Durin's Diary

Chapter 976 Daring Not to Open

Pang Juan stood outside the Xiangjianhuan restaurant with his younger sister, Lady Qi. He looked at the old maid and sighed, "This old man hasn't returned to Yumen Pass yet. He's busy with family matters, unlike Xiao Yan."

"I know, I'm just wondering why he hasn't come yet. There must be something going on at home, but surely he's still not here by this time." Although the old maid is old, in Pang Juan's eyes, she is still the girl he watched grow up.

This made Pang Juan sigh, because he had watched her grow up and see her fall in love with the then-young old man. At that time, the old man was a war hero who had made great contributions to Chang Tang. It was understandable that a young girl would fall in love with him.

Who would have thought that these two awkward young people could have made their relationship so awkward all the way to this point?

Pang Juan just wanted to punch someone after seeing this.

Just as I was thinking this, I saw a portal open nearby. Without even looking, it must be that kid Dulin—only his portal could be located so precisely and so brazenly. Anyone else wouldn't even be able to get this close, let alone interfere with it.

The person who came out made Pang Juan happy—it was indeed Du Lin. This kid was dressed well today, his hair was tied up really well, he looked like an old hand at this, either Lan En or Xiang Shu.

Youth is wonderful. Seeing the young people admiring each other made Pang Juan feel as if her own lifespan was slowly increasing.

"Oh, the old man isn't here yet." Du Lin glanced over and immediately understood what was going on. He greeted Madam Qi and said, "I'll go find him."

After saying that, he plunged headfirst into the portal.

………………

As soon as Dulin stepped outside, he saw his old man's house.

"No, why are you still standing here?"

"I'm waiting for a car. I've called the citizen help hotline three times already, and not a single one has come." The old man looked aggrieved. "When I came back before, Zhulong Pavilion warned me not to open the door to anyone unless necessary. One person like you is already enough of a headache for them."

"What are you waiting for? Come with me and let them have their own headaches." After saying that, Du Lin reached out, picked up his little old man, and went into the teleportation portal.

After going in and out, Du Lin handed the old man over to Madam Qi, and greeted the beaming Old Pang: "Come on, Old Pang, let's go in and have some tea first, and let them wait for the guests here."

After going upstairs with Lao Pang, Du Lin and Lao Pang gave each other a high five. The old man smiled and gave Du Lin a thumbs up: "You're the best at opening doors. Without you, I don't know when that old man would have arrived."

"He called the citizen help hotline to find a taxi, but no car responded for a long time. He was extremely aggrieved when I arrived."

"Then he really has to feel wronged. A large section of the palace wall collapsed today, and the road is currently closed for maintenance."

"Ah, how did the wall collapse?" Dulin asked curiously.

"It all started when the army and navy got into a dispute over who would lead the attack on the other four islands. They agreed to a duel outside the Golden Palace, but the fight escalated and they even tore down the wall. The prime ministers were both amused and exasperated." After hearing what Old Pang said, Du Lin understood just how outrageous the scene must have been.

He sighed, "There's something to argue about here. Is there any vested interest involved?"

"The navy is also afraid that if another island in the south falls, they won't get any money. So they want to control the four islands to gain some credit. That's what it means to be in the emperor's heart."

"What a joke. To put it bluntly, if there are no more problems with the Three Passes and Four Seas in the future, would Chang Tang really disband its navy? What about the pirates? What if something happens to the Four Islands and the Southern Islands? I think the navy is just confused. Chang Tang, as a unified civilization with a large land force, has a gap in the East. How could it not need a fleet? Don't they need the wealth on those islands?"

"If you were to manage the navy, Lin Luoxiang and the others would probably be laughing in their sleep," Pang Juan said with a laugh. "Then forget it. I'm fine with giving my opinion, but I really don't have the time to manage all this anymore. Look at all the messes in Xilu, it's a real headache," Du Lin said with a smile, waving his hand—he didn't know who would take care of his mess in the future, so he really didn't want to cause any more trouble for himself.

Old Pang chuckled and sighed, "You're really different from other kids. Other kids dream of getting ahead, of military power, of promotions, but you're different. You don't like any of those things."

For someone like me who has already died once, power and wealth are nothing but fleeting clouds.

Du Lin smiled and waved his hand, then followed Lao Pang into the room.

Today, Madam Qi found two private rooms with two tables, and now there are more than a dozen men of all ages sitting inside. When Mr. Yan saw Du Lin, he smiled and said, "Come, child, let me introduce you."

Du Lin walked up to him with a smile, and Mr. Yan pointed at Du Lin: "How is the grandson of my daughter in the Western Continent?"

“Jun.” An old Zhulong nodded: “What a pity, the beautiful flower is already taken.”

The old candle dragons sitting together burst into laughter.

Dulin chuckled, "She's already taken, so please don't cause me any trouble, everyone. Thank you all in advance."

“Not bad, the Changtang Mandarin is quite accurate.” Old Zhulong looked at his companions.

"Young Master Du Lin's Mandarin is indeed very accurate; my child in Zhennanguan did say that." Old Zhulong also exclaimed, "Young people are remarkable; the younger generation is truly formidable."

“Du Lin is indeed a capable child. Look at me, I can walk without getting out of breath. The fruit he gave me is really useful.” At this moment, Old Pang pulled up a chair and sat down next to Mr. Yan.

"We are all so happy that you are getting better, teacher," several old Zhulongs echoed.

"We really owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Dulin; your fruit is truly a timely blessing," Old Zhulong remarked.

Dulin smiled and waved his hand, not daring to claim credit.

"By the way, Mr. Dulin, you've arrived. Where's this old man?" Old Zhulong asked with a smile.

"This old man is outside with Lady Qi," Du Lin replied.

“That’s right. These two young men, Old Pang and I watched them grow up. They were never so awkward when they were young. I don’t know what’s wrong with them. They’ve been wasting so much time.” A white-haired elf named Zhulong complained to Mr. Yan, “Young Yan, you’re one of the older ones here. My old man’s matter is settled. What about you?”

"You said I'm getting old, what else do I have to think about? Isn't living alone pretty good?" Mr. Yan waved his hand with a smile.

These old Zhulongs laughed it off and let the matter drop.

Only Du Lin saw the desolation in Old Man Yan's eyes.

Everyone says immortality is good, but for lovers to achieve immortality is no different from a horror movie.

(End of this chapter)