When the little dragon cub woke up, hefound a string of blood-red pearls on his wrist, curious, he fiddled with it.
âDonât take it off.â Bai Huo walkedin with breakfast.
Seeing his empty wrist, the little dragoncub rolled out of bed to give the bracelet back to him: âYours.â
Bai Huo had been wearing it for so long,naturally, the little dragon cub had seen it.
Bai Huo patted his head with a smile:âIâm giving it to you, keep it on for now, donât lose it.â
âFor me?â The little dragon cub hadreceived a gift, even better, it was one of his Dadâs personal belongings. Hewas so happy that he stretched his hand out, turning it this way and that.
Bai Huo was amused: âDonât just watch,come and eat.â
At noon, the little dragon cub ran out to goplay while Bai Huo and Jing Lan discussed something. Meeting the little bluedragon, Ah Zhen, at the door, the little dragon cub took the initiative to talkhim, exciting Ah Zhen so much that his speech became incoherent.
âWow, your Dad gave you this? Itâs pretty.âAh Zhen spun around him, his eyes full of envy, âCan I see it?â
Little Lin Xi pretended to calmly thinkover it, before saying: âCanât take it off.â
âNo, no, you donât have to take itoff. I just want to look at it.â Ah Zhen hurriedly waved his hands.
Little Lin Xi tilted his head and reluctantlyreached out: âAlright.â
The two little dragons were huddledtogether, laughing and chatting, even wagging their tails at the samefrequency. Bai Huo looked outside, feeling amazed.
âLooks like heâs adapting quitewell.â Jing Lan said from behind him.
Looking at the little dragon cub chatting enthusiastically,Bai Huo also had to admit it: âYeah, he wasnât so lively in human society.Except for me, if other people talked to him, he just ignored them.â
âThe environment and atmosphere aredifferent. Ah Zhen is also very lively, so heâll infect him.â Jing Lansmiled and said. âIn fact, for children, sometimes the influence fromtheir peers is more profound than the education from adults. Little Lin Xi is adragon, heâll feel more secure and more open among his own people.â
Bai Huo didnât speak.
Jing Lan thought for a moment, then hesitatinglysaid, âLittle Bai, have you considered changing Lin Xiâs environment?â
Bai Huo sensed that he had something to say,frowning slightly: âYou mean âŠâ
Jing Lan nodded: âItâs unrealistic toforce a tiger to learn to eat grass. Lin Xi is a dragon, human education isnâtsuitable for him, moreover, learning only human knowledge isnât feasible fordragons. How to use the divine bone, control spiritual power, spells, flying⊠and even the eventual estrus. He needs to learn a lot, and humans canâtteach him these things.â
Jing Lan was right. Itâs not that Bai Huo hadnever thought about these things, but he was very reluctant to send his son tothe association.
âI âŠâ Bai Huo was at a loss forwords, âIâll ask him his opinion later.â
Jing Lan just nodded gently.
*
After all, the two little dragons wereboys, after playing for a short while, they started to compete.
Ah Zhen showed off his vivid blue tail, stretchingand swinging it bashfully, saying, âLook, my tail is azure. Granny saidthat itâs the color of the sky outside.â
Little Lin Xi stretched his head to lookback at his blue-black tail, which wasnât as bright as sky blue. The tip of histail was dipped in white, but it felt far less impressive than Ah Zhenâs tail.The little dragon cub immediately showed a gloomy expression.
âAh, you have a white point.â ButAh Zhen had on an envious look, looking at the little dragon cubâs brows, headded, âThereâs one between your brows too.â
Little Lin Xi didnât know what a âwhitepointâ was, but listening to Ah Zhenâs tone, it should be a very specialthing. He immediately became energetic, shaking his tail from side to side:âBai Huo said it looks good.â
Ah Zhen carefully touched the white featherson Little Lin Xiâs tail with his small paw: âItâs nice that you have a Dad.â
The little dragon cub was baffled: âYoudonât have a Dad?â
Ah Zhen shook his head: âI only have agranny.â
The little dragon cub was shocked: âDoesnâteveryone have a Dad?â
Ah Zhen gave him a strange look: âOfcourse not, many people donât have one. I donât, the patriarch also doesnât, um⊠does your Dad have a Dad?â
The little dragon cub got lost in histhoughts, Dadâs Dad? Heâd never seen him before, and he hadnât heard Bai Huomention him.
âExactly.â Ah Zhen sat on thestone steps and sighed, exclaiming worriedly. âDo you know? I heard my grannysay that when we grow up, they wonât stay beside us anymore.â
âWhy?â The little dragon cub waspuzzled.
âBecause when we grow up, we have tofind wives for ourselves, then we canât live with Dad and granny again.â AhZhen looked very worried, âBut I canât catch fish yet, how will I survive?â
The little dragon cub turned, looking at theroom Bai Huo was in, his heart suddenly choked with anxiety. He canât live withhis Dad when he grows up? Bai Huo once promised that heâll never abandon him, didthat not count after he grew up?
The two children sat on the stone steps, theirexpressions filled with anxiety, feeling the loneliness of the dragon race forthe first time.
A few moments later, Bai Huo walked overwith bowls of dried squid, âWhat are you chatting about, cubs? You guys looklike youâre at a funeral.â
Ah Zhen was taught from an early age thathe should always salute his elders, but before he could get up, Bai Huo pressedhim back down: âDonât worry about that, come, come eat some dried squid.â
The little dragon cub looked at him, conflictedon whether or not he should say something.
The three ate the dried squid, Ah Zhen livingup to his reputation as a little chatter box. From how Mr. Wang from next door bita shark during estrus, to rumors about the origins of the incense burner in thepatriarchâs chambers, he never stopped to breathe. While munching on dried squid,Bai Huo felt that this child had the talent to study in the Deyun Society.
âUncle Bai, will you stay here for along time?â Ah Zhen asked.
Bai Huo snapped back to reality and smiled,âWhy are you asking?â
âI still have a lot of treasures toshow Lin Xi,â Ah Zhen scratched his head, embarrassed, âI finallyfound a friend to play with, donât take him away.â
Bai Huo smiled and patted his head:âHey, look at you, youâre so young yet so articulate, how about you sharesome of those words with my son?â
The little dragon cub looked at his handand pouted.
After eating the snacks, Bai Huo saw AhZhen off and carried the little dragon cub back inside for his nap. Thatevening, Jing Lan, who had handled his official business, came in to feel thedragon cubâs pulse.
âThe divine bone has already healed,but his pulse is still unstable.â Jing Lan pulled back his hand and asked softly,âHave you felt uncomfortable anywhere these past two days?â
The little dragon cubâs head drooped,reaming silent.
Bai Huo finally felt that something wasstrange, rubbing his sonâs head: âCub? Shishu asked you something.â
The little dragon cub shook his head.
Jing Lan looked at him and seemed to sensesomething. He put his hand over the little dragon cubâs divine bone and closedhis eyes. After a moment, a trickle of spiritual power leaked from hisfingertips and was injected into the little dragon cubâs body.
The little dragon cub felt his back heat upand couldnât help but shrink away.
Jing Lan withdrew his hand and re-fastenedhis clothes, then glanced at Bai Huo, his expression a bit complicated.
âWhatâs wrong?â Bai Huo asked hurriedly.
Jing Lan didnât reply, just gently asking thelittle dragon cub: âYou havenât told your Dad?â
âWhat? Whatâs going on?â Bai Huowas puzzled.
The little dragon cub looked up at JingLan, his expression a bit grieved.
Jing Lan understood his heart, comforting him,âIt doesnât matter, talk to your Dad.â
Bai Huo heard them talking in riddles andstarted sweating anxiously, circling around the little dragon cub.
The little dragon cub clenched his fists,then said to Bai Huo in a barely audible voice, âI canât go back.â
Bai Huo didnât understand: âWhat?â
âSince he arrived at the Water DragonPalace, heâs never changed into his human form.â Jing Lan explained.
Bai Huo was stunned.
The little dragon cubâs eyes flushed, squeezinginto Bai Huoâs arms without looking up at him.
Bai Huo hugged him tightly, continuously pattinghis back, saying roughly: âBaby, why didnât you tell me? Were you tryingto worry your Dad to death?â
The little dragon cub hugged his neck,mumbling, âI thought you wouldnât want me.â
Bai Huo didnât know whether to laugh or cry:âWhy would Dad not want you? This has nothing to do with whether you cantransform into a human form.â
âYou wonât take me back with you.âThe little dragon cub buried his face in Bai Huoâs neck.
Bai Han wanted to comfort him, but thinkingof Zhou Chong Wenâs pledge hanging over his head, he couldnât open his mouth.
Jing Lan patiently waited until both thefather and son had calmed down, before saying, âItâs as I expected, thedivine bone has only healed on the surface. In reality, his spiritual power hasbeen blocked, he canât use it freely.â
âWill it always be like this?â BaiHuo asked urgently.
Jing Lan shook his head: âI canât tellright now, I can only slowly nurse it.â
Jing Lan never exaggerated or concealed thetruth. If he said that he wasnât sure, then he wasnât sure, it could heal inthree months or eight years, it all depended on the Will of Heaven.
âItâs late, rest first.â Jing Lanretreated in a timely manner.
That night, after Bai Huo coaxed the littledragon cub to sleep, he went out to the front hall to find Jing Lan.
Jing Lan was reclining on a rattan chair, readinga book, a blanket covering his legs. As soon as Bai Huo entered the room, heasked, âAre you leaving?â
âI promised Shige.â Bai Huo heaveda sigh. âAnd there are other things to deal with, I must go back.â
Jing Lan pondered for a moment: âHowlong?â
Bai Huo frowned silently.
âLin Xi is injured, itâs best if hedoesnât leave for too long. He needs the crystal bed to help him heal.â
âI know âŠâ Bai Huo paced fretfullyat the steps by the door, then sat down, supporting his forehead on his hand ashe sighed deeply, âI didnât watch him properly.â
Jing Lan put down his book and adjusted hisrobe, walking over slowly: âDonât criticize yourself too harshly, everyonehas their own life. I think Lin Xi is a very talented child, heâll surely becapable in the future.â
Bai Huo thought about the little dragon cub,and finally felt a little comfort: âYeah, heâs such a clever child. Iâve neverbeen a Dad before, itâs my first time raising a child, Iâve definitely mademany mistakes, but heâs never complained. Did you know, Jing Lan, past Bai Huo wouldâvenever believed that such a person could exist. He has no blood relationshipwith me, but he trusts me with all his heart, and he depends on me. He smileswhen I appear, he cries when I leave. When I feel sad, heâs sadder than me. WhenIâm hurt, he cries harder than me. â
Bai Huo smiled slightly: âItâs astrange feeling, but itâs not bad, really.â
Jing Lan looked at him quietly.
âThatâs why,â Bai Huo continued, âMyson made a mistake, as his Dad, I naturally have to bear the responsibility forhim, not to mention my part in this mistake.â
Jing Lan sighed wordlessly.
The two fell into silence, one standing,one sitting. A long moment passed, the room was extremely quiet, only the soundof gurgling bubbles breaking the hush.
âJing Lan, do me another favor,â BaiHuo looked up, saying earnestly, âI canât take Lin Xi to the association,can he stay here with you after I leave?â
Jing Lan turned around, frowning slightly.
âHis injury isnât healed yet, and theassociation is a ruthless place, heâll only be bullied if he goes there.â BaiHuo had a heart-broken expression on his face, âHeâs originally a water dragon,staying here with you guys is basically a return to the clan. â
âAs long as the child is willing, Inaturally wonât object.â Jing Lan said softly, âBut, how do you planto tell him?â
When this was brought up, Bai Huo took adeep breath, obviously feeling helpless. A moment later, he said: âIâllfind a time to talk to him in the next two days.â
Bai Huo spoke boldly, but the reality wasâSee cub = terrifiedâ. For the next two days, whenever he saw thelittle dragon cub, he always had an anxious, conflicted expression, making AhZhen think that he was constipated, secretly handing him some laxatives. Atthis, Bai Huo didnât know whether to laugh or cry.
Although he didnât say anything, thesensitive little dragon cub seemed to perceive something. He brooded silently,sticking to Bai Huo even more closely, even following him to the bath, afraid thathis father would run away without him.
Bai Huo knew that this couldnât go on, beforegoing to bed, he finally made up his mind to have a showdown with the littledragon cub.
âCub âŠâ
The little dragon cub had just pulled offhis socks and climbed into bed, hearing his tone, his back instantly stiffened.
âDad has something to discuss withyou, Iââ Bai Huo took a deep breath, but unexpectedly, when he started tospeak, his mouth was immediately covered by the little dragon cubâs paws.
The little dragon cubâs eyes quickly reddened,but it wasnât enough to cover with one paw, so both paws were raised. He staredat Bai Huo fixedly: âHow long?â
Bai Huo was stumped for a moment.
âHow long will you be gone?â Thelittle dragon cubâs eyes were filled with tears, but he kept them from falling.
They really were father and son. How could thelittle dragon cub not know anything about him after so long?
Bai Huoâs heart was seized, pulling his soninto his arms: âIt might ⊠it will be a long time.â
âThen, will you still come back?âThe little dragon cub choked on his sobs.
âIâll come back.â Bai Huo saidassuredly.
The little dragon cub couldnât hold back, grabbingBai Huoâs shoulders, his tears fell like a waterfall.
âOkay, okay, donât cry, weâre big boys.âBai Huo also felt choked up, coaxing as he wiped away the childâs tears. âDonâtwe have the contract? Jing Shishu will teach you a lot of spells, soon, youâllbe able to sense Dadâs location from wherever you are.â
The little dragon cub clutched his shouldersand sobbed sporadically, âYouâll come back, really?â
âYes!â Bai Huo nodded firmly, hisheart panicking.
If the little dragon cub had beaten him andscolded him, he wouldâve gladly accepted it, unfortunately, this child was toosensible, making his father appear even more heartless.
Iâve sinned âŠ
Bai Huo felt a stab in his chest.
*
As Bai Huo expected, two days later, the WaterDragon Palace received a greeting notice, written by Zhou Chong Wen himself.
âA greeting notice? Not a co-investigationorder?â Bai Huo was baffled.
A greeting notice was basically a name cardsent when one high-level party visits another, mostly sent at the privatelevel, while the co-investigation order was an official document that invitedone party to jointly investigate something. If Zhou Chong Wen issued a co-investigationorder in his capacity as the patriarch of the fire dragon clan, and requested thatthe Water Dragon Palace cooperate, then he wouldnât need to come in person atall, he could merely order Bai Huo to report to the association within the timelimit. But Zhou Chong Wen handed over a greeting notice, which meant that theperson himself would come here from thousands of miles away, this move wassomewhat intriguing.
Jing Lan put away the greeting notice:âTheyâre already on their way, and will arrive tomorrow morning.â
âA group of fire dragons coming to theWater Dragon Palace âŠâ Bai Huo couldnât imagine it, âAre theyplanning to come down in a submarine?â
Jing Lan smiled faintly: âSince theyârecoming, they will naturally be welcomed at the door.â
Jing Lan responded to the invitation, thenleft to settle some details. Before leaving, he also returned Bai Huoâs freshlycleaned modern outfit. The next morning, when the little dragon cub saw hisclothes, his eyes reddened again. Bai Huo patiently coaxed him for a long timebefore he calmed down, then the cub obediently followed behind him, looking at BaiHuo in extreme grief.
Bai Huoâs heart broke whenever he saw this expression,so he cruelly chose to not look back.
âAre you okay?â Jing Lan shiftedthe bead curtain and came in. He wore a gorgeous blue gown with a long, finely embroideredcloak. His hair was tied up more attentively than usual, still draped over hisshoulders.
âAre they here?â Bai Huo asked.
Jing Lan nodded.
The delegation headed into Lan Ting Pond,several guards clearing the way. The swimming ability of pure breed waterdragons couldnât be compared, reaching the surface, Bai Huoâs clothes didnâteven get wet.
Outside, a heavy snowfall had just ended,although the snow had lightened, it hadnât stopped. The wind was bitingly cold,and the sky was vast.
Bai Huo saw dark shadows standing on adistant snow slope, and his hold on the little dragon cubâs shoulder tighteneda little.
The little dragon cub seemed to feelsomething, and looked up at him.
In the end, Bai Huo said nothing, just pattinghis shoulder, and instructing him to go stand behind Jing Lan.
When the group got closer, he saw that ZhouChong Wen had only brought two people, one was Ding Ping, the other was a man BaiHuo has never seen before. Looking at his outfit, he was most likely anassistant. Fire dragons werenât cold-resistant, at this moment, the temperaturewas at least minus 20 degrees. The three of them were frozen stiff, especiallyDing Ping, who Bai Huo suspected was going to faint in the next second.
Relatively speaking, Zhou Chong Wen lookedbetter off. Although he was trembling from the cold, he was holding up prettywell, and when he approached Jing Lan, he bowed slightly.
At this, not only did Bai Huo freeze, eventhe two escorts at the back stared blankly.
Zhou Chong Wenâs greeting was actually outof order. Of the three major dragon tribes, one had shunned the world, and theother was declining. Nowadays, only the fire dragons were still active, theywere in charge of everything in the association. It could be said that theywere the leaders of the dragon race. Whether comparing power or status, ZhouChong Wen shouldnât have greeted first.
Jing Lan obviously froze for a moment, but hequickly recovered, smiling: âPatriarch Zhou traveled for thousands ofmiles, please excuse the Water Dragon Palace for not going out to meet you.â
Zhou Chong Wen glanced up at him, then quicklylowered his head again, saying softly, âYouâre too polite.â
Bai Huo stared at Zhou Chong Wen, the astonishmentin his heart growing stronger. He knew Zhou Chong Wen since he was a cub, somany years had passed, but heâd never seen him look like this. The tone andposture couldnât be called polite, it was better to call it humble, there wasevenâŠ. a trace of inferiority.
When an ordinary person saw Jing Lan, itwas normal for them to feel inferior, after all, Jing Lanâs makings and placeof birth was here, but Zhou Chong Wen was different. He was now the patriarch,and his status was even higher than Jing Lan. This behavior didnât make sense.
The snow was still trickling down, the coldwind lifted Jing Lanâs cloak, two people, one dressed in brown and one in blue,stood opposite each other. Zhou Chong Wen bowed slightly again, saying, âIcame here today to trouble you for two matters. Please excuse us for thedisturbance. â
Jing Lan nodded with a smile: âPleasespeak.â
âThe first matter is thisnotice.â Zhou Chong Wen took out the official inauguration notice from hispocket and handed it over with both hands. Who knew whether it was from thecold or nervousness, but his fingers unexpectedly trembled, âI shouldâvedelivered it to you half a year ago, but because the journey is so long, I wasafraid that my subordinates would be negligent, so I wanted to deliver it inperson. However, the association had a lot of matters that needed to be settled,and I only recently gained some free time, Iâm deeply sorry. â
âAh âŠâ Jing Lan took it and glancedover it quickly, handing it to the guard behind him. âPatriarch Zhou isconsiderate.â
âThe second matter is my Shidi,âFrom beginning to end, Zhou Chong Wen never dared look directly at Jing Lan, movingto this topic, he turned his gaze to Bai Huo, âPresumably youâve already heardabout his disturbances in the human world. Although Bai Huo has half waterdragon lineage, he still belongs to my fire dragon clan. I need to take himback to ascertain the facts.â
Jing Lan looked at Bai Huo with a worriedexpression: âLittle Bai is still young, I hope that Patriarch Zhou will bea bit more lenient.â
Bai Huo didnât care to investigate thestrangeness between the two people, looking back at the little dragon cub, heforced a smile, then turned around with fake casualness, walking towards Zhou ChongWen: âLetâs go, Shige.â
The little dragon cub was already in tears,he moved forward two steps, but Jing Lan put a hand on his shoulder, stoppinghim.
Zhou Chong Wenâs gaze wandered between BaiHuo and the little dragon cub, hesitating, âThis child âŠâ
âIâll take care of himtemporarily.â Jing Lan smiled, raising his hand to gently touch the backof the little dragon cubâs head.
The little dragon cub stared as Bai Huo walkedaway, silently biting his lower lip, his tears rained down.
Zhou Chong Wenâs ears were frozen red, hegave Jing Lan a stiff salute and led his people back.
After walking about ten meters away, thegroup successively transformed into dragons, and flew into the sky. Bai Huostood in place, looking back at the little dragon cub with deep eyes.
âListen to your Shishu, okay?â BaiHuo yelled, his voice sounding particularly far away in the empty snowfield.
The little dragon cub finally couldnât suppressit, he broke free of Jing Lanâs hold and ran over the snow piles towards BaiHuo, crying loudly.
Bai Huo forced his quickly moistening eyesaway, and after a long howl, his dragon scales flashed and disappeared into thehorizon.
The little dragon cub continuously threwhimself into the air, plopping back into the snow.
Jing Lan couldnât bear to look, he slowlywalked over, reaching out to help him up, when the little dragon cub suddenly resolutelywiped away his tears, and climbed up, grabbing Jing Lanâs robe.
âJing Shishu, teach me.â Thelittle dragon cub looked up at the point where Bai Huo disappeared, tears in thecorners of his eyes, âI want to learn spells.â
Jing Lan looked amazed, a moment later, hesmiled: âGood.â
Deyun Society- China Wiki âDeyun is one of the most popular crosstalk theaters inBeijing. It is an ideal destination to enjoy crosstalk created by skilledcomedians.â
Shidi- JuniorMartial Brother
I was gonna be all cute and translate the firstchapter of the next volume so this wouldnât end on a sad note, but this chapteralone was 6k words, so forget that. Oh well, a time skip had to happen eventually,this is a BL after all. Hoped you guys enjoyed this volume, I always cry on thelast few pages. Iâm a big ole softie. Iâm taken a few days break so I can startfeeling my fingertips again. See you in VOL 3!!