Patriarch Li and that woman in charge of the household left. Only Li Yunzi, Luo Xiao, and Zhu Minglang were left in the pearwood hall.
Luo Xiao waited a while after Patriarch Li left before getting up slowly.
He took a few steps toward Li Yunzi.
āYoung Miss Yunzi, this subordinate was incompetent and allowed you to suffer humiliationā¦ You donāt have to mind what others think of you. After you return to the Li Clan, Iāll work harder to become a pillar of the clan. At that time, Iāll think of all ways possible to have your father betroth you to me. Iā¦ I, Luo Xiao, is truly sincere to Young Miss. Iā¦ perhaps me saying all this now is a little sudden and offensive, but Iāll prove to you with my actions, Young Miss. Please give me some time.ā Luo Xiao stuttered as he said all this, obviously nervous.
Zhu Minglang was at the side, his mouth agape.
-Am I really that invisible!?-
No matter how much of a psychopath this Luo Xiao was, he seemed to be sincere in his feelings towards Li Yunzi. Also, he had chosen the most apt time to confess to her, sincerely expressing that he was a man who wouldnāt mind her past.
Li Yunzi didnāt agree to him, but her feelings couldnāt be discerned, either.
āYou donāt have to be in a hurry to give me an answer, Young Miss Yunzi. All you need to understand is Luo Xiaoās loyalty and feelings toward you. You should be tired now. Zhu Minglang, you have the servants bring Young Miss back to rest. Iāll go take orders from the patriarch,ā Luo Xiao said.
Luo Xiao also understood that Li Yunzi had yet to overcome her trauma, and that he needed to give her some time.
āAlright, I hope for Mister Luoās bright future in advance,ā Zhu Minglang replied half-heartedly.
Luo Xiao nodded in satisfaction, thinking that Zhu Minglang was actually a sensible guy.
ā
In the end, Luo Xiao shifted his gaze away from Li Yunzi unwillingly, and headed off to the patriarchās royal court with long strides. From this moment on, he, Luo Xiao, would be stepping on the path to rising above the clouds!
Power, fortune, women; he would possess everything!
āChilian, do you still remember those people who used to bully us? Hehe, they never thought that weād return as a gilded fire dragon and a master dragon tamer in a million years!ā Luo Xiao smiled, caressing the red agate ring on his finger.
The ring had a unique luster. The faint image of a dragon could be seen on it.
In Wutu, it was never wise to be impulsive!
-What I will obtain will only increase, and Li Yunzi will end up as mine!
-After such a thing has happened, there will probably not be many with noble status who will be willing to marry her. With that, as long as I perform outstandingly under Patriarch Li, itās not impossible to have him betroth Li Yunzi to me!-
In the past, Luo Xiao was only a servant who looked after their courtyard, his status extremely low.
Now, it was completely different!
āā
In the pearwood hallā¦
Zhu Minglang walked over to the main seat. He picked up the handkerchief the woman left behind and passed it on to Li Yunzi.
āYouāre still bleeding. Speaking of which, that man earlierā¦ is he your father?ā Zhu Minglang asked.
Li Yunzi didnāt wipe her wound. Instead, when Zhu Minglang wasnāt paying attention, the bead of a tear had slowly fallen, becoming a trail on her cheek.
Li Yunzi didnāt expect to not hold out until everyone had left, despite enduring it for so long.
Why did her basic psychological barrier lower so much before the man in front of her?
At the side, Zhu Minglang was at a loss, not sure how he should console her.
It would have been better if her tears were falling freely, but it just so happened that only a single tear fell. There was no pain or sadness. Instead, it gave off a feeling of determination, that she had already withstood everything.
However, witnessing this scene of a beautyās determination left him feeling some heartache.
She was the victim, but had become the sinner in othersā eyes. She had finally returned home after much difficulty, and what she had received was that kind of scolding.
It seemed Patriarch Li wouldnāt have hesitated to sever their blood relations, if it could be done. This was the home Li Yunzi had returned to after such a long and difficult journey?ā¦
āIāll help you get back and rest first. Donāt think so much.ā Zhu Minglang maintained his etiquette and escorted Li Yunzi out of the large hall.
āThis way.ā
āOh.ā
āā
When they arrived at Li Yunziās courtyard, Zhu Minglang was turned away at the door, as expected.
He could understand. After all, it was useless for him to console her, since he was the culprit.
In a world like this, where there was a clear hierarchy in status, Zhu Minglang wouldnāt find it weird even if Li Yunzi killed him to vent her anger.
But the problem was, where was he supposed to go now?
He was abducted and brought to Ancestral Dragon City State for no rhyme or reasonā¦
He had no identity, no land, no residence, and no money. He couldnāt possibly go around begging on the streets again, could he?
Hmm? Why was that word āagainā used? He had never begged in the first place!
Although Li Yunzi had never taken her anger out on Zhu Minglang, she probably never wanted to see him again.
In fact, having Zhu Minglang come back with her to Ancestral Dragon City State could be considered saving his life. Back then, Luo Xiao had intended to destroy Little Mulberry Town as well!
In any case, Zhu Minglang would take things as they came. Heād find a place to support himself and find some work first. Itād be best if he could plant mulberry trees; his gluttonous king, little Baiqi, would probably cause a fuss if it didnāt get any food after waking up.
Baiqi was the little ice wormās name.
Speaking of little Baiqi, it had been many days since it came out on its own to take a breather, and instead chose to remain in his spirit domain. Was it preparing for hibernation?
Zhu Minglang closed his eyes lightly, checking on his spirit domain.
āStrange. Why is there an extra ice cocoon hereā¦ā
Taking a closer look into his own spirit domain, Zhu Minglang realized, to his surprise, that the little ice worm had wrapped itself in its own silk without him knowing, and had turned into a large ice cocoon.
-Is it undergoing metamorphosis?
-But it used to be a Dragon General-ranked Azure Dragon! Iāve never heard of a creature with the azure dragonās bloodline having such an ability?-
The ice cocoon had yet to fully close. There was still a hole at the very top. Zhu Minglang saw the situation inside through that hole.
Peering into the world inside the ice cocoon shocked him!
The world inside the cocoon was actually such a work of art!
The ice silk that was wrapped around the outer layer was intertwined in an extremely exquisite manner on the inside. There was not the slightest bit of messiness. Instead, it was a perfect piece of art.
Grains and grains of icy glitter decorated the nest of frosty silk, as brilliant as rare white diamonds. They were like the stars in the night sky, scattered in an orderly manner in this little sky, painting a dreamy picture.
On every tiny frosted strand of silk, a long, ancient pattern could be seen. Every tiny icy glitter was like it contained an unimaginable world within!
All of those were gathered around a tiny holy spirit, which was the little Baiqi, whose wings had gradually formed, and whose body had become incomparably beautiful!
Little Baiqi was in a drowsy state at the core of the cocoon. It gently spread its wings, which had yet to form completely, and its beautiful, spirited eyes were trying hard to focus on Zhu Minglang, who had come in to observe his spirit domain.
However, the little fellow was truly too sleepy. In the end, its eyelids closed.
All of a sudden, the frosted silk started flying about, and the icy glitter started shining. As little Baiqi slipped into a slumber, the world inside the ice cocoon started operating crazily. Some miniscule buds were breaking through the ice, some snowflakes were blooming, some snow trees were spreading their crowns, and countless miniature creatures were being createdā¦
It seemed to have experienced the vicissitudes of life!
At the same time, that tiny hole was filled by the frosty silk that gushed from inside out. The ice cocoon was now completely enclosed, and Zhu Minglang could no longer see the situation inside.
The ice cocoon seemed unremarkable on the outside, but the scene of the extremely shocking little world remained fresh in his mind!
What exactly was the little Baiqi slumbering like a queen in that frosty world?
This was approximately the fifth year of Zhu Minglangās wandering. Baiqi was once an Azure Dragon.
In his teens, Zhu Minglang was a formidable expert, someone who was looked up to and chased after by others.
However, just as Zhu Minglang was thinking he would enjoy his most glorious years, Baiqi had regressed from an Azure Dragon that looked down upon everything into the most insignificant and weakest little creature, a little ice worm.
In just the passing of a nightā¦
Even now, Zhu Minglang had yet to forget the white frosty silk that had covered half a city!
A gigantic ice cocoon wrapped around the Azure Dragon Baiqi, along with half a city. The huge swath of pure and holy whiteness was like a divine snow spirit descending.
The shocking scene lasted through the night.
In the end, all the white silk melted under the morning light. The Azure Dragon left behind a hollow body with no signs of life. Only a little ice worm remained after the frosty silk melted to water from the sunlight. A little ice worm with almost no intelligence, slowly crawling outā¦
Zhu Minglang stood on that icy city, looking at the little ice worm crawling out from it. How could he, who was still only a teenager back then, believe what he saw!?
The Azure Dragon had actually regressed!
The young boy who had shone as brightly as the sun had become like an insignificant grain of sand from then on, and began his long, wandering journey.
After so many years, the teenager had grown into a youth. His ambitious heart had also mellowed out, becoming an aimless man.
He could no longer remember how many places he had been through.
The little ice worm, however, had always been well taken care of by him. Before he realized it, it had become a kind of bond. It wasnāt too much to describe it as family.
Over the years, little Baiqi remained a little ice worm, showing no signs of change.
This time, however, it was actually undergoing metamorphosis!
From his quick peek earlier, Zhu Minglang had seen little Baiqiās half-transformed appearance. It had grown a thin pair of wings, a graceful body, and a slender tailā¦
It seemed to possess the gentleness and agility of some kind of butterfly dragon, yet retaining the figure of the original Azure Dragon!
What was certain was that these were all signs of it dragonizing! The ice cocoon was its dragon gate!
After breaking out from the cocoon, it would return to being a dragon!
At this moment, Zhu Minglangās unambitious heart suddenly boiled!
The Azure Dragon was about to return!
After experiencing these recent events, even someone whose heart had turned ice cold would show desire again. The reason he didnāt dare to do anything before was none other than his unpredictable futureā¦
With Baiqiās return, everything became a completely different story!