The Inverted Dragon’s Scale: Chapter Two

Chapter Two: Thousand Koi Forming Dragon
The scene unfolded too quick and too suddenly, it didn’t allow anyone to react. By the time ZhangChen charged, the lackeys by his side also started to move. They planned to form an oval shape, coming three directions, sieging and cornering LiMuYang. Although in their hearts they felt that with just ZhangChen alone he can easily deal with LiMuYang. However, letting ZhangChen attacking alone, would that not seem too barbaric? This was not beneficial to ZhangChen’s image in the school as a male god. If the three of them went up together, it would seem much more overbearingly imposing. It would also let people feel that they are very loyal. They only ran about half the distance and ZhangChen was already sent flying and the sudden change in situation made it so they were a little rushed. The plan to charge straight on was suddenly curved and changed into a huge wave; they enclosed LiMuYang from a distance and stared at him dazed.
“What just happened?” They were all busy running and didn’t get to see what had happened. LiMuYang stared suspiciously at his own fist. What exactly just happened? Why did he suddenly feel those violent and enraged emotions?
Previously LiMuYang’s principle of doing things was to tolerate as much as he could. As long as others didn’t go overboard in bullying him he would always laugh and play along. Only through this was he able to keep damages to a minimal. What else can he do if he can’t beat them? Also how did, LiMuYang, someone without the energy to even tie up a live chicken, use his fist to send ZhangChen flying? Furthermore, he didn’t even use any force! At this point LiMuYang really wanted ZhangChen to stand and take another hit to see just what had happened.
ZhangChen moaned and with great difficulty climbed up form ground. The expression he used to look at LiMuYang was three parts surprise and seven parts shock. He was shocked by the overbearing power suddenly exploding from LiMuYang. How can LiMuYang have that kind of strength? He hates the kind who poses as a pig to devour a tiger the most!
Cha-
Cha-
Cha-
LiMuYang stepped on the under brushes and step by step arrived in front of ZhangChen. “Did you want to attract student CuiXiaoXing’s attention?” LiMuYang asked. It was his turn now to look down on ZhangChen. This kind of feeling really is great. His black face became more handsome, much like Empire’s idol GuTianLe. ZhangChen’s mouth opened but no words came out. Just like a herbivorous fish that accidentally jumped out of the river and about to die. He liked CuiXiaoXing, this was not a secret in the class. Because he has the identity of being the kick-ball’s captain and he was also someone who was influential within the school, this affair quickly spread out the entire school. Although he did not turn his head to look, but he knew that CuiXiaoXing was standing behind the crowd at the very back. She always liked standing at the back of the crowd, looking as if intentionally keeping an absolute distance away from everyone. Could he refute LiMuYang’s question? He can’t.
“You’ve used the wrong method.” LiMuYang looked at ZhangChen regretfully, slowly shook his head and sighed, saying:”Student CuiXiaoXing is a smart female that is prideful and modest. The type of person she would like would be gentle, intelligent and keeps to himself, but also someone who can control the situation. You always ran over to ridicule me, bully me; do you think that by doing that you are expressing your strengths?”
The maiden who was as white as a lily opened her mouth and wanted to say something, but in the end nothing was said. The look in her eyes was like a sharp blade, slice by slice opening up LiMuYang’s skin to see what he is really thinking inside his heart.
“He isn’t only just ugly, he’s also very hateful.” The maiden thought to herself.
“The truth is in the eyes of student CuiXiaoXing your acts are just tricks on the table, when people see these ugly acts they despise and scorn you. You made me out to be a clown that anyone can pick on, but the way you pick on me is the same as a clown performing a funny act on stage in her eyes.
LiMuYang pointed at his face and said:” Look at my face, you’re more handsome than I am. At the very least you’re whiter than me.”
“You’re bigger than me, smarter than me, better at studying than me, oh, that’s right, you also know how to kick and hit ball. I’ve seen the scene where countless girls madly call out your name as you kick ball at school. A lot of the time I wished that I could be you. “A philosopher once said: To look at a person’s world, is to look at who his enemies are. You made someone like me your enemy or you can say that as your victim, you have already dragged yourself and placed yourself on the same level as me. Do you think that someone like you, who places someone like me on the same level, would be liked by student CuiXiaoXing? Too Naïve.
“LiMuYany you—“
“I am very common.” LiMuYang smiled. The eyes which contain the same blackness as the colour of his skin contained an indescribable charm. This was his whole face, or you could even say that this was his whole body’s only prominent and dazzling feature. He said:” But you are very pitiful.”
ZhangChen was completely enraged, he pounced and grabbed hold of LiMuYang’s neck and screamed:” LiMuYang, who did you say was pitiful? Who did you say was pitiful?”
“They’re going to fight! They’re going to fight!—“
“Someone help! Pull them apart!”
“Teacher, theres a fight going on”
——
“Use more force.” LiMuYang’s eyes reddened and again looked at ZhangChen and said in a low growl:” Use more force, like you’ve always done when you step on me.”
“Pu—“ ZhangChen spurted a mouthful of fresh blood, either because of internal injuries, or because of suffocation due to resentment. ZhanChen, who has gone mad with anger, was eventually pulled away by someone. ZhangChen kicked LiMuYang’s fishing pole away and said with a cold smile:” LiMuYang! Where does a trash like you qualify to feel pity for me? You can’t study, can’t cultivate, you’re ugly, every test you’ve took you’ve came last in place in the entire school, you can’t even catch one fish. Do you think that you will have future accomplishments? Your whole life you are just a pig that is waiting to die.
LiMuYang rubbed the red spots in his neck from the choking, smiled and said: “But you were just sent flying by me.”
“—–“
ZhangChen used his finger to point at LiMuYang’s head and turned and walked away in bug strides. His lackeys behind his back were stunned for a while, looked at LiMuYang like they’ve never met him before, then hurriedly followed and left. The commotion was over, the group began to dissipate, LiMuYang sat on the riverside’s under brushes alone and went into a daze. He was alone, just like how it had always been.

“LiMuYang—“ a clear and pure maiden’s voice sounded, like an arc of vibration from a kingfisher gliding. LiMuYang turned around to look and found that CuiXiaoXing still stood at the same place. This time seems to be different from the others. “You can confirm what I’ve said was right or judge what I’ve said to be wrong, but that is not important. The truth is, did you know? If you stay behind to talk to me others will use abnormal expressions to look at me, or be shocked, or be jealous, and even be envious. A pile of mud suddenly sprouted a beautiful flower, is indeed something very fresh. To me, that is without a doubt taking advantage of you. If I were you, I would pretend that just then, nothing happened.”
Without turning his head, LiMuYang knows that the class flower remaining behind to talk with him will bring disbelief to the other students. CuiXiaoXing did not think that LiMuYang would say something like that. A layer of haze appeared in her beautiful eyes, but suddenly became clear again. She pondered a while and said: “You guessed two things right and also guess wrong about two things.”
“Looks like you are willing to talk with me then. This is our first proper conversation right?” LiMuYang smiled and said.
“Firstly, I do not like ZhangChen, in my eyes he indeed is a demagogic clown. Secondly, I truthfully do like what you what you have just said— men who are gentle, wise, keeps to himself and has a strong ability to control the crowd.”
LiMuYang nodded, said: “Then was wrong with the rest of what I’ve said?”
“Firstly, I don’t think you are a clown. You are just a commoner, just like everyone else. You’ve done nothing wrong, just that—“
“Just that destiny was a little unfair to me.” LiMuYang smiled self-depreciatingly and said: “My family is poor and I am ugly. My brain is like paste, can’t study nor cultivate. I can only listen to the will of destiny and become trash that is spoon fed, waiting to die. Am I right?”
CuiXiaoXing’s eyes once again showed a strange light. This ‘charcoal’ who, every day, was bullied and ridiculed by people, whose name spread far and wide but still laid low and silent and looked as if he had no extraordinary character, actually had such keen thoughts and such sharp vigor of style?
“I’m only saying things casually.” LiMuYang put a piece of sugar cane grass into his mouth to chew. The bittersweet grass juice slightly eased his feelings. “Continue”.
“The fresh flower that bloomed on top of the mud is inevitable. Although on surface it is not pleasing to the eye, but in reality it has rich nutrients within that can support and provide the growth of the fresh flower. It will exhaust all it’s energy and use that fresh flower to show the world the proof of it’s existence.
“Do you think that I am the same as mud but still able to be saved?” LiMuYang smiled out loud and said: “Then you are willing—“
“I am not willing.” CuiXiaoXing simply declined. “I am going to Western Winds College, where will you go? We are not people of the same world, our paths in the future will not intersect.”
Western Winds College was the empire’s greatest college. LiMuYang, with his current scores, could not enlist for Western Winds College and could only enlist in Wild Birds College with sufficient funds.
“You’re right.”LiMuYang smiled bitterly and said: “That is also the reason why I’ve liked but never confessed to you.”
“What?”
“That’s very normal is it not? I am the same as those adolescent teens over there, always attracted towards the school’s beauties. We’ve all crushed on XuJiaRui, ZhangXinQi and even you. We want to be as dazzling as you are, we want to walk alongside you and we all dreamed that you would sit next to us and give us a smile like a blooming flower.”
“However, the more beautiful a maiden is, the more outstanding men her eyes will set sight for. We can only watch from afar, if any one of the beauties suddenly do come close and say a few things without warmth or indifference, then to us that is already a gift bestowed by the heavens.” LiMuYang lifted his head to look up at the clouds and said: “What else is there?”
CuiXiaoXing remained silent for a long while and finally said with a voice full of confused emotions: “I wish you good luck.”
After finishing, she turned and walked towards the area that the group had gathered. The lake tour has ended and what awaits them is a brutal and cruel fight.
“CuiXiaoXing” LiMuYang suddenly called out.
CuiXiaoXing turned around, she could not understand what else the boy, whom she had no previous communications with in the past, had to say to herself. In reality saying anything won’t help, she will not accept love due to sympathy.
“I refuse.” LiMuYang called out.
“What?”
“You’ve asked me out to watch a play, I’ve refused.” LiMuYang said in a bright voice.
CuiXiaoXing’s pretty face under the bright sunshine was as translucent as jade. She stared at LiMuYang coldly and said: “Idiot”.
The sun sets into the west. The Sunset Lake bathed under the bright red light, creating a surreal and poignant scene.
LiMuYang carried his fishing pole and got ready to follow the rest of the group back home.
Whoosh—-
On the calm surface of the lake, suddenly a colourful Koi fish jumped out. Just like a foreboding omen, suddenly endless amounts of Koi fish jumped out from Sunset Lake. One thousand turned into ten thousand, seemingly endless. They filled the skies and their colourful fish scales covered half of Sunset Lake. In areas where eyes couldn’t see, even more Koi fish surged towards the lake, as if migrating. They surged towards the area LiMuYang left from, just like chasing after their most devoted faith. If a wise and experienced old man were to see this scene, they would definitely shout in surprise: Ten thousand Koi forming dragon, this is a once in ten thousand year’s ten thousand Koi forming dragon!!