NHWSG chapter 20

Compared to danger, the unknown seems to evoke more fear in people.

When Sheng Zhao was observing closely, although he felt scared, he could at least see the situation clearly, and most of the time, fear wasn’t his priority. However, now that he was on the safe water’s edge, looking at the bare surface, he felt more worried for Xing Yingzhu.

—Is there a barrier between these species? Can a snake beat a dragon? Sheng Zhao wondered.

He thought that was definitely impossible. Even if he was a staunch materialist, he knew the vast difference between a “dragon” and a “snake,” with several layers of class ceilings in between.

He wanted to help but felt helpless. After all, supernatural fights were beyond the scope of the police, and calling for help wouldn’t work. After much thought, Sheng Zhao had to reluctantly admit that as a law-abiding ordinary human, the most significant help he could offer Xing Yingzhu was probably shouting encouragement from the riverside.

But considering Xing Yingzhu was probably not interested in cheerleading, he kept quiet, choosing not to say anything more.

After about three to five minutes, the once calm water suddenly stirred without warning, and waves, about two to three meters high, crashed onto the shore, catching Sheng Zhao off guard.

He tumbled at the water’s edge, scrambling out of the waves in a disoriented manner. As he looked, the two beings were already entangled on the water’s surface.

Xing Yingzhu seemed to have the upper hand, with his snake body tightly coiled around the dragon’s body. The demonic dragon, in pain, arched its body and let out a painful low growl.

They were too far away, and Sheng Zhao could only see vague outlines. His phone had fallen into the water earlier, and now he had no lighting equipment, relying only on the sparse moonlight to nervously watch.

Fortunately, the dragon seemed to be on its last legs. After a moment, it emitted a sharp and high-pitched cry, and a large area of blood stains suddenly filled the entire water area. The dragon fell onto the water’s surface, gradually sinking, seemingly lifeless.

Following that, the exhausted serpent submerged into the water. In a few ups and downs, it was washed ashore by the still turbulent waves, lying next to Sheng Zhao.

Sheng Zhao, mustering courage, took a closer look at him. Cold-blooded creatures seemed less likable than fluffy animals, and the icy temperature and scales were intimidating. Even Sheng Zhao himself was not an exception. Earlier in the water, he had only glimpsed briefly, feeling a bit scared before seeing the figure clearly.

However, now that he knew it was Xing Yingzhu, he felt less afraid. Examining him carefully, Sheng Zhao found him rather good-looking.

Although his body was massive, overall, Xing Yingzhu didn’t appear clumsy. Covered in jet black, the scales emitted a beautiful jade color under the moonlight. The scales around his neck were wet and adorned with a few water droplets.

—From an aesthetics perspective, he could be considered a well-proportioned beauty among snakes.

Sheng Zhao chuckled at his own imagination, not sure how he came up with the words “well-proportioned beauty” from the opponent’s appearance.

He had a few cuts on his body, not too deep, but Sheng Zhao felt a bit distressed as he looked at them.

Unfortunately, Xing Yingzhu didn’t let him look for too long. He turned over, lying face-up and transforming back into a human.

Sheng Zhao barely saw his movements, and suddenly, the long snake tail disappeared.

Xing Yingzhu still looked as unapproachable as ever. Whether it was Sheng Zhao’s illusion or not, he felt Xing Yingzhu’s complexion seemed paler than usual. There was a faint blood color on the whites of his eyes, but the shape of the eyeballs had returned to normal.

Staring at him transforming back into the everyday, reclusive beauty, Sheng Zhao hesitated for a moment and asked in a vague and bewildered tone, “Boss…?”

Xing Yingzhu made a sound of acknowledgment.

At this point, Sheng Zhao seemed to wake up from a big dream, and belatedly sucked in a breath of cold air. He questioned, “You… you… you’re not human—?”

Xing Yingzhu: “…”

What kind of person did he think he was? Xing Yingzhu thought Sheng Zhao had some extraordinary talent, able to remain calm in the face of an impending disaster. It seemed like he hadn’t fully recovered from the shock and was just starting to reboot his brain.

This sounded too much like scolding, but overall, it wasn’t wrong. So Xing Yingzhu made another acknowledgment, admitting it.

Sheng Zhao lay on the ground like a lost soul, gazing at the sky. Then, his gaze slowly moved to Xing Yingzhu’s face and glanced down, as if trying to look at the water’s surface.

But due to his current position, looking down only allowed him to see his own instep. So he gave up after a glance.

“So, you’re a monster, and the one in the river is a dragon?” Sheng Zhao asked in a dazed manner.

This time, Xing Yingzhu didn’t confirm. He slightly furrowed his brows, sneered, and said, “Does that beast even deserve to be called a dragon?”

Sheng Zhao: “…”

He really didn’t understand how Xing Yingzhu could say such things in such a condescending tone. Clearly, considering the species hierarchy, he was inferior to the other party!

“So…” Sheng Zhao hesitated and asked, “Were you two fighting monsters just now?”

“If you insist on understanding it that way,” Xing Yingzhu said hoarsely.

If it were a normal time, Xing Yingzhu wouldn’t have the patience to answer questions so patiently. However, Sheng Zhao, although acting like a carefree little fool, had an unclear state of whether he was genuinely unafraid or just bewildered. Xing Yingzhu couldn’t figure it out, so he let him ask, avoiding making him more foolish.

“Why did you fight hand-to-hand then?” Sheng Zhao seemed genuinely puzzled. “Why not like in TV dramas, using magical attacks… it’s much safer.”

Xing Yingzhu began regretting his decision from thirty seconds ago. He shouldn’t have engaged with Sheng Zhao in this conversation; he should have let the other guy keep his words to himself, so he wouldn’t end up nearly infuriating the “rescuer.”

“Then, should I publicly display my ability to control the wind and rain? Let everyone in Shanghai know that there are monsters in the world? And preferably, trend on social media, making the entire nation aware?” Xing Yingzhu asked in a chilly tone. “It would be best if you keep your distance from me.”

“Why?” Sheng Zhao asked in a dumbfounded manner.

Xing Yingzhu turned his head, smirked sinisterly, and said, “Because this is the time for lightning to strike. Be careful not to get hit when it strikes me.”

Sheng Zhao: “…”

With the words reaching this point, Sheng Zhao finally connected the dots in his mind, transforming the initially straightforward “big snake equals Xing Yingzhu” into “the boss he had been interacting with is a big monster.”

Completing the cause and effect logic, Sheng Zhao’s momentarily disconnected nerves in his brain instantly reconnected. The courage and reaction ability belonging to a “human” rushed back into his body in an instant.

Soon after, Xing Yingzhu saw the person who had been talking to him a moment ago suddenly roll his eyes and swiftly faint.

Xing Yingzhu: “…”