<h4>Chapter 2213: Chapter 2213: Jiaolong</h4>


    As time passed, the mes on Terry Moore’s body began to diminish.


    The red color also lost its brightness, seemingly on the verge of extinguishing at any moment.


    It was at this moment that Shadow Kims detected a peculiar scent.


    He nced at Julius Reed from the corner of his eye, but thetter showed no reaction, as if everything was within his expectations.


    Despite Shadow Kims’ doubts, now was not the time to question.


    "If you ask me, when The North Sea was destroyed years ago, it was Ilia Danvers who secretly orchestrated it—do you believe it?" Hawthorne broke the silence with this sentence.


    Both Shadow Kims and Julius Reed turned their heads; speaking at a moment like this surely indicated crucial information was being shared.


    "What did you find out?" Julius Reed asionally nced at Terry Moore’s body.


    "When the King of The North Sea visited Mont years ago, he identally saw the Dragon Temple. Later, when he arranged for people to investigate, those nted by Ilia Danvers in The North Sea found out and reported back to Ilia Danvers."


    Hawthorne stood with his hands clutched behind his back in the snow, speaking, "The subsequent events you all know: The North Sea rebelled and was annihted."


    "Is there such a thing?" Shadow Kims wasn’t very reactive, as he wasn’t part of the Ten Thousand Mountain Alliance; he only heard tidbits of gossip and did not truly understand the underlying intricacies.


    However, as the Holy Lord of the Ten Thousand Mountain Alliance, Julius Reed was well aware of the implications.


    "And the inspector?" He took a step forward.


    "Inspector? Those people are just..."


    Just as Shadow Kims intently listened, Julius Reed suddenly turned back!


    He leaped forward rapidly!


    Extending his hand, he grabbed something!


    In the midst of speaking, Hawthorne fell silent and dropped straight into the snow.


    "Damn! Julius Reed, you poisoned us but told us you didn’t!"


    Shadow Kims widened his eyes, worrying he might copse at any moment too.


    He scratched his throat, preparing to vomit.


    But Hawthorne, who had initially fallen, stood back up instantly!


    Swiftly.


    "What’s going on?" He touched his head: "Feeling dizzy, my head really hurts."


    "You just fell down yourself, don’t you know? Weren’t you just telling us something?" Shadow Kims frowned lightly, still in a stooped posture.


    "What’re you doing?" Hawthorne approached him curiously, seemingly oblivious to his previous actions.


    "What did you just say, do you remember?" Shadow Kims quickly sensed something amiss, asking tentatively.


    "What did I say? Weren’t we watching Terry Moore being treated together?" Hawthorne scratched his head, pped Shadow Kims on the backside: "Why ask me, what are you doing, brother?"


    "Quiet." Julius Reed softlymanded, and only then did the two notice something different in Julius Reed’s hand.


    In his hand, he clutched a snake.


    But it was already dead.


    "Where did ite from?"


    Both asked in unison.


    "In this icy environment, how could there be a snake?" Shadow Kims shivered, hastily checking himself.


    "Look carefully, it’s not a snake." Julius Reed casually tossed it, causing Shadow Kims to instinctively step back, but Hawthorne, being bold, reached out to catch it.


    In an instant, he eximed in surprise: "This is not a snake!"


    The texture felt particrly hard, like iron!


    No matter how tough, snake skin shouldn’t be this hard.


    He picked it up, examining it closely: "This really is not a snake, it’s entirely jet-ck and so hard."


    Hawthorne lifted the snake, inspecting it closely.


    "Wow, there are even horns? Is this a snake or a dragon?"


    Upon hearing this, Shadow Kims also leaned in curiously.


    Shadow Kims wasn’t as bold as Hawthorne and was unfamiliar with Julius Reed.


    Hawthorne, however, had been with Julius Reed for many years and trusted his brother overwhelmingly.


    "Could it be, this is the legendary flood dragon?" Shadow Kims eximed upon seeing the ck snake: "This thing really exists? Holy Lord, where did ite from?"


    "From Terry Moore’s body." Julius Reed looked at Hawthorne and said calmly, "The flood dragon controlled Hawthorne, revealing some information to distract me. But I kept watching, and when it couldn’t hold on, it tried to escape, but I still caught it."


    "I was controlled?"


    Hawthorne now realized why the look from Shadow Kims was so peculiar towards him.


    It turned out, inadvertently, he had been manipted and had said things he shouldn’t have and done things he shouldn’t have done.


    "But I...didn’t notice at all?" Hawthorne felt a bit of frustration: "I am, after all, a true king of the Military Department of the Ten Thousand Mountain Alliance."


    "Have you been to Mont?" Julius Reed asked.


    He recalled that Hawthorne hadn’t been there.


    But if he hadn’t gone, why was Shadow Kims unaffected?


    Could it be, the dragon chose Hawthorne among them?


    "I have been there." Hawthorne replied, and Julius Reed and Shadow Kims’ gazes changedpletely.


    "How could I not know? Any personnel appointments in the Ten Thousand Mountain Alliance are personally handled by me, especially inspectors, due to their heavy responsibility representing us on Mount Demarco, I’m always meticulous when selecting people, and there’s no trace of you among them."


    Julius Reed had a good memory; there was no record of Hawthorne among the inspectors.


    "It was hundreds of years ago, I can’t remember precisely, anyhow when you brought Grace River back, wasn’t I your guard then..." Hawthorne scratched his head: "At that time, the Crown Prince of Mont asked me for a drink, even though we were from Mount Demarco, refusing would’ve been too unkind."


    "So, I just drank for a few days with Ilia Danvers. Could it be those few days of drinking..."


    He found it unbelievable, shaking his head: "Could a few days of drinking from hundreds of years ago still have such an effect? Hundreds of years! I’ve urinated it all out long ago."


    The silence frightened him.


    Because the look from Shadow Kims was also very strange.


    "Did you drink wine soaked with snakes?" This time, it was Shadow Kims who spoke; Julius Reed remained silent.


    "How do you know?" Hawthorne now felt like a child caught in a mistake, being interrogated.


    "I swear, I, Hawthorne, am endlessly loyal to Julius Reed!"


    He raised his hand, extremely unsettled.


    "The wine you drank likely contained a flood dragon, not a snake." Julius Reed walked over, patted Hawthorne’s shoulder: "Brother, I need to help you. No one can guarantee if you’ll continue to be controlled next time."


    "What about Terry Moore..." Hawthorne wasn’t very worried about himself; after all, it had been hundreds of years, even if harmful, it was unlikely to be fatal.


    "Terry Moore previously spoke nonsensically and made up names at the Gills Alliance, in fact, it was due to interference from the flood dragon." Julius Reed looked at Terry Moore, who started rolling on the ground, chuckled lightly: "Karen saved his life, these two truly are kindred spirits. Ilia Danvers’ reach extends too far."


    "Why don’t I go back to the Ten Thousand Mountain Alliance now, tten Mont, and capture that dragon!" Hawthorne angrily eximed.


    "I’m genuinely worried that by the time youe with troops, you’ll being after me. Alright, it’s all settled. Let’s now prepare to return to the Gills Alliance, the people from Hidden Gate are arriving soon." Julius Reed squinted as he looked towards the direction of the ruins.