Rules
Fiends came around to find out what happened, and suspicion of foul play arose as they learnt what went down. Meanwhile, Mu Yu and Jade Wyrm continued their stalemate stare down in the sky. The three remaining leaders had no choice but to offer their time once Jade Wyrm was no longer able to contain the chaos.
“Quiet! What happened?” Long Shentu questioned, emanating his energy to end the bickering.
“This lowly human killed one of us!” Jade Wyrm thundered.
“Mu Yu, may I ask why you killed him?” Long Shentu stoically inquired.
“You mean to tell me you’re in the dark about what Long Qi did?” Mu Yu sardonically asked.
“I don’t, but I do know you owe us an explanation for the act of murder you committed.”
Long Keshuang, leader of Long Qi, stood alongside Jade Wyrm. “Mu Yu, you will pay for killing one of us!”
“Judges can interfere, or are you all full of crap? Are you dragons trying to set the standard for stooping low?”
“You wretched human!”
As Long Keshuang raised her arm, the dragon vine brayed, “Bootleg Dragon, how much longer are you going to desecrate our reputation?!”
Long Keshuang stopped herself and, in a low voice, replied, “Lord True Dragon, we stop once a victor is clear, yet Mu Yu killed one of us. You cannot be prejudice.”
“Prejudice? Have some shame, hag! Long Qi loudly and clearly stated the ring was used to decide life and death, not winning and losing. Are you insulting everyone’s intelligence?!” rebuked the dragon vine, ticking off Long Keshuang.
“You speak in jest, Lord True Dragon. This one did not see the match and, therefore, is not sure what happened,” replied Long Keshuang, pursing her lips.
Mu Yu cancelled out his bloodlust energy. “Keep your mouth shut if you don’t know what happened. Killing people without knowing right from wrong is what hags do, not what leaders of a dragon race should do, right, Long Keshuang?”
Long Keshuang cast her wrathful stare on Mu Yu.
“Since Long Qi used dragon scales and turned it into a fight to the death, he sealed his own fate. I will ensure this is resolved fairly,” voiced Long Shentu.
“I thought you weren’t aware of what Long Qi did. How do you know about him using dragon scales? Are you implying you approved of it?” Mu Yu inquired.
“Ahem,” began Long Shentu, smiling. “That was merely a guess. After all, the energy here is not something he could produce. Please forgive my unclear statement.”
“I just went to ask about what happened and confirmed Long Qi broke the rules. We will consider his death his comeuppance. In saying that, Ancestor Green Dragon intended for this convention to be a sparring contest. As such, I will stress again: no external ‘supplements’ are permitted. If you choose to break the rule, be prepared for harsh punishments!” Long Xingan added. “Mu Yu, I ask you also abide by the rules and not utilise power that is not yours.”
Jade Wyrm and Long Keshuang did not like what came out of Long Xingan’s mouth for they deliberately avoided emphasising the rules. Yes, they were planning to send more men equipped with dragon scales out. Since Long Xingan set the rules in concrete, though, it was impossible for them to go through with the plan.
“I’ll adhere to the rules as long as others can take it upon themselves to follow rules,” Mu Yu responded, leaving the ring with the dragon vine after snubbing Jade Wyrm.
“Let’s get back to the event now. Please stick to the rules and judge fairly. Judges won’t be getting in the way again or conducting themselves beyond the pale,” Long Xingan stressed.
Once order was restored, the four dragon leaders convened again.
“What was that about? How are we going to kill Mu Yu now?” fumed Long Keshuang.
“How do we beat him without dragon scales? How do we obtain the dragon vine if we don’t take him out?” added Jade Wyrm.
Long Xingan shook his head. “Calm down. Did you not notice Mu Yu is roughly a Body Synthesis Realm Second Layer cultivator? Long Yeli lost to Mu Yu before; however, that was because Mu Yu used a soul item. Our rules prohibit the use of supplementary items, meaning he can’t use that power. Without a soul item, Long Feiying should breeze through him.”
“Is my Long Qi supposed to have just died for nothing?!”
“Are you telling me that your share of the dragon vine’s blood once we obtain is worth less than Long Qi?”
“Long Qi is the best demon spirit dragon python among the young generation. I refuse to take this laying down.”
“Then force yourself to take it lying down. Any vengeance can be exacted once Mu Yu is dead,” verbalised Long Shentu, clicking his tongue in annoyance.
***
“Long Xingan says supplementary items are prohibited; does that mean I don’t need the formations?” queried the dragon vine, slouching.
Mu Yu ended his recovery meditation session and answered, “Keep them. If they decide to break the rules, don’t give them a quarter.”
“This is why you shouldn’t have been so darn lazy and learnt formations, Big Earthworm. Had you learnt formations, it wouldn’t be a supplement,” commented Xiaoshuai, still eating on Qiaoxue’s lap.
The doctor came in a while later to inform, “Lord True Dragon, it is your turn. Be careful out there.”
“I know. I won’t lose to a bootleg dragon,” replied the dragon vine, heading out to the competition location.
The primitive fiends cheered jovially upon seeing the dragon vine, hoping to see a display rivalling Xiaoshuai’s and Mu Yu’s.
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