The Inverted Dragon's Scale

There was a proverb in the divine continent: What one fears, that will come.

When he fled with Li Muyang, Lu Qingming already knew that his father’s situation was bleak.

But at that time he still had hope, thinking that, given his father’s strength even an opponent like Song Gudu, who had stepped into the Astral projection realm, there was still a chance that he could escape. As long as his father wanted to escape, then Song Gudu most likely would not be able to make him stay.

While they were fleeing, while they were being chased, his father did not catch up with them and did not even pass over the slightest message.

The worry in Lu Qingming’s heart intensified, that bad feeling grew more and more fierce.

At that time they were caught up in one tough battle after another, where the slightest carelessness could lead to the death of the father and son. And at that time, Li Muyang’s body was still very weak, thus Lu Qingming had to support the situation alone. He really couldn’t be distracted by other things.

Lu Qingming had hid away his worry about his Father, and it was clear that Li Muyang also had the same thoughts as him.

The two did not mention the matter of the old man battling on Mist Mountain, nor did they speculate about the situation at all.

It was as though they knew the old man was just going out for a walk and would soon be back for dinner.

The bad news had come. Song Gudu’s words were like a ‘bolt from the clear sky’ to Li Muyang and Lu Qingming.

More destructive and lethal than the thunderbolt that Song Gudu had summoned thousands of miles away.

“Song Gudu, old dog, I’m going to kill you, I will not rest until you’re dead——” Lu Qingming hissed and roared while spewing blood.

His long hair was disheveled, eye filled with blood fog, both face and body badly scarred, and his clothes were ragged like a beggar.

The enemy that killed my father cannot live under the same sky as I.

Loyal to the Emperor, they had protected the country for over thousands of years, guarded the frontier, and had fought countless battles. The Lu family have only had one son for several generations.

Lu Xingkong only had Lu Qingming as a son. Lu Qingming had Li Muyang and Lu Tianyu, but it was just that Li Muyang was raised outside. He did not have the opportunity to do his fatherly duties, and naturally did not enjoy the happiness of spending time as Father and son.

Lu Xingkong gave all his fatherly love to Lu Qingming, likewise, Lu Qingming gave all the respect, admiration and love to the old man.

From a young age, he had regarded him as the harshest father and the most powerful idol.

In his mind, his father was omnipotent and invincible. He was the strongest support behind the entire Lu family and behind him. As long as his father was present, there wasn’t any difficulty that could not be solved.

Lu Xingkong had died in battle. It seemed like the powerful Lu clan would crumble and fall to the enemy.

The sky had fallen!

His internal organs were already badly damaged, but when the news of his father’s death came, the injuries worsened, and he was even wildly coughing up the clotted blood of the internal organs.

Lu Qingming tightened his grip around the Heaven Emperor spear and was about to rush up to fight to death with Song Gudu.

“Father——” Li Muyang darted over and grabbed onto Lu Qingming who had sank into a mad demonic state.

“Let go of me, let me go kill him——” Lu Qingming howled, and did not even hear what Li Muyang addressed him as in that moment of urgency.

His heart was filled with remorse, remorse for his weakness, powerlessness and incompetence. Remorse for his selfishness. He was only focused on fleeing for his life with his son, but failed to stay behind to take care of his father. But there were even more of hatred. His heart was filled with hatred for the enemy who killed his father, and hatred for Song Gudu who would do anything to achieve his goal.

“Calm down.” Li Muyang grasped his struggling body tightly. “You’re just going to die if you rush up there now.”

“Even if I die——” Lu Qingming struggled more fiercely. “I’m going to tear off a part of him.”

“I forbid you to die.” Li Muyang suddenly raised his voice, screaming angrily.

“Muyang—”

“I forbid you to die.” Li Muyang spoke in a low voice. His voice was low, but he hid a soul-stirring power. His expression was calm, and seemed piercingly cold, but no one knew what kind of crazy and ruthless things he was going to do. “I forbid you to die. I don’t want you to die——too many people have died. No one is going to die. If someone has to die, then let it be me.”

“Muyang, let me go, quickly leave——”

“This time, listen to me.” Li Muyang said in a firm voice. “You’re in critical condition, sit down and have a good rest. If I can beat him, then we still have a chance to continue ahead. We can go to Wind City and reunite with our family. If I fail, then there would be no other option——we will have to die here together.”

“Muyang——”

“So many people have died on Mist Mountain, and so many others have died on the way. Many are innocent people, and many are generals loyal to the kingdom. They have died so easily and died to protect us. What’s so special about us?”

Li Muyang supported Lu Qingming over to a boulder.

He pressed his palm against the boulder, and the snow and ice that covered the boulder were instantly swept away. There were wisps of white light smoke exuding from the rock. Li Muyang had heated up the boulder using essential qi to prevent Lu Qingming from catching a cold just like how Lu Qingming did for him previously.

Lu Qingming had fought for so long, was wounded so badly, he should have a good rest.

“Sit here and rest for a while.” Li Muyang’s lips were curved upwards, but the smile was somewhat bitter. “Won’t keep you waiting too long.”

Whether alive or dead.

In the face of an opponent like Song Gudu, it would not take too much time.

“Muyang——” Lu Qingming’s eyes reddened, large beads of tears slipping down his cheeks.

He knew that there was a chance that they would never see each other again.

No, unless they could meet again after death.

If there really was a place like the Asura hell mentioned in Buddhism.

The Father and son had just acknowledged each other, and the Grandfather and Grandson have not had a chance to reunite, how could he let Li Muyang die?

Thud!

Li Muyang sank to his knees, kneeling in front of Lu Qingming.

Then, over and over again, his head knocked against the icy ground.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

After three consecutive kowtows, a pit was knocked into the flat and smooth snow.

Li Muyang looked up and said, “regardless of what ulterior motives or secrets there may be, I also don’t want to think about what kind of intention you have when you sent me away——who gave birth to me and who raised me, I owe a great debt of gratitude to them. Li Muyang have nothing to repay you, please take these three kowtows as gratitude to thank Father for giving birth to me.”

“Muyang——” Lu Qingming sobbed, tears pouring like rain.

Li Muyang got up from the ground, and sharply turned towards Song Gudu.

Song Gudu’s body slowly descended, feet standing on top of the snow.

What was strange was that, the boots on his feet treading on the snow, but there were no footprints left on the snowy ground, as though his body did not weigh anything.

Crunch——

Crunch——

Crunch——

Li Muyang slowed down his pace in front of Song Gudu, studying him with a pensive gaze.

“What are you thinking?” Song Gudu asked curiously.

“I was thinking about how to kill you.” Li Muyang answered in a loud voice. In front of the old man, he had no need to hide his thoughts. There was nothing the Eye of the Starry sky would not know.

The event more than 10 years ago, Li Muyang’s identity as a dragon and the relationship between Li Muyang and the Lu family——all were said from the old man’s mouth.

“Did you think of any?”

“It’s hard to think.” Li Muyang shook his head. “I don’t know what kind of realm the Astral projection is, and I don’t know how much power someone in the Astral projection realm possesses. Without personal experience, it is probably difficult to understand the gap. But, I think that, since my grandpa couldn’t stop you——I’m sure it would be hard for me to do something like that. So, I need to think, think about how I could achieve that. How I could kill you to avenge Grandpa.”

“What? The grandfather and grandson have reunited?” Song Gudu asked in a loud voice. “You don’t hate him?”

“Hate him? Why should I hate him?” Li Muyang responded with a rhetorical question. “When someone, no matter what he has done before, is willing to use his life to protect you, to exchange it for a chance for you to live——why should I hate that someone? What right do I have to hate him? To hate a dead person with the life he protected with his life? I can’t do such a thing. Compared to that, what have I done for him?”

Song Gudu seriously pondered over his answer, smiling he said: “Interesting. Really interesting. Li Muyang, you are the most intelligent young man I have ever met.”

“It may be that the other young people you have met are too stupid.” Li Muyang remarked very rudely. “

“No. They’re not stupid.” Song Gudu shook his head. “They are too clever, or perhaps want to hide their cleverness. Each of them has motives, some people want this and other people want that. They have too many thoughts in mind, it is inevitable that they would be controlled by others——One can be austere if one has no selfish desires, but how can one with desire toughen up? You have no desire, so you were always able to touch the heart of things, draw blood on the first prick, hit the nail on the head.”

“Besides, how could the matters of the world be that complicated? It’s just that people think too much and things get complicated. For example, if other young people in Tiandu were to encounter what you have, they will certainly use their grievance and the guilt of their families to bargain with them——The more intense the argument, the more the family will compensate them. Isn’t that right?”

“I’m not like them. Firstly, I don’t need any compensation from others. Because I already have everything.” Li Muyang explained.

“That’s true, the wealth of the Dragon race is comparable to that of a country. Every dragon cave is a natural treasure trove. I was fortunate to find a dragon’s cave and the things stored there had truly astonished me. You are part of the dragon race. Surely, no one under this starry sky is richer than you, isn’t that right?”

“That’s correct.” Li Muyang answered incredibly frankly. “If I want to, I can always bring back a mountain of silver or gold, or even treasures more valuable than gold——”

“I believe it.”

“Secondly, I do not lack love. Although they swapped me for another child, they had also at the same time gave me another family——I never regretted being the son of Li Yan and Luo Qi. And I am deeply proud to be their child. If I were given another chance to make a choice, I would still want to have such an experience, and I still hope that I can be their son——”

Li Muyang’s eyes turned gentle as he softly said, “If I did not have such an experience in my life, then I would not have had the opportunity to become the son of Li Yan and Luo Qi, and would not have become the Big brother of Li Shinian. This would really be a real regret and loss——They are my parents and my little sister, they are forever my family. This fact, no matter what, will never change.”

“That’s right. They really do treat you well.” Song Gudu nodded. “When you fled to Tiandu, I was very curious about this matter. While knowing that there are a lot of things that didn’t feel right, but I still couldn’t figure out exactly what was wrong——I have suspected your identity before and have suspected the exchange of identities between you and other. Later I sent people to Jiangnan to investigate, but they came back to say that the couple see you as important as their own life and did not treat you badly because you were born crippled and frail——So, at that time I also believed you were their son. The reason you left may indeed be because the couple was banished for doing something wrong.”

“They are the greatest parents in the world.” Li Muyang stated.

“If you say that, your biological parents will be sad.”

“I know.” Li Muyang nodded. “But for more than 10 years, that’s what I’ve been thinking in my heart.”

“I can understand. Your path here had not been easy.”

“I also used to thought it wasn’t easy.” Li Muyang said in a loud voice. “But compared to who I am now, I came to realise that back then it was the most comfortable and happiest time of my life. Back then I was just physically ill, and was always worried that I would die. Of course, even if I died, I still have my parents and sister to accompany me, it would a serene death, it would be a death that I can accept——”

“But life now is not easy. Everyday I have to worry about this person and watch out for that person. My brain is tensed at all times and my body had always been in a guarded state. Even when I sleep at night, I still have to open one eye as much as possible, because I do not know who would suddenly appear and sever off my head——that would be an unexpected calamity, a bloody killing, badly mangled, I don’t want a death like that.”

“Moreover, with such an inexplicable death, you don’t know who’s going to kill you, and you don’t know who would be there when you die——don’t you think it’s a lot harder now than it used to be?”

“It does make a lot of sense after hearing you say that.” Song Gudu nodded. “It used to be bitter, and now it’s even more bitter.”

The murderous old man who kill people like scything flax had a desire to chat. Perhaps, for decades, there was no one on an equal status that he had the interest to chat to. Even if Lu Xingkong had paid him a visit again and again, he also avoided seeing him again and again.

From this it was clear that nobody else existed in his eyes. There was only Li Muyang——the dragon who was qualified to communicate with him on an equal footing.

There was no Emperor. He had directly killed the present emperor and rebelled.

There was no Father. His Father had died long ago.

There was nobody. There was nobody that he valued.

Once a person was so strong to this extent, had reached this level of cultivation realm, what they could seek was nothing else but more powerful strength, and——to let their family enjoy the wealth of power.

“Such a person is extremely dangerous.”

Li Muyang was well aware of this in his heart. He knew that there was nothing that Song Gudu would not do and that there was no one that he was afraid to kill. To deal with such an affable but extremely powerful and extremely callous yet hardworking old man——killing him was the smartest thing to do.

Li Muyang looked at Song Gudu. “You still have not made a move, but have already said so much nonsense to me——what exactly do you want?”

Song Gudu was not puzzled by Li Muyang’s sensitive mind. “Don’t people do this all the time? First get to know each other, and then it would be much easier to make a deal.”

“You want to make a deal with me?”

“Yes.”

“You killed my grandpa.” Li Muyang stated.

“I don’t think you have that deep fondness for him.”

“No, you’re wrong, even if he is not my grandpa, I have deep fondness for him. Ever since I have returned to Tiandu, he has been taking care of me and protected me in every way.”

“If he hadn’t helped out secretly, I would have been killed by the people with ulterior motives? To you, killing is like scything grass. Whether or not you had confirmed my identity, or whether or not you had found the answer to the mystery of my identity, you thought the problem would be solved if you killed me, isn’t that right? You sent that Assassin Crow, didn’t you?”

“That’s correct.” Song Gudu did not deny it. “Assassin Crow was sent by my family, they notified me and I didn’t say anything. Back then you were just a boy with a dubious background. Also, at that time, nobody felt that they needed to increase their vigilance around you. Perhaps this was the reason why the Lu family sent you away——Otherwise, if they had kept you in the Lu family, gave you the identity of the Young master of the Lu family, then countless eyes would be fixed on you, and everybody would be vigilant around you. The moment you did something strange it would be seen by countless eyes. In any case, they felt the need to kill you.”

“For me, these things didn’t matter. I just need to watch Lu Xingkong——Lu Xingkong was the real important person. He was an admirable opponent.”

“You sent Mu Yubai of the Still water sword school to kill me, didn’t you?”

“A kid in our family thought that you’re suspicious, so asked Mu Yubai to test it. What I didn’t expect was that you managed to severely wound Mu Yubai——and stun the entire capital.”

“The Still water sword school is the sword school of the imperial family, why do they follow your orders?”

“What can the imperial family give them?” “

“What can you give them?”

“I can’t give them anything, but I can take away everything that the imperial family has given them.” Song Gudu smiled. “Sometimes, it is also a gift to take away the other person’s things and return them to them.”

“Because the Lu family wouldn’t let you take away the military power in their hands, so you want to destroy them?”

“It’s about the stance after all.” Song Gudu remarked. “Everyone else had chosen their stance, it was only him who would not stand on my side and might stand on the enemy’s side. Of course, the Lu family had indeed been standing on the imperial family’s side all along. They had been defending the frontier for generations, and the whole family had sacrificed for the country. A number of heroes had emerged from their family, unfortunately, those outstanding children all died in battle——don’t you think it’s a pity?”

“I don’t think it’s a pity.” Li Muyang answered, shaking his head. With a sneer, he continued: “Perhaps it’s because I have the blood of the Lu clan running through my body that I inherited some of their bad traditions——Since they’ve all died in battle, then it is my turn to go on the battlefield.”