The Leng father and son, having nothing better to do, came up with a new way to pass the time.
The white mink ran back and forth along the shore of the great lake, holding a banana leaf over its head. As a fur-bearing animal, it loathed getting wet, but its two masters were aquatic creatures.
The one churning the waters of the lake amidst the torrential downpour was none other than his great, "streaking" young master. And the massive white snake coiled relentlessly around the white dragon was his even greater employer, Leng Qingqing.
"Scram! Stop clinging to me!" Leng Jing clawed at the giant white snake.
"Come on, let's play together!" Leng Qingqing persisted stubbornly.
"Who’s playing with you? Move aside, old man!"
"Xiao Jing, you’re being far too disrespectful to your elders!" Leng Qingqing tied himself into a knot around the dragon’s body.
"Get lost! Are you a scarf?" Leng Jing shook him off.
"Xiao Jing..." The white snake put on a wounded expression, looking at his son with tearful eyes.
The white dragon dove, silently submerging.
Fifteen minutes later, having had their fill of antics, the white snake and white dragon floated on their backs upon the water's surface, enjoying a bath in the pouring rain.
The two long creatures occupied half the lake's surface. The sky was dark and the lake was shrouded in mist; as they lay there, they seemed to merge with the color of the water, making them indistinguishable to the casual observer.
Leng Jing enjoyed his "nude" shower, stretching his dragon claws toward the sky. The sight was as bizarre as could be—imagine a dragon exposing its belly while enjoying a sunbath.
Meanwhile, Leng Qingqing floated freely beside him.
In such foul weather, one would expect no one but the Leng trio to be out and about.
However, they were evidently mistaken. At that moment, an elderly man with a transcendent, sage-like air arrived with his disciples for an excursion.
The elder stood by the lakeshore with several disciples, pointing toward the center of the lake. "Look! That is the dragon corpse brought down by the torrential rains of this heavenly tribulation."
The disciples looked at the elder with reverent eyes, praising him, "Master, your divinations are truly divine! The rumored dragon corpse has indeed appeared!"
The elder nodded and smiled. "It is also our good fortune. I calculated that a miraculous object would appear in today's heavy rain, but I never expected it to be a dragon corpse. It is said that consuming dragon flesh can increase one's internal cultivation by sixty years. I intend to use this dragon corpse to refine Celestial Dragon Pills. Disciples, go quickly and salvage the dragon corpse."
Thus, a group of young men braved the heavy rain, taking up fishing nets, covers, and grappling hooks as they entered the water to retrieve the "corpse."
Leng Jing drifted over with the current and was entangled by their ropes. The elder said in pleasant surprise, "So it is the corpse of a rare white dragon. Tsk tsk, Heaven truly aids me."
Ignoring the mud, he leaped down to the embankment to inspect the dragon head that had drifted close. This white dragon was snowy white all over; even its mane was a pristine, stainless white. Its horns had only a single fork, making it appear to be a young dragon that had met an untimely end.
"What a pity! If you had been fortunate enough to fulfill your destiny, perhaps you could have become a Dragon King in the future," the old Taoist sighed, patting the dragon's head in mourning for the "deceased" little white dragon.
"Master, how shall we process this dragon corpse?" the other disciples asked.
"First, saw off the horns, then shear the mane. Finally, strip the scales, extract the tendons, and carve the meat from the bone," the elder instructed methodically.
As the disciples prepared to begin the dissection, a small green sedan chair moved lightly through the woods amidst the heavy rain, arriving at the embankment. The porters were four young boys dressed in emerald green, each possessing impressive lightness skills.
"Elder Tianmu, my master requests that you stay your hand. Might you yield this dragon corpse to my master?" one of the young porters spoke up.
"Are you the Divine Physician, Xie Ting?" the elder asked in shock. "You've come for the dragon corpse as well? Hmph, so you've been following me all along!"
"Elder, you are mistaken," a voice sighed from within the sedan. The voice was like a gentle breeze, quite pleasant to the ear. "You merely wish to refine pills for longevity. I, however, require this rare object—unseen for a thousand years—to save a life. It is a matter of extreme urgency. If you are willing to part with it, I shall grant you any condition you ask."
"I want you to transfer the three-hundred-year legacy of your Divine Physician Valley to me. Are you willing?" the elder said, rolling his eyes.
"I am! Boy, present the deed at once," the young man in the sedan replied decisively.
"Hahaha! Xie Ting! Are you doing this on purpose? Let me be clear: I have no interest in your paltry estate. I will never hand this dragon corpse over to anyone! Give up!" the elder roared in fury.
"Then I shall have to resort to force after diplomacy has failed," the young man in the sedan said softly. The four young porters immediately moved into a formation—the "Falling Leaves, Drifting Red" formation that struck terror into the hearts of everyone in the martial world.
"Ha!" The elder laughed loudly and clapped his hands. His disciples also took up a formation to meet the challenge. A martial arts bloodbath was about to begin.
The "dragon corpse" opened its eyes at that moment, lying in the grass by the shore and watching the brawl with great interest.
The two sides fought tooth and nail for a full half-hour. The four boys soundly defeated the elder's seven disciples. Enraged, the elder let out a long whistle and suddenly struck out with his palms. Following several loud booms, the four boys were knocked unconscious on the spot.
"Xie Ting! If you have the ability, come and face me in single combat!" The elder's voice was like a resonant bell, his face flushed red, his beard trembling with rage.
The curtain of the sedan was slowly lifted, and a wooden wheelchair rolled out. Sitting in the wheelchair was the mysterious and skilled Divine Physician, Xie Ting—a frail young man with a refined, beautiful face and melancholy eyes.
His white robes were soaked through by the rain as he slowly emerged from the sedan. It was clear his health was poor; he seemed to be suppressing great pain, his expression full of sorrow.
"Elder, I am a cripple and possess no martial arts. My beloved is currently hovering between life and death. I beg you to show mercy and allow me to take this dragon corpse to save her. Please understand," Physician Xie Ting pleaded softly. "As long as she lives, I would willingly let you skin me alive and pull out my tendons."
Having said this, he suddenly disregarded his disability and tumbled from the wheelchair, struggling to kowtow to the elder.
The elder sighed toward the heavens. "Alas... I ask..."
Before he could finish his sentence, a powerful young voice took over: "I ask the world what love is, that it commands life and death devotion. I didn't expect that after five thousand years, mortals would still be using the same scripted lines."
"Who is it?!" Everyone looked around, but they could not see the young master who was transmitting his voice through internal energy.
"Has Your Excellency also come to snatch the dragon corpse? Please show yourself!" the elder roared at the sky, hoping to force the opponent out with his Lion’s Roar technique. Meanwhile, the Divine Physician kneeling in the rain had already begun to cough up blood.
"Oh, I'm right here," the mysterious youth said contemptuously.
the disciples stared wide-eyed behind their master—a white dragon had pulled back its lips, revealing rows of sharp, jagged teeth. That’s right!!! The dragon was talking! And it was talking in the voice of a very imposing young man!!!! It was terrifying!
Sensing his disciples' panic, the elder slowly turned his head.
Now, he was face-to-face with the dragon.
A bizarre event unprecedented in the history of the martial world—a living dragon intervening in a martial dispute. Everyone present believed they were witnessing a historic moment, while simultaneously wondering if the rain had made them hallucinate.
The elder stared unblinkingly at the white dragon. The dragon suddenly made a strange upward curl of its lips—the author, Mao, thinks it was meant to be a wicked, charming smirk.
Then the white dragon opened its massive maw, wide enough to swallow the elder's head whole, and said, "I am Leng Jing. I have come to pay my respects."
Amidst the screams of the disciples, the elder collapsed straight back. The old man was up there in years, after all; he wasn't as resilient to a good scare as the youngsters.
But no one dared to drag the unconscious old man away. Everyone was afraid of being bitten to death by the white dragon, and no one dared to speak to it. The young lord who wouldn't stop coughing up blood, however, desperately lifted his head and began to crawl slowly through the mud toward the white dragon.
"I... must... save... Ruolian!!" The Divine Physician gritted his teeth, using the last of his strength to struggle forward.
"I ask the world what love is, that it commands life and death devotion." A soft sigh drifted from the distance, like the spring rain of February in Jiangnan—gentle, soft, and light.
Everyone looked toward the sound and saw a beautiful man, like a banished immortal, treading lightly over the waves of the lake. His hair was like a dark waterfall, his face like polished jade, and his beautiful eyes held a look of compassionate mercy. His entire aura was noble and pure.
The "immortal" youth reached the shore and casually patted the white dragon's head, smiling softly. "This is my family's little dragon. He gave everyone a fright; I am truly sorry. May I ask this gentleman, why are you so persistent?"
"Please, Excellency... save her... I need dragon bone..." the Divine Physician gasped, coughing blood.
The immortal youth sighed with universal compassion. "I ask the world what love is, that it commands life and death devotion... er..." He saw the white dragon turn its head and look at him with a deadpan expression.
The immortal youth cleared his throat and changed his tune. "You need dragon bone, but this little dragon is my closest kin. To take his bone... I truly cannot bear it. However, your devotion is a testament to heaven and earth, and I am deeply moved. What should we do? —Ah, how about this: I'll have Xiao Jing find a medicine that brings back the dead for you. Rest assured, we will definitely help you save her. Now, tell me: I ask the world who is the strongest? Everyone says Xiao Jing is omnipotent!"
And thus, his true "country bumpkin" nature was exposed.
"I ask the world who is the strongest? Everyone says Xiao Jing is omnipotent!" the elder's disciples all chanted in unison.
"I ask... the world... who..." The Divine Physician was also forced to repeat it in humiliation.
The immortal youth—that is, Leng Qingqing—nodded with satisfaction and smiled. "Everyone is soaked from the rain. Come with me to find a place to rest! Xiao Jing, come!" He snapped his fingers.
The white dragon gave him a contemptuous look but also snapped its fingers. Suddenly, the surrounding space shifted. The heavy rain ceased, and the sky above turned into a brilliant Milky Way. The embankment vanished, and everyone found themselves standing on a water surface as calm as a mirror, while transparent goldfish swam through the air around them. They were inside a barrier specially created by Leng Jing.
Leng Qingqing maintained his "banished immortal" persona and smiled. "Xiao Jing, entertain the guests."
Leng Jing snapped his fingers again. Everyone's clothes were instantly dry, the Divine Physician's pain was gone, and a bowl of steaming hot noodles appeared before each person. Only the elder remained unconscious.
"Do not be surprised. Just remember to elect Leng Jing as the Martial Arts Alliance Leader during the next assembly," the immortal youth said, still as pleasant as a spring breeze.
As the elder's disciples ate the delicious noodles, they thought: *What kind of madness is this? First, we meet a talking dragon, then a mysterious immortal youth, then we're eating noodles in a strange place and being told to elect a Martial Arts Alliance Leader. What does any of this have to do with electing a leader?*
"You must choose Leng Jing!!!" the immortal youth emphasized again. Then, with a holy smile, he sat upon the dragon's back. At some point, a jade flute had appeared in his hand. He chanted softly, "I ask the world what love is, that it commands people to praise Xiao Jing as the greatest? Alas, on such a fine night with such beautiful scenery, I cannot help but want to play a song of sorrow!" He then brought the jade flute to his lips and began to blow.
(Readers, please imagine the sound of someone blowing a whistle.)
Afterward, Leng Qingqing asked himself in deep grievance: *Why! Why! Why is it so hard for me to establish a proper image! I did everything exactly the way Xiao Jing taught me! I want to be an elegant noble youth too!!!*
Having finished their lakeside trip, the dragon and snake returned to the inn. Naturally, Leng Jing carried someone back—the Divine Physician, Xie Ting.
At this time, Bixuan was still resting in bed, only for the young master to bring back another patient. The two-room suite had only two large beds, so Leng Jing placed Xie Ting beside Bixuan.
Xie Ting was unconscious, and Bixuan was in a daze, half-asleep and half-awake. Neither knew they were now sharing a bed with a stranger.
"Xiao Jing, Bixuan is constantly unconscious and isn't getting better. And how do you plan to save that Divine Physician?" Leng Qingqing asked.
Leng Jing curled his lip. "As the 'Saintly Youth,' how could I not understand the arts of medicine? Just watch and see how I save them."
Leng Jing spread a mat on the floor, lifted Bixuan down, and placed him in a cross-legged meditative posture. Then, Leng Jing sat cross-legged behind him, pressing his palms against Bixuan's back to begin healing him with his internal energy.
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
天目老人 | Elder Tianmu | A martial arts elder; "Tianmu" means Heavenly Eye.
谢亭 | Xie Ting | A famous divine physician who is physically disabled.
神医谷 | Divine Physician Valley | The sect or estate belonging to Xie Ting.
落叶飘红阵法 | Falling Leaves, Drifting Red Formation | A fearsome martial arts formation used by Xie Ting's attendants.
天龙丹 | Celestial Dragon Pill | A legendary pill made from dragon parts.
岐黄之术 | Arts of Qi and Huang | A traditional term for Chinese medicine (referring to the Yellow Emperor and Qi Bo).
若莲 | Ruolian | Xie Ting's lover.
圣公子 | Saintly Youth / Saintly Young Master | A title Leng Jing uses or is associated with in this context.
