Chapter 402: Too Late For Regrets
“Yu’er, thank your teacher, quickly!” He Qian suddenly urged, snapping everyone out of their reverie.
Stunned, He Yu understood what her father was trying to tell her, and she began to blush shyly. Without an ounce of hesitation, she bowed deeply at Lin Jin.
Lin Jin cast He Qian a helpless glance.
Calling himself He Yu’s teacher was just an expedient idea to trick Senior Mo. To think He Qian was trying to turn it into reality.
However, He Yu had great potential in the future. After forming a blood contract with this white jade dragon, the possibilities of what she could achieve in the future were practically limitless.
Furthermore, it seemed inappropriate to retract words he had spoken.
Hence, Lin Jin accepted He Yu’s bow, acquiescing to her intention.
Seeing how Lin Jin didn’t stop her, He Qian was obviously delighted. He wasn’t blind either. He could tell that the white jade dragon’s standard and potential far exceeded his own Rank 4 jade dragon. Although there was a saying that competent pet beasts were much more difficult to bond with, with Lin Jin around, that shouldn’t be an issue.
In He Qian’s eyes, Lin Jin had inadvertently become an invincible character.
Suddenly, they heard a dragon’s howl.
It was the red and black dragon who had mustered the courage to dive into the flames earlier.
It was still alive.
It wasn’t just alive, it was thriving. While it didn’t stay in the flames long enough to morph into a new body, its growth was such that it was visible to the naked eye. The dark layer of jade on its skin had now cracked, and with a gentle shake of its body, a layer of scarlet jade was unveiled.
An agate dragon.
With the color of freshly drawn blood, the agate was beautiful. Apart from that, this dragon had an odd appearance. It looked more like a monitor with its massive limbs and its sturdy tail. Adept in crawling, it was apparent that this creature relied on its raw strength in combat.
“You dare to venture into the unknown for the sake of growth, and that alone makes you stronger than your peers.” Lin Jin had gained a newfound respect for the agate dragon’s courage.
It saw a chance and went for it.
Even if it wasn’t exactly confident, it chose to take the gamble.
The growth it had undergone was only second to the white jade dragon, so the future for this dragon was similarly limitless too.
“Your Majesty, we can leave now!” Lin Jin said to He Qian. The latter nodded, making a mental note to choose this agate dragon the next time a royal descendant was ready to form a blood contract.
The group turned to leave.
The agate dragon roared with an explosive aura as if to thank Lin Jin. The other jade dragons immediately cowered in response to the roar. Only Senior Mo unaffected by it.
Senior Mo didn’t have the mind to pay them any attention now.
The old dragon felt so conflicted inside. Its dragon’s pride was completely shattered down to the last piece.
Seeing that Lin Jin was about to leave, Senior Mo’s heart wavered. Finally, it let go of its integrity and the unwarranted sense of superiority. Perhaps inspired by the agate dragon who braced itself and went for an opportunity, Senior Mo abruptly broke the silence.
“Uhm… A-Appraiser Lin, please wait…”
The group was stunned but they stopped to look back at Senior Mo.
Senior Mo crawled completely out of the darkness, and upon closer observation, it somewhat resembled the agate dragon. They were both monitor lizard types, but Senior Mo was obviously much larger.
“Appraiser Lin, please stay behind, as I have a request to make.”
Senior Mo now understood that this man was an expert and this was probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Like the agate dragon and white jade dragon, there was no saying when such a chance would ever arise again.
If it seized this opportunity, it stood to gain a new body the chance of changing its fate. Stubbornly clinging onto something as abstract pride only meant that it would lose this opportunity.
What happened to the agate dragon was the decisive factor that made Senior Mo decide to pursue what seemed to be a great opportunity.
However, not all opportunities were granted just so one wished.
Lin Jin shook his head. “You have a request but I don’t have the time to hear it.”
Having said that, his pace started picking up again.
Since just now, He Qian had been staring at Senior Mo. He was shocked beyond words. As Emperor of Jade Dragon Kingdom, he was a frequent visitor to the Jade Dragon Lair so it could be said that he was well-acquainted with Senior Mo.
If he could describe Senior Mo’s personality, then the words he would use were probably stubborn, prideful, and downright nasty. Under no circumstances would it be willing to bow down to the royal family. This was relayed to him by his father and grandfather. Senior Mo was more than two hundred years old now and its bad temper had persisted throughout the years.
Today, the sun had decided to rise from the west; the impossible had happened. Senior Mo had actually caved in. Such a thing practically never happened before, and it proved just how anxious Senior Mo was right now.
However, He Qian wouldn’t speak up for him.
Seeing Lin Jin ignore him, Senior Mo knew that missing this chance would mean he wouldn’t get another one, so he panicked.
“Appraiser Lin, I’m begging you. Considering that I lost the bet, you may now consider me your servant. Please save me,” said Senior Mo. The old dragon proceeded to lower its head, just like a human would prostrate before another when requesting their assistance.
This act of kneeling was sincere enough.
And yet, Lin Jin continued walking. Without looking back, he replied, “As I’ve said, I don’t have time for you. I’ve been in the royal capital for quite a while now so it’s time for me to return to Maple City.”
Having said that, he paid Senior Mo no more mind and left.
Even if the others wanted to comment, the sight of Lin Jin’s resolution forced them to abandon their plans.
Who could he blame?
It was Senior Mo who had been arrogant from the start. It was too late to grovel and beg now.
The princes thought it a pity as they glanced at the old dragon. If they were placed in Appraiser Lin’s shoes, they would have taken Senior Mo in as their servant. Other factors aside, there was no denying the fact that the old dragon was strong and intimidating enough to serve as leverage in any negotiation.
The group exited Jade Dragon Lair, leaving Senior Mo, whose head was still lowered, behind. Standing beside it was the agate dragon with burning eagerness. Even after its transformation, this agate dragon was intelligent enough to know its place. Although its hyoid bone had yet to be refined like Senior Mo, meaning it could not produce human-like speech, the agate dragon was still capable of thought.
It had wanted to leave with the human group but wasn’t brave enough.
This was different from when it leaped into the fire like a moth to a flame. Out of respect for the old dragon, it suppressed its urge.
“They really left!”
Senior Mo got up. The disappointment was clear in its large eyes.
It was never the old dragon’s wish to stay locked up in this endlessly dark Jade Dragon Lair, but it was left with no other choice. In its earlier days, Senior Mo had been a ‘prodigy’ of their cave, as it was able to attain significant cultivation at a young age. It had once left the cave to venture outside and everything had been smooth-sailing for a while. Then, the young dragon met someone who subsequently became its enemy. The dragon was no match for that opponent, and in one of their clashes, it sustained heavy injuries. Senior Mo ended up escaping back into this cave and had never left since.
The first reason for its continued refuge here was due to fear and the second was because of the fact that the Jade Dragon Lair was able to nourish his body. However, the process was incredibly slow, and even after such a long time, its injuries were far from being completely healed.
Every year, it would be tortured by the pain, which was the main reason for its terrible and abusive temper. The old dragon couldn’t even control himself sometimes, and this was one of those days. In spite of the pain, Senior Mo wasn’t senseless either. After realizing who it had met, the old dragon quickly changed its attitude, especially after seeing what happened to the agate dragon.
Senior Mo knew the importance of grasping an opportunity, even if it meant sacrificing any and everything.
However, it still seems like the sudden change in attitude had been too little too late.