Chapter 52 - The Dragon’s Reverse Scale

It took Long Chen one whole day to run from Burning Heaven Valley back to the Desolate Mountains.

He sighed in relief when he saw that no changes or strange phenomena had occurred in the Desolate Mountains. It meant that the Ascension Fruits were still unripe and the war between the Bai and Yang families hadn't started yet.

“Luckily, the Ascension Fruits are still unripe. Xiao Xi, please don’t leave out important details like this again. Please just tell me if you are unsure.”

“Alright, alright. I will do so next time, so don’t nag me anymore!”

My family must be worried about me for going out at this moment. The Ascension Fruit could ripen at any moment, so I need to come up with a plan with the Yang patriarch as soon as possible.

Long Chen soon entered Baiyang Town. There weren’t as many people on the street as before. While it was peaceful, he knew this was the calm before the storm.

Even though the Yang family had the right to rule over Baiyang Town, the Bai family still had two Ninth Draconic Stage cultivators, making them slightly stronger than the Yang family.

The Bai family had not admitted defeat, and everyone in town knew the story of how the two sworn brothers had become sworn enemies. Now that the people from the Lingwu family were gone, the Bai family would most likely attack the Yang family.

No one dared to leave their homes at this point, leaving the entire town in calm silence.

Long Chen soon arrived at the entrance of the Yang family’s estate. There were only a few dozen guards stationed at the entrance, all of whom looked very nervous. Long Chen had a bad feeling and quickly made his way inside.

One of the guards spotted him and ordered someone to relay the news of Long Chen’s return to the Yang patriarch. The other guards came up to Long Chen. “Young master Chen, the patriarch has ordered for you to find him immediately upon your return.”

The guard’s nervous face spawned an uneasy feeling in Long Chen’s heart. He ran into the Yang family estate and soon met up with the Yang patriarch and the family members who had come to greet him. One look at the Yang patriarch’s gloomy face was all Long Chen needed to know that something was wrong. He quickly scanned the crowd and realized Yang Xueqing was missing! The rest of his family members were filled with sadness too.

“Grandfather, where is my mother?!”

The Yang patriarch grabbed Long Chen’s arm after he saw anger blooming on his face. The Yang patriarch sat him down on a stone bench and said in a serious tone, “Chen’er, don’t be rash now. There is still a way to salvage the situation. You have to listen to me calmly ...”

Long Chen’s eyes slowly grew red. Based on the way the Yang patriarch was acting, something had indeed happened to his mother!

It was true that he had some disagreements with her, but he didn’t allow anyone to hurt her!

Hearing that there was a chance to turn things around, Long Chen calmed down. “Grandfather, please tell me. I’m not rash. Tell me everything and I will listen to your suggestions on our next course of action.”

The Yang patriarch nodded, his face filled with sadness and anger too. “Yesterday, Xueqing ran out of the town alone and was discovered by the two elders of the Bai family. She was captured and is currently in the Bai family estate! But don’t worry, they didn’t kill her immediately, so there’s still a chance she’s alive. Chen’er, I’m so useless. I went to the Bai family estate and fought with the two brothers, but I couldn’t win against them alone! However, I’m sure your mother is safe at the very least.”

So that’s what happened

He was just about to forgive his mother and protect her from here onwards, but to think she was kidnapped the moment Long Chen left the town for a bit. This was an insult to him!

Ever since Long Chen had killed Bai Zhanxiong, Yang Xueqing started paying Long Qinglan’s grave visits from time to time. Long Chen had thought it was fine, but to think she was captured while doing that!

You captured my mother, but you didn’t kill her? I don’t know what the Bai family is thinking, but I will kill all of them if my mother has a single scratch on her!

The anger in Long Chen’s heart slowly rose when he thought about his mother. His face slowly grew red in rage, and the entire Yang family became silent when they noticed this.

No! My mother is in their hands and I detest the Bai family! Something might happen to her if I waste even a second. There’s no way I could bring her back to life even if I killed the entire Bai family!

Long Chen suddenly raised his head and stared at the Yang patriarch. “Grandfather, my mother was captured because I was not here. This is my fault! Now that I’m here, let’s go assault the Bai family!”

The Yang patriarch had the same idea. If they wanted to obtain the Ascension Fruits, they needed to fight with the Bai family. Even though he was worried Long Chen might not be strong enough to fight against Bai Li, he was still worried about his daughter. “Chen’er, let’s go together. I want to see how they will fight back against the two of us! Qingxuan, guard the Yang estate. You will bear full responsibility if something happens to our family!”

The Yang patriarch and Long Chen were going to attack the Bai family estate. This meant that the Yang family estate was defenseless. Yang Qingxuan was afraid something would happen to them and wanted everyone to follow them, but he had to consider the bigger picture. Yang Qingxuan nodded. Long Chen and the Yang patriarch wasted no time as they ran out.

Everyone in the Yang family clutched their hands and stared at the two disappearing in the distance.

Just then, Yang Yuntian was still frowning when he bitterly said to Yang Qingxuan, “Brother, the two elders of the Bai family are sixty years older than Long Chen. That’s sixty years of battle experience. Do you think he will be able to fight them? Is the Yang family truly done for this time?”

Yang Qingxuan shook his head. “I don’t know. It is up to the will of the heavens now ...”

Yang Wu, Yang Lingyue, and everyone else paled at their words. All of them started discussing their plans, while some of them started sobbing.

Yang Lingqing was still staring in the direction Long Chen had run off to. Based on how nervous he was, it was clear Long Chen still cared for his mother. Yang Lingqing was naturally happy that they could mend their relationship.

She silently waited for Long Chen to bring Yang Xueqing back unharmed.

***

Long Chen’s blood was circulating rapidly. Even the Yang patriarch could feel the murderous intent leaking from him, which left him somewhat terrified.

“Chen’er, your mother is most likely still fine. Please calm down and don’t act recklessly. You would regret it if she was harmed because of your recklessness.”

Long Chen understood this, but the anger and worry in his heart would not disappear after merely hearing a few words.

He nodded. “Don’t worry, Grandfather, I’m fine. But I’m going to kill the Bai family this time!”

The Yang patriarch didn’t respond, and they soon arrived at the Bai family estate. Long Chen was surprised to find no guards at the entrance. He then broke through the wooden gates and found that the estate was completely empty.

“Long Chen, there is no need to search anymore. There’s no one here ...”

Long Chen had already run around the Bai family estate once when Ling Xi told him that.

The Yang patriarch was gloomy when he found no one too. “The entire Bai family has run off! Chen’er, what do you think they are planning to do?”

Long Chen forcefully suppressed his anger and attempted to calm down so he could think clearly, but every time he recalled the disgusting Bai family and how Yang Xueqing might be in danger, the killing intent in his heart continued to grow!

He had sworn to himself that he would protect her, but now he had failed! He felt extremely frustrated with himself! He grew to hate the Bai family even more!

I told them that they should never anger me, or all of them would die by my hand! Each and every one of them will have a death worse than Bai Zhanxiong’s!

Sensing Long Chen’s anger, the Yang patriarch didn’t know if he should be happy or angry too. He was happy because the relationship between the son and mother was mended, but he was angry because the Bai family had separated them just as they were about to reconcile!

Long Chen finally calmed down enough to think. “The Bai family must’ve run off because they were afraid I would kill them or use them as hostages when I returned. But they would never give up the Ascension Fruit, so the strongest members of their family must’ve gone to the Desolate Mountains. Grandfather, we need to go there now!”

The Yang patriarch felt that the suggestion was reasonable. The two of them were about to head out when a rainbow light exploded from the mountains. Then a fragrance blanketed the entire Desolate Mountains and even the outskirts of Baiyang Town!

“Long Chen! The Ascension Fruit has ripened prematurely! Go now, it will ripen very soon after the strange phenomena!”

“The Ascension Fruit?”

Long Chen’s eyes glittered with longing.

“If my deductions are right, they are trying to use my mother as a hostage to obtain the Ascension Fruit.”

Long Chen’s words made the Yang patriarch frown. “The Bai family hate us from the bottom of their hearts. There’s indeed no reason to keep her alive. Maybe it’s as you said, they want to keep her hostage to threaten us when the Ascension Fruit has ripened ... They know Yang Xueqing is important to us ...”

“So they are using my mother as a hostage to threaten me?”

Long Chen’s killing intent almost caused him to fall into a frenzy when he thought about Yang Xieqing. Ling Xi recalled a proverb when she felt his dense killing intent seeping out: Those who touched a dragon’s reverse scale would die!

Long Chen was a Dragon Warrior, and he had even obtained the Inherited Blood Essence belonging to one of the Ancient Dragon Ancestors. The Bai family had undoubtedly touched Long Chen’s reverse scale, causing him to be more angry than ever before!

Those who touched a dragon’s reverse scale would die!

Long Chen took a deep breath and ran towards the Great Desolate Mountains.

The Yang patriarch followed behind and witnessed Long Chen’s killing intent increasing to the brink of exploding. He was happy that Long Chen cared so much for his mother. Still, the Yang patriarch was worried that the Bai family might use Yang Xueqing to threaten them. His worries increased while he frowned ...

“I’m not sure if Chen’er can defeat Bai Li, but now that the Bai family has Yang Xueqing as their hostage, the Yang family might be doomed. Is this the end for us?”