Chapter 97: Wind Halts and Rain Ceases as the True Dragon Emerges

By the second quarter of the You hour (around 5:30 PM).

A heavy rain began in Youling County.

“Boom…”

A dull thunderclap rumbled across the sky. Looking up, all was dark; dark clouds gathered and rolled.

A strong wind blew, followed by raindrops as big as beans.

This rain felt especially strange. Before the second quarter of the You hour, there had been no sign of approaching wind or rain. Only at that exact moment did the fierce wind whistle and the downpour begin.

Rainwater streamed down the Tea Stall’s awning, a constant pitter-patter sounding outside.

The wind forced the Tea Stall owner to squint. Shielding his eyes, he said to Master Zhong, “Such heavy rain! Master Zhong, you predicted it true again today.”

Zhong Zhengyuan replied calmly, “It’s merely a minor skill I possess.”

The Tea Stall owner sighed, “You’re too modest, Master Zhong.”

Zhong Zhengyuan didn’t respond, instead turning back to sip his tea.

Chen Changsheng said, “To predict this great rain, Master Zhong must be remarkable indeed.”

Zhong Zhengyuan shook his head. “Knowing when the rain will come isn’t truly impressive. Knowing when it will stop—that is true skill.”

Chen Changsheng remarked, “Master Zhong seems less than confident.”

Zhong Zhengyuan faintly sensed he might lose this bet.

Yet he couldn’t understand how the man before him would make the rain cease a cup of tea’s time early.

Wind and rain persisted fiercely over the river.

The thin mist was utterly washed away by the rain, only for the sheeting downpour to veil everything once more in murk, obscuring the river’s state.

“Splash, splash…”

Waves churned endlessly on the river’s surface, the waters swaying as if with overwhelming force, as though something was about to emerge from its depths.

The sky darkened completely.

Beneath the downpour, the streets quickly emptied. People dashed into shops lining the road; even a moment’s delay left them drenched.

“Didn’t this rain come on fast!”

“Well! Master Zhong clearly said rain at the second quarter! Yet you all kept strolling. Who else would get soaked?”

“Blimey! Who knew it’d pour this hard!”

Everyone sighed helplessly. Truly, the rain had come too abruptly—one moment fine, the next a deluge, leaving no time to react.

Fishermen stood far from the riverbank, watching the waters.

“Good heavens! Churning this fierce—we’re about to flood!” someone gasped fearfully.

A boy beside him tugged on his dad’s sleeve. “Dad, let’s move further back. Let’s not stay here.”

“Quite right! Go, go! Get back to the district.”

Those who’d lingered near the bank fled towards the district through the pelting rain.

The sheer volume of rain and the turbulent river genuinely threatened an overflow—escape might prove impossible if waters rose.

“Splash!”

Suddenly, movement stirred the river.

The boy from earlier looked back. Within the rain-hazed blur, his eyes suddenly widened.

“Dad! Dad!”

The boy yelled, shaking his dad’s arm while pointing frantically.

The fisherman froze, turning to look.

“What is it?” he asked, puzzled.

But to the boy’s eyes, vague outlines had formed—hints of antler-like horns shimmering, followed by a patch of ink-black, scale-armored hide.

A Black Dragon coiled within the river, churning the waters around it.

“Dragon! It’s a dragon!” the boy cried.

The fisherman stared, utterly baffled. To his sight, nothing was there.

“Boy, you’re startling yourself!”

The fisherman, seeing the river overflow, yanked his son away. “Go, go! The water’s rising!”

Terror filled the boy’s face as his dad dragged him from the riverbank.

While running, he managed one last glance back.

‘Gone…’

This time, he saw nothing at all.

The boy bit his lip, following his dad unwillingly.

Reaching safety and looking back again, he found no trace of the True Dragon. He opened his mouth slightly, sighing inwardly.

Could it truly have been just his eyes playing tricks?

The Black Dragon paused near the riverbank. Suddenly sensing something, he turned his gaze towards the nearby district.

A gleam flickered within his draconic pupils before he vanished back into the water.

Immediately, the river’s turmoil stilled.

The rain, however, continued unbroken.

…

Darkness deepened as sunset neared, and compounded by the storm, the streets sank into gloom.

“It’s lighter now! Can’t last much longer!”

“Finally easing up!”

Inside the Tea Stall, Zhong Zhengyuan watched the lessening rain and suddenly frowned.

“It shouldn’t be like this…”

Zhong Zhengyuan lifted a hand, attempting another calculation. His thoughts were utterly disordered; he couldn’t grasp the lines anymore.

His initial prediction had been clear: this rain would not ease—it would fall abruptly and depart abruptly.

This deviation utterly contradicted his foreseen outcome.

Zhong Zhengyuan raised his head and looked at Chen Changsheng.

The Green-Robed Gentleman remained perfectly serene, leisurely sipping tea while gazing down the street.

He seemed… to be waiting for someone.

Feeling Zhong Zhengyuan’s gaze, Chen Changsheng turned. Seeing the confusion, he offered, “It’s only the sixth quarter of the Hour of You. Might Master Zhong try another divination?”

Zhong Zhengyuan met his eyes. “The celestial signs are disrupted. I cannot divine anything now.”

He opened his mouth as if to speak, then remained silent.

Noting his hesitation, Chen Changsheng prompted, “Master Zhong, ask freely.”

Zhong Zhengyuan shook his head gently. “The result remains undecided.”

Chen Changsheng set down his cup. “The Art of Divination is merely glimpsing Heavenly Secrets. But outcomes weigh seven parts on Heaven, three on Man. Man’s variables, Heaven’s variables… precision would truly be the anomaly.”

Zhong Zhengyuan pondered this silently.

He had indeed foreseen the True Dragon’s return. This Flood Dragon, after enduring its Tribulation, its Water Crossing, its journey seaward, and its Transformation, had now become the True Dragon. It would traverse the Tongtian River back upstream. Passing this region, heavy rain was inevitable.

Now emerged this disruption.

Finding the celestial signs unnavigable, Zhong Zhengyuan sought the True Dragon’s aura. His calculation returned only muddling haze.

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As he’d feared—the very heavens were in disarray…

Zhong Zhengyuan sighed heavily, abandoning attempts. He resolved to simply witness the unfolding resolution.

Time flowed steadily onward.

One cup of tea passed. Then two…

Zhong Zhengyuan looked up. Suddenly, the rain above lessened, as if preparing to cease completely.

Chen Changsheng’s gaze remained fixed on the street corner.

Abruptly, a figure appeared there.

The newcomer was clad in black robes, his bearing naturally prideful. Spotting the Green-Robed Gentleman at the Tea Stall, he hurried forward.

Noting Chen Changsheng’s faint smile, Zhong Zhengyuan followed his gaze.

“Who—”

He froze mid-thought, rooted to the spot within the Tea Stall.

Moyuan approached and clasped his hands respectfully.

“Moyuan pays his respects to Mr. Chen.”

Chen Changsheng greeted him with a warm smile and a nod.

Zhong Zhengyuan stared utterly dumbfounded at the newcomer. Never had he anticipated… this resolution.

The final raindrop fell.

Instantly, the wind hushed, and the rain vanished!

…

The timing was uncanny.

Exactly one cup of tea’s time before the seventh quarter of the Hour of You.

Chen Changsheng stood and looked at Zhong Zhengyuan.

“Not a moment more, not a moment less. Barely a cup of tea’s time in difference.”

Zhong Zhengyuan raised a hand almost helplessly. His lips parted slightly, but no words came.

“I will seek Master Zhong again later.”

Chen Changsheng offered a smile, then turned and strode out of the Tea Stall.

Seeing this, Moyuan immediately followed. As he went, he glanced back at the fortune-teller still seated, a flicker of unspoken curiosity in his eyes.

Could that man be a friend of Mr. Chen’s?