10. Under the Moonlight, True Nature Revealed Without a Doubt

It was truly incredible. Zhang Xun and Li Rang finally understood what the so-called "dragon spitting out a pearl" really meant. Sometimes, one cannot help but think that perhaps many myths and legends are not mere folklore after all.

Just a moment ago, beneath the full moon, the otherwise calm surface of the lake suddenly rippled. Before anyone could react, a massive crocodile leaped from the water from about thirty or forty meters away, soaring almost vertically toward the moonlight.

It did not just breach the surface; the skin and muscles of its jaw and abdomen seemed to be vibrating incessantly, as if the creature were trying to shed its old skin to ascend into a dragon.

To achieve such a leap, the crocodile had pulled its four limbs tight against its body. No wonder people said it had already shed its limbs, its dragon form taking shape, waiting only for horns to sprout.

The water surrounding the crocodile churned as if boiling, likely due to the high frequency of its vibrations. A vast amount of water was sprayed into the sky, transforming into pearl-like droplets that rained back down upon the lake. It appeared as though the essence of the full moon was being absorbed and exhaled by the beast.

As for the creature itself, it was a marvel, certainly not a common Chinese alligator. It was either a saltwater crocodile or one of the ancient, legendary beasts once described by Han Yu. How such a giant crocodile had remained in the Jiangdong region and survived to this day was a mystery.

The era of Zhou Chu slaying the three evils belonged to the Western Jin Dynasty, over a millennium ago, and Han Yu’s campaign against the crocodiles took place during the mid-to-late Tang. With the climate growing colder, this should have been impossible.

Then again, the location was not far from the sea. In the Tang Dynasty, the mouth of the Yangtze River at Yangzhou was the de facto estuary, but now in the Southern Song, due to siltation, the mouth had shifted to Jiangyin. By the early Ming, it would eventually reach Liujia Port in Taicang, Suzhou.

In truth, what Zhang Xun, Li Rang, and the others did not realize was that the crocodile was merely performing a mating display. By leaping from the water and creating resonance between its skin and the surface, it emitted a frequency inaudible to humans, intended to attract female crocodiles from kilometers away.

This is a common behavior for many crocodiles during mating season. The Chinese alligators common to the Jiangdong region did not need such high-difficulty maneuvers; their population was large enough that they could simply roar by the water’s edge to find a mate. Chasing, mating, or fighting for mating rights followed easily.

Without systematic biological knowledge, the ignorant crowd was left in awe, believing they were witnessing a divine transformation.

However, it was clear that the crocodile population, once widely distributed across the Yangtze estuary, had withered under the increasingly cold climate until only this one remained.

Perhaps the artificial ponds built by those before them had both helped and harmed this creature. They helped by creating a warm, humid micro-environment with abundant food, but they harmed it by cutting off its path to the sea, preventing it from searching for kin in Fujian or Guangdong.

Now, this crocodile could only leap time and again, straining to vibrate its skin, calling out to companions that no longer existed.

Zhang Xun, having regained his composure, patted Li Da on the shoulder. Li Da, who had been watching in a stupor, had not yet recovered; witnessing an "evil dragon" on the verge of apotheosis was a sight one might not see in ten lifetimes.

When Zhang Xun called to him softly, Li Da snapped out of his trance. After steadying himself, he raised his bow, gesturing to ask Zhang Xun what they should do.

His meaning was clear: if the beast truly transformed into a dragon, a mere mortal would never dare to shoot it. If they were to strike, it had to be now, before the transformation was complete and while their consciences remained clear. After all, the beast had a record of eating people, and killing it would be a service to the public.

Why wait? The crocodile was elusive, and the pond was vast; if they missed this chance, would they really wait for the next full moon? Zhang Xun certainly did not have that kind of time.

With a flick of his toe, the longbow leaped into Zhang Xun's hand. It was only thirty meters away; if he couldn't hit a crocodile that large, he might as well give up.

Li Da reached into Zhang Xun’s quiver and pulled out an arrow—regardless of who made the shot, it would be credited to Zhang Xun. With a sharp twang of the string, two arrows flew toward the crocodile.

The crocodile, having sought a mate for years in vain, either felt no danger or had abandoned its will to live, seeking only a swift end. It made no move, simply tilting its body and crashing back into the water.

One arrow struck its jaw, the other its lower abdomen.

Only then did the surrounding crowd erupt in shouts, finally snapping out of their daze. Li Rang roared, "Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!" But it was useless now; the crocodile had already vanished into the water. Dozens of arrows clattered into the lake, failing to even graze the creature's hide.

"Someone, get the boat! Chase it!" Li Rang, of all people, was the most anxious. After waiting a day and a night, he was desperate for success.

The two boatmen at the stern, who had been distracted by the spectacle, finally reacted and began to row. Archers on other boats continued to fire or shouted loudly to bolster their own courage.

Having witnessed the "dragon transformation" with their own eyes, they were filled with suspicion and dread. The belief in spirits and monsters is deep-seated and persistent.

When they reached the spot, there was nothing but a pool of blood and bubbles; the crocodile was nowhere to be seen. Li Rang, desperate, offered a reward of five bolts of silk to anyone who would jump in and check if the beast was dead.

But who would dare jump into the water in the dead of night? No one could be sure if the crocodile was truly dead; what if it were lurking, waiting to swallow anyone who entered?

While it is true that heavy rewards attract the brave, it is also true that people are unwilling to earn money they might not live to spend.

Zhang Xun, however, ordered the boatmen to use their poles to prod the muddy bottom. The sensation of hitting mud versus hitting a crocodile would be different, and perhaps it would flush the beast out.

The group lit torches and began to probe the water. Sure enough, they startled the crocodile, which bolted toward the deeper parts of the pond. Even with arrows in its body, the beast moved through the water like a dragon. Li Da fired another shot by the torchlight, but it missed. The crocodile was twisting and turning, making it impossible even for a master archer to find a target.

After chasing it for at least half an hour, exhausted and weary, they finally wore the crocodile down in the marsh. It was still night, and no one dared to enter the water to retrieve it. They had to cast seven or eight fishing nets and stand guard through the night until dawn.

"Do you think there’s a dragon pearl inside?" Li Rang asked, squatting on the bow and staring at the crocodile in the distance.

"How would I know?" Zhang Xun thought to himself, rolling his eyes and wishing only to return to the cabin to sleep.