A Pawn's Passage

Sun Jiatu had come alone to the meeting as a show of sincerity, so Qi Xuansu’s attitude was relatively cordial.

Qi Xuansu said, “I know a little about the legends of the Longevous. Back then, after Sage Sun was defeated, he fled out to sea and eventually reached this place, supposedly accompanied by several hundred disciples.”

“That is correct,” Sun Jiatu replied.

Qi Xuansu glanced at the scales covering Sun Jiatu’s face. “Some say that Sage Sun became a Water Immortal. Is that true?”

“It is true,” Sun Jiatu answered. “My ancestor has already shed his mortal form and ascended.”

Qi Xuansu said, “But all of you have become half human, half demon. This is not the orthodox path of the Daoist Order. Although the Daoist Order teaches without discrimination and there are indeed demons who attain immortality, they cultivate themselves into human form. No one cultivates themselves into a demonic form.”

Sun Jiatu could not help but smile bitterly. “Sage, your insight is as sharp as ever. We never intended to become like this. That is precisely why we have come to ask for your help.”

Qi Xuansu said, “Please start from the beginning.”

Sun Jiatu began, “After our ancestors ascended, we settled here and lived on the surrounding islands. At first, we didn’t look like these half-human, half-demon beings. Even after the great demon banished here by the Heavenly Empress and the humanoid insect driven out by the Daoist Order arrived one after another, the sea was vast enough that everyone kept to their own territory. That changed a little over 100 years ago, when an old flood dragon came here...”

Utu instantly shot Hun Ahau a stern look, as if to say, “You jinxed it again!”

Hun Ahau’s expression stiffened. He had never imagined that his casual remark would actually come true.

Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Sun Jiatu stopped speaking and glanced at Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu’s expression remained unchanged as he gestured for Sun Jiatu to continue.

So Sun Jiatu continued, “We later learned that the Daoist Order had slaughtered the dragon race in the East, using dragon bones to build great ships. The surviving dragons were terrified and fled into the deep sea. That old flood dragon escaped here as a result.”

Sun Jiatu paused before continuing, “Sage, having traveled the world, you must surely know the Western fable of ‘The Farmer and the Snake.’”

Qi Xuansu could not help but smile. “So you even know Western fables.”

Sun Jiatu replied, “We have taken in some Western seafarers over the years, so we know a thing or two.”

Qi Xuansu was familiar with the story of “The Farmer and the Snake.” A farmer rescued a snake that had frozen stiff, only to be bitten by it in return. It was a tale of repaying kindness with betrayal.

“When that old flood dragon fled here, it was already gravely wounded and utterly exhausted. It transformed itself into the appearance of an old man and begged us for help. We rescued it and tended to its injuries, yet, just like the snake in the fable, it repaid our kindness with betrayal.” Sun Jiatu made no attempt to conceal the hatred in his voice.

Qi Xuansu asked, “Was it the one who turned you into what you are now?”

A look of admiration appeared on Sun Jiatu’s face. “Sage, your insight is uncanny. It was indeed all thanks to it. The scales covering our bodies are actually dragon scales.”

Utu said, “As far as I know, dragons in the East are divine beasts and symbols of the emperor himself. If you’ve acquired dragon traits, shouldn’t that be a good thing?”

Sun Jiatu replied, “We are merely villagers living in remote places. Whether we possess dragon features or not is of little importance. The real problem is that this old flood dragon is an evil one. We saved it, yet instead of repaying our kindness, it sought to enslave us, condemning our descendants to serve it forever while feeding it with the lives and flesh of our people.”

As two races blessed by heaven, both dragons and humans had numerous branches. The dragon race was likewise divided between the Godly Path and the Immortal Path. Dragons of the Godly Path pursued incense offerings and divine power, governing clouds and rain as Dragon Kings. Dragons of the Immortal Path cultivated themselves in pursuit of becoming a True Yinglong.

Qi Xuansu said, “Then it seems this old flood dragon followed the Godly Path.”

Sun Jiatu nodded. “Exactly. Yet its physical body is also extraordinarily powerful, as though it possessed the strengths of both paths. It had already attained immortality and was comparable to a true Immortal, so we stood no chance against it.”

Hun Ahau summarized, “Something like Kukulkan, though probably still inferior to Kukulkan. It wouldn’t qualify as a Quasi-First-Tribulation Immortal.”

Utu asked, “How exactly did it enslave you? In the Central Plains, there’s the tale of those killed by tigers becoming bound to the tiger, serving it and even luring their own relatives to be devoured. Dragons and tigers are often mentioned together, but you weren’t killed by the flood dragon. So how did it manage to control you?”

“Through dragon blood,” Sun Jiatu answered.

Qi Xuansu could not help but pause in surprise.

Dragon blood and dragon meat were hardly unfamiliar to him. When the Imperial Preceptor had slain a dragon in Fenglin, Little Yin had received a large quantity of neatly packaged dragon meat. Tiny as she was, her appetite had been enormous, and she devoured every last bit of it herself. Yet she had neither grown dragon scales nor fallen under anyone’s control. On the contrary, she had evolved, becoming capable of moving about freely even in places without yin energy.

Of course, Little Yin was too extraordinary to be used as a common example. The fact that she suffered no ill effects did not mean the same held true for others. Moreover, the dragon meat she had eaten came from a dead dragon, whereas the Longevous likely consumed the blood of a living dragon. In that case, the outcome would be anyone’s guess.

Sun Jiatu said, “At first, that old flood dragon claimed it wished to repay our kindness by giving us some dragon blood, saying that drinking it would grant miraculous power. We didn’t think much of it at the time. After all, dragons were renowned as auspicious creatures, so we agreed.”

Qi Xuansu interrupted, “You didn’t process the dragon blood first? You drank it just like that?”

Sun Jiatu slowly nodded, his face full of regret. “I wasn’t born yet. It happened in my grandfather’s generation. They first had one person drink it. Seeing that his cultivation increased dramatically, they let down their guard, and everyone began drinking the dragon blood.”

Qi Xuansu could not help but sigh.

Drinking the unprocessed blood of divine beasts was strictly forbidden by the Daoist Order. It was a prohibition established through hard-earned experience.

Whether it came from great demons or from dragons, phoenixes, or other divine beasts, unprocessed blood contained immensely powerful primordial essence, so drinking it recklessly could drive a person mad and cause partial demonic transformations.

The Great Witches had not understood this principle and used the flesh and blood of primordial beasts in their medicines, causing those revived by the Undying Elixir to become monsters. The Daoist Order itself had only gradually uncovered the underlying truth by building upon the lessons of those who came before.

All of this was common knowledge within the Daoist Order. But the Longevous had lived at sea for over a thousand years, remaining in a far more primitive state. Unaware of these principles, they ultimately fell into the flood dragon’s trap.

Sun Jiatu continued, “After drinking the dragon blood, their cultivation indeed increased greatly, but their minds also gradually changed. They came to worship the old flood dragon with fanatical devotion, calling it the Divine Dragon and Dragon God. They became utterly obedient, willing to serve and protect the so-called Dragon God with unwavering loyalty, until they were little more than its puppets.”

Qi Xuansu finally understood. The true nature of dragon blood was not to drive people insane. It was to make them obedient. In the past, most people had consumed the unprocessed blood of dead dragons. Since their “master” was already dead, there was no one left to obey, leaving them with nowhere to direct that instinct, so they fell into madness.

No wonder people spoke of the overwhelming majesty of dragons. They truly possessed a unique power.

Qi Xuansu gestured for Sun Jiatu to continue.

Sun Jiatu went on, “Those who drank the dragon blood developed various dragon traits, like scales across their skin, horns on their heads, and in more extreme cases, even dragon claws and tails. The children born to these people inherited the flood dragon’s bloodline and likewise worshipped it with fanatical devotion. However, as the bloodline gradually diluted, the horns disappeared, leaving only the scales. Among them, a small number eventually managed to break free from the dragon’s influence and no longer worshipped it.”

Qi Xuansu said, “You’re one of them.”

Sun Jiatu nodded. “That’s right. I’m the third generation. By now, the bloodline had become much thinner, and more and more people awakened from the dragon’s influence. We were the true Longevous, whereas those who had drunk the dragon blood directly were merely the Dragon-Blooded. But the Dragon-Blooded also realized what was happening. They begged the old flood dragon for more dragon blood while forcing us to drink it as well. We refused to become mindless puppets, so we rose up in rebellion. It’s just that—”

“It’s just that you couldn’t win.” Qi Xuansu finished the unspoken second half of his sentence for him.

Godly Immortals could create chosen servants, and Heavenly Immortals could sever incarnations from themselves. Thus, it was not hard to imagine that the flood dragon, whose strength rivaled that of an Immortal, could use its dragon blood to control others while simultaneously enhancing their cultivation.

Sun Jiatu replied, “The Dragon-Blooded’s cultivation soared, and they took control of all the resources within our tribe, so we were no match for them. We could only flee in desperation aboard the Snail Boats left behind by our ancestors. By fortune, we happened to encounter you during your voyage, so I shamelessly came to seek an audience and beg for your assistance, Sage.”

Hun Ahau remained skeptical. “To me, this sounds more like an internal power struggle. Don’t tell me you lost a political struggle and now want to use us to eliminate your rivals?”

Sun Jiatu hurriedly defended himself. “Absolutely not. Sage, you would understand if only you saw them with your own eyes. That old flood dragon and the Dragon-Blooded with horns upon their heads cannot possibly be faked.”

Hun Ahau continued, playing the role of the hardliner. “How are we supposed to know you all aren’t just putting on an elaborate performance?”

Looking at Qi Xuansu, Sun Jiatu spoke with heartbreaking sincerity. “Sage, I swear upon my life that every word I’ve spoken is true, nor is this for my own selfish interests. That old flood dragon devours people every month. Our numbers grow smaller and smaller so that all of the Longevous now stand on the brink of extinction. If this continues, our annihilation is only a matter of time!”

Qi Xuansu raised a hand, signaling him to calm down. “Even if everything you’ve said is true, I may not be able to help you. After all, we’re talking about a flood dragon comparable to a true Immortal. With only a few of us Pseudo-Immortals, the risk is still considerable.”

Sun Jiatu quickly added, “Sage, that old flood dragon recently fought a great demon from the depths of the sea. Both sides were severely wounded. It is now in deep slumber and has summoned all the Dragon-Blooded to guard it. That was how we managed to escape. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Qi Xuansu fell into deep thought.

Sun Jiatu continued, “That old flood dragon awakens once every month on the 15th day. It then selects one of the Dragon-Blooded guarding it as food and devours them to recover from its injuries. The Dragon-Blooded don’t even think to resist or struggle. That is why I say the extinction of the Longevous is only a matter of time.”

Qi Xuansu turned to look at Utu and Hun Ahau.

Hun Ahau was clearly tempted. “Three Pseudo-Immortals are enough to contend with an immortal, let alone one that’s gravely wounded. The three of us together should be more than enough.”

Utu summed up the real reason in a single sentence. “Every part of a flood dragon is a priceless treasure. If we can slay the dragon, then even if we fail to wipe out the humanoid insect, this voyage won’t have been in vain.”