Ming Shuang was utterly oblivious and continued licking the other side of Xuzhi’s face.
He scooted forward, slipping both paws into Xuzhi’s collar and resting them against his neck.
Having played with the ice ball earlier, his paws were still cool. This way, they could warm up faster.
The Little Dragon Hatchling let out a soft whimper, contentedly closing his eyes and tilting his head to rest.
Xuzhi remained perfectly still. Only after a long while did he raise his hand and stroke the Little Dragon Hatchling’s back.
That morning after waking, he hadn’t mentioned the dream from the night before at all, and Ming Shuang had acted completely normal.
It was probably because of the previous instances—Xuzhi always forgot the details of those dreams upon waking. Ming Shuang hadn’t noticed that last night’s Xuzhi was already somewhat different.
Xuzhi, too, wanted to pretend nothing had happened. He needed to gather more information first.
However, no matter how clever, obedient, or human-like a magical beast cub was, it was still entirely different from a silver-haired youth with a human form.
Though Ming Shuang had been just as affectionate with him before… Over this period, Xuzhi had long grown accustomed to caring for a little dragon hatchling.
Ming Shuang’s ice magic was quite special. As a juvenile magical beast, his combat prowess wasn’t low at all. Back in the mining district, if the giant scorpion hadn’t been possessed by the miasma fog, it likely would have fled long ago.
But perhaps due to some innate frailty, he was extremely dependent on Xuzhi—bordering on spoiled.
In the dream, Ming Shuang’s human form had also seemed so innocent and worldly-naive.
As for Ming Shuang’s race, Xuzhi had a vague guess, but he needed confirmation.
That guess was also the reason he’d decided to take on more commissions and find ways to boost his strength.
In last night’s dream, Ming Shuang had said he wanted to grow up, because once grown, he could protect his master.
Xuzhi thought to himself that he had no desire to be protected.
~~~
Ming Shuang dozed off in a daze for a bit. When he woke, he was full of energy and accompanied Xuzhi on the rest of their commission tasks.
As they left the streamside, Coal Ball shot Xuzhi several resentful glances, clearly displeased with him.
Xuzhi knew why and soothed it. “We’ll buy corn on the way back. No time at noon.”
Coal Ball grumbled lowly, wanting to complain to the little dragon in his arms.
Xuzhi straightened his coat and took a few steps. “Six ears.”
Coal Ball fell instantly silent and hurried after him with quick steps.
The area around the outskirts of Green Pine Town was known as Green Pine Forest—an expansive region teeming with all sorts of magical beasts.
Whenever they encountered other townsfolk or beast tamers, Ming Shuang would proactively hide inside the coat, leaving only Coal Ball visible as Xuzhi’s “contract beast.”
Once the others had passed, he would poke his head out again.
What Ming Shuang didn’t know was that sometimes, when other beast tamers passed by, their magical beasts would catch a faint whiff of an extraordinarily high-tier aura and cower uncontrollably in fear.
But unlike the incident with the Golden Crow, even if the beast tamers noticed something off with their own contract beasts, they chalked it up to Coal Ball.
Tier 1 and Tier 2 beast tamers dominated the town, with Tier 3 and Tier 4 being rare, and not a single Tier 5 in sight. None dared to provoke Xuzhi, or even spare him a second glance.
In the end, it all came down to strength.
Xuzhi had noticed this too but didn’t pay it much mind.
The next commission involved gathering materials from the habitat of a 3rd Tier magical beast.
As they neared the destination, Xuzhi had Ming Shuang hide first. He specially cast a Metal Magic Barrier to mask the little dragon hatchling’s aura.
Coal Ball stayed back at a distance, not planning to help. The 3rd Tier magical beast spotted the intruder and roared furiously, charging at Xuzhi.
This was the fastest way to hone his practical combat skills.
Ming Shuang huddled in the coat, listening to the commotion outside. He quietly gathered his ice magic, ready to burst out and assist at any moment…
But Xuzhi clearly didn’t need the help. The 3rd Tier magical beast was swiftly defeated.
Realizing it couldn’t win, it tried to flee, only to be pinned in place by a Metal Magic spell.
Xuzhi tightened his coat, keeping Ming Shuang hidden for now, and approached.
This 3rd Tier magical beast was earth-element, the aggressive type. It resembled a shaggy-haired cow and lay suppressed on the ground by the magic array, its dark eyes glaring furiously at Xuzhi.
Just then, the concealment magic on the coat faded, no longer maintained.
Catching a trace of the little dragon hatchling’s scent, the shaggy-haired cow froze solid, its fury turning to terror.
Xuzhi crouched down and placed his hand on the magical beast’s neck.
This was its most vulnerable spot. If it struggled or resisted, he could strike immediately…
However, this attempt at magic absorption failed.
Xuzhi frowned slightly and stood up.
Was coexisting with two types of magic already his limit? Or was it because this magical beast’s tier wasn’t high enough?
Xuzhi hadn’t fully figured out his innate talent yet, but his intuition told him it was the latter.
At that moment, Ming Shuang poked his head out and looked at the shaggy-haired cow on the ground.
The shaggy-haired cow trembled violently, head bowed low, a muffled rumble emanating from its throat.
Y-You… H-Hello…
Ming Shuang tentatively replied, “Awoo?”
The shaggy-haired cow shuddered even harder for some reason, not daring to lift its head.
Xuzhi glanced over, dispelled the Metal Magic, and let it go.
Even after the restraints vanished, the shaggy-haired cow stayed prone until Xuzhi went to gather the materials from behind. Only then did it scramble up and flee.
~~~
Before nightfall, Xuzhi returned to town.
He first bought Coal Ball six ears of sweet corn, then headed to the Mercenary Hall to turn in the commissions.
The staff there were astonished that he’d completed so many in a single day. They hurriedly settled his pay.
As Xuzhi took the money and turned to leave, the staffer called out enthusiastically, “The side hall next door just got a fresh shipment of goods today. You should check it out—there’s even ten magic stones, I hear…”
The adjacent hall was a separate shop that sold beast tamer supplies: special magical beast food, magic stones, all sorts of potions, disposable storage magic arrays, and the like.
The mention of magic stones made Xuzhi hesitate inwardly, but his feet had already carried him over.
Two dwarf race members were minding the shop, still busy inventorying the new stock.
Xuzhi’s timing was perfect—the fresh goods had just arrived and hadn’t sold out yet, including the ten magic stones.
He asked the price: the ten magic stones varied in quality and would cost forty silver coins total—half his daily earnings.
Xuzhi did a quick mental calculation of his daily food expenses and bought all ten without much hesitation.
The dwarf shopkeeper wrapped them up neatly, all smiles. “Need anything else? We’ve got delicious food pellets for magical beasts, Tier 4 fire-element and wind system magic array stones…”
Xuzhi wasn’t interested in any of that. He casually scanned the counter and spotted a delicate mechanical device.
He picked it up. The tag read “Beast Language Translator,” priced at fifty silver coins.
Seeing this, the shopkeeper said, “That one’s from White Cloud City—the latest model! Etched with over a hundred magical beast languages, and it’s the only one we’ve got…”
Fifty silver coins. Pricey.
Xuzhi asked offhandedly, “Can I try it?”
The shopkeeper nodded. “Of course!”
Xuzhi looked down at Coal Ball beside him.
Coal Ball clutched its bag of corn, in high spirits and bolder than usual, having followed him right inside.
Xuzhi crouched down and flipped the translator’s switch. “Say something.”
Coal Ball eyed him, hesitating before going, “Woo?”
The translator lit up, emitting a stiff, flat voice: “Corn. Tasty.”
Seeing its words actually translated, Coal Ball grew a bit shy and retreated a couple steps toward the corner.
Ming Shuang, however, was thrilled. He quietly parted the coat, poking out half a paw.
If it could translate Coal Ball’s words, then surely his too…
Just then, new customers arrived. The shopkeeper and assistant busied themselves with greetings, momentarily ignoring this side.
The Little Dragon hatchling tested the waters with a soft, “Awoo…”
The translator lit up again, the same monotone voice droning: “…master.”
Ming Shuang froze. He’d clearly said “master,” so why only half the word…
He tried again: “Woo woo!”
Master, it’s me, Ming Shuang!
The translator glowed: “…master, I… I’m…”
The second half refused to come out, no matter what.
Undeterred, Ming Shuang tried once more: “Awoo woo!”
I’m a dragon!
The translator: “I’m… a… a kitten.”
The Little Dragon hatchling in the coat went silent, then couldn’t resist swatting the translator with a paw.
Nonsense!
Xuzhi had watched the whole thing. He smirked, pinched the paw to soothe it, then stood and returned the translator.
Evidently, those hundred-plus beast languages didn’t include Ming Shuang’s race.
~~~
That night, the familiar dream returned once more.
As usual, it was a sunlit meadow. Ming Shuang was still mulling over the beast language translator from the shop.
“Master,” he said discontentedly, “I’m not a kitten. I’m a little dragon!”
Ming Shuang thought for a moment and realized that wasn’t quite right. He’d regressed to infancy, but only temporarily.
He quickly corrected himself: “I’m a dragon! The mightiest of the Dragon Clan!”
Even with his prior suspicions, hearing Ming Shuang say it himself required Xuzhi a moment to process.
Back when he was in the mining district, Xuzhi had few chances to learn about the wider world. Still, he knew the Dragon Clan had vanished from the continent a century ago.
That powerful, enigmatic race existed now only in history and legends.
When Lante was young, he’d wandered far and wide, loving all sorts of tales. On dull days, he’d share them with Xuzhi.
He’d said that not long after the miasma fog appeared, the Dragon Clan had left. No one knew exactly why.
Perhaps to protect themselves, or maybe they’d simply grown disgusted with this land tainted by heavenly disaster and sought new territory.
According to ancient records, the Dragon Clan was arrogant and fiercely protective of their own, but they disliked conflict and never started fights. They even came across as somewhat indifferent toward other races, showing no concern for the life or death of outsiders. It wasn’t surprising, then, that they had left the Cangyuan Continent.
Once Lante got talking, he couldn’t stop. He even mentioned another race that had vanished just like them—the God Clan.
But the God Clan’s situation was different. They seemed to have been completely wiped out…
Xuzhi listened casually from time to time, forgetting most of it as soon as he heard it.
And right now, standing before him was a long-lost member of the Dragon Clan.
The very one he had picked up and brought home, who had been so obedient and well-behaved, calling him “Master” and vowing to protect him.
Xuzhi stared at Ming Shuang for a moment before responding with a simple, “Mm.”
Ming Shuang leaned into Xuzhi’s arms, no longer bothered by the lack of enthusiasm. He picked up yesterday’s conversation.
“I want to go to Netherworld Mountain,” he whispered. “If there’s really treasure there, it’s definitely mine!”
Halfway through, Ming Shuang hugged Xuzhi even tighter, nuzzling close as he said affectionately, “Thank you, Master, for buying me the magic stones.”
Xuzhi had fed him one of the stones from the shop that evening.
Xuzhi hummed again, gently stroking Ming Shuang’s silver hair.
By the time the dream ended, it was deep into the night.
Xuzhi woke silently, opening his eyes without a sound.
The Little Dragon Hatchling sprawled across his chest weighed next to nothing, its blunt horn nearly brushing his face.
Ming Shuang was fast asleep, his breathing steady and even.
It wasn’t until a long while later that Xuzhi finally closed his eyes, sorting through his thoughts.
So the creature he had picked up back then was a dragon.
After Ming Shuang got injured in the Mining District, Xuzhi had gained the Giant Scorpion’s magic. Convinced he now had real innate talent and could protect his own magical beast, he had decided to keep Ming Shuang.
Later, he acquired the Golden Crow’s magic and reached the 5th Tier with hardly any effort.
But as things stood now, it was still far from enough.
Ming Shuang was of the Dragon Clan, yet his power was suppressed. He appeared as a young dragon, with the added risk of innate frailty.
The rest of the Dragon Clan was nowhere to be found. All he had by his side was Xuzhi and a single black coal ball named Coal Ball.
Ordinary magical beasts would sense the Dragon Clan’s aura and either cower in fear, submit, or steer clear—but humans were another story.
The Dragon Clan’s might was beyond question. If word got out that a little dragon still in its growth phase existed on the Cangyuan Continent…
Even at the age Ming Shuang appeared in his dreams—just barely an adult—he couldn’t compare to a full-grown dragon.
Xuzhi knew his current strength was nowhere near sufficient to protect Ming Shuang.
A night breeze stirred, causing the curtains to sway soundlessly. He raised a hand and quietly stroked the Little Dragon Hatchling’s horn.
~~~
Meanwhile, far away on the outer edge of another valley.
A beast tamer stood with his eyes tightly shut, pinned in place by magic and unable to move.
His mind was muddled as he muttered, “Fire-type magic beast… De Ya’s dead. The Golden Crow’s dead too…”
Wu Shao stood before him, cloaked entirely in black. The hood concealed his figure and face completely, not even a hint of his aura leaking out.
After a moment’s thought, Wu Shao asked, “Were the corpses preserved?”
That night, he had successfully knocked out and abducted a beast tamer on patrol. Using a special magic, he had interrogated him about any unusual recent events.
From the beast tamer, he learned that after arriving here, their group had tried to capture a fire-type magic beast of at least the 6th Tier. They had failed, losing a team member and his beast in the process.
The beast tamer knew nothing of the dragon breath in the Thorny Jungle. As for the fleeting second instance of dragon breath in the Mining District, he only mentioned an accident—several miners dead and one missing.
That missing miner was said to have suddenly awakened his innate talent, though it hadn’t been confirmed.
The beast tamer added that the team member’s death was suspicious, but they had never found any leads.
Suspicious?
Wu Shao wasn’t about to leave any stone unturned, so he decided to dig a little deeper.
The beast tamer answered, “Yes, preserved… at the camp…”
Wu Shao snapped his fingers. The beast tamer collapsed on the spot, falling into a deep coma.
When he woke, he would forget the attack entirely—and everything he had said.
Wu Shao then headed toward the outer edge of the valley once more.
The Miasma-Clearing Team’s camp lay just beyond the miasma fog’s reach. Even after the fog fully erupted, they still had to hold position for a few days to confirm it was safe before withdrawing.
De Ya’s body needed to be transported back, so it was stored alone in a tent behind the camp, completely unguarded. Wu Shao slipped in with ease.
In the darkness, he unzipped the body bag and beheld a charred corpse preserved by magic.
Wu Shao extended his hand and traced a magic array in the air.
—Necromancy.
The array descended, seeping into the corpse’s skull.
Moments later, wisps of gray mist rose up. They coalesced before Wu Shao, forming a half-transparent, withered body with an indistinct face.
The undead stood there blankly, opening its mouth but emitting no sound.
“Let me see,” Wu Shao said, raising his hand. “Just what did you go through?”
In an instant, fragments of the undead’s final memories flooded into his mind.
Wu Shao saw De Ya tracking a fire-type magic beast, only to inexplicably switch targets midway.
Amid intense confusion and shock, he had fixated on a human and slipped away from the group that night to act alone.
In the end, he failed and was slain by the arriving fire-type magic beast.
Wu Shao opened his eyes, frowning in thought.
It did seem a bit suspicious… He could sense that the undead’s obsession with that human stemmed from some mysterious magical beast.
Unfortunately, De Ya had died without ever laying eyes on it.
Moreover, in the memory fragments, the human De Ya had attacked looked oddly familiar to Wu Shao. He just couldn’t place where he’d seen him before.
Was this connected to the dragon breath…?
Wu Shao pondered for a moment, then pulled out his communication device and relayed all the clues he had gathered to Yan Si and Xing Huai.
It was the middle of the night, though, so the two dragons were probably asleep. No reply came.
Before leaving, Wu Shao asked the undead if it knew where that human had gone.
Undead born after death retained a sliver of awareness tied to the place of their demise—especially since De Ya had been nearly burned to a crisp, with some tissues impossible to recover fully.
The undead had glimpsed Xuzhi departing and now raised a hand to point the way for Wu Shao.
Wu Shao pulled out the map from his storage bracelet and compared it carefully. That direction led to the neighboring Green Pine Town.
~~~
Over the next three days, Xuzhi headed to the Mercenary Hall every day. He picked up several commissions each time and completed them all on the spot to collect his pay.
Today was no different. The hall was crowded that morning, with Coal Ball waiting outside. Xuzhi casually used some Metal Magic to conceal Ming Shuang’s aura.
Once he left, two people behind him turned their heads at the same time and exchanged a glance.
“That was him the other day?”
“Yeah… I was just one step too late. He bought up every last magic stone!”
The speaker sounded irritated. “And get this—he takes six commissions every day! Keeps it up like that, nobody else gets to eat…”
“Taking on that many, he’s begging for trouble,” his companion snorted. “Should we ask Ni Gu if it’s time to step in?”
