Chapter 214: Never Knowing When It Will End

The moment Yingyuan fell.

A figure appeared to the side, reaching out to catch him.

Yingyuan at that moment was covered all over in sword wounds, already unconscious.

The Old Dragon King sighed softly, supporting Yingyuan, and said, “This old one thanks Mr. Chen on Yuan’er’s behalf.”

Chen Changsheng smiled warmly and said, “I didn’t take your treasures for nothing. Do you really think I, Old Dragon King, am the same as you?”

Ying Zheng laughed, waving his hand. “Whatever Mr. Chen wants, he can take freely!”

Hearing this, Chen Changsheng’s eyes brightened. “Really?”

Ying Zheng paused, suddenly starting to cough.

“You can’t take it back now,” Chen Changsheng said, smiling at him.

The Old Dragon King’s mouth twitched a couple of times.

Really…

Hard to guard against it!

But then, the smile suddenly faded from Chen Changsheng’s face.

He lifted his head, looking up at the sky curtain above.

The Old Dragon King also frowned, raising his head to look.

In an instant, the expressions of both darkened.

“The Heavenly Tribulation…”

The Old Dragon King frowned deeply, looking down at the unconscious Yingyuan.

This tribulation…

Came at the worst possible time!

Chen Changsheng extended two fingers, lightly touching the point between Yingyuan’s eyebrows. A stream of Golden Light entered his body.

Looking again at the sky above, the gathering dark clouds began to show signs of dispersing.

As the thunder clouds slowly receded, the Old Dragon King also let out a sigh of relief.

Chen Changsheng looked at the Second Prince and said, “The Second Prince is brave and skilled, with considerable natural gifts. It’s a shame this tribulation truly came at the wrong moment. For now, I’ve sealed his Dragon Spirit. From now on, Dragon Lord, you should focus more care and thought on him.”

Unexpectedly, a look of deep respect appeared in the Old Dragon King’s eyes.

“Of course,” he said. “This can be called the grace of rebirth. Once Yuan’er wakes, I will personally bring him to apologize to Mr. Chen.”

“A mere trifle, not worth mentioning.”

Chen Changsheng then said, “Dragon Lord should take the Second Prince back to tend to his wounds now.”

The Old Dragon King nodded, and immediately invited Chen Changsheng to the Riverbottom Dragon Palace.

Chen Changsheng, however, shook his head, declining the Old Dragon King’s kindness. “Someone has come to return something to me. I won’t go this time. There will be plenty of chances later.”

“Very well.”

The Old Dragon King didn’t say more. Soon afterward, he led his Water Demons and returned to the Riverbottom Dragon Palace.

Chen Changsheng breathed a sigh of relief and turned back toward the Long Pavilion.

Looking at the pile of treasures on the ground, he promptly gathered them up. With these materials, creating his External Incarnation should be sufficient.

The river surface calmed.

The rain was lighter now, yet the sky grew ever darker; night was falling.

Chen Changsheng pulled on his cloak, adjusted it with a tug, breathed out softly, and murmured to himself, “At last, I can finally relax and fish.”

He picked up the bamboo rod by his side and cast it out.

…

The last bit of light faded.

The rain in the sky still hadn’t stopped.

Under the thick blanket of clouds, no moonlight could reach the riverside. It was now so dark, you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face.

“Pitter-patter, pitter-patter…”

Mu Cailiang walked with an umbrella and a Lantern towards the Long Pavilion by the river.

He lifted his gaze towards the pavilion, but the gloom was too deep; he couldn’t make out if anyone was inside.

It was dark, and Mu Cailiang worried his benefactor might already be gone. Yet, he wouldn’t be able to rest easy without coming to see for himself.

His steps sped up slightly.

Entering the Long Pavilion, Mu Cailiang raised his lantern, its light finally revealing the benefactor seated within, engaged in fishing.

“The benefactor hasn’t left yet!” Mu Cailiang exclaimed in surprise.

Chen Changsheng gazed placidly at the river surface. “It’s at night that the fish truly come out.”

Mu Cailiang hurried forward, placing the lantern on the long bench beside them, adding a sliver of light for his benefactor.

“Benefactor, your umbrella,” Mu Cailiang said.

“Just leave it beside you.”

Chen Changsheng remarked, “You truly are a stubborn one. It’s already dark, yet you still came to return this umbrella.”

Mu Cailiang replied, “The fact that you, benefactor, are still here means I, Mu, did not come in vain.”

“That’s true too,” Chen Changsheng nodded.

Mu Cailiang then asked, “How long have you been fishing here, benefactor? Have you eaten anything? I brought you two baked pancakes.”

Saying this, he reached into his robe and pulled out a small cloth bundle, offering the baked pancakes to Chen Changsheng.

Chen Changsheng didn’t stand on ceremony. He took one, saying, “I am indeed a bit hungry. Thank you.”

But he only took one.

“There’s another one, benefactor.”

“Keep it for yourself.”

Chen Changsheng observed, “You yourself don’t seem to have eaten anything either. You rushed out right after entering your home and changing clothes.”

Mu Cailiang shook his head, stuttering slightly. “N-no… no. I, Mu, did eat. I… I ate before I came.”

Chen Changsheng smiled warmly. “Has anyone ever told you you aren’t very good at lying?”

Mu Cailiang smacked his lips. “This…”

“You eat the remaining one. One baked pancake is enough for me.”

Chen Changsheng took a bite, then lifted the fishing rod again.

Mu Cailiang felt a little embarrassed, but after a moment’s thought, didn’t insist on offering the remaining pancake.

Mu Cailiang looked over and saw the hook was empty. “Benefactor, the bait was eaten away.”

Chen Changsheng broke off a small piece of the baked pancake, muttering, “The fish in the Tongtian River really are much smarter…”

Mu Cailiang suggested, “Perhaps the current of the river was too fast, washing the bait away?”

Chen Changsheng just smiled. “Perhaps.”

But from the very beginning, there had been no bait on the hook.

Mu Cailiang paused, looking at the river. “The water has been rising extremely fast these past few days, and with the constant heavy rain, we haven’t seen a boat on this river for quite a while. Right now is when the fish are most abundant; not a single one has left the river.”

“Maybe during the day, when the rain was heavy and the river churned, the fish wouldn’t bite. But now that the rain is lighter, the bigger fish should start coming out.”

Hearing this, Chen Changsheng chuckled. “By the looks of it, you know quite a bit about this river.”

Mu Cailiang said, “In my youth, my family made a living fishing. So I know a little more.”

“That makes sense.”

Chen Changsheng put the small piece of pancake he had broken off onto the hook. “Mind if I borrow a bit of pancake as bait?”

Mu Cailiang waved his hand. “Not at all, not at all.”

Chen Changsheng gave a slight nod and cast the line again.

As they spoke, the sound of the rain intensified once more. The wind blowing in from the river made the candle flame in the lantern flicker wildly.

“The rain is falling harder,” Chen Changsheng stated calmly.

Mu Cailiang opened his mouth, then sighed. “Never knowing when it will end.”

Chen Changsheng said, “It is said the heavy rain has lasted nine days straight. Rain persists everywhere. Even a river as wide as the Tongtian has risen considerably. Other places must surely be suffering too.”

Mu Cailiang’s expression turned grave. “Floods have already struck areas like Lin’an and Tongshun. If this rain doesn’t stop, I fear a great disaster will come.”