Last Dragon Chapter 31: Treat Me Like I’m Your Patriarch

Translated by ethidda of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: KarateChopMonkey

 

Humans were fearless. That wasn’t just boasting. The water clans in the world had shamelessly claimed to be descendants of the true dragon, but only dared to carefully send gifts to test the waters and then request an audience. But humans had even thought of inviting the azure dragon in order to improve their appearances.

After Jin Qianzi heard what Xiaoshen said, he was also speechless. “Well, that’s true. Humans really like to plot. This official thinks that the humans might have just been thinking that they’d try. If it worked, great. If not, Your Highness wouldn’t demean yourself to personally expose them.”

“It’s like that? Sounds plausible.” Xiaoshen thought, it is true, no cultivator would really be bothered over such a small thing, and travel ten thousand li to get back at them. We wouldn’t lose anything by trying.

Jin Qianzi, “Haha. They really are too ridiculous.”

But it seemed Xiaoshen suddenly remembered something, and smiled slightly. “I heard it will be a big occasion. So should I go or not?”

Jin Qianzi, “…Your Highness??”

Jin Qianzi was scared. He had told His Highness as a joke. Such an absurd thing, he never thought it would actually happen. How come His Highness was actually considering it? He had even seemed quite unhappy about it, originally.

One party dared to ask, and the other actually dared to consider it!

“Your highness, this is too ** much ¹ ! You have every kind of treasure. Do you need to let them dispatch you?”

If His Highness flew around a few times wherever they asked, it would be such a loss of status. For such a small thing, it wasn’t worth it. Really not worth it.

“But it sounds like a really large crowd. Where is this country?” Xiaoshen kept asking for details.

Jin Qianzi was very against it. “Your Highness, please reconsider!”

Xiaoshen said lightly, “I just want to have some fun. Shang Jiyu has shown me human holidays. Did you know that they even have a Dragon Dance? It was quite interesting.”

…So it was a continuation of trouble the consort bitch left behind!

Jin Qianzi thought hatefully, this was way too improper. “How can that be the same? If Your Highness is interested, you can secretly go play in the human world. Ask two disciples to keep you company. But you don’t need to agree to do this.”

“I don’t want to go in secret.” Xiaoshen said. “You’re so long-winded. Am I the king or are you?”

“…” Jin Qianzi felt a headache coming on. “How about Your Highness ask the other officials over to discuss this?”

He felt that he couldn’t stop it by himself, and he really didn’t want to be the only one irritating His Highness.

Xiaoshen agreed. So Jin Qianzi went to invite the left historian, the right historian, the starling, His Highness’s disciples, His Highness’s scapegoats, etc all of them.

“…It’s like that. Now His Highness is tempted and feels he must go see the crowd,” Jin Qianzi said as he gave the queen consort a dark look.

Xuan Wuzi was at a loss. “But why am I here?”

But everybody ignored him.

Yuan Gang supported Jin Qianzi. “Teacher, what’s your status? How can you go as an actor in their play!”

What a joke! If his master really went to play the clown, would he really have time to teach him everyday?

The line of people were talking as they entered the palace.

Xiaoshen was already looking enthusiastically at the map. He saw them enter and said, “Look. This Rong Nation is actually pretty big, with a large territory. See, it even borders the North Sea. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to the North Sea.”

Wah, his master was so cute. Yuan Gang was easily swayed. “Teacher hasn’t seen the mountain, river, and land there for ten thousand years. Why can’t he go out and have a good time!”

Jin Qianzi, “…I didn’t say he can’t.”

He said His Highness can go in secret, but he didn’t need to lower his status and go especially to fly a few times for the humans.

Yun Ziran laughed out loud. “This actually seems interesting to me. It may become something memorable. The Dragon King goes sightseeing in the human world, and coincidentally sees the human emperor ascending his throne. He divined the heavens and found that it was a virtuous emperor. So he revealed himself with a gift of sweet rain. From then on, he is worshipped with incense. This becomes a beautiful legend passed on for thousands of years.”

The way Yun Ziran said it, the story changed a bit. There was nothing incorrect about it, but that order of the details got shuffled around.

Even Jin Qianzi paused… Putting it this way, it wasn’t so difficult to accept. With a few words, it even showed off His Highness’s divination powers and his great status. He kept looking at Yun Ziran. He was also a human. No wonder he was so canny.

Xiaoshen also laughed out loud. “Daoist Master Ziran is quite impressive!”

Yun Ziran waved it away, and said with good humor. “That is because this emperor is impressive. I think if Your Highness does not respond to their invitation, they would just fabricate something auspicious themselves.”

Jin Qianzi was shocked again. Wow, humans were really underhanded.

Xiaoshen was a dragon and therefore even more fascinated by the novelty. Dragons didn’t play around like this. No matter how much they boasted, the truth would be obvious once they started fighting. Everything depended on the dragon’s real skills. Take him for example, even though he was Lord Zhenbao’s son, an azure dragon, if he couldn’t win in a fight against his fellow clan members, then he still wouldn’t be king of a big body of water.

But thinking about it more carefully, it wasn’t that unexpected. The humans’ “beautiful legends” all seemed to have a bit of inside story, such as perceiving the golden dragon…

The treacherous consort… No, the queen consort cared even less. Shang Jiyu said, bored, “Such a small thing was worth bringing me over to discuss? If he wants to go, then he should go.”

Jin Qianzi thought, He really is a treacherous consort. He doesn’t care about His Highness’s image at all. No wonder he was willing to fight it out with His Highness even in front of other people.

But with the way Yun Ziran put it, everybody seemed willing to accept this.

As Yuan Gang said, it had been ten thousand years since Xiaoshen had seen the mountains and rivers of the cultivation world. It was normal for him to want to go and seek out some excitement. It was just that as the Dragon King, for him to participate in this kind of ceremony, even if other people never brought it up, the historians would still have to follow along and record it.

Xiaoshen, “Haha. Then when I gift them sweet rainwater, I will probably have to say a few words. I’ll start thinking about it now – Bai Cangnian, get ready. I will only recite it once when the time comes.”

Bai Cangnian, “……“

He watched the excited Dragon King and quietly sighed…

“Jin Qianzi, you go reply to the human ambassador.” Xiaoshen suddenly remembered something and asked, “Right, make sure to get the time correct.  Weren’t there water clan members coming to meet me?”

Jin Qianzi lingered. “Yes, Your Highness… This official will go now.”

Never mind Jin Qianzi, even the human ambassador who came to ask was stupefied. He had never expected the dragon to agree to it.

After all, the distance between the dragon clan and the ordinary humans probably needed another three or five Yuling Sects to bridge. Ordinary people only admired the Yuling Sect from afar, where the cultivators existed. And Xiaoshen was Yuling Sect’s debt-holder.

This ambassador was someone who had only just started cultivating. Maybe a common human would still have some unrealistic fantasy. But he lived in this reality, so understood the distance between them more clearly. He really didn’t have high hopes. Who knew he really managed to invite the dragon.

This was more shocking that Yun Ziran suddenly becoming a famous poet and the dragon historian…

This ambassador said dumbly, “Um… Then what… should we prepare? Would His… His Highness prefer to stay in the lake or in the palace…?“

Jin Qianzi said disdainfully, “Is it livable in a lake? Don’t worry about it. Just pick a good date, and receive him on the day of the ceremony!”

The ambassador almost wanted to say, but our ceremony has many parts. But he took one look at Jin Qianzi’s expression and didn’t dare to say anything. After all, did he really want to plan for His Highness the dragon to fly at a specific time and date? Of course he flew whenever he wanted to, and they would cooperate with him.

……

Never mind how shocked and out of it the human ambassador was, Xiaoshen again started supervising the Yuling disciples to find the Lanyu Lake. He was about to head out, but they still hadn’t found the water. He was going to be going out bald.

The Yuling disciples have done pretty much everything they could ² and really hadn’t found the silk bag that contained the Lanyu Lake.

“Say, can it be that your Master tricked you? That actually, Lanyu Lake had already ascended with her?” Xiaoshen touched his chin, depressed. He had already interrogated Shang Jiyu with this question countless times.

Shang Jiyu looked out the window and said evenly, “Why would she ascend with your water?”

“How would I know? But we just can’t find it. If it’s outside the sect, given to someone else, nobody could keep such a secret without any rumors. Besides, you all say that Chen Miaoxiang was very much a loner and didn’t have a lot of connections with outsiders.” Xiaoshen said, troubled. “I thought about it, and I just feel that she secretly took the water… with her?”

He saw the Shang Jiyu still didn’t say anything, and remained really unreadable. Lately, he sometimes found it hard to tell Shang Jiyu apart. He pushed Shang Jiyu, “Say it quickly if it’s possible. Don’t be like this. Didn’t I already say that I won’t just take the water and run.”

Shang Jiyu, “I know. But my Master had no need to. Even if you find Lanyu Lake, when you ascend, you still wouldn’t bring it with you, right? So why would Master?”

“That’s true.” To Xiaoshen, finding Lanyu Lake was a matter of principle. That was the great lake that he was titled for. It was the one that he fought many dragons for, the one he protected, where he rested. He said despondently, “Sigh, but I really want the Lanyu Lake right now.

Shang Jiyu glanced at the mountain peaks in the distance, and the Yuling disciples who were looking through every square cun. He said comfortingly, “Maybe they’ll find it very soon.”

At this time, Yuan Gang came over too. “Master, the water species all came to visit.”

Lately, Daomi had been sent out to follow Bai Cangnian, this newly arrived sea turtle historian. Everybody felt that it was just so great to have a good relationship with the patriarch. First, he got to follow the dragon, then with the white sea turtle, so many advantages…

“They’re here?” Xiaoshen stretched. “Then let’s go meet them.”

He said to Shang Jiyu, “You should come too.”

Shang Jiyu laughed, “Me, too?”

Xiaoshen said confidently, “Of course you should come.”

Xiaoshen had decided to appear together with his consort, to prevent the water species from thinking that their Highness and his consort were not in love, that they still had a chance and continue to send their people over. That would be troublesome.

When they arrived at the main palace hall, they saw that Jin Qianzi, Bai Cangnian, Yun Ziran, and other subordinates were already present. Even the Yuling disciples were present to keep order. Not everyone fit inside the palace. A large number of the water species stood outside the palace. They all wore their most elaborate outfits. The pearls and gems glittered so brightly people almost couldn’t keep their eyes open.

Xiaoshen came out from the room in the back. He was silent and kept to himself, just appearing quietly.

Even so, all of the cultivators noticed him the moment he appeared, especially the water species. They had been chatting in small groups, but stopped all at once. Their heads had been held high, but now they lowered them, in front of his highness, who had two delicate dragon horns on his forehead.

Bai Cangnian also glanced at Xiaoshen. Nobody had yet seen what it was like for a dragon to receive water species paying their respects.

—Unlike the typical water species, like the one who had sent over the pretty fish, these were the current kings of their own water courts. Since the dragon clan had ascended, they had been the most honored rulers.

From just appearances, Xiaoshen was only an azure dragon who had barely reached adulthood. He even acted somewhat violent and unreasonable normally. Maybe it was only when he was cutting down Yang Su Jiao’s feet that he seemed majestic at all. Nobody knew how he would act right now.

But since he was now the only dragon, the water species would probably suck up to him no matter how well he performed.

Xiaoshen just lazily sat down on the jade chair that Jin Qianzi had prepared for him. Shang Jiyu sat on his left.

Xiaoshen was not dressed up like these water species, but was in his day-to-day clothes. The usual cloud belt was still on his waist. He glanced around, a dark green light flashing in his eyes. The water species in the palace found the hearts skipping, and simultaneously made a deep bow.

Xiaoshen nodded lightly and said simply, “Today, there is a rainbow bridging the sky and the air is filled with humidity. It will probably rain at night.”

For a moment, the water species were all a bit confused. Some legends had mentioned that when meeting an ancient dragon, one always mentioned a recent bout of rain. But because it had been too long ago, nobody could confirm that as fact.

Xiaoshen’s words provided the strongest proof, and this one simply-said sentence made the water species burst with emotions all at once. It made them feel deeply that they were visiting a Dragon King from ten thousand years ago, and how honored they were for that.

Nobody had paid respects to a dragon before. Other than legends, they had also heard that even though His Highness was an azure dragon, he was currently very poor, with few things of value. Even his body of water had been stolen. And he was young… Looking at him now, none of that affected his calm at all.

Even more surprised than these water species were the Yuling disciples. They started doubting if the Xiaoshen they had known was the true one.

That day, when he fought Yang Su, even though he had the force of a true dragon, he was still somewhat unrefined. Normally, at Yuling, he seemed at most arrogant and tyrannical… Now, acting completely understatedly, without even showing his dragon form, he still made these water species elated.

The water species followed Xiaoshen’s lead on the conversation and started discussing today’s rain. Some of the older, normally sedate water species actually stuttered, rushing to share their own judgment of today’s rainwater, to show off their abilities.

Xiaoshen’s opening line was said very casually, and then let everyone talk awhile. It was as if he was observing everyone’s performance. He only nodded neutrally, his dark green eyes as cool as his dragon form. “Years ago, a great god pointed out the mountains, rivers, lakes, and oceans as the veins and arteries of the sky and the earth, and set the fate forever after. All the water species in the world use techniques of the real water, and follow the laws of the azure dragons. Lord Zhenbao ascended with just one sentence. Nobody else has been able to repeat his dharma (??). In ancient times, they say, ‘dive into the ocean to cultivate, or come out of the water and follow the dragons’. Today, at Yuling, even though there is not a great lake, only water from the Ligou River, you should not have been asked to journey so far to return.”

Everybody’s eyes widened. What… What was the meaning of this?

Xiaoshen raised his hand. “If you want to walk on the Great Way, you must take hold of the Divine Opportunity.”

The Ligou River left its original path, and surged up into a coil in the sky above them. The silhouette of an azure dragon appeared within it. But the Yuling disciples knew right away that this was definitely not Xiaoshen. Its body was even more enormous. Its eyes were cool, yet compassionate, making it difficult for others to look directly at him.

The azure dragon howled long at the sky. Nobody knew why. But in the confusion, they only knew that the sound seemed to encompass countless Ways, and hit them directly at Ling Tai ³ .

After that moment, there was no need for any explanation. Everybody shook with excitement. They understood that this must have been the moment Lord Zhenbao transcended the Way!

Almost everybody, not just the water species, all sat down in the lotus position, to intuit the deeper meaning within. Even if the illusion couldn’t show Lord Zhenbao in his entirety, even if they couldn’t understand what he was saying, even if they could only understand one percent of the Way of the azure dragon, then it would be incomparably beneficial.

Even if they had already confirmed their Way to reach enlightenment, it was still very advantageous.

Xiaoshen scanned the audience, and took in everyone’s expressions. Another moment, and he finally waved his hand, removing the illusion.

“Sigh…“

Everywhere, they sighed.

Everyone stared at Xiaoshen’s hand, as if countless treasures were hidden there.

Even without the Lanyu Lake, His Highness… others would still yearn for him, after all. In just his breath, one could see that the origin of water techniques existed within him!

Right away, the water species all bowed to him again most sincerely. Even though they had never seen a Dragon King before, they were not at all disappointed with His Highness Xiaoshen’s performance. In fact, it far exceeded their expectations.

Xiaoshen only asked then, “I took a look… How come there aren’t many Jiao?”

His tone now was much more casual. Those who knew him well suspected that he had been laying a trap, because now all the water species must support him no matter what he said.

One of the Jiao stood forward right away to answer, “Your Highness! Actually, a few days ago, many of the Jiaos had their Jiao pearls stolen. Some were injured and dead. Plus, they have been suspicious of each other, fighting each other, so they were delayed. This minister was thinking, if Your Highness can take charge of the situation…“

Xiaoshen said with a bad attitude, “You want me to take charge of your infighting? Do you take me for your patriarch?”

Yuling disciples, “???”

The Jiao awkwardly nodded, scolding himself. “Yes, yes. The Jiao are contentious people who infight, not dependable. Your Highness, please don’t take offense. I’m sure they will come later to ask for their punishment.”

“I can’t be bothered. Or should I wait for them?” Xiaoshen said harshly, “I’m going on an outing for fun in a few days.”

Eh? His Highness is going out to play…?

All the water species were suddenly hopeful and started jabbering to suggest their own territory. Each one claimed that their place was the most fun in the cultivation world.

“You all, don’t worry about it. I’m going to play with my consort.” Xiaoshen said, holding Shang Jiyu’s hand. According to what Daoist Master Ziran said, he obviously couldn’t tell these water species that he was going to act in a show.

The water species bemoaned the missed opportunity.

Shang Jiyu turned his hand to also hold Xiaoshen, and even gave him a squeeze. “Your Highness is being so thoughtful.”

Actually, it wasn’t really anything, but Xiaoshen thought too much into it and his face turned red. “Hmm…“

Shang Jiyu, “……“

The water species saw that His Highness had crimson cheeks and thought to themselves, they say that people only blushed when they were emotional. But with His Highness’s flair, he clearly looked majestic. Ancient dragons were truly elegant creatures.

After all, they had no other dragons to compare him with.

So, presently, many of the water species started blushing as well.

Xiaoshen invited everybody to a dinner banquet. The Yuling disciples led the way for the water species. Xuan Wuzi stood in front of an old turtle and said loudly, “Elder, this way please—”

The old turtle lifted his head. He had somehow forced two rosy cheeks on his wrinkly face. He said in a thin, delicate voice, “Hmm…“

Xuan Wuzi, “……”