Chapter 2

Proofread by Cloud Chip Cake

Ye Chen hoisted up the woven bag holding plastic bottles and placed it on a small patch of open space near the vegetable garden. This area was already piled up with quite a few plastic bottles and cardboard boxes, all collected by the divine beast cubs when Ye Chen wasn’t home. Ye Chen had scolded them several times, but the anxious cubs still sneaked out to scavenge for garbage when he wasn’t around.

Regardless, since they had collected them, Ye Chen planned to take all these recyclables to the recycling center one day and make a big deal with them.

A deal worth hundreds could be made in minutes…

“Gege, what are we having for dinner tonight?” Hou Cub pressed his little hollow belly.

“Tomato and egg noodles?” Ye Chen asked the cubs for their opinion. “There are over a dozen ripe tomatoes.”

Hou Cub nodded with his rabbit ears. “Okay.”

Although the meat bought from outside was delicious, what really helped these divine beast cubs grow was the spiritual plants grown by Ye Chen himself.

“You guys go play with Lu Lu for a while. I’ll finish planting the rest of these chives and then cook.” Ye Chen arranged.

Hou Cub and Qiongqi Cub used traditional ancient Chinese divination footwork to leave the space, their small figures disappearing in the blink of an eye. Hou Cub slowly lifted his chubby left leg, slightly shifting his weight forward, then gently placing his left foot in front of his right foot, five centimeters away—this was taking a step.

“Give… me…a hand” Hou Cub called out to his already departed friends.

“I’ll take you.” Ye Chen picked Hou Cub up from the ground, returned to the courtyard, and ran to the backyard to deliver Hou Cub.

Xuanwu Cub flapped his short arms and legs slowly in mid-air, his round face filled with fear. “Too… fast… I…hurt … scared…”

Before he could finish his sentence, they had already arrived.

In the backyard, a child was lying on the ground with his head tilted, his fair face tightly pressed against the ground, somewhat deformed. If you looked closely, you could see a solid gel layer between his face and the ground. In front of him stood a tablet, playing cached cartoons. Qiongqi Cub and Hou Cub sat on either side of him, watching cartoons with him.

The one lying on the ground is a Pulu Cub that had not yet learned to control the secretion of its own body’s biological glue.

The Pulu is a type of aquatic divine beast with a hard shell. It can attach itself to other divine beasts or ordinary animals using its extremely viscous biological glue, absorbing their nutrients. It can also use its biological glue as a weapon to immobilize enemies. This Pulu Cub accidentally fell while playing in the backyard a few days ago. Due to the intense impact of the fall, the secretion of its biological glue went out of control. Half of its body was firmly stuck to the ground and couldn’t get up…

The biological glue of divine beasts is too overpowering. Ye Chen tried every method but couldn’t remove Pulu Cub from the ground without harming it. Fortunately, the Pulu’s biological glue has a time limit. It will dry and peel off after about seven days. Pulu Cub had been lying in the yard for three days now, so it only needed to lie down for four more days to successfully get up. Ye Chen went to Gu Qiu’s office to borrow his Wi-Fi and downloaded hundreds of episodes of cartoons onto the tablet, placing it in the yard for Pulu Cub to pass the time.

Ye Chen inserted Hou Cub among the three divine beast cubs watching cartoons countless times and repeatedly reminded them, “Wherever you go, remember to give him a hand.”

“Forgot again.” Qiongqi Cub clicked his tongue, slightly annoyed.

Hou Cub patted his chest and promised, “I’ll remember next time!”

Pulu Cub stuck to the ground looked at its little companions who could run around with envy in its eyes.

Ye Chen returned to the space, sowed the remaining leek seeds, picked the ripe tomatoes, plucked a fresh green onion, and went to the kitchen to make noodles.

While divine beast cubs are growing, their appetites are larger than those of ordinary adults. Ye Chen’s savings, almost depleted overnight, were eaten up by the four cubs. So these days, there was no meat in their meals, so he relied entirely on the rapidly growing crops from his space and the rice and flour purchased when he had money.

And Ye Chen’s depletion of his savings overnight started with a reality show…

Previously, Gu Qiu helped Ye Chen get on a highly popular comedy reality show. In the show, there was a segment called “Zookeeper Challenge”, where the young idols and fresh meat participating in the program had to take care of the animals on the farm. Over a month ago, during the last episode of the show’s zookeeper segment, a boar accidentally broke out of the poorly closed enclosure and caused Ye Chen to roll down a steep slope.

At that time, Ye Chen was wearing a zookeeper’s outfit, carrying a bucket of feed, and was chased around chaotically by the crazed boar, screaming and running wildly all over the place. The staff couldn’t catch up with Ye Chen and the pig. Although they chased after them desperately, no one could lend a hand. Ye Chen, unwilling to sit idly by, occasionally turned around to counterattack, bravely fighting with the pig. However, people were ultimately no match for pigs. The poor little fresh meat Ye Chen was unfortunately knocked down a slope by the pig’s charge. His head happened to hit a stone and he died on the spot.

Cause of death: A pig’s charge.

The fleeting pain disappeared without a trace as death approached. Ye Chen’s soul, detached from his body, was carried by a force and swiftly flew towards the sky, without even having the time to admire his own remains. After an unknown period, the immense force pulling his soul, as if a person’s pull, suddenly disappeared, and his soul stopped in a white mist.

He was bewildered and frightened, when suddenly voices came from the mist, “Do you want to live?”

“Yes!” Ye Chen blurted out.

Before he could finish speaking, the white mist suddenly dispersed, and Ye Chen then noticed a person lying in front of him. This person had a messy head of hair, like a dog’s chew toy, sunken cheeks, a skeletal figure, and his lips moved slightly, spewing out old blood, they were even more disheveled than Ye Chen.

“This is the Yin Realm, the boundary between the underworld and the mortal world.” The strange person, with blood spewing from his mouth, said, “You are about to die, and I can save your life.”

“Can we save each other?” Ye Chen felt no sense of being rescued and even thought about calling 112 for this person.

“I am Jing Ling, a remnant of the spiritual veins of the Mountain and Sea Realm.” The strange person wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said in a deep voice, “A hundred years ago, the evil god Chi You^[1]Chi You (蚩尤; is a mythological being that appears in Chinese mythology. He was a tribal leader of the Nine Li tribe (九黎) in ancient China.[1] He is best known as a king who lost against the … Continue reading was unsealed in Zhuolu^[2]The Battle of Zhuolu between the Yellow Emperor and fierce warlord Chi You 5,000 years ago was one of the most significant of many battles and led directly to the Yellow Emperor’s unification of … Continue reading, causing chaos in the world. The divine beasts in the Mountain and Sea Realm rose up to attack him and sealed him once again. After this battle, ninety percent of the divine beasts fell, and the Mountain and Sea Realm became a scorched earth, with its spiritual veins destroyed.”

*Jing Ling – Realm Spirit

Jing Ling paused for a moment before continuing, “In the past few years, with the start of the New Century, the spiritual energy of the heavens and earth has revived, and the spiritual veins in the Mountain and Sea Realm have slightly recovered. I can barely support my activities. For the past few years, I have been searching the Yin Realm for the destined one who can completely restore the spiritual veins of the Mountain and Sea Realm.”

Ye Chen was filled with question marks. Out of habitual politeness, he nodded frequently and expressed his regret, “Oh… I see… Ah…”

“After so many years, I finally found you…” Jing Ling sighed, “You carry a dual ancient divine gene sequence passed down through generations, abbreviated as the ancient god bloodline. I can help you activate them. After activating the ancient god bloodline, your currently injured body will automatically repair itself, and you will also partially gain the power of the two ancient gods. After the matter is done, I will pass on the inheritance of the Mountain and Sea Realm to you. As long as you use the power of the ancient gods to help repair the spiritual veins, everything in the realm will belong to you. Are you willing?”

This conversation sounded too much like the tactics of scam groups when deceiving fools. It was like a fantastical version of “I am Qin Shihuang^[3]Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of China, reportedly proclaimed that his dynasty would last “10,000 generations.” He wanted to be around long enough to see that prediction come true so he issued … Continue reading, I had taken the elixir of immortality so I didn’t die, I have hidden 200 tons of gold in Xi’an, just give me 2000 yuan for travel expenses and after the matter is done, I’ll split the gold with you”… Ye Chen’s mind went blank for a moment, and he blurted out, “You want money?”

Jing Ling choked for a moment, “…Yes.”

Ye Chen: “…”

Jing Ling: “…”

The two stared at each other for a moment, and Jing Ling coughed up blood, saying, “Do you think I’m a scammer?”

“No, no,” Ye Chen shook his head vigorously, “It’s just a reflex. So… how much money do you want?”

Jing Ling rubbed his hands and tentatively said, “As long as you buy a four-sided courtyard located on the Second Ring Road in the capital, covering an area of six hundred square meters, I will activate your dual ancient god bloodline for you and pass on the inheritance of the Mountain and Sea Realm to you.”

Ye Chen was stunned, and his tone rose by eight degrees in a second, “A courtyard in the Second Ring Road?!”

Jing Ling looked nervous, “What? Can’t afford it?”

“Nonsense!” Ye Chen snapped, “That would cost at least hundreds of millions. How many people in the country can afford that?”

“You can’t afford it,” Jing Ling looked disappointed, “Then I can’t save you…”

“Why?” Ye Chen was on the verge of collapse.

Jing Ling sighed in frustration, “The time and space of the Mountain and Sea Realm overlaps with that courtyard. During the decades when the entrance to the Mountain and Sea Realm was closed, that courtyard was sold by the spendthrift son of the previous master of the Mountain and Sea Realm. After several changes in ownership, it’s long been out of my control… Activating the ancient god bloodline will exhaust my last bit of power. Since you can’t buy the courtyard, I can’t just give you my last bit of power for nothing.”

“Can’t you do anything even though you’re so powerful?” Ye Chen imagined what a fairy might be able to do. “Like turning stones into gold, or conjuring up a room full of banknotes…”

“Create money?” Jing Ling pointed to his ethereal chest, speaking angrily, “I can’t even manifest a physical body now, I can only barely manifest a spiritual body. Otherwise, why would I linger in the Yin Realm waiting for an opportunity, instead of finding a suitable candidate in the mortal world?”

Ye Chen said in pain, “I only have three million in savings…”

“Never mind,” Jing Ling waved his hand, “You can go.”

“Wait…” The familiar pulling force returned, and Ye Chen’s soul suddenly flew upwards. In his immense fear when facing death, Ye Chen shouted in despair, “I’m an artist, I make money fast! I have a particularly high salary, I can earn a hundred million in a few years! Can’t you pay the three million first and owe the rest, ahhh——”

In the blink of an eye, Ye Chen was back in front of Jing Ling.

A small cluster of light appeared at the tip of Jing Ling’s finger, and he said solemnly, “I swear, I am willing to pay three million first, and advance your future performance fees to purchase the courtyard overlapping with the time and space of the Mountain and Sea Realm… Repeat what I just said.”

Ye Chen, still in shock, trembling like chaff, afraid of being sent “on the road” again if he said the wrong thing, gasped for breath and quickly repeated the words verbatim.

“Good,” Jing Ling used the light at his fingertips as a pen, writing in the air, and spoke as he wrote, “I swear that after activating the two ancient god bloodlines, I will do my best to repair the spiritual veins of the Mountain and Sea Realm and strive to complete the tasks assigned by Jing Ling. If I deliberately slack off or shirk my duties, I am willing to accept the punishment of being struck by lightning… Repeat it.”

Ye Chen, as obedient as a chick, repeated Jing Ling’s words, word for word.

“Alright.” Jing Ling waved his hand, and the glowing words written in the air transformed into two light, fluttering notes. “Now, I will activate your dual ancient god bloodlines. Through my senses, your bloodlines come from…”

Previously, Ye Chen was frightened by the absurd condition of buying a courtyard and didn’t focus on the ancient god bloodlines. Now, he truly felt the sensation of having dual ancient god bloodlines.

This was practically a standard feature for male protagonists in fantasy novels!

Ye Chen, half nervous and half excited, perked up his ears, preparing himself to become invincible with his unparalleled martial arts and dominate the world!

“In the future, maybe I could just stomp my foot, and a mountain would collapse,” Ye Chen thought.

The author has something to say:

[Theatre 1]

Ye Qiongqiong, rubbing his hands together eagerly: What’s there to fear with a debt of 100 million? Can you buy two ancient god bloodlines for 100 million? ╰(*°▽°*)╯

Jing Ling: Ahem… Well… Let’s just forget about it…

[Theatre 2]

Pulu Cub stuck on the ground in the yard: Big brother! It’s raining! I’m going to get wet! Help! QAQ

Ye Qiongqiong leaps up with an umbrella: ! My tablet!!! 

Pulu Cub: ???? 

Ye Qiongqiong’s Little Ledger:

No bookkeeping today.

TN: