The Inverted Dragon's Scale

Li Muyang was flabbergasted.

He always thought that the reason he was admitted into Starry Sky Academy was because of his good exam results– Starry Sky Academy had discerning eyes, so it allowed him into the school. Although he had not applied or even heard of this school before.

Now by eavesdropping on Xiahou Qianbai’s conversation with someone, he came to realise that he was personally admitted by dean of the school–just what was the dean’s intention?

Li Muyang was worried and uneasy.

Starry Sky Academy was situated on Nameless Mountain, and in front of Nameless Mountain was one of the top ten most dangerous places in the divine continent, Flower Language Plain, and behind it was raging-red Nujiang.

Nujiang is wide and vast, a limitless expanse of red water.

It is said that at the other side is a dangerous swamp that’s shrouded by thick fog all year round to the extent it can’t see the sun, surely very few people would be willing to go and explore a place like that.

A desolate location, an unknown school and a high and mighty dean who overlooks everything–how could he possibly know about a common youngster from the far away Jiangnan?

There must be a devil behind this strangeness!

Li Muyang knows that there’s a monster hiding inside his body, so he was worried that someone else was also aware of the monster inside his body–

However, so far away, how could the dean know?

In this world, is there nothing dean does not know about?

Nervous and uneasy, Li Muyang stayed silent and concentrated hard, leaning closer to eavesdrop—He overheard the dialogue between Xiahou Qianbai and a stranger.

“Dean’s thoughts, can we speculate? The scene that dean could see, could we also see? Dean is an extraordinary person, and he did obviously has his reasons.” The stranger said in a low voice. “Why don’t you ask the dean?”

“If dean did not tell us, who would dare go ask him?” As Xiahou Qianbai spoke of him, his voice was full of deep respect and admiration. “Thinking that only Bookworm knew about this, it’s so unfair. Why is it only him that dean values? Is he not just a bookworm who only knows how to read? Speaking of which, he was a student of Kong Li and me.”

The stranger ignored Xiahou Qianbai’s ‘jealousy’, saying: “Now that dean has recruited him and knows of his presence, it demonstrates that there must be a reason –Carefully take care of the problematic situation right now. And you must not make raise the students’ suspicion. Also, dean has to be satisfied. So–teacher Xiahou Qianbai, I appreciate your help.”

“I obviously need to deal with this matter.” Xiahou Qianbai said in a cold voice. “I also have some questions I want to ask.”

As the stranger’s footsteps gradually stepped further away, Xiahou Qianbai returned into the stone house and stood in front of Li Muyang’s bed.

“Li Muyang, who are you exactly?” After a moment of silence, Xiahou Qianbai asked aloud.

“——” Li Muyang’s heart tightened in fear.

He questioned me like that? How does he know I’m awake?

Is he purposely testing me?

Yes, that must be it.

He did it on purpose, he does not even know I’m awake.

So, Li Muyang decided to continue pretending to be asleep.

Pretending to be dead won’t work.

“You don’t need to be worried. There’s only you and me in this room, so you can talk to me frankly.” Xiahou Qianbai pulled a chair over and seated himself in front of Li Muyang, a faint smile emerged on his lips as he said: “If you think you had not slept enough, I can come back later. However, someone else will come to see you soon—at that time you have to deal with them yourself.”

With that, Xiahou Qianbai got up to leave.

He could not pretend any longer.

Li Muyang sprung up in the bed, yellling: “Teacher Xiahou–”

Xiahou Qianbai twisted around, gazing steadily at Li Muyang in rumination as he said: “You’re awake now?”

“Why is Teacher Xiahou here?” Li Muyang asked in a bewildered tone. “This is not my house? Where am I now?”

“You are now lying in my cottage” Xiahou Qianbai said aloud: “The reason as to why you are here—Do you not remember?”

“Don’t remember.” Li Muyang answered, shaking his head. “Don’t remember at all. No impression whatsoever.”

He seriously pondered for a moment before he exclaimed: “I always admired teacher Xiahou, I heard that teacher Xiahou would have a lecture on [Cleansing Mind Incantation] today so I wanted to go. In the end, I was lampooned by a brother called Song Tinyun–”

As Xiahou Qianbai came over, he looked at Li Muyang in the eye. So, Li Muyang couldn’t push all the blame to Song Tinyun. After all, he was clear-headed at that time. The expression in his eyes can’t lie.

“Later, when teacher Xiahou arrived and recited [Cleansing Mind Incantation], I felt my head aching, as if someone had placed worms into my head. I don’t know what happened after.”

“You don’t know what you’ve done?”

“I don’t know.” Li Muyang shook his head.

Xiahou Qianbai’s piercing eyes swept across Li Muyang’s face over and over again, before he suddenly said: “Do you hate me?”

Looking shocked, Li Muyang hurriedly explained: “Why did teacher Xiahou say that? I only have admiration and gratitude towards teacher Xiahou, I absolutely do not have any resentment against you at all. If I told any lies, I, Li Muyang—will go home and be a shepherd.”

“If you don’t hate me, why did you try to kill me?”

“Teacher Xiahou, I would never want to kill you—” Li Muyang urgently explained. Why would he kill teacher Xiahou? He is his ‘big thigh’.

Seeing Li Muyang’s sincere expression, Xiahou Qianbai was even more curious: “Li Muyang, I investigated your sea of qi just now.”

“Sea of qi?” Li Muyang asked. He had read about it in the [Art of the Breaking Body]; the sea of qi is equivalent to the storage of qi in a person, all rivers run to the sea, all activity of qi will eventually transmit to that position.

Sea of qi would accumulate vital energy, the accumulation of qi will cultivate into a fetal heart.

Fetal heart will ultimately form into an entity.

For example, like the tear of the dragon king.

“Your sea of qi has not formed yet.” Xiahou Qianbai said: “The same as those low level cultivationists, the way you gather energy to throw a punch is via the dantian–In the divine continent, the Empty Valley, High Mountain, Free Clouds, Withering Glory, Starry Sky, Astral Projection, and Dragon Slayer are the seven main realms. The cultivation level of the students who Starry Sky accepts is usually at least at the High Mountains. Even those students who majored in painting and calligraphy are also at least in the Empty Valley realm. Li Muyang, you are a martial arts beginner and has not even crossed the threshold.”

“So, student Li Muyang, can you tell me, in the four trials – wine, women, avarice and temper, when you killed countless desert bandits and wiped out their family, just where did that strength come from?”