5 - A Farewell to Mr. Luo

Returning to the Home Page - Rampaging Dragon Girl Home Page » Rampaging Dragon Girl Information Page » Latest Chapter of Rampaging Dragon Girl » Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Previous Chapter Bookmark This Manage Bookshelf Return to Directory Next Chapter The two young Taoists standing nearby looked awkward, and one of them urged Lian Sheng to proceed. "Please, follow me inside." Lian Sheng nodded, his joy at the sight of family replacing his earlier confusion. The female disciple turned her head away and stepped aside. With a heart full of familial longing, Lian Sheng followed the young Taoist into the grand hall. After passing through two doors, they finally arrived inside. There were people engaged in conversation, but the sound of Lian Sheng entering interrupted them. Looking around, he realized the hall was not empty. An elderly man with a decrepit appearance sat on the throne, flanked by middle-aged Taoists, most of whom eyed Lian Sheng with scrutiny. The elderly man’s eyes lit up when he saw Lian Sheng, and he stood up excitedly. "Is it you, my grandson, Lian Sheng?" "Yes, Grandfather, it's me, Lian Sheng." Lian Sheng’s heart pounded in his chest. Being still young, he was visibly excited by the scene. Lian Sheng had previously met the old sect leader in private. However, due to the leader's advanced age, his vision had become blurred, making it difficult to recognize people. Lian Sheng's call of "Grandfather" attracted everyone’s attention toward him. A middle-aged man closest to the throne stepped forward. He wore a brocade robe and a gold crown, his belly protruding like that of a wealthy landlord. "Oh, so this is Lian Sheng. He really looks just like Zhen Yan, as if they were cast from the same mold." Chuckling, he approached Lian Sheng, appearing as if to inspect him closely. Another man beside him, equally unwilling to be outdone, approached the elderly sect leader. He was gaunt, with his robe hanging off him like a dried meat. "Sect Leader, why did you hastily bring this child back? Zhen Yan didn’t tell us where he sent the child all those years ago." Though the elderly sect leader was aged, his authority remained unchallenged. He glared at Li Zhen, who had spoken. "Do you think I can’t recognize my own grandson, and need you, Li Zhen, to remind me?" The elderly sect leader struck the armrest of his throne, and a wave of pressure instantly silenced the room. "Forgive me!" Li Zhen bowed his head in fear. The stout man, still chuckling, patted Lian Sheng’s shoulder affectionately, looking every bit the doting elder. He finally noticed the beast bag at Lian Sheng's waist, his eyes narrowing briefly. He withdrew his hand and warmly addressed Lian Sheng. "I am your Second Uncle, Li Er Huai. Just call me Second Uncle Master from now on." "Second Uncle Master," Lian Sheng called respectfully. White Lotus, tucked inside the beast bag, felt a primordial instinct warning him of being watched. He hadn’t experienced this feeling in over twenty years, back when he was a wild creature surviving on raw meat. The sensation returning now made his scales bristle. White Lotus raised his head, alert, and cautiously surveyed the interior of the beast bag, unwilling to move needlessly, and began to investigate slowly. Inside the beast bag, the surroundings were gray. White Lotus hissed, examining closely. Above him, he noticed a tiny, rice-sized light flashing. Curious, he wondered what it could be. Could it be the exit of the beast bag? The light wasn’t threatening. On the contrary, it felt warm and familiar, as if it was left by Lian Sheng. Should he try to communicate with it? Outside the beast bag, the hall had fallen silent due to the sect leader’s authority. The elder spoke slowly. "Lian Sheng, come forward." His voice was both commanding and kind. Lian Sheng stepped closer, looking up at his grandparent. Despite his bowed frame, the elder seemed as imposing as a mountain, inspiring both awe and fear. Yet, he was family. Lian Sheng, filled with respect and affection, bowed. "Grandfather." "So many years have passed, and I never came to see you. Do you hold any resentment?" The elder’s question, like a bucket of cold water, dampened Lian Sheng’s newfound warmth. "......" Lian Sheng remained silent. For over twenty years he had been raised in Wangyue Temple. Without the compassion of the abbot and White Lotus's care, he wouldn’t be who he was today. Not harboring any resentment was impossible. "I understand you harbor resentment, but it wasn’t my choice. I wasn’t aware of your birth. Your father sent you away secretly. It wasn’t until a few years ago, when he went to Wan Feng Tai, that he told me your whereabouts." The elder fished a jade pendant bound by a red string from his robes. Lian Sheng recognized it instantly. He had one just like it around his own neck, something he’d worn since childhood. Removing his own pendant, Lian Sheng saw that the two pieces matched perfectly when fitted together. Li Er Huai took the pendants and joined them. "They fit perfectly, a matching pair." The assembly started whispering. Li Zhen, who had been critical earlier, glanced at the sect leader and withdrew silently. After the pendants were returned to Lian Sheng, the sect leader addressed the gathering. "You all know that Zhen Yan perished at Wan Feng Tai. For the sake of Qingxu Sect, he joined the patrol and ventured alone into Wan Feng Tai, where he regrettably met his end. He was extraordinarily talented, destined for greatness if not for the mishap. We owe him. I intend to nurture Lian Sheng. Any objections?" His words weren’t a query but an assertion. Under his imposing presence, no one dared to speak, and the matter was settled by the sect leader’s decree. As everyone prepared to leave, Lian Sheng stood in the hall, unsure of what to do, when suddenly, his beast bag was cut open, and a massive white snake, over ten meters long, emerged, its white scales gleaming menacingly. Chaos erupted. Some screamed in terror. "A demonic beast! It’s a demonic beast!" White Lotus was disoriented. He had intended to touch the small light, only to find himself suddenly expelled. Surrounded by people screaming, he instinctively adopted a threatening posture. “Hissss!” The sect leader, seeing the snake, roared, “Where’s this wretched creature from!” His hand, suddenly gigantic, loomed like it could cover the sky. Lian Sheng, startled by White Lotus and his grandfather’s actions, shouted, “Grandfather, that’s White Lotus. Don’t hurt him!” White Lotus was equally terrified. The gigantic hand, like a fatal blow, seemed ready to crush him. Lian Sheng, however, ran and hugged White Lotus's neck. The enormous hand abruptly halted above Lian Sheng’s head, creating a gust that knocked several people over. Li Er Huai awkwardly got up, straightening his gold crown, and wiped the cold sweat from his brow. “Lian Sheng, explain this!” the sect leader’s voice carried a tone of tender anger. White Lotus, staring at the huge hand overhead, felt he could be squashed effortlessly, unable to muster any resistance. The sect leader withdrew his hand, and those who had fallen scrambled to their feet. White Lotus took a deep breath, having felt like he narrowly escaped death. “Grandfather, he’s White Lotus. Besides Abbot Wangyue, White Lotus raised me since childhood.” “Nonsense!” The elderly sect leader, despite his bent frame, exuded formidable power, and two words from him made Lian Sheng cough blood. White Lotus, disoriented by the shout, collapsed. “Grandfather, it’s true,” Lian Sheng insisted, gritting his teeth against the chest pain. “How can an animal raise a human!” He couldn’t tolerate the notion that his grandson had been raised by a snake, as if it demeaned him. White Lotus, hearing this, felt an uncontainable anger. No one had ever called him an animal. His eyes narrowed, the pupils contracting, and he hissed defiantly, poised to strike. “You, ungrateful beast.” The Elder Ancestor roared, and White Lotus felt his head spinning as if it were being stirred. A mouthful of snake blood spurted out, infuriating him even more. Seeing his beloved grandson clutching a snake demon, the Elder Ancestor’s chest filled with rage, leaving him both infuriated and helpless. He rubbed his forehead and sighed, “You are just like your father.” The Elder Ancestor’s anger subsided, allowing the others to stand back up shakily. Li Zhen Shang, lost in thought, cast a sidelong glance at White Lotus before turning away. “Take him to the back mountain, everyone else may disperse,” the Elder Ancestor commanded as he turned and left the hall, leaving the others behind. White Lotus felt a sarcastic urge to roll his eyes. The Elder Ancestor was indeed formidable; White Lotus genuinely thought he was about to die again. He looked at Lian Sheng, whose mouth was bleeding, feeling both pained and relieved, thinking his care hadn’t been in vain. People gradually exited the grand hall, interrupted only by Lian Sheng’s occasional coughs. White Lotus, being stronger physically, soon regained his vigor. At that moment, a young Taoist entered the hall. “Junior Sect Leader, please follow me to the back mountain.” Lian Sheng wiped his mouth with his hand, giving a faint smile and remaining as cordial as ever. White Lotus often wondered how he had managed to raise such a kind-hearted child. Lian Sheng had been such a mischievous brat, and White Lotus had feared he would grow up to be a troublemaker. Following the young Taoist out of the hall, White Lotus saw Qingxu Sect for the first time. Everything before him was astounding, a testament to the mystical world of cultivation. Watching the disciples of Qingxu Sect, White Lotus felt a pang of envy, wishing he weren’t a demon so he, too, could join a sect and cultivate. They hadn’t gone far from the grand hall when they encountered four white-robed disciples in the distance—the same ones Lian Sheng had seen before entering the hall. A female disciple deliberately stepped in front of Lian Sheng. She was Li Zhen Shang’s daughter, the Elder Ancestor’s granddaughter, and the cherished treasure of Qingxu Sect. Had it not been for Lian Sheng, she would have been the Elder Ancestor’s protégée and future Junior Sect Leader. Instead, Lian Sheng’s sudden appearance was a bitter pill she couldn’t swallow. Her resentment burgeoned because she had originally thought the Elder Ancestor favored Lian Sheng. Witnessing the Elder Ancestor’s anger on Lian Sheng’s first day only fueled her desire to aggravate the situation further, knowing the Elder Ancestor wouldn’t reprimand her for a minor provocation. Previous Chapter Directory Next Chapter Home Page Desktop Version Bookshelf Novel Directory Popular Novels