The Dragon

“Marriage? What’s there to discuss?” Gu Fuyou set down her pen and leaned her cheek on her hand. Right in front of Yinhe and Xinghan, she playfully slid a finger over Zhong Michu’s cheek, saying, “As long as the dowry is sufficient, I’m all yours to do as you please.”

Yinhe and Xinghan were left speechless.

Zhong Michu smiled gently, “So the gifts at the establishment of the sect weren’t enough.”

“At the very least, half of the Dragon Palace,” Gu Fuyou leaned in closer with a grin “And you, of course.”

Gu Fuyou, who had previously held back, couldn’t help but caress Zhong Michu’s ears and temples, enjoying the softness under her fingers. She watched as Zhong Michu’s body relaxed, and her strict demeanor softened under her touch, which only made Gu Fuyou happier. She thought of Zhong Michu as a clam, now without its protective shell, revealing a soft, fragrant essence

In a rush, Zhong Michu grabbed Gu Fuyou’s hand. Her eyes, half-open, revealed the Dragon scales at their corners. If this continued, even her Dragon horns might appear. She wasn’t accustomed to this unfamiliar sensation, finding it overwhelming. The sensations were too much for her to handle, even more so than when Qing Jun touched her, let alone Gu Fuyou.

“We should at least maintain some seriousness in front of our subordinates,” she softly reminded, “The Dragon Clan’s wedding rituals differ slightly from that of humans. The old clan leader probably wants to discuss the details with us.”

Gu Fuyou waved it off nonchalantly, “I’m fine with anything. After all, I’m all alone.”

Zhong Michu replied softly, “That won’t be the case in the future.”

Gu Fuyou smiled brightly and threw herself into Zhong Michu’s arms. “Whether I am or not depends on whether the Dragon Clan can afford the dowry.”

“Anything for you, I’ll give you everything.”

The Dragon Clan’s wedding was indeed different from that of humans. They didn’t invite outsiders. But because Zhong Michu’s partner was human, exceptions were made for individuals like Scholar Zhai and others to enter the Penglai Palace.

On the wedding day, all members of the Dragon Clan gathered. The couple had to walk a long path hand-in-hand for the clan members to recognize their clan leader and spouse, followed by blessings from the elders. The ceremony, simpler than human rituals, perfectly suited Gu Fuyou’s preferences.

The clan dressed Gu Fuyou in a bright red ceremonial dress. Even without makeup, she looked stunningly beautiful.

Feng Sui came to see her, having become an elder at the establishment of the sect. With the sect newly established and many affairs to handle, he had been unable to leave. Now, with the couple’s wedding, many sect affairs were managed by him and Scholar Zhai.

Upon seeing his expression, Gu Fuyou sensed something. She pressed her index finger to her red lips, signaling for silence, and cast a glance in Zhong Michu’s direction.

Feng Sui understood and approached to whisper, “Master, Du Pan couldn’t withstand the illusion of the Yan’er Bell and has died.”

Gu Fuyou’s red eyes flashed with a hint of mockery. “Half-dead, yet he lasted this long.”

Zhong Michu gestured to Gu Fuyou, who responded with a smile. Turning to Feng Sui, she said, “The last lifeline of the Zuo family has been severed. This is the best wedding gift for our big day.”

The couple joined hands as the doors opened. Auspicious clouds and celestial colors adorned the red carpet stretching to the long steps, with clan members lining both sides and Dragons soaring above

As they walked down the red carpet, the elders, and their children pushing through the crowd to the edge, bowing and extending their hands towards them.

Confused, Gu Fuyou leaned in as Zhong Michu whispered, “This is the clan asking for blessings from their elders. Simply brush over their palms.”

Finding the custom intriguing, Gu Fuyou mused, “Throughout my life, other than the person beside me, I’ve never considered myself particularly fortunate. Now, I’m the one giving blessings.” Though she had such thoughts, she delighted in the gesture, gracefully brushing past the outstretched hands.

Because of Yi’er, Twenty-Three and the others managed to secure good seats. They were still reeling from the sight of the Sect Leader and the Dragon King walking hand in hand just a few days ago.

Once, the idea of them being a couple seemed preposterous, but now they were genuinely married. While the Dragon Clan’s same-sex companionship wasn’t unusual, but for them, who were human, it felt as if the world had turned upside down, and day had swapped with night.

Yi’er, holding onto Twenty-Three, extended her hand towards the approaching couple and joyfully exclaimed, “Mother, Ah Man Mother!”

The two responded with smiling eyes, brushing past Yi’er and Twenty-Three’s hands.

Seven, Sixteen, and Liu Nian were shocked. In the past, they never thought twice about Yi’er calling them “Mother” and “Ah Man Mother,” but now the meaning seemed all too clear.

Feng Sui crossed his arms, sighing softly.

As Zhong Michu and Gu Fuyou entered the temple, Di Jun stood there with his chin raised. He glanced at Zhong Michu, then at Gu Fuyou, and despite the joyous occasion, he seemed less than thrilled. “Zhong Michu, Gu Fuyou.” he intoned solemnly. “May your union be eternal, and your commitment lifelong.”

The couple stood still, but Di Jun’s expression darkened, “Come forward!”

Zhong Michu hesitated for a moment, then, holding Gu Fuyou’s hand, stepped forward. Initially, they didn’t move because they expected more to the wedding vow. But as Zhong Michu thought about it, she chuckled lightly. After all, what was the point of the following lines about ‘eternal and lifelong’?

Di Jun pressed his finger on their foreheads. Gu Fuyou flinched slightly from the force, leaving a red mark on her forehead.

Rubbing her forehead, Gu Fuyou joined her palms with Zhong Michu. Zhong Michu vowed, “In this life and the next.”

Gu Fuyou responded, “For all eternity.”

Zhong Michu wrapped her arms around Gu Fuyou’s waist and rested her forehead against hers. The smile on her face was pure, like sunlight piercing through the clouds.

Now, Gu Fuyou was her rightfully wedded queen.

Nothing and no one could take her away again.

…

Time flows and seasons change.

For immortals, years passed like moments, but for mortals, they marked a lifetime.

Seventy years, for a cultivator, it’s but a fleeting moment; for ordinary people, it’s a lifetime.

The saplings of the past have grown into towering trees.

“Excuse me, traveler ahead, could you please wait?”

The man paused and looked back.

Another approached, asking, “Is this the teleportation formation to the Fuyou Sect?”

The first man nodded, assessing the other, “Are you also rushing to join the Fuyou Sect and become a disciple?”

The other man replied with a mix of amusement and exasperation, “I wish it were so simple. My city is in chaos, and our teleportation formation was destroyed. I’ve arrived late and fear I may have missed my chance…”

“People say the Fuyou Sect is now thriving…”

Who could have imagined this just seventy years ago?

When this sect first started, for their second batch of disciples, they even demanded spirit stones as an entrance fee. In the annals of history, when has one ever had to pay to join a sect? Normally, the sect should be providing resources to the disciples.

This unconventional approach led many to ridicule the sect.

Yet, their leader defended the policy with conviction, claiming, “We teach the true essence of cultivation, the essence of various training experiences, and unique magical methods. What we offer is unparalleled and unique in the world. Charging you two spirit stones is actually a bargain for the virtue and knowledge you’ll gain!”

Additionally, this sect was set up within a city. Although it wasn’t rare for sects to be located in cities, what made the Fuyou Sect unique was its blend of cultivators and ordinary citizens, where the celestial and the mundane coexist, was unheard of.

It’s said that behind the inner sect is a noisy street bustling with clothes shops, breweries, tea houses, gambling dens, and snack vendors, showcasing the full spectrum of ordinary life.

It’s commonly believed that cultivators should distance themselves from worldly desires. Yet, the Fuyou Sect chose to immerse itself in such an environment. How can they cultivate purity amidst such worldly temptations?

Seventy years ago, probably no one had faith in the Fuyou Sect. Many believed Gu Fuyou was not fit to be a Sect Leader, thinking she was just a child playing games.

Who would dare to say that now?

The practice of collecting spirit stones for joining the sect is now seen as visionary and forward-thinking, their establishment in a city seems a clever blending of the spiritual with the mundane.

The number of disciples grows year by year, and as for why they join…

Suddenly, as the two men were standing on the formation, there was a deafening explosion. They were momentarily stunned, only to see the eastern corner of the southern tower damaged, with smoke and a brilliance brighter than noonday sun.

Both men were astonished.

“The resentment from the sects and noble families of Beizhou, Dongzhou, and Xizhou continents has been accumulating…”

“Yes, in recent years, things have gotten worse due to the Four Immortals Sect’s deception involving Zhuyan. The chaos in the city where my brother resides is a result of this.”

“Who would have thought that the three continents, which once suppressed the Nanzhou, are now being surpassed by it?”

“It’s not too far off, that day will come soon, sigh…”

The Four Continents are controlled by the Four Immortal Sects. Under their dominant power, the principle of survival of the fittest is followed, where one’s innate talent determines their worth and their level of cultivation determines their status. In such a world, people are easily led astray by fame and profit.

Across the five continents and four oceans, the world feels stagnant, like a still pool of water. The only goal people see in their hearts is to become immortals.

Striving to become immortal, ascending is seen as the ultimate path, and anything not beneficial to becoming immortal is considered heretical and trivial.

In the long river of time,  there have been unique individuals attempting to change this, but they often disappear as quickly as they appear. This stagnant pool has never bubbled and shone as brightly as it does today.

Gu Fuyou stood in the center of the square, under the blazing sun, holding a scroll in her hands. A man named Feng Sui stands behind her, hands clasped, eyebrows furrowed, watching her intently. Behind Feng Sui stood many disciples, looking at her with longing and admiration, swallowing nervously, not daring to speak loudly.

As Gu Fuyou opened the scroll, and with a flash of spiritual light, the formation floated in the air. In the blink of an eye, she turned into a phantom and disappeared to an unknown location. Once the formation vanished, if it weren’t for her fellow disciples still there, it would have seemed like a dream.

After a long pause, a disciple asks, “Elder, has our Sect Leader…”

“…Succeeded?”

“She must have.”

“But where could she have been transported to?”

“She probably ended up somewhere within the city at another teleportation formation,” the disciples start to chatter amongst themselves.

Just as Feng Sui is about to search for her, a cloud descends from the sky. As it reaches the ground, Zhong Michu waves her sleeve, and the cloud dissipates.

Feng Sui and the other disciples greet her, “Your Majesty.”

Zhong Michu surveys the plaza and then Feng Sui informs her, “The Sect Leader was testing the teleportation scroll just now. She should still be in the city. I will send someone to look for her.”

Zhong Michu closed her eyes, and her spiritual power surged to a point in her forehead, like her soul leaving her body, floating to the heavens, overlooking the earth. Within a hundred miles, she scrutinized every detail, every object, everything within her sight.

Upon opening her eyes, she gestures to stop Feng Sui and says, “There’s no need, I know where she is.”

The teleportation scroll was successful, but it connected to an unused, straw-filled teleportation formation. Gu Fuyou fell into it, rolling and getting covered in dust, but she was very happy.

She held up the scroll, made of weathered leather that had faded to a dull yellow. used to be a pattern in the center, which disappeared after the formation was activated. This scroll works like a talisman, only good for a single use.

Her original intention was to inscribe the teleportation formation onto a talisman, but the talisman was too small to hold it. Hence, she came up with this scroll.

A hand reached down from above, gently picking out the dried grass tangled in her hair.

Gu Fuyou rolled over and looked towards the figure against the light, her eyes lighting up, “You’ve come out of seclusion!”

Zhong Michu smiled softly at her, “Yes.”

Gu Fuyou stood up from the pile of hay and threw her arms around Zhong Michu’s neck. Zhong Michu wrapped her arms around Gu’s waist and lifted her up.

Holding Zhong Michu tightly, the excitement was evident in Gu Fuyou’s voice, “I was just thinking of you, just wanting to see you. My clan leader, my queen, the teleportation scroll worked!”

She spread out the now-empty scroll for Zhong Michu to see, “Take a look.”

“Thanks to Zihuan’s book, now with this scroll, we can return to the city instantly from anywhere in the world.” Le Zihuan, greatly benefiting from the support and mentoring of the two, has already categorized half of the world’s spiritual items. This accomplishment alone saved Gu Fuyou considerable time in research, thereby simplifying the creation of the scroll.

To help others is to be forever helped in return.

Zhong Michu shared in Gu Fuyou’s joy. Gu Fuyou pinched her ear, “How did you know I was here?”

Zhong Michu tilted her head slightly, freeing her ear, I had a realization during my seclusion.”

“A realization?”

“By concentrating spiritual power on the five senses and spreading it out, it’s like merging consciousness with the universe. You can see the minutest details clearly and hear even the subtle sound of a flower blooming.”

“How far can you sense?”

“Just a hundred miles, but…”

“But?” Gu Fuyou pressed.

Zhong Michu’s eyes twinkled, speaking softly, “In the future, it could be a thousand miles, ten thousand miles. Once the whole world is within my sight, even if you’re at the ends of the earth, I will find you.”

Seeing this, Gu Fuyou was elated, “I want to learn too, teach me.”

“The Dragon Clan has naturally sharp senses. Realizing this path came easily to me…”

“I don’t care if it’s slow.” Gu Fuyou squeezed Zhong Michu’s cheeks, showing her playful fangs, “Once I can extend my vision to the ends of the earth, I’ll keep an eye on you every day. If you ever do anything to wrong me in the future, I’ll scrape off your dragon scales.”

Zhong Michu chuckled, her eyes softening even more, “Alright.”

The two returned to their sect, and in this Xiaoyao City, both cultivators and commoners coexisted. Everyone recognized the pair, and as they walked, calls of “Sect Leader” and “Your Majesty” were endless.

They always arrived empty-handed but would leave with gifts in tow. The commoners knew that their Sect Leader retained simple tastes and enjoyed good food and new wine. They would offer her various curiosities and delicacies as tokens of their admiration and love.

When they reached the inner sect, a group of fishermen had just returned. Holding their fishing nets, one barefooted young boy waved and called out, “Sect Leader, Your Majesty.”

He then turned to his companion and said, “San Yizi, bring a basket of fish!”

After grabbing the basket, the boy rushed towards the two with a rosy face, “Sect Master, here’s some fresh fish, just caught from the water.”

Gu Fuyou, without any pretense, took the basket to have a look, raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Quite plump. How’s the catch this year?”

The young boy grinned, revealing a row of white teeth, “Thanks to Your Majesty’s blessings, the weather’s been good, and the fish are plump.”

“That’s good.”

Watching the fishermen walk away, they stood at the steps, with the former city lord’s mansion, now the inner sect, behind them – a witness to a hundred years of change and prosperity.

Gu Fuyou suddenly felt a pang of emotion. Zhong Michu said, “They adore you.”

Caught off guard, with a lump in her throat and overwhelmed with emotion, it took her a while to finally respond, “Yes, they do adore me.”

Gu Qi hurriedly approached them. Upon seeing the two, he sighed in relief, but his expression remained anxious. He greeted, “Sect Leader, Your Majesty.”

The two turned to him, noticing his distraught appearance, and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Gu Qi replied, “Scholar Zhai, she…”

Gu Fuyou’s face stiffened.

Human lifespans are limited. A mere century can be considered a full and accomplished life.

In the sunlit study, warm light filtered through the gaps in the ginkgo leaves, falling on Scholar Zhai’s silver hair, fluttering in the wind. She closed her book, too weary to move, and looking at the two beside her, she said with a smile, “Seventy years, and you two haven’t changed a bit. What’s the fun in that?”

Gu Fuyou playfully retorted, “Like you with your head full of silver hair, sagging skin, looking like a wrinkled melon, that’s interesting?”

Scholar Zhai chuckled, placing the book on her chest, “I’m moving on to my next life. The beauty of human life lies in its ever-changing nature. We’ll meet again in another time and place.”

Gu Fuyou responded, “Go on then. Who else has the fortune of having the Qing Emperor and the Dragon King see them off? Your next life is bound to be filled with prosperity, perhaps even becoming a revered minister or king.”

After a long pause, there was no reply. Scholar Zhai had closed her eyes, a hint of a smile still on her lips.

Gu Fuyou sighed deeply, staring at her for a long while. Gently, she retrieved the book from Scholar Zhai’s embrace and placed it on the desk.

Zhong Michu softly called out, “Ah Man…”

Gu Fuyou turned around and hugged her tightly, murmuring, “Hold me.”

Zhong Michu wrapped her arms around her, holding her close.

They held each other closely.

On the desk lay a ‘New Interpretations of Array Formations,’ its pages yellowed with age. A gentle breeze blew open the cover, revealing two lines of lingering ink words.

——Gu Fuyou’s wish: Life may be fleeting, but the name lasts through the ages. With the magic of formations, we rise to new heights.

——Zhong Michu’s wish: To be with you for the rest of my life, to witness your eternal legacy. Where there is a beginning, there can also be an end.

The end.