That night, Xiang Lun finally found a chance to speak with Yan Si.
He tested the waters. “The Miasma-Clearing Team showed up out of nowhere, and with so few people left to guard the Academy now, I hate to drag Kai Yin and the others into this unless it’s truly a last resort…”
There was no sign of the horde of beast tamers outside the Academy withdrawing. If conflict broke out again, Xiang Lun feared he wouldn’t be able to protect Ming Shuang.
That was why he wanted to probe Yan Si for any recent news on the Dragon Clan’s movements.
Xiang Lun figured that Yan Si and the others must have stayed in close touch with their clan since returning to the continent, right?
Though he rarely saw them using communication devices or any other means of contact, he wasn’t sure if the rest of the Dragon Clan even knew Ming Shuang existed…
Ming Shuang was a half-breed, with half human blood, and far too unique.
“No need to worry,” Yan Si said. “If things go south, Xing Huai and I will step in.”
With two dragons on hand, escaping the Academy would be a breeze. The only issue would be any pursuers tracking them afterward.
Xiang Lun nodded, then let out a sigh. “I’ve thought about it myself. Little Shuang can’t hide forever. But I’m getting on in years, and I’m always fretting that I can’t protect him properly. This time, I’ve even considered just letting him head back to Dragon Island with you all…”
Back on Dragon Island, he could recover in the safest place possible.
When the three dragons had first met Ming Shuang, they had planned to take him home right away. They had only stayed longer because of Xiang Lun, giving Ming Shuang more time to keep him company.
Yan Si seemed oblivious to the deeper meaning in Xiang Lun’s words. “If we’re going back to Dragon Island, we’ll only be taking Ming Shuang.”
Xiang Lun felt a sour pang in his chest. “I didn’t say I was coming along… You can’t take Xuzhi either?”
Ming Shuang still needed Xuzhi’s Light Magic treatments. As far as Xiang Lun knew, dragons with light-attribute innate talent were exceedingly rare.
Besides, Ming Shuang was closest to Xuzhi, who understood his condition best of all. Xuzhi had taken excellent care of him lately, making him the ideal choice.
Yan Si’s expression didn’t change. “No.”
“Fine…” Xiang Lun rubbed his temples. “Tomorrow, I’ll go meet that elder from the Miasma-Clearing Team and see what they’re really after.”
He could tell Yan Si didn’t want to discuss his fellow clansmen, so Xiang Lun wisely dropped the subject.
As for the Miasma-Clearing Team, the milder they could resolve things, the better.
The destructive power of the Heavenly Disaster was impossible to predict. If miasma fog appeared in Central City, Xiang Lun and Ming Shuang wouldn’t stand idly by—not even for strangers, but to protect those around them.
Xiang Lun hoped the Heavenly Disaster would vanish for good, but he didn’t want Ming Shuang shouldering too much burden or facing any risks because of it.
Then there was Xuzhi. His relationship with Ming Shuang was anything but ordinary, marking him as another special case.
Xiang Lun knew even less about Xuzhi’s strength than Yan Si did. And with his God Clan background, Xiang Lun tentatively placed him in the “needs protection” category for now.
Xiang Lun sighed quietly to himself as Yan Si escorted him out the door.
Rather than heading straight back, he took a stroll around the courtyard after leaving.
The night had deepened, and the courtyard inside and out was utterly still, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened during the day—as calm as ever.
In the open grassy area of the front courtyard, more than twenty fluffy plushies lay scattered about. Two of them were awake, standing guard.
The four magical beasts were there in the front courtyard too. Tomato and Coal Ball had turned in early, while Mochi and Taro Ball seemed to be whispering to each other.
“Grr…”
“Whimper.”
Xiang Lun averted his gaze and passed by Ming Shuang’s door.
The lights inside had gone out long ago. Xuzhi was probably in there as well.
Xiang Lun paused, sitting for a moment on the corridor near the door. The snow fox came trotting over, having caught his scent, and leaped straight onto his lap.
One of the fluffy plushies stirred awake, blinking groggily as it drew near to peer at who Xiang Lun was.
Xiang Lun gave the fluffy plushie a casual pat, scooped up the snow fox, and rose to his feet before turning away.
~~~
The next morning, the Miasma-Clearing Team entered the Academy and inquired after him twice before Xiang Lun finally made an appearance.
He arrived at the makeshift reception room cleared out near the Academy gates and found the White-Haired Elder waiting there.
Xiang Lun glanced around. There was no third person in the room, and Qiu Lai was nowhere to be seen.
“Dean Xiang! At last,” the White-Haired Elder rose to greet him. “I arrived too late yesterday and nearly let them make a grave mistake…”
Xiang Lun’s beard twitched. “Nearly? Your people were rude and unreasonable. They sealed off the Academy and started throwing punches after just a few words!”
“Please calm down. It was our fault,” the White-Haired Elder sighed. “We’ll take full responsibility for this incident. Or if you have any demands, just name them.”
Truth be told, everyone hurt in yesterday’s clash had been from the Miasma-Clearing Team—including Qiu Lai.
Xiang Lun’s side had several high-tier magical beasts, plus a whole pack of fluffy plushies with exceptional fighting prowess. The intruders from yesterday hadn’t stood a chance.
At those words, Xiang Lun replied promptly, “Then get your people to pull out right now.”
The White-Haired Elder looked troubled. “The Element Rivers are still active inside and outside the Academy. We have to stay nearby to ensure the public’s safety.”
“If the Elder can trust me,” Xiang Lun said as he took a seat, “just leave the Element Rivers to me.”
“Well…” The White-Haired Elder hesitated for a moment. “You mean hand them over to Xuzhi? That’s his name, isn’t it?”
Xiang Lun shot him a glance. “That’s right.”
The White-Haired Elder sighed again. “I don’t know what he’s been through or how he came to know you, Dean. But he possesses such a vital ability to clear miasma fog. You… should have contacted us immediately.”
Xiang Lun frowned. “I had my reasons for not telling you.”
After a moment’s silence, the White-Haired Elder pressed on. “And yesterday, when the miasma fog appeared, there seemed to be a small beast…”
The moment he brought up Ming Shuang, Xiang Lun went on high alert.
“Since you’ve come to see me, you must want to talk things out,” the White-Haired Elder said, pausing briefly. “I can swear a contract to you: I’ll arrange a position for Xuzhi at Miasma-Clearing Team Headquarters as my deputy manager—just below elder level.”
He made no mention of the God Clan or the Dragon Clan. Xiang Lun said nothing, letting him continue.
In other words, he’ll be part of the Miasma-Clearing Team from then on, working for us with pay that’ll satisfy him. But he’ll have to leave the Academy… He and his magical beast will both belong to the team.
“Out of the question!” Xiang Lun shot back.
He held back his anger. “What do you mean ‘both belong to the team’? You want him to sell himself to you?”
“Don’t get upset…” The White-Haired Elder thought it over, as if making a weighty decision. “Tell you what—I’ll give him an elder position at Headquarters…”
“Still no!” Xiang Lun insisted.
He started to rise and leave, but the White-Haired Elder hurriedly blocked his path. “But Xuzhi isn’t here. Why not hear his own opinion…?”
With a flick of his sleeve, Xiang Lun declared, “My opinion is his opinion!”
What a scheme—deliberately calling Ming Shuang Xuzhi’s magical beast and trying to claim them both for the team? In your dreams!
The White-Haired Elder looked pained. “But… on what authority can you decide for Xuzhi? An elder position at Headquarters is no small matter. I’d like to speak with him personally…”
“On what authority?” Xiang Lun said gravely. “He’s the partner of my one and only grandson! They’ve had a marriage contract for ages!”
With that, Xiang Lun stormed out, heedless of the stunned look on the White-Haired Elder’s face.
~~~
Not long after, far away on Dragon Island.
Wu Shao landed in a rush, shifting back to human form as he pulled a communication device from his storage ring.
Xing Huai still hadn’t replied—perhaps the signal was poor and she hadn’t received it.
To be safe, he sent another message: “What’s going on? Who dares hurt Ming Shuang?”
Yesterday, while resting on an island midway through his journey, Wu Shao had discovered that Xing Huai had tried to contact him.
“Where are you? Danger—hurry back.”
“These humans are way too arrogant, actually attacking the Academy.”
“Little Shuang’s probably been exposed. Hurry back with the other dragons.”
“Damn humans, daring to covet our clan’s young dragon!”
The last message had come half an hour ago, and there had been no word from Xing Huai since.
Wu Shao grew anxious. How had the Academy become so unsafe the moment he left? What was Yan Si doing? Why hadn’t Xing Huai explained the situation clearly…?
Worried or not, he still had business to attend to.
Wu Shao stowed the communication device, reverted to his massive dragon form, and flew toward the tower at the heart of Dragon Island.
Minutes later, a deep, muffled bell tolled from the tower, signaling an emergency meeting to convene at once.
The dragons hadn’t heard that sound in ages. They looked up in bewilderment, slow to react. Some, rudely awakened from sleep, irritably kicked their way out of their caves.
Who’s ringing that?
What’s the big idea?
The bell kept tolling relentlessly until all fifty-one members of the Dragon Clan on the island had gathered at the tower.
Most remained in their dragon forms, whipping up fierce winds around the tower and blotting out the sunset high above.
The dragons were casual and indolent as ever, landing wherever they pleased without taking the bell seriously. If it hadn’t kept going, most probably wouldn’t have bothered showing up.
From the top of the tower, Wu Shao swept his gaze over them. “Look at you all, so listless! Pull yourselves together!”
His voice carried far and wide, audible to every dragon.
A lightning-type dragon shifted to human form and flopped down on the grass at the tower’s base. “Hey, don’t step here… So what’s this about anyway? The clan hasn’t held a meeting in ages and ages…”
Once the area had quieted somewhat, Wu Shao cleared his throat. “This is a matter of utmost importance… Here’s the thing: some time ago, Yan Si, Xing Huai, and I detected dragon breath on Cangyuan Continent. We went there in secret to investigate.”
His words hung in the air, plunging the surroundings into sudden silence.
Countless golden pupils turned toward him in unison, the dragons stunned and puzzled.
Cangyuan Continent? Dragon breath? A secret investigation?
However, during this time, no one had seen Yan Si or Wu Shao around, and Xing Huai was not in the cave where the dragon eggs were stored either. The dragons simply went about their days as usual, paying no particular mind to their absence.
A fire-type dragon flew close and squeezed in below the tower. “Roar!”
The lightning-type dragon that had shapeshifted earlier spoke up as well. “So you’re back now. Did you find any clues?”
Wu Shao nodded. “That’s right!”
Even so, the dragons remained listless and indifferent, not particularly interested in what Wu Shao had to say.
Had the Cangyuan Continent not yet been overtaken by the miasma fog? How could dragon breath appear there… It was probably a mistake, right?
Could the miasma fog have dissipated? But what about the dragon eggs…
At that moment, Wu Shao raised his hand. A magic stone hovered in his palm.
“Hum—”
With a soft hum, a massive alchemy array activated, drawing the attention of all the dragons.
Then, they saw that the alchemy array preserved a segment of footage.
The footage was crystal clear, clearly the work of Yan Si. The scene appeared to be somewhere in human territory, with tables and windows…
The window was open, and the weather outside looked fine. The Little Dragon hatchling stood before it.
The Little Dragon hatchling was covered in silvery-white scales and possessed a striking pair of blue-gold heterochromia eyes. He slightly unfurled the wings on his back and tilted his head back. “Awoo—”
The young dragon’s cry was tender, as if it echoed across the entirety of Dragon Island.
The dragons fell into a daze, stunned and shocked—before erupting into a frenzy.
~~~
