Black Angel Episodes 1-5 (20 episodes total) Author: Cheng Jia

This post was last edited by s175366 on 2015-11-24 21:19.

*Black Angel*

Author: Cheng Jia
Publisher: Novel Channel

- Cover Design -

The cover character for this volume is the silver dragon Shui Jing. An elven girl in military uniform, wearing a jewel-encrusted short sword, wielding a dragon rope (made of a mixture of shark sinew and mithril, hence the intertwined black and white lines), and a white cloak. She has a slender and graceful figure, with long hair (note the bright silver hue) cascading over her shoulders. Her appearance can refer to generally accepted elven features (such as pointed ears), paying attention to highlighting Shui Jing's icy demeanor.

The background is a silver dragon with its head held high and wings outstretched. Its appearance can be referenced from *Dungeons & Dragons Setting Book*, which I can provide if needed by the artist. Note that the background doesn't need to be drawn too realistically; a rough outline is sufficient, creating a hazy effect so that the reader can understand that the silver dragon is Shui Jing's true form.

- Character Introduction -

Su Xinran: The protagonist of this story. A handsome half-vampire boy, with the soul of a black angel lurking within him. Forced to flee her hometown after being caught having an affair with her sister. Clever, cunning, philandering, and adventurous. Although inherently evil, she is exceptionally gentle towards women and children.

Su Jiusi: Su Xinran's father, a wealthy merchant with billions in assets.

Cecilia: Su Xinran's mother, the last princess of the vampire royal family, and the current governor of the Ancient Salan Province.

Su Hongxiu: One of the female protagonists. Su Xinran's half-sister and first love. The highest leader of the Holy Kingdom's Holy See (the Dharma King), one of the Seven Beauties of Central Continent (Ice Rose), a gentle and affectionate older sister.

Long Qi: The Queen of the Holy Kingdom, a sixteen-year-old beauty, the head of the Seven Beauties of Central Continent (Peony). The protagonist's lover and boss, a disciple of the Holy Dragon Othello, possessing the Holy Sword Dragon Soul and the Holy Kingdom's strongest mechanical armor, "Holy Angel."

Hua Zuojing: A beastman heroine, a traveling treasure hunter. One of the Seven Beauties of Central Continent (Black Rose). The only daughter of Hua Wuji, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Rama and the Celestial Venerable of Beasts, she was forced to flee her home after offending the Crown Prince of the Beastmen. She possesses the famous mechanical armor "Crimson Lotus Platform".

Shui Jing: A silver dragon girl, the chief bodyguard of the Holy Queen, and one of the Seven Flowers of Central Continent (Agave). She has a cold and aloof personality, hates evil, and seemingly enjoys bullying the protagonist, but they are actually a pair of bickering lovers.

Othello: The son of a god, who transforms into a holy dragon to protect the peace of Central Continent. The guardian deity of the Holy Kingdom, a kind and humorous but talkative old dragon who deeply cares for his disciple, the Little Queen.

Long Mingyuan: The protagonist's best friend and frenemy. The governor of the trading city and the Holy Queen's cousin.

Bear King Mickey: The leader of the Beastmen bandits who entrenched themselves in the Bronze Town area.

Episode 1, Chapter 1: A Journey of Learning

Thousands of miles away, where the sea meets the sky, lies a vast and mysterious unknown continent called Central Continent. In that place, in the beginning of time, before the separation of Yin and Yang, humans, ghosts, dragons, and beasts coexisted peacefully. The humans who settled in the central part of the continent were the first to establish a monarchical kingdom, named "Holy Dragon." Its pleasant climate and fertile land attracted immigrants from all directions, and through the combined efforts of many ethnic groups, a prosperous and powerful nation was created. Here, the people lived in peace and contentment, officials performed their duties diligently, and scholarship and culture flourished—a golden age unseen for centuries.

In the 120th year of the Holy Dragon Kingdom's rule, one early summer day, two young lecherous men appeared in the city square of the eastern trading city, commenting on the newly erected statue of the Queen.

“Hey Xinran, something seems off about this statue.”

“What’s wrong, Mingyuan?”

“No, no, I mean… Her Majesty’s breasts, aren’t they a bit… a bit too full?” As he spoke, the short, stout young man named Mingyuan gestured to his chest. “My cousin is only sixteen; her breasts couldn’t possibly be that big.”

“Girls, of course, the fuller the breasts, the better. I quite like them—does Mingyuan not like them?” the boy named Xinran countered.

“I personally quite like your statue, but my cousin—I mean, Her Majesty the Queen—she might not like it.”

“It doesn’t matter, as long as we like it,” Xinran comforted him with a smile. “Your cousin is far away in the Holy Capital; she might never come to Goode in her lifetime. Even if she does see this statue in ten or eight years, she’ll be a mature woman by then, and her breasts will be about this size.”

The two men discussing the Queen’s breasts in public were both prominent figures in the trading city.

The short, chubby boy was named Long Mingyuan, the current queen's cousin. At the tender age of twenty, he was appointed governor of the wealthiest city in the country, a remarkable achievement for a young man. Despite being the lord of a city, Long Mingyuan appeared almost like a follower in front of his good friend, Su Xinran.

Those who met Su Xinran for the first time were often captivated by his handsome appearance and elegant demeanor, sometimes even unable to distinguish whether he was male or female.

Especially now, as he crossed his arms and gazed at the floating clouds, his fair, jade-like face was more perfect than a jewel-sculpted statue. His jet-black hair, though not deliberately styled, was free and unrestrained, and when the wind ruffled his bangs, his beautiful forehead shone like a mirror.

His bright eyes, shifting with the sunlight, radiated a captivating and mysterious light, making one involuntarily wonder about his thoughts, why he was happy, or why he was sad.

However, this close-up profile didn't last long. Su Xinran was a half-human, half-vampire hybrid; while he could live in the daytime, he couldn't endure prolonged exposure to the scorching sun.

"Brother Mingyuan, let's sit down and cool off. I'm about to faint..." He lowered his head, lazily walked into the shade of a tree, sat down, and picked up a pebble, absentmindedly drawing something on the ground. When he was lost in thought, his expression resembled that of a sweet young girl, his bright white clothes standing out against the green trees, making him appear even more ethereal.

Who would have thought that such a beautiful and elegant figure, like a fairy descended from heaven, would be the absurd ghost known as the "Nightmare of the Trading City"? If anyone didn't believe it, they could inquire in the streets and alleys; the stories of the young master of the Su family's misdeeds would go on for three days and three nights.

Su Xinran's evil wasn't the kind that involved bullying men and women; his terrifying aspect lay in his endless pranks and his fearless personality. He was more like a mischievous, unruly child who was both exasperating and impossible to control, than a resentful villain.

Before Su Xinran was born, his parents were already renowned throughout the land.

The Su family's ancestors were not native to Central Continent; they had immigrated from the Silk Country across the vast ocean at the end of the Flood Century, starting their fortune in real estate and remaining one of the wealthiest families in the eastern part of the empire for centuries. Many such immigrant families existed in Central Continent. Immigrants from the Silk Country alone comprised a quarter of the country's total population.

Su Xinran's father, Su Jiusi, graduated from the Holy Dragon Academy, the Holy Kingdom's premier academic institution, with degrees in diplomacy, military affairs, and finance. He was hailed as a once-in-a-century genius and a leading figure among young talents. After completing his studies, Su Jiusi took over the family business from his father, maintaining the family fortune while simultaneously engaging in the arms trade, profiting immensely from war, and quickly becoming one of the wealthiest men in the Holy Kingdom.

Su Jiusi entered officialdom through business, serving successively as a diplomat, finance minister, principal of the National Holy Dragon Academy, and governor of a trading city in the Holy Dragon Kingdom. He resigned at the age of fifty to retire and enjoy his later years. Long Mingyuan, the newly appointed governor, was his student at the Holy Dragon Academy. Although a member of the royal family, Long Mingyuan dared not speak in front of his teacher. Because of this relationship, Long Mingyuan and Su Xinran had been brothers since childhood.

Su Xinran's mother held an even greater title, being the last princess of the ancient vampire kingdom of Gusaran on the Eastern Dark Continent. Eighteen years ago, King Gusaran died suddenly, shattering the royal family. Many powerful earls and dukes declared themselves kings, claiming to be Gusaran's successors. As the rightful heir, Su Xinran's mother naturally possessed the most formidable power.

The Holy Dragon Kingdom, using the pretext of a succession dispute within the Gusaran royal family, launched an invasion, only to be met with fierce resistance from the vampire tribes. Human strength was far inferior to that of vampires, and the hasty deployment further exacerbated the situation, resulting in a very unfavorable outcome. Not only did they gain no advantage, but the vampires seized many towns in the north, turning them into ghost towns. Only the awe of the kingdom's guardian deity, "Holy Dragon Othello," prevented them from continuing their invasion.

Battlefield defeats forced the Holy Kingdom to seek progress through diplomacy. They dispatched diplomat Su Jiusi to the royal court of Gusaran, ostensibly to support the last princess, Cecilia Gusaran, in unifying the entire territory, but in reality to observe the political climate and assess her potential.

Cecilia proved politically inept, neglecting state affairs and even developing a romance with the diplomat. Later, she resolutely relinquished her right to the throne and married Su Jiusi. Regardless of their initial motives, their union undoubtedly brought immense political benefits to the Holy Kingdom. Gusaran, as part of the princess's dowry, became a province of the Holy Kingdom. Although opposition remained, at least nominally, the major threat on the eastern border was eliminated.

After the marriage, Cecilia did not return home with her husband but remained in the country as the first governor of the Gusaran province. She only visited the Su family mansion in the trading city each winter to spend a few months with her husband. The couple's separation was partly due to the vampire's inability to live in the sunlight outside the Dark Continent, and partly a hint at Su Jiusi's clever arrangement. As long as his beloved wife remained in power in the Ancient Salan Province, the Su family's position in the Holy Kingdom would not be shaken. As for the women, Su Jiusi already had one wife and three concubines; when he missed new lovers, he had old flames to keep him company, so he didn't feel particularly lonely.

Cecilia was also happy to obey her husband's arrangement. At the time, she felt guilty and dared not see her husband until her son was born,

at which point she finally breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that Su Xinran was not Cecilia's and Su Jiusi's child, and even his mother probably didn't know who his biological father was. Vampires have never cared much about relationships between men and women. Cecilia had been involved with countless men before marriage; who knows who fathered Su Xinran? Only after discovering she was pregnant did she choose the most suitable man from among all the men and marry Su Jiusi.

The female vampire's romantic history ended with childbirth. Since giving birth to her precious son, Cecilia had been a devoted wife and mother. However, she racked her brains but couldn't figure out who the child's father was.

Xinran's appearance resembled his vampire mother in three parts, his human father in three parts, and a fairy in three parts. Yet, upon closer inspection, he seemed to resemble none of them. Cecilia had secretly told her son that, based on the timeline of pregnancy, she was in mourning for her father's sudden death when she conceived, and had no opportunity to engage in any extramarital affairs. How could she have gotten pregnant? It was utterly incomprehensible. If there was any omen, it was a strange dream. One night, she dreamt of a giant black dragon, engulfed in flames, rushing into her arms, and shortly after, she discovered she was pregnant. Therefore, Xinran must have been a product of a dream. Not being able to find her biological father was certainly unfortunate, and now being called a "nightmare" was indeed fitting.

Influenced by her mother during her childhood, Xinran's personality also possessed a certain demonic quality, and she often acted unpredictably. At a young age, he was already audacious and ruthless, and his lecherous habits could be blamed on his father.

After the age of ten, Xinran was sent back to the Holy Dragon Kingdom to be raised, as agreed by his parents. His mother was naturally reluctant, but his father had a more compelling reason—it was to give him a more complete and civilized education. The golden age of vampires was long gone; those elegant and refined counts and ladies could only put on airs in gloomy castles. Vampires almost never reproduced, so there was no such thing as a school.

His parents' idea was good, but it came too late. Xinran had lived in the gloomy castle for ten years, and his heart had long since become wild. He wasn't without curiosity and a thirst for knowledge, but this was limited to what interested him. He would rather rummage through piles of ancient books for a secret recipe for evil magic than sit obediently in a classroom and learn by rote. Thus, his father's educational plans were repeatedly forced to fail.

Initially, Su Jiusi wanted to cultivate his son into a financial talent, someone who would take over his business in the future. But Xinran simply wasn't interested. His disinterest in politics stemmed from a child's instinctive aversion to complex power dynamics, and his lack of interest in business was because this young master had never lacked money and had no concept of its importance. He might enjoy making money, but he enjoyed spending it even more; earning and spending simultaneously meant ending up empty-handed—what was the point of learning?

When his son was a little older and more sensible, Old Master Su wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk with him, discussing the Su family's standing in the business world and its glorious history of success, hoping to instill a sense of family pride and inspire ambition in the child. Besides, wouldn't it be shameful to live in a trading city and not know how to do business?

But Xinran retorted, "What's the use of learning to make money? Dad, you've earned enough for me to live on for a lifetime."

"My money is mine, not yours."

"When you die, half will go to my sister, and the rest will all be mine, right? Dad, instead of worrying about me being poor in the future, you might as well die sooner so I can spend money freely sooner."

...Educating his son only resulted in being cursed to die young; one can imagine Mr. Su's feelings.

After his first failed attempt at educating his son, Mr. Su changed course, deciding to abandon politics and business and have his son study religion and history. The Su family was powerful and influential, but had few supporters in religious circles. If Xinran was willing to diligently study theology and history, coupled with the Su family's support, becoming an archbishop would be a piece of cake.

Mr. Su's plan was brilliant, but unfortunately, his son was disappointing. The first day he took him to the local church to meet the priest, he made a huge fool of himself. The priest, upon hearing that Mr. Su intended to send his son to study at the church, immediately welcomed him. Looking at the child, so handsome as if carved from jade, with a sweet tongue and a charming way of speaking, the priest was already seven-tenths fond of him. He said to him, "Young Master Su, it's good that you're interested in studying the sacred scriptures, but you must brush up on your history lessons, otherwise you won't understand the texts."

Su Xinran thought the priest was looking down on him and said unhappily, "History? I know it very well."

The priest smiled and said, "Then tell me about the founding history of the Holy Dragon Kingdom."

"That's common knowledge, it's no problem for me," Xinran raised his little face and began to speak fluently, "In the beginning, the creator god Kusuo created the world from the void, filling the universe with chaotic energy. The clear energy rose to become the sky, and the turbid energy descended to become the earth."

At this point, both the priest and Master Su nodded frequently, their faces full of smiles. But then, the boy couldn't help but start spouting nonsense.

"Then the great god Kuso, dwelling above chaos, cried out, 'Let there be light,' and there was light; he cried out, 'Let there be water,' and there was water. Seeing his prey, the god repeatedly cried out for this and that. Unlike a beggar, no one rolled their eyes at him when he cried out. Thus, our world came into being with light and darkness, and the four elements: wind, fire, water, and earth. Initially, fire dominated. The earth was covered with volcanoes like boils, constantly spewing lava and poisonous steam, baking the newborn world until it was a scorching red, like a hot pot. Therefore, that era was called the Age of Fire. In this distorted environment, only heat-resistant plants and animals could survive. Among them, the most powerful were the Balrogs. They lived in the flames..." The giants, who drank lava and ate the fruit of the Spark Tree, along with fire lizards, fire bears, and fire demons, enslaved fire dwarves and fire spirits. They built numerous magnificent palaces inside the volcanoes using diamonds, living a life of extreme luxury. The gods favored the Balrog race, granting them a thousand years of lifespan. But their good fortune was short-lived; the Age of Fire lasted only ten thousand years. Then, tectonic shifts occurred, the earth was flooded, and most of the volcanoes that once covered the world sank into the sea. The Balrog race suffered annihilation, like embers falling into a bucket of water, sizzling and hissing as they died. These once invincible giants left behind only their bodies, cooled by the sea and turned to rock, their sole purpose being to frighten the poor in front of their mansions.

"The Age of Flood replaced the Age of Fire. The rulers of the Flood Age were the sea giants. They had human bodies and fish limbs, less robust than the Balrogs, but more beautiful and intelligent. The Creator God favored the sea giants, granting them lifespans of two thousand years. Over these long years, the sea giants developed a remarkable civilization. They cultivated pastures on the seabed, planted deep-sea plants, and raised manatees that produced sweet milk. They also built prosperous and thriving cities on the seabed, complete with all the amenities imaginable. There were eight streets dedicated to mermaid brothels alone. The palace spire of one sea emperor even rose from the seabed, piercing the sky, arrogantly encroaching on the realm of the gods. The wisdom and power of the sea giants brought not only wealth but also the seeds of corruption. They became increasingly arrogant, despising the gods who dwelled in the heavens, and..." They idolized Bella, the Demon Mother of the North Pole. Upon learning this, the Great God dispatched angels to warn the heretics, but the sea giants remained unrepentant and continued their ways. So the angelic army sailed to the sea and waged a life-or-death war against the sea giants, led by the Demon Mother of the North Pole. The war lasted a thousand years, and finally, the Great God Kuso once again established his supreme authority. The sea giants were banished to the distant, frigid depths of the Arctic Ocean. The Great God Kuso cursed them to never see the sunlight again, and their souls to be deprived of water in hell. The sea giants' rebellion alarmed the Great God Kuso. He commanded the sun to hang in the sky for a thousand years, drying up the seas and revealing the earth. The largest landmass, shaped like a cross, was located in the center of the ocean and was called Middle-earth, the later home of humankind.

"After the Age of Fire and the Age of Flood, the Great God Kuso felt that the power of the earth's creatures was becoming increasingly difficult to control. Therefore, he chose the relatively weak humans as their representatives, making them the masters of the Third Age—the Age of Earth. Learning from the lessons of the sea giants, the Great God Kuso granted humans a lifespan of less than a hundred years, and they were threatened by disease. In the Age of Earth, the four elements were distributed in a balanced manner, with no single element holding an absolute advantage. The elemental magic that once filled the heavens and earth disappeared, leaving only a small amount in the scarce magic crystals. Magic crystals were difficult to mine, and humans could not utilize them like the Fire Demons and the sea giants." Elemental magic transformed nature, leaving only agriculture and hunting for sustenance. On this newly formed land, the power of the Balrogs and sea giants was not entirely replaced. Their descendants survived as human subspecies and magical beasts, gradually adapting to terrestrial life. Among them, the cruel and powerful predators frequently attacked human villages, their atrocities of slaughtering innocents and raping women becoming a shared nightmare for humanity. However, some magical beasts were captured and tamed by humans for their own use. These tamed creatures were called servants. Humans in the Mud Age were extremely weak compared to other creatures, and their survival to this day is entirely due to the help of the servants.

"The Age of Earth lasted for thousands of years, and humanity did not create a civilization that threatened the God's position. Warfare remained a symphony of swords and armor. Even among human races, peaceful coexistence was difficult; they attacked and deceived each other. Debauched kings, untrustworthy merchants, and ruthless rich men were commonplace. The Great God was content with this world. He preferred to encourage human conflict among themselves rather than allow them to unite and challenge his authority. Nevertheless, he was not entirely at ease. He feared that the nightmares of the Age of Flood would repeat themselves." Humanity was revived. So the king sent his daughter, Mary, to Earth to establish the Cult of Kuso, which spiritually ruled over humanity. The core of the Cult of Kuso's doctrine was patience; preachers said that as long as one endured the suffering of this life, one would be reborn in heaven. The Cult of Kuso painted a rosy picture of heaven, but this did not lessen the suffering of life. A terrible prophecy secretly spread among the unbelievers: one day, the Age of Earth would be replaced by the Age of Hurricanes, and a silver-haired, black-eyed man, half-human and half-machine, would emerge from the darkness, leaving behind countless corpses of powerful beings!

Five hundred years ago, the vanguard of the Hurricane Age descended upon the human world. He was a demon king from beyond the heavens, revered by his followers as the Black Angel, the savior of the dark world. He planted strange plant seeds on the earth, which bore mechanical fruits. The Black Angel's followers possessed minds far superior to humans and bodies of steel, powered by the omnipresent wind and sunlight, and rallied under his banner to wage war against humanity. The war between humans and machines lasted for three hundred and eighty years, with humanity suffering a crushing defeat and on the verge of extinction. The defeated humans prayed to the great god Kuso for help, and received the god's answer. He sent his son Othello to the mortal realm, summoning an army of metal dragons to fight alongside humanity's allies. The final battle between humans and machines culminated in a decisive duel between Othello and the Black Angel. Othello transformed into a holy dragon, defeating the evil dragon conjured by the Black Angel. From that moment on, the age of machines ended, and humanity... Having regained his status as the master of Central Continent, he revered the goddess Mary as his queen and established the Holy City of Eden, thus beginning the Holy Dragon Dynasty. The Holy Dragon Othello, who had rendered great service in battle, remained stationed in the Holy City, becoming the dynasty's guardian deity. To commemorate the Holy Dragon's achievements, subsequent monarchs of the Holy Kingdom adopted the dragon as their royal surname. However, the Hurricane Age did not end. Mechanical Fruits, buried throughout the world, were gradually utilized by humanity, becoming pillars of a new era of civilization alongside Magic Crystals and Servant Demons. The Black Angel retreated into the Abyss, awaiting his resurrection in endless darkness. When the hurricane returned to the mortal realm, a steel-blue sunset would envelop the world, and the resurrected Black Angel would summon a new era of hurricanes, blowing Kuso's Paradise, along with all the injustices and misfortunes of the world, to the ends of the universe. "

I finished speaking in one breath, feeling quite pleased with myself. But Master Su and the priest were ashen-faced and speechless. "

"..."

"Father, Father, am I right?"

"Son... let's go home," Old Master Su apologized to the priest in a flustered manner. "I'm sorry, the child was just talking nonsense, please don't take it seriously."

The priest nodded calmly, said "Don't bother seeing me out," and left.

That evening, the Su family received a warning from the Holy See, forbidding them from promoting heretical doctrines or slandering the Great God Kuso. Old Master Su was inexplicably wronged and had no way to express his bitterness. He could only give his son a severe scolding and warn him not to believe heretical propaganda. Little did he know that Xinran had indeed seen the above text in a history book, but it was a folk history work found in the basement of the Vampire King's Palace, which mostly recorded the past events of the early days of the Holy Kingdom, and also truthfully recorded the invasion of the Black Angels, which greatly embarrassed humanity. The current history textbooks, however, have been strictly censored by the National Cultural Bureau, and all words related to the Black Angels have been deleted. No wonder the priest was terrified after he said those words and immediately reported him to the Vatican.

The Holy Dragon Kingdom is a patriarchal society founded on religious faith. The Vatican's power is immense, almost rivaling that of the Holy Queen. Therefore, even someone as wealthy and powerful as Master Su dared not disobey. That very evening, he went to the church to confess and gave the priest ten thousand Holy Dragon gold coins. The priest, after receiving the money, looked much better and gently advised Master Su: "Your son is quick-witted and exceptionally intelligent, but those who are too clever are ultimately not suited for religious work. You should have him study the arts instead."

When Mr. Su returned home and thought about it, he realized this made sense. His son was incapable of politics, business, or even becoming a priest; so why not let him study the arts? Having an artist from a merchant family would show that Mr. Su wasn't just after money.

And so, Su Xinran was sent by his father to study literature. The twelve- or thirteen-year-old spent his days with a group of court poets, but instead of becoming a poet, he learned to write novels—the kind of writing that high society looked down upon.

If he had focused on writing good novels, it might have been a path to fame. However, Xinran was in his adolescence while in literary circles, and the naive teenager was easily attracted to erotic literature, yearning for the romantic lives depicted in those novels. Su Xinran not only personally experienced these romantic affairs but also wrote erotic novels to promote them. If it had been entirely fictional, or about his girlfriends, he could have earned the reputation of a romantic genius. But this little boy, instead of focusing on his father, set his sights on him.

Master Su had two wives and three concubines. His first wife was quite old, and his beloved vampire-like concubine was not around. His three concubines were in their prime, full of vigor. Master Su himself was also somewhat of a widower; although over fifty, he was still quite prolific in bed. Su Xinran, writing an erotic novel, actually used her own father as the male protagonist, creating a book called "Su Datou's Spring Night Dream," which was published and became an instant bestseller.

Upon learning of this, Master Su immediately sent someone to buy a copy and read it, but the more he read, the more disgusted he became. He summoned his son and gave him a good scolding, saying with a mix of laughter and tears, "I'm angry that you wrote about your father and concubines so obscenely, but what angers me even more is that you dared to give your father the nickname—Su Datou?! I am Su Datou, and you are Su Xiaotou! You little rascal!"

At the time, Master Su was troubled by hair loss in his old age; his thinning hair naturally made his head appear larger. Su Datou's nickname had already spread among the servants, though he was unaware of it. Now that his son had written it into a book, he was naturally filled with shame and indignation.

"Dad, it's true that I wrote this book carelessly, but it's not all bad for you," Xinran said, his face contorted in pain after being spanked by his father, but his cheeky nature remained unchanged.

Old Master Su glared at him, slamming his fist on the table and roaring, "You scoundrel! Is there anything good about it?!"

"You're over fifty, yet your performance in the book is as vigorous and unyielding as ever. People will envy you when they find out. You'll be so proud!" "

..."

Old Master Su was speechless, only able to manage a bitter smile. His son was ultimately his own; he couldn't bear to punish him or scold him. The negative impact had already been caused, so he had no choice but to buy up the book and destroy the printing plates. Because of this, Old Master Su was even complained about by the publishing house, accused of interfering with freedom of publication, and had to pay compensation, apologize, and buy back the copyright at a high price. Su Datou's nickname was already known to everyone; there was no way to hide it, so he could only accept his bad luck.

"Su Datou's Spring Night Dreams" sold over ten thousand copies, and Xinran, as a bestselling author, made a considerable fortune. This made him realize that making money was truly a joyful thing, and his views on business changed.

Old Master Su, annoyed by his son's antics, strictly limited his allowance. Xinran was short of money and felt life was difficult. He suggested to his father that he go back to learning business and earn money himself. But this time, the old man refused, glaring and scolding, "I told you to learn poetry, but you went and wrote erotic novels! Now you want to learn business? Are you trying to traffic women? No way!"

The old man's words proved prophetic; Xinran later indeed became involved in human trafficking. But that's a story for later.

Chapter Two:

Incestuous Relationship Now, with Xinran's literary failure, Old Master Su was somewhat disheartened. A friend once advised him to send his son to join the army and learn martial arts, but he thought it was inappropriate. Firstly, he couldn't bear to see his precious only son suffer; secondly, he knew his son's temper well—even without martial arts training, he caused chaos, and if he had a weapon, it might lead to murder. Just when he was at his wit's end, his eldest daughter returned home.

The Su family's son was disappointing, but their daughter was outstanding. The Su family's eldest son, born to his first wife, was named Hongxiu, three years older than Xinran. She was the sworn sister of the current Holy Queen, and had lived in the palace since childhood, receiving the education a princess should have. Five years ago, she was sent to the magic academy Shiva, and later entered the Holy Dragon Temple to cultivate, becoming the youngest and most beautiful priestess in the temple.

Originally, the Su family's eldest son, feeling he couldn't entrust the business to him due to his son's incompetence, had been urging his daughter to give up her priesthood and return home to inherit the family business. After much persuasion, his daughter finally returned home, and this was Xinran's first meeting with her sister, Su Hongxiu. Xinran was thirteen years old that year.

Master Su had initially worried that the siblings wouldn't get along, but it turned out his worries were completely unnecessary. After Su Hongxiu returned home, she seemed to fall in love at first sight with her mischievous younger brother. The two were inseparable, always having something to talk about. Master Su couldn't understand how his pure, noble, and taciturn daughter could be so compatible with his playful son, so he asked Xinran what she and Hongxiu had discussed. In his opinion, women who became obsessed with religion would become dull, cold, and uninteresting, like Hongxiu's mother.

However, Xinran said, "My sister knows a lot about the outside world, and I really enjoy listening to her."

"Is that so? Such a childish attitude. When you grow up, go out and see the world for yourself, and you'll know everything. Your sister grew up in the palace and hasn't seen much of the world," Master Su said.

"Actually, there's something else," Xinran smiled mysteriously, "I don't believe my sister can be a Dharma King, so I test her practice every day."

"Dharma King?!" Master Su was stunned by those two words. He had never placed high hopes on his daughter before, but now, upon hearing that she had a chance to become the supreme leader of the Kuso Holy Church, he was overjoyed.

"Hmm, if Hongxiu really has a chance to become a Dharma King... it seems I must make some moves."

"Dad, don't rush to send money to those charlatans. I don't think my sister can become a Dharma King."

"Nonsense! What makes your sister unqualified to be a Dharma King?"

"She lacks willpower and can't withstand the test!"

"How do you know that?" Old Man Su was focused on spending money to bribe the cardinals of the Dharma King's Hall to pave the way for his daughter and didn't carefully consider his son's warning.

"Sigh, if you don't believe me, I won't say anything more. Anyway, my sister is no good. She can't even pass my test. Going to the Dharma King's Hall would just be a disgrace."

"You little rascal, you know nothing about religious affairs, don't interrupt and spout nonsense."

"Hmph, I may not know anything about religious affairs, but I do know that the Dharma King, regardless of gender, must remain chaste for life and cannot marry—"

"Your sister never intended to marry."

"Sigh, Father, my sister won't like being the Dharma King. She won't be happy that way."

"I have my own plans. What do you know!"

That evening, Master Su invited his first wife, Madam Song, and Su Hongxiu to his study to discuss his daughter's future. His daughter was indeed reluctant to go to the Dharma King's Hall. Master Su earnestly advised her that the old Dharma King had just passed away, and if they didn't seize the opportunity, someone else would snatch it away, which would be detrimental to the family's future. Su Hongxiu was still unwilling and appeared dejected, as if she had suffered a defeat. During her time cultivating in the temple, she was listed as one of the seven beauties of Central Continent by gossipy people and given the nickname "Ice Rose," demonstrating her consistently cold and unflappable demeanor. However, not long after returning home, she seemed like a completely different person.

Her birth mother, Madam Song, noticed something amiss and asked if she had found someone she loved.

Master Su quickly said, "If you have someone you love, that's fine too. Giving up the position of Dharma King and bringing in a son-in-law to inherit the family business wouldn't be bad." He had given up on his son.

Su Hongxiu hesitated for a long time, then shook her head, saying, "I don't have anyone I love."

"Then you should go to the Dharma King's Hall. Whether it works out or not, it doesn't matter."

"Father, you make the decision. Your daughter will obey."

And so, Su Hongxiu returned to the Holy Capital the next day to meet the four cardinals, accompanied by her father.

After some negotiation and investigation, coupled with her father's connections and financial influence, Miss Hongxiu reluctantly ascended the throne of the Holy Queen. This time, even Her Majesty the Holy Queen had to kneel before her in repentance.

Her father returned home triumphantly. He had started with four carriages, but by the time he arrived, there were forty. They were filled with gifts from priests and bishops from all over the country. Even the priest who had previously dismissed Xinran for reporting her had come to visit, offering to become Xinran's theology tutor. However, her father was no longer the same. With a daughter who was now the Holy Queen, why bother training another charlatan? He flatly refused.

Xinran knew her sister had become the Holy Queen and was not happy at all. Partly it was because they would likely never see each other again, but there was a deeper worry in her heart. Master Su spoke highly of the four cardinals of the Dharma King's Hall, praising their high moral character, widespread prestige, and profound knowledge. Xinran, however, dismissed them with disdain, saying, "Those people are all fucking good-for-nothings." He had ample reason to say this, but dared not say it outright, lest he risk his life. Xinran

was saddened for a while after his sister became Dharma King. However, he quickly cheered up again. Master Su visited the Holy Capital and was in high spirits. Compared to the trading city, he increasingly felt that this place was too small to cultivate truly talented individuals. He planned to send his son to study in the Holy Capital. He had been the administrative principal of the Holy Dragon Academy, the nation's highest institution of learning, and many of his former subordinates and students held positions of power and taught there; securing a place for his son would be a piece of cake. The only problem he was struggling to solve was what to study. He increasingly realized that Xinran was like a quagmire; no matter what kind of fresh water you poured in, what came out was still mud. This precious son wasn't incompetent; he had gone mad, specializing in evil arts.

When the time came, he had no choice but to consult Xinran himself. Without hesitation, Xinran said, "The murals in the Dharma King's Hall are beautiful and magnificent. I want to go there to observe and learn how to paint them." In truth, his real intention was to meet his sister.

Master Su didn't care about such things; if his son wanted to learn mural painting, so be it. Besides, his sister could take care of him. So he confidently sent his son to the Dharma King's Hall. Following his daughter, another young man from the Su family entered "the most sacred place on earth."

As for what Xinran did in that sacred place, it was utterly appalling.

Three months later, this lively young master was returned to the Dharma King's Hall untouched. The reason given was that he was too childish and unsuitable for the solemn environment of the Dharma King's Hall. This was, of course, just a polite excuse. In fact, Master Su had already learned from Hongxiu's letter that his son had caused a great disaster and almost implicated his sister. Helpless, he had no choice but to send him home.

On the very night his son returned home, Master Su prepared bamboo sticks and a leather whip, intending to give him a severe beating. He could tolerate his son causing trouble at home, but going to the Dharma Hall to cause chaos and embarrass his sister was simply outrageous and deserved punishment!

Xinran knew he had gone too far and a beating was inevitable, so he obediently knelt in the corner awaiting his father's judgment, not daring to argue.

Once Old Master Su's anger subsided, he felt a surge of paternal affection and asked his son what he had done.

Before Xinran could speak, Old Master Su interrupted, "You brat, you didn't happen to be drawing erotic pictures on the walls of the Dharma King's Hall, did you?"

"Yes."

"Hmph! Just as I expected," Old Master Su pressed, "What else did you do?"

"I even treated the nuns."

"Healed them? If the nuns are sick, they'll naturally go to the temple for treatment. What does it have to do with you? Besides, you don't know anything about medicine; treating patients haphazardly is tantamount to harming them!" "

That kind of illness, the temple can't cure at all. Not only can it not cure it, it's practically adding fuel to the fire."

"Huh, is that so?" Old Master Su was curious, and at the same time, he hoped his son could really do something that even the temple would be ashamed of.

“The nuns have been in the convent since they were young, and they've never been close to men in their lives. They don't even know much about their own anatomy and physical condition. It's no wonder they get sick—”

“Don't talk dirty! What kind of illnesses are they?”

“Insomnia, nervousness, anxiety—so many!”

“I've never heard of these illnesses.”

“Actually, they're not serious illnesses, just psychological problems. They get sick because their desires are unfulfilled.” Xinran shrugged, saying nonchalantly.

Old Master Su's face changed, and he grabbed his son's hand, whispering, "You wouldn't be... with those nuns..."

"No, Dad, if I did that kind of thing in the Dharma King's Hall, I'd be struck by lightning! Besides, with thousands of nuns, how could I handle them all by myself?"

"Then what did you do?"

"I set up a matchmaking agency for them. I have some friends at the Holy Dragon Academy, so I let the male students from the academy meet and date the nuns from the Dharma King's Hall. I provided the venue, prepared some fruit, candy, tea, and snacks, and everyone listened to music and danced together."

"Good heavens, you could do something so absurd!"

"I didn't do it for free. I earned several hundred yuan in referral fees for each dance. Since they joined my matchmaking event, all the nuns' illnesses have been cured. Dad, I did a good deed, didn't I?"

Hearing his son's words, Old Master Su felt somewhat annoyed. Thinking to himself, "That old bastard from the French Royal Hall is really outrageous! My son just held a salon and invited nuns to dance—it's their honor, otherwise those old spinsters would never have a man patronizing them until they die! To send my son back because of that is just fucking outrageous!" He immediately considered writing a letter to his daughter to complain.

Putting aside the feud with the French Royal Hall for the time being, his son's future was still a worrying matter. He was almost sixteen, and other children were already excelling in their studies; the son of the richest man in the trading city couldn't continue to be so carefree. Just as Mr. Su was worrying, Xinran was short of money again. He was getting on in years and embarrassed to ask his family for money, so he decided to find his own way. After much thought, he decided to go back to his old profession: writing erotic novels.

And so, the unfortunate "Su Datou's Spring Night Dream" once again topped the bestseller lists for restricted works in major bookstores. This time, however, the author had returned from studying art and added erotic illustrations to the original text, winning over even more readers.

While strolling down the street, Mr. Su was fortunate enough to buy an illustrated edition of "The Dream Seeker." He smiled after reading it and took it to see his son.

"Xinran, do you really want to write erotic novels that badly?"

"No, Dad, I just want to earn some pocket money. I'm not interested in literature, and writing novels all the time will make me nearsighted and deplete my kidneys. I want to save my kidneys to have more romances." "

If you need money, you can tell the family. Don't joke about your father anymore."

"Okay, then I won't write about Su Datou anymore," Xinran scratched her ear, looking troubled. "But Dad, Su Datou already has a certain reputation among readers. Many readers have written to ask me to continue 'The Dream Seeker II,' and if I change the protagonist halfway through, the readers might be unhappy."

Mr. Su had earned all sorts of good and bad reputations throughout his life—a cunning businessman, a corrupt official, a lecher—but never a bestselling novel protagonist. Now, having been "criticized" by his son, and thus recorded in writing for posterity, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Ultimately, young people can't stay idle; they need something to do.

Old Master Su couldn't shoulder the burden of educating his son alone, and just as the winter solstice was approaching, his beloved wife Cecilia arrived from the Dark Continent, weary from her journey. After their reunion, the topic of their child inevitably came up. Old Master Su bluntly stated that Xinran was beyond redemption. His mother, naturally displeased, confidently declared, "Xinran is a good child with ideals and ambitions; he disdains trivial matters and will become a great person in the future."

Old Master Su chuckled inwardly at his wife's wishful thinking. He summoned Xinran and asked him directly what his grand ambitions were.

"My ambition is to have more romances than Mom and spend more money than Dad,"

Xinran declared in front of his parents.

Cecilia was amused by her son's honesty, but Old Master Su couldn't laugh. If his son had said he wanted to marry more wives than his mother had had lovers and earn more money than his father had inherited the family fortune, he might have been very happy. But—this boy only wanted to date and not settle down because he didn't want to be bound by family or controlled by his wife; he only wanted to spend money and not save it—a typical spendthrift!

Cecilia gently lifted the awning that shielded her from the sun and hugged her son, offering him some words of comfort. She suggested to her husband, "Why don't you let Xinran learn magic? He loved it when he was little."

"Xinran, do you like magic?"

"A little bit,"

Old Master Su replied after a moment's thought. Learning magic seemed quite promising. In the Holy Dragon Kingdom, magic was divided into two major systems. One lineage is the Royal Palace and the Temple, while the other is the Crystal Academy in the magical city of Shiva. The Royal Palace and the Temple study magic for religious research purposes, and it is also used on the battlefield during wartime. Shiva scholars study magic for civilian use, such as using magic to create indoor vegetable gardens with eternal spring. This is naturally more beneficial to the citizens, so every city hires renowned magicians as consultants. If Xinran were willing to study at the Crystal Academy, it would be a path to success.

Old Master Su had a good plan, but his son was unwilling.

"Those magicians aren't real magicians. They have no magic power of their own; they just rely on the study of various magic stones to borrow the power of nature. They're like paper tigers, not worthy of respect at all."

"Then why do you say you're interested in magic!"

"What I'm interested in is... alchemy!" Xinran didn't dare to directly tell her father that she was interested in "evil magic."

"Isn't alchemy just about playing with magic stones and minerals all day..." Old Master Su was dismissive. Compared to the crystal magic with its high civilian value, alchemy seemed somewhat impractical. So many people study alchemy, yet no one has ever actually produced gold.

"Oh well, whatever, if I'm going to learn, I'll learn alchemy, otherwise I won't."

"You silly child, our family only knows respectable magicians; they don't practice alchemy."

Cecilia said, "Honey, I know a friend who knows a little about alchemy; we could ask her to be Xinran's teacher."

Old Master Su said with little interest, "Is she another one of your old flames? That kind of person can't come into the Su family."

"Look at you, she's a respectable person," the vampire princess was very pleased with her husband's jealousy; it proved she hadn't aged and was still important to him. "Besides, my friend is an old witch."

"What's her name?"

"Grandma Crystal, who lives in the mangrove forest."

"Her reputation isn't good; she was imprisoned a few years ago for selling fake gold."

"It's alright, she's settled now."

"Alright then… let's give it a try."

※※※※

The next day, Xinran, carrying a gift, accompanied her mother to the mangrove forest to visit Grandma Crystal.

Granny Crystal lived in a dark, filthy cave, looking like a groundhog. Her long white hair reached her waist. When Xinran and her son visited, she was holding a crystal ball and muttering incantations.

"Oh dear, isn't this Princess Cecilia? What wind blew you here?"

"Hehehe~ Hello, Granny Crystal, the winter wind brought me here."

Granny Crystal put down the ball, clapped her hands, and two yellow dogs ran into the cave, rolled on the ground, and turned into two stone benches.

"Please sit down, these are my servants, don't be afraid." The "don't be afraid" was directed at Xinran.

Xinran sat down with an air of nonchalance, thinking to herself, this old woman probably doesn't have any real skills, otherwise she wouldn't use such shabby servants.

Granny Crystal squinted her dim old eyes and sized up Xinran for a while, then turned to Cecilia with an ambiguous smile, "You're truly remarkable, to have found such a handsome and lovely man."

"Granny, you misunderstand, he's my son."

"Oh? Your son's already so grown up? Sigh, it seems I'm really getting old. Back in the day, we were known as the golden branches and jade leaves of the ancient Salan Kingdom."

Xinran almost burst out laughing at this. This old woman and her beautiful mother being called golden branches and jade leaves was simply too hilarious.

"Sigh, there's nothing one can do, humans age easily." Granny Crystal glanced at Xinran unhappily, thinking that Cecilia had brought her son today to show off to her.

"Granny, in order to achieve immortality, you went to search for the Philosopher's Stone, the secret of alchemy. You should have made some progress by now, right?"

"Ha! What a load of rubbish, the Philosopher's Stone! That kind of thing doesn't even exist!" Granny Crystal cursed angrily.

“You wasted decades of your youth only to realize it doesn’t exist? You’re really slow on the uptake,” Cecilia laughed arrogantly.

“Hmph… your mouth is still as venomous as ever. Doesn’t your man get tired of it?” Granny Crystal sneered sinisterly.

“Oh ho ho ho ho~~ No way! My husband loves my mouth. Every time we’re in bed, he wants me to use my mouth to serve him first~”

“Hey… Mom, can you say a little more? I’m collecting information for ‘Su Datou’s Spring Night Dream,’ would you like to play the female lead?”

“Son, I’ve read your book, it’s well-written, but I’ll pass on the female lead role. I don’t like being the object of people’s fantasies.”

“Oh.” Xinran pouted in disappointment.

Granny Crystal, ignored, muttered dejectedly, “What do you want from me?”

Cecilia patted Xinran’s back, “Son, hurry up and become my apprentice.”

Xinran stood up unhappily, but didn’t bow. He had no intention of taking an ugly old woman as his teacher; a beautiful woman would be a different story.

Granny Crystal had no intention of taking on a disciple either, saying sternly, "Alchemy doesn't exist in this world. Don't waste your energy."

"I heard you've created gold—"

"All fake! I make a living by divination now; I haven't practiced alchemy for a long time."

Xinran suddenly kicked the stone bench away.

"These two chimeras are your creations too, aren't they? The laws of the Holy Dragon Kingdom forbid the creation of chimeras. Have you gone senile and forgotten even that?"

Granny Crystal paused, then flew into a rage: "Get out! Get out! If you want to mess with this old woman, go ahead and sue me. I'm not afraid!"

Xinran pulled his mother's hand and left the cave. Granny Crystal raised her wand, and the stone door slammed down.

Cecilia frowned, neither blaming her son for his slip of the tongue nor Granny Crystal for her rudeness, and pulled her son's hand out of the woods.

"Don't be disappointed, Xinran. I'll introduce you to a better alchemist. Granny Crystal isn't worthy to be your teacher."

"Perhaps, but this trip wasn't entirely fruitless."

Xinran smiled and took a crystal ball from her pocket, the very one Granny Crystal used for divination.

"Ha! When did you steal this, you little rascal? You're really something."

"Mom, there's something even more amazing." Xinran picked up the crystal ball and smashed it hard on the ground, shattering it instantly. Inside the crystal ball was a small hexagonal black ore.

"Such an antique storage magic stone, it must be at least five hundred years old." Cecilia was quite surprised by her son's discovery.

“No, Mother, it’s the masterpiece of the great alchemist Douglas from three hundred years ago. It contains his life’s research findings, and this is the legendary ‘Secret Magic Scroll.’”

“Good heavens! The evil alchemist Douglas, isn’t he Loki’s chief of staff? Such a precious thing, I can’t believe it fell into Granny Crystal’s hands, that old fox!”

“Mother, if Granny Crystal had known the ‘Secret Magic Scroll’ was hidden inside the ball, she would have smashed it open long ago. I guess she thought the crystal ball itself held some secret, which is why she was secretly studying it here, but unfortunately, it was all for naught.”

“How do you know all this?” Cecilia was surprised that her son’s knowledge far exceeded her own.

“When I lived in the vampire palace, I often went to the underground library to read. One book mentioned the whereabouts of Douglas’s treasure, specifically the crystal ball. I recognized the crystal ball as soon as I entered the cave, which is why I deliberately provoked Granny Crystal. She got angry and put the crystal ball down, giving me the opportunity to steal it.”

“Haha~ Son, you’re amazing. I hope you can become a great person like Douglas, but don’t be as evil as him.”

“Oh, Mom, I’m already evil enough. I don’t need to become even more evil. Besides, the crystal that seals the ‘Secret Magic Scroll’ is very evil. Every time it’s opened, a lot of life force is drained. I don’t want to be drained to death before I’ve mastered it, so it’s best not to look at it for now. And don’t tell Dad, okay?”

“Son, this kind of restriction doesn’t work on us vampires. Even if your life force is drained, you will still be resurrected as long as you are nourished by fresh blood,” Cecilia reminded her son.

"Come on, Mother. I hate this about you the most, you can't shake off your bloodlust... Blood is such a filthy thing! I'd rather die than drink someone else's blood!"

"...Sigh, you're really not like a vampire's son. Human civilization has changed you."

The mother and son walked away, their angry roars echoing from the cave behind them. Granny Crystal, having discovered the lost treasure, berated Xinran and her son, but couldn't chase after them—the stone door had been enchanted by Cecilia and couldn't be opened from the inside. The mother and daughter returned

home, and as expected, didn't mention their gains. When the mother returned to the Northern Kingdom, Xinran's alchemy studies came to nothing.

At this time, the real estate business was booming, and Master Su had expanded into construction, feeling increasingly overwhelmed. He sent Xinran to the construction site to supervise, to prevent the contractors from cutting corners. When the young master of the Su family arrived at the construction site, instead of supervising, he mingled with the engineers, learning how to build palaces and houses. He was undeniably intelligent; within six months, he had become an engineer without any formal training. He spent his time on construction sites revising blueprints and plans, creating bizarre buildings that resembled postmodern abstract paintings. When

Mr. Su received complaints from clients, he had no choice but to send his son home. Unexpectedly, the original owners of Xinran's abstract buildings didn't want them, but many prominent figures in the cultural world offered high prices to buy them. It was said that this type of architecture was a popular form of performance art, uninhabitable but possessing high collectible value. Mr. Su was skeptical, unsure whether his son had unintentionally created performance art, or whether performance art, like his son, was simply a farce.

Regardless, the fact that someone was willing to pay a fortune for his designs naturally spread the designer's fame. The Su family's good-for-nothing youngest son, Xinran, had spent seven years learning seven different skills, failing at everything, yet his architecture—something he hadn't specifically studied—received relatively high praise.

Old Master Su attributed all this to his own teaching and his son's talent, unaware that those who spent vast sums to buy performance art buildings were all his precious son's agents. Using his father's money to buy his father's houses built his own reputation; this brilliant move showed that Xinran had surpassed his teacher.

Xinran's fame as an architect was purely unintentional, but in the eyes of those with ulterior motives, he was a highly sought-after commodity.

This person was none other than Long Mingyuan, the young governor of the trading city. Long Mingyuan was Xinran's father's student in the Holy Capital, and in terms of scheming and opportunism, he had truly inherited his teacher's skills. He and Xinran had a good relationship, a mixture of genuine friendship and mutual exploitation. As a young governor, he was naturally a master of flattery and diplomacy.

Meanwhile, the Holy Queen's sixteenth birthday was approaching. Although the old king had nominally abdicated and become the retired emperor, he still held considerable power. His daughter's presence was mainly for training. Since the old king was still alive, there was no need for an excessively extravagant celebration of his daughter's birthday. The capital city also promoted the idea in this way. However, Governor Mingyuan was young and sought to stand out from the crowd; only in this way could he gain the emperor's favor. He and the Holy Queen were cousins, their relationship deeper than that of ordinary rulers and subjects. He thought that even if he only held a small celebration for his cousin's birthday, no one would accuse him of sycophancy.

Submitting the plan to the city council for discussion was no problem; approval was assured. However, how to celebrate was the issue. Too extravagant would invite slander, too meager would be worse than nothing. After much deliberation, they finally decided to build a sixteen-foot-tall jade statue of the Queen. Long Mingyuan recommended Su Xinran as the chief designer to sculpt the statue.

Having the powerful Su family responsible for sculpting the Queen's statue would simultaneously appease the two major power groups. Even if the Queen was dissatisfied with the statue, she wouldn't be able to refuse out of respect for the Su family. A triple win.

Su Xinran readily accepted her old friend's invitation to oversee the design of the sculpture. Extravagantly luxurious, the completed statue of the Holy Queen, placed in the center of the square, eclipsed even the resplendent Governor's Mansion.

The statue garnered widespread praise from the citizens, who hailed it as the "jewel of the trading city." Was this "jewel," crafted by the "nightmare of the trading city," a case of casting pearls before swine? No one questioned it.

For a time, praise overshadowed the criticism, and people seemed to forget the past misdeeds of this dissolute young master. Master Su also publicly praised his youngest son, saying he was intelligent and talented, and would surely inherit his business.

Particularly striking was the sculpture's material: crafted from a single piece of water magic crystal. So much so that mages from the magical city, after viewing the statue, exclaimed in unison: "So much water magic crystal! Enough for ten lifetimes!" Such extravagance was something no other city could afford, except perhaps the wealthy and powerful trading city.

However, the orthodox mages failed to discover the hidden secrets in the statue's material; otherwise, those old scholars would have gone beyond lamentation, practically spitting out nosebleeds.

After the statue's completion, Long Mingyuan came to observe and critique it almost daily, always accompanied by Su Xinran. Su Xinran cared more about the Queen's statue than the Governor, but he found it uninteresting during the day. Every evening after dinner, as the Jade Rabbit rose in the east, he would come to the square to admire his masterpiece. Only then could he truly grasp the Queen's statue's secret.

Who could have imagined that the dignified and solemn Queen statue, clad in dragon robes, would reveal its true form under the moonlight, transforming into a naked female statue? The refractive index of the water magic crystal was truly wondrous. One image in sunlight, another under moonlight.

Besides Su Xinran, many citizens also inadvertently witnessed the Holy Queen's body at night. But even if they saw it, who dared to speak out? Did they not want their heads?

However, secrets don't stay hidden forever. The secret of the Queen's statue circulated privately and soon became known throughout the city. Now, when people mention the Queen's statue, they often wear a knowing smile. But beneath that smile, there's perhaps a tinge of worry about how long Su Xinran's life will last. Everyone knows he's really gone too far this time.

Only Governor Long Mingyuan remains oblivious. It's understandable that he doesn't know; what governor stays up in the middle of the night to look at a statue?

Therefore, the Queen's statue in the trading city, like the Emperor's New Clothes, became an open secret, and also a widely known joke.

Jokes are meant to be entertaining, but when the person involved knows, they become anything but.

Just today, after admiring the Queen's statue, Long Mingyuan proudly told Xinran, "I've written a letter inviting Her Majesty the Queen to come to the city to see the statue in person. She'll be delighted."

"...Brother, you really wrote a letter?"

"Of course! Her Majesty the Queen has already agreed. Haha~ Brother Xinran, we're going to be in the limelight now."

Xinran touched his hair and smiled wryly, "I hope we'll still be in the limelight..."

Mingyuan looked at his companion suspiciously and said, puzzled, "Brother Xinran, your eyes are so strange. You haven't fallen for Her Majesty, have you?"

Xinran smiled slightly and remained silent.

Mingyuan looked up at the statue again, scratched his head, and muttered to himself, "But speaking of which, Her Majesty is truly a peerless beauty. If she weren't the ruler of a country, and not my cousin, I really want to..." He didn't dare say what he really wanted to say.

Xinran casually tossed aside the pebble in his hand, watching it stumble and roll into the ditch. He said thoughtfully, "Your cousin is trouble, and my sister is even bigger trouble. With both of us causing trouble, I'm afraid I'm doomed this time."

"Xinran, is His Holiness the Dharma King coming too?" Mingyuan asked excitedly.

"He's already at home. He arrived this morning."

"Oh dear! If I had known this would happen, I should have built a statue for His Holiness the Dharma King!" Long Mingyuan slapped his forehead, full of regret.

"No need. My sister won't like a pregnant statue."

"You, what did you say?"

"My sister, she's pregnant."

"His Holiness the Dharma King is pregnant? Impossible—" Mingyuan jumped up in fright.

Xinran frowned and shouted, "Shut up! You think others don't know?!"

"I... I won't tell anyone," Long Mingyuan lowered his voice, grabbed Xinran's hand and asked urgently, "Tell me quickly what happened—which bastard has disgraced His Holiness the Dharma King?" As he said this, his mind was racing. The Dharma King is the highest leader of the Holy Church; it's impossible for her to be pregnant. But who can say for sure what happens in the palace? Perhaps she's having an affair with some powerful figure… To win the favor of the holy Dharma King, even to the point of offering herself in marriage, must be an incredibly important person!

"Don't talk such filthy nonsense!" Su Xinran raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Point your finger at yourself and say it; you bastard, you're right here. "

Long Mingyuan stared blankly at her, wondering if he was dreaming. Having an affair with his own sister—how could he do such a thing and even say it? Even in the "Nightmare of the Trading City," this was far too outrageous! "

Mingyuan, Mingyuan," Xinran patted his back, speaking calmly, "I have to leave home for a while. Once my sister is alright, I… I might not come back."

Long Mingyuan looked up, staring blankly at the devilish young man, his mind a jumble of thoughts, unsure whether to scold him or comfort him.

"Get me a national pass, and a fake ID."

"Those are minor things! The problem is—you can't just leave like this!"

"By the way, I also need a job. Hmm, does the Adventurers' Guild have any vacant civil servant positions?"

"You bastard! You beast! Why don't you become a bounty hunter and get eaten by wild dogs?!" Long Mingyuan could no longer tolerate Xinran's coldness.

"No way, I don't know martial arts, I can't be a bounty hunter, I'm too bad, wild dogs would give me diarrhea. I mean, at least I can be a postman or something, right?"

"You fucking go be a damn postman, deliver damn letters! I'll take care of it for you!" Mingyuan shouted angrily. The guards, noticing the governor's outburst, rushed over. "Get out of the

way, all of you get out of the way." Long Mingyuan shooed the guards away, then pushed Xinran aside. "You get out too! We'll meet at the back gate of the governor's mansion at ten o'clock tonight. I hope you're still alive then."

Xinran smiled slightly. She helped him up by the shoulder, casually plucked a green leaf from a tree, put it in her mouth, and blew a melodious tune.

"I'm telling you, Brother Mingyuan, you don't need to care so much. I like my sister, and she likes me too. She never wanted to be that damn Dharma King in the first place. If she gets fired because of this, it might not be a bad thing. When that time comes, I'll marry her. But not now. I don't want to get married, and she doesn't want to disappoint her family, so we have to go our separate ways. No one owes anyone anything, and no one did anything wrong. If there's any fault, it's only because we were born into the same family. But this kind of nonsense is decided by my dad's bird, what does it have to do with me? So, you don't need to be angry. Cheer up and deal with your queen cousin. Hopefully, she won't arrive tonight. Goodbye."

With that, Su Xinran whistled and drifted away.

Episode 1, Chapter 3: The Elopement

Your Majesty the Holy Queen:

The boy named Su Xinran you mentioned in your letter is still alive and well under his father's protection. Given his various outrageous behaviors, I believe such days will not last long. Furthermore, to celebrate Your Majesty's sixteenth birthday, the Lower Kingdom has specially commissioned a jade statue unlike any seen or heard of before, its magnificence and nobility perfectly reflecting Your Majesty's greatness and divinity. This statue is now completed and placed in the central square of the Lower Kingdom. If Your Majesty has the leisure, why not come and see it for yourself? If this can be accomplished, it will truly be a blessing for the people of the Lower Kingdom. —

Cousin Mingyuan The morning glow

illuminated the horizon, and the resounding cries awakened the roosting birds on the grassland. Banners fluttered in the morning breeze, and the Queen's Guard, clad in mechanical armor, drove their heavy mechanical horses, advancing towards the rising sun to the solemn strains of military music.

At the center of the guard was a golden dragon, carrying the Queen's phoenix palanquin, strode steadily across the plain. It was Othello, the guardian deity of the Holy Dragon Kingdom.

This invincible dragon has guarded the Holy Kingdom for 120 years. Whenever the nation is in peril, it always steps forward, summoning the metal dragons to help the kingdom defeat powerful enemies. Othello's contributions are immense to the Holy Kingdom's rise to become the most powerful nation in Central Continent and its long-term stability. The thousand-year-old dragon has become a symbol of the Holy Kingdom's authority; without its presence, the king's authority is meaningless. In the scriptures of the Kuso Holy Church, the Holy Dragon Othello is revered as the spiritual leader of the Kuso God on Earth.

Besides protecting the kingdom, the Holy Dragon also shoulders the responsibility of assisting in the education of the national army, essentially acting as the king's teacher. Over the past 120 years, it has nurtured nearly forty wise rulers, but it has been quite a headache with the young Queen Long Qi.

This little queen has been exceptionally mischievous since birth, showing little respect for her teachers. While outwardly gentle and obedient, she is actually full of cunning schemes.

“Your Majesty, why are you so quiet? Are you up to mischief again?” Othello was uneasy as the Queen sat silently in the phoenix carriage for half an hour.

"When I speak, you scold me for being talkative; when I'm silent, you complain that I'm too quiet. What am I supposed to do?" the sixteen-year-old queen grumbled softly. As she spoke, she reached out a slender finger to lift the curtain and gazed absently at the horizon. Suddenly, a sly smile appeared on her lips.

Othello continued to reassure his student through telepathy: "Your Majesty, this road is difficult to travel, so please don't be reckless. If you get tired, sleep on my back for a while. Is the palanquin very bumpy? I'll try to slow down."

"The palanquin is very comfortable, teacher. I was thinking, if I ride you to the battlefield like this, won't the enemy laugh at me?"

"Why would you need to go to the battlefield! Besides, don't you have the Mechanical God Armor, Holy Angel? When you wear the Holy Angel and ride on my back, you'll look majestic, like a great marshal, and the enemy won't dare laugh at our queen for being a little girl."

"Actually, I don't like war."

"Who doesn't?" The old dragon sighed. "No one likes war, but wars never seem to end. Your Majesty's trip this time is nominally a pilgrimage and bandit suppression. The pilgrimage is real, but the bandit suppression is just lip service. You don't need to be afraid."

"I'm not afraid," the queen retorted unhappily. "Do you think my army can't defeat bandits?"

"That's not how it is," Old Dragon patiently explained. "With such a high-profile bandit suppression campaign, the bandits aren't fools. Why would they stay in their homes for you to wipe them out? They would have run away long ago. Besides, this time the opponents are orcs. Those guys aren't good at fighting, but they're masters of escaping. Speaking of the orc bandits in the eastern mountains, we've surrounded them countless times in the past ten years, but every time we've come up empty-handed. The bandit leader, Bear King Mickey, has no ambition and will never amount to anything."

"Isn't there also the Wilderness Panther? I heard that although she's a one-legged bandit and a woman, she has the ability to defeat ten thousand men."

"That Wilderness Panther, also known as the Overlord Flower or Big Sister Flower, is said to be the most beautiful woman in the orc kingdom, like a thorny black rose among the seven famous flowers of Central Continent." When talking about this famous female bandit, Othello's tone was no longer as relaxed as before.

"I heard she specifically targets treasure hunters and adventurers."

"Hmm, it's despicable that she steals the treasures others have worked so hard to obtain."

"I'd love to meet this 'Queen of the Hill'." Her Majesty, young and impetuous, felt a surge of desire to compete with a fellow woman.

"You'd better not do that. The Queen of the Hill is the daughter of the Beast King, her martial arts are superb, especially her swordsmanship."

"How does it compare to the royal family's secret Dragon Sword Technique?" "In

terms of swordsmanship, the Dragon Sword Technique is unparalleled in the world. Only the Wind Sword Technique of the Northern Mercenary King's family, the Amanralda family, can rival it. However, in terms of swordsmanship, the Beast King's Iron-Blooded Seven Kills is also exceptional. The relative strengths and weaknesses depend on the individual. Your Majesty is a once-in-a-century swordsmanship genius of the royal family. The Queen of the Hill might not be your match in terms of technique, but in actual combat, it's hard to say." Othello's words were fair. One was a member of royalty, a golden princess who had never even seen blood, while the other was a ruthless bandit who roamed the wilderness and killed without blinking an eye. They were worlds apart in experience.

The little queen, unconvinced, said with great interest, "I've also witnessed the swordsmanship of the Amanrada family. I once had a private sword duel with Duke Roland."

"How did it go?"

"A draw."

The old dragon laughed heartily, "Duke Roland is the world-renowned Wind Sword Saint, considered one of the four greatest masters of our time, alongside the Beast Lord, the Old Man of the Mountain, and the Black Prison Demon Lord. Could he have deliberately let you win?"

"No, that's not it. Sister Roland is a heroine, the strongest warrior in the Holy Kingdom. She wouldn't do anything so dishonorable." The queen pouted, throwing a tantrum. "Teacher, you always underestimate me."

"No, no, I was just thinking, why was Duke Roland born a woman? Even his name sounds like a boy's. He might as well have become a man."

"Forget it! You just like to look at young people with your old-fashioned perspective. You're such an old-fashioned person!"

"I don't mean to dislike Duke Roland, but isn't it a bit too rude for two ladies, both among the Seven Beauties of Central Continent, to draw their swords against each other?" The old dragon teased the queen with a smile.

"What 'Seven Beauties'? That's awful!" The Queen blushed and angrily shouted, "It's all those busybodies' fault for talking nonsense, naming seven beauties and ruining people's reputations. After this pilgrimage, I'll also name the seven most handsome men in Central Continent, hehe."

"You're actually quite happy, aren't you? After all, you're the queen of beauties."

"Not at all." The Queen said insincerely, but a smug smile appeared on her face. "Teacher, since you're so interested in gossip, do you know which other beauties we'll encounter on this pilgrimage?"

"That's no problem for me." The old dragon laughed, "I heard that His Holiness the Dharma King recently returned home to visit his family and is currently in the Trading City. The Trading City is our first stop, and since you and His Holiness the Dharma King are like sisters, of course you should visit him."

"Hmm, actually, there's something else. My cousin Mingyuan wrote to say that he built a statue for me and invited me to see it." "

Ha! You've only just become queen and you already have such an honor. That kid Mingyuan really knows how to flatter."

"What nonsense are you spouting! Am I a horse? You're getting more and more prone to talking nonsense."

"Alright, alright, besides Mingyuan and His Majesty the Dharma King, does Your Majesty have any other plans in the trading city?"

"Hmm..." The Queen hesitated for a moment, then said, as if finding it difficult to speak, "I... I want to take a few days off."

"Hmph! I knew you were going to run away. Where do you plan to go this time?" The old dragon revealed an expression that said,

"Just wandering around the trading city. I don't like being accompanied by a large group of people."

"That's strange. Why does Your Majesty always disappear for a while every time you go to the trading city? What has bewitched you?"

"Oh, please stop nagging," the Queen stamped her foot and whined, "Anyway, I just want a vacation!"

"You're the king. Can anyone object to you taking a vacation? But what about the pilgrimage?"

"I have a plan." With that, the Queen whistled. A white bird flew into the phoenix carriage and transformed into a little palace maid dressed in white after landing. The lark, a divine bird, was the Queen's servant spirit acquired in her childhood and her most trusted maid. While ordinary larks can only mimic the calls of other animals, the Queen's servant spirit could also transform into other people.

"Your Majesty, did you summon me to go out on business?" The lark immediately understood its mistress's intention. It was clear the Queen had run away from home more than once.

"Lark, immediately put on my clothes, transform into my appearance, and temporarily take my place at the pilgrimage."

The lark smiled wryly, "How long will Your Majesty be gone this time? I'm worried I'll be discovered."

"Don't worry, you're my best double. How could anyone easily see through you? Just be careful, I'll be back soon." While instructing the lark, the Queen quickly took off her dragon robe and crown, then swiftly stripped the lark of her dress and put it on herself. Looking at herself in the mirror, she still didn't feel like a commoner. With a heavy heart, she cut off two-thirds of her long hair and tied it into two buns. Now she looked more like a little maid. The Queen smiled contentedly, adjusted her long dress, confident that she wouldn't be recognized even walking the streets of the trading city.

"Your Majesty, please come back soon!" The imposter queen sat regally in her phoenix carriage, her face contorted with worry, watching her mistress depart.

Long Qi, disguised, escaped the guards, her mood instantly lightening. Humming a smug tune, she skipped and hopped across the fields.

"Awooo! Awooo! Awooo!"

A little donkey caught up, following the Queen and refusing to leave.

"Huh! Strange donkey, what do you want by following me?" Long Qi raised her eyebrows and questioned the donkey.

The donkey raised its head and spoke in human language: "Your Majesty, I am Othello."

"...Why did the teacher become a stupid donkey?"

"Because he has to take care of even stupider students."

Long Qi was furious and grabbed the donkey's ear, scolding it: "You old fool, go back right now!"

"If Your Majesty doesn't go back, I won't go back either." Othello, now a donkey, indeed had a bit more of a donkey's stubbornness.

“Oh dear teacher, I can slip away, but you can’t. You’re so conspicuous; if you disappear, the guards will go crazy.”

Othello yawned and sneered, “Your Majesty is overthinking it. You have a double, and I, this old man, also have a shadow warrior. I’ve already arranged for the Silver Dragon ‘Water Mirror’ to impersonate me, and she’s currently heading towards the trading city with the guards.”

The little queen stood there for a long time before realizing she had been tricked by the cunning Holy Dragon. Helpless, she had no choice but to take him with her. So she mounted her donkey and rode off sullenly towards the trading city. Othello galloped away, quickly leaving the guards behind.

“Your Majesty, you sneaked out like that; you wouldn’t happen to be going to see your sweetheart, would you?”

Long Qi’s heart pounded, and she quickly pretended to be nonchalant, saying lightly, “No, that’s not true.” However, a figure that was both familiar and unfamiliar involuntarily surfaced from the depths of her memory, becoming clearer and clearer.

Long Qi's first visit to the trading city was seven years ago, at the invitation of the then Governor Su Jiusi. At that time, she was just an innocent little princess, unaware of the dangers of the world. Bored in the Governor's mansion, she slipped away to play in the back garden. In a moment of weakness, she encountered someone she shouldn't have.

A group of children, about Long Qi's age, were playing hide-and-seek in the garden, all local boys. Long Qi watched enviously, wanting to join in. But as a princess, she was too shy to speak up. Just then, the blindfolded boy, pretending to be "it," groped his way in, incessantly shouting, "Don't run—I saw you a long time ago!"

Long Qi was startled and froze in the flowerbed, too afraid to move. The boy, however, didn't come closer; he just grabbed here and there, spinning in circles. It turned out he was just bluffing.

Long Qi found his appearance truly comical and couldn't help but laugh. Now things were in trouble. The boy's ears were as sensitive as a rabbit's; they pricked up at the sound and pounced on her like a hungry tiger, pinning her down in the flower bushes.

Long Qi was terrified and forgot to protest, struggling desperately. The boy was incredibly strong and ruthless; he pressed his hand against her nose, squeezing hard, and the poor little princess's vision went black, tears streaming down

her face. When she regained her senses, the boy, still wearing a veil, straddled her arrogantly, singing, "Today I, an old man, display my might on the battlefield, capturing a bandit chieftain!" As he sang, he groped her face, muttering, "Why don't you surrender? Do you think I can't guess who you are? Hmm, your skin is so smooth, could it be that effeminate Mingyuan? Now let me touch your belly... no, no, it's flat and soft, not Mingyuan's big belly... This is unbelievable, who are you?" He then reached inside her clothes.

Princess Long Qi had never been so offended before. To make matters worse, she hadn't worn any underwear under her blouse, and the boy's hand immediately touched her most private area.

"Why are there two cotton candies hidden in your chest?"

Whether from fear or excitement, Long Qi felt flustered by his touch. She felt two vortexes of shame, guilt, and pleasure opening on either side of her chest, strange ripples spreading outwards, numbing every inch of her skin, making every pore stand on end. An unprecedented thrill rose from the depths of her heart, as if she were dreaming. Just then

, the boy suddenly pulled down the ribbon, their eyes meeting. He smiled knowingly, "So you're a girl. No wonder you smell so good." He felt no shame for his indecent behavior; on the contrary, he seemed quite pleased with himself, straddling Long Qi, lowering his head, face to face, looking her up and down.

"Strange, I feel like I've seen you somewhere before..."

Long Qi choked back tears and nodded, struggling to say, "Get away..." She had already recognized this little rascal as Xinran, the young master of the Su family. However, he ultimately failed to recall that the girl he was riding on was the future queen of a nation. Scratching his head, he said impatiently, "I don't care who you are, anyway, you're mine now that I've caught you."

"If you don't get away, I'm going to scream for help!" Long Qi only regretted not having a sword in her hand to kill this villain with her own hands. Xinran was

n't afraid of her screaming for help at all; he was only worried that if someone else came, he wouldn't be able to continue playing with this strange little girl. So she chuckled and said, "Don't yell, let's talk nicely and be friends, okay?"

"You're bullying me!"

"I didn't..."

"You're still sitting on me."

"This is the rule of hide-and-seek: the winner has to ride on the loser for fifteen minutes. You barged in and ruined our game, so you deserve to be punished."

"I don't want to..." Long Qi pleaded weakly, like a bird falling into water. She dared not resist firmly; within the other's small body lay an extremely terrifying, violent power. That power was also an irresistible temptation, making her unwilling to break free from the half-playful, half-humiliating contact.

"Really only a quarter of an hour?"

"Really!" Xinran said sincerely. "After it's over, we'll start again. If you catch me, I'll let you ride for a quarter of an hour too."

Long Qi smiled through his tears and said softly, "I don't want to, that's too embarrassing."

"What's the big deal? It's just a game. Hey, what's your name?"

"Long Qi."

"Ha! What a majestic name, like a big shot. My name is Su Xinran."

Long Qi repeated his name, suppressing a laugh, and said, "You don't sound like a good person just from your name."

Xinran was greatly annoyed and sighed, "I don't like this name either—Su Xinran. I've already lost, what's with the 'Xinran'? If I keep going like this, won't I lose for the rest of my life?"

"That's not necessarily true." Long Qi was surprised that he could remain calm in such an embarrassing situation and still have the mood to comfort him. "Xinran means happy. You're happy when you lose, and you're happy when you win."

"Thank you for your kind words, but we'll have to wait until I really win."

"Didn't you catch me? That means you've won."

“Hmm, that’s true,” Xinran habitually scratched the back of his head and laughed, “and I’m actually quite happy right now. Anyone would be happy to catch such a pretty, gentle, and cute girl while playing hide-and-seek.”

Long Qi smiled along with him, feeling sweet inside from his praise.

“Alright, let’s get up. If this continues, I’ll start thinking of you as my wife.”

With that, Xinran stood up gracefully, then helped her up, brushing the dust and weeds off her skirt.

“Ouch, my legs are so numb.”

“Sorry, it must be because I pressed on them.” Xinran then took it upon himself to squat down and gently massage his numb calves. His unintentional tenderness made Long Qi feel like she was bathed in a spring breeze, completely forgetting the humiliation she had suffered not long ago.

“If your leg doesn’t hurt anymore, let’s play hide-and-seek.”

“No, I… I have to go.” Long Qi lowered her head, warning herself that she couldn’t have any more contact with him. It was against etiquette.

“Then we’ll just have to say goodbye. Let’s shake hands and be good friends.”

Long Qi took his hand, shyly raising her head, and for the first time, carefully examined Xinran.

Xinran’s pupils were originally as black as a cat’s eyes, similar to those of an ordinary child, but now they were changing due to some frightening yet unfathomable emotion—a fiery red flame was rising from the core of the pupil, seeping outwards and merging with the black background, becoming a purple with a strong sense of depth from dark to light.

Various layers of purple expanded within the pupil. It wasn’t a color belonging to the realm of painting, because it was alive, like looking down at the sea from high above. Because of the distance, the sea seemed small, shrinking into a spherical pool, but it was even deeper, so it was unfathomable, and black.

The iridescent light in Xinran's eyes was actually that dark, sea-like pool. From the bottom of the pool grew tiny red worms, which swarmed towards the surface, gathering in increasing numbers until they formed a dense mass. Yet, their wriggling movement persisted, radiating outwards and shooting into Long Qi's eyes. She suspected the worms were about to enter her eyes, and she was filled with unbearable fear.

Fear brought her back to her senses amidst the impending crisis. She covered her face and fled. She dared not look at Xinran, dared not listen to him speak, and dared not answer his questions—she had a premonition that if she uttered a sound, she would be sent flying into his eyes and melt into water.

Long Qi fled to a banana tree, hiding in the bushes, panting, enjoying a sense of relief akin to escaping death. She didn't understand what terrible thing that child had done to her, but the intense demonic aura she had sensed in a fleeting glance had deeply tainted her once pure heart, like an invisible hand from the darkness, tightly gripping her soul. No matter when or where, she couldn't escape his control.

"Long Qi, where have you been hiding? Long Qi, Long Qi, come out quickly! You really can't withstand tests. If you want to be friends, why can't you look a friend in the eye? Are all human hearts so fragile?"

Xinran walked over, talking to herself. Long Qi quickly turned and hid in the flower bushes. Xinran walked past her, shouting, "Long Qi, your name sounds too important, not suitable for friendship. From now on, I'll call you Long'er, okay? If you're willing to be friends with me, I'll call you Long'er next time we meet, you must agree! Long'er, did you hear that? That's your name, only I can call you Long'er, you must remember that. Sigh, I thought you'd become my first love, but it's all for nothing again!" She walked away, talking to herself.

Long Qi emerged from the flower bushes, gazing at his retreating figure disappearing into the shadows. The strange feeling Xinran had instilled in her faded like the tide.

Years later, Long Qi returned to the trading city. As soon as he entered the city gates, that strange feeling returned. A young man in white, carrying a green leaf, brushed past him. In the distance, in the square, the Queen's crystal statue stood like a god under the midday sun.

As the sun set and dusk enveloped the earth, a piercing scream erupted from the trading city's municipal square.

"Heavens! How could the Queen's statue turn into a naked woman? What the hell happened?!"

The governor, busy arranging the celebrations, finally saw the Queen's true form and immediately coughed up blood and fainted.

After emergency treatment, Long Mingyuan finally awoke, his first words being: "Smash it...smash the statue immediately..."

"Governor, if we smash the statue, what will happen when Her Majesty the Queen arrives? We can't just say the statue has already been smashed, can we?" the advisors said, troubled.

"Immediately summon all the artisans in the city to rebuild the statue at lightning speed, and make sure it's completed before dawn!"

"That's probably..."

"Probably not! If it's not finished on time, you'll all die with me!"

The advisors dared not say another word and slunk out of the ward.

Long Mingyuan grew angrier the more he thought about it: Ultimately, it was all Su Xinran's fault. He just walked away, leaving me to clean up his mess—how hateful! No, he had to get revenge. He

immediately summoned the head of the Adventurers' Guild and asked, "How's the matter I asked you to do this morning?"

"It's ready, Your Excellency. A letter of appointment as a senior special envoy of the Adventurers' Guild, and a pass."

"Senior special envoy? No way, replace him immediately!"

"That's already the highest position." The guild leader thought the governor thought the position was too low.

"Change him to the lowest-ranking position!"

"The lowest-ranking position is a postman, that's not an easy job."

"None of your business, just do as I say. Remember, prepare the most difficult-to-deliver letters for that kid, and send him to the most dangerous place."

"Yes, sir." The chairman replied, completely bewildered.

At this moment, Su Xinran, already burdened with trouble, was unaware that her friend was kicking her while she was down. Long Mingyuan, furious, was also unaware that not only was the Queen's act a double act, but even the Queen herself had been switched; the fake Queen was still dozens of miles away, while the real Queen was already wandering the city.

It was the height of summer, but the trading city had already entered a turbulent period.

Episode 1, Chapter 4: A Tale of Adultery

On a gloomy summer afternoon, the sky was overcast, and a cold wind foreshadowed an impending downpour. Su Xinran returned home with a heavy heart. Instead of immediately going inside, she ran to the orchard and picked a ripe fruit from the "telephone tree."

The so-called Telephone Tree, as the name suggests, is a mechanical tree capable of producing "telephones."

The Central Continent is barren of iron ore, and most everyday utensils and tools are made of wood or pottery. Electrical appliances and machinery all grow from these "mechanical trees."

In ancient times, the Central Continent had no mechanical civilization, nor did it possess mechanical trees. It wasn't until five hundred years ago, when the Hurricane Clan, under the command of the Black Angels, invaded the Central Continent, that they spread mechanical technology there. After the Black Angels' defeat, mechanical civilization was deemed an extremely dangerous heresy by the Kuso Holy Church, and all related materials were destroyed. Despite this, the seeds of mechanical civilization remained. The destroyed mechanical scraps retained the psychic power of the Hurricane Clan, and nourished by soil, sunlight, and rain, they evolved into a hybrid of mechanical and plant life—the ancestor of the Mechanical Tree.

Initially, Mechanical Trees were very rare, growing only in the southern highlands of the Holy Dragon Kingdom. The southern city-states, being geographically close, greatly benefited from the fruits of the Mechanical Trees. Later, a city was established in the south specifically for trading and researching mechanical trees, which is today the renowned "Mechanical City" of Grass.

As time passed, the terrifying legends of the Black Angel faded from people's minds, and the mechanical tree and its fruit were no longer considered abhorrent. Since the previous Holy King legalized the planting, sale, and use of mechanical fruits, mechanical trees were transplanted throughout the kingdom.

Although mechanical trees were widely planted, they were far from widespread. This was because they had significant limitations.

First, their growth rate was slow. The more intricate and complex the mechanical fruit, the longer it took from flowering to maturity. For example, a telephone took ten years to flower and bear fruit. Picking the fruit immediately afterward was useless; it had to hang on the tree for a year to store a phone number. If it hung for five years, it could store five, and so on, but generally, it couldn't exceed ten years, otherwise it would rot!

A five-year-old telephone fruit costs enough to cover a middle-class family's living expenses for a year. This shows that telephones are not something ordinary people can afford. Of course, this only applies to ordinary families. The Su family, wealthy beyond measure, is an exception.

The telephone fruit's shell resembles a coconut, and its texture is extremely hard. Xinran struggled to crack it open, retrieved the phone, and quickly dialed a number. After a brief ringing tone, a gentle female voice came from the other end.

"Is this Xinran?"

"Sister, I'm back."

Su Hongxiu sighed deeply and lowered her voice, saying, "Come to my room quickly, be careful."

"Okay."

Xinran stuffed the phone into the bushes, climbed over the fence, and arrived at the back window of her bedroom.

Su Hongxiu opened the window, letting her younger brother climb in. Seeing that no one was around, she breathed a sigh of relief. She pulled her brother inside, letting out a long sigh, "Why did you suddenly come back? You scared me to death!"

A downpour was approaching, and the cold wind rattled the window paper. Seeing that his sister was only wearing a thin nightgown, Xinran quickly picked her up and sat her on the embroidered couch, rolling up the quilt to cover her. Su Hongxiu, who was three years younger than her, let her younger brother hold her, feeling both happy and sad, overwhelmed with emotions. She said softly, "Xinran, I'm not cold. Come on up too."

Xinran obediently crawled into the quilt, embracing his sister's soft, boneless body. The familiar fragrance filled his nostrils. Beyond the tenderness and affection, there was also the intimacy of blood relatives. This double attraction made him unable to control himself. He tightly hugged Hongxiu's waist, wishing he could melt into her arms.

Hongxiu ruffled her younger brother's hair and sighed softly, "You still love to act cute."

Xinran smiled and said, "It's only natural for a younger brother to act cute towards his older sister; there's nothing shameful about it." Suddenly remembering something important she hadn't asked, she asked, "Sister, how did Dad react?"

"Ugh, he was almost furious! He gave me a severe scolding and said he'd skin you alive when you got back!" Hongxiu shuddered as she recalled her father's enraged expression when he learned she was pregnant.

"Does anyone else know about this?"

"How could I dare tell anyone! Don't you think I'm embarrassed enough?"

Xinran said nonchalantly, "I hope as many people as possible know, preferably the whole world, then you won't have to be the Dharma King!"

Hongxiu angrily slapped her younger brother, her face changing rapidly. She wanted to get angry, but in the end, she couldn't bear to scold her precious little brother. She said unhappily, "You're too willful. You never consider the consequences of your actions. If you continue like this, you'll get into big trouble sooner or later."

Seeing his sister angry, Xinran felt bad too. He said shamefully, "I do have this flaw. Sometimes I even feel hateful about myself. Sister, don't be angry. For you, I'm willing to change all my shortcomings."

Hongxiu was easily coaxed by her brother and went from anger to joy: "I'm not angry. Even if it's a flaw, as long as it belongs to you, I still like it very much..."

Sweet words melted Xinran's heart. He lowered his head and bit his sister's earlobe, whispering, "Sister, I need to check if you've been slacking off during your year-long practice in the Dharma King's Hall."

"Ha..."

Hongxiu sighed bitterly, biting her cherry lips and forcing herself to gaze into her brother's eyes. This was a secret signal known only to the two of them. Four years ago, upon returning from the Holy Dragon Temple, Hongxiu was captivated by her brother's eyes and couldn't help but give up her virginity. She knew very well that this was unethical, but she still couldn't resist the unparalleled allure, and from then on, she couldn't stop. Even after becoming the Dharma King, she didn't sever the illicit love between the siblings.

Xinran had discovered since childhood that his gaze could control the minds of living beings. This was partly due to the innate lustful magic of a half-vampire, but more importantly, the evil dragon soul lurking within him. Of course, Xinran didn't know this secret at the moment.

When their eyes met, Hongxiu's heartstrings suddenly trembled; her brother's magic was even more intense than it had been a year ago. The light emanating from Xinran's eyes went beyond simple suggestion and hypnosis; deep within her pupils seemed to hold a kaleidoscope, revealing a vibrant and wondrous world. A single glance would drag one into an abyss.

Hongxiu silently recited sacred scriptures, suppressing her lust with a calm and serene mind. As a Dharma King, Hongxiu's spiritual cultivation was arguably the best in the Holy Dragon Kingdom, surpassing even the Holy Queen, yet she still couldn't contend with Xinran's magic. She could barely withstand eye contact, but Xinran, of course, wouldn't stop there. Unhurriedly, she lifted her struggling sister and, from top to bottom, unbuttoned the Dharma King's robes. Her delicate, full breasts were freed, radiating a burning, carnal aura in the dim light.

Hongxiu gripped her brother's hand tightly, breathing heavily, gritting her teeth in a final act of resistance. She wasn't rejecting Xinran's caresses, but giving up like this was simply too much to bear.

“Sister, you’re even fuller here than before.” Xinran gently stroked her nipples, her fingertips trembling at the touch. Her plump, white breasts swayed as if unable to bear the weight, and her nipples swelled, hard as pebbles.

“Ah…” Hongxiu cried out softly, collapsing into her brother’s arms as if exhausted, sobbing softly, “Xinran, I lost again… You’re getting better and better…”

Xinran smiled slightly, kissed his sister’s face, and turned away to undress. Hongxiu hugged him from behind, resting her head on her brother’s shoulder, and moaned softly, “I’ll help you…”

“No!” Xinran quickly moved away, “You should just stay in bed.”

Hongxiu was greatly disappointed and angrily punched her brother on the back.

Xinran turned his head, blushing, and said, "I'm sorry, sister, I'm shy."

Hongxiu shook her head and smiled bitterly, "You're so strange. You're not afraid of having an affair with your own sister, but you're afraid of being seen by others."

Xinran scratched his head, puzzled, and said, "That's right, I guess I'm not experienced enough. Sister, can you believe it? I've never been to a brothel in my life."

Hongxiu pulled her brother into the quilt and chuckled, "Don't go to those kinds of places, they're not clean."

"But I heard that only men who have been to brothels are real men," Xinran muttered foolishly. He skillfully parted his sister's thighs, reached out and touched her, and found her already overflowing with moisture, sticky and sticky.

"Nonsense! Don't you have enough sexual experience? You're already quite promiscuous by not going to brothels." Hongxiu gave her brother a resentful look. She thought to herself, since their first time together, this precious brother of hers has probably done a lot of mischief with women.

"Believe it or not, sister, I've never been intimate with any other woman besides you."

"I don't believe you!"

"Oh, it's true!"

"Then why? We can't be together in this life. You wouldn't stay chaste for your sister, would you?" Hongxiu pinched her brother's nose, teasing him with a smile.

"No, I just have a psychological problem," Xinran said, distressed. "I'm afraid to take my clothes off in front of other women, you know, I feel embarrassed. But how can I do this without taking my clothes off? I'm not afraid with men, anyway, everyone looks the same, there's nothing to see."

Hongxiu was secretly pleased to hear her brother's distress.

"Xinran, your expression just now was like a little girl's, so charming! I'm going crazy loving you." Her legs wrapped around Xinran's waist, their naked bodies pressed tightly together.

Xinran thrust forward, his hard, iron-like penis plunging into her wet, sweet hole, reaching the very core, making a lascivious, wet sound.

Hongxiu frowned, took a deep breath, and smiled sheepishly, "I only knew you'd grown taller, but I didn't expect my little brother down there to have grown too. Suddenly barging in like this, it's a bit overwhelming." The

slight pain quickly subsided. Hongxiu raised her pink legs, clamped them around Xinran's waist, and twisted her plump buttocks to receive the burning hot penis, moaning with pleasure.

Xinran especially loved hearing his sister's moans; it sounded like singing, softly humming along with the rhythm of their intercourse.

Suddenly, Hongxiu opened her eyes, staring intently at her brother, and said with a half-smile, "Xinran...it's coming."

Xinran nodded and quickened his movements.

Hongxiu sighed, her flower path tightening, gripping her brother's member like a vise, and then began to writhe violently. A pool of honey-like lustful fluid gushed out from the penis, soaking the sheets.

Xinran tightly embraced his sister's buttocks; the soft flesh seemed almost dripping with moisture. Her hot, tight vaginal canal gripped his penis, the soft, fleshy tip enveloping the sensitive glans, sucking like a small mouth—the sensations were indescribable.

After her climax, Hongxiu felt limp, as if her bones had been removed. Knowing her brother wasn't satisfied, she turned her back to Xinran, smiling shyly, "Let's try it from behind. The previous position was too tiring; I couldn't take it anymore."

"I like it from behind too," Xinran said, parting his sister's buttocks and thrusting deeply inside. "This way I can touch your breasts, and your buttocks are so soft and comfortable."

Hongxiu's face flushed red with embarrassment, and she scolded, "Look at you, you're making things more and more unpleasant."

Xinran stopped talking and increased the speed of his thrusts.

Hongxiu's breathing quickened, and she grabbed her brother's hand, pressing it to her breast. She cried out incoherently, "Oh no—it's not right—no…it's happening again!"

Xinran bit her sister's ear and said with difficulty, "Good sister, wait for me—"

Before she could finish speaking, Hongxiu's body stiffened, her back arching like a bow. Xinran also felt dizzy and cold all over, as a surge of heat shot out from her lower body, deeply penetrating her sister's body.

"Oh no, I came inside again…" Xinran grabbed her hair in frustration.

“It’s alright,” Hongxiu found her brother’s worry amusing. “I just had an abortion, how could I get pregnant again so soon?”

Xinran was even more unhappy, frowning as he said, “Sister, why don’t you have the baby? I really want him to be born…”

“I can’t have a child right now, otherwise our family’s reputation will be ruined, and I won’t have the face to go back to the Dharma King’s Hall,” Hongxiu said firmly. “Besides, you’re still a child yourself, not qualified to be a father.”

Xinran snorted dismissively, coldly saying, “So, you still want to be the Dharma King?”

Hongxiu patted her brother’s cheek, earnestly saying, “Don’t blame your sister, this is my job.”

“Let someone else do it, you don’t like it anyway.” Xinran didn’t want his sister to be the Dharma King, and more importantly, it would prevent them from being together for life.

Hongxiu hesitated, then simply told her brother, “I am the most suitable candidate for Dharma King, no one else is as good as me.”

Xinran understood that his sister, who was so obedient to him, actually had quite an ambition, and since she had made her decision, he couldn’t interfere. However, he didn't think much of it. He would never do something he didn't like for the sake of profit and power.

After their lovemaking, the siblings lay in bed, cuddling. Now it was time to talk about Xinran's future.

"Xinran, Dad is very angry right now. You'd better come with me to the capital for a while and wait until he calms down before coming home."

Xinran shook her head and smiled, "Sister, I want to go out and explore on my own."

"Then, I'll go with you!"

"Forget it. Who takes their sister out into the world? Besides, your vacation is almost over, and you have to go back to work at the Dharma King's Hall. You won't have time to accompany me. I've already found a job, and I can go out and see the world. It's not bad."

"What job?"

"Postman!"

"...Should I praise your personality or scold you for being unambitious? The young master of the Su family becoming a postman will be laughed at."

"Hehe, I was just teasing you. Actually, I asked Mingyuan to help me find a job. We're such good friends, do you think he would really let me be a postman?"

Hongxiu Xinran smiled, "Then I'm relieved."

Just then, they heard a knock on the door.

"Miss, the doctor is here to take your pulse."

Hongxiu quickly got up, opened the back window, and tearfully told her younger brother, "Be careful on the road. If things don't go well, be sure to come to the Holy Capital to find me."

Xinran put on her coat, hugged her sister and kissed her hard, then turned and jumped out of the window, slipped back into the garden, and jumped over the wall.

※※※※

Xinran dusted off her trousers and swaggered towards the place Long Mingyuan had arranged to meet. On the way, she passed the square and saw a group of guards moving the Queen's statue. She had a bad feeling; the nude statue had been exposed beforehand, and Brother Mingyuan was probably going to be furious. After negotiating with the Adventurers' Guild, she indeed only got the job of a postman. There was also a heavy package of long-distance letters.

Xinran originally wanted to find Long Mingyuan and scold him for not being a good friend. But then she thought, she had played a prank first, so there was no reason to expect others to repay evil with kindness. So she laughed it off, picked up her mailbag, mounted the post office-issued "walking bird" (a low-level servant demon often used as a single-person mode of transportation), and fled the trading city under the cover of night.

Before leaving the city gate, Xinran paused briefly in the square. She noticed the guards had toppled the statue, immediately covered it with a canvas, stuffed it into a carriage, and driven away. Another carriage drove into the square, placing a similar, ordinary queen statue on its pedestal.

"A substitute made in just one night, Little Fatty Long is quick, it's a pity Her Majesty the Queen can't see my masterpiece, what a shame." Just as Xinran was about to leave, she inadvertently noticed a dark figure curled up not far away.

"Wake up, you'll catch a cold sleeping here, hey, are you drunk?"

Xinran helped the person up, and upon seeing them, she was immediately stunned.

"Huh, why is it a little girl?"

Lying unconscious in the square was a young girl in her early teens, her beautiful face covered in dust, like a daisy fallen to the ground.

"Hey, girl, wake up! If you don't wake up, I'll sell you to a brothel!"

The girl slowly woke up, staring blankly at Xinran, and inexplicably shouted, "I'm so angry!"

"Hey, why are you so angry?" Xinran was confused.

"Of course I'm angry!" The girl pushed Xinran away, clenching her fists and shouting, "Where's that damn statue? I'm going to smash it!"

"Statue?"

"It's so shameful! So shameful! How can anyone bully someone like this..." The girl became angrier as she spoke, her eyes filled with tears.

Xinran took out a handkerchief and handed it to her: "Wipe your face. Although I don't know why you're angry, you actually fainted from anger. If it's because of that statue, I apologize to you—because I made it." "

...I really don't know whether to thank you or kill you with a sword."

"Such a young age, yet so murderous! What's your name?"

The girl hesitated slightly, then said softly, "Long'er."

“Long’er? That name sounds familiar…” Xinran tapped his head, racking his brains.

The girl, seemingly afraid he’d figure something out, quickly grabbed his hand and said, “Big brother, are you a good person?”

“Of course.”

“Then will you take me home

?” “…Where do you live?

” “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know!?”

“I remembered just now, but when I saw this statue, I suddenly fainted from anger. When I woke up, I only remembered the name.”

“…It’s not my fault, go find the police for help.”

“No, no,” she said urgently, grabbing his hand, “You made the statue. I fainted from anger because of it and lost my memory. It’s all your fault, you have to take responsibility.”

Xinran was furious, thinking, “Where did this unreasonable little girl come from?” He glared at her fiercely, intending to say something terrible. But upon closer inspection, he realized that after wiping the dirt off the girl’s face, she was unbelievably beautiful!

Xinran stared at her intently for a long time, then suddenly deflated like a punctured balloon, saying weakly, "If you insist on coming with me, then let's go together."

The girl seemed surprised that he was so agreeable, clapping her hands excitedly, "Big brother, you're so kind! By the way, what's your name?"

"Su Xinran."

"Can I call you Brother Xinran?"

"Don't try to get close to me, it's so mushy and annoying. If you want to come with me, you have to be my maid, serve me, and listen to me."

"I... I don't know how to serve people."

"If you don't know how, then learn! I'm already working so hard, and now I have to take care of you too, how can I manage?"

The girl was afraid of being dumped, and said nervously and breathlessly, "Then I'll do my best."

Xinran nodded in satisfaction, patting the girl's head, and said, "My dear, from now on you have to call me Young Master, understand?"

"Understood, Young Master."

Xinran tried his best to hide his surprise, but he couldn't help but laugh.

“Let me tell you, I’m not going out for fun. I have to walk a very, very long way, and it will be very tiring. If you regret it, leave immediately.”

“I’m not afraid of hardship, and I won’t regret it.”

“Good job,” Xinran whistled, summoning the walking bird. He bent down, picked up the girl, placed her on the bird’s back, and hung the mailbag around her neck.

“Take good care of it; this is my livelihood.”

“Young master, are you going to let me ride the bird?”

“No, we’ll take turns. You ride in the morning, I’ll ride in the afternoon.”

The girl said gratefully, “You’re such a kind person. But I have my own mount. Look—he’s coming!”

Xinran looked in the direction she was pointing and saw an unremarkable-looking donkey trotting over.

“Young master is taller than me; riding a donkey is better than riding a bird,” the girl said obediently.

Xinran climbed onto the donkey’s back, and as soon as he sat down, the donkey chased after the walking bird.

The girl, clinging to the bird's neck, turned back with a charming smile: "Young master, you look so handsome riding that donkey! You must be a big shot!"

Xinran ignored him, clinging tightly to the donkey's neck, and cursed, "What kind of damn donkey is this? It runs like it's flying!"

Little did he know, this donkey could actually fly.

Episode 1, Chapter 5: The Robbery

The summer sun blazed, the sky cloudless. The railway tracks gleamed blindingly in the scorching sunlight. A

sharp whistle shattered the afternoon tranquility, and a giant centipede sped along the railway, its red head prowled along the embankment, focused only on charging forward. The centipede's feet were fitted with many wheels, its hundred legs moving in unison, moving with lightning speed. This centipede was actually a domesticated, large-scale servant demon, a "train beast," each segment of its body a carriage.

The whistle sounded again, and the train beast slowed its pace, stopping at the platform. The brown, hard shells connecting its joints all flipped upwards, and arriving passengers disembarked.

A handsome young man appeared at the carriage door riding a walking bird and hopped onto the platform. Behind him, a girl of similar age in white also disembarked. Following the two of them and the bird was a small donkey. The two rode their respective servants away from the station, heading towards a nearby town.

The donkey ran very fast, quickly leaving the walking bird behind. The girl had no choice but to stop and wait for the young man.

“Brother Xinran, if you keep dawdling, we won’t make it to Bronze Town before dark.”

“Bullshit! Did I deliberately dawdle? It’s all this stupid bird’s fault for walking so slowly,” the boy, feeling dizzy from the sun, questioned the girl irritably. “Long’er, I told you to call me Young Master, have you forgotten so quickly?”

“I know, Young Master, but why won’t you ride the donkey?”

Xinran touched his knee, which he had injured from falling off the donkey not long ago, and said insincerely, “Um… I don’t like the smell of donkeys. Sigh, I didn’t expect it to be so hot. If I had known, I should have bought a ticket for the evening.”

Long’er smiled knowingly, not pointing out that he was completely bad at riding. He bent down and took a parasol from his bag, handing it to Xinran: "Hang in there a little longer, we'll be there soon."

Xinran opened the parasol, feeling a little cooler, and smiled, praising Long'er: "You're so thoughtful, knowing I'm afraid of the heat, you specially prepared an umbrella."

"Young Master, are vampires really afraid of sunlight?"

"Of course they are. I've personally witnessed vampires turn to ashes in the sunlight."

"But why aren't you afraid?"

"I'm a half-vampire and half-human, so my resistance to sunlight is stronger than that of ordinary vampires. Even so, I can't be exposed to the sun for too long."

"No wonder you look so pale, Young Master. I still have some apple juice in my bag, would you like some to quench your thirst?"

"I'm not thirsty right now. We'd better conserve our water, we still have a long way to go."

Long'er nodded obediently and put the water bottle back in his bag.

Xinran glanced at the satchel and asked, "Long'er, have we delivered nine letters already?"

"Nine, young master."

"Hmm, then only this last one is left. After delivering these, I can travel freely."

"No, young master, there are two left."

"Two?" Xinran said, puzzled. "I remember there were only ten letters in total, how come there's one extra?"

"It's eleven, no mistake," Long'er took out the remaining two letters from the satchel and showed them to Xinran.

Long'er had always kept the satchel, so Xinran wasn't sure how many letters there were. Seeing that there was indeed one extra letter, he could only lament his bad luck and the extra trip. Long'er

looked at the envelope and smiled, "Young master, the address for the last letter is also near Bronze Town."

"That's very convenient. Who is the recipient?" Xinran asked listlessly. According to his temperament, he originally planned to just throw all the letters away, since no one would care. But Long'er insisted on delivering every single one.

"It's a person named Mickey, and the address only says Bronze Mountain."

"Let's ask around when we get to town." Xinran, of course, had no idea that Bear King Mickey was the leader of a band of bandits in the area. Nor did she suspect that Long'er had secretly slipped this fabricated letter into the mailbag.

"Young Master, your family is so rich, why do you work as a postman?"

Xinran certainly couldn't tell the truth that her affair with her sister had been exposed, forcing her to run away from home. Saying one thing but meaning another, he said, "A good man's ambition lies in all directions. To achieve extraordinary things, one must do extraordinary work. Being a postman allows me to travel the world and see the sights of different places. Why not? Besides, being a postman is just my current job. After delivering the last two letters, I can go to the Adventurers' Guild to report for duty and be promoted to an adventurer!"

Long'er asked with interest, "Is being an adventurer a very prestigious profession?"

"That's right, being an adventurer is the most glorious profession on earth. However, there are many kinds of adventurers. There are treasure hunters and monster hunters. The highest level is the paladin. To become a paladin, an adventurer must make amazing achievements and receive a title from the Holy Queen. That's really too difficult. I don't even dare to dream about it." Xinran was quite self-aware.

Long'er said dismissively, "Young master is too modest. I believe you will definitely become a paladin."

Xinran laughed heartily, "Long'er, your little mouth is getting sweeter and sweeter. Come here—give me a kiss!" He went to hug the girl.

"No way!" Long'er giggled and dodged away.

Xinran urged the bird to chase after it, but unexpectedly, Long'er's donkey suddenly kicked him, causing him and the bird to fall to the ground and swallow a mouthful of mud and sand.

Long'er was stunned for a moment, then quickly used telepathy to question the donkey: "Master! What's wrong with you? What if you hurt Brother Xinran!"

The Holy Dragon, transformed into a donkey, replied sullenly: "Your Majesty, this brat dared to flirt with you in public. As his bodyguard, it's only right that I teach him a lesson. Hmph, you've only known him for a few days and you're already calling him Brother Xinran this and that so affectionately. You're the one who's crazy. How can the Holy Queen neglect her important duties of pilgrimage and bandit suppression to hang out with this little hooligan!"

Long'er shook her head and laughed: "Master, how can you turn the tables? It was you who first put me under Brother Xinran's wing, trying to influence and educate him."

"But you didn't influence him at all; instead, you were corrupted by him."

"My main focus now is on bandit suppression. It was precisely to eliminate the bandits that I followed Brother Xinran to Bronze Mountain to scout out the enemy's situation."

“I think scouting the enemy is just a pretense; our real purpose is to flirt.”

Long’er’s pretty face flushed red. She didn’t explain further and went to help Xinran to her feet.

Xinran reluctantly climbed onto the bird’s back, glaring fiercely at the donkey: “You damned donkey, one day I’ll send you to the slaughterhouse!”

The donkey turned its head away disdainfully and carried Long’er away at breakneck speed.

As the sun was setting, Xinran and Long’er finally arrived at Bronze Town. The town was small, with a small population, and recently, bandits had been rampant, making it even more sparsely populated.

Xinran had been traveling all day and was starving. Seeing a decent-looking restaurant at the town entrance, she pulled Long’er inside and chose a window seat. The waiter brought the menu, but Xinran didn’t look at it closely and ordered the most expensive dishes. Long’er tugged at his sleeve and whispered, “Don’t order so much food; we don’t have much money left.”

“How much do we have left?”

Long’er poured all the coins from her bag onto the table and counted them one by one.

"I'm afraid it's only enough for this meal."

"...Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"I...I didn't know the money was disappearing so quickly," Long'er said, feeling wronged.

One was a rich young master, the other the Queen of the Holy Kingdom, both accustomed to a life of luxury since childhood. They had chosen the most expensive and best accommodations along the way, spending money like water, completely oblivious to the need for thrift.

They ate listlessly, neglecting even to deliver the letter, and racked their brains for ways to make money. They secretly regretted not bringing a few copies of "The Dream Seeker" with them when they left; selling them would at least cover tonight's lodging. Writing erotic novels or drawing erotic pictures would be too late; they couldn't solve their immediate problem. After much thought, they finally decided to target Long'er.

“Long’er, I’ve thought of a brilliant way to make money, and I need your help.”

“What brilliant plan?”

“Don’t ask, just tell me if you’ll help or not.”

Long’er underestimated his wickedness and innocently said, “As long as it’s within my power, I’ll definitely help.”

Xinran nodded in satisfaction and said, “Great! Quickly take off your clothes.”

Long’er asked in surprise, “Why take off my clothes?”

Xinran grinned slyly, “You’re so pretty, and you have a great figure. Wouldn’t it be a waste not to use you to make money? I’m going to take you to a tavern to dance and earn money.”

Long’er was terrified and cried out, “No! Absolutely not! Don’t think you can take me for a fool!” Xinran

angrily shouted, “You brat! What’s the big deal if someone sees you? It won’t hurt you.”

“No means no! If you want to dance, go dance yourself! You don’t care about me at all… You’re such a pervert!” Long’er became angrier and angrier, tears welling up in her eyes.

Xinran was used to being absurd and assumed that others were as shameless as him. He couldn’t understand why she was so agitated. He said sullenly, "You have to choose between dancing naked or sleeping on the streets."

Long'er felt increasingly aggrieved and sobbed, "I don't want to dance naked, and I don't want to sleep on the streets..."

However, Xinran's heart was as cold as iron, and she said firmly, "If you don't want to, then don't follow me anymore."

"I...I'd rather beg!" The poor Holy Queen finally understood that home is best, but going out is difficult.

"Don't be silly, can you beg your way home? Or just listen to me and dance!"

"I...I can find a way, can you give me two hours? I'll go find a friend to borrow money." Long'er pleaded softly. If Xinran nodded, she could take the opportunity to escape and find Othello to find a solution.

Xinran said firmly, "No! I'm not doing this for money, but to test your loyalty. If you refuse to dance naked, it proves you're a selfish girl who can't share hardship."

Long'er, cornered, retorted tearfully, "When have you ever shared hardship with me?"

Xinran smiled slyly, "You have a point. When we had money, I didn't mistreat you; that's sharing the good times. Now that we're poor, it's only right that we share the bad."

"Exactly," Long'er said quietly, oblivious to his hidden meaning, "I'm really not afraid of hardship. If you can endure it, I'll definitely do it too." She thought Xinran was willing to sleep on the streets, but little did she know this guy was still after her naked dance.

"Great! I'm going to go do nude dancing to earn money now, you're coming with me!"

"Uh..."

"Didn't we agree to share joys and sorrows? Let's go."

"You have absolutely no morals!" Long'er sighed and said softly, "Brother Xinran, please spare me! I'll do anything except nude dancing."

Xinran wanted to hear that, and smiled with satisfaction, "That's enough. Let's go deliver the message first, and we'll think of something else later."

A weight lifted from Long'er's heart, and she followed Xinran, utterly dejected. She couldn't understand how Xinran could laugh so innocently while uttering such shameless words; this person was a mixture of angel and devil!

Xinran led the sullen Long'er to a shop at the address on the envelope.

It was a travel prop shop, also selling cheap mechanical fruits and magic crystals. Xinran knocked and entered. A cunning old woman immediately greeted her with a beaming smile, saying solicitously, "Young adventurer, what would you like to buy?" Xinran was just a postman, and being suddenly flattered as an "adventurer" was quite a surprise. Scratching her head, she chuckled awkwardly, "Excuse me, are you the owner of this shop?"

"Yes, what can I do for you?"

"There's a letter here, from the trading city."

"Oh, that must be my precious son! He works at the governor's mansion and rarely comes home."

"Then please read the letter quickly." Long'er untied the mailbag and handed the letter to the old woman.

The old woman tore open the envelope but returned the letter to Xinran, saying embarrassedly, "Adventurer, I can't read. Could you read the letter for me?"

Xinran asked in surprise, "If you can't read, why does your son write letters?"

The old woman chuckled awkwardly, "Although I can't read, the postman certainly can. I always ask him to read the letters for me. You must be new to this line of work, right? I've never seen such a handsome postman as you."

"Hahaha~ Of course, of course, I'll read it to you!" Xinran opened the letter and slowly read it to the old woman. The letter began with the usual platitudes about a son missing his mother, only ending with the crucial question—asking his mother for money. Xinran read it aloud, folded the letter, and returned it to the old woman, thinking, "Her son is so old and still asking his mother for money; he must be a spendthrift." Then he thought, "I've always relied on my family for food and clothing; I have no right to judge him." Although Xinran had many flaws, he was certainly not lacking in self-reflection; he knew he had done wrong and would sincerely repent. Whether his reflection would lead to improvement, or whether he would repeat the mistake

, was another matter entirely. The old woman carefully put the letter away and said to Xinran, "Young man, thank you for traveling so far to deliver this letter. I should give you a tip, but you see, my son is short of money and doesn't have any. How about this, see if there's anything you like in my shop; take your pick."

Xinran was overjoyed and said with a smile, "Since you're so generous, I'll gladly accept." He then went to the counter to choose what he wanted.

Seeing Long'er still standing at the door, the old woman waved enthusiastically, saying, "Little girl, come in and pick out some clothes you like."

Long'er was worried about not having money for a hotel that night, thinking that having more clothes to wear would keep her warm even if she slept on the street. So, without hesitation, she followed Xinran to pick out clothes. Her mind was focused on "sleeping on the street," so her hand naturally reached for the thick travel clothes. Xinran patted her and whispered, "Silly girl, that dress is neither pretty nor valuable. I'll help you choose."

Long'er had no choice but to give up. Xinran picked out two long dresses, one white and one lake blue. He tossed the lake blue one to Long'er, held the white dress up himself, and satisfied, stuffed it into his parcel. Besides clothes, Xinran also took a "steel wire fruit," cracked open the shell, and inside was a roll of steel wire about the thickness of a little finger.

Finally, he browsed the magic crystal counter, which was almost entirely filled with low-grade crystals and earth crystals. In Central Continent, magic crystals aren't primarily used for magicians' research; ordinary people use them simply as an energy source. As mentioned before, the machinery in the Holy Kingdom is all harvested from fruit trees. The machines rely on energy to operate. In areas with coal and oil, this is manageable, but without these minerals, the machines use magic crystals as batteries.

Different types of magic crystals result in vastly different properties. For example, the common "metal cutting machine" can be powered by water, fire, or wind magic crystals. Adding a crystal creates a water-pressure cutter, a fire crystal a high-temperature cutter, and a wind crystal a common "wind welder."

Xinran, lacking both mechanical equipment and magical knowledge, had no use for magic crystals. Just as he was feeling dejected, he noticed a black crystal in the corner of the counter, standing out from the crowd. Curious, he picked it up and examined it briefly, then was overjoyed.

It was a "summoning magic stone"—knowing the incantation to activate it allowed him to summon servants from another dimension. Xinran took the summoning magic stone to the shop owner and asked if she knew what kind of servant demon was sealed inside. The old woman looked at the magic stone and said, "This stone was left behind by a traveler. He bought a large barrel of wine at the shop, but didn't have cash to pay, so he left the magic stone as collateral. It was three years ago."

Xinran asked with a glimmer of hope, "Did he leave any incantation to open the magic stone?"

The old woman thought seriously for a moment and said, "He did say something, but I can't remember clearly. It seemed to be something about sesame seeds and grains... Oh, I remember now—it's 'Open Sesame'!"

"I want this crystal, is that alright?"

"Of course, you can't sell it anyway."

Finally, Xinran asked the old woman if there were any entertainment venues nearby, such as brothels or nightclubs.

The old woman said, "There used to be a brothel, but it's closed now. All the girls there were kidnapped by orc bandits." Hearing her mention bandits, Long'er's eyes lit up, and she asked, "Grandma, are there really orc bandits around here?"

The old woman said with disgust, "Of course there are, quite a few. Those orcs are particularly hateful. They travel along the railway line to the Holy Kingdom to kidnap women, transporting them back north to be auctioned off at high prices. Many families' daughters and wives have been trafficked to the north like that."

Xinran was shocked upon hearing this: "Is human trafficking really that profitable?" "With such a good thing, I have to persuade my dad to invest right away."

Long'er was annoyed that he had no compassion and only knew how to be greedy for money. She explained unhappily, "The orcs don't kidnap women for money. I heard that a great disaster has occurred in the northern kingdom of Rama (the orc territory). In the past ten years, the birth rate of girls has plummeted, making it increasingly difficult for adult men to find wives. Although the Rama government has vigorously restricted the birth rate of boys and rewarded families that have daughters, it still cannot meet the urgent needs of unmarried men. It is not uncommon for brothers to share a wife. The orcs once sent a note to our government requesting intermarriage between the two countries, which was sternly rejected by the Holy Queen."

Xinran clapped her hands and cheered, "Good! Girls from the Holy Dragon Kingdom should of course marry their own compatriots. How can they let the strong-armed and simple-minded orcs benefit?"

Long'er shook her head and smiled, "The Holy Queen's rejection of the orcs' request is not entirely due to personal selfishness. The northern climate is harsh and cold all year round. Southern women simply cannot survive there. As the ruler of a country, how can she send her people to suffer?"

Xinran smiled and said, "In my opinion, Your Majesty... " There are other plans. The Kingdom of Rama has always been a formidable enemy to our north. Although relations have improved considerably since the peace treaty was signed and the joint construction and management of the Northeast Railway were undertaken, those who are not of our kind are bound to have different hearts, and hostility remains. Now that the orcs are in trouble, their population has drastically decreased, and their national strength is far less than before. Their threat to the Holy Dragon Kingdom is not as great as it once was. If the orcs were to be wiped out, His Majesty would be overjoyed; why would he be willing to provide aid? Only an idiot would offer his own women to the enemy, creating a new generation of enemies.”

Long'er was shocked upon hearing this. She hadn't expected Xinran to have such foresight. Actually, when the orcs made their request, she had intended to offer assistance, even planning to recruit female volunteers nationwide to marry into the Northern Kingdom. This naive idea, of course, was met with opposition from the court officials. The most compelling reason was Xinran's insight just now. Although Long'er had a good impression of Xinran, she had always considered him a good-for-nothing playboy, which had always been a source of regret for her. She hadn't expected his view to be the same as that of a visionary minister, and her opinion of him had unconsciously changed considerably.

The old woman winked at Xinran, then whispered to Long'er with her back turned, "Young man, what is that girl to you?"

"Nothing much, just a friend traveling with me."

"I see. I was wondering why you would bother going to a brothel when you have such a beautiful young woman by your side. If you want to find women, you can try the taverns in the north of the city."

Xinran smiled knowingly, thanked her, and led Long'er away from the prop shop. As soon as Fang stepped outside, he suddenly remembered something, so he stuffed the clothes into Long'er's hand and said, "There's something I forgot to ask the shopkeeper. Wait a moment, I'll be right back."

Xinran took the last letter back to the prop shop and asked the old woman if she had ever heard of Bear King Mickey.

Upon hearing the name, a look of fear flashed across the old woman's face. She lowered her voice and asked, "What do you want with Master Mickey?"

Xinran said she was delivering a letter. The old woman was still uneasy and asked what kind of letter it was. Xinran, of course, didn't know. The old woman seemed very wary of this person, and after a long silence, she said, "Bear King Mickey is elusive and no one knows his exact whereabouts. I heard that someone saw his companions in the abandoned mine of Bronze Mountain. You can go and look for him; maybe you'll be lucky enough to run into him."

Xinran thanked her again and left happily. The old woman wanted to stop her and tell her that Bear King Mickey was the leader of the orc bandits. However, upon further reflection, the young man and the girl from before spoke fluently about the bandits' origins; they couldn't possibly be unaware of Mickey's identity. Since they were delivering a message to him, they must have some connection. Thinking this, he couldn't help but feel a chill of fear. He had spoken ill of the bandits, and if that couple's words reached King Mickey's ears, his life would likely be in danger. The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became. He quickly closed the shop, packed his valuables, and fled that very night to the trading city to seek refuge with his son.

Meanwhile

, Xinran and Long'er, although they had received two dresses from the old woman, still had no money for lodging that night. However, Xinran already had a plan. She first found a quiet alley to change into the white dress, and then persuaded Long'er to wear the other one. Long'er was already the most beautiful of the seven beauties of Central Continent; with a little dressing up, she immediately displayed her unparalleled beauty. Despite being a man, Xinran, dressed in a skirt and with his hair down, looked even more handsome than a girl. Coupled with his innate charm and bright, expressive eyes, he was a stunning beauty, in no way inferior to Long'er.

Long'er stared blankly at Xinran in women's clothing, speechless with surprise.

"How is it? Not bad, right?" Xinran asked.

"You…why are you dressed as a woman? It's so perverted!"

"Pah! It's all for the money," Xinran retorted, her anger rising. "If you were willing to dance nude, why would I need to dress as a woman?"

Long'er suddenly realized: "You want to pretend to be a socialite and go to a bar to drink with men and earn money?"

"That's right!" Xinran wasn't embarrassed at all.

"Um…should I go too?"

"Of course! Didn't we agree to share the hardships?"

Long'er quickly weighed the options. Between being a socialite and dancing nude, the former was more acceptable, especially since Xinran was already dressed like this; she was bound to go.

She readily agreed, "Okay, I'll go! But let's be clear, I can only dance and drink with men, no further requests."

Xinran laughed heartily, "You're really naive! You can't make money just by drinking and dancing. If you want to hook a rich guy, you have to invest something. You won't even let anyone touch or kiss you, what man will take the bait?"

Long'er retorted angrily, "I said no, and that's final! There's no room for negotiation!"

"Fine, if it doesn't work out, then so be it. I hope God blesses us and we catch a lucky charm." Xinran shrugged, carefully smoothing her skirt to cover her revealing travel boots, and swayed as she walked out of the alley. Xinran had a sweet smile on her lips, her eyes captivatingly alluring, causing passersby to turn and stare, each one seemingly mesmerized.

"Pah! What a seductive vixen!" Long'er was both angry and jealous, following him angrily like a maidservant to a young lady.

Following the old woman's directions, Xinran arrived at the tavern. Sure enough, some disreputable women sat at the bar, striking seductive poses. The tavern doubled as a dance floor. Travelers and adventurers from afar, while enjoying delicious beer, would rise and invite the flirtatious socialites to join them on the dance floor. As soon as Xinran and Long'er entered, they immediately attracted the attention of all the men present, like spotlights. The owner personally came over to invite Xinran to sit down, and she ordered two glasses of rye beer. The owner said solicitously, "For two beautiful ladies, all services in our establishment are complimentary."

Xinran accepted the owner's kindness with a smile and savored her beer. Long'er took a small sip and frowned, finding it bitter. She whispered, "This drink tastes awful, and you're still enjoying it? Can you get me a creamy ice cream?"

Xinran glared at her and said irritably, "What kind of socialite goes to a bar and asks for ice cream? If you're thinking about making money, you'd better drink it properly."

Long'er had no choice but to hold her glass and pretend to enjoy it. Just then, a young man came over and invited Xinran to dance. Xinran shook her head and smiled, saying in a high-pitched voice, "Sorry, I want to rest for a while before dancing." Her tone was extremely charming and amorous. The man left dejectedly.

Long'er nudged his arm and said, "He invited you out of kindness, why didn't you accept?"

Xinran sneered, "Look at his clothes, he's obviously a pauper. There's no need to waste time on someone like him."

Soon, someone else invited Xinran to dance. This time it was a portly old man, wearing expensive silk clothes and four gold rings on his fingers.

Xinran once again politely refused him.

Long'er asked, puzzled, "This time it's a rich man, why did you refuse?"

Xinran said unhappily, "He may be rich, but he's old and fat, I don't like him."

Long'er said angrily, "We're here to make money, not to find a fiancé, how can we be so picky?"

Xinran rolled her eyes and said, "Making money shouldn't come at the cost of your integrity."

Long'er couldn't do anything about it, so she swallowed a big gulp of beer to vent her anger.

Next, a foreign gentleman walked in, dressed very well and quite handsome. He introduced himself as soon as he opened his mouth, "Beautiful lady, Sir Clark from the Dark Continent is honored to invite you to dance. Would you do me the honor?"

Xinran said embarrassedly, "I'm sorry, Sir Clark, I'm allergic to the smell of vampires. Could you please stay away from me?" Sir Clark walked away disappointed.

Long'er asked, "This person is good-looking and rich, why did you refuse?"

Xinran whispered, "Sir Clark is a notorious miser on the Dark Continent. Don't even think about squeezing a penny out of him!"

In this way, Xinran refused invitations from ten people in a row, one after another.

Long'er was not only angry, but also extremely jealous. People were only courting Xinran, the fake woman, and no one was inviting her to dance. In truth, Long'er's looks and demeanor far surpassed Xinran's, but this was a low-class brothel; the men were looking for generous, flirtatious women willing to let them take advantage.

Long'er, though beautiful and elegant, didn't know how to use her charm; she looked like an innocent doll, unable to arouse men's desire. She belonged in high-society salons, not in a shady tavern. People admired her, but knew they couldn't win her heart, so they wouldn't bother coming to her.

Two hours had been wasted, and with only a few customers left in the tavern, Xinran couldn't hold back any longer. She whispered to Long'er, "It's the next one, no matter how handsome or rich he is, it's the next one."

Before she finished speaking, they suddenly heard boisterous laughter outside the door.

"Hahaha~ Sure enough, there are women! Brothers, this trip wasn't in vain! Woof! Woof!" Laughter was followed by barking, chilling to the bone. Then, a burly orc clad in leather armor, with a human body and a dog's head, burst in, carrying two gleaming battle axes upside down. He raised his axes and shouted, "All men, get out of here! Don't touch the women! Anyone who disobeys, I'll chop their head off!"

Chaos erupted in the tavern. Women screamed and hid under tables, while all the men, including the owner, scrambled to escape. Xinran and Long'er exchanged bewildered glances.

The dog-headed man surveyed the crowd, finally settling on Xinran and Long'er. He approached with a fawning smile, "Haha~ Not bad, not bad at all! You've caught two delicate, beautiful young ladies! Big Brother will be very happy."

Long'er, seeing his rudeness, raised an eyebrow and was about to retaliate. Xinran patted her hand, signaling her not to be impulsive. She stood up, holding a wine glass, and smiled, "What's your name, hero?"

The dog-headed man stared lecherously at her face, drool uncontrollably dripping from his mouth. After a long pause, he finally said, "I am the infamous Dog-Headed Black Three, haven't you heard of me?"

"Brother Black Three, this little sister toasts you." Xinran took a small sip of wine and handed the glass to Black Three.

Black Three, a rough man, had never been favored by a beautiful woman before, and was immediately flattered and captivated by her. He took the glass and drank it all in one gulp, accidentally pouring most of the wine into his nostrils, choking and snot running down his face.

Xinran smiled seductively, "Brother Black Three, do you like drinking with your nose?" She then picked up Long'er's glass, swallowed a mouthful, held it in her mouth, and suddenly spat it out onto Black Three's face. This blatant flirting made Long'er frown, but Black Three was ecstatic. He licked the wine stains off his face with his scarlet tongue, then mumbled, "So sweet, so fragrant... I can't take it anymore!"

He hastily dropped his axe, unbuckled his belt, and pulled out his ugly penis, rubbing it. "Ohhhhhh... So good... Woof woof... I'm going to cum..." In less than ten seconds, Hei San had ejaculated in front of everyone. He plopped down on the ground, his mouth twitching and eyes glazed with pleasure, a stench of molten flesh filling the tavern.

Xinran cursed the orcs for their lack of manners and covered her nose, moving away. Long'er was so disgusted she almost vomited on the spot.

Just then, unusually heavy footsteps sounded outside the door, and an exceptionally burly man in black squeezed through. He was over two meters tall, his body wider than half a meter from the door, shattering the doorframe as he entered, and cracking the walls. The burly man stepped into the tavern, causing the tables and chairs to bounce violently.

Xinran looked up and saw that the newcomer had a hairy bear head, and his exposed chest was covered in black fur. Behind him followed two wolf-headed, human-bodied beastmen, who appeared to be bear-men's henchmen.

The bear-man arrogantly glanced at everyone, then looked at Black Three sitting on the ground, and said unhappily, "Black Three, you did that again?"

Black Three seemed very afraid of the bear-man, and quickly stood up with a forced smile, saying, "Big brother, I... I really couldn't hold back."

"What kind of fairy made you so impatient?"

Black Three was afraid of the bear-man's wrath, so he pointed at Xinran and said, "Big brother, look, it's this little fairy. I've never seen a prettier or more alluring woman in my life—" He then raised five fingers and exclaimed exaggeratedly, "Five seconds! Really only five seconds, and I came. Damn, I've never felt so good before! Woof woof!"

When the bear-man saw Xinran, his eyes lit up, and he nodded and smiled, "Not bad, not bad, really not bad. The smaller one on the left is also very good." He was pointing at Long'er.

"Yes, big brother, we're really lucky today," Black Three said with a fawning smile.

The bear-man glared at him unhappily, and said in a pretentious tone, "Black Three, have you forgotten how I always taught you?"

"Of course not, brother, how could I forget?"

The bear-man, hands behind his back, looked up at the sky, seemingly oblivious to everyone else, and said, "Back then, I led you brothers from the army, carrying out His Majesty the Crown Prince's imperial decree, leaving our homes and enduring hardships to serve in the Holy Dragon Kingdom. To understand the Crown Prince's good intentions and to be loyal to the country, I made a three-point agreement with my men, setting rules. Do you remember?"

Black Three rubbed his hands, embarrassed, and said, "I remember, of course I remember the rules you set, brother."

"Then tell me, what are the three rules?"

"The first one: abandon all beastly habits, be civilized and polite, and emulate the speech and behavior of the Holy Kingdom's upper class."

"Have you followed this one?"

"I have always followed it."

"Bullshit!" The bear-man roared in anger, "I clearly heard you barking like a dog just now!"

"I'm sorry, brother, I'll never say 'woof woof' again," Black Three said obediently.

The bear-man nodded in satisfaction and then asked, "So what are the second and third rules?"

"The second rule is: no rudeness to beautiful women. The third rule is: no masturbating in public."

"Did you abide by them?"

"Brother, masturbating in public is an old habit of mine. It was indeed wrong of me. I'll change, I definitely will. But the second rule..." Black Three said dejectedly, "You took the brothers to see the world's wonders, to see the most beautiful women in the world, but you forbid the brothers from having fun. Isn't that too inhumane?"

The bear-man shouted decisively, "Fool! Did I bring you to the Holy Kingdom just for fun? Good women are meant to be taken back to the motherland and offered to the officials who have worked so hard for the country and its people. Do you think you can ruin them here? Saying such things shows that you are a selfish and self-serving person with no patriotism whatsoever!"

Black Three quickly bowed his head in repentance, "I was wrong, brother, please don't be angry. I was really wrong."

“Let it go this time,” the bear-man patted his forehead, listlessly instructing Black Three and the orcs behind him, “Take the other women back to the usual place. As for these two ladies,” he meant Xinran and Long’er, “they are first-rate beauties, incomparable to the other women, and certainly not to be treated with violence. Black Three just acted disrespectfully towards these beauties, so I will personally stay to host a banquet to apologize, explain the greater good, and earnestly request that the two ladies generously offer themselves to marry Rama and help their suffering compatriots.”

“Understood, brother, we will do as you say.” Black Three picked up his axe and, along with the two werewolves, escorted the women out of the tavern, leaving only Xinran, Long’er, and the bear-man leader in the empty room.

As soon as his men left, the bear-man immediately revealed his true colors. Waving his two bear paws, he leered and pounced on them.

“Little beauties, let me give you a kiss!”

Xinran dodged, frowning as she thought to herself: This bastard spouts patriotic rhetoric when he's lecturing his men, but he's a hypocrite. He'll be my sucker tonight!

Xinran gave Long'er a wink, then smiled seductively at the bear-man across the table: "Master~ You're so eager, I'm so scared~"

The bear-man, captivated by her charm, laughed and pounced: "Little beauty, I'll treat you gently—waaaah!"

His laughter suddenly turned into a scream, and the bear-man fell backward. Xinran had suddenly grabbed a chair and smashed it into his face. One was premeditated and ready to strike, the other was blinded by lust and caught completely off guard. The bear-man, despite his skills, was ambushed, his head bleeding profusely as he lay on the ground screaming.

Long'er, equally ruthless, grabbed an iron door bolt and circled behind him, relentlessly striking him on the head and face. Blinded by blood, the bear-man could only cover his head and defend himself, utterly powerless.

"Hurry up!" Xinran urged, "We'll be in trouble if his companions come back!"

"Alright!" Long'er raised the bolt high, secretly channeling his Holy Dragon True Qi into his palm, and swung it down with all his might! With a muffled thud, a large hole appeared in the bear-man's head, blood gushing out. He was motionless.

Fearing he wasn't dead, Xinran quickly took out some wire and tied him up. Only then did she feel safe enough to search him. In the bear-man's money bag were more than ten silver coins and four gold coins. Xinran was overjoyed and said to Long'er with a smile, "Tonight's haul is quite good; this money will be enough for us to have some fun for a while."

Long'er, being meticulous, searched the bear-man again and found a black stone in the hidden buckle of his belt.

"Young Master, look! This stone is strange. It's neither a gemstone nor a crystal."

Xinran picked it up and examined it, laughing, "Long'er, you're lucky! You've found a treasure!"

Long'er asked excitedly, "Really? Tell me what it is!"

"It's a very rare storage magic stone. Something ancient is sealed inside..." Xinran said, examining the black stone. "Anything worth putting in a storage magic stone must be priceless. Maybe it's a map to some treasure."

"You little bastard—give me back my magic stone!"

Xinran was so engrossed in studying the magic stone that she didn't notice the bear-man had woken up. His face was covered in blood, and his eyes were burning red with rage.

Xinran kicked him without warning and said coldly, "If you don't want to suffer, stay put!"

The bear-man laughed loudly, "You think you can trap me with a few steel cables? You little bastard! Watch closely—" He shook his arms, and the steel cables snapped into pieces.

Xinran was terrified and quickly pushed Long'er away, saying, "You go, I'll deal with him!"

Before she finished speaking, the bear-man roared and pounced on her, pinning her to the ground and tightly gripping her neck with both hands.

Long'er wanted to help, but the bear-man stopped him, saying, "Take another step closer, and I'll kill this bitch!"

Long'er was hesitant to act, tears welling up in his eyes.

The bear-man, still holding Xinran's neck, slowly unzipped his pants, lewdly grinning, "Don't rush, wait until I've raped the big beauty, then I'll serve the little beauty." As he spoke, he began to tear at Xinran's skirt. Just as his hand reached out, he suddenly felt a sharp pain. Looking closely, he saw a thin red thread wrapped around his wrist, the end piercing a vein. A chill ran through his body from his wrist, and his limbs went numb.

The bear-man, terrified, rolled away, clutching his injured wrist and yelling, "You little bitch—what do you think you're doing!"

Xinran, lying on the ground, sneered, slowly raising his right hand. A half-inch-long cut was visible on his wrist. A thin red line was rapidly shrinking into the wound—Xinran's blood vessel.

Xinran was a half-vampire, his body's physiology vastly different from humans. His blood was highly poisonous, and his blood vessels were unique—not only as hard as steel and as sharp as needles, but also capable of extending from his body like tentacles

to ambush opponents. This was one of his secret weapons, called "Blood Thorns." Xinran knew nothing of martial arts or magic, and had long known that someone like him venturing into the world would likely be killed. Therefore, he had always kept the Blood Thorns a secret weapon, never using it unless absolutely necessary.

Just now, Xinran had used this move to ambush the bear-man, piercing his opponent with his wrist vein. The poisonous blood entered the vessel, immediately paralyzing the bear-man, rendering his immense strength useless. The bleeding thorns caused Xinran to lose a significant amount of blood as well. For vampires, blood is the most precious thing; what is lost must be regained. Xinran pounced on the bear-man, biting his neck and sucking blood frantically.

Long'er was stunned by his frenzied behavior, only regaining her senses after a while. She rushed forward, pleading, "Xinran, stop!"

Xinran pushed away the barely breathing bear-man, collapsing to the ground in a daze. Suddenly, he covered his eyes and began to sob silently.

It was the first time Long'er had seen him cry, and she was both surprised and confused. She gently put her arm around his shoulder and softly comforted him, "Brother Xinran, don't be afraid, the bad guy can't move anymore..."

Xinran pushed her away, wiping his tears and saying apologetically, "I'm not crying because I'm scared. Just thinking about my stomach being filled with that bastard's filthy blood makes me unbearably sad..."

Long'er thought this was an excuse to cover up his loss of composure, but she didn't understand that Xinran was telling the truth. Xinran had an extremely severe case of mysophobia, to the point that even as a vampire, she couldn't tolerate drinking other people's blood.

Long'er helped Xinran to her feet, then looked back at the bear-man. Xinran had bitten a large hole in his neck, yet he was still alive. He leaned against the wall, howling in pain, "It hurts...it hurts so much...I refuse to die here, I refuse!!"

Long'er was terrified by his ferocious appearance and hurriedly asked Xinran, "What do we do? He's stood up again!"

Xinran gasped, gritting her teeth, "I don't believe he's truly immortal. Long'er, get away from him."

"Okay!" Long'er wanted nothing more than to get as far away from the bear-man as possible.

Xinran then took out a black magic crystal and silently chanted, "Open Sesame, Open Sesame...O demon spirit from another world, heed my call and destroy the enemy before you!" With the incantation, the magic crystal shot out a cloud of black smoke, within which seemed to writhe a creature.

With a wave of her hand, Xinran released the creature from the black smoke, which pounced on the bear-man's back. This creature from another world was exceptionally hideous, almost entirely composed of countless tentacles, its head and tail indistinguishable, its body covered in a sticky liquid that emitted a foul stench. At the end of each tentacle was a fleshy stalk, resembling a male phallus.

Xinran had obtained this magic stone from the old woman at the prop shop, initially believing it sealed a powerful servant demon, which led her to the impulsive idea of summoning it to help her fight the bear-man. She hadn't expected it to be such a bizarre and unassuming creature.

Xinran, of course, didn't know that this was a terrifying creature called the "Lustful Beast," whose tentacles served as both weapons and sexual organs, capable of taking the virginity of young girls from thousands of miles away. It was a national treasure of the overseas island nation of Fusang. A local proverb said: "The Lustful Beast God commands the world; without women, who can contend with it!"

This lewd beast, summoned by Xinran from a distant island nation, was feeling restless and lonely. It stretched out its tentacles, bound the bear-man, and spat out corrosive acid that melted its prey's clothes before attacking its rear and pounding into it relentlessly.

The bear-man rolled on the ground, screaming in horrifying agony, but quickly fell silent—its mouth was also occupied by the beast.

Xinran watched the bear-man's brutal rape, finding it truly horrifying. She gloated, "Don't you like fucking women? Getting fucked like this today, isn't it great?"

Long'er couldn't bear to watch any longer, covering her eyes and urging Xinran, "Quickly put that monster away, it's disgusting!"

Xinran, still savoring the experience, raised the magic stone and chanted an incantation. The lewd beast transformed into a wisp of black smoke and vanished into the magic stone. Looking at the bear-man again, he was already dead from being raped, a gaping hole in his rear end, blood flowing incessantly. Xinran poured strong liquor on the bear-man's corpse and burned it clean.

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