Chapter 70

Hearing Ye Qing's response, the old fortune-teller fell silent, then picked up his chopsticks and put a piece of meat in his mouth, letting out a slight hiss.

Then, the old man came to his senses, slowly chewing the food in his mouth. It took him about an hour to finish this small meal.

Feeling satisfied after the meal, the old fortune-teller wiped his lips and sighed after a long while, saying, "Forgive me, I haven't had a full meal in thirty years. The past is too painful to recall."

"Lord Longsun, what is your solution? Please enlighten me!" Ye Qing said at this moment.

"Good, good." The old fortune-teller said the word "good" twice, a cold smile on his face. He said slowly, "I am Longsun, and I can become a water god. JinYang Lake is my fief, though not as vast as the eight-hundred-mile TaiPing Lake, it still spans a hundred miles."

"There's no need to go into details. I wanted to cultivate the Dragon Pearl and transform into a true dragon, but I neglected my duties as a water god, causing the rain to be out of balance and thus inviting heavenly punishment. Even my not yet fully formed Dragon Pearl was stolen by someone's scheme."

At this point, the old fortune-teller suddenly stopped, his gaze looking far away, and he snorted coldly, "Not only that, but I am trapped in this body, unable to escape, suffering for thirty years!"

"Don't think that the lake is just a few feet away, full of spiritual energy for me to use. I can't use even a bit of it. This is called thirsting for water while looking at it, a cruel intention indeed."

The old fortune-teller said this with a smile on his face, but his eyes were icy cold, filled with deep hatred. After a pause, he continued, "If you dare to govern the area within a thousand miles, ensuring the wind and rain are in harmony, and pass the examination, when the task is completed and I regain my position as a water god, I can lend you a third of my fortune."

"If you fail, all your current fortune will be deducted. What do you think?"

Ye Qing was startled. If all his current fortune were deducted, he would only retain the status of a scholar, which would be nothing in a great calamity. What a harsh requirement!

Seeing Ye Qing's face change, the old fortune-teller sneered, "This is entirely up to you. I don't force you. If you don't agree, just step back!"

Ye Qing pondered, listening to the sound of the lake water lapping against the embankment, the rustling of leaves in the breeze. His mind suddenly brightened, and he gradually had an idea.

How noble Longsun is, but how difficult it must have been to beg for thirty years. Now, this anger is being vented on me. He then walked to a stone with a smile, his eyes bright, "It's not that I don't agree, but the conditions you propose are too harsh!"

By now, the sky had darkened, and a bright moon hung high, reflecting on the river. Ye Qing stood on the river embankment and bowed to the old fortune-teller, "A third of a scholar's fortune is not all, and even if it were all, it would probably only be the annual income of JinYang Lake."

"Saving you from this suffering, do you think the annual income is too much?"

"Even if it is too much, you still want the person who saves you to pay two-thirds of their fortune. Don't you find that ridiculous?"

"If Longsun insists on this attitude and these conditions, just say the word, and I'll turn around and leave! There's plenty of fortune in the world; I won't be trapped by your one string."

Longsun was furious, but he quickly regained his composure and said, "What do you suggest, then?"

"I can pledge my fortune, but you must give me seven-tenths of your fortune. If you only give three-tenths, I can't pledge it." Saying this, Ye Qing bowed deeply again, "Longsun, I am not the one who stole your Dragon Pearl. Why be so emotional? For you, as long as you escape this predicament, what is the value of these few points of fortune?"

The old fortune-teller was initially furious, but after a moment of thought, he sighed, "Fine, I was being emotional. Giving you seven-tenths of my fortune is not impossible, but I'm afraid you won't be able to handle it—do you understand what I mean?"

Seeing Ye Qing's stunned expression, he continued, "Fate is determined by heaven, though small changes can accumulate into a great trend, this is a process that cannot be rushed. It would be bad for both of us, so let's stick with three-tenths!"

Ye Qing was shaken, recalling his past life, feeling a chill. After a long while, he said, "Three-tenths is fine, but I only have a year left before I go to the capital for the imperial examination. Can I accomplish this in a year?"

The old fortune-teller suddenly realized, patting his head, "I was being careless, not explaining clearly. No wonder you were hesitant."

"It's possible. I lost my Dragon Pearl and neglected my duties, causing the rain to be out of balance and inviting heavenly punishment. But as Longsun, I still have some leeway."

"This governance task is a divine light implanted in my mind by the Heavenly Court. It's a test of my governance skills, with one hour in here equaling one year, and one dream equaling ten years. Completing it within ten years is just one night for me."

"For me, I can take the test repeatedly, continuing if I fail. But you, as an outsider, have only one chance to take the test in my place. If you pass, I will be freed, and though I will still have lost my Dragon Pearl, I will return to my position as a water god and can easily lend you three-tenths of my fortune."

"If you fail, you won't get anything. Do you dare to accept?"

It's cheating!

Ye Qing immediately understood. Though this is a punishment, it's like being locked in a small black room to study governance.

The conditions are now acceptable, so Ye Qing smiled, "I accept these conditions!"

"Accepting, then let's go!" The old fortune-teller laughed, and with a wave of his hand, the lake surface stirred, the thousand moons shattered, and Ye Qing's consciousness became hazy, as if time and space were reversing, and his body was breaking into a million pieces, a stream of light passing through.

"Drip!" The sound of raindrops hitting the ground echoed, and Ye Qing, in his sleep, faintly heard it.

This was the sound of raindrops falling from the eaves to the ground. Though asleep, his body's ingrained knowledge made the judgment.

The continuous sound of raindrops hitting the ground slowly woke Ye Qing from his sleep.

This was a relatively exquisite side hall. Ye Qing lay in bed, looking at the mural on the ceiling, thinking, while the rain outside pattered.

"Indeed, it's raining." Ye Qing shook his head, closed his eyes, and instinctively reached toward the window, greedily breathing in the air carrying the scent of rain, the sky gray and overcast.

Ye Qing stretched, sat up in bed, and fell into deep thought.

Scenes from his conversation with the old fortune-teller flashed through his mind, up to the last wave of water when he lost consciousness.

"It seems this is the space the water god spoke of." Ye Qing's face showed a mysterious smile as he reached into his chest, but his hand trembled the next moment, finding it empty, his heart also cooling.

The original Chuanlin Notebook was always kept in his body, and to avoid suspicion, he would first reach into his chest to retrieve it. But now it was empty, the notebook not here.

There were only two possibilities: either it was taken, or this place was an illusion.

It couldn't have been taken, as the Chuanlin Notebook was now part of his flesh and blood, and he would have sensed it if it were taken.

"So, I've arrived here as just a soul, or perhaps even just consciousness!" After a moment of thought, Ye Qing got up and walked out of the room.

Outside, a curtain of rain fell from the sky, hitting the ground and creating bubbles and ripples, appearing and disappearing.

Ye Qing extended his palm, examining it closely, slowly clenching it into a fist. Everything was no different from his own, with threads of true essence and magic power flowing through his body.

"This is indeed a method set by the Heavenly Court, but I can't detect any traces." As he thought, the door, which he had casually closed, creaked open, and the scent of rain rushed in. Ye Qing turned and saw a grand hall in the rain, shrouded in mist.

This was a Daoist academy.

As he was deep in thought, a group of people, led by a man in white holding an umbrella, approached. They moved with agility, showing they were well-trained, and the man in white had an extraordinary demeanor.

The group stopped in front, allowing the rain to fall on them, standing in perfect unison, their eyes straight ahead, showing excellent upbringing. The man in white slowly closed his umbrella, walked up the steps, and stopped two steps in front of Ye Qing.

Ye Qing clearly saw the man's face, flawless, with a hollow and indifferent look in his eyes. The man in white looked Ye Qing up and down a few times, then took a step back and bowed deeply, "Young Master, I hope you are well. I am the new steward sent by Lord Dragon King. If you need anything, just tell me. These people came with me, and Lord Dragon King knows you have just awakened and need care, so he specially sent us here."

"Oh, thank you for Lord Dragon King's concern." Ye Qing smiled and said to the man in white, "What should I call you?"

Ye Qing didn't want to say too much to avoid revealing his identity.

"My name is Jiao Shiliu. Three hundred years ago, I was enlightened by Lord Dragon King. You can just call me Shiliu. If you have any orders, please feel free to give them." The man in white flicked his sleeve, his voice low.

"Oh, I see. I need to rest a bit more. If there's nothing, please step back and don't disturb me." Ye Qing waved his hand, dismissing Shiliu.

Jiao Shiliu bowed, "Yes, I will step back. Young Master, rest well. If you need anything, just call me. I should also inform you that there is a small banquet by Lord Dragon King tomorrow. Since you have awakened, would you like to attend? If not, I will handle the invitations for you."

A small banquet by Lord Dragon King?

These four words echoed in Ye Qing's mind, and suddenly, something in his mind shattered, a flood of memories surging up. These memories were from Longsun, deliberately left to avoid being exposed.

Streams of memories and knowledge flowed through his mind, instantly finding information about the small banquet by Lord Dragon King.

The small banquet by Lord Dragon King is a feast held by the Dragon King, where all the dragon princes and princesses can gather. It is a family banquet, held once a year, not uncommon. These memories flowed through Ye Qing's mind.

"Oh, since it's a family banquet, I must attend. Please wake me early tomorrow morning." Ye Qing, browsing through the memories left by Longsun, instructed Shiliu.

Since he was here, he might as well settle in. Since Shiliu was the steward, he could give normal instructions.

"Yes! I won't disturb your rest. I will take my leave." Jiao Shiliu, hearing a clear response, did not linger, bowing respectfully and stepping back.