Brutality (Part 1)

On the mountain path, Moqi and In Tas sat crouched, watching the scene unfold in the Shattered Stone Grounds below.

Xilong was looking to make trouble for the Nickel Dragons. As his companions, of course they would not stand idly by.

But Xilong had insisted on acting alone, so Moqi and In Tas could only wait here, thinking that if Xilong was besieged and unable to hold them off, they would immediately go down to help.

Yet in the end, no one had expected the Shattered Stone Grounds to turn into such a spectacle. This was no Dragon Hatchling scuffle, but a bloody slaughter.

In the end, only the Chrome Dragon remained standing, head raised as he breathed, looking around as he paced slowly.

Xilong returned at an unhurried pace, still walking upright, his hooked foreclaws hanging at his sides. Nickel Dragon scales, hide, and sinew covered him from head to toe.

The blood and grime had painted this Chrome Dragon a savage blackish red, carrying a heavy reek of blood.

At first glance, he truly seemed like a demon.

In Tas looked at him, uncertainty and alarm in his eyes, with a hint of fear. He opened his mouth, yet could not say a word.

Seeing his expression, Xilong raised a brow scale. "Did I scare you?"

In Tas froze for a moment, then nodded hesitantly.

"Good. You should be scared."

Xilong smiled, lowered his head to look at his own bedraggled state, then quickly shook his head. "We can talk about that later. I need to wash up before I start stinking."

"Let's go."

Moqi remained as carefree as ever. His tail swayed as he happily led the way toward Bay Lake.

He stayed very close to Xilong, utterly unconcerned by the bloody stench, as though what clung to Xilong was not flesh and blood at all, but merely a few ordinary splatters of mud.

If Xilong was a demon, then he was a little demon. There was no difference at all.

Bay Lake, nestled deep within Ochre Valley, lay calm and still.

Xilong waded farther into the water, and the fish that had been swimming leisurely immediately scattered in every direction.

The lake water gradually submerged his back. Black filth spread outward, while blood crust, scraps of flesh, and that sticky stench slowly faded away beneath the lake's washing.

Xilong rolled over in the water and turned onto his back. Amid the splashing, his steel-gray scales emerged bright once more, scattering flecks of light beneath the sun.

On the opposite shore, several female dragons who had come to drink were secretly watching this way. They looked at the swimming Chrome Dragon, then at the spreading bloodstains, whispering among themselves about something unknown.

At last, they frolicked away.

After quite some time, Xilong finally leaped back onto shore, landing on all fours and returning to In Tas and Moqi.

In Tas looked at Xilong, but before he could speak, Xilong bared his fangs and violently shook his head, shuddering as he flung great sprays of water in every direction.

In Tas took two steps back. Moqi, caught completely off guard, was suddenly drenched and hurriedly dodged while yelping.

With that shake, Xilong suddenly no longer seemed like a demon. He had become the Chrome Dragon from before again, standing on all fours with bright eyes, light and cheerful—a little fellow who clearly had yet to grow up.

"They deserved a beating in the first place."

After making a fuss for a while, they gathered together again.

"We Chrome Dragons may love doing bad things too, but we do our mischief openly and aboveboard."

Moqi said, "Nickel Dragons are different. Those guys wear two faces. They say one thing to your face and do another, then show a completely different face behind your back. At first, they even coaxed me into playing with them and made a fool of me too."

As he spoke, he even snorted indignantly, as if Xilong had been venting his anger for him. To him, the Nickel Dragons seemed even more hateful than Leijieduolei, who had beaten him up.

Moqi did not care about that slaughter in the slightest, but In Tas was different.

Even though Xilong had returned to how he had been before, the Thunderclap Dragon still looked hesitant, constantly replaying the scene in the Shattered Stone Grounds.

Xilong lay beside In Tas, licking his wounds. One look at the Thunderclap Dragon's expression told him that something had troubled him.

"Do you think I shouldn't have done that?" Xilong asked calmly.

"I..."

In Tas hesitated. He hated the Nickel Dragons too, and Xilong teaching them a lesson should have made him feel satisfied.

But for some reason, after witnessing that scene, he felt as if something was lodged in his heart. He had something to say, yet could not get any words out.

"You think it was too much?"

Xilong seemed thoughtful as he asked softly, "A little too bloody?"

In Tas thought for a while, then confirmed the source of his unease and nodded.

Those scenes in the Shattered Stone Grounds had indeed dealt no small blow to a newly born Lesser Dragon.

When Dragon Hatchlings fought normally, they could be vicious and ferocious, leaving one another battered and bloody, but none of them tore off another Dragon Hatchling's wing membranes, severed its claws, or even gouged out a piece of its skull like Xilong did.

That kind of coldness and brutality made one shudder all over, even from far away, even without experiencing it personally.

"It wasn't excessive at all."

Moqi leaned closer and explained calmly, "It only looked a little bloody. It wasn't like he truly did anything to them. In this world, there are only dragons with damaged minds, never dragons with damaged bodies. Broken wings and severed claws grow back after a while. They might even grow back tougher."

He truly did not care at all. Regardless of his personality, Moqi was still, in the end, a Chrome Dragon.

Even if there was no fated good or evil, influenced by the knowledge and memories in his inheritance, Moqi still retained a cold and ruthless undertone in his heart. His stance was completely the same as Xilong's.

"I'll explain."

Xilong stopped Moqi and turned toward In Tas.

Chrome Dragons could understand Chrome Dragons, but Thunderclap Dragons were different. Xilong knew that In Tas was still a child, easily prone to confusion and distress, and deserved some explanation.

If Xilong never explained his actions, remained indifferent to what the Thunderclap Dragon thought, and simply ignored everything and let matters drift with the current, then they would only be companions in name. In private, he would be treating the Thunderclap Dragon as a subordinate, a tool.

Xilong could not do such a thing.

"I can't read minds, so you'll have to speak first. Starting with those words about it being too bloody and excessive, In Tas—whatever you're thinking, you can bring it out and say it."

Xilong looked calmly at the Thunderclap Dragon. "Don't worry about being inarticulate. If you can't explain it clearly, then speak slowly. We're companions; there's nothing we can't say. Besides, it's already done. From here on, we're just chatting and talking nonsense."

"I think..."

In Tas gathered his words. "I hate what the Nickel Dragons did too. Going to the Shattered Stone Grounds to teach them a lesson was right. It could also show our stance, draw a clear line, and give them a final warning. Those were all good things."

"But... Xilong."

His tone quickened slightly. "Why did you have to tear off their wing membranes, cut off their claws, and even gouge out pieces of their skulls? That was far more vicious than I imagined. It was even a little... brutal."

"What's brutal about that? We Chrome Dragons are not like those enormous Iron Dragons and Cobalt Dragons. We are only this big, and only this strong. We can't fight the way Iron Dragons do—sending enemies flying, dragging them, grabbing and slapping them, throwing and smashing them. We simply don't have that kind of ability, understand?"

Moqi leaned in again and clicked his tongue. "Xilong is the finest Chrome Dragon. That is how we fight: cutting and piercing. Didn't Hidorivi end up miserable after fighting too? I heard Jelierion was furious enough to die, but in the end, that Iron Dragon did not say anything."

"Let me explain."

Xilong was truly a little helpless. He grabbed Moqi by the horn and pulled his head aside. "I just won against many with few and I'm exhausted beyond measure. At a time like this, wouldn't it be wonderful if I could eat a few Stone Crabs?"

"You thrashed around in the water just now and scared all the Stone Crabs away. If you want to catch any now, you'll have to dive deeper."

Moqi stretched his body. "Is it time for me to display my secret art again? How many do you want?"

"Five Nickel Dragons, so five crabs."

"A quarter of an hour."

Without the slightest hesitation, Moqi plunged into the water with a splash.