Loan Wusheng

Chapter 243 The Dragon Clan of Jiangzhou: Nothing More Than That

The mighty river surged, its turbid waves crashing against the shore, and the smell of water vapor mixed with the fishy odor wafted towards us.

The reeds on both banks rustled in the wind, the covered boat bobbed with the waves, and the old fisherman at the stern hunched over as he hauled in his net.

The three characters "Zui Xian Lou" on the crooked wooden plaque by the riverbank had turned white from being soaked by the rain. Inside the tavern, wandering swordsmen sat around, their rough earthenware bowls clinking together.

A man in shorts slammed his hand on the table and said, "I heard that Qingfeng Sword appeared in Lin'an last night! It seems that even a reclusive swordsman like Qingfeng Sword cannot escape the emperor's recruitment."

After speaking, the man in the short jacket seemed to want to say something more, but the scarred man next to him immediately grabbed his wrist: "Shut up!"

As he spoke, his eyes darted toward the corner.

In the corner of the tavern, a man in a straw raincoat sat alone by the window, his face half-hidden by the shadow of his straw hat, looking mysterious.

However, these martial arts fighters could also sense the faint aura of danger emanating from their opponent.

If we are fellow practitioners in the martial arts world, then we can do as we please.

But if they are the henchmen of the imperial court, wouldn't they be courting death by flaunting themselves like this?

This place is under the rule of Eastern Wu. Emperor Lu Meng of Eastern Wu dominates the world, possessing Jiaozhou and half of Jiangzhou. Although it only has one and a half provinces, it makes the entire Jiangnan martial arts world tremble with fear.

Besides the man in the straw raincoat, in another corner, there was a wealthy young man who had lost all his life force. Dressed in white, he was drinking and making merry alone, seemingly uninterested in the world.

Since the wealthy young man in white robes didn't exude any dangerous aura, the few martial arts fighters didn't pay much attention to him, mainly observing the man in the straw raincoat.

After a moment of tension, the group of martial arts fighters breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that the man in the straw raincoat made no move, and then began to whisper among themselves.

The discussions mostly revolved around the situation in the Jiangnan martial arts world. One day, a powerful martial arts master from the Jiangnan region was recruited by the Wu Emperor, and another day, a reclusive martial arts expert was ordered to leave the mountains... The entire Jiangnan martial arts world was turned upside down by the Wu Emperor.

All of this had nothing to do with the man in the straw raincoat.

After listening for a long time, the man in the straw raincoat still hadn't heard the information he wanted.

This man in the straw raincoat was Zheng Jun, who had come in hiding.

Zheng Jun's current cultivation level is only at the Outer Gang Realm.

The rest, however, were not hidden too much.

After all, for Zheng Jun, there was no need to hide anything else; he could just do it quietly.

They were just waiting for the final blow to annihilate the Jiangzhou Dragon Clan.

When fighting the Dragon King of Jiangzhou, there's no need to hide anymore.

My anonymous visit is merely to create the illusion that I am still in Shenjing, so that they are unaware that I have come to Jiangzhou.

To prevent those with ulterior motives from taking advantage of my absence from the capital to unite and launch an attack against me.

Or if someone lies in ambush where you are going, it could cause unnecessary trouble.

In short, now that I have arrived in Jiangzhou, I no longer need to care about these trivial matters.

The group of street thugs not far away were still chatting away, but what they were talking about was far too trivial for Zheng Jun and was practically useless.

"Sir, your Jiangzhou fish is ready!"

The waiter strode over with a blue-and-white porcelain plate on it. On the plate was a steaming large fish, its scales gleaming silver, and two emerald green leaves still clinging to its tail: "Look, sir, this is a silver-scaled shad from the Shanghai River that was just caught this morning!"

He deftly set out the bamboo chopsticks and flattered in a low voice, "This fish dies as soon as it leaves the water, so it has to be wrapped in reeds and chilled before being brought here. Please try this garlic clove meat! This is the freshest silver-scaled shad in Jiangzhou, even the Dragon King loves to eat it."

Zheng Jun's current attire clearly indicates that he is a formidable warrior from the martial arts world, possessing considerable strength and being extremely generous, which naturally earns him more respect from the waiter.

Zheng Jun didn't touch his chopsticks, but merely raised his head slightly. The shadow under his bamboo hat concealed his expression, and his voice was low: "Dragon King? The dragon clan of Jiangzhou, are they very efficacious?"

Upon hearing this, the waiter immediately perked up, his eyebrows dancing with excitement, and said, "Of course! Our Jiangzhou enjoys favorable weather thanks to the Dragon King's blessing! Whenever there is a severe drought, as long as the government goes to the River God Temple to make offerings, it will surely bring rain within three days!"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Jun immediately laughed and said, "Are dragons this friendly? I've heard that dragons in the world love to eat people the most?"

The waiter's smile suddenly froze. He looked around and, seeing that no one was paying attention, leaned closer and lowered his voice, saying, "Sir, you're not from around here, are you? This matter... is not easy to explain."

Zheng Jun tapped the table lightly with his fingertips: "Speak freely."

The waiter swallowed hard, his voice barely audible: "On the second day of each month, when the bronze bell of the River God Temple rings, young boys and girls will be prepared by the riverbank."

After a pause, the waiter added, "Sometimes we also send in some out-of-towners who come here to work to make up the numbers."

Zheng Jun's fingers suddenly paused: "The government isn't doing anything about it?"

The waiter smiled bitterly, "Manage? The county magistrate is personally overseeing it! Who dares to say a word? A few years ago, a scholar wrote a poem satirizing this matter, and the next day... he was gone."

"The Jiangzhou Dragon Clan is quite imposing," Zheng Jun sneered.

The waiter was intimidated by Zheng Jun's gaze, a chill running down his spine. He quickly forced a dry laugh, "Sir, please enjoy your meal. I'll be going to get back to work now..."

Having said that, he hurriedly left, not daring to say another word.

Zheng Jun stared at the fish on the table, his eyes flashing with cold light, a disdainful smile playing on his lips.

"The fish and meat on the chopping board are at our mercy right now."

After saying that, Zheng Jun swallowed the silver-scaled shad, which was described as extremely fresh, and nodded slightly to indicate how delicious it was.

It was almost comparable to the lake fish that I ate in Shenjing that were presented as tribute.

Just then, the wealthy young man in white robes suddenly stood up, unfurled his folding fan with a 'whoosh,' and walked leisurely toward Zheng Jun.

This person moved with light steps, and there was not a sound as his clothes fluttered, as if he were walking on the wind.

None of the noisy martial arts enthusiasts in the tavern noticed anything amiss, except for Zheng Jun, whose eyes narrowed slightly beneath his bamboo hat, revealing a smile.

"My friend, drinking alone is no fun. Why don't we share a drink?"

The young man in white smiled and placed a pot of amber wine in front of Zheng Jun's table. He lightly tapped the pot with his jade fingers, which caused the fish bones in the celadon plate to shatter into powder.

"Brother, you were just asking me all sorts of questions..."

The young man in white still smiled gently, but his voice suddenly turned cold, like a vicious dragon in a deep pool: "It's as if you've come here specifically to steal the rice bowl of my Jiangzhou Dragon Clan?"

Zheng Jun glanced at the white-robed young man and laughed, "It seems Jiangzhou has really fallen into decline. Even a mudfish in human skin can run rampant in Jiangzhou. In the capital, he would have been chopped into mincemeat and eaten whole long ago."

The white-robed young man's pupils suddenly shrank to vertical slits, and an overwhelming pressure erupted from his body!
The candles in the tavern went out all at once, and the martial arts enthusiasts froze on the spot as if they had fallen into an ice cave. The man in short clothes couldn't help but shrink his pupils and subconsciously exclaimed, "A demon at the peak of the Outer Strength realm, it's the White Dragon Prince of the Jiangzhou Dragon Clan who loves to roam the martial arts world!"

"What?! It's actually Young Master Bailong?!"

"Peak of the Outer Qi Realm, terrifying indeed! Wasn't he recruited by Emperor Wu to become his advisor? How come he's here?"

"I heard he's already halfway into the Tongqiao Realm, making him the number one demon below Tongqiao!"

"..."

The martial arts practitioners were terrified, and a few quick-witted individuals were already preparing to slip away quietly.

The White Dragon Prince's gaze was ruthless, and the five fingers that emerged from his sleeve had transformed into sharp claws, carrying a foul stench as they aimed straight for Zheng Jun's throat. At the same time, he growled in a low voice, "You lowly human, a mere Outer Rank cultivator, dare to come looking for trouble with my Dragon Clan? You're courting death!"

"boom!"

The moment Zheng Jun's straw hat exploded, revealing his true face, the entire floor of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion collapsed!
He caught the attacking dragon claw with one hand, while his other palm pressed down on the white-robed young master's crown like Mount Tai. His immense true energy transformed into golden chains, piercing through the man's seven orifices and tearing half of a struggling dragon phantom from its human form!
Zheng Jun sneered and tightened his fingers, while the dragon shadow let out a shrill roar: "Didn't your Dragon King teach you who is the most skilled at slaying dragons?"

Before he finished speaking, the entire Hujiang River suddenly boiled like porridge. Zheng Jun calmly got up, picked up the White Dragon Prince, and headed towards the Lujiang River.

The white-robed young man's dragon horns had shattered, his face filled with horror, his eyes brimming with terror: "You are actually Zheng..."

"Alright, alright, shut up now that you know."

Before he could finish speaking, Zheng Jun sealed the White Dragon Prince's mouth with a hand seal, and he transformed into a three-zhang-long white dragon, crashing heavily into the muddy riverbank, his dragon blood staining half of the reed marshland red.

Zheng Jun then placed the dragon essence in his hand back into the body.

"lead the way."

Zheng Jun stepped onto the dragon's head, his black iron boots grinding against the scales with a squeaking sound. The white dragon hissed in pain, and then Zheng Jun said casually, "I've been waiting by this river for seven or eight days to finally meet you, you dragon. You're not simple. Lead the way to the Dragon Palace!"

The white dragon felt as if it had fallen into an ice cave; its dragon blood surged within it, yet it was chillingly cold.

It stared intently at the pair of black iron boots standing on its head, every scale trembling.

Who would have thought that this man in the straw raincoat was actually that god of death!
Emperor Zheng Jun of the Great Han Dynasty was the strongest among the Yuan Dan Martial Saints. Even the Deer Demon King of the Northern Demon Court became a victim of his blade. In his eyes, a mere Outer Gang Realm little dragon like myself was probably not even worth sashimi!

The white dragon was filled with remorse, and its whiskers convulsed with fear. The excruciating pain from the broken dragon horn was nothing compared to the fear in its heart.

"hurry up!"

Zheng Jun urged, and Bai Jiao trembled in fright, immediately starting to obediently carry Zheng Jun towards the river.

The white dragon's body cleaved the river surface, creating huge waves, and its trembling tail could be vaguely seen beneath the turbid water.

Zheng Jun stood with his hands behind his back on the dragon's head, his azure-gold true essence flowing around his body, evaporating all the incoming waves into mist.

Among the reeds on the bank, the few wandering swordsmen were already ashen-faced with fright.

"Then... the White Dragon Prince was used as a mount?"

The man in short clothes was trembling, and the steel knife in his hand clattered to the ground.

The scarred man grabbed his companion's collar: "Quick, let's go! Anyone who can subdue a peak Outer Strength Flood Dragon must be at least a Qi Opening Great Power! We need to get back to the Alliance Leader right away!"

After saying that, the group scrambled out of the tavern. Just then, a hundred-foot-long column of water suddenly erupted from the middle of the river. The white dragon was stomped into the riverbed by the man in the straw raincoat, and its blood stained the entire river surface red like spilled ink.

This move shocked countless soldiers on both sides of the Yangtze River, who rushed to send messages. Before long, all the secret agents in Jiangzhou were awakened, and countless secret messages swarmed towards Lin'an, the capital of Wu, and Donghai, the capital of Zhouyue.

Deep within the river, the white dragon's eyes reflected a look of despair. It could only silently carry Zheng Jun, a fellow who was clearly a Yuan Dan Martial Saint but had concealed his cultivation level to the Outer Gang realm, towards the Dragon Palace.

The home that should have given it peace of mind now resembled the bared fangs of a giant beast.

It discovered in despair that it had become a harbinger of the King of Hell, leading this infamous god of death, known throughout the dragon race, towards the Dragon Palace...

Zheng Jun, on the other hand, was in a good mood.

After all, he really couldn't find the Dragon Court in Jiangzhou. It would be better to capture a dragon and have it take him there, which would save him a lot of trouble.

As for whether this little white dragon will refuse to take me along? No problem, I have plenty of ways to make it obediently lead the way.

Jiangzhou Longting is naturally located at the mouth of the Lujiang River, on the coast of the East China Sea.

The little white dragon then carried Zheng Jun all the way to the mouth of the Lujiang River.

Undercurrents surged beneath the river's surface as the white dragon cautiously carried Zheng Jun through the dark waterways.

The jagged reefs on both sides resembled the fangs of a giant beast, and occasionally schools of luminous deep-sea fish would dart by, casting dappled light and shadow on Zheng Jun's black iron boots.

"Nineteenth Grandson! Why have you revealed your true form?"

A thunderous shout suddenly came from ahead, and a group of armored aquatic creatures stood ten feet away.

The leading azure-scaled dragon was as thick as a house, with coral-like dragon horns on its head that gleamed with a ghostly blue light. It was leading twelve shrimp soldiers and crab generals to block the way.

The white dragon's scales suddenly bristled, and its tail involuntarily curled up. This was none other than Ao Tan, the patrol general of the Dragon Palace, whose cultivation at the fourth level of the Qi Refining Realm was enough to allow him to roam freely at the bottom of the river.

Just as it was about to open its mouth to warn, it suddenly felt a bone-chilling cold from above.

"So it was General Ao Tan..."

The white dragon steeled itself and swam closer, its whiskers trembling slightly with fear: "This grandson... is acting on my grandfather's orders..."

Before he finished speaking, Ao Tan's vertical pupils suddenly contracted!
It clearly saw that a figure stood with his hands behind his back on the top of the white dragon's head, his azure-gold true essence separating the surrounding river water by three feet, his clothes remaining perfectly still in the dark current.

"Human warrior?"

Ao Tan's expression was grim. His dragon claw instantly extended a three-foot-long blade, and his scales bristled. He muttered, "So the nineteenth grandson was actually coerced by the human race. This person..."

"Qiang!"

The clanging sound of the Dragon Abyss Blade being drawn overpowered the roar of the river waves, and a streak of blood-red blade light tore through the dark water like tearing silk.

Ao Tan only had time to cross his claws to block before he felt the world spinning around him.

what's the situation?
Ao Tan pondered to himself.

Then, to its horror, it saw its dragon body, broken in two, slowly sinking.

"Dragon... Dragon Lord?!"

The shrimp soldier commander was astonished, his pincers clicking, but Zheng Jun merely flicked his finger, and twelve streams of azure-gold true essence pierced through the brows of the demons like chains.

In an instant, the demon core shattered, and clouds of blood mist rose from the bottom of the river.

Zheng Jun flipped his palm and put away Ao Tan's dragon demon core, while the Dragon Abyss Blade greedily devoured the dissipated dragon blood.

As the blade trembled, the faint wail of a dragon's soul seemed to emanate from its edge.

The essence of the dragon that had reached the acupoints had already been devoured by Longyuan, and the Longyuan Blade trembled all over, seemingly excited as well.

"As expected, the Dragon Abyss Blade needs to absorb the dragon's soul to improve. Slaying this dragon that has reached the Qi Refining stage will activate the Dragon Abyss Blade's vitality, which is not bad."

Zheng Jun pondered for a moment, then saw the little white dragon under his feet suddenly become so frightened that it couldn't move. He immediately ground the broken dragon horn of the white dragon, causing a few sparks to fly, and then said, "Continue. If you can't reach the Dragon Palace within ten hours, you will go and accompany it."

Upon hearing Zheng Jun's words, the white dragon went berserk, swinging its tail wildly, causing rocks to crumble wherever it passed.

That's terrifying! Absolutely terrifying!
At this moment, the only option is to sacrifice your fellow Daoist rather than myself.

The little white dragon was terrified.

Zheng Jun, on the other hand, continued to stand with his hands behind his back, heading towards the Dragon Court at the bottom of the river.

The Jiangzhou Dragon Clan is nothing special.

Zheng Jun now only hopes that the Yuan Dan Realm Dragon King in Jiangzhou can give him some surprises.

Don't make yourself travel all this way only to stomp on noobs.

(End of this chapter)