I must admit, landing was quite painful, with those sharp, hard rocks below me capable of smashing the bones of a normal human being.
No longer was it pitch black; a faint blue light slowly meandered through this vast space made entirely of stone. Was this underground? I had never seen such a grand underground world. Or am I dead and come to the Underworld realm?
"It's you... why is it you..." A weak and angry voice came from behind me. I turned around to see Dong'er lying on the ground, her face pale, a thin line of blue light passing through her right ankle where dragon blood trickled down from the wound. It was undoubtedly her who had grabbed me.
"Where's Ao Chi?" I stepped forward and grabbed her shoulders.
"Help me... help me get out!" Dong'er covered her ankle and shouted in panic, "I want to go back to the East China Sea!" The once dazzling Third Princess of the East China Sea was now reduced to a pitiful creature filled with fear and despair, trembling as if anyone could squash her like a bug with a single slap.
"I'm asking you again, where is Ao Chi?" I wasn't going to be polite to her. I admit that my grace is limited when dealing with certain individuals.
"Help me break this damn thing!" She seemed not to understand my words, pounding the ground as she yelled at me. I saw large beads of cold sweat dripping down her forehead; the bone-piercing pain must be unbearable for ordinary people.
"Please... I beg you..." She grabbed my hand, sobbing loudly, "I can't take it anymore! It hurts so much!"
Alright, damn it, I'm softhearted. I finally knelt down and examined that blue line. If I could break it, then... I would break it.
I gently picked up the line. It was soft, cold, and smooth like silk. One end of the line passed through Dong'er's ankle, but the other end... it seemed to stretch endlessly into the murky shadow ahead. How to deal with this? I tried to exert enough force to cut through a stone, aiming to "cut" the thin line.
The result was that I screamed in pain as a gash appeared on my palm. If I exerted more force, my palm might be sliced in half by this line. Bite, pull, summon a sharp sword to cut—none of it damaged the line in the slightest.
Just as I felt helpless, the other end of the line seemed to be forcefully pulled, and Dong'er screamed as she was dragged backward. Instinctively, I grabbed her, shouting angrily ahead, "Who? Show yourself!"
"Hehe, you are an outsider, why meddle in this?"
The shadow gradually brightened, with all the blue light around converging towards it, revealing a massive rectangular stone platform on which sat the man with a serpent tail and silver scales, the soft line wrapped around his fingers. A gurgling river surrounded the stone platform and him, with brightly colored fish swimming joyfully in the clear water.
When my gaze moved in the other direction, I could hear nothing else, see nothing else. My eyes only saw one fact—a man, bound to the left side of the stone platform by a similarly textured blue line, his head drooping, whether alive or dead unknown. Most of his body was submerged in the river, those strange-colored fish gaily swarming around him, tumbling around in a lively manner as if competing for fish food, while dark red dragon blood swirled and spread in the water.
This unlucky man, who could it be but Ao Chi! Normally, I would mock him to death, this insufferably arrogant fellow finally getting his comeuppance, reduced to fish feed as he deserved.
But when I really saw this scene, I couldn't find any joy. Watching the increasingly red water, I felt as if those fish weren't just biting him but also gnawing at my heart. A mixture of hatred and pain rose to my head and I stopped caring about anything else. I gathered all my spiritual power and vitality into my palm, and aimed a swift strike at the river. A surge of energy rolled, splashing water everywhere. The fish around Ao Chi were instantly washed away, many of them turning belly-up on the spot. Naturally, I didn't stop there, soaring into the air, the power in my palm turning into several sharp green crystals, which were unstoppable and stabbed straight at the culprit's head on the stone platform.
With a clang, the serpent-tailed man simply waved his hand and brushed aside the crystals that were enough to destroy most demons and monsters in the world, and which contained all my attack power. This casual flick shattered the hard crystals into a mass of green powder—they actually got smoked.
"Outsider, you still have a chance to leave. I won't bother with you." He half-opened his eyes and tugged the blue line in his hand. Dong'er screamed as she was dragged to the edge of the circular river. He glanced coldly at her, "Your attempts to sneak away are futile. Wherever you run, I can catch you."
I finally saw clearly that the line wasn't held in his hand; it actually grew out of his fingers! He could easily neutralize my full-force attacks, so how could my strength move his body? What the hell is this monster?
"Aren't you leaving yet?" The serpent-tailed man closed his eyes. "I could change my mind at any time, outsider."
"You tied up my man in the river to feed the fish, and you dare call me an outsider?" I walked step by step toward him until I reached the riverbank. Looking down at the river teeming with dead fish, I clenched my teeth and jumped in. The bone-chilling river water barely reached my chest, and I paddled desperately, swimming towards Ao Chi.
The river wasn't wide, and the man didn't stop me. I reached Ao Chi's side. I felt his breath, listened to his heartbeat, and breathed a sigh of relief—he wasn't dead.
I slapped his face hard, calling his name, watching his drooping head slowly lift. "You... you're not dead yet?" My hands cupped his face, squeezing out these words after the tortuous process.
"Woman, you're... just looking forward to my death, right?" His spirit was much subdued than usual, and even the slightest movements like frowning seemed very strained. I didn't hold anything against him anymore, I didn't resent anything anymore; looking at Ao Chi at this moment, I feared he would stop breathing the next second and die in this horrible place which never sees the light of day.
"I'll give you another chance to explain when we go back, but not now," I warned him fiercely, then raised my head, angrily addressing the aloof and remote man on the stone platform, "Let him go! Or else I..."
"Stop being delusional. You're just a little tree demon, you can't hurt me at all," the man lowered his head, looking at me like an ant on the ground. "I don't like fighting; I just want to be quiet."
Indeed, despite his detestable appearance and seemingly violent behavior, I hadn't sensed any killing intent from him from start to finish. He just sat there, as calm as the surrounding stones. Even when battling with Dong'er at Duan Lake, although he seemed murderous, his goal was simply to retrieve something from her. Just earlier at the shop, Zimiao also said, "Perhaps the debt collector came knocking."
I turned my attention to Dong'er, who was whimpering, and loudly questioned, "What did you take from him?"
"I... I didn't!" Dong'er blushed and defended weakly, "It wasn't his to begin with; it's mine!"
"If you make a promise, you should fulfill it; going back on your word is not what a principled person does."
"You're the noble Third Princess of the East China Sea, why are your brains still so unclear?"
Two familiar voices drifted over from behind.
I turned around to find Zimiao and Jiu Jue standing by the riverbank with smiles on their faces. Jiu Jue even bent down to pick up a dead fish, tutting, "These fish from Wangchuan River are excellent ingredients for making wine. What a shame you killed them all."
"You still have the mind to care about fish? He's about to lose his life!" I was infuriated, yelling at Jiu Jue, "Aren't you going to help save him?"
"Save him? Didn't you say it would be better if Ao Chi died?" Jiu Jue laughed at me. Seeing Zimiao, the serpent-tailed man slowly opened his half-closed eyes and smiled, "Water God of the Four Directions, we meet again."
Zimiao nodded politely at him, "Indeed, it's been a long time, Xuanwu Wangchuan."
"It's rare that we can meet again, and it's even rarer that you would name the place above after me," the serpent-tailed man pointed upwards. "Otherwise, I might even forget my own name."
"Back then, you defied the will of the heavens, saving the people in that nameless village without authorization, which angered the Emperor of Heaven. That's why you were sealed here, bearing the burden of this land for generations, awakening every thousand years, then falling asleep again, in a continuous cycle." Zimiao walked over the water, flicking off a few water droplets, breaking the line that bound Ao Chi, and bringing us back to the ground. "You were entrusted by someone and saved countless lives, this is not wrong, but unfortunately..."
"Right or wrong, it's not worth mentioning. Lord Water God need not blame yourself. At the time, you were just a minor emissary under the Emperor of Heaven, and acting as per orders was your duty," the serpent-tailed man interrupted Zimiao. "On Duan Lake, you wounded me with the Water God's Arrow, but I didn't hold it against you. I only have one thing on my mind now. You have a brilliant mind; you probably already understand clearly. So, I hope you won't obstruct me again, otherwise, I won't be polite." Eh? They know each other?! Zimiao never told me.
"What's going on? If you don't tell me, I'll bite you to death!" I dragged Jiu Jue to my side, glaring at him fiercely.
"Ask her!" Jiu Jue pointed at Dong'er, who was lying motionless on the ground, then whispered to me, "Xuanwu isn't a monster; he's a god. Only a fellow god can match him, and even a dragon isn't his match. Just look at your man. Besides Zimiao, nobody here can touch him. Don't act recklessly."
Ao Chi, covered in wounds, gradually regained his strength, struggling to sit up and pointing at Dong'er. "Just what disaster have you caused! Speak!"
Zimiao and the serpent-tailed man remained silent, coldly staring at Dong'er. All attention and pressure were suddenly focused on her alone.
"I..." Dong'er's fingers dug tightly into the ground.
"Say it!" Ao Chi roared.
"I can't give him the Dragon Pearl!" Dong'er finally screamed in agony, then burst into tears. "I can't give it to him! Without the Dragon Pearl, I'm nothing!"
Dragon Pearl?! For a dragon, the Dragon Pearl is equivalent to its life support, the source of its spiritual power. Without the Dragon Pearl, a dragon can no longer transform into a human form, only lingering in its dragon form, waiting for death and decay when the next winter arrives.
In my astonishment, I speculated what could possibly be worth a dragon exchanging its own Dragon Pearl for?! Ao Chi was shaking with anger, pointing at Dong'er. "You... have you lost your mind? Can you casually exchange the Dragon Pearl? You've gone mad, and now you're dragging others down with you!" Upon hearing this, Dong'er's tears suddenly stopped. Her sorrow was instantly pierced through by long-buried resentment. She even sneered at Ao Chi, each word dripping with bitterness, "Yes, I've long gone mad. On the day of our grand wedding, you left me in front of all the guests without a second thought! At that time, I didn't cry or make a scene. I held onto my identity and dignity, and waited for you. One year, ten years, hundreds of years, you treated me as if I were nothing. I still didn't cry or make trouble. I still waited, only to receive news of your marriage to someone else. Haha, it would be acceptable if you had married someone of my status. But you married a millennia-old tree demon who has never walked the righteous path! You embarrassed me so much!" Her angry eyes seemed to be burning with fire, billowing at me, wishing to crush my bones and scatter my ashes.
"You and I have no marital relationship," Ao Chi became surprisingly calm at this point, "That wedding was just a farce directed by the old man. He claimed to be seriously ill and said he hoped to see me married and settled down before he died. I agreed to marry you only out of respect for his wish. Unexpectedly, the old man was too happy and let it slip at the wedding feast." Ao Chi took a deep breath and looked at Dong'er. "I hate being lied to the most. You later learned the truth of this matter, and I even drafted the deed to annul the marriage contract. All you need to do is sign your name, and this marriage of ours will be dissolved. Moving forward, you will still be the Third Princess of the East China Sea. Yet, until now, you refuse to sign the deed."
"I will never sign it. Without my signature, you and I will forever be husband and wife," Dong'er smiled sarcastically, "You said I couldn't leave the East China Sea until I signed the deed. I heeded your warning, and waited in the East China Sea for nearly a thousand years. At first, I waited for you to change your mind, but later, when I waited for you, it was not you," she turned and pointed at the man on the stone platform, her wild laughter eerie, "but him I was waiting for!"
Ao Chi and I were both stunned.
"Xuanwu Wangchuan, awakening once every thousand years. What I was waiting for was the moment he woke up," Dong'er's sad and shrill laughter echoed, her desperate eyes holding a profound meaning as she stared at the silent Zimiao, then she turned back to me. "Tree Demon, I'm helping you. I'm helping you see clearly, helping you make a choice! You've been cultivating for thousands of years in vain, but you don't even know who you truly love!"
Her words struck me like arrows, piercing not only me but also Ao Chi. Dong'er shook all over with laughter, her soft body writhing on the ground, which was uglier than a dying snake.
"Most people only know that Xuanwu has extraordinary strength, able to carry the land on its back and keep it safe, but they don't know about its other ability," Zimiao glanced at the serpent-tailed man who was resting with closed eyes. "In the Underworld, there is a river called Wangchuan, the route every departed spirit must take. This Xuanwu is named after Wangchuan, which is a metaphor for its ability to cheat death and bring back the deceased." He extended his palm, the crimson mark still vivid in its center. "Unlike mortals, when immortals are destroyed in both body and spirit, they disappear completely. Mortals, on the other hand, still have souls that journey through the River of Forgetfulness to the Underworld after death for reincarnation. There are highly skilled individuals who can sneak into the River of Forgetfulness and bring the souls back to the human world, but none can bring back a deceased immortal, not even the Emperor of Heaven who has limitless power. Only Xuanwu can bring back dead immortals to the present by traveling against time to a point when they were alive, using this as a method of resurrection. All immortals 'resurrected' by Xuanwu have such a mark on their palms."
"Let me add a point," Jiu Jue coughed twice. "To bring back a deceased immortal, in addition to Xuanwu sacrificing most of its life, it also requires even the slightest remnant of the immortal's spirit or spiritual power. With this, Xuanwu can locate them in the vast time that has passed. Simply put, if Zimiao hadn't sealed his remaining primordial spirit in the bracelet for his daughter, even ten Xuanwus couldn't have brought him back. SO, our Third Princess went to great lengths to steal the 'Eyes of the Water God' from the water tomb."
I thoroughly woke up. So, it was her who orchestrated Zimiao's 'resurrection'?! Others might not understand why she went to such trouble, but now, I did. I, too, am a woman. I looked carefully into her eyes: "You think that as long as Zimiao appears, your brother Ao Chi will go back, is that right?"
She turned away, saying bitterly, "You don't deserve him, and you don't even love him at all. The one you love has always been Zimiao! Don't lie to yourself! It's only because he died that you regarded Ao Chi as a substitute and support. As soon as Zimiao returns, your heart will immediately turn around!" Is that so? I looked back at Ao Chi, and he was looking at me too. Our lips moved, but neither of us spoke in the end.
"Haha, did I hit the nail on the head? Think about how intimate you two were on the night of the Lantern Festival," Dong'er taunted triumphantly, glancing at Ao Chi. "Her attitude toward Zimiao, their tacit understanding, the tender look she gave him, and the way she fell asleep with her head on his leg—has she ever done any of that for you? Has she? Brother Ao Chi, you know best whether this woman truly loves you or not. I've told you, once the Water God returns, your tree demon won't see you anymore. Deep down, isn't that what you also think?" She laughed loudly, pontificating between us. "Deceiving yourselves!"
"Um, excuse me for interrupting." Jiu Jue stood awkwardly in front of Dong'er. "Matters of love are for the individuals involved to resolve. The current issue is with you, Third Princess. As far as I know, Xuanwu is kindhearted and willing to help others. Every thousand years when he wakes, if someone earnestly seeks him out with sincerity, he will help you in any way he can, without expecting repayment. Now he has helped you, but he's chasing you around demanding repayment, which really goes against his nature. I remind you that what Xuanwu hates most are those who break their promises."
Dong'er trembled, gritting her teeth. She crawled to the nearest point to the stone platform and pleaded with the serpent-tailed man, "Great God Xuanwu, I was anxious at the time, afraid that you wouldn't help me because I wasn't sincere enough, so I promised you the Dragon Pearl. You know what the Dragon Pearl means to me, and it's human nature for me to regret it in hindsight. I know, not only did I refuse to hand over the Dragon Pearl afterwards, but I also deliberately led you to Duan Lake when I fought with you, hoping to use Zimiao's hand to fend you off and escape. Everything has been one mistake after another. But I beg you to pity a mere woman like me and spare me. How about... letting me change it to a hundred thousand-year-old East China Sea pearls? Will that do?"
I thought of the massive shadow rising from the lake during the plane crash. With the capabilities of the East China Sea Dragon Clan, it wasn't difficult to cause a plane to crash right above Duan Lake. Everything since our plane fell into Duan Lake was orchestrated by this Third Princess. When Xuanwu woke up after a thousand years, she broke into the water tomb to steal the bracelet, then used Xuanwu's power to bring back Zimiao. By causing the plane accident, she ensured our reunion with Zimiao, and because she refused to hand over the Dragon Pearl, she clashed with Xuanwu. Deliberately luring him to Duan Lake during the confrontation not only allowed her to use Zimiao to fend off the enemy but also let her position herself as a victim and intrude between Ao Chi and me without raising suspicion. She didn't need to do much, just reveal her relationship with Ao Chi aggrievedly, along with a living Zimiao, and these two "bombs" were enough to sow discord between Ao Chi and me. Dong'er's intelligence lay not only in her patience and meticulous planning but also in the fact that she knew where the weakest point between Ao Chi and my relationship was and ruthlessly exploited it.
Only then did I understand why Zimiao and Jiu Jue kept saying they "admire" Dong'er.
To Dong'er's plea, the man on the stone platform responded with just one sentence: "I'll only take Dragon Pearl." Ao Chi stood up unsteadily and walked to Dong'er. His raised fist was deadlocked in the air for a moment, then dropped weakly, only cursing under his breath, "Stupid woman!"
Before the words had even settled, the surroundings suddenly shook violently. Countless rocks fell from above, and dozens of cracks crawled out from under my feet, spreading up the walls with a continuous cracking sound.
"You all just think that I'm relentless in demanding what was promised, but know this: I seek the Dragon Pearl only to replenish the vital energy I've lost when I went back in time." The serpent-tailed man looked up at the sky, "If I cannot consume the Dragon Pearl to restore my vital energy, my real body will perish. In that case, the Wangchuan that I carry on my back, which has expanded from a small village to a city, will sink into the ground and cease to exist." He lowered his head, closing his eyes again, "When this woman came to beg me, her words were sincere, her emotions genuine. She claimed it was to fulfill her deceased friend's wish, and used the Dragon Pearl as a promise, vowing to replenish my vital energy afterward, so that Wangchuan City wouldn't get into trouble. Only then did I agree to leave my primordial spirit and take her, transformed into a child, back through time to bring back Zimiao. I carry the heavy promise to keep the land on my back safe for the rest of my life. I never thought she would renege on her promise afterward. I wanted to kill this promise-breaking woman to get the Dragon Pearl, but she reminded me that the Dragon Pearl must be given willingly to be effective. Forcibly taking it would render it a useless dead object." He let out a long sigh, continuing, "Of course, for you, the life or death of a city can be easily ignored. To hand over the Dragon Pearl or not, you still have a choice. Just remember, time is running out."
Zimiao looked around and then examined Xuanwu before saying, "The underground world we are currently in is Xuanwu's true body. His primordial spirit has transformed into a snake-man and has been guarding this place for millennia. Although I don't know how much of his vital energy has been consumed due to going against time, the fact remains that his primordial spirit is indeed diminishing. Once his primordial spirit can no longer sustain itself, his true body will disintegrate, and the Wangchuan City built on him will inevitably sink underground. I believe the cracks we saw on the surface, including the earthquakes, were all caused by this. His true body is already collapsing." His gaze fell upon Dong'er, "If he doesn't get the Dragon Pearl..."
"No! Don't even think about it!" Dong'er shouted, guarding her heart, "I won't hand over the Dragon Pearl! I don't want to turn back into a dragon without magic and wait for death! What does the fate of an insignificant Wangchuan City have to do with me!"
Hearing her words, I really have the mind to kill her!
Wangchuan City is right above me, where the most ordinary group of humans in the world live a peaceful and happy life. There are also countless demons that come and go or live there, many of whom are old acquaintances of mine; mischievous or kind, harmless creatures. There's also my "Unceasing," and all my important memories, second only to Fulong Mountain, are in this city.
I've said it before; that place is my home. As a member of the family, I cannot stand by and watch the lively Wangchuan turn into a city of the dead buried underground. But he said only the Dragon Pearl can replenish his vital energy. Where can we possibly find a Dragon Pearl? Moreover, which dragon would willingly give up their Dragon Pearl? That would be suicidal! The tremors grew stronger, cracks multiplied, and the entire underground world began to shake.
"Let me go! Please let me go! I don't want to die here!" Dong'er cried in fear, tearing at the thread in her ankle. Jiu Jue said from the side, "Damn! Can the spiritual power of all of us support this turtle's burden?"
"No, Xuanwu's true body can only be sustained by himself. No matter how high our spiritual powers are, it's useless," Zimiao shook his head.
Suddenly, someone shouted, "Take it!" A one-inch-sized sphere, wrapped in dazzling purple-golden flames, whirled towards Xuanwu.
I turned back in surprise, but behind me, I no longer saw Ao Chi's figure, only a crawling purple-scaled giant dragon, its mouth wide open, breathing laboriously.
"If it's for replenishing your vital energy, my Dragon Pearl is more suitable than hers," Ao Chi, who had lost his human form, squeezed out these words nonchalantly.
Everyone present, including Dong'er, was shocked speechless by Ao Chi's actions. Even Xuanwu himself was taken aback, holding the hot Dragon Pearl in his hands without saying a word. I rushed over and hugged the massive dragon head, angrily demanding, "Take it back!"
"Don't mind my business," Ao Chi shook me away with a head toss, pinning me down with his tail to prevent me from meddling in. Then he turned to Xuanwu, "Aren't you going to swallow it? Afraid of choking to death?" Xuanwu tilted his head back, and the Dragon Pearl entered his mouth.
Within a few seconds, all tremors ceased, and even the previous cracks miraculously disappeared. The fallen rocks even returned to their original positions, as if the earthquake had been nothing but an illusion.
"Brother Ao Chi..." Dong'er stared blankly at him, no longer laughing like a maniac, but only wearing a look of disbelief. A dragon without its Dragon Pearl will die and decay come the next winter. Each dragon's Dragon Pearl is unique, irreplaceable, and impossible to replicate. Ao Chi slowly loosened his tail, and his head, which he had been trying to lift, crashed heavily onto the ground.
"You..." I ran over to him, at a loss, holding his now limp huge head. "Stop pretending to be dead! You're so big, I can't carry you! Get up!" At this point, I couldn't continue, tears falling onto his scales.
"I'm not dead yet, what are you crying for?" He rolled his eyes and looked at Zimiao, "Come here." Zimiao walked over and crouched in front of him.
"You entrusted this guy to me that year, and I've looked after her for so long..." He spoke slowly. "Though I really hate you, I know that the only person in the world who is better suited to take care of her than me is you. Since fate has brought you back, this troublesome burden is destined to be returned to you."
Zimiao smiled, hesitant to speak.
"Ao Chi, I'm not a thing to be handed over as you please!" I was both sad and anxious, speaking without thinking.
"Haha, well said, not a thing... Haha." Ao Chi caught onto my slip of the tongue and actually laughed. As he laughed, his eyes looked at me. "I really... love you. It was only that night, when I saw you sleeping so peacefully next to Zimiao, that I truly began to reflect on why you never showed such a gentle smile in front of me. What have I really brought you over all these years..."
"As*hole, you've misunderstood! It's not what you think!" I was anxious. How come he never takes a closer look at my thoughts? Always assuming he knows everything after only seeing part of it! Why couldn't he change it after all these years?
"You say Wangchuan is your home. I'll leave it to you." He took a long breath, slowly closing his eyes. "I'm tired. Let me sleep for a while."
"No, you can't sleep! Get up and argue with me!" I slapped him repeatedly, the rough scales leaving bloodstains on my hands, but I couldn't stop.
Zimiao grabbed my hand: "There's still one year until the next winter."
"Yeah, don't panic right away," Jiu Jue scratched his head, pacing back and forth.
Everyone knew that without his Dragon Pearl, Ao Chi faced only a dead end, not just in a year, but even in ten or a hundred years. No one would believe that Ao Chi would give up his precious Dragon Pearl for "just a small city." It was too unprofitable a trade.
But all he said was that it is my home, so he has to "leave it."
Dong'er collapsed to the ground like a fool, muttering Ao Chi's name. Suddenly, as if electrocuted, she sat up and frantically searched her body until she found a sachet. She tore it open and found inside only three words - "Just this once.[1]"
Just as everyone was puzzled, the paper suddenly rose naturally into the air, crumbling into ashes in a few seconds. With a whoosh, the ashes flew up and formed an arch shape in mid-air.
Accompanied by a bout of coughing, the "door" in the air was pushed open, and a chubby old man with a white beard, standing less than two and a half feet tall, jumped out. Surveying the situation, he clicked his tongue: "A bunch of troublemakers, and they have to find me to clean up the mess."
With that, he walked over to Dong'er, gently snapping the thread passing through her ankle and helping her to her feet. Shaking his head, he said, "Girl, I've been hoping you wouldn't open that sachet. But I also knew you definitely would."
Dong'er seemed to have seen the great savior, kneeling in front of the old man. "Please find a way to save Brother Ao Chi! He gave the Dragon Pearl to Xuanwu!"
"Huh? He chose to give the Dragon Pearl to Xuanwu?" The old man stroked his beard, nodding, "Hmm, that's his choice." He then looked at Dong'er kneeling before him, "And what about you?"
"I..." Dong'er, anxious and frightened, blushed and was unable to speak.
"You could have chosen to exchange your own Dragon Pearl for Ao Chi's before Xuanwu swallowed it," the old man said with a smile.
"I... I just hesitated for a moment..." Dong'er lowered her head even further. The old man helped her up and said lightly, "Girl, do you remember what I said to you when you left Yizhu Cave?" Dong'er pursed her lips.
"Anyone who can't make a choice has only one answer - they only love themselves." The old man chuckled. "Girl, you don't really love someone as you think!" He then turned to look at Ao Chi and me, "But they are different. Hehe."
"Sir, you are…" Zimiao stepped forward, examining the old man.
"Hehe, Xuanwu Wangchuan," the old man replied with a smile, then nodded towards the stone platform. "That's my dear brother."
Two Xuanwus?! "Can't really be counted as two," the old man floated leisurely towards the stone platform. "Xuanwu Wangchuan has two primordial spirits, one tortoise and one snake. I am playful[2] and left this cumbersome true body for my honest brother to take care of. Ah, this is something outsiders don't know."
"What are you doing here? Haven't you been shutting yourself up to reflect on your mistakes in the East China Sea?" The snake-tailed man didn't even spare him a glance.
"I feel guilty for letting you carry the name of Xuanwu alone for so many years," the old man landed beside him, sitting side by side. "Dear brother, the dragon girl you love will never come back. She can never come to wake you up. You've known this fact for a long time, but you refuse to admit it. Although our true body is sealed, our primordial spirits are free. Yet, you've kept yourself locked up here all year round, just to wait for someone who will never return. You really should not."
"What's good about you? Both the Flower Demon sisters were in love with you. One made steamed ribs for you, and the other made braised ribs for you. When they asked which one you preferred, you couldn't answer. In the end, you couldn't make a choice, causing both infatuated demons to die in depression. Since then, you've been hiding in the Yizhu Cave as a prisoner, ignoring worldly affairs. Coward!" The snake-tailed man retorted disdainfully.
"Acting a prisoner hasn't been in vain. At least I've grasped a truth related to choice," the old man curled his lips, then became serious. "Well, let's talk about our matters later. Return that Dragon Pearl to its rightful owner. I have returned to our true body, which is enough to support the city on your back. As for the vital energy you lost, I will help you regain it through practice. Let go of these juniors who have made the same mistakes as us."
I couldn't believe my ears. Did he say he's returning the Dragon Pearl?! Before I could ask, Ao Chi's Dragon Pearl had already flown out of the snake-tailed man's mouth, and with a snap of the old man's fingers, Ao Chi's mouth opened wide, and the Dragon Pearl went in with a whoosh. Does this mean Ao Chi doesn't have to die?!
I hugged this big dragon boy in ecstasy and disbelief, pressing my face against his, tears of joy streaming down my face. But just a few seconds later, my arms were empty, and I almost fell to the ground. When I opened my eyes, the massive dragon was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was a chubby little purple dragon, barely two feet long, lazily lying on the ground.
What the heck is going on here?!
"Don't worry," the old man chuckled, "Because his Dragon Pearl was occupied for a while, it lost some spiritual energy. Naturally, it will take some time for it to return to normal after returning to his body. When the Dragon Pearl is damaged, his dragon form will also change accordingly. What you see now is what he looked like as a baby. It's fine. Just keep him well fed and watered, and in just a year, he'll be back to normal."
Ao Chi as a baby... I picked up this chubby little thing from the ground, feeling dumbfounded. He rolled his eyes at me, yawned, then buried his head in my arms and fell asleep. After all the twists and turns, I suddenly realized that I had to be his nanny for at least a year!
"It's getting late, all of you should return. We brothers are going to sleep well for another thousand years. Xuanwu needs to sleep to have strength." The old man waved to us, then glanced meaningfully at Zimiao. "Off you go, off you go. Haha."
"I..." Dong'er stood beneath the stone platform, feeling lost.
"You, with your noble status and pampered upbringing, seem docile but are actually arrogant. If you don't listen and burn your own hands, you'll never understand that boiling water should not be touched carelessly[3]." The old man waved a hand at her. "Go back to the East China Sea and cultivate well. Remember, everything has its destiny, and forcing things will never yield results."
Dong'er lowered her head and dragged her feet as she walked away. When she passed by me, she cast an extremely complicated look my way. Holding Ao Chi in my arms, I stood in this place I was about to leave. I can't describe how I felt, only say I'm glad that I have a healthy and strong heart.
Footnotes:
[1] Four in Mandarin - 下不为例: not to be repeated; just this once.
[2] 贪玩: to be preoccupied with having fun; to only desire to have a good time.
[3] Basically, "Only after burning your own hand will you understand that you shouldn't play with fire."
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