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Chapter 42 The Old Dragon Admits His Mistake
Are the people from the Prince of Qin's mansion targeting us? Isn't that a given?
As Chen Guangrui left Wei Zheng's residence and walked home, he found Wei Zheng's reminder somewhat ridiculous.

That day, Cheng Yaojin stormed into the post station looking for Wei Zheng, wasn't that obvious enough? The people in the Prince of Qin's mansion had long since linked Chen Guangrui and Wei Zheng together, regarding them as thorns in their side.

This stubborn old man was sometimes too cautious; he didn't utter a single word about the matter of the officials in charge of personnel. In the end, everyone was drunk and fell asleep with their mouths covered.

Chen Guangrui pondered that Wei Zheng had just said he would investigate that matter, and he guessed that once he left, the old man would really get serious about investigating the assassination case.

He remembered that in the Journey to the West stories he knew, after the Jing River Dragon King was beheaded, Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, was nearing the end of his life. It was Wei Zheng who wrote a letter to Cui Jue, the judge of the underworld, which allowed Li Shimin to be reborn.

Chen Guangrui could never figure out just how capable this Cao Guan was, or how far his influence could extend.

This is a good opportunity to test Wei Zheng's capabilities within the scope of his duties as a human resources official, using the assassination case as a pretext.

He had just given Wei Zheng all the clues about the land and the Jing River Dragon King, just to see how he would investigate.

The local authorities will definitely investigate; the assassination happened on his territory, so he couldn't possibly be unaware of it.

As for that old dragon of the Jing River...
That night, the lights were turned off in the inn's room. Chen Guangrui lay on the bed and quickly fell asleep.

He hadn't slept long when the scene before him suddenly changed. A hazy mist filled the air, and the surroundings became unreal. Chen Guangrui immediately realized that this was a dream.

In the mist, a figure strode toward him. The person was no longer the majestic and ferocious dragon head, but a tall and sturdy middle-aged man with a round head and fat ears, wearing a dark gold brocade robe.

It was none other than the Jinghe Dragon King in human form!
Hmm, this time he looks more honest and simple, which is good for admitting his mistakes.

It's all the same old routine, but Chen Guangrui isn't worried at all, as if he still wants to find something new in his dream.

The old Dragon King's face was full of smiles, and he bowed to him from afar, his posture extremely humble.
"Scholar Chen! Top Scholar! I'm so glad to finally meet you!"

He was completely different from the Dragon King who was furious that day. The Dragon King who was irritable and angry that day looked much more imposing.

Chen Guangrui knew perfectly well that Wei Zheng had written a letter!
He hinted that the assassin had been active along the Jing River, and that the trail had ended there. Wei Zheng would definitely put pressure on the Jing River aquatic creatures in his capacity as the official in charge of personnel.

Now, the old Dragon King has realized that the official Cao has arrived, and he is truly feeling the pressure.

According to Yuan Shoucheng,

He has more than ten years to live, after which he will face certain death. The only one who can kill him or save him is the official in charge of human affairs.

Having just fallen out with Chen Guangrui a few days ago, and now finding that the official in charge of personnel was right next to Chen Guangrui, the Jinghe Dragon King felt his face was slapped red.

I have a bad temper and say very hurtful things.

Looking back now, the old Dragon King was filled with deep regret.

Having no other choice, he had to bite the bullet and approach them, while still maintaining a genuine smile.

Seeing the Dragon King appear like this, Chen Guangrui acted as if he hadn't seen him at all. He turned around and walked into the depths of the dream's mist, while raising his hand and pinching his thigh hard. He wanted to forcefully escape from this dream!
"Hey! No! No, no! Scholar, please calm down! Please calm down!"

The old Dragon King was shocked to see this. He rushed over and grabbed Chen Guangrui's wrist, which was raised in mid-air. The forced composure on his face completely crumbled, replaced by anxiety and obsequiousness. "Please calm down! It's a misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding!"

Chen Guangrui found his embarrassed and ingratiating appearance rather comical, but she held back her smile. He deliberately kept a cold face and asked in a pretentious tone,
"Oh? A misunderstanding? Dragon King, you must have had the wrong dream today. You've misunderstood, haven't you? I remember you've kept to your own business, telling me to stop messing with your Jing River aquatic tribes, right?"

These sarcastic remarks made Old Dragon's face turn red and white in turns.

The mighty Jinghe Dragon King, the master of this waterway, has never been subjected to such humiliation.

But thinking of the impending death, and of Wei Zheng's intangible yet overwhelming "interrogation," he could only swallow his temper.

Old Long took a deep breath and forced an even more humble smile.

"You jest, you jest! I was wrong! I was too hasty and confused! I shouldn't have offended the top scholar last time! I've come here specifically to apologize to you... um... and bring you some local specialties from our Jinghe Water Palace, you see..."

He rubbed his hands together, looking at Chen Guangrui with a fawning gaze.

The specialties of Jinghe Water Palace, did you bring the Turtle Prime Minister here to make soup?

Chen Guangrui found it amusing. This old dragon was indeed both angry and anxious, yet he could only humble himself before him.

But he showed no mercy, intending to use this opportunity to teach the Dragon King a lesson. Otherwise, if the old dragon suddenly betrayed him when he faced imminent death and truly opposed Buddhism, wouldn't that be a trap for him?
Chen Guangrui still maintained that cold and disgusted expression.
"Alright, alright! No need for an apology! No need to bring anything either! I'm a person who values ​​peace and quiet. When I'm sleeping, I'm sleeping. I'm dreaming about drinking dragon marrow soup..."

Huh? Dragon marrow soup?
Old Long looked rather mournful; this stuff is not for drinking.

But seeing Chen Guangrui still smacking his lips, the old dragon hesitated, and finally cautiously asked, "Could you squeeze out a little less dragon marrow? I can't squeeze out too much at once..."

Seeing the Dragon King's hesitant manner, Chen Guangrui thought again about squeezing the dragon marrow...

His face darkened instantly. "Fine, then give me some dragon marrow from the seven-inch spot, and preferably some brain matter as well, that's the only way to replenish it."

Bullying the dragon is too much!

Hearing Chen Guangrui's words, Lao Long almost exploded again, but he held back after thinking about it.

He chuckled and coaxed Chen Guangrui, saying, "Scholar Chen, you're joking. You may not know, but the brains and marrow of my dragon clan have a fishy smell and aren't very suitable for making soup. How about I get you some other delicious ingredients?"

What could the old Dragon King do? He had only provoked them in the first place.
Now all I can do is swallow my pride and bear it.

Chen Guangrui felt the matter was almost settled, and waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing away flies.
"Don't bother me if it's nothing! I just want to get a good night's sleep! If you have something important to say..."

His voice carried a hint of impatience and mockery: "Tomorrow! Bring your 'divination fee,' the usual place, go find Master Yuan! Let him give you a proper reading!"

After saying this, he ignored the old dragon king's embarrassed and frustrated expression, and paid no attention to the apology gift. He focused his mind, forcibly broke free from the dream, and his consciousness quickly fell into a deep sleep.

Only the old Dragon King, now in human form, remained, standing in the hazy dream space, staring at the spot where Chen Guangrui had vanished. His once prosperous face trembled with rage. After a long while, he managed to squeeze out a few words through clenched teeth.
"...Tomorrow! I'll bring you a whole basketful tomorrow!"

(End of this chapter)