Releasing a Dragon into a Den of Dogs
“Yesterday, my family and I were robbed by thieves while we were traveling through the southern forest. I am the only remaining family member. My father sacrificed his life to save me. Since then, I have been running away for half a day until I reached this village…”
“Why did you have to lie to me!!”
Leng San’s story was cut short by the girl’s exclamation. The boy frowned, his mouth hanging open for a split second. The girl then continued…
“I witnessed you and Elder Chun Jiangtu this morning. No thief would’ve been able to take you down. And do not even mention your father, with you as his son, your entire clan is probably one of the best in this continent.”
The color drained from Leng San’s face.
‘Shit!! Not only her beauty that could put the town into chaos, but her intelligence is also equally petrifying. No excuse could convince her otherwise.’
As Leng San was dumbfounded by the girl’s deduction, suddenly, there was a sound of someone entering the residence.
“The owner of the residence is back. Get ready!!”
The girl immediately turned towards the door. Leng San switched to stealth mode and used this chance to get out of the girl’s sight.
‘I would be in deep trouble if the village chief came a bit later. I must find a plausible excuse to convince the girl before she tells her father.’
Once Leng San came back to his room, Chun Jiangtu was waiting for him.
“Come with me to meet the village chief,” Chun Jiangtu instructed Leng San and started walking towards the central part of the residence. Leng San had no choice but to follow him back.
The village chief, Xiaolin Lun, a man of large stature, was waiting for them in the common room located at the center of the residence. The qi radiated from him was at the ninth level of the blue stage, only one a step away from the green qi. In the middle of the room, he was sitting on his favorite chair, the one with a giant eagle carved into it. With a troubled expression, he rested his right elbow onto the chair’s arm, holding his head. To the right was an elegant young man around the young age of twenty whose qi stood at the eighth level of the indigo stage. Simply put, he was one of the prodigies. His name was Xiaolin Fong, the son of the village chief.
“With respect, father and elder brother.”
‘She’s here.’
Leng San looked at Xiaolin Lun’s daughter, who walked to the front of the door. Their eyes met for half a breath before Leng San turned the other way, acting as if nothing happened.
“Oh! There’s no need to come out and greet me, my dear daughter. Your health must come first.”
Her name was Xiaolin Yue, Xiaolin Lun’s daughter. She had a weak body since birth so she couldn’t practice martial arts, which means that she didn't have qi. The main reason that Xiaolin Lun, the fourth son of the Indigo Cloud City’s governor, chose to settle down at this village was his daughter, whose beauty could send a city into chaos.
“You’re exaggerating, father. My body is indeed weak, however, I wasn’t ill. You’ve been away for several days. So isn’t it natural for me to come to see you?”
“Haha, my fatigue just went away after seeing your face, dear daughter.”
Xiaolin Lun was pleased to see his daughter come out to greet him. He left his hometown just for the happiness of his beloved daughter.
Seeing that the village chief’s mood had improved, Chun Jiangtu stepped to the front.
“Sir, how did the search for participants go?”
“Sigh… The only eligible participant in our village is the son of Li Xun, the leader of the guards stationed at the south gate. This year he turned eighteen, the age limit of the festival. His qi reached the indigo stage last month. However, sending someone with the first level of the indigo qi is like releasing a chicken into a den of dogs. During my travel to the villages nearby for the past couple of days, I’ve met a seventeen-year-old boy with a third-level indigo qi who was the son of the village’s chief. He told me that he will represent our village for five thousand gold coins.”
“Five thousand gold coins!! Preposterous!! Is he trying to rob us?”
“That’s what I thought as well. The best that we can do is to send Li Xun’s son as the representative of our village. It’s true that my son, Xiaolin Fong, won third place at the festival three years ago. However, that year, my son turned eighteen, so he couldn’t participate in the festival the year after. It was a pity that we couldn’t even pass the first round of the tournament in the last two years.”
Chun Jiangtu slightly smiled, cupped his hands, and said,
“If sending Li Xun’s son is the same as releasing a chicken into a den of dogs, why don’t we release a dragon into the den instead!!”