Things in the pond

Chapter 14

"Hairy crabs..." Ting Cong smiled, "They're delicious."

The crab looked at that smiling face and started crying loudly again.

“Ting Cong, that’s not very kind of you…” Catfish sighed.

Ting Cong laughed and patted the crab's head, "Just kidding... just kidding... hehe..."

"Listen, Brother Cong, people don't want to talk to you anymore!" the crab cried.

"Then please don't hug him and say such things..." the fox said darkly.

The crab paused for a moment, then reluctantly let go and retreated to the dragon's side. "That fox is stingy!"

"How am I stingy! I shared all the chestnuts with you!" the fox stomped its foot.

"So stingy, so stingy, so stingy..." The crab hid behind the dragon, sticking out its tongue.

"you……"

...

"Aren't you going to stop it?" Catfish asked Tingcong, looking at the chaotic scene before him.

Ting Cong's face turned even redder. He thought for a moment, then stammered, "It...it has nothing to do with me..."

"Sigh, young man, sometimes you need to be more honest..." Catfish stroked his whiskers and laughed.

“What does this have to do with being honest…” Tingcong picked up a chestnut and started peeling it by himself.

Suddenly, the fox pounced and swallowed the peeled chestnut whole.

Tingcong's hand froze, staring blankly at the fox.

The fox chewed contentedly and announced loudly, "I bought these chestnuts, you can't have them! They're all mine..."

"So stingy!!!" all the demons complained in unison.

"Hehe, speaking of being stingy, I used to..."

"Old Catfish! Don't change the subject!!!"

= =#

Suddenly, a crimson light descended from the sky, landing in the middle of the demons. When the light dissipated, a boy of about fourteen or fifteen years old appeared before them. He had golden-red hair, silver eyes, and exuded an indescribable bewitching charm.

"Save me..." the boy cried out in terror as he saw the demons before him.

"Huh?" All the demons were stunned.

Then, light descended from the sky and lingered above the pond.

Without hesitation, the dragon stood up, reached out, and cast an illusion.

The lingering brilliance paused for a moment, then flew off to the other side.

"It's alright now," Chi said with a smile to the boy.

"Thank you." The boy breathed a sigh of relief.

"Who are you?" the crab asked, coming closer.

“I am Qiji,” the boy replied.

"Hmm? Could it be one of the Eight Steeds of the Heavenly Palace?" the catfish asked.

"Yes," Qi Ji nodded.

"The Eight Steeds of Heaven?" Crab scratched his head.

"I know, I know, they are the eight fastest horses in the Heavenly Palace!" the carp answered eagerly.

"Wow, a Pegasus..." the demons exclaimed.

"Why are you being chased?" the crab asked again.

Qiji paused, "I escaped from the Heavenly Palace..."

"Why run away? In the Heavenly Palace, you'd be a god, wouldn't you? Isn't being a god good?" the crab continued to ask.

Qiji shook his head. "I don't want to be locked up there for the rest of my life. What's the point if I can't run?"

The catfish sighed, "They'll take you back to the Heavenly Palace sooner or later."

Qiji stood up, tossed his hair, and said, "I can travel ten thousand miles a day, as swift as lightning. No one in the Heavenly Palace can catch me. I won't be caught by them..."

"Wow, that's amazing..." the demons exclaimed once again.

"No matter how much you run, you can't escape the fact that you are a Pegasus. You'll always have to go back eventually," Chi's soft voice rang out.

Qi Ji was silent for a moment before speaking: "I cannot decide my own identity, but at least, I want to decide for myself who rides me."

"Oh, I see..."

The dragon looked at it and said, "I can help you for a while, but not forever. They will find you eventually..."

"That's it!" the crab suddenly thought of something, "Why don't we just go find the frog..."

"Great idea!" all the demons exclaimed in unison.

The catfish shuddered, a sense of foreboding rising within it.

"Carp, is the Heavenly Horse very fast?" Black Fish asked, looking at Qiji.

"Of course, have you heard of it: Pegasus Meteor Fist? That means a Pegasus runs as fast as a meteor..." the carp replied.

"Carp, you know so much..." the blackfish said admiringly.

"Tch, fish are so stupid!" the river shrimp scoffed.

"Ah—racism—" the carp and the blackfish cried out.

"What is racial discrimination?" Qi Ji asked, puzzled.

“Hehe, finally I can ramble a bit… Speaking of racial discrimination, I once…” the catfish said excitedly.

"Old Catfish! Don't change the subject!!!"

"I don't……"

"Stop making excuses!"

"Hehe, speaking of sophistry, I once..."

"Old Catfish! Don't change the subject!!!"

= =#

Chapter Twenty-Two

The frog looked at the group of little demons in front of it, and its lips twitched.

"I did say you could come and play anytime, but it can't be this soon, can it?" the frog sighed.

"Our main purpose isn't to play!" The demons said seriously, then pushed Qiji forward.

Instantly, the frog's previously gloomy face brightened. "Who is this young man?"

"My name is Qiji," Qiji answered honestly.

"Oh... Qiji... could it be a celestial horse?" The frog smiled broadly. "Everything about it is fine. The most important thing is that it has a good-looking face! What do you need me for?"

"Could you take me in?" Qi Ji asked cautiously.

"Take them in?" The frog's eyes widened. "Sure, sure! A child as beautiful as you, not only would I take you in, I'd keep you here for a long time..."

The demons looked at the frog with disdain.

"Judging by appearances!" Blackfish said indignantly.

"No, Blackie, you're judging a monster by its appearance!" Carp said indignantly.

"Isn't Brother Qiji a celestial horse? He must be judging immortals by their appearance!" Crab chimed in.

"With so many ridiculous opinions, you might as well hurry up and cultivate into a handsome man, so you won't be abandoned by someone~" the frog casually rebuked the demons.

"Ah—don't rub salt into my wound—" It was the carp and the fox that howled like this.

"Fox, what are you yelling about? It's no use turning into a handsome guy!" The carp looked at the fox in confusion.

"Just howl a little, let it all out..." The fox lowered its head.

The frog laughed, "Speaking of which, fox, you only have nine more days until you've fulfilled your public duty."

The fox looked up and said, "Hmm."

"So, do you want to be a human or an immortal?" the frog asked.

The fox scratched its head with its paw, "Haven't decided yet..."

"Hey? What's there to think about? Of course, it's becoming an immortal!" the river shrimp chimed in.

"Suddenly making people choose is also very difficult... If one becomes an immortal, one can live forever; but if one is reborn as a human, one can have the seven emotions and six desires... Ah... It's so difficult..." The fox rolled on the ground.

"Huh? Didn't the frog also become an immortal? It doesn't seem like it's devoid of emotions and desires." The crab asked, puzzled. "And the white dragon, it was born an immortal, and it's doing just fine."

"Crab, the seven emotions and six desires are in a narrow sense, referring only to lust..." the catfish explained.

"What is lust?" Chi asked innocently.

The demons glanced at it, "Good child, you don't need to know."

“But, the frog…” the crab pointed to the side.

The frog was happily holding the horse's hand, "Young man, how old are you this year? How many people are in your family? What do you usually do for fun?"

= =|||

The catfish coughed a few times, "It's an exception... it's a demigod..."

"A demigod?" Blackfish asked, puzzled.

"It's like the fortune tellers at the street corner," the carp explained.

"oh……"

The fox suddenly howled again, "Ah...should I be an immortal or a human...?"

“You like Master Ji You, so why don’t you become a human?” the carp replied.