Be Passive In The High Martial World

Chapter 48: The Lake Dragon King, A Holy Encounter

The fisherman named "Wen Si" asked the first question:

"There was once a village by the East Court Lake. In this village, there was a family consisting of only a couple and their lazy son."

"All this couple ever thought about was how to marry their son to a wealthy family, earn a large dowry, and gain face in this poor and remote village."

"By chance, this couple encountered the daughter of the county magistrate who had run away from home. They came up with a despicable plan to have someone kidnap her, and then have their son rescue her, creating a 'perfect match'."

"Unfortunately, their plan was exposed halfway through, and the couple, driven by their evil intentions, attempted to strangle her to death."

"In the East Court Lake, there is a Lake Dragon King who witnessed this wicked act. Moved by compassion, the Lake Dragon King had previously set a rule for himself to never set foot on land and focused on cultivation."

"Therefore, the Lake Dragon King pretended to require a sacrifice of a young girl, threatening to come ashore and kill if not provided. The couple was afraid of angering the divine and dared not disobey. As a result, they bound the daughter of the county magistrate and took a bamboo raft to the center of the lake, intending to drown her in a pig cage."

"Upon seeing this, the Lake Dragon King swallowed the couple whole and chewed them to pieces, while the girl was saved by the county magistrate's guards who arrived in time."

Due to the lengthy background of this question, the fisherman, who was not particularly quick-witted, spoke even slower, emphasizing each word to ensure clarity.

It was quite adorable in a way.

The fisherman's fish-like eyes all turned to Chen Kuang, then continued:

"However, this action caused endless troubles. People believed that the Lake Dragon King was causing mischief and, in order to seek protection, they competed to offer young girls as sacrifices. The more sacrifices they made, the more sincere they appeared."

"The daughter of the county magistrate, who had been rescued and returned home less than a month ago, was offered as a sacrifice by the county magistrate himself, setting an example."

"People regarded this action as the love of a father for his people, but the real calamity... was caused by the Lake Dragon King's good intentions."

The fisherman's tone was somewhat melancholic:

"Young master, do you think the Lake Dragon King was right or wrong?"

Chen Kuang fell into deep thought.

He hesitated not because he didn't know the answer; the answer was actually quite clear.

He didn't even need to judge whether Wen Si was lying or not. The stance of this story was very clear.

When it mentioned the "calamity," it was indeed lying.

This indicated that in reality, it firmly believed that the Lake Dragon King had done nothing wrong.

As long as he agreed with it, the problem would naturally be resolved.

Chen Kuang hesitated because the combination of the East Court Lake and the sacrifice to the Lake Dragon King sounded very familiar to him...

Wasn't this the expanded version of the origin of the Dragon's Gum that the nameless musician had told him about back then?

Chen Kuang looked subtly at the ancient qin in front of him, his eyes twitching.

In the version told by the nameless musician, the music sage Xi Mengquan happened to pass by the East Court Lake and saw people offering sacrifices to the Lake Dragon King. Without saying a word, he jumped into the lake and beat up the Lake Dragon King...

He even knocked out its teeth before creating the Dragon's Gum.

It couldn't be... just a coincidence, right?

Chen Kuang cleared his throat and said:

"The Lake Dragon King had good intentions and did nothing wrong. These people are ignorant and voluntarily offer sacrifices to gain a reputation for righteousness."

"Sacrificing others to enhance their own reputation is the worst kind of evil."

"These people are bullies who are afraid of the strong and vent their anger. It's just an excuse. If they truly believed that the Lake Dragon King was causing mischief, why not raise their swords and fight against it?"

"As Wen Si senior said, as long as they have the courage to try, they will naturally realize that the Lake Dragon King never sets foot on land, let alone kill."

"The real evildoers are themselves. That's why they cannot turn their swords against themselves."

In modern times, people like this are called "holier-than-thou."

Chen Kuang's analysis stunned the fisherman.

Then, the tail under its cloak slapped the deck vigorously, exclaiming:

"Good, what a generous person! What a sword that does not turn against oneself!"

This is... um, applause?

Chen Kuang raised an eyebrow, finding it surprisingly kind and even a bit... sincere, from this notorious evil monster.

As Chen Kuang hesitated, the fisherman nodded and concluded his answer:

"With this question, you have passed."

"For the second question, listen carefully."

Familiarity breeds fondness.

Chen Kuang naturally said, "Please go ahead, senior brother."

A hint of amusement flashed in the fisherman's fish-like eyes.

It burbled and blew a bubble, looking at Qin Youyou on the boat and asked:

"If the Lake Dragon King is not at fault, but someone, without distinguishing right from wrong, believes that the Dragon King coerces people to sacrifice young girls and beats it half to death, feeling self-righteous."

"So, is this person's actions right or wrong?"

Chen Kuang: "..."

Well, now he can be sure.

The Lake Dragon King in the story is the fisherman Wen Si in front of him.

In other words, the two versions of the story about the dragon's gums are actually true according to the musician.

And the widely circulated story of frolicking in the Dragon Palace in dreams is false.

This Wen Si, who seems proud but is actually foolish... should be the music sage Xi Mengquan.

Chen Kuang was a bit troubled now.

The qin he used belonged to the music sage, so theoretically, if he had the chance to meet the music sage in the future, he could establish a distant relationship with him.

That would be a very valuable connection.

However, if he criticized Wen Si now, the music sage's divine ability might sense it and cause trouble.

But in the current situation, Wen Si clearly had a lot of resentment, and if he didn't curse along with him, he might die here today.

After all... this qin was very likely made from the other party's big tooth.

Putting himself in Wen Si's shoes, Chen Kuang felt that if someone wore a necklace made from his enemy's knocked-out tooth and waved it in front of him, he would definitely want to punch them...

Wen Si's ability to abide by the three-question rule already showed great martial virtue.

"Naturally, it is completely wrong!"

Chen Kuang said with a serious expression.

"The Dragon King is innocent and unjustly accused, even more so than Dou E. It is enough to make snow fall in June. This person should apologize to the Dragon King."

The fisherman in the straw raincoat wagged its tail happily.

It laughed, "Good, good, good! With your words, junior brother, I can rest assured!"

"Then, the next question is the third one."

"Well... it should be the simplest question."

The fisherman in the straw raincoat said, "Junior brother, when did you meet that old fellow Xi Mengquan?"

Chen Kuang was stunned.

Why isn't it a judgment question?

But this question is easy to answer. He definitely hasn't met the music sage, so when did he meet... wait a minute.

It... it didn't lie with this statement?

Wen Si is certain that this statement is true, which means it believes that Chen Kuang has met the music sage?!

Chen Kuang's whole body stiffened, and cold sweat suddenly appeared on his forehead.

(End of this chapter)