shadowpeak Finch flew in from outside, chirping faintly as if to alert her to something.
Though the sound was soft, Chen Jinshu heard it. Still, she did not immediately stop playing—the discipline of zither performance dictated that stopping mid-piece would cause internal disruption and spiritual backlash. She was near the end of the song. As the final note fell, she opened her eyes.
Moonlight now spilled with a faint tinge of red, a strange, ominous hue.
"What happened?" she asked, her gaze settling on the Shadowpeak Finch.
"Chirp, chirp!"
The sparrow cried out anxiously. Three newly grown crests now adorned its head, swaying with every movement.
Chen Jinshu frowned. The bird relayed that it had encountered a terrifying entity while foraging—something radiating an overwhelming bloodthirst, growing stronger by the moment.
As she considered the strange tint of the moon and the sparrow's account, an ominous thought formed in her mind:
"Could this be the mutation of the Moon-Devouring Demon Lotus after it consumed blood?"
"Seems Master was right… The consequences of this lotus are far-reaching. It might even lead to casualties on Medicine King Peak."
She asked the sparrow for the location of the creature. Her expression turned grim—near the outer disciple quarters, where many disciples resided.
She swiftly took out the communication token her master had given her and infused it with her spiritual message. Moments later, her master replied, instructing her to keep the Moon-Devouring Demon Lotus hidden and let no one else know of its existence.
The matter could be monumental—or manageable—but to her, it would inevitably have consequences.
Without hesitation, Chen Jinshu stored the strange lotus in her spiritual plant space. When she stepped outside, the southeastern sky flared—firelight, white flashes, and a haze of crimson mist. She could vaguely see a massive silhouette swaying in that direction, and golden-core elders were soaring through the air, moving to engage.
"The mutated lotus has grown this huge? Must be at least five or six zhang tall!"
She recalled records from the Grim Record of Rare and Strange Flora, where a similar sect massacre caused by the lotus had shown a mutated size of only three or four zhang. This one had clearly absorbed far more life force from cultivators.
"I wonder if Master managed to inform the Peak Lord in time. This could be worse than the spirit-fertilizer pest outbreak from the last two days."
Just then, the anxious voice of the Peak Lord echoed across the area:
"All disciples in the southeastern quarters, evacuate immediately! A demonic creature has appeared!"
Boom! Boom!
The sounds of battle erupted from the southeast. The sky lit up like a storm of fireworks.
"Looks like no one's getting any sleep tonight…"
Morning, during the hour of Chen (7–9 a.m.)
Chen Jinshu was awakened by the urgent voice of the Peak Lord.
"All disciples who accepted the Spirit Seed Cultivation Task, report to the Hall of Medicine King immediately!"
"Are they planning to recall all scattered Moon-Devouring Demon Lotus seeds?" she wondered.
"Thankfully, I had the Shadowpeak Finch make a reckless move last night."
Recalling the events sent a chill through her.
After witnessing the monstrous transformation of the lotus, she realized it might be impossible to keep her own safely. There were only a few seeds given out, and if even one mutated, others likely still resided in disciples' hands.
Some might have already sprouted without triggering the blood mutation.
So, she sent the Shadowpeak Finch to the southeast to salvage any spirit seeds left on the battlefield after the mutated lotus was destroyed.
Judging by the monstrous size of that bloom, there had to be many seeds. Losing one or two might go unnoticed. And with the sparrow's uncanny luck, flying just a bit might land it another seed. Even if it failed, she had planned to ask her master to intercede on her behalf.
Fortunately, the sparrow didn't disappoint—it returned with a freshly formed seed, still tainted with blood.
She decided: turn in the salvaged seed—but keep the lotus she had already grown.
Later, she arrived at the Hall of the Medicine King with the Shadowpeak Finch. The Peak Lord and several elders were already waiting. Her master, Shui Huanmeng, gave her a knowing nod. They had already agreed: turn in the spare seed; keep the mysterious lotus.
The Peak Lord stepped forward and announced grimly:
"A great tragedy occurred last night. Eight disciples lost their lives to the demonic lotus."
The hall erupted into murmurs and panic.
"Silence!" he commanded. "Let me finish. The demon has been destroyed."
"This tragedy was the result of negligence—our negligence. One of the lotus seeds was not accounted for. It fell into a disciple's hands, was nurtured, and came into contact with blood… triggering its transformation. If not for the blood, it would have remained dormant."
"Today, I ask all of you here to turn in any such spirit seeds, to prevent future disaster."
His voice held grief and regret.
He had brushed off Shui Huanmeng's casual suggestion that the Moon-Devouring Demon Lotus could be used in breakthroughs, but it must be under strict supervision. Now, only days later, it had become a bloody reality.
He hated himself for not heeding her warning.
"If you possess any seed resembling this one," he said, enlarging a spirit seed for all to see, "submit it now. Compensation will be given—contribution points or spirit stones."
"Anyone who has cultivated a lotus—especially a double lotus—must bring it forward!"
Chen Jinshu glanced at the seed in his palm. It looked nearly identical to the one she had… just slightly smaller, likely formed at a less prominent site of the demonized bloom.
Soon, disciples began stepping forward—some handed over loose seeds, others carried entire lotus pots, including conjoined double blooms.
"Peak Lord! I planted mine in a spirit field. It's become a double lotus!"