Peerless Bodyguard of a Stunning Beauty

Chapter 37: Chapter 34 Enter the Dragon Cave, Encounter the Giant Dragon

As soon as Zhao Rong walked into the grove, he spotted what seemed to be a handsome man and a beautiful woman exercising in the distance. Driven by curiosity, his heart pounded with excitement as he headed deeper into the trees. However, as Zhao Rong got closer, the couple suddenly vanished. At the same time, a small, faintly visible cave mouth appeared not far from where he was standing.

Zhao Rong had heard legends from his classmates about a Dragon Cave hidden in the grove behind the training center, said to be inhabited by a terrifying great dragon. The tales claimed this dragon was a Level 20 divine beast that possessed a precious Dragon Crystal. If anyone could obtain this crystal, their level would instantly increase by three.

Zhao Rong pondered the legend. Could I really be this lucky? Have I actually stumbled upon the legendary Dragon Cave?

With a heart full of curiosity, he stepped into the Dragon Cave.

The entrance was tiny, but the space suddenly opened up once he descended inside. Zhao Rong stared at the vast cavern, struggling to adjust. He couldn’t believe that such a small hole on the surface led to a place so immense. Now, he was certain this had to be the so-called Dragon Cave.

He knew that many students at the training center, desperate to raise their levels, had searched the grove exhaustively for this very cave, all to no avail. Yet here he was, having come to the grove merely to watch his classmates’ live streams, and he had stumbled upon the elusive cave by a stroke of luck. Zhao Rong sighed. It was just as the old saying goes: you can wear out iron shoes searching in vain, only to stumble upon it by pure chance. When a person’s luck is good, everything goes their way. When it’s not, nothing does.

Although Zhao Rong knew the great dragon was a powerful Level 20 divine beast that might even eat people, these fears couldn’t stop him from pressing forward. He might have looked average on the outside, but he possessed a fiercely determined and resilient heart.

Time flew by. Before he knew it, Zhao Rong had been walking inside the Dragon Cave for over an hour, with no idea how far he had traveled. As he advanced, however, he felt distinct gusts of cold air blowing from the cave’s depths. The chill sent a shiver down his spine; it felt like the icy breath exhaled from a dragon’s maw.

Just as he sensed he was getting closer to the great dragon, he began to notice bones scattered along the path. He counted them; there was a skeleton every few meters. It seemed many cultivators had entered this Dragon Cave before him. Unfortunately, while they had entered alive, they had clearly not been able to leave the same way.

He couldn’t help but wonder, Will I end up just like these cultivators? Will I come in alive only to become a pile of bones, trapped forever in this sunless Dragon Cave? If I die in here today, who will protect Miss Lili, Yu Lan, and Xuelian? No, I absolutely cannot die. But I can’t retreat, either. A real man must have the courage to forge ahead, unafraid of any obstacle.

So, Zhao Rong continued onward. He figured the cave must be incredibly deep and that he probably had another four or five hours of walking before he would encounter the great dragon.

However, to his surprise, just twenty minutes after the bones began appearing, a massive Western dragon with huge wings and a mouth that could spew fire appeared before him. As a human, it was the first time Zhao Rong had ever come face-to-face with a real dragon.

Looking at the creature, he couldn’t help but recall the fantasy novels he’d read on QQ Reading, which described all sorts of dragons—large and small—in rich and colorful detail. Back then, he had fantasized about what it would be like to see a real dragon one day. But now that one was actually standing before him, all he felt was pure terror.

Staring at the formidable beast, Zhao Rong was instantly filled with regret. If I had known a Level 20 divine beast was this frightening, this colossal, this majestic, I never would have entered this so-called Dragon Cave, let alone dreamed of getting some so-called Dragon Crystal.

Faced with the terrifying dragon, his only thought was that discretion is the better part of valor; the best strategy was a hasty retreat. He ducked into a corner, turned, and started to sneak away. As he backtracked, he thought thankfully, Good thing I’m small. The great dragon didn’t even notice me. Otherwise, I’d definitely be a goner by now.

But just as he was smiling smugly to himself, the immense great dragon suddenly spoke. It looked at the retreating Zhao Rong and boomed, ”You insatiable humans. Since you have ventured into my domain, do not expect to leave alive.”

With that, the great dragon spat a fireball at him. The flames slammed into a large rock beside Zhao Rong, causing it to explode into fragments. Seeing the shattered stone, Zhao Rong was stunned by the power of the dragon’s fire.

He turned to face the great dragon, forcing a smile. ”Sir, I may be human, but I’m not the least bit greedy. I only came into your cave by complete accident. My apologies for disturbing your rest. I’ll be on my way now.”

With that, Zhao Rong bolted toward the entrance like a rabbit. He hadn’t gotten more than a few steps before he felt the massive great dragon charging after him.

Faced with this terrifying beast, Zhao Rong was at a complete loss. He couldn’t outrun it. He certainly couldn’t fight it. At that moment, he felt utterly abandoned, as if his calls for help would reach neither heaven nor earth. He had no choice but to face the Level 20 divine beast alone.

Hoping for a miracle, he asked the great dragon, ”Sir, how about we make a deal? You let me go, and I’ll agree to one of your conditions.”

Hearing the ignorant human dare to bargain, the great dragon roared in fury, ”I have only one condition: any human who trespasses in my Dragon Cave must die.”

Seeing how utterly unreasonable the great dragon was, Zhao Rong started to get angry himself. He looked at the fire-breathing beast and retorted, ”If I had a Heaven-Reliant Sword or a Dragon-Slaying Saber today, I’d knock you off your high horse! You wouldn’t be acting so arrogant then!”

At the words ”Dragon-Slaying Saber,” the great dragon froze. It took a step back, its voice filled with disbelief. ”What? You’re just a Level 7 cultivator. How could you possibly possess a Dragon-Slaying Saber?” In this parallel world, the Dragon-Slaying Saber was the only weapon capable of killing a great dragon.

In the midst of his despair, Zhao Rong realized the great dragon had misunderstood him. He decided to play along. ”As a matter of fact, I happen to have a Dragon-Slaying Saber right here. How about this? I give you the saber, you give me your Dragon Crystal, and you let me leave safely.”

Hearing that the human truly possessed a Dragon-Slaying Saber, the great dragon’s eyes widened. ”If you give me the Dragon-Slaying Saber, I will give you one of my Dragon Crystals and guarantee your safe departure.”

No way, Zhao Rong thought. Did this terrifying great dragon actually believe I have a Dragon-Slaying Saber? He really is all brawn and no brains.

The problem was, he hadn’t brought any weapons with him. If he didn’t have a saber, what could he possibly use to fool this great dragon?

Just as he was stressing out, his hand brushed against the tiny fruit knife on the keychain attached to his belt. An idea struck him. This great dragon might be powerful, but living in this sunless cave its whole life, it’s no different from a frog in a well. Maybe I can actually use this tiny fruit knife from my keychain to trick it into trading for a Dragon Crystal?

With that thought, Zhao Rong began his swindle, adopting the same routine as the comedian Zhao Benshan in his famous sketch about selling crutches.