As Guo Dahai advanced, Mo Chuan noticed the little black dragon's stamina gradually depleting, its consciousness beginning to blur.
"Thump."
This is...
Mo Chuan seemed to realize something, and the little black dragon also reacted, scanning its surroundings out of a survival instinct.
Indeed, to its left, the fishing net had been torn by sharp stones and thorns, creating a hole in the ropes.
An opportunity!
The little black dragon instinctively looked at Guo Dahai—the latter, engrossed in his own muttering and in a hurry to move on, hadn't noticed the problem behind him.
Must... seize this chance!
The little black dragon immediately searched for frayed ropes around the hole. Fortunately, while the little black dragon suffered, the fishing net was also in a state of disrepair.
With all its might, the little black dragon bit through several ropes. As the hole expanded, it tumbled out of the net and fell into a nearby mountain stream.
Guo Dahai, focused on his journey, suddenly felt a lightness behind him, followed by the sound of splashing water, prompting him to quickly turn around.
As expected, the fishing net had broken, and the black dragon had undoubtedly tumbled into the mountain stream beside it.
"Damn it... Argh!!!" Guo Dahai, realizing what had happened, first started yelling, then furiously whipped the empty fishing net at the nearby bushes. Finally, in his futile rage, he tripped over a protruding root and tumbled into the thicket.
"Wuwu... wuwu... Why... why is this happening... (sniffle) They don't believe me... They mock me... Even heaven treats me this way..."
Low sobs echoed intermittently from within the bushes.
...
Mo Chuan's vision turned to darkness as the little black dragon fell into the mountain stream. After waiting for a long time, feeling nothing but darkness and silence, Mo Chuan assumed the memory playback had ended (yes, Comrade Mo Chuan believed he was still in a haunted house, and some ability was allowing him to see this information). Just as he was contemplating how to return to the real world, a melodious voice sounded:
"You... Who are you? Why are you here?"
Mo Chuan was stunned by the question and immediately turned to look. The little white dragon that had appeared in his memory was now vividly before him, its silver whiskers flowing, its eyes bright.
"Who am I... Isn't this a recorded playback?" Mo Chuan immediately realized something was amiss and began to survey his surroundings.
"This is my world... a world constructed by my soul and memories," the white dragon explained patiently. "You are the first human to enter here, besides Guo Dahai."
"Wait... soul? Memories? You're already dead?"
"Yes." The white dragon nodded, slowly circling Mo Chuan as it swam.
"Hold on!" Mo Chuan's mind raced, desperately trying to recall the information he had seen at Yihuchun. He finally found two crucial but fragmented pieces of information in the vast expanse of his mind:
"In early July 1934, many people in Yingkou City, Jianzhou, reported seeing a live dragon upstream of Tianzhuangtai... It disappeared after several days of heavy rain. Witnesses said it matched the description in paintings: one horn, four claws, scales, two long whiskers on its mouth, large protruding eyes, and about 10 meters long... It wasn't until the winter of 2038 that farmers discovered a skeleton in the reeds 10 kilometers from the Liao River estuary, with characteristics consistent with the legendary dragon. The foul smell carried far, and its head had twin horns like a deer's. At the time, farmers collected a quarter of the scales, filling two large baskets, but no one dared to disturb the bones, fearing the dragon's soul would seek revenge."
"The first dragon discovered had a single horn... the second had two horns..." Mo Chuan said, looking at the white dragon. "The first was a black dragon, and the second was you?"
The white dragon looked at Mo Chuan, neither confirming nor denying.
"What... what happened back then? What happened after the black dragon fell from the hillside into the stream? What happened to you?" Mo Chuan moved closer to the white dragon and asked.
"...I can show you, but you must help me with something."
"...Alright."
...
"Is that... Mo Chuan?!" King Taishan looked at the center of the grand hall with disbelief, his slightly childish voice emitting a strange tone, as if unsure of what to say.
In the center of the hall, Guo Dahai stood with his back to the statue, making a declaration. The statue's belly began to swell as if it were a pregnant woman. Finally, the dark wooden vines shattered and disintegrated, and several blood-red vines emerged, carrying Mo Chuan, who was lying unconscious with his eyes closed.
"The Saint Child?" "What Saint Child?"
The followers below also seemed to hear this for the first time, murmuring amongst themselves.
"Quiet." Guo Dahai's calm voice suppressed the growing unrest in the hall. "The Saint Child is the Saint Child because he is currently the most effective way for us to communicate with the Holy Image. The Saint Child's powerful spiritual energy is enough for us to face the Holy Image for an hour."
"We offer sacrifice! We offer sacrifice!"
The voices from below grew more fervent. At Guo Dahai's signal, several staff members from the haunted house, dressed in red robes, carried unconscious individuals onto the high platform.
Guo Dahai raised a serpentine dagger with a blood groove and proceeded to draw blood from each person.
As the blood soaked into the wooden body of the statue and stained Mo Chuan's clothes, amidst the sweet, pungent air and chaotic incantations, the fervor of the followers reached its peak.
...
Outside the manor.
Taotu gazed at the manor not far away with a somber expression. Her fingers, rapidly tapping on the computer, clearly indicated her impatience to wait.
Moments ago, the ability management bureau had contacted traffic department personnel. They learned that a large number of outsiders from Yanzhou, Qingzhou, and Jianzhou had entered Huzhou in the past three days. After investigating through special channels, they discovered that all these individuals had, without exception, entered this manor.
Upon receiving this information, Zhang Hanshan immediately conveyed his deductions to Taotu, who promptly decided that the target's hiding place must be here.
Taotu had already reported the situation to the ability management bureau and, in conjunction with the nearby Earthly Branches member "Grey Sheep" and several squads, had surrounded the area.
Zhang Hanshan and Tang Jingjing actively participated in the breakthrough operation, while He Danrui was assigned to reconnaissance and containment duties.
Suddenly, the area outside the manor was filled with an air of solemnity.
Grey Sheep was an elder dressed in a grey Sichuan brocade robe. His gray-white goatee and thick reading glasses perched on his nose truly gave him the appearance of an old mountain goat.
"Taotu, do not be hasty. Haste makes waste," Grey Sheep said slowly to Taotu inside the car, standing outside. "We lack most of the crucial information from inside. Advancing rashly will only increase casualties."
Taotu said nothing, but her furrowed brow revealed her thoughts.