I was forced to cultivate immortality when I just wanted to lie down

Chapter 399 Xu Family Nursery
"Wow! What huge golden carp, and a pair at that! Brother Xu, what do you think of my luck?"

Zhu Huai'an made a big fuss, as if he had really caught the fish himself.

Xu Qing stared at the golden carp hanging on the hook and the other bound to the fishing line with a strip of cloth, utterly speechless.

So, when the sorcerer Fu Luan said "encountering a dragon," he was referring to Zhu Huai'an, this human-dragon?
Seeing that he had caught a golden carp, Zhu Huai'an quickly called for the chief eunuch Sun Mingli to come and clean the fish.

To complete the charade and avoid any unusual signs on the water that would give Xu Qing something to hold against him, the elderly eunuch Sun, despite being in the dead of winter and without using any protective qi, jumped ashore soaking wet. Only when he heard the emperor's call did he mobilize his qi and blood to dry his clothes and run towards the pier.

"What kind of clothes is this, Eunuch Sun?"

Xu Qing glanced at the strips of cloth binding the golden carp, then her gaze returned to Sun Mingli's tattered clothes.

Eunuch Sun turned to the side, covering his clothes, and blatantly lied in broad daylight, saying, "It got caught by accident, it's nothing!"

The master and servant
Xu Qing chuckled and was about to respond when Zhu Huai'an immediately changed the subject, saying, "Although I haven't caught as many fish as you, Brother Xu, there are probably only a handful of these giant golden carp in the whole river!"

Zhu Huai'an said meaningfully, "I see that Brother Xu's talent is like this golden carp in the river. You can't find many like it even if you search the whole world. But today I have caught a golden carp in my hand. Don't you think this is the will of Heaven?"

Xu Qing's gaze was deep and unfathomable.

If catching fish in the water is considered fate, then what about draining the entire river of water and catching a whole river of fresh fish?
Is this considered God being in heat?

"Fishing is fishing, but cheating is not allowed!"

Xu Qing stated matter-of-factly, "Besides, our bet is about the number of fish we catch. No matter how good your golden carp is, it can't compare to my catch of a hundred fish."

How thick-skinned is Zhu Huai'an?
Seeing that Xu Qing had exposed his trick, he was not embarrassed at all. Instead, he asked Eunuch Sun to find a fish tank, saying that he planned to take the two golden carp back to the Imperial Garden and raise them in the Jade Pond, as a decorative element and a symbol of good fortune for the imperial family.

When he misses his old friend, he will go to the Jade Pool to admire it. Whenever he sees the golden carp, he will remember fishing with his old friend today.
Seeing fish evokes memories of loved ones; this Zhu emperor is quite adept at stirring up emotions.

"Brother Xu, please stop trying to persuade us. There are countless wild beasts and fishermen in this river. If you leave these two golden carp here, they will probably become someone else's food sooner or later. You might as well come back to the Imperial Garden with me. At that time, not only will you be served food and drink, but you will also no longer have to worry about becoming someone else's prey."

Alright! Xu Qing knew from this situation that the third tribulation for the two golden carp was the Zhu Emperor in front of him!
"Brother Zhu, these two golden carp are no ordinary fish; they are truly spiritual creatures nurtured by heaven and earth. It should be known that spiritual creatures possess a profound and mysterious nature, and are most averse to being confined in cages."

Xu Qing ignored Jinli, who kept rolling her eyes at him for help, and continued, "Like a crane soaring high in the mountains, its heart yearns for the clouds; like an orchid in a secluded valley, its spirit turns to the gentle breeze. Since Your Majesty loves the beauty of its spirit, how can you bear to imprison it within the high walls of the palace and extinguish its spirit?"

Zhu Huai'an raised an eyebrow and immediately sensed something was amiss; the other party was clearly implying something!

"So, according to Brother Xu, do I have to release the spirit fish that I painstakingly caught back into the wild?"

"Hard work to catch it?" Xu Qing said irritably, "You have the nerve to say that? If it weren't for your bet with me, this fish wouldn't have suffered this undeserved disaster."

Seeing Zhu Huai'an's face turn red, Xu Qing at least gave the old emperor a way out.

"The ancient tale of 'releasing the crane from its cage' is a beautiful story. Your Majesty might as well follow the ancient example and release the golden carp into the rivers and seas, allowing them to roam freely. This is an act that conforms to the will of Heaven and the will of the people, demonstrating Your Majesty's benevolence and helping others achieve their goals. If word of this spreads in the future, it will become a celebrated tale."

Zhu Huai'an glanced at Xu Qing, then looked down at the golden carp in the basket. Although his eyes were full of reluctance, he still listened to Xu Qing's words and released the golden carp back into the river.

As the two golden carp disappeared into the river, Zhu Huai'an, who had been anxious and uncertain, felt a sense of relief.

It felt like losing something, but gaining a more precious kind of relief.

Zhu Huai'an felt completely relieved.

Both power and friendship have their own weight.

For Emperor Zhu, the empire was of paramount importance. But for Zhu Huai'an, the friendship between them was a precious thing that could not be bought with the vast empire.

On the banks of the Baishui River, Zhu Huai'an calmed down and sat down next to Xu Qing, holding the same fishing rod. They looked like two old friends, fishing together by the river in their twilight years.

Sun Mingli, sensing the situation, went ashore and chatted with the fishermen.

With Xu Qing around, it makes little difference whether His Majesty has him or not, given his status as a martial arts master.

During the conversation, Zhu Huai'an recounted many interesting stories about how he met Xu Qing, as well as matters of the court.

However, the former are few and far between; most of the news consists of various anecdotes from the imperial court.

For Zhu Huai'an, the imperial court was his daily routine, and there was not much else to say about him.

Xu Qing responded intermittently.

When Zhu Huai'an mentioned his ambition to conquer the world back then, and his unfulfilled ambitions at this moment, Xu Qing shook his head.

The world is too sick. The Great Yan Dynasty has only lasted for a few decades. It is already difficult to achieve peace and prosperity and to govern the territory well. How can we talk about emulating the founding emperor and looking out for the whole world?

Zhu Huai'an was still full of ambition and hope for the future in his middle age, but decades later, even the founding emperor of that time could only bow to the passage of time.

He is nearly seventy years old.

"Brother Xu has the bearing of an immortal, far beyond that of an ordinary old man. If one day I follow my late father in death, I hope that Brother Xu will look after my Zhu family descendants in times of crisis."

Xu Qing caught another fish, but it was only a small juvenile fish the size of his palm.

As he removed the fish from the hook and released it back into the water, he said, "Your Zhu family has multiplied for so many years, and there will likely be even more in the future. I cannot take care of them all, but I can promise Brother Zhu that if necessary, I can protect one branch of the Zhu family bloodline so that it can be passed down."

Zhu Huai'an smiled as he looked at the little fish that had been given a new lease on life.

No dynasty lasts a thousand years, and no one can guarantee that the Zhu family can hold onto their throne for more than a few years. But with Xu Qing's words today, he can finally rest assured!

At the end of the second year of the Fengjing era.

Emperor Zhu, nearing seventy, returned to the capital, while Xu Qing remained toiling in his small plot of land.

Baishui Riverbank.

Xu Qing arrived at the pier alone.

He stood with his hands behind his back, and before long, two golden carp leaped onto the pier, transforming into the appearance of a boy and a girl.

The two little children with their hair tied in pigtails and dressed in golden cloud-patterned clothes are incredibly cute, just like the door paintings that every household pastes on their doors during the Lunar New Year to pray for many children and blessings.

When Xu Qing saw the two children, he smiled and took out the candy figurines and various windmill toys he had bought, but his smile didn't quite look like that of a good person.

He rescued a pair of golden carp that had twice encountered human calamities, and each time the calamities rewarded them with rare and precious treasures.

Dragons are known for their ability to gather and store treasures. Xu Qing has once again stepped in to save the pair of golden carp from their final tribulation of transforming into dragons. They may very well obtain unprecedented celestial treasures!
He has to coax him properly!

"What are your names?" The boy replied to his benefactor in a clear voice, "My name is Qingya, and her name is Yaoguang. Thank you for saving us so many times."

Once you've been there, you're comfortable; once you've been there, you're at home; and by the third time, it's like your own backyard!

The two children, holding various trinkets in their arms, were clearly very happy, treating Xu Qing as a family member or elder.

But Xu Qing had no sense of responsibility as an elder; he just wanted to get some treasures from the two children as soon as possible.

However, no matter how Xu Qing tried to subtly hint at it, he received no response.

Seeing that it was getting late, Xu Qing finally stopped hiding his intentions and said directly, "I've saved you two again, don't you two have anything to say in return?"

Xu Qing rubbed his fingers together. A grown man, he had the audacity to ask two children for money without any shame.

Qingya and Yaoguang looked at each other, but neither of them said a word.

Xu Qing relaxed the standards and continued to press for answers.

What we're saying is, even if we don't have any really good treasures, something like a phoenix-winged purple-gold crown, a chainmail golden armor, or lotus-silk cloud-walking shoes would be just fine!

Otherwise, giving me a precious weapon or a luminous pearl would be acceptable!

Xu Qing exhausted his words, but the boy and girl in front of him just shook their heads. Not to mention a luminous pearl, they didn't even offer a single dragon scale or a drop of dragon saliva!
Xu Qing felt somewhat frustrated. Had he spent the last two months doing nothing but wildlife rescue?
"Alright, I won't make things difficult for you two. But when you go back, remember to tell your master that you thank it for its help at the Underworld River that day."

The two boys nodded and then shook their heads. Xu Qing didn't know what the two little golden carp were trying to express. He asked them, but they refused to answer directly.

He shook his head and decided not to ask any more questions.

After bidding farewell to Jinli, Xu Qing turned and headed into the city.

However, before he could take more than a few steps, he noticed that two children were following him closely, never leaving his side.

Wherever Xu Qing went, they followed.

"Why are you following me ashore? The river is to the east, and the sea is to the east. If you want to go into the river or the sea, just turn back and don't follow me anymore!"

However, the two children ignored Xu Qing's words as if they were nothing, continuing to do as they pleased and following him around like little shadows.

Xu Qing couldn't be driven away no matter what.

"If you keep following me, I'll take you both to the market to be sold!"

The two golden carp in front of him were the juniors of the Azure Dragon God, how could Xu Qing easily take them away?
If Qinglong mistakes it for a fishmonger, wouldn't that be a huge misunderstanding?

Seeing Qingya and Yaoguang exchange a glance and still follow him, refusing to leave, Xu Qing's face darkened, and he said:

"I saved you, and you not only don't repay my kindness, but you also repay kindness with enmity, making me feed you? Don't blame me for not telling you, I also have a gluttonous cat at home that eats river delicacies. People like you with delicate skin and tender flesh can be eaten whole without even chewing!"

Seeing that Xu Qing was truly enraged, the leading boy finally spoke up to plead for them: "Benefactor, please have mercy! My master has already closed the gates of the Dragon Palace, and we are truly homeless. In this vast world, only you, benefactor, are a good person. We beg you to take us in."

Is the Dragon Palace closed?

Xu Qing frowned and said, "Since you two have already completed the Three Tribulations, why not use the Dragon Transformation Method? Once you achieve dragon bodies and obtain supernatural powers and spells, you may not be able to go anywhere else, but in the waters of Tianjin, who could easily capture you?"

Upon hearing this, the two golden carp stammered, looking troubled, unsure how to respond.

Xu Qing thought to himself, "That's it!" when he saw this.

Since he has done a good deed, he might as well go all the way and see it through to the end.

"Even if the child is wrong, we can't just leave him outside, can we? Don't worry, I'll take you home right away!"

Before the two children could react, Xu Qing grabbed one of them by the arm and headed straight for the sky above Baijiang.

He activated his Corpse Roar Technique, shouting with all his might towards the misty river: "Whose children are lost? I've left these two children at your doorstep. You'd better keep a close eye on them from now on, because there are bad people everywhere these days! If you run into them again, there might not be anyone to save you."

After saying that, Xu Qing shook his arms and threw the two children into the river.

However, in that brief moment, the entire surface of the Baijiang River suddenly began to surge and boil!
Xu Qing looked up and saw a divine dragon cutting through the river, riding the wind and clouds, breaking through the waves and soaring into the sky!

The Azure Dragon arrived in an instant, its bright, lantern-like golden eyes shining with divine light as it stared unblinkingly at the tiny human before it.

Xu Qing mobilized all his magical power in one place. Although his face remained normal, his body had already entered a state of alert.

"Fellow Daoist, there's no need to be so cautious."

Ignoring the two golden carp that were wagging their tails incessantly upon seeing their relatives, the Azure Dragon spoke in human language: "We are currently in a time of great calamity. The path for mortals to ascend to immortality is blocked, and the Dragon Gate of the Dragon Clan is also closed. Although these two golden carp are of the dragon family and have accumulated good fortune to survive three human tribulations, they still cannot follow the old system to transform into dragons and leap over the Dragon Gate."

Xu Qing remained silent and continued to listen to the Azure Dragon's explanation.

"The two youngsters are ignorant of the ways of the world. Even if they were to become true dragons one day, they would easily repeat the same mistakes. The current tribulation is still manageable, but if there is a drought or fire disaster in the future, or if they encounter demons or monsters, their thousand years of cultivation may be lost in an instant."

Xu Qing felt increasingly uneasy as he listened. Why did Qinglong seem to be entrusting his son to Zhu Huai'an?

"What does the Divine Lord mean by that?"

The Azure Dragon God spoke frankly: "I would like to ask you to take them in and keep them by your side. You can take them to experience the mortal world, to understand the ways of the world, and to teach them as well."

Seeing Xu Qing about to speak, Qinglong hurriedly added, "These golden carp that have transformed into dragons are an auspicious sign, bringing blessings with them. Their willingness to follow you is also to repay your kindness."

Xu Qing finally realized what was going on.

No wonder those two golden carp followed him after they were rescued; their "offering themselves in gratitude" was their way of repaying him after saving him from three human tribulations.
But this isn't a nursery. Master Feng, it's one thing for Zhu Huai'an to entrust his children to him, but what's with you, a green dragon, entrusting two fish to a zombie?

Does this sound like a word?

In order to get to know the truth, Xu Qing had a more in-depth conversation with Qinglong and learned quite a lot during the conversation.

For example, the Azure Dragon God in front of us has old wounds that haven't healed yet, and new wounds on his body. He urgently needs to go into seclusion and recuperate. He can't take care of others for a short time. These two golden carp are the last manifestation of the dragon vein's pure spiritual energy. If they perish here, it would be too tragic.

The Azure Dragon God's choice to entrust his son to him was, in a sense, a move born of necessity.

When Xu Qing saw that his old neighbor, who had repeatedly tried to befriend him, had put his words to this point, what else could he do?
We can only keep these two golden carp as lucky charms.

Besides, he already keeps foxes and cats, so he won't miss out on fish food.

And so, when Xu Qing, who had gone fishing empty-handed, turned around to go back, two incredibly cute children with rosy lips and white teeth appeared beside him.
(End of this chapter)