A Small Round of Subjugation

The river surface rippled, and the evening breeze blew.

Long Binglin Pingjiang Ping He brothers sat on the left.

Long E Ying, Long Yao, and Long Li sat on the right.

There were three people on one side, Liang Qu took the lead.

Tonight's dinner main dish is wontons, fresh Amaranth Beef Wonton, with a deep red broth, fragrant with lard, seaweed and dried shrimp, served with several large bowls of side dishes such as stir-fried eel and water bamboo shoots, hand-shredded roast chicken, cold lettuce salad, and steamed Yellow Croaker, all of which are very fragrant.

Taking the long chopsticks handed to him by Long E Ying, Liang Qu smiled and asked the Dragonfolk Brothers.

"After leaving Pingyang Prefecture, you two tall, burly men Shang An to buy vegetables. Didn't anyone find it strange?"

Long Pinghe said casually, "Of course there are, but restaurants don't care what you look like. As long as you pay, that's enough."

"Too."

"My lord, please try this. It's a dish that's been reheated at a restaurant in town. I wonder how it tastes?" Long Pingjiang served the cooked wontons.

"No need to taste it, the aroma already wafted through the room."

Liang Qu didn't stand on ceremony and began to eat heartily.

The Elder moved first, followed by the Dragonfolk.

Ta Ta Kai swallowed hard, picked up a wooden fork, sprinkled some salt, and then served it to the Fat Catfish and the "Cannot Move" grilled fish.

I haven't finished paying off the debt I owed for grilled fish.

"Are you used to the food on land?"

Long Binglin nodded. "I'm used to the food. After eating so much hot food, I'm not used to it when I go back. I find cold and raw food tasteless."

Elder, the cooking skills you taught Aunt Zhang are excellent, though there are a lot of spicy dishes. At first, they were pungent, but I gradually got used to them. Sometimes, if I skip a meal, I feel like something's missing, like it's tasteless!

"Dragonfolk don't eat hot food?"

"We eat it occasionally. During holidays, we'll find an island or go to the Great King Lotus. The Great King Lotus in our tribe aren't as plentiful as those in the Frog Clan, but they can support one or two tables of Dragonfolk without any problem. It's just that we don't cook often, and our cooking skills are mostly average."

Let's chat about everyday things.

The only sound on the dinner table was the clinking of bowls and chopsticks.

Long Binglin picked up his chopsticks, but hesitated to speak.

Liang Qu discovered the situation.

"Something on your mind?"

"Elder, there's something I need to say, but I'm not sure if I should..."

"Go ahead and say it." Liang Qu put a roasted chicken leg in his bowl. "We've lived under the same roof for two months, and slept in bunk beds for several days. Are you really that shy?"

"No, that's not it."

Long Binglin chuckled.

A short while later.

"This may be presumptuous of me, but I witnessed the beaver building a boat, writing and painting a few days ago, and it truly captivated me. Elder, you are naturally extraordinary, Jiang Huai's Favor, and possess the same transformative power as the Dragon Lord. I..."

Upon hearing this, the other Dragonfolk stopped what they were doing, all understanding what Long Binglin meant.

Before Long Binglin could continue, Liang Qu interrupted, "I have enlightened the Dragonfolk. If the Dragon Lord reappears in the future and opposes me, whose will you listen to?"

"You!"

Before Long Binglin could reply, Long E Ying answered first.

Liang Qu was surprised.

Ze Cauldron's rule is straightforward and reliable, without many hidden agendas.

He himself wasn't quite sure why he asked that question. Was it psychological fastidiousness? Or something else? But was it really necessary to be so decisive?

Not long after Long E Ying gave her answer, Long Binglin also gave the same answer.

"It must be Elder Liang."

"..."

"It's Elder Liang!"

Elder Liang!

In an instant, Pingjiang and Ping He, including Long Yao and Long Li, all responded.

This made Liang Qu suspect that the group had rehearsed beforehand and had specially prepared a set of lies to deceive them.

It's like Liang Qu and Dragon Lord falling into the water; who will save whom?

Noticing the Elder's unusual expression, Long Binglin asked seriously, "Sir, you don't believe me?"

"I thought the Dragon Man Tribe were absolutely loyal to the Dragon Lord," Liang Qu said, puzzled.

"Elder, what you say is true. The Dragon Man Tribe are indeed loyal to the Dragon Lord, but..." Long Pinghe looked at his elder brother, Long Pingjiang.

Long Pingjiang added, "The Dragon Lord has been missing for a hundred years, my lord."

Liang Qu pondered for a moment.

Long Binglin looked around and said with a wry smile, "Of the six people here, I am the oldest, only thirty-eight years old this year... I have only seen what the Dragon Lord looks like from the portrait in my family. There was no trace of the Dragon Lord Reincarnation before. The elders of the clan have taught us the most about continuing the clan and protecting the clan."

Liang Qu suddenly realized.

The lifespan of the Dragon Man Tribe is much longer than that of the human race, but that doesn't mean there are no young people or no generational change.

A century has passed.

The Dragon Man Tribe has experienced many hardships, especially during the years when they were driven out of the Dragon Palace, when their sense of insecurity reached its peak.

It's hard to say about the older generation of Dragonfolk, but they were deeply influenced by the Dragon Lord.

The new generation of young Dragonfolk, influenced by their environment, are more inclined to uphold the beliefs of their clan than to be loyal to the Dragon Lord.

The spring has lost its source.

Whoever continues the lineage is the boss.

Liang Qu continues, Liang Qu is the oldest.

Whoever enters Guanzhong first will be king.

If the Dragon Lord comes again in the future, peaceful coexistence is still possible, and he can be accommodated as the second-in-command in the Jiang Huai Great Marsh. However, if there is conflict, the young Dragonfolk will lead the fighting.

Perfect.

All six people in the arena were young people from the Dragonfolk.

I wonder how Long Zongyin and the other two Elder will react after hearing this...

He pondered for a moment.

The Liang Qu supports the bottom of the bowl.

"Let's eat! After we finish eating, Pingjiang and Ping He, come to my room."

The six men looked at each other, their expressions excited.

"Yes!"

The dishes on the table were completely devoured.

Long Yao and Long Li bathed in the evening glow and cleaned up the mess.

Inside the cabin.

The candlelight flickered dimly.

Liang Qu pulled out the Azure Wolf and made the Dragonfolk take off his clothes.

Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe did as instructed.

"Hey, hey, don't take your pants off, just your shirt!"

"Don't resist later. You can't have even the slightest resistance in your mind. The stronger your desire to obey, the easier it will be for me."

The establishment of Mental Link, from the initial state to the future, requires less mental effort from those who initially comply than from those who resist.

That's how the Round Head made the contract back then.

Lacking any will to resist, the Mental Link of this Little Spirit Monster is no greater than that of the Fat Catfish that was once a mortal beast and the one that was "Cannot Move".

Liang Qu's divine spirit is powerful, but there's no need to waste it; we should save where we can.

"Rest assured, sir!"

Turn around and face away from me.

Having not commanded Water Beast for a long time, Liang Qu had a large mental space left, and even if the two resisted, he was confident that he could forcibly control them.

Without hesitation, he cut three fingers and carved the character "Chuan" on their backs.

Blood glittered.

The Red Mountain, imbued with dragon blood, can rule, and the Dragonfolk are no exception.

The word "Chuan" slowly disappears into the skin.

Two Mental Link were quickly established in the Sea of Consciousness, roughly three or four times larger than the one that had previously governed the Round Head.

That's all.

Liang Qu wiped the blade of the Azure Wolf Blade clean and observed the Dragonfolk's reaction.

Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe paused for a moment, their pupils focused, and their faces showed shock.

"Tell me, how do you feel?"

Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe snapped out of their daze, turned around, knelt on one knee, and looked respectful.

"It seems as if a supreme true spirit has appeared in our minds, for we must not betray, disobey, or act wickedly."

Me too.

"Is there any sense of will distortion?"

"No, we are but mayflies in the vast universe, a drop in the ocean. Yet, when people see the universe, they naturally feel awe and reverence, which arises from the depths of their hearts!"

Me too.

have to.

Judging from Long Pinghe's reply, Liang Qu knew the situation was true.

That's all I have to say.

Ze Cauldron is awesome! After probing the essence needed for the two to evolve, two pieces of supplementary information naturally popped up.

They're all 2300, no difference.

Liang Qu thought for a moment and decided to make a small investment.

The evolution of the Wolf Smoke is definitely not enough, Marsh Essence is at least in the tens of thousands, so it will definitely be prioritized for the hardworking and meritorious Water Beast.

However, there was a huge deposit of 130,000, and a few tens of thousands of "gold bars" that had not been redeemed. The remaining 4,600 to the two Dragonfolk was just a drop in the bucket.

In an instant.

The Dragonfolk was enveloped in a cocoon of light.

Reeds rustled, fireflies danced incessantly on the shore, and moonlight spilled across the deck like quicksilver.

Long Binglin leaned against the railing with his arms crossed, his mind unsettled.

The Fourth Elder, favored by the Emperor, could also transform Water Beast into White Ape, using his Essence Blood as a medium, making him no different from the Dragon Lord. However, once the dust settled and the dried-up spring was restored, all his miraculous abilities were ultimately just castles in the air.

Squeak.

Pingjiang and Ping He pushed open the door and walked out.

Long Binglin and Long E Ying noticed something was amiss.

Less than fifteen minutes after going in and coming out, his aura... has become stronger?

Long Binglin stepped forward, grabbed Long Pingjiang's wrist, and made a small cut. Blood flowed out and rubbed onto his hand.

Liang Qu strolled out.

"How?"

Long Binglin's pupils dilated.

"The bloodline has become stronger!"