Ao Mu transformed into a golden flying dragon, circling above the Great Marsh. His gleaming body slipped in and out of the clouds, half-veiled by mist.
“Monsters, come out!”
Inside the First Cave, the Crocodile Grand Commander was in discussion with the Clam Spirit when a foot soldier rushed in, pale with alarm.
“My lord! A golden dragon has come knocking. He’s shouting abuse at the cave entrance and threatening to smash the First Cave to pieces!”
“A golden dragon?”
The Crocodile Grand Commander flicked a glance at the Clam Spirit, then waved his hand calmly. Only after the lesser troops had withdrawn did he hiss softly, unease creeping into his voice.
“That dragon aura doesn’t look like something cultivated from a great snake or a carp…”
Which was to say… it might be a true dragon.
The Clam Spirit, however, showed no fear at all.
“This Great Marsh appeared out of nowhere to begin with. It’s strange by nature. What’s one more oddity? We’re here to make money, not enemies. All that shouting and bluster is probably just him angling for some benefit.”
The Crocodile Grand Commander snorted, deeply disgruntled. “If that brat hadn’t interfered last time, we’d have taken at least forty per cent more tribute. Now we can’t even break even. And we’re losing money on top of it.”
The Shrimp Demon drew a blade across his palm in a chopping gesture. “Then why not just—”
“What if he has backing?” the Crocodile Grand Commander interrupted.
“Backed by whom?” the Shrimp Demon scoffed. “The Four Seas have no master. Who would speak up for him? We’ve been here all this time and not a soul has come looking for him. That tells you everything. No roots, no foundation. Just an empty shell.”
The Crocodile Grand Commander still hesitated, but after a moment’s thought he steadied himself. The three of them had clawed their way up from nothing. They’d swindled old monsters, slain flood dragons, weathered every storm imaginable.
He made his decision. “In that case… one deed, no turning back.”
The Clam Spirit nodded in agreement. “Then we kill him thoroughly.”
“Even if he truly is a dragon, Heaven clearly has no place for him. Better he die early and end up as some Xianghuo-fed clay idol of a heretical god. We’d merely be acting on Heaven’s behalf. Cleansing the dragon race.”
All three nodded. Each had encountered strange fortunes in the sea, but the Shrimp Demon’s was the most mysterious of all. His path of swindling wealth and desire had never once failed him. And his cultivation was the deepest.
Having made up their minds, the three demons took up their weapons and left the cave.
From beneath the water, looking upward, one could see a shadow gliding through the mist. It was a young dragon, still far from the mythical ancients with grey whiskers who stretched for hundreds of metres.
They did not take a soon-to-be-dead dragon seriously at all.
“Grand Commander’s might shakes the seas. Please strike first and test him.”
“Oh, I’d only be throwing out a stone to draw jade. Better let the Fairy go first.”
“Third Brother, you go. You haven’t fought in ages. It’s time we saw your hand again.”
Ying Xiao had been keeping watch. His pupils narrowed to slits as a faint ripple crossed the water’s surface.
“They’ve come out, the three demons.”
Ao Mu dipped his head from the clouds, eyes widening. “Oh? They came out?”
Ying Xiao squinted again. “Looks like they’re talking.”
Ao Mu bobbed mid-air, inhaled deeply, and puffed out his cheeks with water.
“Alright then, I’ll treat them to a drink!”
He shot skyward, then dove straight down. The water in his mouth transformed into crackling lightning. With a long cry, he plunged into the marsh, flinging out a full one hundred and eight talismans.
“Boom!”
The Clam Spirit and the Crocodile Grand Commander felt a sudden heat rush over them. The world seemed to stall. Around the talismans, a vast vacuum formed; countless fish were flung violently to the bottom, flopping helplessly.
The waters of the Great Marsh surged back in reverse. Under the terrifying impact, the First Cave collapsed with two thirds of it reduced to rubble in an instant.
The Clam Spirit’s smile froze mid-curve. The Crocodile Grand Commander’s words died halfway out of his mouth.
The three demons stared upward in shock. Beneath the blue sky, the golden dragon wheeled freely, scattering talismans like falling snow and shouting with glee:
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
Explosions thundered through sky and water alike, violent tremors rolling outward.
The Crocodile Grand Commander’s face darkened. “Isn’t he supposed to be dragonkind? Why is he using human talismans?!”
The Clam Spirit stared in disbelief. “Since when did talisman cultivators become this terrifying?”
The Shrimp Demon wiped water from his face and hissed, “Send the cannon fodder forward to block the talismans. You and I kill him while they’re at it, then interrogate what’s left!”
The Crocodile Grand Commander seized the royal banner. Waves rippled across his patterned armour as he strode atop the water, imposing beyond measure.
“Children! Someone has climbed onto our necks and fouled us! Take up your weapons. Follow me to battle and defend the honour of the waterfolk!”
With a single rallying cry, countless lesser demons surged forward.
The water clans had been silent for ten thousand years. Great demons hid in the deep seas, leaving the small ones to fend for themselves. They had never seen such a heroic figure before. Fury ignited instantly.
“Follow the King!”
The Clam Spirit cried out sharply, “Any who charge without fear will be promoted to first-rank guards! Any who slay the enemy will become the Grand General of the First Cave!”
At once, demonic winds howled and black waters rolled as a tide of monsters rushed forward shielding the Crocodile and Clam behind them.
Ao Mu had only meant to lure them out, but the sight of so many lesser waterfolk left him stunned. The talismans in his claws… he couldn’t bring himself to set them off, nor could he pull back.
“Ying Xiao!”
“Little Golden Dragon,” Ying Xiao said urgently, “they outnumber us greatly. This will be hard to handle. Withdraw to the Goddess’s temple and regroup!”
Ao Mu hesitated, golden pupils clouded with confusion. “They’re liars. Those three. I helped them. Why would they still side with the demons to harm me?”
Ying Xiao faltered, then sighed. “Then… do you still want to help them?”
The little golden dragon wavered, weaving through cloud and rain, his form fading in and out.
“If Eldest shixiong were here…”
“But I can’t rely on eldest shixiong forever.”
“I am of the waterfolk. They are waterfolk too. I do not wish to kill them, nor do I truly wish to hate them.”
“Eldest shixiong is right. Strength speaks louder than anything else.”
“I’ll fight them first. If I lose, then I’ll run!”
With a sudden burst, the little golden dragon shot from the clouds, wind-riding talismans flaring as he charged straight at the three demons.
The innate authority of dragonkind over the water clans had not diminished with his fall. The lesser waterfolk retreated instinctively, unwilling to fight.
Most had yet to take human form. Clutching crude weapons, they hid among coral and water plants, peering cautiously at the golden dragon.
A sharp glint flashed in the Crocodile Grand Commander’s eyes. “He won’t blast those little ones. Perfect.”
The Clam Spirit sneered. “Soft-hearted and indecisive. No wonder he died so young.”
She flicked her wrist, sending forth a strange pearl. It was perfectly round, milky white, its flowing light wrapped in a sinister killing aura.
An overwhelming pressure radiated from the bead. The weaker waterfolk collapsed to their knees, shivering uncontrollably.
Ao Mu felt an inexplicable pull and drifted towards it without thinking.
Ying Xiao leapt in alarm, grabbing the dragon’s tail. “Ao Mu! Have you lost your senses?!”
But how could an eagle overpower a dragon? Ao Mu shook him off. He struggled desperately, yet could not suppress the instinct driving him forward.
Ying Xiao cried out in panic, “If anything happens to you, how am I supposed to explain it to your Eldest shixiong?!”
“Eldest shixiong!”
Ao Mu suddenly found a surge of strength. He wrenched his body around, shot skywards, then plunged back down, smashing into the water with a colossal splash.
“I’ll eat you alive!”
The Crocodile Grand Commander hefted his twin axes. “Fairy, don’t let him get away again!”
The golden dragon plunged into the lake, throwing up towering waves. The three demons instantly sobered, each unleashing their trump card, binding the golden dragon’s divine soul.
The clam spirit said coldly, “Find the idol he’s inhabiting. Smash it. Let’s see how long he can keep being arrogant.”
Seeing the golden dragon captured, Ying Xiao broke out in a cold sweat. Then inspiration struck. He shouted from the sky, “Ao Mu! If you lose, why not give your seat to me?”
Ao Mu snapped his head up and spat a jet of water skywards.
Ying Xiao’s eyes lit up. He pressed on eagerly, “Then your Eldest shixiong will comb my feathers with his own hands, draw talismans for me personally. I’ll perch on his shoulder, live in the temple with my master’s family, peaceful and harmonious.”
“On the first and fifteenth of each month, I’ll remember to burn you a stick of incense. If I forget, I’ll just toss you aside.”
“From then on, no such dragon ever existed!”
Ao Mu’s body suddenly tensed. Divine power erupted as he tore free of the Crocodile Grand Commander’s restraints and shot into the sky.
Ying Xiao, startled but relieved, hurried after him, flapping his wings. “I was lying! I was lying! I only have one master!”
Ao Mu bared his fangs, blasted out a dense cloud of qi, and stared down into the water below.
The Crocodile Grand Commander’s expression darkened. He seized a small turtle demon beside him and crushed it to paste with his bare hands, teeth clenched. “We can’t leave the water. Force him down!”
The clam spirit stared icily at the golden dragon. “The Four Sea Dragon Kings are all dead, and yet this abomination remains. How unfair heaven is. Why should he, merely because of bloodline, surpass me so completely?”
“Enough waiting. Move now.”
She raised a white pearl, drawing in the blood and vitality of every living thing around her. In an instant, baleful qi condensed, staining half the pearl a deep, murderous red.
The lesser demons scattered in terror, unable to understand how the king who had preached the restoration of the aquatic clans had suddenly bared her fangs.
“Fairy! You and I are both of the clam clan. Why would you harm us?!”
The clam spirit sneered. “Who is kin to you? I’ve already stepped into Illusory Godly Realm… half a true immortal. You ants dare question my origins? I’ll refine you into pills and ascend to heaven.”
She crushed the shells of her own kin, draining flesh and blood without the slightest hesitation.
The Crocodile Grand Commander, axes in hand, likewise began a slaughter. The once-clear waters instantly turned crimson, murderous qi surging sky-high.
Fish, shrimp, and crab corpses floated to the surface. There was nothing left but hollow shells.
“Ao Mu!” Ying Xiao cried. “Look!”
Ying Xiao’s voice tightened. “They’re butchering the lake.”
Ao Mu swore furiously. Utterly shameless. He glanced around, clenched his teeth, and dove back down.
“Your grandfather is here! How dare you slaughter the waters of my Great Marsh!”
Ying Xiao frowned. In the end, he followed, plunging into the water with sword in hand.
“Kill!”
This was exactly what the Crocodile Grand Commander had been waiting for.
The clam spirit unleashed her pearl. At the same time, a shrimp demon that had been lying in ambush struck, sealing the surrounding waters into a closed domain, trapping Ao Mu inside.
Ao Mu slammed left and right against the barrier. “Let me out!”
The Crocodile Grand Commander’s face lit up. He swung an axe, beheading a nearby demon. “Clear the field. Then deal with this clay idol.”
“Help—!”
“Run! Run!”
The waterfolk fled in panic. Some, seeing the golden dragon dive down to save them, rushed to his side, using their meagre demonic power to try to drag him away with them.
Ao Mu’s divine strength was failing. His wounds began to surface. Rage blazed through him as he roared,
“Go! Run for your lives! Don’t mind me!”
The lesser demons ignored him, pounding desperately at the transparent barrier.
“Save the dragon!”
“Run!” Ao Mu shouted.
The moment the word left his mouth, an axe cleaved them apart. Blood flooded Ao Mu’s vision. He shook with fury, smashing himself against the barrier.
“Bastards!”
“Bastards?” the Crocodile Grand Commander laughed loudly. “You’re the one dying next.”
The shrimp demon licked his lips. “Clay idol or not, a dragon is still a dragon. My shrimp clan has always been despised. I cultivated for years before realising. So-called true dragons are merely heaven’s favourites, nothing more.”
In his palm lay a strange blue-green scale, embedded into his flesh, used to command the waters.
“Today, I slaughter a dragon to set the record straight. From now on, every water clan may call itself king. Dragon supremacy is nothing but a lie used to fool the masses.”
He plunged his hand into Ao Mu’s dragon body, seized a slender golden thread, and ripped it free.
Ao Mu thrashed in agony.
“From the moment I first saw you, I wanted to do this. Pity, the last dragon under heaven won’t die by my hand.”
Suddenly, the shrimp demon twisted aside and grabbed Ying Xiao by the arm. “A bird dares enter the water? You’re courting death.”
The clam spirit said calmly, “Don’t kill him. I lack a mount. I’ll refine him into a puppet. One that can walk even underwater.”
The shrimp demon neither agreed nor objected. He tossed Ying Xiao aside and continued coolly:
“Pull the dragon tendons.”
“Strip the dragon scales.”
“Sever the dragon horns.”
“Devour the dragon liver.”
“What exquisite flavour. You wouldn’t understand. From this day on, the waters will have no king, and none will worship dragon might ever again.”
Ao Mu struggled once more.
The clam spirit seized a small demon and smiled thinly. “If you don’t behave, I’ll slaughter every waterfolk in the Great Marsh, one by one right before your eyes. How does that sound?”
Ao Mu’s teeth ground together. His dragon cry rang out, thick with grief and fury.
The shrimp demon wrenched back his dragon horn, forcing his jaws open.
“Here. Eat something nice.”
Ao Mu’s rage reached its peak. He let out a thunderous roar and activated the summoning talisman. Tears the size of beans struck the talisman; it faded, as though its colour were being washed away, and slowly vanished.
The white pearl in the clam spirit’s hand trembled violently.
Her expression changed. “What is this? What’s happening?”
The Crocodile Grand Commander frowned, listening intently. “Nothing.”
The shrimp demon hesitated for only a moment before snapping off another dragon horn.
“You still dare resist? You truly don’t know how to die.”
Suddenly, the clam spirit’s face drained of all colour. “No, something’s wrong.”
The shrimp demon hissed, “What’s wrong? What’s happened to your dragon pearl?”
The clam spirit shook uncontrollably, teeth chattering. She abruptly reverted to her true form, curling up inside her shell, trembling.
“I-I can’t control it anymore!”
The Crocodile Grand Commander cried out in shock. “What?!”
Far away, in the deepest reaches of the South Sea, the Little Turtle Minister was dozing when a violent tremor jolted him awake.
A fissure split open in the seal of the Dragon Palace. Brilliant treasure-light flooded the dark seabed, illuminating every inch.
The Little Turtle Minister turned pale. “What’s happened to the seal?”
One. Two. Three…
A colossal blue-green dragon’s head burst through the seal, roaring as it surged out of the deep sea. Grey-bearded elder dragons of many hues followed, along with the Dragon Mother… majestic yet gentle, slender and exquisitely elegant.
Dragon-song, silent for tens of thousands of years, rang out across heaven and earth.
The Little Turtle Minister collapsed to the ground, staring blankly. “Dragon… spirits?”
They were not living dragons, but fragments of dragon souls left behind by the dragon clan ten thousand years ago. Several thousand azure dragons roaming together. The sight of dragons… spirits or not… was enough to shake the soul.
The Little Turtle Minister hurriedly rallied his forces and boarded the dragon ship, eyes reddened with excitement. “Quickly! Follow the Dragon King and Dragon Mother!”
Above the Great Marsh, black clouds rolled in without warning, blotting out the sun.
Day turned instantly to dusk, like the twilight before the end of the world. The scent of storm wind rushed forward; thunderclouds brewed lightning of unfamiliar colours, and the gale howled like a living thing.
From within the crushing mass of thunderclouds, a vast dragon head emerged. Grey whiskers streamed in the wind, lightning flashed in its gaze, and its immense scales carried the savage aura of primordial antiquity.
—Woom.
The dragon’s roar boomed low and heavy, like a war drum struck in the depths of the earth. One by one, dragons appeared within the clouds, then parted to form a path.
Down that path glided a slimmer blue-green dragon, long and graceful, its presence commanding without anger. With a low cry, it descended alongside the grey-bearded elder dragon, plunging together into Qianyun Marsh.
The Crocodile Grand Commander trembled violently. “What… what is that in the sky?”
The shrimp demon had already reverted to his original form and was fleeing in silence when he suddenly screamed. A scale tore itself free from his hand and hovered in midair.
A dragon scale.
The clam spirit clamped her shell shut, not daring to look out. The Crocodile Grand Commander alone remained, talisman staff in hand, staring numbly as thousands of dragons descended from the heavens.
And in the eyes of the dragon clan—
At the bottom of the lake lay a young dragon, not yet a thousand years old. His body was covered in wounds, his great golden eyes clear and guileless, filled with uncomprehending innocence.
The dragons could not bear it. The Dragon Mother could bear it least of all.
With a long, anguished cry, she lashed her tail. The clam spirit was smashed apart instantly; the white pearl shattered, half of it reduced to dust. The Crocodile Grand Commander was bitten cleanly in two.
The grey-bearded elder dragon lifted his head and glared furiously at the heavens, sorrow and rage surging through him as his scales rippled and flared.
For the peace of the Four Seas, the Dragon King had sacrificed himself to seal the Sea Eye. The dragon clan had followed their Dragon Mother into death.
Not one had been spared. Why, then, would the Heavenly Dao still treat them so?
The dragon clan would not accept it. They would never accept it.
Ao Mu was lifted dazedly by the Dragon Mother. He had always thought himself enormous, yet before these dragons he was thin and small. It was like a hatchling barely emerged from its shell.
Where had all these dragons come from? Where was Eldest shixiong?
Questions flooded his mind. His first instinct was to flee, but the Dragon Mother caught him gently by the tail and tugged him back. The other dragons leaned closer, peering at him with open curiosity.
Some were youthful and heroic, others powerfully built and cold as ice. Yet all gazed at him with unmistakable gentleness. Some were adorned with pearls and jewels, lively and playful, wagging their tails and repeatedly trying to scoop Ao Mu into their mouths, only to be lightly tapped aside by the Dragon Mother’s tail.
“My child.”
A soft female voice sounded directly within Ao Mu’s mind. His eyes flew wide. “Y-you’re… my mother?”
The elegant dragon head nudged him lightly.
“All dragons under heaven are my children,” the Dragon Mother said gently. “My child, come. Travel with us.”
An aged, authoritative voice followed. “The dragon clan has withered. We failed you. Come with us, my child, and I shall teach you the art of longevity.”
Other dragons crowded close.
“Brother will teach you water-command.”
“Uncle will teach you wind-riding.”
“Sister will teach you how to cultivate the reverse scale.”
“I will teach you—”
The Dragon Mother held the little golden dragon’s tail in her mouth and nudged him forward, tender and patient.
“Come.”
Ao Mu found, to his own surprise, that he did not wish to refuse. His heart wavered violently. He spun in place, then suddenly blurted out,
“My friend, my Eldest shixiong!”
“Ao Mu.”
“Eldest shixiong!”
Ao Mu let out a wail and shot skywards. There, a blue figure stood, calm and waiting.
Ao Mu burst into tears, shrinking small as he threw himself against Xue Cuo, rubbing back and forth. “Eldest shixiong, where did you go? What’s happening?”
Xue Cuo had been watching from the sidelines for a long time, waiting until Ao Mu’s saviours finally arrived.
For the first time, he reached out and touched Ao Mu’s tail… knowing he likely never would again.
“Xiao Mu,” he said softly. “The Lady says this is your destined opportunity. I cannot interfere too much.”
One by one, the azure dragons broke the water’s surface, gazing at the small human before them. They could not understand why Ao Mu would hesitate. Their looks were searching, wary.
Only the Dragon Mother inclined her head gently towards Xue Cuo.
Seeing this, the other dragons were puzzled, but they lowered their heads as well. Xue Cuo dared not fail to return the courtesy.
He bowed deeply. This bow for the dragon clan’s ancient sacrifice, for giving their lives to seal the Sea Eye and spare the Four Seas from divine war.
Straightening, he clasped his hands once more.
“High Gods. I am Xue Cuo, disciple of the Great Loch. Her Ladyship bids me inform you: past virtuous causes have borne virtuous fruit. The little golden dragon’s body rests in the Golden Pond lotus within Fangzhou. His flesh has been restored. I ask the Dragon King and Dragon Mother to guide his original spirit home.”
The dragon host fell silent.
After a moment, the grey-bearded elder dragon nodded slowly. “The Goddess of the Great Loch… To think that ten thousand years later, it would be she who saved our clan.”
The Dragon Mother smiled, her voice warm as polished jade.
“A gentleman repays kindness with kindness.”
Xue Cuo drew a steady breath and stroked the little golden dragon.
“Ao Mu. Go with them.”
Ao Mu stared up at him with wide eyes. “Eldest shixiong…”
Xue Cuo smiled. “Once, heaven and earth held only you. Now your kin are reunited. This is a great blessing. Why grieve? What no one taught you before, they will teach you now. You have true brothers, parents, family.”
Tears spilled from Ao Mu’s eyes. “Eldest shixiong… can I come back to Qianyun Marsh to see you?”
“Of course,” Xue Cuo replied. “I’ll be here. I’m not going anywhere.”
Sniffling, Ao Mu flew reluctantly towards his clan. The farther he went, the lighter he felt. The pull of blood was undeniable. The dragon spirits finally relaxed.
Amid wind and cloud, thunder and lightning, they accompanied their youngest clansman along the final stretch of their existence.
The world would never see them again. But the dragon clan still endured. And they had travelled together once more. That was enough.
Xue Cuo lifted his head and let out a long breath.
He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, watching as thousands of dragon spirits roamed the heavens together. This spectacle vast enough to stir a faint tide in his heart.
Ao Mu would one day have to hold up a sky of his own for the water clans. It was a duty he could not refuse. From this day forward, he would likely be endlessly occupied.
“Xiao Mu, mountains and rivers will meet again.”
“Travel safely.”
