One moment he was filled with rage, and the next he was laughing heartily; he was truly fickle.
The way he spoke of taking her back to keep his young daughter company made it sound as if she were some amusing object.
Nan Zhi pursed her lips.
The nun smiled but said nothing, not responding to Lord Jiao's words. She merely glanced outside the door.
Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled as the rain poured down.
Within the gray clouds, a jiao roared.
The Lord Jiao before them was not his true body, but a dragon soul that had left its shell to linger here.
Had it not been for the arrangements of the Demon Suppression Division and her personal presence here to oversee the situation, it was likely that not a single person in this shop would have survived.
“For the sake of Nun Miaoyun, I shall let this matter rest.
However, while old grudges are easily settled, new enmities are hard to erase. You should know that my demon race is not to be bullied by anyone.”
Lord Jiao snorted coldly. His icy vertical pupils shifted, his gaze landing briefly on the father and son.
“Just now you were speaking grandly, claiming that my demon race harbors ulterior motives. What was your reasoning?”
A fierce wave of intimidation struck. The man could not withstand it; his face turned pale, and he fell to his knees.
He spat out a mouthful of blood, yet he struggled to cup his hands in a respectful salute.
“Cough, cough, cough... This junior is Rao Sifang of the Caiyi Sect, and this is my son, Rao Yun.
Just now, this junior did not know the Lord Jiao's true soul was present. My mind was clouded, and I dared to spread such nonsense. I truly deserve to die!
I beg the Lord Jiao to consider that my Caiyi Sect's ancestors were once kin to the aquatic tribes and show mercy. Spare my life!”
“Too much talk.”
Lord Jiao's long tongue flicked, and a bolt of azure dharma power shot out rapidly. As it was about to strike Rao Sifang, Nun Miaoyun's expression changed slightly. She raised her hand and cast a spell, and half of a golden, shimmering Wondrous Dharma Lotus manifested in the air—
“Boom—!”
“Ding!”
The azure light was suppressed, and the Wondrous Dharma Lotus hovered above everyone's heads. It formed a translucent, gauze-like barrier, protecting them firmly.
The collision of the two forces created a violent gale. The resulting airflow ripped away half of the foot-shop's roof, and the heavy rain immediately came pouring in!
Without any apparent display of how powerful that azure light was, both of Rao Sifang's ears fell to the ground in unison, dripping with blood.
“Aaaaaah!”
The man was in extreme pain. He reached for his ears and found only blood. Seeing the two pieces of flesh rolling on the ground, he began to scream in agony.
“Save me, save me...”
That strike had clearly been intended to take his life.
“I beg the Lord Jiao for mercy!”
Rao Yun knew that with their level of cultivation, they could never escape. He immediately bowed and pleaded loudly for mercy.
“My father cannot handle his liquor. He drank some cold wine and was further deluded by the demons in this shop, which is why he spoke so insolently and offended the Lord Jiao. I beg the Lord Jiao to see the truth!”
“Lord Jiao, you have crossed the line.”
Nun Miaoyun stood before the group, her eyes flashing with a hint of thin anger.
“If you still remember the ancient covenant, then depart at once. Follow the river to the sea. Otherwise, if you break the rules of the Demon Suppression Division, this poor nun will risk her life today to invite you to join her in the Western Heaven to see the Buddha and the Bodhisattvas.”
Lord Jiao hesitated.
He knew that if this old nun said she would do something, she would certainly do it.
If it had been anyone else today, there might have been room for negotiation.
But this old nun truly dared to sacrifice her life for a few unrelated people just to “deliver” him!
Within the clouds, his true body frequently urged and signaled him, and Lord Jiao came to a decision.
It wasn't that he feared this old nun.
If they truly fought to the death, he wouldn't necessarily lose.
But after enduring and dormant for so many years, he had finally waited for the heavens to send this great rain so he could return to the sea. How could he afford to stumble here?
They were just a few unimportant people. Since his heart's knot was untied and the old frustration in his chest had dissipated, why bother fighting Nun Miaoyun for a moment's satisfaction?
Lord Jiao had made his choice.
“Fine, fine, Nun Miaoyun. I shall remember what happened today. When I hold my Dragon Transformation Feast in the future, I will surely invite you to my door for wine and tea!”
The great serpent opened its wide mouth and hissed with laughter, though its gaze grew colder.
“In the past, did Lord Shang or Li Si meet a good end? I would like to see how the future of your Demon Suppression Division turns out, given how overbearing you act!”
With those words, the great serpent rose with the wind, soaring upward and growing larger as it went. By the time it reached the clouds, it had become a colossal creature.
“Roar—!”
“Roar—!”
High in the sky, lightning flashed within the dark clouds, and the thunder rumbled as the rain grew even louder.
...
Everyone in the foot-shop had escaped death and let out long sighs of relief.
Fearing the dragon might return, the people in the shop scattered like startled birds. Even the hedgehog spirits who ran the shop fled completely.
They ignored the torrential rain outside.
Rao Yun hoisted Rao Sifang onto his back and bowed to Nun Miaoyun.
“Thank you for saving us, Senior. I shall remember your life-saving grace in my heart and never forget it.
My father's injuries are severe; I shall take my leave first.”
With that, Rao Yun took a thick hemp rope from his waist and threw it into the air. The rope stood straight up, reaching three zhang off the ground.
At the top of the rope was a cluster of white mist that could not be clearly seen.
Rao Yun carried Rao Sifang and climbed the rope like a monkey. Their figures disappeared into the mist one after the other, and then the hemp rope went limp as if its bones had been removed, falling to the ground as an ordinary rope again.
There was such a technique!
Nan Zhi watched, stunned. Nun Miaoyun smiled and said:
“That is the Caiyi Sect's rope escape technique. With this method, no one can track them. That child is quite clever.”
The golden lotus phantom still covered the two of them. The roof was wide open, and rain leaked in, but not a drop touched them.
“How did you know I was from the Demon Suppression Division, Senior?”
Nan Zhi asked, voicing her confusion. Nun Miaoyun pointed to the sky and then to the ground, as if speaking in riddles.
Seeing that Nan Zhi truly couldn't guess, a warm smile returned to Miaoyun's face, and she gently patted Nan Zhi's shoulder.
“This poor nun must follow Lord Jiao south, so I will not explain further to you, little benefactor. However, I expect you are heading to Kaifeng.
Since we have met, it is fate. I am destined to meet you, so I shall lend you something for now. When we meet again, you can return it to me.”
With that, Nun Miaoyun unfastened the string of red prayer beads from her waist and pressed them into Nan Zhi's hand. Before Nan Zhi could decline, she suddenly asked:
“Have you ever seen a jiao transform into a dragon?”
Nan Zhi shook her head honestly.
“Then watch closely. Perhaps it will be of great benefit to your future cultivation.”
Nun Miaoyun brushed her hand, and her entire being turned into a cluster of golden light, merging into the Wondrous Dharma Lotus above. In an instant, she vanished into the clouds.
The clouds gradually became blurry, and the thick gray mist seemed transparent in Nan Zhi's eyes.
She instinctively looked up and witnessed the most shocking sight of her life.
The jiao let out a long cry toward the heavens, its long, winding body swimming through the clouds. Each of its emerald scales shimmered with a dreamy silver light amidst the lightning and thunder.
The dragon moved with the electricity, and the clouds danced with the serpent. In the misty rain, the jiao grew longer with every washing, and with every strike of lightning, it became several times thicker.
Finally, a bump formed on the jiao's forehead, and antlers sprouted from it. Its snake-like eyes slowly became round and elongated. Four legs grew beneath its belly, with tiger paws and massive eagle-like claws slowly taking shape.
“Roar—!”
“Roar—!”
As the jiao roared in a struggle that seemed both painful and joyous, a sound like a heavy lowing of an ox rang out.
Time and again, it rose to meet the challenges, as if it had the courage to tear the heavens apart!
The green dragon coiled around thick bolts of lightning, riding the clouds and mist as it swam southward.
A lotus followed closely behind.
The sky cleared completely.
A seven-colored rainbow hung at the edge of the clouds.
Nan Zhi stood alone in the ruins of the foot-shop, the rain on her face half-dry.
From the wood chips at her feet came a rustling sound. After a moment, a small red hedgehog crawled out.
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