Chapter 134: Tugging at the Heartstrings

Although they had heard of this little golden dragon before, they had never been able to sense its presence. Yet ever since seeing the golden dragon this time, they felt an inexplicable connection between it and the two of them.

Exchanging a glance, the two walked toward the golden dragon. After offering a polite bow, the Water Leopard of Mount Ji first spoke, "Many thanks, Brother Golden Dragon. If not for your intervention, my brother and I would have perished here."

The golden dragon returned the bow and replied, "You two need not be so formal. This was entirely the Divine Venerable's idea. Were it not for the Divine Venerable, even I might have died at the hands of the Dragon Lord."

The great flood dragon was burning with anxiety, but with the Dragon Lord and Wang Yuanfeng having gone inside, he dared not act rashly. He could only wait here, hoping to glean some information from the golden dragon's words.

Knowing that he needed to help the great flood dragon rescue the dragon princess, and realizing that all the others combined were no match for the Dragon Lord—leaving the unfathomable Divine Venerable as the decisive factor—the Water Leopard of Mount Ji followed up on the golden dragon's remark, asking, "Brother Golden Dragon, what is the origin of that Divine Venerable? Might you share a thing or two with us?"

"I do not know the specifics myself," the golden dragon pondered for a moment before continuing, "However, the Dragon Lord is a person of immense fortune and great magical power, and his cultivation is of an unfathomable depth. That I have achieved what I have today is also entirely thanks to the Divine Venerable."

Upon hearing this, the two were struck with sudden realization. Just two years ago, this golden dragon was merely a minor spirit; who would have imagined that after a mere two years, its cultivation would be on par with their own? Such progress was impossible without a miraculous encounter. Hearing this, they grew deeply respectful toward the Divine Venerable.

Standing aside, Prime Minister Turtle found this somewhat incredible as well, but upon recalling the terrifying methods Wang Yuanfeng had just displayed, he grew at ease.

At this moment, the great flood dragon could no longer hold back and blurted out, "Brother Golden Dragon, could you introduce us and help me rescue the dragon princess? If you do, I, your brother, am willing to offer the entire Taixuan Lake on a silver platter."

"Haha, that won't be necessary. The Divine Venerable came here precisely for this matter. You need only wait in peace; all will be revealed in due time," the golden dragon said with a smile.

Although the Water Leopard of Mount Ji found this slightly peculiar, he had other thoughts. No one would help out of the blue, leaving aside the intricate web of interests for the moment; regardless, this favor was a heavy debt incurred. He glanced at the great flood dragon, knowing his sworn brother was a deeply loyal and emotional man, and inwardly smiled bitterly. It seemed this time they would have to pay a heavy price.

After Wang Yuanfeng and the Dragon Lord of Dongting Lake took their seats, several prawn soldiers and crab generals successively carried in jars of wine. Sensing the time was right, Wang Yuanfeng spoke, "Passing through your esteemed domain this time, I was deeply struck by the chaos in the world. Upon entering Dongting Lake, I suddenly comprehended the method of attaining divinity. This method of achieving divinity belongs to the true deities of heaven and earth; as long as heaven and earth endure, the divine path shall never perish."

Upon hearing this, the words struck right at the core of the Dragon Lord's desires. Anxious to hear the rest, he said, "The Divine Venerable is truly a man of great talent. Could you offer some guidance?"

"Gladly," Wang Yuanfeng said as he unsealed a jar of wine and continued, "Wine is the elixir of longevity, and the path of longevity lies within the realm of the hazy and indistinct. With wine to guide the way, one may unlock the gates of the heart."

Finding this logical, the Dragon Lord thought of how his usual meditation and Qi refinement were precisely in this state—hazy, profound, and mysterious—where divine intent began to stir and one could gather vital breath. At this moment, nothing else existed in his field of vision; there were only the two of them sitting opposite each other, discoursing on the Dao.

All perception of the surrounding world vanished long ago, leaving only this space within a radius of ten feet. He picked up a jar of wine, broke the mud seal, raised it in a distant toast to Wang Yuanfeng, and said, "Come, bottoms up!"

Wang Yuanfeng mirrored his actions precisely, without the slightest deviation. Afterward, the Dragon Lord drained the millennium-old vintage in a single breath.

Lowering his wine jar alongside him, Wang Yuanfeng said, "The stars of heaven and earth are arrayed across the void, uniting to commune with the Big Dipper. The Big Dipper governs life, housing seven sovereign spirits who are ancient, undying deities."

Hearing this, the Dragon Lord felt as though he were floating in the starry expanse, beholding seven sovereign spirits who had existed since antiquity, surrounded and guarded by a multitude of stars.

Then, voices echoed from all four directions: "Among the heavens and earth, there are three hundred and sixty-five principal stars, all of which are ancient and undying stellar deities."

Gazing into the starry sky, the Dragon Lord watched as three hundred and sixty-five stars appeared once more, each star seemingly harboring a majestic palace.

He stared intently at these palaces, filled with boundless envy. It seemed as though a long time had passed without hearing the next sentence. He only felt an overwhelming sense of profound solitude emanate from the starry expanse, as if he too were about to dissolve into that desolation. Suddenly, the counter-scale on his neck flashed twice, jolting the Dragon Lord back to awareness. He felt as though he had just comprehended something, yet failed to grasp it firmly.

Seized by a sense of frantic frustration, he recalled the wine Wang Yuanfeng had mentioned, unsealed another jar, and said, "The Divine Venerable is truly a man of great talent. Please dispel my doubts."

With that, he drained it in one go. Feeling that he had yet to truly enter the state, he unsealed yet another jar and gulped it down. After three consecutive jars, his head began to swim dazedly. He looked toward Wang Yuanfeng, hoping the latter would tell him more.

Wang Yuanfeng was left dumbstruck, a million crows cawing across his mind, fighting down an urge to vomit blood.

To put it simply, the art of Zhu You was akin to hypnosis—guiding a person into a specific mental field to unearth inner vulnerabilities. The difference was that Zhu You was used for self-cultivation and the transmission of the Great Dao, whereas hypnosis was somewhat simpler, though the principle was similar. It could save lives, and it could also kill.

His original intention was to use this to guide the Dragon Lord into dissolving into the Dao and vanishing from this world. However, the counter-scale on his neck had flashed, pulling him out of that state. Realizing the situation was turning perilous, Wang Yuanfeng had already prepared to deploy his flying sword to pluck out the Dragon Lord's counter-scale first; after all, this sort of matter constituted a mortal enmity that could not be reconciled.

Yet, contrary to expectations, not only did the Dragon Lord not attack, he did not harbor even a shred of malice. Instead, he had effectively hypnotized himself. Although the depth was shallow, it was certainly enough to kill him several times over.

Wang Yuanfeng hardly knew what to say. Figuring that since they were engaged in a discourse on the Dao, he might as well continue, but it had to be tailored to the Dragon Lord's tastes.

Reflecting on the Dragon Lord's persistent behavior, it stemmed from a lack of inner security—likely the result of psychological trauma during his youth. He viewed everyone through the lens of being wronged by others, which ultimately shaped the person he was today.

Thus, he continued speaking: "Sages stand between heaven and earth, imposing their own Dao upon others. Those who submit are deemed good; those who oppose are deemed evil, treated like ravenous beasts and floods."

"Furthermore, the Buddha came from the Western Paradise, imposing his Pure Land upon others through faith, vows, and practice, failing to realize that this faith, vows, and practice belong to the Buddha, not to anyone else."

"And since the twilight of antiquity, while the teachings of the Qi refiners Laozi and Zhuangzi faded, the Daoist sect established itself in the world. Mortals cultivate the immortal Dao to seek absolute freedom, yet upon entering the gate, they are immediately bound by precepts and rigid frameworks in their conduct through the world. One wonders whether such actions constitute the path of immortals or merely the path of men."

"Monarchs sit in possession of the realm, governing with their own imperial will. When the sovereign is enraged, the people tremble; when the sovereign is sorrowful, the common folk grieve. If the monarch does not eat meat, the common people subsist on chaff. One cannot help but wonder: is the monarch the realm, or is the realm the monarch? Where do the common people fit in?"

"Layer upon layer of imitation is hailed as virtue, completely oblivious to the countless shackles binding them, having lost their true selves long ago. A thousand-year-old turtle delights in wallowing in foul mud, yet when draped in red and green and placed in an ancestral temple, its fate is no longer its own."

"What is the ultimate truth? It is said: As long as the sages do not die, the grand bandits shall never cease!"

"Puff!" Upon hearing this, the Dragon Lord was already streaming with tears. Especially upon hearing the lines 'As long as the sages do not die, the grand bandits shall never cease,' the accumulated grievances within his body surged to their absolute peak. A surge of fury welled up in his heart, causing him to spew a mouthful of blood.