The jiao spoke in a human tongue. How could anyone present not realize that the very dragon who had failed its transformation and remained trapped in Shouzhou was the old man himself?
“Th-th-th... there’s a... a monster...”
The group turned pale. The broker shook like a leaf, trembling as he scrambled under a table. He squeezed his eyes shut, wishing he had never been born.
The father and son performers acted as if they were facing a mortal enemy, quickly retreating behind a table. Both clutched a set of colored rings, likely magic props—
“It’s Lord Jiao of Shouzhou!”
“Run!”
“Mercy! Lord Jiao, have mercy!”
“Squeak, squeak! Mercy! Mercy!”
“Squeak, squeak, squeak—”
The shop staff scattered in all directions, scrambling for cover like startled rats.
One worker, driven by desperation, dove headfirst into a wine vat, leaving only his plump, white backside exposed.
It was round and pale, covered in fine fuzz, with large patches of brown, needle-like quills along the back.
Nan Zhi felt her eyes widen at the sight.
The staff of the foot-shop were all hedgehogs the size of grindstones that had taken human form.
Even the young worker, no more than thirteen or fourteen, collapsed to the floor in terror. He left behind a pile of messy clothes, and from the collar, a palm-sized red hedgehog crawled out.
This little hedgehog was much smaller than its companions. Seeing no way to escape, it dove under Nan Zhi’s stool and refused to come out.
No wonder they were told not to go out at night; was it for fear of people stumbling upon their true forms?
As it turned out, monsters actually learned from humans how to open shops and do business.
Nan Zhi remained silent, using her foot to nudge the curled-up hedgehog further under the stool.
“Like a dragon... like a dragon... you look... ten parts a dragon!”
The pear seller, overwhelmed by the massive jiao's pressure, lay pitifully on the ground, his trousers already soaked through.
“Grandfather Dragon, Immortal Lord, this lowly one has no grievance with you from the past, and no enmity in the present... I, I never said anything offensive about you. I have an old mother and father at home, and a young child. They all rely on me to sell pears to survive. If I die, the burden of the family will fall on my wife. Her health is poor, and she takes medicine all year round... Immortal Lord, Grandfather Dragon, Great Lord Dragon! I beg you, spare me. When I return home, I will be forever grateful for your kindness. I will have a monument built and incense burned for you. If I am lying, let Heaven strike me down with lightning—”
Crack—!
Rumble! Rumble, rumble!
The thunder in the distance seemed to draw closer, as if urging or reminding the jiao.
“No grievance, no enmity? What a fine ‘no grievance’! Hmph!”
Lord Jiao, in his draconic form, snorted. Two plumes of white mist erupted from his nostrils and slammed into the ground.
“Do you not find the story I just told familiar at all? The herb gatherer in that story was your grandfather, and that young child was your father! Years ago, I faced the Dragon Transformation Tribulation and was about to follow the flood into the sea. But when I entered the river, I saw a man holding a young child, trapped by the flood. Thinking of my own young daughter, my heart softened for a moment. I transformed into a piece of withered wood to help the father and son escape. But who knew! WHO KNEW!!”
Lord Jiao suddenly flew into a rage. His long tongue flicked out, and the double gills on either side of his head flared—he was clearly pushed to the brink of fury.
“I acted out of kindness, yet your father was truly hateful! At the critical moment, he called out my true form, preventing me from becoming a dragon and leaving me severely wounded. I have been forced to hide beneath the waters of Shouzhou for over forty years! All my previous efforts, everything I sought, turned to nothing. And you dare say I have no grievance with you?”
Lord Jiao’s fury filled the hall, an indescribable pressure weighing down on everyone.
In the sky, amidst the clouds, phantom shadows seemed to dance. Roars echoed, mingled with the deafening crashes of thunder—
Nan Zhi found it hard to describe the sensation.
It was as if her neck, back, and the crown of her head were being suppressed by an invisible force, compelling her to bow—as if resisting would cause her to be instantly crushed and ground into the dirt.
【Cultivator is affected by Dragon Might (Pseudo). Combat Power -50, Will to Fight reduced by 20%.】
Nan Zhi looked around and realized that the ordinary people in the shop seemed completely unaware of this force. Only she and the pair of cultivators felt it.
The paper umbrella by her side remained still. Nan Zhi was anxious, fearing something might have happened to Wanniang. But in this situation, she couldn't leave even if she wanted to.
“Spare me! Grandfather Dragon, spare me! What happened all those years ago has nothing to do with me! Forty years ago, I don’t even know where I was wandering as a ghost!”
The pear seller knocked his head heavily against the ground, trembling as he begged for mercy.
“Before my grandfather passed, he gave instructions never to eat snake meat or kill serpents. Even if a snake entered the house, we were only to catch and release it, never to harm it. My father was the same! I beg Grandfather Dragon to consider that he was only a child back then. Spare my worthless life! I will surely remember Grandfather Dragon’s kindness in the future!”
Before Lord Jiao could answer, the nun who had been sitting in the corner suddenly stood up and blocked the way in front of the pear seller.
“Amitabha.”
“Lord Jiao, please calm your anger. What this little benefactor said is correct. The events of the past were merely a series of unfortunate coincidences. You saved them out of the goodness of your heart, and the child’s mistake was unintentional. There is no need to dwell on it.”
The nun pressed her palms together. Her voice was as gentle as the warm spring sun, brushing away the chill from everyone.
“The rain is pouring over Shouzhou. If you do not depart soon, Lord Jiao, I fear the heavens will show no mercy. Since the descendant of that child has personally acknowledged you as a true dragon, your heart’s knot should be untied. It is time for you to continue your journey.”
The nun wore simple cloth robes, with only a string of red prayer beads hanging from her waist. The edges of her nun’s hat were even slightly frayed, yet a faint Buddhist light rippled around her.
It was no exaggeration.
She was truly glowing.
Nan Zhi widened her eyes, trying to see more clearly, when the jiao’s massive head tilted slightly. A pair of vertical pupils stared directly at her.
A sudden chill ran down her back, and her scalp felt as if it were exploding. A cold shiver raced from the base of her spine to the top of her head.
It was the tremor of a soul being targeted by a high-level predator.
“Nun Miaoyun, your Demon Suppression Division is powerful indeed. Even a little demon suppressor has such insight.”
The jiao moved its body with interest, coiling above Nan Zhi’s head. The massive black shadow nearly swallowed her whole.
“If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten. This little child was the first to guess my true form. Truly a clever child.”
The nun was also from the Demon Suppression Division?
“Lord Jiao flattery is misplaced,” Nan Zhi thought, but facing the overwhelming pressure, she did not hide. She replied with composure:
“Years ago, you saved a life, yet nearly lost your future and your own life. After decades of dormant cultivation, you are now transforming into a dragon once more. This is a testament to the greatness of your destiny. Appearing before us now is merely to collect a debt of words from this pear seller. They say that good things are often hard-won. You have endured these extra decades, and with such a vast heart, you are destined to attain the Great Dao and become a true dragon.”
“Hahahaha! Hahashahaha! ‘Good things are often hard-won’—I like those words!”
Upon hearing this, the gills by the jiao’s ears pulsed. His deep voice resonated with pride.
He raised his head, clearly relishing the flattery. He peeled back his snake-like lips to look at the smiling Miaoyun.
“If she were not part of your Demon Suppression Division, I might have taken her with me to keep my young daughter company. What a pity.”
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