Chapter 157: Nationwide uproar, dragon scales!

Clouds and mist wove together, heaven and earth sank into a hazy, illusory state; the thick cloud layer divided the whole world, and the vast clouds and mist became a clear boundary.

The towering peaks had already blurred, leaving only a rough outline.

A shadow shot straight into the sky, weaving through the cloud layer, stirring countless winds and clouds; even people on the ground felt that mysterious aura.

The surrounding mist was murky; people couldn't see clearly, yet they sensed a mighty presence.

Upon closer look, it seemed to be a slender yet sturdy body, but being too far away, they couldn't see it clearly; nonetheless, it reminded them of the legendary creature—a dragon.

Could the strange noise they had just heard also be a dragon's roar?

The shadow continually darted through the clouds, moving swiftly, its length endless with no head or tail in sight; the clouds shifted as it passed, as if clearing a path for the creature.

In fact, what they saw was not Ye Qin's true form, but the qi of heaven and earth wrapping his body, magnifying his shape infinitely to create this special phenomenon.

Everyone was stunned by the strange sight in the sky, standing still for a long time before slowly regaining their senses.

Yet when they looked again, that shadow had already vanished into the clouds, merging with the surrounding mist, as if it had all been an illusion.

The clouds and mist began to dissipate; without the key that unlocked the mysterious world, the inner and outer spaces started to merge again, and the mountains returned to their original appearance.

The distant mountains were blue-green, beautiful beyond measure.

The surroundings had returned to calm, with no trace of the earlier wonders, yet that mysterious shadow lingered in their minds, becoming an unforgettable image for a lifetime.

They weren't sure if it was an illusion, but they felt as if a pair of eyes swept down from above, bearing supreme dignity, making their hearts pound.

A silent stillness spread, and everyone's expression was filled with surprise.

After a long while, someone finally broke the silence.

"Was that creature just now a dragon?"

"Is something flying in the sky?"

The speaker's voice was extremely low, as if worried about disturbing some existence.

Nearby civilians widened their eyes, looked up at the sky, hoping to catch another glimpse of the mysterious creature's true form, but the vast sea of clouds hid it from them, leaving only endless imagination.

"It must be a dragon! What other creature could look like that?"

"Maybe the thunder we just saw was this dragon undergoing its tribulation."

The crowd's speculation ran rampant; they lingered for a long time, continually observing the sky, and someone even produced a far‑ahead Mate60 to film the distance.

At the same time, the forestry bureau and special police on the mountain also discovered traces of a tiger.

They immediately forgot the strange voices and noises they had heard earlier; the urgent task was to capture the tiger and take it away.

After all, this place gave them an extremely eerie feeling.

The vast mountains lay hidden in the thick mist, as if an ancient giant beast had awakened, watching every move of the people below.

All around was utter silence, with no sound at all, as if only they existed between heaven and earth, invisibly adding great pressure.

"There are footprints here; it must have headed southeast!"

The southeast direction was exactly the central area where Ye Qin was undergoing his tribulation; following the tracks, they saw a brown‑yellow shadow flickering in the distance, motionless, unsure whether the anesthetic had taken effect.

Regardless of the situation, nobody dared to let their guard down; they approached cautiously.

Because there were many obstacles ahead, their view wasn't very clear, and as they drew nearer, they felt the Northeast tiger's posture was somewhat odd.

When they parted the grass before them and truly saw the Northeast tiger's movements, everyone froze in place, unable to believe what they were seeing.

"What is this tiger doing?"

The brown‑yellow silhouette lay prone on the ground, hind legs bent in a kneeling posture, forepaws pressed together, its fierce beastly head bowing to the earth.

Once the king of the forest, it now looked like a tamed great cat.

But the key question is: who could tame such a huge tiger?

The forestry bureau and special police felt an utterly absurd notion arise in their hearts.

Why does this Northeast tiger act like a human?!

It even made a gesture like a human kneeling and kowtowing!

What is it worshipping?

Many doubts arose in everyone's minds before they could figure out what was really happening.

As if sensing their arrival, the tiger's black‑and‑yellow ears twitched slightly, its fierce head turned toward them, and its deep gaze fell upon them.

Those beastly eyes were like huge lanterns, shedding bright light in the dim surroundings.

Although the tiger before them seemed no different from before, everyone felt it had changed in some way, yet they could not pinpoint how.

Seeing the Northeast tiger spirited and energetic, showing no effect of the anesthetic, the forestry bureau and special police grew doubtful.

Although only half the anesthetic had been injected initially, it should have taken effect by now; the Northeast tiger ought not to be in this state.

The special police raised their guns, intending to fire another shot.

Seeing the dark muzzle, the tiger's first reaction should have been to flee, given it had previously suffered from the anesthetic dart; yet the tiger before them showed no intention to escape, instead standing still and watching their actions.

How to describe that feeling?

It was like when they visited the zoo and watched monkeys; their gaze back then was much like the tiger's gaze on them now.

The strange feeling in everyone's hearts grew stronger.

"Whoosh!"

With a tearing sound through the air, the anesthetic needle shot forth with lightning speed.

The Northeast tiger seemed to sidestep unintentionally, whether by coincidence or accident, the anesthetic needle grazed past it and lodged in a nearby tree.

Although the tiger's reaction speed is several times that of a human, given the distance and accuracy, it should hardly be able to dodge.

At this moment the Northeast tiger was completely at ease, its tail swaying slightly to show its good mood, even licking its fur; this provocative act completely disregarded the forestry staff and special police.

If it could speak human words, it would surely say something.

"Come hit me!"

The special police, disbelieving, fired several more shots, all of which missed entirely; the Northeast tiger didn't even make a large evasive move, as if it had anticipated their actions beforehand.

Holy shit, this tiger has pierced the Ren and Du meridians—how did it become so agile?

Could this be the legendary Agility Tiger?

It didn't escape from a zoo; it probably came out of the Shaolin Temple or Wudang Sect.

I don't know if it's everyone's illusion, but they actually saw a mocking expression on the Northeast Tiger's furry face.

How do I feel this tiger is mocking us?

What a coincidence, I feel the same way.

The Northeast Tiger's mouth corners twitched slightly, as if it had heard their words, revealing a mocking smile.

Seeing this, some people couldn't believe their eyes.

How could a tiger possibly mock humans?

The Northeast Tiger slowly raised its forelimb; unlike a kitten's cute paw pads, it made people want to squeeze it.

The enlarged paw pads conceal claws that flicker in and out, able to easily tear apart prey's bodies, giving people a great sense of intimidation.

For a moment, the forestry workers and special police felt like they were facing a formidable enemy, thinking the Northeast Tiger would attack them.

However, the furry beast's paw swayed, looking as if it were waving.

???

What does this mean again?

Everyone's minds filled with countless question marks; then a tiger roar came, and the Northeast Tiger swiftly vanished into the rear forest, so fast it left an afterimage in the air.

By the time the forestry workers and special police reacted, there was no sign of the Northeast Tiger where it had been; only a few golden tiger hairs drifted down from midair.

Someone uncertainly said: 'Was it just waving at us?'

"Seems so."

It felt like the Northeast Tiger had had enough, showed its face, said hello, and left.

Everyone finally realized where the earlier unease came from; facing it, it didn't seem like a tiger but more like a person.

No matter how shocking this humanoid tiger was, they still had to capture the tiger.

The Forestry 749 Bureau and special police continued searching along the direction the Northeast Tiger had left, but this time, no matter how they looked, they couldn't find any trace of the Northeast Tiger, as if it had vanished from the world.

The search team's personnel split into several routes, expanding the search area.

"Captain, come over quickly!"

They only heard shouts from not far away, as if there was a new discovery, and everyone rushed over.

Seeing the scene before them, everyone widened their eyes, froze in place, and a deathly silence spread.

This place looked as if it had undergone a century-long war; the ground was entirely scorched black, sturdy trees were snapped at the waist, and the soil was completely exposed, as if it had been turned upside down.

Besides that, the ground had many pits, as if they had been smashed by some long object; it was hard to imagine what kind of force caused it, and there was hardly any solid footing.

Most importantly, not far away there was a pitch‑black object, and nobody knew what it was!

Someone in the team stepped forward to look, covering their mouth so they wouldn't scream.

"Yes, it's a corpse!"

Everyone's faces changed; they hurried forward to examine it, but the marks on the corpse suggested it had been struck by lightning.

But at that time, with lightning thick in the mountains, how could anyone dare to step in here without fearing death?

Unless they were blind, there must have been some reason driving them to act this way.

Later, they discovered the dead body was that of a foreigner, making the matter even more unusual.

"Report it up quickly."

Who would have thought that, while originally searching for the Northeast Tiger, they would now find a suspicious corpse on the mountain?

Most importantly, how were these marks on the mountain formed?

Could it be related to the dead man?

Many doubts arose in the minds of the search team members.

Before this matter is resolved, the mountain will likely remain sealed off.

……

As the black clouds in the sky gradually dispersed, a few rays of sunset peeked out, dispelling the previous gloom; long‑absent light bathed the sky over Kyoto, giving everyone a feeling of having stepped out of another world.

Citizens' travel and daily life also returned to normal; compared to the huge commotion in the suburbs, it had not yet reached the urban area, after all, one is in the far south, the other in the far north, and information transmission takes time.

At the Mother Goddess Temple in the North District, Uncle Wang had just opened the door when a few visitors arrived, all having heard about the temple's recent supernatural incidents and wanting to come pay their respects.

"This is that Mother Goddess Temple that went viral online earlier, right?"

"I heard the immortals inside are very efficacious; originally this place was slated for demolition, but after a series of supernatural events occurred, even the government conceded and decided to keep it."

"Is it really that powerful? If so, I ought to pray earnestly for wealth and fortune."

At the Mother Goddess Temple's entrance, people came and went incessantly; amid the curling incense smoke, even the inner statues seemed to have acquired something extraordinary.

"Ah!"

Just as the visitors were worshipping, a cry rang out, and the crowd immediately erupted in commotion.

"How come there are snakes?"

Inside the Mother Goddess Temple, the visitors quickly noticed many snakes suddenly appearing in a corner, with no idea where they came from.

These snakes varied in size and pattern, looking densely packed and terrified; coiled together, they made people's scalps tingle and caused goosebumps to break out.

For most people, their sense of snakes is fear and dread.

Some timid people had already burst into tears.

"Quickly call the police."

"Are these snakes poisonous? It's too terrifying."

"What bad luck—if I'd known I'd run into this, even if the Mother Goddess Temple were supremely miraculous, I wouldn't have come."

The hissing sound never ceased in their ears; in the blink of an eye, the entire Empress Temple became like an ocean of Serpent Kind, the ground covered with those slender, brightly patterned Serpent Kind.

The tourists dared not act rashly, like frightened quail, huddled together and trembling.

One snake could be dealt with, but what if there were dozens, or even hundreds?

With so many snakes, if they all attacked at once, the outcome would be obvious, so they dared not provoke them.

Fortunately, this group of snakes showed no aggressive posture, merely slipping past the tourists, as if ignoring them.

The panicked tourists gradually regained their composure, and some bold ones even noticed the abnormality of the snake swarm.

"Have you noticed that the snake swarm seems to be heading in the same direction?"

Although the snake swarm was terrifying and came with great force, judging by the current situation, no one was injured.

Humans and snakes seemed to maintain a delicate balance, each staying out of the other's way.

After hearing those nearby, the tourists observed carefully and found that it was indeed so.

These snakes had no intention to attack; they all headed in one direction, very purposeful and organized, as if something there was attracting their attention.

"These snakes seem to be heading for that room in the far corner; could something there be attracting them?"

Everyone craned their necks; although they were a little afraid deep down, seeing the snakes' strange, unreasonable behavior inevitably sparked curiosity.

The snake swarm finally stopped at a spot, which was exactly where Ye Qin had previously entered the mottled years fragment and gained enlightenment.

Now, as Ye Qin successfully underwent tribulation, this aura became even more obvious; other kinds could not perceive it, but the Serpent Kind were drawn from all directions to pay homage to the Serpent King.

Soon the people discovered that these Serpent Kind raised their bodies upright, their bodies suspended in midair, while their heads bent downward.

That sight was both terrifying and filled them with a sense of awe.

Those snakes seemed to be paying homage to something.

Affected by this atmosphere, nobody dared to breathe loudly, for fear of disturbing the snake swarm.

Strangely, the snake swarm lingered here for a moment, as if completing something, then quickly and gradually withdrew, dispersing completely.

Just as they had come, without any sign, these snakes vanished without a trace, and no one knew where they went.

The whole process did not last long; after the threat of the snake swarm was lifted, everyone felt a sense of relief at having survived, yet many doubts remained.

Being surrounded by so many snakes, yet no one present was injured—this is something one would hardly dare to believe.

"I heard online that a previous supernatural incident at the Empress Temple was related to a snake den, because the original construction site dug up many snakes, forcing a temporary halt to work."

"I've heard of that incident too; at the time, those snakes didn't harm the workers."

"Could it be that these are not ordinary Serpent Kind, but were guided by divine spirits?"

The more they thought about it, the more likely it seemed; after all, so many snakes had not harmed a single person, which could be said to be full of spirituality.

Thinking of this, their earlier fear of the snake swarm dissipated considerably.

Everything is like this: once something is given divine meaning, even if it inherently frightens people, after this filter they will come to revere it.

The Empress Temple's snake encounter incident made people more firmly believe in its supernatural nature; those snake swarms not only failed to deter visitors, but actually boosted its popularity.

Uncle Wang thought it over and decided to privately add a snake statue in the temple, also as a commemoration.

He hadn't expected the effect to be good; many who heard of the snake incident came especially to pay respects, saying that the Serpent Immortal was efficacious, something he hadn't anticipated.

Meanwhile, as time passed, the mysterious shadow appearing in the suburbs' skies and the strange creatures' calls began to spread online.

"A dragon has appeared in the suburbs of the capital!"

At first, a netizen living in the suburbs posted, saying they had seen a dragon, and then uploaded the picture they had taken.

However, the picture was somewhat blurry and not clear; vaguely, one could see in the clouds a fine, elongated shadow.

But many people expressed disbelief and attacked that netizen in the comments.

"What can a single photo prove? You must have Photoshopped it; with that skill I can only give you five cents."

"Even five cents is too much; you start with one picture and the rest is just bluster."

"What era is this, that people still believe dragons exist in the world?"

"I believe the blogger; my home is also nearby, and I've heard strange creature calls, I suspect a dragon is undergoing tribulation!"

"You lucky fellow, are you his paid poster? Don't just line your own pockets; bring me, your brother, along too."

As more and more people joined the discussion, many said they had personally seen dragon-like creatures, and combined with the thunderstorm weather, they guessed that a dragon was undergoing tribulation.

And as the event continued to develop, that very evening a video was uploaded online, instantly causing an uproar on the internet.

A mythic shroud of doubt hung over the capital's skies!

This is a video filmed in the suburbs that clearly recorded the sky conditions at that time.

In the video, under a dark sky, the distant mountains were hazy, leaving only a faint outline, filled with endless mystery, as if an ancient, dust-sealed gate were slowly being pushed open.

Accompanied by the roar of an unknown creature, a slender figure loomed into the void, flying through the mist into the heavens; at first glance, it truly looked like a dragon!

Even through the screen, one could almost feel a special pressure washing over them, inspiring awe.

The photographer's position was close to the suburban woods, so the shot was fairly clear, showing that there indeed was a fine, elongated shadow in the clouds, moving through them!

It was far more convincing than that earlier blurry photo!

"It's a true story; I live near the capital's suburbs, I heard an inexplicable roar, so I went out to check, and saw an unknown creature fly into the clouds."

"It's definitely a dragon; the suburbs really have a dragon appeared! Earlier I was wondering about the strange thunder, and then it came with great force—such a spectacle, maybe this dragon created it."

"Who among my family would understand? Today I really saw a dragon!"

"I saw it too, but it was too far away to see clearly; I never expected it to be a dragon."

"Could you be seeing things? There are no dragons in this world; maybe the clouds are thick and you're having hallucinations."

"Dragons are legendary creatures; this shadow in the photo is still a bit blurry—maybe it's just a peculiar cloud formation."

Many netizens also expressed disbelief, holding a skeptical attitude toward this.

Some even claimed it was a promotional video for a certain game!

But no matter what, the topic of the "Capital Suburbs Dragon Encounter" continues to gather clicks and heat, rising at a terrifying speed, with related topics even occupying the top spots on the hot-search list!

Because so many people had seen it, online opinions were all over the place.

Looking at the first video released, there was no sign of Photoshopping or compositing.

Soon after, various theories appeared one after another.

Some said it was just a peculiarly shaped cloud that gave the illusion of a dragon, possibly some flying object, or a natural phenomenon; given the circumstances, seeing things was quite normal.

Others insisted it was clearly the dragon from myth and legend—otherwise how could there be strange roars and odd thunderstorm weather?

For the citizens who witnessed the creature rising on clouds and mist, they believed this explanation wholeheartedly, because it was all their personal experience.

For a time, the net split into two major camps, and as more people spoke, the topic's popularity grew terrifyingly.

While online public opinion kept fermenting, at the same time the identity of the foreign man who died in the suburbs was also ascertained.

Spy!

Regarding this matter, it naturally alarmed the higher-ups quickly, and they immediately dispatched the 749 Bureau to investigate.

Unfortunately, it just so happened that Wang Xuehao and the others had just finished their vacation, so the task fell to them.

Since the police took the lead first, they only reported to their superiors the next morning, so it wasn't until the following day that Wang Xuehao led Xu Tiancheng, Yao Ruotong, and their group to quickly meet with the search team that had found the corpse.

Because the matter was of great importance, even the Forestry Bureau and special police dared not move the corpse; the crime scene suffered no damage, and everything remained in its original state.

"The man's name is Oliver, 37, an M-country national who has lived in Kyoto for ten years, holds a stable, respectable job, and is actually a spy for M-country; the equipment on him is the latest lightning-protection gear, and his purpose for being here remains unclear for now."

Wang Xuehao gave a cold chuckle.

"Settling here for ten years, M-country really played a big chess move; his coming here is definitely no coincidence, there must be other conspiracies. We should transport the corpse back for testing and, nearby, launch a carpet‑style search for any further clues."

Although the Forestry Bureau and special police are government departments, procedure still requires taking statements.

Learning that they had come to capture a tiger, but found no tiger and instead discovered this corpse, Wang Xuehao frowned slightly.

"Did you notice anything unusual during your earlier mountain search? For example, any trace of the spy?"

"We were about to catch the tiger earlier, but it got away; then seeing how terrible the weather was, we feared danger and decided to wait until it improved before going back up the mountain."

Faced with the mysterious 749 Bureau, the search team dared not conceal anything; they carefully recalled the events and gave a full account.

Based on current clues, the search team was at the mountain base, but because the lightning was extremely intense and they feared being affected, they found a spot to take shelter temporarily.

It might have been then that Oliver sneaked into the mountains.

Wang Xuehao surveyed the surroundings, which could be described as horrendous, as if a battle had taken place: the ground was pitted and uneven, and nearby vegetation had all been overturned.

Could Oliver have gotten into a dispute with someone here?

But the traces at the scene don't look like something humans could produce; they resemble the work of some large creature, or perhaps heavy weaponry.

All the surrounding trees were snapped at the waist; aside from a few split by lightning, the vast majority were clearly struck by external force, as if something had struck them with great force.

There were no traces of hot weapons left behind; it seems to be pure brute force.

Just as Wang Xuehao was pondering, someone in the search team suddenly spoke up.

"Actually, during our second foray into the mountains we also encountered a strange thing."

The search team members were a bit hesitant, because the matter seemed a bit supernatural, so they initially didn't speak up, also worrying that Wang Xuehao and the others wouldn't believe them.

Seeing their hem‑and‑haw, Wang Xuehao was puzzled: "What strange thing?"

"At the time we went up the mountain, we seemed to hear someone say something like 'tribulation crossing successful,' but it was vague and we didn't catch it clearly; still, that's surely what it meant!"

"Tribulation crossing?" Wang Xuehao stared for a moment, somewhat incredulous: "You didn't mishear, did you?"

The search team members shook their heads: "No, everyone in the team heard it at the time, and the voice wasn't from any of us."

"Then we saw a tiger nearby, its posture odd—like it was kneeling and kowtowing—after which the tiger ran off, and then we found this charred corpse."

The fact that they'd been toyed with by a Northeast Tiger was a bit embarrassing, but the search team didn't hide it; this account gave Wang Xuehao considerable surprise, feeling like he was listening to a story.

First came the sudden mysterious utterance, then they encountered the tiger they were supposed to capture kneeling—everything felt rather unrealistic.

The search team members are all government‑related personnel; logically they wouldn't spout nonsense, so their credibility remains high.

While Wang Xuehao was thinking, Xu Tiancheng and the others at another part of the search site seemed to have made a new discovery.

"Captain, come take a look—there seems to be something inside."

Wang Xuehao came upon hearing the call, followed the direction Xu Tiancheng pointed, and saw at the bottom of the pit beneath their feet a piece of green unknown object, covered with much dirt, its luster looking somewhat dull.

Wang Xuehao crouched, carefully picked it up, brushed off the dirt, and the object that came into view sparkled, like a transparent jade, exquisitely crafted.

"What is this? Glass?"

"Your family's glass doesn't look like that."

The people from the 749 Bureau all gathered around, examining this green object.

Wang Xuehao examined it closely; the object felt cool in hand, appeared thin as a sheet but was actually extremely sturdy, with great hardness.

"Could it be some piece of equipment from the spy?"

"It's not impossible!"

Having made this discovery, everyone felt somewhat excited; if it is related to the spy, it would be a major breakthrough.

But……

"It doesn't feel like a man‑made object—it's not plastic, not synthetic…… it's just odd."

In the end, Wang Xuehao took note and solemnly ordered: "No matter what it is, since it was left at the scene it must be of great importance; immediately take it back to headquarters and hand it over to the research lab for testing!"

(End of chapter)