Chapter 396: Wanting to Collect the Drinking Debt

Ji Yuan didn't dislike straightforward women like Lu Qianyan. In fact, he liked many people. However, teaching immortal arts was vastly different from simply being friends; it was not something to be done casually.

When Lu Qianyan asked this, anyone with true immortal cultivation, not just Ji Yuan, would give the same answer. Others might leave some room for negotiation, but Ji Yuan wouldn't. He preferred to be direct with people of her character.

As for those without true cultivation, the capable ones generally wouldn't value an official like her. Those who merely dabbled in superficial tricks and called themselves "masters" in the marketplace wouldn't impress her. In a real fight, they likely wouldn't be a match for a top martial artist like the female official.

Upon hearing Ji Yuan's blunt refusal, the female official naturally felt a moment of disappointment. However, she had already braced herself for rejection; seeking immortality was never easy. What she hadn't expected was for Mr. Ji to outright say he wouldn't take disciples, without even mentioning any conditions.

Given her personality, the female official wouldn't shamelessly persist. She disliked others being sentimental and was unaccustomed to being so herself. Thus, she merely clenched her fist and said no more. Yet, having now witnessed genuine immortals and deities in the world, the fervent hope ignited within her would not easily die out.

It was only then that Monk Huitong stepped forward.

"Amitabha, Great Bright King Buddha. Mr. Ji has bestowed great kindness upon our Daliang Temple, and he is even a friend to the Venerable One. Daliang Temple has not yet properly hosted you, sir. Would you consider staying for a vegetarian meal before you depart?"

Ji Yuan looked at Monk Huitong, who now appeared solemn and dignified like a revered monk, but couldn't help but recall their first meeting when Huitong had startled him, and more recently, his grumbling and complaints. So, Ji Yuan quipped playfully,

"I've had enough vegetarian meals lately. I want some meat!"

While Huitong clearly paused in surprise, Ji Yuan burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha... Please forgive me, venerable masters, it was just a joke. I'll be on my way!"

Amidst his laughter, Ji Yuan lightly leaped, stirring up a gentle breeze at a height of dozens of feet, and instantly soared into the sky. His form then seemed to gradually melt into the wind, quickly disappearing and fading away.

"Amitabha, Mr. Ji is truly a free and unburdened immortal!"

Monk Huitong, with a smile on his face, bowed in a Buddhist salute towards the direction Ji Yuan had departed. The other monks of Daliang Temple, including the abbot, also performed the same Buddhist salute.

Actually, Ji Yuan hadn't entirely been joking. Although the vegetarian dishes at Daliang Temple were quite delicious, the sudden mention of wanting meat had made the craving grow stronger.

Many people experience this: they might not care what they eat, but once a particular delicacy comes to mind, they can't stop thinking about it.

Furthermore, Ji Yuan's injuries from the Heavenly Tribulation couldn't be ignored. While they could slowly heal with cultivation and the gradual infusion of spiritual energy and magic, these were not ordinary wounds and still required careful attention.

Now, in Ji Yuan's mind, the ideal solution was a trip to the Tongtian River. The old dragon still owed him a good amount of dragon's saliva incense, which should have some beneficial effect.

Two days later, a thin mist enveloped the banks of the Tongtian River in Dazhen during the early morning. Ji Yuan's figure didn't descend from the sky but rather seemed to emerge from the mist itself, materializing by the riverbank as if condensed from the vapor.

This particular section of the river was near the entrance to the Tongtian River Water Palace. A few large boats were currently navigating the misty river, moving very slowly due to the fog.

Ji Yuan glanced at the river surface, then stepped into the water, one step at a time.

Soon after entering the water, Ji Yuan knew the old dragon was certainly home. The water flow at the bottom of the nearby area had an extremely subtle, intermittent pulsation, with long intervals, imperceptible unless one paid close attention. This was, in fact, caused by the old dragon's breathing in the Dragon Pool.

Upon reaching the exterior of the Water Palace, the patrolling yakshas immediately spotted Ji Yuan. One of them quickly swam deeper into the palace, while the others stood still at the entrance of the palace's protective barrier, their long hair flowing like ribbons in the water.

When Ji Yuan drew near, all the yakshas, grasping their weapons, clasped their hands in salute.

"Greetings, Mr. Ji!"

Ji Yuan returned a slight bow, stepping closer on the water's surface, then glanced into the Water Palace and asked,

"Is your Dragon Lord here?"

A yaksha commander quickly replied.

"The Dragon Lord is resting in the Dragon Pool. A yaksha has already gone to inform him of your arrival, Mr. Ji. Please come inside and wait!"

"Alright!"

Just as Ji Yuan was about to enter the Water Palace, he suddenly remembered something. He leaned closer to a yaksha whose aura he recognized and whispered a command. The yaksha nodded repeatedly.

Afterward, Ji Yuan entered the Water Palace. Led by the yaksha commander, he soon sat down in the inner hall of the palace. Various foods were laid out on the nearby side table, including some famous pastries from the Dazhen capital.

Ji Yuan ate a few mung bean cakes, encased in tiny bubbles, and casually asked the attending yaksha,

"Are Prince Ying and River Goddess not here?"

If they were, they would have already come out to greet him.

"To answer Mr. Ji, River Goddess and Prince Ying are..."

"Hmph, those two went to Yuexiu Island!"

Before the yaksha could finish speaking, the old dragon's voice echoed from the back hall. Then, pushing aside the water, he slowly glided towards Ji Yuan, already cupping his hands in salute as he approached.

"Mr. Ji, it's been a while!"

Ji Yuan put down the mung bean cake he was holding, stood up, and returned the greeting with a smile.

"Hello, Elder Ying. Enjoying your leisure time alone?"

The old dragon grunted softly and gestured with his hand.

"Please, Mr. Ji, have a seat!"

Ji Yuan, of course, knew that Yuexiu Island was a dwelling place the Dragon Maiden and Dragon Prince had found for the Dragon Mother in the East Sea. Seeing that the old dragon seemed disinclined to discuss it further, Ji Yuan also dropped the subject. After sitting down, he immediately got to the point.

"Elder Ying, does our wager from back then still stand? I've come to collect my debt!"

"Already prepared!"

The old dragon was equally straightforward. With a wave of his hand, two wine pots appeared on the table: one a delicate, white jade-like pot with a slender spout, the other an emerald-green pot.

"Here, two Thousand-Measure Pots, consider them two treasures. The white one was prepared for you by Feng'er. He left it with me in case he wasn't here when you arrived. Inside is fine wine brewed with spirit energy-infused immortal herbs as a supplement, about twenty measures – quite rare. As for this emerald-green Thousand-Measure Pot, it's naturally dragon's saliva incense, about three measures worth."

Ji Yuan's face lit up with delight upon hearing this.

"Three measures, that's quite a lot, quite a lot!"

A "measure" of wine was roughly four catties, so three measures amounted to a full twelve catties. This was dragon's saliva incense! Ji Yuan had originally thought he'd be lucky to get three or four small flasks.

The old dragon glanced at Ji Yuan, who was uncharacteristically beaming, and remarked dryly,

"As long as Mr. Ji likes it."

"Of course I like it. Then I shall gladly accept!"

Ji Yuan raised his sleeve, and the two Thousand-Measure Pots flew into it on their own. He then stood up.

"I've had the pastries, and I've taken the wine. Now I shall take my leave!"

"Huh?"

The old dragon froze for a moment, then immediately stood up, bristling with indignation.

"You sly Ji Yuan! Are you truly just here to collect a debt? Taking the wine and leaving so hastily? Don't you even have time for a game of go?"

Facing a friend like the old dragon, Ji Yuan felt no psychological burden, even if the other party was a true dragon and appeared to be angry. Hearing his words, Ji Yuan deliberately shrugged with a smile.

"What else? Elder Ying, you've been wearing a sour face; I figured you weren't welcoming me. Better to leave you to your own coolness!"

The old dragon's expression softened. He shook his head and waved his hand dismissively.

"Fine, fine, have it your way."

"Alright then. Since you're having it my way, Elder Ying, why don't you come with me on a trip? You and I once escorted Qin Zizhou to Cloud Mountain Temple. There's going to be a big change there, and I think you should come see it."

Ji Yuan also stood up, straightened his attire, and invited the old dragon, as it was clear the dragon was feeling bored and not in a good mood being cooped up.

"Heh heh, I knew you had more to say. I'm feeling quite bored myself. Let's go!"

Only then did the old dragon smile. After giving a few instructions to the surrounding yakshas, he exited the Water Palace with Ji Yuan. Just as they stepped out of the palace's protective barrier, and after all the yakshas saluted, one of them stepped forward, holding a thin strand of seaweed.

"Mr. Ji, the fish you asked for!"

The old dragon peered behind the yaksha and saw that the seaweed strand was threaded through the gills and out the mouths of three large bighead carp, each weighing at least twenty to thirty catties.

"Excellent, excellent!"

Seeing these fish improved Ji Yuan's mood even further. He remembered that when he fished on the river back then, it was also this yaksha who had hooked the fish for him.

"Heh heh, how could I not be diligent with your orders, sir? I swam throughout the nearby waters and specifically found these suitable fish. Especially as you requested, I found ones with large heads. For these three, half their weight is in their heads!"

The yaksha briefly explained the process to demonstrate his effort.

Ji Yuan looked at the old dragon and pointed at the yaksha.

"Look, this is what I call a capable subordinate!"

As he spoke, Ji Yuan took the seaweed rope from the yaksha, who looked flattered. With a flick of his sleeve, he drew the fish, along with a portion of the river water, into his sleeve.

Ji Yuan's words caused the old dragon to cast an extra glance at this yaksha and give a slight nod. Only then did he swim away with Ji Yuan, quickly vanishing from the yakshas' sight.

After Ji Yuan and the old dragon departed, the surrounding yakshas, even the yaksha commander, came over to congratulate their colleague. Being remembered by both the Dragon Lord and Mr. Ji meant a bright future for him.

While flying on clouds towards Bingzhou, Ji Yuan had already taken out the emerald-green Thousand-Measure Pot mid-journey, poured some dragon's saliva incense, and drank it. He deliberately prevented his body from refining the special spiritual energy within the liquid, allowing its potency to circulate throughout his being and spontaneously gather in his left arm and hand.

A cool sensation arose, slightly suppressing the constant pain, and allowed Ji Yuan to breathe a small sigh of relief. The dragon's saliva incense indeed had some effect.

Meanwhile, the old dragon beside him thought Ji Yuan's love for wine had reached a new level, so eager that he couldn't wait to pour himself a drink even while traveling in the sky.

(End of Chapter)