Chapter 66: The Reverse Scale

Under the dim candlelight, Dao Qing’s light-colored vertical pupils took on a dark gold hue, dimly reflecting Qixue’s stunning visage.

His gaze was too aggressive, making Qixue’s body tremble. He instantly reverted to Rabbit Tuan’s form and burrowed into the bedding, clamping his rabbit rear tight.

He felt that if he didn’t do this, Dao Qing might really do something deranged to him. After all, Dao Qing wasn’t human. Even reverting to his original form didn’t necessarily mean safety—Dao Qing might even like it more.

Dao Qing’s eyes followed Rabbit Tuan like a shadow. He stood in place, watching quietly for a moment before speaking. “You needn’t panic. I’ll leave right now.”

Rabbit Tuan noticed a wet patch on the front of Dao Qing’s Daoist robe and stiffened, tucking his rabbit tail in tightly.

But he still said softly, “Stay. I feel like you can control it. Worst case, use the Ice Snow Technique to cool yourself off. The mountains are too dangerous. I need you by my side to protect me.”

He wasn’t saying this for his own sake but as an excuse to keep Dao Qing. Sure enough, Dao Qing no longer insisted on leaving. Instead, he cast the Ice Snow Technique, creating a small patch of icy landscape. He stood in it for a while, gradually regaining his calm.

The dragon scales on Dao Qing’s skin gradually faded. Frost formed on his silver eyelashes, making the vermilion mark between his brows even more vivid. He cast a spell to dispel the frost from his body and the ground, then returned to the edge of the soft couch.

“You really don’t want me to go out?” He lowered his eyes to look at Rabbit Tuan.

“Rest.” Rabbit Tuan generously made space on most of the bed. “I trust you.”

“Alright.”

Dao Qing responded, removed his outer robe and cloth shoes, and got onto the soft couch. Rabbit Tuan familiarly nestled into his embrace. Dao Qing stroked his soft fur, pulled up the quilt, and extinguished the candle.

…

Rabbit Tuan did not sleep soundly in his dreams.

That special scent from Dao Qing hadn’t fully dissipated and affected him too. Lying in Dao Qing’s arms, he grew hotter and hotter, kicking his hind legs restlessly as he had one spring-filled dream after another.

In the dream, he returned to Dali Mountain, where small animals seeking mates covered the hills. He was blocked by one too—a strange silver snake. Though a snake, it had two horns on its head and four claws on its body.

The silver snake coiled around his body, hissing and flicking its tongue, licking his rabbit belly.

He struggled reluctantly, but the snake’s pointed tail flipped up his rabbit tail, leading to a snake-rabbit pairing that lasted three days and nights. His little rabbit belly was fed round and full by the silver snake, even carrying eggs, so much so that rabbit milk flowed.

“Qixue.”

The silver snake whispered in his ear, its voice low and clear, sounding exceptionally real. “Your milk is full.”

“It’s your fault…” He whined and nipped the snake’s tail. “You made me lactate. Handle it yourself—suck it quick!”

The silver snake paused for a moment, then obediently suckled the rabbit milk. The swelling sensation slowly faded, and Rabbit Tuan contentedly chewed his three-lobed mouth before falling into deeper sleep.

Just before his consciousness fully sank into darkness, he felt like his ear had been kissed, but it didn’t matter who did it. Right now, he just wanted to sleep well.

“Hoo…”

–

Three days later.

Emerging from the dense mountains, the demon mist dissipated. Rabbit Tuan poked his little head out from Dao Qing’s collar and saw the long-missed brilliant sunlight. He finally let out a long sigh of relief.

These past few days trekking through the mountains, he had always felt like thorns in his back, sensing many sinister gazes secretly watching them.

He knew it wasn’t an illusion. Watching them were terrifying Man-Eating Demons. These Man-Eating Demons didn’t just eat humans—if food was scarce, they’d eat small animals and weak demons too.

A little rabbit demon like him was prime delicacy for them. Though he was skinny with little meat, his long cultivation made his flesh exceptionally fresh and sweet.

Without Dao Qing’s protection, he would’ve died at least ten times over.

These demons were very cunning and sly. They noticed Dao Qing was injured and even targeted him for hunts, launching sneak attacks repeatedly, even in groups.

The most intense time, over twenty Man-Eating Demons besieged Dao Qing. But he simply drew his Dharma Sword from the Sleeve Universe. With a flash of clear light, they were bisected at the waist, collapsing in sprays of blood. He dispatched them in an instant.

After that, no more Man-Eating Demons dared sneak attack. They smoothly traversed the final stretch of mountain path.

Yet Rabbit Tuan remained on edge the whole way, not daring to relax until they fully exited the mountains. Only then did his suspended heart settle.

Dao Qing took a fruit from his sleeve, divided it into small pieces with a spell, and fed them to Rabbit Tuan bit by bit.

Rabbit Tuan leisurely nibbled the fruit chunks and asked Dao Qing enviously, “Are all you Dragon Clan this powerful?”

His Rabbit Clan was limited by their race; cultivation was extremely difficult. Even with his diligent practice, he was considered strong now, but he could handle at most two Man-Eating Demons at once. He could never reach Dao Qing’s level in his lifetime.

“The Dragon Clan is born with considerable Demon Power,” Dao Qing said. “But I’m different from them.”

Rabbit Tuan twitched his ears. “How so? Were you weak when you were born?”

Dao Qing shook his head. “I was born the strongest dragon in generations. You needn’t compare yourself to me.”

Rabbit Tuan: “…”

He huffed discontentedly. “If you’re as amazing as you say, how did Xuan Yang Daoist injure you with one palm strike?”

Rabbit Tuan knew Xuan Yang was a god; surviving a palm from him unscathed was already impressive. But he just wanted to poke at Dao Qing—seeing him deflated made him happy.

Dao Qing said calmly, “To save you, I was momentarily distracted and withdrew most of my Demon Power, unable to contend with Xuan Yang, so I was injured. But you’re right—my cultivation is still insufficient, which is why I was wounded by Xuan Yang.”

He candidly admitted his shortcomings, and the injury was to save Rabbit Tuan. Feeling awkward, Rabbit Tuan said softly, “I didn’t mean it that way. You really are amazing. You’ve killed so many Man-Eating Demons these days. Without you, I’d definitely be dead by now.”

“You needn’t feel grateful to me,” Dao Qing said. “It’s what I should do.”

“There’s no ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t’…” Rabbit Tuan rubbed his little head against Dao Qing’s chest. “I still want to thank you.”

Dao Qing lowered his eyes to him, a faint smile appearing. “Alright.”

Rabbit Tuan said in surprise, “You smiled.” And it looked pretty good.

“I’m not a stone—why couldn’t I smile?” Dao Qing countered.

Rabbit Tuan thought back. “This seems like the first time I’ve seen you smile.”

Dao Qing: “Because you often anger me. When will you divorce Helan Ji?”

“Pah!” The budding fondness Rabbit Tuan had for him instantly vanished. “Give up on that. I’m never divorcing His Majesty. If you’re so hungry for me, be my lover. If I’m in a good mood, I’ll reluctantly let you lick—mmph!”

Dao Qing, true to form, pinched his mouth at the slightest disagreement. “Say less, and I’ll smile more.”

Rabbit Tuan: “Mmph mmph!” Stinky eel, never smile again in your life!

After a while, Dao Qing released Rabbit Tuan’s three-lobed mouth and continued walking with him tucked away. Rabbit Tuan huffed twice in defiance, nimbly climbed to his shoulder, and yanked a strand of silver hair from his topknot to nibble nibble nibble as revenge.

Dao Qing didn’t stop him, letting him chew the hair. But Rabbit Tuan overdid it and snapped the strand.

Realizing the hair was broken, he felt guilty and secretly tied a knot in the broken end to pretend nothing happened. But Dao Qing’s hair was too smooth; the knot instantly unraveled, and the broken strand fell onto his shoulder.

Rabbit Tuan innocently hopped back into the collar. Dao Qing glanced at him, gently brushed away the broken hair, then lightly stroked under his throat. A crescent-shaped silver dragon scale emerged, which he forcefully plucked out.

He handed the dragon scale to Rabbit Tuan. “Play with this if you want.”

Rabbit Tuan dazedly accepted it. The scale was beautiful, flowing with a pearl-like warm luster in the sunlight. But plucking it had made his skin bleed profusely, even staining his collar. Rabbit Tuan hurriedly pressed his little paw to the wound. “You’re bleeding.”

Dao Qing waved his hand casually, and the wound healed, the blood vanishing. Seeing this, Rabbit Tuan clutched the scale tightly and said softly, “Why pluck your dragon scale for me? Doesn’t it hurt? Or do you have so much Demon Power to spare? Don’t do this again. I don’t need your scales as toys.”

Even spoiling him shouldn’t come at the cost of self-harm; it made him feel guilty.

Dao Qing said, “This dragon scale is my Reverse Scale. I want to give it to you.”

Rabbit Tuan had heard of a dragon’s Reverse Scale—a backward-growing scale, the dragon’s most untouchable taboo. Touching it meant death. Yet Dao Qing had plucked his own alive and handed it over casually as a toy.

“This…”

Rabbit Tuan held the Reverse Scale, about his size, at a loss. “Why give me your Reverse Scale? I heard others can’t touch a dragon’s Reverse Scale…”

“Others indeed cannot,” Dao Qing looked at him. “But you’re not others.”

“You’re my Fated Dao Companion.”

Rabbit Tuan’s face pinked a little. He lowered his head and stored the scale in the Jade Token. “Fine, I’ll reluctantly accept it.”

Dao Qing watched him store the scale in the Jade Token, waited silently a moment, then asked, “No return gift?”

“?” Rabbit Tuan was startled, his shyness gone. “You want to take it back?”

“Any return gift will do,” Dao Qing said. “Betrothal tokens are mutual—how can it be one-sided?”

Rabbit Tuan shoved the Reverse Scale back into his embrace. “Betrothal my foot—you wish! Keep it yourself!”

Dao Qing was about to speak when suddenly, he and Rabbit Tuan both heard shrill cries from nearby. A thick bloody scent wafted over. Dao Qing’s brows furrowed. He pressed Rabbit Tuan back into his collar and hurried toward the source of the blood.