Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 249: Divine Hall of Murals (3)

Dragon Raja 3

“Akihabara Electronics Street. It was 20% off and came with a free case. I originally bought it to photograph the core of Kaguya-hime.”

“You don’t even speak Japanese, yet you dared to shop by yourself?”

“No problem. That area is full of Chinese tourists. The shop clerk even told me he’s from northeast China and asked where I’m from.”

As the mural progressed, the images became increasingly surreal—monstrous creatures appeared. One had eight long necks and eight heads coiled around its body, with its necks tied together like ropes. It lay on the ground, drinking from the headwaters of eight rivers while its sharp tail split mountains at the rivers’ ends. Bright red water flowed from its belly into the rivers, suggesting the creature was a behemoth spanning hundreds of kilometers. In another scene, a naked woman was encased in a massive block of ice, and a serpent slithered out from a crack in the ice, whispering to a figure above. These bizarre images were heavy with symbolism, but their meaning was obscure.

Caesar had seen similar depictions before. His family possessed numerous pre-medieval parchments, on which wizards had sketched cryptic pictures accompanied by long-forgotten symbols. To protect their secrets, these wizards often used obscure images with layered meanings. For instance, if a wizard drew a beautiful maiden holding a golden goblet, the true meaning might be far less innocent—the goblet could symbolize the Holy Grail, which represented the blood of Christ. Thus, the image might actually depict a princess consuming Christ’s blood as part of a demonic ritual. It was striking to see similar imagery in a two-thousand-year-old Japanese mural using techniques similar to those of Dunhuang.

Black magic was rooted in the misinterpretation of Yanling and alchemy. These murals were older and more profound than the magical manuscripts Caesar had seen—they were “sacred texts,” recording the ultimate secrets of the world, pointing directly to the ancient dragon civilization.

“Can you understand it?” Caesar held the flashlight for Chu Zihang, as the murals were too large for the portable camera’s flash to capture all at once. They had to take pictures piece by piece.

“I can try to decipher some of the surface-level meaning, but only a fraction. These murals contain far more about the history of the dragons than we can comprehend. The Yamata no Orochi clan never revealed these murals to the academy—they know their value, which is why they moved them here, to the Genji Heavy Industries building, to keep outsiders from seeing them.” Chu Zihang rubbed a blood-red spot on the mural with his fingers. “We would need to study the original murals to uncover their secrets. Smell this pigment.”

“Didn’t you say it was iron oxide?” Caesar questioned as he sniffed Chu Zihang’s fingers. “It smells like oil… and blood! This isn’t iron oxide!”

The floor was covered in blood, but the red pigment in the murals had an even stronger blood scent. Despite being over two thousand years old, the pigment was still thick and fresh.

“If I’m not mistaken, this pigment is made from mermaid oil mixed with blood. Mermaid oil can remain fresh for thousands of years, as can their blood,” Chu Zihang explained, pausing. “Those creatures we saw in the Japan Trench—the ones from Japanese myth—were mermaids. The artist must have captured and used their blood to create these pigments, which means they knew about Takamagahara and the Shishugami (corpse guardians). The artist was likely an ancestor of the Yamata no Orochi clan. These murals were probably peeled from the walls of their family’s shrine.”

“The human figures in this mural are all drawn using mermaid oil and blood. It carries a specific religious meaning—’spirit communication.’ Mermaids are ancient hybrids, with dragon blood mixed in. By using their blood in the paintings, each human figure is imbued with a soul. The artist wouldn’t have lied when painting these; they would have meticulously tried to recreate true history,” Chu Zihang said, pointing to one blood-red figure outlined in gold. “This figure represents something significant. He is the only one among the human figures outlined in gold, indicating his status and authority over the others. He wears a tall feathered crown and holds a staff. In ancient murals, a staff can symbolize either a weapon or a scepter. Here, it clearly represents a scepter—he’s the leader of these people.”

“So, like a patriarch?” Caesar shrugged.

“No, they called this person ‘Emperor.’ Or we could call him… a super-hybrid,” Chu Zihang said slowly, emphasizing each word.

“Super hybrid?” Caesar was stunned. He had never heard of such a concept before. The classification of hybrids by bloodline was only established after Cassell College was founded. Later, when some individuals exhibited abilities close to pure-blooded dragons, the S-Rank above A was added. This ranking wasn’t solely based on bloodline but also on individual performance. Most students in the undergraduate department were ranked below B. If they joined the Execution Bureau and demonstrated exceptional ability, they might gradually rise to A-Rank. Hybrids like Caesar and Chu Zihang, who were ranked A purely based on their bloodline, were already considered rare. Don’t even mention someone like Lu Mingfei, who was directly granted an S-Rank based on his bloodline alone. Then there were people like Finger, who had a great bloodline but performed so poorly that he fell to F-rank. Yet even S-Rank hybrids were still “hybrids.” This concept of a “super hybrid” didn’t exist in any bloodline classification. Could it be a monster beyond S-Rank, perhaps an SS-Rank?

“The term ‘Emperor’ refers to a hybrid that surpasses our understanding,” Chu Zihang said gravely. “No matter how excellent a known hybrid is, none can surpass the ‘Critical Bloodline Threshold.’ That is the boundary between dragons and humans. Once crossed, the dragon blood would consume the individual’s mind, turning them into a Death Servitor. This is an absolute law. But based on these murals, there were hybrids in Japan who could cross the threshold. They possessed the potential to rival the Dragon Kings and were born as the leaders of the Yamata no Orochi clan.”

“You figured all that out from a little figure outlined in gold?” Caesar said, incredulous.

“You can’t tell just from the images, but the annotations in seal script are full of praise for the Emperor. His birth was called ‘the Descent,’ and his significance is likened to Prometheus bringing fire or Jesus Christ sacrificing himself to redeem humanity with his blood. He is described as the Child of Heaven, the Fated Emperor, with titles such as ‘Eastern Emperor,’ ‘Radiant Emperor,’ ‘Thunder Emperor,’ and ‘Master of the Great Arc.’ He embodies all human virtues and possesses the power to challenge the gods.” Chu Zihang turned to look at Caesar. “Doesn’t this remind you of someone?”

“How would I know anyone like a Christ-level figure?” Caesar retorted, wide-eyed. “Didn’t I tell you my whole family is Catholic? If a monster like that existed, I’d probably just pray to become his follower.”

“The Emperor is destined from birth. As a child, he’s already destined to rule the eastern lands. Though young, he holds significant authority within the clan—even elders obey him. He is the… young master of the clan.” Chu Zihang emphasized the last five words.

A massive realization struck Caesar, and he shuddered. “Is it the tortoise? His men call him… young master!”

“Chisei is only twenty-six but already the Young Master of the Yamata no Orochi clan. Is that solely due to his achievements in the Execution Bureau? Think back to when we met those other clan leaders. When the patriarch Tachibana stood up, the other heads also rose, but only Chisei remained seated. That wasn’t arrogance—it was his habit. He is on equal footing with Tachibana. When the patriarch stands, he doesn’t need to—because he is the heir to the divine blood. He is the future ruler of the Yamata no Orochi clan,” Chu Zihang explained calmly. “And a future ruler does not bow to the current one.”

Series Navigation

<< Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 248: Divine Hall of Murals (2)Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 250: Divine Hall of Murals (4) >>