Chapter 645: Chapter 645

White clouds rolled endlessly, stretching like a vast ocean. A celestial crane soared through them.

Its flight was remarkably smooth; not only did it not need to flap its wings constantly, but even when it did, it was with an unhurried grace. The weight on its back seemed to pose no burden at all.

The Daoist sat cross-legged atop the crane, calming his heart and focusing his breath.

“Overseas, beyond Langzhou...”

The talismans for warding off evil or dispelling Yin energy were nothing more than minor tools, mostly infused with the ambient spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth. They contained none of the Daoist’s complete seasonal spiritual energy.

Throughout all his years wandering the mortal world, the number of such full-power talismans he’d given out could be counted on one hand. In this direction, there was only one he had gifted—a fire talisman, given to the two white rhinoceroses.

“A thousand-year flood dragon...” the Daoist murmured to himself again.

The timing, it must be said, was rather fitting.

But Song You wasn’t worried that this was Heaven’s response to what he had done the previous night.

First of all, the seas beyond Langzhou had long since fallen outside the reach of the Heavenly Palace’s divine jurisdiction. It was practically a wild and untamed land. That was precisely why the flood dragon had been able to cultivate a thousand years undisturbed, and why those two white rhinos had chosen to hide there. Secondly, the Heavenly Palace was already rotten, just like a decaying dynasty in the mortal realm. If they had managed to respond in a single night, Song You would almost be impressed.

Coincidence seemed far more likely. And even if some god of the Heavenly Palace was involved, Song You didn’t believe, in their haste, they could muster any true skill.

If it was a coincidence, then perfect.

To rebuild the path to the heavens, he still lacked a top-quality source of spiritual resonance. If it wasn’t a coincidence, also perfect.

If he was going to clash with the Heavenly Palace, the real difficulties still lay ahead. This would just be an appetizer, what was there to fear?

“Please head southeast, toward the open seas.”

“We’re not going to Mount Zunzhe?”

“We’ll visit the seas first.”

Lady Calico answered seriously, and she was clearly even more excited now.

“The sun’s there… oh, right here. So that’s east, that’s south, north is up, south is down, left is west, right is east, so southeast is… this way...”

A stream of soft muttering floated above the clouds. Amidst the sound of the wind, their voices were indistinct.

“Great Crane! This way!” Lady Calico loved the sea, and she loved the lands beyond the sea even more.

The celestial crane gently flapped its wings, slowly shifting direction high above the clouds. It traced a graceful arc as it turned southeast, flying steadily toward the open seas.

At Langzhou in Lan’an County of Cang Commandery…

This was already a remote and wild region. Most of the city was made up of mud houses and wooden palisades. The so-called “main road“ had originally been just one narrow street. Thanks to the competence of the county magistrate, a second street had been added, supporting a small but lively local commerce. But beyond those two, the rest of the alleys were a cluttered mess, lacking any kind of urban planning. It was narrow and difficult to walk through, and it was a typical small-town scene.

A middle-aged to elderly man, rotund and dressed in official robes, was strolling through the street. As he turned to glance at the shops and the passersby, people along the road would bow in greeting, their expressions full of respect.

“Sigh...” The man couldn’t help letting out a sigh.

But before the sigh had even fully left his mouth, a voice suddenly spoke from beside him, “Why do you sigh?”

The voice was not ordinary.

Few local folk spoke the official dialect. The clerks and runners at the yamen did, but even they had strange accents. Yet this voice was in fairly standard Great Yan official speech.

If it had an accent, it was only the faintest hint of a local one that was familiar to his ears. And the voice itself… sounded oddly familiar…

Magistrate Lu instantly turned his head. It was a young Daoist. He looked somewhat familiar, yet still a little strange.

Until his gaze dropped lower and landed on the calico cat sitting at the Daoist’s feet, licking its paw. Then his eyes shifted upward again, to the swallow that had just flown down and perched on the edge of the roof.

His eyes widened in sudden recognition, and he was hit by a wave of shock and emotion.

“It’s been many years. Magistrate, you’ve aged a bit.”

“But you, sir, look just the same as before!” Magistrate Lu quickly replied, growing even more respectful in his demeanor. Then, with sincere emotion, he said, “I never imagined… we’d ever meet again!”

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And with that, the two began walking down the street together.

The cat followed behind, padding along at a slow crawl. Occasionally it would stop, turning its head to glance left and right, sometimes appearing lost in thought, other times sniffing the air intently. Perhaps it recognized familiar shops, or perhaps it had caught the scent of fish wafting from somewhere nearby. When it realized the Daoist had walked far ahead, it would dash to catch up.

“Though the streets may appear bustling, compared to a few years ago, the common folk are living far more bitter lives.” Magistrate Lu was, at last, answering the question the Daoist had posed earlier.

“A few years back, thanks to your blessing, someone indeed arrived by sea. Claimed to be from the Little Kingdom, though they were of normal human size. I treated them as sea-faring refugees submitting to Great Yan, and arranged proper resettlement. It gave a boost to my land reclamation plans. With my efforts and the diligence of the clerks, Lan’an County gradually prospered,” Magistrate Lu explained.

He continued, “But around that same time, the world at large began to grow restless. At first, there was a rise in sightings of monsters, demons, and ghosts among the people. Then news of rebellions and uprisings began to spread from region to region. The State Preceptor changed its policies constantly, the taxes grew ever heavier, and provincial officials were reassigned with increasing frequency. Even a small remote town like ours here in the wilds has not been spared. The people's livelihoods are dwindling.”

He paused for a moment, letting out a heavy sigh. “Back then, when monsters and ghosts were appearing all over, Great Yan was still strong, and no one paid it much mind. Now, looking back… perhaps it was an omen of the coming chaos.”

“If it were just these troubles, I might feel some anxiety, but I wouldn’t sigh aloud on the street,” Magistrate Lu continued. “Langzhou is remote. Lan’an sits by the sea. Even if the world descends into chaos, at worst it would mean poor business for fishermen and merchants. And even if court taxes continue to grow harsher, thanks to the work I've put in over the years, with the sea and the lands we’ve reclaimed, we could still manage to feed our people.”

He paused again, then lowered his voice. “But starting two years ago, the Sea Dragon King, who’d kept quiet for a few years, began to stir up trouble once more. And far worse than before. He’s become increasingly erratic and violent. Not only is he attacking ships at sea, he’s also stirring up wind and rain, causing havoc even along the coast.”

“Would I dare speak falsely?” Magistrate Lu sighed and explained further, “In the past, sightings of the Sea Dragon King were rare, and usually in the deep sea, far from shore. Even during the time when he was most furious and unpredictable, not every ship that passed his waters would be attacked. But since two years ago… it’s as if he realized the world was descending into chaos. He’s active again. Now, nearly every ship that passes sees his figure. Many are struck by his tail and smashed to pieces, the crews cast into the sea.

“And around ten years ago, people began worshipping the White Rhino Gods out at sea. The White Rhinos are extremely efficacious. Whether it’s stormy seas or demonic threats, as long as a sailor sincerely offers incense and prayers in their names, they’ll respond. The only reason many of those shipwrecked by the Sea Dragon King have managed to survive and return to shore… is because of them.

“As the Sea Dragon King grew more arrogant, the two White Rhino Gods began clashing with him often. Sometimes, their battles would even reach the coastline. Fishermen along the shore have caught glimpses of them mid-fight.

“Even from the mountain behind my county yamen, I’ve seen something that looked like a dragon or serpent faintly through the clouds!”

As he spoke, they had already arrived near the Lan’an County yamen. This little town truly was small.

“I’ve talked so much my mouth’s gone dry. Thankfully, this season near the sea is neither too hot nor too cold. If it were, with my physique, I’d be sweating buckets by now,” Magistrate Lu said, licking his lips.

Then, he turned to the Daoist and added, “I know you must be a divine immortal who came down to the mortal world. I’m already an old man, and I’m too lowly to reach such heights. But since we’ve met again, please allow me to invite you into the yamen for a bowl of coconut water to quench your thirst. Then let me prepare a small banquet to properly receive you. Over the meal, perhaps we could speak further of our homeland.”

“I am not a divine immortal.” Song You stopped walking, smiling as he shook his head. Then he said, “I’ve come this time for the Sea Dragon King. I can’t afford to linger. But your kindness, I will remember it.”

“I knew it...” Magistrate Lu froze, speaking in a daze.

So that dream he had all those years ago… was truly no coincidence.

Back then, the reason the Sea Dragon King had quieted for so many years… truly was because this immortal had once come.

And now, the reason he had returned was precisely because the Sea Dragon King had begun stirring up waves again.

In a daze, a shadow suddenly swept across the ground. A strong gust of wind rushed overhead.

Magistrate Lu looked up and saw a massive white crane spreading its wings, gliding in from the horizon. It flew with the effortless elegance one might see in a painting by some reclusive master; it was ethereal and full of immortal grace.

The crane descended and landed, revealing its towering size.

This narrow town street couldn’t even contain it. Fortunately, its legs were long, and by simply standing, its body rose well above the low mud walls and thatched houses lining the street.

“You are a rare official. You’re both capable and devoted to the people. Now, with chaos looming over the world, upright officials like you are even harder to come by. Yet, because you didn’t follow the imperial exam path, you’ve had no way to rise in rank. For the common people… that’s truly a pity,” the Daoist said, seated atop the white crane, looking down at him. “It’s been too long since we parted. I’ve forgotten your full name.”

“My surname is Lu. My name is Lu Jin, style name Zhichang.”

“A fine name for a fine magistrate,” Song You said with a nod and smile, his gaze falling to the white hairs at his temples. “May you never change your heart, and always serve the people well.”

The crane spread its wings again, soaring back into the clouds.

Magistrate Lu craned his neck, gazing skyward.

Even at his age, after all he had seen in life—even having once caught sight of a dragon’s silhouette in the distant sky—he still couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe.

When he finally looked back down, he realized that although the street was filled with townsfolk bustling about… it seemed he alone had witnessed this scene. The others continued walking, unbothered, unaffected.

But why had he insisted he wasn’t one?

Off the coast of Langzhou…

The vast sea stretched endlessly, reflecting the sky above, presenting a deep and profound blue. Waves rolled and crashed with a ceaseless roar, as flocks of seagulls soared across the sky.

A giant celestial crane swept low over the sea’s surface. Its passing stirred the ocean, kicking up waves in its wake.

If one looked closely, they would see that beneath the water, an enormous silhouette was moving rapidly. Its sinuous form twisted through the depths… like a true dragon.

And seated atop the crane was a solitary Daoist.

“It’s been many years, why is it that upon seeing me, you won’t even exchange a word about the past, and just turn around and flee?”

The Daoist spoke calmly, his voice drifting downward.

Beneath him, the sea dragon surged through the ocean, breaking waves with incredible speed.

Above, the white crane rode the wind, gliding effortlessly in pursuit.