Chapter 97: Entering The Dragon's Lair
Inside a bustling restaurant on the Dragon Clan's territory, the tension was palpable. "In my Dragon Clan's land, someone dares to eat so brazenly? Do they not take us seriously?" shouted the lead dragon warrior, his voice laced with fury.
The incident that triggered his anger was beyond tolerable. A pure-blooded dragon, one of their own, had been injured in a clash. The most infuriating part? The injury was caused by someone defending a lowly deformed dragon. Such an insult to their honor was unforgivable.
"The commander speaks the truth. Regardless of their reasons, to attack the Dragon Clan on our own territory is a direct challenge to our authority," another dragon chimed in, his face twisted with disdain. "It doesn't matter who they are, we must make an example of them. The world must not think the Dragon Clan can be trampled upon."
The young dragon, who had been hurt by Xian Yue, stood among the group, his eyes filled with rage. He was determined to identify his attacker and ensure that the deformed dragon responsible for the humiliation was eradicated today.
Despite the growing hostility, the dragons refrained from storming into the restaurant immediately. The establishment was a property of Tianting, a force that even the mighty Dragon Clan did not wish to provoke without cause.
"Wait. We'll take them down once they show their faces!" ordered the dragon leader, his tone sharp with resolve.
"Understood!" The other dragons nodded, positioning themselves outside the restaurant, eyes trained on the entrance, waiting for their prey.
Inside the restaurant, the atmosphere was far different. Xian Yue sat across from a small, frail girl, a beggar he had taken under his wing. The girl, her tattered clothes hanging loosely on her thin frame, devoured several bowls of food in rapid succession, only stopping once her stomach could hold no more.
"I haven't had a meal this good since... ever," she muttered, her hand resting on her now-round belly. A faint, rare smile crossed her face, but the moment she caught Xian Yue's gaze, she quickly lowered her head again in embarrassment.
"What's your name?" Xian Yue asked, his voice calm but firm.
"I don't have a name," she whispered. "Slaves like me aren't given names."
Xian Yue frowned. "No name? Then from now on, you'll take mine. You'll be called Xian Li."
The girl's eyes widened in fear, shaking her head frantically. "No, I can't! Slaves aren't allowed to have names! If the dragons find out, they'll—"
"Forget the dragons," Xian Yue interrupted, his voice laced with authority. "From this moment on, you are my disciple. You no longer belong to the Dragon Clan. The warnings and threats they gave you are meaningless now. As my disciple, you need not fear anyone."
Xian Yue's words seemed to reach her, but her fear was deeply rooted. She was still visibly shaken. Nonetheless, Xian Yue stood up, gathered the remaining food, and motioned for her to follow.
As they exited the restaurant, a sudden shout rang out. "It's them!" The young dragon, who had been previously injured by Xian Yue, charged at them with a spear, eyes burning with rage.
Xian Li froze, her body trembling uncontrollably. Xian Yue could feel the cold fear emanating from her. "Brother, please, leave me and run! You don't know what these dragons are capable of. If you fight them, you'll die!"
"Call me Master, not Brother," Xian Yue replied with a calm smile, unfazed by the impending threat.
The young dragon warrior lunged forward, spear aimed directly at Xian Yue's heart. Xian Li shut her eyes, anticipating the worst. But instead of the sound of flesh being pierced, there was a dull thud. Opening her eyes, she saw the dragon warrior had been flung backward, crashing into the street far behind them, unconscious.
"How dare you!" the Dragon Clan leader shouted, drawing his sword. In an instant, the other dragons followed suit, roaring and transforming into their powerful dragon forms. They lunged at Xian Yue, intending to overwhelm him.
But before they could even get close, an invisible force rippled through the air. In an instant, the dragons were sent flying, crashing to the ground as if struck by an unseen hand.
"I'm not here to argue with you," Xian Yue said coldly, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade. "But if you continue to provoke me, I'll show no mercy."
Xian Li, still trembling, was astonished. The powerful dragons, who had once filled her with terror, were now lying defeated at her Master's feet. "Is... is Master really this strong?" she thought, her mind racing.
The Dragon Clan leader struggled to his feet, coughing up blood. "You're here to borrow something from our clan, yet you show such blatant disrespect. Do you not fear returning empty-handed?"
Xian Yue glanced at him dismissively. "Returning empty-handed? That won't happen. If I don't get what I came for, I'll simply take it. No one here can stop me."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving the Dragon Clan warriors groaning in pain behind him.
A short time later, two figures—one tall, one small—arrived at the central hall of Zulong City, the heart of the Dragon Clan's domain. Xian Yue, dressed in white, walked with confidence. Beside him was Xian Li, now dressed in clean clothes, her hair neatly tied into two ponytails. Despite the transformation, her face still bore signs of malnutrition.
Surrounding them were powerful Dragon Clan warriors, all lying on the ground, defeated. Xian Yue barely glanced at them as he approached the entrance to the dragon's nest, the most sacred and guarded place in the Dragon Clan's ancestral land.
"Seriously, I'm just here to borrow something. Do you all really want to stop me?" Xian Yue asked, exasperated, as he surveyed the injured warriors.
"The dragon's nest is sacred!" shouted one of the remaining Dragon Clan warriors, his voice trembling. "No outsider is allowed to enter, especially not with a filthy deformed dragon!"
But the moment those words left his mouth, his entire body seemed to crumple under an invisible force. He spat out blood, his eyes wide with terror.
"Did you just insult my disciple?" Xian Yue's voice was like ice. The warrior's body shook violently as he fell silent, his life hanging by a thread.
Xian Li looked up at Xian Yue, her heart swelling with an emotion she had never felt before. For the first time in her life, someone was standing up for her. Protecting her. She gripped Xian Yue's hand a little tighter, praying silently, "If this is a dream, I hope I never wake up."
Xian Yue sighed. "I've been patient enough. I asked you to let me pass, and you refused. Now, I'll do things my way."
Ignoring the stunned dragons, he led Xian Li into the dragon's nest.
"Human? How dare you enter the Dragon Clan's sacred Dragon Transformation Pond?" A booming voice echoed through the cavernous hall. Several terrifying auras suddenly appeared, surrounding Xian Yue.
The Dragon Transformation Pond was the heart of the Dragon Clan, a place of great significance and power. For a human to trespass here was unthinkable.
But Xian Yue remained calm, standing next to the pond where Xian Li was already soaking. "Looking for death?" one of the dragon elders sneered.
"Deformed dragon?" another growled, glaring at Xian Li.