The grass in the factory should be plucked

Even Xie Chang'an only managed to cultivate his divine consciousness after marrying her and through dual cultivation of spirit and soul.

Where can her four children find such a Daoist companion in this small world?

Jiang Li smiled and comforted her daughter: "Everyone has their own expertise. Your skills in the water are unmatched, aren't they?"

Xie Wuchou became smug again: "That's right, even my older brother and sister can't compare to me!"

Xie Chang'an laughed and said, "That's right, my Wuchou is the best!"

As he walked deeper into the culvert, it grew even darker. He took out a bronze lamp inlaid with a luminous pearl, and its warm yellow light spread out in the dim passage, illuminating the bluestone slabs at the bottom of the culvert where water had accumulated.

Since the sluice gate had been closed, there was basically no water in the underground culvert, making it convenient for the three of them to examine it carefully.

Jiang Li carefully examined the stone walls of the underground channel, when she suddenly remembered something.

"No worries, there must be fish and other creatures in this culvert, right?"

"Of course there are! I've heard the fish here are big and fat, and the locals love to come here to catch them. They all come from Dongping Lake with the current, so how could they not be fat?" Xie Wuchou said with a smile.

Jiang Li seemed to be deep in thought.

Xie Chang'an sensed this and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Jiang Li said with distress, "A thought flashed through my mind, but I couldn't remember it in the blink of an eye."

Xie Wuchou chuckled and said, "Mother, are you craving something? Hearing that the fish is so fat and big, do you want to try some?"

Jiang Li laughed and said, "What kind of fish hasn't your mother eaten? Besides fish, are there any other creatures?"

"There are shrimp, crabs... Oh right, I heard there's a particularly delicious hermit crab, but I've never tried it."

Hermit crab?

Jiang Li was a little surprised, "Isn't that a sea creature? How did it end up in the freshwater area?"

Xie Wuchou tilted his head and thought for a moment: "It seems that this kind of crab can also survive in freshwater."

Jiang Li became interested: "I've never tried it before, I wonder what it tastes like?"

Xie Wuchou laughed and said, "What's so difficult about that? After spring arrives and the Huichang Canal is filled with water, I will personally fill a basket for my mother."

Just then, a soft voice reached her ears.

"Do you want to cultivate divine consciousness? I can teach you."

Xie Wuchou suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Shh, don't make a sound. Do you want to give your mother a big surprise?"

"Do you know that your mother and father are both immortals from the upper realm? They came to this small world to train, and once they have finished their training, they can return to the upper realm."

"Don't you want to go back with them?"

"If you cultivate your divine consciousness, you can ascend to the upper realm with them."

That soft voice kept enticing Xie Wuchou.

"Wu Chou, what's wrong? Have you discovered anything?"

Jiang Li noticed that her daughter had stopped walking, so she quickly turned around and asked her.

Xie Wuchou looked at her mother, whose appearance remained unchanged. Time seemed to have left no trace on her face; she was still stunningly beautiful.

It turns out that Mother and Father were indeed, as rumored, celestial beings descended from the celestial realm!

Xie Wuchou smiled sweetly: "Mother, look."

She pulled a huge shellfish out of the puddle at her feet.

"Is this a discarded shell from a hermit crab?"

Jiang Li took it out of curiosity and found that it was an empty shell.

"Yes. Hermit crabs grow up and get a new shell. This one probably grew too big and couldn't fit anymore, so it was thrown away and replaced with a new one."

Xie Wuchou curled his lip, "They're just robbers, they specialize in stealing other people's shells and making them their own."

Jiang Li scoffed, "Brother Chang'an, I feel that the Soul-Capturing Insect is just like this hermit crab. Once one shell is worn out, it needs to be replaced with a new one."

Xie Chang'an couldn't help but smile: "What you say is very true, my lady."

Xie Wuchou affectionately pulled his mother along, "Luckily, Father and Mother devised a plan to destroy that monster, otherwise it would have harmed countless people!"

Jiang Li tossed the seashell in her hand aside and laughed, "Stop playing around, let's go. We have to get out before dark. Do you two want to spend the night in this culvert?"

The three continued along the underground canal.

The faint light of the luminous pearl intertwined with the shadows, and their figures gradually disappeared into the darkness ahead, leaving only the clear, cool canal water flowing slowly.

Jiang Li and her two companions spent three days thoroughly inspecting the underground culvert, but found nothing wrong with it.

With the Emperor's birthday approaching, they had no choice but to manipulate the Dragon Palace and return to the capital.

Back at her residence, Jiang Li wrote a secret letter and had Ji Feng deliver it to Shen Muchun immediately.

Shen Muchun opened the letter, slapped his forehead, and exclaimed, "That's right, how come I didn't think of that?"

He then summoned a disciple from Ghost Doctor Valley and gave him detailed instructions.

The disciple took the order and left.

Jiang Li reported back to Nangong Qinghe, and no abnormalities were found in Huichang Canal.

Nangong Qinghe smiled and said, "Ali, you and Xie Qing have worked hard. On the Emperor's birthday, I will reward you both handsomely!"

Jiang Li immediately felt a sense of alarm.

She looked at him warily. "You're not planning to arrange marriages for my children again, are you?"

Nangong Qinghe smiled bitterly, "Do I dare?"

Although he wanted to use marriage to firmly bind Jiang Li, Xie Chang'an and their children to the royal family.

But he also knew that if he displeased these two immortals and they simply left, it would be a huge loss for the Great Chu!

"Don't worry, Ah Li."

He said with a hint of regret, "You know I would never force you."

As long as you are happy, that's all that matters.

Jiang Li smiled radiantly: "Your Majesty is wise!"

"Furthermore," Nangong Qinghe smiled slightly, "I don't want any more coral this year; the palace is already overflowing!"

When he got married, Jiang Li gave him a multi-jeweled coral as a wedding gift, which he loved very much back then.

Unexpectedly, ever since Jiang Li subdued the Dragon King of the East Sea, the Four Rivers Dragon Lords, and the Shark King of the South Sea, the birthday gifts she sent him every year were nothing but coral!

Although those corals are all rare in the world and come in a variety of colors, most people would definitely keep them as family heirlooms!

However, for Jiang Li, these corals were like cabbages in the field; she could have as many as she wanted!

Nangong Qinghe had reached his breaking point after receiving such perfunctory coral gifts every year.

Jiang Li chuckled, "Your Majesty, rest assured, this year's birthday gift will definitely not be coral!"

Fortunately, she had Xie Buqi, a capable son, so she didn't have to rack her brains to find a birthday gift.

Nangong Qinghe's lips curled slightly: "I'll wait and see."

Back at the manor, Jiang Li asked, "Has Buqi returned? Tell him to come see me."

Chai'er said, "This servant will go and ask."

Not long after, Xie Buqi arrived.

An eighteen-year-old boy walked in the twilight, his steps proud and his blue official robe fluttering in the wind, revealing the dashing spirit of someone who had achieved early success.

He looked remarkably like Xie Chang'an, and Jiang Li couldn't help but feel a moment of disbelief. If Xie Chang'an hadn't lost his father at a young age, but had grown up peacefully by his parents' side, he would surely have been as spirited and unrestrained as Xie Buqi.

Xie Buqi walked over with a grin and leaned against her: "Is our son as handsome as Pan An? Even his mother is stunned?"

Jiang Li scolded, "You're never serious all day long!"

"What about His Majesty's birthday gifts? Have you prepared them?"