Chapter 140: Old Turtle's Trust

He had lived for decades yet had never set foot inside an immortal’s cave abode. Now, he was filled with both wonder and yearning.

He Lingchuan spread his arms. “Immortal or not, I couldn’t say. All I saw was a corpse that had long since withered away.”

He turned to the crocodile monster. “Did you manage to find any treasures inside?”

“Nothing but junk,” the crocodile monster replied flatly. “There wasn’t a trace of spirit qi in there. It was even worse in there than the outside world. Any treasure placed within would have long since decayed into useless scraps.”

By now, Wu Shaoyi’s heartbeat had steadied somewhat, and he once again begged to be brought ashore.

He Lingchuan knew it was time to leave, yet when his eyes drifted back to the turtle monster's carcass, a pang of regret stirred in his chest.

You’re already dead. What secrets are you still afraid to reveal? Couldn’t you have just written the answer on your divination sticks outright?

Besides, his father was right. The old turtle had sent prophetic dreams and guided the drawing of lots. If it had no request of him, why go through all that trouble?

He had thought he might find some clue on the turtle’s body, but there was nothing.

Disappointed, He Lingchuan drew out the two very inauspicious lots and set them neatly upon the turtle’s shell. “Here, I’m giving these back to you.”

He aligned them carefully, yet somehow one of the sticks slid off the curve of the shell—

Then it vanished.

“Huh?” He Lingchuan blinked, catching the moment as he turned.

Where did it go?

It seemed to have slipped beneath the turtle’s belly... and then disappeared.

He knelt to look, but found nothing.

Eh, it was only a stupid divination stick, what does it matter?

He was about to turn away when the second one slid down as well, this time right before his very eyes. It dropped to the ground in slow motion, then sank into the stone.

It was as if it was trying to make sure he noticed every detail.

Stone or sand, how could a stick simply sink into it?

Now his interest was truly piqued. He reached beneath the turtle’s belly, and to his surprise, one finger suddenly probed empty air.

It's hollow?

There's a cavity under the turtle’s body!

Impossible! How could there be a hollow chamber inside such solid reef rock? And it even seems really deep.

He pushed experimentally at the turtle’s corpse, but of course, it did not budge. The effort only smeared more blood across his hand.

“Crocodile God, could you lend me a hand?”

The monster only flicked its tail, not even bothering to open its jaws.

If the task was not any of its concern, it would not lift a claw.

He Lingchuan had no choice but to bring out his broken saber and start cutting into the stone. “Hold on a bit longer, Old Wu.”

Sparks flew as the blade bit into the ground. He half-feared the weapon might snap altogether.

Fortunately, the trusty saber held. After a quarter of an hour’s labor, he widened the hole beneath the turtle’s belly until his arm could reach inside.

And from it, he pulled out something larger than a rugby ball, oval to the point of nearly rectangular.

Its shell was pale white, mottled with spots.

An egg.

A perfectly intact... turtle egg?

So the turtle monster had been a mother?

He Lingchuan carefully cradled the egg and rinsed the sticky mucus off its surface at the pool’s edge.

Only afterward did the thought occur to him.

Wait, washing chicken eggs isn't good for the egg, right? Is it the same for turtle eggs?

Forget it, this turtle egg was laid by a spirit beast. It should be different from ordinary ones.

Wu Shaoyi stared wide-eyed, scarcely able to believe what he saw. “Is that... a turtle egg?”

“Why bother asking when you already know?”

Did the Water Spirit deliberately leave me those lots so that I could take care of its offspring?

That would mean it had already foreseen its own death when it sent dreams to the shrinekeeper. In that case, its divination was indeed accurate.

Hmm... This isn't exactly good news for me, though.

The crocodile monster lifted its eyelids and fixed its gaze on the egg. “Give it to me to eat, and in return, I’ll let you have one of my great-grandchildren as a spirit pet!”

The crocodile monsters outside, large and small, were all its descendants.

Everyone knew crocodiles and snakes were among the hardest beasts to tame as spirit pets.

He Lingchuan shook his head. “Sorry, no deal.” A crocodile spirit pet was tempting, but this egg was bound to the riddle of those very inauspicious lots, and by extension, tied to his very survival. There was no way he could part with it.

The crocodile monster showed no anger. “Very well. I’ve already killed it once; I’ll leave it a path to life.” Even monsters who cultivated the Dao knew not to take things to extremes.

“It?”

The crocodile monster tilted its head. “Is there only the one egg?”

“Yes.” At least he had not found a second in the cavern.

“That’s not reproduction, then, but rebirth.” The crocodile monster's voice was calm as it spoke. “What you hold in your hands is either its descendant or itself.”

He Lingchuan was stunned.

Only after a bit of explanation did he understand. Creatures of heaven and earth, like these, when reaching the end of their lifespan or seeing no hope of advancing further, could choose the path of corpse liberation—a way of transcending by starting anew.

This turtle monster had likely condensed the essence of its body into this egg, then poured its soul inside.

If it managed to hatch, it would begin life anew. Like deleting one’s account to start from scratch.

Of course, in transferring its soul, there was every chance of damage, whether it be in memories lost or its soul itself getting damaged. However, defying heaven always carried risks.

Still, even if the egg did hatch, the massive turtle corpse blocking the way left no way for a newborn turtle to escape. It would only suffocate in its prison.

And if the way to the egg had not been covered, the muskrats would have devoured the egg long ago.

At such a time, outside help was essential.

Feeling very much the tool in this arrangement, He Lingchuan fished a copper coin from his robe and muttered to the air, “Sir Turtle Immortal[1], do you want me to take this egg with me? If yes, then make it so that the coin lands on heads three times.”

He felt a little guilty. Even after cutting into its body earlier, here he was trying to speak with it. Still, he felt it best to err on the side of respect.

He cast the coin three times. Each time, the inscribed face landed up.

So the old turtle’s spirit still lingers within this cavern!

The back of his neck prickled cold.

“You gave me two worst lots. Was my calamity meant to fall tonight?”

He flipped the copper coin three times, and it landed on tails every time.

That should be the old turtle saying no!

Relief washed over He Lingchuan as he said aloud, “Thank you.”

If that was the case, then perhaps the brigand calamity could indeed be overcome. His spirits brightened.

“Then is it that my great calamity lies further ahead—that in the end, I’ll still die?”

This time, the coin wedged upright in a crack in the stone.

What does that mean? It doesn't seem like either a solid yes or no.

Damn it, these old oracles and fortunetellers never give you a straight answer.

He Lingchuan then asked, “Then do I still have a chance at survival?”

He flipped the coin, and it landed on heads.

Good. At last, a clear sign.

He Lingchuan rubbed his hands together. “Then tell me, how do I wrest life from death?”

The coin clattered down into the crevice, deeper still, echoing faintly as it dropped. Retrieving it would not be easy.

So, does that mean that it doesn't have an answer for me? Or is it an answer too grave to speak?

Beside him, the crocodile monster was finally getting tired of waiting and asked, “Are you done yet?”

Wu Shaoyi coughed twice, his body weakening further.

They could not afford to linger here. He Lingchuan, too, was anxious to get back and find his family. He tucked the egg away, then reminded the crocodile monster of its promise to see them out.

The monster had long since grown restless. “Climb onto my back.”

1. Don't mind the acronym :) ☜