The Inverted Dragon’s Scale

001 – Young man, Li Muyang!
Some people said that Li Muyang was a cripple.

This made Li Muyang angry, something that was especially out of character for him. It was originally a family secret, how could it be known by the people outside?

The grass was gently blowing, red flowers appearing in the green grass.

Small groups of young people were jumping in the grass, or singing and dancing, or playing wrestling games. Laughter flowed around everywhere.

As the high school examinations neared, every student was working hard to be admitted to their dream school.

The time till the high school examination was one month and seven days. The trip to the lake was organised by the school, with the purpose being to relieve the tension and stress of the students. Then, with their most optimal mental condition, take and eventually pass the examination.

Beside the edge of the lake, a young man with dark skin was sleeping in the grass.

Even when he is sleeping, the change in his facial expression was a sight to see. First was happiness, then was embarrassment, then it was a type of confusion and shame —

One month ago he was talking happily to the long legged beauty of class nine, Xu Shirui, during the seafood buffet in a hotel in the Imperial capital. Half a month ago, when the personality goddess of class three, Zhang Xingqi invited him to review homework at a coffee shop after school, he had immediately accepted. And right now, the omnipotent star student of class one, Cui Xiaoxin who just blocked him and wanted him to invite watch a movie, <>, he said he would consider, but he had never thought of rejecting…

Li Muyang, only wanted to graze one sheep, who would have thought he would graze an entire flock of sheep*.

Therefore, too many romantic debts caused him to be in turmoil. He did not want to become a playboy.

Bang Clang—-

A loud metallic clashing sound was heard.

An old steel bucket was kicked into the lake, floating for a few seconds before disappearing under the surface with a gurgle.
Li Muyang opened his eyes, a look of confusion on his face when he saw the students in front of him.

“Li Muyang —I think you shouldn’t be called Li Muyang, but you should be called Li SiZhu**. You sleep in class, you sleep when we’re on a trip, do you really sleep more than a pig?” A handsome young man with a fashionable haircut mockingly said, his voice intentionally loud to attract the attention of the surrounding students.

“Zhang Chen, can you not insults pigs? Even though pigs are lazy and greedy, but they at least have large heads and big ears with white skin. They can be quite good and cute — Have another look at Li Muyang, he is skinny and his skin is black, it looks like he a piece of coal —how can he be compared to a pig?” The muscular Yang Jun said in a backhanded way, invoking the laughter of everyone.

“Li Miyuan, didn’t you say you want to go fishing?” The flat headed fatty lifted a simple rod made from bamboo by the lakeside. “It looks like there was no catches, the bucket is empty. Did you not even manage to catch a single fish? It’s really regretful, just now everyone was saying that Li Muyang was sure to catch a lot since he fished for the entire afternoon. Then, we can a rich fish dinner, you’ve really made people too disappointed?”


Li Muyang rubbed his eyes, furtively wiping the water at the corner of his eyes with his sleeve.
This action made the laughter of the surrounding students even louder.

“What? Li Muyang had a look of confusion on his face. “What do you want to do?”

“Li Muyang, we only want to see – want to see your expression when you sleep.”

Zhang Chen smoothed back the hair of his head with his hand. He looked down at the Li Muyang lying in the grass below, saying “You’ve slept well today.”

“Very well.” Li Muyang truthfully nodded his head. This sleep made him feel extremely comfortable, it was only that fact that he had not yet decided on his answer that made him conflicted – should he agree to go and see the movie with Cui Xiaoxin?

“What did you dream about?”

The dark face of Li Muyang turned red, lowering his head in embarrassment. “I can’t say.”

“Say it.” Zhang Chen had the expression of a cat playing with a mouse. This was a game they had played often. They were the cat and Li Muyang was the mouse who they could play with as they want. “Don’t worry, we won’t laugh at you.”

“I can’t say.” Li Muyang said, shaking his head.

“Did you dream about the beauty in our class, Cui Xiaoxin?”

Behind the crowd, a pretty girl with long hair and a white floral dress frowned. Very evidently, she did not like them leading the fire towards her.

Li Muyang looked at Zhang Chen thoughtfully. He said: “You are not mature.”

“What?” Zhang Chen widened his eyes, not believing what he had heard. “What did you say?”

Did this guy eat the wrong medicine?

Li Muyang was an abnormal existence in their class. His skin was black, as if it was a piece of coal. Therefore everyone liked to call him ‘Black coal’ or ‘Black kid’.

And also because for Li Muyang, sleeping was akin to life. He slept when he was in the classroom, he slept when he was on trips. Everyone gave him a nickname, the ‘Sleeping god’.

Because of his dark skin and his tendency to fall asleep, he became a famous person in the school. Everyone would say, “heh, that is the black coal in our class”, “He’s probably asleep, he can sleep from the first lesson in the morning till the fourth lesson in the afternoon. By the time the teacher wipes the board, he still has not awoken…”

Li Muyang was the class treasure. He was a mascot.

When everyone’s mood was good, they would tease him. When they were in a bad mood, they would bully him.

Today, Zhang Chen’s mood was not good. He had stealthily confessed to Cui Xiaoxin, but was rejected by her. There was only one month left till the high school examinations, when at that time the class would be split up. If he could not establish a normal boyfriend-girlfriend relationship with her, he could only watch as such a beautiful flower disappeared from his life.

The more he thought about it, the more dejected he grew. Zhang Chen wanted to find something to vent his anger, when he saw the Li Muyang sleeping sweetly in the grass.

However, this little mouse would retaliate and laugh at him? It was an action no one would have expected.
“You’re not mature.” Li Muyang repeated his words. Although it was only four words, but the power in these words were terrifying.

Zhang Chen’s face darkened, his gaze fierce as he stared at Li Muyang. He said bitingly, “You’re looking to die?”

Li Muyang fixed the messy bed hair of his head. He said: “You can so casually throw out such threatening words — I only want to ask, there are so many people passing the Naihe bridge***, how many people were sent personally by you?”

“Beat him up.”

Zhang Chen shouted, rushing towards Li Muyang.

He had a body with a height of 1 metre and seventy eight centimetres. On top of that, he had a muscular body through often playing basketball. When he ran, he was like a majestic tiger. It seems as if just one impact was enough to send the dark and skinny Li Muyang flying.

This was the thought of everyone.

At this instant, Li Muyang was like a small boat within a stormy sea, a trembling lamb in front of a tiger. All it needed was a wave, a pounce, and Li Muyang would be destroyed on the spot.

Li Muyang did not move from his spot, as if he was entirely dumbfounded.
His pupils began to turn as black as an ink stone, blood lines appearing in the whites of his eyes.

At first the lines were faint and hard to see. But extremely rapidly, it was noticeable and disconcerting.

From a glance, it was as if they were red eyes covered in black ink. Like a black sun in the sky, surrounded by vast expanses of blood red undulating around.

Li Muyang’s raised fist starting growing a thin scale, looking like a translucent fish scale. The fish scale glowed with a purple light, causing the dark skin of his hand to turn into a purple red.
Li Muyang’s heart was filled ruthlessness, as if there was some negative emotions he needed to vent, as if there was some grievance that he had to tell.

Zhang Chen ran closer, then suddenly aimed a punch at Li Muyang’s face.

Pak—-

Li Muyang moved his hand to block.
“Aaaa—–“

Some people shouted in shock and others closed their eyes.

The skinny arm of Li Muyang, how could it possibly block the steel like arm of Zhang Chen?

On Zhang Chen’s face, an excited smile appeared on his face. As the person’s dark face came closer and closer, his expression was filled with disdain.

“A pitiful mouse —dares challenge a cat?”

At the time when the fists meet, the smile on Zhang Chen’s face froze. Then a majestic force travelled through his fist.

Overwhelming, unable to put up any shred of resistance.

Bang —

The body of Zhang Chen flew high up, then landed heavily on the grass.

The surroundings were so silent that one could hear the drop of a pin, apart from the gentle swaying of the willow and the chirping of the insects.

Li Muyang really sent Zhang Chen flying with one punch?
*It’s a pun, Li Muyang translates to ‘grazing sheep’.
**Li Sizhu – Dead pig
***place where dead souls pass through