The river monster, upon hearing Cheng Xiaofan's words, grinned ferociously and cackled, "I am the overlord of this place. I do as I please, and who are you to question me?"
"Right, you still haven't answered my question, what kind of monster are you?"
Cheng Xiaofan chuckled and replied, "I'm not a monster, I'm human!"
Hearing this, the river monster was stunned and utterly bewildered.
It rolled its beady white eyes and asked, "You are truly human?"
Cheng Xiaofan smiled, "Of course I'm human. Is there something wrong with that?"
The river monster said with a face full of confusion, "Many spirits dream of transforming into humans, but you, such an ugly human, who walks on only two legs—I find it truly strange. What is there to envy for those spirits!"
"..." Faced with this hideous river monster, Cheng Xiaofan was utterly speechless.
Does crawling on the ground make one appear handsome?
What kind of logic is this, what kind of aesthetic sense!
"Have you seen Emperor Shennong?" Cheng Xiaofan asked casually.
The river monster heard this and said, "I haven't seen Emperor Shennong, only heard my grandfather mention that he was an extraordinary person!"
"Our spiritual realm is so beautiful precisely because Emperor Shennong crafted it with his own hands!"
As it spoke, the river monster's expression suddenly changed, its eyes widening.
It stared intently at Cheng Xiaofan and asked with some trepidation, "Right, I seem to recall my grandfather mentioning that only someone from Emperor Shennong's lineage would be able to enter this spiritual realm in the future. Could you... could you be from Emperor Shennong's lineage?"
Cheng Xiaofan smiled faintly and said, "My name is Cheng Xiaofan, and I am Emperor Shennong's successor!"
Upon hearing this, the river monster was so scared it banged its head on the ground and said, "Forgive me, I am blind. You are so handsome, and I called you ugly!"
"Lord Cheng, I deserve to die. Please kill me, I am unworthy to live in this spiritual realm!"
Cheng Xiaofan heard this and smiled, "River monster, you spoke without malice, and I don't blame you. You don't need to take it to heart."
The river monster repeatedly shook its head, "One must be responsible for what they say. Lord Cheng, you must kill me!"
"If you kill me, you can find a Hunyuan Pearl in my heart. The water steeped with this pearl can detoxify anything."
"With this pearl on your person, you can control the wind and rain, and stay cool in summer!"
"Furthermore, if you kill me and eat my flesh, you will gain strength and an invisible protective shield will form around you, automatically appearing when attacked by enemies!"
"This layer of scales on my body can be boiled and drunk to nourish bones and kidneys!"
"..." Cheng Xiaofan was utterly speechless.
This river monster was clearly seeking its own demise!
What it described was too tempting. Anyone else would have killed it on the spot.
Cheng Xiaofan shook his head and smiled, "River monster, no matter what you say, I won't kill you. You should return to the river!"
Saying this, he turned to leave.
"Lord Cheng, you can't leave—" Not long after Cheng Xiaofan walked away, a hoarse cry from the river monster echoed from behind him.
It shouted at him, "Are you an idiot? Why won't you kill me?"
"Just for that Hunyuan Pearl, you should have killed me!"
Cheng Xiaofan smiled and said, "The Hunyuan Pearl is yours. I can't kill you just because I like it!"
The river monster sighed, "I can't believe I've actually met an idiot. I don't understand how Emperor Shennong could have chosen such an idiot as his successor!"
"You are forcing me to commit suicide!"
Cheng Xiaofan became anxious upon hearing this, "River monster, I am not forcing you to commit suicide. You go your way, and I'll go mine. Let's mind our own business, alright?"
"No,"
The river monster flatly refused and said resolutely, "Since you won't kill me, I will kill myself!"
As soon as it finished speaking, it extended a sharp claw and slashed its chest fiercely.
Its claw was sharper than a knife. With just one swipe, its chest was cut open, and its insides spilled out.
Cheng Xiaofan was dumbfounded!
How could this river monster just kill itself as it said it would?
He was so anxious his eyes turned red.
He exclaimed, "River monster, why did you end your life without my permission?"
"You shouldn't have done this!"
"Lord Cheng, I am truly happy to have met a successor like you from Emperor Shennong!"
Before the river monster could breathe its last, it said, "Although you are a complete idiot, I can see that Emperor Shennong chose you as his successor not only because your foundation met his requirements, but also because you possess a kind heart. Am I right?"
"You are right. I have always been kind and honest. This is recognized by everyone in the world!" At this moment, Cheng Xiaofan threw all pretense of modesty aside and responded forcefully.
The river monster nodded, opened its mouth, and tried to say something more, but nothing came out.
Then, with a thud, it fell to the ground, its limbs stiffened, its eyes rolled back, and a look of contentment appeared on its face.
The river monster was toast.
"..." Cheng Xiaofan watched this scene unfold with utter speechlessness.
This happened so suddenly that he couldn't stop it.
Who was the real idiot?
This river monster was either the biggest fool in the world or had a problem with its brain.
To offer the Hunyuan Pearl within its body to someone, would one disregard their own life so much?
Since it had already happened, he couldn't let the river monster die in vain.
Cheng Xiaofan immediately squatted down, used a branch to rummage through the river monster's belly, and found its still heart.
He took out his knife.
With a gentle slash in the center of the heart, a crystal-clear, egg-sized pearl rolled out.
This Hunyuan Pearl was purplish-red, enveloped by a layer of dense green spiritual energy. Holding it in his hand, a warm current instantly spread throughout his body.
He felt as if he was enveloped in a thick layer of spiritual energy.
Cheng Xiaofan knew he had struck gold again.
He immediately placed the Hunyuan Pearl into his spatial storage.
Next, Cheng Xiaofan dragged the river monster to the riverbank, carefully skinned off the layer of scales, cleaned them, and also stored them in his spatial storage.
The river monster's meat was also a good thing. He cut it into pieces and stored it in his spatial storage as well.
As for the internal organs, Cheng Xiaofan dug a hole and buried them, building a grave. He found a stone and placed it in front of the grave, carving three characters on it with his knife: "Tomb of the River Monster!"
Cheng Xiaofan bowed several times towards the grave, murmuring, "River monster, thank you very much for your selfless spirit of dedication, and for giving me all the treasures from your body!"
"May all living beings in the world learn from you when they encounter me, Cheng Xiaofan!"
"Cheng Xiaofan, you are too greedy!"
Just then, from behind Cheng Xiaofan, the clear and melodious voice of a young girl suddenly rang out.