Beneath the Red Dragon

”Do you think it would be great to become a Giant Dragon?”

A middle-aged man, clad in lavishly patterned robes, holding an honor guard, with a beard on his face, and wearing a crown inlaid with pearls and gemstones, looked at the Flying Dragon Rider passing over the sky, patrolling his territory, and remarked to his companion with a sigh in his voice.

”Indeed, becoming a Giant Dragon means having power and freedom. A Giant Dragon can do whatever it wants, go wherever it wishes,”

answered his companion, also holding a bell drum, wearing a Priest Robe with a circlet of small bells on his head instead of a crown.

Both of them gazed up at the Flying Dragon in the sky, and occasionally, their human round pupils transformed into vertical slits. Beneath their robes, their bodies faintly revealed mixed-colored scales like those of a Dragon Descendant.

And on their exquisite robes, they both wore the same Copper Badge, depicting the head of a Giant Dragon overlooking all things—this was the emblem of the Dragon Worship Sect.

”Do you think our choice of today, this significant festival within the Giant Dragon Territory, will be successful?”

The middle-aged man wearing the crown suddenly sighed, as if feeling unsure about his next actions and needing some reassurance from his companion.

”We will succeed, after all, they are Evil Dragons,” replied the man with the circlet of bells.

”As long as they are Evil Dragons, they will inevitably be unable to suppress the influences from their bloodline and heritage. They will reveal their true nature to the people in the territory,”

”They wish to adhere to order, and we will provide them with order—except it will be an order under our control!”

”Indeed, as long as they succumb to the chaotic control of the Evil Dragon Blood, the order of the territory will inevitably be affected. At that time, as long as the noble Dragon Priest voluntarily meets with those noble True Dragons and offers the method of controlling the Evil Dragon Blood, the order of the territory will be restored again,”

The middle-aged man with the crown smiled, brimming with newfound confidence,

”By then, once the noble True Dragons control the Evil Dragon Blood, and we Dragon Worship Cult control the noble True Dragons, the future future of this destined grand Dragon Kingdom naturally belongs to us.”

”Hehe, most importantly, we will also be granted Dragon Blood, becoming true Dragon Descendants!” The companion with the bell circlet also laughed.

He then hushed, ”They’re coming, let’s begin according to the plan. We offer the Giant Dragon the most precious treasure, surely these noble True Dragons won’t refuse.”

The two of them stood atop a wooden platform built by the river, with a row of large drums covered with cowhide standing by the river. The morning mist in the River Lands had not yet dissipated, but within the thin white fog, silhouettes of villagers were already emerging.

Hejian Village, built on the plains, saw almost all its villagers start to step out of their homes and head toward the river.

The elderly grandmothers and women, wearing gray and brown linen headscarves, led children holding rattles and ascended the wooden platform by the riverbank, their expressions filled with anticipation.

The strong men from the village, under the village chief’s command, stood in front of the big drums, holding heavy drumsticks lowered.

Other men, holding wooden staffs tied with bells and cloth ribbons, also arrived at the wooden platform, surrounding the riverbank.

The village chief of the River Lands used a cane to walk in front of the two men dressed as priests, and said with respect: ”Honored emissaries of the Giant Dragon, noble followers of Dragon Worship, we are ready. The purest and most beautiful maiden of our village will present our loyalty and joy to the Giant Dragon,”

”The pure maiden will offer the brightest Gemstone of our village to the Giant Dragon, praying for the Dragon’s blessing, thanking the Dragon for its protection and generosity!”

The middle-aged man wearing the crown nodded and smiled, saying, ”The Giant Dragon will rejoice at this, the noble True Dragon will be pleased, and bestow upon you the blessing you hope for! Proceed, chief.”

The village chief nodded, his aged voice becoming spirited as he shouted loudly, ”Proceed, let the purest and most beautiful maiden of our village offer her highest respect to the Giant Dragon!”

Heave,

The men standing next to the large drums raised their drumsticks, shouting in unison.

The women then released the children they were holding, lit torches one by one, and the sudden surge of flames dispelled the slight white fog, gradually inflaming the atmosphere along the riverbank.

Jingle,

The man with the bell circlet and holding a bell staff struck a dance pose, with the bells on his head jingling, and the bells on the bell staff starting to ring rhythmically.

Thump, thump, thump,

The men began to beat the large drums, echoing the jingling of the bells.

A small boat slowly drifted downstream from the river running through the village, with a pure and beautiful maiden lying within a flower crown woven from fresh flowers, like a holy Angel, a devout believer, a serene Saintess.

She wore a flower crown adorned with finely shattered gold, pearls, and gemstones of various colors, draped in a white robe resembling a wedding dress, her bare white feet, her eyes slightly closed, and her hands folded at her chest and abdomen, holding a crystal-clear River Pearl in a praying gesture.

Swoosh,

The village chief slit the throat of a trussed lamb, whose fresh blood splattered and flowed into the blazing fire basin.

A song, impossible to be suppressed by the drumbeats, echoed from the throat of the dancing Crowned Priest, his soaring voice seemed imbued with a strange Magic Power and resonance, drawing everyone along the riverbank into it.

The rhythm of the children’s shaking hand drums also complemented the strange song, while the women by the riverbank began to scatter this year’s new harvest of wheat, rice, and fruits onto the small boat, singing aloud in unison.