As an official, what's wrong with raising a few monsters?

Chapter 411 The old man finally dropped gold coins!

Although there were some twists and turns.

The elderly couple eventually accepted the two beautiful young wives who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

To reiterate, Mingchen's position is beyond their control, and the two of them no longer have the power to influence Mingchen's decisions.

If Mingchen thinks it's okay, then it's okay.

After all, the higher one climbs in status, the more important marriage becomes as a political bargaining chip.

The elderly couple just need to do what they are supposed to do.

Fortunately, the two girls only wanted to meet their parents and didn't need any complicated ceremonies to arrange a wedding.

Another morning has passed.

After a family lunch, Mingchen said with a smile to Li Huixiang, "Mom, how about I go for a walk with you later?"

Fuyao immediately raised her hand and said, "I want to go too! I want to go too!"

hum~
Let the people of this county see that Fuyao is also Mingchen's wife.

Is she not beautiful enough?

After saying that, he gave Lu Tian a provocative look.

Lu Tian just smiled foolishly, completely oblivious to Fuyao's meaning.

Fuyao felt as if she had punched a piece of cotton.

Upon hearing this, Li Huixiang simply lowered her eyes and smiled, nodding to Mingchen and saying, "Okay~"

After everyone at the table had left.

She came to Mingchen and looked at her son with a bright light in her eyes.

It contains both pride and compassion and care.

"Mother, shall we set off now?"

Upon hearing this, Li Huixiang shook her head: "Set off for what?"

She reached out and tidied Mingchen's hair, saying gently, "You can go back now."

Mingchen was taken aback: "Huh? Mother, where do you want me to go back to?"

"We'll go wherever we originally planned to go."

Upon hearing this, Mingchen lowered his eyes and asked, "Mother, don't you want me to stay at home a little longer?"

Looking at her son, whose fame had spread far and wide, Li Huixiang simply smiled and said, "Of course I want to! How could I not?"

"But don't force yourself for your mother's sake."

"You originally just wanted to come to the house to take care of something, and then leave after a quick look, right?"

"But what about your agreements with others? You have ambitions for the world; don't let your reputation be ruined or your plans be thwarted because of your mother, a mere woman."

“You’re always busy and rarely home, I know that. Staying too long makes you uncomfortable. Some birds are attached to their homes, but some birds grow up and soar through the sky, never to return.”

“Ling Yu is all alone out there. Don’t let her stay too long. A husband and wife are meant to support each other until old age, unlike parents. That child seems strong, but she has a very soft heart…”

Mingchen is cunning and shrewd; he wears a mask of dissoluteness, and no one knows what he's thinking.

But Li Huixiang was, after all, his mother, and she had watched him grow up from childhood.

Sometimes, at least you can sense some of the child's psychological changes.

Li Huixiang's words were simple and unsentimental, just the simplest advice, which was somewhat nagging.

However, when it reached Mingchen's ears, it caused him some inexplicable turmoil.

If he were to encounter a harsh mother and a stubborn father, then so be it.

He left, ending it all, and acted recklessly.

Unfortunately, his parents were both incredibly kind, which made him feel indebted to them.

It's true that he achieved great success; apart from Emperor Xiao Xinyue, there was no one else in the entire Qian Yuan Dynasty more honorable than him. However, his parents seemed to be suffering less mentally than before.

He chuckled dryly and said, "Mother, it's nothing serious. I can stay home for a few days without any problem. Don't worry about it."

Upon hearing this, Li Huixiang simply smiled and patted Mingchen's shoulder: "I don't know how big your problem is. Your father and I don't have much ability to help you. We just hope we won't hold you back."

“We’re both still in good health, so you don’t need to worry about us. Just do whatever you want. If you can come back and let your mother see you and have a meal with her, your mother will be content. Your parents have your younger brother and sister by their side, so they’re not lonely.”

"If your father and I ever become unable to care for you, it's not too late for you to come back and spend more time with your parents."

She said to Mingchen with feigned authority, "I won't care about that then. Even if you have something really important to do, you have to come back, understand?"

Young people may not like such sentimental remarks from their elders, as they may find them sound like a melodramatic soap opera.

However, when it actually reaches your ears, it evokes a completely different feeling.

Parents are getting old; their bodies may not be old, but their hearts are.

Children need to be given the right to imagine the future.

"Mother~"

"Why say all this?"

Mingchen frowned and said, "What life and death... I don't want to hear that!"

"Haha~ Okay~ Okay~"

Li Huixiang just smiled kindly, her eyes sparkling as she looked at her proud son: "My Chen'er doesn't want to hear it, so Mother won't say it!"

……

"Old man, I'm leaving tomorrow morning."

"Please take care of things at home, thank you."

Although Li Huixiang told Mingchen to leave, Mingchen decided to stay for another afternoon.

Talk to your mother, have your father argue, and play with your younger siblings for a while.

The world doesn't stop turning just because someone leaves; he simply doesn't believe that the sky will fall down if he stays home for a day.

We left the next morning.

At night, he brought a jar of wine again and patted the branches of the old tree.

In a sense, with this old tree here, the Ming family is actually safer than Ji Qu's Marquis's Mansion and the Duke's Mansion assigned to Yueyang City.

Therefore, Mingchen didn't mind that the old couple continued to live here.

The old tree simply replied, "Okay."

Mingchen took a sip of wine and said with a smile, "On my way here, I will establish the world and accomplish a great feat that will be remembered for all time. The mountains and rivers will be united, and the world will be reunified. How about it, are you excited?"

The decisive battle between Qian Yuan and Bei Lie is imminent.

The unification of the world is the inevitable trend. Regardless of who wins or loses, the centuries of division and chaos are finally coming to an end.

The old tree simply said in a calm voice, "Don't get excited."

Mingchen rolled his eyes at him: "You're so unfunny."

Old Tree: ...

They chatted idly for a while, and the ground beneath the old tree roots rippled like water.

A box made from a withered leaf slowly emerged from the earth.

"Hey~"

Mingchen's eyes lit up, and he asked expectantly, "Are you going to give me something nice?"

The box made of withered leaves looks dilapidated, but since it came from an old tree, it must be something extraordinary.

It's not easy, the old guy finally got some gold coins.

We've known each other for so long, but I've never given him anything nice.

The only magic weapon he gave away was the Withered Glory Sword, which he gave to Long Lian.

Old Tree: ...

This guy not only didn't refuse or offer politeness, but he also directly reached out and grabbed it.

He has none of the elegance and composure that a person in a position of power should have; he's just like a street thug.

I'm almost reluctant to give it to him.

Although that's what he thought, a gentle breeze blew, and the box of withered leaves, under the influence of an invisible force, still fell into Mingchen's hands. "This is the Three Tribulations Nine Aperture Fruit, a spiritual fruit born from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. It cannot be damaged by raging fire, freezing ice, or being chopped by knives and axes; only the lips and teeth can break its skin. It is quite extraordinary. Eating it can increase lifespan, revive the dead, heal the bones, open the orifices and spirit, cleanse the soul, increase wisdom, and grant the power to become an immortal... It is extremely extraordinary."

"Oh?"

Mingchen shook the box of withered leaves in his hand, feeling as if there was nothing inside.

"It's so powerful, can I make it into a piece of armor?"

It is impervious to raging fire and freezing ice, and cannot be broken by knives or axes; it can only be broken by biting with your teeth.

This is a mechanism-based defense.

Old Tree: ...

This unlucky guy has a really unique way of thinking.

You're using food as a shield?

Although the old tree hadn't developed human nature, Mingchen could roughly guess his expression and kept smiling at him: "Hey~ just kidding, just kidding, old man, you've lost your sense of humor again, haven't you?"

Old Tree: ...

"Of these two fruits, one is for you; you may eat it or give it to someone else as you please. The other is for Long Lian. She has undergone a calamity and her true spirit has been damaged. It will take a hundred years of nurturing for her to recover. If she eats it, her wood spirit will be able to communicate with her heart and she can advance to the next level."

The two fruits were given to the old tree, one according to the giver's wishes, and the other to Mingchen.

Now that you've taken her as a disciple, you should take good care of her.

The old tree didn't want the fruit itself, so it gave it to its disciple Long Lian, and it also gave the other one to Ming Chen.

He considered this allocation to be reasonable.

Having passed through the underworld and into the mortal realm, the fruit changed hands twice before finally ending up in Mingchen's hands.

Mingchen naturally had no objections: "Oh... okay!"

If there were only one, perhaps the old tree would have given it to Long Lian without the old tree even having to say it.

The old tree continued, “This object radiates a brilliant light and overflows with spiritual energy, making it extremely conspicuous. This leaf box was made casually by me and will scatter after leaving me. If you don’t use it, have Fuyao keep it safe, otherwise it may attract unwanted attention. Even if you have profound powers, you must not be careless. The world is vast, and there are countless extraordinary people. Do not underestimate anyone in the world.”

Mingchen smiled and simply nodded, saying, "I know, I know~"

Treasures should naturally be kept hidden away; showing them off will only invite jealousy and lead to others stealing them.

He wouldn't make such a basic mistake.

"It's no use for you to know, since it's not you who's keeping it. You need to remind Fuyao that she's a mischievous child. It's fine if she eats it, but don't let her show off."

In a sense, Fuyao's reputation has become notorious.

"It's okay if you lose yours, but don't lose Long Lian's too."

Mingchen: ...

Long Lian really does like this cheap teacher!
Although they had a teacher-student relationship, they had only spent a year together at most.

Fuyao, once she gained intelligence, started dancing on the branches of the old tree, calling out "Grandpa Tree" all the time.

Thank goodness she wasn't here; if she had heard this, she probably would have set the old man on fire.

"I know I know~"

When Long Lian was mentioned, the old tree's voice seemed to soften: "Long Lian is quiet and reserved, she doesn't fight or compete, and she's easily taken advantage of. Don't let her down."

Introverted people are often easily overlooked and do not receive much attention.

The way he said it made it sound like he was entrusting his daughter to his father-in-law.

Mingchen paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Of course!"

"kindness……"

Mingchen patted the box of withered leaves, leaned against the old tree, and asked with great interest, "If you had such a good thing, why didn't you take it out sooner?"

"What else do you have? Let me see~ Since you're not going to be born anyway, just give it to me."

Look at this unlucky look.

It's like a good-for-nothing child who loses all his money and then goes home to steal his elderly father's meager coffin money.

It's infuriating.

Old Tree: ...

"I have nothing that I crave, and even if I did, it wouldn't be suitable for you."

The old tree didn't hide anything and told Mingchen everything: "This spiritual fruit is not from me. It was sent by the person behind Ji Yuting. Do you understand?"

Mingchen raised an eyebrow upon hearing this: "Oh?"

"This means they've admitted defeat."

Mingchen is so clever!
With just one simple sentence, without the old tree needing to explain anything further, he understood everything.

The words Huang Xingyao said to Long Lian when he revealed his identity echoed in Mingchen's mind once again.

It seems he wasn't lying after all; Ji Yuting really was put on hold to ride the wave of popularity and gain prestige.

But with Mingchen's sudden turn of events, everything has spiraled out of control.

The person behind Ji Yuting chose to withdraw and settle.

He asked with great interest, "So, Ji Yuting won't be showing up again?"

According to Long Lian, Ji Yuting was saved and sent away by Huang Xingyao through self-destruction. He was still preserved, and the possibility of him making a comeback cannot be ruled out.

However, now that this fruit has been used as a signal, it likely means that Ji Yuting's side will no longer join this conflict.

The old tree simply replied, "If he appears, you may kill him."

Mingchen simply smiled and said, "Okay!"

Mingchen's eyes darted around, as if he had thought of something, and he asked repeatedly, "Old man, could the person who delivered the fruit be the Qingyuan Supreme Emperor?"

"I remember that Ji Yuting had a pair of short wooden sticks, which eventually became the scabbard for the Dragon Pity Withered Glory Sword."

"Yes and no?"

The old tree paused for a moment, then said, "Yes."

Upon hearing this, Mingchen couldn't stop laughing: "Hahahaha~"

"How about that? I've made you proud, haven't I? Why didn't you tell me? Were you afraid I'd get arrogant?"

The old man must be so pleased that his former rival has sent him a gift of surrender!

"Aren't you proud yet?"

Old Tree just didn't want to see this guy looking so smug.

Even with his calm and untroubled mind that had remained undisturbed for centuries, seeing this still annoyed him.

But how to put it...

Despite Mingchen's rudeness, a warm feeling welled up in his heart, as if a junior was trying to do something to help an elder regain face and gain the elder's approval.

There are some contradictions.

Just like their relationship, they are both close friends and mentor and student.

"Of course I'm not arrogant, I'm very humble!"

Humble people never say they are humble.

Time flowed slowly, and the wine jar was empty.

Mingchen yawned and said, "Old man, let's go."

The old man remained calm as always, simply replying with a "Hmm".

Mingchen waved and turned to leave.

"Remember, spiritual practice is the cultivation of the mind."

"You have already achieved something, but you must not become complacent, arrogant, or self-destructive."

The higher you climb, the more you need to be self-disciplined at all times.

Mingchen may seem glamorous, but in reality, there are constant undercurrents. If he is not careful, he may end up like the old tree who was once at odds with the world.

Before leaving, the old tree couldn't help but give Mingchen a piece of advice.

Mingchen simply waved his hand: "I know, I know~"

(End of this chapter)