dmims Chapter 30: Using Both Soft and Hard Approaches!
Chapter 30: Using Both Soft and Hard Approaches!
Chapter 30: Using Both Soft and Hard Approaches!
As the last glimmer of lightning faded from the dark clouds and the clouds gradually dispersed, the white dragon finally collapsed to the ground, its chest heaving violently, each breath accompanied by tiny sparks of electricity.
It looked in that direction, its dark gold vertical pupils filled with anger, exhaustion, and a hint of bewilderment that it couldn't hide.
The smoke and dust completely dissipated.
Zhang Qingxuan stood with his arms crossed, completely at ease, without even moving an inch.
The golden light remained unchanged, its brightness and thickness exactly the same as before.
He smiled as he looked at the white dragon lying limp on the ground. Starlight fell on his shoulders and on the dragon's snow-white scales.
night.
Zhang Qingxuan turned the roasted meat over the fire and sprinkled some seasoning on it.
After nightfall.
Zhang Qingxuan squatted beside the fire, turning the roasted meat on the wooden rack in his hands.
The meat was licked by the flames until it was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with oil dripping down and creating a small puff of white smoke when it landed on the charcoal.
He took a pinch of spices from the spatial soul tool at his waist, flicked his wrist, and sprinkled them onto the meat.
"Hmm, sprinkle some cumin!"
He leaned closer and sniffed, squinting his eyes in satisfaction, then, as if remembering something, turned his head to look at the white dragon in the shadows by the lake.
"Hey, do you eat spicy food? If not, I won't put it on the fire." He called out, the firelight illuminating half of his smiling face.
His response was a splash of water.
The white dragon turned its head to the other side.
It didn't want to deal with this freak—a freak that was eerie from head to toe!
It hasn't recovered from the lightning strike during the day and is still not fully healed.
But then, two fragrant aromas wafted over.
The first aroma is of meat, a mixture of charcoal fire and the crispy grease, along with the irresistible and complex scent of spices bursting forth under high heat.
The second scent is even more exquisite—the aroma of wine—clear and sweet with hints of flowers and fruits, and a touch of the unique mellowness of fermented grains, drifting into its nostrils along the night breeze.
It smells so good!
The thought had barely formed in his mind when the white dragon shook its head violently, its silver scales tracing chaotic arcs of light in the moonlight.
【No, no, no!】
It is a dignified dragon!
It is the overlord of this lake in the Sunset Forest!
How could I be tempted by mere barbecue and—and that intoxicatingly fragrant stuff?
But the fragrance seemed to have grown legs, clinging to it, circling around it, and drilling into its brain.
Finally, it couldn't take it anymore, and suddenly lowered its head and splashed!
His entire nose was submerged in the lake water.
The cool lake water rushed in, finally blocking out that toxic fragrance.
Bai Jiao had just breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the guy on the shore deliberately drawling out, "Wow—it smells so good!"
Zhang Qingxuan sat cross-legged by the fire, holding a string of beads in one hand and a jade gourd in the other.
He first leaned close to the meat skewers and took a deep breath, then shook the gourd, listening to the sound of the liquor inside sloshing around, before tilting his head back and taking a big gulp.
"The meat smells delicious!"
He smacked his lips: "The wine smells good too."
"Meat with wine"
He bit off another large piece of meat, his cheeks bulging as he chewed, mumbling, "Geng-yi-xiang!"
The white dragon trembled with rage in the water.
It wanted to bury its whole head in the hole, out of sight, out of mind.
But just as it sank half a foot, the golden rope wrapped around its right front paw suddenly tightened—the rope, which looked thin but was made of some unknown material, tightened so much that it hurt its bones, and abruptly pulled it to a stop on the surface of the water.
Is this even human?!
Is this something a human being would do?!
"Want some?" Footsteps approached.
Zhang Qingxuan squatted down in front of it, the skewer of grilled meat in his hand almost touching its face.
"It smells delicious. As long as you nod and follow me, you can have plenty of meat and alcohol from now on." The boy's voice was enticing and persuasive, too clear in the quiet night.
He paused, the firelight flickering in his eyes: "I can also point you in the right direction regarding the opportunity to transform into a dragon."
"How about it? Free meals and lodging, plus a guaranteed future – where else can you find this kind of treatment?"
The white dragon suddenly raised its head, creating a large splash of water.
Its dark golden vertical pupils stared intently at the smiling face before it, a low, suppressed roar rumbling from its throat: "Roar—!" (Get lost!)
Then she stubbornly turned her head away, leaving Zhang Qingxuan with only a cold, hard, wet profile.
There was a moment of silence on the shore.
Zhang Qingxuan slowly, very slowly, stood up.
The smile on his face faded little by little, like the tide receding to reveal a cold, hard reef.
The air around us suddenly turned cold, and even the campfire seemed to shrink for a moment, its flames dimming.
He spoke, his voice calm, yet it weighed heavily on one's heart: "I offered you kind words and gentle persuasion, fine wine and meat, and even presented you with the great opportunity to transform into a dragon."
He took a step forward.
"Since the soft approach isn't working..."
Before he finished speaking, a dazzling golden light burst forth from his body!
The light was initially a gentle, golden glow characteristic of the orthodox Taoist teachings, but in the blink of an eye it grew brighter and more intense, the gold fading into a dazzling silver-white—that was highly compressed and condensed lightning power, leaping and flowing across his body, emitting fine yet violent crackling sounds.
The white dragon's pupils suddenly contracted.
But what truly terrified it was what happened next—
Deep within that dazzling silver-white lightning, a faint hint of purple appeared.
Extremely faint, yet majestic and vast, carrying an aura of indifference and violence that transcends all things.
That was the might of Heaven, a calamity, the power of Heaven and Earth to punish those who defy Heaven!
Although it was only a trace, for the dragons who were born to face the tribulation of dragon transformation, this aura was a fear etched into their blood.
Zhang Qingxuan raised his hands, and silver-white lightning coiled around his arms. The purple hue wandered deep within the lightning, like a living thing.
"Then I'll have to resort to force."
He took a step forward, charged ahead, and threw a punch!
"Roar—!" (Wait! We can discuss this—)
The white dragon's roar abruptly stopped.
The punch landed solidly on the base of its single horn on its forehead. It wasn't heavy, but a strange, tingling, thunderous force penetrated its bones and instantly flowed throughout its entire body.
Its scales flared up, its mind went blank, and the rest of its words got stuck in its throat.
"Get lost! I won't listen!" Zhang Qingxuan punched the same spot again, this time using three-tenths of his strength.
As his fist slammed down, he rhythmically shouted, "Eighty!"
boom! boom! boom!
The fists struck it again and again, precisely on its head, neck, and back.
The lightning strike didn't hurt anyone, but it numbed its entire body, causing it to convulse and lose all its strength.
What's even more terrifying is that this guy has developed a rhythm in his attacks, with each strike landing on the weakest points where the bones and muscles connect, causing pain, numbness, and soreness that drive it crazy.
"Eighty! Eighty! Eighty!"
Zhang Qingxuan fought with increasing enthusiasm, and eventually leaped onto its back, clamping his legs around its cold, scaly body, grabbing the mane on the back of its neck with his left hand, and continuing to hammer with his right.
"Comfortable!"
"It feels so good to feel every punch land!"
The dull thud of a fist landing, along with the boy's panting laughter and curses, mingled with the crackling of sparks, sounded exceptionally clear on the quiet lakeside.
The cold moonlight shone down, and the lake water shimmered with tiny silvery lights, reflecting the strange and comical shadows of a man and a dragon.
About an incense stick later, the fist stopped.
Zhang Qingxuan flicked his wrist, jumped down, and squatted down in front of the dragon's head to take a look.
The white dragon had already fainted with its eyes rolled back, its tongue lolling out of its mouth, and a small bump had even formed on its forehead where special attention had been paid.
"Phew, that feels so good!" He stretched, his joints cracking, looking refreshed.
Then, as if remembering something, he tilted his head and said, "Wait—it seemed like it was about to say something?"
He rested his chin on his hand, pondered seriously for three breaths, then shrugged: "Whatever, I'll deal with it tomorrow."
O
He kicked the white dragon's limp paws to make sure it was truly unconscious, then clapped his hands, turned around, and walked back to the fire.
"Exercising vigorously right after eating!"
As he cleaned up the mess, he muttered to himself, "I need to get some sleep to help with my physical and mental health."