The Longjaw Clan Leader hadn’t expected that any of his own clansmen were still alive and immediately asked, "How many are there? When will they return?"
"Over two hundred, though the exact number still needs to be confirmed." Yan Xing thought for a moment; he really had forgotten how many Lizardmen he had captured. He said, "That battle was initiated by your ambush attacking me first. Although it was a misunderstanding, you must take responsibility for our losses. Your clansmen in the Eternal Domain will repay the war reparations to me through labor. Once they have completed their debt repayment, I will release them. Rest assured, it won’t take too long. You will see them before winter arrives. Of course, I also welcome you to visit the Eternal Domain to see them, so they can work with peace of mind."
Hearing that so many of his clansmen were still alive, the Longjaw Clan Leader was overjoyed. Knowing they could return before winter, he was even more delighted.
As for those who died in battle...
As Lianzu and Yan Xing had said, it was a battle built on a misunderstanding. This was not the time to make a formidable enemy of the Lizardmen.
"I thank Lord Yan Xing for his mercy..." The Longjaw Clan Leader stood up to pay his respects to Yan Xing, then took out a liquor bottle and asked, "I have another reason for visiting your camp this time. The Lianzu Clan Leader mentioned he had seen this kind of bottle here. I hope Lord Yan Xing can provide me with a bottle of this liquor."
Yan Xing saw it was just a very common green beer bottle. In the evenings, he often prepared several dishes and invited Qiao She, Lianzu, and some Werewolf and Lizardman heroes to drink together. They drank this kind of beer. Sometimes, Werewolves and Lizardmen would ask for some beer bottles, and Yan Xing generously gave them away. He had no idea how Longjaw had gotten his hands on the beer bottle.
Hearing Longjaw ask for beer, Yan Xing sent someone to fetch it.
Longjaw’s reputation included being a wise man of the Lizardmen and the sole Draconic, suggesting he likely held a high status within the Lizardman tribe. If a grudge could be resolved over a drink, Yan Xing was willing to share a bottle with the Longjaw Clan Leader. Having one more friend was always better than having one more enemy.
After an attendant brought beer for Longjaw, he took it, opened the cap, and held it to his nose to sniff. He took a deep breath and then said with a puzzled expression, "This isn’t right. The smell of this liquor is wrong!"
Seeing Longjaw’s reaction, Yan Xing wondered, Could this beer have gone bad?
So Yan Xing took a bottle of beer, opened it, sniffed it, and then took a sip.
"Clan Leader Longjaw, this is the taste of beer. It’s correct!"
The Longjaw Clan Leader shook his head vehemently, like a rattle-drum, repeatedly saying, "No, no... Although the bottle looks identical, this is not the liquor I drank."
Seeing Longjaw stubbornly clutching the bottle, Yan Xing asked, "Clan Leader Longjaw, may I look at the bottle in your hand?"
Longjaw hesitated for a moment, but still wanting to find the Dragon Breath Liquor, he passed the bottle to an attendant to give to Yan Xing.
Yan Xing turned it over, inspecting the bottle. It certainly was a beer bottle, something not easily replicated in this world. Then Yan Xing brought the bottle to his nose and sniffed...
Although the scent was faint, Yan Xing was certain the bottle had once contained gasoline.
This... isn’t this one of the Molotov cocktails I made? How did it end up in Longjaw’s hands?
Yan Xing remembered that during the conflict with Longjaw, Chui Chui had used Molotov cocktails to create a fire barrier, preventing the Swamp Lizards from landing. Longjaw must have gotten one of Chui Chui’s Molotov cocktails that went astray back then, he surmised. Yan Xing gently placed the bottle aside and then said to Longjaw, "This bottle is indeed mine. Clan Leader, when you got this bottle, there should have been some liquid inside. I wonder what you did with it."
The Clan Leader’s very straightforward reply almost took Yan Xing’s breath away.
Drank it! He drank a whole bottle of gasoline? How did he manage to swallow that?
At this point, Longjaw was convinced that Yan Xing possessed Dragon Breath Liquor. He didn’t want to reveal the secret of the Dragon Breath Liquor yet, so he said to the Lianzu Clan Leader, "I have some confidential matters to discuss with Lord Yan Xing. Please step outside for a moment!"
The Lianzu Clan Leader could certainly tell that this bottle involved some significant affair. He was listening intently and didn’t expect Longjaw to send him away at this point.
"Lord Yan Xing..." The Lianzu Clan Leader dared not defy Longjaw’s order, so he looked to Yan Xing for help.
Yan Xing found Longjaw’s arrival abrupt. He had brought up the Molotov cocktail and claimed to have drunk the gasoline inside. He thought Longjaw must have some secret matter to discuss with him. Secrets, of course, should not be known by too many people.
Thus, Yan Xing said to Lianzu, "I believe the Clan Leader has his reasons. Please, Lianzu Clan Leader, excuse us for a moment."
Left with no choice, the Lianzu Clan Leader departed.
The tent was then left with only Longjaw, Yan Xing, and a few Werewolf Warrior guards.
Yan Xing said to Longjaw, "These are all my trusted confidants. Whatever you need to say, you can speak freely."
Although the presence of a few Werewolves made Longjaw somewhat reluctant to speak, he noticed Yan Xing would not dismiss these guards. He had no choice but to say, "The substance that used to be in this bottle is very tasty. I hope, Lord Yan Xing, you will secretly sell me some of it."
Yan Xing would not casually sell gasoline.
"Clan Leader, you can drink any of my liquor as you please. But the substance that was once in this bottle, I will absolutely not sell. Even if I were to sell it, there must be a reason. If you merely enjoy drinking it, that’s not enough to persuade me."
Seeing that Yan Xing would not sell, Longjaw became anxious. "This substance is very important to me. I can pay you money—God-given gold coins, magic gemstones... anything is possible."
Yan Xing became even more curious about what Longjaw wanted the gasoline for.
"Clan Leader... This substance you want—only I possess it in the entire world. I will not sell this unique alchemical product of mine just for a little profit. If you want it, then show your sincerity. Tell me, what do you need it for?"
Without Dragon Breath Liquor, I would have to flee the Thunderous Swamp and forever leave my clan to wander outside, Longjaw thought. But to tell Yan Xing the true purpose of the Dragon Breath Liquor... would undoubtedly be handing him leverage over me.
And Longjaw, unable to find a solution, could only decide to take things one step at a time. First, I’ll unleash the Dragon Breath, then I’ll think about the future, he resolved.
So, Longjaw haltingly began to tell Yan Xing about his ability to spew Dragon Breath after drinking the Dragon Breath Liquor.
Meanwhile, in Yan Xing’s consciousness, Chui Chui had already modeled and simulated the process of the gasoline being ingested by Longjaw. With a flair for detective-like analysis, Chui Chui explained, "The gasoline won’t be absorbed. As long as it’s not completely excreted, it will continue to rapidly evaporate due to body heat, turning into vapor that rises. When expelled through the mouth, if lightning happens to strike nearby, the gasoline vapor will ignite and cause an explosion. This... is the true secret behind Magic Lightning turning into explosive flames!"