Chapter 109: The Dragonblood Enigma [Seeking Votes]
“Everyone, please be quiet and listen to what I have to say!”
At that moment, atop the high platform, a middle-aged local landlord clad in a dark red robe, seated beneath the senior Taoist, stood up. Holding a megaphone, he raised his voice.
“I’m sure all of you are aware that in recent days, our Yinghai County has suffered continuous heavy rains, which have washed away countless farmers’ fields. The root cause of all this is the Dragon King Temple, which has fallen into disrepair over the years, its incense offerings ceased, provoking the Dragon King’s wrath and bringing down thunder and calamity.”
“To appease the Dragon King’s fury, I, along with Lord Wang and Lord Du from the city, have jointly funded the reconstruction of this Dragon King Temple. For the consecration of the main hall, I specially invited the Abbot Liyuan from Fankong Temple and the city’s mystic Huang Banxian to officiate the ceremony.”
“Today is the day of the Dragon King Temple’s consecration. To demonstrate our sincerity to the Dragon King, I am willing to set an example by leading everyone to pray here for forty-nine days. During this period, the three of us will provide food, clothing, and lodging daily for everyone, and on top of that, there will be wages!”
“What? Free food and lodging, and wages too? Did I hear that right?”
“Yes, when has Lord Yu ever been so generous...”
“Could this be real...?”
“Are we dreaming...?”
“Well, whatever it is, there’s food, drink, and money...”
“Do you think Lord Yu could be deceiving us...?”
“I don’t believe so. Look at how many of us are here... what’s there to fear...”
“Exactly... Lord Yu wouldn’t dare trick so many people...”
Silence fell for a moment.
As soon as Lord Yu finished speaking, the crowd below erupted into a clamor, buzzing with suspicion, disbelief, joy, and incredulity—every emotion imaginable.
“This doesn’t feel right. There must be a scheme!”
Watching the people’s murmurs, Li Yang narrowed his eyes, sensing something was amiss.
“Young man, are you staying here?”
At that time, an elderly man beside Li Yang tugged at his sleeve, his face full of hesitation.
“Old sir, I plan to stay and watch. There’s nothing better to do anyway; might as well join the fun,” Li Yang smiled, appearing relaxed.
“Young man, you don’t know. Lord Yu is notorious in our county for being a skinflint. How could he suddenly be so kind? I’ve lived a long life without much excitement, but I know well that when someone offers kindness without reason, it’s either treachery or theft,” the old man sighed deeply, his expression growing more uncertain.
“Don’t worry, there are so many of us here. I doubt Lord Yu would dare pull any tricks—otherwise, one spit from each of us would be enough to drown him,” Li Yang said nonchalantly, gesturing to the mass of people around them.
“Alright then... I’ll stay too. Better than going home hungry. Maybe Lord Yu truly means well, and I can bring back some money to help my grandson,” the old man decided, glancing at the crowd with less worry, then turning to Li Yang with determination.
“Silence! Please remain silent!”
“I, Lord Yu, speak with honor. Even if I had a hundred lives, I would never deceive my fellow villagers!”
Frowning at the buzzing crowd, Lord Yu declared loudly.
“Chief Cao, are you ready?”
He beckoned to a short elder below the platform.
“Lord Yu, rest assured. Brothers, we’re all prepared, just waiting for Lord Yu’s command,” came the response.
“Fugui, give the order—play the music, welcome the Dragon King!”
Hearing the short elder’s words, Lord Yu nodded approvingly and instructed a sharp-looking servant below.
“Sound the drums... play the music... welcome the Dragon King!”
“Dong dong dong... dang dang dang...”
With solemn drumbeats filling the air, the crowd instinctively parted to form a wide path. Forty-nine bare-chested, muscular men appeared, slowly carrying a colossal Dragon King statue over three stories tall, its belly protruding, moving steadily toward the temple.
“Bro... brothers, have you taken your strength medicine?”
The leader, dressed in a white vest, called back to the men, veins bulging as he shouted.
“Y-yes... we’ve taken it...”
The men behind him were flushed and trembling uncontrollably.
“Good... then on my count: one, two, three—set!”
“Dong dong...”
At the leader’s command, the men carefully lowered the Dragon King statue to the ground.
“Huff... huff...”
The instant the statue touched the earth, the men collapsed, gasping for breath, ignoring the torrential rain pouring from the sky.
“Chief Cao, we agreed—when the Dragon King statue enters the temple, it must not touch the ground! Are your men capable or not? If they ruin this important task, you’ll pay dearly!”
Lord Yu’s face darkened as he stared sharply at the short elder below.
“Rest assured, Lord Yu. We specialize in this. We wouldn’t tarnish our reputation. Since I, Cao Erwang, accepted your job, no matter what, we will complete it flawlessly today.”
The small elder grit his teeth and spoke resolutely, eyeing the exhausted men sprawled on the muddy ground.
“Zhang Kui...”
Squatting down, the short elder clasped the hand of the leader, his face urgent.
“Boss... this won’t work. The Dragon King statue is three zhang, three chi, and three cun tall, carved from a single block of granite, weighing over twenty tons. Forty-nine men alone can’t handle this without risking death...”
The leader panted heavily, his expression grave as he spoke deliberately.
“Zhang Kui... if we fail today, Yinghai County will be finished for us. Brother Zhang Kui, I beg you... please...”
The elder gripped the leader’s hand, eyes full of pleading.
“Boss... it’s not that I’m not trying, but I can’t gamble with my brothers’ lives. The temple’s gate is wide enough; we can add more men to lighten the load, can’t we?”
Leaning on one hand, the leader clutched the elder’s hand with the other, perplexed.
“No, brother Zhang Kui... Lord Yu gave a strict order: only forty-nine men must carry the statue, no more, no less. You are the strongest among us forty-nine. For my sake, please, help me out this once...”
Seeing the elder’s desperate face, the leader turned to his brothers behind him and said:
“Brothers, the boss has always treated us well. Today, we can’t just leave him here or lose face.”
“Ah... self-inflicted misfortune!”
Li Yang stood quietly nearby, observing everything. He knew these men were already at their limit. If they pushed further, carrying the Dragon King statue into the temple would be their final task.
“Come on, brothers... shoulders up!”
At the leader’s command, the men hoisted the heavy statue once more, moving toward the temple.
“Hei ha... hei ha...”
Though less than a hundred meters, for these men it felt like an endless journey, forever out of reach.
“Dong...”
“Pfft pfft pfft...”
After nearly the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the Dragon King statue was finally placed on the altar. The moment it was set down, all forty-nine men simultaneously coughed up blood and collapsed.
“Zhang Kui...”
The short elder rushed to the fallen leader, shouting.
“Enough, Chief Cao, here’s your payment—five hundred silver taels. Now leave us to honor the Dragon King.”
Lord Yu waved his hand, and a servant behind him handed a tray to the short elder, then ordered the other servants:
“Move them all aside!”
“What a pity!” Li Yang shook his head, knowing that even if these men survived, they would be crippled for life.
Unless some cultivator exerted great effort to nurture their essence, they would spend the rest of their days bedridden.
“Alright, everyone, step back. The Dragon King statue is in place. I will now perform the ritual to awaken its spiritual light!”
At that moment, the senior Taoist who had remained silent finally spoke, flicking the dust from his hand with an expressionless face.
“Everyone, please clear the way. After the mystic performs the ritual, we will offer incense in order.”
Hearing this, Lord Yu immediately instructed his servants to clear the people blocking the statue’s front, making way for the Taoist.
“Great Tai Chi divides thick and thin, light and clear ascend to heaven. When one cultivates the Dao, the body becomes a true immortal. Actions span three thousand counts, time measures forty thousand years. The Altar of Elixirs opens its treasured scriptures, the golden mouth forever flows: Supreme Mi Luo’s divine decree transforms form and shape, sitting upright, encompassing myriad phenomena, summoning the heavenly soldiers of the six directions, thunder and lightning officers—heed my command!”
The Taoist flicked a dust talisman, formed hand seals, and stepped into the cosmic trigrams. Within moments, beads of sweat emerged on his forehead. As he cast the final seal, the Dragon King statue’s eyes suddenly flashed a misty white light.
“Ha...”
The Taoist exhaled deeply, pale and staggering a few steps before being steadied by Lord Yu.
“Good. You may now arrange for the villagers to offer incense and sacrifices.”
Pushing away from Lord Yu, the Taoist moved to a corner, seating himself cross-legged to regulate his breath.
“Fugui, distribute incense to the villagers and organize them to line up for offerings.”
Lord Yu instructed a servant behind him, then turned his gaze toward the young Taoist who had stood silently, eyes closed.
“Well done. Rest assured, you will be rewarded.”
At that moment, the young Taoist opened his eyes and drew a bronze mirror from his bosom, suspending it above the Dragon King statue’s head.
“There is indeed a problem. Even the Soul-Sealing Mirror has been brought out. Could it be that a Dragon Seed truly dwells here?”
Li Yang’s expression darkened instantly as he watched the young Taoist’s actions.
The Soul-Sealing Mirror is a sacred treasure specifically designed to trap divine souls and primordial spirits, and only a venerable sect like the Dragon and Tiger Mountain Taoist Order could wield it so casually.
For the Dragon and Tiger Mountain sect to expend such effort in this arrangement, it must have a purpose.
Yet the Dragon Seed, a divine entity, was already exceedingly rare even in ancient times, let alone now, as the world’s spiritual energy gradually wanes.