"Oh? Is there such a thing?"
Chen Xiao was slightly taken aback. He had never heard before that China's dragon veins had been stolen by the Eastern Ocean.
He only knew that when China was still called Jiuzhou, there were a total of nine dragon veins.
However, now, only three remained in plain sight: the Changbai dragon vein in the northeast, the Kunlun dragon vein in the northwest, and the Jiuyi dragon vein in the central region.
As for the other six, Chen Xiao knew that there was a hidden dragon vein beneath his own home.
He didn't know about the remaining five.
He hadn't expected one of them to be in the Eastern Ocean.
The so-called dragon veins were where great fortune resided.
Although dragon veins themselves could not provide direct help to people, fortune's influence on a person was subtle and gradual.
Since ancient times, dragon veins had always been a place of contention for the ruling class.
And the small Eastern Ocean, in its rise within a mere hundred years, and even after major defeats, its economy could still soar again, must have a great connection with this dragon vein.
"My lord, everything I say is true. This matter can be traced back five hundred years, when China was still called Jiuzhou. Gods from beyond the heavens descended upon Jiuzhou, plunging the land into the flames of war."
"The people of the Eastern Ocean took advantage of the chaos, fishing in troubled waters and snatching opportunities, and forcefully stole one of Jiuzhou's dragon veins!"
"Jiuzhou was defeated in that great war, severely weakened, and preoccupied with its own affairs. After the war, it had no inclination to come east to cause trouble, so that spiritual vein remained in the tiny land of the Eastern Ocean."
Mizukawaii Ko spoke in great detail.
"The visitors from beyond the heavens you speak of, are they the Heavenly Dao Gods? Are they really visitors from beyond the heavens?"
Chen Xiao asked in confusion.
He had heard many people mention the Heavenly Dao Gods, and they only said that it was a mysterious organization.
They came from an unknown place and left for an unknown destination.
But hearing Mizukawaii Ko say this today, it seemed quite plausible that those Heavenly Dao Gods were likely visitors from beyond the heavens.
"As expected of you, my lord. You truly know of the Heavenly Dao Gods."
Mizukawaii Ko subtly flattered Chen Xiao.
Chen Xiao asked again, "What you're saying sounds like a true story. Then tell me, who stole this dragon vein, and how was it stolen?"
"Replying to my lord."
Mizukawaii Ko said respectfully, "The one who stole the dragon vein was Izanagi, a god of the Eastern Ocean. He commanded the hundred demons' night procession and secretly transported the dragon vein to the Eastern Ocean via land and sea, hiding it in the Dragon Cave."
Chen Xiao frowned slightly, "Who exactly are you? How do you know about this matter in such detail?"
"Replying to my lord."
Mizukawaii Ko said with a wry smile, "It is because this matter is my daughter's personal experience. I was originally a small demonic beast from Jiuzhou. When Izanagi commanded the hundred demons' night procession to steal the dragon vein, I was hidden within that dragon vein."
"Afterward, I followed the dragon vein to the Eastern Ocean and resided in the Dragon Cave, diligently cultivating."
"In the hundredth year after arriving in the Eastern Ocean, I transformed into human form. After another three hundred years of cultivation, I successfully broke through to the Golden Core stage."
"At that time, I could no longer bear the boundless loneliness and isolation, and believing my strength was already top-notch, I left the Dragon Cave and ventured into the world."
"Upon entering the martial world, I rampaged unchecked in the Eastern Ocean, with no one being my match. I then considered myself invincible and acted recklessly."
"However, reality soon taught me a lesson, making me understand that there are always people better than you, and heavens beyond the heavens."
"My actions angered the Eastern Ocean royal family, and they brought down divine punishment upon me. From then on, I learned to behave myself."
"They asked me to guard the shrines, and I obediently complied. In these past few decades, I have changed several identities and served as a shrine maiden in rotation among several shrines."
After hearing Mizukawaii Ko's account, Chen Xiao looked at her with interest and asked leisurely, "If that's the case, the so-called divine race seems to value you quite highly, and you seem quite loyal to them. Why are you betraying them now?"
"Loyal my ass! They nominally let me be a shrine maiden, but in reality, isn't that just another way of imprisoning me?"
Mizukawaii Ko said indignantly, "Moreover, I was born in Jiuzhou and am a citizen of Jiuzhou. I was stolen and brought to the Eastern Ocean by them. Therefore, defecting to you, my lord, is in accordance with the great order. As for betrayal, that's not even a consideration!"
Hearing this, Chen Xiao finally nodded, "I can spare your life. You only need to lead me to the Dragon Cave where the dragon vein is hidden!"
"Thank you, Master!"
Mizukawaii Ko said with great excitement, even changing her address to call Chen Xiao "Master."
Chen Xiao frowned, then said loudly, "I never said I would take you in, nor will I be your master. After you lead me to the Dragon Cave, the world is vast, and you are free to roam."
With the decline of demonic cultivators on Earth, Chen Xiao ultimately decided to give her a chance.
He considered it a contribution to the biodiversity of Earth!
"But I still advise you to be a good demon. If you cause harm to the human world and I find out, I will hunt you down to the ends of the earth and take your life!"
"Understood, my lord. Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I had no choice before, but this time, I will definitely be a good person, no, a good demon!"
Mizukawaii Ko said solemnly.
Afterward, Chen Xiao asked some more questions about the Eastern Ocean divine race.
After hearing Mizukawaii Ko's explanation, Chen Xiao learned that the divine race of the Eastern Ocean also lived in a place similar to a middle-thousand world.
From this, it could be seen that the divine race actually had little to do with gods; they merely called themselves that.
The three core figures of the Eastern Ocean divine race were: Izanagi, who stole Jiuzhou's dragon vein five hundred years ago and was the dominant force in the world.
He held the position of chief god among the Eastern Ocean divine race.
The other two were his son Susanoo and his daughter Amaterasu Omikami.
Among them, Amaterasu Omikami was the most well-known to the world.
She was the one who subdued Mizukawaii Ko, and she was also the deity worshipped by Araki Mikoshi.
Chen Xiao felt a sense of anticipation for this legendary figure who had already been recorded in mythology.
However, before that, he decided to go to the Dragon Cave to see the dragon vein first.
This was Jiuzhou's dragon vein, and if there was a way, he would transport it back to Jiuzhou.
If there was no way, then he would rather destroy it than allow the Eastern Ocean scum to continue enjoying the fortune it brought.
Having made his decision, Chen Xiao commanded, "Little snake spirit, I want to go to the Dragon Cave now. Lead the way for me."
Mizukawaii Ko immediately responded, "Yes, my lord!"
The Dragon Cave was located on Mount Ayuro in the northeastern region of the Eastern Ocean. If Chen Xiao flew there himself or used sword flight, it would take at most an hour.
However, he still had to take care of two burdens, so he ultimately chose public transportation.
Before descending the mountain, Chen Xiao did not forget his purpose for the day. He set the Beihai Shrine ablaze, turning it into ashes.
From then on, the Beihai Shrine, which had existed for over six hundred years, became history.