Things in the pond

Chapter 24

The catfish looked at it and said, "Don't you still run to the next pond three times a day?"

Chi said innocently, "I..."

"Well then," the catfish said, swimming over. "Why don't you spend more time in the next pond and keep the dragon company a little longer..."

Chi scratched his head, "But..."

"Hehe, you're right, I once..."

"Old catfish... don't change the subject..." Chi said cautiously.

"Ahem, it's a matter of habit..." The catfish stroked its whiskers.

Chi thought for a moment, "If I go to the dragon's place, what will happen to the pond?"

"I'll keep an eye on it for you~" the catfish patted its chest.

Chi looked doubtful.

"Hehe, speaking of keeping watch for others, I once..."

The dragon immediately jumped out of the pond, shouting, "I'm leaving, I'm leaving..."

The catfish nodded in satisfaction, looking at the water's surface. "Three days..."

...

...

They ran into the pond next door, burrowed to the bottom, and curled up into a ball.

"What are you doing here?" the dragon asked, glancing at her.

The dragon curled up even tighter and spoke earnestly, "I am a steamed bun."

= =|||

The dragon looked at it with disdain, "It's so cold..."

"Why would it be cold?" Chi loosened its body and picked up its claws. "The fish where we live say you'll be very happy to see this..."

The dragon couldn't help but laugh, "How could I be happy! Such a bizarre shape."

"They say my color means I can only cosplay as a steamed bun..." the dragon replied pitifully.

The water-suppressing sword and chains began to make a piercing sound again.

"Hahaha..." the dragon laughed, "Who says you can only cosplay steamed buns? Flower rolls would be more suitable!"

Chi became happy, "Yes, yes, how come I didn't think of that? The steamed bun is also made of circles!"

"Hehe, there are no scallions." Jiaolong said with a smile.

Seeing how happy it was, the dragon felt happy too. The fish in the pond hadn't lied after all.

"Can I... stay here a little longer?" Chi asked.

"What's wrong now?" the dragon asked, rubbing its head.

“The catfish in our area has caught a cold and said they don’t want to infect me…” Chi replied.

The dragon sighed heavily. "You idiot! How could a demon catch a cold! And you're a deity, how could you be infected?!"

Chi shrank back, "...Then I'd better go back..."

"..." The dragon was silent for a moment, "Uh... you can stay if you want... maybe it really is contagious..."

Chi nodded, "Yes, it's getting cold, be careful!"

For some reason, the atmosphere at the bottom of the pool began to become dull.

Both the dragon and the dragon were at a loss for words.

After a while, the dragon rolled itself up again, grabbing some mud and stuffing it into its arms. "Look, red bean buns!"

The dragon chuckled, "Idiot!"

"It's not a white dragon, it's a red bean bun!" the dragon said earnestly.

The dragon laughed, "It looks disgusting."

The dragon chuckled, loosened its grip, and brushed the mud off itself. "Sorry about what happened last time..."

The dragon asked with a smile, "What is it?"

“I was talking about the one who eloped…” Chi began somewhat timidly.

The dragon's smile vanished, and it coldly replied, "Oh."

"The fish in the pond told me that eloping should only be done with someone you love, so I won't elope with anyone else..." Chi replied sincerely.

"Oh," the dragon replied indifferently.

“I still prefer being with you…” the dragon said, raking the mud beneath it.

A quiet silence spreads in ripples across the bottom of the water.

After a long silence, the dragon calmly replied, "Oh..."

Chi swam a little closer and asked, "You're not angry anymore, are you?"

The dragon glanced at it and asked, "Who's angry?"

"You," the dragon said definitively, "the fish in the pond all told me to come and apologize. You're not angry anymore, are you?"

The dragon was furious. "I already said I'm not angry!"

The dragon immediately shrank back, "Sorry... I'll just cosplay as a red bean bun instead..."

The dragon gritted its teeth, "I don't like red bean paste buns!"

"Huh?" Chi picked up its paws. "What do we do then? There's only mud here... Huajuan?"

"..." The dragon's head crashed into the water-suppressing sword, speechless.

The dragon began to feel uneasy. "Uh, so, fried dough sticks?"

The dragon said helplessly, "Alright, you can do it..."

Chi smiled and nodded, "Mm."

At that moment, the water surface rippled. A black light shot into the pond.

Chi couldn't help but close his eyes, and then he saw a man dressed in black standing in the water. His long black hair floated in the water, very beautiful. He was a very handsome person, but there was a terrifying coldness in that handsomeness.

"It's you..." the dragon said indifferently, "What brings you here?"

The visitor produced a scroll and said, "By imperial decree, you are pardoned for your past crimes and ordered to punish the demons."

"In a time of peace and prosperity, where would demons come from?" the dragon scoffed.

"Do you still remember Xianqing?" the visitor asked.

"That frog," the dragon chuckled, "has already entered the path of immortality, what's the point of hunting it down?"

"It shelters demons and indulges the Eight Steeds. The Heavenly Palace will strip it of its celestial status," the visitor replied calmly.

"Oh? Even the Heavenly Palace can't get into that well, right?" the dragon said casually. "I received the decree, so what difference does it make?"

"Just force it out." The newcomer glanced at the dragon beside him. "You just need to subdue it."

The dragon closed its eyes. "Not interested."

"Do you want to be tied up here for the rest of your life?" the visitor asked, frowning.

"I don't want to," the dragon replied. "However, I have no interest in getting involved in your personal grudges."

"..." A hint of murderous intent flashed in the newcomer's eyes. "As expected of a dragon, such tough bones."

The dragon's tone remained disdainful, "I can't compare to you. Even a mighty dragon can't suppress a local snake, can I?"

The newcomer smiled, and the imperial edict in his hand turned to dust, scattering into the water. "Since that's the case, I won't force you. Originally, I opposed the Heavenly Palace's pardon of you. However, I still advise you, don't regret it..."

After saying that, the black light shot out of the water and disappeared without a trace.

"Who is that?" Chi asked.

"A snake spirit," the dragon replied, "Even after being granted immortality, she's still just as repulsive!"

What the dragon hates, the dragon decides to hate as well. It nods, thus making an enemy.

"I'll regret it? What a joke..." the dragon said angrily, but then it seemed to remember something. "Hey, come here!"

The dragon obediently went over.

The dragon rubbed its head against the water-suppressing sword with all its might. Instantly, its scales were sliced off.

The dragon looked somewhat frightened.

"Take it," the dragon said.

Chi picked up the golden scale, puzzled.

"If anything happens, take out this scale. Understand?" the dragon commanded.

Although the dragon didn't know the reason, it still nodded seriously, "I understand."

The golden scales emitted a bright light, shimmering on the water's surface.

...

Chapter Thirty-Four

The autumn wind was chilly, but the bottom of the well was warm as spring.

The carp and the blackfish transformed into human forms, sat on the grass, and looked at a photo album.

"Wow..." The two fish exclaimed in admiration from time to time, making the frog on the side very proud.

"Isn't it cool? Hehe, this is my rare, one-of-a-kind collection..." the frog exclaimed excitedly.

"Wow, Hei Zi, how much magic power do you think it takes to make these shorts?" Carp asked dreamily.

"It will take at least ten years," Blackfish nodded heavily.

"Wow, look at these sunglasses, so cool! They must have taken at least eight years of cultivation... They're really expensive..." Carp sighed.

"Popularity doesn't exist for the poor..." Blackfish sighed.