Chapter 606: This Turtle Is Almost an Immortal

Holy crap, a turtle released during the 12th year of Qianlong? This thing is an antique! Shen Yibin’s eyes widened like saucers, staring at the characters without blinking. He stared until his eyes ached, only then certain he wasn’t mistaken. The words carved on the turtle’s back were indeed ‘the 12th year of Qianlong’.

From the worn characters, one could tell that this turtle had been released into Dongting Lake during the 12th year of Qianlong and had lived peacefully to this day. Shen Yibin couldn’t help but marvel. ‘The saying about tortoises living a thousand years and turtles ten thousand is no joke! How many years has it been since the 12th year of Qianlong? The grandson of the person who released it must have turned to ash long ago, but this guy is still alive and well. By the looks of it, it’ll have no problem outliving me, too.’

‘Let me see what year the 12th year of Qianlong actually was.’ After the initial shock, Shen Yibin grew even more curious about the turtle’s age. He immediately took out his phone to search. A quick look and he was floored. ‘The 12th year of Qianlong… that’s 1747 AD. That means it’s been two hundred and seventy-one years!’

Back when it was first released into Dongting Lake, Emperor Qianlong had just ordered his armies to march on the Jinchuan River. The Qing Dynasty was still at its peak, and Aisin Gioro Hongli would remain on the supreme throne in the Forbidden City for another forty-plus years. The Russian Empire had been founded just over two decades prior. Japan was still under the corrupt rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The beacon of hope for humanity, the lighthouse of civilization—the Great United States—was still more than thirty years from independence. Montesquieu was in the middle of writing *The Spirit of the Laws*, proposing the theory of the separation of powers. The Enlightenment was just beginning, and the Church still seemed all-powerful. Emperor Napoleon would not be born for another twenty-some years. The great Sir Isaac Newton had passed away only twenty years before. It would be another hundred years before Westerners would make their major incursions into this ancient eastern nation…

In an instant, all these historical scenes flashed through Shen Yibin’s mind. Over more than two hundred years, so many magnificent and tumultuous events had shaken the world, yet they seemed to have had no effect on this creature at all. It just continued to live quietly in Dongting Lake, letting moss creep over its shell.

Besides, the 12th year of Qianlong was only when it was released, not when it was born. Judging from the carved marks on its shell, this fellow was already quite large when it was set free in Dongting Lake. It was hard to say how long it had lived before that. Maybe it was already living near Dongting Lake back when the Great Ming Dynasty was still at its height.

‘Sigh. You’re probably the oldest living thing I’ve ever seen. Even that Heaven-Reaching Tree I went to cut down in the mountains probably wasn’t as old as you. If Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi were still abundant today, you’d probably have become an immortal by now, wouldn’t you? You might have even landed a post as Prime Minister or something under the Dragon King of Dongting.’

After reading the inscription, the excitement in Shen Yibin’s heart wouldn’t subside. His gaze toward the turtle grew increasingly reverent. This wasn’t fear, but profound respect for a living witness to history. ‘Taking care of a turtle this old… the pressure is immense!’

‘This thing could totally be a family heirloom pet! The grandfather raises it, then passes it to the son, who passes it to the grandson, who passes it to the great-grandson… It’s practically a family treasure! Given how long this creature is likely to live, could I even find anyone in all of China qualified to raise it? How am I supposed to find an owner for it?!’

‘I should probably give you the medicine first. I haven’t seen you eat anything since I fished you out; I wonder if you’re even hungry.’ It took a long while for Shen Yibin to finally compose himself. He took a white pill from his bag, placed it in his palm, and offered it to the turtle.

The turtle had been lying motionless in the bathtub, its head, legs, and tail all retracted into its shell, letting Shen Yibin fuss over it. But as soon as it smelled the pill, its head shot out, striking Shen Yibin’s palm like lightning and swallowing the pill in a single gulp.

‘Damn, even an old spirit like you who’s lived for hundreds of years can’t resist the temptation of this pill? The products from the Future Pet Shop really are something else!’ In his mind, Shen Yibin gave the Future Pet Shop thirty-two thumbs-ups.

After eating the pill, the turtle immediately relaxed. Its legs and tail emerged from its shell, and its head drooped. Its tiny, mung-bean-sized eyes squeezed shut, and it appeared to have fallen into a deep sleep.

Uh, speaking of which, how long do turtles usually sleep? Waiting for an answer online, it’s urgent! Seeing it asleep, Shen Yibin began to panic. ‘If you sleep for two or three months, how am I supposed to take you home and find you an owner?’

“MM! MM!” Just as he was puzzling over this, Hah’Er cried out from behind him. When Shen Yibin turned around, he saw Hah’Er lying on the sofa, listlessly rubbing its belly. The Bald Qiang couple were sprawled on the floor, staring pitifully at Shen Yibin. On the coffee table, Maphario was wrestling with the packaging of some sunflower seeds.

Looking out the window again, he saw that the sun had set and the moon was just rising over the mountain. It was already late!

‘Oh, crap. I was so focused on this turtle that I completely forgot about dinner!’ Shen Yibin slapped his forehead and apologized profusely to Hah’Er and the others. “You’re all starving, aren’t you? I’ll order us some food right now! Don’t worry, the hotel will send it up right away!”

Shen Yibin quickly grabbed the phone and dialed room service. Without hesitation, he rattled off a long list of dishes. “Please bring all of these as soon as possible.” Then he added, “Actually, just bring whatever’s ready first so we can get a bite to eat. You can keep cooking the rest! We forgot to eat and we’re starving!”

It wasn’t just Hah’Er and the others; Shen Yibin’s own stomach was growling loudly now. After hanging up the phone, he and his pets all sat down neatly at the dining table to wait.

Thankfully, the hotel was fast. Just five minutes later, a waiter brought up the cold dishes and desserts that didn’t require much prep time. Before the waiter had even left, the whole gang was already scrambling for the food, finally managing to tide themselves over.

With a bit of food in his stomach, Shen Yibin finally relaxed. He slowly savored the hot dishes that arrived later, mulling over their ingredients and cooking methods. He decided he would go consult with the master chef in the kitchen the next day; he was determined to learn how to prepare these Dongting Lake specialties.

‘Oh, and I absolutely have to visit Jun Mountain. I’m counting on Maphario to transplant this excellent tea to my own Zhuang!’

As Shen Yibin savored the delicious food and planned his schedule for the next few days, the turtle in the bathtub gradually began to stir. Whether it was because it had been asleep for so long, or because it was tempted by the aroma of the meal, it recovered faster than any of his other pets had.