Chapter 60 - Who's More Important?
Chapter 60 - Who’s More Important?
“Fenghuang?”
Fu Li looked in amazement at the leader of the three-headed people. “You’re saying I smell like a Fenghuang?”
“We’ll definitely meet a beautiful Fenghuang if we follow you,” The three-headed person responded. “We were born for the Fenghuang and don’t want to die without even seeing them.” The Fuchang Tree only bore fruit once in its lifetime. The three-headed race broke out of these fruits, so the day the Fuchang Tree withered would be the day their lives came to end. They could walk and speak upon birth, but hadn’t expected there to be no Langgan Tree or Fenghuang after birth.
To them, the abrupt appearance of this person who smelled like the Fenghuang and even informed them of the Langgan Tree’s presence had given them meaning to continue living.
“I’m sorry,” Fu Li bowed to the several three-headed people. “I have never seen a Fenghuang. I can only lead you to the Langgan Tree to settle down.”
“It’s fine,” The three-headed people had a type of zealous trust in Fu Li. “Since you can help us find the Langgan Tree, you’ll definitely be able to help us find a Fenghuang.”
Fu Li: …
When did he say he would help them search for a Fenghuang? They shouldn’t think that they could be so shameless just because they had three faces.
Fu Li knew very little of the stories surrounding the three-headed people. All he knew was that they were dependent on the Fuchang Tree for life, while the Fuchang Tree was the life partner of the Langgan Tree. White Ape hadn’t told him anything more. Perhaps White Ape had considered these three-headed people completely harmless and didn’t fear Fu Li running into any danger, so he didn’t tell him much about them.
Although these few three-headed people had dubious shameless tendencies, they probably wouldn’t lie to him.
Had he really been in close contact with a Fenghuang at some place? Fu Li pondered over this for a very long time, but couldn’t recall having seen a Fenghuang at any place. Had a Fenghuang passed by him while he was in his more-than-a-thousand years sleep?
Fortunately… the Fenghuang didn’t eat rabbit meat, otherwise his little life would probably be gone.
“Youngster, where is the Langgan Tree you found?” The leader of the three-headed people wiped the tears off his three faces. “Our Fuchang Tree can’t be away from the earth for too long.”
Fu Li noticed that the three three-headed people had different appearances, and thus asked. “May I know your names?”
“I’m called Big Hair,” The one seated on a tree branch said.
Fu Li glanced at the hair on his heads. Indeed, he had the most hair.
“The one in front is called Middle Hair, and the one below is called Little Hair,” Big Hair flicked the hair on his heads with what seemed like pride.
Fu Li: …
Middle Hair had slightly more sparse hair, while Little Hair had even less hair. The scant strands that grew on Little Hair’s heads were yellow and dry. From a distance, it looked like there were a few weeds on his heads.
Fu Li didn’t quite understand the social customs of the world of the three-headed people.
With a wave of his hand, he set up a barrier, and then directly swept the people and tree onto a cloud. There, he started narrating the rules of the human world to the three-headed people.
“Youngster, don’t worry. Once we put down roots, we won’t walk around randomly,” Big Hair said righteously. “No matter how beautiful the human world is, it can’t compare to our loyalty towards the Fenghuang.”
“Big brother, the human world is so pretty,” At the side, Little Hair lay splayed out on the cloud. His voice shook with excitement. “There are even transparent rooms and roads in the air.”
They were probably talking about high-rise buildings and overhead bridges, thought Fu Li.
“Where?” Big Hair leaped off the tree and squeezed by Little Hair’s side, stretching out his neck. His three heads jostled about, nearly bumping into one another.
Middle Hair cast a timid glance at Fu Li before hesitantly shuffling to Little Hair’s side and watching with them. The forgotten Fuchang Tree waved its leaves from its lonely position in the clouds, emitting rustling sounds.
However, the three-headed people remained immersed as they gazed at the flourishing human world, not even turning their heads.
Upon further thought, these few three-headed people had just been born and were in no way different from children. It was normal for them to have some curiosity. Fu Li propped a hand against the Fuchang Tree and reduced the speed at which they traveled for them to get a closer look.
“Ahhhhhh!” Little Hair suddenly let out a hair-raising scream. “Why are there such strange big birds?”
“That isn’t a big bird, it’s a man-built airplane for humans to travel long distances,” Fu Li sat cross-legged on the cloud as he soothed the three-headed people.
“Some birds can’t even fly that high up, so what are you making a fuss about?” Big Hair noticed Fu Li’s complete lack of anxiety and rapped a hand against one of Little Hair’s heads. “Stop making so much noise, it’s scaring others.”
“Okay, big brother,” Little Hair had no way of retaliating despite having been hit. On the contrary, he was very obedient and no longer dared to scream recklessly.
Sure enough, the one with the longest and most hair was the most impressive.
The three-headed people watched this novelty for a while before running back to the Fuchang Tree. Big Hair looked at Fu Li gravely. “Youngster, the human world contains too many enticing things. You must be careful not to fall into a human’s trap.”
Although it hadn’t been long since his birth, he was a person from birth and his mind contained the legacy of the three-headed race. Therefore, he had a very good understanding of how crafty humans were.
“Many thanks for the information, I will definitely be more careful,” Fu Li smiled, his eyes curving.
“You are a youngster with good prospects. When you help us find the Fenghuang, we will definitely not treat you unfairly,” Big Hair pulled on the skirt made of tree leaves around his waist. These words were stated with quite the chivalrous air.
“Then I will have to trouble you to take me under your care,” Fu Li’s height when seated cross-legged was almost identical to that of the three-headed people. Not a single hint of mockery appeared on his face just because the three-headed people couldn’t don clothes.
The three dwarves hugged their tree tightly after descending from the cloud. Even the previously lazy Big Hair was also hugging the tree branches.
“I smell the Zhuyu fruit!” Big Hair’s eyes lit up. “It’s inside.”
“Please follow me,” Fu Li brought them to the office building’s courtyard. The Langgan Tree was standing loftily in the center of the room, as if constantly awaiting someone’s arrival.
“Langgan Tree, Langgan Tree…” Big Hair released the Fuchang Tree and bounded towards the Langgan Tree on his short legs. But very soon, he let out another shriek.
“Why didn’t you water the Langgan Tree with morning dew liquid?”
“There’s even ash on the tree’s leaves!”
Big Hair swiftly crawled up the Langgan Tree’s branches. He pulled out a green-colored object from his waist, and then turned towards Middle Hair and Little Hair. “Quick, plant the Fuchang Tree and tidy up the Langgan Tree.”
“Okay, big brother,” Middle hair and Little Hair carried the Fuchang Tree and ran over. They dug a large pit not too far from the Langgan Tree and planted the Fuchang Tree. Lastly, they stamped down on the soil with their feet before turning to wait on the Langgan Tree.
The Langgan Tree didn’t seem to reject the three-headed people’s service. On the other hand, it adopted a comfortable position and allowed them to clean its branches and leaves.
Big Hair sat in the middle of the tree branches and directed Middle Hair and Little Hair as they cleaned. Then, he hugged the Langgan Tree, took a few resolute breaths, and turned to speak to Fu Li. “Youngster, many thanks. We will live here in the future.”
“Sure,” Fu Li took out his phone and sent the various departments the news so that they wouldn’t be too surprised upon seeing the three-headed people.
Big Hair plucked a section of his hair, wrapped it in the Fuchang Tree’s leaves, and handed it to Fu Li. “This is my thank-you gift to you.”
Fu Li wasn’t very sure what uses the hair had, but since the three-headed people regarded their hair with such importance and yet he was still willing to give him some, he wouldn’t let his goodwill go to waste. “Many thanks for your present, I will treasure it.”
Big Hair crawled back up the Langgan Tree with satisfaction and rubbed against the tree here and there, bearing an uncanny resemblance to a fool.
When Fu Li returned to the office, Song Yu gave him a large thumbs-up. “Boss, you even managed to bring the three-headed people back. How impressive.” The three-headed people were very obstinate creatures with volatile tempers. If the Langgan Tree was not by their sides, they would be particularly irascible and savage. If someone were to enrage them, the hair on their heads would lengthen abruptly and wrap around the enemy, sucking dry their enemy’s flesh.
But if they had the Langgan Tree, they would become the most hardworking and gentle creatures. Their everyday tasks consisted of gathering dew, watering the Langgan Tree, and adding fertilizer as they waited for the Fenghuang to come and eat the Zhuyu fruits they had cultivated.
Which was why the Langgan Tree and Fuchang Tree were usually companions for life; being without one wouldn’t do. It was a miracle that the bureau’s Langgan Tree had grown on its own, and that a Fuchang Tree had produced three-headed people despite being without its companion.
“Those three-headed people just have child-like tempers, they’re very easy to talk to. What’s so impressive about that?’ Fu Li noticed Chu Yu squeezed into a corner with several swollen bumps adorning his bald head. “Chu Yu, what happened to you?”
“Oh, he was walking brainlessly and fell down the stairs,” Song Yu smiled. “Yao cultivators have strong recovery ability, there’s no need to worry.”
What link was there between having a brain and falling down the stairs?
Fu Li saw that Chu Yu was indeed okay, so he didn’t pay him any more heed. Instead, he turned and asked Zhang Ke, “Zhang Ke, what kind of present does your sect leader like?”
“Just the fact that you’re willing to go is giving our sect the greatest face, there’s no need to be so courteous,” Zhang Ke hurriedly replied. “My sect will be having a birthday banquet tomorrow, you must come.”
“What banquet?” Zhuang Qing walked into the office and spoke to Fu Li, “Is everything settled?”
“En,” Fu Li nodded. “Our bureau’s Langgan Tree finally found its companion tree.” As well as three free hardworking gardeners.
“I saw them along the corridor just now.” Zhuang Qing was silent for a moment, before dully adding another statement, “It’s been hard on you.”
“Serving the cultivation world is not hard,” Fu Li shifted the topic to the birthday banquet of Qing Xiao Sect’s leader. “We were discussing tomorrow’s birthday banquet for the leader of the Qing Xiao Sect. I’m not sure what would be an appropriate style of clothing for me to wear.”
Zhuang Qing glanced at Zhang Ke, who was standing at a corner, not daring to speak. “Sect leader Zhao has an amiable and friendly disposition, he will be happy no matter what you wear.”
“Yes yes yes,” Zhang Ke nodded his head at the side like a chick pecking at corn.
“Even then, I can’t dress too casually. What kind of clothing are you wearing tomorrow? I’ll just copy yours,” Fu Li acknowledged that his taste wasn’t a match for Zhuang Qing, so copying what he wore definitely wouldn’t be an issue.
A strange calm suddenly descended on the room. It was so quiet that nobody in the roomful of people seemed to be breathing.
“What’s wrong?” Fu Li swallowed. “D-Did I say something wrong?”
Zhang Ke raised his head and looked helplessly at Zhuang Qing in an attempt to let the boss understand that this was merely Fu Li’s assumption and that he certainly had not said that the boss would be attending. But even when his eyeballs were about to drop out of his sockets, Zhuang Qing didn’t spare him an extra glance.
Boss, look at me, look at me, I have a clear conscience.
“Sure,” Zhuang Qing replied expressionlessly. “Get off work earlier tomorrow afternoon, I’ll take you to choose clothes.”
“Then my braised spare ribs…”
“Which is more important – braised spare ribs or me accompanying you to choose clothes?” Zhuang Qing’s expression became even more blank.
Fu Li: “You!”
Ilyz: …Let’s all raise our hands in applause for the impressive naming sense displayed in this chapter. On a side note, ZQ’s asking the real questions here( ´∀`)