ALL NOVEL Chapter 13 – Wu Gang’s Grudge
The source of the Wu River.
The Black Dragon Pool, the pool water was still without waves, like a pool of dead water.
Fan Li's group stood at the shore and looked into the water. It was pitch-black and bottomless, like an abyss that swallowed all things.
Even within a radius of ten li around Black Dragon Pool, Fan Li did not sense any living creatures.
This place seemed to be an ancient battlefield. There was no aura of the living, only the ghosts of the dead.
"What a sinister Wu Gang, truly worthy of being the Overlord's mount." Chen Gonggong said in his soft voice.
"What's that?!" Xiang Ning suddenly pointed ahead.
On the other side of Black Dragon Pool, a mysterious figure in raincoat and conical hat stood there silently, not knowing when he had arrived. The gazes of all three people focused on the mysterious figure. The mysterious figure also noticed them.
"This poor Daoist is Lan Daoxing, greetings to the Great Chu Emperor." It was indeed Lan Daoxing. His attitude seemed quite polite.
Xiang Ning loudly said, "The Wu River is within my Great Chu's territory. Without permission, why have you trespassed into the Wu River? What are you trying to do?!" Of course she knew his intentions, but still had to seize the initiative.
Lan Daoxing only chuckled softly, not answering. Under the gazes of the three people, Lan Daoxing took out a fishing rod and started fishing by the Black Dragon Pool.
"Your Majesty, Lan Daoxing wants to lure out Wu Gang." Chen Gonggong said in a soft voice.
The old eunuch was also an expert at the Unity Realm. With a glance, he could see what Lan Daoxing was doing.
Where the float was suspended, faint ripples spread out, disturbing the lifeless stillness that the Black Dragon Pool originally had.
"Wu Gang is about to appear."
Fan Li felt that fishing float was very annoying. Thus, this thought arose in his heart.
If it was him living in Black Dragon Pool, and someone dared to fish above his head, Fan Li would definitely rush out and beat up that bastard.
Sure enough, in an instant, the originally mirror-like surface of Black Dragon Pool suddenly spun rapidly into a huge whirlpool!
The whirlpool seemed to want to swallow everything, and it also seemed like something wanted to emerge from the center of the whirlpool!
An enormous pitch-black shadow about a hundred zhang long faintly undulated, obscured by the pool water.
"Please show yourself, Daoist friend." Lan Daoxing suddenly smiled and lifted the fishing rod with one hand.
The fish hook leapt out of the water, of course completely empty without catching anything. But the next second, the massive dragon shadow shot out from the whirlpool center towards the heavens!
Accompanied by a dragon roar that shook the heavens and earth! The black dragon Wu Gang had truly appeared.
"I am a dragon, not a python, not...a horse." Wu Gang's first sentence was simply those nine words, but it felt strange.
However, its voice was like muffled thunder, heavily pounding everyone including Fan Li's eardrums.
Wu Gang's dragon body was unbelievably massive, coiling in the air with a length of over a thousand kilometers!
Only now did they realize that the black shadow in the pool earlier was merely a portion of Wu Gang's body.
"Why do I feel like Wu Gang isn't fully awake?" Fan Li looked up at Wu Gang without any fear, directly meeting its enormous pupils.
Wu Gang was also looking down at them. Its gaze finally settled on Xiang Ning. Wu Gang clearly sensed her bloodline aura as a descendant of Xiang Yu, but did not become intimate because of it. On the contrary, Wu Gang revealed faint hostility.
"You...also want to treat me as a horse and ride me like him?" Wu Gang suddenly blurted out this question. Xiang Ning was caught off guard and froze on the spot.
Suddenly, Lan Daoxing made his move!
They saw in his hand there appeared an object, with white jade as the axis and gold threads woven around it.
As the scroll unfolded, the bottom depicted auspicious clouds and cranes, opulent and majestic. On both sides of the scroll, silver dragons soared amongst the clouds. Its nobility was indescribable!
With a glance, Fan Li recognized it as an Imperial Edict!
"Great Ming Jiajing, mandated by Heaven, eternal good fortune and longevity. We hereby decree to grant the black dragon Wu Gang the title of Guardian Deity Beast of our Great Ming. From the day of investiture, national destiny shall empower you. Good fortune and longevity without limit!" As Lan Daoxing recited the Imperial Edict, his voice seemed imbued with magic power. It echoed throughout heaven and earth, shaking hearts and minds.
Wu Gang, who had been staring at Xiang Ning the entire time, finally couldn't help but turn its dragon head to look at Lan Daoxing.
The black dragon's pupils gradually widened, clearly revealing a trace of anticipation. "Great Ming...will empower me with its national destiny?"
"That's right!" Lan Daoxing laughed heartily. "Fellow Daoist Wu Gang, this poor Daoist is the National Teacher of Great Ming. I have been sent by my lord Emperor Jiajing to specially invite you, Fellow Daoist, to enter the Great Ming court and accomplish an immortal feat!"
At this time, Xiang Ning finally reacted. She had originally planned to subdue Wu Gang, and ride it like her ancestor Xiang Yu, to gloriously return to Peng City. Who would have thought that Wu Gang seemed to harbor resentment, and was unwilling to be a mount again. On the other hand, the Great Ming side was inviting with full sincerity by offering national destiny.
"National destiny...not enough." Wu Gang spoke. From its tone, it was actually still not satisfied with the terms offered by Lan Daoxing.
Lan Daoxing was not anxious. He quietly waited for Wu Gang to raise its conditions.
"I want...to ascend."
Lan Daoxing smiled. He loudly said, "Fellow Daoist Wu Gang, please be at ease. Although the realm is divided three ways now, my lord Emperor Jiajing is a man of great talent and strategy. He will definitely unite the realm. By then, when the entire Great Ming ascends, Fellow Daoist will naturally be included!"
"The entire nation...ascends??" Wu Gang's enormous pupils brightened. Clearly, it was somewhat shaken this time.
Xiang Ning anxiously said, "Wu Gang, you were my founding emperor's mount. How can you betray the State of Chu? This Wu River was bestowed to you by my founding emperor. Have you forgotten?"
Fan Li shook his head as he listened. This retard, was she here to recruit or to pick a fight?
Chen Gonggong was also greatly shocked and quickly advised, "Your Majesty, mind your words. Wu Gang has shed its mortal form and transformed into a dragon. Its strength is at least at the peak of Unity Realm. This servant is absolutely not its match!"
A dragon roar sounded!
Wu Gang was indeed furious. "The Overlord? I owe him nothing! I followed the Overlord on campaigns for many years, yet when he ascended, he did not bring me along! The mortal world is turbid. Only the immortal realm is eternally carefree. The Overlord abandoned me, I hate him!"
In its enraged state, Wu Gang stirred up Black Dragon Pool into surging giant waves. The water's edge constantly collapsed. Fan Li and the others were forced to continuously retreat.
"Damnit, why is Wu Gang acting like a resentful ex-wife?" Fan Li silently cursed.
Abandoned? Could this thing actually be a mother dragon? Fortunately, despite its deep resentment, Wu Gang did not attack anyone. Fan Li guessed that it was probably also looking for a new master, right?
After all, just transforming into a dragon had already cost Wu Gang thousands of years. With its aptitude, if it wanted to cultivate into immortality by itself, it likely wouldn't succeed even if it cultivated till its death.
This thought made Fan Li's mind flash with insight!
Lifespan?
That's right, Wu Gang had already lived for thousands of years. How many years of lifespan did it have left?
Not immediately accepting Lan Daoxing's recruitment offer might be due to the fact that the conditions presented by the other party were not exactly what the dragon needed the most...