Signing-In: The Lazy Moon Goddess

After the auction had ended, guests started to stroll out of the hall to the exit of the building. Among them, Old Pill Refiner Deng failed to get anything useful during the whole auction and was depressed the whole time. The cultivators who come with him all path his back in comfort and they’ve gathered outside the building itself.

"The auction is finished. Let’s all go back to the Inner Haven?"

"Right~ there is nothing interesting here now. All good things were taken by those who are wealthy."

"What do you think that Black egg the VIP bidder had won?"

Old Deng said, "Even if you are interested, don’t ever think of trying to steal it away. You’ve seen how powerful their group is. There is even a King realm cultivator!"

"I’m not a fool. I wouldn’t dare do such a thing!"

"Old Deng, are you staying here for a while? There will be no treasure on this star anymore after the auction."

"Who told you that!? Maybe there are some leftovers at the marketplace! I will not go back without a treasure in hand or my vacation is wasted." Old Deng, this Pill Refiner said.

The other cultivators shook their heads and looked at Old Deng with helplessness but among them one remained calm observing the old pill refiner. In the end the group split and Old Deng felt on his own. The one who had been observing him had followed him secretly as he went around the market place for a few days until the man left.

On the third day, Old Deng finally noticed that the presence that was tailing him had disappeared but he didn’t lower his guard down immediately and still pretended to browse the marketplace for half a day. Only when he is sure that the one stalking him has completely left does he move to leave the marketplace and heads towards the forest area of the star.

At the forest area, he saw the hidden manor quietly standing near a clean river and immortal flowers. Within the garden of immortal flowers, there are children playing around, laughing and running. The Elf King together with Tan Huangyu and Tang Yuyi were watching over them. Not far away is a farming area with mutated vegetables and immortal herbs. In this garden, there is Tang Yuan, Tan Shenyu and Tang Yuan’s son gathering and tilting the soil with hoes and baskets with them. The younger one sends the ripe mutated vegetables and fruits to the kitchen. On the other hand, in the kitchen, there are Xue Shuyi, Tan Bingyu, Xue Renxue and Tang Yuan’s daughter busying around. The Moon Goddess is in her room meditating, still treating her wounds.

The first one to notice the arrival of the old man pill refiner is none other than Elf King Andromeda who is enjoying the green tea he brewed from the spirit tea leaves he got from his great granddaughter.

Elf King Andromeda said, "The guest for the little ginseng is here. How about you show him in?"

He is talking about inviting Old Deng. After all, he can’t directly towards them with a formation blocking his way. Tang Yuyi stood up and approached the old pill refiner.

Tang Yuyi said, "You are here for the little ginseng. Please enter." She temporarily created a hole to the formation allowing Old Deng to go inside.

Old Deng saw the smiling Tang Yuyi while he was dazed and nodded at her as he followed through the path that was opened for himself. As soon as he stepped inside the formation, he realized that what he had seen and what he is experiencing right now are completely different things. It was as if he had entered some kind of secret sanctuary. Divine energy and pure qi were emitted within this space alone together with the strong scent of herbs and flowers. For a pill refiner himself, this is almost like paradise. However, he wasn’t that surprised that rare immortal things strive in a place like this. Just the existence of the Elf King, this kind of abundance is normal. As this race is the most loved by the Goddess and God of Nature themselves.

As soon as the old pill refiner entered the formation, almost everyone within had noticed his arrival. This includes the little ginseng boy who had been waiting for him these few days. As expected, as soon as the little ginseng boy noticed his presence, he stopped playing and ran towards him. Old Deng was delighted by the sudden closeness of the little ginseng boy.

"You are finally here to pick me up!" The little ginseng boy said.

The Old Pill Refiner was delighted by the closeness of the little ginseng boy and as if he recalled something, on his face is an expression of surprise and disbelief.

He asked, "Are you... that dying little ginseng that was dug by a spirit beast and replanted by me?!"

The little ginseng boy rubs his face on the old man’s clothes while saying, "Yes. Yes. It was the master who saved me!"

Old Deng was delighted that the dying little ginseng he had saved in the passing had become what he is now. He had become powerful enough to have a human form and even though he looks like a baby boy, the fact that he can have such form meant that he had lived at least a millennium. For some reason, he is thinking twice of accepting the little ginseng boy. After all, he is an old man and would not be able to accompany the little one for too long. Then his eyes wondered at the other children. He noticed that aside from the little prince from the Moon Family, the other four children were not humans but sentient lotus flowers.

These sentient lotus flowers were Huashui, Huaxue, Huajin and Hualei. With a teenager like Yue Huashui, he watches over the other children and likes little ginseng as well. But the one who likes the little ginseng the most is the little prince of the Yue Clan, Yue Zhiya.

Old Deng said, "Little ginseng, how about staying here instead of leaving with this old man? Here you have lots of friends."

When the little ginseng heard this, his round and innocent eyes were suddenly full of tears. Old Deng was stunned but before he could explain things, the little ginseng had run away from him and hid behind Yue Zhiya and the rest of the children. Even the only teenager among the children spoke up.

Yue Huashui said, "Grandpa, maybe wait for the little ginseng to calm down before you can start explaining. Your words had truly hurt his heart."

"I... I didn’t mean too..." Old Deng said while looking extremely guilty and regretful.

The Old Pill Refiner was about to approach the children but his shoulder was grabbed by Tan Huanyu.

"Join us for tea. Lord Andromeda had something to say to you," said Tan Huangyu.

Old Deng followed the old couple to meet the Elf King who is enjoying his tea under a tree shade seated on a wooden table that seems to be made of wood and is connected to the tree beside the Elf King. As soon as Old Deng approached Tan Huangyu and Tang Yuyi, they noticed that the table was small for four and the seat was lacking.

Tan Huanyu said, "I will bring out another table and chair."

"No need," Elf King Andromeda said as he lightly knocked on the table.

Under everyone’s eyes, the table had extended itself making it larger and another wooden chair sprouted from the ground. It seems this table and chairs were indeed part of the tree, where they are taking a shade under.

Elf King Andromeda didn’t even look at them and just gestured with his hand asking them to take a seat. Tang Yuyi and Tan Huangyu didn’t hesitate. Upon seeing the tea in Lord Andromeda’s cup almost gone, they served him another cup. Serving also for the guests and theirs as well.

As for Old Deng he didn’t take a seat right away, instead he clasped his hand and saluted towards the Elf King.

"This little one is called Deng Lai. It’s a pleasure to meet the Elf King and everyone!"

Tan Huangyu and Tang Yuyi had stood up and returned his greeting as for the Elf King he only lightly nodded his head before once again enjoying the spirit tea.

The Elf King after drinking his tea suddenly moves his gaze from the children to the Old Pill Refiner.

He said, "My great granddaughter can’t meet you but she told me something which should be told to you. Your karma with the little ginseng was heavy enough for the little one to leave his home just to find you. He was captured and was destined to die with you if you were the one who had won him in that auction. You should believe the warning my great granddaughter had told you before."

Old Deng who had experienced being tailed for three days by the very person who had been his friend for years only to realize that all bad events of him being constantly targeted by bandits is because this friend had betrayed him from the beginning. He had always been too open towards this friend of his when it comes to what he has. No wonder every time he got a new treasure and showed it off to him, he would get mobbed within a month.

Moreover the goddess had predicted his death if he had won the bidding to get the little ginseng boy and the latter would have ended up worse than being caught by the people of this trading hall. But if the little ginseng boy was brought away by the Moon Goddess, his friend wouldn’t dare to make a move. As this would be no different than seeking death.