Chapter Forty-Nine: Turmoil Before the City

“Blood Soul Mark?” Yan Chen muttered, furrowing his brow. Then, as if gazing upon some strange creature, he looked at Ye Zihan before finally sighing deeply. “Comparisons truly are odious. The Blood Soul Mark is one of the ancient contracts. Those who bind with it—man or beast—are equals, sharing life and death as one.”

Ye Zihan nodded in surprise. “Yan Chen, how do you know so much about these things?”

“I loved reading since childhood, so I’ve learned much about the events of the continent.” Speaking of his own vast knowledge, Yan Chen brimmed with confidence and felt a secret delight, finally gaining the upper hand, if only a little.

“Mo You? Is that your name?” Ye Zihan ignored Yan Chen and turned to the young dragon with scales glistening coldly.

The fledgling dragon nodded, speaking more fluently than before, though its voice was still as tender as that of a three- or four-year-old child. “Yes, Brother Zihan.”

Seeing himself utterly ignored by the boy and the dragon, Yan Chen felt stifled, unable to find words. He had hoped to show off his erudition, only to be so slighted—how unfair!

After a while longer in conversation, the two and the dragon decided to travel and train together.

Little Mo You had sought out Ye Zihan in the first place and was naturally unwilling to venture alone any longer. “Wonderful! From now on, I can train with Brother Zihan and grow stronger together.”

Ye Zihan was equally delighted. From the moment he met the young dragon, a subconscious sense of kinship welled up in his heart. Hearing its childish voice, he treated it as he would a younger brother.

“Let’s go catch two Fire Serpents and return to complete our task and claim our reward,” Ye Zihan said. No sooner had he spoken than Mo You darted off, returning in no time at all, two Fire Serpents gripped in his claws like an eagle snatching chicks.

The serpents hung limp in the dragon’s grasp, their snake eyes wide with unmistakable terror.

Among beasts, they too could sense the oppressive aura of a higher creature. Moreover, Mo You was a Thousand-Phantom Blood Dragon, an exceedingly rare ancient breed, revered by all lesser beasts.

Ye Zihan and Yan Chen had not expected it to be so simple. They had caught two Fire Serpents without the slightest trouble. The trio set off for Qinghe City.

By the time they returned, the sun was setting. Ye Xiang was dead, and Ye Zihan felt an indescribable sense of relief. Scenes of past humiliation at Ye Xiang’s hands flashed through his mind, and settling the score today felt like long-awaited justice.

Even though they shared the same blood, were brothers by birth, Ye Zihan had shown no mercy to one who sought his life; there was no affection left to speak of.

“What… what is that?” Suddenly, a startled cry shook the trio.

“A dragon… It’s a dragon…”

“How could this be? How could such a noble beast appear in a place like this?”

“Incredible… In my lifetime, I’ve actually seen a dragon…”

At the city gates, astonished exclamations rang out. The news spread like wildfire—within the time it took to drink a cup of tea, it had reached half of Qinghe City. More and more people, both ordinary folk and cultivators, flocked to see for themselves.

Ye Zihan and Yan Chen’s jaws dropped wide enough to fit an egg. Rubbing their eyes, they realized the crowd was real, the uproar caused by the appearance of a legendary dragon nearly unimaginable.

“I… I’ve actually seen a dragon…” Some onlookers were so overwhelmed they laughed and wept by turns, bordering on madness.

Yet no one scolded them, for everyone felt the same shock. Were it not for their sanity, they too would have shouted aloud. It was simply too unbelievable—the legendary dragon had appeared before their eyes.

Mo You, surrounded by all those eyes, began breathing rapidly, growing agitated and on the verge of anger.

Ye Zihan quickly reached out to stroke the dragon’s head; this gesture drew gasps from the crowd.

“He… he’s actually petting the legendary dragon…”

“Could it be… Could it be that he and the dragon are companions?”

“This youth—so young—walking side by side with a Thousand-Phantom Blood Dragon? Perhaps his ancestors had ties to the dragon race…” Some cultivators had already recognized the rare breed.

Ye Zihan and Yan Chen exchanged helpless looks. Together with the dragon, they made their way into the city. The crowds pressed in on all sides, but curiously, parted to let them pass.

Many cultivators eyed them with envy, but none dared make a move. A youth traveling with a dragon could not have a simple background. To provoke them would spell disaster. Those with ill intentions quickly suppressed their thoughts.

Back at the inn, the trio dashed into their room as if fleeing a plague, locking the door behind them before finally relaxing.

The constant pointing and whispering along the way had felt so strange, as if insects were crawling all over them.

“Tell me, little Mo You, do you dragons have any secret arts for changing your form? You’re too conspicuous. This won’t just shake Qinghe City; it’ll startle every nearby town as well.” Yan Chen’s words were no exaggeration—the news was spreading at an unimaginable rate.

Ye Zihan nodded in agreement.

Mo You let out a low dragon’s hum and, without another word, performed a dragon clan secret art. Soon, he transformed into a miniature version of his true self, no bigger than the palm of Ye Zihan’s hand.

“Amazing… As expected of an ancient breed, to possess such a secret art to alter one’s size.” Yan Chen’s admiration was genuine, his eyes full of envy.

Mo You raised his head proudly. “Of course. I am a truly rare Thousand-Phantom Blood Dragon.”

Ye Zihan chuckled at the sight. Though the voice was of a five- or six-year-old, the tone was full of aged self-importance—a real character, through and through.

Yan Chen’s mind spun. He stepped forward, his eyes glinting with greed. “Tell me, little Mo You, do you have a younger brother? Or a sister would do—or even another dragon you know… Look at me, all alone, so lonely. Why don’t you introduce me to a dragon girl, hmm?”

Ye Zihan, in the midst of drinking water, spat it all over Yan Chen, then burst out laughing. Yan Chen’s idea was truly unique—through the ages, only matchmakers introduced men to women, never dragons to dragons.

Whether Mo You was joking or not, he raised his head and declared, “That’s no problem, as long as…”

“As long as what?” Yan Chen asked eagerly, full of hope.

“As long as you call me ‘Brother Mo You’ whenever you see me, call Brother Zihan ‘Boss,’ and…” Mo You’s eyes locked onto his would-be supplicant.

Yan Chen looked troubled; this was a matter of dignity. In the end, he gave up. He’d only been joking in his excitement, and he realized Mo You was only teasing him in return.

Night fell quietly, but Qinghe City remained lively. People excitedly discussed seeing the legendary dragon, those who had witnessed it describing the beast to those who hadn’t, embellishing its size and majesty with every retelling.

“So this is the inn where the young man and the Thousand-Phantom Blood Dragon are staying?” Curious onlookers continued to gather, soon crowding the inn until it was packed full. Business boomed; the innkeeper and his staff grinned from ear to ear.

“Heaven must be smiling on me, to send such a money tree to stay at my inn…” the innkeeper prayed fervently under the beautiful night sky in the backyard.

Inside their room, the two young men and the dragon peered through the paper window at the scene outside. Ye Zihan shook his head helplessly. “This is trouble. Leaving now will be no easy task.”

Yan Chen pondered, then said, “Our only option is a disguise. I once learned the art from a traveling performer. Since it’s night, we should be able to slip past them.”

No sooner said than done. After a flurry of preparations, the two boys transformed into middle-aged men, each sporting a thick beard.

They slipped out through another room, blending with the crowd and making their way toward the Guild.

All this while, they’d wanted to hand in their completed task, but the crowds had made it impossible. Luckily, Mo You’s secret art allowed him to shrink down and curl up peacefully in Ye Zihan’s arms.

The Guild was open day and night. After submitting their task, the two received a reward of five hundred taels. Without a thought of returning to the inn, they left the city behind. The feeling of being stared at and whispered about was deeply unpleasant.

“This world truly is insane…” Yan Chen gasped after they’d run several miles.

Ye Zihan’s heart still raced. Killing a man was nothing to him, but being gawked at by so many was truly unsettling.

“Zihan, where are we heading next?” Yan Chen asked, once he’d caught his breath.

“To… to help me seek vengeance…” Mo You suddenly stirred awake in Ye Zihan’s arms.

“Vengeance? Who would dare wrong you?”

“The dragon clan.”

“…”

“My mother was wronged by a villain, forced out of the dragon clan, and has lived in sorrow ever since. I must seek revenge and kill that person.” Mo You’s childish voice was firm with resolve.

Ye Zihan nodded slightly. The human and the dragon, as if of one mind, instantly understood each other’s thoughts.

Seeing Ye Zihan nod, Yan Chen shouted, “You’re not seriously agreeing to go to the dragon clan for this little fellow’s revenge, are you?”