History Has Fallen Ill

Chapter 69: Jiang Yan: I Don’t Remember the Names of Defeated Opponents

Jiangnan Province, Jiulong Mountain.

Jiang Yan, dressed in a Martial Scholar’s Robe, strolled along a narrow path with Zhao Yinman.

All around, layers of verdant mountains overlapped, the hidden forests lush and thriving. The circular strata of the mountain displayed strange patterns. When asking for directions earlier, locals mentioned that under specific lighting, one could see a dragon’s molt.

The location of the Jiangnan Grand Competition was deep within the mountain.

Jiang Yan sighed and said, “Though it’s remote here, there are many nearby villages. Is it really okay to hold a spell duel tournament?”

Zhao Yinman walked ahead. The rugged mountain trail felt flat beneath her feet. Not a single drop of sweat touched her fair skin.

She calmly said, “Where in modern times is there no one? Even in Antarctica, you’ll run into people from the Tianxia Alliance. As long as a formation is set up to repel ordinary folk, it’s fine.

But Old Ba said, originally, the higher-ups planned to hold it on an isolated sea island near Yinzhou. Because of you, they changed it back to Wuzhou in Jinhua City.”

“Me?” Jiang Yan pondered, then realized, “Heavenly King’s Treasure?”

“Mhm.”

Zhao Yinman gave a slight nod and said, “Since the Gongyang clan hid a treasure, then the ability of the【Eye of Gongyang】to explore earth veins might be the key clue.

Headquarters suspects he buried the treasure at a place where multiple earth veins converge, and began a sweeping search across the Jinhua City area. Jiulong Mountain is one of the targets...”

As the two spoke, they passed a half-buried stone stele overgrown with dew-drenched ferns. On it was inscribed【Jiulong Coiling Mountain】.

They passed through the forest, and dazzling sunlight poured down.

Jiang Yan squinted his eyes and saw, atop nine winding mountain ridges, each lay a massive stone dragon carving over ten kilometers long, resting prone upon the earth.

At the center of the nine dragon heads was a lake.

A person standing before a dragon’s head looked like a tiny ant facing a mountain.

Rustle, rustle—

On the dragon’s body, bronze rust-covered stone pillars were inlaid with thin bronze sheets. They trembled slightly in the wind, emitting gentle chimes like a set of bianzhong bells.

It was like a dragon’s song.

Jiang Yan looked at the scene before him and couldn’t help but exclaim:

“Could it be that what the villagers said is true? That nine dragons truly fell here once?”

As he spoke, he gazed into the depths of Jiulong Mountain, his expression meaningful.

“Fake.”

Zhao Yinman mercilessly debunked it: “Someone once took a liking to the earth veins here. Under the guise of developing a tourist site, they built nine stone dragons along the nine mountain ridges.

Later, it was discovered that the stone dragons were engraved with famous mountains and rivers of Huaxia, forming a feng shui formation of【Nine Dragons Offering the Pearl】through the power of the nation. The intent was to bury ancestors in the lake and devour the spiritual fate of the land. It was quickly halted, and those responsible were dealt with.

Though Jiulong Mountain has decent earth vein structure, no such legend exists in official history.

What you heard was fabricated local lore from a few years ago to promote tourism. It tells of an ancient earth serpent—likely inspired by novels using Nüwa as a template.

It claimed the serpent intended to drain the essence of the land and drag countless beings into the sea to transform into a dragon. Out of compassion, nine dragons transformed into nine iron chains and sealed it here. The lake became the sealing site, using water to suppress earth, called【Lock Dragon Lake】. This tale gained traction recently, alongside claims that the Qing army nailed down the Taiping army’s dragon vein here.

With time and the arrest of the development group, more people came to believe it was real.

This competition is held mainly because too much earth vein qi has accumulated here. They are investigating for any treasure, and also reorganizing the earth veins to prevent the appearance of a【Mountain Flood Jiao】.”

“I see.”

As a folklore enthusiast, Jiang Yan was no stranger to the concept of flood jiao.

In folk tales, creatures like snakes, fish, and turtles would cultivate for hundreds of years to become jiao, and finally borrow mountain floods to follow rivers into the sea to complete their transformation, akin to leaping over the Dragon Gate.

During the process, they must endure a tribulation known as【Fengzheng】, similar to the yellow weasel seeking recognition. Even amidst torrential rains, they would still be seen by humans.

If one exclaimed, “What a big snake,” the creature’s thousand years of cultivation would be ruined. But if they cried, “Dragon,” then it would enhance the dragon features.

After beginning his cultivation, Jiang Yan found this not to be mere nonsense. Instead, it resembled a method of sealing deityhood through the human fate path.

A dragon was a form of transformation, rarely born from eggs.

Any sentient being could become a dragon.

Mountain jiao referred to excessive accumulation of earth vein essence forming a dragon shape, instinctively seeking the sea. During the process, it could trigger flash floods, earthquakes, and landslides.

To explain it through modern science, it was a crustal shift.

Every time a Mountain Flood Jiao occurred, it would destroy farmland, crops, and houses. Therefore, people often hung iron swords under bridges to prevent it.

Iron, being Geng Metal, was sharp steel, and had a deterrent effect on earth-mother-type creatures like jiao and serpents.

This was not nonsense. Whether in the West or in the history of the Tianxia Alliance, there were legends like Liu Bang, Emperor Gao of Han, slaying a snake with a steel sword and becoming a heroic figure.

As the two spoke, they arrived at the edge of the lake. An invisible formation spread out.

Upon touching the spiritual energy within them, misty clouds began to rise atop the nine dragon ridges, and bronze-colored crystals seeped from the circular rock strata.

It was as if an ancient Earth Serpent was awakening at this moment.

At the center of the lake, a massive white jade disc, condensed from earth vein energy, emerged.

Upon the disc stood numerous figures.

Some were seated in meditation, some exhaled mist, while others had divine light circling around them, manifesting glazed phenomena.

Most of them wore ancient attire, as if one had stumbled into a xianxia world.

They were all young cultivators from various parts of Jiangnan Province.

Sensing the fluctuation of the formation, they all turned their eyes to the two newcomers, and a unified thought floated up in their minds.

“Damn, these two look amazing!”

Transcendents who mastered spiritual energy and tempered themselves rarely looked ugly. Many were handsome men and beautiful women.

But people like Jiang Yan and Zhao Yinman—absolute beauties—were extremely rare.

Many, upon seeing their faces for the first time, felt instant favorability and nodded slightly in greeting.

Those with average looks, seeing this world where "looks were justified," couldn't help but feel a little sour and consoled themselves:

‘Being good-looking can’t feed you. It’s not like they're celebrities. Strength is what matters.’

Just as they finally built up some confidence, they heard that Jiang Yan and Zhao Yinman came from the Pan’an Branch.

“They’re from that Problem Children Daycare?”

“I heard last year, someone from there napped wherever they pleased and took tenth place. Didn’t make top five because he couldn’t be woken up and was judged to have lost.”

“Not only that, I heard Director Ba Lie of the Pan’an Branch was once among the top three.”

“Who knows if a fierce one will show up this time?”

“So what if they do? I’m invincible.”

“That was then, this is now. The Diseased Domain has grown stronger. Overall quality has risen by a tier. If they got into the Pan’an Branch, they’re likely problem children. Just find their weakness and break it!”

“I heard from the director that someone from the Pan’an Branch reached Foundation Establishment within one week. Wonder who it is?”

“……”

The crowd buzzed with discussion. Some were wary, some dismissive, others burning with fighting spirit.

Thanks to Old Ba preloading the enmity bar to full, Jiang Yan and Zhao Yinman instantly became the center of attention.

Many were raring to go, all preparing to step on this so-called “cultivation genius” to make a name for themselves.

Among them, a handsome young man dressed in a white Daoist robe and wearing a Seal of Three Mountains on his head, became intrigued after hearing the chatter. After sizing up Jiang Yan, he spoke:

“Hey, what’s your name?”

The rest watched with interest, recognizing the youth’s identity, curious how Jiang Yan would respond.

Jiang Yan glanced at him and calmly said, “Before asking someone else, you should state your own name first. It’s basic manners.”

The youth raised his head arrogantly, his expression defiant, and said:

“When we get to the arena, if you manage to face me, you’ll naturally know my name—and remember it for life.”

To be remembered by him was an honor for the other party.

“Although I really want to get along with my colleagues, the trouble is… my memory isn’t very good…”

To that, Jiang Yan showed a troubled expression and sighed:

“I don’t remember the names of defeated opponents.”