Ch 62: The Malevolent Monster Just Wants To Farm

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…

Zong Yu asked impatiently, “If I have someone I love, will you stop bothering me?”

Ao Yue replied, “We understand the rules of other races. If you truly have someone you love and are devoted to them, of course, I wouldn’t try to break you two apart.”

There are plenty of fish in the sea, so missing out on one isn’t a big deal. Ao Yue was very nonchalant about it.

Zong Yu immediately said, “Yes, I have someone I love. I’ll only love him for the rest of my life, so give up.”

Ao Yue looked disappointed but said, “Alright then, I wish you both happiness.”

Not wanting to linger, Zong Yu turned and walked away.

Ao Yue, still somewhat reluctant, called after him, “If you ever stop liking him, you can come to the Eastern Sea Domain and find me!”

Zong Yu scoffed internally and quickened his pace.

Without Ao Yue’s interference, he quickly left the Eastern Sea and found his way to the Sea City.

When he arrived at the shop, Jiang Lin was trimming flower branches.

Seeing Zong Yu, Jiang Lin greeted him casually, “You’re here?”

Zong Yu enjoyed this familiar feeling, as if they had just seen each other yesterday and hadn’t been separated for decades.

He couldn’t help but smile, “Yes, I’m here.”

In the past, he would have immediately sat down and started complaining to Jiang Lin about encountering a grumpy old dragon and the old dragon’s crazy daughter.

But now, watching Jiang Lin gently trim the flower branches in the warm sunlight of the sea, Zong Yu suddenly felt that this peaceful scene was too beautiful to be disturbed by such annoying trivialities.

Following his heart, he pushed thoughts of the dragon father and daughter out of his mind and asked Jiang Lin, “You’ve changed your appearance again. What’s your identity this time?”

Jiang Lin lifted the pot of roses in his hand and showed it to him, “Look, just a simple shopkeeper of an ordinary little store.”

The roses were vibrant, his face partially hidden behind the flower branches, appearing and disappearing.

Zong Yu suddenly found it hard to look away.

He thought, These roses are quite beautiful, something I’ve never seen before.

He stood up, moved closer for a better look, and plucked a flower to smell it.

“Too fragrant,” he remarked.

Jiang Lin glared at him and moved the flower pot aside, “That’s called ruining the flowers! Do you know how expensive each flower here is?”

Zong Yu immediately responded, “Then I’ll work for you to pay off the debt.”

Jiang Lin burst out laughing, “That might actually work.”

Seeing Zong Yu, Jiang Lin was genuinely happy.

He closed the shop early, went to various nearby stalls, and bought plenty of ingredients to cook a welcoming meal for Zong Yu.

In the Eastern Sea Domain, seafood was abundant—plentiful, cheap, and of high quality, with no pollution.

Jiang Lin even brought out several jars of fruit wine he had brewed over the years, knowing that as immortals and demons, they didn’t have to worry about health issues.

Qingluo also got a small cup of grape wine.

It was her first time drinking, and after half a cup, her whole face turned red. She clung to Jiang Lin’s sleeve, not letting go, as if she still thought she hadn’t transformed, trying to wrap herself around his arm.

Zong Yu watched, his eye twitching, and walked over to pull her hand away, saying sternly, “A young lady shouldn’t be so unreserved.”

“Hic,” Qingluo hiccuped, looking at him in confusion. After a while, she finally recognized Zong Yu and smiled, “Uncle Xiao Zong, you’ve grown so tall!”

She giggled and said, “But you’re still so short; you can’t even lift Daddy.”

Zong Yu: ?

Qingluo, oblivious to the murderous look in Uncle Zong’s eyes, continued in her drunken state, “Grandpa Shen Nong can lift Daddy right onto his arm.”

Jiang Lin: …

This time, it was his turn for his face to darken.

His well-behaved daughter was not cute at all when drunk.

He coldly pried Qingluo’s hand off, transformed her into her original form as she wished, muted her, and tossed her into the corner to play in the dirt.

Zong Yu snapped out of his confusion and frowned, asking, “Who is Grandpa Shen Nong?”

Jiang Lin then explained the identity of his current body and some of the past grudges.

Having lived with Jiang Lin through several worlds, Zong Yu had a general sense of his various identities across worlds.

He asked curiously, “Aren’t you a demon? And not the kind with a good reputation. How come this time you’re a divine child, and it doesn’t seem all that bad?”

Jiang Lin replied, “In the original legend, after Jiang died, he transformed into the Jingwei bird, so he’s categorized as a demon. As for being good or bad…”

He had asked the system, and its response at the time was:

“Good or bad is never determined subjectively. The system’s judgment is based on the subsequent impact.”

After Jiang’s death, Shen Nong was enraged and evaporated half of the Eastern Sea, causing countless sea creatures to suffer. Jiang was supposed to inherit the bloodline of the agricultural god and was destined for greatness. But his untimely death led to chaos in Shen Nong’s tribe and the loss of the agricultural god’s blessing.

Because of this, the system classified Jiang as “evil.”

Jiang Lin thought this was a bit unfair: “By that logic, it’s really Zi Qi and the people who killed him in the Eastern Sea who are more evil. Jiang was just a victim.”

The system responded, “I won’t argue with you about this topic because it’s not my decision. I’m just a weak little system.”

Jiang Lin: …

“System,” he said, “I feel like you’re not as easygoing as you used to be.”

The system replied, “Hmph!”

Jiang Lin: ???

How did the system get so temperamental after being offline for so long?

But when Jiang Lin tried to call the system again, it didn’t respond.

However, Zong Yu suddenly remembered something: “The name Zi Qi sounds familiar.”

Jiang Lin was startled: “Familiar? Where have you heard it?”

Zong Yu frowned in thought for a moment, then his expression darkened: “I remember now.”

The experience of being beaten by the Dragon King and harassed by the dragon princess wasn’t exactly a good memory for him.

Zong Yu vaguely explained, “I encountered a dragon princess named Ao Yue before. She’s the princess of the Eastern Sea Domain. I think I heard the name Zi Qi from her.”

“But there could be others with the same name in this world,” Zong Yu said. “It might not be the person you’re looking for.”

When Jiang Lin heard the words “dragon princess,” he was almost certain.

Ordinary sea creatures could manipulate water, but few could truly stir up a storm in the Eastern Sea.

If it was the princess of the Dragon King, that would make sense.

He asked Zong Yu, “Can you still get in touch with that princess?”

Zong Yu’s face darkened: “No.”

Even if he could, he had no desire to see that woman again!

“That’s really a shame,” Jiang Lin sighed.

Seeing Jiang Lin’s disappointed expression, Zong Yu blurted out, “Why bother with Ao Yue? If it’s just finding someone, I can help you look!”

Jiang Lin looked at him in surprise, then smiled and said, “Thank you. But while finding Zi Qi is important, I have another purpose in finding Ao Yue as well.”

“What purpose?” Zong Yu asked.

Jiang Lin asked him, “Weren’t you in the Eastern Sea when you arrived? You even met the princess, so did you visit the dragon clan’s territory?”

Zong Yu nodded.

Jiang Lin pointed to the products in his little shop and asked, “Did you see these things there?”

Zong Yu hadn’t paid much attention before, but now, after recalling carefully, he shook his head, “Most of them, no.”

Although the Dragon Palace was luxurious, most of what they used still came from the sea. The fruits and flowers in Jiang Lin’s shop couldn’t be grown under sea conditions.

Jiang Lin continued, “Zi Qi is from the Tu Su tribe, which has a grudge against our tribe. While he was harming me, he also made contact with the dragon clan’s princess. I suspect that the Tu Su tribe is trying to form an alliance with the Eastern Sea.”

The Tu Su tribe alone couldn’t do much against the Shen Nong tribe. But if they joined forces with a powerful Eastern Sea dragon clan, it could be a different story.

“But the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea isn’t foolish. The Eastern Sea is already a powerful domain on its own, and there’s been no conflict between us. Forming an alliance with the Tu Su tribe would mean taking on a powerful enemy like the Shen Nong tribe. Unless the Tu Su tribe offers something truly enticing to the dragons, this alliance is unlikely,” Jiang Lin analyzed.

Thinking of the flamboyant, handsome young man, Zong Yu nodded silently, “You’re right, the Dragon King isn’t stupid.”

Considering the nature of the Tu Su tribe, Jiang Lin smiled, “But what could the Tu Su tribe offer that the Eastern Sea lacks? The sea tribe can only live in the sea; territory and other intangible assets don’t interest them.”

Zong Yu’s thoughts quickly caught up, and as he looked around Jiang Lin’s shop, his eyes lit up, “Are you thinking…?”

Jiang Lin chuckled, “Thanks to Zi Qi for giving me the idea. The Tu Su tribe may be poor and lacking in good things, but the Shen Nong tribe has plenty.”

The booming business in his shop over the past few days had clearly demonstrated that the Shen Nong tribe’s agricultural products were in high demand among the sea tribes. Unfortunately, the highest-ranking sea tribe member he currently had access to was Ao Ning. But she didn’t quite have the influence needed to negotiate an alliance between the Eastern Sea and the Shen Nong tribe.

Jiang Lin thought for a moment and then asked Zong Yu, “Are you sure you can’t introduce me to Ao Yue?”

Zong Yu’s face darkened, “No, I can’t.”

“Alright then,” Jiang Lin didn’t push further, “We’ll stick to my original plan. If I let the reputation of this shop spread, it will eventually attract the attention of the sea tribe’s nobility.”

This was, after all, the safest and most reliable method—building a reputation through his products.

“Anyway, with our long lifespans,” Jiang Lin said casually, “running a shop and selling things is quite enjoyable.”

But life often has its coincidences. The next day, when Zong Yu sensed a familiar presence at the door and saw that familiar woman, his face turned instantly dark. “Why are you here again?”

However, Ao Yue was even more surprised, “Why are you here?”

Zong Yu was stunned, “Weren’t you coming to find me?”

Ao Yue, realizing the misunderstanding, rolled her eyes, “What do you take our dragon clan for? I said I wouldn’t bother you, and I won’t.”

She then remembered something and smiled, “Let me introduce you to my latest partner—he’s a human. Zi Qi?”

The familiar name caught Zong Yu off guard.

Jiang Lin, who had just walked out from behind the counter, also froze and then looked over.

The man standing behind Ao Yue was tall, with the unique pale complexion of the Tu Su tribe, and had a handsome face, though not exactly as Jiang Lin remembered.

Zi Qi smiled at them, “Hello, I’m Zi Qi.”

His gaze lingered on Jiang Lin, a look of confusion in his eyes, as if finding something familiar about him.

Jiang Lin had, of course, disguised his true appearance while running his shop in the Eastern Sea.

Looking at the man before him, who was both familiar and unfamiliar, Jiang Lin smiled meaningfully, “Hello, Zi Qi. My name is Lin.”