MTLNOVEL Chapter 8 Ancestral Dragon
The blade of the executioner's knife shimmered with a chilling light, and the white jade platform below was inscribed with various runic inscriptions, intertwined and crisscrossing, with faint red bloodstains upon it.
The old Jing River dragon had already been hung up on the Dragon Execution Platform, awaiting the moment to be beheaded and shown to the public. Several Heavenly Soldiers, carrying sharp weapons, stood guard around the Dragon Execution Platform.
"The Dragon Clan, after all, is one of the great families of the Three Realms; how could they be so unlucky? It hasn't been long, and already two dragons have been hung on this Dragon Execution Platform," a Heavenly Soldier said with a sigh.
"Two? Isn't there just this old dragon?" a newly transferred Heavenly Soldier immediately asked, puzzled.
"That's because you're unaware. Not long ago, the son of Ao Run, the Dragon King of the Western Sea, was hung here for setting fire to the pearl atop the palace hall, brought before the Jade Emperor," explained another.
"So, he's already dead?"
"That little dragon was lucky. Recently, Bodhisattva Guanyin came from Mount Ling in the west, heading to the Eastern Land to find the Scripture Seeker. After seeing the little dragon, she asked the Jade Emperor for a favor, and that little dragon became the Scripture Seeker's mount."
"So it seems the Dragon Clan has been facing tough times recently," remarked the Heavenly Soldier.
Just as they were quietly talking among themselves, they suddenly saw a green-robed Scholar fly into the sky, storming straight towards the Dragon Execution Platform. The soldiers quickly shouted, "Who dares to march onto the Dragon Execution Platform uninvited?"
Lu Yu looked up at the Heavenly Gate inside, where the Immortal Gods sat like wooden statues, not even lifting an eyelid as if they had not seen Lu Yu at all, and he immediately felt reassured.
He said apologetically to the Heavenly Soldiers, "Please forgive my intrusion."
With a gentle spread of his palm, several Sleepy Worms instantly flew into the nostrils of the Heavenly Soldiers.
The Heavenly Soldiers were suddenly shocked, asking, "What on earth is this?"
But Lu Yu just smiled and said, "Rest assured, it's only to ensure you can sleep soundly, so as not to disturb the reunion of father and son."
No sooner had his words fallen than the Heavenly Soldiers felt an overwhelming wave of drowsiness, their eyelids drooping uncontrollably as if weighed down by Mount Tai, and before long, they all entered into the land of dreams.
Inside the Heavenly Gate, an Immortal looked at the figure of Lu Yu moving towards the Dragon Execution Platform and asked, "Are we really not going to stop him?"
"Why stop him? He's just here to visit his father with the offspring of the old dragon. We must give him this bit of face-saving. After all, he may rise to prominence after the Divine Enthronement. Can't you see the supreme one hasn't said a word?" they discussed.
Behind them, the mother of the Heavenly Court also asked, "Your Majesty, are you truly not going to intervene? Brazenly storming the Dragon Execution Platform is no small affair."
The Jade Emperor's eyes opened slightly, his tone calm as he spoke, "Since the old Jing River dragon is willing to forsake his physical form, what harm is there in letting him see his child? After all, he'll be one of my subordinates in the future. Let's consider it an early act of grace. As for Lu Yu, you're well aware of who follows him around. He's not a reckless man.
Giving him this face now might make it easier to ask for his help with future matters."
"As for face-saving, what kind of face do I, the supreme one, have left? Haven't you seen how the Immortal Gods from the sect have been since they learned of the Journey to the West? They put themselves above all, subtly disobeying my commands. Why bother contending over this illusory concept of face when holding real benefits firmly in my grasp is what truly matters?"
Lu Yu walked onto the Dragon Execution Platform and sighed softly as he looked at the Jing River Dragon King suspended in the air.
"That sigh awakened the old dragon, who opened his eyes in surprise and said to Lu Yu,"Teacher, why have you come? This is the old dragon's own wish. You mustn't be rash."
"It is not that I wished to come, but rather that several students implored me to bring them to see you. Fearing that not meeting you might leave flaws in their hearts, detrimental to their future cultivation, as their teacher, it is my duty to address their deficiencies."
Lu Yu tilted the Treasure Vase slightly, and in an instant, the Dragon Sons appeared on the Dragon Execution Platform. Seeing their father suspended in the sky, tears immediately began to flow.
"Do not cry. This is a choice I made of my own accord, and you must not blame anyone for it. I have already made arrangements for your future, and soon someone from the Heavenly Court will come to take you. You will be appointed to divine positions, and you must serve faithfully and diligently, for if you slacken, I will find no peace even in the Nether Springs."
"Lao Qi, you are impulsive and reckless. I know you cannot bear constraints, so once your elder brothers leave, you will return to the Western Sea with your mother. There are arrangements made for you there."
The old dragon's words were filled with sincere love and tenderness of a father, deeply moving all who listened.
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Even the couple inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony couldn't help but exclaim, "This old dragon's love for his children is indeed rare."
"The Scholar is truly a good teacher, it's a pity that our own have grown too old, otherwise it would be nice to have him as their teacher," said the Queen Mother, having seen Lu Yu's prior conduct.
"There will be an opportunity," said the Jade Emperor mysteriously, with a glint in his eyes, apparently scheming something unknown.
Seeing that time was short, Lu Yu led the Dragon Sons away from the Dragon Execution Platform. Before leaving, he bowed deeply to the heavens, as a gesture of thanks to the Heavenly Venerable for not taking offense at this minor matter.
At the third quarter of noon, Official Wei Zheng's soul left his body and arrived at the Dragon Execution Platform outside the Southern Heavenly Gate. Dressed in official robes and holding the command arrow, he looked up at the sky.
Seeing that the time had come, he cast down the arrow and announced, "Jing River Dragon King, for altering the appointed hour, withholding merits, and violating the Heavenly Stripes, by the command of the most holy, merciful, and supreme Jade Emperor, the High God above, execute immediately!"
The Executioner's Blade fell, blood splattered in all directions, dyeing the Dragon Execution Platform and even the sky red, the blood raining down into the Yellow River.
All beings in the Three Realms held their breath, silently watching the sky, as the gods of the Heavenly Court focused intently, awaiting the transformation of heaven and earth.
A dragon's roar echoed through the realms, causing the waters of the Yellow River to surge and churn. From the tumultuous waves, a Dragon of Fortune raised its head. The vast body of the True Dragon seemed to encircle the whole of Kyushu, its massive head like a towering mountain, scales gleaming with dazzling light.
Everyone felt an enormous pressure, as though mountains bore down upon them, while they gazed at the Dragon of Fortune in front of them, their hearts filled with wonder. This was the progenitor of the Dragon Clan, the sovereign who once ruled the seas in Ancient Times, the Ancestral Dragon that merged with the fate of humanity.
The Ancestral Dragon raised its head, accompanied by wind and rain, thunderclaps resonating as if signaling the end of days. It looked at the place where the Jing River Dragon King met his end, its eyes becoming increasingly lucid. Soaring into the skies, it circled above Kyushu, and the fortune of humanity flowed towards it like rivers to its body.
It roared mightily, as if conveying a message to someone.
A serene voice echoed from the void, "Good!"
The Ancestral Dragon let out another roar, and from the Mount Ling in the west, a compassionate and majestic voice responded, "Amitabha Buddha!"
With that, the Ancestral Dragon lowered its head, gazing down at Changan City, which seemed as tiny as a sesame seed. It leaped downward and vanished between heaven and earth.