Chapter 145: It Is Better to Be Simple-Minded; Easier to Bamboozle

Xie Lingzhou’s gaze lingered on Long Kui, and driven by curiosity, he asked, "Who are you? And were those dragon horns your great-grandfather’s?"

"My name is Long Kui. That baby dragon devoured my great-grandfather’s horns! It brought this upon itself."

Long Kui lay on the ground, tilting his head and eyeing Xie Lingzhou and the others askance, looking rather comical.

"Ahem, why don't you stand up to talk?" Xie Lingzhou asked.

"Do you think I can stand up? Huh?"

Long Kui tried to move his body, only to find, to his surprise, that he could actually stand up! The bloodline suppression had been lifted?

Seeing Long Kui’s reaction, Lin Qi, Ji Chuxue, and the others all thought he seemed a bit dim-witted. Lin Qi mused that being a bit slow was good—it made him easier to manipulate.

"Let’s go inside and check on the little dragon first." With that, Lin Qi led the way into the villa. Ji Chuxue and Wen Yue followed closely behind.

Xie Lingzhou looked at the still-dazed Long Kui and snapped his fingers. "Going in to take a look?"

Long Kui snapped out of his trance, suddenly recalling something, and retorted, "Hmph, of course I’m going in. I want to see just how much pain it’s in right now!" Having said that, he followed Xie Lingzhou into the villa.

...

The kitchen was quite spacious, but once everyone crowded in, it felt much smaller. Besides Lin Qi’s group, Yun Li, Yunyun, Xiaobai, and even Dahuang had come along. Speaking of Dahuang, after its first time entering the estate, there had been countless visits since; it was becoming increasingly familiar with the grounds. Seeing the little dwarf dragon lying on the floor, it boldly stepped forward to sniff it.

"Woof!" It’s still alive!

"Meow, meow, meow..." That’s good!

Jiang Yan looked at Lin Qi anxiously, his voice tinged with anticipation: "Master, for the little dragon’s condition, do you have a solution?"

Lin Qi walked slowly toward the dwarf dragon and crouched down, his brows slightly raised. His fingers gently touched the dragon's scales, as if sensing something.

"Its situation is somewhat complex..."

"Master, what does that mean?"

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on Lin Qi, waiting for his explanation.

Lin Qi spoke slowly: "The little dragon is undergoing an inheritance, but to fully inherit this power, we must find the ancestral land of the dragon race." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the group, and continued: "But the problem now is, where are we to find this ancestral land?"

Jiang Yan turned his eyes toward Long Kui, thinking that since Long Kui was a descendant of the Silver Dragons, he might know. Feeling Jiang Yan’s gaze, Long Kui curled his lips into a cold smirk.

"Don't look at me. I won't tell you. Hmph, you want this little thing to easily obtain our Silver Dragon clan’s inheritance? Not a chance!"

Lin Qi smiled faintly, his eyes deep and unfathomable. "Oh? Although you possess the Silver Dragon bloodline, you are ultimately only a half-dragon. As far as I know, it is extremely difficult for a half-dragon to obtain the dragon race's inheritance. Don't you want to step into the ancestral land yourself and see that legendary power with your own eyes? Perhaps you, too, might have a chance to receive an unexpected inheritance."

Long Kui’s two dragon horns twitched slightly—he was clearly tempted! How could he not be? Those left in the lower realms were all half-dragons like him; where would they ever have the chance to go to the so-called ancestral land? It was even possible that the ancestral land didn't exist at all. Otherwise, why would the clan elders never allow adventurous tribesmen like them to investigate?

Long Kui’s tone faltered: "But the clan elders won't let me enter the ancestral land..."

Lin Qi stroked his beard, a flash of insight in his eyes: "As long as you bring the little dragon, they will surely let you accompany it. You can serve as the little dragon's guardian."

"Who exactly are you? Why are you so well-versed in the rules of our dragon race?" Long Kui’s tone carried a hint of wariness. He wasn't a fool; if he inadvertently brought disaster upon his clan, it would be a catastrophe.

"I am Lin Qi, the Sect Master of the Qilin Sect. The rules of the dragon race are merely topics I once discussed with an old friend. Young friend, there is no need for such guard."

"I can take this little guy to the ancestral land, but I have one condition."

"What condition? Speak freely."

Long Kui pointed at Jiang Yan, his tone resolute: "Only he may follow from among you; no one else is to take even a half-step inside! Also, I cannot guarantee that the elders will accept this little guy into the ancestral land. You all know that this little guy ate my great-grandfather’s horns; the elders might just chop it up in a fit of rage. I can't guarantee safety. You’d better think this through!"

"No! I’m going too! Wherever Brother Yan goes, I go!" Yunyun said, her little face puffed up in anger. If she wasn't there, what would happen if Brother Yan encountered danger?

Long Kui noticed Yunyun in her pink dress and flashed a big-brother smile, the kind used to trick children out of their candy: "Yo! Little sister, are you sure you want to come along? I can't guarantee your safety, you know!" He thought to himself that this little girl looked cute and harmless; it wouldn't hurt to let her tag along.

"Of course I’m sure, and I absolutely have to go!"

"Fine then." Long Kui agreed dismissively.

Seeing that matters were settled, Jiang Yan said, "There is no time to lose; let us depart now."

"Xiao Liu, be careful on the road!" Ji Chuxue urged with concern.

"Senior Sister, don't worry. We will be back soon."

And so, Jiang Yan, Yunyun, and Long Kui set off with the little dwarf dragon toward the territory of the half-dragon race—that mysterious realm known as the "Land of Malignant Curses." Silently, the Black Flower also joined their ranks, cleverly hiding inside Jiang Yan’s wide sleeve.

The Land of Malignant Curses had long been whispered about in the cultivation world, a forbidden zone that would make even the bravest cultivators turn pale. Rumor had it that the environment there was hostile and filled with unknown perils, and almost no one could walk out of it alive. Even the survivors would become raving mad, having lost their former sanity due to some unimaginable horror they had experienced. Some said the land was shrouded in an evil curse and that any cultivator who dared to step foot inside would meet with misfortune. Consequently, almost no cultivator was willing to risk exploring it. After all, there were no tales of treasures there, so who would be idle enough to go looking for death?

On the flying sword, Jiang Yan looked at the thick-skinned Long Kui, who was sitting on the sword with him, and asked, "Long Kui, is the Land of Malignant Curses really as sinister as the rumors say?"

"Heh heh, scared now? I won't be protecting you—you’re the ones who insisted on coming." Long Kui said, propping up his feet. His posture was even more unruly than Jiang Yan’s; in the modern world, he would definitely be the archetype of a delinquent youth. It was no wonder he dared to go looking for dragon horns all by himself!

Jiang Yan felt that the half-dragon race might just be bored out of their minds to have chosen the Land of Malignant Curses as their territory. However, rumors could also be deceptive.

"Mo Xie, keep an eye on the surroundings." Jiang Yan instructed the Mo Xie sword in his mind and closed his eyes to begin meditating, leaving only Yunyun and Long Kui to glare at each other.