The Secret of the Phoenix Clan

"Find it and bring it back?  Rely on you? That b.a.s.t.a.r.d was obviously one of the remaining survivors of dark mages. With your abilities, even all of you together couldn't match him. Let alone bringing it back. If you meet, the ones to die will probably be you. That's right, you aren't allowed to directly say my name, you have to add "The mighty" in front of it." Salamandhys' tone showed its dissatisfaction.

Nian Bing said calmly. "Okay, Mighty Salamandhys, I just wanted to tell you that the human's greatest specialty is creation. Perhaps now we aren't that person's enemy, but it doesn't mean we can't in the future. As long as you give us time, we can definitely return you r item. This, I swear." As long as he could leave here alive, he would swear anything.

Salamandhys bellowed angrily. "Humans.. I have lived tens of thousands of years, you think your puny trick can fool me? Your humans vows are so plentiful yet worth nothing. That's fine. I don't need to kill you. If you can bring something of equal value for your lives, I will let you go, and I'll stop my servants from stopping you." While saying this, it lifted his claw and pinched them together.

Nian Bing rubbed his eyes. Inwardly, he thought, I didn't see wrong. How could this dragon be so indecent; nothing like the wind greater dragon Khaldrhys I saw before. If they died, wouldn't everything of theirs be his? Why is he doing this? What does he want to take from us?

He exchanged glances with Feng Nu, then asked, "What would you like?"

Salamandhys sat its giant body back down, reducing the pressure on Nian Bing and them by a lot. "That is, I don't want too much. Like that lousy bird's descendant's sword is enough for her life. Everyone needs to bring out such a treasure and I will let you leave. However, don't think you can use some rotten trash to deceive me. I, the might Salamandhys, cannot be fooled."

Feng Nu said angrily, "You're blatantly extorting us? Are all dragons like you?"

Salamandhys flapped his eyelids. "What, you think I'm losing too much of the dragons' face? Hmph, let me tell you, for these last millennia I have wanted to return the divine realm. I was a.s.signed here by the Dragon G.o.d. It's very fair for you to trade your lives with things. This is the rules I have set; you have no right to protest."

Hearing Salamandhys say this, Nian Bing became resolute. He held Feng Nu's hand and stopped her from arguing. With a calm smile, he said, "Then we shall exchange items for our lives. I will trade all of my best items for the lives of my companions." While saying this, he opened up his s.p.a.ce ring, taking out the Ice and Snow G.o.ddess' Sigh, the Flame G.o.d's Roar, as well as the Free Wind's Gentle Hymn and the Holy Light Stone. Immediately, the treasures in front of him glowed, and Salamandhys' stared wide-eyed with greed.

"Good, good. These are good enough for trade. Go ahead and call your companions."

Ka Luo's body shook slightly. "Nian Bing, you are the ones helping us this time. How could we let you use your items to save us? Moreover, these kinds of things must be hard for you to part with!"

Nian BIng raised a hand to stop his protest. "President Ka Luo, no need to say anything. Living is the most important thing. Any item is just that. A thing. I must trouble you to call everyone else."

Ka Luo looked at Nian Bing. He suddenly found that Nian Bing seemed to have grown bigger. Nian Bing at the moment was at war with himself. The Free Wind's Gentle Hymn and the Holy Light Stone were very precious, but they were just things to him. But the Ice and Snow G.o.ddess' Sigh and the Flame G.o.d's Roar were the only things left to him by his parents. How could he be willing?

However, for this avaricious dragon, Nian Bing knew that if he didn't take out enough stuff, they wouldn't be able to leave here. Ka Luo and the mercenaries he didn't really care about, but Feng Nu and Long Ling-he couldn't be indifferent. What's more, this dragon who had lived for millennia was extorting him. Perhaps he already knew everything he owned, so it would be better for him to take it out of his own volition. Nian Bing pledged silently that if he lived, he would find away to take back his things one day.

Salamandhys waved his claw. Nian Bing took out all of his stuff and laid it front of it. It used its claws to pinch the Flame G.o.d's Roar and praised, "This is good, really good. Such a good thing is something only the Mighty Salamandhys can use."

Feng Nu's hand that was gripping Heavenly Flame turned white. Nian Bing hugged her waist with his left arm and squeezed her lightly, indicating not to charge. They had already taken out their stuff. As long as they could leave here alive, they would pay any price.

After a moment, ZI Qing Meng, Long Ling, and the rest of the mercenaries were led here by Ka Luo. When they saw the mountain of treasure, Hua Rui's eyes shone. She was about to pick when up, when she was. .h.i.t backwards by Ka Luo. Ka Luo said angrily, "Whatever the occasion,  you never change your greediness."

Hua Rui stared blankly. When she saw the fire greater dragon Salamandhys' ma.s.sive body, she immediately fell silent.

Nian Bing coughed. "Mighty Salamandhys, we have gathered our things. Now we can leave."

Salamandhys lazily looked at Nian Bing. "Okay, you and that lousy bird's descendant can leave. Of course, she must leave her sword here. As for the others, they will die here."

The buzzing in Nian Bing's head almost exploded. "What are you saying? Someone as mighty as you would speak worthless words?"

Salamandhys said, hurt, "How could the my mighty words be worthless? I just said you could use these things to exchange for your lives; I didn't promise everyone's lives, just yours."

Nian Bing's breath was quite ragged. "Salamandhys, even if we could exchange items for alive, I only have at most four items. With Feng Nu's sword, we can only leave here with five people."

"No, no, no. Do not be mistaken, I decide what can be exchanged. If you don't want to leave, then you can stay with them and wait for death. I'm not opposed to it." Salamandhys was as sinister as a criminal.

Feng Nu was furious. "I'll fight you to the death.

"Fight me? If you were that lousy bird it would be possible. But you? Much too inexperienced. I didn't say that the other people couldn't leave, but you need to exchange stuff. I, the mighty Salamandhys, have only two hobbies. One is to collect treasures and the other, hehe, is to eat. If you have something delicious to eat in exchange, I can probably think it over. Of course, it must be more delicious than this." He waved his claw, and a giant piece of fish jerky came out from who knows where and landed in its mouth.

A sudden transformation. Nian Bing didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Eating, that was his specialty!

"Ah! It's you, the voice from that day was yours," Zi Qing Meng suddenly exclaimed.

Salamandhys chuckled. "That's right, this girl's memory is very good. That day, the thing you made called noodles smelled really good. I wonder how they would taste. That's good, make me something to eat first for me to try. If you can satisfy me, if you stay behind to cook for me, I'll let the others go free."

Nian Bing suddenly thought of a strange idea. This Salamandhys was being so hard on them, could it because he wanted to keep Zi Qing Meng who could cook behind? If that was so, this was a much easier problem to solve. Armed with this nugget of wisdom, Nian Bing immediately calmed down. "O mighty Salamandhys, us human's foods are the most delicious in the word. Much better than that fish jerky you eat. I'm a human chef. If you want, I will happily work hard for you."

Salamandhys' eyes flashed. He was already tired of his fish jerky. Just as Nian Bing had determined, these lives weren't important to him; the important thing was eating delicious food. "You can cook? That's good. Make some for me to try. But if you make delicious enough food, others can leave but you must stay."

Hearing him say this, Nian Bing couldn't help but find it funny. There was a saying that said 'asking a tiger for his skin'. Right now, it was more like 'asking a dragon for his skin.'

"Nian Bing,  I'll do it." Zi Qing Meng stepped up next to Nian Bing, her gaze resolute.

Nian Bing shook his head. "No, how could your skills possibly satisfy the mighty Salamandhys?" Everyone had their weak points, dragons were no exception. Since he had found Salamandhys', Nian Bing was confident.

Salamandhys eyes sparkled as he looked at Nian Bing, "Only saying it is useless. You have to make it for me to try. If you can satisfy me, I'll let your friends go."

"Nian Bing." Feng Nu tried to stop him.

Nian Bing smiled. "Don't worry, it'll be fine. Don't tell me you do not believe in my culinary skills?"

"But…"

Nian Bing's gazed stopped on Feng Nu. He shook his head, signaling she shouldn't say anything. He looked back at Salamandhys and sighed. "Mighty Salamandhys, you are always sleeping here, so you might not necessarily have knowledge of the outside world. I am known as the Magic Chef of Ice and Fire in the human realm. Perhaps my magic cannot enter your vision, but it can if I use it to make food."

"Use magic to cook?" Salamandhys was already quite impatient. He stood up, sticking his head right in front of Nian Bing. "Then what are you waiting for? Make me something to eat."

Nian Bing smiled inwardly. A greater dragon that loves to eat! He made a pained expression. "Mighty Salamandhys, I truly am sorry. Even with my culinary arts, I'm not certain that I can satisfy you because my right shoulder was broken by your servants. My bone and tendons were shattered. An arm is the lifeblood of us chefs! Without my right arm, how could I make something to satisfy you?" Nian Bing made an expression of supreme sorrow, like he was truly so full of regret that he couldn't make food for Salamandhys.

All of Feng Nu's worry disappeared. Seeing Nian Bing's face she almost laughed. He had played Salamandhys’ heart perfectly. The most outstanding thing was that everything he said was true.

Salamandhys looked at Nian Bing's limply hanging right arm. "Your tendons and bones were shattered? Oh, that must be that fellow Jin Ni's Dragon Guiding Arrow."

Nian Bing nodded. He lamented, "Ah, I courted this disaster myself, but I still need my right hand to make you food. But without a rank 9 light healing spell, my arm will never be able to recover! Mighty Salamandhys, do you have any medicine I could use to cure it? As long as my arm is well, I will immediately make you a delicious meal."

As a greater dragon, Salamandhys no doubt possessed extremely high intelligence. However, it couldn't be more crafty than humans. At Nian Bing's outstanding performance, it snorted disdainfully. "A rank 9 light spell can heal it, what’s some medicine going to do then? Stand here and don’t move. I'll heal your arm. If you cannot make me food that will satisfy me, hehe, I'll cripple both arms.” While saying this, it slowly lifted its claw and produced a low sob from its mouth. Five small little b.a.l.l.s of light appeared on the tips of its claws. Its voice chanted in the mysterious language of dragons.

The golden light suddenly swelled and Salamandhys bellowed. Five golden lights shot out, enveloping Nian Bing. That incomparably pure aura was something Nian Bing had once felt from the Holy Light Stone. It felt like bathing in spring wind, as his whole body was covered in a beautiful gold light. He felt full of strength; even his Ice and Fire Source began to spin faster because of the golden light. The thing that pleased  him the most was that he felt his deadweight right arm slightly sore. He could clearly feel his bones and meridians healing. Under the bathing of gold light, his blood vessels gradually flowed more smoothly, and his pale, lifeless right arm regained sensation.