Chapter Fifty: Enlightenment! The True Purpose of the Flood Dragon Qi

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The sea bream spirit, still elated from defeating a formidable foe, was drawn by the commotion here, blowing bubbles as it darted around Wang Cheng. Yet no matter how it searched, it could not find a trace of the treasured blade.

This was precisely the introductory killing move of the “Azure Dragon Within the Sleeve”: the Hidden Blade technique. Without relying on spatial treasures like the Four Seas Copper Coin, one could conceal a weapon of modest size.

Even smuggling cheat sheets into the civil service examinations would have a high chance of success with such a skill.

With another flick of his hand, the treasured blade reappeared.

Clang—!

A flick of his finger, and the blade sang with a dragon’s cry.

Cold light danced along the edge, resonating with the three flames burning atop Wang Cheng, and faint dragon scales—barely visible to mortal eyes—appeared along the blade, as if the weapon itself had accepted its new master with sentient grace.

Wang Cheng brought the blade up for close examination. The spine curved slightly, suited for both slashing and thrusting, the hilt long enough for a double-handed grip, adorned at its end by a vivid golden dragon’s head.

Along the blade was an inscription engraved by the smith during its forging: “Chiwen.”

Chiwen—one of the legendary nine sons of the dragon, with a dragon’s head and a fish’s body, wide-mouthed and fond of swallowing, often placed at the ends of palace ridges to ward off fire and disaster.

Wang Cheng caressed the treasured blade, reluctant to set it down.

“Though not a spiritual anchor, in terms of material and craftsmanship alone, this blade is already a peerless masterpiece.

Given its name—Chiwen—it’s possible the Yunmeng royal family once forged nine such blades, each corresponding to one of the dragon’s nine sons.

For a member of the ‘Whitewater Guild’ trading upon the seas, it is only proper to be armed with a worthy blade.

A blade is not merely a weapon; for many official posts, it is an indispensable ritual instrument. Now that I have Chiwen, I won’t need to seek another fine blade after receiving my official credentials.”

In the eyes of those within the profession, a single blade embodies Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Kin, and Teacher—bearing profound symbolic meaning.

The blade’s edge is called Heaven, the spine Earth, the guard Sovereign, the hilt Kin, and the sheath Teacher; only the very tip is truly meant for battle and mortal peril.

It is akin to a portable ancestral tablet, or a ceremonial scepter.

Whether large or small, every water-borne official must be equipped with one.

Putting away the treasured blade, Wang Cheng at last had time to examine that severely damaged root talisman.

Even the complete spiritual Decree had utterly collapsed, now retaining only the ability to intimidate and command simple, low-wit creatures.

Yet, after Wang Cheng had seized ownership, all the residual information within was laid bare to him.

“The prerequisites for the Celestial Class official post ‘Dragon Scion’: one must be the reincarnation of a flood dragon, or bear imperial blood, a true scion or descendant of the state’s Lord and Dragon Emperor.

This was the highest official talisman in the Yunmeng Empire, tied in fate to the dynasty itself.

If the state’s sacred regalia changed hands, one would immediately lose the right to continue cultivation; any official already granted the post would find further progress impossible and would be forced to retire or seek a new path.”

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“Even if this descendant of the Borjigin clan were to return to life, the talisman would be useless now.

But during the height of the dynasty, a ‘Dragon Scion’ could suppress even the most illustrious court officials as easily as eating or drinking…”

The Yunmeng Empire was the largest country in the history of the world, its territory stretching nearly from the easternmost lands to the farthest west.

According to unofficial histories, the founding emperor of Yunmeng publicly claimed descent from the Han’s Gaozu, with pure blood and a divine mandate as the supreme emperor of the Central Plains.

Whether or not these accounts were true, his northern brothers and clansmen all believed him a traitor worthy of a thousand deaths!

After all, he himself was a steppe nomad—yet dared to perform the ancient wolf-enshrining rites and offer sacrifices to Heaven?

Utterly outrageous!

Could he face his ancestors with such behavior?!

Given this background of external strength and claimed orthodoxy, it was hardly surprising that this Lord of the State should, in communion with the “Divine Qi of the First Emperor of Han,” acquire certain unique legacies like the “Dragon Scion.”

Wang Cheng’s mind, recalling what he had learned of history, raced with associations.

“For an empire freshly risen from the saddle, obtaining the Dragon Scion legacy might not be a blessing.

The Yunmeng Empire lasted only ninety-eight years, yet saw eleven emperors ascend the throne.

Throughout history, dynastic succession has generally followed hereditary, abdication, primogeniture, or fraternal succession—yet Yunmeng’s political system was in utter chaos.

Every royal scion who became a Dragon Scion gained the power to command all officials and muster great private armies, making rebellion as easy as raising a hand.

Each ‘Dragon Scion’ was a latent flood dragon sharing in the sovereignty of the state, able to transform and ascend in power, with the possibility of a mere grass snake becoming the true dragon-emperor.

The throne changed hands frequently, and the central court was perpetually embroiled in internecine strife.

Later, the Great Zhao Dynasty must have learned from Yunmeng’s mistakes: except for the first generation sons of the founding Emperor Han Lin, all other princes held no real power.

Hence the saying: ‘Yunmeng breeds dragons; Great Zhao breeds pigs.’

The root of this difference likely lies with the official post of ‘Dragon Scion.’

With the collapse of the Yunmeng Empire, this official post vanished into the river of history.”

Wang Cheng was certain that among the Han clan of the Great Zhao Dynasty, no such powerful legacy had survived.

As he read on, he suddenly exclaimed in surprise:

“Huh? The ‘Dragon Scion’ requires…flood dragon qi for cultivation?!”

He realized he might have stumbled upon something truly extraordinary.

The last time Wang Cheng had seen the term “flood dragon qi” was in relation to Xie He, the man who had destroyed the Wang clan:

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“To take Yuegang, capture the Sea King’s heir as a sacrificial offering, help the nobleman gather all the flood dragon qi, and complete the ritual.”

Wang Cheng knew that flood dragon qi, also called flood dragon vital energy, was one of the nine heavens’ spiritual energies.

Officials of all three ranks—upper, middle, and lower—each focused on essence, energy, or spirit respectively.

Those who ate meat became brave and fierce, those who ate grain became clever and skillful, and those who consumed qi became divine and long-lived.

After being granted official credentials, one would continue to cultivate, and upon reaching the sixth, fifth, or fourth rank—the middle three ranks—focus would shift to absorbing qi, with each of the 360 official posts drawing from a different source.

According to “Rare Commodities,” the Dragon Scion cultivated in dependence on the state, and the required flood dragon qi came from the dynasty’s accumulated “Divine Qi of the First Emperor of Han.”

If the court’s supply was insufficient, special rituals and talismans would be used to draw qi from those who possessed flood dragon energy.

Thus, descendants of the Borjigin clan were fiercely competitive, ever eager to expand territory, quell rebellions, and purge rival claimants, driven by an almost pathological attachment to land.

Regrettably, whether due to incomplete legacy or the ignorance of that royal descendant, the information retrieved contained no details on how to extract flood dragon qi.

Nevertheless, it was more than enough to send Wang Cheng’s imagination racing.

“Flood dragon qi, sea captains, pirate kings, princes, long-life lords…”

A sudden flash of insight struck him, his heart pounding faster as he muttered to himself:

“The timing began about six or seven years ago.

Suddenly, a string of powerful sea captains met with accidents in the East Sea—some overtly seized, others assassinated. In a matter of years, those serpents, dragons, and pythons bearing the mark of royal qi were nearly wiped out, their remains used to seal the ocean’s abyss.

Looking back, the frequency is unnatural.

Is it possible that some prince or scion of the Han family of Great Zhao unexpectedly obtained the celestial post of Dragon Scion?

In order to perfect the Dragon Scion legacy and transform his fate—a grass snake becoming a dragon—he set out to eradicate all the ‘flood dragons’ at sea?

That very royal scion might be the ‘nobleman’ Xie He spoke of.”

At the same time, Wang Cheng could not help but connect this critical moment, six or seven years ago, with another story he had once heard.

—The great southern pearl harvest, jointly launched by the three provinces!

And the sole survivor he knew from that event…the pearl-diving girl, Axiao!