If it weren’t for Ning Shaosi’s mention, Lou Muge would have almost forgotten about this old friend.
Back when he first met Wen Qingmian, that kid used to be a crybaby, tears and snot flowing together at the slightest scare. Unexpectedly, over these years, he had defeated his elder brothers and ascended the throne.
Lou Muge fell into contemplation. Looking at it this way, Wen Changchu might still call him uncle.
After a long silence, Ning Shaosi didn’t interrupt his thoughts. Later, in the tranquility, Lou Muge suddenly spoke, “The thing Wen Changchu gave you, don’t eat it.”
Ning Shaosi didn’t understand, but nodded obediently.
When they arrived at the Sleeping Dragon Spring, they found that Zhang Rong and the others had already arrived, and Wen Changchu was happily arguing with Ze Wan.
Ze Qian glimpsed their figures, turned around, and spoke impatiently, “Lou Shengsheng? What are you doing here?”
“Boss, why did you come so late? These three have almost probed the depths of this spring.” Wen Changchu, upon seeing Lou Muge, stopped arguing with Ze Wan and happily ran over, squeezing Ning Shaosi to the side.
Lou Muge still remembered the spicy meat pie that nearly sent him to the afterlife this morning, glared at him with dissatisfaction, and whispered fiercely, “You stinky kid, I’ll settle the score with you later!”
Wen Changchu, confused, scratched his head. Before he could ask, Lou Muge said, “What are they here for?”
“I don’t know. I followed them all the way here.” Wen Changchu mumbled, “Did they eavesdrop on the information we were investigating?”
“Don’t think of us as dirty as you are. We immortals act with integrity!” Ze Wan scolded angrily.
“You see, eavesdropping on our conversation again,” Wen Changchu said.
Ze Wan was so angry that his face turned red and his neck thickened. He was choking, caught in the moment of silence. At this quiet interval, Zhang Rong said, “Gentlemen, I have already investigated this spring. There is no aura of demonic presence, and the spring water is clear, safe to consume.”
“Has Lord Zhang Rong been to the bottom of the spring?” Lou Muge asked.
“Not really,” Zhang Rong said.
Ze Wan snorted, “Lord Zhang Rong is of the dragon clan, born from water. If he investigates, there’s no need to go underwater.”
Lou Muge shifted his gaze to the water surface. “Some things cannot be detected by spiritual power.”
Surrounding the spring water were lush trees and even wildflower clusters. The spring water flowed down from a hundred-foot-high mountain stream, with a continuous sound of water.
“I advise you not to bother. The strange illnesses in the village have nothing to do with food. It’s a curse,” Ze Qian said.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Obe Zeuf gjlrfv jc fsfygbk. “C megrf? Lbk wemt vb sbe xcbk jybea la?”
If Hljc kjr jybea ab rqfjx yea kjr rabqqfv ys If Qjc, ktb mbcogbcafv Obe Zeuf, rjslcu, “Qts rtbeiv kf afii sbe? Po sbe kjca ab xcbk, lcnfralujaf la sbegrfio!”
“If Qjc.” Itjcu Ebcu kjgcfv tfg, rbecvlcu wbgf ilxf jvnlmf atjc gfqgbjmt.
Wen Changchu, angry yet disdainful, said, “We don’t care about your petty information. Hurry up and get lost!”
Zhang Rong had a touch of coldness between his eyebrows, bid farewell, and took Ze Wan and Ze Qian away, who were still about to continue cursing.
“Puh!” Wen Changchu sneered. “Immortals have always been like this, always pretending.”
“I agree with that,” Lou Muge added. If he weren’t in the midst of a trial, he would have liked to teach a lesson to that little girl named Ze Wan. He hadn’t worn such a ferocious expression in a long time.
After Zhang Rong and the others left, Lou Muge untied the cloak around him and threw it on the ground. “I’m going down to take a look.”
Wen Changchu looked at him. “Can you swim?”
Lou Muge nodded, took off his cotton clothes, stretched his muscles, and agilely jumped into the spring water. The biting cold instantly enveloped his body.
He felt much more comfortable in the water because this body originally belonged to a fish demon. When Lou Muge found him, he had just been dissected for his demon core, not surviving for long.
He swam easily to the bottom of the water, his eyes clear in the murky surroundings. He reached into the soil, stirring up a lot of dust. Lou Muge groped around for quite a while, encountering either stones or clumps of soil. Just as he was losing patience, he touched a hard wooden stick.
Pulling the stick out of the soil, he found it was a broken feathered arrow. The iron head was already rusted, and the shaft was corroded, losing its original shape. He frowned slightly, throwing the arrow aside to continue his search. Soon, he found a hunting knife, an axe, and similar items.
Only after stirring up the bottom until it was completely murky did Lou Muge find what he was looking for. He swam to the water’s surface.
As he touched the shore, someone grabbed his wrist and pulled him onto the bank. Lou Muge turned in surprise and saw Ning Shaosi crouching beside him, wrapping the cloak around him.
Ning Shaosi crouched next to him, warmth emanating from his palms, dispelling the cold from Lou Muge’s entire body. His eyes were full of seriousness. “What did you find?”
Wen Changchu also approached. “You’ve been down for so long; I thought you encountered something in the water.”
“The water is clean, no demonic aura,” Lou Muge said. Unexpectedly, this young man was so considerate. Smirking at him, he proudly revealed what he held in his hand. “But I found this.”
In his palm lay a black scale, shimmering with moisture.
Wen Changchu was astonished at the sight. “So, the rumor about the Black Dragon is true?”
Ning Shaosi discerned the situation at a glance. “This is a dragon scale.”
Wen Changchu was even more surprised. “No wonder there’s no demonic aura. So, the affairs in Shan An village were caused by this dragon.”
“This dragon left long ago,” Lou Muge said. “Fifty years ago, people from Shan An attempted to capture and kill the dragon that lay at the bottom of the water, unknowingly angering it. The dragon, in its rage, summoned storms and floods. The people of Shan An sought help from the Water Goddess, and whether it was due to the dragon’s inability to contend with the Water Goddess or it had simply grown tired of the mischief, it left.”
“People in Shan An village truly know how to court death,” Wen Changchu shook his head, sighing.
“The strange ailment in the village has another cause. I don’t know what curse they’re talking about,” Lou Muge sat on the ground, grasping the grass beneath him. “This is too troublesome, and it gives me a headache.”
“I know,” Wen Changchu grinned. “I overheard it while tracking them.”
Lou Muge gave him an approving look. “Quick, tell me.”
“Anyone in the village who contracts that strange blind ailment is an elderly person over fifty…”
He didn’t finish, as Lou Muge interrupted, “What about that brother from the Tao family?”
Wen Changchu hesitated. “Indeed, it seems they’re making things up again!”
Lou Muge waved his hand. “Forget it, let them busy themselves with nonsense. We need to go back; there’s something else we need to do.”
In the time it took to say these few words, the water stains on his body had already dried, and he felt warm all over. After putting on his cotton clothes, the three of them headed back together.
Lou Muge was concerned about Zhao Shu, the neighbor next door, who, as mentioned by Chang Anning yesterday, had started losing his eyesight.
Quite coincidentally, as they returned, they heard about another person contracting the strange ailment. A commotion was brewing in the streets. Lou Muge and the others hurried over, pushing through the crowded layers of people. They witnessed a man tightly bound, rolling on the ground, emitting hoarse, strange cries.
People around them were discussing fearfully, and every uttered word was filled with dread.
Standing next to the man were Zhang Rong and the others, along with an old woman and a weeping woman, holding each other. Nearby, there were two young men.
One of them knelt before Zhang Rong and the others, pleading, “Honored immortals, please save my father! He’s always been an honest man and never done anything wrong! How could this happen to him?”
“Indeed, Old Zhao is simple and honest. I’ve never seen him harbor ill intentions in his whole life.”
“What a pitiful man…”
“Could it be that the more virtuous one is, the more calamity befalls them?” The crowd continued to discuss, staring at Zhang Rong and the others, as if expecting them to handle the situation.
Zhang Rong frowned, and Zhe Qian voiced his thoughts, “No demonic aura, so where does this strange ailment come from?”
“Lord, let’s save this man first,” Zhe Wan said, looking at the man writhing on the ground with compassion.
The man emitted a harsh roar, his face contorted with anger, and his eyes, without pupils, appeared terrifying. Zhang Rong’s palm emitted a condensed light, enveloping the man. The light circulated around him, finally entering his forehead, causing the man to stop struggling, close his eyes, and faint.
The sons carried the man, covered in mud, back to their house, and most of the remaining people dispersed. A few lingered around Zhang Rong and the others, chattering incessantly. Lou Muge took the opportunity to leave.
“It’s really strange. Who could be scheming behind the scenes with no trace of flaws?” Lou Muge squatted on the roadside, unable to comprehend.
This Shan An village was too clean, devoid of any sinister energy, making it the biggest challenge for them.
Ning Shaosi walked to his side and crouched down, glancing at him.
Seeing Lou Muge silent, Wen Changchu came over, attempting to squeeze in, but Ning Shaosi sidestepped, causing Wen Changchu to sit in a snow pit, annoyed. “Why do you always follow us?”
Ning Shaosi seemed oblivious to his hostility, blinking his big eyes, as if following them was perfectly natural.
Wen Changchu discontentedly asked, “I don’t buy into your act. Spit it out! Are you hiding some sinister intentions?”
Luo Muge gave him a stern look, “Why are you so hostile, little brat? You’re both from the demonic clan; you should be loving and caring toward each other.”
This statement immediately faced opposition from the two, even the usually gentle Ning Shaosi frowned slightly, and Wen Changchu sneered in disgust.
Feeling a bit rejected, Luo Muge decided not to meddle in the two kids’ relationship anymore. He instructed, “We’ll split up. Wen Changchu, you follow those three immortals and see if they’ve gathered any other information. Xiao Shier, investigate if there’s any connection or commonality among those afflicted by the strange illness.”
“Why follow them?” Wen Changchu grumbled unwillingly, “Every time I see them, I can’t control my urge to draw my knife…”
Luo Muge patted his shoulder, speaking seriously, “Your task is crucial; the hope of unraveling this mystery rests on you.”
Feeling entrusted with an important mission, Wen Changchu suddenly dropped all complaints, stiffening his expression, “Boss, rest assured! I’ll handle things properly!”
Luo Muge nodded in agreement, thinking that these matters were too peculiar; rushing wouldn’t be the solution, and they needed to stay in Shan An for a while.
____
Translator’s note: Starting today, updates will only be on Wednesdays.
Thank You for the new chapter (♡´艸`)
I feel like it’s the villagers own fault for angering the dragon and having this curse befall on them 🤷♀️
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TRANSLATING! I’ve been looking for this book for a long time, after reading Fox Demon Cultivation Manual. 🙂
<3
thx for the chapter.