Three days passed as they remained in place. Er Sheng watched with joy as the wounds on Long Yuan’s back gradually healed. However, when she opened her eyes on the fourth morning, she found herself lying in a pile of grass, with Da Hei nowhere to be seen.
Er Sheng immediately jolted awake, standing up to look around for any sign of Da Hei.
Today, Hui Long Valley was shrouded in mist. The thick fog that enveloped heaven and earth obscured Er Sheng’s vision. She called out for Da Hei twice, but her voice disappeared into the vast mist without even an echo returning.
Er Sheng felt a flutter of anxiety, as if she were the only person left between heaven and earth.
Suddenly, light footsteps emerged from not far away, particularly jarring in the silent mist. Er Sheng listened intently, realizing the sound was drawing closer to her. A hint of wariness rose in her heart, though it was overshadowed by anticipation.
The person’s silhouette gradually emerged from the mist. Before Er Sheng could clearly make out their features, she shot forward like an arrow, throwing herself at them and nuzzling wildly: “Long Yuan! Long Yuan!”
The figure dressed in black was indeed Long Yuan, who had returned to human form.
Seeing Er Sheng rubbing against him this way, Long Yuan stiffened momentarily. After the previous “body-wiping” incident, he couldn’t help feeling somewhat awkward about Er Sheng’s intimacy. However, feeling her slightly trembling body, he hesitated for a moment before finally placing his hand on her head, patting it gently in a gesture both comforting and affectionate.
“Where did you go? When I woke up, I was here with a big black snake sleeping beside me. I thought it had eaten you!” Er Sheng finally raised her head to look at Long Yuan, her voice full of grievance. Missing two front teeth, her speech wasn’t particularly elegant, whistling slightly and spraying spittle. But Long Yuan didn’t mind, and Er Sheng felt no embarrassment.
“That wasn’t a snake,” Long Yuan corrected her. “It was a dragon.”
“Dragon?” Er Sheng froze, her face suddenly showing a troubled expression. “But why did the dragon look so… sleazy…”
Sleazy…
The word struck Long Yuan’s mind like a thunderbolt, leaving him at a loss. He stood dumbfounded for a while: “Was it… really sleazy?”
“It kept curling up and looked very dispirited.”
“Perhaps because it was injured.” Long Yuan had never felt such an urgent need to explain something clearly, not even to Siming.
Er Sheng nodded: “Yes, he was severely injured and looked completely dispirited, very sleazy.”
Long Yuan froze again, wondering if in her mind, all creatures became sleazy when injured. This… this…
A flash of insight crossed his mind as Long Yuan suddenly recalled Er Sheng’s habit of misusing words. After pondering for a moment, he carefully asked, “You probably meant to say ‘weak,’ right?”
“Eh?” Er Sheng started, then suddenly realized, “Ah, so that’s what the word is! I knew something didn’t sound quite right.”
Long Yuan fell silent, increasingly realizing that perhaps before teaching Er Sheng magic, he should teach her how to write.
“Oh right, speaking of Da Hei, I haven’t seen him since earlier. Where did he go?” Er Sheng poked her head out from Long Yuan’s embrace, looking around.
Long Yuan stroked Er Sheng’s head and crouched down, looking into her eyes: “Er Sheng, you know I’m not human.”
“Mm, I know.”
“Da Hei… the dragon you saw these past few days is actually my true form.” Fearing she wouldn’t understand, Long Yuan added plainly, “Er Sheng, I am a dragon.”
Er Sheng stared at Long Yuan, blinking her eyes as her clear black pupils grew increasingly bright: “My husband is handsome, kind to me, knows magic, and can transform into Da Hei… a dragon!” She circled Long Yuan twice. “My taste is damn good!” Her tone carried such pride, as if she could transform into a dragon herself.
Seeing Er Sheng’s now sparkling gaze, Long Yuan suddenly felt both amused and helpless.
Suddenly, Er Sheng’s expression changed slightly, a blush gradually rising: “Then… then that day when I was helping Long Yuan wipe his body, all bare…”
At the mention of this topic, Long Yuan choked, clearing his throat twice and averting his gaze to the distance, his face gradually reddening as well.
“Oh my!” Er Sheng covered her face and exclaimed, “How embarrassing!” Though she said this, she still forcefully threw herself into Long Yuan’s embrace and held him tight. Since Long Yuan was crouching, Er Sheng nestled her head in the crook of his neck and nuzzled wildly. After a while, Er Sheng suddenly lifted her face and whispered in Long Yuan’s ear, “Although wiping Da Hei’s body was tiring, if you like it… in the future… if you need another wipe, I can help.”
“Er Sheng… you shouldn’t say such things.” Long Yuan pulled her away.
“Eh… what’s wrong!” Er Sheng exclaimed, “Why is there so much nosebleed?” She frantically tried to cover Long Yuan’s nose with her hand.
“Mm, it’s nothing.” Long Yuan calmly wiped the blood from his face, forcing himself to recite many rounds of the Heart Calming Mantra before finally regaining his composure.
“Are you really alright? Didn’t you have wounds on your back? Did they split open?”
Would blood from split wounds on the back flow out through the nose… Long Yuan fell silent, not voicing the question. He said: “The wounds have stabilized considerably, but I still don’t have enough divine power to break through Hui Long Valley’s barrier to the outside.”
“Then let’s just stay here, it’s nice with Long Yuan accompanying me.”
Long Yuan shook his head, gazing at the misty sky. Though everything was shrouded in fog, Er Sheng could see longing in his eyes:
“In the past, I was imprisoned in the Void of Ten Thousand Heavens, not knowing what it meant to live, nor understanding the fear of death. I cultivated divine power for ten thousand years, yet didn’t know what I was living for. Later… someone told me the outside world was vast, ever-changing. I wanted to go out and see if this vast land was truly as beautiful as they said.”
“Did you see it?”
“Just as they said, the mortal world has both joys and sorrows, but this isn’t enough,” Long Yuan said. “I want to measure this land where our ancestors once lived with my own feet. Each step will be part of my cultivation.”
Er Sheng nodded: “Then I’ll accompany Long Yuan. Wherever you want to go, we’ll go together.”
Long Yuan patted Er Sheng’s head without speaking. He knew Er Sheng was Siming’s reincarnation, either undergoing tribulation in the lower realm or hiding there after some incident in the upper realm. She was destined to have no peace in this life, nor could she stay by his side forever.
But since she wished it, he would protect her.
“Long Yuan,” Er Sheng suddenly asked, “why were you imprisoned before? Did you do something wrong?”
Long Yuan froze, a flash of cold mockery passing through the depths of his eyes, though his expression remained calm: “No, it’s just that incompetent people all believe in so-called destiny.”
Er Sheng didn’t quite understand his meaning, but hearing his tone, she tactfully changed the subject: “So what do we do now? Stay here until your wounds are completely healed before leaving?”
“Mm.” Long Yuan took Er Sheng’s hand. “But we need to find a different place to stay. The air here is too damp, it’s not good for you.”
Er Sheng obediently let him lead her, following his pace step by step, even though she had no idea where Long Yuan was taking her in the vast mist.
Hui Long Valley was full of swamps, and even with Long Yuan leading her, Er Sheng still stumbled occasionally.
After a while, Long Yuan stopped and crouched down, saying softly, “Er Sheng, get on.”
Er Sheng hesitated: “But… your back is injured.”
“It’s fine.”
Only then did Er Sheng dare reach out, carefully wrapping her arms around his neck. Long Yuan carried her on his back, walking steadily step by step. At first, Er Sheng was still nervous, worried about pressing on his wounds, but gradually seeing that Long Yuan was indeed walking with ease, she finally relaxed and rested her head on his shoulder.
Watching their hair slowly intertwining, Er Sheng asked, “Long Yuan, why are you so good to me?”
“You are good to me.” He answered naturally but then became puzzled himself. “Why are you?”
“I like you.” Er Sheng tightened her arms around Long Yuan’s neck. “Liked you from the moment I saw you.”
“Like?” Long Yuan looked at the mist-shrouded path ahead, his expression somewhat bewildered as he murmured, “Perhaps… I do too.”
Hearing these words, Er Sheng’s heart surged with excitement. Wanting to convey her joy, and already lying on Long Yuan’s shoulder, she suddenly bit down on Long Yuan’s face with a “pa” sound, so forcefully it nearly left the impression of her missing front teeth.
Long Yuan froze.
Er Sheng was grinning happily, but seeing Long Yuan look at her, she hesitated and asked, “Did that hurt?” Without waiting for his response, she stretched out her own face: “Alright, for fairness, you can bite me too. But not too hard!”
“Bite?”
“The neighbor Sister Zhu told me before that people who like each other can bite each other.”
“There’s such a custom? Si… never told me about this.”
Of course Siming had never told him about this. What Siming had told him about was “doing the deed,” “intimacy,” “preparing to have children”! The greatness of humans lay in their ability to describe one thing in so many different ways.
Er Sheng held her face out for a long time, but seeing no movement from Long Yuan, she was about to settle down when Long Yuan suddenly leaned in and bit her lip. Er Sheng felt a numbness in her lips, her body suddenly going soft. Before she could process any additional feelings, Long Yuan released her lips. Though even Er Sheng could tell, he did so with difficulty, or rather… reluctantly.
“Why did you bite my mouth?” Er Sheng asked dazedly.
“Couldn’t find anywhere else to bite,” Long Yuan answered naturally.
Er Sheng was still in a daze when she saw Long Yuan press his lips together, his expression somewhat strange: “Why does it feel… a bit off.”
“It is off…” Er Sheng touched her mouth. “Long Yuan, what magic did you use? Why… why did it feel so pleasant when you bit me?”
Long Yuan gave Er Sheng an equally confused look: “Perhaps it’s the residual magic in your body.” He left the second half of his thought unspoken—I felt pleasant too.
Teasing Er Sheng brought a strange sense of joy. Long Yuan was somewhat startled by this preference, silently reciting the Heart Calming Mantra several more times.
Afterward, both remained silent, lost in their thoughts. Only Long Yuan’s light, steady footsteps could be heard along the way.
After walking for an unknown time, the surrounding mist gradually dispersed. Er Sheng saw an enormous stone tablet in the distance, like a pillar supporting the heavens, stretching into the clouds. The tablet bore faint patterns, and as they drew closer, Er Sheng realized they were all dragon designs.
The dragons carved on the tablet appeared remarkably lifelike and vivid. They all faced upward, as if ready to leap from the massive tablet and soar between heaven and earth once more. Even in their stillness, they inspired awe.
Long Yuan set Er Sheng down, letting her stare entranced at the towering tablet. “These dragons are carved so beautifully,” Er Sheng marveled.
“These weren’t carved,” Long Yuan’s voice grew cold. “This tablet contains the remains of ancient dragons. They were eternally buried here.”
“Why?” Er Sheng was shocked. “Did the great dragons do something wrong?”
“Heaven’s punishment—whether guilty or not, they had to bear it.”
Er Sheng fell silent, turning to see the look in Long Yuan’s eyes. An inexplicable sourness rose in her heart. She stood before Long Yuan, stretching up on her tiptoes with an effort to reach his head, barely managing to touch the dark strands at his forehead: “Punishing the innocent means Heaven was wrong. We’re better than that—we won’t hold it against them.”
Long Yuan was startled by these words of comfort, allowing Er Sheng to continue straining on her tiptoes to console him. Then he lowered his head, almost docilely letting Er Sheng stroke his hair. Listening to her soft voice, the burning anger in his heart gradually subsided.
After a while, Long Yuan asked, “Er Sheng, do you feel any discomfort here?”
“No.” Er Sheng didn’t know that the mighty aura of the ancient divine dragons in this place was extremely intimidating. Ordinary people who came here would likely have been frightened into foaming at the mouth and losing their minds. Er Sheng’s ability to remain normal was due to several coincidences: her bold nature and dull sensitivity was one factor; having grown up eating insects nurtured by Hui Long Valley’s waters, she was already quite familiar with such auras was another; most importantly, Long Yuan had recently taught her some dragon clan magic, allowing her to remain at ease amid this vast dragon aura.
Long Yuan nodded, digging up several grassroots from the ground, breaking them open, and placing them before Er Sheng: “I need to pay respects to my ancestors. Wait here for now. I might not return until tomorrow or the day after.”
Er Sheng felt reluctant: “You’ll be gone for two days?” Seeing Long Yuan nod, she maturely let go. “Then try to come back soon… Wait!” Er Sheng remembered something more important. “Open up a few more radishes for me!”
Er Sheng watched Long Yuan’s figure disappear into the massive tablet while guarding a pile of split radishes.
She drank some radish juice, listlessly pulled up a few blades of grass, and finally fell asleep lying on the grass.
A breeze swept through Hui Long Valley, brushing Er Sheng’s temples as a phrase drifted through her mind:
“Siming, who does not control her fate, does not defy heaven’s will.”
She didn’t understand the meaning of these words. Her mind felt like it was being dragged down into dreams by an iron weight.
“You shouldn’t have entered the Void of Ten Thousand Heavens privately.” A man was sternly rebuking someone. “You even wanted to release him.”
“Why not?” A woman’s clear voice confronted him. “He has never harmed anyone. He should control his destiny. The Celestial Realm has no right to imprison him over some ancient prophecy. He yearns for freedom, and he deserves it.”
“Siming, remember your duty. You oversee the fate of all things. You should know that only Heaven can rule destiny.”
“Hmph, if Heaven is heartless, then I shall defy it.”
“How dare you!”
“Your Majesty,” the woman’s voice carried a hint of self-mockery. “I love you. You can discard me like trash, but you cannot stop me from loving you. Just like now—I must free him. You can make me fail, but I must try.”
“You…”
“Er Sheng?” Someone was calling her name softly. The noisy voices gradually faded as she opened her eyes to blue skies and white clouds. Long Yuan was watching her. “Bad dream?”
Er Sheng rubbed her eyes, asking puzzled, “Didn’t you say you’d be gone for a day or two? Why are you back so soon?”
Long Yuan started: “I was indeed gone for two days.” He glanced at the nearly untouched grassroots behind Er Sheng. “You’ve been sleeping for two days.”
“Eh… that long? I only had one dream.”
Long Yuan stroked Er Sheng’s head, his eyes revealing a hint of distress: “You must have been exhausted these days.” He helped Er Sheng up and first handed her an impressive black longsword. The blade and hilt were forged as one piece, and though the edge was still sealed, it already emanated a cold gleam—truly a rare and excellent sword.
Er Sheng was confused: “What’s this?”
“I noticed you had no weapon for self-defense, so I made you one.”
Hearing this, Er Sheng happily accepted it, examining it carefully: “It’s so beautiful, so beautiful! Long Yuan, did you forge this? What’s it called?”
“Name…” Long Yuan hesitated. “Let’s call it the Single Scale Sword.”
“Single Scale? Is it made from your scale? No wonder it’s black, but that name…”
Being criticized for the name by the illiterate Er Sheng made Long Yuan somewhat embarrassed. He immediately corrected seriously, “It’s called the One Scale Sword. You heard wrong earlier.”
Though this name wasn’t much better, it was certainly an improvement over the previous awkward one. Er Sheng couldn’t put the sword down, looking at it again and again, touching it repeatedly. Suddenly she thought: “Long Yuan, since this is made from your scale, did it hurt when you pulled it out? Did it bleed? Which scale did you use?”
“It’s nothing, just one scale.” Just one scale—but it was the one protecting his heart. Long Yuan pulled two small white squares from his sleeve. “See if these match your front teeth?”
Er Sheng compared them to her missing front teeth: “They’re perfect. Long Yuan… how many scales did you pull out?”
“The teeth are made from leftover material from forging the sword. I didn’t pull out extra scales.” He pressed the scale-made false teeth onto Er Sheng’s mouth, using a touch of magic power to fix them in her gums as if they had grown there naturally. “Both the sword and teeth are forged from the same scale. From now on, wearing these teeth means the sword is yours—no one else can take it. If anything happens to you, I’ll be the first to know.”
“Long Yuan…” She clutched his clothes. “You’re so good to me now, in the future… in the future, I definitely won’t let you take any concubines.”
“Alright, I won’t.”