《I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating》 Chapter 1 One Dragon (1.1) ¡°Wanwan.¡± ¡°Wanwan¡­¡­¡± ¡°Wanwan, your complexion looks so bad, are you alright?¡± The delicate voice in her ears became clearer and clearer. The gentle voice called Mu Wanwan¡¯s name insistently, and she couldn¡¯t ignore it even if she wanted to. Her skull hurt like it had been hit by an awl; it felt like something was gushing madly inside. Her knees seemed to have hit a wall too; she was almost breathless from the pain. ¡°It hurts,¡± Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t help but shout out. But in the next instant, she suddenly awoke with a start¡ªher voice shouldn¡¯t be this hoarse. Mu Wanwan forced her eyes open, and came face to face with a facade as pure as a lotus¡ª¡ª The person before her had a pair of affectionate peach blossom eyes1; she was dressed in pure, white silk, and her black hair was held in place with a translucent jade zan2. Her lips had a reddish tinge, and she wore a slightly shy expression. Behind the maiden were a few lit lamps. In the glow of the dim light, Mu Wanwan could clearly see the several golden tablets that were placed on the mahogany table. At this moment, the words of the novel about the little runaway wife that she had been reading before going to bed last night somehow surfaced in her mind with horrifying clarity¡ª¡ª ¡°That ancestral hall was also different from the rest. Although the light was warm, its magnificent splendour, the several golden tablets, and slippery floor made Bai Shuiyao feel cold after just one glance. But Mu Wanwan had to kneel there for an entire week. Even though Mu Wanwan was stupid, she was still Bai Shuiyao¡¯s mistress in name after all, so Bai Shuiyao¡¯s heart still ached somewhat. This large and opulent hall, this cold and slippery floor, these several golden tablets¡­ Wasn¡¯t this¡ª wasn¡¯t this the ancestral hall where the female supporting character had been punished to kneel? Could she have transmigrated into the novel? How could this be possible, she was just lying at home sleeping! But the scene in front of her was so real, and the face of the person by her ear was exactly the same as described. Mu Wanwan felt dizzy, like she was in a trance. The pain in her knees made her wobble and fall to the ground. She recalled the book that had suddenly appeared on her temporary bookshelf on a particular mysterious green website before turning in last night¡ª¡ª During this period of severe censorship, when she discovered that the book was titled¡ª¡ª ¡¶ Love that Grows Over ¡°Time¡±3: The Disabled Tyrant¡¯s Little Runaway Good-luck Wife ¡·, Mu Wanwan¡¯s eyes brightened wickedly. Love that grows over time? A runaway wife? A disabled tyrant? She clicked on the details, and there was only one tag: ¡°Overbearing ML!¡± With some expectation that she might be able to enjoy some meaty scenes, she clicked on the novel. But after reading for a long time, not only did she not get any meat, she instead saw the cannon fodder side character with the same as herself eventually getting stabbed and turned into human mush¡ª all because she had connived with her handmaiden, the female lead Bai Shuiyao¡¯s insistence on taking the road to ruin¡­ The story began with the wedding day. The two met the disabled, ugly and seriously injured tyrant who couldn¡¯t maintain his human form, and burst into tears from fright. Ao Qin, who had rushed over to officiate his good friend¡¯s wedding, punished them to kneel in the ancestral hall. But because the heroine looked too piteous and beautiful, she had been spared. Only the dim-witted female supporting character had to kneel on and off for seven days. And now, she had unfortunately transmigrated to become this cannon fodder female supporting character that was about to become human mush. Mu Wanwan pinched herself over and over again. She closed her eyes, only opening them again when she felt the pain, hoping to return to her warm bed in the 21st century and wake up from this nightmare. Because she had read an unfinished, logical and moving novel, then couldn¡¯t help but curse when she saw the miserable fate of the female supporting character, did she then have to experience this sort of cruel transmigration? Even though back in the 21st century, she had no car, no house, and both her parents had already passed away, so it could be said that there was nothing to worry about, but that didn¡¯t mean that she was willing to transmigrate into an indecent smutty novel as cannon fodder! Mu Wanwan stared vacantly into space, looking dull and inert. Bai Shuiyao felt a little twinge in her heart as she looked at her, ¡°Wanwan, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Mu Wanwan responded unthinkingly, ¡°Bai Shuiyao?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Bai Shuiyao frowned slightly, a little dissatisfied, ¡°Why are you suddenly calling me by my name and not Yaoyao?¡± Mu Wanwan said dumbly, ¡°You are Bai Shuiyao, I am Mu Wanwan, and this is the tyrant¡¯s manor.¡± ¡°Yes, Wanwan, are you having problems with your memory? It must be because Lord Ao Qin was too ruthless. Why don¡¯t¨C why don¡¯t we just make our escape tonight!¡± Bai Shuiyao cried, ¡°This place is too scary. ¡°I never want to see that tyrant again.¡± Mu Wanwan rubbed her red and swollen knees silently. She remained silent for only a moment, tried hard to straighten her knees that had almost lost all feeling after the long period of kneeling, then mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m not going to run away anymore.¡± Bai Shuiyao blinked several times before it sunk in. ¡°Huh? Wanwan, what are you saying? You don¡¯t want to leave this place anymore?¡± She looked a little angry, ¡°But Wanwan, didn¡¯t you just promise me? And look at the kind of life we¡¯ve been having here in the tyrant¡¯s manor these past two days. Fortunately, I haven¡¯t suffered much, but look at you, you¡¯ve only just got married and have been punished to kneel in the ancestral hall. Your knees are all swollen¡­¡± As she spoke, she couldn¡¯t help crying again; the rims of her eyes were red, and it seemed as though there were some genuine sentiments. Mu Wanwan sneered inwardly. Even if she had only read a little, it was enough to make her understand that Bai Shuiyao was not a good sort at all. Footnotes: 1 peach blossom eyes: A kind of eye shape that resembles a peach flower petal and typically looks lovely. The eyes are long; the upper eyelid has a large curvature; a slight blush around the eyes; the inner corners of the eyes are sharp and deep, and the tails of the eyes are thin and slightly curved. They have a glassy watery look and form a crescent shape when smiling. 2 zan: ô¢; A hairpin used to hold/ decorate hairstyles 3 ¡°Love¡± that Grows Over Time: ¡°ÈÕ¾ÃÉîÇ顱 is an idiom that means ¡®develop feelings after spending days together¡¯. But in this title, the word ¡°ÈÕ¡± is in parentheses, referring to the modern lingo of feelings that are developed after two people have spent time engaged in ¡°physical activities¡± together. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 2 One Dragon (1.2) Bai Shuiyao was her father¡¯s illegitimate daughter who had been raised alongside her since young. To outsiders, she was known to be her handmaiden, but within the family, she was treated as her legitimate, blood-related sister. She had an outstanding appearance, and loved to act like a youthful white lotus4. She had always disliked the original Mu Wanwan, and when they were punished this time, Bai Shuiyao had not said a single word on her behalf. Moreover¡­ Mu Wanwan glanced expressionlessly at the soft cushion under Bai Shuiyao¡¯s knees. If she had really cared about the original Mu Wanwan, she wouldn¡¯t have hogged the soft cushion that was big enough for two people all to herself. ¡°Wanwan, I¡¯m doing this for your sake,¡± Bai Shuiyao sobbed. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter for me, after all, I¡¯m only a dowry maid5¡­¡± Bai Shuiyao spoke intermittently, and at the end, revealed a pitiful, terrified expression. ¡°That tyrant looks like that, and I¡¯ve also heard that he¡¯s disabled. This tyrant¡¯s manor might crumble in less than two years, do you really not want to leave?¡± Mu Wanwan looked at the glittering tears in her eyes, but her heart was not the least bit moved. She wouldn¡¯t agree to run away with her even if Bai Shuiyao received an Oscar with her tears today. According to the meagre memories she had of the novel from last night, Bai Shuiyao was the heroine. She had the blessings accorded to a heroine and escaped unscathed. Even when they were discovered, at the worst, she was forcibly kissed by Ao Qin. But as for her, she would be stabbed into mush. She didn¡¯t want to die yet. Besides, the reason Bai Shuiyao urged her to escape was entirely that she despised the disabled tyrant, and didn¡¯t want to stay in this tyrant¡¯s manor that was on the brink of demise for the rest of her life. Mu Wanwan¡¯s head hurt tremendously; she didn¡¯t have the energy to pay her any attention, and only said coldly, ¡°I said, I¡¯m not running away.¡± Bai Shuiyao continued to cry for a while more. Only when she saw that Mu Wanwan really had no intention to take care of her did stifle her sobs. She hugged her knees and sat vacantly to the side, and the ancestral hall fell silent. Mu Wanwan closed her eyes and sorted out the memories in her mind, thinking about the events to come. When she opened her eyes again, Bai Shuiyao was no longer in the ancestral hall. Mu Wanwan looked around and found that she had taken the soft cushion with her. She then looked at the tightly shut door of the ancestral hall and couldn¡¯t help letting out a sigh. According to the memories of the previous days, this was the original Mu Wanwan¡¯s sixth day kneeling in the ancestral hall. Going by the development of the original plot, she would be running away with Bai Shuiyao tomorrow night. Fortunately, she had come early. If she had transmigrated just a little later, wouldn¡¯t she have to experience the pleasure of being stabbed to death on the spot? ¡°Madam, it¡¯s time, you can go back to the room and rest.¡± A slightly icy voice came from outside the door; it was the maid in charge of monitoring her, Fuliu. Although the original character was being punished, when midnight came around, she still had to return to the tyrant¡¯s bedchamber to sleep with him. As the horrible images from her memories surfaced, Mu Wanwan¡¯s palms broke out in a sweat. When she read about it, she didn¡¯t feel anything much. She even felt a little sorry for the ugly and disabled tyrant. But now that she had to face such a man, she couldn¡¯t help feeling somewhat apprehensive. ¡°Madam, hurry up.¡± The impatient Fuliu flung the door of the ancestral hall open. Fuliu was dressed in pale green silk. Though her hair was done up in a maid¡¯s style, she was wearing a zan. Mu Wanwan then looked at herself¡ªa plain, grey long tunic and no accessories in her hair; she would even believe it if she was said to be a maid! ¡°Why are you spacing out? Get going,¡± Fuliu glared at her discontentedly. If it weren¡¯t for this bride that had been brought in to counter ill fortune, she wouldn¡¯t have been saddled with the unpleasant task of having to go to the tyrant¡¯s bedchamber every midnight. Although the tyrant was said to be very handsome and capable in the past, but now, with his current state, she simply did not want to go. ¡°Humph, don¡¯t go breaking your legs from kneeling,¡± Fuliu muttered softly as she rolled her eyes at Mu Wanwan. Mu Wanwan had suddenly transmigrated, and into cannon fodder to boot. Her mood had not been very sunny to begin with, and at such treatment from this maid, Fuliu, she couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, ¡°Fuliu, if I refuse to go to the bedchamber, what will you do?¡± Fuliu choked. She obviously hadn¡¯t expected that the weak and cowardly wife would say such things, and her expression turned became somewhat unpleasant. Now that their sovereign was in a coma, the entire tyrant¡¯s manor was under Lord Ao Qin¡¯s management. Although their sovereign might die in the future, and this madam would lose all status as a result, but presently, Lord Ai Qin still held their sovereign in high regard. If Mu Wanwan refused to go to the bedchamber, she would definitely be punished for not doing her job well. Fuliu swallowed her anger and resumed a servile and submissive look, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Madam. Fuliu was at fault. Please forgive me, Madam.¡± Of course, Mu Wanwan knew that she was only pretending, but she let it go and followed Fuliu out of the ancestral hall. The distance between the ancestral hall to the tyrant¡¯s sleeping quarters was very long; they walked for about fifteen minutes before reaching it. Fuliu led her into the sleeping quarters. Before she reached the room, a faintly rancid smell came to the tip of Mu Wanwan¡¯s nose. ¡°Madam, please take good care of our sovereign,¡± Fuyu Liu stopped at the door of the room and said with some sympathy in her voice. Thinking of the images in her memories, Mu Wanwan nodded gravely and pushed the door open with trembling hands. Footnotes: 4 white lotus: A stock female character type commonly found in Chinese internet novels, originally meant to describe a Mary-sue, character who appears innocent, na?ve, impossibly perfect and pure, and are soft and weak. 5 dowry maid: a personal handmaiden sent to accompany her mistress into her marital home as part of her ¡°dowry¡±. Such a servant had to be both young and very capable, for she might serve her young mistress for life. Her position was like that of a sister or confidante, and is higher than a regular maid. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 3 Two Dragons (2.1) She had just pushed the door open, but the rotten stench intensified manyfold. It was also mixed with an unknown fragrance and the smell of blood. Even though Mu Wanwan was somewhat mentally prepared, she couldn¡¯t help but slightly pale. The large room was lit with warm lamps, as silent as could be. Mu Wanwan looked at the heavy bed curtains that were painted with complicated patterns not far away, and her palms started sweating slightly¡ª¡ª The tyrant was behind these bed curtains. According to her memory, after being frightened to tears by the tyrant the first time, the original Mu Wanwan would only sleep on a chair with her clothes huddled around her even after being forced into the room in the following nights. Mu Wanwan had already thought about what she would do when she was in the ancestral hall. She had unfortunately already become a female supporting character with a tragic end, so she could only accept the reality of it. According to the sporadic fragments of the novel that she could remember, the tyrant would eventually wake up. Mu Wanwan had also considered running away, but according to the original body¡¯s memory, this continent was very, very dangerous. Cultivators and monsters coexisted, and the original body only had feeble wood-based powers¡ªher combat ability was about 0. In this continent, there was no law that could ensure her personal safety. In addition, the tyrant had countless enemies, and she had married into the tyrant¡¯s manor in full view of everyone. If she ran away, even if she wasn¡¯t discovered by Ao Qin, she would only be faced with death upon getting out. Now, there was only one road in front of her¡ªto stay obediently by the tyrant¡¯s side and take care of him. She would then quickly make herself scarce when he awoke, and not get in the way of his lovey-dovey time with the heroine. This way, she might just be able to live. Although she had already made up her mind, when she actually walked to the bedside and lifted the bed curtains with trembling hands, she was still shocked by the miserable state of the person before her¡ª¡ª A creature that could no longer be called human lay on the jade bed. His torso was naked and crisscrossed with scars; terrible lines spread across his arms and face. His lower body was a long dragon¡¯s tail, which was rotten from halfway down. The tail was half broken, and its small tip was gone. His eyes were tightly shut. Half of his face seemed to have been corroded by something or other; though it wasn¡¯t rotten, it was so ugly that one couldn¡¯t bear looking directly at it. There were two hideously terrifying grotesque broken horns on what should have been a smooth forehead. In addition, some withered scales would appear from time to time on the exposed parts of the tyrant¡¯s body. The bed was in a horrendous mess from his bloodstains, meandering on the bed and dripping to the floor. Mu Wanwan¡¯s sharp eyes also caught sight of some small black things that might be parasites crawling around on his wounds. She couldn¡¯t help taking two steps back; when she recovered herself, her forehead was already covered in a cold sweat. She really did not expect that the tyrant¡¯s appearance would be worse than the one in the original body¡¯s memory. Clearly, in the novel, though the tyrant was disabled, ugly and comatose, there was someone waiting on him every day at the time when the female supporting character and heroine married in. But now¡­ Mu Wanwan glanced at the shocking wounds on his body, the broken horns and rotten tail, then recalled the maid, Fuliu¡¯s attitude earlier, and suddenly felt a little sympathetic to this great villain who was once the overbearing master of the continent. The moment he was defeated, he was left to his own devices. The dragon was thrown in a lonely room; nobody cared, and nobody asked. While in a coma, he was saddled with a talentless wife to counteract his ill-fortune. When he finally woke up, because the incomparably beautiful dragon had lost his tail and broke his horns, he had been repeatedly despised by the woman he loved. This woman even cuckolded him with his best friend, but the problem was that he never found out¡­ This¡­ was too miserable. It was just simply wretched. Mu Wanwan glanced sympathetically at the dragon that lay comatose on the bed. Perhaps because of her sympathy, his appearance actually seemed less terrible. She looked at the dirty blood that had pooled under him, and no longer hesitated. Searching through her memories, she found a few clean handkerchiefs. She wanted to get someone to bring some hot water, but after searching through the entire sleeping quarters, she didn¡¯t find a single servant on night duty. So, she had no choice but to run to the special water storage outside the sleeping quarters, fetch a basin of cold water, and return to the room. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 4 Two Dragons (2.2) Mu Wanwan brought the basin to the front of the bed with quite some effort, her vision even darkening a little. She immediately gained a new understanding of how weak the body she currently occupied was. She soaked the handkerchief in water, wrung it dry and exhaled deeply. She gathered her courage and walked to the side of the jade bed, then started wiping along the edges of the dirty blood, trying not to touch the tyrant¡¯s horrifying half-broken tail. When she was cleaning, her movements were actually rather big, but the tyrant remained unresponsive. If she didn¡¯t see the changes of his scales from time to time, Mu Wanwan would think that he was dead. She cleaned up bit by bit. The blood was very dirty, and there were many small bugs in it; some parts had even congealed and dried up. Cleaning it was torture, and Mu Wanwan¡¯s scalp went numb as she scrubbed. She couldn¡¯t help but whisper, ¡°See, I don¡¯t dislike you. After you wake up, even if you get together with the heroine, please also don¡¯t kill me off just because you find me an eyesore. If you don¡¯t say anything, I¡¯ll take it as you¡¯ve agreed.¡± After speaking, she found it kind of funny. The tyrant was now just a pitiful dragon in a vegetative state with not an ounce of awareness. Isn¡¯t she taking advantage of his sorry state by making such an agreement? Mu Wanwan wiped for a long time. In the process, she still inevitably touched the tyrant¡¯s dragon tail. It felt peculiar to the touch¡ªa little slippery, but also very rough. She worked hard for a long time before the half nearer to the bed¡¯s outer edge was cleaned. The basin of water had been changed several times, and the white handkerchiefs that were originally white were dyed a blood red that couldn¡¯t be washed away. Mu Wanwan¡¯s waist and legs hurt. Her head was spinning, and she really couldn¡¯t carry on anymore. She frowned as she looked at the tyrant¡¯s dirty wounds and the half-broken tail lying on the inner half of the bed. The long, terrible-looking dragon tail was covered with withered yellow scales, taking on an unhealthy colour. She looked at the rotten flesh that exuded a rancid stench and panicked. She was a little glad that it was late autumn and the temperature wasn¡¯t too high, so it wasn¡¯t as prone to infection as it would be in summer. Otherwise, she was afraid that this poor dragon would be in worse shape than it was now. ¡°Phew.¡± When Mu Wanwan was cleaning up just now, she tried to avoid touching his body, but now, she decided to move him into a different position to get him out of the dirty blood that she hadn¡¯t had the chance to clean up. Mu Wanwan walked to the bed rather nervously. Her hands wrapped around the uninjured part of his dragon tail carefully, and she dragged it outwards with difficulty. ¡°Sssst¡­¡­¡± Mu Wanwan felt a sharp pain coming from the places where she came into contact with his scales, but as she couldn¡¯t just brutally fling him away, she could only endure the pain. After a long period of exertion, she finally managed to drag his dragon tail to the clean half of the jade bed. ¡°Ouch.¡± Mu Wanwan retracted her hands and felt like crying when she looked at the numerous bloody cuts on them. When she accidentally touched the scales as she cleaned up just now, she only felt that they were a little rough, and it didn¡¯t really hurt. But why were her hands all cut up now when she picked it up? Mu Wanwan sighed, and resignedly moved the tyrant¡¯s upper body to a better position. Only then did she drag her battered body that was aching from the hard labour to a chair. Ignoring her bloody palms, she sprawled on the table and got ready to sleep. Even though she really wanted to sleep on the bed, half of the bed next to the tyrant had not been cleaned, his wounds had not been treated, and there was no quilt on the bed. All things considered, it seemed like sleeping in a chair wasn¡¯t much of a difference¡­ According to what she could remember of the novel, Fuliu would come to deliver some food to the original Mu Wanwan every morning, then take her to the ancestral hall. She would then wait until it was almost midnight before she could fetch her back here. Then once, near evening, Ao Qin came to the ancestral hall to look for the original Mu Wanwan, but as she had agreed to escape with Bai Shuiyao, she was already long gone from the ancestral hall. She had now decided not to run away. Tomorrow, she must seize the opportunity when she met Ao Qin and find a way to get a doctor for the tyrant, then get some medicine as well. It would be all the better if she could manage to get two maids to take care of him with her¡­ These thoughts ran vaguely through Mu Wanwan¡¯s head before she fell asleep. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 5 Three Dragons (1) Mu Wanwan had initially thought that she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep well in a chair, but she was simply too exhausted, and fell into a dark, sweet dream almost the instant she relaxed. Naturally, she did not notice that originally utterly unresponsive Mister Dragon¡¯s eyelashes trembled slightly after she had completely fallen asleep. Since that battle, the original core in his body was ruptured, and Mister Long had been drowning in endless pain. Ninety-nine percent of his divine consciousness was used to suppress the energy in his body, and the remaining little bit allowed him to regain his senses for ten or so minutes every day. When he woke up today, he didn¡¯t feel quite the same as usual. His broken tail still hurt as ever, but it was starkly obvious that the sticky feeling of being immersed in dirty blood was gone. Someone had put a layer of softer cushions under his body, which made him feel less uncomfortable. In this day and age, there was actually still someone taking care of him? The tyrant sneered inwardly. From the day he was defeated, everyone around him had changed. The good friend who he had initially thought to be worthy of trust, took the token he left him half a month after he was injured and eagerly took over nearly all the power he had wielded. In order to keep up with appearances, he randomly found someone with little talent from the territory and made her his chongxi1 bride¡­ He was aware of his current appearance¡ª¡ª The beautiful, lustrous dragon horns were cut off by the demon clan¡¯s leader; the dashing and majestic tail was corroded by the witch tribe; half of his body was rotting flesh; and his once considered handsome face was full of the curse marks of the abyssal devils¡ª he had already become a good-for-nothing dragon. So, on the day of their wedding rites, when he was in a rare state of consciousness, he had heard the young chongxi bride¡¯s cries of despair and terror, but did not have any unexpected emotions. There was not the slightest fluctuation in his damp and gloomy heart. In the days that followed, he sometimes regained consciousness when that person was awake, and his ears were full of her weeping and cursing. It only made him feel only to feel incomparably fed up, and he had the overwhelming desire to strike her dead with his claw. But why did it feel little different today? The tyrant couldn¡¯t quite make out what this feeling was. He endured the severe pain and pulled out a ray of divine consciousness, swept around the room, and finally found his target on the chair. It turned out to be the person that had been brought in to turn his ill-fortune around. His faint feelings of being touched that had just arisen was instantly shattered. He retracted his divine consciousness and thought mockingly¡ª she must have been forced to do this, right? He had not forgotten all the verbal abuse she had flung upon him in the past few days. Ao Qin was also a prideful man who cared about his image2. It was ironic that he was actually feeling a little glad because there was someone to take care of him. The tyrant¡¯s face was pale. From his birth till now, he had never met anyone who had treated him with genuine sincerity. So why was it that now when he was injured and had lost everything, he was actually imagining that there would be someone willing to not detest him, and treat him well? Just wait and see¡­ She had been forced to do this, and within three days at the most, she would find him repellent, and would come to hate him because of his rotten tail that repeatedly oozed pus¡­ What was he expecting? Mister Dragon thought sarcastically before losing consciousness from the severe pain. ¡­¡­ Mu Wanwan knew nothing about having been scanned by someone¡¯s divine consciousness last night. She was woken up early the next morning by Bai Shuiyao somewhat rudely. ¡°Wanwan, Wanwan,¡± a delicate, timid voice came to her ears; Bai Shuiyao¡¯s palm was pressed on her shoulder and she was shaking it unceremoniously. Mu Wanwan opened her eyes tiredly and met Bai Shuiyao¡¯s slightly red and swollen eyes. ¡°Bai Shuiyao?¡± ¡°Shh,¡± Bai Shuiyao huddled over and pulled her out of the bedchamber. The disgust she felt at the stench of the tyrant¡¯s rotting flesh was written on her forehead. ¡°You actually managed to fall asleep in that bedchamber.¡± Mu Wanwan shook off her hand impatiently, ¡°What is it?¡± Bai Shuiyao said, ¡°I begged Qing Ye to draw a map of the tyrant¡¯s manor. In the evening, come meet up with me; with Qing Ye¡¯s help, we will definitely be able to escape.¡± Mu Wanwan was still very sleepy, but as soon as she heard those words, she came to life¡ª¡ª Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 6 Qing Ye was the guard in charge of patrolling in the tyrant¡¯s manor. When she married into this place, Ao Qin had also given them a few guards and maids for the sake of his image. The head of the guards was Qing Ye, while the head of the maids was Fuliu. Although both Qing Ye and Fuliu¡¯s strength did not exceed the middle of Rank 2, they were still more than enough to deal with two girls who were at the beginning of Rank 1. The task Ao Qin had given them was to monitor her and Bai Shuiyao, and report to Ao Qin on a regular basis. Oddly enough, this Qing Ye was said to be indifferent to any beauty, but perhaps it was that the heroine¡¯s aura was just too strong, and from the minute he saw Bai Shuiyao, he had fallen inextricably in love with her. It was precisely because of his care that Bai Shuiyao was able to get by so swimmingly in the tyrant¡¯s manor like a fish in water. As a dowry handmaiden, she could completely ignore the original Mu Wanwan, her mistress, and also disregard her master in name, the tyrant, and idled about every day. Now, she even managed to cajole Qing Ye into risking his life to help them escape. Mu Wanwan was even beginning to admire Bai Shuiyao a little. Bai Shuiyao bit her rosy lips and pulled out the map, ¡°Look, we are in the innermost part now. When the evening shift change happens, you will come here to meet with me¡­¡± But Mu Wanwan looked at the simple map and frowned. She had an impression of the place where the female supporting character died; it was at the back door of the tyrant¡¯s large manor. Also, the tyrant¡¯s manor was equipped with many hidden contraptions. Although the tyrant wasn¡¯t very good at setting up formations, he had bought many from the outside world, and they were hidden in various places in the tyrant¡¯s manor. However, none of these was mentioned on the map. As a small guard leader, Qing Ye would more or less know a little about these. It seems like he had no intention of helping Bai Shuiyao escape after all. This map had most likely been drawn to coax her, and cannot be trusted. Mu Wanwan sighed, ¡°I¡¯m not running away.¡± As soon as Bai Shuiyao heard her words, she found it difficult to restrain the anger in her heart¡ª¡ª Since last night, Mu Wanwan had been constantly refuting her opinions. When they were at home in the past, with their father around, this person had always been obsequious and went along with whatever she said. It hasn¡¯t even been that long since Mu Wanwan had married into the tyrant¡¯s manor, and now, without her father to back her up, this mistress in name was starting to act up. She didn¡¯t want to escape, then why did she bother listening to her go on for so long? Was she taking her for a joke? Bai Shuiyao¡¯s face flushed with a pale, angry red; she pursed her lips and looked like she was about to cry, ¡°Wanwan, I¡¯m doing this for your own good. If you stay here and keep serving that disabled tyrant, your entire life will be over.¡± She wept like a pear blossom bathed in the rain, looking super b*tchy. Mu Wanwan sneered at her inwardly. She didn¡¯t have the energy to play pretend with her last night, but she won¡¯t allow her to perform in front of her today. She didn¡¯t read so many family feud stories for nothing! They could see who was the more disgusting one. Mu Wanwan pinched her thigh secretly; her face seemed to be affected by Bai Shuiyao, and her voice carried a tearful tone, ¡°Yaoyao, don¡¯t say anymore, I know.¡± She stepped forward and held Bai Shuiyao¡¯s hand. ¡°I know you¡¯re the one who cares most for me, and you¡¯re always good to me, but I can¡¯t leave now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it. You and I were sent here bearing the Mu family name. You are a maid, so even if you run away, nothing will happen, nor will you implicate Father. But if I run away, they probably wouldn¡¯t let you off either. ¡°No matter what, you¡¯re just a maid, and it won¡¯t be a big deal if you escape. You can even safeguard your life and Father¡¯s name. My decision to not run away is also for your own good.¡± Footnotes: 1 Mister Long: The Chinese character for his surname is Áú, pronounced Long, meaning dragon. 2 chongxi: ³åϲ; A kind of folk belief behaviour in China; it is to let a patient who has not healed for a long time marry someone, and use this ¡°happy event¡± to ¡°flush¡± away bad luck in order to achieve the effect of curing the disease. Sometimes it is also possible to let the children marry and give the ¡°good fortune¡± to their sick parents. 3 Probably referring the tyrant¡¯s thoughts that Ao Qin had forced someone to take care of him to maintain a good image in front of others. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 7 Four Dragons (1) Mu Wanwan¡¯s words were true, and everything seemed to be perfectly logical and reasonable. Bai Shuiyao was a little dazed by what Wanwan said, and her originally tearful eyes widened slightly, as though she was struggling to find the right words. Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t give her the opportunity to object, ¡°Yaoyao, no matter what you want to do, I will always support you. Don¡¯t worry, with me here in the tyrant¡¯s manor, you will definitely be fine.¡± Bai Shuiyao¡¯s pretty cheeks flushed. She stared at Mu Wanwan with her inky-black peach blossom eyes, but couldn¡¯t say a word¡ª¡ª She didn¡¯t know why her sister, who used to be so dull-witted, was now even better than her at pretending to be pitiful. Mu Wanwan decided to strike while the iron was hot; she showed her the pair of hands that had been scratched by the scales last night, ¡°Yaoyao, I still have to take care of that disabled tyrant. Look at my hands, this is all his dirty blood, and there are also small bugs¡­¡­¡± One of the characteristics of Bai Shuiyao in the original novel was her love of cleanliness. She also couldn¡¯t stand the sight of insects. Earlier, she had been in a hurry to convince Mu Wanwan to escape with her and didn¡¯t notice her dirty hands. But now that she¡¯s seen them, she simply couldn¡¯t bear it. She was filled with a bellyful of anger again and with no place to vent, she only glared at Mu Wanwan angrily and left. There were still tears in the corners of Mu Wanwan¡¯s eyes, but her heart felt light and refreshed. She hated this kind of white lotus the most¡ª the sort who waved the ¡°for your own good¡± flag outwardly but plotted and schemed against you inwardly. She guessed Bai Shuiyao probably never had her own tricks used against her before. Her sleep had been completely disrupted by Bai Shuiyao¡¯s big fuss. Mu Wanwan looked at the gradually brightening sky, sighed, and went to get some water to wash up. Then, she changed into the clothes she brought with her. After thinking about it, she took the last clean handkerchief in her hands, refilled the basin with clean water, and entered the room. The bedcurtains had been completely pulled back by her, and as soon as she entered, she could see the tyrant who was lying on the jade bed. He was still in the position that she had arranged him into last night. His arms were resting on one side, and his broken tail drooped down on the other; he hadn¡¯t moved a bit. Mu Wanwan walked up to his side. She looked at his matted, dirty black hair, and the bloodstains around his broken horns, and her heart swelled with compassion¡ª¡ª The villain who used to yield supreme power was now covered in filth and grime. Looking at his appearance, she guessed that he had not taken a bath for a long time. His rotten tail aside, his body was also very dirty. Mu Wanwan lifted the long hair that covered his eyes gently, carefully avoiding his broken horns. With a moistened handkerchief, she wiped away the dirt on his face little by little, and Mister Long¡¯s face gradually became clearer. Mu Wanwan hadn¡¯t dared to look much at his face last night, but now, after wiping away most of the blood and dirt, she realized that he was not as ugly as she had imagined¡ª¡ª Thick black eyebrows slanted sharply towards his temples; beneath those were a pair of somewhat deep-set eyes, framed with raven black eyelashes that were long and curved like two small fans. His face was dreadfully pale, his nose straight, and his thin lips were pressed into a tight line; they were dry and cracked, bearing blue-purple match the blue-purple bruises and bloodied scars that did not match his face. If not for the black and red lines that were spread across almost all his face, he would have been a handsome dragon. As Mu Wanwan thought these things, she saw the lines on Mister Long¡¯s cheek suddenly move; her hands shook with fright, flinging the whole handkerchief onto his face in an instant. Mu Wanwan: ¡°¡­¡± She hurriedly picked up the handkerchief and apologised repeatedly. When she finished, she waited a while before realising that the tyrant hadn¡¯t awakened. It seemed like the lines on his cheeks were alive and would move from time to time, like the withered yellow scales on his body. Mu Wanwan let out a breath, feeling both a little foolish and relieved. Despite knowing that he couldn¡¯t hear her, she still said softly, ¡°I will wash your face every day from now on¡­ If I have a chance, I¡¯ll also wipe your tail.¡± Mu Wanwan looked at Mister Long, whose true face was now revealed, and her sympathy for him grew stronger. So, it turns out that he had expressions too¡ª¡ª Tightly knit brows, bruised lips, a forehead covered with cold sweat, and eyelashes that were trembling uneasily¡ªit was an expression of extreme discomfort. With the rotten tail on top of everything, he must be in great pain, right? Mu Wanwan¡¯s heart ached; she was just thinking about how she had to get some medicine for him as soon as possible, when she heard a harsh female voice coming from outside the door, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s time for breakfast.¡± Mu Wanwan knew that it was Fuliu. She put down the handkerchief, walked to the door, and came face-to-face with Fuliu¡¯s unkind gaze. ¡°You only have fifteen minutes.¡± She was carrying a food container, and handed it to Mu Wanwan when she saw her come out; it seemed like she had no intentions of entering the room. Mu Wanwan wasn¡¯t bothered. She hadn¡¯t eaten anything since transmigrating here and was starving. She nodded numbly, received the food container, and went back into the room. She opened the lid, took out a steamed bun and began to eat. In the mornings, there were only steamed buns, a bowl of plain, watery congee and a few pieces of pickled vegetables. This was the standard treatment the original character received in the tyrant¡¯s manor, so Mu Wanwan wasn¡¯t surprised. However, when she was about to swallow the congee that was more water than rice, the tyrant¡¯s dry, cracked lips suddenly appeared in her mind with great clarity. In the novel, the tyrant possessed unparalleled strength. Everything he ate and wore was the very best; he drank wine made with rare, mystical fruits and ate the meat of spirit beasts. But now, he has become like this. His clothes were done away with, and no one took care of his hygiene, much less food and drink. According to the original body¡¯s memory, a strong person from Rank 3 and above would not starve to death even without eating for an entire week. As a Rank 7 powerhouse who once stood at the apex of the continent, even if the tyrant was seriously injured and comatose, he wouldn¡¯t starve to death without food. However, he should have still experienced tremendous suffering. It had been six or seven days since the original character had been married into the tyrant¡¯s manor. In her memory, the tyrant had never eaten anything. Ao Qin had taken control of the tyrant¡¯s forces and hadn¡¯t sent anyone to deliver any medication or elixirs. So, Mister Long should have gone hungry for a long time. The congee before her was still emitting fragrant wafts, but Mu Wanwan had lost the good appetite she had just a moment ago. She wanted to harden her resolve and finish the congee by herself, disregard this tyrant and let him starve. Although she was now his chongxi wife in name, they were only strangers after all. Whatever his state was had nothing to do with her. Moreover, the tyrant was now in a vegetative state, so even if she laxed in her care of him, he wouldn¡¯t know anyway¡­ However, when Mu Wanwan decided to ignore him, this originally fragrant bowl of congee suddenly seemed so tasteless and difficult to swallow. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 8 Five Dragons (1) In the end, Mu Wanwan was unable to swallow the congee herself. She took the spoon, walked to the bed, scooped a spoonful of congee, and tried tentatively to feed it to the tyrant. Only, his lips were tightly pursed because of the pain. Mu Wanwan tried several times, but couldn¡¯t push the spoon in. She thought for a while, and said in a low voice, ¡°Excuse me.¡± She squeezed the dragon¡¯s jaw with one hand, forcing his mouth open, blew the congee to cool it down, then fed it to him. It might be because he was too hungry¡ª although he was seriously injured and disabled, the tyrant¡¯s body still yearned for food. After stuffing the congee in, Mu Wanwan saw him swallow it instinctively. There was a hint of joy in her eyes. If he could swallow on his own, that really saved her a lot of trouble. However, perhaps because she had accidentally fed him a little too quickly just now, some of the soup snaked down the corners of his lips, shining with a glistening light, it just¡­ felt strange. Mu Wanwan¡¯s face was a little red. Like a thief plugging his ears as he steals a bell1, she reached out and wiped the soup traces from the corners of his mouth. As she was about to finish feeding the remaining half bowl of congee, she heard Fuliu¡¯s unfriendly voice from outside the door. ¡°Madam, are you still not ready?¡± Mu Wanwan thought for a while, then poured the congee into the porcelain bowl on the table. Before going out, she couldn¡¯t help but glance at Mister Long, who was lying in bed. She said softly, ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± She closed the door and followed Fuliu out of the yard. The air was much fresher, but Mu Wanwan¡¯s heart was less at ease than it was when she was by the tyrant¡¯s side. Although it was hard on her eyes and nose when she was around him, it was all right once she got used to it. While the dragon with broken horns and rotten tail was a little ugly, at least he wouldn¡¯t harm her, nor would he disgust her like Bai Shuiyao. Beside Mister Long, she didn¡¯t have to worry that she might be killed at any time. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Fuliu pulled open the doors of the ancestral hall. ¡°Madam, today is the last day.¡± Mu Wanwan nodded and knelt before the row of golden tablets under Fuliu¡¯s cold gaze. Her knees were a little swollen. When she knelt on the smooth, icy ground, it stung like she was being pricked with needles; it hurt so much that Mu Wanwan sucked in a breath of cold air. ¡°Kneel well,¡± spat Fuliu, before walking away with the food container. Mu Wanwan quietly changed to a more comfortable position, then looked up at the golden tablets that had only been mentioned briefly in the novel. These tablets were not quite the same as what she had seen on TV and in real life. The tablets shone with a golden light, and they were all enveloped in a layer of hazy white light, which seemed to be a protective shield, safeguarding the tablets tightly. The tablets were engraved with the words of this world. Because of the original body¡¯s memory, Mu Wanwan could read them¡ª¡ª ¡°The Supreme Leader, Long Ying of the Golden Dragon Clan¡­¡± ¡°The Supreme Leader, Ao Ming of the Green Dragon Clan¡­¡± From top to bottom, there were a total of eleven tablets: Golden Dragon, Green Dragon, Red Dragon, Black Dragon, and White Dragon¡ªthere had been a leader from every clan before. The eleventh leader, the one who ruled before the tyrant, was Ao Bing of the Green Dragon Clan. Ao Bing, Ao Qin¡­ They were father and son, but the tyrannical leader was now Mister Long. Mu Wanwan sensitively noticed that something seemed to be amiss. Suddenly, a paragraph from the novel describing the friendship between the tyrant and Ao Qin flashed in her mind¡ª¡ª ¡°The young five-clawed deformed dragon with black, white and gold spots in the past has now become the first dragon to break through the seventh rank. According to the rules, as long as he can break the dragon horn of the current leader, he can become the new leader. The current leader, Ao Bing, was already very old. He had been seriously injured in a battle with the leader of the witch¡¯s tribe a few days ago, but he still accepted the tyrant¡¯s challenge. When the tyrant clutched the bloodied broken horns in his blood-stained hands, smiling before the terrified faces of countless from the dragon clan, it was Ao Qin who stepped forward and took the lead to congratulate him.¡± Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t think too much about this when she was reading the novel. But now, kneeling in the cold ancestral hall and looking at Ao Bing¡¯s tablet, then linking it to the miserable appearance of Mister Long, who had been neglected in his bedchamber after his defeat, she felt as if she had touched upon some truth. ¡°Madam seems to be observing very seriously?¡± A somewhat icy voice suddenly came from behind her. The startled Mu Wanwan looked back reflexively to meet Ao Qin¡¯s handsome, smiling face. ¡°I¡­¡­¡± A tremendous pressure had filled the air at some point; cold sweat slid down the corners of Mu Wanwan¡¯s forehead, and it was so stifling that she couldn¡¯t utter a word. Ao Qin followed the direction of her line of sight just now, swept an indifferent glance at Ao Bing¡¯s tablet, then shifted his gaze away unconcernedly. He stretched out and gently pressed his white and slender hands on her shoulder. His smile was very friendly, but it made Mu Wanwan feel almost cold all over. ¡°What is Madam speculating about?¡± When had Mu Wanwan ever experienced such pressure? She only felt that her chest was stuffy, and when she came round again, her mouth was already filled with a fishy sweetness. ¡°Madam, I am very sorry,¡± Ao Qin withdrew the pressure lazily, ¡°I have just ascended to the sixth rank, and don¡¯t have a very accurate grasp on my spiritual powers.¡± Mu Wanwan¡¯s throat was full of the taste of fresh blood; she was so nervous that she could barely speak¡ª¡ª For the first time, she became clearly aware of how dangerous this world was, and that she was just so small and weak. ¡°It¡¯s me who has overstepped.¡± Ao Qin withdrew his hand, his eyes bent into a smile. ¡°Madam, don¡¯t be nervous, I won¡¯t do anything to you. ¡°Starting tomorrow, Madam need not come to kneel at the ancestral hall every day,¡± Ao Qin said in a low voice, seeming very respectful. ¡°Please make sure to take good care of the sovereign.¡± Mu Wanwan¡¯s face was pale. She saw that Ao Qin was about to leave after he finished speaking, thought of a particular dragon¡¯s miserable wounds, then gritted her teeth hard and said, ¡°Lord Ao Qin.¡± Ao Qin stopped in his tracks and looked puzzledly at this chongxi prop that was no different from the ant in his eyes. ¡°Can you¡­¡± Mu Wanwan gritted her teeth, ¡°Give me some medicine, the sovereign¡¯s wounds¡­¡± ¡°Has there been no elixirs for the sovereign yet?¡± Ao Qin narrowed his eyes, seemingly very annoyed and surprised at this. ¡°Madam, please rest assured, I definitely won¡¯t let those servants treat the sovereign like this.¡± ¡°The elixir will be delivered to you soon.¡± Ao Qin smiled, ¡°After all, the sovereign is also my good friend. I won¡¯t allow these servants to bully and humiliate him.¡± Mu Wanwan thought, I¡¯ll be damned if I believe you, but still smiled joyfully and thanked him several times under his mocking gaze. Footnotes: 1 a thief plugging his ears as he steals a bell: A Chinese idiom describing a person who is in the midst of self-deception, trying to deceive themselves that as long as they do not see/ hear what they are doing, it¡¯s not happening (like an ostrich burying its head into the sand). Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 9 Six Dragons (1) Mu Wanwan originally thought that Ao Qin might just be lying, but when she was brought back to the bedchamber in advance by Fuliu, clutching her aching chest, she was still a little surprised to see the two boxes placed in the courtyard. ¡°Madam is so fortunate. This box contains elixirs, and the other box contains spiritual fruit and spiritual grains.¡± Fuyu Liu looked at the pale and skinny Mu Wanwan with disgust, then took out a small bag from her pocket with great reluctance and handed it to Mu Wanwan. ¡°Madam, please stay here and tend to the sovereign. If you find anything lacking, just take note of it. You may go to the market once every ten days,¡± said Fuliu. ¡°The monthly budget is one medium-grade spirit stone and three silver coins, you will receive it in the middle of the month. As for meals and whatnot, we¡¯ll trouble Madam to prepare them yourself from now on. I hope you will take good care of the sovereign. I¡¯ll be taking my leave.¡± The courtyard fell into silence after Fuliu left. Mu Wanwan turned over somewhat weighty little bag in her hands, opened it, and almost with some weight, opened it, and almost laughed out of exasperation¡ª¡ª The bag did not contain a medium-grade spirit stone with rich spiritual power, but ten low-grade spirit stones. According to the original body¡¯s memory, a medium-grade spirit stone can be exchanged for at least fifteen low-grade spirit stones, but there were only ten of those in this bag. If Fuliu wasn¡¯t pocketing funds, Mu Wanwan would chop off her own head for others to kick around. Mu Wanwan only felt a burst of frustration; her chest was on fire, and her throat was full of fishy sweetness. She reached out and covered her mouth, then spread her hands¡ªit was splattered all over with sporadic bloodstains. ¡°Huu.¡± Don¡¯t get angry, don¡¯t get angry, anger is of no use at all. Mu Wanwan took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. She continued to look at the contents of the bag; except for the ten low-grade spirit stones, there were only three silver coins. This monthly budget was really small. From the original body¡¯s memories, the exchange rate of middle-grade spirit stones to lower-grade spirit stones was about one to eighteen, and if taken to the black market, the price could be even higher. A low-grade spirit stone could usually be exchanged for one gold coin. One gold coin could be exchanged for ten silver coins, and one silver coin can be exchanged for ten copper coins. The purchasing power of one copper coin was about the same as that of one modern yuan. From this, the original monthly budget was about two thousand yuan. After Fuliu¡¯s filching, there was only a little over a thousand yuan left. This thousand-odd yuan had to support two people. Moreover, cultivation required the use of spirit stones. Although her original body only possessed weak wood powers, before she was married, she had to absorb two or three low-grade spirit stones a month to strengthen the wood aura in her dantian.1 Mu Wanwan was very troubled. Bearing a trace of expectation, she opened the box containing the elixirs. In it, was only one rather young ginseng and ten yellow fruits that looked all shrivelled up. According to the limited memories the original body had towards these plants, this fruit was called Baizhen fruit. Judging by their appearance, they were of second grade. These fruits were used to nourish the body, and one was worth about five low-grade spirit stones. In addition, there were several small porcelain bottles. Mu Wanwan opened and smelled them. They were filled with medicine for external wounds, and also of very average grade. Inside the other box was a bag of spiritual grains, a packet of unknown seeds, and nothing else. Mu Wanwan sighed sorrowfully and glanced at the darkening sky. She did not expect that Bai Shuiyao, who was determined to escape, would return and help her with the work, and moved the two boxes from the courtyard into the room. Mister Long was still lying on the bed in the same position she had left him in that morning. However, as the door had not been opened for almost the entire day, the smell in the room had become worse. But the moment she saw him, she felt much more at ease. Footnotes: 1 dantian: Dantian refers to the elixir-of-life field where ¡°essence¡± and ¡°spirit¡± are stored. Traditionally, a dantian is considered to be a centre of qi or life force energy. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 10 According to the original plot, she was supposed to be stabbed to death by Ao Qin tonight, but now, although she had been momentarily crushed by Ao Qin¡¯s spiritual power, she had only sustained some light injuries. She even acquired a monthly budget and some elixirs¡ªwhile they were not much, she could still get by if she calculated carefully and made every bit count. All things considered, it wasn¡¯t too bad a deal. Mu Wanwan thought as she stood before Mister Long¡¯s evil appearance that was marred by black and red lines, and her brows gradually relaxed. In the original body¡¯s memory, the tyrant¡¯s sleeping quarters were not small. In addition to the main hall, there was also a side hall, an attached courtyard, a kitchen and a bathroom, but Mister Long generally did not use them very much. Searching through her memory, Mu Wanwan found the small kitchen in the side hall, and was somewhat delighted to find that there was still a sack of rice that was meant for servants to eat. She mixed it with a small handful of spiritual grains and cooked half a pot of congee. Not staying idle while waiting for the congee to cook, she fetched some water and wiped the other half of the jade bed clean. After all this was done, Mu Wanwan was so tired she couldn¡¯t even lift her fingers. By now, the sky was also completely dark. Bai Shuiyao still did not appear in the sleeping quarters, and Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t know if she had run away as planned or gave up on escaping. However, she wasn¡¯t worried about what would happen to Bai Shuiyao. After all, Bai Shuiyao had a heroine¡¯s aura, and wouldn¡¯t die no matter what. With great effort, Mu Wanwan managed to scoop a bowl of congee, and first ate a bowl herself. Although only a small handful of spiritual rice had been mixed in, drinking it made her stomach feel much more comfortable. It was nice and warm, and she regained some strength. She rested for a moment, lit the lamp, moved the bench, then carried a bowl of congee and sat in front of the tyrant¡¯s bed. In the dim yellowish light, Mister Long¡¯s somewhat frightening face seemed to have become a little softer and gentler. His face was still very pale and his lips were still pursed, but she didn¡¯t know if it was because of that little bit of congee in the morning, they didn¡¯t look so dry anymore, though the bruises were still there. Mu Wanwan gently squeezed his chin and fed him the congee spoon by spoon. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was just her illusion, but she somehow felt like the Mister Long of tonight was swallowing much faster than he did in the morning. Even so, a lot of congee still leaked out of his mouth and slid down his chin, leaving a watery trail. Mu Wanwan reached her fingers out unthinkingly and skimmed over his nicely-shaped chin, wiping away the soup stains. She mused aloud to herself, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re asleep. This would probably become your life¡¯s dark history, right?¡± Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t notice that a certain dragon¡¯s eyelashes were quivering lightly. As she spoke, she somehow felt it was a little funny, yet a little heartbreaking, and whispered, ¡°Speaking of which, I still don¡¯t know your name¡­ How about this¡ª I¡¯ll call you Mister Long from now on. The both of us can be considered to be mutually dependent on each other for survival.¡± Her eyes were a little red, and her voice was also a little choked up, ¡°When you wake up in the future, on account of the fact that I was good to you¡­¡± Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t go on anymore; she wiped away her tears shamefully. ¡°Really, I¡­¡­ what am I doing, talking to a comatose dragon.¡± She packed away her unpleasant emotions. Perhaps it was because the room was too desolate, or maybe it was because she was too lonely, she began rambling again, ¡°Mister Long, I¡¯ll tend to your wounds in a while. I¡¯ll be putting some medicine on them, it will probably hurt a lot.¡± ¡°Mister Long, we have very little money, and we may have to go hungry in the future¡­¡± Her voice was very soft; everything she went on about was about the future of them two. Like rolling hot lava, the words poured into his eardrums¡ª little by little, making an uproar in that ice-cold heart that was full of brambly thorns. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 11 Seven Dragons (1) Mister Long was desperately suppressing the curse within his body. He heard someone rambling on about their plans for the future in his ear, and the trace of consciousness he managed to regain seemed to become a little blurry again. Had he misheard? He must have misheard. How on earth would this chongxi bride-of-convenience not mind his current state? She was still crying non-stop just a few days ago¡ªhow could she have changed so quickly? Mister Long tried with all his might to quash the strange feelings that welled up from the depths of his heart. Feeling both expectant and afraid, he tried desperately to brainwash himself. It¡¯s impossible, he was a wasted dragon now; his tail was rotten, his horns were gone and there were curse marks all over his body. How would she not despise such an ugly and unpleasant smelling existence. Even when he looked his best, no one had ever treated him with genuine sincerity. This person must have approached him with some ulterior motive¡­ Her feeding him congee so gently just now must have all been an act. Though the tyrant did not know what Mu Wanwan had to gain from pretending to act this way¡ªeven he himself did not know what he had left for others to plot and scheme over. His cultivation base was almost all sealed, he was under a curse, and his most precious horns and tail tip were gone. After his defeat, his wealth had been taken away, and all his authority and power were also gone because he had trusted the wrong person. If forced to find something left on him that could still be considered valuable, it would probably have to be the original core which was broken into several pieces. Oh, if his bones were used to make soup, it should taste pretty good too¡ªonly, he didn¡¯t know if the curses of the abyssal devils had carved onto his bones. Mister Long thought a little sarcastically to himself. But no matter what he thought, Mu Wanwan was oblivious to all of it. She listed all the hardships to come in their future, and made careful calculations as to how she was to allocate the monthly budget reasonably. Her voice was very soft, and like a pervasive fire that could find its way through every crack, it melted the guard Mister Long struggled to build bit by bit. ¡°It is mid-October now. The monthly budget is only so little, and there¡¯s not much spiritual grains too.¡± As Mu Wanwan pondered over the three meals a day from now onwards, she suddenly thought of something. She abruptly reached out and touched Mister Long¡¯s exposed abdomen. She was relieved to find that other than tightly packed abdominal muscles being there, it was only a little shrunken. Her movements were actually very light, but when the delicate touches that brought with them some body heat suddenly fell on Mister Long, who had never had close contact with anyone else other than when he was fighting, they felt like several thunderous fireworks with little tingly currents, immediately blasting him senseless. She touched him! That was the only thought left in his mind. It took a long time before Mister Long managed to hear what she carried on saying next¡ª¡ª ¡°It¡¯s a little sunken, but your stomach doesn¡¯t seem to have been hurt,¡± Mu Wanwan said to herself. ¡°Then, you can eat other things too, I guess. I just don¡¯t know what the seeds in that bag are; it would be good if it¡¯s a vegetable¡­¡± Was she making sure that his stomach was okay? A strange feeling slowly rose in him, and the tyrant¡¯s eyelashes quivered unceasingly. He explained silently in his heart that, unlike other dragons, his stomach was a little sunken just like this when he was in his half-dragon form. Because he didn¡¯t have enough to eat when he was young, his stomach was also very small after growing up. The unpleasant memory, along with the itching and pain of his dragon tail, seemed to provide a sliver of opportunity that the curse of the abyssal devils could exploit, and it wreaked havoc in the tyrant¡¯s limbs incessantly. Mister Long struggled desperately to suppress the pain in his meridians; his complexion was deathly pale, and he had broken out in a cold sweat. Mu Wanwan noticed that his brows were even more tightly furrowed than usual. Her eyes fell upon the little black bugs that kept scurrying in and out of his half-decayed tail, and her scalp grew numb. ¡°Is it very painful?¡± She pumped herself up and declared, ¡°I¡¯ll help right away.¡± Mu Wanwan stood up a little hurriedly. She remembered that there were some knives and gauze in the side hall. The wound on Mister Long¡¯s tail could not be left alone any longer; she also had to get some hot water. But her disordered footsteps and breathing were like sharp swords, shattering the tyrant¡¯s just-rising expectations. Sure enough, she was only pretending. Listen to that frightened tone of hers. She was probably frightened by his appearance. Everything she said earlier was indeed all an act! The tyrant sneered in his heart. He could feel pus and bloody scales flowing continuously from that horrible tail, and the black and red curse marks that were constantly undulating; how utterly disgusting. Even he felt that he was revolting, so why should he have any expectations? Footnotes: 1 dantian: Dantian refers to the elixir-of-life field where ¡°essence¡± and ¡°spirit¡± are stored. Traditionally, a dantian is considered to be a centre of qi or life force energy. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 12 Eight Dragons (1) The temperature of a mid-October¡¯s night was rather low, and the silence in the huge hall was terrible. The darkness amplified all sound and pain. The tyrant¡¯s face was deathly pale; accompanied by black and red lines that faded in and out, all the scales on his body were shifting and undulating, withering and falling off. Mixed with pus and blood, they fell onto the jade bed, emitting light but piercing sounds. His original core was broken, and his spiritual power was exhausted. It took almost all his mental strength to suppress the pain and curse. He could only lift a little of the curse every day, and at this rate, it would take him three years just to wake up. Because of the corrosion, his temporarily paralysed body was unable to move. The little bugs that could normally be crushed with just a little spiritual power were now feeding on his flesh and blood like crazy. Cold sweat slid all the way from his forehead, across his eyelids, and into his inky black hair. His divine consciousness gradually blurred. Just as he was about to sink to the bottom of the gloomy abyss, the sound of hasty footsteps suddenly rang out. Her voice was a little breathless, and seemed to be right next to his ears. A warm hand covered his forehead gently. Before completely losing consciousness, he heard her say¡ª¡ª ¡°Your complexion is terrible, it must hurt very badly¡­¡± ¡ª¡ªMu Wanwan was entirely unaware that Mister Long had woken up in the middle of this. She wiped the cold sweat on his forehead away, then added some lamp oil to the lamps in the room¡ªthe room became much brighter in an instant. She looked at Mister Long¡¯s rotten half-tail and the pus and blood that kept dripping down, and acutely felt her scalp grow numb. In Mu Wanwan¡¯s hand was a knife that had been sterilised simply with boiling water. Faced with Mister Long¡¯s long tail, she suddenly simply sterilized it by using boiling water, facing Mister Long¡¯s long tail, she was suddenly under the impression that she was preparing a dragon dish. The thought seemed to make her feel a little more relaxed. With a pale face, Mu Wanwan slowly moved the knife towards him. The rotting of Mister Long¡¯s tail began from a point slightly below the tip of his tail. Mu Wanwan gently scraped open the withered yellow scales that were attached to the pus and blood on the rotten surface. An indescribably rancid smell rushed out instantly, and she felt like she was about to suffocate. But when she thought about the tyrant¡¯s face, which had turned dreadfully pale from the pain, Mu Wanwan steeled herself and swallowed her discomfort. With a little bit of force, she cut away the scales, and bit by bit, carved out the rotten flesh that had already begun to fester. As she worked, she inevitably encountered the little bugs that least wanted to meet. The black insects¡¯ shells were very hard, and they¡¯d crawl all over the place¡ªthe feeling of something seeming to be crawling around on the back of her arms and legs constantly was truly awful. After roughly dealing with Mister Long¡¯s tail, Mu Wanwan felt like her entire body stunk. Her outer robe was also all stained with dirty blood. She glanced at the cushion under Mister Long; on it, lay the corpses of the many small bugs that she had crushed violently to death. Mu Wanwan broke out in chills. She quickly took off her outer robe, wrapped it around her hand and dragged Mister Long by his tail to shift him to a different position. She then took the cushion and the basin of things that had come off Mister Long¡¯s tail and threw them all out along with her outer robe. Mu Wanwan washed her hands carefully, then entered the room with the ointment and gauze. She didn¡¯t know if it was because of her simple treatment of the rotten tail, the smell in the room was not as overwhelming as before. Perhaps it was only her illusion, but she felt that Mister Long¡¯s complexion seemed to be less awful too. She carefully applied ointment to the long tail, and wrapped half of the tail with gauze. Then, Mu Wanwan fetched another few basins of water. Using the change of clothes from yesterday that she hadn¡¯t had the time to wash, she wiped Mister Long¡¯s somewhat dirty tail once over. After thinking about it, she also cleaned his upper body simply, blushing as she did so. While wiping the tail, Mu Wanwan accidentally touched some scales near his waist. They were a little different from those in other areas¡ªthere was a thick film on them, and was also somewhat hard. She didn¡¯t think too much about it though, and only wiped that area and Mister Long¡¯s bare torso simply. it and on it, but she didn¡¯t think much. Only after that did she force her exhausted body to also wash herself off. After finishing the cleanup, Mu Wanwan thought about taking out a low-grade spirit stone from her pocket and placing it next to Mister Long¡¯s pillow. According to her memory, some powerful people could unconsciously absorb spiritual energy from spirit stones even in their sleep. Although she didn¡¯t know if the current Mister Long was able to absorb spiritual energy, she felt that she should give it a try anyway. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 13 Eight Dragons (2) Mu Wanwan went back to the box and took a Baizhen fruit, cut a bit of the peel with a small knife, and dripped the juice onto Mister Long¡¯s bruised lips. After squeezing nearly half of the fruit, Mu Wanwan stopped. Searching through the original body¡¯s memory, she forced out a bit of weak wood-based spiritual power from her dantian, and poured it into the other half of the somewhat shrivelled fruit. When she saw the peel that she had carefully cut away grow back, she let out a sigh of relief. They were now dirt-poor. Even Baizhen fruit that cost only five low-grade spirit stones apiece, something that the tyrant would have never deigned to look at, was something they couldn¡¯t afford now. The fruit emitted a rich fragrance. Mu Wanwan swallowed, but still, she didn¡¯t eat the other half of the shrivelled fruit. After all, the current Mister Long needed them more than she did. Although the original body¡¯s status was not as esteemed as Bai Shuiyao¡¯s back home before she got married, the Mu family¡¯s status was once pretty well-regarded within the tyrant¡¯s territory. While her father¡¯s power was only at Rank 4, his combat power almost equaled that of Rank 5 warriors. He would also give her more than a dozen gold coins to spend every month, but these gold coins would be taken away by Bai Shuiyao via various means every time. Mu Wanwan rubbed her throbbing head. This time, the original body had been married off after the Mu family had met with misfortune, and she was as good as an abandoned child. Other than some clothes and bedding, there was no other dowry. So, she could now be considered as part of the legendary Quilt Party1. Mu Wanwan let out a bitter laugh and walked resignedly to the cabinet in the corner of the room. She dug out two quilts¡ªthe bright-red sort embroidered with mandarin ducks that were meant for newly-wed couples¡ªand two mattresses. Before, the original body simply didn¡¯t have the intention nor the guts to sleep with the tyrant, and had not even thought about tidying up the bed. Actually, if it were possible, Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t really want to sleep with Mister Long either. But in the past, Mister Long had a terrible temper¡ªif a servant dared to appear outside his bedchamber, there would only be one fate awaiting them: death. Therefore, the fact that there was only one such bed in the both main and side halls combined aside, there weren¡¯t even any quilts that one could keep warm with in the winter. Only a little bit of food survived in the small kitchen. However, this jade bed was very big. Visually, it measured three by three metres. Even if two people slept on it, if she paid some attention to the distance, it shouldn¡¯t matter, right? Mu Wanwan looked at the mattresses in the cupboard. She was rather thankful that the mattress was made of two pieces, as was the quilt. This way, she didn¡¯t have to share a quilt with the tyrant. Although she was now Mister Long¡¯s wife in name, and Mister Long was also not very ugly¡ªin fact, after looking at him for a long time, she even felt that he possessed a kind of coquettish and fragile beauty, but¡ª¡ª First of all, Mister Long was not human. She had heard that dragons had two of those, but she didn¡¯t know if that was true¡­ Ahem, well, this question was a bit ahead of time for now so she would put that aside for the time being. Most importantly, in the original book, Ao Qin liked to get involved with Bai Shuiyao in front of Mister Long. After Mister Long woke up, he seemed to fall in love with her at first sight under the influence of Bai Shuiyao¡¯s heroine¡¯s aura. At the thought of this, Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t help but glance at a certain dragon¡¯s pallid, strange face, and his long and curved eyelashes, feeling very complicated. No matter how much tender affection the current Mister Long incited in her, it still couldn¡¯t change the fact that he might fall for Bai Shuiyao like in the original text. She should just stop overthinking. Anyway, Mister Long couldn¡¯t feel anything now; even if she shared a bed with him, he wouldn¡¯t know about it when he woke up. Mu Wanwan pondered as she laid the bedding. But when the bed was ready, she looked at the red nuptial quilts atop the two side-by-side mattresses, and the Mister Long she had positioned such that only his somewhat handsome face was revealed, she still couldn¡¯t help but blush. ¡ª¡ªIn modern times, she was an orphan who had problems with food and clothing since she was a child. With great difficulty, she managed to attend university with the aid of some welfare policies. She slogged her way through her studies as she worked part-time, and after graduation, she worked hard to earn money to repay her loans. The only pleasure she had were novels. Although it wasn¡¯t that no one had wooed her in all those years, she had never been in a relationship. Never would she have guessed that her first time sleeping in nuptial bedding would actually be with a comatose dragon¡­ Mu Wanwan was in a complicated mood, but compared with her body, which had been exhausted for several days in a row, this little snag was nothing. According to the original plot, she should be dead by now, but she was still here, and even had a bed to sleep in¡ªall things considered, this wasn¡¯t too bad. Footnotes: 1 legendary Quilt Party: probably a reference to her ¡°homelessness¡±, only having a quilt to her name. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 14 Nine Dragons (1) Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t hesitate anymore. She stepped carefully onto the soft mattress, gently lifted the quilt that was closer to the outer edge of the bed, and slowly slid under the covers. She had put out all of the lamps but one. It was about two or three o¡¯clock in the morning, completely dark outside, and only a trace of dim lamplight remained in the entire room. Mu Wanwan lay down. When her weary legs, which had been bent for a long time, touched the soft quilt, she couldn¡¯t help but let out a deep sigh. The slightly cool quilt took on her body heat and warmed up bit by bit, just like her cheeks, which were gradually tinged with crimson. Although she told herself to ignore a certain dragon sleeping next to her, in the quiet space, Mister Long¡¯s very weak breathing was so obvious that Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t help turning her head to peek at him. Mister Long was lying motionless in the bold red bedding, obediently and well-behaved. From her angle, she could only see half of the chiselled contours of his profile, and those eyelashes that were so long they stirred up a little envy in others, curled and dense. Mu Wanwan reached out silently and touched his eyelashes, then quietly turned her head away. It was probably impossible for her to have such long and curly eyelashes in this lifetime¡­ Mu Wanwan had initially thought that she wouldn¡¯t be able to fall asleep. After all, she was sharing a bed with the opposite sex for the first time in her life. However, she soon sank into a dark dreamland, and before those wild, foolish thoughts were even given any room to play, they had been quashed out on the bed by weariness. She slept very soundly, so exhausted that she couldn¡¯t even lift a finger, and lay firmly and securely in bed. The room fell silent momentarily. In the quiet room, a faint mist spilled out from the low-grade spirit stone that Mu Wanwan placed next to Mister Long¡¯s ear, then disappeared into the tyrant¡¯s body like water vapour. But it was clear that there was too little spiritual power in the inferior spiritual stone¡ªthe process was frighteningly short, and almost an instant later, the originally slightly transparent low-grade spirit stone shattered into a fine powder. Once again, the room fell into a terrible silence, which lasted for a long time. It was perhaps almost dawn when Mister Long¡¯s fingers moved slightly. There was soft bedding under his body. His tail, which had been painful and itchy, had also been treated. The tyrant could feel that there was a layer of low-grade ointment applied to it. The sticky feeling on his face had also disappeared¡ªsomeone had probably wiped it. There was a hint of softness in the bottom of his heart. Because of the trace of nourishment from that bit of spiritual energy in his dried-up body, he had the chance to do his best to connect a small piece of his broken original core, and dispel a little of the curse, alleviating some pain. So¡­ She really didn¡¯t despise him? Mister Long couldn¡¯t accurately put what he was feeling into words. His tail was so wretched and filthy, but she actually wasn¡¯t repelled by it. With a movement in his heart, a wisp of divine consciousness gradually emerged, slowly scanning everything around him. Last time, he had been too narrow-minded. As soon as the divine consciousness touched the bold red nuptial quilt embroidered with mandarin ducks, Mister Long withdrew his divine consciousness sharply, as if he had suddenly been scalded. His heart beat violently for a long time¡ª¡ª How, how could she¡­ It turns out that the soft thing under him wasn¡¯t simply an ordinary quilt, but a nuptial quilt? Has she accepted him, and wanted to be with¡­ him? His ears were very hot, and for the first time, the pain in his meridians was not comparable to his incessantly beating heart. Tentatively, Mister Long gradually pulled out a wisp of spiritual consciousness, slowly rippling it away from the red nuptial quilt that made him extremely ashamed. The room was still the one he was familiar with. The jade bed was also the one he often slept on, just that two conspicuous sets of nuptial bedding had been added on top of it. In another quilt not far from him, lay a completely defenceless person who was sleeping sweetly. His blood flowed slowly. If Mu Wanwan was awake and if the black and red curse marks weren¡¯t so obvious, she definitely would¡¯ve been able to find that Mister Long¡¯s exposed face, neck, and two ears had become a shade of pink that was about to turn a deep crimson. Next to a mongrel dragon that everyone considered disabled and disgusting, next to a great tyrant that everyone considered cold, cruel and murderous, she slept very quietly. Mister Dragon struggled to slowly move his divine consciousness. That wisp of divine consciousness, which was lighter than air, slowly slid from Mu Wanwan¡¯s neck, all the way across her cheeks, to the tip of her nose, her eyelashes, her forehead¡­ She was not particularly good-looking. The tyrant, who had seen countless beauties fawn over him at his peak, yet remained a bachelor dragon, thought with flushed ears. She shouldn¡¯t be considered to be very pretty¡­ But Mister Long¡¯s divine consciousness, the only thing he could move, somehow seemed to be out of control. It slid slowly across the cheeks of Mu Wanwan, who was peacefully asleep, finally resting on those slightly dry lips of hers. Tremblingly, it left a feather-light touch, then¡ª¡ª It suddenly disappeared, as if it had never appeared before. Mister Long¡¯s cheeks were so hot that he felt a little dizzy. While suppressing the pain that was gradually rising in his body, he blushed as he wondered hazily¡ª¡ª Was this what it felt like to kiss one¡¯s wife? Sure enough, it was truly something else. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 15 Ten Dragons (1) ¡ª¡ªMu Wanwan, who had been kissed by the divine consciousness as she dreamt, did not feel anything at all; in fact, she even slept very soundly. By the time she woke up naturally the next day, the sun outside was already very large. Mu Wanwan¡¯s hair was a little messy; there was a stale, fishy taste in her mouth, and she felt that her entire waist and legs were all out of order. When she first transmigrated over, she had been in a constant state of tension, and her body had never really had the chance to relax. Although her knees were swollen and painful at that time, she had endured it all the while. On top of that, she had gritted her teeth and pulled through both being so traumatised by Ao Qin¡¯s oppressive spiritual force to the point of almost vomiting blood, and cleaning Mister Long¡¯s wounds. On the contrary, now, after a good night¡¯s sleep, all the feelings of exhaustion came surging forth. ¡°Whew.¡± With shaky arms, Mu Wanwan rubbed her sore waist and struggled to sit up. Mu Wanwan moved her gaze to the tyrant further inside the bed. He appeared to be unchanged, but his terrible expression seemed to have eased slightly. His lips were still bruised, but she didn¡¯t know if it was because of the Baizhen fruit juice she had dripped on them last night that it looked like there was a layer of sticky and glossy film on them, as if¡­ As if they had been kissed swollen. Such a thought suddenly appeared in her mind. Mu Wanwan shook her head hurriedly in an attempt to toss this bad thought out. However, she did suddenly think of something. Thinking that since Mister Long was a comatose dragon, she didn¡¯t have to have too many reservations in front of him, and so, lifted the quilt directly. In her undergarments, she crept slowly across the jade bed, half-lying beside him, then reached out as if reaching for a mobile phone to touch the low-grade spirit stone that was placed next to his ear last night. After groping around for a long time, she didn¡¯t feel the spirit stone, but instead, felt a handful of ashes. Mu Wanwan was rather fatigued in both mind and body, and had still been a little sleepy at first. When she felt the ashes, she became completely awake; she was in a complicated mood, hope mingled with anxiety¡ª¡ª The low-grade spirit stone was gone, and the pile of ash in its place showed that Mister Long could absorb spiritual power in his vegetative state. This meant that if she got Mister Long some more spirit stones and put them by his bedside every day, he might suffer less and regain consciousness earlier. Yet, almost in the very next second, Mu Wanwan felt like weeping. They were now in the pits of poverty, even eating was a problem. Where was she going to get so many spirit stones to feed Mister Long? She reached out and swept away the handful of ash, then stretched out her hand and touched Mister Long¡¯s broken horn gently. ¡°I have to work hard to think of something, or I wouldn¡¯t be able to support you.¡± Mu Wanwan wanted to get up, but as soon as she exerted her strength, there was a burst of pain in her abdomen. Her legs went limp from the pain, and she fell directly onto the quilt. Cold sweat gradually surfaced on her forehead. Mu Wanwan took in a breath and lifted her hand to open her undershirt. The sight of a large bruise greeted her, looking rather horrifying. This injury should¡¯ve been caused by the pressure from yesterday, right? She had thought there wouldn¡¯t be any trace. Mu Wanwan remained in pain for a while, then struggled to get up. First, she applied a little of Mister Long¡¯s ointment for external wounds on herself. As soon as the ice-green ointment touched her skin, it slowly spread out. Not long after, waves of cooling sensation pulsed out from the bruised area, and the pain was reduced significantly. Mu Wanwan was very satisfied with the immediate effect of the medicine, but she didn¡¯t use any more of it. After all, there wasn¡¯t much of the ointment left. After the brief treatment of her wound, Mu Wanwan hurriedly washed up, changed, heated some of the leftover porridge from last night, fed some to Mister Long, cleaned the bed again, checked Mister Long¡¯s tail, tidied up the room, washed the dishes and clothes, busying about for most of the day. Fortunately, the weather had been pretty good recently, and the sun during the day was still rather strong. Mu Wanwan found two poles that were somewhat longer and built a simple drying rack to hang the washed clothes. Only when all of this was done, did Mu Wanwan remember the other half of Baizhen fruit that was on the table. Although she had channelled some wood-based spiritual power into it, the Baizhen fruit that had been left overnight still looked a little shrivelled, and not as plump as before. Mu Wanwan had originally wanted to split the consumption of one fruit over three days, so that it could be absorbed better, but it seemed like this fruit could not be kept without losing quality. She took the fruit and walked over to Mister Long, cut the skin of the fruit, squeezed out the juice, and fed it to him. As she fed him, she somehow felt that the face in front of her seemed to have turned a little red. Hidden under the black and red marks, it wasn¡¯t very obvious. Upon closer inspection, even the ears seemed to be a little red¡­ ¡°Is it too warm?¡± Mu Wanwan felt as if she had acquired new dragon-raising know-how. ¡°Do dragons not like heat?¡± She said in a low voice. Her question made a certain dragon who had finally recovered a little divine consciousness after absorbing some energy sink into silence. Actually, dragons didn¡¯t particularly dislike heat very much. Mister Long said this silently in his heart, then felt the quilt being lifted. A hand that was both warm and cool touched his arm gently, which made the spot feel as if it had been suddenly seared with a small brand. There was obviously no heat, yet it still felt scorching hot. Touching Mister Long¡¯s arm, Mu Wanwan felt that his temperature was still alright, and so, did not remove the quilt completely. Instead, she wiped his mouth clean. She looked at the remaining skin of the shrivelled-up fruit in her hand. Still not bearing to throw it away, she turned around silently to gnaw the fruit clean. She thought that no one would know of such a humiliating scene, but under the quilt, Mister Long¡¯s fingers trembled as if in pain. Mu Wanwan gnawed on the fruit peel. She didn¡¯t know if it was all in her mind, but she felt as though she had absorbed quite a bit of spiritual energy. She stretched lazily, faced the sun shining merrily outside, seemed to think of something, and couldn¡¯t help breaking into a smile. ¡°I want to take you out to bask in the sun.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t your scales lack calcium if you stay too long without any sunshine?¡± Her tone was very relaxed, but Mister Long¡¯s divine consciousness touched the pit of the fruit that she had gnawed clean and placed on the table as she was still reluctant to throw it away¡ªhe still felt a pang of pain in his heart, assailed by all manner of complicated feelings. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 16 Eleven Dragons (1) Mu Wanwan was seriously considering the matter of whether she should take Mister Long to the courtyard to bask in the sun. Although she didn¡¯t have any experience caring for comatose¡­ dragons, Mister Long was now in his half-dragon form, and she thought he wasn¡¯t that much different from those comatose people in modern times. It was just that Mister Long¡¯s body was stronger than any of theirs, and also suffered the most. She had participated in volunteer work in the past; those who had been physically disabled after being injured would suffer mentally and emotionally if they stayed indoors for too long. ¡°I have to get a wheelchair on my own,¡± said Mu Wanwan in a low voice. She didn¡¯t know if there was such a thing as a wheelchair in this world, but Mister Long¡¯s tail was broken¡ªwhen he woke up in the future, it was most likely that he would have a disability in his legs, and might not be able to walk around easily. The tyrant heard her say something about a ¡°wheelchair¡±. Even though he didn¡¯t understand what it was, his intuition told him that this thing called a ¡°wheelchair¡± must have something to do with him. The cloyingly sweet taste of Baizhen fruit still lingered in his mouth, and a trace of sourness surfaced in his heart. This used to be the fruit he hated to eat the most. Mister Long slowly withdrew his divine consciousness. Enduring those indescribable feelings, he mobilised all the spiritual energy within him, and attempted to put together his original core that had broken into several pieces in order to dispel the curse. Initially, he had felt that it didn¡¯t matter anymore, but now, he suddenly really wanted to get well. At the very least, he wanted to see with his own eyes, this bride that was brought in to ward off ill fortune and bring good luck that did not mind his tail. His eyelashes trembled; an unknown thought came to Mister Long¡¯s mind, and gloom shrouded his entire heart. Before the curse was broken, his tail would rot repeatedly. She might put up with him once or twice, but what if this went on for a long time? She would run away for sure. The black and red curse lines on his cheeks suddenly moved in a hideous manner, like a poisonous viper twisting forward through dark thorny brambles, ready to destroy the faint, weak light at the end of the tunnel at any time. ¡ª¡ªAt this moment, Mu Wanwan was completely unaware that Mister Long was actually such a sensitive and troublesome comatose dragon. Sitting on the stool, she began to think about the plot that was to come. According to the original text, Bai Shuiyao should¡¯ve already escaped last night, and had been forcibly kissed by Ao Qin, which should¡¯ve put the first R scene into motion. Ao Qin took up most of the first part of the description. Before the tyrant woke up, he was constantly entangled with Bai Shuiyao, and the two mutually flirted with each other. Mu Wanwan still remembered the words in the book that left a dark shadow in her heart, describing the scene when the female side-character had been stabbed to death¡ª¡ª ¡°The powerful and formidable Ao Qin was enraged at the two for running away. In his fit of anger, a dark golden light lashed out; for some unknown reason, Mu Wanwan¡¯s expression suddenly stiffened¡ªher eyes rolled upwards, and slowly slid down against the corner of the wall, as if all the bones in her body were broken. Bai Shuiyao was thoroughly shocked; with tears in her eyes, she took two steps forward, as if wanting to help Mu Wanwan up, but in the end, before she managed to touch the even corner of the clothes of her mistress by name, she was caught in a broad embrace. Ao Qin encircled her waist with one hand. The action could not be described as gentle, nor was it very rough; he just said coldly to her, ¡®Don¡¯t touch, it¡¯s dirty.¡¯ Bai Shuiyao glared at him furiously, her cheeks scarlet. Somehow, this led Ao Qin¡¯s heart to be moved, and so, with her in his arms, kissed those pink, moist lips fiercely. Bai Shuiyao couldn¡¯t even resist, and could only squeak out a no. Only when the two collected themselves from the kiss did Bai Shuiyao notice that there was no longer any Mu Wanwan in the corner¡ªonly a pile of mashed-up flesh in clothes was left. Mu Wanwan suddenly shuddered violently, her heart growing numb and tingly. Although she had now escaped this fate, the memory of it was unpleasant after all. She just didn¡¯t know whether Bai Shuiyao had already run away or not. Having a headache, Mu Wanwan rubbed her head. Regarding Bai Shuiyao, she actually didn¡¯t have any good solutions. Bai Shuiyao was her maidservant in name, but wasn¡¯t officially an untouchable. In the memories of the original body, although her father seemed to treat Bai Shuiyao well, he didn¡¯t actually love Bai Shuiyao deeply. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have sent both his daughters into the tyrant¡¯s manor like a buy-one-get-one-free deal for the sake of personal interest after his downfall. Even though she could use the identity of being her so-called mistress to suppress her for now, she couldn¡¯t really cause any substantial harm to Bai Shuiyao. Moreover, both she and Mister Long had no one to count on; if Bai Shuiyao really hooked up with Ao Qin, she would surely be bullied by her then. Mu Wanwan was still having a headache when she saw Bai Shuiyao pushing the door open from outside in a hurry. Her hair was in a mess, and her plain white dress was covered with mud. There was a little bloodstain on her cheeks, and her expression was a little panicked and grieved. Before Mu Wanwan could put down the seed, Bai Shuiyao grabbed her arm. ¡°My lady, I¡ª I¡¯m done for, help me!¡± As soon as she heard the words, ¡®my lady¡¯, Mu Wanwan¡¯s heart clenched. Bai Shuiyao took the initiative to call her ¡®my lady¡¯¡ªthis couldn¡¯t be good! Bai Shuiyao¡¯s voice was hoarse and aggrieved. Her beautiful peach blossom eyes were full of tears, and her eyes were even filled with emotion. Her lips were a little red and swollen, and it looked like someone had had their way with her. She said softly, ¡°Wanwan, I, I¡­¡­¡± Mu Wanwan¡¯s heart squeezed, as if she had seen the hard and tragic future of Mister Long and herself through Bai Shuiyao¡¯s neck that was full of red marks. Panicked, she said, ¡°Could it be that Ao Qin had taken¡­¡± ¡°¡­A fancy to you?¡± Before she could say these last few words, Bai Shuiyao interrupted her as she cried, ¡°I¡¯ve been punished by Ao Qin to do hard labour in the Cold Palace at the edge of the forbidden grounds!¡± Huh?? Hard labour?? Mu Wanwan was a little stunned by her words, and the seed in her hand fell to the ground with a clatter. She asked with some disbelief, ¡°Did I hear you right? Aren¡¯t your lips swollen from being forcefully kissed by Ao Qin?¡± Bai Shuiyao was already upset because of yesterday¡¯s vexatious incident, and seeing Mu Wanwan¡¯s surprised and dumbfounded look now, the anger in her heart was on the verge of bursting out. ¡°What are you talking about, my lips are like this from been kissed by Qing Ye!¡± Mu Wanwan, ¡°¡­¡­¡± Why was this plot not quite the same as what she¡¯d thought? Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 17 Twelve Dragons (1) Mu Wanwan was just about to ask Bai Shuiyao what was going on when a few more people came in from outside. At the head was Fuliu, with about three or four maids trailing behind her. Fuliu looked at Bai Shuiyao, who was clutching tightly onto Mu Wanwan¡¯s hands, and raised her eyebrows slowly. ¡°You still have a quarter of an hour to pack your things.¡± As Fuliu¡¯s gaze swept over Bai Shuiyao, she held onto Mu Wanwan¡¯s hands with a terrible expression on her face. ¡°My lady, Wanwan, you have to save me, only you can help me. I don¡¯t want to be sentenced to hard labour.¡± She was crying miserably, but Fuliu and those maids behind her all snickered. Fuliu sneered, ¡°What are you crying about, Lord Ao Qin only sentenced you to hard labour¡ª it¡¯s not like he¡¯s taking your life. He¡¯s even permitting you to pack your things and bring them there. Why are you still not content.¡± Fuliu looked at Bai Shuiyao, and said in a sarcastic tone, ¡°You took advantage of the guards¡¯ early morning shift change and asked Qing Ye to help you escape, and now you still have the face to cry after being found out. You are truly amazing.¡± ¡°I just wanted to go out to have a look, I wasn¡¯t planning to run away,¡± sobbed Bai Shuiyao. She looked tearfully at Mu Wanwan, acting every bit the part of one suffering from injustice. A maid beside Fuliu couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. Perhaps this little maid liked Qing Ye; her face was flushed with anger, ¡°You vixen, you went and seduced Lord Qing Ye. To help you escape, he¡¯s been deposed of all his cultivation and driven out of the manor by Lord Ao Qin, yet you didn¡¯t even mention a single word about him!¡± Bai Shuiyao choked and cried tragically, trying to prove with her sobs that she was not a conscienceless woman. After hearing so much, Mu Wanwan finally understood¡ª¡ª Yesterday, after being driven away by her in a fit, Bai Shuiyao hadn¡¯t given up on the idea of escaping. She tried to sneak out of the manor while the guards on the patrol changed shifts in the early morning, but was discovered by Ao Qin. Qing Ye, who had helped her, had his cultivation ruined and thrown out, while Bai Shuiyao had been sentenced to hard labour. On the whole, it was still consistent with the original text, but Bai Shuiyao¡¯s time of escape time had been changed from last night to early this morning, and the plot point where Ao Qin forcibly kissed her had been twisted and become a punishment to carry out hard labour¡­ Had Bai Shuiyao¡¯s heroine¡¯s aura become weaker? Mu Wanwan guessed to herself inwardly, but she was not planning on bothering herself with Bai Shuiyao, nor was she intending to plead for mercy on her behalf. This downfall was Bai Shuiyao¡¯s own doing. Putting aside the fact that she wasn¡¯t obliged to take care of it, even if she wanted to, she didn¡¯t have the ability to do so. After the tyrant¡¯s defeat, using the excuse of helping a good friend to take care of his territory, Ao Qin took away Mister Long¡¯s authority and power, and left the comatose dragon here without bothering to show any care or concern. His attitude towards her, a bride brought in to bring good fortune, was much worse. They weren¡¯t even able to fend for themselves. If she went to plead for Bai Shuiyao at this time, things might get even tougher for her. It could be a possibility that Ao Qin might throw her out to carry out hard labour together with Bai Shuiyao. ¡°My lady, say something. Don¡¯t ignore me, huu¡­¡± Bai Shuiyao tugged at Mu Wanwan¡¯s sleeve, refusing to let go. Fuliu and the group of maids watched this scene with cold eyes. Fuliu was all prepared; if Mu Wanwan wanted to protect Bai Shuiyao, she would take Bai Shuiyao away by force. In any case, both of them were only at Rank 1, and weak as could be. Mu Wanwan sighed, and slowly pulled her hand away. ¡°Yaoyao, how could you do such a silly thing. If Father were to know about this, he would be very sad.¡± Bai Shuiyao apologised hurriedly, ¡°I know I was wrong, I won¡¯t dare to do it again.¡± Mu Wanwan made a troubled expression, ¡°Yaoyao, I believe that you won¡¯t. ¡°Listen to me, I want to help you too. I really want to help.¡± Mu Wanwan looked very sincere, ¡°But I am now being grounded here. I can only go out once every ten days. Only if I am outside, can I visit you from time to time, and bring you some food and necessities.¡± Bai Shuiyao wiped her tears delicately. At this point, she knew that she might not be able to escape anymore. She whimpered, ¡°Why not, why not you and I swap places? Father loves me the most, he surely won¡¯t bear for me to go.¡± Mu Wanwan was astounded by her shamelessness, and almost suspected that she had misheard. Swap places? Is Bai Shuiyao trying to be funny? Bai Shuiyao looked at Fuliu with tears in her eyes, ¡°Sister Fuliu, can¡¯t Mu Wanwan go in my stead? She was the one who asked me to run away! It¡¯s all her fault, it¡¯s not me who wanted to escape! ¡°It¡¯s all because Mu Wanwan asked me to do it. Sister Fuliu, don¡¯t take me away, take her to go perform hard labour, I can take care of that wasted dragon in her place! I also have a treasure, I can give it to you. You know it too, the tyrant has been abandoned, and Lord Ao Qin won¡¯t really care who the tyrant¡¯s wife is.¡± Bai Shuiyao no longer had any regard for her pride or dignity; she was bent on dragging Mu Wanwan down with her. ¡°At the most, I can pay the price to change into her likeness, Lord Ao Qin won¡¯t find out.¡± Fuliu¡¯s eyes flickered, as if considering the matter. After all, in this other world, it didn¡¯t seem to be a difficult task to change one¡¯s face at some cost. Mu Wanwan was so incensed by Bai Shuiyao¡¯s willingness to do anything out of desperation, and couldn¡¯t be bothered to pretend any longer. She sneered, ¡°Bai Shuiyao, although you and I are mistress and servant, I have always treated you as my sister. You¡¯ve made a mistake of your own accord now, yet you¡¯re trying to slander me. Do you really think that Fuliu is a fool? That you really have treasures just because you say so? That you can swap places just because you want to? Why do I not know that you have something like a treasure?¡± She didn¡¯t have such things in the book, so she was most probably just acting now. ¡°Father gave it to me.¡± Bai Shuiyao was furious, her beautiful eyes glared angrily at her, ¡°How could you, a detested good-for-nothing, have one! Trash! Bitc¡­ Mmmf!!¡± Before she could finish cursing, something that been stuffed roughly into her mouth. Mu Wanwan stuffed that half-packet of seeds into her mouth forcefully, and smiled. ¡°As a younger sister, you should respect me. As a servant, you have even less right to slander me.¡± Originally, she had not wanted to offend Bai Shuiyao. After all, she was the heroine, so it would become very troublesome in the future if she offended her. But now that Bai Shuiyao had climbed on top of her head, why should she have to put up with it? Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 18 Thirteen Dragons (1) Bai Shuiyao¡¯s mouth hurt very much; her beautiful peach blossom eyes stared wide, and her face was full of disbelief. ¡°Mmph¡­!¡± Was this still the silly sister who always obeyed her every word meekly? How dare she stuff dirty seeds into her mouth!! Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t bother to look at her. She lifted her eyes to the astonished Fuliu and lied blatantly with a straight face, ¡°Lord Ao Qin met with me yesterday and gave me a promise token. If I die, Lord Ao Qin will certainly know immediately. ¡°Also¡­¡± Mu Wanwan smiled at Fuyu, ¡°What if I said that my mother left me a Rank 2 fire originium?¡± ¡°A Rank 2 fire originium!¡± A little maid shrieked and automatically took two steps back. A Rank 2 fire originium was a type of crystallization of fire. When subjected to a violent impact or affected by spiritual power, it would produce a massive explosion. Anyone under Rank 2 who touched it would die, and those in Rank 3 would be seriously injured. The market price of one was the cost of a high-grade spirit stone. Fuliu was also shocked, and gave Mu Wanwan a strange look. Right now, she was a little impressed by this chongxi bride who would only weep and sob before. Actually, she was aware that this person might be just lying, and didn¡¯t really have a fire originium, but there was no need for her to risk it for Bai Shuiyao¡¯s possibly non-existent treasure. ¡°Madam, don¡¯t listen to Bai Shuiyao¡¯s nonsense, we¡¯ve never had the intention of switching your places,¡± Fuliu took the lead to yield. There was not the slightest hint of compassion as she met the sobbing and shaking Bai Shuiyao¡¯s pure face. She took out a green cord from her sleeve and beckoned to the maids behind her who then gathered around and tied Bai Shuiyao up. ¡°Wait.¡± As they were pulling the continually struggling Bai Shuiyao, about to leave, Mu Wanwan went up to them calmly, then tugged at the packet of seeds that filled half of Bai Shuiyao¡¯s mouth because the force used was a little too strong. As it was stuffed in rather forcefully, she only managed to pull half of it out. The little maid who had spoken up for Qing Ye earlier watched Bai Shuiyao cry from the pain. Her face was red with agitation, ¡°Bah! Serves you right!¡± Mu Wanwan yanked the seeds out; Bai Shui Yao immediately started shrieking, ¡°Mu Wanwan, you black-hearted b*tch, I won¡¯t let you off!¡± ¡°What are you screaming about!¡± That little maid was also an expert at reading faces; seeing that Fuliu had no intentions of helping Bai Shuiyao, she gave Bai Shuiyao a fierce slap. ¡°What right do you have to speak impertinently to Madam!¡± Her slap was without mercy¡ª the crisp ¡°Pak¡± that sounded out made even Mu Wanwan feel the pain. Bai Shuiyao was dumbstruck by the slap. The corner of her mouth bled as tears fell from her eyes, making quite the pitiable sight. Fuliu gave Mu Wanwan a slight bow, then led the group off. Eyes bright, that little maid curtsied to Mu Wanwan, then, jabbing at Bai Shuiyao¡¯s spine, left. Only when they had all left did Mu Wanwan let out a slow sigh of relief. She put the half-destroyed packet of seeds aside, walked slowly to the courtyard¡¯s entrance, and locked the heavy main door tight. She looked at the lifelike golden dragon carved on the door and smacked the dragon¡¯s head in frustration. This time, it looked as if matters had been solved very easily, when in fact there had been a large crisis hidden under the surface. If Bai Shuiyao hadn¡¯t been so anxious and left so many loopholes, if she had become a little more mature, and planned carefully, Mu Wanwan might really have been replaced. What Rank 2 fire originum, she didn¡¯t have that kind of thing at all. The original body¡¯s mother was also a cowardly person whose own power was only at Rank 2, and was always bowing and scraping to her father. Otherwise, how could Bai Shuiyao, an illegitimate daughter, climb on top of both the heads of this mother-daughter pair? The original body¡¯s mother didn¡¯t even have a single gold coin in her private savings, nor did she leave anything for the original body, let alone something like a Rank 2 fire originium. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 19 Thirteen Dragons (2) Mu Wanwan scratched her head and sighed deeply. She had to thank Bai Shuiyao for causing her own demise. Now that she had been punished to do hard labour in the Cold Palace at the edge of the forbidden grounds, she and Mister Long could live in peace for a few days for now. Three years, as long as she could hold out for three years, when Mister Long wakes up, he would surely allow her to live on account that she had taken care of him for three years. She didn¡¯t want anything like wealth and glory, and only hoped to be able to live peacefully. Mu Wanwan leaned against the cold door and gazed out at the palace where the tyrant was lying. Suddenly, she felt that the courtyard was empty and deserted. She was a very tough person. She had lived alone for so many years; there was nothing to feel lonely about. This was what Mu Wanwan thought, but still, she didn¡¯t feel like doing anything anymore. She washed her hands, went back to the room, and looked at Mister Long who was lying on the jade bed¡ª¡ª Perhaps it was because the tail had been cleaned, his complexion was visibly much better. Although it was still covered with hideous black and red lines, the space between his brows was more relaxed. The lines would still move from time to time, but they didn¡¯t look as scary as before. Mu Wanwan had initially been feeling very upset, but looking in front of her at the tyrant who used to be a big villain now lying obediently in the bright red wedding quilt like a little wife who was completely dependent on her, she felt a strange sense of comfort. She herself didn¡¯t know what was going on; as if controlled by a supernatural force, she reached out and gave Mister Long a poke in the cheek. It was very thin, with not much flesh, but still soft. Mister Long¡¯s cheeks did not bulge up because of those black and red lines that looked like they were floating on the surface. When felt carefully, they even seemed somewhat smooth. Mu Wanwan poked several more times before realising what she was doing. She hastily withdrew her hand, then smiled ruefully, ¡°Mister Long, will you really fall for Bai Shuiyao in the future?¡± Her voice was very soft, like a low breeze, which dissipated in an instant. The tyrant who was in the throes of pain did not hear her, and naturally did not give her any response. Mu Wanwan was not at all surprised. She sat on the edge of the bed for a while, her heart in turmoil. One moment, she saw Bai Shuiyao¡¯s eyes that were full of hate before she left, the next moment, it was the scene of that day at the ancestral hall, when Ao Qin issued his seemingly threatening warning, another moment, it was the few pieces of low-grade spirit stones in her pocket, and the following moment, it was feeling the pile of ash by Mister Long¡¯s ear that morning¡­ The potential crises and the pressures of livelihood were all weighing on her; Mu Wanwan was actually rather tired. She sat there for a long time. Outside, the sun gradually sunk, and the house slowly became very dark. Mu Wanwan rubbed her head and caught a glimpse of Mister Long at the side. He was breathing steadily. Before, the room was very bright, yet Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t notice that his lips were looking shiny from the layer of Baizhen fruit juice smeared on them. His lips were still a little bruised, and together, there was actually a bit of the effect of him having applied a charming dazzling purple lip gloss. The corners of her lips couldn¡¯t help but curve upwards. She remembered that she had forgotten to wipe his mouth clean when she fed him the juice earlier. However, it looked pretty good too. She didn¡¯t know if it was because she had been amused by Mister Long¡¯s lip gloss, but Mu Wanwan felt that she was in a much better mood. She stood up, intending to go to the kitchen to cook¡ª¡ª Despite the internal and external troubles and difficulties in life, she still had to live, so she had to keep looking forward. Sitting passively while awaiting her doom was not the way to go. After settling Mister Long in these couple of days, she would apply for permission to go out and see if she could find any business opportunities. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 20 Fourteen Dragons (1) The kitchen was in the side hall. Mu Wanwan took a small handful of spiritual grain, and after thinking about it, also cut a small piece of ginseng fibre. She had thought it over; from today onwards, she would be eating separately from Mister Long. They had very little money and very little spiritual grains too. If she were to eat this small bag of spiritual grain together with Mister Long, it would be gone in less than a month. But if only Mister Long ate it, it could last for two months if she controlled the portions well. She also wanted to eat spiritual grain, but it couldn¡¯t be helped¡ªpoverty rendered one powerless and desperate. Mu Wanwan sighed and walked to the kitchen. The kitchen stove was made of some kind of material she didn¡¯t know of. Its surface was very smooth, and the fuel used was neither modern natural gas nor ears of rice used in rural farms, but a very special plant called burning grass. After igniting this long, light green plant with flint, not only did it burn for a long time, but there was also barely any smoke either. A single stalk of burning grass was enough to make a meal, and the taste of the food would also be much better than if it was prepared with those coals that produced smoke. This kind of burning grass was not cheap. Moreover, they could only be cultivated with wood-based spiritual power. One stalk of burning grass was a silver coin; basically, only some well-off families could afford to use it. She lit a burning grass and started cooking Mister Long¡¯s congee first, then found another stove next to it and started cooking her own dinner well. She stared at the dozens of stalks of burning grass piled up in the corner of the kitchen for a while. Suddenly, her eyes lit up¡ª¡ª She really was stupid; at the very least, the original body was a Rank 1 wood-based cultivator. It might be difficult to cultivate other spiritual plants, but it was more than enough to cultivate semi-spiritual plants without grade levels like this burning grass. She could totally buy some burning grass seeds to plant, then take them out to sell for money to raise the dragon! The burden of livelihood that had been weighing on her like a mountain that afternoon seemed to have become less heavy in the presence of this glimmer of hope. Mu Wanwan picked up a stalk of burning grass and put it in her hand. She tried tentatively to extract a trace of wood-based spiritual energy from her dantian and channel it slowly into that slightly dried-up burning grass. Drawing upon her previous memories, she pinched the stalk of burning grass, and according to its grain, guided the spiritual energy from the tip of the grass to its root. She didn¡¯t know if it was just her illusion, but she felt that the stalk of burning grass in her hand seemed to have a little more vitality than before, and when compared to the other burning grass, looked¡­ Greener! The congee in the pot was almost ready, so Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t continue to fuss over that burning grass. She sliced the skinny ginseng fibre and threw it into the pot, then stirred it again. After it was done, she placed the two different bowls of congee into the food carrier and carried it back to the room. The day is already late. Mu Wanwan set the food carrier down, checked once more if the main door was properly locked, then collected the clothes and went back in. She shut the windows, lit the lamps in the room, and got ready to feed the dragon. The sound of her busying about was neither too loud nor too soft, broken up in tiny scraps, but it was very clear in the ears of Mister Long, who had just regained his divine consciousness. It made him feel like he, who had been alone since birth, still had someone who cared about him. Mister Long restrained himself from thinking about such fanciful thoughts, but he couldn¡¯t help channelling all the spiritual energy he could mobilize to that half a dragon¡¯s tail that was already showing signs of rotting again. Even if the warmth of these past few days was as brief as the blooming of the broad-leaved epiphyllum1, he still wanted to prolong it, just a little longer. Cold air gradually permeated the late autumn evening. It wasn¡¯t to the extent where it pierced one to one¡¯s bones, but was like fine, incessant needles, making one rather uncomfortable. This bit of cold was nothing at all to Mister Long in the past as the pre-eminent powerhouse of the continent, but he was now seriously injured. Despite being covered with a quilt, he could still feel the chill climb up his skin¡ªit was rather cold. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 21 Fourteen Dragons (2) He didn¡¯t know if there was some sort of telepathic connection between him and that person, but in the next second, she got up and closed the door, blocking the ceaseless wind. Mister Long endured the pain caused by the curse and his wounds. His nose was filled with the fragrance of spiritual grain, and his heart trembled a little. But soon, he fell into another kind of distress¡ª¡ª The lights were dim and suggestive; dragon and maiden were alone. ¡°It¡¯s time for dinner.¡± Not knowing that Mister Long was already awake, and thinking that she mustn¡¯t get the covers dirty while feeding the dragon, Mu Wanwan first went to the bedside and lifted part of the covers slightly. Next, she took her own pillow, said ¡°Excuse me¡± softly, then held up Mister Long¡¯s head with one hand and put another pillow under his head. Mister Long¡¯s eyelashes trembled. When her slightly cool fingertips touched his neck, even his blood seemed about to flow in the opposite direction. However powerful the dragon clan a dragon was from, the neck was their fatal weakness. When he was still weak and young, those who touched his neck had all died for doing so. After he became strong, there was no longer anyone who dared to touch his weak spot. But when she touched it, he didn¡¯t feel revulsed. There was only an indescribable feeling, thrilling and harrowing. The congee Mu Wanwan cooked for Mister Long wasn¡¯t much, only one bowl¡¯s worth, but it was very fragrant. A bowl of spiritual grain congee had about one-third of the spiritual power of a low-grade spirit stone. Her motions were neither fast nor slow, and would always blow each spoonful of congee cold before feeding it to Mister Long. Fortunately, Mister Long¡¯s involuntary swallowing reflex was still working, so it wasn¡¯t really difficult for her to feed him. This time, after she had finished feeding him, Mu Wanwan thought of the lip gloss effect on his lips, and thoughtfully took a handkerchief to help Mister Long wipe his mouth. Her movements were very light, but the warmth of her finger pads was still clearly transferred to Mister Long¡¯s lips through the handkerchief. Her touch was very vivid; Mister Long pursed his lips, and under the quilt, his fingertips quivered. ¡°Phew, it¡¯s finally done.¡± Mu Wanwan rubbed her waist, which had become even sorer from bending over for a long time. She started to eat her own dinner which had already become lukewarm from being left aside for quite some time. She did not eat quickly. After all, she could only temporarily forget her many troubles when she was eating or sleeping. She had eaten for a while before Mister Long gradually recovered from her touch just now. He has a keen sense of smell, but apart from the spiritual energy around his mouth, he couldn¡¯t smell any trace of the fragrance of spiritual grain. A thought that he wasn¡¯t quite unwilling to believe in, yet selfishly wanted to believe slowly arose in his heart. Mister Long slowly emitted a trace of divine consciousness and drifted over to Mu Wanwan¡ª¡ª He saw her holding a bowl of congee made with regular rice, eating happily. There was not a trace of spiritual energy in the congee. The satisfaction of having his thoughts confirmed didn¡¯t make Mister Long as happy as he thought. On the contrary, the frustration of not being able to do anything, wrapped in self-condemnation, was like a tidal wave, about to overwhelm him. The warm spiritual grain in his stomach was like a sharp bayonet. It was just spiritual grain, spiritual grain that didn¡¯t count for anything. Yet, he was now dependent on her pity and charity. He didn¡¯t have the ability to lessen her need to be so frugal. She married a wastrel of a dragon like him who couldn¡¯t give her anything. If he had known that she was saving the spiritual grain for him, he would rather not eat it. Although going hungry was hard to bear, he should have gotten used to it long ago after starving for so many years as a child. The trace of divine consciousness that Mister Long was floating around in the room seemed to have touched something that made him suffer, and slowly dissipated. Only the warm and cosy stomach remained. Along with those spiritual grains which didn¡¯t seem to have much impurities, they turned into a wisp of pure spiritual energy. Although it was only a drop in the bucket, it was like a warm candle flame, nourishing his shattered meridians by a little. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 22 Fifteen Dragons (1) Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t know that her act of eating regular rice out of frugality would cause such a severe psychological impact on Mister Long. She was exhausted by the events of the day. After boiling water to wash herself and Mister Long up briefly, she counted all her and Mister Long¡¯s possessions and poked Mister Long¡¯s arm, a little troubled. ¡°Mister Long, listen, I¡¯m not going to place any low-grade spirit stones for you tonight.¡± Her voice was soft and light, burrowing into Mister Long¡¯s eardrums. ¡°Even though you¡¯re unconscious now, it must be very troubling if the spiritual energy is suddenly cut off.¡± Mu Wanwan continued ¡°We¡¯re really poor now. I¡¯m planning to go out tomorrow to buy some burning grass seeds. When I make money, I¡¯ll place spirit stones for you then. I¡¯ll place many, many of them, and buy very good tonics too¡­¡± As Mu Wanwan spoke, she couldn¡¯t help laughing. She looked at Mr Long whose expression had suddenly become a little scary again at some point unbeknownst to her, and felt a twinge of sympathy. ¡°Mister Long, your brow is always wrinkled, is it hurting a lot?¡± She looked at his furrowed slanted brows and couldn¡¯t refrain herself from reaching out to smooth it out. She stroked them gently before suddenly realizing what she was doing, and retracted her hand, crimson faced. Mu Wanwan felt that her fingertips were a little hot. She felt that she was really shameless; what she was doing now was taking advantage of Mister Long, prodding his face all the time while he was unconscious. This wasn¡¯t good, it wasn¡¯t good at all. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mister Long, I didn¡¯t mean to touch you.¡± Mu Wanwan apologized in a low voice, but Mister Long did not respond, so she became bold again. She tucked him in, blew out the light, and said, ¡°Good night, Mister Long.¡± Mu Wanwan fell asleep very quickly, completely unaware that her actions and words had made a certain dragon feel guilty and agonized. She had an exceptionally beautiful dream in which she earned many, many spirit stones. She piled all the crystal-clear spirit stones next to Mister Long, and watched as the spirit stones slowly transformed into spiritual energy and floated into Mister Long¡¯s body. Then, Mister Long became bigger and bigger and bigger¡­ Then, she woke up. Mu Wanwan rubbed her head, thinking that she must have exhausted herself the past few days. Next to her, Mister Long was breathing calmly, looking no different from last night. Outside, the sky was just starting to get light. She had something on her mind and got up in a hurry. Thinking that she should set off early for her first trip out, she didn¡¯t prepare any breakfast. After giving both of them a brief washing up, she took that half packet of seeds and a stalk of burning grass from the courtyard in addition to nearly all of their valuables, then headed out. The tyrant¡¯s manor was huge and rectangular. The tyrant¡¯s bedchamber was located in the deepest part of the manor, and further back was a high mountain, which was also where the forbidden grounds were. Perhaps it was because she was kept under constant surveillance that soon after Mu Wanwan walked out of the bedchamber, someone stepped into her path. The person was a familiar face she had met once¡ªit was that little maid who had given Bai Shuiyao a ruthless slap the other day. She beamed at Mu Wanwan and curtsied rather properly, ¡°Where are you going so early, Madam?¡± Mu Wanwan also smiled back at her, ¡°I want to go to the market. You¡­¡± The little maid could see her embarrassment, ¡°Madam, just call me Hong Ye.¡± ¡°Hong Ye.¡± Mu Wanwan had a pretty favourable impression of this little maid, but when she heard her name was Hong Ye, she felt a little awkward. It seems like Hong Ye was probably Qing Ye¡¯s little sister. Earlier, when she saw how much this maid hated Bai Shuiyao, she had thought that this maid fancied Qing Ye¡­ ¡°If Madam wants to go today, the next outing will have to be ten days later. Does Madam really want to go out today?¡± Hong Ye asked. ¡°Mm.¡± Mu Wanwan nodded. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 23 Fifteen Dragons (2) ¡°All right. Madam, it¡¯s a little far from here to the nearest market, so I will see Madam out. Please wait here for a moment,¡± said Hong Ye before running off briskly. Soon, a ¡®da-da-da¡¯ sound came to Mu Wanwan¡¯s ears. She thought with some delight, Could it be that I¡¯ll get to ride a carriage? As soon as she turned her head, she saw Hong Ye driving an ox cart and waving at her, ¡°Madam, get on, this ox is very docile.¡± Mu Wanwan, ¡°¡­¡­¡± So, there were such things as ox carts in the manor. Mu Wanwan put on the curtained hat Hong Ye handed her and sat in the cart, complaining inwardly. Hong Ye asked while driving the ox cart, ¡°Madam, there are three somewhat larger markets by the manor, which one do you want to go to?¡± Mu Wanwan was a little stumped. The original owner had only been living in a small land below the tyrant¡¯s territory, and knew nothing about the markets around the tyrant¡¯s manor. She said with some embarrassment, ¡°Hong Ye, can I trouble you to tell me about these markets?¡± Hong Ye turned her head and glanced at her meaningfully, ¡°Madam doesn¡¯t know?¡± Mu Wanwan choked. Thinking of something, she gritted her teeth and took out a low-grade spirit stone from her pocket, then handed it to Hong Ye, ¡°Hong Ye, please.¡± Hong Ye gave her a smile and said ¡°Madam is really polite¡±, but still took the spirit stone and put it into her pocket. ¡°The market run by dragons is the closest, but everything is very expensive. A little farther away there is a market run jointly by humans and dwarves. The smallest and shabbiest market is run by the elven folk,¡± said Hong Ye. ¡°Madam, it¡¯s best to go to the elven market.¡± ¡°Why not go to the market run by humans and dwarves?¡± Mu Wanwan was a little puzzled. In the original owner¡¯s memories, the few elves in Father Mu¡¯s territory were all particularly xenophobic; humans and dwarves seemed to be better. ¡°Madam, this you do not know. Although the elves are somewhat xenophobic, they are lofty and would not deign to deceive the weak. The goods they sell are also cheap.¡± Hong Ye chuckled lightly, ¡°Us servants also usually go to the elven market. ¡°But it still depends on Madam¡¯s needs. If you want to buy some textiles and vegetables, go to the elven market; if you want to go to the auction house or want to buy precious items, go to the dragons¡¯ market. The one by humans and dwarves is for weapons and the black market, or to buy some slaves.¡± Hong Ye could be counted to be sincere; she had shared everything she knew with Mu Wanwan. ¡°Which one does Madam want to go to?¡± ¡°To the elven one, then,¡± said Mu Wanwan, thinking to herself about how poor she was. Besides, she had intended to buy seeds to begin with; the elves were good at planting, and she was a wood-based cultivator, she might be able to find some seeds there. ¡°All right.¡± Hong Ye was prompt, ¡°It will take about an hour to get there from here. Madam, you mustn¡¯t take off your curtained hat.¡± Mu Wanwan nodded bleakly, secretly guessing that this curtained hat was probably to keep her identity being revealed, right? The ox cart gradually drew farther from the bedchamber. Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t help turning her head to look at the seemingly majestic yet incomparably desolate palace, silently murmuring ¡°Mister Long¡± in her heart¡ª¡ª She was just about to head out, but she was missing him a little. She was leaving for a day; would he be bullied? She had locked the door; it should be fine. When the ox cart left the tyrant¡¯s manor from the side entrance, Ao Qin, who occupied the palace near the main entrance, slowly opened his eyes. His divine consciousness could extend to almost the entirety of the tyrant¡¯s mansion. Like an invisible eye, he watched Mu Wanwan sit in an ox cart, heading towards the territory of the elves. ¡°My lord, should I send someone to protect Madam?¡± Asked the black dragon¡¯s confidant, who was kneeling before him. Ao Qin tapped his finger and said indifferently, ¡°No need.¡± She was just a prop to help maintain his image; if she died, so be it. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 24 Sixteen Dragons (1) The ox cart wasn¡¯t fast. Wearing the curtained hat, Mu Wanwan was still able to clearly see the scenery outside through the layer of thin white gauze. The tyrant¡¯s manor was surrounded by high walls on all sides, beyond which was still a layer of enchantment. One had to have an authenticating token to be able to penetrate the enchantment to reach the outside world. The enchantment was nearly transparent and almost impossible to see, but when one passed through it, one would still be able to feel a slight difference. Although Hong Ye appeared to be very lively, she didn¡¯t speak much along the way. Only when Mu Wanwan asked her something would she pick and choose what to answer. There were very few households living outside of the tyrant¡¯s manor. The ox cart travelled for more than half an hour before they saw others going to and from the marketplace from a distance. It was still early, and most of the people were entering the market. Mu Wanwan noticed that quite a few had come carrying baskets either in their arms or on shoulder poles. From the looks of it, they seem to have come to trade. It was when the ox cart gradually grew near that Mu Wanwan could see that there were quite a few elven handlers outside the market. Every person who wanted to enter had to stop in front of them for a while. Mu Wanwan¡¯s heart skipped a beat¡ªit couldn¡¯t be that one still had to pay a fee to enter a market, right? Who could stand that? But before she could recover, she saw Hong Ye stop the ox cart, then raised her eyes and smiled at her, ¡°Madam, go in and browse the market then. I¡¯ll find a place to feed the ox, then come back and wait for you.¡± Mu Wanwan was a bit surprised, ¡°Hong Ye, aren¡¯t you going in with me?¡± Hong Ye took the ox reins, ¡°Madam, I would like to go in with you too, but if you take me into the market with the ox cart, you will have to pay five silver coins more.¡± Mu Wanwan, ¡°¡­There¡¯s even a fee for the ox?¡± Hong Ye rubbed the ox¡¯s head. ¡°This is a regular ox, so the fee is only three silver coins. If it is of a higher grade, the fee would be even more.¡± Clearly the original owner¡¯s memory of the market is not what the entry fee ah, how this side of the money, so pit? Mu Wanwan, ¡°¡­¡­¡± In the markets of the original owner¡¯s memories, there was clearly no such thing as entrance fees. Why were there entrance fees here? Wasn¡¯t this too much? Perhaps it was because her expression was too amusing, and Hong Ye couldn¡¯t keep from laughing. ¡°Madam, the elven market¡¯s entrance fee is already very cheap. For weak Rank 1 cultivators like us, it¡¯s only two silver coins, and for those ant-like regular mortals, it¡¯s only as low as two copper coins. But at the market run by dwarves and humans, we would need to pay three silver coins.¡± Mu Wanwan was rendered silent. After parting from Hong Ye, she headed off towards the market¡¯s main entrance. Actually, she was a little nervous. She had only seen the description of elves in TV dramas and novels. Even in the original owner¡¯s memories, the number of elves she had seen over the years could be counted with one hand. The population of elves wasn¡¯t exactly small, but they were not a common sight. As for the reason for that, it would be necessary to give an introduction of the distribution of this continent¡ª¡ª The distribution of this continent was very peculiar. It looked like a large cat¡¯s foot; the largest part was the tyrant¡¯s territory, the territory of the dragon race. The four separate little ¡°toe beans¡± were four territories, respectively occupied by the demon clan, the witch tribe, the human cultivation world, and the alliance of special lifeforms. Seas spread out between the five territories, and at the edge of the entire world, was an abyss with no visible bottom. This deep abyss was the abyssal devils¡¯ paradise. Only the five races with strong racial strength were worthy of having their own territory. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 25 Sixteen Dragons (2) Although the elves were not weak, they were not strong either. They had long lifespans, but were few in number. Before the largest territory had been occupied by the dragons, the elves had a forest of life that was like paradise, and their Tree of Life, Yggdrasil was also very healthy. Later, the war spread, threatening their Yggdrasil. They lost the war, and had to submit to the dragons¡¯ leadership. Fortunately, the dragons always had difficulty producing heirs. As they were individually strong, they did not exercise very strict control over their territory, and even gave their subjects a lot of protection. This was how the elves managed to survive till this day. It¡¯s just that as most of the elves possessed outstanding looks, it was very dangerous for them to leave their own to places that were even the slightest bit remote, regardless of gender. This was also why the original owner had only ever seen a few elves before. As Mu Wanwan pondered, she came to the entrance of the market. After standing in line for a while, she was before an elven guard. ¡°Please put your hand on this assessment stone and channel a touch of spiritual power.¡± The person in charge of receiving her was a beautiful blond elf maiden. She had an ethereal voice and a pair of vivid green eyes like a deep pool that almost blinded Mu Wanwan with their brilliance. She placed her hand on the nearly transparent assessment stone as she was told and channelled a trace of spiritual energy into it. Very quickly, the stone lit up with a faint green glow that even had a small leaf on it. ¡°Rank 1 cultivator. The entrance fee is one silver coin.¡± The elf maiden gave Mu Wanwan a professional smile, and a small dimple appeared on her cheek. This was just way too good-looking, right? Mu Wanwan grumbled inwardly: How blind was the Mister Long in the novel to have left so many beautiful elven maidens in his territory alone, then fell for Bai Shuiyao upon waking? Although the original novel was not completed, and Mister Long also hadn¡¯t really managed to win Bai Shuiyao¡¯s heart. However, as beautiful as the elf was, it still caused Mu Wanwan a lot of heartache to have to pay. After all, she hadn¡¯t earned a single copper coin yet! Painfully, she took out a silver coin and placed it in the elf maiden¡¯s hand. The elf maiden then handed her a wooden tag and informed her that it would need to be returned when she exited, otherwise, she would have to pay the entrance fee again. Mu Wanwan looked at the small wooden tag and sighed. The inside of the market was not much different from the ones in the original owner¡¯s memories, only that this was a little larger than the previous ones, and there were more pedestrians on the streets. Most of the shop owners were elves, and the traders were mostly humans like her and some dwarves. Most of the people who set up scattered market stalls were mostly selling home-grown fruits and vegetables, and even Mu Wanwan could tell that quite a few had no cultivation base. Although there were many cultivators and demonic beings in this world, not everyone could step onto the path of cultivation. For instance, for one like the original owner whose innate qualities were subpar, if it wasn¡¯t for having the good fortune of having a Rank 4 powerhouse for a father, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible for her to take some precious tonics at an early age and become a Rank 1 cultivator. Mu Wanwan walked around for a while. When she was passing by an alley, a clear child¡¯s voice came to her ears, ¡°Senior, would you like some vegetables?¡± Mu Wanwan turned her head and met a pair of large, pretty eyes. But contrary to her beautiful blue eyes, there was a brown birthmark on her face that ruined the beauty of the whole face; she had pointed ears too. She was an elf¡ªan elf that was a little bit ugly. Mu Wanwan saw her standing at the entrance of the alley and was a little hesitant. That alley and the lively market seemed a bit at odds, as if everyone deliberately avoided this place. Could there be any sort of ambush inside? ¡°Senior, my big brother and I are really vegetable sellers, it¡¯s not a scam!¡± The little elf seemed to see her hesitation and hurriedly explained. ¡°Lan¡¯er, don¡¯t fool around.¡± As Mu Wanwan was about to turn around and leave, she saw another elf walk out from a shop at the side of that alley. To be exact, he had walked out with crutches. He had a pair of beautiful blue eyes like Lan¡¯er, and also had a brown birthmark on his cheek. His ears were pointed, and had a head of long, ice blue hair. His clothes were a little old, and she could tell that there seemed to be some problem with his legs. Yet, he was carrying a basket on his shoulders that contained some seasonal vegetables. ¡°Senior, my little sister was being insensible, please forget it.¡± The elf apologised sincerely to Mu Wanwan. Leaning on a crutch with one hand, he looked a little pitiful. ¡°Big Brother.¡± The little elf named Lan¡¯er was a little aggrieved. ¡°But we are already out of money. If we still don¡¯t pay the rent, we won¡¯t have a place to live.¡± ¡°Stop making a scene.¡± The elf boy chided, then couldn¡¯t keep from coughing softly. ¡°I¡¯m not making a scene!¡± The rims of Lan¡¯er¡¯s eyes had turned red. With tightly clenched fists, she stared at Mu Wanwan with eyes full of expectation. ¡°Senior, buy some vegetables! Our vegetables are very cheap, everything is yours for only fifteen copper coins!¡± Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t quite have the heart to turn her down anymore. Moreover, she had taken a look at the vegetables in the basket on the elf¡¯s back¡ªso much for only fifteen copper coins was indeed very cheap. Most importantly, she wanted to eat vegetables. She had only gotten to eat a few bites of pickled vegetables in the many days since she had transmigrated here. She had also spied some radishes in the basket; it would be delicious either stewed or stir-fried. Mu Wanwan was a little swayed, ¡°May I take a look at the vegetables?¡± She thought it was a very normal thing to say, but who knew, when the elf boy heard it, it was as if he had heard something remarkable. After a moment of silence, he said softly, ¡°We are elves who have not been blessed.¡± Mu Wanwan stood stunned for two seconds before she realised what he was talking about. These elves with less than perfect appearances or limbs were discriminated against within the elven race, and were also known as elves who were not blessed by Yggdrasil. Although other races would not discriminate against such elves, they generally wouldn¡¯t actively approach them either. Mu Wanwan smiled, ¡°As long as the vegetables are fine, what¡¯s wrong with eating them?¡± The elves only married within their clan, and rarely with outsiders. These imperfect elves might also be due to genetics, so how could it be because they were cursed? As a modern person, she didn¡¯t quite believe in such things. ¡°My name is Feng,¡± said the elf suddenly. He unloaded the vegetables on his back, and Mu Wanwan inspected them with her spiritual power. They were about the same as regular vegetables, and were actually even healthier. ¡°There¡¯s so much, is it really only fifteen copper coins?¡± Mu Wanwan asked again, worried that she might be taking advantage of them. ¡°Really, really!¡± Lan¡¯er smiled happily, ¡°Big Brother, with the money, we can buy seeds!¡± Hearing this, Mu Wanwan came to life, ¡°Lan¡¯er, do you know where to buy seeds?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°Then, do you know where to buy burning grass seeds?¡± asked Mu Wanwan. ¡°Can you take me there?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± This time, it was Feng who took the initiative to speak. He looked at her with his blue eyes, ¡°I¡¯m willing to take you there.¡± She was a little embarrassed by the siblings¡¯ gazes. She took two silver coins out and handed them to Feng. ¡°I don¡¯t have any copper coins with me, take the extra five copper coins as a tip for showing me the way.¡± To be honest, with such a large amount, according to the market rate here, she was the one who had earned a great bargain even if it was two silver coins just for the vegetables. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 26 Seventeen Dragons (1) Lan¡¯er was very happy that Mu Wanwan was giving them two silver coins. Feng just gave her a serious look and stretched out his pale and thin palms, as if he was about to receive some treasure. He received the silver coins and squeezed them tightly in his palm when Mu Wanwan wasn¡¯t noticing ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Feng flatly as turned around, leaning on his crutch with one hand. Mu Wanwan nodded, met Lan¡¯er¡¯s happy smile, and trailed after the pair of siblings. Because of Feng¡¯s leg, their pace was very slow. During this period, they inevitably brushed against many people. Humans were still fine; they would just glance at the siblings before looking away, but when they occasionally bumped into the beautiful elves from the elven clan, they would roll their eyes at them scornfully. When they passed a store selling rouge, a cute little black-haired elf girl even called out to Lan¡¯er directly, ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t this Lan¡¯er? Did you manage to sell you vegetables today, hmm?¡± Mu Wanwan noticed that Lan¡¯er¡¯s little fists had clenched for an instant. Lan¡¯er bit her lip, then said loudly after a long while, ¡°Why should I tell you!¡± ¡°Heh.¡± The little girl rolled her pretty eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to know anyway. In any case, it looks like you won¡¯t be able to pay the rent that¡¯s due soon. When the time comes, all the vegetables you¡¯ve worked so hard to grow will be mine!¡± ¡°You!¡± Lan¡¯er was furious. Her face turned crimson, and she couldn¡¯t speak for a long time. Feng turned around mutely. A pair of ice-blue eyes swept that little girl who was babbling away a mild look, and that girl was suddenly like a chick that was squeezed by its neck; she gave a humph and stopped talking. Mu Wanwan watched as Feng restrained himself and rubbed the teary-eyed Lan¡¯er¡¯s head. While her heart swelled with sympathy, she thought of her own Mister Long¡ª¡ª Because they were born with birthmarks, they were discriminated against by their own clan like this. Would Mister Long have also experienced something like this? Even amongst the elves where discrimination did not result in physical violence, one would receive such sarcastic remarks just because one¡¯s face was not entirely perfect. Then, amongst the dragons, where the weak were always easy prey to the strong, and discrimination was much more severe, how miserable had Mister Long¡¯s life been for being born with five claws, in addition to not being able to perfectly transform into a human when he was young? Dragon meat was a great tonic for the cultivators of some other races, and the dragons discriminated against dragons who were different. Because of his five claws, Mister Long had been unable to perfectly take on a human form and disguise himself as a cub from another clan, so, what kind of childhood had he lived through? This was only briefly mentioned in the book, but now that she was thinking about it, Mister Long had been an orphan, and the dragons had no orphanages, so where had the weak little Mister Long lived? As Mu Wanwan followed behind Feng, her mind was filled with scenes of Mister Long lying on the bloodied jade bed with his rotten tail, and her heart felt like it was being lightly pricked by something. When she came back to her senses, she had already followed the siblings across almost half of the shops and had reached the edge of the market. The traffic here was significantly less; only a few would come over once in a while. Mu Wanwan noticed that there are very few elves here. Looking around, they were mainly all humans. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± Feng pointed to a somewhat dilapidated shop in the corner and headed in. ¡°Senior,¡± Lan¡¯er tugged on Mu Wanwan¡¯s sleeves and said with a small voice, ¡°The owner is a lion beastman. His temper isn¡¯t very good.¡± ¡°Nonsense, my temper is as good as can be!¡± Before Mu Wanwan could react, a rough voice rang out from the front. She raised her head and was met with a face with clearly defined angles. He was a man of some age, and had some complicated patterns on his forehead. They were red, with three layers. According to the original owner¡¯s memories, this was the beastman¡¯s beast pattern. This man was probably the shopkeeper Lan¡¯er had spoken of. Going by his beast pattern, he should be a fire-based Rank 3 beastman warrior. ¡°Greetings, Senior.¡± Mu Wanwan greeted the shopkeeper, who was very forthright. ¡°Did Lan¡¯er and Feng bring you here to buy seeds or sell spiritual plants?¡± While talking, the group entered the shop. The shop was unexpectedly clean and tidy. As soon as they entered, they could see a cloth curtain; it seems like the shopkeeper lived there too. Beyond the counter, there were two large wooden shelving units. One had a number of small boxes, each of which were marked with symbols; these were for storing seeds. The other wooden shelving unit was filled with some transparent apparatus that contained either dried or fresh spiritual plants. Mu Wanwan¡¯s sharp eyes spotted the burning grass at the bottommost shelf of the second wooden shelving unit. She immediately became a little excited, and felt even more grateful towards Feng and Lan¡¯er. It seemed like this shop was not only a place to sell seeds, but highly likely accepted spiritual plants as well. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 27 Seventeen Dragons (2) ¡°Feel free to look around. I haven¡¯t had a new customer here in a long time, hahaha,¡± said the lion shopkeeper to Mu Wanwan. ¡°Or you can also just tell me what you want, I have most things here.¡± Mu Wanwan¡¯s eyes lit up. She looked gratefully at Feng, who was standing mutely at the door, and asked, ¡°Senior, I would like to buy some burning grass seeds.¡± ¡°Oh, burning grass seeds.¡± The lion beastman glanced at her, ¡°I have quite a lot of them here. Since it was Feng who brought you here, I won¡¯t charge you extra. One copper coin per seed.¡± Mu Wanwan frowned slightly. One copper coin for one burning grass seed was equivalent to one dollar a seed. Moreover, there were risks in the cultivation of burning grass. Generally, the success rate for Rank 1 wood-based cultivators was about 60%. According to her current spiritual power, cultivating ten seeds a day was her limit. In other words, with ten seeds, she might only be able to cultivate six stalks of burning grass. Her capital was ten dollars; according to the market rate, one stalk of burning grass could be sold for one silver coin, so she could only earn five silver coins a day. Five silver coins weren¡¯t even enough to buy half of one low-grade spirit stone! Not to mention that she might not be able to find a buyer willing to buy her burning grass at her selling price of one silver coin per stalk. Mu Wanwan made the calculations mentally. Instead of saying how much she wanted directly, she threw out another question, ¡°Senior, do you buy newly cultivated burning grass?¡± The lion beastman froze for a second, then laughed. ¡°Yes, I do. Why? Are you planning to buy seeds from me, cultivate them, then sell them back to me to make money?¡± Mu Wanwan knew that this boss was not weak. Furthermore, he was an old beastman¡ªsince she would not be able to keep her little plans from him, she didn¡¯t try to hide them, ¡°Senior, my lover is now seriously ill in bed. I¡¯d really appreciate it if Senior would buy them.¡± She didn¡¯t know how her words had touched a raw nerve. The beastman shopkeeper¡¯s expression abruptly became fierce. The beast pattern on his forehead turned red all of a sudden and his fist slammed into the wall with a loud bang. Mu Wanwan jumped, startled. She saw the beastman glaring at her as he let out a low growl, ¡°If you¡¯re lying to me, I¡¯ll tear you apart right now.¡± Lan¡¯er was also frightened, but Feng was surprisingly calm, ¡°Uncle Zong, calm down.¡± Mu Wanwan clearly heard that after Feng¡¯s voice fell, a light cough came from behind the curtain. And after this cough was heard, the beastman called Uncle Zong calmed down almost immediately, and the beast patterns gradually faded. The pair of eyes that had originally been energetic had also dimmed by quite a lot. He gave the stunned Mu Wanwan a slight smile. ¡°I do buy them. I can buy it from you at the market rate of one silver coin per stalk, or you can use twelve stalks of burning grass for one low-grade spirit stone.¡± Only then did Mu Wanwan notice that there was still a vague medicinal smell in the shop. She had originally thought it was the smell of spiritual plants and did not really take notice. But now, putting it together with the coughing she had just heard, she could roughly guess that it was the ¡®my lover is now seriously ill in bed¡¯ part of her words that had provoked this seemingly bold and generous beastman before her. Probably, there had been many like her who had come asking for special favours using the same reason, but were discovered to be liars. Even so, this beastman was still willing to believe that she did not lie to him. Thinking of this, Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t keep from saying, ¡°Senior, I¡¯m definitely not lying.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s drop that. How many seeds do you want? Take them and get out.¡± The beastman raised his brows again, but Mu Wanwan, who had already seen through his soft-hearted nature, smiled back at him. She asked, a little pushing her luck, ¡°I also have some seeds here, I wonder if Senior can help to see what they are?¡± ¡­¡­¡­. Whilst Mu Wanwan was trying her best to bargain with the beastman at the market, Mister Long, who was lying on the bed, was suppressing the curse in his body with incomparable agony. He had been doing this all night, trying not to let Mu Wanwan suddenly smell the smell of rotting flesh when she was asleep. As his spiritual energy had not been replenished during the past two days and Mister Long¡¯s ruptured original core and meridians rendered him unable to absorb the spiritual energy of the universe under the effects of the curse, he had been desperately trying to restrain it. But in the end, there was no helping Mister Long¡¯s tail; it began rotting again in less than fifteen minutes after Mu Wanwan left. Fingertips trembling from the pain, Mister Long¡¯s face was deathly pale and his forehead was covered with cold sweat. He could feel the raw pain of his scales cracking open, causing his flesh to split apart in an instant. Mu Wanwan had clearly made the room clean and fresh, and there was the fragrance of soap wafting around, but now, because of him, it had turned into a hideous mess almost instantaneously, rancid and unpleasant. If he could move, he would¡¯ve chopped off that half tail without hesitation, but now, he couldn¡¯t do anything at all. As Mister Long felt the slow movement of the flowing pus and blood, his heart lay to waste as if it were a land of briers and brambles. He was finished. No one would keep taking care of an ugly dragon with a tail that rots ceaselessly like this without complaint. She was just a chongxi bride, so how would it be possible for her to not become disdainful of him? When she returned, the beautiful dream would come to an end. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 28 Eighteen Dragons (1) As it turned out, Mu Wanwan¡¯s act of pushing her luck did not incur Uncle Zong¡¯s disgust. Although he disliked it very much, he still took the half packet of seeds from Mu Wanwan seriously. After just one sweeping glance, he said, ¡°These are ordinary vegetable seeds.¡± Mu Wanwan pursed her lips and took back the seeds. She knew that Ao Qin wouldn¡¯t have given her anything good. However, having some vegetable seeds wasn¡¯t bad either; she could grow some vegetables in the courtyard later. ¡°Senior, I wonder if you have any seeds of plants with more ample amounts of spiritual energy that can be used to nourish the body?¡± asked Mu Wanwan. Actually, she wanted to buy Mister Long some medicine that could be used to nourish his body, but she probably couldn¡¯t afford something like that, so she might as well see if there were any seeds she could get first. After she said this, she could clearly feel Uncle Zong¡¯s gaze soften, but his tone was still very hard, ¡°You probably will be able to cultivate Grade 1 Bixing grass. This stuff is difficult to grow, but its nourishing effects are passable. They are also expensive, one Bixing grass seed costs five copper coins.¡± Probably because he thought she had something in common with himself, Uncle Zong said after a moment¡¯s thought, ¡°If you manage to cultivate Grade 1 Bixing grass successfully, you can bring it here to me to exchange them for spirit stones. I will give you one low-grade spirit stone for four Bixing grasses.¡± Hearing this, Mu Wanwan¡¯s eyes brightened. If so, cultivating Bixing grass was more profitable than burning grass. Moreover, it could also be used to nourish Mister Long¡¯s body. She took out her somewhat worn little pouch, and began counting the spirit stones inside¡ª¡ª Originally, the monthly allowance was one middle-grade spirit stone and three silver coins, but Fuliu had siphoned some. After giving Hong Ye a low-grade spirit stone, and using one on Mister Long, there were eight left. As for silver coins, one was spent on the entrance fee and two on vegetables; they were all used up. Because spirit stones were relatively rare, one low-grade spirit stone could be exchanged for twelve to fifteen silver coins. She could come out once every ten days; buying one low-grade spirit stone¡¯s worth of burning grass seeds would be enough. But one silver coin could only get her two Bixing grass seeds¡­ and the spirit stones were also needed to treat Mister Long¡¯s wounds. After thinking about it, Mu Wanwan gritted her teeth and decided to buy another low-grade spirit stone¡¯s worth of Bixing grass seeds in the end. If she managed to cultivate them successfully, they could be used for making money or for Mister Long to eat¡ªit would be good either way. ¡°Senior, I would like to get a low-grade spirit stone¡¯s worth of burning grass seeds, and another low-grade spirit stone¡¯s worth of Bixing grass seeds.¡± Uncle Zong¡¯s large hand received the two low-grade spirit stones. He went to the side, picked out the equivalent number of seeds, and handed them to her. ¡°Thank you, Senior.¡± Mu Wanwan received the two bags of seeds that weren¡¯t really heavy, carefully put them away, and got ready to head off to the pharmacy. ¡°Little girl, wait.¡± Seeing that she was about to leave, Uncle Zong couldn¡¯t keep himself from taking out a somewhat dusty little bag from behind the counter, then handed it to her. ¡°When planting, sprinkle this soil on top of the ordinary soil, it can help increase the success rates a little.¡± Mu Wanwan was overcome with unexpected joy; she received the somewhat dirty bag of soil and thanked Uncle Zong profusely. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. We all have our difficulties.¡± Uncle Zong seemed to be thinking about something, and his tone had become somewhat melancholic. Mu Wanwan guessed that it had something to do with the person behind the curtain, but she had the good sense not to ask anymore, and only thanked him a few more times before leaving with Lan¡¯er and her brother. When they left the shop, Feng handed the basket of vegetables he was carrying to Mu Wanwan. ¡°The basket is also for you.¡± Feng pursed his lips slightly and shifted his gaze with a slight inclination of his head, ¡°I still have many more at home, and this basket is only worth one or two copper coins.¡± He had said all this in a cold voice, and Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t refuse his goodwill. When she caught a glimpse of Lan¡¯er¡¯s loose hood, she was struck with an idea. ¡°Thank you, then.¡± Mu Wanwan received the hefty basket with one hand, and touched Lan¡¯er¡¯s head with the other, quietly slipping a low-grade spirit stone in her hood. She did it quite stealthily, and Feng did not notice. Lan¡¯er, who had felt the weight in her hood, looked up at her in puzzlement. Mu Wanwan patted her head and waved, ¡°Thanks a lot for today, goodbye.¡± It wasn¡¯t that she was a very generous person, but if it wasn¡¯t for Feng¡¯s introduction this time, even if she were able to find someone who sold burning grass seeds, the prices would never be so cheap, let alone being able to buy Bixing grass seeds. Even though Feng and Lan¡¯er had brought her there willingly, she couldn¡¯t take it all for granted. Using one low-grade spirit stone to pay back the karma of this introduction was well worth it. Carrying the basket on her back, Mu Wanwan was in a very good mood¡ª¡ª It had been a fruitful day. Next, she would go to a pharmacy she had passed by earlier to take a look, ah yes, and also take a look at the prices of clothes along the way¡ªafter thinking about it, she thought it was necessary to buy some clothes for Mister Long. The only things in the cupboard at home were the quilts and clothes that she had brought with her; Mister Long¡¯s possessions were so few, it was pathetic. It was said that all dragons were obsessed with wealth and loved shiny golden things, but the most valuable thing in Mister Long¡¯s bedchamber was that bed!! Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 29 Eighteen Dragons (2) Actually, there was something she had always been curious about. Mister Long was a fully ripened fruit now, and while it was true that he was in half-dragon form, she hadn¡¯t yet seen anything (Wow¡ª¡ª). It didn¡¯t mean that she wanted very much to see, but, it was just that, she was very curious. The original book had not reached its conclusion, and there wasn¡¯t anything in the plot about Mister Long doing this and that with Bai Shuiyao, she only read about Mister Long¡¯s unreciprocated love for Bai Shuiyao, so she also didn¡¯t know if he indeed did not have that kind of ability. Could it be that the legend of dragons having two (bleep¡ª¡ª) was a lie? Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t know how she went from thinking about making clothes for Mister Long to somehow thinking about Mister Long¡¯s physiological health. By the time she came back to her senses, even her ears had become a little red. She shook her head and deeply felt that she was truly filthy, but still happily decided to buy some cloth in case of need. In the end, she went to a relatively inexpensive shop and bought a large piece of cotton cloth. The boss was an honest sort, and returned her eight silver coins after accepting what was needed for the cloth. Mu Wanwan kept the silver coins carefully and went to the pharmacy to widen her horizons. The things in the pharmacy were very expensive, even a shabby-looking Grade 2 Baizhen fruit cost two low-grade spirit stones. She decided it would be better to not buy it, and only spent a silver coin to buy a bottle of medicated oil regular mortals used in the end. Her legs and lower abdomen were still a little sore, and there was so little of Mister Long¡¯s ointment, she was afraid it wasn¡¯t enough. By the time she finished shopping, it had grown late. Many hawkers and shops began selling food. The steamed buns and shaobing1 she hadn¡¯t really been fond of eating back in modern times now smelled so good that her mouth watered. ¡°Delicious meat buns made of Grade 1 spirit pork~ Five copper coins each!¡± The boss¡¯s cry was very loud; Mu Wanwan swallowed disgracefully, and her gaze turned uncontrollably to look¡ª¡ª The meat buns were made of spirit pork, and surely had thin dough and plenty of filling. Spirit pork was very tender¡ªin one bite, fresh, savoury, fragrant, smooth and slightly hot juices would explode in one¡¯s mouth. Accompanied with the sweetness of white dough, although a little oily, the large pieces of meat inside would fully satisfy one¡¯s appetite¡­ Mu Wanwan gritted her teeth in agony, and simply ran towards the meat stall she remembered passing. What the heck, what steamed buns did she want to eat? She should just buy spirit pork directly, then stew soup when she returns to drink with Mister Long! ¡°Boss, how much is a catty of spirit pork?¡± ¡°Five silver coins a catty,¡± said the meat seller, a chubby aunty, cheerfully. Mu Wanwan caught a glimpse of the bones that were casually laid by the side and tried bargaining, ¡°Boss, how about giving me a few bones if I buy half a catty of meat?¡± ¡°Haha, nice try,¡± the boss laughed. ¡°Bones are one silver coin a catty, non-negotiable.¡± Mu Wanwan gritted her teeth. ¡°Five silver coins, half a catty of meat, and four catties of bones.¡± ¡°No bargaining,¡± the boss continued to smile, not budging in the least. In the end, although there was no gunpowder, the cruel war ended with the boss¡¯s victory. Mu Wanwan spent three silver coins and bought a little bit of meat and two catties of bones. Considering that Mister Long was only able to swallow by instinct now, so eating meat might be tricky, she decided it would be better to buy more bones. By the time she left the market with the rather heavy basket on her back and met up with Hong Ye, who was waiting outside, it was already high noon. ¡°Madam, is the shopping done?¡± Hong Ye held the ox reins with one hand and glanced at the heavy-looking basket on Mu Wanwan¡¯s back. ¡°Mm,¡± answered Mu Wanwan, and put the basket away. ¡°Let¡¯s go back quickly.¡± Mister Long was still waiting for her at home. ¡°All right.¡± Hong Ye was not one to dawdle; when Mu Wanwan was properly seated, she began driving the ox cart back. Mu Wanwan hammered her legs that were aching a little after she walked for a few hours. As she watched the elven market grow farther into the distance, she felt a little emotional; she didn¡¯t know where to begin lamenting about the past few days she had. The journey was a little long, and Mu Wanwan fell asleep in the ox cart with the basket in her arms. When she woke up, she had already passed through the enchantment of the tyrant¡¯s manor and was about to arrive at the bedchamber. ¡°Madam, take care.¡± After bidding Hong Ye farewell, Mu Wanwan carried the basket on her back, took out the key and opened the main door to the tyrant¡¯s bedchamber. As soon as she pushed the door open, she felt that something was amiss; there was a smell of decay in the air. Her first instinctive response was that the Grade 1 Spirit Pork she had just bought for three silver coins had gone bad, and even wanted to scold the boss for being a cheat, but when she checked, the meat in the basket hadn¡¯t gone bad. Oh no! Mu Wanwan seemed have thought of something; after setting the basket down and shutting the door, she went hurriedly to the room¡ª¡ª It couldn¡¯t be that, while she was away, that bad dragon, Ao Qin, came over to bully Mister Long, right? Footnotes: 1 Shaobing: ÉÕ±ý; A type of baked, unleavened, layered flatbread in Northern Chinese cuisine. Shaobing contains a variety of stuffings that can be grouped into two main flavours: savoury or sweet. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 30 Nineteen Dragons (1) The courtyard resounded with somewhat disorderly footsteps, and Mister Long forcibly endured the extreme pain to maintain his mental sobriety. He wanted to see how Mu Wanwan was going to become disdainful of him, so that he would have reason to attribute her kindness to him of the past few days to her ulterior motives. In this way, he would be able to completely remove the faint shadow this chongxi bride had engraved on his heart these past days without any pain. Instead, in the days after she started to despise him, he ridiculously thought back day after day on the kindness she had once treated him with, like a grudgeful dragon full of laments, secretly letting out divine consciousness daily to pray. Mister Long drew out a wisp of divine consciousness laboriously. It went out of the room and clung to the corner of Mu Wanwan¡¯s clothes. After all, he was weak, and wasn¡¯t willing to look at the disgusted expression that would appear on her face in a while. Mu Wanwan could not perceive the presence of the divine consciousness. Seeing that the door to the room was properly closed, and there were no messy footprints in the courtyard, she first breathed a sigh of relief. Then, in the next second, she noticed that the unpleasant smell in the air was becoming more and more obvious. Worrying about Mister Long, she pulled open the door with a ¡°woosh¡±. In an instant, the strong smell of decay hit her, and she couldn¡¯t help taking two steps back¡ª¡ª What was going on? Why did the house smell so bad? She remembered that when she left in the morning, everything had still been fine. She only took two steps back, but it was already almost too much to bear for Mister Long¡¯s sensitive and fragile heart. Yes, he wasn¡¯t really qualified to ask for this chongxi bride to give any affection, after all, they were only married in name, but not only was he unable to give her anything, he had instead troubled her to take care of him for so long. Even if she despised him now, he had little reason to hate her. Mister Long pressed his lips tightly and slowly withdrew his divine consciousness. He suddenly didn¡¯t want to see it; he didn¡¯t want to see her hate him. After all, she didn¡¯t even know that he was awake, and all this was just his wishful thinking. Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t know that her instinctive response of taking two steps back from the putrid smell had made Mister Long¡¯s progress meter suddenly jump forwards by a whole lot. After recovering herself, she followed the sunlight shining through the door and immediately got a good look at the much brighter room, and saw at a glance the Mister Long who was lying properly in bed. The quilt covering his body hadn¡¯t moved at all; it seemed like no one had come. Luckily, Mister Long hadn¡¯t been bullied. As Mu Wanwan thought, she endured the unpleasant smell in the air and walked quickly to the bed¡ª¡ª On the side of her bed, the bedding was neatly folded and placed aside, while the side belonging to Mister Long seemed to be soaked with something, exhibiting a dark colour that did not match the festive red. The smell of rotting flesh at the tip of her nose grew even more intense. As she looked at Mister Long¡¯s deathly pale and terrible face, and tightly pursed lips, a thought gradually emerged in her heart. Without hesitation, Mu Wanwan reached out to lift the red wedding quilt covering Mister Long¡¯s body. Her movements were actually very light, but it made a certain dragon feel icy cold all over, as if he were on the edge of the cliff¡ª¡ª Any time now. When she lifted the quilt and sees his rotting tail again, the paradise-like days he had enjoyed for the first time since he was born would come to an end. But he still couldn¡¯t keep himself from having expectations; if she did not despise him, if she did not¡­ No, that won¡¯t happen, there wouldn¡¯t be anyone who¡¯d treat him with sincerity. Hadn¡¯t he spent the past hundred-odd years alone like this? The only ¡°good buddy¡± who had treated him with some sincerity had even given him a vicious stab in the back¡­ Don¡¯t lift it! Don¡¯t look¡­ Please¡­ Mister Long¡¯s fingertips couldn¡¯t stop trembling; in the instant his skin touched air, his blood flowed backwards. And Mu Wanwan also saw Mister Long¡¯s tragic state with great clarity the moment the quilt was lifted¡ª¡ª The long dragon tail had split open from the place where she had last applied medicine. Part of the scales had turned from withered yellow to an almost thick black, falling off to the side, and the pus, blood and putrid liquid flowing from the wound nearly wet the entire quilt. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 31 Nineteen Dragons (2) Mu Wanwan looked at the rotten tail that looked almost as severe as when she first met him, and only felt overcome by a sudden dizziness. At that moment, her mood was very complicated. It wasn¡¯t that she blamed him for dirtying the bedding, but just that she had a deeper understanding of Mister Long¡¯s injuries, and at the same time, was feeling incomparably sad. Why had he become like this when she had only gone out for less than half a day. When she changed his dressing yesterday, Mister Long¡¯s tail was clearly already much better¡­ Looking at the mattress and quilt that were stained red with fresh blood, Mu Wanwan suddenly felt very powerless. She stood at the head of Mister Long¡¯s bed, her eyes reddening shamefully for the first time¡ª¡ª Before transmigrating here, she had been just an ordinary employee, with neither any medical knowledge nor amazing beauty¡ªit could even be said that in that vast, lonesome world, she had always been by herself, all on her own. But after the transmigration, even though the days were tough and fraught with crises, Mister Long¡¯s existence made her feel depended upon, and that she was able to become extremely strong and tough for someone else. Although it had only been a few short days, her thoughts regarding Mister Long had gone from the initial purely wanting him to spare her life when he woke up, to the sympathy that came with a touch of co-reliance she felt now. But now, she hasn¡¯t managed to take good care of him. Mu Wanwan felt a little breathless, and the world before her became a little blurry. She shamefully reached out to wipe the tears that had fallen at some point unbeknownst to her, standing helplessly in place¡ª¡ª She had to hurry and think of a solution; she had to. Should she apply medicine again like the last time? Or, was what she did actually wrong? Countless thoughts squeezed into Mu Wanwan¡¯s head, making her unable to react at all. The room gradually quieted; Mister Long¡¯s heartbeat grew faster and faster, but he heard neither her abhorrent cursing, nor her cry of collapse¡ªhe didn¡¯t even hear the sound of her escaping feet. Just what exactly was her reaction? Could it be that she had fainted from the shock? In the end, Mister Long was unable to hold back, and he quietly pulled out a wisp of divine consciousness. However, that wisp of divine consciousness seemed to have lost its way the instant he saw Mu Wanwan¡¯s expression clearly, and only stayed rooted to the spot in foolish stupefaction. She was crying. She was actually crying; why would she be crying? She would cry for him? She wasn¡¯t fed up, let alone disgusted. For the first time in his life, Mister Long couldn¡¯t quite make out what he was feeling. This was different from what he had expected, and was different from what he had simulated. The roots of the ears turned a shameless red; Mister Long¡¯s eyelashes trembled, and actually felt that his tail, which was rotting again because of the curse, didn¡¯t hurt as much anymore. After the plot in Mister Long¡¯s mind progressed by nearly a hundred chapters, Mu Wanwan finally calmed down. She was extremely regretful that she hadn¡¯t carefully memorised every word of the novel back then. If she had read it carefully, she might have been able to find a cure for Mister Long¡¯s tail. The book said that her Mister Long was seriously injured because of a battle with the leaders of other races, but she had no idea what the reason was. She also had no way to take Mister Long out to see a doctor; all she could do was to make him some food and occasionally feed him some spirit stones¡­ Wait, spirit stones. An idea flashed in her mind like an electric flint. Mu Wanwan hurriedly piled all the spirit stones in her pocket by Mister Long¡¯s ear, while condemning herself even more¡ª¡ª How could she have forgotten? Mister Long was a dragon cultivator, and his injuries could not be cured by simply applying ointment. Most likely, large amounts of spiritual energy would be required. Moreover, looking at Mister Long¡¯s long-term vegetative state, it was likely that his meridians were also severely damaged, such that there was no way for him to directly absorb the thin spiritual energy that existed between heaven and earth. If there was no spirit stone by his side, it would be equivalent to a piece of dry land; it might be difficult to even live, let alone repair his meridians with spiritual energy. Mu Wanwan raised her sleeve and wiped away her tears, not minding the unpleasant smell in the room. She sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the spirit stones placed by Mister Long¡¯s ear, hoping that this method would prove effective. She didn¡¯t know if her prayers had worked, but those spirit stones really seemed to fade bit by bit from Mu Wanwan¡¯s sight, turning into dense spiritual energy, then entering Mister Long¡¯s body. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 32 Twenty Dragons (1) The spiritual energy contained within the few low-grade spirit stones was nothing but a droplet in the ocean to the former Mister Long, but to the current Mister Long, it was something very precious. Threads of spiritual energy slowly entered his body from the spirit stones, like fine spring rain falling on dry earth. Mister Long gathered his divine consciousness, and unlike in his dreams previously, he absorbed the spiritual energy very carefully, using powerful seventh-rank consciousness to fiddle with a few faint wisps of spiritual energy, and stopping when he had absorbed enough spiritual energy to connect two pieces of his broken original core. They were now very poor; he had to economize. So, Mu Wanwan watched as the spirit stones that were placed by Mister Long¡¯s ear shatter quickly at first, picking up the pace as they went, and finally, there were three pieces left. Did the spirit stones shattering mean that Mister Long had actually absorbed a lot of spiritual energy, and that this method was useful? Feeling a little happier, Mu Wanwan looked at the remaining three low-grade spirit stones and secretly wondered whether Mister Long¡¯s current body had grown so weak to the point that it could only absorb a few low-grade spirit stones. She rubbed her somewhat smarting eyes, and after thinking about it, chose not to put the three spirit stones away. If it was really the lack of spiritual power that had caused Mister Long¡¯s tail to rot again, there was no way she could take the spirit stones away. Mu Wanwan pulled herself together and checked on Mister Long¡¯s tail. It was no longer bleeding; it might really be because of the spirit stones. ¡°Mister Long, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Mu Wanwan was a little choked up. She wanted to reach out to touch his broken horn but stopped in the air. This time, it was all her fault; if she hadn¡¯t stopped feeding Mister Long spirit stones, maybe his tail wouldn¡¯t have rotted again. She apologised softly, but her words were very unpleasant to Mister Long¡¯s ears¡ª¡ª He understood; he knew that she was only thinking about bringing more money to the market to see if there were any other ways out, and that it was all for their sakes, for this home. Home¡­¡­ Mister Long¡¯s ears grew warm and warmer as he silently recited this magic word several times in his heart. If this cold tyrant¡¯s manor, if this place that was once only a place for him to rest temporarily, had her in it, he might be able to call it home. The home he had never had. Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t think that her guilt-driven apology would lead to the idea of ¡®home¡¯ emerging within Mister Long. Without wasting any time, she flicked the ashes of the low-grade spirit stone remnants away from Mister Long¡¯s pillow and changed the placement of the remaining three stones before gathering up the quilt that was stained with scales and blood. It was still early, and the weather today was pretty good; she had to take care of Mister Long¡¯s tail as soon as possible. Also, the sooner the quilt and mattress were washed, the sooner they would dry. Mu Wanwan filled a large basin of water as she planned what to do next. Because it was for washing the quilt, she got out the largest basin in the house. Mu Wanwan soaked the quilt in the water, added a lot of soap plants in, then ran all the way to the kitchen, boiled a lot of hot water, disinfected the knife she had used previously with the hot water, then took the medicinal ointment and went back to the room. Mu Wanwan set the basin down, then wrapped her hands well with two handkerchiefs, looked at Mister Long who had his eyes closed and said gently, ¡°Mister Long, I¡¯m going to help you take care of it, it may hurt a little.¡± Although she could swear to the Heavens that what she said simply expressed her intentions to help Mister Long with his wounds and contained no other thoughts, but in Mister Long¡¯s ears, it seemed like a signal that she was about to do something to him. He grew somewhat nervous, and even his fingertips were trembling a little. After waiting for a few dozen seconds with his eyes closed, Mu Wanwan finally did it. Her body temperature spread through the thin handkerchiefs straight to his tail. He could clearly feel her hands carefully avoiding his wound, and the soft palms of her hand drag his long tail with some force onto the somewhat cold jade bed. In his half-dragon state, the tail was not particularly sensitive except for a few spots and the areas where the scales were growing against the grain. Mister Long felt quite all right, it didn¡¯t hurt¡ª¡ª Is she trying to clean the mattress he had soiled? Mister Long thought, feeling himself calm down a little. But very soon, he wasn¡¯t able to calm down anymore. Because. Mu Wanwan had actually tossed the handkerchiefs wrapped around her hands aside, rolled up her sleeves, and hugged his waist! From the moment her warm skin touched his chest and abdomen, Mister Long felt like something had instantly seized hold, rushing straight up all the way from that piece of skin and exploding in his mind with crackling electricity. He was utterly stunned all at once. How could she hug his waist? Except in a fight, no one had ever dared to touch his waist. If there were no black and red curse lines on his face, Mu Wanwan would probably be able to tell at a glance that Mister Long¡¯s face was already beet red. But even with those lines, Mu Wanwan still got a clear view of Mister Long¡¯s pink ears and neck after she had completely gotten him out of the dirty quilt. Mu Wanwan: ¡°?¡± Was it very hot? She didn¡¯t think too much about it and reached out to put her hand on Mister Long¡¯s forehead. In an instant, a completely different temperature from her body was transmitted; it was a little hot. That made sense: because there was no spiritual energy, Mister Long¡¯s tail had rotten again, and generally, people would develop fevers when they were injured. At the thought of this, Mu Wanwan¡¯s eyes grew a little red again. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, I¡¯ve caused you to develop a fever,¡± she said quietly in a voice filled dejection. She slowly let out a sigh, then threw the mattress onto the ground. Mister Long hadn¡¯t even recovered from the fact that she had actually hugged his waist when he felt her palms travel along his scales that had become somewhat slippery from being full of rotting fluids and grime, all the way down to his rotting wound. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 33 Twenty Dragons (2) The indignant embarrassment in his heart slowly turned into a throbbing that caused the dragon to be at a complete loss. Her actions reminded him time and time again¡ª¡ª She had never despised him; she had truly never despised him. The knife cut through the decaying scales and flesh. No matter how gentle and careful Mu Wanwan¡¯s movements were, the pain was not diminished in the slightest. It¡¯s just that this pain, in Mister Long¡¯s opinion, was not as painful as the bite he received when he fought the demon dog over a rancid pie as a young child. He had never treated his wounds in such a meticulous manner either. On the one hand, the dragons¡¯ powerful self-healing ability made him hate his birth, while on the other, he wasn¡¯t able to keep from feeling proud of his innate talent. To him, being treated like a treasure like this was the most novel experience in his dragon life. He even hoped that this kind of pain could last longer. Mu Wanwan cleaned Mister Long¡¯s tail carefully, then took a clean handkerchief to wipe away all the grime on the scales around the wound and applied the medicine. Looking at the rotten half-tail that was almost showing bone, she felt a little heartbroken once more. Just why did Mister Long have to fight with the leaders of those clans? She had not the least idea. Mu Wanwan shook his head and stopped thinking about it. Putting aside the fact that a Rank 1 cultivator like her had no capability to interfere with the disputes of the prominent figures standing on the pinnacle of the continent, her current status was merely that of a chongxi bride, an abandoned pawn of the Mu family. In the eyes of some with ulterior motives, such as Ao Qin, she was probably just a tool. She probably only had some value here by the temporarily ill Mister Long¡¯s side, and didn¡¯t really have any right to meddle in Mister Long¡¯s affairs in the past. Although it was a little sad to think this way, Mu Wanwan secretly felt that she was indeed being too meddlesome and stopped entertaining her foolish thoughts. She tidied the messy room, covered Mister Long with half of her own quilt, then went out with the dirty bedding in her arms. The room quietened down, and Mister Long also slowly came out from those inexpressible feelings. His divine consciousness could clearly sense the spirit stones that were beside his pillow, and his perennial gloomy mood was finally a little sunnier. He listened to the splashing sounds of Mu Wanwan doing the laundry in the yard, gradually immersing himself in it¡ª¡ª Before Mu Wanwan appeared in his life, he probably needed three years to fully ¡°wake up¡±, but now, he felt that he would be able to break the curse in about one year at the most. ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ By the time Mu Wanwan finished cleaning the soiled parts of the quilt and mattress with great effort, it was almost dark. She felt like her old waist and legs were about to give out. Actually, in truth, this body was much stronger than the one in her previous life, and it also had greater strength. After all, the original Mu Wanwan was a Rank 1 cultivator¡ªno matter what, this was much stronger than her once ordinary mortal self. But even cultivators wouldn¡¯t be able to stand such torment! The past few days had truly worn her out. Mu Wanwan had initially planned to have meat in the evening, but after seeing Mister Long¡¯s tail that afternoon, her appetite had truly been affected. Besides, she felt that the smell in her house still hasn¡¯t dissipated till now. Therefore, the evening¡¯s luxurious meal had gloriously turned into plain rice congee¡­ As she was worried that the meat would go bad, Mu Wanwan marinated it simply with salt. However, she didn¡¯t know if it was due to the aftereffects of dealing with Mister Long¡¯s tail, when she looked at this excellent piece of spirit pork now, she would unwittingly compare the differences of this meat with dragon¡¯s flesh. Compared with healthy dragon¡¯s flesh, this seemed to be a little darker in colour, and the muscle texture didn¡¯t seem to look as firm. But compared with diseased dragon¡¯s flesh, its colour seemed very fresh and tender, and seemed like it should taste okay¡­ right? When Mu Wanwan finished marinating the meat and cooking the congee, she felt like she was floating instead of walking. She must really be crazy to keep comparing the differences between spirit pork and dragon¡¯s flesh. After finishing a light dinner and feeding Mister Long a small bowl of spiritual grain congee and half a Baizhen fruit, Mu Wanwan boiled more water and went to the side room to take a bath. After thinking about it, she carried a small bucket of hot water back to the room. She thought about when she was cleaning Mister Long¡¯s tail that afternoon, she had seen that his other scales were also withered. She didn¡¯t know if they were dirty or something, but she had better just wipe them clean for him. Mu Wanwan lifted the quilt, and Mister Long¡¯s twisted posture with his tail bent appeared in her eyes. Mu Wanwan smiled wryly; she hadn¡¯t noticed that afternoon that she did not reposition this person¡¯s tail properly. ¡°Mister Long, let me wipe this for you,¡± said Mu Wanwan softly as usual. Using a handkerchief soaked in hot water, she wiped his scales bit by bit, avoiding his wound. But even as she wiped all the way to his beautiful, tight waist, apart from the scales near his waist and abdomen being a little thick, and were also a little softer than everywhere else, Mu Wanwan did not find anything extraordinary (hey!). At this moment, Mu Wanwan suddenly felt very safe. So, it could be said that Mister Long¡¯s current state is actually very safe, and she also didn¡¯t have to worry about a comatose dragon¡¯s morning (ahem¡ª¡ª), because Mister Long didn¡¯t actually have it. Mu Wanwan looked at Mister Long¡¯s wickedly handsome face, his long and curly raven black eyelashes, and his prominent Adam¡¯s apple, then glanced at his thin waist, and sighed with a slightly flushed face. Such a handsome dragon, but in his half-dragon state, he actually didn¡¯t have (ahem¡ª¡ª), what a pity. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 34 Twenty Dragons (3) Mu Wanwan looked away from Mister Long¡¯s attractive abdominal muscles with difficulty, secretly despising herself for actually being bewitched by beauty. She sped up and finished cleaning up, then went out with the bucket of water. And at this moment, Mister Long was still battling the curse and the pain in his meridians. He was completely unaware that a certain ability of his half-dragon state had already been doubted by his wife. If he were awake, he would definitely be very upset. After all, unless the time to use it has come, no dragon would simply expose anything, right! Moreover, the truth was, Mu Wanwan had already touched it, then said that he didn¡¯t have it, how truly aggrieving! ¡ª¡ªMu Wanwan poured the water away, then tidied the room again. She took stock of the things she bought today, rubbed her sore neck, and prepared to sleep. However, when she climbed onto the bed like she had the previous two nights, she realised that there was a problem. Mister Long had dirtied the quilt and mattress that day, and they still had not dried from being washed. They only had one quilt and one mattress now, gosh darn it. Was she going to have to sleep with Mister Long? Mu Wanwan went a little slack. She looked at Mister Long¡¯s bare shoulders that were half-buried in the quilt and suddenly felt like she was having a little trouble breathing. Before transmigrating, she was still an innocent girl. Putting the fact that she had currently gained a disabled dragon husband aside, and also putting how she had been forced to share a bed but on two mattresses aside, was she going to have to sleep on the same mattress as him now? Besides, Mister Long was also an innocent dragon! While he was now in a vegetative state, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that he¡¯s a dragon of the opposite gender, even though he wouldn¡¯t and couldn¡¯t express any opinion at present. Mu Wanwan¡¯s head hurt. She looked at the pitch-black sky outside and deeply regretted why she didn¡¯t have the gift of foresight; she would¡¯ve been able to buy an extra set of bedding when she was outside today then. The day was already quite late, and the formidable nature of late autumn gradually surfaced¡ªeven in the room, it felt a little cold. Mu Wanwan stood on the slippery floor and sighed deeply. She walked resignedly to the wardrobe and rummaged around but didn¡¯t manage to find any thick clothing. Her gaze fell on the stool and table the original body had slept on before the bed was cleaned. The corners of Mu Wanwan¡¯s eyes twitched; was she going to have to sleep sprawled on the table if the bedding didn¡¯t dry? That¡¯s way too miserable, right? ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡ª¡ªWhile Mu Wanwan was struggling over whether to share a mattress with Mister Long or not, in the elven market, in the shop where Mu Wanwan had bought seeds during the day: Uncle Zong, the lion beastman, shut the shop¡¯s door, turned, and entered the shop. Rank 3 cultivators like him were eligible to rent a shop in the market for the long-term, and were also qualified to continue living in the market¡¯s shop after the market closed at six in the evening. However, ordinary elven folk like Lan and Feng with no cultivation were not qualified to remain within the elven market. Uncle Zong lifted the curtain covering the counter and the interior room and walked in. Mu Wanwan had guessed correctly, they were indeed living here, and there was a small couch behind the curtain. Presently, there was a beautiful woman half-lying on it. Her face was clean and neat, and she didn¡¯t seem to be a beastman. There was a trace of fatigue in her eyes, and she didn¡¯t look to be very young anymore. ¡°Cough¡­¡± The woman coughed gently, and Uncle Zong immediately became anxious. Such a big man, stood all tensed and helpless by her bed. He wanted to reach out to caress her, yet seemed so entirely cautious. ¡°Brother Lei.¡± The woman¡¯s pale face directed a smile at him. ¡°You¡¯ve packed up for the day?¡± She wanted to do her best to look a little happier, but there was still a deep exhaustion in her eyes. Uncle Zong couldn¡¯t help himself; he went to her side and grabbed her hand with his big hand, ¡°Yun¡¯er, I¡¯ll carry you to bed.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± The woman named Yun¡¯er lay obediently in his arms, and the two went out of the small room in the shop, opened the secret door at the back, and entered the courtyard. ¡°Brother Lei, what about Lan¡¯er and Feng¡¯s rent?¡± asked Yun¡¯er. ¡°I was a little too sleepy this afternoon and fell asleep.¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Carrying his lover whose weight was getting lighter and lighter, Uncle Zong held back the twinge of sourness in his eyes and laughed unreservedly. ¡°I¡¯d thought that the little lass who came this afternoon was another liar, but she turned out to be a good one.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about Lan¡¯er and Feng¡¯s rent anymore. That little lass actually secretly stuffed a low-grade spirit stone in Lan¡¯er¡¯s hood. She wasn¡¯t even afraid that such a little elf like Lan¡¯er would lose the spirit stone. She was clearly so tight-fisted when she was in my shop this afternoon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good then¡­¡± Yun¡¯er seemed to have exhausted all her energy as she spoke. ¡°That, that¡¯s right.¡± Uncle Zong squeezed her arm tightly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them, they¡¯ll be fine. That kid Feng is a bright one. After he discovered it, he even came here to exchange the spirit stone for silver and copper coins, and said he couldn¡¯t let those other elves find out that they have a spirit stone. I was so tickled, haha.¡± Even though Uncle Zong was laughing, the beast patterns on his forehead were becoming brighter and brighter. He rambled on a lot more, and only when he ascertained that the person in his arms was asleep once more did he gradually stop. He placed the person gently on the bed. Looking at Yun¡¯er¡¯s gradually paling face, he felt truly wretched. They had known each other since they were very young. Yun¡¯er was once one of the most gifted beastman warriors in the tribe. In order to bear him children, she had lost most of her talents, but even so, they were still childless after so many years. He actually didn¡¯t mind. After all, if they had no children, so be it; it was enough for them to have each other. But Yun¡¯er wanted a child very much, and as a result, was swindled by an abominable witch¡¯s tribe, drank a cursed formula, and had her remaining talents sucked out of her, leaving her with only a weak body. She was now even unable to turn into her beast form, and could only rely on elixirs to continue living. But even though he had given it his all, the time she was awake was becoming shorter and shorter. ¡°Yun¡¯er.¡± Zong Lei uttered her name gently, slowly calming his heart down. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 35 Twenty-one Dragons (1) It was already very late, and the formidable nature of late autumn was gradually manifesting itself. Mu Wanwan could even feel the cold air creeping up from the ground as she stood. She looked at Mister Long, who was lying quietly in bed, then at the thick mattress and jade bed beneath him, feeling torn. Come to think of it, it was rather strange¡ªshe didn¡¯t know what that bed in Mister Long¡¯s room was made of. It looked like a jade bed, yet it wasn¡¯t cold like jade beds were, but rather, it was a little warm, and was very comfortable to sleep on¡­ The more she thought about it, the more swayed she was. When she came back to her senses, she had already walked to the bedside. In the room, only the lamp on the bedside table was lit, giving off a soft glow through the lampshade. As the saying goes, looking at a beautiful dragon by candlelight, Mu Wanwan¡¯s gaze moved unthinkingly to Mister Long¡¯s face. His forehead was initially covered with layered and choppy hair, but she had found it in the way when washing his face previously and had pulled it aside. Two long locks of hair hung by the side, and there were strange lines all over his face. But even so, she could vaguely make out his handsome appearance. He was a very attractive dragon, thought Mu Wanwan. He really was very good-looking. And now that he couldn¡¯t move, a gentleman should not take advantage when others were in danger; she had better not share a bed with Mister Long. Mu Wanwan sighed. She covered Mister Long with the quilt well, went and got a few somewhat thicker clothes and put them on, then climbed onto the bed gloomily. Fortunately, this jade bed was not very cold, sleeping here was much better than sprawling on the table¡­ Anyway, if the weather was good tomorrow, the quilt and bedding would dry then. It¡¯s fine to make do with this for one night. Mu Wanwan laid sideways, not daring to look at Mister Long who was lying beside her, and slowly closed her eyes. But she didn¡¯t know if heaven was playing a joke on her; when she woke up the next day from backache, she heard the pitter-patter of rain coming from outside the house. It was raining. Mu Wanwan rubbed her head with some agony. Fortunately, she had brought the quilt and mattress in last night, otherwise, she would have to wait for several more days. She got out of bed, washed up, and after searching for half a day, finally found an oiled paper umbrella that was missing a corner in one of the side halls. She shuttled between the main hall and the side hall with the umbrella to make brunch. She had actually gotten up a little late today, so she decided to just make brunch. It was a pity that she wasn¡¯t able to eat meat yesterday, so she thought she might as well make soup with the spirit pig bones for lunch. Having decided on the menu, Mu Wanwan got to work. The vegetables from the market were very good. The elven siblings, Feng and Lan¡¯er, took very good care of their vegetables. Even after leaving them overnight, the vegetable leaves did not wilt very much. Back in modern times, she had lived by herself, and had therefore developed her cooking skills. While she wasn¡¯t a master chef, she was okay with regular home-cooked dishes, and her cooking speed wasn¡¯t slow either. The palace looked a little more mysterious than usual in the rain. Mu Wanwan walked from the side hall to the main hall under the umbrella, along the corridors and through the courtyard. When she was just about to reach the door of the room, she slipped and almost lost her footing, and the umbrella fell straight to the ground. Mu Wanwan protected the food box with one hand and slammed hard on the wall with the other. The wall was not very smooth, and she was unlucky enough to scrape against a corner. Almost instantly, the skin of her palm broke, and her hand started to bleed. She couldn¡¯t help crying out in pain. A few drops of rain dripped down from her scalp, obscuring her vision. Mu Wanwan reached out and wiped it wretchedly. Before she could pick up the umbrella on the ground, she felt a person appearing before her in her hazy vision¡ª¡ª His long, silk-like black hair was draped casually around him. He was dressed in a moon-white silk robe, and had a pair of broken horns. The rain blurred his silhouette, and Mu Wanwan could only clearly see that the pair of narrow, inky phoenix eyes were looking straight at her, dissipating in the rain like dust after only a glance. Was that¡­ Mister Long? Was she hallucinating? Mu Wanwan felt a twinge of sourness in her heart. She rubbed her eyes, then looked at the entrance of the room several times like a fool¡ªthere was nothing at all, and no sign of any dragon, Really, as expected, these past few days have been so fantastical that she was now hallucinating. Mu Wanwan picked up the umbrella from the ground while mocking herself. She couldn¡¯t quite understand that trace of disappointment in her heart, and entered the room a little embarrassedly¡ª¡ª The dragon was still obediently lying in bed! Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t quite describe what she was feeling at the moment, and only sighed, then went to one side silently with a handkerchief to wipe her hair. She wiped her hair in silence, not noticing that Mister Long¡¯s deathly pale knuckles were trembling silently, nor did she notice that he had swallowed a mouthful of blood painfully. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 36 He had woken up long ago, quietly listening to the sound of her busying about. He couldn¡¯t resist releasing a strand of divine consciousness onto the corner of her clothes, following her as she did the laundry, cooked, searched for an umbrella, and folded clothes. In the instant when she scraped her palm on the wall, he didn¡¯t manage to hold back, and revealed himself, stretching beyond his limits. It¡¯s just that he only managed to maintain it for a short moment. He wasn¡¯t even able to look at her carefully before was suppressed, and dissipated. He truly was the most useless dragon of all, thought Mister Long. He couldn¡¯t even see her with his own eyes, and couldn¡¯t even help support her when she fell. For the first time, Mister Long hated the self who had gone up against seven by himself back then for a ridiculous reason. If he hadn¡¯t been injured, would he not be like how he was now, unable to even look at her? ¡ª¡ªMu Wanwan simply thought that she had been hallucinating just now, and did not think it could be the real Mister Long. After drying her hair, she changed her outer clothes. Then, after thinking about it, she took Mister Long¡¯s ointment and said softly,¡± Mister Long, I¡¯ll be using a little of your ointment, all right? Because it¡¯s my hand that¡¯s been injured, it will be an inconvenience when I do things.¡± She dug a small bit of ointment and rubbed it on the painful hand, and the wound there soon healed. She closed the lid and breathed out a sigh. Seeing the well-protected and fragrant bone broth when she opened the food box, she felt somewhat better again. ¡°Mister Long, I bought some bones.¡± Mu Wanwan carried the bowl and began her daily routine of feeding the dragon. ¡°It should taste pretty good.¡± But this time, for some reason, Mister Long just kept his lips tightly pressed, not swallowing cooperatively as he did before. Mu Wanwan poked him with the spoon several times; the gleaming liquid was almost running down his chin, but Mister Long still didn¡¯t drink it. Mu Wanwan felt something was wrong. She took a small sip from the bowl. She had to say that the bones of spirit pigs were extremely delicious¡ªshe had only taken a small sip, and already felt that her mouth was filled with a fragrant taste, and there was even a trace of an almost imperceptible spiritual energy. All this proved that it wasn¡¯t a problem with her skills at least. Why was Mister Long being so resistant? Wasn¡¯t he comatose? Mu Wanwan simply set the bowl aside and said, ¡°Pardon me.¡± She then reached out and cupped Mister Long¡¯s chin, half forcing him to open his mouth. As soon as his mouth was opened, Mu Wanwan was thoroughly frightened. Lots of fresh blood spilled out from the corners of his mouth, dripping onto the pillow. The flow of blood seemed to be unstoppable, and the warm blood completely stained her hand. All at once, she was a little dazed, and her entire person was trembling. She hurriedly released the hand that was squeezing Mister Long¡¯s chin. She no longer had any thoughts of drinking the spirit pork bone broth anymore, and only ran hurriedly to the chests and retrieved the ginseng that didn¡¯t look good, but was the best they had. With shaking hands, she cut a large piece and stuffed it rather roughly into Mister Long¡¯s mouth. ¡°Mister Long, Mister Long¡­¡± Mu Wanwan whispered his name and said in a flustered manner as if chanting a spell, ¡°Let the blood stop quickly, let the blood stop quickly.¡± She was truly very anxious. His tail had rotten again only yesterday, and he was now vomiting blood today. Mu Wanwan felt that her little heart was not enough for this dragon to toy with. The book had stated that he would wake, but had not described much of his tragic situation for the next three years. She only thought she should be able to take care of him, but did not expect that his situation would be so serious and miserable. It was so miserable that she was almost on the verge of being forced to give up on him. She didn¡¯t know if her prayers had worked, but Mister Long¡¯s bleeding finally stopped. Mu Wanwan was still uneasy and waited for a while longer. Only after seeing that his complexion was gradually improving and ascertaining that he was no longer vomiting blood did she relax. Her hands were sticky and full of his blood, and he had also dirtied his pillow. Her only pillow would also be offered up to him tonight. Raising a dragon was really troublesome QWQ. It also made one on tenterhooks, leaving one with no peace. Mu Wanwan sighed. She changed his pillow, washed her hands and wiped the bloodstains from his cheeks gently, then cut a smaller piece of ginseng to replace the one in his mouth. Only after all that did she have the free time to sit down to eat her own lunch. The soup was already cold. Because she was worried about Mister Long, she didn¡¯t eat well. She only wondered if the soup had been stained with Mister Long¡¯s blood¡ªit tasted completely different from just now; it was very fishy and did not taste good at all. And it had cost so much. She would never buy it again. Mu Wanwan frowned, unable to stop worrying¡ª¡ª Mister Long¡¯s injury was a lot more serious than she had thought. If she still didn¡¯t work hard and wasn¡¯t able to earn some moment in the next few days, by the time she goes to the market next, she was afraid that not only would Mister Long have no spirit stones to absorb, she would also have no money for food. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 37 Twenty-Two Dragons (1) Because of the harsh conditions of everyday life and the pressure of having to raise a dragon, Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t really feel like resting after eating. She sorted through the things she bought from the market and began calculating massive household expenses and income¡ª¡ª There were only two people in the household now: one human and one dragon. Her own expenses were actually very little¡ªshe only needed to buy some food and vegetables, and had no need for any entertainment. If she just ate regular rice and vegetables and economized, she would merely need one or two gold coins. But,this wouldn¡¯t do for Mister Long. First, let¡¯s not mention the fact that he had to absorb one low-grade spirit stone basically every day. The market price of that bag of spiritual grain alone was ten low-grade spirit stones, and the Baizhen fruit that he finished every two days was five low-grade spirit stones for each Grade 2 one. Based on these calculations, Mister Long would need at least a hundred low-grade spirit stones a month. Yet, it was only the middle of October now; they had just received their monthly budget. That paltry amount was simply not enough, and was already almost all spent. She had merely made some rough calculations, but Mu Wanwan already felt her head ache. She took out the seeds she bought from Uncle Zong and counted them. Her eyes lit up; Uncle Zong had given her a total of a hundred and fifty burning grass seeds and thirty Bixing grass seeds. Moreover, these seeds looked very plump; they were good seeds. Mu Wanwan silently gave thanks to Uncle Zong, then took out that dirty bag of soil. When she opened it, she saw that it was a small bag of spiritual soil¡ª¡ª In the original body¡¯s memories, the method by which wood-based cultivators cultivated seeds was actually very simple. Ordinary mortals planted seeds directly into the soil, while cultivators channelled their innate wood spiritual energy into the seeds before burying them in the soil. The more the spiritual energy infused, the higher the rates of growth and successful cultivation. Of course, if the level of spiritual energy was high, or if there was spiritual soil, the success rates and the appearance of the finished products would also be increased further. It was naturally much easier to successfully cultivate an ungraded plant like burning grass than a Grade 1 Bixing grass. After some consideration, Mu Wanwan weighed the small bag of spiritual soil in her hand and made a decision¡ª¡ª She was going to use all the spiritual soil on the cultivation of the Bixing grass seeds. There was very little spiritual soil. Although the success rate of cultivating Bixing grass was very low, the profit to be made was much more than that of burning grass, so she wouldn¡¯t be making a loss to use the soil on them. After making up her mind, Mu Wanwan began on the prepwork for the cultivation of the plants without hesitation. The first step in the cultivation of plants is to have soil. After some thought, Mu Wanwan changed into a set of dirty clothes, then went to the side hall¡¯s kitchen under an umbrella. Fortunately, not only were there plenty of kitchen utensils, but there were also many large pots. She found a medium-sized one, then took a small shovel and started looking for soil. The only place with soil in Mister Long¡¯s palace is a spot behind the side hall. The other parts of the palace were all pretty good and lavishly furnished, be it the rooms in the main hall or the side hall. However, the items that were relatively valuable had all been taken away by the servants, and the once most exalted palace had now become an abandoned cold palace. These places had no soil. Mu Wanwan searched for a long time before finally finding a small piece of soil behind the side hall that had not been covered by stone slabs. But the quality of the soil didn¡¯t look very good. Even so, she didn¡¯t have the luxury to be picky. She cleared away the stones, dug up quite a bit of soil in a somewhat wretched manner, then returned to the room with the pot. After a simple treatment, Mu Wanwan first took a burning grass seed, then, based on her memories, slowly guided a wisp of wood spiritual energy from her dantian and channelled it into the seed. The seed absorbed the trace of wood spiritual energy very quickly. There seemed to be no change in its appearance, and Mu Wanwan channelled another wisp of spiritual energy in. This time, there was still no change in the seed. She became a little anxious and wondered if she wasn¡¯t even capable of cultivating a burning grass seed. She stopped channelling small wisps of spiritual energy so cautiously and poured in a generous amount of it. As if performing a magic trick, the seed¡¯s shell broke before her eyes and a tender sprout grew out. Then, from a small tender shoot, it rose upwards at a speed that was visible to the naked eye and grew into a thin and short¡­ small burning grass. Mu Wanwan stared at the small burning grass in her hand that had cost her about one-tenth of her spiritual energy and fell into deep thought. This didn¡¯t seem to be very difficult? She touched the tiny roots that had just grown out of the small burning grass, and planted the small burning grass into the pot with satisfaction. Mu Wanwan took a dirty handkerchief and wiped away the wet mud on her hands, then continued to cultivate the burning grass seeds with gusto. She controlled her spiritual energy this time, and did not continue channelling any more spiritual energy when the seeds became tender shoots. Only when she had cultivated a total of eighteen burning grasses at one go did she feel that she had exhausted her spiritual energy, and it was becoming rather hard to bear. Mu Wanwan squatted to plant the last burning grass. As she looked at the burning grass seedlings that occupied more than half of the pot, her mood was quite good. In her eyes, these burning grass seedlings were not burning grass seedlings but silver coins that were stuck into the soil. Uncle Zong had said that twelve burning grasses could be exchanged for one low-grade spirit stone. That was to say, she had earned one and a half low-grade spirit stones in one afternoon! Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 38 Twenty-Two Dragons (2) What an exciting thing this was! When Mu Wanwan, who had been spending money ever since transmigrating here and had never earned a single copper coin, looked at the pot of burning grass shoots, her eyes were ablaze. Sure enough, be it in the modern era or this world, making money was a joyful thing. Moreover, she hadn¡¯t noticed earlier as she had been too focused on cultivating the plants, but she had cultivated eighteen seeds consecutively without a single failure. Mu Wanwan thought a little dizzy, could this be her golden finger1? Hence, Mu Wanwan¡¯s ego was inflated. She sat cross-legged and rested for a while. When she felt that she had recovered some of the spiritual energy in her dantian, she overreached and took one Grade 1 Bixing grass seed to cultivate. But this time, up till she was completely exhausted, the seed remained unchanged, and there was no sign of it being about to break out and sprout. The confident Mu Wanwan, ¡°¡­¡­¡± She accepted her fate and kept the seeds away, then moved the burning grass seedlings that had been cultivated so laboriously to an empty part of the room. Next, she fetched some water to wash Mister Long¡¯s dirtied pillow. When she was done, the sky was already almost dark. The rain was getting heavier and heavier; the dark clouds were dense, and there was no sign of the skies clearing up. Mu Wanwan looked gloomily at the still wet quilt and pillow, then looked at the Mister Long on the bed and the quilt that was covering him. After thinking it over for a long time, she decided to make do again for one more night. She didn¡¯t believe that after raining today, it would still rain tomorrow. She just had to make do for two nights, it was nothing much. So, at night, after Mu Wanwan gave it her all and cultivated two more burning grass seeds, she dressed as thickly as possible, slept on clothes folded to resemble a pillow, and got ready to make do for another night rather aggrievedly. However, she slept very badly that night, and kept dreaming. The dream was neither about the mobile games she had missed so much at first, nor about pieces of spirit stones, but was about the fake Mister Long she had seen at noon. The Mister Long in her dream and the fake Mister Long feel a little different. His face was clearer, and he seemed to be saying something as he looked at her. In the dream, she asked Mister Long for his name; the Mister Long in her dream looked at her, then said, ¡°Cold.¡± Mu Wanwan was a little dumbfounded. She asked again, but the Mister Long in her dream seemed to become impatient, and with a snap, suddenly disappeared like the fake Mister Long¡­ In the dream, she recited the word Mister Long said over and over again, ¡°Cold cold cold¡­¡± ¡°Mhm, it¡¯s so cold,¡± Mu Wanwan¡¯s eyes opened abruptly; her hands and feet were a little stiff from the cold. She shook her head, trying hard to forget the nonsensical dream she just had. Bracing her tired body, she looked out with a face full of expectation. It was pitch black, but she could hear the sound of large drops of rain hitting the roof. Continuously pitter-pattering, it was all rain. Mu Wanwan curled up a little aggrievedly, facing Mister Long¡¯s direction There was only a very, very faint light in the room; Mu Wanwan had very poor night vision, and could only see his vague silhouette. It¡¯s really very cold, I¡¯d really like to be under a quilt¡­ Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t help stretching out her hand to feel around in Mister Long¡¯s direction. Her current body was just over 1.6 metres, and her arms were not long. She felt around for a long time without touching the quilt, so Mu Wanwan edged herself in his direction. Finally, her fingertips made contact with the soft quilt. She followed the edge of the quilt and put her hand in. In an instant, a warm feeling spread out from her fingertips. Mu Wanwan squinted and thought rather desperately, anyway, since Mister Long had no consciousness at all, and she had also confirmed that he didn¡¯t have (wah¡ª¡ª), there was no danger, so what if they shared a quilt! Mu Wanwan refused to admit that she was about to be frozen silly. Actually, based on last night¡¯s temperature, she wouldn¡¯t have been awakened from the cold. But with the sudden rain of the past two days and the drop in temperature, she felt a little cold tonight even though she was wearing the clothes that were enough for last night. As Mu Wanwan secretly edged herself in Mister Long¡¯s direction, she comforted herself that the nuptial quilt had been bought in a very large size anyway, and was completely enough for two people to use. Mu Wanwan was completely unaware that she had already desperately found countless reasons for wanting to sleep with Mister Long =.=!! It¡¯s just that there was a slight difference in this matter from what she had thought. She had thought that Mister Long had no consciousness, but this was not the case. Mister Long was very sensitive to changes in temperature, and the effect of those two slices of ginseng was not bad, so Mister Long had actually already regained consciousness half an hour before Mu Wanwan had awoken from the cold. It was just that as he had consumed too much divine consciousness earlier, he didn¡¯t let any divine consciousness out, and merely listened to her quiet breathing while guiltily healing his injuries. Therefore, when the quilt was lifted and Mu Wanwan¡¯s hand stretched into the quilt along with a slight chill, Mister Long felt it immediately. His muscles tightened almost instantly. Thanks to the ginseng slices, two of the fingers on his right hand could move within a small range. Presently, his ring finger and little finger were picking at the sheets nervously. Thinking about what might happen next, his breathing was about to come to a stop. Footnotes: 1 golden finger: a common trope in Chinese transmigration novels, akin to having a ¡°cheat code¡±/ some kind of power that enables the protagonist to ¡°win¡± in this new world. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 39 Twenty-three Dragons (1) Mister Long didn¡¯t have to wait for very long before he felt her body, which still carried with it a chilly air, slowly edge over; his heart thumped non-stop uselessly. As he was much more sensitive than normal people, Mister Long could clearly feel her lifting a corner of the quilt, then nudging in little by little¡ªfirst, her arm, then, her legs¡­ Because she hadn¡¯t planned on sleeping with Mister Long, Mister Long was sleeping in the middle of the quilt. Mu Wanwan gently pulled at the edge of the quilt, and just barely managed to cover half of her body without touching Mister Long. Therefore, the half of her body that was closer to Mister Long could clearly feel the warm heat he was giving off, but the other half that was not covered with the quilt was very cold, forming a sharp contrast with the other side. Mu Wanwan was a little embarrassed, but she had exhausted herself during the day and hadn¡¯t slept well in the first half of the night, and was extremely tired now. Thinking that Mister Long didn¡¯t have any consciousness anyway, it shouldn¡¯t matter much if her arm touched him a little bit. She just had to be careful to not touch the wound on Mister Long¡¯s tail. A celestial battle went on in Mu Wanwan¡¯s mind for a while before she finally decided to yield to the strength of the drop in temperature. After thinking about it, she first came out from under the quilt She was still wearing very thick clothes, and she would be quite uncomfortable under the quilt with them on. It would be better to first remove a few of the outer clothes. It was just that her sudden departure that made Mister Long feel quite bad. He had actually readied himself as she was nudging in it by bit, but didn¡¯t think that that person would leave so suddenly. A tinge of unidentified sourness surged within Mister Long, and he even felt a little aggrieved. So, she wasn¡¯t preparing to do anything? A rustling sound came to his ears; Mister Long had not yet recovered from the disappointment of Mu Wanwan¡¯s departure when he felt the quilt move again. This time, Mu Wanwan¡¯s movements were much larger than before¡ªher entire body squirmed in. As Mister Long had previously occupied most of the quilt, Mu Wanwan inevitably touched his arm when moving, but she quickly adjusted her posture, carefully maintained a little distance from Mister Long, curled up and shrank her legs cautiously. Although there was no pillow, it was much better than sleeping outside of the quilt. After some thought, Mu Wanwan said softly, ¡°Mister Long, it¡¯s raining. I have no quilt, and it¡¯s really cold. Let¡¯s make do and share one for a few nights, you shouldn¡¯t have an issue with that, right?¡± She couldn¡¯t keep from laughing a little. Seeming to have thought of something, she said in a small whisper, ¡°You aren¡¯t even conscious, even if I used this opportunity to take advantage of you, you won¡¯t know¡­ So sleepy¡­¡± This was the first time she was so close to him, and her voice seemed to be much clearer than usual. It was clearly just a voice, but it seemed to have transformed into a sound wave, radiating out in circles, spreading out in the few dozen centimetres of air and striking onto Mister Long¡¯s heart. He felt his face grow a little hot. In his meridians, besides the pain of being shattered, there seemed to be something else. Mister Long couldn¡¯t quite make it out. He could only feel Mu Wanwan¡¯s contented sigh and her breathing gradually calm; the tip of his heart trembled a little, but he also slowly calmed down. It turned out that she wanted to sleep with him only because of the cold, there was no other meaning. Mister Long was a little disappointed, and also felt somewhat pained¡ª¡ª He was so ugly now, and his tail had not recovered. He even vomited blood that afternoon. It was only normal for his wife to dislike him and not want to do anything with him. Besides, his wife didn¡¯t know that he was conscious, and would probably not do anything unnecessary. Mister Long gradually calmed down. He felt the breathing of the person next to him in silence, only to feel that the warmth coming from her body was astonishingly hot; he was a little dizzy. Also¡ª¡ª She was so very close to him. So close that he could touch her if he just stretched out his hand. Mister Long¡¯s heart thumped. He clumsily moved the ring finger and little finger that had just regained movement not long ago, inching forward little by little. Because most of the meridians were not connected well, Mister Long could only advance by about a few centimetres before he could no longer move from the pain. His forehead was covered in a cold sweat, but his fingertips, the only part of him that was mobile, still couldn¡¯t help but want to touch her¡ª just a little bit, just a little bit would do. Mister Long¡¯s fingertips inched along the sheets, but the ten-odd centimetres between him and Mu Wanwan seemed to be such a great distance. Just when he was about to give up, the sleeping Mu Wanwan moved, causing his already minuscule movement to come to a halt. But very soon, Mister Long discovered that because she had just moved, the fingertips of her left hand just happened to be a little before the fingertips of his right hand. His heartbeat sped up. In the dark, Mister Long was red from his ears to his cheeks. This time, he only moved a little forward with great effort before managing to touch the tip of her little finger. Soft, a little warm, soft nails, round fingertips. Warm body temperature was transmitted bit by bit between one human and one dragon via the touch of their fingertips¡­ Mister Long was extremely hot; he felt that he was thoroughly bad. But he did not move his hand away. From just touching the tip of Mu Wanwan¡¯s little finger, his heart swelled, and the corners of his lips lifted slightly. ¡­¡­ Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 40 Twenty-three Dragons (2) However, when Mu Wanwan woke up the next morning and found that she was actually holding Mister Long¡¯s hand, she was still very embarrassed. Her sleeping posture was still very good. As she was worried that she would touch Mister Long¡¯s tail, she had kept herself curled up. It was just this hand¡ªshe did not know how it happened, but it had somehow crossed the line. Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t know that a certain dragon who was now unconscious but was awake last night was actually rather pleased. She quickly let go of Mister Long¡¯s hand and got up hastily. It was still raining outside, but the sky was already bright. Mu Wanwan got up to boil some water and dealt with the housework, then checked on the burning grass seedlings she cultivated yesterday. The first small burning grass seedling she cultivated seemed to have grown only by a little in the night, but the other dozen-odd seedlings had grown significantly. Mu Wanwan spent one-tenth of her spiritual energy to briefly deal with the twenty burning grasses. She then checked and found that the two low-grade spirit stones beside Mister Long¡¯s pillow were still intact, and was relieved. She fetched a basin of hot water, cut a small slice of ginseng, and prepared to help Mister Long wash his face and brush his teeth, apply some medicine on his tail, then replace the slice of ginseng in his mouth. ¡°Mister Long, it¡¯s time to apply the medicine.¡± As she didn¡¯t like the overwhelming silence of being alone all the time, Mu Wanwan still chose to treat Mister Long as a conversation partner. His tail was much better than yesterday; he had a strong self-healing ability, Mu Wanwan helped to apply more ointment on him, washed her hands clean, then slowly drew closer to Mister Long¡¯s mouth. Mu Wanwan watched her fingers get closer and closer to his beautifully-shaped purple lips, and a twinge of guilt suddenly arose in her heart. What the hell was with this illusion that she was about to take advantage of an obedient baby dragon? No matter what, the ginseng slice needed to be replaced. Besides, she had already done this yesterday, so why was she feeling uneasy now? Mu Wanwan took a deep breath, gently squeezed Mister Long¡¯s chin with one hand, and slowly put her fingers in. His teeth were a little sharp, and his tongue was very soft¡­ Mu Wanwan¡¯s face was a little red. She quickly took out the ginseng slice that had almost been completely depleted of its spiritual energy, picked up the mouth cleaning apparatus she had prepared and helped Mister Long clean his teeth speedily, then stuffed in a new ginseng slice. When she was done with all this, the warm feeling at her fingertips that belonged exclusively to Mister Long¡¯s tongue still hadn¡¯t receded. Mu Wanwan was a little dizzy; wanting to stay away from this comatose dragon, she changed her clothes, took the umbrella, and went to the yard to dig up soil. That morning, in addition to handling various chores, she also cultivated five burning grass seeds and dug up enough soil. After lunch, she began concentrating on the cultivation of the Bixing grass seeds. The Bixing grass seeds were slightly larger and harder than the burning grass seeds. Worried that the Bixing grass seedlings would repel each other when planted together, Mu Wanwan specially prepared many small pots, each of which was filled with soil and a little bit of the spiritual soil from Uncle Zong. She picked up a Bixing grass seed, and based on her experience of cultivating burning grass seeds in the past two days, began to slowly guide the spiritual energy from her dantian into the seed. With the experience of yesterday¡¯s failure, she didn¡¯t hold back this time and kept channelling spiritual energy into it. But perhaps she didn¡¯t use the right method, this time, when she had channelled about a third of her spiritual energy, the seed in her palm exploded abruptly. The small particles that had burst apart smacked onto her face, as if laughing at her presumptuousness. Mu Wanwan, ¡°¡­¡± She gathered up the corpse of this seed rather painfully; one failure cost her five copper coins! She took another one. This time, she was much more careful than before, and did not channel a large amount of spiritual energy at one go. She only channelled in about one-fifth of her spiritual energy, then stopped. However, that seed still did not show much change, and was not at all like when she was cultivating burning grass. Mu Wanwan sighed and buried this second Bixing grass seed in the soil that was mixed with spiritual soil. Then, before she had channelled in any more spiritual energy, the seed¡¯s shell quickly broke, and two tender green buds pushed up through the mud shakily. Mu Wanwan was very pleasantly surprised. She looked at the tender little buds and her heart grew warm. She couldn¡¯t help but reach out and touch the little seedling. This wasn¡¯t a Bixing grass seedling at all, this was a quarter of a low-grade spirit stone! She felt as if she had grasped the correct way to cultivate Bixing grass. So, with the third seed, she first planted it in the spiritual soil, then guided the wood spiritual energy within her body and channelled it in slowly. It went very smoothly this time. She only used one-sixth of her spiritual energy before she saw the Bixing grass seedling sprout tremblingly. Mu Wanwan¡¯s eyes were bright. Although there wasn¡¯t much spiritual energy left within her, she still managed to gather up a bit and cultivated one more seed. She was successful yet again. Mu Wanwan felt that it must be that the seeds Uncle Zong had picked for her were all good seeds, so her success rates were so alarmingly high. Apart from the Bixing grass seed that had exploded from being infused with too much spiritual energy, the success rate after that was very high. Could it be that her spiritual energy was especially liked by plants? But the original body had also cultivated plants casually before, and the success rate had indeed not been so high then. Mu Wanwan looked at the three pots of small seedlings and the large pot of burning grass placed side by side on the windowsill and broke out in a genuine smile. No matter what the reason, if she could maintain this cultivation speed and success rate, she would be able to earn around twenty low-grade spirit stones by the time her next trip came about. Perhaps, if Uncle Zong was amenable, she could try to trade for a medium-grade spirit stone. It should be of great help to Mister Long¡¯s body, and he might even be able to wake up sooner. The buds swayed slightly on the windowsill; Mu Wanwan had new expectations for both her own and Mister Long¡¯s lives in the future. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 41 Twenty-four Dragons (1) In the blink of an eye, it was a week since Mu Wanwan went to the market. She found some leftover ink in Mister Long¡¯s former study in the side hall and kept track of the days every day. There were now seven more neat marks on the paper, indicative of the passage of time. It rained for three days in a row, then it was cloudy for two more days. It was just as the quilt and clothes were about to get mouldy, and Mu Wanwan was just starting to suspect that the weather would never clear up again when the long-awaited sunshine finally arrived. These days, Mu Wanwan and Mister Long¡¯s days could be said to be rather peaceful. If she did not take the initiative to step out of the palace, no one would come here to make things difficult for her. And so, she finally got to have a short break. During this period, except for the first two days when she was still trying to get a grasp on the cultivation of seeds, so the yield wasn¡¯t very high, for the other days, Mu Wanwan cultivated fifteen burning grass seeds and three Bixing grass seeds each day. To date, she had already successfully cultivated a hundred burning grass seeds and eighteen Bixing grass seeds. She didn¡¯t know if it was because her spiritual energy was special, but there hadn¡¯t been many failures in the past few days. There were still forty-five burning grass seeds and eight Bixing grass seeds left. If she worked harder, she might be able to finish cultivating them all before the next trip. With the infusion of wood spiritual energy, one batch of burning grass matured almost every two days. However, Bixing grass had a longer growth cycle and also absorbed more spiritual energy, so it took five days for one batch to mature. She now had quite a lot of mature burning grass and Bixing grass, but Mu Wanwan did not harvest the mature plants. It was very likely that they would start losing their freshness once harvested, so it would be best to harvest them all at once the day before departure. It was pretty sunny yesterday and today, and the quilt was almost dry. Mu Wanwan moved the burning grass and Bixing grass seedlings to the courtyard. After finding a place with good sunlight, she started making plans to sleep separately with Mister Long tonight. After all, when sleeping together the past few days, she kept worrying every night if she would crush Mister Long¡¯s tail. As result, she had been sleeping in a very constrained manner. Now that she could finally sleep separately from Mister Long, Mu Wanwan was very happy. It¡¯s just that while someone was rejoicing, a dragon was sad. In fact, as early as the first day the rain stopped, Mister Long had started praying for the skies to not clear up. Although that was very bad, he could only count on the period when he was conscious at night to hold his wife¡¯s little hand sweetly. The skies really did what he wanted¡ªit was cloudy for a few more days, extending his happy time for a little longer. But, it was only just a little longer. ¡°Mister Long, you don¡¯t have to huddle with me tonight, are you glad?¡± Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t help saying when she came in carrying the dried quilt in her arms and saw Mister Long, who was lying on the jade bed. She thought that even though Mister Long was a comatose dragon, she had heard that many comatose people still had consciousness. She didn¡¯t know what had gone wrong, but when she woke in the morning these past days, she would find that she was clutching his hand. The first few days were still fine, their hands were merely overlapping. But these two days, she was really becoming too much, grabbing Mister Long¡¯s hand and interlocking her fingers with him; Mu Wanwan felt very embarrassed every day when she awoke. It was also fortunate that it was impossible for Mister Long to wake up, otherwise, she might just turn into a block of wood. After all, no matter how one looked at it, it was all her fault. Although Mister Long was once a powerhouse at the pinnacle of the continent, he was now in such a pitiful state and was unable to move. Apart from a wickedly handsome face and a beautiful figure, he had nothing left. But Mu Wanwan was different, she was strong and fit (she wasn¡¯t), and also held the power to take initiative¡­ Therefore, being able to sleep separately was a sort of small relief for Mu Wanwan. Otherwise, she was afraid that she would wake up in Mister Long¡¯s arms one day¡ªthat would be bad then. But he wasn¡¯t happy at all. As Mister Long thought this, his long and curved eyelashes trembled, reflecting his inner protests. Even the fingers hidden under the quilt moved restlessly. It¡¯s just that Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t see all this, and was even more unaware that a certain scheming dragon had actually become more and more reckless in recent days¡ª¡ª Since when had she taken advantage of Mister Long in her sleep? It was clearly Mister Long who, because of the ample amounts of spiritual energy absorbed these days, regained movement of his ring finger on his right hand in addition to his ring finger and little finger and spent lots of energy to clutch her hand every night, blushing. ¡°Mister Long, let me wash your hair.¡± Mu Wanwan looked at Mister Long¡¯s long hair and said consultatively. She had already washed her own hair several times during this period, but Mister Long¡¯s had not been washed even once. However, as Mister Long didn¡¯t have to do any work, his hair didn¡¯t get dirty so quickly. Moreover, she was worried that washing his hair when it was raining would aggravate his injuries, so she had been postponing it all this while. The sunshine was rather good today, and now that she had a rare moment of spare time, this thought came to her. When a certain cursed dragon heard that she was going to wash his hair, the unhappiness of having to sleep separately gradually dissipated, and his blood was even starting to heat up. If she washed his hair, she would definitely touch his horns. A dragon¡¯s horns could only be touched by their partner. She should know that, right? After all, this was one of this continent¡¯s unwritten rules. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 42 Twenty-four Dragons (2) Mister Long¡¯s ears were a little hot. He recalled that she had also touched his tail before. Judging from the scales¡¯ cleanliness, it seems like even the scales that grew in reverse and a certain untouchable place had been cleaned while he was unconscious. A dragon¡¯s reversed scales and that spot were also not to be touched casually. Since she had touched them, she would have to be responsible for him. Mister Long¡¯s thoughts started to head off a strange trajectory. Actually, ever since Mu Wanwan started taking care of him wholeheartedly, she had started entering that dark part of his heart that had never seen the sun bit by bit in a way he wasn¡¯t even able to imagine. Perhaps she was not yet very far in, but she had already touched his soft and vulnerable side, even making him no longer like himself, and starting to crave the light. If you told anyone in this territory that the tyrant who made the continent cower in fear would touch a girl¡¯s hand with such great care and caution at night, not only would no one believe it, but you¡¯d also be called a psycho in return. He was really becoming quite strange, Mister Long thought dizzily as Mu Wanwan¡¯s warm fingers ran through his hair. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª While Mu Wanwan¡¯s days here were still refreshing and fulfilling, on the other hand, the punished Bai Shuiyao¡¯s days were extremely difficult. Under the influence of the heroine¡¯s halo, Ao Qin didn¡¯t kill her straightaway and only sentenced her to hard labour in the cold palace next to the forbidden grounds. She had initially wanted to have the unlucky Mu Wanwan suffer in her place, but never thought that her usually cowardly elder sister would actually undergo a personality change. Qing Ye had also been stripped of his cultivation, and she hadn¡¯t gotten the slightest benefit from Mu Wanwan then. In addition, with the hostility of Fu Liu and Hong Ye, as a Rank 1 water-based maidservant, she had no backing at all. From the time she was sentenced here till now, her days had truly been miserable. ¡°Hey! Bai Shuiyao, why are you spacing out?¡± A broad-waisted middle-aged matron had her hands on her hips. A whip lashed out directly at the edge of Bai Shuiyao¡¯s dusty clothes, and the bucket she was carrying was overturned at once. ¡°Ah, Zou Mama1, I was wrong.¡± A sudden hit made Bai Shuiyao¡¯s well up with tears from the pain, and she hurriedly begged for mercy. However, such tricks only worked on men. Women, especially a middle-aged matron like Zou Mama who had a twisted nature and was jealous of young maidens, hated people like Bai Shuiyao. Not only did she hold her whip, but she struck her once more and said with a face full of fury, ¡°Why are you taking so long to fetch some water? Are you a dead person? Do you not want dinner anymore, huh?!¡± Bai Shuiyao could only endure her tears; her beautiful peach blossom eyes were full of resentment. She hated this Matron Zou who was before her and thought about how she could get her killed every day. On the other hand, she hated the Mu Wanwan who did not take her place even more. Why was she the one who had to take on the identity of a maidservant to the outside world ever since she was young? If her mother hadn¡¯t died young, would Mu Wanwan and her mother have any place now? It was Mu Wanwan who owed her for occupying the status of the Mu family¡¯s lady for nothing for so many years. Now that the Mu family was in shambles, she had lost her father¡¯s backing, and that Mu Wanwan had climbed on top of her head, how infuriating. The thought that Mu Wanwan must now be having a good life living in the lap of luxury as the sovereign¡¯s wife right now filled her with anger. Bai Shuiyao worked with tears in her eyes, simulating a hundred ways for Mu Wanwan to die, completely forgetting how she had despised Mister Long herself in the beginning, and also forgetting about the days she had spent eating and sleeping well at Qing Ye¡¯s, while Mu Wanwan was eating plain congee and sleeping at the table. When she was finally done with her chores, Mu Wanwan had already died hundreds of times in Bai Shuiyao¡¯s heart. Only, it was about to get dark, and labourers like her only had a short period for free activity and rest. Bai Shuiyao saw that matrons had all gathered together to talk, and the rest of the labourers also weren¡¯t taking any notice of her. So, she quietly peeked out of the courtyard. In the past few days, she had noticed that every evening around this time, a few young men in guards uniform would walk past this cold palace carrying food boxes or some other things, open the barrier enchantment to the forbidden grounds and enter it. Then, they would exit the next day, and another few guards would take over. Bai Shuiyao didn¡¯t know what secrets the forbidden grounds contained, but she knew that doing the same chores every day like how she was doing now was utterly unbearable. She had also overheard a few matrons saying that even the weakest of these guards who were able to move in and out of the forbidden grounds were Rank 3 cultivators that were on the cusp of approaching Rank 4. If she could hook up with one, leaving the cold palace would be a breeze. If she could then make use of that man and continue to scale upwards, then hook up with Lord Ao Qin, then wouldn¡¯t it be as easy as anything to take Mu Wanwan¡¯s life? As Bai Shuiyao built castles in the sky, her beautiful face became more and more attractive. But before she was able to go out and talk to the guards, she was slapped in the face by the matron. ¡°What¡¯s a wench like you looking at? Are you worthy of looking at the dragon clan¡¯s guards? Get to work!¡± Bai Shuiyao was aggrieved and unwilling to just accept this. With a bright red palm print on her face, Bai Shuiyao dared not defy Zou Mama, and went on with her work as she nursed her grievance. Footnotes: 1 Mama: The ¡®Mama¡¯ here is not a term for mother, but rather, the salutation for an elder matron who¡¯s in charge. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 43 Twenty-five Dragons (1) The day to head out was drawing near. With the previous experience, Mu Wanwan prepared a lot of things beforehand. First were the two silver coins that were needed to enter the city. She was a little glad that she did not spend all the silver coins on meat that first time at the market. Now, she had only two silver coins left. The low-grade spirit stones had been used up by Mister Long when the pain was truly unbearable. Fortunately, his tail had also improved by a lot during this period and had not continued to rot. Next were the burning grass and Bixing grass that she had entrusted the entire family¡¯s hope for their future livelihood on. In the past two days, she nearly drained her body of wood spiritual energy to cultivate the seeds each time, and finally managed to finish cultivating all the seeds the day before departure. It was just that seedlings still required a long time before they reached maturation, so she was unable to take all the successfully cultivated seedlings to the market this time. Mu Wanwan made some calculations. She bought a hundred and fifty burning grass seeds; omitting those that failed and those seedlings that still needed time to mature, she had a harvest of a whole hundred and eight stalks of burning grass. As for Bixing grass, she had thirty seeds, and harvested sixteen. The burning grass she had just cultivated to maturity were much fresher and even slightly larger than the ones she had seen in the kitchen. Bixing grass was a turquoise blue plant with two long, thin leaves that spread out to reveal a small, round, and translucent turquoise fruit in the middle. Based on her common sense, this small translucent fruit was the essence of the entire Bixing grass. Because there were still some Bixing grass seedlings at home, Mu Wanwan decided to trade all the mature Bixing grass and burning grass for money and seeds, and keep the ones at home for Mister Long¡¯s nourishment after the Baizhen fruits were finished. As Mu Wanwan thought, she put everything she was going to take with her into the basket, then washed her hands. When she walked into the room, her eyes inadvertently went to Mister Long¡¯s direction¡ª¡ª Perhaps the spirit stones and Baizhen fruit she had placed next to him have been of some use. The bruise on Mister Long¡¯s lips have faded a little, and the colour of his tail also seemed to be slightly brighter¡ªthough, just very slightly. But at least he no longer looked as horrifying as he did when she first met him and currently seemed more like a dragon that was alive. It was now nighttime. The room¡¯s lamps were lit; both the warm light and the dragon lying in bed made her feel less alone. Mu Wanwan walked to the bed and sat down. She took out the list she had previously written down in ink and said to Mister Long on the bed, ¡°If everything goes well this time, the items can be sold for thirteen low-grade spirit stones. After subtracting the cost of the next batch of seeds, we¡¯ll probably be left with about a net profit of ten low-grade spirit stones.¡± Mu Wanwan calculated softly. Actually, it wasn¡¯t that she really wanted Mister Long to know. She just didn¡¯t want to seem so lonely as the only person in the house. ¡°It¡¯s already the end of October, and the days are getting increasingly chilly. When the time comes, we would also have to buy some winter clothes and heating stones.¡± As Mu Wanwan continued to calculate, her head began to ache again. ¡°These things are not cheap¡­ ¡° Mister Long lay quietly in bed, listening to her recite her plan for tomorrow and the things the house lacked. He felt quite bad. These days, the time he was awake was still very short. Being conscious for half an hour or so was already considered pretty good. With the dual action of the spiritual energy Mu Wanwan fed him and his own efforts, he had finally connected the third piece of his broken original core. In addition to lessening some of the pain and the curse, this also allowed him to move his right hand along with his wrist to a small extent. Given another half-month, he might be able to open his eyes and see her with his own eyes. Join our Discord server for the latest news and announcement. Chapter 44 Twenty-five Dragons (2) In that less than half-an-hour during which he was awake every day, she was either taking care of him or cultivating seeds. The only time she rested was when she slept at night. If he could, he really didn¡¯t want her to be even a little tired anymore, but he was just so incompetent. Other than lying on the bed and accepting her kindness, he was unable to do anything. This feeling of powerlessness was even stronger than when he was being hunted down in his childhood. It was so intense that sometimes, he even wanted to wake up no matter what the cost. However, if he destroyed his cultivation base and gave up his original core to wake up, it was equivalent to giving up the possibility of going further in his cultivation. It was also the same as becoming a true disabled wastrel. Even if he really woke up, he was afraid that to her, it would not be a good thing. He wanted to recover as soon as possible, to hurry and have enough power to take her away and keep her from harm. As Mister Long thought, his heart grew stuffy, as if it was being tormented by guilt. ¡°Mister Long, you look really bad. ¡° After calculating for a long time, Mu Wanwan was about to give up in frustration when she caught a glimpse of her Mister Long¡¯s wickedly handsome face. It was even paler than usual, and she even spotted a trace of blood dribbling from the corner of his lips. Did his condition worsen again? Recalling his tragic appearance when he had last vomited blood, Mu Wanwan stood up at once and took the leftover ginseng from one side, cut another small piece, then hurriedly walked back to the bed and reached out to grasp his chin. The slightly warm and soft fingers pressed against Mister Long¡¯s lips, instantly freeing him from the feelings of self-blame. Before Mister Long had time to react, he felt two warm fingers that were holding a familiar ginseng slice gently parting his slightly pointed teeth and delivering it into his mouth. It turns out that when he was unconscious, this was how she fed him the ginseng slices. No¡­ this wasn¡¯t right¡­ The previous speculations he had come up with were completely denied. Mister Long was a little upset, but he soon realised something, and his ears were again a little hot. This time, he was actually only suffering from a little frustration, and it wasn¡¯t as serious of an attack as before. But seeing how anxious she was, it must mean that she actually really cared about him, right? Mister Long¡¯s heartbeat secret sped up a little. His soft tongue made a light licking movement reflexively, just like how he swallowed congee instinctively when he was unconscious. When the moist warmth touched Mu Wanwan¡¯s fingertips, both human and dragon froze at the same time. Mister Long swore that it was purely out of reflex. He was even a little afraid that his wife would be disgusted with him, and simply dared not move anymore. Only his eyelashes were trembling, and his ears were red. Whereas Mu Wanwan froze for one second. The fingertips he licked were a little hot. She quickly pulled her fingers out; they were a little shiny. Mu Wanwan went out silently to wash her hands clean, and pretended as if nothing had happened. She was actually feeling some rather strange emotions in her heart. It wasn¡¯t really disgust or dislike, but it wasn¡¯t that she liked it either. In short, it was very complicated. Anyway, she would touch Mister Long¡¯s tongue when she changed the ginseng slices for him in the past too, though Mister Long hadn¡¯t moved before¡­ It should just be a normal reflexive movement, right? Mu Wanwan thought silently, After all, Mister Long can also swallow instinctively, so this was probably the same as that¡­ She would just think of it as being licked by a puppy! Mu Wanwan found herself a somewhat satisfactory excuse and so, stopped thinking about it. She helped Mister Long to wipe off that little trail of blood from the corner of his lips, checked off the things needed for the next day¡¯s journey again, then got ready to go to bed. On the other hand, while a certain dragon held a ginseng slice in his mouth, his thoughts kept drifting elsewhere, and his cheeks kept remaining hot. It was a good thing he was already awake for a long time today. He wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on for long and would soon lose consciousness again to battle with the curse within his body. Want to read more chapters and support us? Please consider becoming a patron to read up to 4 chapters in advance! Chapter 45 Twenty-six Dragons (1) Because the matter of going to the market to sell her goods weighed on her mind, Mu Wanwan woke up very early. Outside, the sky was a little dark. She lit a lamp, then washed up and started to work, bearing the somewhat chilly air. She only felt a little cold in the room, but when she stepped out, she realised that it was really cold. Moreover, the sky was dark and gloomy, and she wondered if it was going to rain again. ¡°Mister Long, I¡¯m leaving now.¡± Mu Wanwan packed everything up and walked to the bed. She saw that he was sleeping peacefully, then lifted the quilt and looked at his tail which did not show any abnormal signs. After thinking about it, she still felt a little uneasy. After all, she had also checked on Mister Long¡¯s tail before leaving last time, but after merely being out for a few hours, his tail had become rotten. She should pay more attention this time. Mu Wanwan thought about it, cut a small piece of ginseng and replaced the one she gave Mister Long before, then tucked him in well. Despite knowing that he couldn¡¯t hear her, she still promised softly, ¡°I¡¯ll hurry back as soon as I can this time.¡± Mu Wanwan shut the door and checked whether the courtyard door had been locked properly several times before leaving, taking the broken umbrella and carrying the basket on her back. She was leaving Mister Long to the market in a very different mood this time. Last time, she was a little scared and even worried that she would not be able to return. This time, she was worried about Mister Long more. ¡°Madam, are you going to the market?¡± Just like last time, Hong Ye appeared not long after Mu Wanwan walked out. Only this time, she appeared with an ox cart. ¡°Mhm.¡± Mu Wanwan smiled at Hong Ye, ¡°I want to go out today.¡± ¡°All right, get in, Madam,¡± said Hong Ye smilingly. ¡°Are you going to the Elven market again?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Mu Wanwan, first carefully placing the basket she was carrying onto the ox cart before getting on herself. Hong Ye glimpsed the new load that hadn¡¯t been there the previous trip and pondered. ¡°Madam, what¡¯s this that you¡¯ve covered with cloth? Are you going to sell things at the market this time?¡± Mu Wanwan nodded and generously lifted the cloth she had prepared last night to reveal the vegetables inside and said calmly, ¡°I bought quite a lot of seeds at the market last time, and am going to trade for some money this time.¡± Hong Ye glanced at the basket. It was stuffed with vegetables, most of which were radishes; there were also quite a lot of leafy vegetables. She soon lost interest, sat down in front, and began to drive the ox cart. She tossed Mu Wanwan a veiled hat and said in a tone that carried a faint note of disdain, ¡°Madam, don¡¯t forget to put on a veiled hat. Also, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to earn much with these vegetables, right? Madam, you¡¯re a Rank 1 cultivator at least, using spiritual energy to grow these vegetables eaten by regular folk is really¡­¡± Mu Wanwan secretly breathed a sigh of relief inwardly, but said in a tone that had a hint of helplessness, ¡°The sovereign is now severely ill, and the monthly budget is not enough to pay for his medicine. Even if you say it¡¯s tough, if it were not for the fact that it¡¯s no big deal for cultivators to go hungry for a few meals, I might not even be able to scrape together enough money for vegetable seeds. ¡°I only have two silver coins that cannot be absorbed by cultivators left now. I¡¯m counting on these vegetables for some money. ¡°Sigh, Madam, if you ask me, you shouldn¡¯t have bought so much meat and cloth last time.¡± Hong Ye was convinced. Seeing that Mu Wanwan looked like someone who wasn¡¯t very worldly-wise, she felt that her days were even worse than a maid like her. ¡°You might as well buy some needle and thread with those silver coins, and make some purses and the like to sell.¡± Hong Ye continued, ¡°If a purse is well made, it can be sold for ten or so copper coins.¡± Mu Wanwan had originally been listening casually, but when she heard the mention of ten or so copper coins, she became genuinely interested. ¡°Ten or so copper coins?¡± Hong Ye¡¯s nature was not bad at all, and she was willing to share, ¡°Yes. The few sisters and sisters-in-law of mine who didn¡¯t become cultivators are all supporting their family expenses this way. I think it¡¯s better than growing vegetables.¡± As the two chatted, the ox cart gradually drew away from the palace. As before, after passing through the boundary enchantment and leaving the tyrant¡¯s manor through the side gate, it travelled peacefully all the way to the site of the marketplace. ¡°Madam, it looked like it¡¯s about to rain. I¡¯ll be looking for somewhere to park the ox cart. I may have to trouble Madam to carry an umbrella yourself to board the ox cart later.¡± After chatting the entire journey, Hong Ye¡¯s attitude towards Mu Wanwan was better, and even a little more respectful than before. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll meet at about the same time as last time.¡± Mu Wanwan bade her farewell and headed off towards the market. They had talked a lot along the way, and she also learned a little more about Hong Ye. According to her, their family has been living in poverty since their ancestors¡¯ generation. Only, she didn¡¯t know if her generation had been blessed by their ancestors, both she and her brother were lucky enough to embark on the path of cultivation. Moreover, her brother, Qing Ye, was especially outstanding; he managed to become a Rank 2 cultivator before the age of forty. Hong Ye said angrily that if he hadn¡¯t met that wretched Bai Shuiyao, Qing Ye would not have been deposed of his cultivation just like that, resulting in Qing Ye¡¯s mortal wife having to embroider early in the morning and late at night to support her children and husband. When Mu Wanwan heard this during their journey, she was very surprised. She had always thought that Qing Ye was single, but he actually had a wife and children, and was already forty years old. Bai Shuiyao was really something else to be able to work on him. That Qing Ye was also really a scumbag, to hook up with other women when he already had a wife. Want to read more chapters and support us? Please consider becoming a patron to read up to 4 chapters in advance! Chapter 46 Twenty-six Dragons (2) However, in this world, men, especially powerful men, could have many wives and concubines. Similarly, women were the same; as long as they were strong, they could have many husbands and lovers. Take Mister Long, for example. Although she was his first wife, if he wanted to in the future, he could also marry a lot of women. Thinking of this, Mu Wanwan suddenly felt a little unhappy and gritted her teeth secretly. Anyway, after Mister Long wakes up, he would fall for Bai Shuiyao as per the plot, and she would leave happily then. What did it matter to her many more women Mister Long married? Mu Wanwan even thought a little huffily, at the most, after Mister Long abandoned her, she would work hard on her cultivation. Even if she had to rely on nurturing spiritual plants, she would also be able to make a lot of money then, and keep seventeen or eighteen mortal men. Wouldn¡¯t it be bliss to be served by a crowd of handsome men every day? Mu Wanwan sulked silently, and only realised what she was thinking about after a long time. She shook her head a little helplessly¡ª¡ª How did she go from Qing Ye to thinking about Mister Long? Mister Long was still just a comatose dragon, she was really wronging him. He wasn¡¯t even awake, and she was already beginning to imagine the various scumbag actions he would be taking after waking up. Perhaps, Mister Long might not fall in love with Bai Shuiyao mindlessly as soon as he woke up as originally written? Mu Wanwan took a deep breath and stopped entertaining these entirely illusory thoughts. She buried those somewhat complicated feelings for Mister Long at the bottom of his heart. Like last time, after assessing her cultivation levels and handing in two silver coins, she entered the city, then headed straight to Uncle Zong¡¯s shop. Without Lan¡¯er and her brother leading the way this time, and because she was carrying a somewhat heavy load, Mu Wanwan¡¯s speed was not fast. But she was early, and there weren¡¯t many people in the market in the first place, so by the time she got to the street in front of Uncle Zong¡¯s shop, there was almost no one around anymore. ¡°Uncle Zong.¡± Mu Wanwan searched her memory and came to the entrance of Uncle Zong¡¯s shop. She knocked on the half-opened door, ¡°Uncle Zong, are you there?¡± Only Uncle Zong¡¯s forthright voice did not come from the shop this time. Instead, came a weak female voice, ¡°He¡¯s gone out¡­ cough cough¡­ are, are you here to buy something?¡± Mu Wanwan thought instantly of the coughing that had immediately calmed Uncle Zong down the last time she was in Uncle Zong¡¯s store. ¡°Yes, hello, may I come in?¡± ¡°Mhm, come¡­ come in.¡± The woman¡¯s voice was very soft. After obtaining her permission, Mu Wanwan walked in. And as soon as she entered, she noticed that the curtain behind the counter that was down the last time was now drawn. A pale and haggard woman sat on a stool and gave her a faint smile. ¡°You are¡­ cough¡­ the girl Brother Lei said gave Lan¡¯er and her brother a spirit stone last time, right?¡± The woman looked at Mu Wanwan for a moment and said slowly with a gentle expression. Was Brother Lei Uncle Zong? How did Uncle Zong know that she gave Lan¡¯er a spirit stone¡­? Mu Wanwan was a little dumbfounded and didn¡¯t respond immediately. Her reaction amused the haggard woman, and she laughed happily, ¡°This child, why are you not talking anymore?¡± But she only laughed for a while before starting to cough uncontrollably. Each cough sounded like she was about the pass out from the lack of breath. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Mu Wanwan hurriedly set her basket down and was just about to go to her side to help when she felt her arm being roughly pulled. ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Uncle Zong stormed in coldly from outside. He set the breakfast he bought on the table thoughtlessly and reached the woman¡¯s side in two steps. A large pair of hands caressed her arms gently, and even his voice seemed to have melted into water, ¡°Yun¡¯er, I¡¯m back. Don¡¯t talk anymore, I¡¯ll carry you to the back to rest.¡± The woman named Yun¡¯er frowned helplessly and cast Mu Wanwan an apologetic look, then disappeared behind the curtain in Uncle Zong¡¯s arms. Mu Wanwan silently picked up her basket and walked to the side. After a while, she saw Uncle Zong walk out from behind the curtain with a furious expression. Before Mu Wanwan could say anything to him, Uncle Zong shot her an impatient look. ¡°Managed to cultivate the seeds?¡± Uncle Zong spoke first in an unpleasant tone. ¡°I cultivated some.¡± Mu Wanwan, however, did not think that his attitude was bad, and replied with a smile. ¡°How many dozens of burning grass have you cultivated?¡± asked Uncle Zong. He had given Mu Wanwan quite a lot of good seeds last time out of sympathy, but according to his years of experience, it was already considered pretty good for an average Rank 1 wood cultivator to be able to cultivate sixty to seventy stalks of burning grass within ten days. Even with the bag of spiritual soil he gave, there would be ten more stalks at the most, so Uncle Zong had long determined that it was already very good if Mu Wanwan was able to cultivate seventy to eighty stalks of burning grass this time. But when he saw Mu Wanwan lift the white cloth covering her basket, spread it on the ground, then placed all the vegetables on it to reveal the burning grass and Bixing grass hidden in the centre of the basket, his jaw almost hit the floor in shock. ¡°You cultivated all these in the past few days?¡± Uncle Zong was in disbelief. He swept his eyes over the contents in the basket; there were at least more than a hundred stalks of burning grass, and actually even more than a dozen Bixing grass plants. ¡°Yes.¡± Mu Wanwan was a little embarrassed, ¡°I still have some seedlings at home, but I was afraid you wouldn¡¯t accept those, so I didn¡¯t bring them.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not lying to me, right?¡± Uncle Zong still couldn¡¯t quite believe it. ¡°How was a Rank 1 lass like you able to cultivate so many?¡± Mu Wanwan brought the burning grass and Bixing grass to the counter and said in a clear voice, ¡°It¡¯s all due to the good seeds and spiritual soil you gave me, Uncle Zong. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have had such high success rates.¡± Want to read more chapters and support us? Please consider becoming a patron to read up to 4 chapters in advance! Chapter 47 Twenty-six Dragons (3) Uncle Zong picked up a stalk of burning grass¡ª¡ª It was long and turquoise, and there was still some soil on its roots, but its overall quality was very good. The other hundred-odd stalks were all the same, and it could be told from a glance that they were all the work of the same person. His expression was a little complicated, but when his gaze landed on the Bixing grass at the side, it turned into stunned amazement. ¡°You¡ª you cultivated these Bixing grass plants?¡± Uncle Zong couldn¡¯t quite dare to believe his eyes. He looked at the somewhat plump and translucent fruit in the centre of the two Bixing grass leaves and couldn¡¯t help reaching out pluck one down. Bixing grass of this quality contained very little impurities and was the very best choice for nourishing one¡¯s body. If Yun¡¯er used this Bixing grass, would the effects be better than the spiritual plants he spent a lot of money to acquire last time? At the thought of this, Uncle Zong felt he couldn¡¯t wait a moment longer. Clutching the Bixing grass fruit, he only left Mu Wanwan with a ¡°Wait for me for a while¡±, then hurriedly lifted the curtain and left. Mu Wanwan, ¡°¡­¡­??¡± What was going on? She did not have to wait long before Uncle Zong came back. The Bixing grass fruit was no longer in his hand, but he had a trace of a smile on his face, and even his expression seemed to have become a little softer, sending a little shudder down Mu Wanwan¡¯s spine. ¡°Uncle Zong, what¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem with the Bixing Grass I cultivated?¡± Mu Wanwan said a little uneasily, as Uncle Zong¡¯s expression was truly a little scary, looking as if his soul had suddenly been swapped. ¡°No, of course there¡¯s no issue with what you cultivated.¡± Uncle Zong couldn¡¯t help revealing a smile. ¡°You cultivated them very well!¡± Mu Wanwan could only follow suit and smile, ¡°Then, Uncle Zong, will you accept these burning grasses and Bixing grasses of mine?¡± ¡°Yes! Of course.¡± Uncle Zong¡¯s eyes were very bright. He swept his divine consciousness over the items on the table. ¡°One hundred and eight stalks of burning grass, and along with the one I took just now, it¡¯s sixteen Bixing grass plants, right?¡± Mu Wanwan was amazed by his speed and had a new judgment on Uncle Zong¡¯s strength. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How about this, I¡¯ll give you twenty-five low-grade spirit stones,¡± Uncle Zong put forth generously. ¡°Twenty-five pieces?¡± Mu Wanwan was surprised and delighted at first, then, a speculation formed in her mind¡ª¡ª Although she couldn¡¯t be said to be clever, she wasn¡¯t stupid either. Summing up Uncle Zong¡¯s reaction just now, she was guessing if perhaps the Bixing grass she cultivated was of very high quality, and would be good for the woman named Yun¡¯er. But she wasn¡¯t planning to demand an exorbitant price. After all, Uncle Zong was truly very generous. She simply said tactfully, ¡°Uncle Zong, can I exchange fifteen low-grade spirit stones for one medium-grade spirit stone?¡± Uncle Zong was a little taken aback. ¡°You¡¯re only Rank 1, low-grade spirit stones are entirely enough for you. If you use medium-grade ones instead, it¡¯s actually a bit of a waste.¡± Mu Wanwan said with a wry smile, ¡°My family member was Rank 1 before he was injured. I¡¯m thinking higher grade spirit stones would be better for his injuries.¡± As soon as she said this, Uncle Zong gave an approving nod. ¡°It is better for those above Rank 3 to use higher grade spiritual stones. The spiritual energy of low-grade spirit stones is indeed not enough. It feels really bad to only get to absorb so little spiritual energy each time during cultivation, it¡¯s better off to not absorb any at all. Uncle Zong was simply saying his own feelings honestly, but when Mu Wanwan heard it, she began feeling bad. If Uncle Zong, who she estimated to be Rank 3 bordering on Rank 4 felt aggrieved to only get to absorb low-grade spirit stones, then it must probably be much more unbearable for Mister Long, who used to be the continent¡¯s strongest, to only be fed so little spiritual energy by her every day. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll give you one medium-grade spirit stone and ten low-grade spirit stones instead,¡± said Uncle Zong, who noticed her change in mood and thought she was worried that he wouldn¡¯t agree to the exchange. Mu Wanwan was very grateful and thanked him several times. ¡°I should be the one to thank you,¡± laughed Uncle Zong. ¡°As a matter of fact, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s benefiting from you.¡± He didn¡¯t know what was special about Mu Wanwan¡¯s spiritual power, but the spiritual plants she cultivated were all of superior quality. After ingesting the Bixing grass fruit just now, Yun¡¯er¡¯s complexion was much improved. Uncle Zong¡¯s large brown eyes looked at her basket on the ground, thought about it, and took out a low-grade infinity pouch from his pocket and handed it to her. ¡°Take this infinity pouch as a thank you gift.¡± Mu Wanwan eyed the infinity pouch covetously and said hesitantly, ¡°Uncle Zong, this infinity pouch is not cheap, are you really giving it to me?¡± ¡°Mhm. Take it,¡± said Uncle Zong. ¡°But it¡¯s not for nothing. I¡¯m still counting for you to bring me spiritual plants next time.¡± Uncle Zong walked to the two rows of wooden shelves in the shop and said, ¡°To tell you the truth, I just used that Bixing grass fruit on Yun¡¯er, and it worked very well.¡± ¡°In addition, with your high success rates, I think your spiritual power should be somewhat special,¡± said Uncle Zong. ¡°Don¡¯t cultivate burning grass this time, it¡¯s a waste of spiritual energy. I¡¯ll recommend a few spiritual plants for you.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª Mu Wanwan stayed at Uncle Zong¡¯s place for more than half an hour before leaving. In her arms, were one medium-grade spirit stone, five low-grade spirit stones, twenty silver coins, two packs of seeds of Grade 1 Bixing grass and Grade 1 Baizhen fruit, and a large bag of spiritual soil supplemented in the infinity pouch Uncle Zong gave; on her back, was the basket of vegetables. She felt a bit like she was floating as she walked. This morning¡¯s gains were simply way too much! She had originally thought that she would only be able to get twenty low-grade spirit stones. In fact, if Uncle Zong had driven a hard bargain, she thought it would be good enough to get eighteen pieces. In the end, she even managed to earn one medium-grade spirit stone. Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t help smiling. This was her first bucket of gold in this new world! After setting aside all the spirit stones for Mister Long and keeping two silver coins for the next time she came, she actually still had eighteen silver coins to spare. This was a breakthrough that started from nothing! Mu Wanwan was finding it a little hard to restrain herself. She even wanted to rush back immediately to tell Mister Long that she had made money, and according to Uncle Zong, there was something special about her wood spiritual powers¡ªshe would be able to support him from now on. Perhaps, she could even work harder to add something more to his meals occasionally and buy some clothes so that he no longer had to be a naked dragon. With the corners of her lips rising, Mu Wanwan took out one silver coin and clutched it in her palm, feeling that her heart was about to melt from the warmth of the wonderful feeling of making some money. Want to read more chapters and support us? Please consider becoming a patron to read up to 4 chapters in advance! Chapter 48 Twenty-seven Dragons (1) The silver coin in the palm of her hand grew hot, and Mu Wanwan was a little puffed up. Gripping the coin, she stood by the side of the road unobtrusively and began thinking about what to buy¡ª¡ª The weather was growing colder, the quilt may not be thick enough. She would also need to buy two more mattresses, if not, should Mister Long¡¯s tail rot again, there would be no way to change it. Besides¡­ Mu Wanwan lifted her eyes to look at the dark clouds in the sky and was a little worried. It kept raining these days, and the clothes she washed did not dry easily. Was it really because of the dragon at home? Because it kept raining, she would also have to buy more clothes. The weather was getting colder and colder, and it wouldn¡¯t be good to let Mister Long continue to be a naked dragon. Although the jade bed was very warm, the room was cold. Besides, as she wanted to cultivate spiritual plants, the temperature couldn¡¯t be too low, so she also had to procure heating stones. In addition, after putting in so much effort to earn some money, she also wanted to buy some meat to reward herself. As Mu Wanwan thought, she felt that the money she had wasn¡¯t going to hold up to much spending. She sighed, adjusted the basket on her back, then found a spot with a lot of traffic to begin selling the vegetables. She had brought so many vegetables out this time, and she couldn¡¯t just bring them back again. Besides, there were still quite a lot of seeds at home, and this basket of vegetables could also fetch quite some copper coins. ¡°How much are you selling these leafy vegetables for?¡± Not long after Mu Wanwan set up her stall, an elderly granny who had a basket strapped on her back came over to take a look. Mu Wanwan thought for a moment and said, ¡°Two copper coins for one catty.¡± Her vegetables were all grown with wood spiritual energy. According to the market rate in modern times of two dollars a catty, her pricing shouldn¡¯t be too expensive, right? ¡°These are just ordinary vegetables, and you¡¯re selling them for two copper coins a catty?¡± A somewhat harsh voice rang out. It was a middle-aged woman with rather high cheekbones. She had rogue on her cheeks and was pretty well-dressed, and looked like someone who was not to be messed with. ¡°My vegetables are of pretty good quality. You can take a look, they are much more vibrant than those sold by others.¡± Mu Wanwan did not argue with her, and only replied succinctly. The granny was very genial, ¡°What about this radish? How much is it?¡± ¡°Radishes are also two copper coins a catty,¡± said Mu Wanwan placidly. ¡°You¡¯re asking so much for radishes? Why don¡¯t you just go rob someone?¡± That middle-aged woman gave Mu Wanwan an incredulous look. ¡°One copper coin a catty, yes or no?¡± Mu Wanwan could now understand the feelings of the meat seller when she bargained with her last time. Following the meat seller¡¯s example, she said smilingly, ¡°Non-negotiable.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a crazed money-grubber!¡± The woman seemed to be very angry, but she didn¡¯t move a step. She had taken notice of Mu Wanwan¡¯s vegetables from the moment when Mu Wanwan began setting up her stall; they were all much larger than other stalls. Also, although she couldn¡¯t become a cultivator, as her family was well-to-do, she had eaten quite a number of good things and was able to feel the existence of spiritual energy moreso than ordinary mortals. But she was the type who wasn¡¯t willing to spend more money than necessary, and wanted to get a good bargain. While she was hesitating, the granny was the first to make a move, ¡°I¡¯ll take them all.¡± Mu Wanwan was a little surprised at her decisiveness. She estimated that the vegetables weighed about five to six catties, and because she didn¡¯t want to waste time, said, ¡°It¡¯ll be one silver coin for everything. Granny, is that okay?¡± ¡°No!¡± Seeing that the vegetables were all about to be sold, the middle-aged woman burst out hurriedly. ¡°I also want half of it. It¡¯s a little expensive, but so be it.¡± ¡°Granny, we saw these vegetables at the same time, I want to buy them too.¡± The middle-aged woman gave the granny a fake smile and said in a cloying voice. Mu Wanwan felt a bit uncomfortable, frowned and wanted to speak, but the granny spoke first, ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Sister Hong, how much can an old lady like me eat. I¡¯ll share half of it with you.¡± Since the person concerned has already said to share half the goods, Mu Wanwan also didn¡¯t want to delay the time to head home because of quarrelling with others over this trivial matter, so she collected five copper coins from each person and split the vegetables into two portions for the granny and Sister Hong. ¡°If your vegetables are not tasty, I¡¯ll come to look for you tomorrow!¡± Sister Hong left a harsh statement before leaving. Mu Wanwan rolled her eyes at her retreating figure. She guessed that this Sister Hong was probably from a pretty well-off family. Judging from the granny¡¯s attitude, she might even have some influence. But her attitude was obviously of one who wanted to take advantage of others. If it was not for the fact that it would be hard for her to muddle things over with Hong Ye if she didn¡¯t sell the vegetables today, Mu Wanwan wouldn¡¯t have sold them to her. Mu Wanwan squeezed the ten copper coins in her hand, and without any further delay, hurriedly bought things that she might need to use in the next ten days. Want to read more chapters and support us? Please consider becoming a patron to read up to 4 chapters in advance! Chapter 49 Twenty-seven Dragons (2) When passing by a pastry store, Mu Wanwan smelled the sweet smell of milk. This was a smell she only encountered before transmigrating here. After transmigrating into this book, she had not even had sweets before, let alone pastries. What about buying some sugar? It must have also been a very long time since Mister Long ate anything sweet. As Mu Wanwan thought, she found a shop selling sugar and asked, ¡°Boss, how much are you selling sugar for?¡± The boss was a middle-aged man with a chubby face who looked very kind, ¡°White sugar and malt sugar are three silver coins a catty, and osmanthus sugar is five silver coins apiece.¡± Mu Wanwan, ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± So expensive! She now recalled that sugar was a luxury good in this world, and it wasn¡¯t something the average person could afford. ¡°How about it? Are you buying?¡± asked the boss. After thinking about it, Mu Wanwan gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Give me one silver coin¡¯s worth of white sugar.¡± ¡°All right.¡± The boss nodded, not making any comment on her stingy behaviour. Mu Wanwan guessed that it was because people generally only bought sugar a little bit at a time, and the boss was already unfazed by this request. When she received the small bag of white sugar, Mu Wanwan felt her heart was bleeding. The sugar that only cost a few dollars a packet in the supermarket in her previous life cost more than ten times here. However, the thought that Mister Long could taste something other than plain congee and salted congee did make her a little happy. ¡°By the way, Boss, do you know where I can buy eggs?¡± said Mu Wanwan. ¡°You can buy those not far ahead. There are also chickens and cows for sale.¡± The boss pointed the way. Mu Wanwan thanked him and went straight to her destination. She spent one silver coin to buy two spirit eggs for Mister Long, and five copper coins on five regular eggs for herself. After she bought all the things she could think of, the sky gradually became overcast and a light rain had begun to fall. Mu Wanwan looked for a remote corner to keep everything into the infinity pouch, then shifted the basket on her back to her front. The basket was empty, containing only some materials needed for embroidery that she had bought to use as a cover. Holding the old but still usable umbrella, she went outside to look for Hong Ye. Hong Ye was waiting outside with the ox wearing a large bamboo hat. The instant she saw her, she waved somewhat happily, ¡°Madam, did the vegetables sell well today?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± Mu Wanwan openly showed her what was in her basket, ¡°I thought what you said was quite right, so I bought some materials for embroidery. I¡¯ll do it in the spare time in between taking care of our sovereign.¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s good.¡± When Hong Ye saw that she had really bought embroidery fabric and other materials, she didn¡¯t ask any more questions. Mu Wanwan got onto the cart, and the two started on the path back to the manor. She bought quite a lot of things this time¡ªtwo sets of underclothes for Mister Long, one set for herself, a mattress and some fabric for embroidery, all of which cost her one low-grade spirit stone. Then, she spent another low-grade spirit stone to buy some meat and other types of vegetable seeds, and some rice and noodles. Apart from those, the biggest expenses were sugar and eggs. Actually, Mu Wanwan also wanted to buy some heating stones as the weather was getting increasingly colder and she was afraid that the house wouldn¡¯t be warm enough. Here, the average family burned charcoal to keep warm, and only some very rich families would buy heating stones. Heating stones were not cheap¡ªeven a Grade 1 one cost two silver coins apiece, and to maintain the temperature of a room, at least thirty heating stones were needed. Considering that the small amount of money she had now was still rather little, Mu Wanwan did not buy any heating stones and only bought a little charcoal back. She gritted her teeth and resolved to cultivate even more spiritual plants, then buy the heating stones next time. Sitting in the ox cart, she wondered if Mister Long was hungry after she had been away for so long today. Also, he shouldn¡¯t have been bullied by anyone, right? She was a little worried and wanted to hurry back. But the sky was not cooperative; the journey which usually took less than an hour seemed extraordinarily long today. When they were halfway on their journey, it was raining harder and harder. The old umbrella could not hold up to such heavy rain at all. As Mu Wanwan clutched the umbrella to shield herself from the rain, she was thankful that she had hidden everything in the infinity pouch. But the weather was very bad; the ground was muddy, and the ox moved very slowly. By the time she arrived at the manor, Mu Wanwan was soaked to the bone. Her hair was dripping wet, and the thread and pieces of fabric in her basket she had spent a dozen copper coins on were also completely soaked. Hong Ye did not fare any better. In fact, as she had to drive the ox cart, her hands were frozen even redder than hers, like two swollen carrots. ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll see you off here.¡± Hong Ye sent Mu Wanwan to the entrance of the courtyard, her voice a little shaky from the cold. ¡°Thank you, Hong Ye.¡± Mu Wanwan thanked her sincerely, speaking loudly through the pouring rain. ¡°Madam, if you want to go out ten days later, I¡¯ll drive you again,¡± said Hong Ye loudly, waving at Mu Wanwan, then leading the ox away. Want to read more chapters and support us? Please consider becoming a patron to read up to 4 chapters in advance! Chapter 50 Twenty-seven Dragons (3) Mu Wanwan watched her leave, then walked toward the courtyard in the cold wind under the umbrella, stepping into several puddles along the way. When she finally reached the entrance and opened the door with trembling hands, her shoes were entirely soaked through and it was really uncomfortable. The courtyard was very quiet, no different from when she left. Mu Wanwan quickly ran into the room and shut the door, blocking the cold wind outside. Only then did she feel a little better. ¡°Whew.¡± She sighed, reached out and wiped her face, thinking this trip out had really been torturous. On the other side, Mister Long woke up as soon as she pushed the door in. He knew she was going out shopping today and had been worried that the rain would get her wet. Now that the sounds of movement came to his ears, he hastily sent out a wisp of divine consciousness and saw at once that she was soaked through. Mister Long¡¯s fingertips tightened, feeling very unhappy. In other households, it¡¯s the husband who earned money to support the family, but he could only rely on his wife for support. Mister Long began feeling bad again; he settled his divine consciousness on the corner of her clothes and seemed to sense the cold from the chilly rain outside. But before Mister Long lost himself in his thoughts, he saw Mu Wanwan move¡ª¡ª He realised that the first thing Mu Wanwan did when she entered was not to get a towel to wipe off the rain, but to walk to the bed and look him over to ascertain his well-being¡­ A sweetness welled up within Mister Long, but he was also assailed by all sorts of complicated feelings. He was really very bad, she had clearly suffered, yet here he was, feeling so happy. The corner of the quilt was lifted by Mu Wanwan¡¯s somewhat cold hand. Mister Long heard her say by his ear, ¡°Mhm, luckily, the tail didn¡¯t rot.¡± He was a little embarrassed, and the tips of his ears grew a little red. During this period of time, she had taken very good care of him; no one had ever treated him like this before. Mister Long¡¯s wisp of divine consciousness seemed to reflect his feelings, sticking onto her fingertips, not bearing to leave. He watched as she checked if he was all right, then set down her basket, took a dry towel and wiped her face. Then, he saw her take off her shoes because of the discomfort, then stand barefoot on the ground. She had very pretty feet with nice rounded toes, but they were a little red from the chilly weather and being soaked. Mister Long felt a little giddy; she actually took off her shoes in front of him¡ªwas it because she thought he could be trusted? Mister Long¡¯s divine consciousness leapt a couple of times with excitement, but stopped abruptly when it felt Mu Wanwan¡¯s next movement¡ª¡ª She, how could she start taking off her clothes! Mister Long grew light-headed in an instant. He didn¡¯t even have time to withdraw his divine consciousness before he saw half of her round, white shoulders, and the entire dragon seemed to have suddenly been thrown into a frying pan, crackling and sizzling, becoming thoroughly cooked at once. Pink spread all the way from his neck to the tip of the ears, and half his face was unnaturally flushed. Mister Long tried his best to withdraw his divine consciousness, his heart beating very fast, bang bang bang, like fireworks in his ears. Louder than the sound of his beating heart was the rustling sound of her changing clothes. His terrible dragon mind was filled with the white shoulders he just accidentally saw with his divine consciousness. Presently, listening to the sounds in his ears, he only felt as if he were being struck by a million bolts of lightning. She actually changed her clothes in front of him! This was the only thought left in his mind. Mister Long¡¯s eyelashes quivered unnaturally, his entire dragon self somewhat trembling. Mu Wanwan had no idea that her act of changing clothes at home because she had been drenched in the rain had caused such a huge impact on Mister Long. After all, Mister Long was only a comatose dragon in her eyes. She was wet and cold all over, and changing clothes at home was very normal, right? She actually wanted to take a bath, but she hadn¡¯t boiled the water yet. She couldn¡¯t just keep waiting in wet clothes or she was going to get sick. Also, she had half-opened the cabinet door to cover up a little, and Mister Long was unconscious, so she would definitely not be seen. Mu Wanwan changed, picked up the dirty clothes on the floor and threw them in a basin. She walked to the bedside somewhat eagerly, wanting to share the good news that she made a lot of money today with a dragon that wouldn¡¯t be able to hear. However, she was shocked at the sight of the unnatural flush on Mister Long¡¯s cheeks. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mister Long?¡± The miserable sight of Mister Long¡¯s rotten tail and vomiting blood previously suddenly came to her mind, and she feared that something had gone wrong with Mister Long again and she wouldn¡¯t be able to help. Her voice was gentle and urgent, making things even harder for Mister Long upon hearing it; his mind was now so full of bad fantasies that it was too late for him to escape. Mu Wanwan reached out and laid on Mister Long¡¯s forehead; it was a little hot, but he shouldn¡¯t be having a fever. She didn¡¯t know that the direct skin contact from simply wanting to check his body temperature would plunge a certain dragon deeper into dire straits. Want to read more chapters and support us? Please consider becoming a patron to read up to 4 chapters in advance! Chapter 51 Twenty-eight Dragons (1) He was already feeling very uncomfortable, and she still touched his forehead. Her cold palm carried some chill from the rain, and her damp touch lowered the temperature of his forehead, making Mister Long feel a lot more comfortable. But when the delicate skin slid slowly across his forehead, it brought about a shuddering sensation he had never experienced before. Under the quilt, Mister Long¡¯s fists clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white. But soon, Mu Wanwan¡¯s slightly cold hand grew warm from the heat of his forehead, losing the cooling effect it had. He must be having a fever. Mu Wanwan was very worried. She glanced at Mister Long¡ª¡ª Usually, in his normal state, even though his face was covered with black and red lines, it was still very pale. But today, except for the area covered by the lines, his face was all red; even his ears were also red. ¡°Why do you have a fever?¡± Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t spare a thought for anything else anymore. She hurriedly got some water, dampened a handkerchief, wrung it out, and placed it on Mister Long¡¯s forehead to bring down his temperature. After doing all this, she was still feeling anxious, and lifted the blanket again to look at Mister Long¡¯s tail; it wasn¡¯t rotting. It shouldn¡¯t be a serious issue, right? Mu Wanwan frowned and was still a little worried. She had wanted to boil some water to take a bath, but now, Mister Long seemed to be having a fever, so she could only sit quietly by the bed. While thinking about her plans for the next few days, she gazed towards the door unwittingly. On the other hand, Mister Long had gradually calmed down because of the cold handkerchief on his forehead; only the tips of his ears were still a little hot. He cautiously sent out a wisp divine consciousness, slowly spreading outward from the red nuptial bed. She should have already finished changing by now, so it shouldn¡¯t matter if he sent out his divine consciousness now, right? Mister Long couldn¡¯t quite describe what the feeling in his heart was. Only when his divine consciousness landed slowly on Mu Wanwan¡¯s sleeve did he breathe a sigh of relief with a little disappointment. Mu Wanwan sat for a while, then changed the handkerchief on Mister Long¡¯s forehead. When she looked again, most of the redness on his face had receded. She touched his forehead again and found that it wasn¡¯t as hot as it was just now. This was? He recovered? So quickly? Mu Wanwan still did not dare to leave. After some thought, she went to the few pots of Bixing grass placed by the window and picked a seedling that looked like it was growing well. She guided the spiritual energy in her body, emitting a luminous green light from her fingertips, and channelled her wood spiritual energy in without reservation. Soon, the Bixing grass gradually matured, and two bright green shoots grew rapidly, holding a translucent fruit in the middle that was growing bigger bit by bit. This time, Mu Wanwan did not immediately withdraw her spiritual power after seeing the fruit of the Bixing grass mature, but instead, channelled in half of her spiritual energy, and the fruit became even more lustrous and beautiful. She only stopped when she started to feel a little dizzy, then carefully plucked the fruit, letting out a slow sigh of relief. Although she didn¡¯t know what had caused Mister Long¡¯s brief fever, she guessed that it might still be because he was too deficient in spiritual energy, or that he had wounds hidden in places she couldn¡¯t see. This Bixing grass fruit used up eighty percent of her spiritual energy, and it was much larger than the other Bixing grass fruits. Mu Wanwan even had the vague feeling that this fruit might have already entered Grade 2. She washed the fruit and wiped the water droplets off it before walking over to the bed and gently pinched his chin. Mister Long was a little surprised and had a faint idea of what was going to happen. In the next instant, he felt the ginseng slices in his mouth being taken out by her and replaced by a cold and somewhat bitter juice. The taste was different from that of the Baizhen fruit; it was the fruit of the Bixing grass Mu Wanwan had just cultivated with most of her spiritual energy. As long as a small hole was made in the fruit¡¯s translucent skin, the pulp inside would flow out like water. Forced to swallow the juice, Mister Long only felt that this Bixing grass fruit contained lots and lots of spiritual energy and essence within it. There was even a strange wisp of energy that pounced towards that immense curse as soon as it entered his body as if wanting to perish together with the curse of the abyssal devils, and broke off a bit of the curse. Mister Long was astonished. His lashes trembled, and he had a new understanding of this chongxi bride. It seemed like her talent wasn¡¯t low after all. His divine consciousness couldn¡¯t keep from moving upwards slowly, resting on Mu Wanwan¡¯s face. His wife was not the type of beauty with peerless looks at first glance, but she possessed a pair of clear and beautiful inky-black eyes. Her lips were a little pink, thin cheeks, and a round nose. Her half-wet hair hung by the sides of her face, and her head was currently bowed as she fed him the fruit seriously with utmost concentration, as quiet as an ink painting. Translator¡¯s Notes: Phew, that was a loooong chapter. Just a quick note on the TL of Mister Long¡¯s name. It is written as Áú in Chinese, which is the Chinese word for ¡®dragon¡¯ and pronounced ¡®long¡¯. Earlier on, Mu Wanwan decided to call him this as she didn¡¯t know his name, and we find out here that no one does either. So, in a sense, she¡¯s actually calling him Mister Dragon (in intent), but I¡¯ve decided to stick to the phonetic sense (¡®Mister Long¡¯) by using a transliteration as this will be used as a literal surname in time to come and ¡®Dragon¡¯ wouldn¡¯t work as well. Just a little note to let you know that ¡®long¡¯ doesn¡¯t mean long in English but is the phonetic pronunciation of ¡®dragon¡¯ in Chinese! Want to read more chapters and support us? Please consider becoming a patron to read up to 4 chapters in advance! Chapter 52 Twenty-eight Dragons (2) Mister Long¡¯s heart burned up; feeling her fingertips wipe away the juice on his lips and enjoying her meticulous care, he felt an unprecedented peace. He withdrew his divine consciousness and began to absorb the spiritual energy with peace of mind to treat the injuries in his body. He wanted to hurry up and get better, and take her away from this place filled with hypocrisy and danger. As to why Ao Qin did not kill him¡ª one reason was on account of appearances, and the most important reason was because of the treasures in the dragons¡¯ forbidden grounds. The dragons have existed for millions of years, and the treasures in manor¡¯s forbidden grounds are only the tip of the iceberg. In the past million years, fewer and fewer people have ascended, so the treasures left by the predecessors who had ascended appeared even more precious. But these treasures were scattered in various forbidden grounds all over the place. Each periphery was sealed off with a Rank 8 magic enchantment, and the core area with the treasures was sealed off with a Rank 10 magic enchantment. A dragon of Rank 3 and above could enter the periphery of the forbidden grounds freely, but only the leader was qualified to open the core areas. Although Ao Qin had already taken command of all the forces he had, he did not have his horn. A dragon who was not able to cut off the horn of the previous leader was not qualified to become the new leader. If he died and no new leader was born, according to the previous agreement, all the forbidden grounds¡¯ boundaries would be released. When that happened, the entire dragon race would lose its biggest treasure. So, Mister Long knew he still had some time, but didn¡¯t know how long that period would be. While he had been seriously injured in the last great battle, those people were not left unscathed¡ªthe leader of the demons had been almost bitten in half by him and should be in seclusion now as well. Mister Long hoped that the demon leader¡¯s recovery would be slow, and then slow some more. Because once Ao Qin reached an agreement with the demon clan and obtained his horn, hence gaining the recognition of the forbidden grounds, he would lose the last thing he could rely on. His wife would also be implicated and die because she had married a disabled person like him. He would never allow such a thing. He had made a mistake and suffered a tragic defeat; even if he lost his life, he would not regret it. But, the current her still didn¡¯t know anything. She didn¡¯t know he was awake, didn¡¯t know his dark and bloody past, didn¡¯t know the heavy shackles he bore, and didn¡¯t know how dangerous it was for her to have married him. Mister Long suddenly squeezed his fingers tightly, his knuckles turning white. How unlucky did she have to be to have met him? And how cruel did he have to be, to think that her marrying him was the luckiest thing that had ever happened to him in his life? ¡ª¡ªMu Wanwan knew nothing about the complicated feelings and guilt that was running through Mister Long. After safely feeding the dragon, she touched his forehead again and found that it was not as hot as before. Only then did she relax, shivering from the cold. The temperature today wasn¡¯t high, the wind was very strong, and she had been drenched in the rain. In addition to all that, because she was worried about Mister Long, she hadn¡¯t taken a bath in time, and was now feeling so cold all over she was slightly shivery. Moreover, she hadn¡¯t eaten at noon, so she was now besieged by both cold and hunger. Mu Wanwan rubbed her arms, took out her infinity pouch and stuffed it under the pillow, then took her clothes and went to the side hall under an umbrella. She had to hurry and boil some hot water to take a bath, or she might catch a cold. The kitchen and bathroom were separate; Mu Wanwan was a little regretful for being too stingy to buy a new umbrella. Her worn umbrella could shelter her from light and moderate rain, but it was not able to hold up against such a heavy rain like today. By the time she returned to the room after heating the water and having a good bath, her newly changed clothes were half wet. Mu Wanwan changed into another set. The sight of the dirty clothes in the basin made her feel a little vexed¡ªwith how heavy the rain was going, she didn¡¯t know when it would stop, and her laundry probably wouldn¡¯t dry at this rate. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she had bought quite a few sets of clothes this time, she was afraid there wouldn¡¯t be enough to change into. Thinking of the things she bought, Mu Wanwan became a little more energetic. She took out the infinity pouch she had placed under the pillow to take out each item one by one. Want to read more chapters and support us? Please consider becoming a patron to read up to 4 chapters in advance! Chapter 53 Twenty-eight Dragons (3) The infinity pouch Uncle Zong had given her was actually not big; its internal space was only about two metres in length, width, and height. However, for Mu Wanwan, this was the most valuable thing she owned right now. It must be said that even though it was just a storage bag with a very small storage space that didn¡¯t have any temperature or freshness preservation abilities, it still cost quite a lot of low-grade spirit stones on the market, and could only be exchanged for with spirit stones. Even when the Mu family was still prosperous, Father Mu had never bought an infinity pouch like this for Bai Shuiyao. Yet, Uncle Zong had generously given it to her outright, probably because he really wanted to continue cooperating with her. Mu Wanwan was not stupid. After this trip to the market, putting together Uncle Zong¡¯s reaction and her super high success rates in the cultivation of seeds previously, she could come to a few conclusions. The original body had also cultivated some plants before, but the results had not been as good as hers. Thus, it was possible that after she transmigrated, the change of souls had also caused some changes to the spiritual energy in the body. And, they were good changes. A smile appeared in Mu Wanwan¡¯s eyes. So, she did have a gold finger1 after all! Otherwise, with a disabled dragon right from the start, and without any gold finger subsequently, she might as well just pack up and jump into the river with Mister Long¡­ However, dragons wouldn¡¯t die even if they jumped into rivers. Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t know how her mind had wandered to this; she shook her head, wanting to hurry up and get things organised so she could make something to eat and take a nap. The method of using the infinity pouch was very simple. When she was at Uncle Zong¡¯s, she had followed his instructions and imprinted a wisp of her spiritual energy on it; she only needed to spend a little amount of spiritual energy to use it. First, were the mattress and clothes that took up the most space. Mu Wanwan took them out and put them away in the cupboard. Next, was the rice and noodles she bought for herself, the bones and meat she had spent quite a lot of silver coins on, and the eggs and sugar¡ªshe put them all in the back basket. She also bought two pairs of shoes. Her current pair were all soaked through, and shoes were not expensive; two pairs only cost three silver coins, which was equivalent to fifteen dollars a pair, the prices seen during a great sale. However, the quality was very so-so, and couldn¡¯t be said to be very good shoes. The surface was also bare, with no patterns at all. In addition to these things, Mu Wanwan also bought some lamp oil and wicks. Although spending her spiritual energy every day on cultivating seeds was already tiring enough, she had still decided to do some needlework at night. After all, it could help contribute to the household budget. Besides, she also wanted to use some spirit stones on herself¡ª only if her spiritual power improved would she be able to possess more wood spiritual energy to cultivate seeds. In the past, she didn¡¯t know that her spiritual power was special, so it didn¡¯t matter, but now that she did, improving herself was also a necessary part of raising a dragon. If she couldn¡¯t make money, then there would be less hope for the spirit stones Mister Long needed. Mu Wanwan took out the most important and valuable little pouch which contained all the wealth between the two of them: a medium-grade spirit stone, four low-grade spirit stones, three silver coins and five copper coins. The silver coins and copper coins were meant for the entrance fee next time. She decided to keep one low-grade spirit stone for herself, leaving the medium-grade spirit stone and the remaining three low-grade ones for Mister Long. Having made up her mind, Mu Wanwan took all the spirit stones out. The medium-grade spirit stone was very different from the low-grade ones. Besides being larger in size, it was also more translucent. Mu Wanwan held the medium-grade spirit stone that was full of spiritual energy against the light coming in from the window for a look, and thought that the piece of spirit stone was simply reflecting off brilliant rays of gorgeous lustre from beginning to end. In the original body¡¯s memory, the most superior spirit stone was the top-grade spirit stone, which was a type of spirit stone that looked better both in appearance and in colour. Mu Wanwan secretly guessed that the best spirit stone was probably better-looking, bigger, and more valuable than diamonds. Mu Wanwan took a deep breath and felt as if the presence of the medium-grade spirit stone made the air seem to be full of rich spiritual energy. She placed the few spirit stones by Mister Long¡¯s ear and said softly, ¡°Mister Long, aren¡¯t I amazing? I earned many spirit stones this time.¡± Mu Wanwan laughed at herself when she finished speaking; to think she was actually asking for credit from an unconscious dragon. After clearing up some clutter, she placed the two packets of seeds and the spiritual soil that Uncle Zong gave her on the table, then set out the thread and cloth meant for embroidery that had gotten wet earlier to dry, and planned to cultivate the spiritual plants when she woke up. Footnote: 1 gold finger: Chinese buzzword for something like a ¡®cheat code¡¯, an ability/ item/power that makes things easier for the protagonist. Want to read more chapters and support us? Please consider becoming a patron to read up to 4 chapters in advance! Chapter 54 Best novel online free at novelhall.com or NovelTeam.Net She didn¡¯t know if it was because she had gone hungry for too long, but she didn¡¯t really feel like eating right now. Mu Wanwan only felt very dizzy and cold; she was feeling somewhat hungry earlier, but now, she didn¡¯t want to eat anything. She was a little worried about whether she had caught a cold because of the rain, but then again, felt that her body was much better than before and that she shouldn¡¯t be that weak. However, she still held her giddy head and exhausted her spiritual energy to produce a Bixing grass fruit. Mu Wanwan broke the skin of the fruit and finished the small fruit by sucking on it as if drinking fruit juice. It turned out that the fruit was a little bitter, though Mu Wanwan, feeling that her stomach was more comfortable. However, her head was still feeling a little dizzy. She should be better after some sleep, right? Mu Wanwan spread out the bedding, closed the door, and took her first nap since transmigrating here. ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ As Mu Wanwan fell into a deep sleep, Mister Long was working hard to recover. Compared to their peace and quiet, Ao Qin, who occupied almost the entire mansion and forbidden grounds, was very agitated. ¡°Trash!¡± The only sound in the quiet hall was Ao Qin¡¯s furious curses. His powerful Rank 6 aura spread out, and the rest of the dragons in the hall who were being scolded by him were forced to lower their haughty heads due to the gap in power. ¡°My lord, the leader of the demons is severely injured, and the leader of the witches is asking too high a price, right now, it¡¯s really not suitable for us to¡­¡± Before the somewhat aged black dragon had finished speaking, Ao Qin¡¯s slap sent him slamming into the wall. He clutched his chest and knelt on the ground, his old face twitching as he silently wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said no more. Ao Qin circled twice around the hall irritably. Gone was the indifference and arrogance from his handsome face when Mu Wanwan first met him in the ancestral hall. In its place, was a trance of crazed jealousy, and even the dragon horns on his forehead were uncontrollably appearing on and off vaguely. The reason for his agitation was very simple: he had spent so much time and effort to painstakingly win over the various dragon clans one by one, and had finally waited until the sovereign caused his own ruin, becoming severely injured and on the brink of death. But in the end, when he had taken over all of the tyrant¡¯s power and was ready to enter the forbidden grounds to search for treasures, he found that he was not qualified to do so. Moreover, he just received the news that the leader of the witches had launched a sneak attack on that useless old thing from the demon clan after the battle, and one of those damned dragon¡¯s horns was now in the hands of the witch tribe¡¯s leader. The demon clan now felt that they had suffered a great loss, and the witch tribe also wanted to make a profit; they were all eyeing him, and even wanted to receive half of the treasures in the forbidden grounds¡ªutterly shameless. Those treasures should have belonged to him, Ao Qin, alone. Ao Qin took a deep breath. Having suffered losses at the demon clan and witch tribe, he was fuming inside, but he still forced himself to calm down and asked, ¡°Uncle Li, how are the young ones who¡¯ve entered the forbidden grounds for nourishment doing?¡± ¡°My lord, among the ten dragons under the age of fifty who¡¯ve entered the forbidden grounds this time, the three who have broken through to Rank 4 are all from the Green Dragon Clan,¡± the Green Dragon who was being addressed as Uncle Li said proudly. ¡°While the remaining seven have not broken through, the spiritual energy in their bodies has become much purer.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Ao Qin nodded, rather satisfied by the news. The talent of the younger generation within his clan was acceptable. Back when he was fifty, he was also only at the peak of Rank 4 himself; it was only in the next few decades that he painstakingly broke through to Rank 6. There was a smile on Uncle Li¡¯s face, but the faces of those from the other clans did not look so good. Ever since Ao Qin took control of the territory, he seized the right to use the manor¡¯s forbidden grounds. Originally, according to the rules, the immortal pool used for nourishment and transformation could only be opened once every ten years for ten people. Not only had Ao Qin opened it two years early, but he also gave five spots to the Green Dragon Clan on the pretext that the Green Dragon Clan has numerous offspring. But even if they did have many offspring, and the Green Dragon Clan did in fact have slightly more people than the Purple Dragon Clan, Black Dragon Clan, White Dragon Clan and Golden Dragon Clan, they only had no more than a few thousand clansmen now, so what right did they have to occupy five places? However, they only dared to think these thoughts to themselves. At present, the dragon race was no longer the dragon race that used to dominate the entire continent and the abyss. Although they now had the largest territory in the whole continent, they had very little offspring. Besides, as if they¡¯d been cursed, there were actually only two dragons that were above Rank 7¡ª one was the Ao Bing, who had died of weakness, and the other was the currently comatose sovereign. Want to read more chapters and support us? Please consider becoming a patron to read up to 4 chapters in advance! Read novel online free fast updates at novelhall.com or NovelTeam.Net Chapter 55 Also, this sovereign used to be an orphan dragon, and had been bullied by many dragons before he came into power, so there was basically no dragon on his side. While he was seriously injured now, lost his tail and dragon horns and was cursed by the abyssal devils, he just might be able to recover if he used all his treasures. Unfortunately, he was resolute and decisive in killing, and never gave any dragon any benefit, so there was no dragon who was willing to support him. Based on the fact that he was the strongest among the younger generation and had the support of five Rank 6 and above elders from the Green Dragon Clan, Ao Qin immediately stuffed a chongxi bride on the tyrant the moment he was injured. Things like elixirs and spiritual fruit were all cut off, and Ao Qin even joined forces with the ambitious Green Dragon Clan to hoodwink the masses. The other dragons only felt that their own interests were being threatened by his actions, and did not really care about how the sovereign was. Well, actually, they did care¡ªas long as he did not die before they got their hands on his dragon horns, it was fine. They were not as strong as Ao Qin; they couldn¡¯t beat him in a fight, were not his match in plotting and scheming, and were unwilling to pay the price to save a sovereign who might be disabled for life. In addition, the members of their clanspeople added up were less than the Green Dragon Clan. So, naturally, they could only choose to submit. Ao Qin was not unaware of their little thoughts, but as long as his own clan stood to benefit, he didn¡¯t care about what the other clans thought. ¡°Is there anything else in the territory recently?¡± The White Dragon Clan¡¯s inner minister was a dragon who looked to be in his youth. He replied respectfully, ¡°My lord, the territory has been very peaceful recently. The dwarves and orcs are very well-behaved and haven¡¯t made any trouble. On the other hand, the humans, because ¡­¡± He paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°Because the sovereign had been severely injured, many county officials who were originally appointed by the sovereign have been assassinated, and the human race is in a state of unrest.¡± Ao Qin nodded and snorted. ¡°There¡¯s no need to discuss humans. Uncle Li, take a few of the clan¡¯s younger ones to a few counties to take a look. Suppress it a little, don¡¯t let them make a big ruckus. ¡°They¡¯re mere ants, even if they died, many more will be reproduced, they¡¯re not worth any attention,¡± Ao Qin instructed. ¡°All right, you may all go,¡± Ao Qin waved his hand. The inner ministers exchanged looks, acknowledged his order, and left. After leaving the main hall, Uncle Li gave the other four inner ministers a professional fake smile, and said with concealed condescension, ¡°Everyone, His Excellency has instructed me to get some things done, I¡¯ll be heading off first.¡± The others returned the smile, waved in a friendly manner, and watched Uncle Li leave. After Uncle Li left, the four glanced at each other tacitly, summoned their spirit clouds and quickly flew away from the tyrant¡¯s manor. A few moments later, in a VIP room of the Bishui Inn about thirty to forty kilometres from the tyrant¡¯s manor, the two inner ministers of the White Dragon Clan and the Golden Dragon Clan have gathered together again. Bishui Inn was one of the most famous restaurants under Jinjiang Auction House, and also one of the restaurants with the most complete protection of their guests¡¯ privacy. The two were both above Rank 5, and after activating the boundary enchantment, unless a strong person of Rank 7 snooped in on them, no one would be able to hear their conversation. ¡°Bai Huan, what do you think of this Ao Qin?¡± Jin Yan propped up his chin and raised his eyes to look at the youth in front of him. Bai Illusion gave him an exasperated look, ¡°You sent me a voice transmission when you left just to gossip about Lord Ao Qin?¡± Jin Yan smiled, ¡°Doesn¡¯t the sight of him piss you off?¡± Bai Huan took a bite of the food, ¡°He¡¯s all right by me.¡± His reply rendered Jin Yan speechless. He knew that the White Dragon Clan had only a hundred or so clanspeople, and didn¡¯t really care about those spots¡ªto them, one spot was enough. So, he did not continue with that topic, and only said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about something fun before getting down to business. Do you remember that wasted dragon¡¯s chongxi bride?¡± Bai Huan raised an eyebrow noncommittally, ¡°That chongxi prop? She¡¯s only a Rank 1 cultivator, and her father is Mu Shan, right?¡± Jin Yan nodded, a smile spreading across his face, ¡°That¡¯s her.¡± ¡°My subordinate told me that she recently made two trips to the elven market under my jurisdiction, and had bought quite a few sets of men¡¯s clothes the last time,¡± said Jin Yan. ¡°That woman is also really interesting, has she really prepared herself to take care of that worthless thing?¡± A faint smile also appeared on Bai Huan¡¯s face. As both the Golden Dragon Clan and the White Dragon Clan did not have many people, he had grown up with Jin Yan since childhood. When they were still very weak and young, as haughty dragons belonging to the clans, they looked down on orphaned mixed-blood dragons, and had bullied that worthless dragon often. Want to read more chapters and support us? Please consider becoming a patron to read up to 4 chapters in advance! Chapter 56 Who would have thought that with the turning of the tides of fate, when they were still stuck in Rank 4, that worthless dragon had already broken through to Rank 7, and even became the leader? Initially, they were very worried that the worthless dragon would wreak vengeance on them, and in fact, he did¡ªa large piece of their tails was missing from being bitten by the worthless dragon and hadn¡¯t completely recovered after so many years. The two did not usually get along very well but had a great rapport when it came to deriding and laughing at Mister Long. ¡°And then what, are you planning to make that woman unable to carry on living?¡± Bai Huan¡¯s mood was somewhat improved, and he took a sip of wine. Jin Yan waved his hand, ¡°Am I the sort of dragon that bullies women?¡± Hearing his words, Bai Huan laughed, ¡°Are you not?¡± Jin Yan gave a ruffian smile, ¡°There¡¯s no need to go so far as to drive her to her end.¡± Bai Huan squinted, thought of something, and said, ¡°I have an idea, do you want to hear it?¡± Jin Yan perked up with interest, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I saw that mixed-blood¡¯s soul lamp plaque in the forbidden grounds. Although dim, it still lights up occasionally, which means that he regains divine consciousness now and then. However, Rank 1 cultivators are actually just a little stronger than mortals and do not have divine consciousness, so there¡¯s no way she can detect it. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say she bought clothes for that worthless thing?¡± Bai Huan¡¯s lips curled. ¡°That means that she is actually pretty good to that trash, and that mixed-blood is probably also aware of it. Say, if we arrange for someone from the Dream Demon Clan to give that woman a hint, and let her enter that mixed-blood¡¯s dreamscape to see how he used to kill others, wouldn¡¯t that be interesting?¡± Jin Yan said, ¡°You might as well just hypnotize her and make her abuse that worthless dragon.¡± Bai Huan shook his head. ¡°That would be boring. It must happen in circumstances that he¡¯s aware of, only then would he suffer.¡± Jin Yan frowned, then nodded after some time. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°He probably has less than 10% of his previous strength now, using Dream Demons would be a waste.¡± Jin Yan smiled, ¡°Just using some of the elves¡¯ Grade 3 hallucinogenic grass would do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Bai Huan also smiled. The handsome youth¡¯s smile made him look somewhat evil. ¡°Besides, we have to know that mixed-blood¡¯s name to use Dream Demons¡ªdo you know his name?¡± Jin Yan was stumped; he rubbed his chin and said, ¡°Now that you mention it, I really don¡¯t know what it is.¡± When they were young, they called him ¡®mixed-blood¡¯. Later, when he became the leader, they addressed him as their sovereign, but secretly called him ¡®tyrant¡¯. Now that he was wasted, they called him the ¡®worthless dragon¡¯. As to what his name was, it truly was a difficult question. ¡°Stop thinking about that, did you really look for me just to prank that worthless thing?¡± Bai Huan changed the topic. The down and out tyrant was now merely something for their entertainment. Besides, they couldn¡¯t actually do anything to him¡ª after all, they still needed him to be alive for now. Jin Yan also didn¡¯t continue dwelling on it and got down to business with Bai Huan. Half an hour later, Bishui Inn¡¯s VIP room was emptied of the two overlord-level distinguished guests; no one knew what they¡¯d spoken about today. ¡­¡­ Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t know that two bad dragons who previously bullied Mister Long were planning to bully him again. She only felt that she had an extremely deep sleep, and by the time she woke up, it was already dark outside. The rain hadn¡¯t stopped, but it was a little lighter. Mu Wanwan was uncomfortable all over. Not only did her throat hurt, but her forehead was also covered with cold sweat, making it feel chilly, and her hands and feet were numb. She thought she probably caught a cold, but when she thought of the heaps of things that were still undone, and how Mister Long had gone hungry for the entire day along with her, she stopped lying in bed and got up in the cold to make dinner. She stir-fried some vegetables for herself and made a bowl of sweet congee for Mister Long. After dinner, she didn¡¯t feel any better from having had dinner. On the contrary, her head was getting hotter and hotter. While washing the dishes, Mu Wanwan prayed she would not get a fever. If she fell ill with a fever, the consequences would not be as simple as her suffering¡ªperhaps Mister Long¡¯s tail would also rot again because of the loss of spirit stones. In the past, when she cut her finger, there was only a little blood and it had already hurt so much. How painful must it be for him with the repeated rotting of his tail? Mu Wanwan bore the discomfort and cultivated two Bixing grass seeds. Only when she really couldn¡¯t bear it any longer did she return to the bed to lie down. She thought it might be because she had worn herself out recently and gotten drenched in the rain today that she was suddenly unwell. She initially thought she would be fine after a night¡¯s rest, but when she woke up the next day, she found her condition had gotten even worse. How could she have known that this was not just a simple cold or fever, but rather, a manifestation of her body reaching its limits. Want to read more chapters and support us? Please consider becoming a patron to read up to 4 chapters in advance! Chapter 57 Before she transmigrated here, the original body had already reached her limit due to a series of blows, and most of her soul had collapsed, leaving death just a matter of time. After she transmigrated here, although the soul was now stable, the body¡¯s physical fatigue had not really gone away. In addition, due to her constant worry about their livelihood that had led to her beginning to cultivate plants with her spiritual energy every day to make money before the injuries she sustained from Ao Qin were fully healed, her body has long been on the brink of collapse. This time, it was because she was drenched in the rain and was left freezing for a long time that everything erupted all at once. If she hadn¡¯t eaten that Bixing grass fruit, it might not even be possible for her to be even faintly conscious now. Mu Wanwan was hot all over, but she felt very cold. She forced her eyes open and lifted a weak arm to her forehead¡ªit was very hot. However, she felt so cold. Her eyes fogged up and she shifted instinctively over to Mister Long until she was almost next to his bedding, then felt a little more at ease. ¡°Mister Long, I¡¯m so cold.¡± It was said that people who were sick would be more fragile than normal people, and Mu Wanwan was the same. Besides, her illness this time is not just a headache, but more that her body had been exhausted to its limits. ¡°Mister Long, I want to drink water.¡± Mu Wanwan knew it was useless to call out to him, but for some unknown psychological reason, she called out to him a few times softly until fatigue struck her, making her pass out again. Thus, the next evening, when Mister Long regained divine consciousness and sent it out after suppressing the curse in his body and connecting the meridians of his right arm, Mu Wanwan was still lying on the bed, motionless. When his divine consciousness did not touch the previously lively and energetic Mu Wanwan, Mister Long was a little surprised, but soon, his surprise was replaced by worry. She was different from usual; her face was pale, her forehead was covered with cold sweat, and she was curled up on one side as if she was very cold. Mister Long¡¯s heart seized up at once; she was sick. ¡°Cold.¡± Mu Wanwan felt both hot and cold. Her entire body was very uncomfortable, and her head hurt so much it was about to explode. She gritted her teeth hard and was in a bleary daze, unaware of where she was and what she was saying. Cold? Was she very cold? Mister Long felt pained. His divine consciousness brushed her cheek tenderly; her lips are already bloodless, and her brows were tightly furrowed. Perhaps because of the pain, her eyelashes trembled ceaselessly, each time as if they were an invisible sharp knife, stabbing him little by little. If it wasn¡¯t for taking care of him, she wouldn¡¯t have had to work so hard. He had to do something. Feeling guilty, Mister Long stretched out his right arm that had just regained its ability to move, and with the help of his divine consciousness, his long arm reached out of his quilt and reached into hers. It was ice cold. Slowly, Mister Long grasped her hand. It was different from the warm softness from before; her palm was full of sweat, making it damp and cold. Compared to her hand, his own body temperature seemed so high. He had heard that dragon blood was very nourishing, perhaps, he could let her drink a little of his blood? Although he was a cursed dragon, the blood of his heart was still pure. Some ideas gradually came together in his mind, but Mister Long hesitated for a moment. He could control the concentration of the blood in his heart and only give her a little drink without letting her notice, but as for giving her warmth, would she be okay with it? Although she had married him and was now his wife, she might not be willing. If he really pulled her into his own covers to warm her up, perhaps, when she woke up, she would cry. After all, he was now very ugly, and was also disabled. Actually, all along, Mister Long had very little self-esteem. He knew that Mu Wanwan¡¯s kindness towards him was perhaps just an expression of sympathy, but even so, he couldn¡¯t stop her from entering his heart little by little. He was like a lowly monster in a dark alley, who, at the sight of a glimmer of light, couldn¡¯t wait to take her for his own and brand her with his mark. However, he was afraid she would cry, afraid she wouldn¡¯t be willing to accept it after she got well. While they had slept under the same covers together before, she had made the decision on her own at that time, and he hadn¡¯t thought of using his own body heat to keep her warm. But now, it was different¡­ Mister Long felt that the hand he was holding hers with was as dark as a fallen dragon; by just pulling her over gently, they would have skinship. In his heart of hearts, he wanted to do so very, very, much, so much so that his shameless blood was boiling. Want to read more chapters and support us? Please consider becoming a patron to read up to 4 chapters in advance! Chapter 58 Twenty-nine Dragons Mister Long¡¯s divine consciousness kept hovering around Mu Wanwan. Seeing that her cheeks were getting paler and paler, he grew increasingly anxious, even wanting to disregard everything and pull her into his arms. However, he was afraid of her reaction when she woke up. If he had never been exposed to the light, never been taken care of so devotedly like this, perhaps he could care less about her feelings. But having had a taste of comfort, he was afraid to reveal the fact that he had already regained consciousness. Because he feared she would be afraid of him, and that she would find him disgusting. His original form was so ugly; he originally already had one ugly-looking claw more than normal dragons, and had heard that humans found even regular dragons ugly. Moreover, he was now disabled, and had such a bad reputation outside¡­ He felt that she wouldn¡¯t accept him. It¡¯s just that he couldn¡¯t fool himself. Mister Long held her hand, laced his fingers with hers, his heart pounding, and his handsome face burning. The somewhat blazing body heat spread from his broad palm to her hand that was intertwined with his, transferring to her body little by little. He was still hesitant, but his body heat was like a warm candle in a dark night, making Mu Wanwan, who was uncomfortable all over, instinctively want to get closer. So warm¡­ The surroundings were icy cold; only the palm of his hand was hot. Perhaps all humans have the instinct to get closer to warmth; although Mu Wanwan¡¯s consciousness drifted in and out, after feeling a little more comfortable, she grasped Mister Long¡¯s hand tightly with all her might, even reaching up her other hand to hug his arm. So warm, so warm. Dazedly, Mu Wanwan opened her eyes slightly, but it was pitch black, and she could not see anything. She even thought that she had gone back to the dark orphanage where she had been locked up alone in her childhood. It was winter, and the other three children she lived with had all been adopted except for her, who was not adopted as she was regarded as an unhealthy child because of continuous fever. The director was usually a very mild person, but that day, it was as if he was suddenly sick of her; her electricity was cut off, and she was locked in her room. At that time too, her head was hot, but her body was cold, and her surroundings were icy cold. She curled up in a corner desperately, but still didn¡¯t feel any warmth. But this time, it was different. There was something¡­ very warm. ¡°Cold¡­ I¡¯m so cold¡­¡± Mu Wanwan was unwilling to let go of Mister Long¡¯s arm. In fact, she gripped it even tighter, like someone who¡¯s fallen into the water clutching onto a piece of driftwood. Mister Long felt her soft body press up against him, bringing a clammy breath, but it didn¡¯t make him feel disgusted at all. This was his first time seeing such a fragile version of her. Even her voice lost the confidence and tenacity towards life it usually had and was only full of helplessness. This time, although their skin-to-skin contact made him tremble from head to foot and his blood flow backwards, he still managed to remain rational. Could he¡ªcould he really¡­ pull her into his arms? His hesitation and tangled thoughts all collapsed like crumbling rocks down a mountain slope in the next moment when he heard her fragile voice call out, ¡°Mister Long¡±, which snapped his rationality into two instantly. What were things like being saintly, worries, and consideration for her! At this moment, they were all tossed to the back of his mind selfishly. He wanted her. Only her. Only her. Mister Long thought that he must have gone crazy. By the time he regained his senses, Mu Wanwan had already been pulled into his arms in an almost rough manner. Across the two sets of nuptial bedding, by a distance of half a metre. From the place where he had to struggle with all his might to touch her fingertips, over to his side. Heart beating like a drum, Mister Long¡¯s cheeks burned as he clumsily and carefully arranged the nuptial quilt until they were both completely wrapped up. Mu Wanwan was actually hurting a little from being pulled by him, but that little pain seemed very insignificant when compared with her body¡¯s discomfort. She only felt that she had escaped from the cold and had come to a warm place. She instinctively wanted to adjust to a comfortable position. It was probably because she felt that there was something warmer than what was hugging earlier, her hands began flailing about randomly until they touched his hot and cosy chest. Only then did she stop with satisfaction and leaned against it, even pressing her face to it and rubbing it shamefully, completely unaware about how big a hole she was now digging for her future sober self. The fever was making Mu Wanwan a little confused; in her blurred state of consciousness, she thought it must be that the wish she had made as a child had come true. She wanted a large, well-behaved, and warm cushion, the type that was the most expensive ones in stores. Something that gave comfort and a sense of security for times when she was afraid of the dark, times when she was afraid of being alone, and times when she couldn¡¯t eat ice cream happily like other kids because she didn¡¯t have any money¡ªjust like now, she could just hit the cushion to vent her feelings, then sink into the warm and comfortable extra-large cushion after and have a wonderful sleep, not being afraid of anything anymore ^__^ It¡¯s just that¡­ Mu Wanwan thought dazedly¡ª¡ª The top half of this cushion was so comfy, but the bottom was a little cold, and even a little hard, poking her in a way that wasn¡¯t very comfortable. It seems like the fulfilment of her wish wasn¡¯t quite perfect enough. Mu Wanwan shrank her legs back aggrievedly. Facing the warm heat source, she felt extremely relieved. It¡¯s just that when she woke up, she had to replace this pillow! She must change it to a more comfortable one! On the other side, the red-faced Mister Long could only hold himself stiffly as she touched him indiscriminately, letting her struggle and kick his tail several times. Her little strength was not even enough to tickle him; not only did it not hurt, but it was as if there were cat¡¯s paws acting spoiled and lighting his body on fire. He could clearly feel that the body heat that was being transmitted through her thin clothing was obviously cold, yet it made him feel like he was about to combust. Moreover, in her current posture, her cheek was pressed right against his chest, and her puffs of warm breath landed on him, causing burst after burst of shivers of damp heat. Mister Long felt that he was undergoing the greatest test of his entire dragon life. He forced himself to endure this new and strange sensation he had never felt before, and landed his divine consciousness upon her cheek¡ª¡ª She should still be feeling bad; her face was still pale, her brows were wrinkled, her lips were white, and the foot that kicked him was also icy cold. Mister Long¡¯s eyelashes trembled; he lifted his right hand lightly, reached around her neck that was lying on his right arm, and gently pushed aside her sweaty fringe, his fingertips brushing across her forehead tenderly, so that she could be comfortable. Then, as if bewitched, he held back and held back, but still, with trembling fingers, gently rested his arm on her waist. It was soft, and a little warm. Mhm, it was very, very soft. This time, not only were Mister Long¡¯s cheeks red, but his body temperature was also a lot higher; it was so comfortable that Mu Wanwan drew even closer. It was a little too much for Mister Long and he removed his arm hastily. The entire dragon was burning hot, and he felt as if he was about to die of heat. The fingertips that had just touched her waist were all sweaty, his eyelashes were trembling non-stop, and his heartbeat was also abnormally fast¡ªhe was even a little worried that his heartbeat would wake her up. He reached out somewhat embarrassingly to cover his flaming red cheeks and took several deep breaths. No. No. What was he thinking? How could he be so shameless? His wife was sick and in so much discomfort now, yet he was despicably feeling so darned happy. Want to read more chapters and support us? Please consider becoming a patron to read up to 4 chapters in advance! Chapter 59 Thirty Dragons (1) The late autumn night was very cold; far removed from any light, the dark room was very quiet. The sound of his heartbeat could be heard very clearly. Mister Long could intimately feel her breath against his chest; however, his heart gradually calmed down. Because his wife had fed him Bixing grass fruit that had special spiritual power, along with intermittently supplying him with spiritual energy, Mister Long had already successfully connected three pieces of his broken original core, and the circulation of his internal arts had held off part of the curse. Back then, if the abyssal devils hadn¡¯t suddenly launched a sneak attack when his original core was ruptured, he might not have fallen to such a miserable situation today. However, perhaps this defeat¡­ was a lucky thing. His divine consciousness swept over the spirit stone placed by his ear, then gently brushed over Mu Wanwan¡¯s cheek and dissipated in the air. Mister Long withdrew his divine consciousness and began to look internally at the curse in his body. The most vicious curse spread all the way from his rotten tail to all his limbs and bones, binding his meridians. In his entire dragon form from his bones to the outer surface of his skin, apart from a small area around his fractured original core that was still relatively clean, only the blood in his heart was still pure. For dragons, their inverse scales were the bottom line, their horns represented dignity, their tail was their combat weapon, their original core was where energy was stored, the place to store energy, and the blood of their hearts was the place where talent and life condensed. The blood from a dragon¡¯s heart could be refined into a valuable elixir to prolong life and also be used as a medicinal activator to cultivate the most powerful puppet warriors of the witch tribe. Dragon¡¯s meat was also very nourishing. While the blood from other parts was not as useful as the blood from the heart, it was also a good material for refining medicine. As an orphan dragon who did not have anyone¡¯s protection and wasn¡¯t able to transform perfectly since young, Mister Long had met too many people who wanted to kill him for his blood in the first few decades of his life¡ªso many that he couldn¡¯t even remember. But of those people, no one had ever succeeded. Yet now, he was willing to suffer heart-rending pain. It was just that right now, he needed a little power that could suppress the curse temporarily. The spirit stone his wife brought back this time could allow him to temporarily suppress the curse for a few minutes at the cost of being in a coma for a week. Without any hesitation, Mister Long calmly came to a decision, and in the next instant, the middle-grade spirit stone that Mu Wanwan had placed beside his pillow shrivelled away at a speed visible to the naked eye. The two lower-grade spirit stones next to it also turned into dense spiritual energy and penetrated his body. A moment later, Mister Long¡¯s eyelashes trembled slightly, and the black and red lines on his face seemed as if they were coming to life, flashing with a hideous red glow, making Mister Long¡¯s expression seem somewhat frightening. He wanted her to see him at his best. He wanted her to see him in his human form. His scales began to show signs of disintegration and his tail began to quake unnaturally. Mister Long¡¯s entire body began to emit a faint golden glow. The light was extra blinding in the night, so much so that it made Mu Wanwan, who was in a lethargic sleep, very uncomfortable. She squirmed uncomfortably, trying to make her pillow behave, but before she could finish protesting, she felt her knees and shoulders sink, and she was pressed into the bed by something. Mu Wanwan opened her eyes disgruntledly, but was met with the sight of a pair of pupils that were as brilliant as liquid gold. They were like two beams of light in the dark night, embedded into long and narrow eye sockets, staring straight at her. Mister Long stared at her with his honey-like phoenix eyes. He didn¡¯t expect that she would suddenly open her eyes, and his long and curved eyelashes trembled shyly. His long, ink-coloured hair was draped behind him, with two strands hanging by his ears. He had a high nose bridge, and his lips were pursed with some embarrassment, while the tips of his ears were a little red. He finally got to see her with his own eyes, albeit only for a few minutes. Mister Long looked at her seriously, from her forehead that was damp with cold sweat, then greedily across her eyelids, the tip of her nose, then rested on her somewhat dry and chapped lips. He even had the irresistible impulse to kiss her, just like how he had fantasized previously. But before Mister Long, who had good night vision, could act on it, he saw that as soon as she saw him, her face took on a pained expression, and even her eyes squinted as if they had been stung, with tears flashing vaguely in the corners of her eyes. Could it be? Did his ugliness make her cry? Mister Long instantly went blank; with an aggrieved heart, the pair of brilliant gold pupils slowly changed back to its normal black colour, and he stopped his childish display. But even though he changed back, Mu Wanwan¡¯s tears did not stop. However, she wasn¡¯t crying from his ugliness¡ª she hadn¡¯t even seen him clearly. Want to read more chapters and support us? Please consider becoming a patron to read up to 4 chapters in advance! Chapter 60 Thirty Dragons (2) His eyes were so bright, and Mu Wanwan was just a Rank 1 cultivator. Seeing such a bright light all of a sudden after being in the dark for so long had provoked instinctive tears. Along with her confusion and aching head, she was suddenly unable to stop her tears. Moreover, although Mister Long had woken up, in the eyes of the delirious Mu Wanwan, it was just that the pillow in her dream had suddenly become a bad guy¡ª not only did it not keep her warm properly anymore, it was also pressing her down, making her very uncomfortable. Mister Long stiffened; he was hurt. He knew it. All those methods of seduction he had secretly spied before in the dark alleys were all lies. Who said that the purer the colour of one¡¯s pupils, the better one¡¯s talent and bloodline, and there would be many dragons willing to lay eggs for him? Sure enough, they were all lies. Now he¡¯s done it. After finally waking up, not only did he not leave a deep impression on his wife, or use the face that was said to be quite handsome before he had been cursed to win her heart, he had actually made her cry due to his ugliness. Mister Long felt bitter. Seeing the tears at the corners of her eyes roll down like beads, he was at a loss about what to do. ¡°Hush,¡± His fingertips tenderly wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes as Mister Long let out an almost inaudible murmur with a voice that had gone raspy from not speaking for a long time. However, Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t hear it. It hurt to keep her eyes, so she simply shut them. Mister Long, ¡°¡­¡± A low, shallow laugh rang out in the darkness, though it was more like a helpless sigh. His coarse fingertips pressed against her soft lips, his cheeks burning as he thought about what was going to happen next. He was going to feed her blood from his heart. This shouldn¡¯t be considered as taking advantage of her¡­ right¡­? But before losing consciousness, he wanted to look at her for a little more. Mister Long gazed almost greedily at her frail face in the darkness, looking at it over and over again until there were less than two minutes left before he slowly withdrew his gaze and gently closed his eyes. In the next instant, his cheeks suddenly turned deathly pale, and the black and red curse lines that had been suppressed from surfacing sprang up, and even the little secret he had been reluctant to let anyone discover was also exposed. But at this moment, Mister Long was oblivious to how miserable and wretched he looked. He carefully gouged out half a drop of blood from his heart, delivered it with spiritual energy all the way to his mouth and held it in at the tip of his tongue, then slowly leaned down. Without daring to open his eyes, he moved to Mu Wanwan¡¯s lips based on his senses. Their breaths became one. He still didn¡¯t have the courage to kiss her; he only gently squeezed her chin, used the little spiritual energy he had to drag out that half-drop of blood, then delivered it into Mu Wanwan¡¯s mouth. Mister Long¡¯s face was white, but his ears were very red. He even felt a little dizzy and fluttery; it was more exciting than when he ate those Grade 6 spiritual pills in the past. The curse in the body gradually began to fight back. Coupled with the weakness from the loss of his heart¡¯s blood, Mister Long looked pained. He willed himself to bear it and laid back down. Almost in the instant he resumed his previous posture, his straight and slender legs immediately turned into a long and slightly rotten dragon tail. The carefully hidden broken horns also reappeared, and next to that pair of broken horns, a pair of fluffy white ears emerged. Although he was in great pain, his heart was full of sweetness. Mister Long, who felt that he finally did a little something for his wife, was completely unaware that the secret he had never revealed in front of anyone since becoming an adult, the secret he had kept suppressed even when he was rendered unconscious from his injuries, had been exposed just like that. After all, he had never lost his heart¡¯s blood before and had no idea that there would be such a side effect (£þ¦á£þ). Mister Long fell into a coma from over-exhaustion, while Mu Wanwan¡¯s condition was not much better. Her body was originally that of an early stage Rank 1 cultivator¡¯s, and she had kept overdrawing her spiritual energy these days. However, as she was not affected by any curse, she could slowly absorb some spiritual energy from the environment, and her cultivation base has also risen to the middle stage of Rank 1. But the middle stage of Rank 1 was only a little stronger than a regular mortal, and was still a long way from absorbing the half-drop of Mister Long¡¯s Rank 7 heart¡¯s blood. Even though Mister Long had already removed all his attributes from it and even forcibly withdrew most of its energy so that the half-drop of dragon blood was free of any violent energy, it was still a little too much for Mu Wanwan to absorb. Just a little. After she swallowed that half-drop of his blood, not only did Mu Wanwan not get better as quickly as Mister Long expected, but she also fell into a long period of pain. Originally, it was just a headache, but now she hurt from her toes to her hair. Want to read more chapters and support us? Please consider becoming a patron to read up to 4 chapters in advance! Chapter 61 Thirty Dragons (3) What¡¯s more, it wasn¡¯t the kind of crushing pain, but the type of pain that throbbed from the inside out, especially at her dantian. There had originally only been a thin mass of spiritual energy stored there, but it had now expanded, filling up her entire dantian. Even her thin meridians were breaking new territory, first roughly tearing apart those meridians that were not tough enough, then using powerful restorative effects to mend the ruptured meridians anew. It was as if she was being entirely transformed. If those of the cultivation world had witnessed this scene, they would definitely have been very envious. After all, the strength of a Rank 1 cultivator was equivalent to the stage of Qi Refining¡ª only Rank 2 cultivators were akin to the cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage, and the price of a Foundation Establishment pill was often in the range of five top-grade spirit stones or more. The probability of successfully transforming to the Foundation Establishment stage was only 1-2%, and most mortals who were still at Qi Refining when they were in their twenties had little hope of getting to Foundation Establishment. And their lifespan was only hundred-odd years, just a little more than regular mortals. As for Mu Wanwan, the original soul had not much talent, and this body was already twenty years old. According to general logic, she might not be able to make a breakthrough in this life. But her soul was somewhat special, which had led to the change in her spiritual energy, greatly improving her success rate in cultivating plants, and even allowing her to cultivate plants of much higher quality than others of the same rank. However, this did not mean that she could go very far on the path of cultivation. For instance, this time, mere overwork and overdrafting her spiritual energy nearly killed her. In her case, even if she had the money to buy the Foundation Establishment pills, she might not be able to successfully break through. Yet, this half-drop of blood from Mister Long was like a game bug1. This bit of blood was many, many times better than those Foundation Establishment pills that were not only insanely expensive, but also contained impurities and had a low success rate. That blood directly promoted Mu Wanwan from the middle stage of Rank 1, all the way to the middle stage of Rank 2. Moreover, there were no side effects. Ah, no, that wasn¡¯t quite right¡ªthere was a side effect. And that was that the process of metamorphosis was very painful. From the time when that half-drop of blood entered her belly, Mu Wanwan felt like she was being tortured, as if someone was rolling her around on a bed of knives. It hurt so much that she couldn¡¯t even scream. If someone saw this, they would find that her body was suffused with a hazy layer of blood-coloured misty light. As time went on, that misty light gradually faded, and when it totally dissipated, Mu Wanwan¡¯s torturous metamorphosis was finally complete. It had been a total of more than thirty hours from when she collapsed to the end of her metamorphosis. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª When Mu Wanwan regained consciousness, it was bright outside. She lay in bed with her eyes closed. She felt sticky all over, but she was no longer feeling as bad as before. Only her limbs were a little sore, and there was an unpleasant odour lingering around the tip of her nose. Before Mu Wanwan could recover herself, her memory came back bit by bit¡ª¡ª She remembered that she went to the market, then accidentally got caught in the rain. Mister Long had a fever again, she fed the dragon, didn¡¯t feel well, and went to sleep. The next day, she felt even worse, and had a fever that lasted until now? Mu Wanwan shook her head, somehow feeling that something was not quite right. Would one suddenly feel full of strength after a bout of fever? When she had gotten ill in the past, she had never seemed to be so energetic upon waking up. Besides, she had noticed since just now, what¡¯s the smell in this room? It stinks really badly! Mu Wanwan wanted to open her eyes, but felt like something was stuck on her eyelids. She wanted to reach out and wipe it off, but as soon as she squeezed her fingers together, she felt that sticky feeling on her hands as well. She raised her hand with some disgust, but in the next moment, she accidentally hit someone¡¯s arm. Wait, an arm? How could there be someone else¡¯s arm in her quilt? Mu Wanwan suddenly came to her senses. Her reason restored, she couldn¡¯t care about anything else, and hurriedly stuck her hand out of the quilt, endured the stench and reached up to wipe away the sticky dirt on her eyelids. She finally managed to open her eyes, and was able to see the current situation¡ª¡ª The sight almost sent Mu Wanwan into a stupor. She closed her eyes in disbelief, silently recited that she must have opened her eyes in the wrong way, then, full of expectation, opened them again. Mister Long¡¯s deathly pale face that was very close to her was telling her: No, you didn¡¯t see wrong. Mu Wanwan was silent for a moment; she was having a mini-meltdown. Who could tell her why Mister Long was so close to her??!! She could even touch his arm if she just reached out, and also touch his tail if she moved her foot! Footnote: 1 game bug: ¡®Bug¡¯ as in the bugs that occur in games. In Chinese slang, it¡¯s typically something that causes errors that players can exploit for their benefit, and not ¡®bug¡¯ as in creepy-crawly. Want to read more chapters and support us? Please consider becoming a patron to read up to 4 chapters in advance! Chapter 62 Thirty-one Dragons (1) Mu Wanwan was utterly confused; she was stunned for several seconds before abruptly coming round¡ª¡ª She was really lying under the same covers as Mister Long, and was very, very close to him! Mu Wanwan, who had never had such intimate contact with the opposite sex, felt her cheeks burn up the instant she realised this. Even the stench that filled the entire room and the sticky dirt on her body were forcibly ignored by her at the moment. Mu Wanwan¡¯s head was spinning; she felt that she seemed to have taken advantage of Mister Long¡¯s inability to resist and did something incredible. Although in Mister Long¡¯s current half-dragon state, he was a dragon without that, perhaps, when he was in human form, there was one? Thinking of this, Mu Wanwan hurriedly sat up, her heart beating like a drum. She crawled several paces to the side, and only when she was a certain distance away from Mister Long did she feel somewhat less embarrassed. Mu Wanwan quietly looked around and glanced at Mister Long¡¯s paler than usual face, his neck that was somewhat for some reason, then to his lips¡­ While it was less bruised than usual, it seemed¡­ a little swollen? Mu Wanwan bit her lip embarrassedly; there were some hazy memories in her mind. She remembered that she was especially cold at the time, then a very warm and large pillow suddenly appeared, then she hugged the pillow and snuggled up against it, and even got annoyed at the bottom half of the pillow for being rough and chaffing her legs, vexed that it wasn¡¯t smooth at all¡­ Now that she thought about it, how was that a pillow?! It was obviously Mister Long! She had taken advantage of the fact that he was helpless and unconscious to instinctively use him as a pillow and rubbed against him for who knows how long. However, they shouldn¡¯t have really ¡®slept¡¯, right? Blushingly, Mu Wanwan concentrated for awhile, and felt that there wasn¡¯t any particular discomfort with her body. Besides, Mister Long did have that and couldn¡¯t move, so they shouldn¡¯t have slept. Still, she might have forcibly kissed him. Look, his lips were so swollen, there were faint traces of blood at the corners of his lips, and there was the taste of blood in her own mouth as well. It must be that she had failed to control her animalistic nature. Having always thought that Mister Long¡¯s ill self looked evilly beautiful, she must have simply let herself go when she fell ill. Mu Wanwan wanted to cry. She wiped her face and looked down to find that her hands were all dirty and smelly. A flash went off in her mind, and Mu Wanwan hurriedly examined the spiritual energy within her body¡ª¡ª Her dantian was filled with dense spiritual energy. Not only was it covering a much wider area than before, but some of it had also even condensed into a liquid state. This was clearly the strength of one in the middle stage of Rank 2! Mu Wanwan looked again at the bloodstains by Mister Long¡¯s lips and had the vague feeling that she had grasped the truth about something¡ª¡ª Most likely, it must¡¯ve gone down like this: she¡¯d felt very ill last night, then indulged in her inner demon and used Mister Long as a pillow, rubbing against him for a long time. Not only that, she even went so far as to kiss Mister Long forcibly, and even bit through his lips and accidentally drank the dragon¡¯s blood. Regardless of how seriously injured Mister Long was now, he was at least a Rank 7 powerhouse who used to dominate the continent. His blood was very, very useful, which was why she was in so much pain after the deed. Fortunately, she was lucky enough to absorb the dragon¡¯s blood, causing all the body¡¯s internal filth to be discharged, which in turn led to her strength reaching the middle stage of Rank 2 and her recovering from her illness¡­ With such a speculation in mind, Mu Wanwan became even more embarrassed all of a sudden. It was a good thing that Mister Long still did not have any consciousness now, otherwise, how was she to explain her beastly behaviour? Mu Wanwan found all these rather unbearable and covered her face. She felt that she had never been so embarrassed before. Her first kiss was gone, yet she still had a strange sense of satisfaction in her heart¡ªshe was simply too beastly! It must be said that to a certain extent, Mu Wanwan¡¯s ability to let herself get carried away with her thoughts was on par with Mister Long¡¯s! Although the smell in the room was very unpleasant, Mu Wanwan still took a few deep breaths with her hands over her heart, taking a while before she calmed down. She leaned slowly towards Mister Long and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mister Long.¡± ¡°I¡ª I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t say anything,¡± said Mu Wanwan, ¡°I¡¯ll take it that you forgive me.¡± She laughed after she finished. She really was bad¡ª he wasn¡¯t even conscious, so he definitely wouldn¡¯t know what she was saying. Besides, when he woke up, he might fall in love with Bai Shuiyao as the plot dictates. She felt that she was already a little in love with him now. This wasn¡¯t good, this wasn¡¯t good at all. She shouldn¡¯t like him; she really shouldn¡¯t like him. Feeling a little sour in her heart, Sour Lemon Wanwan tried hard to adjust her mindset. ¡°I¡¯d taken advantage of you this time. I will treat you better in the future, even better than now.¡± She grew sadder as she spoke, but that bit of bitterness disappeared in an instant when she caught sight of the pair of fluffy white ears next to Mister Long¡¯s broken horns. She had only been looking at the corners of Mister Long¡¯s lips just now and didn¡¯t notice that there were an extra pair of furry ears on his head. Wait, wasn¡¯t Mister Long a dragon? Why were there two furry ears by his broken horns?! Mu Wanwan was shocked. She blinked, then confirmed several times that she really saw correctly. Moreover, she didn¡¯t know if it was because he was in pain or something, but these ears of Mister Long¡¯s were actually twitching. They were already fluffy to begin with, but they could actually twitch like that too. Mu Wanwan felt that it was almost impossible to suppress her desire to rub those ears any longer. Want to read more chapters and support us? Please consider becoming a patron to read up to 4 chapters in advance! CH 63 Thirty-two Dragons (1) Mu Wanwan wanted to touch it, but when she reached out, her fingers that were all sticky and filthy contrasted starkly with Mister Long¡¯s furry white ears, and she couldn¡¯t bring herself to touch them. Resisting the thought of wanting to rub the dragon, as much as she was tempted to, Mu Wanwan still regretfully withdrew her hand. When she calmed down, the smell in the room was too much for her to bear. Mu Wanwan got up, only to feel the filth congealed on her body wrinkle together as she moved. She couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and quickly got down from the bed. Standing on the ground, she first moved her own unsoiled bedding to the side, then lifted Mister Long¡¯s bedding¡ª¡ª The moment it was lifted, an indescribable smell drifted out. As dirty as she was, Mu Wanwan was almost suffocated by the stench. After coughing a few times to get her breath back, she saw that there were dirty stains all over the quilt and mattress; there was even some on Mister Long¡¯s body. Mu Wanwan was a little embarrassed. She quickly bundled the dirty quilt up, opened the windows to air the room, then hurriedly grabbed some clean clothes and ran off to boil water for a bath. When the water was ready, Mu Wanwan got in and rubbed her arms. The originally clear bucket of water instantly turned murky as the dirt that was like a layer of dead skin was rubbed off. After a simple washing, the entire bucket of water had turned completely black. Mu Wanwan looked at the bucket of water and went silent¡ª¡ª She didn¡¯t even know that she, who bathed and washed her hair often, had so many dirty things within her body. She touched her seemingly smoother cheeks, even if it was only all in her head, then fetched another bucket of clean water and scrubbed herself clean from inside out. Mu Wanwan attempted to wash her inner garments, but after scrubbing for what felt like half a day, she couldn¡¯t even get one sleeve clean, so she gave up. It was a good thing she had bought some extra clothes at the market just in case, otherwise, she was afraid she would have no clothes to wear. After all, they were very poor¡ªshe only had two sets of old, over-washed inner garments. After bathing, Mu Wanwan cooked some spiritual rice congee. Perhaps because Mister Long¡¯s blood was very powerful, she had felt very hungry from the beginning, and after thinking about it, she decided to be a little extravagant and indulge in some spiritual rice. Ah, right, I wonder if those eggs and meat I bought earlier have gone bad. Mu Wanwan glanced at the sky outside. The weather was fine today, but the sunlight was still weak; she guessed that it was about one o¡¯clock in the afternoon. She decided to first change the quilt and mattress first, then give Mister Long a simple scrubbing. By then, the congee should be ready. She would then stir-fry some vegetables, feed Mister Long some fruit, wash the clothes and bedding, and cultivate fruit to make money. After all, she did not know how long she had been sick and hadn¡¯t checked if the spirit stones at home had already been all absorbed. If Mister Long¡¯s tail began to rot again because of the lack of spirit stones, it would be a problem¡­ Mu Wanwan sighed, feeling with great conviction that she really couldn¡¯t fall ill¡ª maintaining a household was truly difficult. She filled a bucket of hot water and went back to the room. The smell in the room had dissipated a little, but it was still rather unpleasant. Mu Wanwan went to the bedside and said in a low voice, ¡°Mister Long, I¡¯m sorry for getting you dirty. I¡¯ll wipe it for you first, it may be a little cold.¡± The last time she cleaned Mister Long was at noon the day before she left for the market. She guessed that it had been a few days since then. But because he never went out, his body wasn¡¯t really dirty. Mu Wanwan soaked the handkerchief, wrung it out and started wiping from his arm. At first, she was able to clean the places she had accidentally dirtied Mister Long without distraction, but gradually, especially when she came to his tightly arranged abdominal muscles, Mu Wanwan began to feel her cheeks burning faintly. His body temperature was not low. In his half-dragon state, his upper body was still that of a human. Mu Wanwan sped up the movement of her hands, and when Mister Long was wiped clean, she even felt a little relieved. Mister Long¡¯s tail was in good condition, only a few scales were a bit dirty. After wiping it clean, Mu Wanwan reapplied some medicine on it, then hurriedly took out the clothes and inner garments she had bought for him from the market and dressed his upper body. His lower body¡¯s tail could only remain bare. The inner garment she bought was moon-white. It wasn¡¯t cheap and was of pretty good quality. After putting it on Mister Long, it made him look even paler, and his face more sinister. Mu Wanwan touched her face, then looked at the dirty mattress under Mister Long and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to change the mattress.¡± Then, she began to go through the familiar motions of moving him¡ª¡ª Want to read more chapters and support us? Please consider becoming a patron to read up to 4 chapters in advance! CH 64 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 64 Thirty-two Dragons (2) Generally speaking, when moving Mister Long, moving his upper body first was more convenient. Kneeling on the bed, she hugged his waist, then lifted him with all her strength and placed him on the new mattress at the side. Then, she wrapped her hands with handkerchiefs, and as Mister Long¡¯s scales were a little sharp, she had to grab the uninjured parts and move them carefully. The whole process took about a minute or so, and was quite taxing on the waist. But today, she didn¡¯t know if it was because her cultivation level had reached Rank 2, Mu Wanwan felt it was a lot easier than usual, and it seemed to her that she had become stronger. After shifting Mister Long, she took out the new mattress from the universe pouch, covered him well with the clean quilt, before finally sitting down on the edge of the bed, with just one breath left. After taking care of both their cleanliness, she could now touch Mister Long¡¯s ears! Slowly, Mu Wanwan stretched out her sinful hands towards the white ears that had suddenly appeared on Mister Long. Cute and white furry ears that could even twitch! Mu Wanwan¡¯s trembling hands touched Mister Long¡¯s ears. A soft, warm feeling spread from her fingertips. Its furriness felt really good to touch, and she could not keep from squeezing them a little. She squeezed one in each hand; they were really soft, and she could even very carefully fold them a little. This was true happiness. Mu Wanwan pinched his ears tenderly, then, unable to resist, like combing fur, she rubbed back and forth several times from the tip of his ears all the way down in the direction of the fur. It was probably a little ticklish, and Mister Long¡¯s ears actually even twitched a little in her hands. They formed a stark contrast with his beautiful and evil face. It gave Mu Wanwan an indescribable feeling, especially when the twitching furry ears and those hideous black and red lines on his cheeks moved together. ¡°Mister Long, why do you have such a pair of furry ears?¡± asked Mu Wanwan softly. ¡°Why are they so soft?¡± She indulged in her inner demon and rubbed Mister Long¡¯s ears for quite a while, not wanting to take her hands off at all. However, when thinking about the harsh and difficult life that kept trying to crush her and Mister Long on the ground, she stopped. Perhaps because she had touched them for too long, when she stopped, Mu Wanwan somehow felt that Mister Long¡¯s ears were a little red. The fine and soft white fur were also standing up in all directions, trembling weakly in the air. Mu Wanwan felt that she was really too much, how could she take advantage of the dragon¡¯s perilous state! She was wrong, but she would still dare to do it again next time¡­ QWQ It might be because furry things had a strong healing effect, so even though there were still a bunch of chores to do, Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t feel so tired anymore. She smiled, thinking about the promise she made this morning to treat Mister Long better in the future. Then, seeing his vulnerable self¡ªtwitching ears, closed eyes and all¡ªwholeheartedly relying on her, she became full of motivation¡ª¡ª She was no longer alone now. She had been alone for more than twenty years. Before transmigrating here, she was also only constantly working hard to get by. She had no family background, nor was she particularly smart. Even after giving it her all in her studies, she only managed to get into an average university and found a job that was very hard but paid well to sustain her livelihood. Back then, her wish was to be rich and to be able to stop being all by herself. Now, although she still¡­ had no money¡­ But she had a dragon. Mu Wanwan¡¯s eyes stung a little. It¡¯s just that she didn¡¯t know if her dragon would leave her after waking up. She stopped thinking about issues like that that filled her with sourness at the slightest thought and hurried off to cook. The meat she bought already smelled a little off, so even though it was a pity, Mu Wanwan still threw it away. She couldn¡¯t get sick again no matter what. The vegetables just needed a little freshening up, and the eggs were still good too. She lit a stalk of burning grass and scrambled two eggs for herself. She made steamed eggs with the two spirit stones she bought for Mister Long¡ªit would be easier to eat that way. When she finished cooking the dishes, the spiritual rice congee was also ready. Mu Wanwan originally thought that feeding the dragon would go as smoothly as before, and had even planned to do the laundry and cultivate seeds to make money later, but today, Mister Long couldn¡¯t eat anything at all. For the seventh time, Mu Wanwan brought a spoonful of spiritual rice congee to Mister Long¡¯s mouth and pinched his chin, but this time, Mister Long kept his lips tightly pursed and there was no way to feed him at all. Mu Wanwan grew a little anxious. She tried a few more times, and even kind of forced his mouth open and fed him a spoonful. But while the congee went in, very soon after, he spat it out along with some bloody spit, staining the handkerchief Mu Wanwan placed on his chest with dots of red. Vomiting blood? CH 65 Thirty-two Dragons (3) Mu Wanwan¡¯s head buzzed and she froze for a few seconds before she put down the bowl in her hand and hurriedly went to touch the spirit stones placed next to Mister Long¡¯s ear. She remembered that there was a medium-grade spirit stone¡ª please, come on, come out quickly, medium-grade spirit stone. But she was destined to be disappointed; she didn¡¯t find the medium-grade spirit stone, and even those low-grade spirit stones that were placed there together had all turned into powder. Had they all been absorbed by Mister Long? Mu Wanwan¡¯s fingertips trembled a little; she forced herself to calm down and fetched the Baizhen fruit that only had three pieces left and the ginseng that was already cut to less than half its original size. She wiped the porridge and blood from his mouth, and forcibly fed him the juice of the Baizhen fruit, then cut a piece of ginseng and stuffed it into his mouth. After doing all this, her hands were a little shaky¡ª¡ª She had thought at first that she had kissed him, and even ferociously bitten his lips through, which was why she got to drink dragon¡¯s blood, but now, it seemed like that wasn¡¯t the case. Before she fell ill, Mister Long had been fine, and even seemed to be looking a little better. But now, he had turned so weak, and all the spirit stones she left by his pillow had all been absorbed. According to her previous experience as a dragon caregiver, Mister Long usually needed one low-grade spirit stone a day. The spiritual energy within a medium-grade spirit stone was more than that of ten low-grade spirit stones, but it had been completely absorbed. Did this mean that actually, Mister Long had been injured again when she was sick? Or was it that the internal injuries from the previous battle had relapsed? Also, he never had this pair of furry ears before, was it because his injuries have worsened? Mu Wanwan¡¯s head was in a mess. She regretted once again that she hadn¡¯t read that damned novel properly back then. Now, she only had a vague understanding of why Mister Long was injured and what injuries he had¡ª¡ª The plot of the original novel was all over the place. Everything was written for the convenience of the smut scenes; the world-building and some of the relationships were also very messy. The author just wanted to use the pairing of the disabled tyrant and the lowly but simple-minded and cute maidservant to attract those with special preferences and who liked to read smut. As for Mu Wanwan, she felt that her original role was simply created just so that the heroine, Bai Shuiyao, could hook up with Ao Qin. A smut novel like that with no logic to speak of did not explain the reason for Mister Long¡¯s injury at all. Previously, Mu Wanwan had not given much thought about the logic and plot of the original novel, but now, seeing Mister Long suffer again and again, and having lived in this world for some time herself, she gradually realised that¡­ This place here was not cold, unfeeling words, it was a complete world, and the people here had feelings¡ªthey could cry, could laugh, and could feel pain. Mister Long was so as well. She didn¡¯t know what kind of injuries he had, what he had done, and why he was called a tyrant. She had never seen him do evil, but saw him get betrayed and be abandoned, and his wretched and miserable state that got worse each time. Mu Wanwan looked at the pale Mister Long and reached out to smooth out the folds between his brows. But he was in too much pain such that his sharp brows remained tightly furrowed, and his lips bruised. Mu Wanwan was very upset, but she could only force herself to keep calm. If possible, she even wanted to channel her spiritual energy directly into Mister Long¡¯s body. However, she didn¡¯t know Mister Long¡¯s elemental attribute, and channelling spiritual energy with opposing attributes would not only not help but would also worsen things. Mu Wanwan wasn¡¯t in the mood to do the laundry anymore. She just sat by the bed, and while paying attention to his condition, scoured the spiritual energy within her to nurture several Bixing grass seedlings to maturity, holding the fruits in her hand and observing his appearance at all times. As long as there is the slightest sign of him vomiting blood, she would feed him a Baizhen fruit or a Bixing grass fruit. She toiled like this all the way till night-time. It was only then that Mister Long seemed to be a little better¡ª at least, he hadn¡¯t vomited blood for about three hours, and Mu Wanwan relaxed a little. It was also fortunate that she was now at Rank 2. The spiritual energy within her was now more than three-fold, and it was only because of that that she could cultivate so many spiritual plants. It¡¯s just that she didn¡¯t know how severe Mister Long¡¯s injuries were, and as they now had a limited amount of elixirs and spiritual fruits, she had to quickly earn money and spirit stones. CH 66 Thirty-three Dragons (1) Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t know how she survived the night. Worried that Mister Long would vomit blood again, she didn¡¯t sleep at all. Fortunately, as she was now a Rank 2 cultivator, she was still very energetic after going one night without sleeping. It was just that her spiritual energy was being used up a bit quicker. Outside, the sky gradually brightened. Mister Long¡¯s complexion seemed to look better than before, and he hadn¡¯t vomited blood for about four to five consecutive hours. Mu Wanwan scrounged up the last bit of spiritual power in her body, cultivated the last Bixing grass seedling into a fruit, and fed it to Mister Long. By now, all their Baizhen fruit and Bixing grass seedlings had been consumed. All that was left was half a ginseng, two packets of seeds, and a few silver and copper coins. It could even be said that they had come to the end of their resources. Mu Wanwan was very anxious; she was worried that Mister Long would vomit blood before she could cultivate the next batch of spiritual fruits. When that time came, she could really only rely on that piece of ginseng that was about to run out. Mu Wanwan forced herself to calm down, grasping a handful of Mister Long¡¯s furry ears to calm her mind before sitting down cross-legged on the edge of the bed, closing her eyes, and trying to absorb some of the spiritual energy between heaven and earth. ¡ª¡ªIn this continent shaped like a cat¡¯s paw pad, there were many races, and each race had a different method of cultivation. For instance, those of the witch¡¯s tribe were born with witch power, allowing them to manipulate puppet insects and refine blood servant zombies¡ªthey specialised in methods that were on the sinister side. As for the demon clan, they were made up of great demons who had cultivated into human form¡ªof course, this did not include the dragons. The Special Lifeforms Alliance consisted of the continent¡¯s special beings that had peculiar talents and skills. These three groups occupied one ¡°toe bean¡± each, and together with Mister Long¡¯s territory, shared the same rank division; only the human cultivators were the exception. As the largest race on the continent, the human race was very capable in terms of reproduction and creativity, but they were too weak, and there were very few amongst them who had spiritual roots, not even necessarily one in 10,000 people. So, despite having the largest population, they were not able to occupy the largest territory. Most of the human cultivators who lived in the dragons¡¯ territory would choose to leave after reaching Rank 2 and go to the human cultivation world to seek a cultivation method that was more suitable for them. The human cultivation world had another method of categorising ranks. For instance, Mu Wanwan¡¯s previous Rank 1 was known as the Qi Refining stage in the cultivation world, Rank 2 was Foundation Establishment, Rank 3 was Core Formation, Rank 4 was Spirit Refining, Rank 5 was Nascent Soul, Rank 6 was Dimension Sundering, Rank 7 was Great Ascension, and after that, was immortality. Although the original body¡¯s father was a Rank 4 powerhouse, the Mu family used a very crude cultivation method, and what Mu Wanwan and Bai Shuiyao learned was a set of unorthodox techniques. She had wood-type spiritual roots, while Bai Shuiyao had water-type spiritual roots. The spiritual energy between heaven and earth was abundant in some places and very thin in others. For example, the place where Mu Wanwan and Mister Long lived now was originally the spot with the most abundant amount of spiritual energy in the entire dragon¡¯s manor. But after Mister Long was defeated, Ao Qin modified the formation of the manor, and the spiritual energy in their little dwelling became thinner and thinner, so it was even faster to recover energy by sleeping than by cultivation. But after waking up this time, Mu Wanwan felt that her perception of the spiritual energy between heaven and earth was much better than before. She tried testing it out and cultivated for more than half an hour, and the spiritual energy in her body recovered by about one-tenth, which was the amount needed to cultivate one Bixing grass seedling to maturity. Mu Wanwan opened her eyes, took a Bixing grass seed and cultivated it into a fruit in one breath, then breathed a small sigh of relief. When she slept, she used to be able to recover all her spiritual energy. However, she was only Rank 1 in the past, and all her spiritual energy wasn¡¯t even a third of what it was now, and she usually slept for seven hours. If she used these seven hours to practice cultivation instead of sleep, she could restore about seventy percent of her spiritual energy. Going by this calculation, it was more cost-effective. Mu Wanwan carefully set aside the Bixing grass fruit, which was visibly more plump than those she had cultivated when she was Rank 1, and glanced at Mister Long again before hurrying off to wash the dirty clothes and quilt. After washing the blanket, Mu Wanwan warmed up the steamed eggs and spiritual rice congee she had wanted to feed the dragon last night to eat, and after recovering some strength, she cultivated spiritual plants while keeping an eye on Mister Long¡¯s condition. By the time Mister Long had completely stopped vomiting blood and could finally eat some of the spiritual rice congee, Mu Wanwan had not slept for four consecutive days. ¡°Mister Long, I¡¯m so tired.¡± Mu Wanwan entered the room with the last bit of spirit rice congee and couldn¡¯t keep from complaining to the other living dragon in the room. These days, the temperature had also dropped by a few degrees, and the weather had turned from sunny to cloudy, and it looked like it was about to rain again. The house, which was already cold and deserted, seemed even colder. She felt like she was living in isolation, living in a cycle of cultivating spiritual plants and feeding the dragon, and it was becoming a little too much to bear. Mu Wanwan sat beside him and fed him the last bit of spiritual rice congee, then asked, ¡°Mister Long, can I touch your ears?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes if you don¡¯t say anything,¡± Mu Wanwan said the words of one bullying a comatose dragon unflinchingly, eager to put her hands on Mister Long¡¯s white ears. Ah~ it was so soft! Even though the area wasn¡¯t large, the fine and soft fur was really healing! She felt as if the exhaustion that had accumulated these days had been swept away by the pair of furry ears. After stroking them for a while to satisfy the itch in her heart, Mu Wanwan let go reluctantly, sighed in resignation, and continued to dig soil and cultivate spiritual plants. CH 67 Thirty-three Dragons (2) She had brought back a lot of Grade 1 Baizhen fruit and Bixing grass seeds from Uncle Zong last time and cultivated some of them one after another during this period. Excluding the ones she fed Mister Long, there were now twenty-eight Baizhen fruit and forty Bixing grass fruit ready to be harvested, and a total of seventeen Baizhen fruit and Bixing grass seedlings. Baizhen fruit was the fruit Ao Qin sent previously. A Grade 1 one was slightly smaller than one that was Grade 2, but still larger than the fruit of Bixing grass, so it took more energy power to cultivate Baizhen fruit than Bixing grass. In addition, the colour of the Baizhen fruit she cultivated was also darker. Previously, when Mu Wanwan ate the skin of the Baizhen fruit, she found it okay, just a little sandy, and the juice she squeezed out to feed Mister Long with was also rather fragrant. She didn¡¯t expect that the plump and watery flesh inside would have such an indescribable taste¡ªa little like an orange-flavoured rotten apple that had rotted into a liquid state. So, after eating it once, Mu Wanwan never ate it again. In fact, she even pitied Mister Long a little. After coming here, out of the three plants she had cultivated, apart from burning grass that wasn¡¯t really considered a spiritual plant and just talking about Baizhen fruit and Bixing grass fruit, for one, only its skin was tasty, and for the other, it was very bitter to eat. They weren¡¯t as delicious as the fruits grown by ordinary people. Mu Wanwan finished her chores, then cultivated some more seedlings. Seeing that the sky was almost dark, she worried that it would rain at night, so she first took the clothes in before going to the study in the side hall to check the time¡ª¡ª Today was the fifth day after she woke up, and she had lost consciousness on the third day after she returned from the market, so adding up the days, about eight days had passed. The main thing was that she didn¡¯t know how long she had been unconscious. If she had been unconscious for a long time, it was actually the time when she could go out again. Moreover, the time for the next monthly allowance to be issued was also approaching. She went out for the first time shortly after Fuliu gave her the monthly allowance, and she had already gone out twice. After this time, they would probably receive their monthly allowance in about another ten days. Mu Wanwan calculated the family¡¯s assets, and after thinking about it, she decided to put all the plants she had cultivated into the universe pouch first and try to go out tomorrow morning. The main reason was that all the spiritual rice had been eaten and needed to be replenished. After all, the cost of raising a dragon was high, and she always felt guilty if she couldn¡¯t give Mister Long spiritual rice to eat. Moreover, as there were very few impurities in spiritual rice, most of what was eaten would be converted into energy and absorbed by the body, which made it better for cultivators. Although she hadn¡¯t slept in the past few days, she also had more fruits that could be sold for money. The price of Baizhen fruit was a bit higher than that of Bixing grass¡ªthree Baizhen fruit could be traded for one low-grade spirit stone. As such, if everything went well tomorrow, she would be able to obtain twenty low-grade spirit stones. This was still somewhat too little. Mu Wanwan frowned. She wondered if Uncle Zong would accept seedlings that were yet to mature. Actually, she knew that her speed now was not slow at all. The main thing was that she also needed to feed Mister Long with the fruits she had cultivated these days. Moreover, she had delayed things for a few days because of her illness. It was fortunate that she had advanced to Rank 2, otherwise, she was afraid that she wouldn¡¯t even get twenty low-grade spirit stones. Mu Wanwan sighed and packed up all the things she wanted to sell. After some thought, she decided to also pack the seedlings as well, then lit a lamp and started making purses. When she really couldn¡¯t cultivate anymore these days, she would make purses with the scraps of cloth and needle and thread she bought from the market. She was not bad at needlework. When she was in the orphanage, she also had to sew and mend, and when she was in college, she had joined the handicraft club and knew a little bit of simple embroidery, but just a little, so the purses she made only had simple patterns. In the past few days, she has made three: one with a bird embroidered on it, one with a flower embroidered on it, and this one in her hands, had¡­ A pair of dragon horns embroidered on it. To be precise, it was a pair of broken horns. In fact, next to this pair of broken horns, was a pair of furry ears. Even though the embroidery didn¡¯t have the furry effect. Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t know why she embroidered such a purse that obviously wouldn¡¯t sell, but she naturally began to embroider these broken horns as she looked at Mister Long, and as she embroidered, it was almost finished. She should be able to finish it by tonight. With the needle and thread in her hand, Mu Wanwan moved her stool to sit by the bed. With the warm light at the side, her vision was filled with the nearly finished purse and Mister Long, who was lying quietly with his eyes closed, and her mind at peace. She lowered her head and started embroidering seriously, not noticing that the raven-black eyelashes of Mister Long, who had been lying quietly, was trembling unnaturally, and his ears were also twitching. The side effect of losing half a drop of his heart¡¯s blood was greater than he thought. He had been in a painful coma for the past few days and had only just regained some consciousness. His meridians still hurt, and his original core was not healed¡ªin fact, it was even slightly darker than before¡ªbut the curse seemed to have lifted a little. Mister Long checked his condition silently, felt his dry and comfortable tail, and a hint of sweetness as he thought, ¡®Ah, as expected¡¯, rose within him¡ª¡ª Originally, based on his estimations and the demons¡¯ curse, after losing consciousness this time, if his spiritual energy was not replenished, his tail was bound to rot. But now that it hadn¡¯t rotted, it was already very telling. Mister Long endured the pain that kept flooding his body and quietly sent out a wisp of divine consciousness¡ª¡ª He wanted to see her. CH 68 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 68 Thirty-four Dragons (1) Mister Long sent out a wisp of divine consciousness slowly. It went around the bold red wedding quilt somewhat shyly, then little by little, clung to the corner of Mu Wanwan¡¯s clothes. She was wearing a light blue long tunic today. The cuffs were padded with a little cotton, probably because it was getting colder outside. From the hem of her clothes, the divine consciousness slowly reached her cheek¡ª¡ª She was a little fairer than when he saw her before, but she was also a little thinner. There were faint dark circles under her eyes, probably due to the tiring work of taking care of him. An indescribable soreness rose in his heart. Mister Long¡¯s divine consciousness brushed Mu Wanwan¡¯s eyelashes lightly, like an invisible breeze, caressing gently. Her head was lowered, and she seemed to be making a purse. The light is warm. Although he was only experiencing this through his divine consciousness, Mister Long felt more at ease than he had ever felt before. How nice¡ª she was still by his side. Her eyelashes were still curved like he had seen before. They weren¡¯t very long, but the arc of their curvature hooked the dragon¡¯s heart and made it itchy. Mister Long relaxed a little, then felt that his body seemed to be a little different from before again¡ª¡ª His right arm moved slightly, and he felt soft fabric¡ªit was cottony and very soft. His heart swelled. Probably because he was excited, his pair of white ears that were exposed outside also began twitching slightly. Despite the awful pain in his meridians, Mister Long could not bear to retract his divine consciousness, and just watched her quietly embroider a purse. The motif she was embroidering was somewhat abstract; in fact, he didn¡¯t understand it at all¡ª¡ª There were two ugly horn-like things embroidered with gold thread, and next to the horns, there were two pointy things embroidered with white thread. Mister Long was completely unaware that Mu Wanwan had actually already discovered his little secret, and just watched her embroider the purse with trembling ears. After watching for a while, when he saw that she had finally finished he tensed up a little nervously, his fingertips unconsciously touching the inner garments that his wife had just changed him into. Although his tail was still bare, at least he was no longer a naked dragon. Moreover, he had just discovered that there was only one quilt on the bed¡ªdid that mean that she had been sharing a bed with him these past few days? Mister Long felt his heart burning up¡ªwas it a side effect of losing his heart¡¯s blood? ¡ª¡ªMu Wanwan was entirely unaware that a certain dragon was out of danger and had regained consciousness. She finished embroidering the last stitch, then carefully tucked away the loose ends, making sure to hide them well, before holding up the finished purse and comparing it with Mister Long¡¯s horns. Although the craftsmanship needed improvement, the broken horns and the pair of ears still looked quite similar. ¡°Mister Long, if I take this purse out to sell, I definitely won¡¯t be able to sell it.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°I¡¯ll just keep it for myself.¡± Mu Wanwan took out a few silver coins and some copper coins and stuffed them all into the dark blue purse. Then, she touched the white furry ears that were embroidered on it, and her hands felt a little itchy. She wanted to touch Mister Long¡¯s ears again. But she restrained herself in the end. Even if Mister Long¡¯s ears were furry, they would go bald if she rubbed them more than ten days a day, right? Mu Wanwan carefully placed the purse next to the pillow, checked to make sure if the door was properly locked, and then got ready to sleep. She put out most of the lights in the room, leaving only one oil lamp that was about to run out of oil. The room grew dark. It was so quiet that only the sound of her taking off her outer garment could be heard. Mister Long was a little nervous. Although he had shared a bed with his wife a few times now, he still couldn¡¯t get used to this sort of couple¡¯s life. The light gave off an ambiguous charm; he was still her husband in name. By the time Mu Wanwan¡¯s somewhat cool hand lifted the quilt, Mister Long had already begun to burn up. Lying on the soft bed after a long time, Mu Wanwan felt even her bones grow soft. She had already not slept for four nights in a row. If in the past, this would have broken the limits of her human body. Even if she was now a cultivator, not sleeping for so long was also a little hard to bear. She began to feel sleepy almost as soon as she lay under the covers that were made warm by Mister Long. CH 69 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 69 Thirty-four Dragons (2) She searched for a position where she wouldn¡¯t touch him, and could still stretch her body, then made herself comfortable. She was just about to fall asleep when she accidentally caught a glimpse of Mister Long and saw that his white ears were trembling non-stop. The fine fur looked especially fluffy under the illumination of the light. Were his ears trembling reflexively from pain? As much as she guessed that Mister Long¡¯s ears were trembling because of the pain he was experiencing, Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t help but feel an itch in her heart, even though it was a little cruel. She endured and endured, but still decided to touch them one last time. ¡°Mister Long, can I touch your ears?¡± Before she acted on it, Mu Wanwan went about bullying the comatose dragon as per usual, ¡°I¡¯ll take it as a yes if you don¡¯t say anything.¡± Only this time, Mister Long was awake. When he heard what she said, he was a little stunned, and didn¡¯t even register what she meant by ¡°ears¡±. But when her soft and slightly cool fingers touched his furry ears that had been the subject of ridicule, the entire dragon stiffened at once. A numb, tingling sensation exploded all the way from his body to his ears, and Mister Long¡¯s face turned red almost immediately. He, he¡­ The ears that had never been exposed since he became an adult, why would they suddenly appear now?! Also, could it be that the ugly-looking things she embroidered on the purse just now were his horns and ears? Right after these two questions popped up in Mister Long¡¯s head, before he even had the time to think about them, his entire body grew numb from the sensation that was spreading out from his ears. She wasn¡¯t just touching them, but also pinched them, and was even touching them from the tips all the way to the base¡­ It was itchy, tingly, and very provocative. So, the ears of Mister Long, who was too obscene, trembled even more. Mu Wanwan rubbed them a couple of times and felt that the feeling in her hand was not quite right, so she hurriedly let go. With one look, she found that Mister Long¡¯s entire face was flushed. Even the tips of his ears were red and trembling, as if he was very uncomfortable. She was a little flustered. After all, this didn¡¯t happen when she rubbed the dragon before. ¡°Mister Long I¡¯m sorry, did I hurt you?¡± Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t dare to touch his ears again. Instead, she quickly got out of bed, took a Bixing grass fruit and broke its skin. Filled with trepidation, she tried to make him drink it. Before Mister Long could recover from the blow of having his ears discovered, he was stuffed with a mouthful of unpleasant Bixing grass juice. The bitter juice slid all the way into the body that was lacking in spiritual energy, and was almost immediately absorbed by his meridians, leaving only a slightly bitter taste on the tip of his tongue. Only when Mu Wanwan saw that he was looking better did she relax. She threw the peel away and laid back down properly, not daring to touch his ears again. She said in a small whisper, ¡°Good night, Mister Long.¡± Tucking herself under the covers, she shut her eyes and before long, fell into a long-awaited sweet dream. On the other hand, a certain dragon was still stuck in the aftershock of having his ears being rubbed, and it took him a long time to recover. She actually didn¡¯t think he was deformed, and judging from her attitude just now, it seemed like she even liked his ears. Mister Long couldn¡¯t quite identify what he was feeling¡ª¡ª The ears of other dragons were different from his. He was hatched in a sea near the abyss where no dragons lived. When he was a child, there was no one of his kind around him, and he even thought he was a monster. However, as soon as he tried to go near the abyss, he would be bitten by demons. There was only one very nice demon who would protect him. He thought that was his father. Even though that monster had neither furry white ears nor a tail. But just when he just grew to a young dragon of one metre, that demon disappeared. He was almost bitten to death, and had fled in a wretched state. It was only later that he realized that he was a dragon. When he arrived at the dragon¡¯s territory covered in bruises and wounds, he was condemned as a bastard because of these ears¡ª ears that could not be hidden even when he turned into human form, ears that were different from all other dragons. Dragons were not a soft-hearted race, let alone a sympathetic one. There was no tolerance for differences and heresy. Enduring the pain in his meridians, Mister Long slowly retracted the pair of ears. He didn¡¯t know if Mu Wanwan had seen other dragons before. If she knew that the true form of other dragons did not have ears like his, would she think he was deformed? But it doesn¡¯t matter, Mister Long tried to deceive himself. As long as he kept his ears hidden, as long as she couldn¡¯t see them, then, he was normal, just like the other dragons. The unease in his heart slowly expanded. Mister Long listened to Mu Wanwan¡¯s calm breathing, and couldn¡¯t help but slowly put out his hand in her direction. It wasn¡¯t until he touched her palm, forced their fingers to interlock and felt her warmth, that he felt a little more settled. He, this bad dragon, was actually thinking darkly that since she had already married him in full view of the public, she was branded with him for the rest of her life. When he was healed, if she wanted to leave, he would lock her up and keep her with him forever. Then, he would make her his true wife. CH 70 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 70 Thirty-four Dragons (3) Dragons were greedy beings, and so was he. At first, he was only thankful to her for being good to him, but gradually, he was no longer satisfied with this bit of warmth. Under her constant giving, he had become greedier and greedier, wanting more and more. Mister Long thought to himself a little self-deprecatingly¡ª¡ª She still thought that he was comatose and unconscious. She might just be taking care of him out of pity and some other reasons. Perhaps, she didn¡¯t have much affection for him. But he¡­ Ah, he had already sadly fallen deeper and deeper. ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ When Mu Wanwan woke up the next day, she felt as if her hand was being held by a ball of fire. She opened her eyes and found to her embarrassment that she had grabbed Mister Long¡¯s hand and taken advantage of him again. She let go of his hand somewhat sheepishly, sat up, and glanced at Mister Long instinctively. At one look, she felt that she might have gotten up in the wrong manner. Where were the ears? Where were those furry ears? She closed her eyes, then opened them again. Mister Long¡¯s head was still bare¡ªthere was nothing there. Those white ears in these past few days seemed to be her illusion, and never existed at all. Mu Wanwan stared blankly for a moment, then knelt on the bed agitatedly, carefully parting Mister Long¡¯s hair and searched for some time. She really didn¡¯t find those ears. She felt a little rattled. So, could it be that what she saw the past few days were all hallucinations that arose from her not seeing anything furry for too long? But they didn¡¯t feel fake to the touch at all. It was only after a full ten minutes that she slowly recovered from the loss of those furry ears. She picked up the purse placed by the pillow, regretfully touched the unsightly white ears embroidered on it, counted the money inside, sighed, and put it in her chest lapel. She washed up and had breakfast. When she finished loading up and was about to set off, it still wasn¡¯t very late¡ªabout seven or eight o¡¯clock. However, the sky was somewhat overcast, and it seemed like it was about to rain. After thinking about it, Mu Wanwan still took the broken umbrella with her. If she could go to the market today, she must buy a new umbrella, and also a straw rain cape¡ªthat would be convenient for work. ¡°Mister Long, I¡¯m going out.¡± Mu Wanwan glanced at the little bit of ginseng that was left and the one Baizhen fruit she kept aside, and frowned. There were no life-saving spiritual plants at home anymore. Now that she was at Rank 2, she wanted to try to see if she could get some seeds of higher value from Uncle Zong. After closing the door, Mu Wanwan walked out with the basket on his back. This time, following her memory, she made her way to the place where she had met Hongye several times before, but there was no one. She walked a little further tentatively. In front of the palace where she and Mister Long lived, there was a place that was a little out of the way where the servants lived. Since there was no one waiting for her here, she would just go to them. When Mu Wanwan got to the side hall, she just happened to see Fuliu walking out with an unhappy face. She also saw Mu Wanwan. A touch of surprise swept across her eyes; she bowed towards Mu Wanwan slightly, and that was all the courtesy she gave. Mu Wanwan knew that it was actually very rude of her to do this. After all, Mister Long was still the sovereign of the dragon territory in name, and she was the sovereign''s wife. But now that the situation was against them, it was already not bad that they were still alive. Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t know that Ao Qin didn¡¯t kill Mister Long because he didn¡¯t get Mister Long¡¯s horn and couldn¡¯t open the treasure at the core of the forbidden area. She thought that Ao Qin was only all this for pride and his inner perversions. So, she had actually been very worried that Ao Qin would come to abuse them one day when he was in a bad mood. Fortunately, for the time being, no such thing has happened. Therefore, even if the maids were very disrespectful to her, she didn¡¯t feel dissatisfied. ¡°Why has Madam come out?¡± Fuliu looked Mu Wanwan up and down, and was a little surprised. Why did she feel that the madam in front of her was a little different from the one she saw more than half a month ago? This madam¡¯s eyes were brighter. Her appearance hadn¡¯t changed much, and the clothes she was wearing were still very plain¡ªthe light blue clothes had become a little faded from washing, and they were obviously old clothes that she brought with her when she got married. On her back was a large ratty basket¡ªthe sort that could be bought with a few copper coins¡ªwhich contained some vegetables. On top was a small cloth bag; it was likely that there were handkerchiefs, purses, and other such items in it. Hongye had told her last time that this madam had bought quite a lot of scrap fabric. Moreover, this madam gave her a very comfortable feeling. Could it be that she had advanced in rank? Generally speaking, the stronger one was, the more they gave off a mysterious air, and their temperament would also change accordingly. Thinking of this, Fuliu softened her voice, ¡°Is Madam going to the market?¡± Mu Wanwan nodded at her. ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping track of the days. I should be allowed to go out.¡± Fuliu glanced at her back basket, ¡°Madam, are you off to sell vegetables?¡± Mu Wanwan nodded, not denying it. Fuliu felt that this madam¡¯s life was much worse than her own, and for some reason, she felt very refreshed. ¡°Ah, you¡¯ll only fetch a few coins by selling vegetables. Madam, I remember that you are a Rank 1 cultivator, so why did you only grow vegetables? CH 71 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 71 Thirty-four Dragons (4) Fuliu felt that this madam¡¯s life was much worse than her own, and for some reason, she felt very refreshed. ¡°Ah, you¡¯ll only fetch a few coins by selling vegetables. Madam, I remember that you are a Rank 1 cultivator, so why did you only grow vegetables? Mu Wanwan kept the smile on her face, not wanting to pay any attention to her, and just said, ¡°Can I go out today?¡± Fuyu looked at her mockingly for a few moments before calling out to the courtyard, ¡°Hongye, are you done yet? Come here.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Disorderly footsteps rang out, and Hongye soon came out from the courtyard. Only, there was still some unpleasant-smelling blood on her hands, and a few black and white feathers stuck on them, making one wonder what she was doing just now. ¡°Ah, Madam is here too.¡± Hongye smiled at Mu Wanwan. ¡°Stop grinning like a fool. Quickly, check the records¡ª is Madam allowed to go out today?¡± Fuliu said impatiently. Hongye, however, waved her hand, ¡°I remember the dates. Madam can¡¯t go out until tomorrow.¡± Mu Wanwan nodded, ¡°Then I¡¯ll come back tomorrow morning.¡± Having said that, she turned to leave, but was met with a guard who came out from the side, carrying a basket in his arms. At one glance, she saw that the basket was full of black and white feather balls. The smell of blood was sharp and pungent, and there was even blood dripping down from the bottom of the basket. There was a bad feeling in her heart. Mu Wanwan saw the guard bow to her. She nodded at him, and when they passed each other, she could clearly see what was in the basket¡ª¡ª It was a pile of feather balls that had died in a wretched state; amidst the black and white feathers, were pale yellow beaks. No, there was one that wasn¡¯t dead! She saw it move its little wings slightly. Mu Wanwan¡¯s heart jumped. By the time she came back to her senses, she had already stopped the guard. ¡°Madam, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Fuliu noticed her action and stepped forward to ask. ¡°Fuliu, what¡¯s inside this basket?¡± Mu Wanwan pretended to be somewhat embarrassed, ¡°Is it some kind of chick? Can they be eaten?¡± ¡°Chicks?¡± Fuliu froze at first, then laughed uncontrollably. Even Hongye and that guard also laughed out loud. ¡°How are these chicks? They are a kind of tit that lives in the outskirts of our forbidden grounds. Perhaps because of the abundant spiritual energy in the forbidden grounds, they¡¯re bigger than the ones outside, and also rather intelligent¡ªthey¡¯re very fierce.¡± Hongye was a straightforward one, ¡°This time, I heard that Lord Ao Xue wanted to eat fruit when he was in the forbidden grounds, but ended up being chased and pecked by them, so he killed quite a number of them in a fit of anger.¡± ¡°The masters look down at these tits that have little low spiritual power and not much meat, so we servants were given quite a lot.¡± Fuliu was amused by this ignorant madam, so perhaps out of sympathy, when she looked at how thin Mu Wanwan¡¯s cheeks had gotten, she said casually, ¡°Is Madam craving meat? Well, we¡¯ve been given about a dozen or so of them. I¡¯ll give you one to eat then, haha.¡± I was waiting for you to say this, thought Mu Wanwan, and immediately showed a happy expression, ¡°Thank you then, Fuliu. It¡¯s been a long time since I got to eat meat.¡± Fuliu raised her chin proudly, ¡°Hongye, go get the one you just de-feathered and give it to Madam.¡± However, Mu Wanwan shook her head. ¡°Fuliu, may I choose one from this basket myself?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Fuliu was a little surprised. Mu Wanwan explained hurriedly, ¡°I want to pluck the feathers and wash them to make a decorative object.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Fuliu didn¡¯t think much of it and nodded at the guard, ¡°Then, take your time to choose, Madam. I¡¯ll be going back to work.¡± Mu Wanwan smiled at her gratefully. With a straight face, as Hongye and the guard watched, she grabbed the skinny chirp she saw that was still breathing with no tenderness at all, and even deliberately pinched its pale-yellow beak, ¡°Then, I will also be heading back.¡± ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll be waiting for you here tomorrow,¡± said Hongye. Watching as Mu Wanwan¡¯s figure departed somewhat hurriedly, she laughed with the guard. The guard looked at her frail back and shook his head. ¡°How pitiful. After marrying our disabled sovereign, she can¡¯t even get meat to eat.¡± Hongye also nodded in agreement and withdrew her smile. ¡°My sister-in-law is the same. Hmm, that¡¯s not right, after all, my sister-in-law still has her freedom. Thanks to Lord Ao Qin¡¯s kindness, she even received a sum of money as compensation.¡± In addition, although her brother lost all his cultivation, he seemed to have sobered up recently and woken up. He gave all his secret savings to her sister-in-law and was as cowardly as a dog at home every day. Come to think of it, while this madam had the title of the sovereign¡¯s wife, in reality, the servants were living in better conditions than she was. Just one bite of meat was enough to make her in such a hurry. Hong Ye stopped thinking about Mu Wanwan and went back into the courtyard. She still had a lot of feathers to pluck. ¡­¡­ As soon as Mu Wanwan was out of sight, she immediately changed her posture and cupped the skinny chirp in her hand. Feeling the blood that kept flowing from its small wings, she quickened her pace back to the palace. ¡°Chirp......¡± She had just entered the courtyard and bolted the door when she heard the feather ball in her hand call out softly; it was very weak. Mu Wanwan hurried into the room, took one of Mister Long¡¯s elixirs, and briefly treated the skinny chirp¡¯s wounds¡ª¡ª Starting from the end of its left wing, it had been cut all the way by something sharp. Half of its wing was broken, and there was red blood all over its black and white feathers. Mu Wanwan was about to die of heartache. That dragon named Ao Xue, what kind of monster was he? How could he bear to kill such cute feathery creatures? Besides, he even killed so many at a go¡ª and the reason for that was actually because of wanting to eat fruit. After she finished cleaning the little feather ball, she applied some of Mister Long¡¯s medicinal ointment on it, then carefully wrapped the skinny chirp¡¯s little wing in a bit of cloth and tied a bow. After thinking about it, she took a thin string and tied the skinny chirp¡¯s claws up. She had heard that this kind of feather ball had very strong tempers. She wanted to wait for it to heal before sending it away. Mu Wanwan combed through the skinny chirp¡¯s feathers carefully and said painfully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I had no way to save your friends.¡± When she saw those skinny chirps, some had even been directly cut in half¡ªonly this one was lucky enough. She thought she wouldn¡¯t be getting any response. However, unexpectedly, after she finished speaking, the feather ball in her hand lifted the other uninjured little wing, brushed her palm lightly, and let out a weak chirp. It was simply too heartbreaking. Mu Wanwan suddenly felt that the loss of Mister Long¡¯s furry ears was nothing. Now that she had brought back a feather ball, she would raise the skinny chirp into a big fat chirp in the future. If it wanted to leave, she would let it leave. With a hint of a smile on her face, Mu Wanwan touched the feather ball¡¯s little head gently, ¡°Little cutie, let¡¯s live well from now on.¡± CH 72 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 72 Thirty-five Dragons (1) After she finished applying medicine on the little feather ball, it folded its little wings, gave a couple of weak chirps, then laid down on the little handkerchief Mu Wanwan spread out for it. Covered with some scrap fabric, it fell asleep quietly. It really was obedient. Smitten, Mu Wanwan reached out a finger and touched the little patch of white feathers on its little head¡ª it was so soft, and yet so fragile. The feather ball¡¯s body was black, grey, and white; its tail feathers were somewhat long, and it looked like it was wearing a little black vest. There were white feathers on the top of its head and around its neck, making it seem as if it were wearing a little scarf. Its beak was a soft yellow, and it was really cute. The featherball really was very thin. Barely the size of her palm, it seemed to be a very young bird. Also, with its docile and clingy manner just now, and its small body and tiny beak, it should be a male mountain sparrow? Mu Wanwan¡¯s heart gave a squeeze. She stroked its head gently with her fingertip, "Shall I call you Mengmeng from now on?" She was actually rubbish at naming things; the few names she thought of for the feather ball were: "Little Black", "Feathers", "Whitey", "Birdie", "Mengmeng1"¡­ Looking at those options, it seemed that Mengmeng sounded the best. It was so small and soft¡ª when its wounds healed, she would feed it till it became fatter and grew more feathers. Wouldn¡¯t it feel really good to touch then? And it would be so cute too. There was a hint of a smile in Mu Wanwan¡¯s eyes. She put the basket away and walked to the bedside to take a look at Mister Long, then lifted the quilt to look at its tail. After ensuring that everything was fine, she got to work. She had slept rather well last night, and there were ample stores of spiritual energy within her. She wanted to take advantage of this last full day she had left before going to the market to quickly cultivate more spiritual plants she could use to exchange for more money. Mu Wanwan took out all the seedlings in the interdimensional pouch2. She spent most of the day cultivating another fifteen seedlings to maturity, and after some thought, decided to keep the remaining two seedlings at home. As such, she had a total of eighty-two mature fruits. Apart from having to feed a dragon, she now also has a featherball to feed, which would use up some of her stock. She would probably only have eighty fruits to sell, but that was a pretty good number too. Mu Wanwan comforted herself with that thought and looked out at the sky. It was already almost dark, and thankfully, there was no rain. For the past few days, she had stopped having three meals a day. One reason was because Mister Long kept throwing up blood a few days ago and she had to take care of him. The other reason was that after having been promoted to the next rank, she no longer got hungry as easily as she did when she was Rank 1. Time flew when she trained, and an hour would go by before she knew it. Cooking took a lot of time. However, Mu Wanwan still maintained the habit of eating at least two meals a day¡ª breakfast and dinner were a must. The last of the spiritual rice had been eaten yesterday, so even if she had no more spiritual rice to feed the dragon with, she had to give him spiritual fruit. Mu Wanwan still remembered Mister Long¡¯s state when his tail rotted because of the lack of spiritual energy last time. She rubbed her shoulders which were slightly aching from having sat too long, then stood up and headed to the kitchen. She was going to cook something for the little feather ball and herself. As for Mister Long, she didn¡¯t dare to give him regular rice in lieu of spiritual rice, so she would just feed him two Baizhen fruits later. Hence, when night gradually fell, Mister Long, who woke up after much effort and hurriedly sent this spiritual consciousness out, was met with this scene¡ª¡ª His wife wasn¡¯t sitting by his bedside as usual, but was at the table that was a little distance away. On the table were a simple dish of stir-fried vegetables, a bowl of white rice, and two spiritual fruits. There was a smile on her face, and she seemed to be gently caressing something with her right hand. Mister Long could even hear a somewhat delicate chirping sound. Mister Long was stunned, and only regained his senses after some time. His spiritual consciousness circled around and finally saw the little thing that she kept caressing so gently¡ª¡ª W-wasn¡¯t this one of those long-tailed tits of the forbidden grounds that were not even at Rank 1 but very ferocious? Why was one here in his and his wife¡¯s room? Before he had time to process this question, Mister Long heard his wife who usually spoke very little say in a very gentle voice¡ª¡ª "Mengmeng, do you like this?" Mu Wanwan stroked the feather ball happily, then punctured a Baizhen grass fruit, squeezed a little onto her finger and brought it to the skinny bird¡¯s beak. She watched as it ate with great difficulty; its soft yellow beak pecked at her fingertip, and it looked so very obedient. Mister Long felt sour¡ª as sour as a lemon. He had only been unconscious for a day, and his wife had a new feather ball. And she was even calling it Mengmeng when she wouldn¡¯t call him ¡°husband.¡± Mister Long retracted his spiritual consciousness and pretended that he didn¡¯t care at all¡ª but his lips were very tightly pursed. "Mengmeng is a little princess. When I go to the market tomorrow, I¡¯ll buy some scrap fabric to make you a prettier cushion," said Mu Wanwan softly. In the quiet room, her voice, together with the occasional chirps, were like knives, stabbing into Mister Long¡¯s heart. After all this time, she had never given him anything like a love token¡ª he wondered if last night¡¯s pouch counted as one¡ª yet now, she was going to make a cushion for a little tit. Moreover, he had just swept that tit with his spiritual consciousness just now. Who said it was female? It was clearly a shameless male bird. Mister Long told himself not to be bothered by a bird whose spiritual intelligence wasn¡¯t even unlocked. He just closed his eyes and waited quietly. But after waiting for a long time, what he received was the sound of her pushing the door open and leaving. Mister Long couldn¡¯t quite describe what he was feeling; his eyes stung¡ª¡ª He was aware of it¡ª that he didn¡¯t really have an important place in her heart. Perhaps, he wasn¡¯t even as important as a little tit. ¡ª¡ªIf Mu Wanwan knew that a certain dragon was actually thinking such thoughts, she would have died from the injustice. Her hands had gotten dirty from feeding the feather ball and she only wanted to go out to wash them before coming back to feed the dragon! Footnote: 1 Mengmeng: This is an informal Chinese colloquialism for ¡¯cute¡¯/ ¡¯cutie¡¯, but I chose to transliterate it as Mengmeng instead of calling it Cutie to retain the overall tone of the setting and the world. 2 Interdimensional pouch: Previously translated as ¡¯Universe pouch¡¯, I¡¯ve decided to translate it as ¡¯interdimensional pouch¡¯ as it conveys the pouch¡¯s properties better. CH 73 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 73 Thirty-five Dragons (2) "Chirp!" Perhaps because it had eaten some spiritual fruit, Mengmeng was a little more spirited. Lying on the cushion, it looked at Mu Wanwan with its shiny eyes and chirped energetically. Mu Wanwan was in a good mood, but she still had to feed the dragon, so she did not go to touch the little feather ball. "Chirp..." Perhaps because Mu Wanwan had left it so easily, Mengmeng was a little disappointed, and let out a small chirp. "Be good, I¡¯ll come to stroke you later," Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t help but say. She also really wanted to streak the feathery creature! Despite having retracted his divine consciousness very childishly, Mister Long, who had been paying close attention to the goings-on in the room, heard the conversation between the person and the tit, and finally thought in the right direction for once¡ª¡ª Stroke? Stroke the featherball? Apart from acting cute with its feathers, what good is that kind of tit for? thought Mister Long dismissively, but suddenly, a flash sparked in mind as he grasped the crux of the matter. Did his wife like fluffy things? Mister Long thought about how she had laid under the covers last night, asking expectantly if she could touch his ears, and the tip of his heart burned. If he revealed his ears, would his wife drive this chirp away? But those ears were really profanely sensitive¡ªthe couple of rubs yesterday were enough to make him feel like he was about to die. Mister Long was still thinking when his chin was pinched, and his nose caught the familiar scent of Bixing grass fruit. Mister Long swallowed cooperatively, and when her fingertips brushed his lips occasionally, he felt himself tremble all over, his blood blistering. After feeding the dragon, Mu Wanwan wiped away the juice from his lips in a practised manner and habitually looked at the top of his head. She let out a little disappointed sigh, then went out to wash the dishes and warm up water for a bath. Only a dragon who was still looking forward to some kind of contact with his wife and a little chirp were left¡ª the room fell quiet instantly. Mister Long¡¯s divine consciousness swept across the little chirp repeatedly. Seeing that it looked like it was about to die from pain, he did not really do anything to it, and just stared at its fluffy little body with his divine consciousness and fell into deep thought. This time, he was awake until she returned after her bath with some water. "Time for bed." With her hair draping down, Mu Wanwan wrung out a hot and damp handkerchief, knelt by the bed and wiped Mister Long¡¯s face gently with the hot handkerchief, across his eyes, from his forehead all the way to his chin, in a very light motion. Mister Long¡¯s entire face was reddened by the heat. He knew she cleaned him every day, but he still couldn¡¯t get used to it when he was awake. Mu Wanwan spread out the bedding, and after thinking about it, fetched the featherball to the bedside table. Then, she took some materials, plumped up a pillow and put out most of the lights, preparing to make a featherball purse in bed. As the weather was getting colder, sitting on the stool was very cold. She sat on the bed and started embroidering slowly. Mengmeng was probably tired and nestled into a ball with its eyes closed, making it look a little fatter than when it was awake. With a smile in her eyes, she looked up at the feather ball from time to time. Mister Long had been waiting for a long time, and finally waited until his wife sat on the bed. Seeing her take out a similar blue purse, he thought she was perfecting the one from last night, and he felt a little smug. However, in the next second when his divine consciousness swept across the purse, his heart wrenched¡ª She was embroidering that chirp, and not his horns and ears as he had thought. When an unspeakable sourness in his chest, Mister Long waited for a very long time, so long that the curse was about to retaliate, but he did not even receive a glance from Mu Wanwan. He gave in. Before passing out, he twitched his pair of fluffy ears that he had deliberately tucked away¡ª Wasn¡¯t it just fluffiness? He had that too. When Mu Wanwan was tired from embroidering and ready to sleep, she saw a certain dragon¡¯s furry ears that she had been feeling regretful about. She rubbed her eyes several times to make sure she wasn¡¯t mistaken, then couldn¡¯t help but gently touch his ears to make sure it wasn¡¯t her illusion¡ª Could it be that Mister Long¡¯s injuries made his half-dragon state very unstable, so his ears appeared one moment and disappeared the next? Mu Wanwan smiled and did not dwell on it. She blew out the light, listened to his breathing which had become much calmer than when she first transmigrated here, and fell asleep at ease. Early next morning, Mu Wanwan hastened to deal with the housework, fed Mister Long a Baizhen fruit, put the peel with some pulp next to Mengmeng, then hurriedly put on her pack basket, locked the door, and left. She had just stepped out when she saw Hongye coming over with the ox cart. After exchanging greetings, Mu Wanwan got on the ox cart and set off. After quietly exiting the Tyrant¡¯s manor and the enchantment, Hongye was no longer so nervous, and chatted with her as usual, "Is Madam going to the elven market today as well? Also, how did the tit taste? Not bad, right? CH 74 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 74 Thirty-six Dragons (1) Mu Wanwan was silent for a second when she heard Hongye''s words. She thought of the cute and skinny chirp at home, and said, "It''s not bad. It tastes quite fresh." "Yes, it does. But it''s a common thing after all, so it contains a fair bit of impurities. It''s better to have it just once in a well." After Hongye finished speaking, she added excitedly, "Madam, after I de-feathered all the tits yesterday, I sent a few to Supervisor Chen at the edge of the forbidden grounds. Guess who I saw?" Mu Wanwan frowned, "Bai Shuiyao?" "Haha, yes," Hongye smiled, delighting in her misfortune. "She''s not at all as stuck up as she used to when she was with my brother. When I was there yesterday, she was watering the vegetable garden, wearing coarse clothes and looking all bedraggled. "I think she was lying when she said she had some kind of treasure back then." Mu Wanwan listened to Hongye but did not answer. She reckoned that Mu Shan might have given Bai Shuiyao some treasures, but they were surely not of a very high level. Otherwise, with Bai Shuiyao''s temperament, she should have turned things around by now. However, her biggest backing was not the treasure from Father Mu, but the halo she had as the female protagonist. Mu Wanwan was a little thankful that the place at the forbidden grounds where Bai Shuiyao had been punished had only women. The person-in-charge, Supervisor Chen, was also a tough one, and had Bai Shuiyao firmly under her thumb. After all, as long as there were men, there would be room for Bai Shuiyao to utilise her halo as an R-rated novel''s female protagonist. Seeing that Mu Wanwan wasn''t speaking, Hongye thought she wasn''t interested in this topic, so she did not continue. The two headed to the elven market in silence, and parted ways as before. After agreeing on the time to head back, Mu Wanwan paid the entry fee and headed into the marketplace with her basket. She didn''t set off very early today, so by the time she got to the market, there were already many people there. After thinking about it, Mu Wanwan decided to find a place where the flow of traffic was decent to sell the vegetables first. However, as there were a lot of people today, she couldn''t find an empty spot despite searching for quite a while. Mu Wanwan sighed and decided to forget about it. She would give all the vegetables to Uncle Zong then. Smelling the aroma of all kinds of food as she walked, she came to a less crowded alley. When Mu Wanwan reached the entrance of his shop, she saw that the door was half-open and could vaguely hear the sound of arguing coming from inside. "Brother, why are you being so obstinate!" "When has it become your place to mind my business?" Accidentally overhearing a little of the exchange, Mu Wanwan felt that she hadn''t come at the right time. She turned around to leave, deciding to come back later. However, she hadn''t taken more than a few steps when she saw a tall, angry beastman exiting and slamming the door. He looked somewhat like Uncle Zong, only younger, and also with three beast stripes on his forehead. When he passed Mu Wanwan, he even gave her a fierce glare. Mu Wanwan pretended that she was just passing by and didn''t go directly into Uncle Zong''s shop. After the beastman was far away, she turned back and knocked on the door of Uncle Zong''s shop. "Go away, we''re not open today." Uncle Zong was obviously angry. His head was lowered in thought, and his face was ominous and battered, telling her to scram without even looking to see who it was. Mu Wanwan was a little speechless, and thought Uncle Zong must be relying on the fact that he was almost at rank 4 and pretty powerful, even among the eleves, which was why he dared to be so fierce. She said a little resignedly, "Uncle Zong, it''s me." As soon as her voice rang out, Uncle Zong froze momentarily, then looked up joyously. "It''s you!" Mu Wanwan set her basket down. "Uncle Zong, have you forgotten about me?" Uncle Zong went on, "You''re finally here, you''re finally here." Mu Wanwan felt that there was something not quite right about how excited he was. Through her veiled hat, she saw the beastman jump to his feet and stare at her with almost blood-shot eyes, "Have you brought the Bixing grass fruits?" Mu Wanwan didn''t know what was wrong with him, but she did not dawdle. She retrieved her interdimensional pouch straightway and took out the Bixing grass fruits and Baizhen fruits that she''d packed last night and placed them on the table in front of Uncle Zong. Uncle Zong couldn''t hide his joy. He grabbed a handful of Bixing grass fruits and Baizhen fruits, gave her a deep look, then immediately lifted the curtain and left. Mu Wanwan was not stupid, and could probably guess a little of the situation¡ª Had Yun''er''s health deteriorated again in the past few days? That beastman just now was Uncle Zong''s younger brother, and according to the content of the quarrel, it was highly likely that Uncle Zong had done something again for Yun''er these few days, and his younger brother couldn''t stand to just watch any more. Mu Wanwan sighed with emotion. Uncle Zong was really a very devoted beastman. Compared to the original body''s scumbag father, he was the complete opposite. When Mister Long fell and the Mu family was implicated, Mu Shan decisively sacrificed his two daughters as pawns in order to cross over to Ao Qin''s side. Although Bai Shuiyao always went on about how much Mu Shan loved her, that was only in comparison with Mu Wanwan. What Mu Shan loved most was himself. It was impossible for him to go all out for his lover like Uncle Zong. This wasn''t Mu Wanwan''s first time at Uncle Zong''s. Estimating that the waiting time would be a little long this time, she found a stool and sat down, then began to observe the spiritual plants and seeds on the two rows of shelves. She thought she would look at the seeds Uncle Zong had first, so it wouldn''t take too much time later. CH 75 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 75 Thirty-six Dragons (2) Mu Wanwan had already thought about it. After today, the temperatures would probably decline steadily, and she was now also raising a feather ball in the bedchamber. She had to buy some heating stones, as well as thick clothes. The clothes she had on now were a little too thin. She also wanted to raise some spiritual chickens and the like. Looking at the wooden shelves in Uncle Zong''s shop, Mu Wanwan was a little surprised to find that most of the compartments that were full when she was here the last time were now empty, and the rest were filled with plants that didn''t have much value, like burning grass that weren''t even at Grade 1. There were relatively more seeds, but also not much. Have they all been sold? Mu Wanwan speculated. After waiting for about a quarter of an hour, Uncle Zong came out from behind the curtain, looking as though a great load had been lifted. Mu Wanwan hadn''t noticed just now that under his eyes were all blue and black, with even a little bit of red; he was probably extremely tired. "You''ve really helped me out big time." Uncle Zong''s voice was a little hoarse, "Thank you." Mu Wanwan waved her hand. "You''re welcome, Uncle Zong." "Hah..." Uncle Zong sighed. The strong beastman, at that moment, seemed to be at his wit¡¯s end. He stepped forward and closed the door of the shop, then said softly, "You saw a beastman leave when you came, right?" Mu Wanwan nodded, "Yes." Uncle Zong smiled bitterly, "I won''t keep it from you." "He''s my younger brother. He came this time to persuade me to give up Yun''er." Uncle Zong clenched his fists, "After you went back the last time, the Bixing grass fruits you left were very effective. She was conscious for a longer time, and even the beast patterns on her back that were about to disappear had darkened a little. I thought at first that Yun''er was about to recover." Uncle Zong''s eyes flashed with hatred, "But who knew¡ª that curse... That damned witch tribe!" The beast patterns on Uncle Zong''s forehead flashed, his veins protruding, "I thought¡ª I thought he was just an ordinary Rank 4 witch, and his curse would drain Yun''er''s talent once at the most. But who knew, I''d underestimated the viciousness of the curse, and also underestimated the rank of that witch. The day after Yun''er''s beast patterns just regained a trace of vitality, she was drained of her talent again." Mu Wanwan listened with trepidation and couldn''t resist saying, "How could there be such a curse?" Uncle Zong seemed to have aged a lot, "It''s all my fault, it''s all my fault. I know she wanted children, but it''s very difficult for two strong beastmen to conceive. After so many decades, I thought she had already given up, and I also think it''s fine to not have children..." Uncle Zong couldn''t continue, but Mu Wanwan had also combined what he''d just said with the curse to guess what he wanted to express¡ª For the sake of having a child, Yun''er was tricked by the witch tribe and got cursed. "The spiritual plants you gave ran out a few days ago, and she started to suffer again. I''ve almost sold everything I have to help her pull through to this point." Uncle Zong wiped his face. "It''s my fault. It never crossed my mind that my younger brother had always been thinking that he could inherit the assets I''d fought tooth and nail for as I have no children." Uncle Zong sneered, "Seeing that I''ve been entering the auction house so frequently these days, he got anxious and came to argue with me." Mu Wanwan''s brows wrinkled, "So, is Aunt Yun''er feeling better now?" Uncle Zong calmed down a little and said, "She''s better. The spiritual plants you''ve cultivated are very effective, and also seem to be able to reduce the effect of the curse. She woke up after eating a little just now." Mu Wanwan glanced at Uncle Zong. She was sympathetic, but there was nothing she could do. With her current limited abilities, she could only try to cultivate as many spiritual plants as possible. After all, Uncle Zong''s situation was similar to hers. In fact, when she thought about it, if Mister Long were dying, she would surely not be able to just stand by and do nothing, and would probably go all out to help him. Thinking about it this way, Mu Wanwan was a little anxious. Uncle Zong was a Rank 3 powerhouse¡ª almost at rank 4. It was because he had saved many treasures from all his years of braving countless dangers that he was able to help his lover out now. As for her, she had nothing¡ª if anything happened to Mister Long, she could probably only watch on. At the thought of that, Mu Wanwan couldn''t help but sigh, but that eased the atmosphere. Uncle Zong smiled. "Sigh! I''m telling you so much because I''d like you to cultivate more spiritual plants in the future. You seem to have advanced in rank, right?" Mu Wanwan knew she couldn''t hide it from Uncle Zong, so she didn''t try. "Uncle Zong, I came this time to talk to you about getting some Grade 2 seeds." Uncle Zong nodded. "Grade 2 Baizhen fruit and Bixing grass fruit are more nourishing." Uncle Zong did not hesitate; he also knew about Mu Wanwan''s difficulties. He took out two bags of seeds and handed them to her. After thinking about it, he took out four medium-grade spirit stones and ten-odd low-grade spirit stones from his interdimensional pouch and handed them to her. Mu Wanwan was a little startled and hurriedly waved her hand, "Uncle Zong, you''re giving too much." The rugged lion beastman smiled instead, "Spiritual fruit like yours that can relieve the effects of curses are rare on this continent. All this time, you''ve been willing to sell them to me, making me the one who has taken advantage of you. I have never liked taking advantage of others." Uncle Zong looked at her with his brown eyes, "The spiritual fruits you''ve brought this time are much more important to me than this money." CH 76 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 76 Thirty-seven Dragons (1) Since Uncle Zong put it that way, Mu Wanwan stopped refusing. She was also in great need of spirit stones now. There was no more ginseng to save Mister Long''s life with at home, and she was really worried. Moreover, she still didn¡¯t know what kinds of injuries Mister Long suffered from to date. Learning from Uncle Zong saying that Aunt Yun''er had been cursed, she combined that information with how Mister Long single-handedly took on the leaders of the seven races in the original book, and the evil black and red lines on his face, and thought that he might also have been cursed. Mu Wanwan frowned, Aunt Yun''er was only struck with a Rank 4¡ªat the most Rank 5¡ª curse, and was already in such a miserable state. The pain that Mister Long was suffering might be greater than she thought. Moreover, winter was approaching, and she needed money to buy heating stones and cotton-padded clothes. She was still making money too slowly now, and didn¡¯t have the ability to resist pressure. What worried her the most was not poverty. It wasn¡¯t loneliness either. After all, she was used to being alone. Now that she had a dragon and a little chirp, she was only worried that someone would come to pick a fight. In the original book, after Ao Qin and Bai Shuiyao hooked up, he would come to humiliate Mister Long from time to time. Now that he hadn¡¯t come, it might be simply because he had no time after having just taken over Mister Long¡¯s authority. When things settled down and he had the time, she and Mister Long and might no longer have any good days. Before that happened, she must prepare some items in case of emergency. Mu Wanwan was preoccupied with a little too many thoughts, and after a moment of silence, Uncle Zong spoke first, "Lassie, I''m afraid I¡¯ll only be here a couple of days after this time next month. How about coming a bit later next time?¡± Mu Wanwan was a little surprised, " Where are you going, Uncle Zong?" Uncle Zong''s expression was complicated, and hope flashed in his eyes, "There will be an auction at the dragons¡¯ market on the third of next month. I heard that there might be Jinjiang grass, so I want to go try my luck." "Jinjiang Grass?" asked Mu Wanwan, wondering if she had misheard. "Yes," Uncle Zong nodded. "It''s a kind of spiritual grass that can dispel demonic aura and curses. It''s very rare and very expensive. If I''m lucky enough to buy one, perhaps Yun''er will be saved. "Even if there is no Jinjiang grass, I heard that there will be a batch of medicinal herbs for sale. If I¡¯m lucky I might be able to get a Condensed Snow Pill. It¡¯s something that¡¯s good for both beastmen and daemons.¡± Uncle Zong sighed, "I just don''t know what the grade and price would be. I hope it won''t be too expensive." As soon as he said the Condensed Snow Pill was good for both beastmen and daemons, Mu Wanwan¡¯s heart jolted¡ª Although the dragon race was very powerful and occupied the largest territory in the continent, strictly speaking, they could also be said to be daemons too. A Snow Condensation Pill that was good for daemons might be useful for Mister Long as well. If she could get the Snow Condensation Pill, would that mean that he would suffer less? At the very least, if he vomited blood again, she could use it to save his life. At this thought, even though she felt embarrassed, Mu Wanwan still opened her mouth, "Uncle Zong, I have an presumptuous request." Uncle Zong raised his eyebrows, "Go on.¡± Mu Wanwan deliberated over her words, "Uncle Zong, if you manage to buy extra Jinjiang grass or Snow Condensation Pills, can you keep some aside for me? Although I don''t have the money now, I will definitely pay you back.¡± When she finished, her face was a little red. It wouldn¡¯t be wrong to call her out for going too far. Uncle Zong was already so good to her, and didn¡¯t owe her anything. He also had an invalid to take care of, and things were not easy for him as well, so why should he help her? Uncle Zong was momentarily stunned, then pondered for a moment and said without rejecting her straightaway, "It depends on whether the auction is for the seeds of Jinjiang grass or already matured plants. If it¡¯s the former, I¡¯m afraid I will have to ask you to help cultivate them.¡± Mu Wanwan was taken aback, "Do Jinjiang grass have no grade?" Uncle Zong said, "No, but they are very difficult to cultivate, and the prices for the seeds and that of the mature plants are also worlds apart.¡± Mu Wanwan nodded. "I can give it a try." Her spiritual power should be relatively special, so she might be able to cultivate them successfully. Uncle Zong nodded, then talked to her some more about the auction. The two agreed on when they would meet next time, and Mu Wanwan exchanged a few low-grade spirit stones for gold and silver coins as before. After reassuring Uncle Zong that she would come with enough spirit fruits next time, she left with the spirit stones and seeds. As she walked away, Mu Wanwan looked back at Uncle Zong, who was sitting silently in front of the shop¡ª The beastman was no longer young. The corners of his eyes were wrinkled, his broad palms were rough, and his nails were a little cracked. He was resting his chin in one hand, and his beast patterns faded in and out. There was something hidden in his brown eyes, but when he met her gaze, he immediately retracted his sorrow and grinned. Mu Wanwan even saw a trace of ingratiation. Mu Wanwan suddenly felt a little ache in her heart. She turned her head and stopped looking at Uncle Zong''s expression, squeezing the coins in her hand tightly. To go through weal and woe, and stick together through sickness and sorrow¡ª how many people could actually manage to do that? Mu Wanwan admitted that she was a little envious. Thinking of the comatose dragon at home, her feelings became even more complicated. At first, she only thought about taking care of him, and would leave when he woke up, but now, things seem to have changed somehow. CH 77 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 77 Thirty-seven Dragons (2) Mu Wanwan stopped thinking about this problem and started to procure things according to the needs of the household. She thought that she should spend more affection on the skinny chirp, so that if Mister Long really got rid of her in the future, she could also have Mengmeng¡¯s company to depend on. This time, she mainly needed to replenish the spiritual rice and buy heating stones. By the time Mu Wanwan finished shopping, it was still very early. Looking at the time, she decided to try selling the purses she had made in the past couple of days to see if she could make some money. She went back to the shop where she had bought the scrap fabric and thread the other time, and sold the two purses for 20 copper coins. Although it wasn¡¯t much, she was still quite pleased. She bought more fabric and thread with the copper coins and placed them in her pack basket as a front, then headed off to buy some chicks to raise in the yard. Mu Wanwan thought about it and walked towards the place where she had bought eggs last time. But when she passed a dark alley, the sound of children laughing came to her ears¡ª "Here to sell vegetables again? Don''t think that just because you¡¯re an elf and don''t have to pay an entrance fee, you can come here every day." "No one will buy your vegetables! Papa said that your entire family are bad elves who have been cursed.¡± Mu Wanwan frowned and raised her eyes to see a familiar little figure¡ª it was Lan''er . Presently, she was surrounded by a group of beautiful elven children and beastmen cubs, clinging to her large pack basket tightly. The colour of the birthmark on her face had not lightened, and her blue eyes were terrifyingly bright. Mu Wanwan had also seen the little elf that was leading the gang before. It was the beautiful girl from the rouge shop. However, her lovely face was full of disgust, "Don''t set up your stall at the back of our shop next time. The customers have all run away! If it wasn¡¯t because your Mama saved my Mama before, we wouldn¡¯t even rent the house to you!¡± With every word she said, Lan''er''s eyes dimmed a little. Mu Wanwan¡¯s heart suddenly ignited with flames, "What are you doing?" She walked into the alley, and the children exchanged looks. The little girl who was leading the pack pouted and muttered in a low voice, "Busybody." Mu Wanwan raised her eyebrows. She was already prepared for a three-hundred round battle with the naughty kids, but the little girl made a face at her in a very ladylike manner and ran away. Mu Wanwan: "..." When the other children saw her run away, they all dispersed as well. Soon, only Mu Wanwan and Lan''er were left in the alley. "Senior?" Lan''er asked a little uncertainly while hugging her pack basket. Mu Wanwan nodded and wanted to pull her up from the ground, but when she stepped forward, she found that Lan¡¯er¡¯s ankles were covered with wounds and bloodied scabs, as if they had been cut by something sharp. "Why didn¡¯t you fight back when they bullied you?" At the sight of the wounds, Mu Wanwan couldn''t hold back her anger. Lan''er bit her lip, shook her head, and said nothing. Mu Wanwan froze for a moment, sighed, then reached out to rub Lan¡¯er¡¯s head. "Where''s your brother?" Inwardly, she blamed Feng a little. If he were here, those arrogant children wouldn''t have gone so far. Unexpectedly, as soon as she finished speaking, Lan''er burst into tears. "Brother is sick." Mu Wanwan glanced at the tattered vegetables in her pack basket and sighed. "Get up first, and tell me about it.¡± Lan''er hung her head and stood up. "Thank you, senior." After thinking for a moment, Mu Wanwan asked, "Have you run out of money?" A look of struggle flashed in Lan¡¯er¡¯s eyes. "We paid the rent with the spirit stone you gave us last time. My brother and I can live on what we get by selling vegetables, but Brother suddenly fell ill...¡± Mu Wanwan hesitated, then fished out a few silver coins from her pocket. "I¡¯m buying your vegetables. You¡¯ll have to depend on yourselves after that.¡± Last time, she had given them a spirit stone in exchange for their kindness in showing her around, but this time, it was out of sympathy. Although a few silver coins were not much, it could last for a while if used sparingly. This was as much as she could help. Lan''er cried very hard as she received the coins. Mu Wanwan saw that her arms were also covered with wounds that were similar to those on her ankles. "Thank you, Senior, thank you." Lan''er was a little incoherent, and said pleadingly with tear-filled blue eyes, "Can I give you a hug?" Without thinking much about it, Mu Wanwan bent over and picked up the pitiful, unblessed little girl. Contrary to her small and skinny frame, carrying her made her feel surprisingly a little dizzy. But the dizzy feeling only lasted for a moment, and Mu Wanwan thought it was her own illusion. Feeling the tight grip of the child in her arms, her voice softened, "There there, everything¡¯s fine now.¡± Lan¡¯er slowly loosened her grip on her clothes, her heart filled with guilt and struggle. "It''s alright now." Mu Wanwan put the person down and rubbed her head, "Well, I¡¯ll be taking the vegetables, then. Do you need me to take you home?" Lan''er wiped away her tears, bit her lip, and shook her head. Mu Wanwan smiled lightly, and tipped the somewhat limp vegetables into her pack basket. "Then, I¡¯m off.¡± Lan''er nodded, hugged her basket, and watched her leave. Only when Mu Wanwan was far away did she slowly stand up; blood oozed from the wounds on her ankles because of her movements. But Lan''er seemed to feel no pain. Putting on the pack basket, she clutched the silver coins with a deathly grip, and limped away. CH 78 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 78 Thirty-seven Dragons (3) She didn''t know how she endured the pain on the way back, but when she opened the door and saw her brother, who was knocked unconscious and tied up, and that Gold Dragon guard who was leisurely drinking tea, her eyes turned red instantly. "I''ve already given her the hallucinogenic weed. Let my brother go." "Oh." Jin Qiang nodded, stood up, walked to her side, and looked down at her condescendingly while squeezing her shoulder with such force that she cried out in pain. "Stop screaming. Let me check." Jin Qiang was very unhappy and gave Lan¡¯er a fierce glare. After making sure that the hallucinogenic weed that was previously placed on her had been used, he tossed her impatiently to Feng''s side. Lan¡¯er fell to the ground on her back, scraping a large area of skin, and held back from crying in pain. "When will she enter the dream?" Jin Qiang asked. Enduring the pain, Lan¡¯er said, "She will definitely enter the dream within three days.¡± "What a piece of trash," Jin Qiang gave her a kick. Looking at the siblings¡¯ wretched state, he snorted, "I¡¯ll keep you two alive for now." At that, he summoned his spirit cloud and left. He, Jin Qiang, was just a very ordinary young dragon of the Golden Dragon clan. He had only just reached Rank 3, and was just a few decades old. This time, he was lucky enough to grab the order issued by Senior Jin Yan. As long as a human woman was under the effects of a Grade 3 hallucinogenic weed, it was simply too easy. It¡¯s just that the effects of this hallucinogenic weed was better when used by elves. However, as he didn¡¯t have much foundation and couldn¡¯t bully the powerful elves, he could only pick on the weak¡ª Lan¡¯er and her brother were just the right fit. Keeping them alive was also for the ease of using them just in case there would be any other tasks next time. Travelling on his cloud, Jin Qiang secretly counted the days, planning to look for Senior Jin Yan in three days. He even began to imagine how he would gain Senior Jin Yan¡¯s appreciation after everything went well, and from there on, he would embark on the peak of a smooth-sailing life. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Mu Wanwan had not the slightest inkling that she had been set up. Even after they left the market and returned to the tyrant¡¯s abode, she was still feeling a little emotional. The cruelty of this world was so prevalent¡ª even the elves, who had the reputation of being the most good-natured in this continent, had a dark side like this. She was a little afraid to think about the life Mister Long led when he was young. Observing that Mu Wanwan¡¯s mind was elsewhere, Hongye glanced at the clothes on her body that had been dirtied by Lan''er, then looked at the limp and tattered vegetables in her pack basket that were still vibrant and fresh before she entered the market. She automatically made up a drama about Madam being bullied, and considerately kept quiet. She was heading back early this time. The weather was fine, and it didn''t rain. The ox cart was not slow, and by the time she said goodbye to Hongye and returned to her familiar little courtyard, only half a day had passed. Mu Wanwan locked the courtyard door, put the pack basket in the yard, and pushed open the door of the room¡ª "Chirp!" As soon as she entered, Mengmeng, who had regained some vitality, launched a tweet attack at her. Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t help breaking into a smile. She touched its fluffy little neck and enjoyed the little featherball¡¯s affectionate rubbing, feeling that the heartache and fatigue of the morning had been much lessened. After rubbing the feathery chirp, Mu Wanwan drank some water and rested for a bit before walking to the bedside. She looked worriedly at the black and red lines on Mister Long''s cheeks. According to her observations these days, the black and red lines on Mister Long''s cheeks didn¡¯t always move. Usually, when they did, it was accompanied by other symptoms such as his tail becoming rotten, him vomiting blood, or face becoming deathly pale. She didn''t know before that there was such a possibility that Mister Long was cursed and only thought he had suffered a serious internal injury. But after meeting Uncle Zong today and hearing about the existence of a type of curse that could absorb one¡¯s talent, she gained a new understanding of Mister Long''s injuries. Perhaps, Mister Long had been cursed. With slightly furrowed brows, Mu Wanwan stretched out her hand and stroked the lines on Mister Long''s face bit by bit, then carefully squeezed the furry ears that had appeared again for some reason, and told him what happened today in a soft voice. She wanted to find someone to confide in. Although Mengmeng was very cute, it was just a little bird without spiritual intelligence. So, Mu Wanwan was more still inclined to treat Mister Long as the object of her confidance. "Uncle Zong said that the spiritual fruits I cultivated have the effect of alleviating the curse. I wonder if you are under a curse." As Mu Wanwan spoke, she took out the spirit stones from her pocket and placed it by his pillow. "I''ll change your menu from now on, and give you spiritual fruit to eat every day." A certain dragon who just woke up from the strong surge of spiritual energy and heard this bad news, "......¡± The comatose dragon had no say. Although he was going to have to eat those unpalatable fruits, when he heard that his wife was doing so for his sake, Mister Long¡¯s heart still gave a little leap of joy. His divine consciousness swept across the four mid-grade spirit stones beside his pillow, and his heart ached. He knew that his wife was not one of those very powerful cultivators, and also knew how hard she worked every day. These spirit stones were probably obtained through many days of hard work. Yet, she didn''t keep any of it for herself, and instead, gave them all to him. CH 79 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 79 Thirty-seven Dragons (4) Mister Long pursed his lips. With these spirit stones and his wife¡¯s fruits, he should be able to connect the fourth fragment of his original core. When that happens, he should be able to move. At the very least, he would be able to wake up for more than half an hour every day. It''s just that he hadn¡¯t decided if he wanted to wake up in front of his wife. She would put down her guard in front of the unconscious him, and wasn¡¯t afraid of him, but when he woke up, perhaps his wife would no longer have such an intimate attitude towards him. "Mister Long..." Mu Wanwan called out. Just when Mister Long thought his wife was going to say something else, a clear chirping sound came to his ears¡ª "Chirp~¡± "Chirp chirp~!¡± Mengmeng finished eating its fruit and was lying obediently on the table and looking at Mu Wanwan with eyes like black beans. "Ah, right, it¡¯s time to change Mengmeng''s dressing.¡± Mu Wanwan patted her head. "I almost forgot." The wisp of divine consciousness that Mister Long had just released to look at Mu Wanwan froze in mid-air awkwardly when he heard her. It was that tit again! He was a dragon who held grudges, and still remembered how this feathery tit caused his wife to not even spare him a glance all night yesterday! Mister Long felt aggrieved¡ª she didn¡¯t look at him yesterday, and now that he was awake today and even revealed his furry ears, why was she still touching the tit instead of him? Sure enough, it was because he was too ugly now. Mister Long''s heart darkened for a moment¡ª and in that moment, he even wanted to just swallow this chirp, but soon, he suppressed the thought¡ª He was simply too selfish. If he swallowed the feathery chirp that she could interact with, then what? He was in a coma and recovering from his injuries, and was used to being alone. Was he also going to make her live a tasteless life with a useless dragon and spiritual plants that couldn¡¯t speak? She had already done enough for him. As Mister Long tried hard to convince himself, his divine consciousness revolved around Mu Wanwan. Watching her change the tit¡¯s dressing with a smile, his mood also gradually calmed. As he looked at her slightly curled eyelashes and bright eyes, there was an itchy feeling in his heart. With a red face, he shamelessly slid his divine consciousness from her ears down to her neck. Her collarbones were well-defined, hidden under her clothes. Mister Long''s head began to feel dizzy, and her shoulder, which he accidentally caught a glimpse of, suddenly appeared in his mind, making the dragon stop breathing. However, the sweet suffocation did not last long before he found a small, inconspicuous pattern on Mu Wanwan¡¯s neck. His fingertips trembled violently, and all of Mister Long¡¯s beautiful thoughts dissipated. Hallucinogenic weed. Who had put that hallucinogenic weed on her? Was it those enemies of his that wanted to see him suffer? Name after name flashed through his mind, and Mister Long felt a chill in his heart¡ª Why? He was already like this now, so why did those dragons still refuse to let him off? Why must they employ such a method to make him suffer? Hallucinogenic weed would not cause any harm to the body. Its only effect was to induce one to dream, and it was often used to carry out interrogations. Those under the influence of the hallucinogenic weed would emit an invisible and odorless aura. If the people around her couldn¡¯t resist the effect, they would expose things that might have been repressed by their subconscious to her in a dream. Looking at the mark on Mu Wanwan''s neck, she should be under the influence of a Grade 3 hallucinogenic weed. Only a dragon who could see his soul flame could ascertain his current strength. The dragon who targeted his wife might be aware that his life wasn¡¯t that miserable, so they wanted to make his wife hate him in order to make him suffer. This was probably just a prank to them, just like during his childhood. Mister Long''s eyelashes trembled. Even so, he had to admit that he was scared. If his wife saw his dark past in a dream, would she be afraid of him? Would she hate him? He didn''t know what his subconscious was keeping repressed, but he knew that his hands had never been clean. Those who wanted to kill him, those who betrayed him, those who had insulted him¡­ They were mostly dead. If the things his subconscious did not want to recall were bloodthirsty scenes... If she really came to hate him, what should he do? He knew that her feelings towards him were only that of pity. If she knew that he used to be a vicious dragon, would she hate him? If she saw his original form, would she find him disgusting? Mister Long knew that those dragons had achieved their purpose. They just couldn''t stand to see anyone being kind to him. They wanted to see him suffer, see him embarrassed, and see him anxious. "Mister Long, are you in a lot of pain?" Her voice came to his ears. Mister Long was momentarily dazed, and by the time he came back to his senses, his fingers were already gripping the sheets tightly, and his forehead was covered in a cold sweat. Mu Wanwan was a little worried. She had just finished applying medicine for the feather ball, and when she turned around, Mister Long had a pained expression on his face. His ears were trembling anxiously, and the black and red lines on his face had also begun to move restlessly. She sliced ??the last little piece of ginseng, fed it into his mouth, then sat on the bedside worriedly and whispered, "Please, don''t vomit blood this time, please." She was panic-stricken at the sight of the constantly moving black and red lines on his pale face. If the dragon vomited blood again, there was nothing she could do once the spirit stones were all consumed. On top of that, her next trip out was going to be later than usual. Her unintentional words ignited Mister Long''s hope. Right, if he got injured and vomited blood, would she then forgo sleeping and stay up to take care of him? The effects of a Grade 3 hallucinogenic weed was not strong; as long as they could make it past three days, she would not discover anything. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª The author has something to say: Mister Long: "If my wife finds out that I was a weak, helpless, and pitiful dragon in the past, and sees my ugly original form, she will definitely dislike me and hate me and feel that I am disgusting and abandon me and leave me, turning me into a resentful abandoned dragon." Mu Wanwan: "???" CH 80 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 80 Thirty-eight Dragons (1) - unedited Her soft voice was in his ears, and the ginseng in his mouth had a bitter taste. Mister Long¡¯s spiritual consciousness1 swept past Mu Wanwan¡¯s inconspicuous but visible dark eye circles. He looked at her worried expression and finally landed on her fingers, which were more callused than when he first met her because she had been cultivating spiritual plants to take care of him. His heart felt like it was being roasted¡ª How could he be so selfish to only be thinking about not wanting to lose her care? She was already working very hard, and these spirit stones were all saved by her little by little. Besides, the dragon outside was just playing a prank now. If he didn¡¯t get recover soon, what if they just kill her next time out of boredom? When this thought crossed his mind, Mister Long¡¯s expression grew ugly, and there was even a moment where he was about to be driven mad by this thought. He would absolutely not allow such a thing to happen. Mister Long''s knuckles turned white as he suppressed the fear in his heart; his heart became increasingly uneasy. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Mu Wanwan saw that his complexion was looking worse and worse, dampened a towel to wipe the sweat off his forehead, then touched his fluffy ears with some heartache. She thought about it, then took another Bixing grass fruit, squeezed it in her hand, and forced a smile. ¡°Mister Long, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll work harder and definitely earn more spirit stones the next time I go out. ¡°You won¡¯t be in so much pain, then.¡± Mu Wanwan¡¯s hands shook a little, ¡°Although I feel bad about it, I asked Uncle Zong to see if he can help to get some Jinjiang grass seeds and Condensed Snow Pills. I heard that they are very effective for daemons.¡± Mu Wanwan took a deep breath. Seeing that his face was becoming increasingly distorted, she really was a little panicked. She was truly about to be tortured to death by this dragon¡ª In the beginning, she had only wanted to take care of him so he would let her go after he got well. But she had been alone for two lifetimes. Now that she had someone who was relying on her wholeheartedly, she gradually couldn¡¯t let go of him anymore as she saw him suffer so much pain every time. Each and every one of her words was like gentle knives, causing Mister Long a great deal of agony. He didn¡¯t know how long he struggled before he snapped out of the notion of wanting to hurt himself. His eyes were sore. At this time, he could no longer be wilful. If she learned about the things he didn¡¯t want to recall and hated him as a result, he wouldn¡¯t be in a position to complain. Because that was what he was¡ª he was a deformity, and so was his past. She had already suffered so much by marrying him. If¡ª If she abhorred him¡­ When he woke up¡ª When he woke up¡­ He would be sure to tie her up, lock her up, make her wash and cook for him, not let her go out, nor buy her anything. He would be a scumbag dragon and mate with her with his original form that she despised, and make her lay him a hundred eggs. He would torture her day and night and make her regret that she had ever despised him. Mister Long¡¯s palms were all sweaty. He was embarrassed and in pain, cruel and domineering. Now, he could only do his best to recuperate, and strive to repair the fourth and fifth pieces of his original core in one go. This way, he would have some ability to defend himself. Even if someone wanted to bully her, he could also protect her. Mister Long¡¯s heart squeezed. Not having the heart to torment himself anymore, he retracted his spiritual consciousness and went to absorb spiritual energy aggrievedly. He didn¡¯t even notice that his eyelashes were shamefully stained with a little moisture, shining and bright. Mu Wanwan thought he was crying from pain and her heart ached even more¡ª A once almighty villainous dragon was now in so much pain that he was crying unconsciously. He really was pitiful. She changed the towel on Mister Long¡¯s forehead, waited a while, changed the ginseng slice in his mouth and fed him one Bixing grass fruit, then watched over him for the rest of the afternoon. Only when she saw his complexion gradually improve and there was no sign of him vomiting blood did she breathe a sigh of relief. Thank goodness he didn¡¯t get any worse. ¡°Chirp!¡± Perhaps dissatisfied that Mu Wanwan had been taking care of Mister Long as soon as she came back and didn¡¯t even touch itself, Mengmeng kept chirping. Mu Wanwan was a little resigned. She glanced at the skinny chirp, then at the sky. It was a little late; she had to hurry up and cook, feed the little chirp, wash up, and cultivate plants. Thinking about the things she had to do, Mu Wanwan took the towel off Mister Long¡¯s forehead. Just as she was about to stand up, she was overcome by a pang of dizziness and also felt some pain in her neck. She rubbed her head to catch her breath, but her eyes were still a little fuzzy¡ª Was it because she had been overexerting herself lately? Or was it the after-effects of not sleeping for the past few days? Mu Wanwan sat back and rested for a while, then walked to Mengmeng who was chirping somewhat anxiously. Mengmeng had always been quiet and gentle, but it was acting rather strangely today. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Mengmeng? Is your wing hurting?¡± asked Mu Wanwan. ¡°Chirp!¡± Mengmeng opened its eyes wide and rubbed its little feathery head on her hand rather anxiously. It tickled, and Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t help laughing, ¡°Haha, stop rubbing.¡± ¡°Chirp chirp~¡± Mengmeng¡¯s skinny little body stepped onto Mu Wanwan¡¯s hand, and she fluttered her little wings hard. Mu Wanwan was afraid of hurting it, so she let it do as it wanted on her hand. ¡°Chirp~ ¡° Mengmeng didn¡¯t seem satisfied. It stepped on her hand as if it wanted to go somewhere. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mu Wanwan had no choice but to sit down. She held the featherball carefully in her hands and watched as it shook its little head in a human-like manner, and how it also seemed to have taken a lot of interest in her face. ¡°Hmm?¡± A thought suddenly came to Mu Wanwan¡¯s mind¡ª It was said that the greatest delusion of humankind was that their cat loved them, and the same was true of Mu Wanwan now. Footnotes: 1 spiritual consciousness: Previously translated as ¡°divine consciousness¡±, I¡¯ve decided to go with spiritual consciousness as it¡¯s more fitting. CH 81 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 81 Thirty-eight Dragons (2) - unedited This type of tit was said to have spirituality. Mu Wanwan looked at its cute little ¡°scarf¡± and adorable light-yellow beak, and became narcissistic. She felt that Mengmeng must be very fond of her, and it being so lively must be because it wanted to give her a loving kiss. His gaze softened all at once. Mu Wanwan carefully drew her head close, getting ready to rub against her little chirp. But in the next instant, there was a stabbing pain in her neck. Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t hold back a cry as she resisted the urge to fling the featherball from her hands, her toes curling up in pain. She was dizzy for a moment. She placed the chirp on the table with trembling hands, then reached out to touch the neck that Mengmeng had bitten viciously¡ª Oh god¡ª she had a handful of blood. She was wrong. How could she have thought that the chirp wanted to give her a loving kiss? Mu Wanwan felt like crying. She looked down at Mengmeng and wanted to scold it, but after seeing its pitiful expression and still blood-stained wings, she couldn¡¯t bear to in the end and just sighed resignedly. ¡°You guys, you guys......¡± She was so gloomy that she almost didn¡¯t recover her breath. What kind of sin had she committed to be saddled with such a dragon and such a tit? ¡°Chirp!¡± But the featherball kept chirping as if to gain her favour, and she couldn¡¯t bear to ignore it after hearing its cute chirps. ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯m not mad at you anymore.¡± Mu Wanwan sighed and frowned at it, only to catch a glimpse of it spitting a big mouthful of saliva on the table as if claiming credit for something. Ah! There was even a little of her blood in it. Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t bring herself to look at it, but in the next moment, she noticed that there was an inconspicuous tiny purple leaf in the small pool of saliva. What is this? Mu Wanwan touched her neck with one hand and couldn¡¯t bring herself to be upset anymore. Intuition told her that it wasn¡¯t anything good. ¡°Chirp chirp!¡± The featherball was still chirping nonstop, circling the tiny leaf a few times as if asking for credit. Even if she were a fool, she now realised that the featherball probably hadn¡¯t bitten her on purpose just now. Mu Wanwan looked at the unfamiliar tiny leaf and a chill suddenly went down her spine, feeling a little frightened at what could¡¯ve happened. Frowning, she even felt that her neck didn¡¯t hurt so much anymore. Thinking about it carefully, both the dragon and the featherball were fine before, and they were very quiet when she went out in the morning. So, why was it that the moment she came back in the afternoon, the dragon¡¯s complexion turned ugly, and even the featherball started to act abnormally? Also, there was this purple leaf. She couldn¡¯t tell what it was, which indicated that it must be a plant of a higher rank than her. She didn¡¯t know what this plant did, but it shouldn¡¯t be anything good for it to have been planted in her this way. Besides, based on the reactions of the dragon and the featherball, she must¡¯ve been a target of someone¡¯s schemes when she went out today. Many scenes flashed through her mind, finally stopping at Lan¡¯er¡¯s flashing eyes. There was a little stab in her chest. Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t sit still any longer; she touched the featherball¡¯s head and said hoarsely, ¡°Thank you, Mengmeng.¡± She walked to the box in a daze and took some ointment. After giving herself a simple treatment, she sat next to Mister Long and was silent for a long time. The sky gradually darkened. Mengmeng was probably hungry, and kept chirping and chirping before Mu Wanwan moved. She looked at Mister Long and squeezed her fists tightly. A, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±, seemed to be stuck in her throat, and she couldn¡¯t say it no matter what. The night of late autumn was very cold. Mu Wanwan silently took out the things she bought in the day and sorted them into categories, then took a small bag and kept the tiny purple leaf featherball spat out before going on with the housework. She took out a heating stone she finally bought after earning some money and placed it next to the chirp¡¯s little blanket. Then, she took out the five eggs that could hatch spirit chicks that she had spent a long time haggling to the lowest price. She wrapped the eggs that were much larger than ordinary eggs well and placed them in a basket. After thinking about it, she put two heating stones in it too. After that, Mu Wanwan cooked, fed the dragon, cultivated seeds, did housework, washed up, and began to embroider purses. Perhaps because her heart was not in it, the dragon horns she embroidered today were very ugly. They were even uglier than the last time, crooked and twisted. Yet, they were much more similar to his appearance now. Mu Wanwan looked at what she had embroidered and suddenly smiled, her eyes stinging a little. Life was hard¡ª she knew that. This was the case in both worlds she lived in. She wasn¡¯t complaining, but was just feeling a little disheartened. She felt a little helpless. She probably guessed some things, but didn¡¯t want to think about it. She¡¯d take that plant for Uncle Zong to have a look next time. Mu Wanwan squeezed the corner of her quilt tightly, her head in a mess. She didn¡¯t know how long it was before she finally fell asleep in a daze. The room quieted down, but a faint purple mist rose slowly from her body and drilled into Mister Long. Mengmeng woke up sharply, chirped a couple of times and flapped its little wings, but Mu Wanwan was too tired and was deep asleep. She only felt that her consciousness was being pulled by something. CH 82 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 82 Thirty-nine Dragons (1) When her consciousness was being pulled by something, Mu Wanwan felt a little uncomfortable at first and tried to struggle a few times, then gradually regained consciousness. But this time, instead of seeing a familiar room and a familiar Mister Long, she found that when she opened her eyes, she had come to a very unfamiliar place¡ª Beneath her feet were dirty bluestone tiles that had been placed in a haphazard manner, with dirty muddy water in between the gaps. The stench of garbage filled the air, and a drop of rain fell from the gloomy sky right onto her eyelashes. However, it only blurred her vision for a moment and didn¡¯t bring any terrible sensation. Mu Wanwan quickly realised that something was wrong. She tried taking a few step¡ª the shoddy cloth shoes did not get stained with the muddy water, but there was the horrible feeling of dampness. She could also feel the depressing feeling of raindrops landing on her head, but she touched her head, it was indeed dry. Was she¡­ dreaming? Realising that she was dreaming, Mu Wanwan was less nervous. Since transmigrating here, it had been a long time since she dreamt. The last time she had a dream, she dreamt that she had earned a lot of spiritual stones and was piling them up beside Mister Long. However, this dream was way too vivid. Even the sound of rain falling on the ground could be heard very clearly. Mu Wanwan took two steps that didn¡¯t feel quite solid forward, frowning slightly¡ª It was really dark in this dream; her surroundings were all wet and gloomy, and the walls of the alley were all dirty. Mu Wanwan¡¯s eyes caught on something at a corner and her heart skipped a beat, a little frightened. The dripping wet stains there were all blood. She was a little scared and quickened her pace, wanting to get out of this dark alley. After walking for who knows how long, she finally saw a person. To be precise, it was a child¡ª a child who seemed to be running away¡ª¡ª He looked to be about eight or nine years old, wearing a tattered grey cloak that she could tell he worked hard to keep clean. The look in his eyes was fierce, and there was blood on his arms and face. He ran past Mu Wanwan quickly; his hair was in a mess and his injured arm struggling to pull on the hood of his cloak, but Mu Wanwan still caught a glimpse of the not quite long horns and a pair of white plush ears. This was... Mister Long? Mu Wanwan was a little surprised. She hesitated for a second, and the young version of Mister Long was already far away. Through the curtain of rain, she could only see the long dragon tail that trailed behind him. There is also the tip of the tail, and the very tender white fur on the tip is stained with blood, which makes her feel a little distressed and a little want to laugh. Ha. She could also see the tip of his tail, and the very tender white fur on the tip was stained with blood, making her feel both heartache and a little like laughing. What species of dragon was so furry? With this thought running through her mind, Mu Wanwan was about to chase after him when a series of messy footsteps sounded behind her. ¡°Damn it, that little bastard!¡± A few teenage-looking dragons ran over angrily. They didn¡¯t look too good either and were also wearing tattered cloaks. Their dragon horns and bodies were dirty and a bit smelly. Compared to Mister Long, they were simply too unhygienic. Mu Wanwan was a little disgusted. ¡°F**k! That bastard went through the trash can we found first again.¡± The black scales on the teenage dragon¡¯s face who appeared to be the leader flashed. He seemed to be a black dragon with a bad temper. ¡°Brothers, we must do him in today and show him who¡¯s the boss of this dark alley.¡± Mu Wanwan, ¡°......¡± At his order, the rest of the dragons murmured with excitement, their voices full of joy and pleasure as they fantasized about torturing Mister Long. Mu Wanwan was a little worried. She looked at the group of dragons who were much bigger than Mister Long and ran somewhat anxiously in the direction where he had escaped. However, even though that naughty dragon seemed to be seriously injured and was also young, he ran very fast. She and the group of teenage dragons searched for a whole afternoon in the dream but still couldn¡¯t find him. ¡°F**k, this kid is so f**king good at hiding.¡± The black dragon youth was about to keel over from exhaustion and waved his hand to signal the other dragons to stop. ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s almost nighttime. The dragons from the next alley might come to storm our stronghold. Let¡¯s return.¡± The other dragons followed behind him timidly and went away. Mu Wanwan stood beside them and wiped the non-existent sweat on her forehead. Watching them run away gave her a feeling of inexplicable pride and heartache¡ª So, in her heart, did Mister Long have such a miserable childhood? Going through trash cans and being chased and beaten up by hooligan dragons? She didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. Not knowing when she would wake up, she decided to take a closer look at the living environment of the young Mister Long in her dream. In the afternoon, she and the black dragon youth had gone over almost the entire abandoned Dark Alley Sector No. 7. It was actually a compliment to call it a dark alley sector¡ª strictly speaking, it was more appropriate to call it a cross between the border of the slums and a garbage dump. She didn¡¯t know exactly where this place was, but according to her observations that afternoon, most of the people living here were dragons. There were also some beastmen and people of other races of decent strength. It was a mixed bag, with many children and orphans. In addition, there are all kinds of mice, insects, and some low-level creatures everywhere. There were even shops and inns which seemed to make up a whole street of their own. It was getting a little dark. Mu Wanwan finally came to a remote and inconspicuous alley. She intuited that little Mister Long would be hiding in this alley. The alley had no end in sight, and the terrain was very low; at one glance, it was covered in dirty muddy water. So much had accumulated that it was almost over her ankles. She also saw what looked like a snake or a worm squirming around inside. If this wasn¡¯t a dream, she would definitely turn around and leave. CH 83 Thirty-nine Dragons (2) Mu Wanwan gave a bitter smile. Why had her imagination made Mister Long¡¯s childhood so miserable? If she hadn¡¯t, she wouldn¡¯t have to endure this terrible sensation. But even so, she still wanted to know what kind of life he lived in the dream. So, Mu Wanwan mustered up the courage and walked in unhesitatingly¡ª It was wet and dirty, and there was something like a rat tugging at her calf. Mu Wanwan felt that she was about to suffocate. She walked in the icy muddy water for more than ten minutes and finally reached the end after taking several turns based on intuition. She was actually feeling very nauseated, as in these ten minutes, the water got deeper and deeper, and there were more and more dirty things. She even saw a two-headed snake swimming past her legs with its tongue flicking out, and was so scared that she almost lost her mind. Mu Wanwan shivered a little from the cold. She turned the last corner and suddenly met a pair of brilliant pupils that were like liquid gold, and her whole body froze in place. It was Mister Long. He was barefoot. The soles of his feet had turned into sharp claws, and he was firmly pressed against the wall that was neither too high nor too low, crouched over at the end of the alley. The wounds on his arms had scabbed over and his tail was raised defensively, causing blood to snake downwards and drip down the wall. This was Mu Wanwan¡¯s first time seeing Mister Long awake¡ª His eyes are terrifyingly bright. His thick black eyebrows were tightly wrinkled, and his long and curved eyelashes were like a pair of brushes. His lips were pursed as he stared with a deadly glare, as if he would pounce on her in the next second and tear her to pieces with his sharp claws. He was very fierce, and his expression was cold and indifferent. He was clearly still a very young dragon, but it was as if he had lost all expressions and become someone with facial paralysis. ¡°M-mister Long¡­¡± Mu Wanwan was a little scared and called out his name instinctively. But the person opposite her did not react and just kept staring in her direction. Perhaps out of nervousness, the pair of ears on his head trembled. Seeing his ears tremble, Mu Wanwan felt her defences break. She clutched at her heart, which was beating somewhat quickly out of fear, and walked in tentatively. Mister Long didn¡¯t move and just continued to stare defensively in the direction she was standing before. So, it turned out that he was being on guard? Mu Wanwan breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed her cheeks a little embarrassedly. This was a dream, so why was she being afraid of a person in her dream? She went around behind Mister Long and took a few more steps inwards. The water gradually grew higher. Not wanting to have to endure that terrible sensation any longer, she walked straight ahead in one breath. After walking for some time and turning at several forks, she finally came to a relatively dry place. Mu Wanwan sighed, looked down at her clothes that did not get dirtied at all, and could not hold back a shiver. Only after confirming that she really hadn¡¯t gotten anything on her was she in the mood to start looking around¡ª This was probably Mister Long¡¯s secret base. There were lots of small gravel stones around which raised the terrain a little higher, ensuring that it wouldn¡¯t be submerged in water. In a corner, there was also¡­ a house built of stones, wood pieces, and some straw? With a dull pain in her heart, Mu Wanwan walked over to the small ¡°house¡± that was just a little taller than she was, that someone had spent countless efforts to decorate. A large stone was used as the base, and its edges had been chiselled with claws to make gaps that could stick things in. Small stones were stacked on it, sandwiching wooden planks, and little by little, they made a house. It was very small, very run down, and was built with a lot of care. Mu Wanwan was about to pull open the decrepit wooden door, but her hand suddenly stopped in midair. She squeezed her somewhat shaky fingertips and stood silently beside the small house and waited a long time. Waiting for Mister Long to complete his vigilance, then drag his injured tail back ¡°home¡±. His eyes have turned into a normal colour. They were long, narrow, and dark, like two obsidians, with the run-down little corner reflected in them, but there seemed to be a trace of relaxation and peace of mind. Mu Wanwan watched him walk slowly towards his ¡°home¡±. Although he was wearing a tattered grey cloak and covering those furry ears that could not be hidden, his backbone was pencil straight, and as he tugged on his cuffs that have rolled up a little, he was proud and elegant like a nobleman. To be honest, if Mister Long¡¯s ears didn¡¯t twitch from time to time, she would have been deceived by his arrogant and cool indifference. Mu Wanwan watched him walk in from the alley. In the short distance of a dozen-odd steps, he had tidied his clothes several times. They were clearly soaked through and dirty, and it made no difference whether he tidied them or not, but he was still very particular about it. So, it turned out that Mister Long was such a fussy dragon? Mu Wanwan¡¯s eyes stung a little. She saw him approach the door with bright eyes, then opened it in a pretentious manner and said softly, ¡°Daddy¡¯s back.¡± Daddy? Was Mister Long already a father at such a young age? Feeling both sour and a little curious, Mu Wanwan quietly followed behind him and walked in with her back bent over. Ah, the room was pitch black, with only a little light peeking in from outside. She looked around carefully several times before she saw what Mister Long was talking to. There was no little dragon like she had thought¡ª it was two white eggs! Two eggs, that were very clearly the eggs of spirit chickens =_= !! They were exactly the same as the one she had just bought, and were also about the same size. The author has something to say: Little Mister Long (cheeks slightly red): ¡°I¡¯m not fussy, I just like to be clean! Humph!¡± CH 84 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 84 Forty Dragons (1) The room was dark, and it took a while for Mu Wanwan to completely get used to the somewhat dark environment. With the little light coming in from outside, she watched Mister Long stare seriously at the two white spirit eggs, then carefully retract his somewhat sharp claws. They turned back into human hands and touched the two eggs gently. ¡°Big Treasure.¡± His voice was very young and a little hoarse. As he gently called out the name of the slightly larger spirit egg, Mu Wanwan almost thought she was mistaken. She was a little embarrassed and couldn¡¯t help walking quietly over to Mister Long¡¯s side, then confirmed several times that what he was touching was indeed a spirit egg¡ª They were white, a little larger than the size of a palm, and carefully wrapped up in a cloth and placed on the table. ¡°Little Treasure,¡± Mister Long called out the name of the other spirit egg and touched its round top. Mu Wanwan was a little dumbfounded at his actions. After calling out their names, Little Mister Long was obviously in a much better mood. There was a hint of a smile in his obsidian eyes and the corners of his lips were slightly lifted. He carefully retracted his hand, touched his wet and messy long hair, and frowned in disgust. He walked to the door, took off the dirty cloak, shook it, and hung it on a wooden rack next to the door. Only then did Mu Wanwan notice that there were a few wooden shelves behind the run-down wooden door. She watched as little Mister Long hung up the cloak fussily and also took a small comb made of an unidentifiable material to comb out his long hair. He didn¡¯t have a handkerchief or a towel, but he still managed to tidy himself into a presentable little dragon. He was probably feeling a little cold; the soaked ears on his head kept trembling and only seemed to get better after he rubbed them several times. Mu Wanwan¡¯s eyes stung a little sour. Before the sky turned dark, she seized the opportunity to look around the room¡ª It was dark and it looked as run-down as it did on the outside. But there was a door, a bed and a table. The wooden door was tattered, and while the bed was quite big, one could tell at a glance that it was scavenged from the garbage heap. Stones were used to prop up a corner with a missing leg, and on it, was half a mattress and half a quilt that looked like it had been violently torn apart in a quarrel. But he had taken good care of them¡ª the edges had been carefully sewn up, and there was even a small and clean pillow on the bed. As for the table, it seemed like it was handmade. It was crooked but was very sturdy. On it were two pieces of neatly folded clothes and his two eggs; the table was unexpectedly compatible with this ¡®home¡¯. Yes, it was a home. Little Mister Long¡¯s home. Mu Wanwan watched as he continued to tidy himself slowly and carefully, as if he didn¡¯t care about the wound on his foot. Then, he walked to the table and took out the steamed bun that was hidden in his pocket. The steamed bun looked very bad; it was a little green on the top and seemed like it had already gone mouldy, but it was very big and had no teeth marks, so it probably hadn¡¯t been bitten by anyone. Mu Wanwan watched him carefully peel off the skin that had gone green, gulped with some difficulty, then¡­ Tore off more than half of the bun and placed it next to the two eggs. ¡°Daddy has brought you some food.¡± After saying that, he initially wanted to eat, but after thinking about it, he put down the small piece of steamed bun he was holding, looked at the two eggs, and said perhaps in explanation, ¡°I ate something yesterday, I¡¯m not hungry.¡± What nonsense¡ª she could hear his stomach growling. Again and again, very loudly. Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t take it anymore; even if it was a dream, she wanted to wake up quickly. This dream felt too realistic; she could even feel the wet and cold weather, hear raindrops hitting the shabby roof, and Mister Long¡¯s hunger¡ª even though nothing could be seen from his emotionless face. But the embarrassing sounds coming from this dragon were really too much. It kept ringing in her ears and made her heart ache. She wanted nothing but to go up and stuff that steamed bun into this self-suffering dragon¡¯s mouth, then tie him up and tend to his wounds. The wounds on his face and hands were fine, but his feet and tail were still bleeding. She really wanted to wake up quickly, but couldn¡¯t even after pinching herself several times. She couldn¡¯t do anything, and there was nothing she could do. She could only stand in front of the table like Mister Long, who was pretending that he wasn¡¯t hungry and staring at the two eggs. Her eyes were getting red from looking at them. It was gradually getting dark outside, and Mu Wanwan could hardly see anything anymore. She was a little dejected and felt like she was simply worrying over nothing. After all, this was just a dream. If this dragon didn¡¯t want to eat, so be it, and if he wanted to raise his spirit chicken eggs as his children, that was fine as well. Mu Wanwan felt around in the dark and sat on the edge of the bed, then lay down a little huffily and even hogged his pillow. The bed was a little hard, but the pillow was soft. There was no odour, and only had a bit of little Mister Long¡¯s smell, which was similar to that of the comatose Mister Long¡ªit wasn¡¯t an unpleasant smell. Was this the smell of dragons? Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t help rubbing against it a couple of times. When she realised what she was doing, her face turned red all at once. Was she crazy?! CH 85 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 85 Forty Dragons (2) She did not have good night vision. After the sky got completely dark, she basically couldn¡¯t see anything. The room was quiet for a long time. At some point in time, Little Mister Long¡¯s stomach had stopped growling. Mu Wanwan felt herself becoming a little sleepy¡ª she actually felt like sleeping in a dream world. With half-opened eyes, she listened to the rustling sounds of the night. When she felt Little Mister Long gradually walk in her direction, she was a little nervous. But before she could be nervous for too long, she felt something smash her face. Mu Wanwan watched the quilt pass through her face. Only when she didn¡¯t feel any pain did she feel that she was indeed in a dream. Mister Long piled the mattress and quilt on the half of the bed where Mu Wanwan was and lay on the bed just like that. Mu Wanwan came out of the quilt and looked at his figure in the dark night that was curled up into a ball. Was he¡­ going to sleep? Mu Wanwan had an inkling that it was probably because Mister Long felt he was too dirty and didn¡¯t want to dirty the bed, so he chose to not cover himself with the quilt. When she thought of this, Mu Wanwan felt like there was something scraping her heart, causing a dull pain. She wanted to say something, but was unable to; she wanted to reach out and touch his horn, but could only touch the cold air. ¡°Big Treasure, Little Treasure.¡± Just as Mu Wanwan was feeling sad, Mister Long suddenly spoke again. He called the names of the two eggs, then said in a voice so light that it was close to a murmur, ¡°Hurry up...¡± ¡°Hurry up and be born...¡± ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ The next day, Mu Wanwan woke up to the din of rain. She thought she was awake for real, but when she opened her eyes, what she saw was still Little Mister Long¡¯s tattered roof. She was stunned for a few seconds before sitting up. Little Mister Long was not in the house, and the cloak on the wooden rack was also gone. Mu Wanwan glanced at the steamed bun on the table that was missing a little piece, then at the two spirit eggs, and walked out through the door. It was still raining outside; there was the pitter-patter of rain, and the sky was overcast, but she could tell that it was morning. Mu Wanwan was a little abashed. How could she have fallen asleep in the dream world? On top of that, she could actually walk through walls¡ª if she had known, she wouldn¡¯t have twisted and turned through the dozen-odd alleys yesterday. But¡ª why had she still not woken up from this dream? Mu Wanwan was a little helpless and went outside through the wall. She looked around but didn¡¯t see Mister Long anywhere, so she could only go back to the small house and stared at the two spirit eggs in a daze. After a long time passed and it was getting dark, Mu Wanwan came out a little worriedly. Before she had taken more than a couple of steps, she heard a cat meow suddenly come from behind her. ¡°Meow~¡± She lifted her head and immediately caught sight of a cat standing on the wall. To be precise, it was a two-tailed cat. It had two tails and a pretty fur coat. It did not like a stray cat, but like a domesticated one. The cat jumped down from the wall lightly, wagged its tail as it walked around Mister Long¡¯s house twice, then rolled a few times on the ground, getting its nice fur dirty. Mu Wanwan, ¡°¡­??¡± She couldn¡¯t understand what the cat was doing, but the cat didn¡¯t do anything else after getting itself dirty and just guarded the doorway of Mister Long¡¯s house quietly, wagging its tail and crouched by the wall. Mu Wanwan waited with it. About an hour later, the human and the cat saw Mister Long return. There were more wounds on his body than yesterday, and there was some blood oozing from the wounds on his hands and face that had been getting better. As he came towards his ¡®home¡¯, his alert golden pupils gradually turned to black. When he raised his eyes and looked in their direction, he showed an expression that could be described as joy¡ª His brows relaxed, and his slightly pink curved slightly upwards. His eyes were soft, and there were still water droplets hanging on his eyelashes¡ª it was a very gentle expression. For a moment, Mu Wanwan felt embarrassed, but soon, she realised with a bit of sourness that Mister Long wasn¡¯t smiling at her at all. ¡°Meoow ~¡± The two-tailed cat walked up to him. Mister Long bent down and took out a steamed bun that was much like yesterday¡¯s from his pocket. He peeled off the somewhat mouldy skin, tore off a piece, and put down it on a relatively dry spot. The two-tailed cat purred at him again, then lowered its head to eat. Mister Long pulled the hood of his cloak with one hand in an attempt to cover his ears and held half a steamed bun in the other. Half-crouched, the blood on his feet and tail snaked down to the ground, staining the fur of the two-tailed cat. Mu Wanwan talked up to him and watched as he fed most of the steamed bun to the cat little by little, making her feel somewhat heartsick¡ª This was probably all of his harvest for the day. So, did Mister Long used to be such a gentle dragon?? One that would raise eggs, feed cats, build houses, and work hard to earn food to support himself. He was still such a small little dragon. ¡°Meow~¡± The two-tailed cat was probably done eating. It purred at him and jumped up the wall. Mu Wanwan saw it turn to look back at Mister Long. For some reason, she felt a little uneasy. She watched Mister Long stand up slowly and walked to the house, his eyes bright, ¡°Daddy¡¯s back.¡± CH 86 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 86 Forty-one Dragons (1) As with yesterday¡¯s routine, little Mister Long quietly took off his cloak, combed his long hair, dragged his tail and gently touched his two precious spirit eggs, then carefully ate with restraint a small portion of the steamed bun that he brought back yesterday. This was Mu Wanwan¡¯s first time seeing an awake Mister Long eat. He was very different from when he was lying down. Holding the small steamed bun with both hands, he took small bites and ate very elegantly, looking out of place in the shack. Little Mister Long only ate half of the steamed bun. Standing behind him, Mu Wanwan looked at the little Mister Long who only came up to her chest. His head was slightly lowered, and there were still water droplets on his long eyelashes. She was suddenly a little heartbroken. She wanted to wake up quickly from this dream; she didn¡¯t want to see Mister Long like this any longer. Satisfied after eating the pitifully small bit of steam bun, little Mister Long finished his meal for the day. Unlike yesterday, he did not go to rest. Instead, he went to the table and pulled out a few wooden boards from the drawer. Mu Wanwan hadn¡¯t noticed before that this table actually had drawers. He crouched down; his pair of hands turned into sharp claws, and he started... rubbing the planks? Mister Long took a somewhat damp board and first broke the obviously wet parts off, then used his claws to carve the remaining piece bit by bit into a shape that could interlock. Mu Wanwan watched for a long time before realising what he was doing. Five boards were put together, like a tiny little bed. He fiddled with these boards from the moment he came home till night fell. Mu Wanwan almost couldn¡¯t see anything anymore, so she could only sit on the bed. It was not until she was almost asleep that Mister Long stopped. Perhaps because he was very satisfied with his work, little Mister Long¡¯s eyes were bright and shiny, gleaming with a golden light. Subconsciously, a smile formed on Mu Wanwan¡¯s lips¡ª Even if Mister Long became an overbearing tyrant in the future, he was now just a small dragon cub¡ª it was normal for him to be a little childish, wasn¡¯t it? But she didn¡¯t get to feel relieved for long before she heard his young, hoarse voice say, ¡°Big Treasure¡¯s bed is done.¡± Mu Wanwan, ¡°...¡± Mu Wanwan, ¡°???¡± So, it wasn¡¯t a toy, but Big Treasure¡¯s bed?? She was a little speechless, then she heard Little Mister Long say apologetically, ¡°There are no more materials. Daddy will make Little Treasure¡¯s bed tomorrow.¡± Mu Wanwan, ¡°...¡± Mister Long solemnly promised that he would not go back on his word, then dragged his still-injured tail and lay on the bed. Mu Wanwan could see his expression¡ª It was very calm, with occasional sparks of expectation flashing in his dark eyes, and his brows were relaxed. She didn¡¯t know what he was thinking about, but there was a slight smile on his lips occasionally. There were clearly still many wounds on his body, and she sensed the pain from his pale face. ¡°Good night, Big Treasure, Little Treasure,¡± said Mister Long in a low voice, then slowly closed his eyes. He was exhausted, and it wasn¡¯t long before he was asleep. His breathing was a little heavy, and his tail swished across the bed a couple of times, leaving a trace of blood. Mu Wanwan looked at little Mister Long¡¯s childish cheeks and her heart ached¡ª Was it because her little Mister Long was too lonely and didn¡¯t have anyone to talk to that he treated two spirit eggs like this? Mu Wanwan stretched out a hand slowly; she wanted to touch his head, but she could only touch the damp coldness on his head that was still wet with rain, and could not bring him any comfort. She pursed her lips and her eyes remained open, as she was unable to fall asleep. ...... Mu Wanwan spent three utterly realistic days in this dream. By the time she opened her eyes on the fourth day and saw the tattered ceiling of little Mister Long¡¯s house, she was already very calm. She got up from the bed naturally, walked over to the table, and greeted the two spirit eggs that seemed to have gotten a little bigger, ¡°Big Treasure, Little Treasure, good morning.¡± Then, while a certain dragon was still grooming himself meticulously, she propped her chin in one hand and followed behind him like a ghost. She was now in a spirit state. Apart from some sensations, she couldn¡¯t feel things like hunger. ¡°Little Mister Long, are you still going to that place to hunt today?¡± She pretended that he could hear her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you forget it? That white dragon is not a good one to mess with. Didn¡¯t he throw you out with just a swipe of his claw yesterday? It¡¯s a good thing you run fast.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just go and bully that foolish black dragon,¡± suggested Mu Wanwan sincerely. She watched Mister Long straighten his cloak, then touched Big Treasure and Little Treasure again before he left. Mu Wanwan pursed her lips but still followed behind him in the end. It¡¯s just that for some odd reason, she had been feeling uneasy from the moment she woke up today. CH 87 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 87 Forty-one Dragons (2) This time, little Mister Long did not go to the territory of the difficult white dragon, nor did he provoke the stupid black dragon youth. Instead, he just dodged everyone along the way and went to a place that was very far away. Although he did not have shoes, his speed was not slow. The soles of his feet were covered with a layer of scales. He usually kept moving around in remote areas, and occasionally scaled roofs and walls. Mu Wanwan had been following him around the past few days and was used to how he moved. She took the ¡°shortcut¡± of going through walls the entire journey, following behind him. Fortunately, the weather has been better recently; while it was still cloudy, at least it wasn¡¯t raining anymore. Most places were no longer particularly slippery, and the dragon claws could still get a good grip. ¡°Mister Long, where are you going?¡± They have been on the go for a long time, and Mu Wanwan was a little tired. She watched the little dragon cub jump here and there energetically and was almost out of energy to chase after him. The scenery around them changed gradually. Mu Wanwan guessed that they had already left the Dark Alley Sector No. 7 and were somewhere else. The number of buildings and people became fewer, and there were also very few orphans of the dragon race and the other races. Conversely, there were more and more plants. They ran for a while longer before Mister Long finally stopped. They had arrived at their destination¡ª A large, somewhat desolate garbage dump. Unlike the mostly domestic garbage of the seven districts of the Dark Alley, the garbage here was mostly bulky refuse, such as broken tables, chairs, benches, rags, and broken pieces of wood. Mu Wanwan had an inkling of what he was after. In the past few days, whenever little Mister Long was looking for food, he would also pay attention to see if there were any scraps of wood, but he never found anything suitable. He was probably a little anxious and wanted to take advantage of today¡¯s good weather to come out and find some wood to make a bed for Little Treasure. Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry, but her body was still very honest and thus she started to assist little Mister Long in looking for wood scraps, despite not being able to be of any real help. Because there was very little food here, orphans did not come here often. Mister Long¡¯s search was relatively easy. He took a fancy to the board of a broken bed, but there were already a few young beastmen around it. Mu Wanwan saw Mister Long¡¯s expression become fierce almost instantly; faint scales appeared on his cheeks, and his palms turned into sharp claws. With a shadowy movement and a sudden burst of power from his feet, he was next to the unsuspecting beastmen cubs in a flash and ruthlessly pressed the head of the young leader onto the ground. His claws rested on his neck as he let out a low growl, with a pair of phoenix eyes flashing with golden light and two sharp fangs by his lips, ¡°Bed, mine.¡± Mu Wanwan was familiar with his fierce expressions when he fought, but the little beastman who was down by his claws was shivering with fear; even the beast patterns on his face had appeared. ¡°I-it¡¯s yours.¡± Little Mister Long did not hurt him, but only slowly withdrew his claws, ¡°Scram.¡± The little beastman scrambled up from the ground, and the other cubs also started screaming as if they had just woken up from a dream¡ª ¡°It¡¯s the Jinx, run!¡± ¡°He touched Duogu! Duogu is going to be cursed!¡± ¡°Boohoo, the mixed-blood dragon, boohoo¡­¡± Mu Wanwan heard the group of cubs scold Mister Long as they ran away and was about to die of anger. She really wanted to beat up all these little brats. What right did they have to call him a jinx and a mixed-blood dragon? What did they mean by whoever he touched would be cursed? She had been taking care of Mister Long for so long, so why was she not cursed? But such words might not be unfamiliar to Mister Long anymore. She had heard them many times in the past few days, and every time, Mister Long would just calmly let them say what they wanted, with coldness in his eyes. She thought he was not upset, until one night, she saw him cry. That day, he had been called a mixed-blood dragon who had no father. Mister Dragon had let them talk during the day and just snatched away the food they were fighting over. At night, when he got back ¡®home¡¯, he was very quiet, and in a rare occurrence, put up with his dirty self and hugged his pillow. His two ears drooped down, arched horribly low, and teardrops hung from his eyelashes. He didn¡¯t sob, but just curled up silently into a ball. This time, he was the same, listening calmly as they scolded him, then removed the good wooden boards from that bed. He didn¡¯t waste anything and took down all the parts that could be used. Probably because he got the materials he needed, despite the gradually darkening sky, little Mister Long¡¯s mood seemed to become a little better, and he started to rush back. CH 88 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 88 Forty-one Dragons (3) Mu Wanwan felt a dull pain in her heart. The day was almost over, and he hadn¡¯t eaten anything yet. Speaking of which, in the past two days, he had only eaten a little piece of steamed bun. Her eyes began to sting a little again. Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t even muster the strength to get angry, and just dragged her depressed feelings and followed Mister Long, who was in a good mood, back home. But the sky god was not kind; rain began to fall again when they were halfway along the journey. Bits of hailstones were mixed with the rain, hurting a little when they hit one¡¯s forehead. Mister Long continued to run, then stopped. Mu Wanwan thought something happened to him and stepped forward worriedly, only to see the fussy dragon cub unbutton his grey cloak, took off the precious cloak that could just barely cover his ears, and wrapped the few wooden boards tightly. A few small pieces of ice hit his horns and split in half. Mu Wanwan, ¡°...¡± She was very helpless. Following behind him and looking at the increasingly gloomy sky, the feeling of unease in her heart became stronger than ever. She didn¡¯t even bother to observe the terrain and only followed behind him through the increasingly cold rain curtain, slowly getting closer and closer to his home. When passing through the twists and turns of the alleys, Mu Wanwan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. In the sewage, the two-headed snake that had frightened her before was now a snake corpse, floating on the water, a stinking mass. The feeling of unease in her heart became more and more intense. Mu Wanwan glanced instinctively at Mister Long. His fine bangs were soaked with rain, coiling flatly on his forehead, and his lips were pressed tightly. He seemed to have no expression, but the movements of his feet had quickened. Mu Wanwan also didn¡¯t bother about the suffocating sensation of having her calves submerged in dirty water. She had gotten used to it these days. She only sped up and began to run, but despite running at the speed Mister Long was at before, she still failed to catch up. He was probably a little panicked; the soles of his feet had completely turned into claws, and every time he jumped, he carved deep marks in the wall. Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t outrun him. When she finally turned the corner, she was rooted to the spot¡ª The house, which was still fine when they went out in the morning, was now crumbled into a pile of gravel and stones. Its planks had been torn apart, and the straw was on the dirty ground, covered in mud. The wooden door was torn open and thrown haphazardly to one side; on it, hung two torn bloody tails¡ª they were the tails of the two-tailed cat. Mu Wanwan¡¯s tears came down at once, and she felt the world before her was blurred in an instant. She automatically turned to see Mister Long¡¯s expression, but only saw his slightly lowered head, and the hands that had turned into dragon claws were piercing into his palms. ¡°Ha, and here I was wondering why the mixed-blood had been making himself so dirty lately.¡± A harsh voice rang out, and Mu Wanwan¡¯s red eyes watched a tall dragon race jump down from the wall. ¡°So, this is where the jinx¡¯s house is.¡± A hideous grin flashed on his face. ¡°I usually can¡¯t be bothered with you, but for some reason, this beast keeps running here every few days. It even came back with your blood the other day, causing Lily to quarrel with me!¡± The dragon person held a tail-less cat in one hand, and two familiar white eggs in the other, and the sight made Mu Wanwan¡¯s entire body become icy cold almost in an instant. The cat was dead. Its tails had been cut off, hanging on Mister Long¡¯s door as if in a demonstration of power. His Big Treasure and Little Treasure, too, were squeezed in his hands. With just a little force¡­ ¡°Give them back to me...¡± Little Mister Long¡¯s palms were covered with blood, and the wooden boards he had worked so hard to bring back fell to the ground, making a dull sound. Staring at the green dragon, his eyes turned golden, and his fangs came out, ¡°Give them back.¡± ¡°Give them back!¡± ¡°Ah, here you go.¡± The green dragon held up the dead cat with disgust and threw it into the distance forcefully. He laughed out loud when he saw Mister Long fling himself on the ground to catch it, as if he was admiring his misery. Mu Wanwan was so angry that she was about to explode. Her heart throbbed painfully, and she didn¡¯t care that she was just a spiritual form right now¡ª she only wanted to go up and smash this green dragon¡¯s head. But she was destined to be helpless. Even before she could pounce on that green dragon, she saw scales emerge all over his body. His mouth opened wide, and right before Mister Long¡¯s frozen gaze, he swallowed Big Treasure and Little Treasure. ¡°Bah, how yucky. They¡¯ve gone bad.¡± The green dragon spat a couple of times, and when his eyes caught sight of Mister Long¡¯s expression, he put on an amused smile. ¡°Hey, hey, didn¡¯t they say you¡¯re a jinx? Why does it seem to me that you¡¯re more like a little girl? You¡¯re even crying.¡± CH 89 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 89 Forty-one Dragons (4) He seemed to have suddenly thought of something, and laughed, ¡°You didn¡¯t really think that the two eggs they deliberately put on the road are dragon eggs, right? Hahaha! I¡¯m going to die laughing.¡± As Mu Wanwan listened to his ridicule, her head hurt like it was going to split open, and her heart felt like it had been torn apart. At this moment, her senses seemed to be in sync with Mister Long¡¯s; she felt her body slowly getting bigger and bigger, and the gaze of the dragon opposite seemed to become more and more dumbfounded as he also seemed to become smaller and smaller. Soon, he also became a dragon. In her ears were the angry roars of a dragon, and her eyes were filled with the sight of bloody scales. Mu Wanwan felt the world spin; her whole body was in pain, and her vision gradually blurred. When she came back to her senses again, the battle was over. The green dragon had been bitten to death and fell from the air with eyes as wide as copper bells. But the roar of dragons still hadn¡¯t stopped. She heard the drawn-out cries of dragons coming from all directions¡ªangry ones, nosy ones¡ªas many dragons rushed toward this once-peaceful little corner of the world. A tearing pain ripped through her body; Mu Wanwan felt that she was probably about to wake up. She struggled to keep her eyes open but could only vaguely see a dragon covered in injuries shrouded in a hazy mist, a form that she couldn¡¯t quite make out, running desperately into the distance. Running without looking back. Leaving pools of blood, like tears. It was Mister Long. That was Mister Long. ¡­¡­ Mu Wanwan¡¯s eyes flew open abruptly and she gasped sharply a couple of times. She touched her sweaty forehead without any sense of reality, and her eyes were full of tears. She looked at her palm, then, still feeling displaced, turned her head and saw Mister Long sleeping peacefully beside her. Mu Wanwan bit her lip, a little afraid that she was still in a dream, and just tentatively reached out to touch his arm. It was warm, soft, and she could touch it. It was real¡ª it was the real Mister Long. It was a Mister Long that was warm. Mu Wanwan¡¯s emotions suddenly collapsed. She wanted to tell herself that that was only a dream, and everything that happened in the dream was false, but the dream had felt so real. It was so real that she was a little reluctant to believe that it was just a dream. Rather, she wanted to believe that the little Mister Long had existed, even though that kind of past was indeed too miserable. She still remembered little Mister Long¡¯s expression when the two eggs had been eaten. With such an expression of despair and hatred of his own incompetence, she was afraid that he really thought those two eggs were dragon eggs. ¡°Mister Long,¡± Mu Wanwan called out vaguely, not caring about keeping an appropriate distance. She was much gentler than usual, and slowly edged over to his side. His body was very hot¡ª slightly warmer than little Mister Long¡¯s body heat¡ª and through the thin cotton undergarments, his heat spread to her palm little by little. Her heart was sore, and she just wanted to do everything she couldn¡¯t do in her dream, first reaching out and touching his head, then hugging his arm and resting her head on his shoulder. And so, a certain dragon who had just successfully connected to a piece of his original core and couldn¡¯t wait to wake up regained consciousness, then short-circuited, ¡°......¡± Mister Long was dumbfounded; he didn¡¯t know what happened, but could feel her clinging tightly to his arm, and it seemed as if she was very sad. A soft and warm touch came from her body, spreading up his arm and shoulder bit by bit, like a fire that was burning up little by little, and he felt his face begin to burn. Why did she suddenly h-hug¡­ hug him? Although to Mu Wanwan, this was the comfort she owed little Mister Long, and strictly speaking, this couldn¡¯t really be considered a hug, to Mister Long, she hugged his arm the moment he woke up, and even put her head on his shoulder¡­ It was simply¡ª simply too hard for the dragon to stay calm. Her hair was a little long and her cheeks were soft; leaning against his shoulder, the long strands of hair brushed him, making him feel ticklish. ¡°Stupid dragon.¡± Mu Wanwan still hadn¡¯t gotten over the look in little Mister Long¡¯s eyes just now. She really wanted to tell him that they were just spirit eggs, not dragon eggs. Moreover, in the dream, Mister Long acted like he didn¡¯t care about other people¡¯s opinions on the surface, when actually, he would cry in secret. Mu Wanwan was really afraid that the dragon would think that it was because he was a monster and a jinx, which was why the eggs had been discovered and the two-tailed cat was killed. At this thought, her heart hurt even more; she was angry and upset. Angry that she had this dream for no reason, then couldn¡¯t do anything at all. What kind of dragon was that to be so stupid? So stupid that it made her heart ache. Aggrieved and upset, she called him ¡®stupid dragon¡¯, yet Mister Long twitched his ears shyly. The author has something to say. Mister Long (shy): ¡°When I woke up, not only did my wife hug me (¡ú_¡ú), but she also called me by a term of endearment (???), I¡¯m really so happy.¡± CH 90 Forty-two Dragons (1) Mu Wanwan called him ¡°stupid dragon¡± a couple of times, as if to relieve her vexation. Her tears slowly stopped, but she was still unable to get over little Mister Long¡¯s expression, which made her heart feel suffocated. Although this person was no longer little Mister Long, the one who foolishly took two spirit chicken eggs to be dragon eggs because he had never seen dragon eggs nor eaten spirit chicken eggs¡­ She was still reluctant to let go of Mister Long But she was still reluctant to put little Mister Long behind her, and even harboured a horrible thought¡ª If that incredibly realistic dream she had just experienced was not a dream but Mister Long¡¯s actual past, then Mister Long was really too pitiful. Even more pitiful than little Mister Long. He already had such a miserable childhood, and in his adulthood, he had become a comatose dragon. The nice horns and cute, broken little tail that he had as a child were all gone, and he might even have been cursed. Being ganged up against seven others in a fight was truly both pitiful and laughable. Mu Wanwan closed her eyes lightly. As she felt the warmth that was spreading from his body, the image of little Mister Long became clearer and clearer in her mind, and she calmed down bit by bit. She didn¡¯t leave, so Mister Long¡¯s temperature began rising to terrifying heights. A layer of pink spread across his handsome and menacing face, and his spiritual consciousness also made several circles in a place Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t see, before shamelessly drawing close to her¡ª As the dirty quilt was still not dry, they had slept together last night. Also, he had only just regained consciousness¡ª who knows, she might¡¯ve already been leaning against him from a long time ago last night!! Mister Long thought his heartbeat was getting a little too fast. He had just connected the fourth piece of his original core and regained the strength of about a Rank 3 cultivator, so he could wake up every day for two hours. Even though he still couldn¡¯t move freely, he could already open his eyes and move his upper body. But at this moment, he could only pretend that he was still unconscious. In fact, Mister Long¡¯s muscles were all a little tensed up¡ª After all, if he made any sudden movements, what would he do if his wife got frightened? All this while, he had always been in an unconscious state to her. If he awoke right when she was h-hugging him, wouldn¡¯t that make him seem like an impure dragon? Actually, Mister Long didn¡¯t even know what he was thinking anymore. To him, the only things left in this entire world were her breathing and her warmth, and the sound of his own heartbeat that was thundering in his ears. Pound, pound, pound¡ª it was really noisy. Slowly and shyly, his spiritual consciousness slid down from Mu Wanwan¡¯s long black hair. When it touched the corner of her eye that was still wet with unwiped tears, it froze abruptly. All the strange and enchanting feelings seemed to have been dispersed by a breeze. An unpleasant speculation slowly formed in Mister Long¡¯s mind, and his spiritual consciousness rushed down a little anxiously. Only when it touched her neck that had been bitten by the skinny chirp did he suddenly breathe a sigh of relief. The mark of the hallucinogenic grass was gone. It seemed that she wasn¡¯t crying because she dreamt of his original form and was frightened by it. That made sense; if she had been frightened to tears, she wouldn¡¯t be so close to him. Mister Long had just breathed a sigh of relief when another thought came to him; his ears trembled again¡ª Why was there a wound on her neck? For the first time, his spiritual consciousness lingered on her wound carefully without any impure thoughts. It was a tiny wound that wasn¡¯t deep. It was away from the main arteries and the bleeding had already stopped. A little ointment had been applied to it and it had scabbed over, looking like a suggestive lip imprint. After confirming that there was nothing wrong with his wife, Mister Long was jealous again. That wound couldn¡¯t have been caused by cabinets and the like, and based on his wife¡¯s nature, it also couldn¡¯t have been a person¡ª so, it could only have been caused by an animal. He hadn¡¯t even touched her neck before! Mister Long felt sour, despite the fact that his wife was under the same covers as him right now. Mister Long secretly touched Mu Wanwan¡¯s other arm that wasn¡¯t hugging him; his palm was all sweaty. Even though he was very hot from being hugged by her, Mister Long still wished that time could pass more slowly, and then slow down some more. After steadying his heartbeat, the room also seemed to quieten down all at once. The long-absent sun was shining outside, and light crept little by little into the room, shining on the smooth floor and reflecting bits of scattered light, as if reminding the people in the room to hurry and wake up, for the sun had already risen for a long time. ¡°Chirp!¡± CH 91 Forty-two Dragons (2) When the sunlight spilled on the floor, the feathery chirp opened its eyes. Its little wing has already grown a lot, and it has recovered some spirit with Mu Wanwan¡¯s feeding. It was no longer as quiet as it was in the beginning, and had become a little noisy. It seemed to be unhappy to have awakened all alone and started an unrelenting chirp attack. ¡°Chirp chirp!¡± ¡°Chirp! Chirp!!¡± ¡°Chirp~!¡± Its calls were tender and crisp, and drove away the last bits of Mu Wanwan¡¯s sleepiness when she heard them. She left her dream and came back to reality. Faced with the heavy responsibilities of caring for a dragon, a chirp, and cultivating spiritual plants for Yun¡¯er, no matter how much her heart ached for the little Mister Long in her dream, she had to wake up and get to work. When Mu Wanwan¡¯s arm left Mister Long, a certain dragon who was already feeling sour to begin with felt like getting up immediately to throw this eyesore of a chirp outside. It was still fine if it kept silent, but the moment it chirped, Mister Long immediately thought of the wound on his wife¡¯s neck¡ª wasn¡¯t it this chirp who caused it? Even if it did help him out by preventing his wife from dreaming, his rare moment of being able to secretly spend some time together for a while was now interrupted by this chirp again. ¡°Little Mister Long.¡± Mu Wanwan got up and looked at Mister Long¡ª Apart from the broken horns that were different, their furry ears were exactly the same, and would even twitch now and then. Mu Wanwan¡¯s eyes softened; she rubbed his furry ears lightly, then got ready to get out of bed. Mister Long¡¯s cheeks burned when she suddenly touched his sensitive ears. His spiritual consciousness followed her, and when he saw her approach the wardrobe, the image of her changing clothes the last time came to mind. His spiritual consciousness seemed to have been suddenly burned, and immediately turned and went back to him. No, an honest and upright dragon wouldn¡¯t do things like peeping. Unless his wife wanted him to watch. But not looking was one thing, and his thoughts running amok was another. Mister Long felt that he was very despicable. Blushing furiously, he thought about things he shouldn¡¯t be thinking about for a little while, then decided to calm down once and for all and concentrate on repairing his meridians¡ª When it was nighttime¡­ When it was nighttime, he would think about it again. ¡­¡­ After changing, Mu Wanwan went about with the household chores in a speedy practiced manner. Washing up, cleaning the dragon and the chirp, making breakfast, feeding the dragon and the chirp, doing the laundry, hanging up the laundry¡­ After thinking about it, she decided to take advantage of the good weather and took out the bedding and quilt to dry. Next, she went to put away the things she bought, then changed the soil. After busying about for half a day, she finally began to formally begin her work of cultivating plants. Mu Wanwan had bought some small pots on her last trip to the market specially to be used for growing spiritual plants. The spiritual soil Uncle Zong had given her should be able to last for a while, so she didn¡¯t buy any. Alright- the main reason was that she couldn¡¯t afford them. After these few trips to the market, Mu Wanwan now had a clear understanding of the market prices. Even in the relatively cheaper elven market, spiritual soil was very costly¡ª generally, a small bag of ordinary spiritual soil would cost three to five low-grade spirit stones. Spiritual soil that had better effects would cost even more. Uncle Zong had given her some spiritual soil when they first met, and another large bag after that. Although it wasn¡¯t the kind of spiritual soil with very good effects, it was already hard to come by. Moreover, Uncle Zong had also said that he would help her. So, even if all this was in part due to the fact that the spiritual plants she cultivated had some special effects, Mu Wanwan was still very grateful to them. Things were difficult for Uncle Zong, and the Yun¡¯er she had met was such a gentle and warm lady. With them both kind people, she didn¡¯t want to let them down even more. Also, while the past month or so seemed to have been peaceful, she didn¡¯t know when Bai Shuiyao and Ao Qin would come to look for trouble with her and Mister Long. She had to hurry and earn more spirit stones and medicine now. At this thought, Mu Wanwan picked up the pace and sprinkled a little spiritual soil into a pot, then took out two Grade 2 Bixing grass seeds and got ready to begin cultivating¡ª Grade 2 Bixing grass seeds were a little bigger than those of Grade 1, but they were drier and also harder. All it took was one look and she could tell they would be harder to cultivate than Grade 1 seeds. Mu Wanwan was not discouraged. She first sent out a little wood elemental energy to sense the vitality of the seed. The speed at which this seed absorbed spiritual energy wasn¡¯t very fast. She hesitated for a while, then took another seed. CH 92 Forty-two Dragons (3) This was a little pattern she discovered over the past few days. She could use the speed at which the seeds absorbed spiritual energy to gauge their vitality before officially cultivating them. If the absorption was fast, the success rate would often be high. Although her spiritual energy was somewhat special, it was not impossible for her to fail halfway through the cultivation. After a few failures, Mu Wanwan had developed the habit of testing before she started growing it. Unfortunately, after testing out several seeds one after another, none of them had higher vitality than the first one. Frowning slightly, Mu Wanwan roughly understood why the Grade 2 spiritual plants were more difficult to cultivate than the Grade 1 ones. She did not continue to waste her spiritual energy on testing the vitality of the remaining seeds, but buried the first seed in the soil and began. After about six or seven minutes and spending about one-fifth of her spiritual energy, the shell of the first seed broke with great effort from her, and three tender green buds grew out slowly under her expectant gaze. With a sigh of relief, Mu Wanwan stopped channeling her spiritual energy, took a break, then picked up another Bixing grass seed and started cultivating it. But her luck wasn¡¯t always so good. The next two seeds failed to grow and exploded in the soil. The impact caused the moist soil to burst out and smear all over her face. Mu Wanwan: ¡°......¡± Alright, nothing was ever easy. She wiped her face calmly and continued. She continued to fail a few more times, and only had another success with her seventh seed. It took almost the whole afternoon and all her spiritual energy for Mu Wanwan to finally cultivate three spiritual plants. She brought the three hard-earned pots of tender shoots to the courtyard, found a place with good sunlight, and sorted out the best spot for the three trembling shoots. Then, she took in the dried bedding and laundry. Her movements made some noise when she returned to the room, waking Mengmeng up. ¡°Chirp~¡± It was probably a very young bird and would fall asleep easily after eating every day. However, it never slept for very long and would wake up easily during the day, acting like a spoiled child as soon as it woke. But the good thing was, it made her days less boring. With a smile in her eyes, Mu Wanwan touched the feathery scarf around Mengmeng¡¯s neck, getting a gentle nudge in return. Her palm ticklish, Mu Wanwan carefully avoided Mengmeng¡¯s wound and touched its little head. Seeing the small rope that was still tied to its feet, she thought for a while and said softly in a negotiating tone, ¡°Mengmeng, I¡¯ll untie your rope, but don¡¯t run about, okay?¡± ¡°Chirp~¡± Mengmeng chirped a few times, sounding like it was promising her that it would never run about. Mu Wanwan untied its rope. Actually, she didn¡¯t want to keep Mengmeng tethered either¡ª after all, it had only been able to stay in one spot all this while while looking at her from time to time, which was really quite pitiful. Moreover, the little chirp was not Mister Long, who couldn¡¯t move. If possible, Mu Wanwan wanted to make Mengmeng¡¯s life better. She had heard that the lifespan of this kind of tit wasn''t very long. Generally, it was considered to have had a long life if it could live for more than ten years. Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t want to keep Mengmeng caged up. Besides, every creature would be full of curiosity about the world no matter what kind of creature it was, right? Just like little Mister Long. ¡°Chirp!¡± Probably sensing that she was a little down, the freed little chirp took the initiative to rub against her palm. ¡°Mengmeng is such a good child.¡± Mu Wanwan was warmed by it, and she felt slightly better. ¡°Chirp~¡± Mengmeng rubbed against her palm again, then waved its wings in a human-like manner and began to move step by step¡ª It still couldn¡¯t move at ease and walked a little shakily, but perhaps because it had been better nourished recently, Mu Wanwan felt that it seemed to be a little more feathery. Mengmeng walked along the bedside table wonkily. Feeling a little happy at the sight, she was thinking that it was a good thing to let the feather ball move about more when she saw it jump from the bedside table to the jade bed all at once. Mu Wanwan was somewhat panicked¡ª after all, there was some distance from the bedside table to the bed. She looked at the featherball anxiously and was relieved to find that it was hopping around the bed in a lively manner. But she still wanted to stop the feather ball. After all, although she had cleaned up this little fellow and Mengmeng¡¯s claws were not dirty, the quilt would get dirtied easily if it hopped about on the bed like that!! ¡°Mengmeng...¡± Mu Wanwan went to the bed and wanted to pick up Mengmeng, and saw that although this little chirp was very small, its movements were extremely agile. Mu Wanwan felt that it would be simply impossible to pick it up gently, and just watched as it hopped from the jade bed to the quilt, and then¡­ ¡­onto Mister Long¡¯s body?! ¡°Mengmeng!¡± Mu Wanwan called out its name. While chirping, Mengmeng hopped all the way onto Mister Long¡¯s face as if looking for something, before stopping at one of his furry ears. Then, it rubbed against his furry ear affectionately and chirped happily. Mu Wanwan: ¡°¡­¡­¡± The author has something to say. In those years, the comatose dragon that was bullied by a feathery chirp¡ª Mister Long (through gritted teeth), ¡°This feather chirp is my enemy for life.¡± CH 93 Forty-three Dragons (1) After waking up from the dream, time passed very quickly, and in the blink of an eye, a week had already gone by. Mister Long was still the same as before, but Mu Wanwan felt that he seemed to be capable of making little movements as compared to before. For example, sometimes when she was feeding him porridge, she could feel that he was trembling a little unnaturally all over. Also, he didn¡¯t seem to be in as much pain as before either¡ª His always pale face would now occasionally have a touch of colour, and the hideous lines on his face also seem to have been suppressed and only move occasionally. As for his tail, although the tip has been lost, it seems to have gotten better and has not rotted again. His scales have also turned from the previous withered yellow to the current state of semi-yellow. All in all, he was in a much better state now than when she last went out. At this rate, perhaps in another year? Or maybe, not even a year¡ª perhaps, in a few months, Mister Long would be able to wake up. Occasionally, at the thought that he might become the tyrant in the original body¡¯s memories after waking up, Mu Wanwan would feel a little sad. After all, she had raised this dragon for so long. Even though he couldn¡¯t move, he also wouldn¡¯t hurt her, and he gave her endless motivation. Besides, she had also kissed him, and even drank his blood¡­ Although she couldn¡¯t tell if she was looking forward to Mister Long waking up, or hoping that he would keep on sleeping, she was genuinely happy about the changes in Mister Long. Apart from Mister Long, the feathery chirp was also in a very good state. The wound on its little wing has gotten a lot better and had stopped bleeding long ago. The flesh at that area has also almost completely grown back¡ª it¡¯s just that there were still no feathers at the site of the injury. The bare spot only had a few tiny feathers, which didn¡¯t look very nice. But that was just superficial. Mengmeng was in very good shape¡ª there was just a little more to go. It seemed to be very interested in Mister Long¡¯s furry ears. From time to time, it would jump onto the bed and hop across on Mister Long¡¯s face to rub his ears. Once, upon returning to the room after cultivating spiritual plants, Mu Wanwan saw the feathery chirp rub itself on Mister Long¡¯s ear, and even opened its tender yellow beak, looking as if it wanted to peck off some fur to take with it to play with. It was a good thing she had moved quickly enough, or it would¡¯ve been bad for Mister Long. Thinking about it, Mister Long could only be called cute solely because of these furry ears. If that furriness was gone, he would become a slippery and scaly dragon¡­ ¡°Chirp!¡± Probably because the food has been good recently, Mengmeng woke up every day full of energy. Apart from Mister Long¡¯s ears, one of its favourite places was the small basket Mu Wanwan used to hatch spirit eggs. It would squat carefully in the only empty spot in the basket, then tuck its increasingly plump little body inside and stretch out its two little wings to cover two of the spirit eggs with difficulty, hugging one on each side. Despite the fact that it was very small, and its little wings could only cover a small part of the egg. Every time she saw this loving scene, Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t help but want to laugh. It was also because of the feathery chirp¡¯s existence that she felt that the days of non-stop work were not so difficult. These days, Mu Wanwan has been working hard to cultivate seeds. Although she has advanced in rank, the success rates of cultivating these seeds were lower. The success rate of the Grade 2 Bixing grass seeds was only about seventy percent, while the success rate of Baizhen fruit was even lower, at about sixty percent or so. Also, it took a lot of spiritual energy every day to nurture the seedlings that had been cultivated. So, although seven or eight days had passed, she had only cultivated eleven Grade 2 Bixing grass and nine Frade 2 Baizhen fruit. Because Mengmeng hasn¡¯t reached Rank 1, Mu Wanwan only fed it the fruit cultivated from the remaining grade 1 seeds. On the other hand, a certain dragon¡¯s food had improved. ¡°Mister Long, it¡¯s time to eat.¡± After preparing dinner, Mu Wanwan plucked a Bixing grass fruit that she had grown painstakingly and fed it to the dragon. The Grade 2 Bixing grass fruit was also translucent. The juice inside was a little richer, and the fruit was a little larger. She usually only fed Mister Long one a day. Of the spirit stones she brought back, Mister Long had absorbed some of them one after another in the past few days. There were still two mid-grade spirit stones and three low-grade spirit stones left. Mu Wanwan also kept two low-grade spirit stones on herself and would occasionally take a sniff when she was exhausted from cultivating seeds as if to encourage herself. After dinner, while it was still not yet night and not particularly cold, Mu Wanwan washed the dishes, boiled some water, and briefly cleaned up herself and Mister Long, then got ready to make some handicrafts before going to bed. The weather was getting increasingly colder, and the probability of cloudy days increased. It wasn¡¯t the type of dry cold either, but a damp cold. Washing things was a painful chore, and it was only in the room that it was slightly better. Due to the heating stones she bought, the temperature inside was a little higher than outside. CH 94 Forty-three Dragons (2) ¡°What should I embroider tonight?¡± Mu Wanwan was on the bed. There was a heating stone in the quilt, which provided some warmth like a hot water bottle. Leaning against the wall, she looked at the yawning feather ball on the bedside table. ¡°Should I embroider another Mengmeng?¡± After thinking about it, Mu Wanwan decided against it. She had already embroidered several feather balls. Instead, she would embroider a pair of mandarin ducks, which should sell better. ¡°Chirp~¡± It was getting late. Mengmeng made a faint chirping sound and lay beside the heating stone Mu Wanwan had placed especially by its little blanket, then closed its black bean-like eyes. The oil lamp also gradually dimmed. Halfway through her embroidery, Mu Wanwan felt her neck getting sore and did not continue. She got out of bed and packed up gently. ¡°Good night, Mister Long.¡± As usual, before going to sleep, Mu Wanwan said good night to a certain dragon beside her, then shut her eyes and quickly fell asleep. Only when the sound of her calm breathing came to his ears and after cautiously using his spiritual consciousness to make sure that the damned feather ball had also fallen asleep did Mister Long stir slowly. The quilt had dried two days ago, and Mu Wanwan did not continue to share one with Mister Long anymore. Now, he occupied most of the jade bed by himself, and his occasional movements went unnoticed. The long raven-black eyelashes trembled slightly, and Mister Long slowly opened his eyes. The dark eyes reflected the warm light of the oil lamp that had not yet burned out. He blinked slowly, shook his ears, felt a little pain on the fur of his ears, and frowned¡ª He just knew that the chirp would peck at his fur when he was asleep in the day again! But at the thought that he could soon have a bit of intimate contact with his wife, Mister Long was still full of expectation. His tail was even happily wagging in minute degrees under the quilt. Well, the first step to making intimate contact was to make yourself look good. Blushing slightly, Mister Long mobilised the spiritual power in his body. After a faint white glow, a certain dragon¡¯s face transformed from one filled with black and red curse lines with hideous broken horns on his head to a handsome human face with long black hair and long and narrow phoenix eyes. The long, injured dragon tail also transformed into two long and powerful legs. Although he had lost the tip of his tail, when he transformed into his human form, his body was still intact. It was just that he was probably a little crippled now, and had a poor sense of balance. However, his face shouldn¡¯t have become uglier by much, right? Mister Long silently raised his arm and touched his cheek lightly. He had nothing now; only this face was still okay. So, even in the night after his wife had fallen asleep, for some reason, he insisted on wasting some spiritual energy to transform into his human form. Tonight¡­ What should he do with his wife tonight? A few days ago, he had been really bad and held onto her hand. Because he had experienced the pleasure of being hugged by his wife, he was gradually becoming a little unsatisfied. He even wanted to kiss her¡ª would that be too much? Mister Long turned sideways. His head was full of thoughts, but his face was as motionless as a mountain¡ª he had retained the characteristics of one with facial paralysis from childhood into his adulthood very well. His long ink-coloured hair was spread on the pillow, and his phoenix eyes shone with the golden glow of anticipation, flashing past like the colour of honey. His thin lips were pursed, and his eyes fell on her, light and gentle¡ª¡ª She was much better-looking than when he first looked at her with his spiritual consciousness. Her skin had become fairer, and while her eyelashes were not very long, they were curved and very lovely. When her eyes were open, they were bright like stars, but when closed, they were like a quiet ink painting. Her long hair spread on the pillow. The lips and the tips of her ears were pink, and her collarbones were prominent. She wasn¡¯t the kind of beauty that would start wars, yet every part of her was exactly the way he liked. With just one look, he couldn¡¯t extricate himself, and just sank deeper and deeper. What¡¯s more, she was so, so good. There was a dull pain in his heart, and Mister Long¡¯s eyes grew somewhat dim¡ª At first, he thought she was just a human with ordinary talents. Although it was very unlucky for her to have married him, when he got better, he would definitely use this life to protect her well. But later, after eating so many fruits cultivated with her spiritual power, how could he not know that her talents were actually not ordinary at all? To have such a high success rate at only Rank 2, and for her cultivated spiritual plants to be much higher than the quality of those of the same grade and even have the special effect of dispelling curses, how could this be considered ordinary? In this continent, with the gradual rise of daemons, even strong ones below Rank 5 had no way of completely dispelling the curses of the abyssal daemons. The curses of the witch tribe were also becoming increasingly vicious. In the past, only Jinjiang grass and elixirs at astronomical prices could work against these curses. But now, his wife also could. Although she was still very weak and was even forced to be bound to him, if he woke up and gave her some instructions on refining elixirs, with some resources and time, going by how diligent she was, she would definitely grow. CH 95 Forty-three Dragons (3) At that time, a master alchemist who could refine elixirs that were capable of dispelling curses would surely be an important guest no matter where she goes. Even in the most loft Special Lifeforms Alliance would give her a seat of honour too. It could even be said that she would become better and better, and more and more dazzling. Although he was good-looking, there were many others in this world who were about as good-looking as he was. Moreover, she had never seen his human form before. What if he wasn¡¯t the type she liked? What would he do, then? His desire to tie her to his side was indeed selfish. Without his horns now, his strength was greatly reduced. Even if he connected all seven of the broken pieces of his original core, he could only recover 80% of his original strength. He wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat Rank 7 powerhouses, and he would die if he were to be ganged up on by Rank 6 people. On top of that, without the use of spiritual energy, he would be walking like a useless cripple. It was also difficult to say if he would be able to take back all of his power from Ao Qin¡¯s hands. To make her follow him would make him a really very bad dragon. He should set her free. He really should set her free. She didn¡¯t know that he was conscious now, and was only taking care of him out of responsibility and pity, right? Mister Long couldn¡¯t help recalling that hug, and could only deceive himself into thinking that that was just because she was cold; she didn¡¯t feel anything for him. But even so, even though he knew that his behaviour was not befitting of a proper gentleman, even though he felt he was as shady as a rat, Mister Long decided to indulge himself. She was sound asleep and completely oblivious. He would move lightly, and she wouldn¡¯t find out. His heart squeezed, feeling unbearable yet beating violently. Mister Long moved gently. Wrapped in the quilt, he moved little by little above Mu Wanwan. Propping himself on his arms on either side of the pillow, he looked greedily at her sleeping face. It was a good thing Mu Wanwan¡¯s sleep wasn¡¯t shallow. Lying on her side, she felt the change of light and shadow, but only fluttered her eyelashes and did not wake up. I want to... I want to... kiss her. Mister Long¡¯s blood gradually heated up, and his forehead broke out in a sweat from restraining himself. His cheeks were red, but his expression was cold, and his brows were also twisted, wearing a very reluctant expression. ¡°Wife...¡± He heard himself say softly. His voice was hoarse and low with unuse, tinged with a paranoid desire, and echoed in the quiet room. ¡°I¡­¡± Mister Long tilted his head slightly; the redness on his face had become more pronounced, and his brows were furrowed even more tightly. He wanted to say, Can I kiss you? Just like how Mu Wanwan would bully the sleeping dragon when she wanted to touch his ears. But clearly, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say it. Just saying ¡®I¡¯ seemed to have cost him his life. The old bachelor dragon simply couldn¡¯t bring himself to say it. Mister Long mustered up the effort for a long time, looking as if he were dealing with a deep and bitter hatred, but could only say ¡®I¡¯ after half a day. The spiritual energy in his body was rapidly flowing away. Mister Long struggled for nearly a quarter of an hour, but still couldn¡¯t say it, and could only decide to let himself go. He silently simulated the scene of his wife agreeing in his mind, then slowly bent down, closing the distance between them. Her face gradually enlarged, becoming closer and closer to him. Mister Long¡¯s heartbeat became faster and faster, his blood surging¡ª Their breaths mingled; her warm exhale landed on his lips, causing a terrible shudder. No, he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Mister Long¡¯s face was all red, but he still couldn¡¯t bring himself to kiss her. Very slowly and cautiously, he bumped her cheek. It was very, very light, like an illusion. Yet, Mister Long was almost out of breath. Despite his serious expression, his face was crimson red. He didn¡¯t even notice that his ears sprang out the moment he touched Mu Wanwan. At this moment, the pair of ears that could reveal his emotions were rising and falling along with the desperately suppressed sound of his breathing. After who knew how long, Mister Long managed to calm down a little. Sensing the bit of spiritual energy left in his body, he thought a little despicably, How about¡­ kissing her again? Just as the blushing Mister Long with trembling ears prepared to kiss her again, Mu Wanwan seemed to have suddenly sensed something¡ª her sleepy eyes stirred and her eyelashes trembled, looking as if she was about to wake up. Mister Long¡¯s heart trembled with every tremble of her eyelashes, and the sweetness that had just risen turned into ice-cold fear. There was even a sudden feeling of disgust with himself. His pupils constricted, and his body tensed instinctively. When he came to, he had already bent down and buried his head in the pillow by her neck, in an attempt to pretend he had stolen a kiss by acting like an ostrich. Mu Wanwan only felt that something was pressing down on her, which made her very uncomfortable. Dazed with sleep, she only felt a furry feeling at the side of her neck. Mister Long was about to die from anxiousness. His wife had never woken up in the middle of the night these past days, so he had let down his guard. Mister Long was very uneasy, but when he heard Mu Wanwan¡¯s words, the heart that was about to fall off a cliff got rescued by a branch. ¡°Mengmeng¡­¡± Mu Wanwan blearily called out the name of her feather ball. ¡°You came to sleep on the bed again¡­¡± The feather ball? CH 96 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 96 unedited Forty-three Dragons (4) Mister Long¡¯s ears trembled, and a thought flashed across his mind like lightning. He tensed his body with difficulty, and his handsome face was flushed with embarrassment. In her ear, he made a small little sound he disdained the most and had complained about countless times in his heart; the sound exclusive to the feather ball when it was trying to seem cute¡ª ¡°Chirp¡­¡± The voice was low, hoarse, and soft. Only the ending note rose a little slightly, and there was nothing cute about it like Mengmeng¡¯s was at all. Surprisingly, Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t notice. Half-asleep, she wanted to get up, but then thought the feather ball that was pressing down on her was too heavy. After attempting to, she lazy back down lazily. ¡°Mhm¡­ you¡¯ve gained weight.¡± Mister Long felt only her soft body through the quilts, and the chest that was pressed gently against his, and the whole dragon felt like he was about to explode. To lower his wife¡¯s guard, he said ¡°Chirp~¡± twice again in a small voice. Then, red-faced and embarrassed, he quickly returned to the original position where he belonged. Only Heaven knew that he¡¯d almost stopped breathing. Mister Long¡¯s heart beat violently, and he felt that his lift would end sooner or later in Mu Wanwan¡¯s hands. Before he could recover, Mu Wanwan felt something was amiss. Although the feathery chirp had gotten fatter, it couldn¡¯t have become that much fatter, right? Also, why did she feel that there was something wrong about the feather ball¡¯s voice? The more she thought about it in her sleep, the stranger she felt it was. Could she have encountered a ghost? When this idea suddenly appeared in her head, Mu Wanwan opened her eyes abruptly, took a couple of sharp breaths, then sat up. The lights in the room were about to burn out, and there was only a little dim light left. She looked automatically towards Mister Long¡ª¡ª His furry ears were still there¡­ No, wait¡ª why were the black and red lines on his face gone? Her heart leapt abruptly. Along with the speculation of there being a ghost, Mu Wanwan¡¯s heart beat wildly. She felt like she was about to die from fright, and called out the feathery chirp¡¯s name instinctively¡ª ¡°Mengmeng...¡± ¡°Mengmeng...¡± ¡°Chirp¡­?¡± ¡°Chirp!¡± Upon hearing Mu Wanwan¡¯s call, Mengmeng struggled up and responded to her with its tender voice. It opened its eyes and looked at Mu Wanwan who liked like she was about to cry, and hopped nimbly from the bedside table to the edge of the bed, then hopped into her hand and rubbed her palm with its little head. ¡°Chirp chirp?¡± There was a warm feeling in her hand, and Mu Wanwan¡¯s heart gradually calmed down. However, she was still trembling. The more she thought about it, the more afraid she became. I-if the person lying beside her was not Mister Long and was a g-ghost, what should she do?! ¡°Mengmeng¡­¡± ¡°Chirp!¡± replied Mengmeng loudly. Then, it gave Mu Wanwan another loving rub to comfort her. Mu Wanwan touched Mengmeng¡¯s little head, made up her mind, then looked over at Mister Long abruptly¡ª Ah, it was still the familiar Mister Long. Lying motionlessly and obediently. She breathed a sigh of relief and wiped away the cold sweat a little embarrassedly. She put the feathery chirp gently on the bedside table, then got up and lit a lamp. The room brightened in an instant, and Mu Wanwan was completely awake. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mengmeng, for disturbing your sleep.¡± She whispered an apology to Mengmeng and received a bright chirping sound in return. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re here,¡± she said and smiled. Just as she was about to say something to Mister Long, who was still lying down, she heard the crisp sound of a shell breaking. ¡°Chirp!¡± The feather ball became excited all of a sudden. Flapping the little wings that could not yet fully support its body, it glided all the way to the basket containing the spirit eggs. Mu Wanwan also became energetic. She put on an outer robe and walked over to the table. With the newly-lit lamp, she could see the situation in the basket clearly¡ª Two of the spirit eggs in the basket had a crack on them. Crack, crack. They cracked open slowly. This¡ª are the eggs hatching? Mu Wanwan was a little surprised. Actually, she had thought at the beginning that these eggs wouldn¡¯t hatch. After all, the weather has been so cold lately. Although she had bought heating stones and covered it was a handkerchief, and Mengmeng would also use its little wings to cover the spirit eggs from time to time, she still did not carry much hope. In fact, the egg seller had told her that these were Grade 1 spirit eggs, and the probability of them hatching without a mother hen was very low. Generally, if they didn¡¯t hatch after five days, they could be eaten. But perhaps because of the dream about Mister Long, she had developed some personal emotions, and decided to only eat them if they didn¡¯t hatch after ten days. Yet, they were now giving her such a big surprise. If only little Mister Long were here. If little Mister Long saw his Big Treasure and Little Treasure hatching, he would surely be very happy, right? With a gentle expression, Mu Wanwan looked at the two fragile little chicks breaking out of their shells little by little. Then, towards Mengmeng, the first bird they saw, they made clear cries for food. Yet, Mengmeng didn¡¯t feel anything and chirped happily at them in greeting. At this scene, Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t help laughing out loud. Alright then, now that the little chicks have hatched, she probably won¡¯t get any sleep tonight again. Filled with energy, she planned to begin on a series of tasks. Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t even realise that her expression was happy and gentle. Mister Long withdrew his spiritual consciousness slowly. His heart had calmed down from almost being caught. Looking at Mu Wanwan, the feather ball, and the newly hatched ugly chicks, the corners of Mister Long¡¯s lips lifted imperceptibly. Yet, his eyes stung a little. Ah, he already knew. He knew it a long time ago. In the second year after he lost his ¡°home¡± and was forced to flee, he knew. Those eggs that looked like these were spirit chicken eggs. It was impossible for baby dragons to hatch from them. Even if the names of the spirit eggs were Big Treasure and Little Treasure, they could not hatch into dragonlings. CH 97 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 97 unedited Forty-four Dragons (1) Inside the elven market: It was still very early, and the sky was grey. The temperature was also gradually decreasing, and it looked like there would be snow soon. Uncle Zong had pushed back the stop¡¯s opening hours lately. It was only opened for two hours in the afternoon every day to focus on preparing the things he¡¯d need for the auction. But today, the shop¡¯s door was being knocked on very early in the day. The beastman who was not afraid of the cold was wearing a thin animal skin coat. In his arms was his wife, who had recovered a lot in recent days. He frowned, ¡°Who is it so early in the morning?¡± Yun¡¯er¡¯s face had a little more colour in it. Perhaps because she had experienced the ups and downs of being on the edge of life and death, she exuded a touch of easy-going charm. ¡°Brother Lei, I¡¯ll go with you to see who it is.¡± Uncle Zong could along go along with her. He got up and put a thick fur coat around her, then opened the door with a look of displeasure. ¡°Uncle Zong.¡± Feng carried a package on his back and was clutching Lan¡¯er¡¯s arm tightly with the other hand, standing at the door in thin clothes. There was a little bruise on his cheek, and he looked very fragile. With a flash of surprise in his eyes, Uncle Zong pushed open the door. ¡°Why have you come? Hurry, come in, it¡¯s cold outside.¡± Feng shook his head. His gaze landed on Auntie Yun, who was beside Uncle Zong, and he smiled. ¡°Auntie Yun.¡± Feng tugged at Lan¡¯er, revealing half her head. She said in a small voice, ¡°Auntie Yun.¡± Her cheeks were red and swollen, and there were tears in her eyes. Auntie Yun looked at the child¡¯s red-eyed appearance, and while it was ugly, her heart ached at once. ¡°Ah, why are you crying? Quick, come in.¡± Feng shook his head firmly. ¡°Auntie Yun, Uncle Zong, we have come by today to say goodbye.¡± Uncle Zong suddenly burst out, ¡°Say goodbye? What goodbye? Are you planning to go somewhere else?¡± Feng and Lan¡¯er were just ordinary elves. Apart from being a little good at growing vegetables, they didn¡¯t have any cultivation talent. At the most, they only had a bit more strength and slightly longer life expectancy than ordinary humans. It was so dangerous out there¡­ But looking at the injuries on their faces¡­ could it be that they¡¯ve been bullied recently? When this thought slid into his mind, Uncle Zong felt very guilty all of a sudden. Previously, because Yun¡¯er had been in very poor condition, and his younger brother kept coming to make trouble, he didn¡¯t have any time to take care of these siblings. Now, it seemed like they¡¯d most likely encountered something that caused them to no longer be able to live on in the elven territory. ¡°Have you been bullied?!¡± Uncle Zong¡¯s expression suddenly became fierce, and the beast patterns on his forehead flashed. Feng shook his head. ¡°No. I¡¯m just thinking that since the elves look down on us who are not blessed, we might as well leave this place and go to a place where life is less stressful. If there¡¯s someone who doesn¡¯t mind the way my legs are, I might even be able to find a sister-in-law for Lan¡¯er.¡± He spoke in a relaxed manner, and there was even a smile on his face, but the bruises at the corners of his lips were a sharp contrast. Lan¡¯er couldn¡¯t hold back her tears any longer. ¡°Brother, I¡¯m sorry, I was wrong. I don¡¯t want to go!¡± Feng only grabbed her hand tightly, pursed his lips, and the corners of his lips which had been finally raised fell back down again. ¡°Stop it!¡± At his scolding, Lan¡¯er did not dare to speak anymore. She didn¡¯t expect her brother to be so angry. After the fierce dragon left, her brother beat her up after waking up. It must be said that her brother had never beaten her before, even when she took the money at home to buy meat buns because she wanted to eat meat. Lan¡¯er was mature for her age, so she knew why her brother was angry. She just didn¡¯t expect that he would be so angry, and had even decided to leave their home. That was their home. Despite having sold it earlier to the rouge store for money to treat their father¡¯s illness, it was still their home. She had lived there for seven to eight years and didn¡¯t want to leave in the least. But she didn¡¯t dare to say it, neither did she dare to refute, because she had done something wrong. ¡°You¡­¡± Uncle Zong wanted to say something else, but Feng interrupted him, ¡°Uncle Zong, don¡¯t ask anymore. It¡¯s really nothing.¡± Auntie Yun saw the determination in his eyes and stopped Uncle Zong who was about to burst and shook her head at him. Uncle Zong sighed, ¡°What about the rent? Did they refund it to you?¡± ¡°They said we¡¯re the ones who want to leave in advance and wouldn¡¯t refund it,¡± Lan¡¯er sobbed. ¡°Brother, let¡¯s not leave, okay?¡± Feng also couldn¡¯t smile anymore. He squeezed her hand tightly and did not speak. CH 98 Forty-four Dragons (2) Uncle Zong looked at the children who had grown up by his side for the past two years and his heart softened. ¡°How about this¡ª there¡¯s an auction the day after tomorrow. I need a helper. Help me out and leave after the auction is over.¡± Feng understood his intentions and gave him a grateful look, ¡°Thank you, Uncle Zong, but I think today is a good day for us to depart.¡± Since he put it that way, there was nothing else Uncle Zong could add. He exchanged looks with Auntie Yun, then said, ¡°Wait a minute.¡± He turned around and went into the house. After a while, he came out holding an interdimensional pouch and stuffed it forcibly into Feng¡¯s pocket, ¡°Uncle doesn¡¯t have anything much that¡¯s good. This is just a little token, take it as your travel expenses. If you still remember Uncle in the future, bring Lan¡¯er to the market to see us.¡± He touched Lan¡¯er¡¯s head with his big hand, ¡°Will Lan¡¯er forget Uncle Zong and your Auntie Yun¡¯er?¡± ¡°No, no I won¡¯t!¡± Lan¡¯er¡¯s face streamed with tears. She threw herself into Uncle Zong¡¯s arms. ¡°B-but¡­ I don¡¯t want to go¡­¡± Feng squeezed the interdimensional pouch. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to say any words of refusal. He found himself extremely despicable. On the one hand, they had come here today to bid farewell, but on the other, he secretly hoped for some sort of item that could help them in the future from this beastman who was like an elder to them. Towards Uncle Zong¡¯s kindness, he didn¡¯t feel any humiliation, only self-condemnation. Feng dragged the crying Lan¡¯er away, took a long look at Uncle Zong and his wife, and left. He was carrying the ashes of his parents on his back, and by his side was his young sister. Their road ahead was still very, very long. ...... ¡°They¡¯ve already gone far. Stop looking.¡± Uncle Zong closed the door irritably and pulled Yun¡¯er back. He picked up a Baizhen fruit and handed it to her, ¡°It¡¯s time for your fruit.¡± Yun¡¯er rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Go and find out what¡¯s going on. Tell that ungrateful younger brother of yours who¡¯s outside to look after them.¡± Uncle Zong scratched his head, ¡°I was going to do that even if you didn¡¯t tell me to. Elder Brother had been kind to us in the past.¡± Feng and Lan¡¯er¡¯s father had helped them out before. Even though it was only a small favour, the couple had been secretly helping the siblings for the past two years. However, this time, he had only taken his attention off them for a while, and they were forced to leave. There was no way he wouldn¡¯t go find out what this was about. ¡°Mhm,¡± Yun¡¯er was still in a poor mood. After eating the fruit, she felt tired again. After taking care of her, Uncle Zong went out. Shortly after the departure of the siblings, temperatures dipped. The continuous days of rain came to an end, and fine, light snow fell from the sky. The auction was held as scheduled. Uncle Zong stood amongst a group of cultivators. He had vigilantly changed his appearance and physique to look more like a wolf clan beastman. The auction didn¡¯t last long. The wolf clan-looking Uncle Zong walked out with a dark expression and happened to bump into the dragon, Jin Qiang, who was looking very pleased. ¡°Tch, wolf clan.¡± Jin Qiang held a beautiful fox clan slave he had just bought in his arms and looked haughtily down at him. ¡°Apologise at once!¡± ¡°Master, don¡¯t be angry,¡± purred the bewitching fox clan slave. Her soft hands pressed gently on Jin Qiang¡¯s chest, dousing his anger and stirring up his lust. Uncle Zong had been careless just now and didn¡¯t want to cause trouble, ¡°Sorry, Senior, I was blind.¡± ¡°Humph.¡± Jin Qiang kicked him, ¡°Get lost.¡± Uncle Zong slipped away immediately. Smugly, Jin Qiang smooched his beauty¡¯s face. He had to pay an astronomical sum to buy this little vixen, but no matter. Lord Jin Yan¡¯s subordinate was also at the auction today. After he relieved his desires, he would go look for Lord Jin Yan to ask for his reward. He had done Lord Jin Yan such a huge favour, so shouldn¡¯t he be rewarded for it? What Jin Qiang thought was very beautiful, but he didn¡¯t have any connections and didn¡¯t think of listening out for intel. So, naturally, he didn¡¯t know that Lord Jin Yan, who he was sure would reward him, had already returned three days ago. He had escaped from a secret realm with Bai Huan of the White Dragon Clan with a body full of abyssal daemon poison and demonic aura. Inside a residence far from the dragon race¡¯s marketplace, Jin Yan was enveloped in a dark and demonic aura. His skin cracked from time to time, revealing the bloody scales inside. He was in a half-dragon, half-human form, and was utterly wretched. He was about to die from the pain. His face, which could be described as hale and hearty, was now extremely hideous. He roared, ¡°Where are they?! Not back yet?!¡± ¡°My lord, the people who attended the auction are back!¡± came a delighted maid¡¯s voice from outside. Jin Yan simply couldn¡¯t wait any longer; he rushed out immediately and with a hand that had turned into a dragon claw, pierced the subordinate who attended the auction. ¡°The elixir!¡± CH 99 Forty-four Dragons (3) His subordinate paled with pain, but he didn¡¯t dare to make any complaints and just quickly took out the goods. ¡°My lord, Lord Bai Huan has also sent people to the auction, and we didn¡¯t bring enough money, so we only managed to get half of the Jinjiang grass¡­¡± Wearing a twisted expression, Jin Yan took the bottle of Condensed Snow Pills from his hand and stuffed a few into his mouth. A few moments later, he spat out a mouthful of black blood, and the fog surrounding his body dissipated a little. Only then did he recover his senses and sneered, ¡°Hah, that Bai Huan¡­¡± He didn¡¯t go on, and only grabbed the top-grade interdimensional pouch from his subordinate and waved his hand. ¡°Scram.¡± With blood dripping from his shoulder and a respectful expression, the subordinate retreated. Jin Yan took out a few pieces of top-grade spirit stones from the interdimensional pouch. After a while, the skin that had been split gradually grew back. He used his spiritual consciousness to probe into the treasures in his interdimensional pouch, and a touch of pain and abhorrence flashed past his face. He summoned his spiritual cloud and headed towards the residence of the Golden Dragon Clan¡¯s highly-respected guest alchemist. In the White Dragon Clan¡¯s territory, Bai Huan¡¯s situation was no better. In fact, he was even more seriously injured than Jin Yan. They had gone into the secret realm left behind by the predecessors of the Demon Clan. Not only did he not get any precious cultivation techniques, but he also ran into a Rank 6 witch and a group of Rank 4 abyssal daemons. He¡¯d almost lost his life there. ¡°Jin Yan...¡± Black blood spilled from Bai Huan¡¯s lips. Squeezing the elixir his subordinates bought at the auction, his eyes were full of anger. When he recovered, he would definitely look for Jin Yan to settle the score. Putting aside the matter of how two poisoned dragons were planning to kill each other, on Mu Wanwan¡¯s side, she was in a dilemma¡ª It was because the feathery chirp liked to hop about on Mister Long when her attention was elsewhere, despite her repeatedly telling it not to do so. The feathery chirp was very intelligent. It was quite well-fed, its feather coat much fuller than before, and the little ¡°scarf¡± around its neck was much brighter as well. It was very energetic these days. Out of the spirit eggs she bought, three chicks hatched in the end. Miraculously, all the chicks survived. After eating spiritual fruit for a few days, their feathers had already grown out. The spirit chicks were a little bigger than modern chicks. They were covered in a mix of milky-white and milky-yellow down, and looked very cute. More amazingly, they all took the feathery chirp to be their mother. ¡ú_¡ú Every day, they would follow behind the feathery chirp as they learned to walk. Considering that they were still very small, Mu Wanwan made a simple nest for them with a big pot and placed it in the room. The little spirit chicks were not dirty, but they were not as clean as the feathery chirp who loved cleanliness, and would inevitably get some dirt on themselves as they hopped about on the ground. Therefore, this awkward situation arose¡ª The weather was good today, so Mu Wanwan took Mister Long¡¯s quilt out to sun. Then, thinking that she would like to bask in the sun herself, she decided to cultivate seeds in the courtyard. After working hard for about two to three hours, she returned inside. To find the feathery chirp hopping about on Mister Long with the three little chicks. Their feet were covered with mud, and their little wings were all dusty. Mu Wanwan even saw that one of the chicks had left diarrhoea on his chest. Mu Wanwan, ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Mengmeng!¡± Mu Wanwan was a little angry. She hurriedly grabbed the little feather balls and tied them in the basket. Even leader Mengmeng¡¯s large-eyed chirping and acting cute did not spare itself from the same fate. Mu Wanwan tied it to the chick with diarrhoea, to let it experience what it meant to share woe and odour. Then, she walked to the bed and looked at the pale and frowning Mister Long¡­ and the dirt on his body, then was caught in a dilemma about cleaning. She had been here for more than a month but hadn¡¯t yet given him an actual bath, and usually only wipe him down. It was good that he wasn¡¯t very dirty. But this time, Mu Wanwan felt that she couldn¡¯t get past herself without giving him a bath, never mind that she would have to sleep beside him at night. ¡°Mister Long, how about I give you a bath?¡± said Mu Wanwan in a low voice as looked at his ears that were all dirty from the chicks¡¯ trampling. Therefore, a certain dragon who had just woken up and forced himself to not despise the feathery balls was stunned in an instant¡ª In this awkward situation, should he wake up and wash himself, or pretend to be unconscious and let his wife wash him? ( ¦Ø ) The author has something to say. Mister Long (ears twitching and looking serious): ¡°I¡¯m a respectable dragon, so I choose to pretend to be asleep!¡± CH 100 Forty-five Dragons (1) In the end, Mu Wanwan decided to boil more water and give Mister Long a bath. The room was big enough to fit the wooden barrel, but getting the barrel out would be tricky. However, it was still more convenient than carrying Mister Long to the side hall. Mu Wanwan thought about it and looked at Mister Long¡¯s tail. She felt that she might not be able to carry him on her back. Even if she could, Mister Long¡¯s tail would most likely be dragged on the ground. So, it would be better to bring the water in. Now that his tail had almost grown back to its original size, it has not bled again for a long time. Although it was a little skinnier, and the tip of the tail was also gone, there was a thin layer of soft and translucent baby scales. Above the long dragon tail were some withered yellow scales, and his V-shaped abdominal lines could clearly be seen. There were some lightly golden scales on his waist, which gave off a very seductive air. Mu Wanwan was a little embarrassed, but when her gaze landed upon Mister Long¡¯s pure white undergarments and the indescribable object that had been tugged at by the chicks, her shyness instantly disappeared. Well! She looked at the cute but ¡°dirty¡± chicks with some distaste, then hurriedly went to the kitchen to boil hot water and prepared the things needed for the bath. It was her first time giving the dragon a bath. According to previous experience, Mister Long¡¯s scales would be harder in some places... After thinking about it, Mu Wanwan took out the brush that she bought previously and didn¡¯t yet have a chance to use. She was actually feeling a little nervous! She wasn¡¯t the only one who was nervous¡ª a certain dragon was more nervous than she was. Just thinking about what might happen next made him feel very ~excited ~. He even began to think how cute Mengmeng was, to have brought the little chicks to hop around on him. The dragon did not feel angry at all anymore! Red-faced, he waited for a while, then sent his spiritual consciousness out. While looking at Mengmeng get uncomfortable with the stink of chicks and admiring the little chirp¡¯s rare sorry state, he looked forward to the intimate contact he was about to have with his wife. Mister Long¡¯s mood was extraordinarily good. Although he felt very shy, this was something that had to be done between husband and wife, right? She had already married him, slept in the same bed with him, and they even had a love token (the dragon horn pouch.) If she gave him a bath, it was akin to her agreeing to have (?) dragon cubs with him! Mister Long¡¯s heart fluttered. As much as he despised himself for his shameless act of pretending to be asleep, he secretly looked forward to it. But soon, his spiritual consciousness detected that a few people were gradually approaching the courtyard. Mister Long calmed down immediately, and a cold sneer appeared on his lips¡ª¡ª In the past, when he was comatose, he could not do anything about these servants who came to pick on his wife. Now that he was better, while he still couldn¡¯t deal with Ao Qin and the dragon guards, it was still more than enough to deal with these lowly women who wanted to bully his wife. There were currently still some spirit stones at home, which was enough to deal with them. As Mister Long thought darkly about how he would make these servants who had bullied his wife suffer, Mu Wanwan, who was boiling water in the kitchen, felt her heartbeat speed up. She carried the wooden bucket into the room and had just put down the things for washing when there was a knock on the courtyard door. Mu Wanwan¡¯s heart leapt, and several bad thoughts flashed through her mind. She even wondered if Ao Qin had come to give them trouble. She quickly took a large handkerchief and covered the spirit chicks and Mengmeng, then said in a somewhat trembling voice, ¡°Mengmeng, be quiet.¡± The knocking became a bit more impatient, interspersed with Fuliu¡¯s voice, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s me.¡± Mu Wanwan let out a sigh of relief. She called out that she was coming, then very quickly kept the few pots of spiritual plants that she hadn¡¯t had time to take in from the courtyard into her interdimensional pouch. Even though her interdimensional pouch was of a very low grade and couldn¡¯t store living things, there shouldn¡¯t be any problem with putting the spiritual plants in there for a few hours. Mu Wanwan closed the door of the room, ran to the courtyard, opened the main door, and saw Fu Liu and Hong Ye standing there. ¡°What are you doing, Madam? What took you so long to open the door?¡± Fuliu frowned, her face full of displeasure. Hong Ye stood beside her and winked at Mu Wanwan in a friendly manner. It didn¡¯t look like they were here to make trouble. Mu Bending understood the theory of how when one was weaker than their circumstance, it was best to acquiesce. ¡°I was in the kitchen just now, sorry.¡± Fuliu harrumphed. Looking at the cheap cotton clothes Mu Wanwan was wearing with not a single decorative ornament in her black hair and the cloth shoes covering her feet, she raised an eyebrow. ¡°What kind of delicious food is Madam cooking? Are you cooking the meat of a Grade 3 magic cow or making soup with a Grade 4 spirit pigeon?¡± Her tone was sarcastic, mocking Mu Wanwan¡¯s poverty. It was also akin to a knife that stabbed through Mister Long¡¯s heart. His spiritual consciousness spread out, and he could fully see the once incomparably meek and obedient servant who was always trembling before him had now transformed into someone who was dressed in clothes that were more than ten times better than his wife¡¯s, arrogantly mocking his wife¡¯s food. The feeling of guilt mixed with regret was like the pain of being pricked by needles. He was in such deep regret. Back then, he was only intent on cultivation and never cared about these things. He was the one who made the mistake, but she was the one who had to pay for it now. As Mu Wanwan was not in the room, there was no need for Mister Long to pretend. Sitting up, his slightly downcast eyes and raven-black eyelashes hid the pain in the eyes. His thin lips were pursed, and the curse lines on his face were more sinister than usual. ¡°Chirp...¡± Mengmeng keenly felt the pressure in the room and made a little cry of unease. The other three chicks were even more scared and had huddled into a ball. As if being pinched around the necks, they simply could not make any sound at all. Mister Long picked up the mid-grade spirit stone that had been placed by his pillow with his long arm and his gaze softened for a moment¡ª This was what she gave him; it was what she had earned for him. ...... CH 101 Forty-five Dragons (2) At the entrance of the courtyard, Fuliu, who was only of Rank 2 strength, was entirely oblivious that Mister Long¡¯s spiritual consciousness had already spread behind her, and was staring at her coldly and murderously. She scoffed with merriment, ¡°Madam, you can¡¯t do this. How can you eat such expensive food? The sovereign is still so badly injured, what wastefulness.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just making some mortal food,¡± said Mu Wanwan coldly. Hearing Fuliu mention Mister Long, the smile on Mu Wanwan¡¯s lips disappeared. ¡°Hah.¡± Fuliu pursed her lips and chuckled. The disdain in her eyes was about to overflow. She could only find some sense of presence here at Mu Wanwan¡¯s abode. Even though Fuliu seemed to be very powerful over here at Mu Wanwan¡¯s quarters, the fact was that in the entire dragon manor, she was nothing at all. When Mu Wanwan had just married the dragon, Ao Qin would come over from time to time to check on her, so she hadn¡¯t dared to be too rude to Mu Wanwan. After all, it would be bad if Mu Wanwan complained about her to Lord Ao Qin. It was also like this with Bai Shuiyao last time. But during this period, Lord Ao Qin hardly asked anything about the affairs of this place, and her sense of presence with Lord Ao Qin had weakened, causing her status in front of the other head servants to become lower and lower. Originally, everyone looked at ability and power, but she was not strong. After having everyone be courteous to her, then suddenly returning to being ignored and mistreated, Fuliu was very unhappy. As she was unhappy, she didn¡¯t want Mu Wanwan to be happy either. Based on the rules, she was here to deliver the monthly stipend. Fuliu¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Madam, don¡¯t be so cold. I¡¯ve come to give you your monthly stipend. ¡° When she heard ¡®monthly stipend¡¯, Mu Wanwan¡¯s anger quelled. Counting the days, it was indeed time for the next monthly stipend. She smiled at Fuliu. ¡°Many thanks.¡± Fuliu was very pleased. She took out a small cloth bag from her pocket that looked very heavy and reached out to hand it to Mu Wanwan. Mu Wanwan also reached out for it. But the next moment, Fuliu¡¯s hand turned, and the small cloth bag fell to the ground. As she didn¡¯t tie the bag tightly, all the silver and copper coins inside crashed on Mu Wanwan¡¯s feet and scattered all over the ground. Mu Wanwan looked up at Fuliu at once and saw that her eyes were bright with laughter. ¡°Ah, Madam, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to do that.¡± Even Hong Ye, who didn¡¯t want to help at first, also felt that Fuliu had gone too far when she stood watching. She knew that Madam¡¯s monthly stipend was one mid-grade spirit stone, three low-grade spirit stones, and some coins. She thought Fuliu would keep some low-grade spirit stones for herself at most, and didn¡¯t think she would go so far. ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll help you pick them up.¡± Although she felt that Fuliu¡¯s actions were inappropriate, Hong Ye didn¡¯t help to speak up for Mu Wanwan, and just bent down to help her pick the coins up. Mu Wanwan clenched her fists. As she gazed at both the spilled coins and Fuliu¡¯s expression, Mu Wanwan really wanted to hit Fuliu. But she still had a dragon and a feathery chirp, so she couldn¡¯t afford to be impulsive. ¡°Thank you,¡± she forced out. ¡°You can go now.¡± She really wanted to beat this hateful servant up and smash the money in her face. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t. Mister Long¡¯s spiritual consciousness gently surrounded his wife and gently touched her cheek as if to comfort her. His wife couldn¡¯t do anything to Fuliu, but he could. ¡°But Madam, you¡¯ve not picked up the money yet...¡± Midway through her sentence, Fuliu suddenly felt dizzy, as if something was choking her throat. The second half of her sentence, ¡°What if you say you didn¡¯t receive it?¡±, was stuck in her throat, and she knelt uncontrollably on the ground. Entirely conscious of what she was doing, under Mu Wanwan and Hong Ye¡¯s somewhat surprised looks, she picked up all the coins that have scattered everywhere, then took out two med-grade spirit stones from her pocket and handed everything to Mu Wanwan along with the small cloth bag. ¡°Sister Fuliu?¡± Hong Ye was shocked to the core. Before she could react, she saw Fuliu, who had just handed over the spirit stones, bow to Mu Wanwan. ¡°All this is Madam¡¯s monthly stipend,¡± the voice floated out without Fuliu¡¯s control. Fuliu was sick to death as she watched her own hand slap herself uncontrollably several times. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking my leave.¡± Hong Ye was entirely dumbfounded. She looked at Mu Wanwan at a loss and only made a small sound to her, then hurried away with Fuliu. Mu Wanwan looked at Fuliu stroll off with stiff limbs, then at the spirit stones in her hand, and felt rather dazed. Why did Fuliu suddenly change? Was she being controlled by some evil spell? No. Why would she suddenly be struck by an evil spell? Was someone protecting her? Was it Mister Long? No, that can¡¯t be. Mister Long was still in a coma. According to the original plot, he couldn¡¯t do anything now. The image of Mengmeng fiercely pecking out the plant from her neck the last time suddenly flashed in her mind. Mu Wanwan suddenly had a realisation¡ªcould it be that Mengmeng was not an ordinary tit, but a secret boss? Could it control human movements? Her mind was a little muddled, but Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t keep from laughing out loud. No matter who it was, there was no ill will towards her. Moreover¡­ It felt really great! Seeing Fuliu give herself a few loud slaps, the slap marks all over her face, and how the corners of her mouth were bleeding, Mu Wanwan felt very refreshed. The author has something to say. Mu Wanwan, ¡°Mengmeng, thank you. You must be the one who helped me hit her back.¡± Feather ball, ¡°Chirp chirp!¡± Mister Long, ¡°???¡± CH 102 Forty-six Dragons (1) Mu Wanwan closed the door of the courtyard carrying the spirit stones. After thinking about it, she didn¡¯t put the spiritual plants back in the courtyard but moved them into the room. She put away the unexpected monthly stipend, keeping the coins away and placing the spirit stones by Mister Long¡¯s pillow¡ª¡ª He was lying nicely on the bed, and his expression was the same as when she went out. ¡°Mister Long, did you do that?¡± Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t resist asking. Of course, she didn¡¯t get any response. However, when at the sound of her question, the feather ball that had been covered by a handkerchief let out a clear cry. ¡°Chirp! Chirp chirp!¡± Mu Wanwan hurriedly put down the spirit stones, walked to the feather ball, and lifted the handkerchief. ¡°Chirp¡­¡± The pressure had disappeared, and the air was also back. Mengmeng was finally not so uncomfortable anymore. It couldn¡¯t care less about the stinky chicks beside it and lay on the ground in relief, chirping in a human-like manner as if it was sighing. To Mu Wanwan, it seemed like it had overexerted itself and was exhausted. Her heart ached at once. She untied Mengmeng and touched its little head with her fingers. ¡°Mengmeng, was it you?¡± Mengmeng didn¡¯t know anything. The innocent Mengmeng blinked its black bean eyes, then rubbed enthusiastically against Mu Wanwan¡¯s palm. The way it was behaving was as if it was saying¡ª ¡°Mengmeng did that!¡± Mu Wanwan¡¯s expression softened and she said gently, ¡°Mengmeng is the best!¡± A certain dragon who was secretly watching everything with his spiritual consciousness, ¡°¡­¡­¡± It¡¯s this chirp again!!! Mister Long was very aggrieved. He really wanted to open his eyes and say that he was the one who did that, but he was afraid that his wife would be frightened if he woke up so suddenly. The most important thing was that his wife hadn¡¯t bathed him yet. Forget it. He will endure it! Mister Long pursed his lips. Regardless of whether his heart had already turned into a lemon, his body remained still as he listened to her sourly. Cowardly and helpless, what¡¯s tragic was when his spiritual consciousness saw her say, ¡°Thank you Mengmeng, I¡¯m very happy¡±, his aggrieved feelings actually gradually dissipated. He pricked up his ears, listening to her say that she was worried that Fuliu would take revenge. However, he was not worried. How would he let a servant get away with treating his wife with contempt with just a few slaps? It was even more unlikely that he would let her have the chance to retaliate. Soon after she returned, she would probably reap the repercussions of her own doings and be thrown out. Shortly after being thrown out, she might also discover that the spiritual energy in her dantian would be less with every use, and that she would never be able to cultivate again. Mister Long thought darkly, he was not a merciful dragon. It was just as well that the feather ball had taken the credit this time. If his wife knew that he was the one who did that, what would he do if she thought he was a ruthless dragon? At this thought, the last trace of gloominess in his heart was replaced with joy. Hah, this feather ball, to think it was still so happy. After a few days, it would be seen as a bad feather ball by his wife. If Mengmeng knew that it was taking the blame again, it would definitely cry. This feather ball had already taken on the blame for this bad dragon so many times when it was still ignorant. It was really too miserable. After all, it was just a baby chirp of a few months old! Mu Wanwan was a little worried, but since things were already like this, she could only accept it. Without delaying any further, she comforted the feather ball and went to the kitchen to fetch the hot water. She made several trips. The sound of hot water was lively and bubbly, like the sound of a suona1 during a wedding, lively as can be, containing unbridled joy and expectation. After making the preparations, Mu Wanwan put a few heating stones in the wooden tub, moved a small stool beside it, then got ready to pick up the comatose dragon and throw him into the tub. Sensing that she was getting closer and closer, Mister Long¡¯s ears trembled non-stop from nervousness. Mu Wanwan was also a little embarrassed, but looking at Mister Long¡¯s dirty clothes, her embarrassment turned into a desire to clean. She reached out and untied the belt that was still stained with some of the chicks¡¯ poop with disdain. Then, she supported his shoulder with one hand, she took off the inner garments she had put on Mister Long previously and threw them on the ground. As his skin made contact with the slightly cold air, Mister Long¡¯s eyelashes fluttered incessantly. Even though he clearly knew that this was a very normal undressing, he felt that his wife was touching him. ¡°Mister Long, it¡¯s so dirty.¡± Before Mu Wanwan had the time to admire a certain dragon¡¯s tight abs and veritable V-shaped abdominal lines, she saw that some of the chicks¡¯ poop had actually gotten on his body. Well! She no longer had any mood to appreciate beauty. Mu Wanwan frowned slightly and hurriedly picked up the handkerchief she had put aside to wrap her palms, then like a strongman, held Mister Long¡¯s tail in one hand and placed the other under his neck and carried him like a princess with great difficulty. Mister Long innocently pretended to be sleeping, like a large Barbie doll that was at the mercy of his wife. ¡°So heavy.¡± This was Mu Wanwan¡¯s first time carrying the dragon up. It felt like the dragon in her arms was so heavy that it was about to crush the pressure of life itself. When Mu Wanwan finally put the dragon into the tub with difficulty, her clothes were half wet. The well-behaved Mister Long sat blushingly in the wooden tub on top of his coiled tail. The wooden tub that could completely fit Mu Wanwan could only contain half of him. Although Mister Long¡¯s tail no longer had its tip, the coiled volume was actually so considerable that half of his chest was exposed. His long black hair draped down his back into the water. The steaming mist made the whole dragon pink all over. Mu Wanwan felt that her waist was about to give out and gasped for breath. Giving Mister Long a bath was really too much for her waist to bear. She sighed and rolled up her sleeves, revealing two fair arms. Her skin was really good =w= Footnotes: 1 Suona: A traditional Chinese music instrument with double-reed horn. CH 103 Forty-six Dragons (2) Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t help touching her smooth arms. Ever since she stole a kiss from Mister Long and advanced in rank after drinking dragon blood, she felt that her skin was getting better and better. The fair arms pressed on Mister Long¡¯s shoulders. After helping a certain dragon to adjust his posture, Mu Wanwan was ready to take the water scoop to bathe the dragon. She decided to wash his hair as well. Mu Wanwan touched Mister Long¡¯s long hair and scooped up a ladle of water. His long hair slid all the way down his collarbones and into the water. Mu Wanwan reached out to lift the lock of hair away, then saw his shoulders that had gotten red at some point. Her face reddened instantly. Actually, this wasn¡¯t her first time doing this sort of cleaning. Besides, a certain dragon didn¡¯t have (bleep¡ª) now, so the embarrassment she felt at the beginning had become a resigned stubbornness¡ª wasn¡¯t it just giving the dragon a bath? Moreover, it was a comatose dragon. It¡¯s not like she was going to do anything to him, so she didn¡¯t have to bear any psychological burden at all!! Mu Wanwan tried hard to convince herself and tried her best to bathe him without looking. She took the common plant she had bought previously for cleaning, squeezed the juice from its plump leaves, and rubbed it in the palm of her hand. Just as she got ready to rub it on Mister Long¡¯s furry ears, she caught a glimpse of his water-stained eyelashes and rosy lips, then looked at the terrible white liquid on her palms¡­ Mu Wanwan, ¡°¡­¡± See no evil, see no evil. She was very innocent, and she had no other thoughts in mind. The only thing that was to blame was that she had never thought there was anything wrong with the juice of this plant that had an excellent cleaning ability before QWQ Cheeks burning, Mu Wanwan quickly got some water to make foam, so as to bathe the dragon as soon as possible. If even she was already feeling a little discomfort from the suggestive atmosphere, Mister Long was about to lose it. He was almost at the limit of his endurance, He knew that his wife was very gentle, but he didn¡¯t expect her to be so gentle. Although it was just a simple bath with no other intentions, he could not restrain himself already. Warm fingertips brought the slightly scalding hot water from his ears which were very sensitive to temperature and humidity, all the way down¡­ The curse hadn¡¯t completely subsided and there was a dull ache in his meridians, but Mister Long could already feel his blood flowing backwards and his body boiling all over. ¡­¡­ ¡°Mhm¡­¡± When Mu Wanwan was rubbing the dragon¡¯s ears, she suddenly heard a low voice that was enduring something. Stiffening immediately, she looked at Mister Long¡¯s face in disbelief¡ª¡ª Although his cheeks were very red, his brows were still wrinkled, his lips were pursed, and his face bore an expression of pain. He didn¡¯t look like he was awake. Could she have misheard? Mu Wanwan rubbed the dragon¡¯s ears a few more times, tentatively repeating her actions, but did not hear any other sounds, and gradually relaxed. Well, that made sense. She hadn¡¯t even been here for long, so how was it possible for Mister Long to have already woken up so quickly? Mister Long endured the process painfully, feeling that every second was very torturous. Yet, he also wanted time to pass a little slower, and then a little slower some more. He didn¡¯t make any more sounds, and Mu Wanwan completed the washing of his ears and hair smoothly. After giving him a rinse, Mister Long became a decent dragon again. ¡°Would you like me to scrub your scales?¡± Mu Wanwan¡¯s low voice travelled through him from his eardrums, setting off crackling electric sparks all the way~ W-wash his scales? Wouldn¡¯t that mean that¡­ She would touch some places that shouldn¡¯t be touched? Wasn¡¯t this a little too soon? Mister Long thought inwardly that he wasn¡¯t prepared for things to progress so quickly. But¡­ if this wife¡ª if his wife wanted to¡­ It¡ª it was fine for him too. Mister Long¡¯s thoughts were gradually slipping to the brink of danger. Mu Wanwan was oblivious to the terrible thoughts of a certain bad dragon. She was genuinely thinking about things from the perspective of hygiene as to whether or not to scrub his scales as well since she was already giving him a bath. After all, they have not been washed for more than a month. Besides, dragons liked being clean, right? She took the brush, and before she could do anything, the crisp voice of the feathery tit came to her ears¡ª¡ª ¡°Chirp!!¡± Mengmeng, who had been left alone in the corner, smelled the fresh scent of the cleaning plants in the air, and was no longer in the mood to chip and comfort the three chicks that had been scared silly by Mister Long¡¯s intimidation. It lifted its little wings and sniffed the stinky feathers on its body. Ah, the cleanliness-loving little chirp couldn¡¯t take it anymore! After Mu Wanwan had untied Mengmeng earlier, she didn¡¯t tie it up again, so Mengmeng was free to more around. ¡°Chirp!¡± Mengmeng also wanted to be all clean and nice smelling! So, a certain dragon, who was still immersed in the gentle touch of his wife, and Mu Wanwan, a tired bathing maid who was still holding on to the brush, had water smashed all over their faces by the feather ball that was getting fatter and fatter in the next second. Mister Long, who was forced to wake up from his beautiful thoughts, ¡°¡­¡­¡± The author has something to say. Mister Long (with gritted teeth), ¡°Sooner or later, I will kill this tit.¡± CH 104 Forty-seven Dragons (1) - unedited In the end, Mu Wanwan scrubbed the feather ball and Mister Long together. She didn¡¯t know what kind of tit the feather ball was, but it seemed to like water very much. It kept chirp as it paddled about in the water as it flapped its little wings, happy as can be. As she had to take care of it, Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t scrub Mister Long¡¯s scales. After completing a simple cleaning, she let Mister Long soak in the wooden tub by himself, drying the feather ball with a handkerchief first, then stuffed it into its own little bed. To keep Mengmeng from running around, Mu Wanwan tied up its claws. ¡°Chirps~!¡± Mengmeng called out excitedly, lying comfortably on its little cushion. It had become a fragrant little tit again, and was super happy about it. Mu Wanwan rubbed his aching shoulders, sighed, walked to the wooden tub, and got ready to get the dragon out. She first took a large piece of cloth to dry Mister Long¡¯s hair. By the time it was half dry, the water in the tub was starting to get cold. Mu Wanwan put away the mattress on the bed and spread out a large towel she had prepared beforehand. It was more difficult to get the comatose dragon out than to get him in. With the help of the ¡°unconscious¡± Mister Long, Mu Wanwan successfully carried him out. Hugging his waist, she moved him to the bed with difficulty. Because of his height, his tail was still inevitably dragged on the ground. But Mister Long didn¡¯t think much about it. The only thing he could feel now was that he was leaning on his wife¡¯s back and how she was hugging his waist. There was a tingly, numbing, and titillating feeling. ¡°So heavy...¡± Hugging the dragon, Mu Wanwan felt that her waist was about to break. She moved towards the bed with small steps, and her body was made wet because of a certain dragon. Listening to her light panting, Mister Long¡¯s entire self was about to bear it no longer. But it did indeed seem like he was too heavy, and his wife was having a hard time. Mister Long couldn¡¯t bear to cause her distress, so he quietly cast a spell on himself. How could Mu Wanwan have expected that the dragon in her arms would be much lighter all of a sudden? As she was still using the same amount of effort, and there was a lot of water on the ground, she lost control in an instant and fell onto the bed with the dragon. Mister Long¡¯s back hit the jade bed, making a ¡°thud¡± sound. But he didn¡¯t feel any pain because of his thick skin and flesh. He could only feel the warmth of her body passing through the half-wet clothes, soft as can be, pressing upon him. Mu Wanwan was sprawled on Mister Long¡¯s chest. Her cheek was directly touching his skin, and as she was hugging his waist earlier, her whole body was stuck on him. What he should feel and what he shouldn¡¯t feel, Mister Long felt them all. Mister Long¡¯s face turned red at once. He didn¡¯t dare to move at all, for fear that he would do something bad. Mister Long was about to be cooked through, and Mu Wanwan was also not feeling too good. Her hand hurt a little from being smashed. Her thigh was against his tail, and as his scales were very hard, the sudden slip just now made her feel that her leg had lost all feeling from being rubbed against it. She hurriedly got up from Mister Long, supporting herself on his abdominal muscles. She couldn¡¯t care less about how it was improper for men and women to have intimate contact and crawled to the side, inhaling sharply from the pain. Listening to her painful gasps, Mister Long recovered from the indescribable tactile sensations and let out his spiritual consciousness. Seeing her hanging head as her trembling hands that were re from the impact touched her torn clothes, he instantly felt guilty. Although he hadn¡¯t done it on purpose, he had indeed caused her to be hurt. Mister Long¡¯s eyelashes trembled, feeling extremely remorseful¡ª¡ª He should have been more careful. Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t think about it that much. After a while, the pain passed and she felt better. She rubbed the dragon dry and started cleaning up. It took a long time before she finished everything. ¡­¡­ CH 105 Forty-seven Dragons (2) - unedited The weather for the next two days was not bad. Although the temperature dropped, the good thing was that it didn¡¯t snow. Counting the days, Mu Wanwan took the spiritual plants and embroidery work she had accumulated over the ten-odd days and went out. As she was out very early, the sky was still grey and there were not many people on guard outside. Mu Wanwan made her way to the side hall where the servants lived before she found Hong Ye. She was a little different from the last time when she was following behind Fuliu. There were dark circles under her eyes, but she seemed more energetic. When she saw Mu Wanwan approaching, Hong Ye looked like she wanted to say something, then winked at her and trotted off to fetch the ox cart. Mu Wanwan guessed that she had something to say. It was only until the ox cart had left the manor¡¯s border enchantment and reached a place where there were only a few people on the road before Hong Ye spoke mysteriously. ¡°Madam, was it you?¡± Mu Wanwan was stunned for a moment. After a moment¡¯s thought, she guessed that what she was about to say must have something to do with Fuliu¡¯s gaffe last time. However, she did not show anything on her face and simply said, ¡°What was?¡± Hong Ye said, ¡°After we delivered the monthly stipend to you last time, Fuliu hasn¡¯t been quite normal since we returned.¡± ¡°She actually ran to the border of the forbidden grounds to wait for Lord Ao Xue to return from cultivation, then declared that Lord Ao Xue was just a useless pretty face of the Green Dragon Clan and had no abilities. It was only because he was in cahoots with Lord Ao Qin that she managed to get a place to cultivate in the forbidden grounds.¡± ¡°Lord Ao Xue is a bad-tempered one. He turned into a dragon on the spot and swallowed her up.¡± Hong Ye shuddered, ¡°It¡¯s too vicious. It happened just yesterday.¡± Mu Wanwan also felt a little chilled as she listened. She was still wondering why the sky suddenly darkened yesterday evening and rained for a while when the weather had been fine. So, it turned out that it wasn¡¯t a shower, but that someone had transformed into a dragon. Many thoughts flashed through her mind. Mu Wanwan matched the mood and said fearfully, ¡°He swallowed her directly? That¡¯s too cruel. Did Fuliu offend someone and was under a spell or something?¡± After listening to her tone, Hong Ye believed that it wasn¡¯t Mu Wanwan who did it. After all, she could sense that the madame did not have any talent. If she really had the ability to control others, she couldn¡¯t have been oppressed by Bai Shuiyao in the part, and also wouldn¡¯t have been bullied by Fuliu for so long. Perhaps¡­ Fuliu had really been a victim of another. ¡°Maybe.¡± Hong Ye continued to tell Mu Wanwan about the things that happened to Fuliu. As they chatted, they soon reached the market. After saying goodbye to Hong Ye who left to feed the ox as per usual, Mu Wanwan paid the entrance fee and went straight to Uncle Zong¡¯s shop. The door of the shop was ajar, and Uncle Zong was waiting inside. Even Yun¡¯er was wearing thick clothes and taking a nap behind the counter. ¡°Lassie, you¡¯re here.¡± There was a smile in Uncle Zong¡¯s eyes. He nudged his partner, ¡°Yun¡¯er, the lass is here.¡± Hearing his voice, Auntie Yun also opened her eyes. While she smiled and greeted Mu Wanwan. Uncle Zong stood up from behind the counter and closed the shop¡¯s door. ¡°Uncle Zong, Auntie Yun.¡± Guessing that they were probably waiting for her, Mu Wanwan put her back basket down. Not dawdling, she took out the Grade 2 Bixing grass and Baizhen fruit she had prepared. ¡°Good, good!¡± Looking rather excited, Uncle Zong said ¡°good¡± several times, his eyes full of gratitude. Mu Wanwan touched her veiled hat. ¡°Well, Uncle Zong¡­¡± Uncle Zong laughed. ¡°Naturally, I will give you what you¡¯re due.¡± ¡°But lassie, Uncle has something to tell you.¡± Uncle Zong¡¯s expression grew grave. ¡°I told you last time that I was going to an auction, right?¡± The author has something to say. Mister Long, ¡°I hurt her QAQ¡± CH 106 Forty-eight Dragons (1) Mu Bending nodded. Looking at Uncle Zong¡¯s suddenly serious expression, she became a little apprehensive. ¡°Did you not manage to get the Jinjiang grass and Condensed Snow Pill?¡± Uncle Zong sighed and reached out to rub his face. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Mu Wanwan was a little disappointed but still felt fine. ¡°Uncle Zong, it¡¯s okay. We can still cultivate spiritual plants.¡± Seeing that her first reaction was not to reproach but give comfort, Uncle Zong¡¯s expression softened a little. ¡°Actually, according to previous market trends, even if I can¡¯t get the Jinjiang grass, I would be able to get Jinjiang grass seeds.¡± He frowned, ¡°But this time, many dragon guards came to the auction and kept outbidding each other. So, the little amount of spirit stones I brought was not enough.¡± Mu Wanwan said, ¡°Dragon guards?¡± Uncle Zong said, ¡°They are the guards of the Golden Dragon Clan and the White Dragon Clan. I suppose there are elders in their clan who want them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not very sure either.¡± Uncle Zong sighed. ¡°Since Lord Ao Qin took over the territory, all kinds of things have become increasingly expensive.¡± Mu Wanwan mind whirled, ¡°Uncle Zong, then¡­ Was the original sovereign¡­ a very good person?¡± Upon hearing her words, Uncle Zong laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve not met him, but I heard that the former sovereign was a very brutal person.¡± ¡°I do know a little bit about that,¡± Yun¡¯er interjected, which was not like her. Even Uncle Zong was a little surprised. ¡°Yun¡¯er, you know something?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Yun¡¯er smiled. ¡°I wasn¡¯t from your lion beastman tribe from the beginning, remember? My father wanted to be a free nomadic beastman, so my mother accompanied him. I remember when we had just arrived in the territory of the merpeople in the north, it happened to be their courtship season. We wanted to join in the fun, and happened to see the sovereign by chance.¡± ¡°He had a lot of people with him, and was standing by the beautiful mermaid princess¡­¡± Yun¡¯er paused, as if trying to recall the scene. When Mu Wanwan heard her mention a mermaid princess, her heart suddenly felt as if it were stabbed by something, and she regretted a little for asking about the scumbag dragon¡¯s past. ¡°Yes, the sovereign was standing next to the mermaid princess. They were talking at first, but for some reason, he flung the person away, then got into a fight with the merpeople.¡± Flung away? That is the mermaid princess, how could Mister Long be so rough with a lady? No wonder he was still an old singleton dragon after so many years. Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t quite describe what she was feeling, but she was actually inexplicably relieved =_=! Yun¡¯er said a little tremulously, ¡°Fortunately, we were far away at the time. Father and the others responded quickly enough, otherwise, I might be gone by now.¡± Uncle Zong rubbed her head, ¡°You must have been terrified back then.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that bad. However, it¡¯s precisely because of this that we randomly found a tribe to live in.¡± Yun¡¯er¡¯s eyes curved into a smile, ¡°Which led to me meeting you.¡± ¡°Yun¡¯er.¡± Uncle Zong put his hands on her shoulders and the two looked at each other affectionately. Mu Wanwan, who was force-fed this lovey-dovey scene, ¡°...¡± She didn¡¯t feel right reminding Uncle Zong and Auntie Yun that she was still here. Seeing how their relationship was still so good after so many years, her mood was also more relaxed. The two gazed at each other for a while, then remembered the existence of Mu Wanwan. Uncle Zong was a little embarrassed. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that.¡± Uncle Zong smiled at her and took out a few sheets of somewhat yellowed paper from his pocket and handed them to her, ¡°Here, take these.¡± ¡°An elixir recipe?!¡± This time, Mu Wanwan wasn¡¯t surprised, but shocked. ¡°Haha, take a look at what it is first,¡± Uncle Zong said with a smile. Mu Wanwan flipped through the sheets, ¡°Grade 1 Condensed Snow Pill, and Grade 1 Spirit Returning Pill?¡± ¡°These elixir recipes,¡± Uncle Zong rubbed his chin, ¡°are what I want to talk to you about today.¡± Uncle Zong raised his eyes at Mu Wanwan, ¡°Lassie, although you haven¡¯t shown your face nor told us your true identity, we still believe that you are not a bad person. Moreover, you have a special talent, so we¡¯re willing to take a gamble.¡± ¡°When I didn¡¯t get to buy any pills or spiritual plants at the auction, I was thinking, since you are able to cultivate spiritual plants that can relieve curses, would you also have some talent in alchemy?¡± said Uncle Zong. ¡°So, I went to a friend and bought some basic alchemist equipment and materials, and these two recipes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve also prepared the elixir cauldron and seeds for the ingredients.¡± As Uncle Zong spoke, he took out several more packets of seeds and an elixir cauldron that wasn¡¯t very large. It was green, and Mu Wanwan could tell at a glance that it wasn¡¯t cheap. Having said so much, Mu Wanwan would be a fool if still didn¡¯t know Uncle Zong wanted her to learn alchemy. She was surprised and touched. ¡°Uncle Zong, how dare I accept this?¡± In fact, she and Uncle Zong hadn¡¯t known each other for long, but Uncle Zong had always been very nice to her by giving her spiritual soil and the interdimensional pouch. Although she knew that some of this kindness was due to her talent, Mu Wanwan still could not accept it with peace of mind. Especially in this case. In the original body¡¯s memories, not only were alchemists considered a profession with a very high barrier to entry, but it was also a particularly costly one. Just the spiritual plants and spirit stones beginners had to waste were enough to make many families with average financial resources stay away. Moreover, on this continent, most of those who were good at alchemy were human cultivators who had fire elemental roots, or those from the demon clan or special lifeform alliance who had an innate talent for controlling fire. She was a wood elemental cultivator¡ª those like her usually take the route of providing raw materials! ¡°Uncle Zong, this is too expensive. I can¡¯t accept it.¡± Mu Wanwan was aware of her own capabilities. Previously, the reason she asked Uncle Zong to see if he could get the elixir was because of Mister Long. Uncle Zong and Auntie Yun were also not well off, and she had never touched alchemy before. If she wasted a lot of materials, it would also be a blow to Uncle Zong. CH 107 Forty-eight Dragons (2) ¡°Haha, you¡¯re not taking them for free.¡± Uncle Zong knew she wouldn¡¯t accept them so easily. ¡°I¡¯m talking about doing business with you, lassie.¡± Mu Wanwan was a little confused. ¡°Our Yun¡¯er is preparing to move to a store in the human clan¡¯s market. I¡¯ve opened an elixir shop there with a friend.¡± Uncle Zong¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°I was thinking, since the spiritual plants you cultivate have the effect of dispelling some curses, would your elixirs also have the same effect? If so, we¡¯ll be rich.¡± Yun¡¯er also nodded. She spoke slowly, but much more convincingly than Uncle Zong, ¡°Lassie, do you know what the current market prices of elixirs are?¡± ¡°Grade 1 Spirit Returning Pills are one medium-grade spirit stone for a bottle of ten. Condensed Snow Pills are difficult to refine, so they are sold individually. Each costs three low-grade spirit stones.¡± Yun¡¯er smiled, ¡°Nowadays, who doesn¡¯t keep some Spirit Returning Pills on hand when they go out?¡± ¡°I remember you said last time that your lover is still sick.¡± Uncle Zong said, ¡°For a person like him, recovery will be very slow with just spiritual fruits alone.¡± Mu Wanwan was starting to get enticed by the couple¡¯s words, ¡°But I am not a fire elemental cultivator. ¡° When Uncle Zong saw that she was becoming convinced, he stared at her wide-eyed, ¡°Who told you that you must be of the fire element to practise alchemy?¡± ¡°You can use elixir fire for alchemy,¡± said Uncle Zong. ¡°Even though the elixir cauldron I¡¯ve prepared for you isn¡¯t of a high grade, there is elixir fire within. You can safely use it a hundred times or so. If the elixir fire runs out, just replenish the spirit stones. ¡°When the time comes, I will sell the elixirs you¡¯ve made in the shop, and we¡¯ll split the profits 50-50. Now, you shouldn¡¯t have any more qualms, right?¡± Uncle Zong said. Mu Wanwan was a little tempted, and also a little worried that she would not be able to do well. In the end, it was Auntie Yun¡¯er who saw her dilemma and said, ¡°How about this, lassie, go back and give it a try. If you succeed, you can keep the seeds and the elixir cauldron. If not, you can return it to us next time.¡± So, after agreeing with Uncle Zong to meet at the human clan¡¯s market next time, Mu Wanwan walked out a little dazedly with the recipes, seeds, spirit stones, and elixir cauldron. Before going out today, she had expected that she might not be able to get the elixirs, but she never expected that Uncle Zong would actually ask her to practice alchemy. However, Mu Wanwan squeezed the coins in her hand, and she was in a better mood than ever before¡ª¡ª She was worried that as she did not have fire elemental roots, she wouldn¡¯t be able to control fire well, but it wasn¡¯t like everyone could do well in alchemy from the beginning, so perhaps Uncle Zong was right and she really did have the talent. Besides, since Uncle Zong was willing to invest, there was no reason for her to be so lacking in confidence¡ªthere was no harm in giving it a try. If she really became an alchemy master, based on the status accorded to alchemists on this continent, she might be able to hire people with elixirs and escape from that depressing manor with Mister Long. When she thought of this, Mu Wanwan smiled. She was always so prone to overthinking¡ª she hadn¡¯t even refined the most basic of elixirs yet. She put aside all thoughts of alchemy and began to buy the things that were lacking at home based on her calculations last night. When passing a medicinal herbs shop, Mu Wanwan went in for a look. She pointed vaguely to a plant that looked like the small purple leaf Mengmeng had pecked out of her neck and asked the boss what it was. ¡°Hallucinogenic grass. It¡¯s used for invoking dreams,¡± said the boss casually. ¡°It¡¯s one medium-grade spirit stone for a Grade 2 one, and three spirit stones for a Grade 3 one. Want one?¡± Mu Wanwan pretended to seem relaxed, but her fingertips were trembling a little. ¡°I just think it looks pretty.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The boss was a little disdainful and didn¡¯t pay any more attention to her. Mu Wanwan walked out from the shop a little wretchedly from¡ª¡ª What Meng Meng had gotten out was hallucinogenic grass. That was to say, the dream she had entered was real. Little Mister Long was real, and Mister Long¡¯s previous state was also real. Her heart felt hurt like it was being stabbed with needles. Mu Wanwan froze for a while before coming back to her senses. Mister Long, Mister Long. She felt a little like hurrying back. Mu Wanwan sped up and was about to walk toward the place she agreed to meet up with Hong Ye, but when she passed the door of a restaurant, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure. It¡¯s Bai Shuiyao! She was beside a tall man, dressed in silk, and smiling. What¡¯s going on? Shouldn¡¯t Bai Shuiyao be doing hard labour in the cold palace at the edge of the forbidden grounds? Mu Wanwan thought inwardly that this wasn¡¯t good. She halted in her tracks and followed them into the most high-end restaurant in the market, and watched Bai Shuiyao go upstairs with the tall man. ¡°Dear guest, please come inside,¡± said the shop attendant very politely. Mu Wanwan waved her hand and picked a remote spot while keeping her face neutral. She ordered a pot of tea, took out two silver coins, and waved the shop attendant over. The shop attendant was a quick-witted one. He took the silver coins and drew close to her ear. ¡°Dear guest, what would you like to ask?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the woman beside that honoured guest just now?¡± asked Mu Wanwan carefully. ¡°Ah, do you mean the girl beside Lord Ao Xue?¡± The shopkeeper¡¯s eyes darted about and guessed that Mu Wanwan was probably the concubine of the promiscuous Lord Ao Xue. After all, this was not the first time this kind of thing has happened. He knew he couldn¡¯t get himself involved, so he said just vaguely, ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± It just that it didn¡¯t occur to the shopkeeper that what Mu Wanwan wanted to ask was not about Bai Shuiyao at all. She just wanted to know which man Bai Shuiyao had climbed onto with the influence of the female lead¡¯s aura. CH 108 Forty-eight Dragons (3) So, it was actually Ao Xue¡­ She had only heard the news from Hong Ye this morning that Ao Xue had transformed into a dragon and swallowed Fuliu, and now she has found out the bad news that Ao Xue and Bai Shuiyao have gotten entangled with each other. Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. She forced herself to keep calm. ¡°Oh, I see. How could Lord Ao Xue like such a thing? Do they come here often?¡± The shop attendant¡¯s eyes darted about, and he stayed silent. Vexed, Mu Wanwan snorted coldly, took out another two silver coins, and slammed them hard on the table. ¡°This is my first time seeing them. I¡¯ve never seen them together before.¡± The shop attendant smiled, ¡°Dear guest, don¡¯t be angry.¡± Mu Wanwan was very annoyed and waved the shop attendant away. Many thoughts flashed through her mind¡ª¡ª They had only been coming here in the last few days, which meant that Bai Shuiyao had only just gotten entangled with Ao Xue. So, she might not come to cause trouble with her and Mister Long so soon. When she had severed ties with Bai Shuiyao previously, she had thought Bai Shuiyao would be in the cold palace where there were only women, and wouldn¡¯t be able to find a man to cling on so quickly. Now, it seemed that she was too naive. The aura of the original female lead would not disappear so easily. Mu Wanwan was very anxious. Based on Bai Shuiyao¡¯s vengeful personality, she would definitely not spare her. ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ At the time when Mu Wanwan found Bai Shuiyao in the market, Mister Long woke up. The feather sensed it as soon as he opened his eyes and sat up. With a cold expression, Mister Long¡¯s eyes swept over Mengmeng¡¯s tiny body. Frowning, he maliciously exerted a burst of pressure. Looking at Mengmeng¡¯s frightened and trembling appearance, the corners of his lips lifted slightly. His wife was not at home¡ªshould he kill this hateful chirp? The evil thought ran through Mister Long¡¯s mind, but he did not do anything in the end. He had other things to do today¡ª¡ª He wanted to practise walking before she came back. Mister Long smoothed out his long hair and inner garments, lifted the quilt, and his dragon tail transformed into legs. The long, straight legs looked no different than before, but walking on them was a different story. Wearing a cold expression, Mister Long tentatively moved his right leg. It was very stiff, as if it were being bound by something. He clenched his fingers and tried moving his left leg. What came through was an even more severe stiffness than in his right leg, reminding him that he was a spent dragon. There was no change in expression on his face. Mister Long tried his best to get off the bed without using his spiritual power. His forehead was streaked with cold sweat. Because of the curse, there was a stagnating pain with every movement, as if someone had bound his legs with thorns. Mister Long¡¯s lips pursed tightly. No emotions could be seen in his eyes that were as black as cold pools. He just kept trying again and again. After a few minutes, he got used to the pain of moving and slowly put his legs on the ground. He tried to stand up, but fell to the ground at once. The cold ground seemed to be laughing at him¡ª¡ª You are just a disabled dragon. Sadly, he couldn¡¯t even get up. He seemed to have lost the ability to control the balance of his body, and was incomparably wretched. Mister Long¡¯s eyes darkened. After mobilising the spiritual energy in his body, he finally managed to stand. The pain did not diminish, but with the help of his spiritual power, he seemed to have regained some dignity. Mister Long kept his back straight and walked slowly to the cabinet. His gaze landed on the inner garments and clothes that his wife had bought for him, and his heart softened for a moment. It turned out that not only had she bought him inner garments, but she had also bought him clothes. They were light blue, and looked very nice. Mister Long stretched out his long arms, picked up the clothes, and put them on. He had wanted to close the cabinet door, but uncontrollably touched her inner garments instead. When his fingertips touched the soft fabric, the dragon¡¯s face burned all at once. By the time he came back to his senses, he was already holding her clothes in his hands. Her¡ª her clothes. She wasn¡¯t at home. Mister Long¡¯s expression was very serious as he stared at the clothes in his hands. It was so serious that he seemed to be contemplating whether to start a war with the human cultivators this month. From the perspective of the trembling Mengmeng¡ª¡ª It was probably like this: A very terrifying dragon suddenly got up from the bed and threatened it with an indifferent gaze. Then, he suddenly fell to the ground, and then got up and touched the things of its lovely owner willy-nilly. He was simply too bad. ¡°Chirp chirp chirp¡­¡± But Mengmeng didn¡¯t dare to say anything QAQ. It could only complain about Mister Long¡¯s behaviour in a small voice. Mister Long rubbed his wife¡¯s clothes shyly, then put them back with a straight face. Controlling his body, he walked a little stiffly to the spirit chicks that have been moved to the courtyard as they had grown so quickly in the past two days. He just stood in front of them and watched quietly for a while. The pain in his body was accumulating increasingly, and it was getting a little too much for Mister Long. He wanted to go back, but suddenly perceived several strands of spiritual consciousness¡ª¡ª There were¡­ Three or four guards. CH 109 Forty-nine Dragons (1) ¡°Ha, I never thought that one day I¡¯d be able to walk here openly,¡± said a guard with a smile. He looked young, and his skin was dark green. When he spoke, a tongue that was longer than others would come out from time to time. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have dared before. If anyone had dared to walk here, they¡¯d probably be killed straight away by the dragon guards.¡± It was a Rank 2 toad beastman. ¡°Yeah,¡± another guard also smiled. ¡°Heh, look. It doesn¡¯t even look like a sovereign¡¯s chambers at all. Tsk, there are even weeds here. I bey no one has cleaned this place this month.¡± His skin was wet and slippery, and one could faintly make out earth scales. He was a Rank 2 grass carp beastman. ¡°Cut the crap and get down to business.¡± The other guard was probably the leader of the three. He had vertical pupils and was a snake beastman. His expression was severe and cold, ¡°I heard that the jade bed is worth a lot of money. It wasn¡¯t easy for us to learn that Lord Ao Qin and many of the dragon guards are not in today, and there¡¯s hardly anyone patrolling the entire dragon manor. On top of that, it¡¯s the day that chongxi bride goes out. There¡¯s only that disabled dragon in this hall, so don¡¯t waste time. ¡° ¡°Also, there¡¯s the crippled dragon¡¯s horns.¡± The last beastman was the tallest and strongest of them all. His ability was close to Rank 4, and he also had the biggest guts. ¡°Although I heard they¡¯re ruined, they should still be hard enough. If dug out completely, they can be sold for some money.¡± ¡°Heh, big bro is right.¡± The toad beastman spat and rubbed his hands excitedly. ¡°After being in this dragon manor for so many years, I¡¯m still only the lowliest of guards. I¡¯ll be running away after this job¡ª no way I¡¯m going to continue selling my life here.¡± The grass carp beastman also cursed fiercely, ¡°Damn it, hurry up. I¡¯d spent a ton of gold coins on drinks for my greedy boss.¡± Their voices were not loud, but could not escape Mister Long¡¯s spiritual consciousness¡ª¡ª There were four of them¡ª taking care of them won¡¯t be difficult. He narrowed his eyes slightly. Right after he was seriously injured, most of the things in his bedchamber had been moved away; only his warm jade bed remained. One reason was that the servants didn¡¯t know the value of it, and the other was probably that they disdained it for being dirtied with his blood. Now, his wife had finally managed to tidy up the courtyard and the room after so much effort. He didn¡¯t know where these guards got the information, and it was still fine if they wanted to dig out his broken horns, but to think they actually wanted to steal their nuptial bed too. Hah. If it were a month or so ago, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to resist, but now¡­ Mister Long slowly picked up the cage with the spirit chicks, walked back to the room, and picked up the three medium-grade spirit stones that Mu Wanwan had especially left at home¡ª¡ª Well, wasn¡¯t it nice that there were people who had come of their own accord to offer their spirit stones? He¡¯d wanted to wait for these people to come to the door before taking them down, but suddenly he heard the grass carp beastman say when he was almost at the courtyard door, ¡°Big bro, can we hide in the courtyard later, and when Madam returns¡­¡± The toad beastman exchanged a ¡°you know¡± look with him and smiled lewdly. ¡°We are going to leave anyway, so why not have a good time? During the sovereign¡¯s wedding, I saw Madam from afar. ¡°Although she¡¯s not as stunning as the maiden beside her, she¡¯s also a rare beauty. Moreover, she¡¯s a human, and her skin is so tender. When we do it, I wonder how it¡¯ll ¡­¡± Before the word, ¡°feel¡±, could be uttered, the toad beastman stopped abruptly. His eyes were wide and round, and his face was flushed red, as if he were under immense pressure. He stared at his body as it got swallowed up by bit by a black fog that had suddenly appeared, and didn¡¯t even have the time to scream. ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± The two snake guards instantly became nervous. Before they could assume a defensive stance, they watched as the grass carp guard who didn¡¯t manage to dodge got quickly enveloped by the black fog and turned into nothingness. The courtyard door opened slowly; Mister Long¡¯s face was marked with hideous black and red lines, and his pair of phoenix eyes flashed with fiery flames. ¡°Die.¡± A cold and furious voice rang out. The two snake guards only had time to hear the last spoken word of their lives before they were completely wrapped in the black fog that filled the sky. They struggled with difficulty but could only manage a wretched scream before turning into nothingness in the end. The black fog gradually dissipated, and calm was restored in the alley in front of the courtyard. The ground was clean, with a few interdimensional pouches scattered here and there. There was not even a speck of ash left of the guards just now. The curse lines on Mister Long¡¯s face coursed across his face, as if there was fresh blood flowing in them. The backlash from using his ability had shattered his meridians, and blood seeped out from the corners of his lips. The three medium-grade spirit stones in his hand shattered into powder; the golden light in Mister Long¡¯s eyes did not disappear¡ª he was furious and scared. If¡ª if it wasn¡¯t for his wife¡¯s special talent and care during this period, perhaps¡ª perhaps¡­ To think they actually wanted to lay hands on her. How dare they. Mister Long was so in so much pain that his entire body trembled. There was so much force exerted from the hand that was on the courtyard door that his knuckles turned white. Even his demonic face was looking a little frightening. Mengmeng, who had come out from the room as it had sensed the unfriendly aura and wanted to help was also scared. Trembling, it looked at Mister Long who was supporting himself on the door from afar, and didn¡¯t even dare to flap its wings too wildly. After a while, Mister Long felt a little better. He slowly stood up straight and stepped forward to pick up the loot. There were four interdimensional pouches¡ª three low-grade ones and one medium-grade one. Holding the three low-grade interdimensional pouches, Mister Long¡¯s hands turned into dragon claws. He wanted to crush them, but the image of Mu Wanwan working hard to earn spirit stones appeared in his mind. Although these three interdimensional pouches were not worth much, he was no longer the sovereign he used to be. Mister Long¡¯s hands slowly returned to normal. He raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corners of his lips, opened one of the interdimensional pouches, and absorbed all the dozens of low-grade spirit stones that were inside. A few moments later, his complexion looked a little better. CH 110 Forty-nine Dragons (2) Mister Long closed the door of the courtyard, took the spirit chicks out of the room, then grabbed Mengmeng roughly into the room before he had the heart to open the other three interdimensional bags. Those guards were very poor. All the spirit stones added up to barely two hundred low-grade spirit stones and thirty-odd medium-grade spirit stones. Taking away what he had absorbed, there were only hundred-odd low-grade spirit stones left. As for elixirs, there were only the most common Grade 1 Spirit Returning Pills. There were quite a lot of odds and ends, though. The richest of them was the snake beastman leader. His medium-grade interdimensional pouch itself was worth twenty to thirty medium-grade spirit stones. Inside, there were Grade 3 Spirit Returning Pills and some other objections, and two Grade 2 flying swords. It was just suitable for his wife. When he thought of Mu Wanwan, Mister Long¡¯s eyes softened for a moment. He opened the last interdimensional pouch, and with a sweep of his spiritual consciousness, his eyes lit up¡ª¡ª There was actually a treasure inside. The corners of Mister Long¡¯s lips lifted slightly, and he felt the anger in his heart dissipate a little. It was a life-saving jade bangle. The jade that was used wasn¡¯t very good, but there was an exquisite formation engraved on it which could resist the full force of a Rank 4 pro¡¯s strike. To think that back then, he was also a rich dragon and wouldn¡¯t even deign to carry treasures of this grade, but now, this was the best thing he could offer so far. He finally had something to give her. After being married to him for so long, she had only been enduring hardship all this while. She didn¡¯t have any decent jewellery and only wore plain clothes every day and was very frugal. Mister Long took out the jade bangle, stuffed the three low-grade interdimensional pouches into the medium-grade one, and squeezed some spirit stones in his hand¡ª¡ª He had casually cast a formation on his bedchambers when he was bored in the past. It wasn¡¯t quite complete, but no one knew about it. When activated, there wasn¡¯t any substantial protective effect, but it could conceal the fact that he could move. As long as Ao Qin didn¡¯t come here himself, detection by his spiritual consciousness could only see him lying wretchedly on the bed. Mister Long lowered his head slightly; these spirit stones were enough for him to activate the formation, and the remaining ones should be enough for him to connect the fifth fragment of his original core. At that time, he should be able to restore fifty percent of his strength. ¡°Mengmeng, come here.¡± Mister Long beckoned to the shivering feather ball who was hiding in the corner. ¡°Chirp¡­¡± The feather ball didn¡¯t dare to speak. Mister Long raised his eyebrows, but Mengmeng still didn¡¯t dare to move. ¡°Heh.¡± Mister Long reached out and poked its little scarf. Pinching its little wings, a shallow smile appeared on his lips after a casual scan. ¡°Sure enough, you¡¯re not an ordinary tit.¡± ¡°Still, it won¡¯t be good to open up your spiritual intellect just like that,¡± he said softly, then tied the interdimensional pouch containing the treasures to the feather ball¡¯s neck. ¡°Let her¡­¡± ¡°Think that you did it.¡± He was in a dangerous situation now. Even if he connected all the fragments of his original core, he might not be able to beat Ao Qin, who had many supporters from the various dragon clans. What¡¯s more, he didn¡¯t have that much time. A month or so might not be enough time for Ao Qin to reach an agreement with the demon clan, but three months or half a year, there was no way he could hold back for that long. He deeply regretted being so gullible in the past, which caused her to be dragged into such danger now. He could only¡­ After connecting the fifth fragment of his original core, he would enter the trial grounds ahead of Ao Qin. Maybe then he would be able to break through and win a chance of survival. Enduring the pain of the curse within his body, Mister Long walked into the side hall with a calm expression and began to activate the formation. Before connecting the fifth fragment of his original core, he still wanted to quietly be the ¡°comatose dragon¡± as his wife called him for a few more days. He won¡¯t wake up, won¡¯t speak, will continue to pretend to be unable to take care of himself, and enjoy the feeling of being taken care of which had never happened in over a hundred years. Mister Long felt a little like laughing, but couldn¡¯t raise the corners of his lips no matter what. Instead, they fell down into a stiff arc. He could sense that actually, it wasn¡¯t like Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t care for him at all. But it was precisely because of this that he couldn¡¯t become the perfect ¡°Mister Long¡± in her heart. Despite the fact that he did not want her to dislike him, and even cruelly wanted to tie her to his side, Mister Long knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to bear to do it. After regaining fifty percent of his strength, he would ¡®wake up¡¯ before going to the trial grounds. He was going to be cruel to her, tell her to scram, make her hate him, make her think that he was a condescending, arrogant, and hateful monster, and gouge out all traces of him from her heart. Then, throw her into a place where there are no dragons and let her fend for herself. Before leaving, he would go to a few places and give her all the treasures he had hidden in the past so that she could have a good life. That way, if he fails and dies, she wouldn¡¯t be sad. With Mengmeng and what he would leave behind, she would also have something to fall back on. If he succeeds, even if she wasn¡¯t willing, he won¡¯t let her go. He would tie her up and make her lay a hundred dragon eggs for him. The formation gradually took shape; Mister Long¡¯s face was hideous and terrifying, like a weeping ghoul in the dim light. The author has something to say: Mister Long is really a fool. But, do you think he¡¯d bear to? CH 111 Fifty Dragons (1) While Mister Long was imagining a sad and heart-breaking life without Mu Wanwan, Mu Wanwan was sitting anxiously in the restaurant. She was now a little perturbed¡ª¡ª After she, a cannon fodder supporting character, transmigrated into this book, she had changed some of the plot, but Bai Shuiyao¡¯s female lead aura seemed to not have disappeared. Even though she didn¡¯t manage to hook up with Ao Qin, she had hooked up with Ao Xue. Ao Xue was not as scary as Ao Qin, but he was also considered to be pretty talented among the young generation of the Green Dragon Clan. Although she had now advanced in rank and become a Rank 2 cultivator, it was of little use. Bai Shuiyao wouldn¡¯t come to give her trouble herself. If Mu Wanwan had a few Rank 2 guards with her, it would be more than enough to deal with Bai Shuiyao. She had completely fallen out with Bai Shuiyao last time, and now her own status was a little awkward. Also, she couldn¡¯t run away either. After all, Mister Long and the feather chirp were still at home. Besides, where could she run to? It wasn¡¯t realistic at all. Mu Wanwan drank the tea before her a little irritably. She felt as if she had reached the edge of a cliff¡ª there was no way forward, and behind her, a group of people with knives were in pursuit. If only Mister Long could wake up. Mu Wanwan thought of a certain dragon who was lying in bed and sighed helplessly. The way he was now, Mister Long didn¡¯t even have the ability to defend himself. She was also afraid that Ao Qin would come to give them trouble. If Bai Shuiyao and Ao Qin came at the same time¡­ At the thought of such a scene, Mu Wanwan¡¯s face turned green. Squeezing the cup before her, she was at a loss for what to do. Should she ask Uncle Zong? But she had already troubled Uncle Zong enough. Besides, Uncle Zong might not be able to win against Ao Xue. Just as her mind was in a mess, two women dressed in low-key but still very luxurious outfits walked in. They wore maidservants¡¯ hairstyles, and their faces were covered with veils, revealing beautiful eyes. Yet, when they spoke, there was a sense of condescension and disdain, ¡°Come here, shop attendant.¡± Their tone was very poor, but the shop attendant didn¡¯t show any displeasure. He looked even more respectful than when he saw Ao Xue just now. ¡°Ladies, what are your orders?¡± The older one of the two maidservants spoke in a coquettish voice, ¡±Is Lord Ao Xue here?¡± Hearing her mention Ao Xue¡¯s name, Mu Wanwan snapped back to attention and listened carefully with perked ears. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s here.¡± The shop attendant¡¯s smile was a little stiff. He was really troubled. Be it the two ladies before him, or Ao Xue in the private room upstairs, they were all people he couldn¡¯t afford to offend. ¡°Heh. And is he alone?¡± The younger maidservant¡¯s voice was soft and gave people the impression that she was very gentle. When the shop attendant heard the fatal question he had expected, his smile stiffened and cold sweat ran down his forehead. ¡°Are you going to answer or not? ¡° The younger maidservant was getting a little impatient and reached out to grab the collar of the shop attendant, arrogant as can be. ¡°Don¡¯t act so high and mighty here. Let go,¡± a resounding voice rang out. The manager, who had been sitting lazily at the counter up till now spoke up. ¡°Our restaurant only entertains customers who have needs and money. Who cares about the crap in your women¡¯s yard?!¡± The manager was a ruthless man and did not care about their pride and dignity at all. Mu Wanwan looked at the two maidservants who had anger flashing in their eyes. However, they didn¡¯t flare up. The elder one even laughed coquettishly and said, ¡°Manager, you¡¯re still the same as ever, never showing any tenderness towards the fairer sex~¡± They didn¡¯t make things difficult for the shop attendant. Instead, They reached out with their soft hands and touched his chest, completely different from their attitudes just now, ¡°Shop attendant, give us sisters a pot of peach blossom wine~¡± The shopkeeper shivered and agreed. This good fortune was not something he could afford. The two maidservants rolled their eyes at the shop attendant who had turned around and picked a spot in the main hall where there weren¡¯t many people around, which just happened to be a little in front of Mu Wanwan. They sat in their chairs as if they didn¡¯t have bones, waiting with their pinkies in the air. Mu Wanwan drank her tea with an unchanged expression as she paid attention to the movements of the sisters. According to what she just heard, the person these sisters served was probably very powerful, which was why they acted so arrogantly. Moreover¡­ Mu Wanwan snuck a glance at the manager who was keeping the accounts¡ª this manager was probably also very strong. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to have such a tough attitude. The two maidservants also mentioned Ao Xue¡¯s name, and the manager also said he didn¡¯t care about the crap in their women¡¯s yard¡­ A flash suddenly went off in Mu Wanwan¡¯s mind¡ª Could it be that Ao Xue already has a wife, and that his wife¡¯s power and backing weren¡¯t small? If Ao Xue really has a wife, that would be great. Seeing that the maidservants under her command were already behaving like this, she was perhaps not one to be messed with. So, what¡¯s there for her to be worried about? If Bai Shuiyao dared to snatch her husband, it would be strange if she didn¡¯t kill her. Mu Wanwan suppressed the rising excitement within her and forced herself to calm down, planning to wait and see what would happen. This time, she waited for more than half an hour, and had to order some expensive snacks while waiting to serve as a cover. Finally, Ao Xue and Bai Shuiyao came downstairs. To be precise, it was Ao Xue coming downstairs with Bai Shuiyao in his arms. Her complexion was a little pale, her lips had been bitten roughly, and her neck was covered with bruised palm marks. She did not look very good, but still tried hard to smile at Ao Xue. Mu Wanwan watched as the two maidservants sitting at the next table stand up as soon as they saw them, then quickly walked over to Ao Xue and Bai Shuiyao. Mu Wanwan sipped her tea, and actually had the feeling that she was just a spectator watching a good show. CH 112 Fifty Dragons (2) Ao Xue frowned when he saw the two maidservants who were blocking his way. ¡°Scram.¡± The elder maidservant laughed. ¡°Master, our madam is still waiting for you at home. Who¡¯s this you¡¯ve taken a fancy to this time? An¡­¡± She ran her eyes over Bai Shuiyao for a moment and said in a delicate voice, ¡°¡­uncouth slut?¡± Their two maidservants did not give face to Ao Xue at all and just outright called Bai Shuiyao a slut, making her face ugly with anger. Feeling secretly pleased, Mu Wanwan looked up at the other customers, only to find that unbeknownst to her, there were only a few people left in the main hall. She was a bit daunted, but still remained seated¡ª¡ª She was wearing a veiled hat and not a face veil, and had also advanced in rank. If she didn¡¯t speak, given that she was sitting far away, Bai Shuiyao wouldn¡¯t discover her, right? ¡°What is Jiu¡¯er making a fuss about now?¡± When Ao Xue heard the two people in front of him mention his wife, a touch of helplessness crossed his eyes. ¡°Our madam is not making a scene. She simply asked us to pass on the message that if Master really likes her, just take her back to be your concubine. You have to do things the right way. Otherwise, if some trashy servant hooks up with you somehow, and if she happens to be in the flesh business, it would be a disgrace to our madam if others knew. After all, our madam is the princess of the nine-tailed fox clan.¡± The younger maidservant spoke eloquently, just short of pointing at Bai Shuiyao¡¯s nose and calling her a whore. The princess of the nine-tailed fox clan? Mu Wanwan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. In the original body¡¯s memory, there was a trace of a sporadic memory of this personage. The little princess of the nine-tailed fox clan, the little mermaid princess of the merpeople clan, and the little princess of the elf clan, were called the three peerless beauties of Mister Long¡¯s territory. The original Mu Wanwan had already heard of them when she was still young, but Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t expect the little princess of the nine-tailed fox clan to have married Ao Xue. In that case, it wasn¡¯t much for her maidservants to be a little arrogant. However, wasn¡¯t the nine-tailed fox clan the best at charm arts? Why would Ao Xue leave a peerless beauty at home alone and come out to pick a wildflower like Bai Shuiyao? Before she could give it much thought, she heard Ao Xue say¡ª¡ª ¡°Then, take her back.¡± After the disturbance by these two maidservants, his pleasure was greatly reduced. He threw Bai Shuiyao to the ground. ¡°Tell Jiu¡¯er I¡¯ll go back for dinner in the evening.¡± With those words, he walked off with scales flashing on his face, ignoring Bai Shuiyao, who was sobbing softly on the ground. ¡°Lord Ao Xue!¡± Bai Shuiyao called out the name of the man who had just been playing roughly with her. ¡°What are you shouting about?¡± The younger maidservant pulled her by the collar and slapped her unceremoniously. Mu Wanwan was a little dazed by the turn of events, but she inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. She didn¡¯t move and waited for a while after the two maidservants escorted Bai Shuiyao away before settling the bill and leaving. When she was settling the bill, the manager gave her a long look but didn¡¯t say anything. Mu Wanwan was feeling a little scared after the event. She knew that her decision to stay was probably too risky, but it wasn¡¯t for nothing as she had gotten so much information. She had been very worried at first, but now it seemed that Bai Shuiyao has not yet bewitched Ao Xue. With the nine-tailed fox clan¡¯s little princess watching, Bai Shuiyao wouldn¡¯t be able to make any waves in a short time. However, Mu Wanwan wasn¡¯t ready to go back just yet. Bai Shuiyao hooking up with Ao Qin meant that her female lead aura still exists, and there might come a time when she would make Ao Qin completely obsessed with her. Now that Mu Wanwan had a little bit of power, she can¡¯t sit around and wait for death like last time. Besides, there was one thing she was very concerned about. The nine-tailed fox clan held a lot of clout amongst the daemons. As the youngest princess, even if Jiu¡¯er had been blind and truly fell in love with Ao Xue, looking at what an asshole he was after marriage, how is it possible that she hasn¡¯t kicked him away to find someone else? This wasn¡¯t the ancient times in dynastic history¡ª on this continent, as long as one had power, they could have as many men as they wanted. She had a gut feeling that there must be a reason for it. Mu Wanwan held down the brim of her veiled hat and headed for Xianqing Pavilion. Xianqing Pavilion specialised in the trade of information, and had branches all over the continent, including the county where the original body came from. It¡¯s just that she has never been to the one operated by elves before. However, she had to go this once. ¡­¡­ More than two hours later, Mu Wanwan came out of the Xianqing Pavilion, finished making the rest of her purchases, and was ready to return. She had taken quite a long time this time. Hong Ye had waited outside for a long time before seeing her. ¡°Madam, you took so long today,¡± greeted Hong Ye. ¡°The vegetables and purses didn¡¯t sell too well today.¡± Mu Wanwan sighed and put the back basket that had been filled with some newly-bought cotton clothes of the cheapest sort on the cart first before getting on the ox cart herself. Hong Ye agreed, ¡°It¡¯s hard to do business nowadays. The elves are better at cultivating things.¡± Mu Wanwan went with the flow, ¡°Then, let¡¯s go to the humans¡¯ market next time.¡± Hong Ye teased, ¡°Madam, you just got your monthly stipend. Don¡¯t spend too much.¡± Mu Wanwan knew she was talking about the medium-grade spirit stone that Fuliu had taken out last time, smiled, and handed her a few silver coins, ¡°I¡¯ll still have to trouble Hong Ye for many things in the future.¡± Hong Ye took the silver coins, ¡°Thank you, madam.¡± Hong Ye winked and didn¡¯t refuse. CH 113 Fifty Dragons (3) The ox cart drove slowly towards the Dragon Manor. Sitting on the ox cart, Mu Wanwan¡¯s mind was filled with the news she had just bought for two medium-grade spirit stones¡ª The nine-tailed fox clan¡¯s youngest princess, Jiu Qing, fell in love at first sight with Ao Xue fifteen years ago at a banquet held jointly by the dragons and daemons. Back then, both of them were only at Rank 3. Everyone thought Ao Xue was really lucky. The nine-tailed fox clan didn¡¯t agree to the match, but couldn¡¯t do anything to Jiu Qing, so they let them be. Ao Xue has always had the humble attitude of ¡°I am undeserving of this¡±, and the two were once very sweet after the marriage. But it couldn¡¯t be helped that Jiu Qing¡¯s talent was much better than Ao Xue¡¯s. Ten years after their marriage, she jumped two ranks in a row and became the youngest Rank 5 powerhouse of the nine-tailed fox clan. At that time, Ao Xue had only just reached Rank 4 with much difficulty. Actually, if two people sincerely loved each other, these differences wouldn¡¯t matter if they¡¯d talked to each other about them. But as a dragon, Ao Xue has always kind of looked down on the fox clan, the nine-tailed fox clan included. However, because of Jiu Qing¡¯s beauty, talent and status in the nine-tailed fox clan, he kept everything to himself. Five years ago, Jiu Qing went with some seniors in the clan to explore a secret realm left by the predecessors of the daemon clan where they encountered danger. The seniors in the clan were almost all wiped out, and she was unfortunately seriously injured. The nine-tailed fox clan fell from grace in almost half a month. As for her, her strength was damaged, she was afflicted by a curse, and was disfigured. After that, Ao Xue revealed his true colours. In the first two or three years when Jiu Qing became disfigured, he had still been able to suppress himself. But after spending all his fortune to buy Jinjiang grass for Jiu Qing, and still failing to restore her appearance, he became thoroughly sick of her. He took a concubine, and when there was one, a second was bound to follow. After that, he became more and more unrestrained, and his reputation as a philanderer grew by leaps and bounds. The dragons had no issues about it. Mister Long had never been one to know about or care about such things, so things gradually evolved into the situation it was today. These things were no secrets, but as they were related to a Rank 5 powerhouse, there was the asking price of two medium-grade spirit stones. After listening to the whole story, Mu Wanwan sighed. Jiu Qing thought she had married to love, but unexpectedly, the person she fell for turned out to be such a scumbag. She probably hadn¡¯t divorced him because she didn¡¯t have a choice. After knowing what happened to Ao Xue¡¯s wife, apart from feeling sympathetic, Mu Wanwan also thought selfishly about herself. Jiu Qing was disfigured because of the curse, but had gradually stopped buying Jinjiang grass over the years. Mu Wanwan guessed that it was because it was too rare, and the price was too high, so even a person like Jiu Qing couldn¡¯t use Jinjiang grass all the time. Now, her curse has been mostly lifted, but her appearance has yet to fully recover. She might need elixirs that could remove the curse. Uncle Zong had said that the spiritual plants she cultivated had the effect of eliminating curses. If the elixirs she made had the same effect, perhaps she could find a way to strike a deal with Jiu Qing with her elixirs and suppress Bai Shuiyao before she could exert her female lead aura. Moreover, the camel that had starved to death was still bigger than a horse. Even if Jiu Qing¡¯s life wasn¡¯t good now, it should still be easy for her to get rid of Bai Shuiyao, who has not yet fully gained her husband¡¯s love. It was for this purpose that Mu Wanwan would spend spirit stones to buy the information about Ao Xue¡¯s wife. The question now was if she could refine elixirs that had the effect of removing curses for not. Mu Wanwan squeezed her sleeves and looked that the manor that was getting closer and closer, full of thoughts of wanting to become stronger quickly. If she really becomes an alchemy master, perhaps she could escape from this restrictive life where she had no freedom. ¡­¡­ While Mu Wanwan was returning to the manor, Mister Long, who had already been waiting for a long time, was starting to panic. According to his previous experience, his wife would usually return before noon. However, it was already afternoon, and she wasn¡¯t back yet. Had she encountered danger outside? Or did that bad dragon, Ao Qin, go to give her trouble? No, probably not. Ao Qin should be busy with the negotiations lately, so he wouldn¡¯t have the time to care about her. After all, to Ao Qin, his wife was just a tool to be Mister Long¡¯s chongxi bride, though of course, that wasn¡¯t the case for Mister Long himself. Mister Long¡¯s mind was a mess. Countless thoughts flashed through it, each of which made him extremely worried. He had turned into his half-dragon form and was sitting up on the bed. His stern gaze fell on the door behind the feather chirp, and the draconic pressure made Mengmeng, who was still a baby bird, so frighted that it did not dare to move, even though Mister Long¡¯s furry ears were exposed and quivering now and then from worry, which made the feather chirp feel like rubbing them very much. Mister Long had already maintained this posture for a very long time. It was because he had absorbed many spirit stones today that he could remain conscious for the time being. All he wanted was to see her happy expression when she saw the jade bangle when she came back, but she still hadn¡¯t returned. Mister Long couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. He was maniacally anxious, and his lips were tightly pursed as he looked forward to the courtyard door being pushed open in the next second. The author has something to say: Mister-waiting-for-his-wife-Long, ¡°Why isn¡¯t she back yet has something happened I¡¯m so worried if something has happened to her what should I do why am I so useless I can¡¯t even go to look for her what if I go to look for her and she comes back to find that I¡¯m not around would she be worried about me could it be that she despises me and wants to abandon me boohoohoo wife hurry and come back I¡¯m so worried¡­ (10,000 words have been omitted here)¡± CH 114 Fifty-one Dragons (1) Mister Long waited for a long time, until his meridians were even showing signs of cracking. The overburdened original core within him was also showing signs of instability. He had been awake for too long today and had depleted too much energy. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Mister Long¡¯s face gradually turned pale, and he was about to be driven mad by the speculations in his head. He could not wait any longer. If Mu Wanwan still didn¡¯t come back, perhaps he would go out to look for her. His eyes gradually dimmed. Mengmeng, who was wearing the interdimensional pouch around its neck, had also grown tired of his staring. It probably thought the dragon was hopeless but did not dare to rub his ears, so it could only lie on the table and nibble on the Grade 1 Bixing grass fruit Mu Wanwan left there before going out. After Mengmeng had its fill, it didn¡¯t forget about the spirit chicks in the courtyard either. Holding the remaining fruit peel in its beak, it slowly and quietly jumped out through the window Mu Wanwan had kept open for ventilation when a certain dragon wasn¡¯t paying attention. Mengmeng delivered the peel to the cage where the spirit chicks were kept and chirped to express its affection. Its increasingly round body was also stained with quite a bit of sticky fruit juice, and also messed up the chicks¡¯ cage. It would be strange if Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t give it a ¡°loving rub¡± when she came back. But Mengmeng was feeling proud. It didn¡¯t mean to feel superior to the three tender yellow spirit chicks. Blinking its big, black eyes, it looked at the closed door, then at the chicks that were fighting over the fruit peel, and decisively chose to stay outside to accompany them. Therefore, after Mu Wanwan said goodbye to Hong Ye and pushed open the courtyard door, what she saw was a certain feather ball and three tender yellow spirit chicks huddled in a cage, covered in juice and dirt. Mu Wanwan, ¡°¡­¡­¡± This chirp was really getting bolder and bolder. Sighing, she closed the courtyard door. ¡°Mengmeng, why did you come in here?¡± Her voice was not loud, but it was enough to make Mister Long, who was about to turn into a wife-watching stone, tremble all over¡ª¡ª His wife was back. That¡¯s great. She¡¯s not in trouble. These thoughts flashed quickly through Mister Long¡¯s mind, and his tense heart relaxed. Enduring the pain, he quickly lay down. It¡¯s all good as long as his wife was fine. When he wakes up the next time, he will take a good look at her with his spiritual consciousness. Mister Long rubbed the slightly cool bed sheets with his fingers, his raven-black eyelashes fluttered, and he closed his eyes. ¡­¡­ Mu Wanwan took the feather ball out of the pile of spirit chicks. Mengmeng was a lot fluffier than when she first brought it home. As it was still a baby bird, its feathers were very soft, giving Mu Wanwan the impression that it had gained weight. But when she washed it last time, Mu Wanwan knew that her feather ball wasn¡¯t fat, it was just very fluffy. The feather ball usually loved cleanliness very much, and always maintained a cute and chubby image. Why did it suddenly have so much sticky mud around its neck today¡­ Eh? Why was there something around its neck too? Mu Wanwan looked at the not very large mud-covered thing tied around Mengmeng¡¯s neck, sighed, and carried Mengmeng back into the room. The dragon was still lying properly in bed; it seems like things should¡¯ve been quiet while she was away. She put Mengmeng on the table and set down the back basket before taking a look at what was hanging around Mengmeng¡¯s neck. It was hung around the feather ball¡¯s neck with a thin embroidery thread. Taking care not to hurt Mengmeng¡¯s head, Mu Wanwan carefully took down the thing that was less than half the size of her palm. It was an¡­ Interdimensional pouch? It looked similar to the one Uncle Zong gave her. Mu Wanwan tried to infuse a bit of spiritual energy into it, but there was no change. She tried several times without giving up, but there was still no change. Could it be that this was a cloth bag that just looked like an interdimensional pouch? ¡°Chirp chirp!¡± Mengmeng rubbed its dirty head against Mu Wanwan¡¯s hand. Its little wings shook and shook, and under Mu Wanwan¡¯s gaze, it was about to jump onto the bed where Mister Long was lying. Mu Wanwan put down the interdimensional pouch Mister Long had worked so hard to get, thinking it was a piece of garbage Mengmeng picked up from god knows where¡­ Please forgive Mu Wanwan for being an ignorant person from modern times. She couldn¡¯t tell that it was a medium-grade interdimensional pouch, much less know how to make the pouch acknowledge her as its owner¡­ Mister Long¡¯s mind was only filled with thoughts about his wife¡¯s smiling face upon receiving the gift and didn¡¯t consider this issue at all. Therefore, the gift that was painstakingly lotted was treated as a toy Mengmeng had found and placed in its next. Mu Wanwan washed the feather ball, cleaned the spirit chicks¡¯ cage, sorted out the things she bought, and made dinner after handling the housework. The weather was getting increasingly colder¡ª cooking was still fine, but her hands would turn red as carrots when she washed clothes. So, Mu Wanwan would now put away the things that had to be washed and wash everything at noon. She had come back late today felt tired after cultivating a few Grade 2 Bixing grass for Mister Long to eat. Then, she went to the study and made a copy of the elixir recipes Uncle Zong gave her¡ª¡ª The ingredients for the Grade 1 Spirit Returning Pill were a Grade 1 spirit returning fruit, bellgrass, and Qingyu flower. Spirit returning fruit was the main ingredient, Qingyu flower was used to purify and eliminate impurities, and bellgrass was used to improve the quality and effect of the pills. The ingredients needed for the Grade 1 Condensed Snow Pill were much more complicated. It also required Qingyu flower and bellgrass, but the main ingredient was a Grade 2 spiritual plant¡ª¡ª Condensed Snow plant. This was a spiritual plant that grew naturally in cold places. There weren¡¯t many of them, and while the low-grade ones were not difficult to obtain, high-grade Condensed Snow plants would always be guarded by many high-ranking monsters. It was also very difficult to cultivate artificially, and this time, Mu Wanwan only had fifty Condensed Snow seeds. Condensed Snow Pills had only one function, that is, high-quality healing and the removal of some negative effects. The higher the grade, the more effective it was, and it was twice as effective on daemons. It didn¡¯t seem to be as useful as Spirit Returning Pills, but when you think about it, you¡¯d know the importance of these Condensed Snow pills. If two cultivators of similar strength were out exploring and got bitten by a venomous snake when they had almost exhausted their spiritual energy, the cultivator who took the Spirit Returning Pill would recover some spiritual energy and can use that to resist the snake venom in his body. However, if he didn¡¯t manage to clear the venom from his body after finishing the elixir, he might still die. CH 115 Fifty-one Dragons (2) Meanwhile, even though the one who took the Condensed Snow Pill cannot recover any spiritual energy, he would be able to completely detoxify the venom from his body with the effect of the elixir. As long as he didn¡¯t get bitten again, he would be able to survive. In a nutshell, the Condensed Snow Pill was probably a more versatile antidote that also had the effects of replenishing health, thought Mu Wanwan. She finished copying the elixir recipes and had a general sense of the ingredients needed. After rubbing her forehead, she finished cleaning up the entire family (herself, the feather ball, Mister Long), and got ready for bed¡ª¡ª She was very tired today, mostly from mental exhaustion. She still had a bunch of new things to do tomorrow, so she wanted to rest early. Mu Wanwan made the bed and suddenly noticed that the tucked-in corner of Mister Long¡¯s quilt had been moved. As she was worried about Mister Long¡¯s tail getting cold, she would always tuck in the quilt, but it seemed like someone had lifted the quilt today. Mu Wanwan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She hadn¡¯t noticed this detail when she came back. Could it be that someone had come to bully Mister Long when she wasn¡¯t at home? The thought made her a little anxious, and she lifted Mister Long¡¯s quilt¡ª¡ª His upper body was clad in the clothes she had changed him into after giving him a bath the last time. There wasn¡¯t any blood on it, and his tail was also in good condition. His scales have shed and most of the withered yellow scales have fallen off. Compared to little Mister Long¡¯s tail, it didn¡¯t have the furry tip and was bald and unsightly, much thicker and larger. But it was much better than the miserable state it was in when she first saw him. Mu Wanwan breathed a sigh of relief and gently touched the cold scales. There was no wound, so it should be fine. She looked at Mister Long¡¯s evil handsome face, reached out and touched his furry ears, then tucked his quilt back in. ¡°Chirp~¡± Mengmeng had been about to fall asleep, but when it saw Mu Wanwan return, it got up again. Flapping its little wings hard, it tried its best to jump on the bed. It couldn¡¯t take it anymore¡ª it wanted to complain about the bad dragon¡¯s behaviour. Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t know what it was trying to do. She watched as it pointed to the things in its nest, then struggle to point at Mister Long who was lying on the bed, chirping hard all the while. ¡°Do you want to rub his ears?¡± Mu Wanwan thought the feather chirp wanted to rub Mister Long¡¯s ears. After thinking about it, she decided to satisfy her little chirp and took it to the side of the bed, but the feather chirp just rubbed Mister Long¡¯s ears in a very restrained manner before beginning to stomp hard on his face =.=! Mu Wanwan sighed and patted Mengmeng¡¯s head, ¡°Stop messing around.¡± Feeling aggrieved, Mengmeng didn¡¯t want to speak anymore. Mengmeng turned its butt at Mu Wanwan. Mu Wanwan, ¡°......¡± She was tired. After putting out the lights, the room became dark all at once. Mu Wanwan lay down and said softly, ¡°Mister Long, Mengmeng, good night. She quickly fell asleep, and the room was quiet. About two or three hours later, Mister Long woke up. He blinked lightly. As he remembered how his brilliant golden eyes made his wife cry from their ugliness, the colour of his eyes was now normal. It¡¯s just that he had meticulously hidden the ugly black and red lines on his face and his broken horns. As for his tail, after thinking about it, he shyly turned them into legs. Although he wasn¡¯t wearing (??) clothes, she probably wouldn¡¯t know through the quilt. Mister Long, the shameless dragon, turned over gently and slowly. He had very good night vision. When he turned over, he could see Mu Wanwan¡¯s quiet sleeping posture. She was tightly wrapped in the quilt, and there were some dark circles under her eyes. She must have been too tired recently. A trace of bitterness flooded into his heart. Mister Long thought about how his wife made money¡ª he saw it all very clearly. Since she married him, till now. She had not had anything good to eat, nor did she ever get to wear beautiful clothes. She did boring chores all day long, but never once complained or despised him. However, with the things he looted, she should be able to live a little better. Mister Long thought that when he recovered after a while more, he would go outside and bring back all the treasures to her. A dragon with ¡°facial paralysis¡±, Mister Long¡¯s expression was permanently unchanged. The night hid his gradually reddening cheeks. Ah, right. The jade bangle he had asked the feather chirp to give to her, he wanted to touch it¡ª Even though his wife didn¡¯t know it was from him, in Mister Long¡¯s mind, if Mu Wanwan wore it, that would mean that she accepted him, and would always be with him, forever in his clutches. Quietly, a warm palm reached into Mu Wanwan¡¯s covers and carefully went to touch the bangle on her hand. Hm? Why wasn¡¯t it there? Feeling that something was amiss, Mister Long sent out his spiritual consciousness and found the medium-grade interdimensional pouch in the sound-asleep Mengmeng¡¯s nest. Mister Long, ¡°...¡± He must calm down! His raven-black eyelashes trembled, and then he thought of the reason¡ª He had forgotten that, unlike low-grade interdimensional pouches that only required spiritual energy, medium-grade ones required either spiritual consciousness or a drop of blood for the item to be bound to its owner. His wife probably didn¡¯t know about that. Mister Long calmly thought for a while, released his spiritual energy to turn the feather chirp over gently, then took the interdimensional pouch. Okay, the next step is to take the blood of his wife. He gently lifted one of Mu Wanwan¡¯s arms. Very carefully, he split out a trace of spiritual energy and poked through Mu Wanwan¡¯s fingertip like a needle. Bright red blood slowly came out. Mister Long frowned in pain, quickly took a drop of blood and put it on the interdimensional pouch. Without even waiting to see if the item had successfully acknowledged Mu Wanwan as its owner, he leaned over, took her fingertip in his mouth, and licked it gently. Dragon saliva could accelerate the healing of wounds. He swore he wasn¡¯t thinking of anything when he did this. But after licking, he suddenly felt that something was wrong, and the entire dragon was about to burn up. Mu Wanwan was not completely unconscious. She felt that someone was doing something with her arm, and her fingertip was hot, as if dipped in something warm. She moved her fingers reflexively... The author has something to say: Mister Long (blushing, with fireworks in his head), ¡°Who am I, where am I, what am I doing?¡± The talking version of big feathery Mengmeng (¡ú_¡ú): ¡°You are a simp, you are on the bed, you are licking your wife. Heh, what a shameless dragon.¡± CH 116 Fifty-two Dragons (1) - unedited Feeling the reflexive movements of the fingertip on his tongue, Mister Long¡¯s entire dragon body stiffened. Before developing a series of symptoms such as blushing, heart racing, and spontaneous combustion, he felt like he was about to fall into an ice abyss along with his heart¡ª¡ª Could it be¡­ That she¡¯s woken up? At this moment, Mister Long no longer knew how he should react. If she found out that not only did he wake up, but also secretly did this kind of thing to her in the middle of the night, she would definitely feel very disgusted, right? She might even think he¡¯s a pervert¡ªa nasty and disgusting dragon. Mister Long¡¯s head went blank, and he just froze instinctively. In the black of the night, he maintained the ridiculous action of holding her hand and having her fingertip in his mouth. All his muscles were tense, and his heart was about to stop. The saliva he didn¡¯t manage to swallow in time slid along his lips and left a suggestive, meandering trace. Mu Wanwan only felt something wasn¡¯t quite right. She touched the moist, soft, and warm thing, moved her fingers, then also touched some hard things. Together, the feeling was a little peculiar. But soon, the cold air from outside the quilt crept up her arms and the backs of her hands. Mhm¡­ It was a little cold. Mu Wanwan wanted to retract her hand, but Mister Long simply did not dare to move. He felt her fingertip glide across his sensitive tongue, all the way to his sharp canines, before she pulled it out. It made a ¡°pop¡± sound. The sound was a little loud, and Mister Long felt like he was about to suffocate. He couldn¡¯t care less that the contents of the interdimensional pouch haven¡¯t been taken out, nor did he care if there might be any flaws in his plan. Almost immediately, he fell to the side, anxiously pretending to be a comatose dragon ¡ú_¡ú If his wife was woken up by his licking and found that he was doing something bad to her, then he would really be too ashamed to show his face. Mu Wanwan also felt that something wasn¡¯t quite right. After retracting her hand, she felt that her fingertip was a little sticky, and there seemed to be something moving on the bed. Moreover, as it hadn¡¯t been a particularly tiring day, she wasn¡¯t sleeping very soundly. So, she slowly opened her eyes. The room was quiet, as if nothing had happened, and it also quiet outside. The feathery chirp and the chicks were all asleep, and Mister Long was also breathing very evenly¡­ Eh? Mister Long seems to be breathing very rapidly? Mu Wanwan lifted part of her quilt dazedly. She raised her still-cold hand and put two fingers together. It was very moist, but she couldn¡¯t see what it was in the darkness of the night. Her first thought was that she had drooled in her sleep, but when she touched her pillow, it was dry as can be. If it wasn¡¯t her drool, could it be Mister Long¡¯s blood? Mu Wanwan was awake at once. Mister Long¡¯s wretched condition from before was still fresh in her mind. Whether he had vomited blood or if his tail was secreting pus again, they were both bad news. Mu Wanwan stumbled up to light the lamp, not knowing that when she got up, Mister Long, who was lying beside her, was secretly looking at her with his spiritual consciousness. Only heaven knew about the tremulous fear that coursed through his blood when his spiritual consciousness saw his wife suspiciously holding her fingers together. And about the awful thought he had¡ª¡ª I-if she licks it¡­ He can¡¯t anymore¡ª the dragon was about to be beaten by his imagination. Mu Wanwan lit the lamp and warm light filled the room. Mu Wanwan found a handkerchief and wiped her hands clean. At the same time, she also heaved a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, it was neither blood nor pus, so it shouldn¡¯t be anything serious. Mengmeng was very sensitive to changes in the light. It opened its large, black bean-like eyes and looked puzzledly at Mu Wanwan. ¡°Chirp chirp~?¡± Mu Wanwan was still a little cold. She was only wearing a thin inner garment, which was now a little messy. Below the collar, her beautiful collarbones could vaguely be seen. Her long hair draped down, and she raised her hand to touch Mengmeng¡¯s head, revealing a portion of her fair wrist. Mister Long¡¯s spiritual consciousness, that was glued to her body, seemed to have been scalded, and shrunk back abruptly¡ª He closed his eyes properly this time and didn¡¯t dare to do anything more. His wife had fed him well in the day, and a new spirit stone had been placed by his bed. The curse in his body was still severe, but it no longer caused as much pain as before. It was no longer like before, when the pain was so severe that his meridians were broken, and any movement felt as if his bones were being gouged out. It¡¯s just to the extent where it felt like he was being stabbed by countless fine needles, little by little. It was something he could bear. He closed his eyes. His head was filled with the appearance of her he had just seen, and his blood gradually grew hot. There was even a strange feeling that was stronger than the pain buried in his body. Bit by bit, like waves, it pushed him to his wit¡¯s end, making his ears tremble. It was just as stimulating as when she had given him a bath that day. Mister Long didn¡¯t know that he was now blushing to the point of others almost not being able to make out his face anymore. He naively thought that as long as he kept his eyes closed and did not move, there would be nothing amiss. The poor dragon didn¡¯t even know that he had a problem of blushing easily~ Mu Wanwan went to the bed. She lifted the red nuptial quilt, glanced inside, and determined that Mister Long¡¯s tail was fine. It was just that the scales near the waist seemed to be a little different¡ªthey were slightly higher than usual, but it shouldn¡¯t be anything serious. So, the thing on her finger¡­ Mu Wanwan had a somewhat terrible speculation and looked up at Mister Long¡¯s cheeks¡ª¡ª They were flushed, and there was a hint of shine around his lips¡­ Mu Wanwan, ¡°...¡± Her face turned red instantly. So, did she have the feeling that something wasn¡¯t right just now because she poked her hand into Mister Long¡¯s mouth? CH 117 Fifty-two Dragons (2) - unedited Given that she had performed the terrible act of forcibly kissing Mister Long and drinking the dragon¡¯s blood last time, Mu Wanwan felt that she had probably let herself go again. She felt her face burning and was a little embarrassed to look at Mister Long¡¯s face. Both human and dragon thought they had done something bad. Clearly, one of them was still in a coma, but the room was filled with an awkward air¡­ Mister Long did not dare to send his spiritual consciousness out. With his eyes closed, it was only after a long while before the strange feeling in his throat eased, and the unnatural heat of his body gradually calmed down. He was very abashed. Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t sleep, so he didn¡¯t dare to wake up. This stalemate lasted for a while before Mister Long lost the battle and really passed out to repair his consciousness. Mu Wanwan also regained her senses. Her uneasy heart thumped for a long time before she fell asleep again. As for Mengmeng, Mengmeng was too sleepy, so it only woke up for a while before falling right back to sleep¡­ After all, it was still just a baby chirp! But early next morning, Mu Wanwan was awakened by Mengmeng stomping on her. She half-opened her eyes and looked at the strings of the cloth bag that was in the feather chirp¡¯s beak. The cloth bag looked very much like an interdimensional pouch. Mengmeng rubbed Mu Wanwan¡¯s face desperately with its little head. Mu Wanwan, ¡°......¡± She rub Mengmeng¡¯s head, then wanted to get out of bed and wash up. However, Mengmeng kept struggling to express something. Mu Wanwan was a little at a loss, ¡°Mengmeng. Are you trying to give this to me?¡± She didn¡¯t know if Mengmeng understood her, but it actually nodded its head in a very human-like manner and chirped loudly. Mu Wanwan was silent for a moment, then decided to satisfy her little feather chiro and took the cloth bag from its beak. Originally, she just wanted to appease Mengmeng, and intended to give it back to it after touching it for a while. However, the feeling of the cloth bag in her hand was actually completely different from yesterday. She looked at Mengmeng¡¯s expectant gaze, then tentatively input a trace of spiritual energy into it. This time, it went smoothly. This was actually really an interdimensional pouch! It was a bigger and more advanced interdimensional pouch than the one Uncle Zong had given her, and there were even some things in it. Mu Wanwan took out the contents of the interdimensional pouch¡ª¡ª There were actually three small interdimensional pouches nested inside =_= In addition, there were also some spirit stones, elixirs, and miscellaneous items. Among them, the most eye-catching item was a jade bangle. She picked up that bangle, lifted it up, and held it against the light¡ª The faint light from outside bounced off the bangle that had very little impurities, reflecting spots of light on her cheeks. It was pretty. ¡°Chirp...¡± Mengmeng was also a little dazed. It watched Mu Wanwan as her lips curved into an involuntary smile, then saw her try on the bangle rather happily. The size was just right, and it made her skin seem even fairer and prettier. ¡°Why are there so many things?¡± After the initial joy, Mu Wanwan calmed down. She looked at Mengmeng¡¯s silly face and felt that something was amiss. It hasn¡¯t been long since she rescued Mengmeng, and the feather chirp had always appeared to be very weak. Mu Wanwan could still understand if the first part of what happened with Fuliu was because of its doing, and what happened after that was a coincidence. But this time, there were so many interdimensional pouches. Even if Mengmeng had very good luck, it was impossible for it to have found three of them at once to give to her. Besides, when she had tried to open the interdimensional pouch yesterday, it didn¡¯t acknowledge her as its owner. So, why could she open it smoothly today? Mengmeng clearly didn¡¯t do anything last night. Was it because of Mister Long¡¯s saliva? Was dragon saliva so useful? Or was there someone else who has been secretly helping them? Mu Wanwan frowned, thinking that these guesses were not very sound. So, she asked the feathery chirp probingly, ¡°Mengmeng, where did you get all these from?¡± In order to express herself clearly, she also used body language. When Mu Wanwan finished speaking, she felt that she must be crazy to try to get an answer from Mengmeng. She should get up to wash her face and calm down. But from Mengmeng¡¯s perspective, the ¡®good friend¡¯ who has always been very good to it, giving it delicious fruits and bathing it so it smelled fresh and clean, was finally aware of the danger that was lurking by her side, and was looking at the cute (?) Mengmeng and asking for help! This journey really hadn¡¯t been easy; the feathery chirp was very moved. Humph, the big bad dragon was always bullying Mengmeng with his aura when its backing wasn¡¯t around. He even pinched the feathers that have just grown out on its wings! He must be jealous of its fluffiness, and even frightened and threatened this feather chirp. Mengmeng didn¡¯t feel burdened to be selling him out at all ^¨Œ^! So, the feathery chirp happily rubbed Mu Wanwan¡¯s palm and gave a couple of chirps. ¡°Sure enough, you can¡¯t understand me. ¡° Mu Wanwan wasn¡¯t disappointed either. She rubbed the feathery chirp¡¯s head to express her encouragement and that she wasn¡¯t upset. Who knew, in the next second, Mengmeng began its performance¡ª¡ª It waved its little wings, then tapped on the bangle on her wrist, chirped twice, and then chirped in the direction of a certain dragon that she always thought was comatose, before finally stepping on his face. Mu Wanwan, ¡°...?¡± ¡°Chirp~ Chirp chirp!¡± Mengmeng jumped from the interdimensional pouch to Mister Long¡¯s face several times, and Mu Wanwan finally understood. Mu Wanwan, ¡°......???¡± Mu Wanwan, ¡°!!!¡± She felt that she really needed to go wash her face to calm down. Otherwise, how could she think that Mengmeng was saying¡ª¡ª ¡®Mister Long woke up, and these things are all from Mister Long!¡¯ The author has something to say: Mister Long (pretending_to_be_sleeping_peacefully.jpg), ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m still in a coma, my wife won¡¯t know. When it¡¯s nighttime, I can do this and that¡­¡± CH 118 Fifty-three Dragons (1) Mengmeng was still jumping back and forth repeatedly, but Mu Wanwan had fallen into a stunned daze. She unconsciously touched those fingers that were wet yesterday. The warm feeling she had in the dream seemed to be still there. While she had initially not thought much of it, she was now looking at the dragon that was lying beside her. If Mister Long was awake, then¡­ Mu Wanwan suddenly felt as if her fingers had been burned, and scrambled out of bed as if to escape. She didn¡¯t bother with heating up water today and simply washed her face several times with cold water before she gradually calmed down. Her heart was still beating rapidly¡ª If Mister Long had been awake, if the interdimensional pouch was a gift from Mister Long¡­ Why didn¡¯t he talk to her? Mu Wanwan looked at the jade bangle that was gleaming even more after being stained with water, and felt very complicated. She wasn¡¯t exactly happy¡ªin fact, after the initial shock and shyness, there was even a trace of confusion and fear¡ª¡ª In the original plot, he would not wake up until three years later. Even if the spiritual plant she cultivated had the effect of dispelling curses, and she had been working hard to take care of him during this period, it had only been less than two months. Wasn¡¯t it a little too soon for him to wake up now? Moreover, she had no guarantee what kind of dragon Mister Long was. The book described him to be cruel, and the people outside also said he had an extremely bad temper. Even if she had seen his miserable side and his childhood experiences, she couldn¡¯t completely reverse the shred of fear she had for him that was hidden in her heart. A cold wind slid across her skin which was stained with cold water, causing her to shiver. She was now his wife in name, but she didn¡¯t know if Mister Long knew he had gotten married while he was in a coma. If he didn¡¯t know, with how he disliked people trying to get close to him, she would be done for if he suspected that she was one of Ao Qin¡¯s people. On the other hand, if he knew about it and wanted them to fulfil the marital obligations between husband and wife, or committed acts of domestic violence, she would also be done for (¨s¨F¡õ¡ä)¨s¦à©ß©¥©ß I-It was best that he didn¡¯t wake up for now. She simply didn¡¯t know how to face a conscious Mister Long. It would be very awkward to meet his eyes when the time comes¡­ Even though that was what Mu Wanwan thought, she seemed to have forgotten that her purpose all along was to make Mister Long wake up earlier, so she could regain her freedom as soon as possible and be off to enjoy her simple life. She patted her face and started thinking about what she would do if the dragon had really woken up. If Mister Long had really woken up, he was probably responsible for what happened to Fuliu back then, and these things were also from him. As for why he didn¡¯t tell her himself, it was either because he could only stay awake for a short time now and didn¡¯t have the chance to talk to her, or it was because she wasn¡¯t important to him and there was no need for him to tell her anything, and the reason he gave her those things was because it was convenient. Actually, Mu Wanwan knew in her heart that it was probably a combination of both reasons. She couldn¡¯t be sure if Mister Long was conscious or not. Along with the strange occurrences in the previous two nights, if he was able to wake up, she guessed that it would probably happen at night. There was a dull pain in her heart. She didn¡¯t know if it was because he didn¡¯t tell her when he woke up, or because of the fact that she was not important to Mister Long. Mu Wanwan was a little angry, and even wanted to pour a bucket of cold water on the dragon to wake him up. However, she didn¡¯t do it in the end. She went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast and boiled hot water while she was at it, then went back to the room to help Mister Long wash up. He looked the same as the comatose dragon in her memory, except that his lips were not as dry and cracked as the first time she saw him, and his bruises have subsided a little. His broken horns were still hideous, and his handsome face was still deathly pale. Mengmeng was worn out from jumping and was lying beside Mister Long¡¯s furry ear. When it saw Mu Wanwan come in, it chirped in welcome. Mu Wanwan proceeded to wipe Mister Long¡¯s face with a damp handkerchief as usual. When her fingers touched his soft cheek through the handkerchief, the jade bangle on her wrist gleamed dazzlingly, and she suddenly stopped. Removing the handkerchief, Mu Wanwan looked at Mister Long¡¯s devilish face, and for the first time, clearly realised¡ª¡ª The dragon lying on the bed was her husband in name. And the bangle on her wrist was a gift from her husband. There was suddenly a strange feeling in her heart that she didn¡¯t know how to describe. Mu Wanwan wanted to say something, but it got stuck in her throat. She was disappointed, sad, expectant, and fearful, and she simply couldn¡¯t stay in the room for a second more. Mengmeng sensed her strange mood and pecked Mister Long¡¯s furry ear for her as if helping her to vent her frustrations. It only caused a few strands of fur to fall out after biting down ruthlessly a few times. ¡°Alright, Mengmeng.¡± Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or to cry at the sight. It was only when she spoke did she realise that her voice was a little hoarse. Feeling a little pathetic, she carried the feathery chirp and took the spiritual seeds. Glancing at the intermittent sunshine outside, she decided that even if it was cold today, she would still work outside. ...... Holding the elixir recipe in her hands, Mu Wanwan spaced out for a while before pushing Mister Long out of her head. After some thought, she decided to try refining Condensed Snow Pills first. After all, price-wise, Condensed Snow Pills would fetch a bit more than Spirit Returning Pills. She wanted to give it a try, and if she could refine it, she would spend her time refining Condensed Snow Pills first. If she failed, then she would try to refine Spirit Returning Pills. Chimebell grass and Qingyu flowers were a must, as well as the Grade 2 spiritual plant, Condensed Snow. Chimebell grass was a light purple plant that looked like a bell. It wasn¡¯t a large plant, but it wasn¡¯t an easy one to cultivate¡ªit would take about the same amount of spiritual energy used to bring a Grade 1 Bixing grass to full maturity. However, she would need at least three stalks of Chimebell grass to refine just one Condensed Snow pill. The difficulty of cultivating Qingyu flowers was about the same as that of Chimebell grass. Although there was some level of difficulty, Mu Wanwan managed to finish cultivating the three stalks of Chimebell grass and five Qingyu flowers that were needed for one Condensed Snow Pill in about two hours. CH 119 Fifty-three Dragons (2) The Grade 2 Condensed Snow plant was the most crucial and difficult component to cultivate. The Condensed Snow seed was a very strange seed that was pure white and crystalline. Mu Wanwan tried several times and wasted about three or four Condensed Snow seeds before she finally succeeded in cultivating one Condensed Snow seedling. It was a translucent white from its roots to its buds. While it wasn¡¯t large, it had drained her of nearly half of her spiritual energy. Somewhat exhausted, Mu Wanwan buried the hard-earned Condensed Snow seedling into a newly-purchased pot filled with spiritual soil. She busied herself all day until it was very late, cultivating seeds, doing the laundry, cooking, and washing up, not leaving out a single chore. There weren¡¯t any abnormalities with Mister Long in the daytime, and she made herself feed and clean him as usual. When she finished everything, she went out again to add a few heating stones in the spirit chicks¡¯ coop. Only then did Mu Wanwan look at the lit room and take a deep breath. She was sure that the unconscious Mister Long wouldn¡¯t hurt her when she slept next to him, but she wasn¡¯t sure that would be the case if Mister Long were conscious. However¡­ She touched the jade bangle on her wrist, and her eyes flashed¡ª¡ª With how strong Mister Long was, even if he was now cursed, he would still be very strong when he regained consciousness. If he hated her, he would probably already have killed her last night. Seeing that he hadn¡¯t done anything, it was probably a sign that he didn¡¯t hate her that much. She would be lying to herself if she said she didn¡¯t have feelings for Mister Long. She wanted to try to stay awake tonight to see if he was really conscious or not, and if he would do anything to her. Mu Wanwan was actually very nervous. After all, she had never seen a conscious Mister Long except in her dream. Moreover, there must be many differences between the little Mister Long and the current him¡­ She felt a little scared but still tried her best to act normally. After soothing the feathery chirp, she extinguished the lights in the room and edged towards the bed little by little. Perhaps one¡¯s environment really did change with one¡¯s state of mind. She used to think going to bed to sleep was just a normal daily thing to do, but now, it was difficult for her to even take off her outer robe. Bit by bit, Mu Wanwan slid under her covers, then said softly in a trembling voice, ¡°G-goodnight Mister Long, Mengmeng.¡± Mengmeng didn¡¯t know how much trouble it had caused Mu Wanwan by tattling on Mister Long. It gave an enthusiastic and sleepy chirp to indicate that it was going to sleep. The room gradually grew quiet. Mu Wanwan tried to relax her body as much as possible, and tried her best to calm her breathing¡ª¡ª She was waiting. She didn¡¯t know how much time had passed, but just as Mu Wanwan was about to fall asleep, she felt a slight cold breeze on her exposed face, startling her out of sleep in an instant¡ª¡ª M-M-Mister¡­ Was Mister Long awake? Mu Wanwan tried to keep the side of her body that was next to Mister Long as still as possible, while her other hand gripped her quilt nervously. Her breathing grew chaotic for a couple of seconds, and she tried hard to calm back down. After a while, just when Mu Wanwan thought that the cold breeze just now was just her imagination, she heard the sound of clothes rustling against the quilt¡ªit was very slight and slow. Then, a slightly warm hand traced the edge of her tightly-wrapped quilt, and came in bit by bit, bringing some heat with it. Mu Wanwan, ¡°¡­¡± So, he was indeed conscious!! Her feelings were in a jumble all at once¡ªthere was fear, as well as disappointment. Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t dare to move at all, for fear that if she suddenly ¡®woke up¡¯, she would anger this dragon who was doing god knows what. She only felt him moving bit by bit to take hold of her hand and force her palm open, then wipe away the sweat on her palm with his fingertips. When he touched the jade bangle on her wrist, there was a low chuckle laden with an unknown meaning in Mu Wanwan¡¯s ear. Immediately after that, Mu Wanwan felt her palm being repeatedly kneaded by Mister Long. He didn¡¯t use much force, and could even be said to be very gentle, but when she felt him squeeze her palm, it was numbing and scary. Could it be that he was hungry and wanted to have some meat after waking up, so he was assessing the quality of her flesh? Mu Wanwan was all dizzy by now and didn¡¯t even know what she was thinking about. Her heart was racing, and she couldn¡¯t tell whether it was from excitement or fear. She waited apprehensively for a while. When she felt him gradually pull her hand towards him, her entire hand started trembling¡­ Then, she found that her fingers were interlocked with Mister Long¡¯s. Mu Wanwan, ¡°¡­¡± She was a little confused. She waited for a while more, but the dragon did not seem to have the slightest intention to let go, nor did he bite her. He just held her hand like that as his breathing gradually quickened. Mu Wanwan, ¡°???¡± Her hand that was forcibly clasped in his was now completely slick with the sweat of both human and dragon, and was astonishingly hot. The dark of the night heightened the suggestive atmosphere, and Mu Wanwan¡¯s thoughts began to grow wild. She didn¡¯t even realise that her face was very red, and only thought helplessly, What¡¯s wrong with this dragon? What on earth is he doing? The scalding palms remained clasped for a long time before Mister Long finally seemed to be satisfied and released her hand. By then, Mu Wanwan¡¯s brain had already come up with countless speculations as to why Mister Long didn¡¯t tell her that he was conscious, and even made lots of excuses for him. For example¡ª¡ª She had seen his wretched state, and as a prideful dragon, he wanted to maintain his image of being a domineering tyrant (as seen from the fussiness of little Mister Long). Or, he had not completely recovered, and was afraid that she would treat him badly and abuse him if he woke up (to be verified). Or, he was worried that she was one of Ao Qin¡¯s people and didn¡¯t dare to wake up for fear that he would be killed if she found out (seems to make sense). Or maybe, he¡­ He, toward her¡­ Mu Wanwan was incredibly nervous. When this reason came to mind, she immediately refuted it in her heart countless times. He was only her husband in name, and was a cruel and tyrannical dragon. According to others¡¯ descriptions of him, he was most likely to be a self-indulgent scumbag who did whatever he wanted. If he really had any designs on her, why didn¡¯t he just wake up and force himself on her? Mu Wanwan¡¯s thoughts ran amok, and by the time she came back to herself, she realised that Mister Long was very close to her since god knows when. What¡¯s this¡­? W-was he going to eat her or do something to her? If he was really going to hurt her, e-even though she was very weak, she would resist! Mu Wanwan felt a weight on her shoulder and was just about to bear it no longer and open her eyes when she heard a low and hoarse voice in her ears, ¡°Wife¡­¡± ¡°Hold me.¡± CH 120 Fifty-four Dragons (1) What? H-H-Hold him? Mu Wanwan was thrown into confusion by Mister Long¡¯s words. She wondered if she was hallucinating and misheard him¡ªotherwise, how would Mister Long ask her to hold him? E-Even if he had regained consciousness recently, he wouldn¡¯t be acting so close to her, right? Mu Wanwan was trying her best to make herself relax. The feeling in her heart was strange¡ªshe couldn¡¯t tell if it was embarrassment or apprehension, and wasn¡¯t even aware that there was a trace of expectation that was buried in her heart. She was waiting¡ªwaiting for his next move. She was hoping that everything that had just happened was all a hallucination on her part¡ª¡ª After all, a comatose dragon that she had thought was unconscious had regained consciousness so suddenly. He had gotten back at Fuliu for her, then gifted her that interdimensional pouch and the bangle¡­ Moreover, that interdimensional pouch wasn¡¯t bound to her in the beginning. She didn¡¯t know what he did last night, but her fingertip was wet, and she was suddenly acknowledged by the interdimensional pouch as its owner. Mu Wanwan¡¯s head was a mess; her mind was full of wild speculations and the way he had gently called her ¡®Wife¡¯. If¡ªif¡­ This dragon had pretended to be unconscious when he was actually awake, and did who-knows-what to her every night, wasn¡¯t that¡­ pretty bad? She decided to wait some more. If this bad dragon did anything against her will to her unknowing self at night, she would definitely fight back even at the risk of being killed by this so-called temperamental scumbag dragon. She had always been well aware of her bottom line. Even if Mister Long was her husband in name, she would not let him force himself on her. Mu Wanwan¡¯s thoughts were all over the place. Nervous and scared, she felt that Mister Long¡¯s palm that was on her was getting hotter and hotter, and little by little, the warmth of his body was about to burn into her heart. Her eyes were closed, but her body was shaking in ways that were a little different from when she was sleeping peacefully in the past. However, a certain dragon who had finally plucked up the courage to take a step closer was so shy that he could barely breathe. The mighty dragon who was the most powerful in the continent had disappeared without a trace. The singleton dragon¡¯s Rank 7 spiritual consciousness, which he had painstakingly spent more than a hundred years cultivating, was also tied up in knots in the air. Mister Long was overwhelmed just thinking about what was to come. The dragon that was so absorbed by his secret crush didn¡¯t notice that the person under him was behaving a little differently¡­ In fact, he didn¡¯t even dare to look at her face, and just very, very slowly, turned Mu Wanwan over, then gently put her arms into position, as if she was lying on her side facing him and hugging something. Then, carefully and slowly, on the verge of spontaneous combustion, he lay beside her and tucked his arm between hers. Finally, he rubbed her head gently. Satisfied and blushing to the point of exploding, he stopped moving. Mu Wanwan, who had mentally prepared herself for the possibility of losing her life and was prepared to fight back, ¡°¡­¡± Ah, when Mister Long said ¡°Hold me¡±, he meant ¡®hug his arm¡¯, and not that he was going to ¡®forcibly embrace her.¡¯ The moment Mu Wanwan understood this, her feelings were all mixed up. She felt that she had misunderstood Mister Long, and the trace of fear that he might force himself on her gradually dissipated. She still couldn¡¯t quite understand why Mister Long didn¡¯t tell her that he had regained consciousness. Moreover, with him waking up tonight seeming like a perverted overbearing CEO, yet behaving like a pure and childish dragon¡­ In short, she had only one thing to say¡ª So, it turned out that he was actually a dragon like that. However, she was not repulsed by such a Mister Long. Her mind relaxed greatly all at once. Feeling the heat that was coming from Mister Long, Mu Wanwan finally gave in to sleep after holding out for most of the night. ¡­¡­ The next morning, the arm that Mister Long¡¯s had reached under her covers had been retracted, and he was lying in his own covers in the exact same posture as before. If it weren¡¯t for the memory of last night being too clear, Mu Wanwan would have thought she had hallucinated it all. Seeming to still be in a dream, Mu Wanwan rubbed her face; the tips of her ears were a little hot¡ª¡ª He called her ¡®Wife¡¯, which meant that he also knew that she was his wife in name. Wife¡­ Exhaling a small breath, Mu Wanwan slowly rose from bed. The temperature had clearly dipped again today, but she felt as though it was much hotter than usual. After getting dressed, she couldn¡¯t resist looking back at the ¡°weak, helpless, and pitiful¡± Mister Long, and patted her cheeks lightly¡ª¡ª S-So, did this mean that she was no longer a single little lady? I-It seemed like she had a husband now. When washing up and doing the housework, the bangle on her wrist seemed to keep displaying its presence. Mu Wanwan began cultivating spiritual plants gloomily, and even the feathery chirp could tell that her mind was off gallivanting elsewhere. ¡°Chirp~¡± As usual, Mengmeng walked back and forth among the many potted seedlings cultivated by Mu Wanwan like a little guard. It tugged at the leaves of the seedlings a couple of times before turning its attention to Mu Wanwan and chirping to express its concern. Mu Wanwan touched the feathery scarf around its neck. She wanted to have a secret chat with Mengmeng, but at the thought of the dragon might be awake, she felt like there was a breath stuck in her throat, neither going up nor down. She had received too much information from yesterday till now. Her mind was a mess. After all, a comatose husband who could not hurt her at all was completely different from a husband who had secretly woken up but didn¡¯t tell her. What¡¯s more, he might be hiding even more secrets. This was a little too much for Mu Wanwan to accept all at once. She knew next to nothing about Mister Long. Except for his childhood experiences and his current miserable situation, she was ignorant of his past. Although she did not sense any malice or disgust from his behaviour yesterday, and in fact, only felt his care and tenderness¡ª¡ª According to the melodramatic plot in the book, Mister Long was to fall in love with Bai Shuiyao when he woke up. Thinking of this, Mu Wanwan¡¯s heart became even more chaotic, mixed with a hint of helpless sourness and bitterness. She knew, she knew. Ever since she found out from Mengmeng that Mister Long had regained consciousness, she was faintly aware that she had some feelings for Mister Long. Moreover, he hadn¡¯t forced himself on her last night either. Come to think of it, despite how he had regained consciousness long ago, he hadn¡¯t harmed her, and even helped avenge her and gave her gifts¡­ The faint foreign emotion surged in her heart. It was a little sweet, a little sour, and also mixed with a little worry about the unknown and her new life, making her somewhat reluctant to move forward. Breathing out a slow sigh, Mu Wanwan rubbed the feathery chirp as if venting her emotions, turning it here and there. Mengmeng chirped in protest but was cruelly dismissed and rubbed this way and that. It was already early winter, but the weather today was beautiful. The sun was shining in the courtyard, casting its rays on the miserable feather ball. Not far away, the milky yellow spirit chicks chirped, huddling in a pile. The Condensed Snow seedlings that she cultivated yesterday had surprisingly bloomed. CH 121 Fifty-four Dragons (2) The white and crystalline petals spread outwards, and the gloominess in her heart also eased along with the slowly blooming flowers. Mu Wanwan looked at Mengmeng¡¯s wretched appearance as it escaped her and suddenly laughed out loud like a fool. She suddenly felt somewhat relieved of her melancholy¡ª¡ª Forget it, what¡¯s the use of thinking so much? The dragon had regained consciousness¡ªso be it, then. It wasn¡¯t like she could turn him into a comatose dragon again, right? All he did was wake up a little earlier than expected. Besides, so what if she did indeed have feelings for Mister Long? She had kept looking at Mister Long through the lens of thinking that he would fall in love with Bai Shuiyao as written in the book¡­ Thinking of Mister Long¡¯s cautious manner last night, Mu Wanwan¡¯s lips curled up¡ªshe wondered if the dragon would cry if he knew? Mu Wanwan blushed. She didn¡¯t want to expose Mister Long. She was more willing to believe that the kind little Mister Long would still be the same when he grew up. He probably wasn¡¯t keeping it from her on purpose. Moreover, if she exposed him, wouldn¡¯t it be really awkward for them to face each other? After all, they couldn¡¯t avoid each other in this little place, and even slept in the same bed. Who knew if this dragon would be completely different from now when he ¡°woke up¡±? If he was very bad-tempered and wouldn¡¯t speak to her¡­ J-Just the thought of it made her feel suffocated¡­ However, it was one thing to not expose him¡ªwhether she would pretend to be asleep or not was another matter altogether. As a former top powerhouse of this continent, even if he had been injured, he regained consciousness. This meant that he likely was in a better state than when she first saw him. The Mister Long who had recovered some strength would surely be able to realise if she was pretending to be asleep. Mu Wanwan gave a soft laugh. She suddenly felt that she was a little bad¡ª¡ª By doing so, she was handing over the definition of their relationship to Mister Long. What would Mister Long do if he found out that she was pretending to be asleep? Mu Wanwan, who had suddenly thought things through and perfectly dumped all the pressure on Mister Long, finally felt better. She released the messed up Mengmeng and began cultivating spiritual plants with great gusto. According to her plan, she had to cultivate enough materials to refine two batches of Spirit Returning Pills today. After straightening out her thinking, Mu Wanwan¡¯s efficiency ramped up, and her grasp of her spiritual energy became even more precise. She picked up two Chimebell grass seeds and immediately judged that they were not worth cultivating after feeling them for just a little while. Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t even notice that she was completely immersed in a mysterious state. She felt that her judgement of the subtle vitality and value of the seeds had reached an extremely precise level, and that even without consuming a single ounce of spiritual energy, the spiritual energy in the atmosphere would surge into her body eagerly to help her fill the void. She kept working without interruption, and between the glowing green light of her fingertips, spiritual plant seedlings were cultivated one after another. Mengmeng looked on with enthusiasm at first, but soon grew tired. It didn¡¯t disturb Mu Wanwan and just hopped to its nest at the side of the bed and lay down to sleep. However, when the feathery chirp woke up, Mu Wanwan was still in nearly the exact same position despite the room having almost given way to darkness. Mengmeng felt a little aggrieved. Mengmeng was a little hungry. Just when Mengmeng was about to send out a ¡°chirp¡± attack, a pale hand reached out and squeezed its little beak tightly. Mister Long was half-seated on the bed, with long ink-black hair draped over his shoulders, and the black and red curse lines on his face pulsating. His eyelids were half-closed, and his raven-black lashes were very long. He held the chirp with one hand, brought it before him, then raised his other index finger and pressed it lightly on his lips, as if to say, Shh¡ª Don¡¯t make a sound. Mengmeng nodded in confusion, but it still hurt a little. It was really unlucky today, to have been rubbed into a mess by the human and now being scared by the dragon. Mister Long was not at all worried that Mu Wanwan would discover that he was awake. He used his spiritual consciousness and spiritual energy to drag the few mid-grade spirit stones that she had specially placed beside his pillow previously, and slowly sent them over to her. His wife was experiencing flow. However, that little bit of atmospheric spiritual energy alone was not enough. At a time like this, absorbing more spiritual stones would allow one to sustain the flow for a longer period of time. Mister Long was quite experienced in this regard. His dark eyes gazed in her direction, and the corners of his lips were slightly raised, yet he was also feeling a little lost. His wife was indeed gifted. This time, she was probably going to advance to a Rank 3 wood-element cultivator. It has been less than two months since he first saw her. Even if there was the effect of that drop of his heart¡¯s blood in this, it was still quite impressive. She was so, so good. He couldn¡¯t hold her back any more than this. The meridians in his body were becoming better little by little, but Mister Long did not feel happy about it. When the fifth piece of his original core was connected, he had to become a scum dragon. Lips pursed, Mister Long felt fragile and vulnerable. For how long more could he possess this happiness? A few days? A dozen days? Before his wife discovered that he had regained consciousness, before his wife could be implicated and suffer any repercussions¡ª¡ª Let him be allowed to indulge and go a little further. There was some suspicious heat on his cheeks. They have held hands, and have also hugged. Next time, he really, really wanted to kiss her. Would that be going too far? The author has something to say: Mister Long, ¡°Let me indulge myself. I want to kiss my wife tonight.¡± Mu Wanwan, who already knows everything, ¡°Hah.¡± * Author¡¯s note: I have a hunch that this chapter may cause many little angels to be very dissatisfied, but I¡¯d still like to explain. I see that many little darlings really want Mu Wanwan to expose Mister Long, and let them have an awkward confrontational scene. That would indeed make us, who are looking at this from a God¡¯s eye view, feel very satisfied, but this kind of satisfaction would only be momentary because the relationship between the two has not yet developed to that stage. Mister Long is still feeling dirty and inferior, and if he gets caught by his wife who ¡®he thinks¡¯ only has pity for him, according to his fragile temperament, it is very likely that he would simply run away after being exposed rather than being ultra shy and embarrassed. As for Wanwan, Mister Long is in fact still a stranger to her. Although she is very sympathetic to Mister Long and has some good feelings towards him because of little Mister Long and the other things that have happened, she is also still afraid of him. She cannot guarantee what kind of dragon Mister Long will turn out to be. Having said so much, I still hope that the little angels can be more patient with Wanwan and Mister Long who are having difficult times of their own. Moreover, don¡¯t you think this is actually very sweet? As the story develops slowly, there will surely be the sweetness of a mutual crush, and also more blatantly sweet moments! (Cough, this is the author¡¯s stubborn and tenacious desire to survive speaking) CH 122 Fifty-five Dragons (1) It was three days later in the afternoon when Mu Wanwan fully emerged from her flow. As soon as she regained her senses, she felt as though every single pore on her self was covered with a layer of something, which made her very uncomfortable. When she opened her eyes, she saw a pile of seedlings and discarded seeds in front of her. Only a few of the seeds she had set aside as backup were left. There were seedlings and budding plants all over the table and floor. At a cursory glance, there was no way to estimate how many there were. Mu Wanwan touched her face, and her palm was all greasy and dirty. Had her cultivation advanced in rank again? She hurriedly looked inwardly within herself¡ª¡ª Most of the spiritual energy that had been liquefied in her dantian had turned into a small golden core. It wasn¡¯t big¡ªin fact, it wasn¡¯t even exactly complete. It was misshapen, but truly solid. A semi-circular golden core with several gaps was suspended in her dantian, surrounded by a dense spiritual energy that swirled around it. A core formed! D-Did she just become a Rank 3 cultivator? Wasn¡¯t it said that it was very, very difficult to go from the Foundation Establishment stage to the Golden Core stage, and that without the aid of elixirs, the success rate was low and painful? Why did she feel that it wasn¡¯t that difficult? After a brief moment of surprise and shock, Mu Wanwan was overjoyed, though there was a little bit of mixed feelings in her happiness¡ª¡ª She never even thought that she was so extraordinarily gifted. At first, she only thought her spiritual energy might be a little special, but she never expected that she would be able to accomplish the feat of experiencing flow and advancing painlessly without elixirs or spirit stones. But before she could enjoy her happiness for long, she was brought to her senses by Mengmeng¡¯s resentful chirping. ¡°Chirp¡­¡± Mengmeng was looking especially dispirited, lying in its nest that was all dirty. Even the ring of feathers around its neck was a little black and it was exuding an extremely aggrieved air. Mu Wanwan¡¯s heart softened instantly. Even though Mengmeng had dirtied its nest, she didn¡¯t get very angry either. After all, she was now also covered in dirt. ¡°Chirp!¡± Mengmeng chirped loudly, then covered its head with its small wings, like a cold and indifferent bird who didn¡¯t want to talk to Mu Wanwan. Mu Wanwan, ¡°¡­¡± She had raised the little chirp for some time now, and was much more familiar with some of Mengmeng¡¯s little temperaments than she was with Mister Long. From the way Mengmeng was acting now, she could see that it was very unhappy. In fact, Mengmeng had never been just an ordinary bird to her. Its awareness was much higher than the cats and dogs of the modern world, and it could even express its emotions. Mengmeng was probably angry this time because she had been undergoing flow for several days and hadn¡¯t paid it any attention. Food-wise, Mu Wanwan wasn¡¯t too worried about Mengmeng being hungry. She would sometimes cultivate some Bixing grass and Baizhen fruit seeds in between cultivating spiritual plants, and the surplus food at home was enough for Mengmeng to eat for at least ten days. However, she still had to coax it a bit. Mu Wanwan carefully avoided the seedlings on the ground, took out a Grade 2 Bixing grass seed from her interdimensional pouch, then walked straight to the feathery chirp and poked its little wings carefully. Mengmeng remained in its tantrum for a while, then cautiously poked its head out and opened its eyes to look at her. Mu Wanwan spread out her palm to show the seed in her palm. She was still a little uncomfortable when channelling her spiritual energy, but soon, a glowing green aura emitted from her palm. That Bixing grass seed that could only grow in soil broke out of its shell just like that, and slowly grew into a tender seedling. Then, right before Mengmeng¡¯s eyes, little by little, it became a translucent fruit that was larger and more fragrant than those from before! Spineless Mengmeng succumbed to the power of food_(:§Ù¡¹¡Ï) The feathery chirp slowly climbed up and stretched out its small wings to hug the fruit that was almost as big as its body, then dragged it backwards with all its might. As it used too much force, it toppled over backwards and let out a chirpy cry. Mu Wanwan, ¡°¡­¡± She can¡¯t¡ªMengmeng had its pride, so Mu Wanwan had to hold back her laughter. Mengmeng was stunned by the fall. It was dazed for several seconds before getting up and gave a small chirp. Ignoring Mu Wanwan, it carried the fruit and bumbled away with difficulty. Mu Wanwan thought that if it continued like this, the tragedy of just now would repeat right away. As much as Mengmeng was really cute like this, she couldn¡¯t let it strain itself. ¡°Where does Mengmeng want to go?¡± Mu Wanwan carefully ignored the small resistance the feather chirp put up, and held it in her hands together with the fruit. ¡°Chirp¡­¡± Finding that its resistance was futile, Mengmeng put down the fruit it was holding heavily and pointed to the door. Mu Wanwan picked her way around the various seedlings scattered on the ground and brought the feather chirp to the courtyard¡ª¡ª Right away, she saw the spirit chicks that were cooped up in the cage. They were huddled together, and their bodies were all dirty. There were several rotten fruit peels in the cage that were emitting a foul odor¡­ CH 123 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 123 Fifty-five Dragons (2) The chicks instantly became excited when they saw Mengmeng, and scrambled to squeeze towards the front. ¡°Chirp.¡± The feathery chirp was also responding to them; listening to the lively chirping, Mu Wanwan immediately guessed what had happened. While blaming herself, she also felt sorry towards Mengmeng. No wonder Mengmeng was upset. She had always fed these chicks on time, and hadn¡¯t prepared any spiritual rice in advance. They probably hadn¡¯t starved to death in the past few days solely because of Mengmeng¡¯s aid. Mu Wanwan¡¯s heart wrenched. She set Mengmeng on the ground and tapped its head. ¡°Thank you, Mengmeng.¡± She decided to leave the chicks to Mengmeng for now and go take a bath first. Then, she would hurry to get some work done before it got dark. After a few days of being immersed in her epiphany, there were a ton of things to deal with at home. ¡ª¡ªMengmeng chirped in puzzlement, then saw Mu Wanwan walking back inside. Forget it, it didn¡¯t care and didn¡¯t want to know what this two-legged beast was thinking! Humph! But as Mu Wanwan walked away, it still turned its head carefully to look back at her. Upon seeing that the two-legged beast didn¡¯t look back, it got angry again. If Mu Wanwan knew, she would say that she had really been wronged¡ªshe only wanted to seize the day. Before taking a bath, Mu Wanwan wanted to take off the jade bangle on her wrist, but for some reason, the bangle wouldn¡¯t come off. Initially, when she didn¡¯t know it was from Mister Long, she quite liked this beautiful bangle. Now that she knew it was from him, yet was unable to take it off, she felt a little strange. Mu Wanwan rubbed hair until it was half-dry, then began to tidy up the house¡ª¡ª First, she tidied up the seedlings on the floor and table. She had almost used up the several packets of seeds she had prepared. After tidying up, Mu Wanwan counted and found that among them, there were seventeen Grade 2 Condensed Snow seedlings. Previously, she could only cultivate two Condensed Snow seedlings at most in one day. There were also almost two hundred seedlings of Chimebell grass and Qingyu bellflowers in total, and seventy to eighty Spirit Returning fruit seedlings. At the end of tidying up, Mu Wanwan found that even with the newly-bought flowerpots, there weren¡¯t enough. So, she had to plant the seedlings of the same type together, sprinkling a bag of spiritual soil evenly among them, before arranging the flowerpots of seedlings in order. Rows of neatly arranged seedlings swayed in the cool evening breeze; looking at them, Mu Wanwan was so moved that she broke into a smile of a woman who had suddenly gone from rags to riches. These were not seedlings swaying in the wind¡ªthese were spirit stones! Sparkly spirit stones that could be used to buy anything! With so many seedlings, even without refining them into elixirs and just selling them straight, the Condensed Snow plants alone were enough for her to get rich. Her current spiritual energy stores were abundant¡ªfully sufficient for her to bring the seedlings to maturity while she refined elixirs. Originally, according to her previous strength, it would have taken her half a day just to accumulate enough materials for one batch of Spirit Returning Pills. It was different now; she had many, many seedlings©c(^¨Œ^)¥Î She would try to follow the elixir recipe tomorrow to see if she was able to refine elixirs. If she succeeded, the value of these seedlings in front of her would be multiplied several times! After making money this time, she had to buy herself some new clothes. Mister Long, too... Mister Long¡¯s pale face suddenly appeared in her mind, Mu Wanwan suddenly felt uneasy¡ª¡ª She had only bought him a set of outerwear¡­ Before, she thought that buying too many clothes for him would be pointless as he was unconscious, and he couldn¡¯t wear them in his half-dragon state anyway. It would be easier to leave him undressed. But now... He was conscious, which made things rather complex. After thinking about it, Mu Wanwan decided that it would be better to buy Mister Long two more sets of clothing on her next trip out. ¡­¡­¡­ After tidying up the seedlings and the house, Mu Wanwan looked at the sky, then hurriedly washed the feathery chirp, spirit chicks, and dirty clothes. Perhaps because of her advancement in rank, her resistance to cold had gotten much higher again. When cultivation reached a certain point, many things could be grasped without being taught. Mu Wanwan wrapped a layer of spiritual energy around her hands experimentally, like a pair of insulation gloves, and the icy water became tolerable. After washing several clothes, it was almost dark. Mu Wanwan calculated that according to the time, she should be dragging her tired body to prepare dinner by now after having exhausted her spiritual energy. But not only was she neither tired nor hungry today, she was also feeling rather energetic. This should also be a benefit of having advanced in rank. When cultivators were at the Qi Refining stage, which was equivalent to Rank 1, they would be physically much stronger than ordinary people, and had a life expectancy of 100¨C150 years. After stepping into the Foundation Establishment stage, that is, Rank 2, the need for food would be much lessened, and one could go without food for a long time by relying on grain avoidance pills. Cultivators at this stage had a life expectancy of 200¨C300 years. CH 124 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 124 Fifty-five Dragons (3) Becoming a Rank 3 cultivator was considered extremely talented for a human. The need for food disappeared, so it was entirely fine even if she didn¡¯t make dinner. Hence, Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t bother with making dinner. She cultivated a few Grade 2 Baizhen fruit, ate one herself, kept one for Mengmeng, and fed the rest to the dragon. It was still the same old process of feeding the dragon, but Mu Wanwan¡¯s mentality had undergone a large transformation. Every time she accidentally touched his lips, she would feel very, very awkward, and didn¡¯t know if it was more from shame or a tingly numbness. Just the act of feeding him was so awkward that she was relying solely on instinct. In a few days, if this person still deliberately didn¡¯t wake up, according to her past schedule, she would have to change his clothes, wash his hair, bathe him, and clean his tail¡­ Mu Wanwan¡¯s cheeks grew hot, and she bit her lip¡ª¡ª This dragon wouldn¡¯t be so shameless, right? M-Maybe he would discover that she was pretending to be asleep tonight. However, Mu Wanwan had completely overestimated Mister Long. When the night fell and the suggestive lights in the house were put out, Mister Long woke up quietly after Mengmeng and her were both ¡°sound asleep¡±. In the past few days, because of his wife¡¯s flow, he only woke up for a while at night to see if she had emerged from the state of flow. Tonight was the same; his spiritual consciousness circled around, then rested on Mu Wanwan¡¯s bulging quilt. His wife has emerged from her epiphany; his wife has advanced in rank; his wife was sleeping beside him. These thoughts ran through Mister Long¡¯s head in a flash, and he was instantly happy¡ª¡ª He could finally touch her. Mhm, first, he had to make himself look better. Mister Long¡¯s long eyelashes flickered, and in the next instant, he turned into his human form and edged over quietly. Mu Wanwan was no longer the Rank 2 Mu Wanwan; her senses were much more sensitive than before, and she was aware of Mister Long¡¯s every movement. Her heartbeat quickened. However, with her previous experience of pretending to be asleep, she was much calmer now. In fact, when she went to bed tonight, to prevent certain shameful things from happening, she purposely half-buried her head under the covers this time. So, it was even more difficult for Mister Long to touch his wife. A certain dragon who was a little shy and flustered knowing that he was doing something wrong only thought, naively, that his wife was a feeling little cold tonight _(:§Ù¡¹¡Ï)_ Actually, the dragon knew that his wife, who was already a Rank 3 powerhouse, would surely wake easily. However, he was burning with longing and wanted to take a chance¡ª¡ª After all, she had never woken up before, and always slept very soundly. He would be very, very gentle. He secretly warmed himself with spiritual energy, then slowly, little by little, stretched out his palm. Then¡­ He accidentally touched her waist¡­ She was sleeping on her side with her back facing Mister Long tonight, both hands in front of her chest. So, when Mister Long quietly searched for his wife¡¯s hand, what he touched, in the end, was her waist. His touch was very light, and the palm of his hand was hot. Her waist felt shameful and itchy, and she bent a little at the waist almost reflexively, forcibly holding back the urge to escape. Almost the instant he touched her waist, Mister Long also realised what this softness, that was different from her palm, was, and immediately retracted his palm as if he had been scalded. H-H-He hadn¡¯t meant to. However, it was very soft, and very teasing; the dragon felt like he couldn¡¯t breathe. Mu Wanwan¡¯s expression was very complicated. She was starting to understand Mister Long less and less. ¡°Wife¡­¡± murmured Mister Long after a long time. Slowly, he said as if with great difficulty, ¡°I...¡± ¡°I want to kiss you.¡± Mu Wanwan was shocked; before she could really react, she heard him say hoarsely in a strained voice, ¡°I won¡¯t cause you any pain.¡± Mu Wanwan, ¡°...¡± Mu Wanwan, ¡°???¡± Pain? Why would a kiss hurt¡­? Could it be... Enduring the strange feeling that surged in her heart, her ears silently reddened¡ª¡ª No, this was a little too fast. She wasn¡¯t ready to fulfill their marital obligations. In the end, Mu Wanwan waited a long, long time before she felt her quilt gently being lifted. The cold air from outside hit her face, making her break out in an inexplicable shiver. She was a little nervous and her hands were shaking. How had Mister Long not noticed she was awake? She didn¡¯t know that Mister Long was even more nervous than she was. Slowly, he approached her. Until their breaths mingled, and the tips of their noses touched. His long eyelashes brushed across her cheek, tickling her so much that she yearned to reach out to itch them. In her ear, was the sound of breathing that was gradually heating up, which was difficult to bear. Mu Wanwan endured this agonising feeling for more than ten minutes; her lips were all moist from the dragon¡¯s breath as if she had applied balm. The feeling of shyness gradually faded away, and she just wanted to press Mister Long¡¯s head to make him hurry up and kiss her. She really wanted to scratch her face! QwQ Mister Long mentally prepared himself in this long and dark night and finally mustered up his courage¡ª¡ª Gently, and lightly, he pressed his lips to hers. It was the briefest of touches before he moved away quickly, like a piece of down that was carried gently by wind before drifting away. The author has something to say: Mister Long, on the inside, ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.¡± Mu Wanwan, on the inside, ¡°My face is so itchy, I really want to scratch it. Hurry up and kiss me already, hurry up, hurry up. Huh??? It¡¯s over???¡± CH 125 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 125 Fifty-six Dragons (1) Mister Long only touched her lips for a moment, then moved away immediately, lying honestly on his bed, without making any other movements. Mu Wanwan did not dare to move. Mister Long¡¯s light kiss just now was like down passing over her lips, a light and soft feeling that passed in a flash. She didn¡¯t have any of those reactions stated in books¡ª¡ª Blushing, heart-racing, weak limbs, tingling¡­ and other such sweet reactions. She even felt as though it was over even before she could react¡ªit happened so quickly that it was like an illusion. She didn¡¯t know if it was all in her head, but she now felt like a small and clear imprint was left behind on the part of her cheek that Mister Long¡¯s eyelashes had brushed past. It wasn¡¯t a suggestive feeling, but rather, more like the feeling of having been touched by Mengmeng. She didn¡¯t dislike it. She even felt a little helpless. Mu Wanwan thought about it for a long time. A part of her wanted to take this as Mister Long really having some feelings for her, but she also felt that doing something like stealing a kiss was not quite in line with his cold and overbearing CEO persona in the original book. However¡­ Mu Wanwan, who didn¡¯t particularly feel anything when she was kissed secretly, was now feeling a little embarrassed. Her face was a little hot, and her guarded heart relaxed a little. It turned out that the legendary cruel, cold-blooded, and ruthless tyrant who killed without batting an eyelid was actually so careful and tentative. Yesterday, Mister Long¡¯s ¡°Hold me¡± meant ¡°Hug his arm¡±, so based on that translation, it seemed very reasonable that ¡°kiss¡± meant ¡° lips barely touching a little¡±¡­ She pretended that she was not sleeping well and quietly turned over. Her movements weren¡¯t big, but they were magnified multifold in the quiet night. This caused the heart of a certain dragon, who was already feeling very ashamed, to almost stop beating. H-He had really¡ªreally kissed her. Mister Long¡¯s furry ears trembled, and when he heard the sound of her turning over, his feelings were sweet and nervous as he reassured himself inwardly¡ª¡ª No, she couldn¡¯t have noticed. He had been paying attention, and was very careful. The dragon waited nervously for a long time. Only when she didn¡¯t move any more did he gradually calm down. He felt that he had no more regrets. He had done countless shameless things to his wife, and had indulged himself to secretly do many, many things when she wasn¡¯t aware. To him, his wife¡¯s existence was like a spot of floating light in the eternal night, something he could see at once when he looked up, and hold tightly in the palm of his hand when he reached out. Even if she was forced into this at first, and later carried on out of pity or boredom, it didn¡¯t matter. In these two short months, he had already fallen for her very, very much. Yes, he had fallen for her. His heart would race when she got close to him, he would get nervous when she called his name, and he would always be thinking about those shameless and hateful things he shouldn¡¯t be thinking about when she fed him. He liked her, and had also indulged himself. Like a pervert, he had done everything to her without her knowing¡ª¡ª He had touched, hugged, and kissed her. Mister Long¡¯s heart ached. Her lips were very soft and slightly warm. He had only touched it for a brief moment, but already felt like he was about to lose control of himself¡ª¡ª To lose all control and kiss her hard, make her wake up, let her see his appearance, and hear her call him husband. But he was also afraid¡ª¡ª He was afraid that she would be scared of him, afraid of the fear and disgust that would show in her eyes if she opened her eyes to find him kissing her, afraid that she would think he was defiling her innocence, afraid that she would cry. At the thought that she might hate him¡­ Mister Long¡¯s heart felt like it was being stabbed with needles, and collapsed into a wadded heap. Just imagining that scene made his heart cave in. It hurt more than when his dragon horns were chopped off. Mister Long found himself thrown into misery again, while Mu Wanwan still wondered if Mister Long would kiss her again tonight. With an indescribable mood, she even prepared herself to feel it properly this time as she waited for Mister Long to land another feather-light kiss. But a long time passed, and he never moved again. ¡­¡­ Early the next morning, before the sky was fully lit, Mu Wanwan got up, washed up as usual, finished washing up Mister Long and Mengmeng, then fed the dragon, feathery chirp, and spirit chicks. Mu Wanwan was actually very calm when washing the dragon¡¯s face, brushing his teeth, and feeding him. Based on her observations in the past two days, the dragon generally didn¡¯t wake up during the day, so she just did what she always had as usual. After finishing the housework, Mu Wanwan ate a Bixing grass fruit as breakfast, and suddenly realised¡ª¡ª Her diet had changed a lot. Back in modern times, after getting her monthly paycheck and paying the rent and other miscellaneous expenses, she would spend a few hundred dollars to watch a movie and eat a delicious meal to reward herself. At those times, spicy numbing soup, hotpot, barbecue, and so on, were all her favourite foods. Since transmigrating into this book, she was poor in the beginning and had little to eat, but gradually, she seemed to have gotten used to it. It was only now that she realised that she hadn¡¯t eaten anything delicious for a long time. All she ate were a bunch of Baizhen fruit that tasted like orange-flavoured rotten apples without much texture, and super bitter Bixing grass fruit. CH 126 I Married A Disabled Tyrant After Transmigrating Chapter 126 Fifty-six Dragons (2) Mu Wanwan felt that this was a little unfair to her and planned to buy some meat after earning more spirit stones this time to cook something for herself. As she thought about it, she wanted to check how many spirit stones were currently left, but when she felt around Mister Long¡¯s pillow, the few spirit stones she had placed there previously were all gone, and there was no trace of them under the pillow either. Suddenly, she remembered the small pile of ashes that she swept out from the table beside her when she was cleaning the house yesterday. She hadn¡¯t paid any attention to it at the time, but now that she thought about it, those ashes were likely the dust left behind after the spirit stones had been absorbed. The look in Mu Wanwan¡¯s eyes became complicated for a moment, and she understood at once that it was Mister Long who had given her the spirit stones to use. He didn¡¯t seem to be as unpleasant and terrible as outsiders said. To be honest, it was actually beyond Mu Wanwan¡¯s expectations that Mister Long would give her spirit stones to use. Last time, in the interdimensional pouches Mengmeng delivered to her, there were only some low-grade spirit stones, some miscellaneous items, some elixirs, and that jade bangle that was clearly for girls. She thought that Mister Long was just simply giving her the things he didn¡¯t need. After all, Mister Long was now in great need of spirit stones to heal his wounds, which she could totally understand. However, it now seemed like she had been wrong. She couldn¡¯t help but touch Mister Long¡¯s exposed white ears gently, and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mister Long.¡± Smiling, Mu Wanwan felt much better. She placed the mid-grade spirit stone she had saved in her interdimensional pouch for a rainy day and all the remaining low-grade spirit stones in a pile beside Mister Long¡¯s pillow¡ª¡ª So far, it looked like Mister Long was a very good person; she couldn¡¯t let him down. She had to earn money to take good care of him. ¡°Chirp!¡± Mengmeng stood on the table and chirped at Mu Wanwan. Mu Wanwan turned around and picked up Mengmeng, who seemed to be angry with her yesterday, and put it on her shoulder. The feathery chirp rubbed against her cheek; the little tantrum from yesterday had long since disappeared after being fed delicious things and given a fragrant bath. Mengmeng liked Wanwan the most~ The human and bird went to the courtyard. Mu Wanwan brought one Condensed Snow, three Chimebell grass, and three Qingyu flowers to maturity, then went to the bathroom in the side hall. She fetched a stool and got ready to practice alchemy here. Mu Wanwan took out the elixir cauldron and put it on the floor. Following Uncle Zong¡¯s instructions, she gently fiddled with the device at the bottom of the elixir cauldron that controlled the elixir flame. Almost immediately, the elixir cauldron spun slowly and floated in mid-air; a faint trace of elixir flame emerged from the bottom of it. Mu Wanwan was taken aback, and Mengmeng also chirped rather excitedly. The human and bird stared at the elixir cauldron for a long time like country bumpkins who had never seen the world. ¡°Chirp~¡± Mengmeng¡¯s voice brought Mu Wanwan back to her senses. She didn¡¯t immediately start refining elixirs based on the elixir recipe she had long since committed to memory, but rather, first tried fiddling around with the device that controlled the elixir flame. To the right, the elixir flame became a lot stronger, and to the left, it weakened. However, after only touching it for a while, Mu Wanwan felt that the entire elixir cauldron was burning hot. She frowned. If it was like this, it was impossible for her to control the intensity of the elixir flame. Her spiritual energy was of the wood element, so there was no way for her to refine elixirs directly either¡­ Hang on¡ªspiritual energy. An idea came to mind, and Mu Wanwan experimentally imagined her spiritual power as a palm, then slowly pressed it against the device that controlled the elixir flame. With great effort, she toggled it towards the left. The elixir flame instantly dimmed. Mu Wanwan wiped the sweat from her forehead. Just lightly adjusting the device had cost her a lot of spiritual energy. Moreover, she felt that it was very difficult to control it precisely. Knowing alchemy, it would be very hard to succeed with just the slightest mistake in the control of the heat. It was difficult for even fire element cultivators who could use their own spiritual energy directly as elixir flame to have such fine control, and even more difficult for her who had to rely on a device. Mu Wanwan was not in a hurry to begin with the alchemy. She spent another two to three hours just familiarizing herself with the control of the elixir flame. She hadn¡¯t consumed too much of the spiritual energy in her body, only using about one-tenth of it, but she had a mild headache and was a little tired from constantly concentrating on manipulating her spiritual energy. Mengmeng had been very quiet all day, watching her fiddling with the elixir cauldron with great concentration. It hadn¡¯t even dozed off, which was very surprising to Mu Wanwan. ¡°Chirp~¡± Seeing that she was looking at it, Mengmeng turned its head and gave a soft chirp, looking cute as can be, immediately curing Mu Wanwan of her mental exhaustion. She reached out her fingers and touched its cute little scarf, then started preparing to begin refining elixirs with great energy! First, she put the three Chimebell grass into the elixir cauldron, then turned on a medium-sized flame. Mu Wanwan proceeded with great concentration, and Mengmeng also kept silent obediently. Soon, the three Chimebell grass turned into a puddle of pale green liquid. Mu Wanwan used her spiritual power to suspend the Chimebell grass liquid in mid-air, then picked up the Condensed Snow plant and took a deep breath. The petals of the Condensed Snow plant would melt instantly upon being placed in the cauldron¡ªshe had to grasp the timing and degree of the flame well. Mu Wanwan was in a state of high concentration, quickly tearing off the petals of the Condensed Snow plant. The instant they fell in the elixir cauldron, they melted immediately. Mu Wanwan had thought that the elixir flame was small enough, but it still wasn''t. The Condensed Snow plant turned into a bundle of mist almost immediately, and she didn¡¯t even have a chance to salvage it. It was a failure. The author has something to say: Mister Long, ¡°I¡¯ve touched, hugged, and kissed my wife. I¡¯ve done everything there is to do, and have no regrets.¡± CH 127 Fifty-seven Dragons (1) As the Condensed Snow mist dissipated, the entire room was filled with a faint floral fragrance that smells rather pleasant. However, Mu Wanwan felt as if her heart were bleeding. Cultivating a Condensed Snow Pill really wasn¡¯t an easy task! She had cultivated only seventeen Condensed Snow seedlings when she had her epiphany, and now one was wasted just like that. ¡°Chirp~¡± Mengmeng sniffed the air, seemingly rather intoxicated, then let out a joyful chirp beside Mu Wanwan. Mu Wanwan sighed, took out a jade bottle of average quality from her pocket, and filled it with the juice of the Chimebell grass that was suspended on the side. She didn¡¯t want to let it go to waste. Afraid of wasting another Condensed Snow seedling, Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t plan to have another go at refining the Condensed Snow Pill. She scooped Mengmeng up and brought it to the courtyard, then set it down to let it play by itself. After picking a few spiritual fruits, Chimebell grass, and Qingyu flowers, she prepared to start with refining cheaper elixirs first. This time, she was more careful than the previous time, keeping a close eye on the situation in the elixir cauldron. She waited until the Spirit Returning fruits gradually turned into a light red liquid, then immediately used her spiritual energy to manipulate the semi-solidified light red liquid while quickly throwing the prepared Qingyu flowers into the elixir cauldron. When the Qingyu flowers were almost completely melted, Mu Wanwan quickly poured in the juice of the Chimebell grass she stored in the jade bottle earlier. It was all well and good in her imagination¡ªshe just had to use spiritual energy to knead the three types of liquid like she was kneading dough, then wait until a certain temperature was attained for the pill to be formed. However, imagination and reality were never quite the same. When Mu Wanwan put the three ingredients together, she found that her spiritual energy wasn¡¯t able to manipulate the three liquid masses at the same time. Despite giving it her all, she couldn¡¯t make the three liquid masses condense together. Because her energy was all focused on trying to condense the three liquid masses together, Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t pay much attention to the elixir flame. In no time, without the control of her spiritual energy, the elixir flame became much bigger, and she failed again. The three liquid masses that were of the right colour were all scorched black. With some heartache, Mu Wanwan put out the elixir flame and cleaned the elixir cauldron. She thought it could be a matter of the order of the steps. The order written on the recipe was indeed to first refine all three ingredients into a liquid mass, then combine the three into one. The recipe should be correct, so had she missed out on a step somewhere? Recalling the sluggish feeling she had when she tried to condense the elixir, Mu Wanwan wondered if it was because her spiritual energy wasn¡¯t strong enough. However, she thought that shouldn¡¯t be the case either. After all, according to Uncle Zong, she could refine these two types of elixirs as a Rank 2 cultivator, so it didn¡¯t make sense that she still didn¡¯t have enough spiritual energy now that she was at Rank 3. Mu Wanwan fell into distress. She did not continue to try as the problem was not resolved. After all, not only did she lose elixir flame and spiritual energy with each failure, but also a lot of ingredients. With just two failures, she had already wasted one Condensed Snow plant and several spiritual plants. Mu Wanwan thought for a long time as she looked at a Qingyu flower she was holding until her eyes were a little sore before she got up. She was going to check the time, then go back to her regular work of cultivating spiritual plants. There were about three or four days before she could go out for her next trip. She still hadn¡¯t refined a single elixir, and might not be able to do so before her next trip. For the sake of buying new clothes and to save Mister Long and Mengmeng from the fate of eating dirt with her in the next month, she had better cultivate more spiritual plants. By the time she packed up her things and walked out of the side hall, it was almost dark outside. Now that the temperature was getting lower, the sun set very early. After some thought, Mu Wanwan went to the study. She wanted to get some pen and paper to record the reasons and experiences of her alchemy failures as well as some data to keep from failing again. She didn¡¯t come to the study often but was no stranger to it. The study was a large room that was also very luxurious, but most of the valuable things had been taken away. Books were also considered to be very valuable in this era, so there was basically nothing left in Mister Long¡¯s study. CH 128 Fifty-seven Dragons (2) The ink and inkstone that Mu Wanwan had found previously were from various nooks and crannies. She didn¡¯t clean this place often either¡ªonly about once or twice a month. But this time, Mu Wanwan could clearly feel that the study seemed to be different somehow. The moment she entered, it was as if she had stepped into a place where something had been set up. She couldn¡¯t put her finger to it, but it felt off. Mu Wanwan only felt that something was amiss, but Mister Long, who was resting quietly on the bed, slowly opened his eyes. There was a hint of vigilance and indifference in his black pupils, but that coldness soon disappeared as he confirmed that the one who had entered the range of the formation was his wife, and his eyes took on a doting look. Mister Long sent his spiritual consciousness out. He could only secretly use his spiritual consciousness to look at his wife before she advanced to Rank 4 and gained spiritual consciousness of her own. Mister-outwardly-expressionless-yet-inwardly-shy-and-fanatical-Long¡¯s spiritual consciousness completely exposed his true nature. Like a large clingy cat, it followed Mu Wanwan all the way from the entrance of the study into the depths of the study. She seemed to look prettier than before ( ¦Ø ) Mhm, she has really become prettier. Mister Long was still watching her dazedly when Mu Wanwan suddenly found a piece of somewhat yellowed paper in an inconspicuous place under the table. She had never seen it before when she cleaned this place, so she decided to pick it up to have a look. As a result, Mister Long saw his wife bend down slowly; her not-too-think clothes outlined her slender waist, and further downwards¡­ Mister Long¡¯s spiritual consciousness jerked back several steps and turned around in a human-like manner. His heart burned and the tip of his nose felt a little hot. After covering his face after a while, Mister Long slowly put down his hands and continued to observe (peek) at his wife with a solemn expression on his faintly-red handsome face. Fortunately, she was done picking the piece of paper up. It was a piece of yellowed parchment with slightly curled edges. Despite his best efforts, Mister Long couldn¡¯t recall the contents of that piece of paper. He has lived for more than a hundred years and been the leader for several decades, and even though he was still considered a very, very young dragon, he has still written a lot of things over the years¡­ Suddenly, he had a bad feeling. Mister Long watched nervously as Mu Wanwan slowly unfolded the parchment. The moment she saw the handwriting on the paper, Mu Wanwan¡¯s expression was a spectacle to behold¡ª The handwriting was simply¡­ It was even somewhat of a compliment to call it ugly. The written script of this world was far less complicated than Traditional Chinese characters. After gaining the memories of the original body, Mu Wanwan grasped it after only a couple of attempts at writing it. Although her writing was not particularly beautiful, it was very neat and tidy. However, the writing on this paper¡­ How should she put it? It was rather abstract. She wondered if there was something wrong with her eyes. After looking at it for a long time, she still couldn¡¯t understand anything. She frowned slightly, then used her hand to cover the bottom half of the paper and tried to make out each word one by one. ¡°¡¯I¡­¡¯¡± After much effort, she finally made out the first character. She read it out softly, but in the bedroom, Mister Long had the urge to run himself into the wall. He had been really immature at that time and knew nothing about the affairs of men and women. There were always random people who wanted to become cultivation partners with him which really annoyed him. He just happened to be learning to write, so he took out his annoyance by complaining about it in writing. How did this get found by his wife?! What if she managed to understand it¡­? He was already a useless disabled dragon. If he was suspected of not being able to perform¡­ He was currently feeling very conflicted. On the one hand, he thought it would be best if his wife hated him, but on the other hand, he couldn¡¯t keep from wishing that she could like him some more. Mister Long pursed his lips and grabbed the quilt nervously. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡¯¡± ¡°¡¯Know?¡± ¡®I don¡¯t know?¡¯ Mu Wanwan stared at it for a long time, but was stuck on the next word. So, she gave up and skipped that word. She made out each word one by one and finally got to end and discerned the gist of the words by guessing¡ª¡ª The first line was, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to X¡±. And the next line was, ¡°How dare you X me, I¡¯m still young. Ha.¡± 1 The author has something to say: Mister Long, ¡°My wife, I can do it, I can!¡± Footnotes: 1: The first part of the sentence here can be inferred to mean ¡°How dare you seduce me¡±, as the ¡®x¡¯ is only in place for one of the two characters that make up the word, ¡®seduce¡¯ in Chinese. CH 129 Fifty-eight Dragons (1) Mu Wanwan read softly, guessing as she went; a smile appeared on her lips, and her brows and eyes curved into crescents. The study was lit with lamplight that gave a warm atmosphere. In Mister Long¡¯s view, there seemed to be golden stars in her eyes, and her smile struck the depths of his heart. His wife usually didn¡¯t smile much, perhaps because there was no reason to. After all, life wasn¡¯t very easy for her. Apart from occasionally laughing when playing with the awful chirp, she hardly ever did. Moreover, as he only woke up for only a short amount of time, and usually only at night, he basically seldom saw her smile. With this smile of hers, all the shame and embarrassment in Mister Long¡¯s heart seemed to be smoothed out easily and obediently. Mister Long¡¯s dark eyes brightened slightly with a faint trace of joy. He tentatively felt the dry feeling on his tail, and for some reason he wasn¡¯t sure of himself, quietly raised his tail a little and swung it left and right a couple of times. If only the tip of my tail was still there, thought Mister Long. The tip of his tail was also furry¡ªshe would have liked it very much. Unfortunately¡­ He lowered his eyelids slightly. Over there now¡­ All that was left was the ugly and broken tail that had just grown some flesh. ¡­ After laughing for a while, Mu Wanwan carefully rolled up the parchment and prepared to take it back to the room to put it away. She thought Mister Long was too funny. This must be something that was written a long time ago, right? Apart from the ugly writing, she couldn¡¯t hide her amusement at its contents. Even though it was only one line, she seemed to have seen what Mister Long was like. Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t waste too much time. Taking the paper and brush she came for, she left the study. The weather gradually grew colder. Mu Wanwan finished her work, took a bath, then brought the spirit chicks¡¯ cage into the kitchen. Now that it was getting cold, they¡¯d grow slower and get sick easily outside. Mengmeng still lived in the house, enjoying pretty much the same treatment as Mister Long ¡É_¡É After cultivating a number of spiritual plants, it was already late at night. Mu Wanwan added some lamp oil, took out the brush and paper she had taken from the study earlier in the day, and began to record some of her experiences of the alchemy failures. Mengmeng tried to accompany her at first, warming her arm with its fluffy body, but then became increasingly sleepy, its little head nodding bit by bit. Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t bear to watch anymore, and after finishing another record, she turned her head and was about to call Mengmeng when she found that it had fallen asleep on her arm. The body that was becoming fatter by the day was fluffy and warm, and so cute that it made Mu Wanwan¡¯s heart melt. She carefully held Mengmeng in her hands, then put the feathery chirp into its nest and covered it with a small blanket. Mu Wanwan finished this series of actions naturally and got ready to go to bed herself. She stretched lazily with her back to Mister Long, then took off her clothes, wearing only a thin inner garment. She was just about to put out the light when she felt something amiss. Shucks, she had forgotten that Mister Long was awake at night! Then, when she was stretching just now, did she indulge in herself a little too much? She even took off her clothes with the lights on¡­ Mu Wanwan¡¯s cheeks burned; she felt so embarrassed that her movements became much slower. She already knew what he thought about her, and she was not a saint herself, so how would she harbour no thoughts about him too? She still wanted to preserve an image of herself as a cool and aloof fairy in Mister Long¡¯s heart. Mu Wanwan climbed into bed slowly, lifted the quilt, then quickly buried herself under covers, squeezing the corners of the quilt in her hands. After thinking about it, she poked her head out slightly and glanced in his direction. The room was very dark in the late night. However, her night vision was much better than before. Looking at him in the dark, he was no longer a blurry silhouette like before. His long hair was scattered on the pillow, his horns were hideous and mutilated, and she could still clearly see the outline of his profile clearly despite the curse lines all over it. He was really still rather scary to look at. However, Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t feel so at all. She has been looking at this face for a long time already. Mu Wanwan whispered, ¡°Mister Long¡­ Goodnight.¡± After speaking, she shut her eyes and prepared to go to sleep. Actually, she had already gradually figured out the routine of a certain dragon. Although there was still the feeling of unfamiliarity, in her heart, he was no longer the cruel and cold image that others outside made him out to be. In fact, his careful actions the past few nights and his childish words, all made her feel much at ease. Mu Wanwan even felt that he would not hurt her. Even if she really slept beside an awake Mister Long, there would be no problem at all. She knew she shouldn¡¯t think this way¡ªit was too careless! CH 130 Fifty-eight Dragons (2) However, she always felt that there was no way that little Mister Long who was so kind as a child would be the tyrant the outsiders spoke of. There was not much mention of Mister Long¡¯s background in the original book, and it only labelled him as a cruel and bloodthirsty person. If he has been misunderstood all along, then Mister Long really was a very pitiful dragon. She was now his wife in name, and he had not done anything wrong by her. If she also kept her guard up against him, wouldn¡¯t he be very sad? Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t know what the hell she was thinking¡ªher attempts at alchemy in the day had used up too much of her mental energy. This time, she really fell asleep. Mister Long also woke up as usual. The original core in his body was about to be successfully connected. In about half a month or so, he would be able to recover 50% of his strength. Mister Long sat up gently. He gently brushed away the long hair covering her forehead with his well-defined palm, then slowly smoothed out the wrinkles between her brows that had formed due to her repeated failures. The slightly hot body temperature made Mu Wanwan flinch a little out of discomfort. He scanned his wife¡¯s records on the table with his spiritual consciousness, and the corners of his lips lifted. Alchemy was not just about melting all the ingredients and then combining them together. Although he was not much of an alchemist, he did know some basic steps. Within a plant, there were parts containing its essence, as well as the parts containing many impurities. When refining the plant, one had to remove those parts that clearly had interference. Then, during the fusion process, one would also have to spend great effort to sense the subtle impurities in the various spiritual plants with care. Well, then¡­ Mister Long was rather troubled. What should he do to tell his wife what he knew? The dragon thought for a long time and came up with a plan. As such, when Mu Wanwan woke up the next morning, she found that there were several spiritual plant ¡°corpses¡± on her table! The heartache instantly woke her up completely. Sprit Returning fruit, Chimebell grass, and Qingyu flower¡ªnone had been spared. But why was there also a corpse of a Condensed Snow plant that hadn¡¯t yet bloomed?! She was close to tears. Looking confusedly at the neatly arranged spiritual plants on the table that had been dismantled into several parts, even her hands were trembling¡ª Those were worth at least three or four pieces of low-grade spirit stones! QAQ Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t even be bothered with thoughts such as ¡°What if Mister Long was awake and sees my dishevelled appearance? It would be so embarrassing¡±. She got up hurriedly and without even getting dressed, immediately infused wood elemental spiritual energy into the plants to see if they could be salvaged. But¡­ It was too late. The Condensed Snow flower bud was already withered, and the petals of the Qingyu flower had also turned yellow. Mu Wanwan also withered. With four low-grade spirit stones, she could have bought half a catty of Rank 2 spirit beef bones to make soup. She patted her cheeks and put on her clothes, not even daring to look at the wreckage on the table while doing so. It was only after finishing the morning¡¯s necessary chores such as cleaning and feeding that she felt that she had recovered a little. Only then did she have the presence of mind to notice that the plants on the table had been dismantled into several sections with great precision. Although the torn ends were untidy, they seemed to have been deliberately torn into irregular shapes. Even Mengmeng¡¯s nest had several leaves placed in it. Every plant was there, as if whoever did it was afraid of missing one out. When Mu Wanwan first got up, she did think it was Mengmeng¡¯s doing. But now, on closer inspection, the plants don¡¯t seem to have been torn by Mengmeng¡¯s beak. Mengmeng had also recovered its spirits. It shook off the leaves that were clinging to its body, hopped over to Mu Wanwan, blinked its large and cute eyes, and let out a soundwave attack, ¡°Chirp chirp chirp~¡± It tilted its little head as if to say¡ª Mengmeng is so cute, how can you suspect Mengmeng, it¡¯s definitely not Mengmeng¡¯s doing! Mu Wanwan silently retracted her suspicious gaze, thinking that she really shouldn¡¯t have suspected Mengmeng. Mengmeng was indeed very obedient, and had never done things like secretly destroying the spiritual plants. She had been worried about this issue before, but Mengmeng was very disciplined. At the most, it would peck at the seedling leaves for fun every now and then, but would never damage the spiritual plants. If it wasn¡¯t Mengmeng, then¡­ Her gaze shifting to the face of a certain dragon, Mu Wanwan smiled. If it wasn¡¯t Mengmeng, it must have been this dragon, for there was no way it was the spirit chicks! However, just why did Mister Long take the spiritual plants apart and put them on the table like this? As a threat? No, no, it can¡¯t be. He was bored and wanted to play with grass? Mhm¡­ Would Mister Long have such a hobby? Mu Wanwan thought of the little Mister Long who polished wood silently in his ¡°home¡± in the dark alley, and her heart ached. He didn¡¯t like to play with such things¡ªmost of the time, he was just spacing out and waiting for the ¡°dragon eggs¡± to hatch. CH 131 Fifty-eight Dragons (3) The heartache washed away the anger that had arisen because of the loss of the spiritual plants. Mu Wanwan glanced at the records she had spread on the table, then looked at the plants that had been dismantled into many sections, and began to think hard¡ª Mister Long must have had a reason for doing this. Was he trying to tell her something? What could it be? She was thinking, and so was Mengmeng. Mengmeng was a clever little chirp. It had been shocked to find that there was actually grass in its fragrant nest this morning. Then, on seeing the mess on the table, it understood. It was the dragon¡ªit must be that awful dragon, who wanted to make Mengmeng take the blame again. Humph! But the dragon must never have imagined that not only did he not manage to make Mengmeng take the blame, he had also given Mengmeng many snacks! ¡°Chirp!¡± Mengmeng patted Mu Wanwan¡¯s arm, the pointed to the plants on the table with its little wing, chirping to express that it wanted to eat them. Mu Wanwan was so deep in thought that she didn¡¯t notice Mengmeng at all. By the time she came back to her senses, Mengmeng was already nibbling on the Condensed Snow flower bud. Mu Wanwan, ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Chirp~¡± Yummy! Mengmeng chirped contentedly. After finishing the entire Condensed Snow flower bud, it thought for a bit, then went to peck open the peel of the Spirit Returning fruit and proceeded to eat the flesh of the fruit. Mu Wanwan, ¡°¡­¡± She was this close to giving both the feathery chirp and the dragon a beating. ¡°Mengmeng!¡± Hearing her voice, the feathery chirp turned it chubby little body around innocently to look at her. Mu Wanwan¡¯s temper was gone in an instant. ¡°Alright, you can eat them all.¡± She sat on a stool and watched Mengmeng finish off the flesh of the Spirit Returning fruit, leaving the peel and core, then carry on to eat the heart of the Qingyu flower. After that, it turned over and lay on the table holding its full belly and burped several times. Mu Wanwan was speechless. She picked up rhizome of the Condensed Snow plant that had been specially separated from the other parts of the plant and put it by Mengmeng¡¯s beak. Mengmeng took a bite and wasn¡¯t willing to eat more. She laughed, then took a Condensed Snow leaf and brought it to Boss Mengmeng¡¯s beak. This time, the feathery chirp simply turned its head away with disdain, not even wanting to look at the Condensed Snow leaf. Mu Wanwan was feeling befuddled on the leaf¡¯s behalf. They were all parts of the same plant, so why was it treated so differently from the flower petals? She scratched Mengmeng¡¯s belly angrily, making it chirp aloud. Looking at Mengmeng rolling around in distress, she was suddenly struck by a flash of inspiration¡ª Could it be that not every part of a spiritual plant could be included in the making of an elixir? Her heart skipped a beat. She stared closely at the spiritual plants on the table and found that the Condensed Snow plant had been divided into three parts¡ªits flower, rhizome, and leaves. Based on Meng Meng¡¯s attitude just now, the flower of the Condensed Snow plant was probably the best, the rhizomes had impurities, and the leaves were pretty much useless. Right¡ªimpurities! Mu Wanwan suddenly understood. Mister Long had taken the spiritual plants apart just to tell her that not every part of a plant could be used, right? At this thought, Mu Wanwan immediately started making notes. She first wrote down the useful part of the Condensed Snow plant, then indicated that its rhizome would have to be experimented with. Then, she went on to observe the Spirit Returning fruit. She took the various parts that had been separated by Mister Long and tried holding them next to Mengmeng¡¯s beak one by one, before finally writing¡ª ¡°Spirit Returning fruit: flesh can be used; rhizome and leaves appear to have impurities; skin and core are not usable.¡± ¡°Chimebell grass: rhizome nearer to the lower end is not usable.¡± ¡°Qingyu flower: heart of the flower is usable; rhizome and leaves have impurities; petals are not usable.¡± By the time she was done recording everything, Mengmeng was utterly wasted. It covered its eyes with its little wings and played dead. After Mu Wanwan finished writing, she couldn¡¯t wait to give alchemy another try. Seeing Mengmeng¡¯s appearance, she couldn¡¯t help chuckling, then patted its head. She was in a good mood, and her cheeks warmed. Thinking about it now, Mister Long must have been trying to remind her that she needed to pay attention to these things when refining elixirs, right? How did he know what was bothering her? Was it because he saw what she had written down when he woke up at night? So, had he always been so concerned about her? Thinking about it this way, it seemed that Mister Long was really very good to her. Although he kept some things from her, he still gave her a sense of security, which made her feel warm. There was an indescribable feeling in her heart. It was as if she had eaten a wisp of cotton candy¡ªjust a small wisp, like a drifting cloud, melting in her mouth instantly. Even though it was just a tiny bit, it was sweet and light. Mu Wanwan¡¯s cheeks reddened slightly. After some thought, she picked up the brush and slowly wrote a line of words in a graceful script in a smaller size than before next to her records. ¡°Mister Long, you really are a good dragon.¡± The author has something to say: Mu Wanwan, ¡°You really are a good dragon.¡± Mister Long, ¡°?¡± Have I been friendzoned? QAQ CH 132 Fifty-nine Dragons (1) Finally, according to the hints from both Mister Long and Mengmeng, Mu Wanwan first simulated several alchemical sequences and methods in her head, intending to try them out one by one. There were not many Condensed Snow seedlings to begin with, and after wasting one in a failed attempt yesterday and Mengmeng eating another today, there were only fifteen left. So, Mu Wanwan decided to try making the Spirit Returning Pill first. This time, she carefully divided the Spirit Returning fruit into three parts. After thinking about it, she decided to use the best part first. Even if it might be a bit wasteful for a first attempt, she wanted to make the elixir successfully. There should be no issues with the elixir recipe. Mu Wanwan took the flesh of the Spirit Returning fruit, pulp along with Chimebell grass that had the rhizomes on the lower end removed, as well as the heart of the Qingyu flower, then went to the side hall to refine the pill. Mengmeng went along with her. The elixir cauldron floated up slowly. With yesterday¡¯s experience, Mu Wanwan¡¯s control of the elixir flame was much better. When the flames rose, Mengmeng jumped excitedly. Mu Wanwan smiled. After calming her mind, she first put in the Chimebell grass that had been removed of its impurities into the elixir cauldron, controlling the elixir flame while doing so. After a few moments, she used her spiritual energy to suspend the sap of the Chimebell grass in mid-air. This time, the liquid mass was not the deep green colour it was yesterday, but a little lighter in colour. Having gained some confidence, Mu Wanwan put the flesh of the Spirit Returning fruit into the elixir cauldron, controlling the elixir flame with her spiritual energy while observing the state of the ingredient¡¯s refinement. Amazingly, when she input her spiritual energy into the flesh of the fruit this time, she seemed to be able to feel the pure energy within it. Mu Wanwan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She slowly controlled her spiritual energy to wander in the semi-solid essence of the Spirit Returning fruit for a while, then suddenly touched some little grey specks that weren¡¯t very perfect. Were these impurities? Mu Wanwan¡¯s eyes lit up, and she concentrated on controlling her spiritual energy, wrapping it around those tiny grey specks and removing them. Fortunately, there weren¡¯t many impurities in this semi-solid essence, and it took her less than half an hour to get rid of all of them. After getting them all out, they floated to the side. At first glance, they actually made up a dust ball about the size of half a thumb. Even the part that Mengmeng did not mind had so many impurities, so there should be even more impurities in the parts that couldn¡¯t be used. After some thought, Mu Wanwan floated the essence of the Spirit Returning fruit to the side, then sent her spiritual energy into the liquid mass of the Chimebell grass. Sure enough, there were impurities like those little gray specks in it too, but the colour was brownish, and the particles were granular and relatively larger. When the impurities in both ingredients were removed, Mu Wanwan inhaled, took the heart of a Qingyu flower, and refined a light blue liquid mass from it according to the steps above. Mengmeng stared intently as she worked and was very well-behaved. Her hands trembling, Mu Wanwan controlled her spiritual energy and added the three masses of essence slowly into the elixir cauldron. Her concentration was at its peak¡ªshe was about to condense them into a pill now, and must not fail! The three masses of light green, light blue, and amber essence slowly drew close to each other under the control of her spiritual energy¡­ This time, Mu Wanwan did not attempt to use brute force to condense the ingredients together like the last time, but only gently pulled out the spiritual energy that was separating the three masses of essences slowly. She was prepared for failure, but this time, the three masses of essence slowly condensed together, mixing into a large liquid mass of all three colours, rotating in the elixir cauldron. While using her spiritual energy to knead the liquid mass in a stirring motion, she also controlled her spiritual energy power to increase the elixir fire, and the liquid mass became smaller and smaller, and more and more solid. She was completely immersed in the process. After an unknown amount of time, she heard a ¡°clack¡±¡ªa slight cracking sound came from the elixir cauldron, and the unique fragrance of medicinal pills wafted out. Three pills rushed out of the elixir cauldron, hanging in mid-air. Mu Wanwan looked at the pills she had just refined with joy. Then, her smile froze on her lips¡ª¡ª Why were these Spirit Returning Pills somewhat different from the ones she saw in the elixir store before? They did smell more fragrant than the ones in the store, and they also had a stronger concentration of spiritual energy, but their colour and shape seemed a little off. Other people¡¯s Spirit Returning Pills were light brown, round, small, and shiny. The ones she made were orange, pockmarked and pitted, and didn¡¯t look round at all _(:§Ù¡±¡Ï)_ ¡°Chirp!¡± Mengmeng was rather excited and was flapping its little wings¡ªthen, it actually began to lift its increasingly fat little body in the air. Mu Wanwan had a bad premonition and stood up immediately, but she was still too late. There was nothing she could do as she watched Mengmeng open its little beak and swallow a pill just like that. Mu Wanwan, ¡°¡­¡± She was really mad, but it was her little chirp and she couldn¡¯t do anything to it. CH 133 Fifty-nine Dragons (2) ¡°Mengmeng!¡± She wanted to catch the little chirp to give it a beating, but before she could do anything, Mengmeng fell from mid-air as if it were drunk. Seeing that it was about to fall into the elixir furnace, Mu Wanwan anxiously reached out to grab it. ¡°Chirp~¡± Delicious. The Spirit Returning Pill had ample spiritual energy, surging through the little chirp and making its body warm all over. Right away, it didn¡¯t feel like flying anymore¡ªthe two-legged beast would take care of it anyway. If Mu Wanwan knew what it was thinking, she would probably throw the fat chirp away immediately. However, right now, she was a little worried. She quickly kept the two elixirs in a jade bottle and brought Mengmeng back to the room. Then, she put it in its nest and automatically began rubbing Mengmeng¡¯s little belly with one hand, hoping that nothing would happen to it. Then, Mengmeng¡­ Mengmeng was so comfortable that it gave two satisfied burps and fell asleep. This sent Mu Wanwan into a panic. She thought the elixir she made was poisonous and that she had poisoned the feathery chirp to death. She hurriedly took out one of the pills, placed it in her hand, then tried her best to calm down to sense the components of the elixir. There were only warm spiritual energy and spiritual plant essence, and nothing poisonous to be detected. Besides, she had made it according to the elixir recipe, there shouldn¡¯t be anything wrong. Mu Wanwan took two deep breaths, calmed down, and didn¡¯t touch the feathery chirp¡¯s body again. After observing it for a while, she noticed the slight ups and downs of its feathery little belly. Mu Wanwan, ¡°¡­¡± She rubbed her forehead resignedly and put the jade bottle with the pills on the table, planning to go back to refine more Spirit Returning Pills. This time, she wanted to try adding some leaves that contained impurities. Who knows¡ªher pills might be different from those others made because of the lack of impurities. Mu Wanwan went out the door, the feathery chirp was sleeping contentedly, and the dragon woke up secretly. Because of his wife¡¯s special spiritual plants, the curse in his body had alleviated a little. Although it still caused him much pain, after using a large part of his spiritual consciousness to suppress it, he was feeling a lot better. He also wanted to get a little closer to his wife while she didn¡¯t yet hate him and before she had cultivated her own spiritual consciousness. Take it as¡­ His last indulgence to himself. Mister Long, who didn¡¯t know that he had been betrayed by the feathery chirp long ago, and was always too nervous and shy to realise that his wife was only pretending to sleep at night, opened his eyes coldly. He first carefully used his spiritual consciousness to confirm that his wife had gone away, then sat up gracefully. His raven-black eyelashes trembled, and a pair of obsidian-like pupils looked straight at the table. The spiritual plants he tore apart last night had been cleaned up, and there was only a bottle of elixir pills and a fat chirp on it. The paper and brush used for taking notes were not there. His wife must have taken them to make notes as she worked. Mister Long cast a cool glance at the feather chirp. A thought came to his mind, and he sat upright on the bed. His long eyelashes cast slightly downward, covering up the bad thought that flashed in his eyes. The jade bottle on the table was lifted up slowly; the two Spirit Returning Pills inside were poured out, then flew straight toward a certain dragon. He squeezed them in his hands, while the jade bottle crashed down gently on the feather chirp¡¯s fat tummy. Mister Long¡¯s black hair hung down from his temples. Squeezing the pills in his hand, a smile appeared on the corners of his lips¡ª¡ª Sure enough, she had guessed what he was trying to say right away. The tip of his heart felt burning hot. Mister Long looked at the elixirs in his palm as if he was looking at his wife with whom he shared heart and mind. Even if she thought it was the chirp who did it, their hearts and minds were still connected. Besides¡­ Although these two Spirit Returning Pills were not high-quality, there were almost no impurities in them¡ªthey were all pure energy. Their shapes were ugly, but when he thought about how she was the one who made them, Mister Long felt that these two pills were particularly cute. Picking up an irregular orange pill with his slender fingers. Mister Long was expressionless, and even looked a little severe. His lips parted slightly, revealing his somewhat sharp teeth. A pinkish tongue wrapped gently around the elixir, and the furry ears on his head twitched back and forth. The fragrance of the elixir spread out between his lips and teeth, turning into warm spiritual energy, nourishing the meridians that were repeatedly torn apart, bringing an indescribable sense of comfort. Even the scales on his entire body felt so comfortable that he felt a little like spreading them out. However, it wasn¡¯t enough. There¡¯s too little of it. Mister-greedy-Long ate another of the pills that his wife had worked so hard to refine and wanted to sell for money. Feeling satisfied, he couldn¡¯t even resist acting like a child eating candy for the first time, brushing his fingertips against the corner of his lips, then licking his fingers that were stained with the dregs of the elixir. He froze for a moment after he was done. He had never done such a shameful thing since he was a little dragon. Mister Long¡¯s eyelashes fluttered; pretending as if nothing had happened, he put his hands down coldly and shut his eyes¡ª¡ª It¡¯s alright, the chirp was the one who ate all the pills, and this dragon had nothing to do with it. It was all the chirp¡¯s doing. After all, it had a previous record; his wife wouldn¡¯t suspect that it was him. There was an unseeable smile buried deep in Mister Long¡¯s eyes. Slowly, he sent out a wisp of spiritual consciousness. He wanted to see his wife hard at work. That wisp of spiritual consciousness drifted to Mu Wanwan¡¯s side, like a wind skimming across the ocean. CH 134 Fifty-nine Dragons (3) refining another batch of elixirs based on her most recent experience. This time, she added the rhizomes and leaves of the Spirit Returning fruit, and also some parts of the Chimebell grass and Qingyu flower that contained impurities but not so much as to be unusable. Carefully, she removed the impurities with her spiritual energy, but wasn¡¯t too concerned about the bits that couldn¡¯t be removed, taking this process as just an experiment. Surprisingly, the ingredients were successfully refined into elixirs. There were still not quite the same as the ones sold in the shop, but at least they were now round. Colour-wise, they were still more orange than brown, and she yielded more pills this time. There were only three in the previous batch, but six this time¡ªit was double the amount. Mu Wanwan kept the pills away. Feeling that she still had a lot of spiritual energy left, she decided not to rest. he didn¡¯t rest. This time, she used a lot more ingredients and spent much more spiritual energy, and successfully refined a batch of twelve pills. At the end of it, she was completely drained and exhausted. She put the pills away and cleaned up. By the time she came out of the room, the sky was already full of stars. She stood in the courtyard and looked out at the emptiness. Clutching her jade bottle of eighteen pills, she couldn¡¯t help but break into a smile. This was about two bottles worth of Spirit Returning Pills, and according to market price, they would fetch around two medium-grade spirit stones. Two medium-grade spirit stones! Even if she split that with Uncle Zong, she would still have a lot left. Besides, there were still a few more days to go before the next market day, so she could refine many more. Also, the price of the Condensed Snow Pill was much higher than the Spirit Returning Pill; she would try refining it tomorrow. Moreover, wasn¡¯t the Condensed Snow Pill supposed to be good for the demon race? Perhaps Mengmeng and Mister Long would benefit from it too. Mu Wanwan felt as if a road to wealth was slowly opening up in front of her! If her elixirs also had the effect of dispelling curses and she managed to make connections because of that, she wouldn¡¯t have anything to fear from the likes of Bai Shuiyao (*^¨Œ^*) ¡°This is great.¡± The hair framing Mu Wanwan¡¯s face was lifted in the cool night breeze. She looked up at the sky full of stars, and their bright light shone rays of hope in her eyes, brushing away the fatigue of a hard day¡¯s work. Her long hair scattered loosely around her, and her sleeves fluttered in the breeze, making her seem very thin. Mister Long had been accompanying her with his spiritual consciousness all the while from when she was refining pills, and the sight made his heart ache. He couldn¡¯t help himself. Pursing his lips, he wrapped his spiritual consciousness around her like a piece of clothing, blocking some of the cold wind blowing on her body. ¡°Mister Long¡­¡± said Mu Wanwan suddenly. A certain dragon¡¯s ears twitched in fright, and his breathing became a little unsteady. But he quickly calmed down. His wife hadn¡¯t reached Rank 4 yet, so she shouldn¡¯t have discovered his spiritual consciousness. However, he restrained himself a little and retracted his spiritual consciousness slowly and quietly placed it on her hand. His chest was slightly hot¡ªshe had called his name; she was thinking about him. What did his wife want to say? Mister Long knew he shouldn¡¯t, but he couldn¡¯t help being expectant. His heart pounded loudly, and the river of beautiful stars was entirely ignored and relegated to a mere backdrop. In his world, there was only her. Mu Wanwan smiled. She squeezed the cold jade bottle, unwittingly holding the invisible palm Mister Long created with his spiritual consciousness. Thinking of the man¡¯s careful and cautious manner, she actually found that she was really looking forward to many things. She was looking forward to him waking up, looking forward to his recovery, looking forward to him blatantly calling her his wife, and looking forward to learning his real name. ¡°I will work hard to make money.¡± Mu Wanwan was very determined. She would definitely work hard to earn many, many spirit stones, and work hard to refine many, many elixirs, so that he can get well soon. Her voice was soft and gentle, like a knife smeared with honey, stabbing right through his chest and into his heart, carving out deep marks. She was so good, so very good¡ªthat he knew. Mister Long¡¯s knuckles turned white. Unable to restrain himself, the corners of his lips rose, then fell, and his spiritual consciousness imprinted on her temple, making its way all the way to her lips, then finally wrapping around her hand tightly, unwilling to let go. The author has something to say: Mister Long, ¡°My wife is so, so good QAQ¡± CH 135 Sixty Dragons (1) Amid refining elixirs and Mister Long¡¯s cautious experiments, time passed quickly, and the day to go out arrived in the blink of an eye. These days, Mu Wanwan woke up early and slept late, trying to make the most of her time to refine more pills. Her main focus was on refining the Spirit Returning Pill, and she could refine four to five batches a day, with about ten pills in each batch. However, she didn¡¯t always succeed in pill refinement every time, as minor errors in control could cause the entire cauldron of pills to fail. So, her daily income now averaged around three medium-grade spirit stones. Even if she had to split the earnings with Uncle Zong, it was still a fortune! As for the materials, Mu Wanwan discarded the parts that couldn¡¯t be used to refine pills, but she still used the rhizomes of the Spirit Returning Fruit and the Qingyu Flower that contained impurities as she could remove about 80% of them. One reason was that she didn¡¯t want the pills she refined to be too unique, and the other was that if she only used the most essential part with minimal impurities, she wouldn¡¯t have enough materials. Even if she had cultivated a lot of seedlings during her previous enlightenment, it wouldn¡¯t be enough for many batches of pills. She also tried to refine the Condensed Snow Pill, which was much more difficult than the Spirit Returning Pill. After failing another two times, she discarded all the parts with impurities and used up all the Condensed Snow plants, and finally successfully refined five Condensed Snow Pills in the afternoon. When the Condensed Snow Pills were condensing in the elixir cauldron, Mengmeng¡¯s little eyes were almost glued to them. Mu Wanwan was also very happy. The process of condensing the Condensed Snow Pills was very different from that of the Spirit Returning Pill. With a rich floral fragrance, five round white pills floated above the elixir cauldron, emitting a radiant white light. Mu Wanwan quickly retrieved the pills and sealed them in a jade bottle¡ª¡ª At first, she had no experience and didn¡¯t know that the elixirs would lose a lot of their potency when exposed to the air, so experienced alchemists usually sealed elixirs away at the moment they were formed. ¡°Chirp~¡± Mengmeng breathed in the fragrance in the air and tilted its head, desperately rubbing against the jade bottle in Mu Wanwan¡¯s hand, attempting to get a Condensed Snow Pill by being cute. ¡°Haha, that tickles,¡± Mu Wanwan patted its little head but did not continue to indulge Mengmeng. It could eat the Spirit Returning Pill, but the Condensed Snow Pill was a very important item that might not be available for sale outside. It was very important to both Uncle Zong and Mister Long. She planned to give two of the five pills to Uncle Zong and the rest to Mister Long. Uncle Zong had helped them too much. Without Uncle Zong and Auntie Yun, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to earn spirit stones to cultivate spiritual plants, refine pills, and raise a dragon. She would probably have been reduced to eating coarse grain and spoilt vegetables by now. Now that she had a bit of power, she had to repay their kindness. Mengmeng was a sensible bird and didn¡¯t insist. It just chirped twice in disappointment, blinked its eyes, and changed its target. It made a sweet chirping sound, hoping for a Spirit Returning Pill without impurities. Mu Wanwan pinched its little wings and planned to feed it later at night. Most of the Spirit Returning Fruits, Chimebell Grass, and Qingyu Flowers had been refined into Spirit Returning Pills that had some impurities, and some of them had been refined into irregularly-shaped orange-yellow Spirit Returning Pills. Together with the ones she made previously, she now had 123 ordinary Spirit Returning Pills, 25 impurity-free Spirit Returning Pills, and five Condensed Snow Pills. ¡°That¡¯s It for today.¡± Mu Wanwan put away the elixir cauldron and cleaned the side hall. For once, she didn¡¯t just eat spiritual fruit for dinner. Instead, she cooked some spiritual rice porridge and stir-fried some vegetables for herself. As for Mister Long¡­ He still ate spiritual fruit. The Baizhen Fruits that tasted like oranges and had the texture of rotten apples (£þ¦á£þ) Who asked him not to wake up yet? Mu Wanwan washed the dishes, feeling a little down. She thought she had been pretty obvious. These past few nights, she would wait until the dragon secretly took her hand to see what he was going to do before falling asleep. But on the first night, Mister Long just awkwardly pressed her head against his shoulder, and that was it. On the second night, a certain dragon gave her two pecks on her forehead, called her ¡°Wife¡± a couple of times, and that was all. On the third night, the timid dragon took her hand and in a rather cheesy gesture, placed it on his chest for a while, then fell asleep while holding her hand. In fact, Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t understand what he was thinking (:§Ù¡¹¡Ï). Mu Wanwan was completely baffled. At first, she was very afraid of Mister Long, worried that he was as cruel and bloodthirsty as they said outside. But these days, from the moment she found out that he was awake until now, he has been extremely careful, afraid of disturbing her. The way he acted made Mu Wanwan suspect that he truly hadn¡¯t realised that she was just pretending to be asleep and already knew that he was feigning sleep. She tested him for a few nights, and the response she got was such tender care. Mu Wanwan washed her hands clean and pressed her wet fingertips against her burning cheeks as if she could suppress the heat this way. There must be something wrong with her, for her to think that the terrifying-looking Mister Long who snuck around every day¡­ was actually very cute. Perhaps¡­ she really harboured some thoughts about Mister Long? Regardless of whether she was willing to admit it or not, that hint of ambiguous affection was brewing gradually and uncontrollably. Mu Wanwan walked out of the kitchen light-headedly, looking up at the setting sun¡ª¡ª Speaking of which, the weather has been very good these days. Although the temperature has gradually decreased, there was a warm sun every day, and the clouds were gilded with gold, like sweet marshmallows that have been burnished. CH 136 Sixty Dragons (2) Mu Wan Wan patted her cheeks, thinking that she must be crazy. Before, in this cold palace and courtyard, she didn¡¯t have Mengmeng by her side, and although her life was fulfilling every day, she always felt lonely. When did she ever have the feeling of thinking that the clouds looked like marshmallows? Now, she carried elixirs in her pocket that could be turned into spirit stones, there were several rows of seedlings in the courtyard, Mengmeng was playing with the spirit chicks, and the dragon¡­ As for the dragon, his tail was no longer rotten, he no longer vomited blood, pretended to be asleep every day, and was much easier to take care of than before. Mu Wanwan found it a little funny and turned to go back inside¡­ She was going out tomorrow, and she still had a lot of things to do. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Early the next morning, Mu Wanwan finished the chores and was just preparing to leave when she noticed that a certain dragon¡¯s ears, along with his eyelashes, were trembling. Feeling a little naughty, she didn¡¯t leave right away. Instead, she walked to the bedside and with a hint of a smile in her voice, said softly, ¡°Mister Long, can I rub your ears?¡± Mu Wanwan clearly saw the dragon¡¯s body stiffen slightly. Looking at his unadorned face that was still covered in ugly scars, she felt her cheeks grow warm. ¡°If you don¡¯t say anything¡­¡± Mu Wanwan placed her hand gently on his furry ear and squeezed it carefully. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡± She could feel him trembling, and even she herself trembled a little shyly for some reason. She had only wanted to tease the bad dragon who was pretending to be asleep. As if she had been scalded, Mu Wanwan quickly rubbed his ears a couple of times before withdrawing her hand. ¡°I¡¯m off, Mister Long.¡± She put on her back basket and stood by the sunny door for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll buy some meat this time.¡± The feathery chirp was cradling a spiritual fruit in its wings and watched her reluctantly. ¡°Chirp! Chirp chirp~¡± It said, Mengmeng will be good and take good care of the bad dragon ^w^! ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Mu Wanwan locked the door of the courtyard and met Hongye at the appointed place, and the two left the residence. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the human race¡¯s market this time.¡± Mu Wanwan said to Hongye as the ox cart left the residence¡¯s boundary. Hongye was a little surprised. ¡°Madam, why do you want to go to the human race¡¯s market?¡± Mu Wanwan smiled. ¡°There are too many elves who are good at cultivating plants. I¡¯ve recently made some progress in my cultivation, and I bought some seeds from the elven market last time. This time, I want to go to the human race¡¯s market to see if there¡¯s any way to earn some spirit stones.¡± She knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to hide the fact that she had made progress in her cultivation for long, so she might as well admit it openly. Besides, she could now see Hongye¡¯s cultivation level¡ªshe was a late-stage Rank 1 cultivator. Hongye was a very cautious maid who wouldn¡¯t easily do anything that was difficult and unrewarding. ¡°Then Madam is indeed going to the right place,¡± Hongye smiled at Mu Wanwan and was secretly surprised¡ª¡ª Last time, she could still sense some of Mu Wanwan¡¯s aura and judge her strength, but this time, she couldn¡¯t sense any aura from her at all. Either Mu Wanwan had some miraculous encounter, or her strength was now far above her own. ¡°Hongye, take this spirit stone. ¡° Mu Wanwan took out a low-grade spirit stone and stuffed it into her hand. ¡°Thank you for taking care of me all this while. Now that Fuliu is gone, I will also have more to spend every month.¡± Hongye¡¯s palms were all sweaty, but she still accepted the spirit stone with a smile. ¡°Thank you very much, Madam. Hongye will definitely not speak out of turn.¡± In actuality, she wasn¡¯t planning to say anything. Although Lord Ao Qin had asked them to monitor the lady, apart from coming occasionally to check on things for a few days after the sovereign got married, he had not come by all this time. He didn¡¯t even send anyone to take over after Fuliu¡¯s incident. If she were to report the situation, she wouldn¡¯t gain anything good from it, and it was highly likely that she might even lose her life. On the other hand, if she kept quiet, she could still receive some benefits from Mu Wanwan every month. So, why bother? The ox cart slowly made its way to the market jointly operated by the human and dwarf races. Having made up her mind, Hongye got off the cart confidently and bade farewell to Mu Wanwan with a smile. Mu Wanwan put her back basket on and looked at the people coming and going on the road, squeezing the edge of her veiled hat. The market jointly operated by the humans and the dwarves was much larger than the one operated by the elves. First of all, the entrance gate alone was much grander and twice as big as the one at the elven market. Directly in front of the main gate was a large testing stone that was half the height of a human. Standing on both sides of the testing stone were two rows of cultivators¡ªone row of human cultivators and one row of dwarven cultivators. The human cultivators were nothing out of the ordinary, mostly consisting of young and middle-aged cultivators. Previously, when Mu Wanwan had gone to the elf market, her ability was still weak and she couldn¡¯t determine the cultivation level of the cultivators guarding the entrance. Now that her cultivation had improved somewhat, she could tell that most of them were Rank 2 and Rank 3 cultivators. There were also a few cultivators whose strength she couldn¡¯t discern just from sensing their aura. As for the dwarves, Mu Wanwan found them quite intriguing. It was her first time seeing them. The author has something to say: Mister Long (ears trembling), ¡°I¡¯ll wait obediently for my wife to come back to feed me.¡± CH 137 6-8 minutes 23.06.2021 Sixty-one Dragons (1) Mu Wanwan ran her fingers around the brim of her hat, her eyes shining¡ª The appearance of the dwarves was slightly different from what was described in some books. Their average height was about 1.23 meters, but unlike in books, not all dwarves had green skin and stout bodies with unattractive features. Among a row of male dwarves, Mu Wanwan spotted a very cute dwarf girl. Her skin was somewhat rough but she was rather pretty, and her cultivation must be quite high as Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t discern her cultivation level. The entrance fee for the market jointly operated by humans and dwarves was indeed much more expensive than that of the elves. At the elven market, a Rank 1 cultivator only needed to pay two silver coins as the entrance fee, and as for Rank 2 cultivators, the fee was only doubled to four silver coins. However, here, the fee for Rank 1 cultivators was three silver coins while Rank 2 cultivators had to pay six silver coins. As for Rank 3, the fee skyrocketed to one low-grade spirit stone. Mu Wanwan felt a little embarrassed as she had used up her last backup spirit stone to bribe Hongye in the morning. ¡°Can I pay with silver coins instead?¡± she asked. The person receiving her was a young female human cultivator. She raised her eyebrows at the request but still maintained her poise. ¡°Yes, you can. Also, are you going to set up a stall inside? That will require additional payment based on the items you¡¯re selling.¡± Mu Wanwan placed the basket in front of her and said, ¡°Just some ordinary vegetables and Grade 1 spiritual plants.¡± The female cultivator glanced at the contents of the basket and her expression visibly turned cold. ¡°The entrance fee is fifteen silver coins, and you need to pay one silver coin as the stall fee for the things in your basket.¡± ¡°Fifteen coins?¡± Mu Wanwan was a little unhappy. Although there was a certain exchange rate for converting spirit stones into coins, the exchange rate for low-grade spirit stones to silver coins was usually around 1:11 or 1:12 at the most. She was clearly trying to rip her off by asking for such a high fee. Or rather, she was making things difficult for her. ¡°Fifteen coins,¡± the female cultivator rolled her eyes at her, clearly impatient. ¡°According to the exchange rate, you should only charge me thirteen silver coins.¡± Mu Wanwan restrained herself and tried to reason with her. ¡°Oh,¡± the female cultivator raised an eyebrow. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to pay, then don¡¯t stand here. There are many people waiting in line behind you.¡± On hearing her words, Mu Wanwan understood that this female cultivator probably didn¡¯t like her. She felt a bit angry, but there was nothing she could do. She had to go see Uncle Zong. So, she didn¡¯t continue to argue with her and counted out fifteen silver coins and handed them to her. ¡°Ha,¡± the female cultivator took the money and waved her hand to signal the people behind her to let Mu Wanwan in. As Mu Wanwan walked away, she heard the woman¡¯s mocking laughter, ¡°A Rank 3 cultivator dressed so plainly and selling vegetables? She¡¯s probably a good-for-nothing wandering cultivator.¡± Mu Wanwan clenched the wooden token she had just received, and her lips set into a cold expression¡ª¡ª She was indeed a wandering cultivator, but she didn¡¯t expect these people to judge her just based on her appearance. Wasn¡¯t it too much? Mu Wanwan squeezed her sleeve and felt a little upset. She began to look for the shop that Uncle Zong and his friend co-owned using the information he had given her previously. The market jointly operated by humans and dwarves was much livelier than the elven market. Compared to the elven market, there were many more weapon shops, most of which were owned by dwarves. After passing several weapon shops, Mu Wanwan realized that there was a hierarchy in the shops. Some were operated by dwarves dressed as blacksmiths who specifically catered to ordinary people, while others were larger establishments in which the majority of the items were items like flying swords and such, presumably meant for servicing cultivators. Mu Wanwan walked for a while and took several turns before finally finding the shop jointly owned by Uncle Zong and his friend. It wasn¡¯t as secluded as the shop in the elven market, but the location wasn¡¯t particularly good either, with a low footfall. When she approached, Uncle Zong happened to be outside the shop. When he saw her, his eyes lit up. ¡°Lassie, you¡¯re here.¡± They entered the shop, and Uncle Zong immediately activated a mechanism, then led her into a courtyard behind the shop. Auntie Yun and another female orc were seated on stools, and beside them stood a sturdy orc of similar build to Uncle Zong. ¡°This is my sworn brother. You can call him Uncle Chen,¡± Uncle Zong introduced with a smile. ¡°And this is the talented girl I¡¯ve been mentioning.¡± Mu Wanwan smiled at the orc and greeted him as Uncle Chen. Seeing that he didn¡¯t know how to address her, she thought of the dragon and little chirp waiting for her at home, and something sparked in her heart. ¡°You can call me Xiao Qian1.¡± Uncle Zong was somewhat surprised. ¡°Xiao Qian?¡± Mu Wanwan smiled. ¡°Mhm. And this is¡­?¡± The female orc sitting next to Auntie Yun smiled kindly at her and said, ¡°You can call me Auntie Hua.¡± ¡°Auntie Hua.¡± After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t waste any time. Under the expectant and somewhat embarrassed gazes of Uncle Zong and the others, she took out her interdimensional pouch. ¡°Auntie Yun, these are the spiritual plants I cultivated for you. I had a small stroke of luck this time, and my abilities have improved,¡± Mu Wanwan said as she took out the fifteen Grade 2 Bixing Grass and fifteen Grade 2 Baizhen Fruits that she cultivated for Auntie Yun from her interdimensional pouch. Footnotes: 1 Xiao Qian: Mu Wanwan introduces herself as Xiao Qian, where ¡°Xiao¡± is a diminutive pre-fix in names elders use to call younger ones, and ¡°Qian¡± is ¡°money¡±. She came up with the name while thinking of Mister Long and Mengmeng, and the money she needs to earn to take care of them. CH 138 Sixty-one Dragons (2) Uncle Zong looked at the spiritual plants that were significantly better in quality compared to the ones before. His face flushed with excitement, and he exclaimed, ¡°Good! Good! Good!¡± Even somewhat simple-minded-looking Uncle Chen widened his eyes slightly, a gleam of excitement flashing in his gaze. ¡°These are Grade 2? Not Grade 3 or 4?¡± Uncle Zong laughed and patted his shoulder, giving him a teasing look. ¡°Weren¡¯t you all skeptical before?¡± Uncle Chen felt a little embarrassed. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t know¡­¡± Auntie Hua was also very happy. She held Auntie Yun¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Yun¡¯er, this is wonderful.¡± Mu Wanwan touched her face and said, ¡°Uncle Zong, about that elixir¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Uncle Zong interrupted her. He looked at her seriously with his brown eyes and reached out to wipe his face with his large hand. ¡°Lassie, listen to me.¡± Mu Wanwan thought something was wrong and nodded to signal for him to continue. ¡°Actually, no one is capable of doing everything. Each of us has our strengths and weaknesses, and that¡¯s okay¡­¡± As he spoke, he looked at Auntie Yun as if asking for help. Auntie Yun decisively took over the conversation. ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s not like we have to have that elixir. We¡¯re already very happy that you brought us so many spiritual plants. You shouldn¡¯t take it to heart¡­¡± Mu Wan Wan couldn¡¯t help but feel both amused and moved. It seemed like this couple had already prepared themselves for her failure. Even so, they were willing to let her try. Feeling warmth in her heart, Mu Wanwan couldn¡¯t bear to see them continue to comfort themselves. She simply took out the elixirs she had prepared earlier and placed them on the table, one bottle at a time. With each bottle she placed, the comforting voices of the couple grew fainter. By the time she placed all twelve bottles of Spirit Returning Pills neatly on the table, the only sounds in the courtyard were the rustling of the wind and the gasps of astonishment. ¡°There are only twelve bottles of Spirit Returning Pills, plus three extra ones that I¡¯ve kept in this smaller bottle,¡± Mu Wan Wan said, then she took out the Condensed Snow Pills. ¡°This bottle contains Condensed Snow Pills.¡± ¡°Holy shit.¡± Uncle Zong couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. The beast patterns on his face emerged, not just the three marks that Mu Wanwan had seen before, but four and a half vivid red imprints. ¡°You even refined Condensed Snow Pills?!¡± Taken aback by the beast patterns on his face, Mu Wanwan nodded belatedly. ¡°But I only managed to refine two.¡± ¡°Two!¡± Now, even Auntie Yun couldn¡¯t remain calm. ¡°Are you saying you refined two Condensed Snow Pills?¡± Mu Wanwan admitted graciously, ¡°Yes. They¡¯re Grade 1 pills. Take a look, Auntie Yun.¡± She handed the porcelain-white jade bottle to Auntie Yun. With trembling hands, Auntie Yun carefully opened the jade bottle, and a rich medicinal fragrance immediately wafted out. She quickly sealed the bottle again. Meanwhile, Uncle Chen opened a small bottle of Spirit Returning Pills and sealed it a moment later. A bright smile spread across his face, ¡°Brother Lei, you¡¯ve really found a treasure this time.¡± ¡°The quality of these Grade 1 Spirit Returning Pills is much better than the usual ones of the same grade. I suggest pricing them at one and a half medium-grade spirit stones,¡± Uncle Chen said, returning to his cheerful demeanor. ¡°I can feel that the medicinal power inside is very pure, with very few impurities.¡± Uncle Zong had a complicated expression on his face. He smiled proudly at Uncle Chen while feeling his cheeks smarting slightly¡ªjust yesterday, he was bragging to his buddies, saying that Mu Wanwan would probably be able to bring a dozen-odd Spirit Returning Pills this time, but most likely no Condensed Snow Pills. But now, she had brought more than a hundred pills, and there were Condensed Snow Pills too. Facing his good friend¡¯s ambiguous smile, he couldn¡¯t tell if it was teasing or envious, and he felt particularly embarrassed. However, he was still mostly feeling happy. Moreover, he had also lost his composure just now and exposed his true strength. Mu Wanwan also noticed it, but she didn¡¯t say anything. Ever since she advanced in rank, she had guessed that Uncle Zong couldn¡¯t possibly be only a Rank 3 cultivator. She had speculated he might be Rank 4, and now it seemed that Uncle Zong was a strong cultivator who was about to reach Rank 5. For a Rank 1 cultivator, a medium-grade spirit stone could potentially be their entire fortune. Even Rank 2 cultivators weren¡¯t affluent, and having ten or so medium-grade spirit stones would be considered good. But when one reached Rank 3, there would be a breakthrough leap in their financial resources. A Rank 3 cultivator with some savings might possess one or two treasures. Mu Wanwan had previously noticed that Uncle Zong owned shops in two markets and was quite generous with his spending, so he shouldn¡¯t be just a Rank 3 cultivator, and now it proved to be true. She still wasn¡¯t even able to sense Uncle Zong¡¯s aura now; he was probably even stronger than what the beast patterns indicated. ¡°Xiao Qian, what do you think about us splitting the profits in a 20-80 ratio?¡± Uncle Chen suggested. ¡°You take 80, and we take 20.¡± Uncle Zong also recovered himself. ¡°Right, even though we will help with the sale and provide the seeds, those don¡¯t count for much. Uncle Zong will be thick-skinned and take 10%, and the remaining 10% shall be labour fees.¡± Mu Wanwan shook her head, ¡°Uncle Zong, it¡¯s not like the seeds are easy to obtain, and selling these goods is not going to be effortless either. I believe a 40-60 split would be more appropriate.¡± Auntie Yun glared at her, ¡°What are you talking about? The alchemists they collaborated with in the past always took a 90-10 split. A 20-80 split is already taking advantage of you, yet you¡¯re suggesting 40=60. Don¡¯t be foolish.¡± Mu Wanwan, ¡°¡­¡± It was her first time seeing Auntie Yun speak so sharply and energetically, and she was a little at a loss for words. CH 139 Sixty-one Dragons (3) After some back-and-forth on the issue of the profit split, they couldn¡¯t convince Mu Wanwan, and eventually, they compromised and settled on a 30-70 split. Uncle Zong had already calculated the money for the elixirs she brought this time. At Mu Wanwan¡¯s strong insistence, he deducted the cost price, then handed her the payment. ¡°The spirit stones for the Bixing Grass and Baizhen Fruit cover the material costs for this time and last time. The profit for each bottle of Spirit Returning Pills is one and a half medium-grade spirit stones. For these twelve bottles, 70% would be approximately thirteen medium-grade spirit stones. Along with the invaluable Condensed Snow Pills, I¡¯ll give you a total of fifteen medium-grade spirit stones,¡± Uncle Zong elaborated and handed Mu Wanwan a small cloth bag. ¡°I¡¯ve exchanged some low-grade spirit stones and silver coins for you, so it¡¯s more convenient for you to use.¡± With some excitement, Mu Wanwan accepted the bag of spirit stones which felt somewhat heavy. Her heart was filled with joy¡ª According to the local market prices, one low-grade spirit stone was approximately equivalent to 100 RMB, and one medium-grade spirit stone could be exchanged for around 15 low-grade spirit stones. So, doesn¡¯t that mean she just earned over 20,000 RMB all at once? Although the value of spirit stones could not be directly equated to RMB, and she still needed to set aside a portion of it for Mister Long to absorb, when she calculated it this way, Mu Wanwan felt like she had truly become rich overnight. She thought about the clothes she had found too expensive to buy before, the sweet pastries she had always wanted to make, and even the spiritual meat of Rank 2, 3, or even 4 creatures. She felt like she could now make plans to buy them all. ¡°Lassie.¡± Noticing her excitement, Uncle Zong tapped on her veiled hat. ¡°Don¡¯t think that this is a lot of money.¡± Mu Wan Wan responded absentmindedly, her voice sounding somewhat distant. Uncle Zong sighed and shifted the topic away from money. He pointed at her wrist, ¡°I already noticed this previously. Where did you get this bracelet come from?¡± Mu Wanwan blurted without thinking, ¡°My husband gave it to me.¡± As soon as she finished, her face flushed instantly. It felt scorching hot as if it were on fire, and she instinctively lowered her head, looking at her toes. Embarrassed by her slip of the tongue, Mu Wanwan wondered how she could have considered Mister Long her husband just because he had called her ¡°Wife¡± for a few nights. They hadn¡¯t even had a proper conversation yet. As her words trailed off, she looked up and noticed a slight change in Uncle Zong and Auntie Yun¡¯s expressions. Feeling a bit anxious, Mu Wan Wan asked, ¡°I-is it something bad?¡± Auntie Yun couldn¡¯t help it and burst out laughing. She laughed so happily that a hint of colour came back to her pale face. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not anything bad at all. Your husband really cares about you.¡± The bracelet was a protective amulet that even her Lei had to spend a lot of effort to be able to break. Its value was worth thousands of times more than the few spiritual stones this silly girl had earned by working so hard to refine elixirs. Uncle Zong also couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, but he decided not to reveal the truth about the bracelet to Mu Wanwan. After all, this was part of the love between them husband and wife, ¡°It¡¯s a nice little trinket. Wear it.¡± Mu Wanwan caressed the cool jade bracelet, and the image of Mister Long¡¯s trembling furry ears came to mind. Suddenly, she felt a strong desire to go home. Even though they had only been apart for half a day, she was already missing him. ¡°By the way, lassie, didn¡¯t you mention that your husband has difficulty moving?¡± asked Uncle Zong. Mu Wanwan nodded and heard Uncle Zong say, ¡°I happen to know a dwarf friend who can craft him some mobility aids.¡± Mu Wanwan¡¯s eyes lit up. In fact, she sometimes wondered if the reason Mister Long didn¡¯t want to wake up was because he couldn¡¯t walk and didn¡¯t want to appear helpless. This was just what she wanted. If she could obtain a wheelchair, perhaps she could push Mister Long to bask in the sun in the courtyard. ¡°Uncle Zong, thank you for thinking of that. I really need it,¡± she replied gratefully. Uncle Zong felt a bit embarrassed. ¡°He¡¯s a good person, and since you were introduced by me, he¡¯d probably give you a discount,¡± he said. Upon hearing his words, Mu Wanwan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She asked tentatively, ¡°Uncle Zong, may I ask how much it would cost approximately?¡± Uncle Zong rubbed his chin. ¡°If there¡¯s a discount, it would probably be around seven or eight medium-grade spirit stones,¡± he replied. Mu Wanwan, ¡°¡­¡± The author has something to say: Mister Long, ¡°My wife as called me her husband. Even though it wasn¡¯t in my presence, it still feels so sweet!¡± Mu Wanwan, ¡°Sure enough, I was mistaken to feel like I¡¯ve become rich overnight. There¡¯s never enough spirit stones to use QAQ¡± CH 140 Sixty-two Dragons (1) Upon hearing the price mentioned by Uncle Zong, Mu Wanwan started to have second thoughts. Mister Long was still recovering, and he could only stay awake for a few hours each day. Perhaps it would be more beneficial to let him absorb the spirit stones instead. But what Uncle Zong said next moved her a little. ¡°That guy has a terrible temper and isn¡¯t very well-groomed, but if your idea is good, he might charge you a much cheaper price,¡± he said. So, Mu Wanwan followed Uncle Zong through several alleyways until they reached a small and somewhat rundown shop. Uncle Zong told her to handle things herself and go back to the shop to look for him again later, then immediately dashed off as if hiding from something. Mu Wanwan knocked on the door, opened it, and stood inside the cramped shop that was filled with all sorts of materials that it was almost impossible to find somewhere to place her feet. The air was dusty and carried an unpleasant smell. She saw a dwarf who was holding a hammer in his hand. Uncle Zong had said he was called ¡°Uncle Tie1¡±. Although cultivators were not particularly afraid of cold weather, Mu Wanwan rarely saw anyone wearing thick pants yet being bare-chested in such weather. Uncle Tie¡¯s skin was a light green colour, and he could not be described as good-looking. There was a long scar from his ear to his lips, and a pair of slightly protruding deep brown glass eyes were hidden beneath his drooping eyelids, making him look a little scary. His exposed body was covered with scars of all sizes, and occasionally, there was a flash of black smoke. Mu Wanwan blinked twice and thought she was mistaken. ¡°What do you want?¡± He raised his slightly cloudy eyes and spoke with a hoarse, wheezing voice. ¡°Senior.¡± Mu Wanwan bowed to him, and before she could state her purpose, she felt something akin to a sharp sword cutting through the air, coming straight at her. Instinctively, she tried to dodge, but she couldn¡¯t avoid it and was hit, falling to the ground on her backside. It wasn¡¯t particularly painful, and after a brief moment of confusion, Mu Wanwan finally saw what had hit her¡ªit was a¡­ miniature iron hammer? ¡°I hate it when people call me ¡®senior.¡¯ Call me Uncle Tie, and get to the point,¡± said Uncle Tie. He chortled, and his pupils trembled violently as he stared intently at her. The scars on his face seemed to come alive, which was rather terrifying. Mu Wanwan, ¡°¡­¡± She got up, picked up the small iron hammer, and dusted it off. ¡°Uncle Tie, I would like to customize something that can assist with walking¡­¡± Mu Wanwan briefly described her request, saying, ¡°Because my husband¡¯s legs are rather long, I hope the height can be adjustable.¡± In truth, Mu Wanwan wanted to say that Mister Long¡¯s tail was long, and according to modern wheelchair standards, it would probably be impossible to accommodate him. Just imagine, Mister Long, who already had half of his tail missing, having his tail scrape against the ground while she pushed him in a wheelchair¡ªit would certainly not be a pleasant experience. ¡°Oh,¡± Uncle Tie didn¡¯t even lift his eyelids. The fingers holding the iron hammer trembled slightly. ¡°One low-grade spirit stone. Come back to collect it in three hours.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Mu Wanwan thought she misheard and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Uncle Tie, is it really just one low-grade spirit stone?¡± Uncle Tie didn¡¯t even glance at her. As if impatient, he simply used the miniature hammer to push her out of the shop. Mu Wanwan fell to the ground, and stared dumbfounded at the closed door in front of her. Uncle Tie¡¯s temper was truly peculiar. She thought he disliked her, but who would have thought he only wanted one low-grade spirit stone. Mu Wanwan stood up and looked at the grey sky. She was worried about her dragon and little chirp at home, so she hastened to buy what she needed. She had promised Mister Long that she would bring back meat. Once he confirmed that the person outside had gone far away, Uncle Tie suddenly bent over and dropped the hammer that had never left his hand. It created a huge pit on the floor, causing all the surrounding materials to crash to the ground, turning the room into a chaotic mess. However, he didn¡¯t seem to care. His eyes trembled with a hint of dread¡ª She had his scent on her. Even after all these years, he still hasn¡¯t forgotten the image of that figure¡¯s back bathed in a sea of blood. Uncle Tie clutched his head. Black demonic energy slowly seeped out of his body. Of the thousands of slaves from back then, there were probably not many who are still alive today. Footnotes: 1 Uncle Tie: ¡°Tie¡± here is the transliteration of the Chinese word for iron, which is what was in the raws. I chose to keep to the Chinese transliteration to be consistent with the rest of the names, as Uncle Iron would sound really odd. CH 141 Sixty-two Dragons (2) As soon as Mu Wanwan entered the shop, he was keenly aware of the aura that was on her. After all, Uncle Tie was a nearly hundred-year-old dwarf¡ªit was only natural that he saw through it at once. She even said she was that person¡¯s wife, and she seemed genuinely sincere. Uncle Tie touched the wounds on his body, unable to determine whether he felt gratitude or hatred towards that person. After escaping, he cautiously lived on the border until that person became the sovereign before he was finally able to come out to live under the sun. Even if only for that reason, he wanted to repay the favour. Uncle Tie let out a small sigh and took out the materials he had treasured for a long time from his interdimensional pouch. He lifted his thick and heavy pants, revealing a pair of mechanical legs that began to move dexterously. ¡ª¡ªMeanwhile, Mu Wanwan sold the vegetables and pouches she brought, then went to buy some other things. After checking the time and seeing that it was still early, she went to Uncle Zong¡¯s shop. She wanted to see if the elixirs she refined had been sold. It was almost noon, and the crowd wasn¡¯t very large. When Mu Wanwan entered the shop, Uncle Zong happened to be discussing business with a few people. Coincidentally, one of them was the female cultivator who collected the entrance fee from her at the entrance in the morning. Upon hearing footsteps, the female cultivator turned her head and glanced at Mu Wanwan. This time, she no longer concealed her expression, and her eyes were filled with blatant sarcasm. Uncle Zong smiled at Mu Wanwan, but before he could greet her, the female cultivator raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°Boss, don¡¯t bother yourself with irrelevant people. Quickly pack up the elixirs for me.¡± As soon as she said that, Uncle Zong¡¯s face darkened. The two male cultivators next to her seemed to realize that her tone was very bad and hastily apologized, ¡°Boss, our Little Junior Sister didn¡¯t mean it on purpose. Please don¡¯t take offense.¡± Mu Wanwan was also displeased. It was really annoying when things like this happened. She didn¡¯t want to cause trouble for Uncle Zong Su, but unexpectedly, he let out a cold laugh. ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re looking down on?¡± The female cultivator knew that her words were a bit inappropriate, but she was always treated with reverence. Now, seeing Uncle Zong standing up for a poor and lowly cultivator who had just come in, she was immediately displeased. ¡°Why? I¡¯m offering two medium-grade spirit stones for each bottle of this elixir. Don¡¯t you businessmen all want to make money?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± said Uncle Zong, ¡°We won¡¯t earn your money. Now, please get out.¡± ¡°Boss, don¡¯t.¡± One of the male cultivators became anxious. He was planning to go on a cultivation journey soon, and as there were many dangers in the secret realm, he wanted to buy some Spirit Returning Pills. He was immediately drawn to the Spirit Returning Pills Uncle Zong put on display today, and had judged instantly that the quality of these pills was definitely superior to those in other stores. However, his plan was now ruined by his ever-obstinate and arrogant Little Junior Sister. ¡°I said I¡¯m not selling, and that¡¯s that. Do you want to fight for it?¡± roared Uncle Zong. A gigantic lion head appeared behind him, emanating the intimidating aura of a high-ranking orc. The group of cultivators who were about to say something was frightened, especially the female cultivator, whose face turned red. ¡°I¡¯ll have my Master deal with you, you savage orc!¡± she spat, and then ran off. The two male cultivators also slinked away after her. One of them was particularly resentful, gritting his teeth as a malicious look flashed in his eyes. Mu Wanwan felt a sense of satisfaction, but was a little worried. ¡°Uncle Zong, will her teacher really come to give you trouble?¡± Uncle Zong sneered, ¡°Her teacher won¡¯t be able to defeat your Uncle Chen.¡± Mu Wanwan, ¡°¡­¡± She stayed in Uncle Zong¡¯s shop for a while and waited for an hour before a customer arrived. It was a very plainly dressed human cultivator. They bargained for some time, and in the end, the cultivator reluctantly spent one and a half medium-grade spirit stones to purchase a bottle of elixir. Mu Wanwan observed the entire process of Uncle Zong doing business and came to a conclusion¡ª If you have a strong fist and good medicine, you have the power to do whatever you want! (:§Ù¡¹¡Ï) Auntie Yun finished resting after eating a Spirit Returning Pill and happily told Mu Wanwan that the elixir she made also had some effect in alleviating curses, and was even better than directly consuming spiritual fruits. CH 142 Sixty-two Dragons (3) This gave Mu Wanwan some confidence. She made an appointment with Uncle Zong to meet again in ten days, then got ready to go to the Leisure Pavilion to broadcast some information. As she was about to leave, Auntie Yun suddenly called out to her, ¡°Lassie, wait.¡± Mu Wanwan halted and looked at her. Auntie Yun smiled softly, her eyes filled with gentleness. ¡°Come, give me your hand.¡± Mu Wanwan didn¡¯t know what Auntie Yun wanted to do. She extended her hand, and in the next moment, she felt a sharp pain in her fingertips as Auntie Yun swiftly took out a pendant from her pocket and absorbed the droplet of blood from Mu Wanwan¡¯s finger. Auntie Yun hung the pendant around her neck. ¡°It¡¯s a little trinket that can conceal your cultivation level. I have no use for it, so you take it. Don¡¯t thank me, or I¡¯ll get angry.¡± Mu Wanwan: ¡°¡­¡± All the words in her mouth were stuck in her throat, unable to be spoken or swallowed. Auntie Yun¡¯s expression was gentle, and her kindness towards Mu Wanwan was much purer than that of the orphanage director, leaving her feeling somewhat at a loss. ¡°Don¡¯t think about it, hurry, go. Uncle Tie doesn¡¯t like people being late,¡± said Uncle Zong, chasing Mu Wanwan out without any show of courtesy. Mud Wanwan felt a pang in her heart; she just clutched the pendant and nodded. She spent two medium-grade spirit stones and three curse-removing Spirit Returning Pills at the Leisure Pavilion to broadcast her message, waiting to contact Jiu Qing during her next outing. By the time she went to Uncle Tie to pick up the wheelchair and walked for a long time to find Hongye at the market entrance, snowflakes began to fall from the sky. White and cute feather-like snowflakes landed on her face, but they carried a sense of coldness. It was snowing. Mister Long was still wearing thin inner garments, and Mengmeng¡¯s feathers also seemed a little sparse. The light gray clouds reflected in Mu Wanwan¡¯s eyes, casting a gloomy shadow. ¡°Madam, let¡¯s go back quickly,¡± Hongye¡¯s clear voice rang out, and Mu Wanwan nodded in agreement. Wearing a low-quality veiled hat she just bought for three silver coins, Mu Wanwan boarded the ox cart and began to head home¡ª¡ª She wondered what Mister Long was doing now. Would he be looking forward to her bringing back something delicious? What expression would he have when he saw the foldable lightweight wheelchair Uncle Tie made? Just thinking about it filled her with anticipation. While Mu Wanwan was making her way back, Mister Long was playing a game with Mengmeng. To be precise, Mister Long was ¡°playing¡± with Mengmeng. With his wife not at home, he could move without having to conceal himself. Walking felt like he was stepping on needles, though. Sitting in Mu Wanwan¡¯s designated seat, Mister Long held the back of the chubby chirp with one hand, and supported his chin with the other, absentmindedly rolling Mengmeng back and forth. Seeing it fall on the cushion and clumsily climb back up to bite his finger, Mister Long found it rather amusing. =w= In fact, he has long been unable to bear seeing his wife spoil this chubby chirp. Mengmeng had good roots and already showed some abilities despite being a fledging. However, it lacked physical activity and had a soft and clingy nature. It would just chirp and act pampered all day, competing with him for attention. How truly annoying. Mister Long lowered his eyelids slightly. His slender fingers deftly dodged wave after wave of Mengmeng¡¯s attacks. Annoyed, the fat chirp took advantage of its weight and suddenly pounced on his finger, stubbornly clinging to it and pecking at his fingertip with its light-yellow beak. ¡°¡­¡± Mister Long narrowed his eyes and let it be. He then rotated his wrist, causing Mengmeng to tumble and roll over. ¡°Chirp¡­¡± Mengmeng felt so wronged and was on the verge of tears. Why does this big bad dragon always bully me when Wanwan wasn¡¯t at home? Mengmeng can¡¯t take it anymore!! A fleeting smile appeared on Mister Long¡¯s lips as he watched Mengmeng turn its butt to face him. His dark black eyes glanced outside the window seemingly casually as he suppressed a somewhat expectant heart. It was still early. It hasn¡¯t been all. All he had to do was to watch over the spiritual plants she had planted with her own hands. On the windowsill, the last Condensed Snow flower bud quietly stretched out its tender leaves. The room was tidy, and everything was neatly organized. Mister Long sat on her chair and waited for a long time. He waited from dawn until the dark clouds closed in, until Mengmeng, no longer angry, tiredly leaned against the back of his hand and fell asleep. He waited until he saw snowflakes falling outside, floating and drifting, little by little, as if falling upon his heart¡ª¡ª She had left in a hurry today and did not bring an umbrella with her. ¡°Is it cold?¡± A cold voice suddenly rang out, yet it was like melting snow, with an ambiguous meaning. Mengmeng, half-asleep, rubbed against his hand and let out a soft chirp, as if saying, ¡°Mengmeng isn¡¯t cold.¡± A burst of low and hoarse laughter filled the room, but it quickly dissipated. CH 143 Sixty-three Dragons (1) Mister Long waited quietly for his wife to come back. Mengmeng leaned on one of his hands, giving a furry and ticklish sensation. Outside, snow was falling heavily. The courtyard was very quiet, but it wasn¡¯t like the desolation of before. He gently closed his eyes and cast his spiritual consciousness outwards, gradually enveloping the palace that had once been his lonely residence¡ª¡ª In the kitchen, the messy Burning Grass had been neatly arranged and placed together. Various spices and seasonings were neatly arranged in the kitchen cabinet, and the spiritual rice was stored on the lower shelf in a small bag. The three little chicks¡¯ cage had been placed in the kitchen, with a heating stone inside. They were huddled together, playing some unknown game. Behind the kitchen of the side hall was a piece of unpaved land where the soil had been mostly dug up. There was an iron shovel placed nearby. On the corner of the wall, there was a bloodstain left by her carelessness before, which had now turned dark red. The long corridor led to the main room, which was filled with her traces and scent. The courtyard was quite large, but it used to be very empty. Now, several plant seedlings had been placed there, mostly under the eaves. There were one or two plants that had gone beyond their boundaries, swaying with the wind, with snowflakes falling on their tender shoots. Ah, she also had moments of sloppiness. A smile flashed in his eyes. Mister Long cautiously moved his legs, and the pain coming from his bones due to the curse made his cheeks pale for a moment. He had actually gotten much better these days. The time he spent awake was gradually getting longer, and the fifth fragment of his original core was about to be successfully connected. However, most of his spiritual energy remained sealed, and using it for flight or to alleviate the pain was too extravagant. After all, he still had no way to obtain spirit stones, and his previous accumulations had been plundered in that battle. He had to rely on his wife for support. So, he needed to be frugal. Sometime soon, he would try to venture outside and bring back some things. Thinking of that person¡¯s appearance made Mister Long feel that the pain had alleviated slightly. The tips of his toes touched her slippers, and most of his feet were left bare. Mister Long¡¯s cheeks burned. His feet were very big, and his wife had forgotten to buy him shoes. As he moved, the feathery chirp¡¯s backrest disappeared. The tiny creature, still snoring softly, toppled onto the table but remained stubbornly asleep, enjoying a deep slumber. Mengmeng was still very young and needed long hours of sleep every day. Mister Long paid no attention to it. He propped himself up on the table, the faint breeze swaying his light blue robes. His once strong legs felt as if the bones had been broken, and piercing pain shot from his fingertips all the way through his meridians. His muscles stiffened, and any movement caused excruciating pain deep within his bones. Although his legs appeared intact, they were already decaying from within. Unable to rely on his spiritual power, Mister Long could only move inch by inch with the strength of his arms. He was worse than an ordinary mortal, worse than a cripple. Mister Long¡¯s knuckles turned white. He finally ¡°walked¡± beyond the reach of the table, but there was still a long way to go to the door and the pain had already caused beads of sweat to form on his forehead. He turned to the side and caught a glimpse of himself in the copper mirror in front of the wardrobe¡ª¡ª Terrifying curse marks covered his face, resembling flowing black and red blood. They crisscrossed densely, starting from his temples and disappearing beneath his collar. The long hair at his temples clung wetly to his face, creating a stark contrast with the pale areas untouched by the curse marks. His lips were bluish-purple, his forehead bore grotesque broken horns, and his appearance was hideous, resembling a monster. Mister Long¡¯s pupils contracted. He knew that he was now very ugly, but he had never seen his current self with his own eyes. He couldn¡¯t fathom how he had the confidence to think that his wife had any other feelings for him. After all, in her eyes, he had always been this way. It wasn¡¯t a self-deceptive appearance, but a scar-covered, disabled, and unattractive dragon. A profound emotion welled up in his eyes, and Mister Long suddenly felt disgusted with himself¡ª¡ª She took care of him wholeheartedly, not disgusted by his ugliness or bothered by the trouble he was. Yet he, relying on her kindness and lack of defences, attempted to get closer and be more intimate with her every day. He¡­ He had wanted to drag her down to hell with him. As Mister Long looked at the somewhat distorted reflection in the bronze mirror, darkness welled up in his heart, and a broken gasp escaped his throat. He didn¡¯t have complete certainty that he could protect her fully. But still, he felt a greedy, despicable, selfish, and overbearing desire to be with her. The desire to possess her was stronger than any other longing he had ever known. His palms were drenched in cold sweat, and a sudden surge of pain emanated from the cursed area in his bent leg. The suppressed curse seized the opportunity to intrude, attempting to disrupt the impending connection of the fifth fragment of his original core. His spiritual consciousness blurred for a moment, and concealed beneath his long robe, his legs transformed into a dragon tail. The scales rapidly turned withered and yellow, tearing through his trousers. Mister Long¡¯s long lashes trembled in pain, and blood slowly trickled from the corner of his lips.