Ch 74: The Malevolent Monster Just Wants To Farm

The Heavenly Emperor indeed had no intention of making things difficult for Zong Yu, just as Houtu had said. He even wanted to hold a grand banquet to celebrate the rebirth of the Taotie.

—Of course, Zong Yu refused.

As Zong Yu’s “friend,” Jiang Lin finally received a bit of attention from the Heavenly Emperor after the two had finished their conversation.

“Did you obtain a treasure or inheritance from the Emperor Yan?” The Heavenly Emperor had clearly noticed the aura of the Emperor Yan.

Jiang Lin shook his head, looking innocent. “I don’t know either.”

“Forget it,” the Heavenly Emperor waved dismissively. “It might be some fortuitous encounter of yours; it’s your good luck.”

He then waved his hand, producing a large pile of treasures and spiritual fruits, which he thrust at Zong Yu. “Here, eat more. You’re still just a young cub.”

When he looked at Zong Yu, his expression was full of affection, as if Zong Yu were his own child.

If the Heavenly Emperor’s dozens of real children saw this, they would probably be green with envy.

Jiang Lin was now certain of his earlier suspicion: In the eyes of the Central Heavenly Emperor, only Chaos-born god-demons of his own level were considered “his kind.” He didn’t care about the others at all.

Jiang Lin thought, having such a father, the weaver girl (Zhinü) really had a tough life.

Given the Heavenly Emperor’s attitude toward Zong Yu, the so-called “pursuit and vigilance” naturally didn’t exist anymore.

The Heavenly Emperor even wanted to build a divine palace for Zong Yu in the Central Heavenly Court, but Zong Yu declined.

He said that he liked where Jiang Lin lived and was quite content there.

The Heavenly Emperor gave Jiang Lin a rather reluctant glance, clearly not remembering where Immortal Lord Liu lived.

Houtu stepped in at the right moment and said, “By the Milky Way in the Ninth Heaven.”

The Heavenly Emperor frowned. “That place is too desolate!”

Houtu smiled and replied, “I took a look, and Immortal Lord Liu is quite skilled at creating a pleasant environment. It’s very nice there.”

As the god who governs the earth, Houtu had a fondness for the scenery Jiang Lin had created in the Ninth Heaven.

The Heavenly Emperor nodded after hearing this. “If you say it’s good, then it must be good.”

He then wanted to assign forty-nine immortal attendants to serve Zong Yu, but Zong Yu naturally refused again.

“I don’t like too many people around; I prefer peace and quiet.”

The Heavenly Emperor looked at Zong Yu like a parent dealing with a rebellious child. “You… well, fine, as you wish. If you need anything, come directly to me or Houtu.”

Zong Yu: “…Alright.”

The Heavenly Emperor then turned to Jiang Lin, his tone returning to indifference. “Immortal Lord Liu, since the Taotie prefers to live in the Ninth Heaven with you, and he is still not yet an adult, you must take good care of him.”

The tone was rather unpleasant, and Zong Yu wanted to say something, but Jiang Lin pulled him aside, smiling and nodding. “Of course.”

Only then did the Heavenly Emperor seem satisfied. “If there’s nothing else, you may leave.”

Jiang Lin and Zong Yu left together.

Zong Yu frowned and said, “I didn’t realize the Heavenly Emperor was so long-winded.”

Jiang Lin chuckled, “That depends on who he’s dealing with. It’s only because it’s you. If it were another deity, do you think the Heavenly Emperor would even spare them a glance?”

Zong Yu replied, “Who cares about his attention?”

Jiang Lin shook his head. “As long as we’re in this world, having the Heavenly Emperor favor you is beneficial to us.”

He grinned, “I guess I’ll have to cling to Lord Zong’s coattails.”

This remark seemed to please Zong Yu, and his eyes sparkled. “Feel free to cling!”

News in the divine realm spread quickly.

Especially the Heavenly Emperor’s openly affectionate attitude toward Zong Yu—it was clear that at the Heavenly Emperor’s level, he no longer needed to hide or restrain his preferences.

All the deities of the Central Heavenly Court soon knew that a Taotie Lord had arrived and was now residing in Immortal Lord Liu’s celestial palace on the Ninth Heaven.

It was said that Lord Zong Yu was very fond of Immortal Lord Liu.

This made many deities envious: Who didn’t know that His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor held Lord Zong Yu, a fellow Chaos-born god-demon, in high regard? Immortal Lord Liu must have had extraordinary luck to have earned the favor of such a distinguished being!

The previously quiet Ninth Heaven suddenly became bustling with activity, with a constant stream of deities coming to visit. Even the once arrogant Lord Tianquan brought lavish gifts to visit and apologize.

Jiang Lin was quite fed up with this kind of “socializing,” especially since it was clear that these deities all had ulterior motives.

Zong Yu was even more impatient.

He tolerated it for a few days, but when the situation didn’t improve, he finally lost his temper.

He directly refused all visitors, and for those who still didn’t listen, he challenged them to a fight.

After about half a month, the disturbances finally calmed down.

However, thanks to these visitors, the peach blossom grove and dandelions planted by Jiang Lin and Huaiyin became famous.

Many female immortals began to secretly visit the area.

Since they didn’t disturb Jiang Lin and his companions, Jiang Lin didn’t mind their presence.

In fact, his image improved in the minds of these female immortals because of the flowers and plants.

Previously, Immortal Lord Liu had always been seen as beautiful but too cold and distant, giving off an unapproachable aura.

But now, this flower-planting immortal seemed much more gentle and romantic.

Such big news couldn’t possibly escape the notice of the weaver girl (Zhinü), no matter how secluded her residence was.

As she listened to the celestial attendants talk about the esteemed Taotie Lord, the supposedly transformed Immortal Lord Liu, and the blooming peach blossoms and romantic dandelions, Zhinü suddenly felt very confused.

There was no Taotie in her dreams.

Nor was there a gentle and romantic Immortal Lord Liu.

When she had sought refuge by the Milky Way in the Ninth Heaven, the place had been cold, desolate, and utterly lifeless—there was no sea of flowers or dandelions to be seen.

Could it be that the dream was actually false?

But if it was false, why did everything feel so real?

She hadn’t even known that there was a little immortal herding cows on the western side of the Milky Way before.

And many of the small events in the dream had indeed occurred in real life over the past few days.

Where exactly was the problem?

As Zhinü pondered, she realized that the inconsistencies all centered around the Ninth Heaven and Immortal Lord Liu.

Whether it was the drastically changed celestial palace on the Ninth Heaven, as described by the celestial attendants, or the sudden appearance of Lord Zong Yu, everything seemed off.

She decided to go see for herself.

That day, she finished weaving the evening clouds early, hung them in the sky, tidied herself up, and followed the Milky Way up to the Ninth Heaven.

From a distance, before she even got close, Zhinü was stunned—she saw the long stretch of peach blossoms, as brilliant as the clouds she herself had woven.

On either side of the peach blossoms were lush green grasses, covering the once desolate ground, laying a vibrant carpet over the cold and lonely Ninth Heaven.

The rumors were entirely true—the once barren Ninth Heaven was now as beautiful as the Jade Pool.

As she neared the celestial palace, she even encountered two celestial maidens.

The two celestial maidens didn’t even recognize the princess. Seeing her beauty and flowing sleeves, they assumed she was just another unknown female immortal and kindly warned her, “Fairy, if you’re here to enjoy the scenery, it’s best to stop here. Immortal Lord Liu and Lord Zong Yu don’t like being disturbed.”

Zhinü thanked them for the warning but continued walking forward.

The two celestial maidens frowned as they watched her disregard their advice and shook their heads as they left.

They had seen many immortals like this before, each thinking they were different from the others.

Usually, such immortals would end up being thrown out by Lord Zong Yu, who never showed any mercy.

However, Zhinü wasn’t thrown out.

She walked smoothly all the way to the celestial palace.

Before she even entered, she saw Jiang Lin squatting by the Milky Way.

Even in this less-than-graceful posture, the extraordinary Immortal Lord Liu still looked pleasing to the eye.

Noticing Zhinü approaching, Jiang Lin turned around.

Just then, a breeze blew through, causing petals to gently fall from the tree branches.

If the celestial maidens had witnessed this scene, they would probably have clutched their hearts, marveling at the Immortal Lord’s elegant beauty.

Seeing that it was Zhinü, Jiang Lin stood up and greeted her:

“It’s rare to see you away from your loom.”

As he stood up, Zhinü noticed what had been hidden behind him in the Milky Way—a patch of delicate, silver lotus leaves that had grown to about the size of a palm.

Zhinü asked in confusion, “How can anything survive in the Milky Way?”

Jiang Lin modestly replied, “Though it’s difficult, I managed to find a way.”

Although his words were humble, Zhinü could still see the pride and joy in his expression.

Was he really this pleased just because he had managed to grow some lotus leaves?

Zhinü’s expression grew complex. “You seem to have changed a lot.”

Jiang Lin replied, “Gods are always changing. It seems you’ve changed too.”

He looked at Zhinü’s colorful, vibrant dress and complimented her, “You look very beautiful in that outfit.”

Zhinü instinctively touched her face, feeling unexpectedly shy. “Do I really?”

Jiang Lin nodded. “No matter how much you love your work, you should also learn to enjoy life and treat yourself well, shouldn’t you? Otherwise, what’s the point of living so long if a god’s life has no joy?”

Zhinü thought about it and nodded. “You’re right.”

Looking at this version of Immortal Lord Liu, who was so different from the one in her dreams, she suddenly asked, “Immortal Lord, are we friends?”

Jiang Lin looked at her. “If you think we are, then we are.”

“Then, if I were in trouble and came here seeking refuge, would you take me in?” Zhinü asked.