PDLP Chapter 2 If there is no shelter, one will become food for others.
Chapter 2 If there is no shelter, one will become food for others.
A wisp of auspicious cloud drifted from the horizon and landed above Longmen.
Then a massive, all-encompassing net descended upon the sky. Yun Chonghua was still dreaming of the wonderful life he would have inhabited after reaching the shore, unaware that a vast and inescapable net was already closing in on him.
He only noticed it when the large net was getting closer. By the time he tried to dive into the water to escape, it was already too late.
After the net was laid down, it seemed to grow tentacles, quickly trapping his dragon body and tightening its grip.
With a shout of "Rise!" from the auspicious clouds above, a golden thread hanging down from the sky gently pulled Yun Chonghua up.
Chonghua never expected that his first time flying would be like this. Although he didn't know where he was going, being bound by this large net was definitely not a good thing.
In the blink of an eye, he had landed on the clouds. Fortunately, the clouds were soft and he was not injured.
He opened his dragon eyes and saw two celestial officials shrouded in mist and ethereal aura standing before him.
One of these two celestial officials was in human form, and the great net was in his hand.
The other one, though also humanoid, had hairy ears, phoenix eyes, a whiskered face, and a tail. It looked exactly like a fox.
Before Yun Chonghua could speak, the fox-like celestial official said to the other net-wielder, "Brother, I never expected that we would actually catch a fish-dragon this time. It's been countless years since we've encountered one on the Luo River. When the Peach Banquet begins, this will be a top-quality ingredient."
Upon hearing the word "ingredients," Yun Chonghua was startled and his whole body trembled.
However, he also obtained a crucial piece of information: the "Peach Banquet," and the mythological era he was currently in might be the world of Journey to the West.
The celestial official holding the net also said, "Indeed, the dragon liver and dragon meat served at previous gatherings were all made from miscellaneous dragons in the Dragon Transformation Pool, or fish and shrimp transformed after drinking the urine of a true dragon. I've heard that the taste is far inferior to that of the dragon transformed through the Dragon Gate. Today, by the grace of fate, the celestial official has assigned us to patrol this place, and we've encountered this once-in-a-century carp leaping over the Dragon Gate. Bring it to the kitchen and hand it over to the God of Food, and we can be credited with this achievement when the banquet is held tomorrow."
"I never imagined that after a hundred years of cultivation, finally transforming into a dragon, I would become food for these immortals!" Yun Chonghua exclaimed upon hearing this.
The two celestial officials were startled when they heard the dragon in the net beneath their feet speak.
"Brother! How strange! This fish-dragon that just leaped over the Dragon Gate can actually speak human language!" the heavenly official exclaimed in amazement.
"It's truly strange. We've captured quite a few of these fish and dragons in the past, yet not one of them could speak. Moreover, most aquatic creatures have low intelligence; they can only speak after they've cultivated themselves," the fox spirit remarked with a sigh.
The fox spirit approached Chonghua, squinted and looked him up and down, then asked tentatively, "Little dragon, let me ask you, whose carp are you transformed from? You can even speak human language."
The fox spirit asked this question just to be on the safe side.
Although the five insects of heaven and earth each have their own destiny, it is only the beasts that find cultivation difficult. Due to their limited intelligence, beasts often need to cultivate for thousands of years before they can become immortals and attain the Dao without the guidance of immortals.
Among mammals, scaled aquatic creatures are even less intelligent than land animals.
Since the other party can speak fluently, they must have extraordinary fortune.
Therefore, the two celestial officials dared not act rashly. It was better to find out the details first before making any plans, so as to avoid accidentally catching some pet or mount from a celestial abode in their net.
Not only would it be a waste of effort, but it would also prevent trouble from arising.
Although they are assigned to carry out orders by their superiors, if they really cause a big disaster, their superiors will not only not cover for them, but can also shift the blame onto them at any time, and finally demote them to the lower realm to quell the matter.
It's not easy being a servant in a lower-ranking position.
If you do well, it's because your superiors are capable; if you cause trouble, it's entirely the fault of your incompetent subordinates. Being a subordinate is truly a "tough job."
Now, seeing the Heavenly Messenger for the first time and facing the danger of being eaten, Yun Chonghua, filled with fear, answered truthfully: "Reporting to the Great Immortals, I am a fish spirit who has cultivated in the Xiang River for a hundred years. I received some cultivation methods from my mother, and only after a hundred years of cultivation did I come to the Luo River to leap over the Dragon Gate. Fortunately, Heaven has taken pity on me, and my mother and I have not failed in our hopes. It has not been easy for me to cultivate in the water for a hundred years. I beg the two Great Immortals to have mercy and spare my life! I truly do not wish to be eaten."
Upon hearing that the other party had no powerful connections, the official said, "Brother, I never expected that this fish-dragon, who can speak human language, would have no family background to rely on. Since it has no family connections to protect it, then let's send it to the imperial kitchen as ordered by the spirit official. Then our journey will not have been in vain."
It was only then that Yun Chonghua realized he had lost his mind. Perhaps it was because he had been a fish underwater for over a hundred years, too long out of touch with the world, that his mind had become somewhat dull. Since he was in the world of Journey to the West, without a powerful backer, he was simply at the mercy of others.
He had already lost the initiative by telling the truth. If he had just made up a story, he could have easily escaped the first tribulation after transforming into a dragon, given his understanding of mythology.
I felt extremely remorseful at that moment; sometimes, "honesty" really can kill.
Although the official had the intention of sending him to the kitchen to receive credit, the fox spirit just watched him quietly, seemingly lost in thought.
After a moment, the fox spirit sighed and said, "Brother, in my opinion, we should give this little dragon a chance to live."
The official retorted, "Brother, you've never spoken of this before, why are you suddenly so kind today?"
The fox spirit replied, "The dragons we captured before were mostly miscellaneous dragons formed from devouring the treasures left behind by true dragons. Although they had dragon bodies, they were all beings without intelligence. This little dragon, after a hundred years of cultivation, can speak human language, which is truly remarkable. It's a pity that it's just eaten by humans. We insects and beasts cannot compare to your cultivation as a human, my virtuous brother. Humans are the most intelligent of all beings, born with intelligence, and have exceptional aptitude for cultivation. They can make some progress in a few decades, and those with outstanding aptitude can achieve immortality in a little over a hundred years."
"We insects and beasts need a thousand years to cultivate even a little bit of power. The scaled insects and aquatic creatures live in the lower realm, and their intelligence is even lower, making cultivation even more difficult. Moreover, even if you and I accumulate countless merits, we will only be insignificant officials in the celestial realm. We have been in the immortal realm for thousands of years, with no way to get promoted, just like the little dragon in front of us."
"Even if capturing him is meritorious, the rewards from His Majesty and the Empress will be received by the higher-ranking officials, not by us lowly fishermen. Besides, there are no seats for us inferior immortals at the Peach Banquet. We won't even get a taste of his dragon liver and meat. Why should we make things so difficult for him?"
Upon hearing the fox spirit plead for him, Yun Chonghua quickly echoed, "Yes, yes, yes, the great immortal is absolutely right. I am not very large, and I don't weigh much. I beg the two immortal officials to have mercy on me and spare my life. I will surely repay you in the future!"
The fox spirit gazed at Yun Chonghua and said, "No need for tomorrow, today is fine. Besides, I only said I'm giving you a chance to live, not that I'm letting you go."
The official looked at the fox spirit with a puzzled expression and asked, "What does my brother mean?"
The fox spirit said, "As the saying goes, 'It's good to take shelter under a big tree.' Since this little dragon has no shade, why don't we find him one? This sacred land of China in the Southern Continent is right next to the Eastern Ocean. All the aquatic creatures of the Eastern Land are under the jurisdiction of the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea."
The fox spirit turned to Yun Chonghua and said, "Little dragon, we are now pointing you in a way out. Whether you live or die depends entirely on your own fate."
Chonghua bowed his dragon body and said, "Please enlighten me, Great Immortal!"