“This place is spacious enough, and since it’s dried up and turned into dry land now, I think it can easily hold a hundred thousand people. When the time comes, each person will hold a stick of incense and sincerely pray to the Well Dragon King for blessings. I can guarantee that we’ll definitely bring a good, heavy rain to Dragon Tiger County!”
Lu Chen said this firmly.
“A hundred thousand people?” Wang Zhongmin and Chen Tiansheng both gasped. “We need that many?”
Lu Chen’s expression didn’t change. “If we really can’t gather that many, a few less will also work. But to make sure nothing goes wrong, the more people, the better!”
Wang Zhongmin furrowed his brows and thought for a moment. “Alright, I’ll give it a try. Whether through radio or the internet, I’ll do my best to spread the news. But time is tight. A few thousand people wouldn’t be a problem, but a hundred thousand is definitely a huge challenge!”
“Uncle Wang, do you need my help?” Suddenly, Sun Yourong spoke up.
Wang Zhongmin and Chen Tiansheng’s eyes lit up at the same time. “Yourong, if you’re willing to help, that would be absolutely wonderful!”
Sun Yourong nodded slightly, then turned to Lu Chen. “What time is the ceremony tomorrow?”
Lu Chen was startled. “How about… noon tomorrow?”
Without another word, Sun Yourong took out her phone and dialed a number.
“Steward Song, immediately do this in the name of the Dragon Tiger County government. Send people to notify everyone in Dragon Tiger County. Tell them that before noon tomorrow, they must gather at the Great Dragon Pool. They need to bring their own incense, pray for rain, and witness the sweet rain falling on everyone.”
After saying that, she hung up the call cleanly, only to find Lu Chen staring at her in complete shock.
His mouth was even hanging open wide enough to fit an egg.
“What? Surprised already?”
“Oh my goodness!” Lu Chen was completely floored by this move.
One phone call, and she could get the word out to hundreds of thousands of people overnight?
This kind of power was beyond the word “exaggerated.”
“Xiao Lu, the Sun family is one of the four great clans in our Jiangdu City. The power of a great clan isn’t something you or I can fully understand.”
Chen Tiansheng explained with a wry smile.
Wang Zhongmin also clicked his tongue in admiration. “What does it mean to be a great clan? Within this region, I dare to call it great! This is what a great clan is!”
“Now you know how impressive I am, right?”
Having finally gotten one up on Lu Chen, a hint of pride flashed in Sun Yourong’s eyes.
Lu Chen had nothing to say in response, so he simply gave her a sincere thumbs-up.
This woman had never put on airs before.
Lu Chen had unconsciously started thinking of her as just a regular rich girl.
But that phone call made him realize—the Sun family was a great clan!
One of only four great clans across the entire Jiangdu City, covering more than a dozen counties and towns.
“Uncle Chen, I also need your help preparing a few things for the ceremony tomorrow.”
Lu Chen smiled wryly and continued making arrangements.
“Alright, go ahead.”
“I need a wooden sword made of peach wood, an Eight Immortals table, a bundle of incense sticks, a set of yellow robes, and a hat… I’ll draw the style for you right now. Please make sure everything is ready before noon tomorrow.”
Lu Chen got some paper and a pen, carefully drew the style of Taoist robe and the Nine-Ridge Cap (the kind of hat Taoists usually wear), and even labeled the colors in detail.
Chen Tiansheng took the drawings and raised an eyebrow in slight surprise. “These clothes… are quite unique. Are they specially for this ceremony?”
“That’s right!” Lu Chen nodded.
Chen Tiansheng nodded back. “Don’t worry. Before noon tomorrow, not a single thing you asked for will be missing!”
With the plan set, everyone got down to their respective tasks.
Wang Zhongmin and Chen Tiansheng went downstairs to do some final reassuring. Lu Chen and Sun Yourong didn’t get involved in those small matters.
“I’ve already booked the hotel. Let’s go,” Sun Yourong said.
“Hold on. I still have something to do.”
“Alright, I’ll wait for you.”
Lu Chen went to the back courtyard of the county government building and used the piece of wood given to him by the Earth God to summon him.
“Noble Lord!” The Earth God bowed in greeting.
“Earth God, I need to trouble you to make a trip. Tell the Well Dragon King that everything I promised him has been arranged…”
Lu Chen leaned close to his ear and gave him detailed instructions.
The more the Earth God listened, the more amazed he became. “Noble Lord, your divine might is truly unmatched, and your methods reach the heavens!”
Lu Chen chuckled. “Enough flattery. Go quickly and come back soon. Remember, before noon tomorrow, have him wait at the Great Dragon Pool for my orders!”
“This little god understands! I will handle this matter perfectly! Thank you, Noble Lord, for giving me this opportunity!”
Hearing that he would also get to share in the incense offerings of Dragon Tiger County from now on, the Earth God trembled with excitement. He bowed repeatedly in thanks before vanishing into the ground.
“This old fellow…”
Lu Chen finally understood why, in Journey to the West, Brother Monkey always liked ordering the Earth God around.
He really was both useful and worry-free!
“Ring!”
Just as he was muttering to himself, his phone rang.
Lu Chen saw it was an unfamiliar number. When he answered, he realized it was a simulated notification call arranged by Sun Yourong.
“A great clan is a great clan!” The fire in Lu Chen’s heart was reignited by this phone call.
“One day, I’ll stand at that height too!”
He took a deep breath to calm his emotions, then walked back the way he came.
“Sister Sun, which hotel is it? How many stars? Can I get a king-size bed room?”
“You can have a whole floor if you want. I’ve already booked the only five-star hotel in Dragon Tiger County.”
“Book… booked?” Lu Chen nearly bit his tongue. “A whole hotel?!”
“What’s so strange about that? Hurry up, I’m hungry.”
Lu Chen stood in place, watching Sun Yourong’s carefree back as she walked away. He was left completely speechless. “This is… insanely rich!!”
…
Outside the Spring Source Water Mansion.
After delivering the message, the Earth God gave one last reminder before leaving. “Old Dragon King, I’ve passed on the message. Make sure you remember it!”
The Well Dragon King was so grateful he was nearly in tears. “Don’t worry. The Noble Lord has treated me so well. I will never forget it!”
The Earth God stroked his beard and chuckled. “Old friend, you’ve finally made it through the hard times. When you rise to prominence in the future, don’t forget to help out this old man!”
The Well Dragon King laughed heartily. “From now on, in Dragon Tiger County, I’ll take care of you.”
“Then I’ll thank you in advance! I’ll go back now and report to the Noble Lord. You prepare well.”
“Thank you, Earth God. Go safely!”
Watching the Earth God disappear into the distance, the Well Dragon King stood alone, his heart surging with emotion.
“I never imagined that I, Huai Lie, would one day become a guardian golden dragon under the throne of a righteous god in the Heavenly Court! My Lord, what is your background? How could you persuade the gods to suppress the arrogant Dragon King of the East Sea!”
Recalling Lu Chen’s voice and appearance, the Well Dragon King found him more and more unfathomable.
Such heaven-reaching methods were beyond his ability to fathom.
After thinking deeply for a long while, the hidden calculation that had once lingered in his eyes seemed to finally disappear. At this moment, he had made up his mind!
He flicked his sleeve and quickly returned to his dwelling.
Inside, it was still bare and desolate, a pitiful sight.
The Well Dragon King formed a hand seal and shot a beam of golden light at the stone wall.
Then, the thousand-pound stone wall slowly moved aside.
Behind it was a hidden wonderland—another inner palace!
But the inner palace was just as empty. The only thing there was four shimmering… dragon pearls suspended above a stone platform in the center!
The Well Dragon King walked up to them and gently stroked the dragon pearls, whispering softly, “My nephews, your uncle has been hiding here, barely surviving, only to fulfill the promise I made to your father, the Dragon King, and your mother, the Dragon Queen. To find a wise and worthy master for you. And now… finally, your uncle has found him!”
His gaze grew focused as countless past events flooded his mind like a tide. He murmured:
“For no reason, why is the head hanging in the public square?”
“For no reason, why are the four great rivers left ungoverned?”
“…”
The desolate whispers echoed slowly through the dwelling, lingering for a long, long time…
…
At the same time, in a small hotel in Dragon Tiger County, the lights were dim and yellow.
“Pray for rain at noon tomorrow? Sweet rain will fall?” Spirit Water Shangren lay on the bed, squinting his eyes as he repeatedly pondered this sudden news.
“Husband, Chen Tiansheng and Wang Zhongmin suddenly changed their attitude. Could it be related to that golden box during the day?” The red-spotted woman massaged his shoulders as she guessed.
“Hard to say. But those two suddenly changing their attitude means there must be a reason. Could it be…” A figure flashed through Spirit Water’s mind. “That young man who also took on the rain-praying task?”
“That young man? Isn’t he a follower of the God of Wealth? How could he have such abilities?”
“I don’t understand either, but that young man seems quite confident. Maybe he has some other backing.”
“If that’s the case, let’s go to the Great Dragon Pool tomorrow to check it out. It’ll also let us feel him out for when the time comes…” The red-spotted woman made a throat-slitting gesture as she spoke.
“We must go! The East Sea Dragon King has already set a prohibition here: no one but dragons can make rain. Let’s see what tricks they can pull!”
A cold sneer appeared on Spirit Water Shangren’s sinister face. “Even if, against all odds, they can actually pray for rain… I don’t believe that the East Sea Dragon King, with the Dragon King Array set up here, will just sit back and do nothing while the man who killed his son walks free!”
“BOOM!!!”
Just as they were talking, a blinding flash of lightning cut across the sky outside the window. A thunderclap exploded, shaking the room so hard it buzzed.
Spirit Water was so shocked his face went pale. He shot up from the bed. “Where did that thunder come from?!”
“I-I don’t know!” The red-spotted woman was also panicked.
The two rushed to the window, but outside was completely silent. It was as if the thunderclap just now had been an illusion.
“Strange? A thunderclap in the dark night? Did I hear wrong?”
Spirit Water looked up at the night sky. He felt that tonight’s darkness was especially deep.
In the churning dark clouds, it seemed like some enormous creature was moving.
He rubbed his eyes and stared intently.
But when he finally saw it clearly, he was so terrified he nearly lost his soul. He slammed the window shut, pulled the curtains tight, and fell to the floor, drenched in cold sweat.
“Husband, what’s wrong with you?” The red-spotted woman asked in panic.
“Shh! Don’t make a sound! Th-there’s something up in the sky!”
“What is it?”
“It looks like… a dragon!?”
…
“ROAR!!!”
Tens of thousands of meters above Dragon Tiger County, inside the thick dark clouds, four hundred-foot-long dragons were churning and circling.
“Big brother, how can we endure this bitter anger? Why don’t we brothers go find that mortal right now and swallow him whole?” One of them, a black dragon, bared its claws and fangs, eager to make a move.
“Fourth brother, don’t be impulsive.” Another dragon, a green one, tried to stop him. “Big brother said this person is a sworn brother of a proper star lord in the Ministry of Finance of Heaven. We absolutely cannot act rashly. Otherwise, the star lord’s heavenly might is like a mountain, and none of us four brothers will end up well.”
“Second brother is right. That person has deep backing, and right now the star lord’s decree is in effect. We must not confront him directly.”
Another dragon, a red one, turned over in the clouds and chimed in.
Then, the three dragons’ gazes all turned to the golden dragon at the highest point of the clouds.
The East Sea Dragon King, Ao Guang, looked down through the gaps in the clouds with an icy-cold gaze that swept across the entire county of Dragon Tiger.
“I summoned you here, not to cause trouble.”
His voice rumbled like rolling thunder through the clouds.
“I only want to see with my own eyes!”
“Which mortal dares to use borrowed power to pressure me and touch the reverse scales of this dragon king!”
In Ao Guang’s dragon eyes, a towering rage was now blazing.
He spoke word by word, his voice cold enough to freeze the bones:
“Such a great humiliation!”
“I! Will remember this face! For life after life after life!”
ROAR!!!
ROAR!!!
The four dragons roared in unison, their power reaching the ninth heaven.
