Chen Changsheng looked around at the scene before him.
Countless stone steles stood on Baxia’s back, covered in scripture and seal script characters. Most were ancient characters, very different from writing today.
The Sky Skiff in the distance gradually vanished from his sight.
Fuxi, clad in a green robe, stepped forward. He approached Chen Changsheng and raised his hands in a respectful salute. “Fuxi pays his respects to Mr. Chen.”
Seeing him bow his head, Chen Changsheng was montarily stunned.
This… seed overly polite?
Chen Changsheng asked, “May I ask why you ca especially to seek out?”
Hearing this, Fuxi seed taken aback himself. Then, he suddenly laughed.
Fuxi said, “Have you forgotten, Mr. Chen? That year, you composed the ‘Dragon Scripture’. Those of us possessing dragon lineage blood all received heavenly fortune, and our cultivation soared.”
Hearing this, Chen Changsheng understood. “So, you two…”
Fuxi saluted again. “Both Baxia and I carry dragon blood in our veins, and we too benefited from your grace. Now, eting you on the Desolate Sea, we naturally wish to repay the debt from that ti.”
“I see…”
Chen Changsheng couldn’t help but laugh. “I thought I might have run into so trouble.”
Fuxi quickly responded, “How could that be? Any monster bearing dragon lineage blood owes you a debt. If anyone dared offend you, they must have been blind.”
Chen Changsheng gathered his thoughts and said, “Back then, I never expected such an outco. It was simply… ‘Careful planting may not blossom, but careless sticking may grow shade’.”
Fuxi’s eyes brightened upon hearing this. “‘Careful planting may not blossom, but careless sticking may grow shade’…”
“That phrase is most excellent, Mr. Chen.”
Fuxi smiled and continued, “But ‘Careful planting may not blossom, but careless sticking may grow shade’ must be only half a line, surely?”
Chen Changsheng said, “‘Sow flowers with care, they may not bloom; stick a willow branch without thought, it may grow shade’. It cos from the ‘Expanded Maxims’. The full passage goes: ‘When speaking to others, share only three parts; never offer your whole heart. Sow flowers with care, they may not bloom; stick a willow branch without thought, it may grow shade. Painting a tiger’s fur is easy, hard is painting its bones; knowing a man’s face is simple, harder to know his heart’.”
Fuxi’s eyes shone even brighter. “‘Knowing a man’s face is simple, harder to know his heart’… What a profound line!”
Chen Changsheng smiled. “They say Fuxi has a passion for literature and study. Seeing you now, it’s certainly true.”
Fuxi smiled wryly. “To be honest, Mr. Chen, though I’ve read countless texts and acquired this scholarly aura, because I belong to the Monster Race, I’m often mocked. Only Baxia is willing to walk alongside .”
Baxia, bearing them upon his back, gave a soft snort, as if in agreent.
Chen Changsheng said, “There’s no rule in this world that says Monsters cannot read.”
Fuxi paused, then smiled. “I was afraid Mr. Chen would find strange.”
Chen Changsheng stated, “Principles often co from books. Besides, why shouldn’t Monsters read? Books speak of the gentleman who is not bound by small concerns. Why bother with the words of outsiders?”
Fuxi gazed at the green-robed gentleman before him. After a dazed mont, he said, “I have long admired you, Mr. Chen. When you left the boat, I was worried you might dislike a Monster who reads.”
“After speaking with you, I understand now. Your eyes can hold all things in this world. It was my own vision that was narrow.”
Fuxi’s heart swelled with excitent.
In his view, the man he had long revered was exactly as he had imagined. Only he himself could truly grasp the thrill he felt in that mont.
Chen Changsheng said, “You overpraise . If the world knew of a Monster like you, most would surely admire you greatly. I am just one among countless others.”
Fuxi lifted his head and laughed. Then he raised a hand and beckoned. A jar of wine flew out from behind one of the steles and landed in his palm.
With another flick of his wrist, two cups floated before them.
Wine poured from the jar into the cups.
Fuxi picked up both cups, holding them respectfully before him, addressing the green-robed gentleman.
“They say the friendship of gentlen is as light as water. Though I fall far short of the word ‘gentleman’, I still wish to offer you a cup.”
Hearing this, Chen Changsheng took a cup and looked at Fuxi with a smile. “What a coincidence. So do I.”
Fuxi let out a hearty laugh at this.
“We should drink deeply for this!”
“Please!”
One man and one Monster stood upon Baxia’s back.
The wind of the Desolate Sea tugged at their robes, and loose strands of hair by their temples stirred with its movent.
The wind seed to follow the wine as it went down their throats, offering the spirit of gentlemanly friendship to the airs above the Desolate Sea.
Chen Changsheng looked at his now empty cup, silently praising the fine wine.
Then, the man and the Monster sat down on one of the stone steles, drinking and conversing.
Fuxi too enjoyed good wine, and the wine loosened his tongue.
Chen Changsheng first asked about Fuxi’s origins.
“There’s one thing I’m curious about. Legends say, ‘The dragon has nine sons’. Both Baxia and Fuxi are sons of the dragon. Logically, you were born into the Dragon Clan. But looking at you now, why are the dragon horns not yet fully grown?”
“Dragon has nine sons…?”
Fuxi seed startled. “I’ve never heard such a saying, Mr. Chen. When you ntioned legends earlier, it struck as odd. I was born in the Desolate Sea, rarely et outsiders, and couldn’t possibly have beco part of any legend. Did you truly hear this from others?”
Fuxi had assud Mr. Chen had divined it.
“Hm?”
Chen Changsheng himself paused for a mont. He asked, “What about Qiuniu? Yazi?”
Fuxi looked at Mr. Chen with confusion. “Are these… nas of Demon Kings? I have never heard those nas before.”
Chen Changsheng froze, silently pondering.
It seed his mory wasn’t wrong; this world simply wasn’t exactly the sa as described in the “Classic of Mountains and Seas”.
Chen Changsheng looked up and continued, “…Perhaps I misrembered.”
Fuxi blinked. He had clearly heard Mr. Chen’s words.
Dragon has nine sons?
Was Mr. Chen implying sothing behind these words?
Fuxi turned over the notion of the ‘dragon has nine sons’ legend in his mind. He inquired cautiously, “Mr. Chen, in this ‘dragon has nine sons’ legend … does Baxia truly have a place?”
Fuxi didn’t ask about himself. He was born a Green Serpent, transforming from serpent to python to flood dragon, then Dragon Ascension – this followed the Heavenly Dao. But Baxia was different.
Baxia was born of the turtle clan, not aligned with the Heavenly Dao. The horns upon Baxia’s head only appeared when, during a mont of peril, Fuxi injected his own blood into Baxia to save him. Their mingled blood caused the horns to grow. Fuxi had always considered them hidden trouble.
Chen Changsheng said, “The dragon has nine sons. Baxia is the na of the sixth son.”
Fuxi stared in silent shock. Baxia had also heard Mr. Chen’s words.
However, Baxia couldn’t grasp the aning behind them. He grunted twice, seemingly asking Fuxi what Mr. Chen ant.
Fuxi’s lips parted slightly. “This is… truly baffling.”
Chen Changsheng himself felt curious. “Baffling?”
He sensed Fuxi might have misunderstood sothing.
Fuxi suddenly stood up, saluting Mr. Chen earnestly. “By showing Baxia the path forward, you have our deepest gratitude.”
Chen Changsheng blinked. “I…”
“When did I show him the way?”
Fuxi paused for a beat, then seed to realize sothing. Smiling knowingly, he said, “Please don’t worry, Mr. Chen. I will ensure this Karma does not connect back to you.”
Chen Changsheng opened his mouth, then found he didn’t know what to say.
He thought back carefully. He hadn’t really said anything extra.
How had it turned out this way?
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