Chapter 39: Chapter 39: A mere loach dares to be presumptuous?
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The people kneeling down at this moment were all scared out of their wits.
Especially the lobby manager, whose eyeballs were nearly popping out.
He never imagined that Xue An would dare to kill someone in public.
Xue Lan was even more frightened, trembling all over.
You see, Jie Hu in Qingmang Town was like an untouchable emperor, someone no one dared provoke.
Yet, he was simply strangled to death by brother An.
This sent a chill down Xue Lan’s spine.
However, this noble-looking woman remained calm and cracked a slight smile, “He does kill decisively.”
Xue An glanced at her and turned to leave.
But at that moment, another group of people walked in.
The man at the forefront was dressed splendidly, radiating a defiant vigor.
As soon as he entered, he smiled at the woman, “Sister Ru Shi, I knew I’d find you here.”
Upon seeing him, Chen Rushi couldn’t help but frown.
“Huo Heming, you really are like a bad penny. Wherever I go, you follow!”
Huo Heming chuckled, “Ru Shi, you’ve traveled far for the old man’s sake, of course, I had to accompany you. And look, I’ve even specially invited a master.” With that, a white-haired old man stepped out from behind Huo Heming.
On seeing the old man, even Chen Rushi’s demeanor turned respectful.
“So it’s the renowned Feng Shui Master from Zhongdu, Master Song Yi! I offer my respects!”
Song Yi smiled faintly, “Miss Ru Shi, you needn’t be overly courteous. I’ve heard much of your filial piety, and responding to the young master Huo’s invitation, I naturally wish to help you find the treasure.”
Xue An didn’t pay much attention to their conversation until the mention of treasure hunting. Then, he smiled thoughtfully.
At that moment, Song Yi continued, “Mount Qingmang, with its majestic aura and mingled with dragon energy, must certainly contain a blessed land of caves and heavens!”
Upon hearing this, Chen Rushi was overjoyed, “What kind of blessed land of caves and heavens is it? Do we really need to search the mountain bit by bit?”
Song Yi shook his head, “That’s the most foolish method. It would be best to ask the locals if there’s anything odd about the mountain.”
And just then, Xue Lan suddenly said, “There seems to be an unfathomably deep pool in the mountain.”
Her words made Song Yi and Huo Heming, among others, turn their gaze toward Xue Lan.
Under their scrutiny, Xue Lan nervously lowered her head.
“Miss, where is this pool you speak of?” Song Yi asked at this time.
“It’s in the mountains, but few go there, and generally, people don’t know about it.”
“Then… could we trouble the miss to lead the way?” Song Yi said.
Xue Lan looked at Xue An, somewhat troubled.
Xue An remained indifferent, neither approving nor disapproving.
Huo Heming, impatient at this point, pulled out a stack of bills and tossed them onto the table.
“This is for your trouble. If we truly find something, I will double this fee for you.”
Xue Lan was taken aback — the stack of money was at least twenty thousand.
Her parents couldn’t earn that much even after a year of hard toil.
And yet, like giving alms to a beggar, he had nonchalantly thrown that money out.
This disparity made it difficult for Xue Lan to accept.
Xue An smiled lightly at that moment, “Great! I happen to be going to the mountain for a hike. Lan’er, take the offer!”
When Xue An spoke, Huo Heming looked towards him.
After scrutinizing him and seeing his ordinary attire, he felt some disdain.
“How can just anyone come along?”
However, Chen Rushi nodded in agreement, “That’s actually good. Having a guide means we don’t have to worry about getting lost.”
This remark darkened Huo Heming’s expression.
This Chen Rushi was a heiress he had been pursuing for a long time.
Her family’s strength was so great that it could be ranked in Zhongdu. Even after pursuing her for so long, Chen Rushi never gave him the time of
day.
But now she showed intimacy towards a stranger, which irritated Huo Heming greatly.
He didn’t show his feelings, but thought to himself, dammit, I’ll deal with you once we’re in the mountains.
Once everyone was prepared, the group made their way into Mount Qingmang.
In the beginning, there were many tourists.
But as Xue Lan led them further into the remote areas, it became hard to spot any tourists.
By the end, there wasn’t even a proper path to follow anymore.
They had completely entered deep into the mountains at this point.
Xue An carried his two daughters, still striding with ease.
It was Huo Heming, out of breath after just a few steps.
Meanwhile, Song Yi kept pulling out his compass to check it, growing more and more excited as they went.
When they finally reached a place that seemed to be a dead end, Xue Lan led everyone around a turn, and suddenly, a pond appeared before them.
The pond was immeasurably deep and even from a distance, it chilled them to the core.
Next to the water, a few plants of Gentiana grew.
But that wasn’t all, as standing right in the middle of the pond was an upright, pure lotus flower.
The lotus was spotless white, completely out of place in the winter deep mountains.
Upon seeing this lotus, Song Yi’s face lit up with excitement.
“This is it! This is the Holy Medicine that can mend flesh and save lives from the brink of death!”
At these words, Chen Rushi also became excited.
She had several bodyguards with her, so she commanded, “Go, pluck that lotus for me!”
The bodyguards, well-equipped and even equipped with a full set of diving gear, obeyed her order.
Once they entered the pond, the operation started off smoothly, with the guards quickly reaching the lotus.
But just as they were about to touch the flower, suddenly, huge ripples disturbed the calm surface of the water.
Then, a snake head as thick as a water tank emerged.
The triangular head had a pair of upright eyes emitting a cold glow.
Everyone froze in shock.
The bodyguards were terrified to their souls.
Just as they turned to retreat, the giant python opened its mouth, and a cloud of black mist engulfed them.
The guards didn’t even have time to scream before they dissolved into putrescence.
At that moment, Song Yi shouted in fright, “It’s a Jiaolong, it has transformed into a Jiaolong!”
Indeed.
Everyone saw that there were two small, unobtrusive horns growing on the snake’s head.
If those horns fully developed, the Jiaolong would become a Divine Dragon of the heavens.
As Song Yi yelled out, the serpentine head turned, coldly facing the people on the bank.
“Quick! Kill it!” Huo Heming, pale with panic, drew his pistol and fired wildly.
Those with him also drew their guns, shooting a barrage at the snake’s head.
But the bullets did nothing to harm the Jiaolong; instead, they completely enraged it.
With a gulp, another black mist shot towards the people on the shore.
Huo Heming and Song Yi scrambled to get out of the way.
As for Chen Rushi, she was frozen in terror.
The Jiaolong shattered her understanding of the world she had known for years.
In her daze, Xue An grabbed her arm and pulled her aside.
Song Yi cried out in despair, “It’s over!”
The Jiaolong, annoyed by its miss, fully emerged from the water, showing its massive body, as thick as a car and tens of meters long, coiling near the shore, its head charging towards the people.
With a bang, the solid ground exploded in all directions.
And before the crowd could evade, the tail lashed out.
If the crowd was hit by the tail, they would all be dead.
Song Yi cried out in despair, “My God! This Jiaolong has become sentient.”
Huo Heming and Chen Rushi were so frightened they were out of their wits.
Just when everyone thought they were surely doomed,
Xue An slowly stepped forward, then grabbed the lashing tail. In the moment of stunned silence, Xue An let out a cold laugh.
“A mere mudfish dares to be so presumptuous?”
Thank you for your understanding.