Chapter 30: The Transformation into a Dragon

After I finished speaking, Chen Yanlong cast a disdainful glance at me. He did not believe I was capable of entering the water to subdue the demon; the creature in this artificial lake was no ordinary beast. It was a green snake that had attained a level of spiritual cultivation and showed faint signs of transforming into a dragon. Had he not been protected by his own Profound Yang energy, he likely would have met the same fate as Butcher Gao—dropping dead on the spot.

I ignored Chen Yanlong’s mockery, walking with long, purposeful strides to the edge of the artificial lake, where I sat cross-legged. I arranged the ritual instruments I carried around me; though they appeared somewhat aged, they were authentic, high-quality treasures. With these items by my side, I could safely enter the water to subdue the demon. Before diving in, I took several paper-crafted items from my bag. I had prepared them beforehand: a green-clad handmaiden, miniature mountains of gold and silver, and elaborate celestial palaces. I had crafted these myself using silver-fir paper, an exceptionally expensive material in the world of Feng Shui. Such paper is rare, and I had spent a small fortune to acquire it.

"Are you capable or not? If not, get lost. Don't waste everyone's time here." One of the Feng Shui masters in Chen Yanlong’s faction began to speak insolently. I knew well that these men were merely Chen’s lackeys, here to bolster their master’s reputation. Ignoring their barking, I burned the offerings and folded my hands, chanting softly: "Mountain Lord and Lake God above, I, Chen Qiyue, offer these tributes today to enter the water and purge the demon, ensuring the peace of this region. I beseech the Great God to grant protection; this believer is eternally grateful!"

I knew the water demon in this lake was deeply cultivated. Even before entering, I felt a pair of sinister eyes staring at me with malice. If I were to enter without making a gesture of respect, my situation would be dire. Watching the offerings burn brightly, I knew this had succeeded—at the very least, the Lake God would protect me while I worked. But just as I felt a surge of joy, a black cloud drifted from nowhere, cloaking the sky above me. Thunder rumbled, threatening a downpour. This anomaly caused Chen Yanlong and his cohorts to scowl; they assumed my offerings had worked and that the demon was willing to depart. However, they soon realized the situation was not so simple.

A sudden, violent downpour erupted, drenching my burning offerings and turning them into useless sludge. This turn of events caused an immediate shift in the attitude of Chen and his men. They burst into loud laughter, looking at me as if I were a mere jester. "Chen Qiyue, you are a useless fool. Your Qingma Physiognomy techniques are long obsolete; hurry back to your hometown. Our provincial capital does not welcome you!" Their taunts were a hundred times harsher than before, but I remained undeterred. Furrowing my brow, I wrapped my body in my own Profound Yang energy.

Since this water demon was so ungrateful, I had no more to say. I formed a seal with my hands, cast a breath-holding incantation, and plunged into the lake with a splash. I had an intuition that this water demon had been intentionally placed here by Chen Yanlong. He was so desperate to force the marriage between his grandson and Liu Qingqing that he resorted to such unscrupulous tactics. The fact that Chen had already entered the water earlier to slice off a few scales from the demon only confirmed my suspicion—this creature was clearly of extreme value to him. If that was the case, then it was even better. I would eliminate the beast and make the Chen Mansion regret their actions.

Under the water, I held my breath and pressed forward, my body encased in Profound Yang energy. If the demon wanted to harm me, it would take significant effort. After only a few steps, I felt an immense pressure crashing toward me. I dodged, only to find a massive green snake looming before me. It was as thick as an adult’s waist and some eight or nine meters long—far larger than the black snake I had encountered at Uncle Hu’s home. Having missed its first strike, it did not attack again but instead reared its body upright in the water, showing clear signs of its impending dragon transformation.

I finally understood why Chen Yanlong was so reluctant to part with it. A snake on the verge of becoming a dragon was a creature of immense potential. If one could absorb its fortune at the moment of transformation, it would be a tremendous windfall. This was surely why Chen had kept it alive. I smiled; Chen Yanlong was in for a rude awakening today. Now that I had found this great serpent, he would never lay hands on it again. It was mine.

The snake flickered its tongue, seemingly trying to communicate. It was pleading for mercy, asking me to spare it. It seemed to sense that I was different from Chen Yanlong’s group and sought my help. To show it had no hostility, it drifted closer and nudged my palm with its head. This complicated matters, but seeing its docile nature, I decided to take it as my pet. It was a bit large, so I would have to sneak it home.

"Green snake, listen to me," I said. "Cultivation is not easy. A great snake enters the river to become a flood dragon, and the sea to become a true dragon. There is no river or sea here; it is difficult to transform. Stay hidden here, and I will prepare the means to save you."

"But you must promise me: once I save you, you will follow me and obey my commands. Can you accept this?" As soon as I finished, the snake nodded repeatedly. Its intelligence was high; it understood me perfectly. Even so, I placed my right hand on its forehead to imprint the terms of the spiritual contract. Once I was certain it understood, I swam to the surface. To save the creature, I needed one more thing—my peach-wood sword, which I had left on the shore. I wasn't afraid of Chen Yanlong interfering; a master of his level would be too proud to stoop to such petty obstruction.

As I surfaced, Liu Sihai and Liu Qingqing ran over. I could see tears welling in Qingqing’s eyes; she had not expected me to come for her. Liu Sihai looked troubled, unsure of what to say. Although I had saved his family's lives repeatedly, he would not allow the Liu family’s fortune to be ruined on his watch. Even if it meant pushing his daughter into a pit of fire, he felt he had no choice.

One of Chen’s lackeys, seeing I had emerged empty-handed, was overjoyed. He whispered to Chen Yanlong before announcing, "The water demon has been wounded by our Master and has fled this area. Master Liu, you can live in your home in peace; our Master guarantees no evil spirits will disturb you again. Furthermore, he will personally perform a ritual to re-gather your fortune. In a few days, you will be a man of great wealth once more!"

"Thank you, Master Chen. With your word, I am at ease," Liu Sihai replied, beaming at me.

"In that case, Master Liu, please prepare for the wedding of Qingqing and Chen Feng as soon as possible. The sooner they marry, the better it will be for the Liu family!" Liu Sihai nodded and grabbed Qingqing’s arm to pull her toward the villa. She tried to resist but was no match for her father. She looked at me, closing her eyes in despair. It seemed the mountain boy tied to her fate had failed after all.

At that moment, I gripped the peach-wood sword from the shore and shouted at Chen Yanlong and the crowd: "If your skills are lacking, keep your nonsense to yourselves. Watch as I, Chen Qiyue, purge this water demon with a single strike!"