Princess Kiki, with Ring, rode on a flying fish towards the summit of the high mountain.
Their mission: to retrieve the white lotus flower for the mermaid and break the curse that turned her into a statue.
Along the way, they encountered the flowers fairy. After bidding farewell to the flowers fairy, as they continued their flight towards the mountaintop, they suddenly felt a wave of heat rushing towards them. Soon, they were sweating profusely.
As Ring wiped away the sweat, she said, “Why is it so hot here?”
Suddenly, they spotted an elderly man, accompanied by a crane.
Princess Kiki said, “Let’s quickly go and ask the old man what’s going on!”
With that, Princess Kiki directed the flying fish to land. They disembarked and approached the old man, asking, “Grandpa, why is it so hot here?”
The old man looked at them in surprise and chuckled, “Haven’t you heard that this mountain experiences three seasons: spring, summer, and winter? Since you’ve arrived here, you must have already passed through the spring controlled by the flowers fairy . Now it’s summer here, so it’s naturally hot.”
The little princess said, “But this heat isn’t like ordinary summer heat. It feels more like being roasted over a stove. If we didn’t know any better, we’d think we were at the Flaming Mountains from Journey to the West!”
The old man chuckled again, “You’re quite right. The reason it’s so hot is indeed because of that stove.”
He gestured to the side.
Upon looking, The little princess and Ring saw a stove under a large tree, with flames blazing fiercely and heat radiating intensely.
The old man continued, “I advise you to go back down the mountain. The further you go, the hotter it will get.”
The little princess said, “We’re going to the mountaintop to get the white lotus flower and break the curse on the mermaid. She’s been turned into a statue by a wicked person.”
The old man was surprised again and said, “So you’ve come for the mermaid. But I’m afraid you’ll be roasted before you even get the white lotus flower!”
With a sigh, the old man and the crane departed.
Ring said, “Princess, maybe we should go back. The old man said it gets hotter the further we go.”
But The little princess replied, “Now that we know it’s because of this stove, it’s easy. We just need to extinguish the fire in the stove, right? Let’s hurry and find water to put out the fire!”
But where could they find water?
Looking around, they spotted a well not far away and quickly ran towards it. They fetched a bucket of water.
Oh, how refreshing the water was! They washed their faces with the water and hurriedly carried it to the stove, splashing it onto the fire.
Little did they know, instead of extinguishing the fire, the water they poured into the stove only made it blaze even more fiercely, as if it had been doused with gasoline. Startled, they quickly backed away.
Princess Kiki wiped the sweat from her face, unsure of what to do next.
At that moment, they heard laughter.
They turned around to see two men, one fat and one thin, stepping forward.
The little princess asked, “Who are you? Why are you laughing?”
The fat man replied, “Everyone calls us Fat and Thin Immortals. The fire in this stove was crafted by our master. Do you think ordinary water can extinguish it?”
The thin man chuckled, “We’re laughing because you’re too naive. You should hurry back down the mountain!”
The little princess insisted, “We’re going to the mountaintop to get the white lotus flower. We won’t go back until we have it.”
The fat man said, “Everyone who wants to go to the mountaintop aims to get the white lotus flower, don’t they? Some seek it for immortality, while others pursue it for rejuvenation. They’re all seeking their own benefit.”
The little princess replied, “I’m not seeking it for myself. I’m trying to break the curse on the mermaid. She’s been turned into a statue by the Sea Serpent Demon and is waiting for me to retrieve the white lotus flower to save her!”
After pondering for a moment, the fat man said, “I have indeed heard of a mermaid at sea who’s been cursed, turned into a statue, enduring sun and rain, crying day and night. It’s truly pitiful. Well then, since you, a little girl, are so kind-hearted and unafraid of hardship for the sake of others, let me help you!”
With that, the fat man took out a small bottle from his pocket and handed it to the little princess, saying, “Pour the water inside this bottle into the stove, and the fire will be extinguished.”
The little princess took the bottle, unscrewed the cap, and peered inside, finding that the water inside was barely enough for a sip.
The little princess asked in confusion, “Can this little bit of water extinguish the roaring flames of the stove?”
The fat man chuckled and replied, “Why don’t you give it a try?”
So The little princess poured the water from the bottle into the stove.
A miracle happened: the fire in the stove immediately dwindled, and soon it was completely extinguished. The weather also cooled down instantly.
Princess Kiki and Ring joyfully thanked Fat and Thin Immortals and then boarded the flying fish to continue their journey to the mountaintop.
Watching their departing figures, the thin man said, “Why did you let them pass so easily? How do you know they weren’t lying?”
The fat man laughed heartily and said, “To obtain the white lotus flower, the tests are far from just ours. If they were lying, they’ll face even greater hardships!”
Next, they will encounter Snow Beauty. Will they pass the test of Snow Beauty? To be continued.
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