The Dragon

Protection in Dragon Form

High in the sky and vast across the land, the birds sang longingly in the blue sky. In the blink of an eye, Gu Fuyou and her companions found themselves in a place with a narrow mountain path, bordered only by a few clumps of withered grass, and the ground covered with fine gravel. When the wind blew, the yellow sand blurred their vision.

The four of them were unsure of their location. Were they still in Nanzhou? If so, how far were they from Xuan Miao Sect? Having narrowly escaped death, they dared not let their guard down. Liu Guizhen spoke the three of them, then flew upwards on his sword to scout the surrounding area.

Gu Fuyou stood and walked to the edge of the mountain path, gazing into the distance. The sun was setting in the west. Xiaoyao City was near Dongzhou; she wondered if they had crossed it. She needed to hurry back; the Xu Ling Sect wouldn’t spare Xiaoyao City. She had to warn her father and brother.

In the past, she had defiantly declared to her father that if the Xu Ling Sect attacked, they would fight back. But after witnessing the confrontations at Xuan Miao Sect and the fate of Yunran and Ji Zhaoling, she felt fear. It wasn’t death she feared, but the thought of her Xiaoyao City, her home, crumbling like the main peak of Jingdu Mountain, and her friends and family becoming ashes, disappearing without a trace.

She thought to herself that she must hurry back. Even if she died and became ashes, at least she would be together with her loved ones.

This thought made her particularly anxious and restless, not knowing where they were, thinking only of returning to Xiaoyao City. She took a step to descend the mountain, but as she turned around, someone fell before her. Luckily, Dongli was quick to support them.

Gu Fuyou’s heart tightened: “Zhong Michu!” She touched Zhong Michu’s cheek, feeling its burning heat. Normally, Zhong Michu’s skin was cool, but now it was as if she had a fever. It was like cold water suddenly boiling. Anxiously, Gu Fuyou asked, “What’s wrong with her? Why is she so hot?”

Dongli, looking worried, responded, “The magical artifact that injured her is fire-attributed. The constant stress, emotional strain, and her forceful use of spiritual power for summoning have aggravated her condition. If her temperature doesn’t decrease, it could lead to grave complications.”

“What can we do?”

“I have a method, but I don’t have the necessary herbs.”

“Which herbs?”

“Tongxin Grass, Bingxin Grass, and Luoshui Fuquan Flower.”

Gu Fuyou quickly rummaged through her storage bag and managed to find Tongxin Grass and Bingxin Grass. She had Luoshui Fuquan Flower, but it was processed into a pill. Handing them all to Dongli, she inquired, “Will the pill work?”

Dongli shook his head, “Once a spiritual herb is turned into a pill, its medicinal properties alter slightly. Plus, I can’t determine the precise dosage.”

Gu Fuyou sighed in frustration. Originally, she had all these high-quality herbs, which she had brought from Xian Luo. Back then, everything seemed fine and she hadn’t thought too far ahead. Caught up in her excitement, she had mostly handed them over to Si Miao for pill making. Who would’ve thought that a day would come when she’d need the raw herbs rather than the pills?

Zhong Michu’s cheeks showed a sickly red color, her breathing uneven. Although her eyes were closed, her brows were tightly knit, indicating great pain. Gu Fuyou looked down at her, torn between concern for Xiaoyao City and Zhong Michu. Suddenly, her pouch moved, and Ah Fu, the spirit pet, crawled out, snuggled next to Zhong Michu, sniffed her, then looked back at Gu Fuyou.

Whether it was because Ah Fu had been with Zhong Michu since birth or due to its inherently spirited nature and high-quality bloodline, Ah Fu wasn’t particularly fearful of Zhong Michu.

Soon after, Liu Guizhen returned, informing them that they were still in Nanzhou, near the outskirts of a small city affiliated with Bailu City. Dongli suggested, “Since there’s a city nearby, there might be a place to trade spiritual medicine. We should go and see if they have Luoshui Fuquan Flower.”

Liu Guizhen, unaware of the reason, was filled in by Dongli. He thoughtfully said, “That area is under the Zuo family’s control; it could be dangerous. Perhaps we can find the herb in the major spiritual mountains, but we must avoid the Zuo family’s people.” Liu Guizhen’s reasoning was sound; having just escaped the net, entering the Zuo family’s territory would be like jumping into another trap. Moreover, they lacked the protection of their elders in Xuan Miao Sect, where even with such protection, their escape had been risky. Now, just the four of them venturing into another’s domain would be extremely dangerous.

Dongli added, “That’s true, but searching the spiritual mountains and avoiding the Zuo family would take more than a day or two, and I fear Michu’s injuries won’t hold out that long.”

Gu Fuyou said, “Let’s go to the city.” Both turned to her as she continued, “The Zuo family’s sudden attack means most of their people are still in Xuan Miao Sect. Maybe the news of our escape hasn’t spread outside yet. We can sneak into the city, get the herbs, and leave. Even if they hear about our escape, they’d think we’re hiding in the mountains and wouldn’t dare enter the city. Their main force will search the mountains, making the city comparatively safer.”

Dongli nodded, “You have a point.”

After discussing, they decided on the plan. Gu Fuyou pulled out a face-changing mask she had bought from the Wandering Market. It’s a clever little device that alters the wearer’s appearance. Although it’s not perfect and might be noticed upon close inspection, especially by those with high cultivation, it was still better than nothing. They put on the masks, immediately assuming entirely new faces.

Dongli wanted to leave Zhong Michu behind with someone to take care of her, reasoning that if something happened in the city, not everyone would be caught, and transporting someone with severe injuries would draw too much attention. Additionally, if they left the city unscathed, the Zuo family might be able to track them down later.

However, Gu Fuyou believed that if they can’t retrieve the medicine, Zhong Michu won’t survive long anyway. If they all go together, there’s an extra pair of hands, and they can look out for each other. Dongli responded, “But with her, we will attract attention.”

After a moment of thought, Gu Fuyou said, “What if…”

Dongli asked, “What if what?”

“Let Senior Sister Zhong change back into her Dragon form.”

Liu Guizhen looked surprised, and upon noticing this, both Gu Fuyou and Dongli glanced at him and sighed. Unaware of Zhong Michu’s true identity, Liu Guizhen had been kept in the dark, but now, having faced life-and-death situations together, they saw no need to keep secrets, realizing that sharing this information might prevent future misunderstandings.

Gu Fuyou said, “If she becomes smaller, we can carry her with us, which will be both safe and reassuring.”

Dongli sighed, “Given her current state, even if she wants to, she might not have the strength.” Though Gu Fuyou had stabilized Zhong Michu’s condition for the time being, even if Zhong Michu could understand them, her body might not respond to her own intentions.

Gu Fuyou kneeled beside Zhong Michu,falling silent for a moment before saying, “I’ll give it a try.” She licked her lips, seemingly nervous, took a gentle breath and called out, “Nanzhu Jun.”

Understanding Gu Fuyou’s intent, Dongli nodded.

Gu Fuyou instructed, “Transform into your Dragon form.” She utilized the power of the pact; as long as the spiritual beast comprehends the command, its body will instinctively react. She had once promised Zhong Michu not to use the pact to force her into doing anything, swearing dire consequences upon herself if she broke the promise. But now, her only concern was to heal Zhong Michu’s injuries swiftly. Whatever method is the most convenient and safest, she’ll use it. The consequences of breaking the pact or any previous promises were no longer her concern.

Gu Fuyou had never tried this before and was uncertain of the outcome. She stared intently at Zhong Michu. After a short while, a mist began to form around her. As the mist grew denser, it turned milky white, resembling a puff of cloud. When the mist dissipated, a White Dragon lay coiled on the mountain path.

The size of the Dragon was almost the same as when it had carried them in the canyon, presumably its usual size. Seeing this, Liu Guizhen couldn’t help but step back, exclaiming, “Senior Sister Zhong is really of the Dragon Clan? How is it possible…” Dongli nodded in confirmation. Taking a pause, he decided not to press further; he wasn’t the type to pry, and he knew that now wasn’t the time for such inquiries.

With Zhong Michu transforming into her Dragon form, she found the mountain path rather narrow. The Dragon’s head drooped over the edge, gently sliding down the cliff. Gu Fuyou quickly hugged the Dragon, urging, “Nanzhu Jun, you’re too big, become smaller.” Soon after her words, a white mist emerged from the Dragon, causing it to shrink slightly.

“Smaller, even smaller.”

It continued to shrink until it was the size of a small snake, about an inch long, which Gu Fuyou could hold in both hands.

Liu Guizhen was speechless.

Dongli, witnessing Zhong Michu’s dragon form for the first time, especially transforming into such a small creature, was also speechless.

Gu Fuyou placed the miniaturized White Dragon into her pouch and asked Ah Fu to shrink down and watch over it. Then, she and the others flew on their swords towards the small city.

Upon reaching the city gates and looking up, they realized it was Xiao City. The Xiao family, which ran the city and was allied with the Zuo family, mainly handled minor affairs since they couldn’t make major decisions independently. At that moment, the city gates were not yet under martial law, suggesting the news of their escape hadn’t reached there. The three quickly entered the city to search for the Luoshui Fuquan Flower.

They split up to cover more ground. Being a small city, its resources were not as abundant as those in larger places like Wantong City. After much effort, they managed to find the needed herbs and were leaving the city by sunset.

As they met up, they sensed some disturbance in the streets. Approaching the city gates, they saw some cultivators from the Zuo family, accompanied by a young man. Gu Fuyou found him vaguely familiar. After a closer look, she recognized him. He was Xiao Zhongting, the same man who had been bullied by the Zuo family outside the gates of Xian Luo.

They passed the guarded gates but were stopped shortly after by someone yelling, “Stop!”

The three turned around, tense. The Zuo family cultivator announced, “The city is under martial law. All travelers must be thoroughly inspected.”

The cultivator gestured, and the city guards approached to search them. The three held their breath, wondering if this was due to the news of their escape and prepared themselves for any sudden movement.

Xiao Zhongting intervened, “Wait.” He bowed slightly to the cultivator and said indifferently, “Sir, these three are not the disciples from Xuan Miao Sect you mentioned. I carefully inspected them when they entered the city. They’re just ordinary travelers. Let them go. We should focus on searching for those four within the city.”

They hadn’t seen Xiao Zhongting when they entered the city; he was clearly lying to help them. Knowing this, they relaxed slightly, ready to react if necessary.

The Zuo family cultivator didn’t respond, so Xiao Zhongting gestured to the city guards to search them. Receiving signals from their young lord, the guards superficially checked their belongings and then stepped back.

The cultivator then said, “Unrelated individuals, leave quickly.”

The three hurried out of the city. As they left, Gu Fuyou looked back at Xiao Zhongting and noticed he was also watching her. Feeling a sudden jump in her heart, fearing he might have recognized something, she quickened her pace and left swiftly.

Once outside the city walls, they mounted Dongli’s spiritual sword and headed east. Only after traveling a considerable distance did they feel safe to breathe. They returned to a familiar remote mountain, finding a cave to rest. Liu Guizhen gathered wood for a fire, while Gu Fuyou asked Zhong Michu to transform back into her human form so Dongli could treat her wounds. Zhong Michu’s injuries were severe and wouldn’t heal overnight, but at least her fever subsided.

After busying themselves, night had completely fallen. Throughout the day, they had experienced so many life-and-death situations that they all felt somewhat dazed and utterly exhausted.

They discussed their next moves. If even a small place like Xiao City had people searching for them, other areas would likely be no safer If the entire Nanzhou was under martial law, their movement would be extremely restricted, let alone gather their fellow disciples scattered outside , and they had no clue about the whereabouts of Guardian Yi Yuan, nor did they know where to seek his justice.

Now, they faced two choices: either head to Xiaoyao City to enlist Gu Wanpeng’s aid and gather the Xuan Miao Sect disciples or travel to another continent to appeal for justice from the three other sect leaders. Heading northeast from Xiao City would take them to Dongzhou, while southeast would lead to Xiaoyao City, with these three destinations forming a triangle.

Gu Fuyou, concerned about Xiaoyao City, had already been restless. Now, she firmly decided to return to Xiaoyao City. Even if Dongli and the others wanted to go elsewhere, she was determined to visit Xiaoyao City first for peace of mind. Dongli said, “Then let’s go together. First, to warn City Lord Gu of Xiaoyao City to prepare defenses, and second, to have a base for recalling the Xuan Miao Sect disciples. This will also bolster Xiaoyao City’s manpower. Surely, helping each other in this way is the better option.”

Hearing this, Gu Fuyou nodded vigorously. She had been worried about parting ways if they disagreed, unsure if she could safely reach Xiaoyao City alone. Liu Guizhen also felt this was the right course of action, and seeing both of them in agreement, he had no objections.

Having made their decision, they rested for the night. The next day, Gu Fuyou had Zhong Michu remain in her Dragon form, hidden in her pouch. She, along with Dongli, chose a route through the wilderness and set off southeast.