Chapter 570 - 531: The Dragon Monarch’s Noble Spirit—Fleecing the Sheep
Chapter 570: Chapter 531: The Dragon Monarch’s Noble Spirit—Fleecing the Sheep
Outside the city gate, Song Ciwan formed a hand seal and began casting the Ganlin Healing Skill.
At the same time, a good portion of her attention was focused on the Heaven and Earth Scale.
The clouds of emotion within the Heaven and Earth Scale were piled as high as a mountain, looking as if they would overflow at any moment. These included the human desires from the soldiers watching on the city walls and the many Demon Hunters near the gate, but the one providing the most was Ao Feng.
[Demon Heart. Celestial Pride Level Great Demon. The pain, vexation, and confusion of a Demon Core Stage Dragon. Thirty-seven taels. Tradable.]
[Demon Heart. Celestial Pride Level Great Demon. The sorrow, conflict, and despair of a Demon Core Stage Dragon. Forty-two taels. Tradable.]
[Demon Heart. Celestial Pride Level Great Demon. The doubt, shock, and vexation of a Demon Core Stage Dragon. Fifty-one taels. Tradable.]
...
The clouds of Ao Feng’s emotions were endless, so numerous they crowded together like a snowdrift. The Demon Hearts scrambled over one another, pouncing onto the Heaven and Earth Scale.
This became even more pronounced as Song Ciwan’s Ganlin Healing Skill took effect, and the dense network of wounds covering Ao Feng’s body began to visibly heal—
Of course, his injuries were too severe. The Ganlin Healing Skill alone wasn’t enough for a full recovery.
Thus, for the sake of the endless stream of "Demon Hearts," after casting the Ganlin Healing Skill twice, Song Ciwan followed up with two Recovery Spells and one Fetal Breathing Saint Method.
The Fetal Breathing Saint Method was truly a Divine Skill; regenerating flesh and blood was a trivial matter for it. Even though Ao Feng was gravely wounded and had lost a tremendous amount of blood, under its effects, his Dragon Body trembled lightly. Suddenly, new blood began to rapidly generate from deep within his marrow.
In a daze, Ao Feng experienced the strange sensation of returning to his dragon egg.
Involuntarily, he stretched out his Dragon Body.
Then came a series of pops like firecrackers, CRACK CRACK CRACK. It was the sound of his muscles and bones aligning in concert, a feeling of utter relief spreading through his entire body.
Ao Feng raised his dragon head and let out a low rumble.
ROAR—
Halfway through the roar, Ao Feng suddenly clamped his mouth shut.
’Oh no, I want to cry again. What is happening to me?’
’Why didn’t I die? Why am I still alive?’
[Demon Heart. Celestial Pride Level Great Demon. The vexation, shame, and embarrassment of a Demon Core Stage Dragon. Thirty-five taels. Tradable.]
[Demon Heart. Celestial Pride Level Great Demon. The pain, conflict, and embarrassment of a Demon Core Stage Dragon. Forty-seven taels. Tradable.]
...
Ao Feng’s Demon Hearts continued to pour out. Finally, the young dragon could no longer hold it in.
He held his dragon head high, forcefully suppressing the shame and embarrassment that filled him, and said with feigned pride and solemnity, "Celestial Pride of the Human Race, why did you save this monarch?"
Before Song Ciwan could answer, the young dragon’s voice huffed, "So what if you saved me? What, you show me a little kindness and expect this monarch to be grateful? Hmph! Human, if you want to kill me, then kill me. If you want to cut me to pieces, then do it. I accepted a voluntary challenge where life and death were my own to bear. This monarch does not fear death!"
He stiffened his neck, his pride swelling. "I am Ao Feng of the Dragon Race! Do you take me for some coward who clings to life, breaks his word, and reneges on his promises?"
He rattled off the long speech in a single breath, like a string of firecrackers. When he finished, as if he’d gotten a great weight off his chest, he raised his neck even higher, squeezed his eyes shut, and assumed the posture of one bravely facing death.
If the Heaven and Earth Scale hadn’t just received another Demon Heart, Song Ciwan might not have doubted his performance for a second.
In reality, however, Ao Feng’s state was this: [Demon Heart. Celestial Pride Level Great Demon. The anxiety, shame, and despair of a Demon Core Stage Dragon. Twenty-six taels. Tradable.]
Song Ciwan: ...
After holding it in for a long moment, she couldn’t resist and let out a soft laugh.
Ao Feng: ...
[Demon Heart. Celestial Pride Level Great Demon. The anger, shame, and fury of a Demon Core Stage Dragon. Thirty-nine taels. Tradable.]
Ao Feng’s eyes snapped open again, his massive draconic eyes glaring. If the Fetal Breathing Saint Method hadn’t left him feeling so comfortable, his entire Dragon Body limp and powerless, he would have surely been Riding the Clouds and Mist to turn and storm away!
But though he could not fly, Ao Feng couldn’t stop himself from roaring in fury, "What are you laughing at? A warrior can be killed but not humiliated! You defeated me, my skills were inferior, and I willingly admit defeat! But you cannot insult this monarch! How can a dignified Celestial Pride like you stoop to the level of petty villains and do something so base?"
[Demon Heart. Celestial Pride Level Great Demon. The anger, shame, and disappointment of a Demon Core Stage Dragon. Twenty-six taels. Tradable.]
’You have to admit, this little dragon is surprisingly earnest.’
Song Ciwan sighed with a light chuckle and asked in return, "May I ask, Dragon Monarch, you claim I’ve insulted you. When, where, and how did I do so? What, precisely, do you consider an insult?"
This rapid-fire series of questions completely stumped Ao Feng.
Ao Feng’s head remained high as he stared blankly, momentarily at a loss for how to reply. He could only spit out a few anxious words: "You... you were..."
He was stuck on "you" for a long time, unable to force out the rest of the sentence. His enormous draconic eyes bulged like a pair of giant lanterns, with what looked like wax tears at their corners, threatening to spill.
Song Ciwan’s voice softened. "Me treating your wounds—does that count as an insult?"
Ao Feng’s neck remained stiff, but he couldn’t bring himself to say that treating his wounds was an insult.
Song Ciwan continued, "Then have I insulted you with my words, or mistreated you with my actions?"
This time, Ao Feng meekly shook his enormous dragon head.
His pair of dragon horns swayed back and forth under the moonlight, emitting a soft glow. At this moment, the sinuous, colossal beast actually looked somewhat adorable.
Song Ciwan’s gaze swept past the horns and landed on the corners of Ao Feng’s eyes.
They were bright red, and two teardrops, each larger than a millstone, clung to the rims of his eyes, stubbornly refusing to fall.
So Song Ciwan asked, "Then, Dragon Monarch, do you know why I took it upon myself to treat you?"
This time, Ao Feng hesitated. With a look of shame and remorse, he once again shook his draconic head.
Song Ciwan smiled faintly. "It is simply out of respect for your integrity, Dragon Monarch."
Those few simple words immediately made Ao Feng lift his head again. This time his eyes were even wider. The pair of teardrops trembled precariously on his scaled cheeks, only serving to make his eyes seem larger and brighter.
He looked as if he were anticipating something, his very breath held in check.
Fortunately, Song Ciwan did not disappoint him. She continued, "This world has too many shameless sore losers. But to dare to love and to hate, to face life and death squarely, to confront failure bravely without breeding resentment or shifting blame; to not go crying to your elders the moment you lose a fight; to not hold grudges over every slight, pursue others relentlessly, or use your power to bully people—how is that not a form of integrity?"
As Song Ciwan spoke, Ao Feng’s eyes grew brighter and brighter, until they seemed to rival the stars in the heavens.
And the clouds of emotion, which had begun to lose steam, once again came rolling in.