The Dragon

Zhong Michu released Yi’er’s hand and gently patted her shoulder, “Mother needs to talk with Ah Man’s Mother. Go find Twenty-Three.”

Yi’er nodded obediently. Since Zhong Michu had taken her back to the Eastern Sea, Yi’er hadn’t seen Twenty-Three for a while. At her young age, she was always eager to play and hardly ever rested.

While searching for Twenty-Three, she noticed that Jiu Yao had already approached her first.

Jiu Yao studied Twenty-Three and asked, “Are you a mixed-blood from our clan?” He had heard that beside Gu Fuyou was a half-breed of the Azure Phoenix Clan. The Azure Phoenix Clan strictly prohibited marriage with humans, and mixed bloodlines had long disappeared. The sudden appearance of one had caught his attention.

“Which branch do you belong to?”

A general beside Jiu Yao spoke up authoritatively, “This is our clan leader. Show your respect and answer him.”

Twenty-Three gave him a brief glance, then bowed slightly to Jiu Yao, “To answer the Lord’s question, I’m a Shaoqing.”

Jiu Yao was shocked by her demeanor. Historically, mixed blood members of the Azure Phoenix Clan would be extremely cautious and hesitant around their pureblood counterparts. But Twenty-Three’s attitude was neither humble nor arrogant. He also noticed that she didn’t refer to him as clan leader but instead addressed him as “Lord,” indicating her possible subconscious refusal to recognize her Azure Phoenix identity.

“I heard you were brought out from Bailu City. Where are your parents?”

“My mother passed away long ago, and I don’t know where my father is.”

Jiu Yao deduced from her pause that her father must be a member of the clan. “Would you like to return to the clan to possibly find out where he is?”

Twenty-Three shook her head firmly, “Where he is doesn’t concern me.”

Seeing the determination in her eyes, Jiu Yao realized she wasn’t just speaking impulsively, which left him more confused. What Jiu Yao didn’t know was that had he met Twenty-Three earlier, he wouldn’t have been so surprised. She would’ve matched the image of mixed-blood individuals he had in mind.

But little did anyone know that Twenty-Three now served an independent-minded leader like Gu Fuyou and had the kind and generous Zhong Michu as her master.

She had come to realize that she wasn’t at fault for her existence. If anyone was to be blamed, it should be her father who knowingly broke the clan’s rules.

Life had broadened her horizons, and she stood tall and proud in the world.

The general was surprised by Jiu Yao’s tolerance towards a mixed-blood, and even more shocked when Twenty-Three firmly rejected Jiu Yao’s offer. With a protective stance, the general scolded, “How dare you speak to the clan leader like that!”

Yi’er frowned and placed her hands on her hips, “Why are you shouting so loudly!”

All three of them turned their attention to Yi’er. Upon seeing her, a smile spread across Twenty-Three’s face, “Senior Sister.” From initially hesitating to address her, she had now grown accustomed to calling her “Senior Sister.”

Yi’er marched up to Twenty-Three, even though she was shorter. With a commanding presence, she said in a childish tone to Jiu Yao, “When Twenty-Three was left in Bailu City, you didn’t care for her. Now, don’t think of interfering. She’s my mother’s disciple and belongs to my mother, Gu Fuyou. She has nothing to do with you anymore.”

Jiu Yao couldn’t help but chuckle at Yier’s spirited defense.

Yi’er took Twenty-Three’s hand, saying, “Twenty-Three, let’s go.” Scholar Zhai had given Twenty-Three a new name, and and many had started using it, but Yier still preferred calling her Twenty-Three, asserting her unique bond with her.

In a hushed tone, Yi’er said, “Let’s eavesdrop on my mother.”

Twenty-Three protested, “The sect leader and our master will be upset…” But deep down, she knew she couldn’t resist Yi’er’s persuasion and followed her lead.

As soon as Gu Fuyou and Zhong Michu entered the room, Gu Fuyou quickly turned around and embraced Zhong Michu, expressing, “I’ve missed you.”

Zhong Michu, sensing her agitated breath, gently patted her back as if to soothe, saying, “I’m back now.”

Gu Fuyou requested, “Let me hold you longer.”

Resting her head on Zhong Michu’s shoulder, she closed her eyes in contentment, “I don’t want to go out there anymore. Those people are too annoying. I’ll drive them away, then it’ll just be the two of us.”

Holding back her laughter, Zhong Michu said, “Today is the establishment of the sect, we can’t act so rashly.”

“Can’t I?” asked Gu Fuyou.

Zhong Michu’s gaze was soft but unyielding. “Even standing at such heights, you still can’t do whatever you wish.”

Rules and boundaries are everywhere, and they can be so frustrating.

Gu Fuyou huffed, “Now that I’m the Sect Leader, shouldn’t I do as I please?”

With a playful sparkle in her eyes, she quickly pulled Zhong Michu close for a kiss, whispering, “Not only am I going to be stubborn, but I’ll also drag you into it with me.”

After their lips parted, Gu Fuyou leaned back a bit, only for Zhong Michu to pull her in for another kiss.

From their hiding spot by the wall, Yi’er and Thirty-Three had been eavesdropping. Suddenly, a barrier descended within the room. Fearing they’d been discovered, the two quickly and discreetly made their exit.

On this day of the sect’s inauguration, ultimately, it was Scholar Zhai who took the lead in overseeing the proceedings.

After establishing the Fuyou Sect, Gu Fuyou initially thought she’d have more leisure time. Unexpectedly, her responsibilities only grew. Many freed slaves who became teachers and elders still sought her guidance for every matter, and she even took up teaching array formations herself, busier than before.

She kept Zhong Michu close, not permitting her to leave. She delegated half of her tasks to her, hoping the people under her would quickly grow competent enough to share her burdens and allow her to be a carefree leader.

Although Zhong Michu often gave in on many fronts, there were things she wouldn’t budge on. For instance, when it came to handling various tasks, she’d only agree to Gu Fuyou’s wishes if she played the zither every day to find her inner peace.

The zither, symbolizing restraint, was used to calm the mind and suppress the inherent nature of the dragon clan.

Initially, Ji Chaoling taught Zhong Michu to play the zither with the intention of clearing her mind and helping to suppress the nature of the Dragon Clan.

Gu Fuyou, previously tormented by hatred and later resonating with Zhuyan, was easily susceptible to demonic influences. Even though the current Gu Fuyou seems as bright as she once was, Zhong Michu is aware that this darkness is merely lurking, waiting for the right moment. That’s why she insists on Gu Fuyou playing the zither daily.

In her previous life, Gu Fuyou, not one to sit still, was even less inclined to now. She would skip practice, especially when Zhong Michu wasn’t around, and even grew to despise the zither, feeling it made Zhong Michu too detached.

One day, upon returning to her study, Zhong Michu found all seven strings of the zither snapped. She stood there staring at it, and after a long moment, sighed with resignation. She then decided to seek out Gu Fuyou.

Gu Fuyou, leaning on her headrest, was engrossed in official documents. Seeing Zhong Michu enter brought a smile to her face. But upon noticing the broken zither in Zhong Michu’s hands, her smile faded, and she pursed her lips.

Zhong Michu began, “These strings…”

Before she could finish, Gu Fuyou interrupted with feigned surprise, “Oh, how did the strings break?”

With a calm and collected demeanor, Zhong Michu just looked at her.

Gu Fuyou, trying to play innocent, said, “It must have been Ah Fu who scratched them with his claws.”

Zhong Michu remained calm, piercing through the pretense, “Ah Fu went back to the Eastern Sea with Yi’er and Twenty-Three.”

A forced smile appeared on Gu Fuyou’s face, “Maybe Ah Fu broke them before leaving…”

“Ah Man,” Zhong Michu chided, “I asked you to play the zither to calm the restlessness in your heart. This is not a trivial matter, and you should treat it with the seriousness it deserves.” She was always deeply concerned about Gu Fuyou’s well-being.

Upon hearing the stern tone in Zhong Michu’s voice, Gu Fuyou quickly became compliant. She approached and admitted her mistake, “I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad.”

“I promise I’ll practice on time, not to damage the zither, and to practice every day and night.”

Zhong Michu remained silent, unwilling to easily forgive her, knowing that otherwise, Gu Fuyou would never learn.

Seeing that her remorse had no effect, Gu Fuyou resorted to her secret weapon. She cradled Zhong Michu’s face, rubbing in front of her ears with her thumbs and stroking behind with her fingers.

This technique, which she had seen in a dream where Qing Jun was caressing a Dragon, had struck her as extremely useful. She had kept it in mind, waiting for a crucial moment like this, to save herself from trouble.

Initially, Zhong Michu’s expression was cold, but she couldn’t help but squint her eyes in pleasure as her dragon scales surfaced. Gu Fuyou went further, employing the technique while cooing softly, “Your Majesty, will you forgive me?”

Zhong Michu hummed softly without speaking, her eyes closed, revealing a hint of her true form.

Gu Fuyou’s smile deepened as she continued her efforts to appease the Dragon King.

When Yinhe and Xinghan arrived, Gu Fuyou was still seated at her desk, reviewing official documents, pen in one hand and the other moving subtly under the table.

The two greeted her with a nod, saying, “Sect Master Gu, we have come to escort Her Majesty back to the Eastern Sea. The old clan leader needs to discuss something with her.” They had visited Zhong Michu’s residence first but didn’t find her there. They assumed she might be with Gu Fuyou, and even if she wasn’t, Gu Fuyou would likely know where she was. So, they decided to approach Gu Fuyou directly.

Yinhe’s eyes drifted to Gu Fuyou’s writing hand. On her wrist was a trace of soft, fluffy whiteness, cloud-like and misty. One end wrapped around Gu Fuyou, while the other disappeared under the table, leaving Yinhe wondering about its nature.

He felt he recognized it, it was very familiar, and he squinted for a closer look.

Suddenly, Gu Fuyou patted beneath her, saying, “Grandpa is looking for you.”

The snowy whiteness around Gu Fuyou’s wrist loosened and slid away. Immediately afterward, Zhong Michu sat up from behind the desk. Only then did Yinhe and Xinghan realize that Zhong Michu had been lying on Gu Fuyou’s lap all this time.

With delayed understanding, Yinhe realized what had been wrapped around Gu Fuyou’s hand earlier. Even now, Zhong Michu’s form appeared as usual.

“What does the old clan leader need from me in the Eastern Sea?” Zhong Michu’s voice pulled Yinhe back from his thoughts. He glanced at Gu Fuyou before reporting, “The old clan leader has requested Your Majesty’s presence in the Eastern Sea…”

“…to discuss the marriage between Her Majesty and Sect Leader Gu.”