Chapter 12:
A Flood Dragon Cultivates for a Thousand Years to Become a Dragon
“Young man, don’t be in such a hurry. I don’t sell this item for money—I only sell it to the right person.”
“If you can recognize what this thing is, then it means the two of us are fated to meet. It would also mean that I’ve finally found the person I’ve been waiting for.”
The old man smiled calmly.
He wasn’t a fool.
The moment he noticed Ye Feng staring intently at the iron bracelet, he realized that this young man definitely knew something about it.
Otherwise, among so many eye-catching treasures on display, why would he choose this plain, unremarkable iron bracelet?
It wasn’t made of jade, silver, or gold.
Normally, nobody would even want it.
Ye Feng paused for a moment and thought to himself.
Since this old man is so curious about the bracelet, I might as well tell him a little. It won’t hurt anything.
Besides, I also want to ask him where he got it.
Wherever treasures appeared, there were usually more valuable things nearby.
“This item is called a magical artifact. Actually, it doesn’t do much, so even if you know what it is, it won’t be of much use to you.”
Ye Feng answered casually.
“A magical artifact? Really?”
Hearing this unfamiliar term, the old man frowned slightly.
“Of course. To be honest with you, this magical artifact is already damaged. It’s useless if you keep it, so you might as well sell it to me cheaply.”
Ye Feng nodded with a serious expression.
Looking at his sincere face, the old man chose to believe him.
After thinking for a moment, he slowly said,
“This thing once saved my life. It was useful to me before, but now it isn’t anymore. That’s why I’m willing to sell it.”
“But before letting it go, I wanted to know exactly what it was.”
“Thank you for clearing up my confusion.”
“How about this? I wasted some of your time just now, so I’ll simply give it to you. No charge.”
With that, the old man bent down, picked up the iron bracelet, and handed it over.
As Ye Feng accepted it, a faint smile finally appeared on his face.
The old man truly kept his word.
He was straightforward and generous.
After slipping the bracelet into his pocket, Ye Feng looked back at him and asked curiously,
“Grandpa, could you tell me where you got this thing?”
The old man hesitated.
“Well… I can’t remember clearly anymore, but I do remember the general location.”
“That’s enough. Where was it?”
Ye Feng asked.
“I think…”
The old man tried to recall the memory.
“I think it was in Jinling City. There was a temple there, but it’s been more than ten years, so I can’t remember its name.”
“If I remember correctly, that’s where I found it by chance.”
Jinling City?
Ye Feng was slightly surprised.
That was his hometown.
It was where the orphanage stood—the place where he had grown up and spent over fifteen years of his life.
He had developed deep feelings for that city.
To him, it was home.
“Does that temple have any distinctive features?”
Ye Feng asked again.
“Something distinctive…”
The old man thought for a while before his eyes suddenly lit up.
“I remember now!”
“There was a dragon and a phoenix there, both carved from wood.”
“The sight left a deep impression on me, so I still remember it vaguely.”
“Understood.”
Ye Feng nodded.
Suddenly, he extended his right hand and lightly tapped the old man’s right shoulder.
His movements were incredibly fast.
Before the old man could react, Ye Feng had already tapped him three times and withdrawn his hand.
The old man froze, his face immediately becoming cautious.
“What was that supposed to mean?”
“Don’t be nervous.”
Ye Feng replied calmly.
“You gave me this artifact and told me where it came from. Naturally, I won’t let you suffer a loss.”
“I noticed earlier that a certain type of poison was sealed within your body.”
“It’s a very unusual poison. Ordinary people have no way of curing it.”
“But for me, it’s nothing difficult.”
“You seem like a decent person, so I simply helped you remove it.”
“What?!”
The old man quickly examined his body.
The next second, he abruptly stood up in shock.
“It’s really gone!”
Looking at Ye Feng, his usually calm expression was replaced by overwhelming excitement.
He immediately clasped his fists respectfully.
“Young man, you truly are extraordinary!”
“The fact that you recognized the iron bracelet already proved that you were no ordinary person.”
“But I never expected someone so young to possess such heaven-defying medical skills.”
“This old man is deeply impressed.”
“To be honest, the poison inside my body has tormented me for many years.”
“It was extremely difficult to deal with, and my life was constantly in danger.”
“Yet you’ve actually cured it.”
“I truly don’t know how to repay this kindness.”
“How about this? Everything on this cloth belongs to you now.”
“None of it is worth an incredible amount, but it’s a small token of my gratitude.”
“Please, you must accept it.”
The old man looked genuinely delighted.
Ye Feng, however, remained calm.
Although it had seemed like a casual gesture, the truth was far more complicated.
The poison inside the old man’s body resembled the venom of a Flood Dragon.
Flood Dragon venom was far more vicious than ordinary snake poison.
According to ancient cultivation lore:
A snake cultivates for five hundred years to become a Flood Dragon.
A Flood Dragon cultivates for another thousand years to become a true Dragon.
From this alone, Ye Feng could tell that the creature responsible had cultivated for at least five hundred years.
Its venom was beyond comparison with any ordinary poisonous creature found on Earth.
Without his intervention, very few people in this world would have been capable of removing it.
If the old man hadn’t possessed an unusually powerful energy within his body to sustain him, he probably wouldn’t have survived another half month.
For cultivators, spiritual energy could easily neutralize most poisons found on Earth.
Though Ye Feng had merely touched the old man’s shoulder a few times, he had secretly infused a trace of spiritual energy into his body, cleansing and destroying the poison.
As for the old man’s gift, Ye Feng accepted it without hesitation.
He quickly packed all dozen or so antiques from the green cloth into his nylon bag.
Lifting it slightly, he estimated the weight at well over a hundred pounds.
Judging by their age and quality, they could probably be sold for three or four million yuan altogether.
Combined with the antiques he had already purchased earlier, selling everything for more than ten million yuan would be no problem.
With that kind of money, buying both a house and a car would be easy.
He wouldn’t have to rent an apartment anymore.
He also wouldn’t need to take taxis every time he went out.
He could simply buy a place near the university, live there with Wan’er, and purchase a car.
Life in Jianghai City would become much more convenient.
“Grandpa, these are all pretty good items.”
“Thanks.”
Ye Feng smiled as he adjusted the heavy nylon bag.
The old man sighed softly.
“You’re too polite, young man.”
“If anyone should be thanking someone, it should be me.”
“If you hadn’t removed that poison, I doubt I would have lived much longer.”
Looking at someone so young possessing such miraculous medical abilities, the old man was deeply astonished.
He suddenly felt the urge to befriend him.
Seeing that Ye Feng was about to leave, he hurriedly asked,
“Young man, wait a moment! I still haven’t learned your name.”
Ye Feng naturally sensed the old man’s intention.
However, he had no desire to casually make friends with strangers.
There were always people with hidden motives.
Although he wasn’t afraid of them, they would only bring unnecessary trouble.
So he simply shook his head.
“There’s no need.”
“What happened today was merely a transaction.”
“We met by chance, nothing more.”
“If fate wills it, we’ll meet again someday in this vast world.”
