TL: GoldenLung
The Lord of Fenglong City was without a doubt one of the powerhouses of Celestial Dragon Planet. Lan Xuanyu didnât dare to use his spiritual sense to probe the other partyâs cultivation, but there was no questionâthis man was definitely a God-rank expert. His courteous demeanor and warm smile gave the impression of a spring breeze.
If not for Huang Yuanlangâs little test with the dragon-blood tree sap at noon, they might truly have believed him to be a benevolent elder. That dragon-blood tree sap was indeed a fine thingâBai Xiuxiu could already feel its benefits while cultivating that afternoon. But if she hadnât possessed dragon blood, that single cup might well have been the death of her.
Bai Xiuxiu followed half a step behind, walking alongside Huang Yuanlang as they headed inward. Lan Xuanyu and the other two trailed farther back with Elaysion.
As they walked, Huang Daoqi smiled and asked, âXiuxiu, have you gotten used to life in Fenglong City?â
Bai Xiuxiu nodded. âItâs been fine.â
âGood. From now on, Fenglong City is your home. Do you have any parents?â Huang Daoqi asked.
Bai Xiuxiu shook her head with a trace of confusion. âMy memories of them are hazy. I think they passed away when I was very young.â
The sadness that rose within her needed no actingâit was her true past.
âMy apologies,â Huang Daoqi said, glancing at her. âBut it doesnât matter. From now on, this is your home, and every member of the Huang Family is your family.â
They entered the city lordâs grand hall, resplendent in gold and jade, filled with opulent decorations that dazzled the eyes.
Bai Xiuxiu was guided directly to the main dining hall, where everyone took their seats. Huang Yuanlang then introduced the people who had joined him in greeting herâthey were his two younger brothers and three younger sisters.
From his words, it was clear that Huang Daoqi had six children in all, a rare feat among the Higher Dragons.
Moreover, all of Huang Daoqiâs offspring were Higher Dragons capable of taking human form.
Huang Yuanlang smiled. âDragon Knight Mokong has always hoped one of us could become his successor. Now, with Xiuxiu joining, the chances are much greater.â
Lan Xuanyu and his companions were not sent elsewhere; they, too, entered the main dining hall. Servants bustled about, and Elaysion stationed them some distance away.
Thanks to his Purple Demon Eyes, Lan Xuanyu could see clearly despite the distance. When Huang Yuanlang mentioned producing a Dragon Knight successor, he noticed all the Huang Family members glance toward Huang Daoqi.
Huang Daoqi smiled. âOur Huang Family ranks among the Ten Great Clans of the Celestial Dragons, but in truth, weâve become the laughingstock of the ten. They say weâre known only for reproductionâthat all our talents are spent in that direction.â
At this, his children laughed, and the atmosphere lightened.
Huang Yuanlang chuckled. âFather, though they mock us, they also envy us. Only you have so many descendants. Without you, we wouldnât even be here. You are our pride.â
Huang Daoqi laughed heartily. âWeâre the only one of the Ten Great Clans without a Dragon Knight. If youâre truly proud, then work harderâwhen our clan produces a Dragon Knight, that will silence them for good. Also, none of you have inherited my greatest reproductive abilityâI donât even have a single grandchild yet. Youâd better work on that.â
Everyone laughed again. Huang Yuanlang instinctively glanced at Bai Xiuxiu.
She merely smiled faintly, keeping her gaze on Huang Daoqi rather than meeting his eyes.
âAll right, enough of that. First, on behalf of the Huang Family, I welcome our new member.â Huang Daoqi raised his cup and stood; the others followed suit. Bai Xiuxiu sat at the first seat on his right, opposite Huang Yuanlang.
The cups were again filled with dragon-blood tree sap, which seemed not overly rare to the Royals. They drank, then sat down as dinner began.
Huang Daoqi ate a few bites before asking, âXiuxiu, do you have any plans for your future?â
Bai Xiuxiu shook her head. âNot really. I just wanted to make some money and buy the things I like, and then I ran into Yuanlang.â
âDragon-horse coins are merely worldly possessions,â Huang Daoqi said. âWith our status, such things are easy to obtain. To gain higher status and greater wealth, strength is what matters most. Yuanlang tells me you are a rare dual-attribute Higher Dragon. Perhaps later you could give us a demonstration?â
âOf course,â Bai Xiuxiu replied without hesitation.
Huang Yuanlangâs younger siblings looked at her with open curiosity. The third brother, introduced as Huang Yuanchao, said eagerly, âThen let me be your opponent. Iâll test you myself.â
Compared to Huang Yuanlang, Huang Yuanchaoâs aura was far less restrained.
Bai Xiuxiu glanced at him. âIâd rather not fight youâI might not be able to hold back, and I donât want to injure you.â
He curled his lip. âPretty confident, arenât you? If you can injure me, Iâll be impressed.â
âEnough, eat first,â Huang Daoqi said, tapping a finger on the table.
Though his tone was mild, his children clearly feared him. Huang Yuanchao immediately fell silent and lowered his head to eat.
During the rest of the meal, Huang Daoqi asked nothing further, though Lan Xuanyuâwatching from a distanceâcould sense the city lord was quietly observing Bai Xiuxiu, as if gauging the fluctuations in her aura.
With the Demon Queen helping to regulate her energy, Bai Xiuxiu kept her presence tightly restrainedâit would not be easy for Huang Daoqi to find anything amiss.
Dinner ended in a relaxed atmosphere, with Bai Xiuxiu speaking little and exuding an air of cool detachment. Huang Daoqi, meanwhile, kept the mood light with witty remarks.
When the meal concluded, Huang Daoqi said, âLetâs rest a bit, then weâll see Xiuxiuâs abilities so we can arrange her future training.â
They followed him into the reception hall, where fruit and drinks were set out.
Through casual conversation, Bai Xiuxiu and the others learned more about the Huang Family.
Celestial Dragon Planet had sixteen great cities, Fenglong City being one of them. Each was ruled by its own city lord, who held absolute authority in that cityâother cities could not interfere.
Celestial Dragon City was the central city of all sixteen. To build a new city required the unanimous consent of all city lords, with Celestial Dragon Cityâs lord as the presiding authority, and a new city lord would be chosen.
The so-called Ten Great Clans were powerful families of the Celestial Dragons. With the dragon race being rare, only ten of the sixteen city lords were Celestial Dragonsâone of them being the lord of Celestial Dragon City, the Head of Celestial Dragon Planet, and the foremost of the eighteen Dragon Knights, possessing unrivaled power and absolute rule.
The Celestial Dragon bloodline placed the Ten Great Clans at the pinnacle of political power. Huang Daoqiâs earlier self-deprecation wasnât wrongâthe Huang ranked last among the Ten Great Clans, holding onto their influence only by supporting the Seventeenth Dragon Knight and by virtue of their Celestial Dragon heritage. No family needed a Dragon Knight of their own more than the Huang clan.
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