Chapter 285: My Turn
A man’s sudden interruption startled the young man who had fallen into silence. He was stunned for a moment. The elder beside him reacted quickly and gave him a push. She then pulled the confused young girl over, embraced her with pity, and gently rubbed her little head.
“Yuanyuan…” the elder murmured softly, determination flashing in her eyes. “It’s okay. If it doesn’t work, at worst, your grandmother will let your brother take you and go as far as possible. I want to see what that Immortal Aunt will do…” Like Fang Feng, she absolutely would not hand over Fang Yuan just like that.
Meanwhile, as the young man recounted his story, suppressing his rage, a bizarre experience slowly unfolded before Chen An and Long Li.
“The sacrifice to the Sea God probably started about ten years ago…”
“That time, the sea level surged and swallowed many houses in our village, and people even died. That old hag then jumped out, saying that our fishing had angered the Dragon King in the sea, and we needed to offer tribute to it once every two years. Otherwise, if the Dragon King got angry, all the villages would be implicated…”
Hearing this, Chen An and Long Li were both startled. At first, they heard “Sea God” and didn’t pay much attention, thinking it was some rogue spirit causing trouble. But they never expected it to claim to be the ‘Dragon King’? Who is this little loli beside me then?
Fang Feng continued his narration, his voice tinged with anger, “If it was just offering food and fish, everyone would have endured it. But that old hag also said that we must select a maiden of appropriate age each time and send her to marry the Dragon King… To put it bluntly, isn’t that just sending her to be tormented by a monster?!”
“In the past ten years, not a single one has ever returned!” the young man’s indignant voice echoed in the room.
“So, since the conditions are so unfair, how did she manage to persuade you all to agree?” Unlike the young man, Chen An’s voice was much calmer. And that voice, as if it possessed some magic, gently calmed Fang Feng’s emotions.
The young man lowered his head, his voice becoming much more dejected. “That… that old hag knows sorcery…” He stammered for a moment before recounting what he had witnessed that day.
The sky was dim and overcast. The hunched-over Immortal Aunt stood silently by the sea, a group of anxious villagers before her. Suddenly, she pinched a talisman drawn with blood-red thread between her fingers, chanting a spell. The incantation was obscure and strange, sometimes interspersed with a few mournful shrieks. The talisman began to burn, and gradually, who knew when it started, the wind picked up. Gale-force winds whipped up terrifying waves, which then crashed heavily onto the shore. The dark clouds in the sky grew even heavier, a dense expanse that made it hard to breathe. Then, to the villagers’ horrified gazes, the sea became extremely turbulent, and amidst the crashing waves, a pair of terrifying vertical pupils hidden beneath the water finally appeared.
The pupils were enormous, blood-red, and almost as tall as a person. From this, it was easy to imagine how vast the entire body hidden in the sea must be. Immense panic instantly enveloped everyone present. The Great Xia Kingdom had a prevalent martial culture, respecting strength above all else. Cultivators were not mysterious, and strange occurrences in the world were widely recorded. However, those were sights found in prosperous, large cities. In this remote fishing village, when had they ever witnessed such might? They had only heard legends of cultivators seeking immortality, communicating with ghosts and spirits, and understanding yin and yang. Now, it was playing out before their very eyes. That day, Fang Feng was seven years old.
Recalling the nightmare scene that had haunted him since childhood, the young man’s body trembled slightly. After he finished speaking, he looked at Chen An with a hint of expectation. But upon seeing the man’s body covered in bandages, he gritted his teeth, lowered his head, and did not actually speak. Chen An took in this scene, thinking that this child had a good disposition. He mused for a moment, then a mischievous thought struck him. He casually picked up a wooden chopstick from the bedside and said softly, “Extend your hand.”
Fang Feng didn’t understand, but he obediently complied. Then, under the young man’s bewildered gaze, Chen An gently tapped his palm three times. After doing this, Chen An looked around the room and found that the elder had quietly left with the little girl at some point, likely to give them some space. The elder might not have known the identity or capabilities of the two people she had casually saved; she was merely trying to grasp at a last straw. So, Chen An smiled and said, “Alright, I understand the matter. Don’t worry, just go back and tell your grandmother.”
“This…” The young man stammered, hesitation flashing across his face. He could likely guess that the people before him were no ordinary individuals, and since he said he would handle it, he wouldn’t break his promise. However, he still felt a bit uneasy in his heart.
At this moment, the man spoke again, “Oh, right. Don’t spread the word yet, to avoid alerting the enemy. As for Yuanyuan, you can have someone else take her place for now to lure the ‘Dragon King’ out.” Hearing this, Fang Feng was stunned. “Replace with whom?” He instinctively glanced at the light blue figure standing quietly beside him, who had not spoken all this time. But the man immediately shook his head, rejecting his suggestion.
“Replace with me.” He said with a smile. This left Fang Feng completely stunned. He opened his mouth, staring blankly at Chen An, not knowing what to say for a moment. “What, am I not good enough?” the man asked, his smile undiminished. The hazy moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating his exceptionally handsome face. “Y-yes… you can…” the young man lowered his head, inexplicably stammering.
…
…
Fang Feng left. Although his expression was one of incomprehensible shock as he departed. The room became quiet, leaving only a serene stillness. The moonlight poured into the room like water, falling on the bedside. The girl stood up and lit a candle for the small room. If Yan Qing saw this scene, he might be so shocked he’d think his Highness had been possessed. It could only be said that after experiencing much, one’s temperament always changed somewhat. Then, she walked slowly to the bedside and snuggled into the man’s arms again. She thought about what had just happened and furrowed her beautiful brows.
“He is the Dragon King, then what am I?” “It doesn’t make sense…” Chen An chuckled and reached out, wanting to grasp her wrist. But the girl reacted faster, instinctively dodging behind him. “What…” she seemed somewhat nervous. Chen An’s eyes flickered, and he answered truthfully.
“Let me see.” See what? What was there to see on a wrist? Long Li thought this, then slowly offered her hand again. The cuffs of her light blue dress slid down, revealing a section of her wrist, as delicate and white as jade. Like the moon beside the riverbank, her white wrist was like frosted snow. Chen An had no wine by his side, only the flickering candlelight. He took the girl’s wrist and examined it carefully. Perhaps sensing his intention, Long Li blushed and pulled her hand back.
“Prime Minister Father, it healed a long time ago…” she whispered. The girl’s heart warmed, and she felt a sense of relief. If Prime Minister Father had seen the scratches on her wrist, how ugly would they look… What if Prime Minister Father was disgusted… Thinking this, Long Li felt inexplicably anxious and uncertain.
(End of Chapter)
