Chapter 29: The Flood Dragon
Ignoring the cries and curses of the temple guardian, Zhou Chu grabbed the entire family connected to him and threw them off the riverbank.
As the waves surged, one by one, the people disappeared, leaving only blood flowers blossoming in the river, which soon returned to tranquility, as if nothing had happened.
In the end, only Lu Li, Zhou Chu, and the temple guardian remained by the riverbank. Exhausted from his shouting, the temple guardian lay on the ground, bound by ropes, gasping for breath. He gazed at the rolling river and moved towards it, saying despondently, "You've won. Just throw me in too."
"Family is most important, being together. We'd like to throw you in, but we really can't," Lu Li shook his head, standing in front of the temple guardian, blocking his way.
"What more do you want? You've killed my entire family, isn't that enough?" the temple guardian said painfully. "Though I did benefit from the Dragon Lord Temple and offered many boys and girls as sacrifices to the Dragon Lord, I had no choice."
"That's the Dragon Lord. If not properly appeased, there would be floods. I did it for the people in the city. Trying to kill the Dragon Lord is sheer madness. You're only making the people suffer." Tears and snot streamed down his face as he cried, "You've thrown my family into the river, just throw me in too. You won't even let me die?"
Lu Li looked at the temple guardian's miserable state, pulled out a book from his pocket, and threw it beside him. The book bore the title: "Dragon Worship Energy Cultivation."
"Chapter 3, Section 5: The Flood Dragon Body. No need for me to say more, right?" The temple guardian's face turned pale. He knew very well what it contained. Despite its title, "Dragon Worship Energy Cultivation" was actually about worshipping flood dragons. Practitioners needed to find a flood dragon to worship, absorbing its energy to condense various talismans within their bodies, such as the dragon pearl.
The "Flood Dragon Body" Lu Li referred to was a secret method that allowed one to absorb the energy of a flood dragon, enhancing their physical abilities and gaining the ability to live in water.
Those practicing the Flood Dragon Body would have their organs transformed by the talismans they condensed, enabling them to survive underwater. Even the river beasts would avoid them due to the flood dragon energy they emitted.
The temple guardian had asked to be thrown into the water to escape. But Zhou Chu raided his home, captured his family, and found the "Dragon Worship Energy Cultivation" manual he practiced.
Lu Li flipped through the book and, understanding the guardian's intention from his cries, denied him the opportunity.
"Tell us about that dragon," Zhou Chu stepped forward, pressing his foot on the guardian. "Give us all the information, and I'll let you into the river. I keep my word."
"Do you really think you can slay the dragon?" The temple guardian looked at Zhou Chu with a dead man's expression. "The Dragon Lord is not like the wild beast of Nanshan. You've never seen a flood dragon; otherwise, you'd know how foolish your plan is. The Dragon Lord is a god, not a beast. Going against him means death."
"So, just let me go. I'll prepare a sacrifice ritual to calm the Dragon Lord's anger," the temple guardian pleaded, thinking Zhou Chu's plan to kill the Dragon Lord was mere bravado.
"Whether Ziyin can slay the dragon is none of your concern. Worry about your own life. Spill the information, and we'll let you into the river. Otherwise, you'll join your family first," Lu Li said coldly, holding a shadow dagger to the guardian's throat.
Seeing this, the temple guardian knew he would die if he didn't comply. He hurriedly revealed everything he knew. Though over sixty, he still had decades of life left due to his cultivation and didn't want to die now.
"I advise against targeting the Dragon Lord. His body spans over ten zhang [TL: About 35 meters.], and he can swallow half a house in one bite. He knows magic; his saliva is poisonous. The black liquid I used on you is his saliva. He also controls water. You'll die if you face him!" As he finished, Lu Li and the others realized he spoke mostly the truth because the beast had arrived.
A massive, snake-like creature emerged from the water, its body tens of meters long, gray-red with spikes and a large bump on its head. It had various irregular meat whiskers and a mouth full of sharp teeth, with a transparent, mucous-like tongue flicking inside. Its small eyes stared intently at Lu Li.
"This... is the flood dragon?" Lu Li squinted. The Yue kingdom inherited some cultural elements from the previous era, including dragon worship. The sacred dragon had a noble and inviolable image, quite unlike this hideous creature.
The flood dragon was supposed to have some resemblance to the sacred dragon, but this one only evoked disgust. Apart from its serpentine body, it bore no resemblance to a dragon. Lu Li recalled the phrase from the "Dragon Worship Energy Cultivation" manual: Though flood dragons have some ties to sacred dragons, they are fundamentally different species. Flood dragons have various types, including land-dwelling earth dragons, also known as burrowing demon worms in remote areas, and water-dwelling giant voracious worms.
Seeing the beast appear, the temple guardian felt a brief joy. Despite his temple being destroyed, his cultivation suggested the Dragon Lord would spare him. But as he felt joy, the bronze sword slashed his throat, spraying blood.
The temple guardian looked at Lu Li in disbelief, wanting to accuse him of breaking his promise.
"I said I'd throw you in the river if you talked, but I didn't say I wouldn't kill you first," Lu Li lifted the guardian's body and threw it at the flood dragon, then into the river with a splash.