Chapter 136: Who Said You Were No Threat to Me?
Crossing the River was the crucial step a Flood Dragon had to experience to evolve from a Postnatal being into an Innate being.
Once this process was completed, the Demonic Beast would transcend the mortal realm and enter the three Innate Realms of “Mountain, Sea, and Firmament.”
For a Flood Dragon, completing the Crossing would mean transforming into a Chi.
However, this step was not something that just any Demonic Beast could dare to attempt. Even among the finest of the Heaven Rank, few would have the courage to take it.
Was it truly just coincidence that two different Heaven-Rank upper-class Demonic Beasts about to Cross the River appeared in the Yin River of the Western Regions at nearly the same time?
Or perhaps… were the two beasts actually one and the same? Yinrong?
A Flood Dragon’s Crossing was a matter of life and death—nine deaths out of ten. If it was true, then Mo Lin would have the perfect opportunity to fish in troubled waters.
Originally, because the information was insufficient—and because Qudeng had mentioned that the eminent monk from the White Horse Temple who fell in rank had said Yinrong would Cross the River “within three years”—Mo Lin had decided to set the matter aside for now and focus on finding a breakthrough from “Falcon Beak” to obtain the Yin Flood Dragon Heart’s Blood.
Yet the “rumor” he heard from Fei Wu seemed intent on steering him toward the Western Regions.
Was there a conspiracy behind this?
Mo Lin couldn’t be blamed for overthinking.
After all, in the Western Regions, there existed an enemy he was extremely wary of—the White Horse Temple.
He had already experienced the methods of that temple firsthand. Even a mere Earth-Rank disciple had caused him considerable trouble.
And the Western Regions were the very stronghold of the White Horse Temple, where Heaven-Rank experts were by no means scarce. Who knew how many tricks they still had up their sleeves?
Mo Lin even suspected that this rumor from the Six Gates might have originated from the White Horse Temple.
Although they likely didn’t know he was searching for the Yin Flood Dragon Heart’s Blood,
Still, as the saying went, “The White Horse Temple cultivates the arts of the soul; their methods are ever deceitful.” There was no harm in treating them with a few degrees more caution.
After all, this rumor came at a rather perfect time.
He had only just finished dealing with Jingyue and Qudeng and had learned about Yinrong of the Western Regions from Qudeng’s mouth—then, suddenly, another message about the Western Regions appeared, matching his current goal so precisely.
It was like starting a new job and finding out the company just happened to be planning a team-building trip to Myanmar—eerily coincidental.
What truly aroused Mo Lin’s suspicion was this: everyone knew that a Flood Dragon’s Crossing was a matter of life and death. Could such a monumental event really be leaked so easily?
Wouldn’t that be like advertising to every human organization that it was time to strike?
Besides, within the Great Qian Dynasty’s thirty-six provinces, Yongzhou wasn’t anywhere near the Western Regions. For such information to travel all the way from the Western Regions to the Six Gates and then to his own ears—could that really be normal?
Mo Lin didn’t think the Six Gates in the Western Regions would join forces with the White Horse Temple just to set a trap for him.
Still, it didn’t hurt to look deeper into this “rumor.”
Judging by the look of things, the Fei Wu before him didn’t seem to know much more. To learn the details, he might have to seek out Zhu Dongfeng, the Master of the Six Gates, himself.
If he remembered correctly, Zhu Dongfeng should also be mid-Earth Rank, right?
Mo Lin looked at Fei Wu.
“Where is your Master of the Six Gates now?”
Being held captive, Fei Wu faintly guessed what Mo Lin intended.
He had earlier spoken truthfully because he thought this rumor wouldn’t affect the current situation. He didn’t mind trading that piece of information in exchange for sparing the lives of the other members of the Six Gates present.
But Mo Lin’s intention to find Zhu Dongfeng crossed Fei Wu’s bottom line—he would never betray his Master, not even for his own life.
Though trembling in fear, he forced himself to say,
“I—I—I won’t tell you anything!!”
Mo Lin narrowed his serpent eyes.
“Very well. A man of integrity.”
He didn’t immediately harm Fei Wu.
That surprised Fei Wu. This Anaconda Demon… isn’t killing me?
The next instant, Mo Lin turned his gaze toward the other captives.
“But surely, not everyone here is a man of integrity, right?”
Mo Lin said lightly,
“Whoever tells me the whereabouts of Zhu Dongfeng, Master of the Six Gates, will live.”
A simple provocation.
He noticed one man’s eyes flicker for a moment.
“Don’t trust the beast’s promises! No human should ever trust a Demonic Beast! No beast would ever honor its word to a human!”
“That’s right! This Anaconda Demon only wants us to betray our Master before killing us! Don’t trust it!”
Before anyone else could speak, two “righteous men” like Fei Wu shouted, trying to rally the others.
Their cries indeed had an effect—the man whose eyes had flickered earlier fell silent once more.
No one answered Mo Lin.
Seeing this, Fei Wu, though sensing his doom, laughed heartily.
“Anaconda Demon, save your tricks! Every member of the Six Gates is loyal to the end!”
“The Six Gates will die unyielding!”
The others joined in chorus:
“That’s right! The Six Gates would rather die than submit!!”
“Anaconda Demon, kill us if you must! For every one you slay, a thousand more will avenge us!”
Mo Lin listened calmly to their curses.
Because the one whose eyes had flickered earlier didn’t curse him at all—instead, he lowered his gaze slightly.
With a thought from Mo Lin, all the others’ mouths were instantly “sealed.”
He slithered toward the man with downcast eyes and said softly,
“You know where your Master is, don’t you?”
The man’s eyes trembled but he remained silent.
Mo Lin smiled faintly.
“What’s your name?”
Suddenly, the man realized he could speak again.
“Xu… Xu Wei.”
Upon hearing that, Mo Lin coiled his massive hundred-meter body around the remaining seven captives, leaving Xu Wei alone.
“Xu Wei, I know what you’re afraid of. You fear I’ll break my promise. You fear your peers will curse your name. You fear that if you betray them, you’ll never live in peace again.”
He ignored the furious, wordless glares of the other Six Gates members.
“All those fears—I can solve them for you. They won’t have the chance to scorn you, nor will your secret ever be leaked.”
As he spoke, the power of restriction forced Xu Wei to raise his head—just in time to see Mo Lin swallow Fei Wu and the other seven, faces twisted in terror yet unable to scream.
Then Mo Lin continued,
“See? Two of your worries are now gone. As for me breaking my promise—”
He chuckled softly.
“I, Mo Lin, mid-Earth Rank, do not delight in slaughter, especially of those who pose no threat to me.”
“Tell me—do you think you pose a threat to me?”
Xu Wei shook his head.
Did he even need to answer? He couldn’t move a finger under Mo Lin’s power.
Suddenly, he felt the invisible restraint vanish—his body free again.
Mo Lin looked at him patiently, voice coaxing:
“See? I’ve already released you. The others are dead, all devoured by ‘the Anaconda Demon Mo Lin.’ You’re the only ‘lucky one’ left alive. So what are you still hesitating for?”
“Tell me—where is your Master of the Six Gates now?”
Xu Wei wrung his sleeve nervously, hesitated for a long time, and finally whispered three words:
“Quankang County.”
Mo Lin narrowed his eyes.
Quankang County, adjacent to Ningjiang County.
So, Zhu Dongfeng was leading a demon-hunting operation there?
While Mo Lin pondered, Xu Wei cautiously asked,
“Great Anaconda Demon… I’ve told you what you wanted. May I go now?”
Mo Lin turned to him.
“Ah, you…”
In the next moment, a thick serpent’s tail pierced through Xu Wei’s chest.
Blood dripped from his lips as he stared at the tail in disbelief.
“You… you lied…”
If looks could kill, his rage might have struck Mo Lin down on the spot.
But Mo Lin only smiled faintly.
“Didn’t your comrades warn you not to trust a beast’s promise? Why would you trust a Demonic Beast rather than your own kind?”
“Besides, I said I don’t enjoy killing those who pose no threat to me.”
“If I let you return to the Six Gates and spread word of me, wouldn’t that endanger me? Wouldn’t you then become a threat?”
“In my view, you should join your comrades in my belly.”
With that, the unresigned Xu Wei was swallowed whole into Mo Lin’s stomach.