Chapter 177 - Young Master An
In the northern seas...
A flying s.h.i.+p was hovering high up in the sky. Underneath it was a veil of dark clouds covering a vast part of the sky, flas.h.i.+ng and thundering. Through the veil of dark clouds, one could vaguely see a tumultuous battle surging in that part of the sea.
Fifty serpentine, long dragons were swimming around that part of the sea.
A dragon encounter in the sea was akin to the whole world turning upside down.
The vast sea in all directions was waiting for the orders of these fifty long dragons.
As a matter of fact, the dragons were cruising around hundreds of black tortoises in the center. The black tortoise group consisted of just about all sizes; some were small, and some were huge. The smallest of them was just a zhang in size, where the biggest was over three hundred zhang in length. At this moment, the entire school of black tortoises was facing these long dragons with fear and trepidation.
In contrast to the tortoises, each and every long dragon was five hundred zhang in length. In addition, there was a bigger dragon over eight hundred zhang in length. Although it was just a flight of fifty dragons, they had overwhelmingly trapped the black tortoises in the center of their formation.
Suddenly, a black dragon charged at the group of black tortoises with a roar.
"Protect the young, I will go!" a three hundred zhang-long black tortoise bravely swam forward.
The black tortoise and the black dragon clashed with each other with a thunderous boom. Immediately afterwards, the two were pushed back, but at that moment, another black dragon slipped into the gap and grabbed a young ten-zhang-long black tortoise in its jaws.
"No, my child, let go of my child!"
While the other black tortoise screamed, that young black tortoise had its sh.e.l.l crushed into pieces before it was swallowed.
Nonetheless, a cold gleam flashed past the eyes of that black dragon, as if it wasn"t enough to fill the gap between its teeth. It continued to stare hungrily at the flotilla of black tortoises.
"Gather around, don"t give them any chance!" the biggest black tortoise anxiously roared.
However, this scene very much looked like hawks catching little chicks. The strongest of the black tortoises was not their match. How could they protect anyone? In a flash, more and more black tortoises were gobbled up.
If the black tortoise could guide the natural forces, the dragon clan could as well. Furthermore, it was even more overbearing.
Under this tragic scene, a part of the sea was now dyed in blood.
Meanwhile, a group of men was standing on the flying s.h.i.+p hovering high up in the sky.
The man leading them was an extremely handsome young man wearing white robes. Holding the railing and looking down below, a slight smile emerged on his face.
Among the group of subordinates standing behind him was a stalwart man with a golden saber on his back. He seemed to be of a bit of higher status.
"Young Master An, does His Majesty know that you have brought these dragons to the northern seas to graze? Would it....?" the man bearing the golden saber asked, furrowing his brow.
[TLN: His Royal Majesty is not a Dynasty king, but someone who has been conferred as a King. But this King t.i.tle is different from a Royal King which we generally refer to. It"s the second highest rank, just after an Imperial ruler. The Chinese raw is 王爵, it"s a type of n.o.bility in ancient China, often given to loyal brothers of the Emperor.]
"Marquis Fang Ming, you were sent by my Grandfather to protect me, not to command me!" the white-robed young master stated coldly.
"Yes, your subordinate does not dare to, it"s just that these dragons...!" Marquis Fang Ming began, worried.
The white-robed Young Master An narrowed his eyes as he spoke looking down below, "Nothing will happen! Some time ago a rumor started that Li Shenji found a group of black tortoises here. After coming here today, it happened to be true. Since these dragons are loyal to my King Manor, naturally, my King Manor can"t treat them unfairly. Didn"t they want to eat the black tortoises? These black tortoises will be enough to let them have their fill!"
Marquis Fang Ming furrowed his brow, but finally nodded. He didn"t speak any more.
Below, the scene of dragons hunting the black tortoises was extremely b.l.o.o.d.y.
Right then, a streak of light suddenly shot over from the distance.
"Hmm?" Marquis Fang Ming"s eyebrow twitched as he turned his head to look.
However, that flying s.h.i.+p was flying lower then them, below the dark clouds. Before they noticed it, the flying s.h.i.+p was already close by.
And it just so happened that another black dragon had rushed in once more, as if it wanted to eat another one of the huge black tortoises.
"No, don"t eat me!" that black tortoise tragically cried out, as it was suddenly bitten by the black dragon.
"b.a.s.t.a.r.d!" Suddenly, a furious roar came from that flying s.h.i.+p before a man flew out of the flying s.h.i.+p, driving a palm at the black dragon.
BOOM! With a thunderous crash, the black dragon was abruptly pushed back. The black tortoise flew out from its jaws.
"Ah!? Elder Miao, you are finally back, you are finally back!" the escaped black tortoise cried out in joy.
Elder Miao, on the other hand, simply didn"t bother to reply, but rather charged into the vast battlefield.
"The Elder is back, The Elder is back!"
"We are saved!"
"Elder, save me!"...
The crowd of panic-stricken black tortoises cried out.
Rus.h.i.+ng into the battlefield, Miao Chen constantly fired his palms out, left and right, sending the flight of dragons flying back.
ROAR!
The dragons let out roars as they charged at Miao Chen. The biggest of them, the black dragon that was eight hundred zhang long, also roared as it suddenly slammed out with its tail.
The dragon snapped its tail from low to high, and with such a monstrous force that the entire sea was split into two.
As such, the water was blasted everywhere, with a destructive force that cut through the sky.
Miao Chen"s face distorted at once as he transformed into a five hundred-zhang long black tortoise immediately.
Miao Chen let out a battle cry louder than the thunder as his turtle sh.e.l.l and the dragon tail crashed into each other.
A thunderous crash immediately followed, and the water all around the sea was blasted into the sky, blotting the clouds. The dragon"s tail couldn"t do anything to the huge turtle sh.e.l.l.
However, just this one clash made the black tortoises and dragon clan abruptly separate on the battlefield.
The group of dragons immediately retreated behind the strongest black dragon, coldly gazing at the huge turtle before them.
The flotilla of black tortoises, on the other hand, fled their way behind Miao Chen in panic, glaring angrily at the group of dragons opposite them.
Above the dark clouds...
"Young Master An, that flying s.h.i.+p appears to be the White Cloud of Ascendant Hall! It"s Long Wanqing!?" Marquis Fang Ming pointed out, his brow furrowed.
Young Master An immediately narrowed his eyes. "Long Wanqing!? How did she get mixed up with Miao Chen of the Black Tortoise Clan?"
Under the dark clouds, on the White Cloud...
Long Wanqing, Grandmaster Liunian, Gu Hai, and Shangguan Hen were all staring at the fight between the two Clans.
"Hunting!? Hahaha, the Dragon Clan came here to hunt the Black Tortoise Clan!?" Shangguan Hen"s eyes flickered with a cold light.
"Does the Dragon Clan like eating black tortoises?" Gu Hai slightly frowned as he asked.
"Your Royal Majesty, the black tortoises and the dragons are both water beasts. The black tortoises are like a tonic to the Dragon Clan, that"s why they came here to eat. But this was not the case eight hundred years ago! Eight hundred years ago, the Black Tortoise Clan also used to eat the dragons! But the Black Tortoise Clan has declined, so, now it is being swallowed by the Dragon Clan in return!" Shangguan Hen"s eyelid twitched ever so madly as he spoke.
"The black tortoises also used to eat the dragons?" A perplexed look showed up on Gu Hai"s face.
"The black tortoises aren"t picky eaters. They"ll eat dragons, they"ll eat the phoenixes as well, whatever, they will eat them!! Unfortunately, today they have become the prey!" Shangguan Hen stated in a calm voice. Nevertheless, Gu Hai could make out a monstrous fury contained in his voice.
"It"s not right! Hall Lord, these dragons are Dragon Sinners!" Grandmaster Liunian narrowed his eyes.
"Dragon Sinners!?" Long Wanqing was astounded.
"What"s a Dragon Sinner?" Gu Hai asked, confused.
"Dragon Sinners are the dragons in the Dragon Clan who have committed a huge crime. They are outcast by the dragons and have been branded with the mark of a sinner on their heads! Initially, they should have been executed, but after thinking about them being the progeny of the Dragon Clan, the death penalty was exempted, but they still had to be punished.
“As such, they were exiled to my Great Gan Empyrean Dynasty as slaves. Only after serving their time for a millennium can they earn their freedom. As the dragons are the national beasts of my Great Gan Empyrean Dynasty, my Great Gan would not give them too much of a hard time, even if they are Dragon Sinners. Generally, they will be banished to the frontline, guarding the borders with the border guards, defending against foreign enemies, that"s all!" Long Wanqing explained to him.
Gu Hai gazed down in the direction Long Wanqing pointed, and indeed, there was a rice-shaped scar on the dragon"s heads. It looked particularly gruesome.
"These years, the borders of the Ying Province have been the most turbulent, so, most of the Dragon Sinners were dispatched to the Ying Province under King Lu Yang"s command. The Dragon Sinners can only redeem themselves in the Great Gan Empyrean Dynasty. Once they had been allocated to a place, they aren"t allowed to leave. How… how did they appear in the northern seas?" Long Wanqing remarked, surprised at their prescence.
BOOM!
Miao Chen and the biggest black dragon sprang up and started a terrifying battle, giving rise to a monstrous storm.
Gu Hai, on the other hand, started looking about.
"Your Royal Majesty, above us, there is a flying s.h.i.+p above us!" Shangguan Hen suddenly cried out.
As the sky was covered in dark clouds, Gu Hai could not see anything clearly. However, Shangguan Hen"s gaze pierced through the dark clouds at one glance.
"Fly up!" Long Wanqing commanded.
The flying s.h.i.+p quickly rose into the sky, traversing the dark clouds in the blink of an eye.
"King Lu Yang"s grandson, Lu An? Lu An"s flying s.h.i.+p!?" A furrow crept up on Grandmaster Liunian"s brow.
[TLN: Here the characters used for grandson are 嫡孙, which here means Lu An is the son of King Lu Yan"s first wife"s son, i.e. of the true bloodline.]
"Is this Lu An a troublesome fellow?" Gu Hai asked, perplexed.
"Very troublesome, he is the most dotted-on grandson of King Lu Yang. Furthermore, he is a man of extraordinary ability!" Grandmaster Liunian said, frowning.
"Oh?" Gu Hai also furrowed his brow.
The White Cloud very quickly arrived before the other flying s.h.i.+p.
Young Master An, holding the railing, looked across at Long Wanqing. "So it"s Sister Wanqing, when did you arrive in the northern seas?"
"Young Master An, please call me Long Wanqing, you can"t address me as Sister Wanqing. Also, were these Dragon Sinners brought by you?" Long Wanqing eyes widened as she shouted.
"Why? Don"t you like being address as Sister Wanqing? Then, how about Wanqing?" Young Master An smiled slightly as he spoke.
"Young Master An, these black tortoises are my friends, I will have to ask you to take these Dragon Sinners and leave!" Long Wanqing solemnly.
"Oh? Your friends? But what to do, these Dragon Sinners don"t listen to me!?" Young Master An said, smiling.
The nearby Grandmaster Liunian immediately interjected in a solemn voice, "Young Master An, the Dragon Sinners aren"t allowed to leave the battlefield, until and unless His Holy Majesty has decreed. This is the provision of my Great Gran Empyrean Dynasty.
“Young Master An, the act of taking these Dragon Sinners out from the Ying Province battlefield and coming to the northern seas will be regarded as defying the holy decree! I wonder whether they were brought by you, or was it all under King Lu Yan"s arrangement? Is it you who is defying the holy decree, or does King Lu Yang not give a d.a.m.n about His Holy Majesty"s decree!?"
"Hmm!?" Young Master An"s sporting smile immediately turned cold. “Hahaha, what a big charge! Mister Liunian, even after becoming a monk, you still have such a poisonous tongue!?" Young Master An stated glumly.
"Young Master An, if you don"t withdraw these Dragon Sinners, I will immediately write it my Grandfather, and let him know that King Lu Yan doesn"t respect the holy decree and is letting the Dragon Sinners indulge, wantonly wreaking havoc in the northern seas!" Long Wanqing shouted as her eyes widened in anger.
Young Master An turned his gaze on Long Wanqing. A sliver of a cold smile emerged on his lips as he said, "Sister Wanqing, you used to be a bit cute when you were younger, but now, you are becoming more and more unlikeable!"
Long Wanqing stared at Young Master An, her gaze turning as cold as ice, and showing no sign of backing down in the slightest.
Young Master An coldly swept his gaze over everyone aboard the White Cloud. When his eyes fell on Gu Hai, he was slightly puzzled, but he thought of Gu Hai as nothing.
"Ghost Face, we have to return!" Young Master An stated emotionlessly.
With a thunderous bang, the battle below came to a stop.
Miao Chen raised his head, looking at the flying s.h.i.+ps high up in the sky.
"What!? Young Master An, we have to go now? Wait for me to solve this Miao Chen, and these black tortoises will be ours!" that black dragon cried out in shock.
"Let"s go! If we don"t leave, then someone will say that my Grandfather has rebelled, hmph!" Young Master An rebuked him icily, staring at Long Wanqing.
"Yes!" the black dragon Ghost Face answered promptly. "Let"s go!" The dragons immediately rose into the sky.
Immediately afterwards, the group of dragons transformed into their human forms, before landing on Young Master An"s flying s.h.i.+p.
"Sister Wanqing, if you have the time, please do come to my Ying Province! I will definitely entertain you better! Hahaha, hahaha!" Young Master An broke into laughter as he spoke, while keeping a completely somber face that belied both laughter and words.
Having finished, his flying s.h.i.+p shot into the distance, reaching the horizon in the wink of an eye.