Nine Nether Dragon Emperor-Chapter 24: Heaven possesses the virtue of cherishing life, what a pity...
RUMBLE—
On the main road to Destiny City, seventeen magnificent Element Beasts thundered across the land. Leading them was a young master in ethereal white robes, riding a snow-white exotic beast, looking like a banished celestial.
"Young Master, there’s a tea stall up ahead," a rider reported, turning back and cupping his fist from a distance. "I asked the waiter. We’re less than half a day’s journey from Destiny City."
They were, of course, Ning Xuan and the Eighteen Death Warriors.
Ning Xuan nodded. The exotic beast he was riding let out a sharp WOOF and bolted ahead.
「A few moments later, at the tea stall」
"Esteemed guests, please, come in! The tea is ready," the kind-faced stall owner said, personally coming out to greet them.
The waiter, however, simply stared at Ning Xuan’s mount, frozen in place. That thing... no matter how I look at it, it’s a dog! But in all my twenty-odd years, I’ve never seen a dog so massive, so regal, so purely white.
Number One prepared the tea, taking the first sip himself to ensure it was safe before nodding for Ning Xuan to drink.
"Waiter, bring out your best wine and dishes for my young master!"
Suddenly, a foot kicked a stool over. A young master in black and another in purple appeared, flanked by four attendants. One of the attendants wiped down a stool with his sleeve before smiling and inviting the two young masters to sit.
"Gentlemen, I am truly sorry," the owner trembled as he approached them, forcing an apologetic smile. "This is just a humble tea stall. We only have tea, no wine or dishes."
"There are fresh ingredients right here. Just kill one of them!" the same man who spoke first commanded, nodding his chin emphatically toward Ning Xuan’s party and their mounts.
"Eh?" The black-robed young master glanced around casually when suddenly his eyes lit up, fixating on Ning Xuan’s mount.
A dog?
Reading their master’s expression, the attendants quickly looked over, their faces filled with confusion.
"It’s entirely snow-white and about five times the size of a typical dog," the purple-robed young master’s eyes sparkled, his admiration growing by the second. "What’s truly rare are its lively eyes. This is a pure-blooded exotic species that has merely retained its canine form!"
The black-robed young master’s eyes shone. After surveying the group, he cupped his fist directly at Ning Xuan. "Young Master, is this beast yours? Would you be willing to part with it?" Of the nineteen people present, only Ning Xuan was dressed in white, making him easy to identify.
Ning Xuan paid him no mind.
"How dare you! Do you know who our young master is?!" the haughty attendant snarled. "He is Liu Qi, the second young master of the Liu Family of Destiny City!"
Ning Xuan remained silent.
The purple-robed young master teased, "Junior Brother Liu, it seems your status isn’t as impressive as you think."
Greatly embarrassed, Liu Qi glared at Ning Xuan, his eyes now filled with fury. "I am Liu Qi of the Fiery Sun Sect. May I ask where you are from and where you are headed?"
Ning Xuan finally turned to glance at them. Disciples of the Fiery Sun Sect appearing here makes their purpose clear. They’re heading to Qingyang Town to escort Wan Yue’er.
"We are merely passing through and will be leaving shortly," Number One said, cupping his fist when he saw his young master had no intention of speaking.
"You can go! But that beast stays! My Senior Brother Xiao Ming has taken a liking to it," Liu Qi commanded, pointing at Ning Xuan’s mount.
This time, Ning Xuan finally spoke. "If he’s willing, I have no problem."
"Smart move!" Liu Qi was immensely satisfied. The four attendants relaxed their hands, which had been resting on their sword hilts. They looked at Ning Xuan’s group with smiles of either disdain or arrogance.
Liu Qi signaled his men, and soon, fragrant braised beef was brought out.
The large white dog glanced at the meat, its expression one of pure disdain.
"My dog only eats Elixirs and Element Crystals," Ning Xuan kindly reminded them.
Xiao Ming’s eyes lit up. "Indeed, a rare species! It deserves a reward!"
Seeing that Xiao Ming had no intention of offering anything himself, the corner of Liu Qi’s mouth twitched as he pulled out an Element Crystal and tossed it over. The large white dog caught it in its mouth and swallowed it instantly. It then stared straight at Liu Qi, refusing to move a single inch no matter how he beckoned.
"Liu Qi!" Xiao Ming barked, clearly dissatisfied.
With a pained expression, Liu Qi took out ten Element Crystals and fanned them out in his hand.
The large white dog was finally tempted. It vanished from its spot, and a sudden gust of wind swept through the stall, followed by the sound of tea sets crashing to the ground.
"My mount is a rare breed," Ning Xuan said with a pained expression. "Giving it to you like this puts me at a great disadvantage. Your mount is now mine, but you’ll still need to compensate me a bit more."
"Of course," Xiao Ming agreed with a nod, appearing very amenable.
Liu Qi watched him, puzzled. He saw Xiao Ming casually toss a single Element Crystal onto the table, where it rolled to a stop right in front of Ning Xuan.
"One Element Crystal? What is the meaning of this?!" Number One’s face darkened, his voice filled with dissatisfaction.
"It means you’re worth less than a dog, naturally," Liu Qi mocked, stroking the big white dog’s smooth fur.
The four attendants roared with laughter, and Xiao Ming smiled faintly. They failed to notice a gleam of red light flash through the big white dog’s intelligent eyes.
Ning Xuan coughed, stopping the Eighteen Death Warriors, and rose to leave.
"Hah, a bunch of cowards!" one of the servants sneered.
Number One and the others were seething, but since Ning Xuan gave no sign, they could only swallow their anger.
"Old sir, my apologies for the trouble. This is for the damages. Please, take it," Ning Xuan said, giving the Element Crystal to the tea stall owner before they left.
The owner thanked him profusely, his eyes filled with gratitude as he watched Ning Xuan’s party depart. One Element Crystal was more than he could earn in ten years of running this stall in all weather.
Unfortunately, his elation lasted only for a moment. One of Liu Qi’s men simply held out his hand and took the crystal back, respectfully presenting it to Xiao Ming.
Xiao Ming glanced at the servant. "You have a sharp eye. A reward for you." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎
The servant thanked him repeatedly.
"Let’s go," Xiao Ming said, rising to his feet. "We’ve wasted too much time in Destiny City. We must hurry to Qingyang Town."
The group swaggered away.
"Honored guests, you haven’t paid yet," the owner called out weakly.
"Scum! The young master of the Liu Family and a disciple of the Fiery Sun Sect gracing your hovel is a fortune you couldn’t earn in eight lifetimes, and you dare ask for money!"
Behind them, the waiter’s eyes were bloodshot, looking as if they would burst with rage. The owner quickly grabbed him, his own cloudy old eyes brimming with tears.
「After they had gone some distance」
"Young Master, why did you let those animals go?" Number One finally couldn’t help but ask.
Ning Xuan smiled. "Heaven has a virtue of cherishing life. We should at least give them one chance."
Number One opened his mouth to say more but fell silent. Ning Xuan just smiled knowingly, the picture of confidence.
That large white dog was the same stray from Qingyang Town that had devoured his Divine Body Bloodline. A few days before their departure, he had sent his men to find swift horses, but the white dog had shown up instead, leading a pack of Element Beasts. It hadn’t been nearly as docile or obedient back then. Its body couldn’t support the Divine Body True Blood; it appeared strong, but in truth, its life was already on a countdown. After Ning Xuan used his Azure Dragon Divine Meridian to stabilize it, the dog could understand his every word and every glance.
"About time... it should be happening now," Ning Xuan murmured.
No sooner had the words left his lips...
WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!
The large white dog reappeared, a grin on its face. Wagging its tail, it lowered its head and spat out a huge pile of Element Crystals. There were at least several hundred of them, along with two Elixirs.
At a single glance from Ning Xuan, the dog turned into a streak of light and vanished.
Only then did the Eighteen Death Warriors understand that everything had been within their Young Master’s control all along.
A murderous voice roared from behind them. "Quick! They’re over there! Damn it! You mongrels, you deserve to die!"
"Heaven cherishes all life," Ning Xuan commented. "It’s a pity you didn’t know how to appreciate the chance you were given."
