Roaring Dragon-Chapter 86: No Hollow Men Beneath a Great Name

Thud—

In a blink, the figure landed!

All eyes turned as a young nobleman touched down, followed closely by a striking beauty in white.

Whoosh—

The riverside spectators collectively looked up. The woman wore a plain white dress, tall and coldly stunning, sword in hand, like a heroine leapt straight from the pages of a wuxia tale. She even carried a hint of that famed aura—“The First Beauty of the Daoist World.”

But the man beside her... his presence was even more overpowering. Dressed in a cloud-pattern brocade robe, blades hanging from his waist, his cold gaze was like glacial springwater. He landed with neither fear nor arrogance—just calm, casual, scanning for a seat.

The contestants on the river platform, all of notable lineage themselves, exchanged murmurs at the bold entrance.

“Who’s that guy? Bit full of himself, no?”

“Looks like he came from the Prince’s viewing box. With that sword, maybe he’s from Zihui Mountain?”

“But I can’t sense his cultivation. Could he be... untrained?”

“Untrained and still jumped off a five-story tower? Your family that bold?!”

...

Wei Lu, as the martial heir of Daqian’s top champion, had seen plenty in his life. He recognized the woman instantly as a disciple of Zihui Mountain.

But that man, so effortless and composed—he didn’t recognize him at all. And the aura he gave off was a little... terrifying.

Wei Lu narrowed his eyes. “And you two are?”

Linghu Qingmo, unfazed by the attention, offered a textbook martial-world salute with her sword in hand:

“Linghu Qingmo, of Zihui Mountain.”

“Xie Jinhuan. A pleasure.”

...

The moment those words landed, a hush swept the arena—and was immediately broken by a storm of Echo Drum beats:

thump... thump... thump...

The Echo Drums reacted to even slight emotional shifts—shock, fear, excitement, arousal. Surpass the threshold, and the drum would sound off.

Dozens of contestants had spent days gossiping about the Danyang Corpse Case and the Undead Pirates. And now, the man who’d sliced through them solo was here in the flesh? Naturally, people couldn’t help reacting.

The spectators along the river erupted in whispers:

“Whoa... that’s him? The guy who stormed the pirate ship and scared the County Magistrate unconscious?”

“He looks so young! What is he—twenty?”

“Heard he’s Princess Changning’s sweetheart. Gotta say, he’s damn good-looking~”

“Master Xie! Over here! Aunt Wanwan’s watching!”

“Pffft—”

...

Linghu Qingmo had entered with her head held high, feeling proud and composed.

But then that familiar voice reached her ears. She turned sharply toward the riverbank—

—and saw the legitimate wife, Lin Wanyi, standing in the window of a nearby teahouse, dressed in a luxurious dark green gown, watching her and Xie Jinhuan from afar.

Linghu Qingmo, standing beside a man in such a public setting, suddenly spotting Lin Wanyi—it was like the mistress accompanying a man on vacation, only to run into the main wife in the middle of the street.

Her whole body tensed.

But it was too late to sneak away. She forced herself to nod politely and thought in panic:

I’m screwed.

What if Doctor Lin comes over and rips my hair out after this?

Wasn’t she supposed to be in Danyang? Is she always this clingy?!

...

Xie Jinhuan, on the other hand, stayed perfectly calm. He flashed a polite smile toward the bespectacled woman, glanced around, and seeing no empty seats on the platform, led Qingmo to a small boat nearby. They settled cross-legged, quietly preparing for the trial.

Zhang Huaiyu, who’d been watching Xie Jinhuan all along, finally spoke up:

“Master Xie, you’re a paragon of the righteous path—risking your life for the people. Coming here to toy with the rest of us... isn’t that a bit much?”

Xie Jinhuan, who wouldn’t have even shown up today if not for the prize money, simply cupped his hands.

“You flatter me, Brother Zhang. I only did what little I could. I’m far from righteous—hardly worthy of such a title.”

His tone was sincere, with not a trace of false modesty.

You could tell from the Echo Drum, which didn’t make a sound.

Zhang Huaiyu felt a subtle pressure settle in his chest.

He knew full well the kind of deeds he’d done, how much reputation he’d built—but to hear Xie Jinhuan deny even being on the righteous path, that was a bit too humble.

Anyone else saying something like that would feel at least a flicker of pride or satisfaction. That would set off the drum with some light ripples, even if not loud enough to lose.

But Xie Jinhuan’s heart really was like still water.

That meant one of two things:

—Either he was hiding something so grave that even he didn’t consider himself righteous.

—Or he was a true gentleman, someone who’d laid everything on the line for the people, and still felt unworthy of pride.

The man had taken pills and stormed a ship full of demons and cultists. What kind of skeletons could he possibly have?

So this had to be the real thing. A pure Dao heart—unblemished.

No wonder the famous name... hides no fraud beneath it.

Wei Lu hadn’t even begun the trial yet, but he already knew he was doomed.

Still, losing to someone like Xie Jinhuan, who’d faced death to rid the world of monsters and evil, wasn’t shameful.

Losing to Zhang Huaiyu, though? That smug little fake scholar?

No way.

He braced himself and said aloud:

“Let’s begin.”

...

DONG—!

From the top floor of the tower, Zhao De, the Prince’s Heir, struck the great bronze gong, signaling the start of tonight’s “Social Death Match.”

The riverbanks quieted. Only the gentle, rhythmic thumping of drums could be heard:

thump... thump... thump...

Thirty-some contestants sat at their Echo Drums, waiting for the challenge to begin.

Fan Guangyuan, owner of the Golden Tower, stepped forward and addressed the crowd with a few formal ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) words before announcing:

“Tonight’s test was prepared under the guidance of the Prince’s Heir and finalized by the noble sons of Wenzheng Street. There will be three rounds. The first two are elimination rounds. If your drum sounds like thunder, if you leave your seat, or if you disturb another participant—you’re out.”

“The first trial begins now.”

With that, he gestured toward the tower.

Several strong attendants emerged, carrying a platform covered in red cloth, and brought it to the center of the stage.

“For the first round, the item being used is a sacred artifact brought from the Ancestral Temple. Not only have generations of emperors paid tribute to it—even the Martial Patriarch himself once offered incense before it. Great scholars have hailed it as ‘the foundation of state, the root of the people.’”

“We hope all participants won’t be too shaken when they see it...”

Buzz—

Whispers spread through the riverside crowds.

The contestants all tensed. Whatever this object was, it sounded serious.

Fan Guangyuan wore a solemn expression. He even wiped his hands with a towel, like he was about to reveal something of untold value.

The tension was real. A few nervous contestants triggered their drums right then and there—out, before they even saw what it was.

Even Xie Jinhuan frowned slightly.

Are they seriously bringing out the original ‘Dragonseal Edict’? That ghost-bride might loot it on the spot...

Or maybe a hidden imperial decree? One of the dynasty’s sacred weapons?

But even with all that guesswork, no one—not even the boldest of minds—was prepared for what came next.

Fan Guangyuan, having milked the suspense dry, gripped a corner of the cloth and—

FWIP—

Pulled it off in one grand motion.

Beneath it stood a carved phallus of staggering realism.

Modeled after ancient fertility totems, this Yang Statue was meant to symbolize prosperity and the foundational role of reproduction in society.

And this one?

Was masterfully crafted.

Carved entirely from natural black jade, over a foot wide and three feet tall, perfectly smooth and gleaming. The grain of the stone was clear, the shape... proud and towering.

The aura it gave off was one of righteous defiance—

“Let the heavens bear witness—who dares challenge manhood itself?”

The moment it appeared, the entire tone of the competition shattered.

The platform's atmosphere collapsed. Around the Golden Tower, silence spread—

And then...

THUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP— 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

A tidal wave of drumbeats followed.