Kong Xuan and the Dragon Horse

"I haven't been mistreating you, have I?"

"No, life here is too comfortable. I really love it here."

"Seriously?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die!"

Dragon Horse patted its chest and continued to carry Di Xin forward, its steps as smooth as ever.

The night was deep, and the bright moonlight shone upon Dragon Horse's scales, yet no light reflected from them.

Ever since it realized it couldn't defeat Di Xin, Dragon Horse had become a completely different creature. It allowed Di Xin to do whatever he pleased, with one condition: absolutely no riding during the day. It had its pride as a horse to consider.

As for Di Xin, transferring his frustrations onto Dragon Horse had greatly improved his mood. His only regret was:

"A fine horse traveling at night... I'm not too happy about that. How about we go for a ride tomorrow?"

"Great! What do you mean not happy! You're super happy, aren't you! Don't I have any dignity as a Dragon Horse? Being ridden by you at night is one thing, but you want to ride me during the day too! In front of everyone, are you even embarrassed! How am I supposed to find a mare in the future!"

Dragon Horse wanted to buck Di Xin off upon hearing this, but Di Xin wasn't Shen Nong. When he beat it, he held nothing back, his punches landing with full force.

Damn it, these guys are all scum!

Di Xin asked curiously, "You're a Dragon Horse, shouldn't you be looking for a dragon? Why are you looking down [on them]?"

"Why would I look for the Dragon Clan? I worked hard to escape that pit! Why would I jump back in now!"

Dragon Horse became even more enraged, hot air puffing from its nostrils.

"If I hadn't been tricked, I'd still be in the Luo River reading with that old turtle! Although life was simple, I didn't have to be ridden around every day! Back in the day, I was a learned and courteous Dragon Horse!"

"And now?"

Di Xin was even more curious. It seemed there was quite a story behind this.

"Now, damn it! I have to stay cooped up in a cave all day. I can't even go out for a stroll! I admit I'm not as good as that bird, but my acquired body's potential rivals that of a primordial divine being. With the five elements in harmony, I could conceal my true form with just a sliver of Human Race Destiny and advance by leaps and bounds!

If I hadn't swallowed that sword, I would have been struck by lightning the moment I left Huoyun Cave! Shen Nong said I could run around with you, so I agreed to come out!"

After a good rant, Dragon Horse felt much better. Its hooves lightly touched the ground, and it instantly soared into the air, rising higher and higher.

"Damn it! Hahaha!"

"So, using Human Race Destiny to conceal your true form can confuse the Heavenly Dao's shackles, but if you're discovered later, will there be significant trouble?"

Di Xin rubbed his chin. If that were the case, wouldn't that open up possibilities for manipulation?

"That's right. Doing so is essentially deceiving the Heavenly Dao. Once discovered, you'll immediately face heavenly punishment. Moreover, the higher your cultivation, the more powerful the heavenly punishment will be."

Behind Di Xin, Kong Xuan materialized from the void and spoke without reservation.

"Hahaha, when did you get back? You didn't even notify me, so I could welcome you properly."

Di Xin patted Dragon Horse, signaling it to turn around. To his surprise, Dragon Horse froze in place.

"Kong... Kong Xuan?"

"How did this foolish horse end up with you?"

Kong Xuan took a couple of steps forward, his gaze constantly scanning Dragon Horse's dragon head, occasionally making clicking sounds with his tongue, appearing quite pleased.

"If it gives you any trouble, just tell me. I can help you get rid of it for free."

Dragon Horse instantly exploded in anger, shouting in its fiercest tone:

"Kong... Kong Xuan, you're bullying me too much! I'm a horse, not a dragon! You have a problem with the Dragon Clan, what does my horse clan have to do with it! Damn it!"

Di Xin silently dismounted, took out a pot of fine wine and a plate of peanuts, and quietly enjoyed the reunion of old friends.

"I didn't quite hear that, were you just cursing me?"

Kong Xuan feigned cupping his ear, and the Five-Colored Divine Light behind him flared, silently threatening the Dragon Horse.

"Heh! I won't stoop to your level! Those old dragons of the Dragon Clan are currently in the four sea eyes. Go and suppress the sea if you have the guts! Why are you acting tough in front of a weak horse like me!"

Dragon Horse's voice grew louder, its body smaller, its demeanor more arrogant. It moved further and further away from Kong Xuan, eventually shamelessly hiding behind Di Xin, looking at Kong Xuan with disdain.

Come at me if you dare!

Of course, this was just a silent shout.

"Hahaha!"

Di Xin burst into laughter, amused by Dragon Horse's boundless shamelessness.

He casually produced a square table and three wine cups, then gestured to Di Xin.

"Tell me?"

"Tell you what? It's late, shouldn't you be sleeping! I still need to put on weight for winter!"

Dragon Horse emerged from behind Di Xin, shot Kong Xuan a fierce glare, grabbed the wine pot with its hoof, and bolted.

"It's getting late, I need to sleep. See ya! Damn it, what bad luck!"

Kong Xuan shook his head and sat down in the void.

"This fellow is a real bully, relying on others. During the era of the Earth Emperor, I hadn't yet attained enlightenment and was in seclusion in a certain tribe. This dog-like creature was Shen Nong's mount back then. It somehow got wind of me and came to provoke me, claiming to be from the Dragon Clan and wanting to assert dominance over the Phoenix Clan!"

"And then what?"

Di Xin cracked peanuts, his gossip-loving soul burning brightly.

"And then, I almost skinned him and roasted him over a fire."

Kong Xuan's lips curved, as if recalling something amusing.

"After that, the guy hid from me whenever he saw me."

"Hahaha! That's quite interesting."

Di Xin laughed heartily, but his mind drifted to other matters.

Kong Xuan had some past grievances with the Dragon Horse. If given a legitimate reason, would Kong Xuan actually go to the Sea Eye to suppress the sea?

"How was the harvest this time? The Star-Gathering Pavilion is almost complete. Although it's a bit rudimentary, it's enough for now."

"When I passed by Wuyi Mountain, I casually took in two rogue immortals. They're currently following Grand Tutor Wen and busy with that matter. I also gave the Intercepting Sect a heads-up. I'll call out my useless younger brother then and beat him up, and everything will be settled."

Kong Xuan said nonchalantly. He never wanted to be too busy with things, and now he only needed to be the deterrent, which suited him perfectly.

"Wuyi Mountain, did you find that tea tree? That's a good thing!"

Di Xin's eyes lit up. If he could use the Great Red Robe Tea Tree to comprehend the Dao and advance his main body further, it would truly be a blessing from heaven!

"I didn't find the tree, but I found a nice little item."

Kong Xuan calmly raised his hand, and a golden light appeared. As the golden light dissipated, a golden coin with wings revealed itself!

"Treasure-Dropping Golden Coin!"

Di Xin suddenly stood up, exclaiming in shock, his face filled with disbelief.

"You... you knew about this treasure long ago?"

Kong Xuan looked at Di Xin's exaggerated performance, and his hidden joy instantly vanished.

"Alright, stop pretending. You knew about it but didn't take it. Besides dropping treasures, what else can this treasure do?"

Di Xin chuckled sheepishly.

"Hehe, I was just guessing. Don't take it seriously. Every time this Treasure-Dropping Golden Coin drops a treasure, the user loses a corresponding amount of Destiny. Right now, I'm relying on this little bit of Destiny to hold the fort, so I wouldn't dare touch this thing."