Cataclysm Chapter 107: The Dragon’s Prison 05

Chapter 107: The Dragon’s Prison 05

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

 

Chen Yang asked Ma Shanfeng, “Uncle Ma, is this the group that stole the dragon horns back then?”

“If it were them, I would’ve killed them long ago.” Ma Shanfeng shook his head. “This group of dragon-slaying fools isn’t like the ones who stole the dragon horns. That group was dripping with blood and murderous aura at first glance, and they’ve all been dead for a long time. They all died in accidents.”

The group stood in silence on the mountainside for a while.

Elder Yi was the first to step onto the hanging bridge. “Let’s go. I’ll take you to see the Dragon’s Prison.”

The hanging bridge was made of simple wooden planks fixed by ropes. Each plank was spaced 30 centimeters apart, with gaps in the middle where a few planks were missing, causing a one-meter gap between some planks. Standing in the middle of the bridge and looking down, wood chips fell into the rushing waters below, making one feel dizzy.

The bridge hung halfway up the mountain of the Dragon’s Prison, about twenty meters above the ravine at the cliff’s base—roughly the height of a seven-story building. Du Shuo took Kui Xuan from Chen Yang’s arms. “I’ll carry her.”

Without objection, Chen Yang handed her over, and the group began walking across the bridge.

In the middle of the bridge, between the two mountains, the sky above them was a thin line. Birds flew by, and the strong wind caused their clothes to whip in the breeze. In that moment, a sense of the vastness of the world and the insignificance of humanity naturally rose within them.

Elder Yi held onto the ropes of the bridge as he stepped across the one-meter gaps, then turned to the group and said, “Be careful.”

The one-meter gaps could be crossed with a big stride, but there was nothing to step on in between. If one’s balance was off, it would be easy to step into the gap and fall. Fortunately, the group was nimble, and even Ma Shanfeng and his wife crossed swiftly. As for Du Shuo, with his long legs, carrying Kui Xuan, he easily leaped over in one step.

The bridge swayed back and forth, and with the wind, it became even more unstable. The missing planks were only in a few places in the middle, so once they passed those gaps, the crossing became easier. Elder Yi said, “These planks have been here for many years. Sometimes, if you step on them carelessly, they break, and you’ll fall down. There was a tourist who once wandered in and broke a plank, falling down into the ravine. The missing planks up ahead were those that suddenly broke and fell into the stream below.”

Hearing this, Chen Yang asked, “Why don’t you rebuild the bridge? I heard the Doll say that the Wu Tribe performs a ritual at the Dragon’s Prison every year. Wouldn’t this hanging bridge be a hindrance to you?”

“We can’t rebuild it,” Elder Yi replied. “This bridge has been here for a very long time. It’s said to have been here since the time the Dragon’s Prison existed. The wooden ropes and planks can be replaced, but each Wu Leader can only replace them once. I replaced them once before, and unless the next Wu Leader comes, I can’t replace them again. If I replace it, something bad will happen, but I haven’t been able to figure out why.”

Kou Xuanling asked, “Is it really that magical?”

Lu Xiuzhi explained, “It’s probably because the Dragon’s Prison itself is made from the bones of a dragon. The dragon’s soul doesn’t like humans building bridges for others to come and tread all over it.”

Kou Xuanling nodded, “That makes sense. Dragons are probably very proud.”

As they spoke, they had already arrived at the Dragon’s Prison. In front of them was a narrow staircase overgrown with wild grass, and trees sprouted from the sides. Elder Yi led the way, walking up the stairs while continuing his explanation, “Above is the Dragon’s Prison. We perform rituals there every year. There’s also a pool of water; it’s where members of the dragon-slaying squad died.”

After about twenty-four steps, the view finally opened up. Chen Yang turned around and found that the opposite mountain peak was completely blocked by massive rocks. The place Elder Yi referred to as the Dragon’s Prison was a naturally cleared space halfway up the mountain. It had a small gap at the top, surrounded on all sides by towering cliffs, with a narrow crevice in the corner allowing people to pass.

In the center of the open area was a wide platform made of blue bricks. The platform stood about four meters high and was the same length and width on top, approximately three meters long and five meters wide. Four simple and ancient drawings adorned the platform, which, upon closer inspection, formed a picture scroll. The scroll depicted a Tianshi slaying an evil dragon and sealing its evil soul in the Dragon Gorge. There were stairs on both sides of the platform leading up to it. Behind the platform, against the mountain wall, was a pool of water. The water was clear but appeared bottomless.

Next to the pool, an abandoned military water bottle lay—belonging to the dragon-slaying squad member who died here. Elder Yi picked up the water bottle and said, “They thought there was a dragon hiding in the pool, so they dove in but drowned. The dragon-slaying squad didn’t allow the bodies to be moved; they insisted on investigating the cause of their teammate’s death.”

Chen Yang knelt down and scooped up some water from the pool. The water was crystal clear and ice-cold, like mountain spring water. He looked down, and the surface of the water was bright and clear, but the deeper he looked, the darker it became, adding an air of mystery and depth. He heard Kou Xuanling ask Elder Yi, “So, what happened then?”

Elder Yi replied, “Of course, we had to remove the bodies. Leaving them here would pollute the water. We set up a formation near Dragon Gorge to prevent ordinary people from entering unless they accidentally triggered it. The formation was broken, and that’s why people died here. But of course, we couldn’t let them succeed. They couldn’t find the Wu Tribe, so they tried to negotiate, hoping to sway us.”

Kou Xuanling said, “Good job.”

Chen Yang leaned over to look closer at the pool, his gaze coming nearer to the water’s surface. Suddenly, a pair of massive golden eyes appeared beneath the water, very close to him. Chen Yang was startled, and his heart nearly stopped. Just then, a force from behind pulled him away from the edge of the pool. He turned and saw Du Shuo’s cold expression. “What happened?”

Du Shuo said, “You almost fell in.”

Chen Yang jumped, then looked back at the pool. It was calm and clear, but anyone who had seen it up close would know that beneath it was a deep pit that could swallow a person whole. In that moment, the harmless-looking pool seemed to transform into a predatory monster, deceiving the unaware with its serene surface.

Chen Yang hesitated and said, “I just saw a pair of golden eyes under the water. They looked like dragon’s eyes.”

Zhang Qiudao and the others gathered near the pool. Three or four meters below the water’s surface was as clear as a mirror, but further down, the light faded and everything became dark, and nothing could be seen.

“How deep is this pool?” Chen Yang asked.

Elder Yi replied, “Very deep. No one from the tribe has ever gone to the bottom to check.”

Kou Xuanling asked eagerly, “Could the dragon be down there?” He seemed eager to dive in.

Ma Shanfeng interjected, “If it’s not a dragon but some other monster, you’ll be eaten the moment you dive in. It’s safer to wait for the Yin-Yang Ghost Butterfly to guide us to the dragon.”

Chen Yang looked up at Du Shuo. “What do you think?”

Du Shuo gave a simple and concise answer, “Wait for the Yin-Yang Ghost Butterfly.” He then pointed at the pool and added, “This is a path. Without the Yin-Yang Ghost Butterfly to lead the way, we could get lost and drown in it.”

“A path?” Chen Yang asked, confused.

“It was definitely a path,” Lu Xiuzhi said, confirming Du Shuo’s observation. “But the surface of the water was calm while the currents below were chaotic. Without the Yin-Yang Ghost Butterfly leading the way, anyone diving alone would get lost in the turbulence and eventually drown.”

Yi Wuchang seemed thoughtful. “That member of the dragon-slaying team who drowned had all his diving gear intact. When we inspected it, everything was in good condition except for the fact that the compressed air tank was empty. At the time, I wondered if he hadn’t noticed the pressure gauge. Even if he ran out of air, he should have been able to swim up once he noticed. Now, it seems he must have been dragged into the currents and drowned.”

Chen Yang suddenly remembered something. “Are there any undercurrents beneath the stream?”

Yi Wuchang froze for a moment before answering. “There are, but it’s impossible to find the entrances because the flow beneath the stream is too strong to check.”

“I see,” Chen Yang replied. He didn’t seem interested in finding the undercurrents but rather wanted to confirm if the hornless dragon in the deep pool was the same one struck by a lightning bolt by mistake in the Yellow River. That dragon couldn’t ascend to the heavens without its horn and had somehow swum to the Yangtze tributary before entering the Dragon’s Prison through an undercurrent. “Let’s head back. We’ll return on the night of the full moon.”

Yi Wuchang glanced at the sky. “Perfect timing—we’ll make it back for dinner.”

Kou Xuanling checked the time. “Even if we’re late, it’s no big deal. We’ll still have dinner.”

Yi Wuchang disagreed. “If it’s after six, it’s not dinner; it’s a late-night snack. And late-night snacks shouldn’t be eaten until after eight. That’s proper health maintenance. You young people have no sense of time.”

Ma Shanfeng and his wife immediately agreed. “Breakfast at seven, lunch at noon, dinner at six, and anything after eight is a late-night snack. Eating at the wrong times isn’t good for your stomach. The experts say so—it’s about health and wellness.” After speaking, they sent a ‘scientific’ wellness article to the group chat.

The younger people looked at each other, unsure of how to respond. Chen Yang turned to see Du Shuo seriously reading one of those wellness articles often shared in parental group chats. “?? Du Shuo, why are you reading that so intently?”

Du Shuo replied, “There’s some logic to it.”

Chen Yang was incredulous. “You’re serious?”

Kou Xuanling, about to tease Chen Yang for doubting Du Shuo, suddenly noticed Lu Xiuzhi exiting the article with an approving expression. Kou Xuanling sighed inwardly. “…Sometimes, it’s best to be kind.”

Chen Yang pulled Kou Xuanling and Zhang Qiudao aside to quietly discuss. “What if they’re right? Nine out of ten doctors agree on these things, don’t they?”

Zhang Qiudao shook his head. “Wake up! That’s the kind of stuff shared in parental group chats.”

Although Chen Yang didn’t have parents, he followed many elder cultivators on WeChat and often saw them forwarding these articles. He’d been curious enough to click on one before but was so shocked by the bizarre advice inside that he quickly exited. “Forget it. I didn’t say anything.”

The group left the Dragon’s Prison and returned to the Wu village just in time for dinner. They sat down to eat at six o’clock, and Yi Wuchang’s family had prepared dishes that catered to everyone’s tastes. The food was delicious, and everyone ate their fill.

After dinner, they saw villagers bringing speakers into the plaza to set up for square dancing. A few people also brought chairs outside for tea. Some tea enthusiasts even brought their own small bamboo stools, tea sets, and leaves, sipping tea between dances and resting whenever they got tired.

Life was simple and carefree; happiness was nothing more than this.

Yi Wuchang sat with a dignified posture. “They come out every day to dance for two hours. After that, they leave on their own and don’t disturb anyone.”

Chen Yang asked, “Yi Wuchang, aren’t you going to lead the dance?”

The High Priestess Yi remained silent, her demeanor subdued as she calmly explained, “I don’t dance. A respectable high priestess doesn’t do public square dancing.”

Just then, an older woman walked over for some tea. When she saw High Priestess Yi, she greeted him cheerfully, “Priestess, the next song is one you know. Care to lead the dance?”

“Ahem!” High Priestess Yi coughed loudly before announcing in a commanding voice, “I don’t do square dancing. Stop asking! Even if you ask me a hundred times, my answer is still no. Go back to your group and don’t talk to me.”

The woman seemed confused and muttered as she walked away, “Weren’t you the one insisting on being the lead dancer? We finally got a song that didn’t look so stiff, and you forced it into the playlist every day. If the group hadn’t protested, you’d still have it on repeat.”

High Priestess Yi picked up her teacup, using it to cover half of her face. The other half was cast in shadow, his expression dark and brooding. “She has facial recognition issues and keeps mistaking me for someone else. It’s not my fault, you understand?”

Chen Yang was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly. He glanced at Kou Xuanling and Zhang Qiudao, who both nodded as well. “We understand,” they said in unison.

Satisfied, High Priestess Yi put down her cup and declared, “Let them dance for an hour tonight. It’ll keep the Belly Demon Child from harming innocents.”

“Isn’t this personal revenge?” The same thought crossed everyone’s minds, but no one was foolish enough to challenge the High Priestess’s authority.

At exactly eight o’clock, High Priestess Yi cut off the electricity and water, shooing everyone away. The villagers protested, “Is it because we didn’t play the only song you can dance to? How about we put it on repeat for half an hour? Let’s be reasonable and keep the peace.”

Unfazed, High Priestess Yi replied, “Tonight, we’re fighting against an evil spirit. We must prevent it from harming the innocent. So go home, lock your doors and windows, and don’t come out for any reason—even if you hear something. If something happens, I won’t be responsible.”

The villagers began whispering among themselves. “I heard from the priestess’s apprentice that the spirit doesn’t show up until midnight. That’s four hours from now. Why can’t we dance for another hour?” “Did someone refuse to let the priestess lead the dance? Tsk, it’s her square, her water. Even if her dancing is awful and she insists on leading, we should let her, right? It’s only one song.” “I invited him just now, and he turned me down.”

High Priestess Yi, still calm and composed, picked up a microphone and cleared her throat. “Have you seen the latest posts in your friend circles? Health experts say no intense exercise after 8 p.m. Go home. All of you.”

The mention of health experts was enough to convince them. Reluctantly, the uncles and aunts shuffled away, but not without checking one last time. “Priestess, you’re not doing this out of spite, are you?”

High Priestess Yi responded with a cold, piercing stare.

The bustling square soon fell silent. High Priestess Yi’s apprentices cleaned up the tea sets, chairs, and tables, tidying the space. Just as they were about to leave, the High Priestess called out to them, “I’ve prepared seats on the second floor. Tonight, you’ll observe how others catch and exorcise spirits. Afterward, go to bed and write me a 3,000-word reflection by morning.”

The apprentices paled at the thought of the essay. Even Chen Yang looked horrified. “A 3,000-word reflection?”

“Of course.” High Priestess Yi was firm. “You can’t neglect your education. High school essays might only be 800 words, but university papers are 10,000.”

Chen Yang edged away from the High Priestess, joining Kou Xuanling and Zhang Qiudao in trembling fear.

In the end, the High Priestess went upstairs with the Ma Shanfeng couple, Kui Xuan, Ji Jiang, the doll-like child, and her apprentices to watch the proceedings. Chen Yang, Kou Xuanling, and Zhang Qiudao stayed downstairs to wait for the Belly Demon Child. Du Shuo and Lu Xiuzhi were also downstairs, sitting silently with their eyes closed, seemingly blending into the background.

The wait was long, so they began chatting to pass the time. Eventually, the conversation turned to the Belly Demon Child. Chen Yang said, “Earlier at the square, I asked around. People said it’s a ghost curse. A sorcerer kills a virgin boy and uses black magic to refine his soul into a ghost servant.”

Zhang Qiudao asked, “What does the Belly Demon Child look like?”

Chen Yang said, “It’s like the Flying Head Curse.” The so-called Flying Head Curse didn’t involve just the head separating from the body—it was the head along with internal organs detaching and flying off to hunt for biological innards to devour.

Zhang Qiudao pointed toward the doorway and asked, “Like that thing over there?”

Chen Yang and Kou Xuanling turned around, and sure enough, a small ghostly human head was floating near the door. Below the head dangled a throat, organs, and intestines. Blood lingered on its lips, likely from tearing open some animal on the way and feasting on its organs. The blood-red heart was still beating rhythmically.

Chen Yang asked, “Who wants to go first?”

Kou Xuanling raised his hand. Chen Yang instructed, “Take it slow—don’t kill it too fast. This is a tutorial; we need to demonstrate step by step.”

Kou Xuanling nodded. “Got it.”

The ghostly head, oblivious to the presence of spiritual insects, was nevertheless excited to see a living person. With its mouth open, it let out a shrill howl and lunged forward at an incredible speed, disappearing mid-flight. It focused on Kou Xuanling, zipping around like a blurred shadow and attempting to bite him with razor-sharp teeth each time it darted by.

The creature’s typical attack method was to rip through the throat of its prey. If it was already full, it would toy with its target before delivering a final, fatal bite. Quick and capable of turning invisible, the creature made ambushes nearly impossible to avoid. Now hovering above, it stared at its prey and let out an eerie, sinister laugh to terrify its victim.

Kou Xuanling dodged the attack, pulled out a peachwood sword and a Five Thunder Talisman, and began the tutorial. “When dealing with something this wicked and toxic, especially a creature that has taken countless innocent lives for selfish reasons, mercy is unnecessary. Don’t concern yourself with its origins; just eliminate it. Peachwood wards off evil, particularly when crafted into a sword. However, not every peachwood sword is effective—you should already know this. Thunderstruck wood can also ward off evil, though it’s less effective than peachwood.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Kou Xuanling spun around and slashed at the ghostly head, breaking through its camouflage and injuring it. The creature let out a piercing scream and rapidly retreated, disappearing again.

In a nearby hotel by the scenic area, a South Seas Wu doctor suddenly let out a cry of pain. He tore open his shirt to reveal a deep wound on his chest. Realizing he had underestimated his opponents, he cursed viciously, “Cunning Chinese! They lied to me! They aren’t ordinary people—they’re Tianshis!”

Kou Xuanling put away his peachwood sword, then thoughtfully returned to his seat. “If you don’t have a peachwood sword or other Taoist instrument, you can use talismans instead. Of all the tools for driving away evil and subduing demons, talismans come in the greatest variety. You don’t need to master them all; just knowing one well and practicing it often will get you far.”

Upstairs, Yi Wuzhang’s apprentices hastily pulled out notebooks and began taking notes. Seeing this, Chen Yang provided an example. “We have a team member named Mao Xiaoli. She knows how to draw a lot of talismans, but the Five Thunder Talisman is her most powerful attack tool. Because she uses it so often, she’s extremely accurate and its effects are incredibly potent. Qiudao, why don’t you show them how to properly use a talisman?”

Zhang Qiudao stood up. “All right.”

Yi Wuzhang instructed her apprentices, “Write it all down.”

Zhang Qiudao said, “The Exorcism Talisman, Suppression Talisman, and Five Thunder Talisman are the simplest and most effective tools for expelling evil. If you need an incantation or mantra, the Golden Light Mantra or the Nine-Word Formula works best.”

He walked to the center of the hall, standing still with his head lowered, his hands relaxed at his sides, brushing against his pants. In his palm, he held a Five Thunder Talisman. When the ghostly head lunged toward him, he performed a backflip to evade it, grabbing its intestines mid-air and slamming it to the ground. After a thorough beating, he shoved the Five Thunder Talisman into the creature’s mouth. Instinctively, it swallowed the talisman, sending it into its stomach.

Zhang Qiudao stepped back a few paces, dusted off his hands, and said, “Now, we detonate it.”

Chen Yang and Kou Xuanling whispered to each other, “As expected, the Five Thunder Talisman… Mao Xiaoli’s…”

The South Seas Wu doctor sensed something was wrong and immediately tried to recall the ghostly head. This ghostly entity, known as a “Head-Body Spirit,” was directly tied to the Wu doctor’s cultivation. Sometimes, these spirits were sent out to hunt for organs to devour and enhance their master’s powers. Other times, they were used as combatants in duels. However, if the spirit was defeated and killed, the Wu doctor would die as well.

Regret overwhelmed the Wu doctor. He had assumed his targets were ordinary people and sent out the Head-Body Spirit in greed for their organs. But now, when he attempted to summon it back, he realized the connection had been severed.

Zhang Qiudao chanted, “Heavenly soldiers and thunder soldiers, heed my command!”

BOOM!

An explosion rang out, blasting the Head-Body Spirit into fragments. At the same time, the Wu doctor in the hotel stumbled a few steps before collapsing to the ground. Within moments, his body decayed and dissolved, leaving behind nothing but an empty set of clothes.

A European magician knocked on the door and entered. Finding no sign of the Wu doctor, he accidentally kicked the abandoned clothes. He stared down at them for a few seconds, then smirked, leaving the room as if nothing had happened. While closing the door, an illusionist from an island nation stood across the hall and asked darkly, “What happened?”

The magician smiled and replied, “Nothing.”

The illusionist insisted, “I want you to look into the identity of that little girl among them today. I want her.”

The magician agreed, “Fine.”

Zhang Qiudao kicked the scattered organs at his feet and looked up at Ma Shanfeng. “Uncle Ma, they don’t seem as dangerous as the thieves you described before.”

Ma Shanfeng waved dismissively. “Back in the day, they were true desperados. These people have grown soft, pampered by luxury. They might get away with harming others abroad using petty tricks, but back home, they’re no match.”

Yi Wuzhang stood up and instructed his apprentices, “Clean up the hall and write a 3,000-word reflection. Everyone else, go get some rest. Experts say losing one night of sleep shortens your life by ten years.” With that, he hurried off to his room to sleep.

Chen Yang said, “Let’s all head back.”

Author’s Note:

Villagers from the Wu Clan: The clan leader’s dancing is so stiff, like a jiangshi! Yet she insists on leading every dance. There’s only one song she can dance to decently, and she plays it on repeat, almost endlessly. So improper!

Yi Wuzhang: My dignity… It’s gone!!!

Oh, right, there’s actually another chapter. My outline is a mess, and I accidentally skipped one. This chapter wraps up tomorrow, and then the next one will really be the final chapter.

P.S.: It’s “magician,” not “wizard.” I didn’t make a mistake. Love ya! ❤️

 

 

 

 

This Title is available for faster chapter releases through paid Patreon membership. Any proceeds go to keeping the website running. Check it out HERE.