Chapter 403: You Stay, I’ll Leave
Senior Mo wanted its injuries to heal completely. It also wanted revenge for the pain it was forced to endure, but that opportunity had just slipped out of its claws.
“Why?!” Senior Mo roared in anger as the jade on its body glistened. Besides the agate dragon who just had its body cleansed, the other jade dragons scurried back into hiding.
At that moment, Senior Mo noticed the agate dragon heading toward the deepest end of the lair. There was a strong undercurrent underneath that place, and through that current, they could access an alternative exit to leave the Jade Dragon Lair.
It was through this point that Senior Mo left the lair before this. However, leaving through the undercurrent was an incredibly risky move, even for dragons. One mistake and their corpse would remain in the darkness for the rest of eternity.
Senior Mo immediately came to a realization when it saw the agate dragon heading in that direction.
“Where are you going?”
In a flash, Senior Mo’s enormous body leaped over, blocking the path of the agate dragon.
The agate dragon was unable to produce human speech. Even then, it was howling and crying with determination in their dragon language.
It went without saying that Senior Mo was able to understand what it was saying.
After hearing the agate dragon’s explanation,t the old dragon’s eyes widened. Once more, it was impressed by the courage of the agate dragon.
It was willing to risk its life to go through the undercurrent and leave the Jade Dragon Lair. Once outside, it would travel the land in search of Saint Lin.
This was a direct translation of the agate dragon’s thoughts. From its perspective, Lin Jin was practically a saint.
However, this statement struck Senior Mo like a bolt from the blue. It inspired him once more.
Senior Mo was no fool. With a little consideration, enthusiasm returned to his previously crestfallen eyes.
“That’s right. It’s something even the agate dragon could figure out, so why didn’t I think of it?” Senior Mo’s nerves were twitching madly. The agate dragon was this willing to risk its life to brave the undercurrent because that was the only way for them, dragons who have yet to form blood pacts, to leave the Jade Dragon Lair.
It was only after forming a blood pact could a dragon leave through the front entrance, just like the white jade dragon from earlier. This was the agreement set between the He family’s ancestors and the jade dragon deity. With mana to enforce the agreement, every jade dragon in the cave was to stick by the rule, or they would implode and die.
Where was the agate dragon going, you may ask?
It told Senior Mo that it was going to Maple City.
Right before Appraiser Lin left, he mentioned he would be leaving the capital to return to Maple City, simple as.
And yet, Senior Mo failed to remember that.
After searching through its memory, Senior Mo realized what Appraiser Lin had actually said. The man merely stated that he did not have the time to listen to its pleas. At the very least, he did not expressly reject Senior Mo’s request outright. Hence, his mentioning of Maple City must have been intended to be a hint.
“How can I be so foolish!” Senior Mo bellowed. The old dragon was scolding itself, and yet it was doing it gleefully and with excitement.
That was because it had suddenly realized that its opportunity to liberate itself wasn’t gone yet. Now that Senior Mo was aware of this fact, it would never let go of the chance ever again.
It did not matter what price it had to pay, letting the opportunity slip was out of the question.
Senior Mo practically made its decision on the spot.
However, there was another troublesome issue.
The Jade Dragon Lair had to have a leader to handle important matters.
The first leader had been the jade dragon deity but the latter left this cave about two hundred years ago. At the time, the leadership role was passed over to Senior Mo.
According to the customs of their tribe, if Senior Mo wanted to leave, it had to appoint another dragon to take its place.
This was a rule that must be kept.
Dragons tend to honor their agreements and were notorious for being sticklers to rules. Once they were set, even without an external force to enforce the agreement, they would honor their promises and act accordingly.
This was something etched into their blood.
So now, who in this cave was worthy of shouldering the role of being their leader?
Without any hesitation, Senior Mo looked at the agate dragon. Next, using its silver tongue, Senior Mo began duping, no, persuading its counterpart to buy itself some time.
“Listen, I plan to pass on the leadership role to you. Don’t say a word and hear me out first…”
“Besides leadership, I know the miraculous art of refining one’s hyoid bone. Would you like to learn it? Once you’ve mastered it, you’ll be able to speak.”
“Also, there’s the Transformation skill which allows you to change your size at will. I can also promise you that once I learn the skill of Transfiguration, I shall pass the knowledge on to you.”
“Are you still reluctant? I shall teach you the entire stash of cultivation methods that I have been accumulating for over two hundred years. That should be enough, right?”
“Tell you what, you absolutely have to agree to my proposition. With your measly cultivation, even if you manage to narrowly escape death through the undercurrent, it’s a dangerous world out there. You might even die before you find Appraiser Lin. Heed my advice. A few more years of cultivation will be beneficial for you.”
After a few more hours of incessant coaxing, pestering, and intimidation, Senior Mo finally persuaded the agate dragon to agree to its proposition.
After passing on the necessary information and gathering the other jade dragons to conduct a ceremony for the handover of their leadership, Senior Mo quickly darted for the undercurrent.
***
Back to Lin Jin. He did intend to return to Maple City since every mission he had here had been completed. There was no point staying any longer and he would just keep drawing meddlesome issues to himself anyway.
The two princes who intended to get closer with Lin Jin were disappointed. However, they knew they would still bump into him in the future. If they came on too strong now, their plan would end up working counter-productively.
He Yu and He Qing were reluctant to see Lin Jin go as well. He Qian tried to persuade him to stay, and even the Emperor offered to transfer Lin Jin over to the capital, where he would be appointed as chief of their headquarters.
Of course, Lin Jin turned down the incredibly generous offer.
The current chief of headquarters was Tan Xun and Lin Jin did not wish to see Appraiser Tan being forced out of his role. Furthermore, Lin Jin didn’t want to stay in the capital because being at Maple City was much more relaxing.
Seeing how determined Lin Jin was, He Qian didn’t press him any further. After all, he had gained quite a lot from Lin Jin’s visit this time; to make more demands at the moment would be inappropriate. After agreeing with Lin Jin on matters concerning the meeting with ‘Curator’, He Qian instructed someone to escort Lin Jin out of the palace.
The person tasked with this job was Yao Sheng again.
“Appraiser Lin.”
Yao Sheng was extremely respectful toward Lin Jin now. While he may not know what happened in the Jade Dragon Lair, Yao Sheng was quick to notice the sudden change in the attitude of both princes toward the appraiser after they left the lair. What’s more, given how Lin Jin was Yao Sheng’s savior, the esteem came sincerely from the bottom of his heart.
Lin Jin nodded. “I can leave on my own. There’s no need to trouble yourself, Eunuch Yao.”
Lin Jin was trying to make things easier for him but Yao Sheng immediately shook his head. “That won’t do. His Majesty has ordered me to escort Appraiser Lin safely back to headquarters. Should mishaps happen along the way, it would be even greater trouble for me to report it to His Majesty.”
Lin Jin had no other choice but to let himself be escorted.
During the journey, Lin Jin suddenly had a thought.
“Eunuch Yao, are you familiar with General Lu?”
Since he was bored and abruptly remembered Lu Bin, Lin Jin thought it wouldn’t hurt to ask about their relationship.
Yao Sheng replied with a smile, “General Lu? Why of course! We’re well-acquainted if I do say so myself. He used to be the general of the imperial guards and he used to lead the flying dragon army. He’s very close to His Majesty as well.”
At this, Lin Jin leaned closer and asked softly, “Then, have you heard of the patriarch of Drug Valley?”
Yao Sheng’s expression faltered at once and he shuddered. “Appraiser Lin, wh-where did you hear this from?”
Lin Jin had heard about him from Lu Bin and it had something to do with He Yu’s biological mother. Lin Jin only regarded it as hearsay but now that he recalled the matter, he thought he would try asking about it.
However, the look on Yao Sheng’s face clearly indicated that it was taboo to even mention that name.
Lin Jin was merely asking out of curiosity. He just merely wanted to know why ‘Drug Valley’ was so unique. Or was it actually an ancient sect?
Noticing the fight on Yao Sheng’s expression, Lin Jin decided to stop probing him, and that made Yao Sheng breathe a sigh of relief.
After all, if Lin Jin pressed the question, he would be forced to make a decision – to answer or not to answer?
Once they reached the Beast Appraisal Association Headquarters, Yao Sheng bid Lin Jin farewell.
Speaking of which, now that he was back at headquarters, Lin Jin would inform Appraiser Tan and the others of his departure. After all, leaving without saying goodbye was considered bad manners.