Chapter 240
**Chapter 257: Ming Jiao: "Are You Polite?"**
A shadow that stirred up a whirlpool loomed over the lake, roughly ten zhang in size—an enormous creature by any ordinary person's standards.
"Here comes the Ming Jiao again!"
"Pray for the shaman spirit to show its power!"
"This month, the Ming Jiao has attacked the town three times already. Why is it back again...?"
Yet the people by the altar did not scatter in panic. Though fear was etched on their faces, they knelt by the altar, praying with increasing fervor.
The shaman statue seemed to glow with an even more enchanting light.
Huang Donglai did not retreat behind the crowd this time; instead, he stood beside Li Mo.
Murong Xiao gazed curiously at the lake's surface, having never seen another Ming Jiao before.
Li Mo squinted at the water, using his Tianming Shenyan (Heavenly Fate Divine Eye) to peer deeper.
"Achoo!"
A roar that could shatter stone echoed—a Ming Jiao's roar?
The sky darkened further, hinting at an impending rain.
Then, a massive Ming Jiao emerged from the lake, its head breaking the surface.
Its appearance was about eighty percent similar to the Ming Jiao that Li Mo had transformed into, but there were subtle differences, the most notable being the absence of prominent horns.
**[Name: Wu Da Meng]**
**[Age: 48]**
**[Ancestry: A hybrid of Ming Jiao and Di Long (Earth Dragon).]**
**[Realm: Peak of the Seventh Rank.]**
**[Heavenly Fate: Blue]**
**[Evaluation: That night, both the Ming Jiao and Di Long had too much to drink.]**
**[Recent Encounter: Reached an agreement with a town priest to frequently harass the town for food and drink.]**
"?"
The information displayed by the Tianming Shenyan was not what Li Mo had expected.
So, he scanned the faces of the terrified yet increasingly devout townsfolk.
"Didn’t expect this, did you? Your old man is back!"
To his surprise, the Ming Jiao Wu Da Meng spoke human words, his voice grating like nails on a chalkboard.
At that moment, the high priest, wearing a bronze mask, leaped into the air, walking on the water's surface as he charged toward the Ming Jiao.
A faint shadow appeared behind him, identical to the shaman's bronze statue.
The two began to battle on the lake's surface.
It seemed that with the shaman's unseen assistance, the clearly weaker priest was holding his own against the Ming Jiao.
The size difference between them created a striking visual impact.
The townsfolk's expressions grew more devout, as if they had grasped a lifeline in the midst of drowning.
"This shouldn’t be happening."
Huang Donglai found it strange. "That Ming Jiao is clearly much stronger."
"It’s invading the village, but it’s my kin... No, I’m human..."
Murong Xiao clenched his fists, his expression flickering with intense inner turmoil.
He knew something was off with his state.
It was even worse than when he was in Shenfeng Cave; even reciting Buddhist scriptures in his mind was ineffective.
Suddenly, he felt warmth in his arms.
Murong Xiao opened his eyes in a daze to find a string of pure white, jade-like relics radiating Buddhist light.
**[Congratulations, host. Successfully invested in Murong Xiao, helping him suppress the power of his bloodline.]**
**[Investment Feedback: Nine Jiao Dragon Power Pill.]**
Now was not the time to tally rewards.
Li Mo smiled at Murong Xiao:
"Brother Murong, I’m going to teach your kin a lesson."
"In broad daylight, under the clear sky!"
With the relic in hand, Murong Xiao appeared even more dignified:
"I’ll help Brother Li clear the way!"
"…You should just sit this one out."
Shaking his head, Li Mo shouted amidst the crowd's gasps:
"Huang, brother!"
"Got it, combo move!"
Huang Donglai initially thought the combo move sounded odd.
But recalling the heavenly materials and elixirs Li Mo had given him, it suddenly made sense.
So, under countless gazes, the two soared into the sky.
Bang!
Huh?
The crowd was momentarily confused, even forgetting to worship the shaman spirit.
On the battlefield above the lake, mist rose, and thunder rumbled.
One man and one Jiao seemed to be locked in a fierce battle, but in reality, the thunder was loud while the rain was light.
"Isn’t it about time?"
Wu Da Meng swung its tail, splashing water beside the priest.
It thought to itself, "I’m really impressive; just a little show of strength has these mortals scared out of their wits."
The priest would definitely have to offer him more cattle for a feast.
That’s right.
As long as he played along with the priest, pretending to be helpless, he would be rewarded with cattle and sheep afterward.
These ordinary townsfolk were so thin; even if they had meat, it wouldn’t be much.
Their lives were so hard, the taste couldn’t compare to that of cattle and sheep.
Suddenly, it noticed something not far away.
"???"
Wu Da Meng’s massive form paused: "This isn’t what we agreed upon! It was supposed to be one person; why are there more now?"
"If there are three people, the reward better increase!"
"Huh?"
The priest turned around, his expression akin to seeing a ghost.
Bang!
"Monster, don’t run!"
Li Mo raised the gleaming hammer in his hand, like a deity descending from the heavens.
"Hey, this new kid has some decent acting skills."
Wu Da Meng thought to itself, and played along, charging toward the young man.
As they drew closer, it sensed something was off.
The lake water seemed to solidify into iron, suddenly making it unable to swim; its movements slowed.
In its eyes, the hammer, cutting through the wind, drew ever closer.
Li Mo descended from the air, executing a powerful strike that crashed down.
Bang~~~
The hammer landed heavily on Wu Da Meng’s head, the force transmitting through its body and exploding into a shower of water.
Had Wu Da Meng not possessed a strong physique, and had Li Mo not held back, that blow would have been fatal.
At that moment, in the eyes of countless onlookers, Li Mo appeared as a divine being.
"Did that Ming Jiao just get killed by this brave warrior?"
"Which shaman spirit does he worship? He’s even more powerful than our high priest!"
"Could he be a manifestation of some shaman spirit, walking among us?"
At that moment, Li Mo’s voice rang out from the lakeshore:
"There will be no more Ming Jiao causing trouble. Everyone, rise."
As his words fell, the figure lifted the Ming Jiao’s body and floated away.
The crowd was momentarily bewildered; this shaman spirit didn’t even leave a name. How would they worship him in the future?
.......
"Who are you really?"
"I don’t want any extra rewards; let’s talk this out."
Wu Da Meng never imagined that after performing this act so many times, this time it was for real.
This was utterly against the rules of combat!
"Why did you attack the village?"
Murong Xiao asked sternly.
"Because I need to eat..."
Wu Da Meng replied, then cautiously asked:
"May I ask what you gentlemen intend to do?"
"Well, it’s not a big deal."
Li Mo cleared his throat, deciding to calm the Ming Jiao’s emotions first:
"Do you want to eat some beef?"
"?"
The Ming Jiao fell silent, a question mark appearing above its massive head.
Are you polite?
Such an outrageous request was impossible for it to agree to!
**Chapter 258: This is Definitely a Prodigy of the Ming Jiao Clan!**
"Please, no!"
Wu Da Meng was utterly shocked, looking at Li Mo with a mix of fear and disbelief.
This young man, who appeared so refined, could utter such bold words.
Seeing his expression, Li Mo couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
Didn’t Elder Qian say that this phrase expressed goodwill?
"Ahem, I was just joking."
Li Mo waved his hand and continued:
"My friend and I have come from beyond the Southern Wilderness to the Heishui Marsh in search of relatives. We just want to ask about the situation in the Ming Jiao clan."
"What do you want to know? We can’t discuss matters involving clan secrets."
Wu Da Meng became wary. "Besides, you’re clearly human; how could there be any of your kin in the Ming Jiao clan? You must be mistaken."
"That’s not true."
Li Mo pondered for a moment.
Suddenly, he activated his seventy-two transformations, and his form shifted dramatically in the mist, transforming into a several zhang long Ming Jiao.
Though his size was not as large as Wu Da Meng’s, his aura was even more ferocious.
"It’s impossible... it can’t be..."
Wu Da Meng was incredulous, but the suppression from its bloodline made it tremble slightly.
"How could there still be a Ming Jiao clan beyond the Southern Wilderness?!"
"Because I possess an exceptional transformation technique. You didn’t even notice my true form earlier, did you?"
Li Mo said proudly, his face beaming with confidence.
"See?"
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