The Inverted Dragon's Scale

He thought he would definitely die.

When he dropped from such a high place, the sound of wind howling in his ears seemed to have lasted for several centuries. The most realistic image was that his body would be torn and his bones crushed to pieces.

“Cui Xiaoxin?” Li Muyang suddenly sprung up, his eyes scanning around.

Cui Xiaoxin’s figure was nowhere in sight, instead before his eyes was an inhospitable, cold desert.

The red limestone soil looked like the post-sunset afterglow, and the barren emptiness pierced the heart with sadness.

His body incessantly swayed side-to-side and jolted up and down from time to time.

People shouting, horses neighing, and wheels rumbling.

Li Muyang came to realise he was lying on top of a carriage of goods. Dozens of carts formed a motorcade that spread into long, snake-like formation.

With his head dizzy and heavy, Li Muyang was unable to respond to what was happening.

Was he not climbing the mountain? Did he not fall from the mountain? Why did he wake up in a desert?

Fantasy and reality constantly intersecting, Li Muyang felt he was suffering from a mental disorder.

No wonder Starry Sky Academy is the most mysterious school in the divine continent, even the admission into the school is too difficult, right? It plays with the metal state of students.

“Young man, are you awake?” A burly man came over on a horse, drew back the corners of his mouth and smiled fatuously.

His voice carried a strong accent of the Guanzhong province, which differed greatly from the dialect of Jiangnan but was still easily understood.

He was wearing a light armour with a large, blue sword hanging at his waist. His eyes were bright and keen, it seems he is of no ordinary talent.

“Why am I here? Where am I?” Li Muyang hastily asked.

“This is the Valley of the Red Devils.” The man said, smiling. Pointing at the grotesquely shaped red sand dunes in the distance with his fingers, he continued: “You see those slopes, they look like red devils, right?”

“Yes.” Li Muyang answered, nodding his head. He did not care what red sand dunes look like, he was more concerned with how he arrived here. “Then I—–how did I get to the Valley of the Red Devils?”

“We saved you.” The stout man gave a hearty laugh. “You were lying unconscious on the road, so we brought you with us.”

“You were at Flower Language Plains?”

“Flower Language Plain? Of course not. We don’t dare to go to that place. We found you in Mangrove Forest—-” The burly man said with a smile.

Li Muyang had the feeling of wanting to die.

Where is Mangrove Forest? If he was to return to Nameless Mountain then how many more days would it be? Will he encounter numerous assassinations along the way like last time—-Li Muyang could feel strength draining from his body.

“Why is my life so hard?”

“I have a companion—-When you found me, did you see a girl? A beautiful girl.” Li Muyang quickly asked.

“No.” The burly man said, shaking his head. “We just found you alone, we never saw any beautiful girl.”

Li Muyang sighed deeply in disappointment, he felt he was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

He was worried that before he has the chance to enter Starry Sky Academy, he would be admitted into a mental hospital that specifically treats a variety of mental illnesses in the kingdom.

“I have not yet asked for big brother’s name—–”

“You flatter me.” The burly man laughed loudly. “My name is Gan Yang, I am the head of the Wan Li escorting establishment in Guanzhong province, I am here to deliver some goods with my brothers—-“

Li Muyang took a quick glimpse at the front of the long carriage, asking: “Brother Gan, where is this cargo headed?”

“To Shimen town. We unload the cargo there and someone will come to receive the goods.” Gan Yang is an honest person, directly spoke out their destination.

“Shimen town—–” Li Muyang gently murmured the name, it left a bitter taste in his mouth. This was not a name or place he was familiar with. He wants to go to Flower Language plain, he wants to go to Nameless Mountain, he wants to enroll into Starry Sky Academy—-If he was to follow them then, just when will he reach there?

“Brother Gan, I want to know, how far is it to Flower Language Plain? Roughly how many days?”

“What?” Gan Yang turned pale with shock: “Little brother, don’t say big brother didn’t warn you, that Flower Language plain is one of the top ten most dangerous place in the divine continent, it is uninhabited and abandoned. Even hearing its name sends a chill down the spine, you really want to go to that place?”

“I don’t have to go—-I just asked casually.” Li Muyang said perfunctorily. He did not want to explain since it won’t help the situation and will only cause kind-hearted people to worry about him for no reason.

Gan Yang still felt uneasy. “Little brother, I know you’re young and bold but there are some things that you better not try. Stay alive and live well, why play with your life?”

He pointed at the men in black standing guard on either side of the motorcade: “Our brothers are most afraid of passing the Valley of the Red Devils, why? There’s a high possibility of encountering desert bandits. Those bandits are ruthless, not only they rob goods but they also kill people. They have seized many goods and killed countless bodyguards before—but do we have a choice to not come here? Everyone has a large family to feed. If they don’t come here, what will their wife and kids eat? What will they wear?”

“They’re putting their lives on the line to feed their families. Your living well so why go to Flower Language Plain to seek your own death—-We met because of fate. I rescued you from Mangrove Forest so you owe big brother. I don’t ask for much, just for you to stay alive. Live for a long, long time. Promise big brother, don’t go to Flower Language Plain, okay?”

“I—–” Li Muyang stared at his simple and sincere expression and his worried eyes, he nodded solemnly: “Fine, I promise you—-”

Of course he must go to Flower Language Plain but he will protect himself. He will keep himself alive and live for a long, long time.

“My good brother.” Gan Yang patted Li Muyang on the shoulder. His large palm almost broke Li Muyang’s skeleton apart.

Li Muyang grimaced with pain but immediately transformed his twisted mouth into a chuckle.

Gan Yang lashed his horse into walking beside Li Muyang. “What’s little brother’s name? ”

“My name is Li Muyang.”

“Li Muyang? Muyang, a good name. We also have wranglers at our escorting establishment—-they help us take care of the horses.” Gan Yang said with a cheerful smile.

Hearing the loud laughter over at this side, several young guards crowded over and laughed along.

A teenager named Gan Liang, around the same age as Li Muyang, proudly said he has been a guard for three years already. In other words, Li Muyang was still at school when he was travelling all over the place with these strong men under the scorching sun to support his family.

Gan Liang’s complexion was dark red but he possessed the pure, dark eyes of a youngster.

He was fond of Li Muyang and kept asking him various questions

Li Muyang said to him that at his age he should be studying, why did he become a guard of an Escort company?

Gan Liang replied that he would never get a chance to study in his life, but he will save lots of money for his son to go to school——if he can find someone to marry.

After he was aware that Li Muyang’s home is in Jiangnan city, he said with a hopeful and glistening face: “My father has been to Jiangnan City, he said it is a prosperous and the most beautiful city in the kingdom——one day I also want to go to Jiangnan city, with the entire team.”

Hearing Gan Liang’s words, Gan Yang looked a bit sad.

Taking the chance of when Gan Liang left to roundup the horses, Gan Quan explained to Li Muyang in a low voice: “Gan Liang’s father was also a guard of this escorting establishment but he was killed by bandits on his way to deliver goods—–It was here at the Valley of the Red Devils. There’s a rule in this business: when the father pass away, the son takes his place. Gan Liang was very small when he came to escort goods with us—-It can’t be help, his mum is not well. She needs to drink two bowls of medicine a day, if he does not come here there’s no other way he can support her.”

Li Muyang’s heart was aching after listening. He reached out and touched his gold coins, thinking to himself that when he leaves he would give half of it to Gan Liang. That way it can reduce his burden. At least the money can be used to purchase medicine to treat his mother. When he arrives at Starry Sky Academy, he should not need that much money anyway.

Just then, thick clouds of smoke rolled up in front, then very quickly enveloped over.

“Not good.” Gan Yang looked frightened, watching the direction of where the dense smoke was coming from he yelled: “Desert bandits———There’s a large number of desert bandits.”

It was not smoke but desert bandits whirling up blinding clouds of sand and dust as they charged over.

“Desert bandits—-”

“Desert bandits are here—”

Hearing Gan Yang’s warning, the guards immediately became busy.

The group in front came to a stop, them almost immediately the group behind caught up with them and together they assembled, forming into a small circle. The horses’ heads faced towards the inside of the circle and the goods were in the outermost position, blocked from enemy’s attacks. Some management staffs were hiding in the most central area of the circle, their face ashen and trembling with fear.

Gan Yang commanded dozens of guards to line up into two rows and to stand at the forefront. Directly facing the desert bandits charging over. Their movements were rapid and smooth, without

They were to guard the goods and protect the staffs. This was the time for them to contribute with their lives.

The weak and thin Gan Liang was also standing amongst them, shorter than most of the men, he looked like a little chick crowded around by hens.

Li Muyang’s heart suddenly constricted, he cried aloud: “Gan Liang——-”

Gan Liang turned, his thin dark face was full of determination and anger.

At the same time he looked very nervous, his hand clasping the blade was trembling slightly. Yet he still tried his best to smile and shout at the top of his voice to Li Muyang: “Don’t be afraid, we’ll protect you——-”