thefictionvixens Chapter 849 Playing
Chapter 849 Playing
It is said that when he first took human form a hundred years ago, he could summon heavenly lightning to temper his physical body. His current abilities far surpass those of our generation of dragon geniuses, and he may even break through the shackles that have bound our dragon race for millennia, reaching the legendary realm of Nascent Soul. He paused, his fingertips tracing shallow lines on the stone wall. "The people up there are afraid. They're afraid he'll truly become a force to be reckoned with, surpassing the dragon race. That's why they're in such a hurry to find him—either to recruit him or… to eliminate any future threat."
Long Jiao raised an eyebrow, a disdainful smirk playing on her lips, clearly still unconvinced: "You mean he can break through to the Nascent Soul stage? But he's just a dragon, his bloodline is filled with mortal impurities, even his ability to summon wind and rain depends on the weather, how could he possibly compare to our pure-blooded dragon clan? This is too outrageous, I'm afraid those old fogies are just blind and taking rumors as fact."
Long Tian shook his head, his tone tinged with helplessness: "I don't know about that, but the people above value it more than anyone else. They even sent out three of the Golden Armor Guards who protect the Dragon Palace. They said that if they don't get Long Shishen, once he fully awakens his bloodline, he will lead the Flood Dragon Clan back to the Dragon Palace. At that time, our Dragon Clan will probably be trampled underfoot, unable to even enter the threshold of the Dragon Palace, and will have no status whatsoever."
Long Jiao fell silent. Although she often bickered with Long Tian, always trying to outdo him, she knew he never lied, especially about matters concerning the survival of the dragon race; he would never speak carelessly. Therefore, the threat of the Dragon Godslayer seemed far more serious than she had imagined, and her initial disdain was gradually replaced by a sense of gravity.
Long Tian glanced outside the cave. The sun was already setting, and golden light filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The wind in the forest grew stronger, howling like someone was crying, or like something lurking in the shadows. The scent of the grass and trees was mixed with faint fluctuations of spiritual energy. He stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and said in a deep voice, "It's no longer safe here. After all, we just killed those Huang family cultivators, and the smell of blood has spread far and wide. I reckon the human pursuers have already followed the scent and are coming after us. If we don't leave now, it will be too late."
Long Jiao nodded, but other ideas were already brewing in her mind. This was her first time coming down the mountain, and she had been so busy traveling and fighting that she hadn't even had a chance to properly explore the markets in the human world. As for the mission to track down the Dragon Godslayer... well, there was no rush. In such a vast human world, how could she possibly find him so easily? She'd have her fun first.
Her eyes darted around like a cunning little fox. She moved closer to Long Tian, gently tugging at his arm and shaking it. Her voice was as soft as honey: "Brother, let's put the mission aside for now. How about we go out and have some fun? You see, I've been in the mortal realm for so long, and I've never even seen the sugar paintings at the market. I've heard they can boil sugar until it's shiny and make it into the shapes of dragons and phoenixes. I've never heard the folk songs in the theater either. Those mortals in their colorful clothes singing must be so interesting. I've never even touched a windmill that mortal children play with. It spins so fast when the wind blows..." She tilted her head up, her eyes sparkling with anticipation, like stars in the sky. "Just take me out to play for one day, just one day. Once we're done playing, we'll immediately go back to looking for Dragon Slayer, okay?"
Long Tian always doted on his only younger sister. Seeing her rarely show such a charming and innocent side, his eyes were practically overflowing with anticipation, and the tension in his heart instantly eased. He smiled helplessly, reached out and ruffled her hair, messing up her carefully styled strands: "Alright, I'll take you out for a day. But remember, in crowded places, you absolutely cannot reveal your dragon nature. Hide your tail well, and make sure your dragon aura is completely concealed. If mortals notice anything amiss and it attracts cultivators to surround and attack you, no one will clean up the mess for you."
Long Jiao immediately beamed and nodded vigorously, like a chick pecking at rice: "I know! I promise I'll be a good girl and won't cause you any trouble!" With that, she grabbed Long Tian's hand and ran outside, her steps as light as a bird just released from its cage, her skirt billowing gracefully in the wind. The earlier seriousness and worry had long been forgotten, replaced by curiosity about the everyday life of ordinary people.
The setting sun cast long, overlapping shadows of the two as they ran towards the distant town where wisps of smoke rose from chimneys. Faint cries of vendors and the laughter of children drifted from the town, temporarily isolating them from the dragon clan's conflicts and the human race's pursuit within the dense forest behind them, leaving only the ease and anticipation of the moment.
Long Jiao's eyes lit up, like brightened glass lamps, and a radiant smile instantly bloomed on her face, as sweet as a child who had just received candy. She grabbed Long Tian's arm and shook it vigorously: "Brother! I knew you were the best to me! Finally, we can go to the human world to play! I've heard from the old men of the water tribe that there are flying iron birds in the human world, lights that shine like stars at night, and stone paths where you don't even get muddy when you walk. I've been looking forward to this day for so long!"
Long Tian watched his younger sister jump for joy, then patted her hand with a mixture of helplessness and affection. His fingertips touched the dragon scale birthmark on her wrist, and he softened his voice: "Slow down, or you'll shake your sleeve off. When you get to the mortal realm, you have to listen to me. You're not allowed to use magic casually, and you absolutely mustn't cause any trouble, or I'll never bring you out again."
"Okay, okay! I promise I'll be a good girl!" Long Jiao nodded repeatedly, her head bobbing like a chick pecking at rice, but her mind had already flown to the ends of the earth. Her eyes were full of longing for the human world, as if she could already see those flying iron birds and shining lights.
The brother and sister concealed their true forms on the water's surface, transforming into an ordinary couple—Long Tian wore a long blue robe, looking like a gentle scholar; Long Jiao wore a light red short jacket, her hair styled in double buns, looking every bit the playful mortal girl. When they entered the human market, it happened to be the Lantern Festival. The long street was filled with all sorts of lanterns, red like ripe fruit, green like willow leaves in early spring, and there were also gilded and embroidered dragon and phoenix lanterns, carp lanterns, stretching all the way, illuminating half the sky.
The shouts of vendors rose and fell, "Sugar paintings—freshly made and sold!" "Candied hawthorns, so sweet they'll make your teeth ache!" The laughter of children and the drumming of acrobatic troupes mingled together, creating a lively scene that made Long Jiao's eyes widen in amazement. She pulled Long Tian along to sample the round sugar paintings and bright red candied hawthorns, and marveled at the Sun Wukong that the dough sculptor conjured in an instant. Soon, her hands were piled high with sugar figurines, windmills, and small clay whistles, her eyes crinkling with laughter, her clear laughter like silver bells scattering through the crowd. The two lingered in the world for a long time, from the bustling market during the day to the quiet and elegant garden at dusk, watching the sunset paint the river red and admiring the warmth of thousands of lights lighting up as night fell. Long Jiao couldn't get enough of looking at it. Even the usually composed Long Tian was touched by the warmth of human life, his face softening with a gentleness he didn't usually show, and his eyes seemed to sparkle with starlight.