Knock, knock.
A crisp, slightly urgent knocking sound echoed against the wooden gate of the courtyard.
Lu’erlu was squatting in the garden watering the roses.
He paused for a moment upon hearing the knock, then reflexively patted the dust off his linen trousers.
As he stood up, he casually brushed aside the stray hairs the wind had blown across his forehead.
‘That’s strange. Nobody ever visits this secluded little courtyard except for those three girls.’
*Creak—*
The wooden door swung open, but there was no one there.
Only a roll of pale brown, shimmering parchment lay quietly on the doormat.
Lu’erlu picked it up and unfurled it.
When the familiar royal wax seal met his eyes, his gaze gradually grew serious.
Then, he couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle.
The sender was none other than the King, a man he hadn’t seen in ten years.
The handwriting on the letter was neat yet betrayed a sense of desperation.
The Demon Race had reappeared and rebuilt their kingdom on forgotten, barren lands.
Their influence was quietly growing.
The King implored him to use his past experience and accompany the Hero on another expedition to subjugate the Demon Race before they could stabilize their rule.
Lu’erlu’s fingertips paused on the parchment.
His expression seemed solemn, but a hint of helpless laughter was hidden in the depths of his eyes.
What was his decision?
He simply turned around, walked back into the house, and tossed the urgent secret letter into the wicker trash can by the door without the slightest hesitation.
“Are you insane?” he muttered.
There wasn’t a hint of anger in his tone; instead, it carried a bit of doting complaint.
“I’ve only had ten years of peace and quiet, and you’re already coming to stir up this nonsense again.”
Back then, the Hero had beaten the Demon Race so badly their nation was destroyed and their families scattered.
How could they have restored their kingdom in just ten years?
Either that damned System was at work, or they had run into one-in-ten-thousand luck.
Lu’erlu leaned toward the former.
Who else in this world possessed the royal blood of the Demon Race besides his own Dragon Jiu?
Even if Zi Ya and Bai Ning had such royal bloodlines, they had grown up by his side since they were children.
They had nearly set the kitchen on fire recently; where would they find the time or the ability to build a kingdom?
‘Unless one of those three little girls was reincarnated with the memories of the former Queen.’
Lu’erlu leaned against the doorframe.
Thinking of the laughter from the three girls as they played hide-and-seek in the courtyard this morning, he couldn’t help but laugh at himself.
‘If that’s really the case, I’ll castrate myself on the spot!’
Humming a nursery rhyme he had taught his daughters ten years ago, he turned back to the garden, picked up his watering can, and continued to tend to his flowers.
The sun was perfect, and the breeze was gentle.
It didn’t matter to him if the Demon Race had restored their kingdom or if the Hero was going on an expedition.
***
Inside the Great Hall of the Dragon Domain, the dragon throne emitted a warm luster, complementing the soft light outside the palace.
Dragon Jiu sat upright upon it, her golden dragon pupils narrowing slightly.
Her voice carried the unique majesty of the Dragon Race, yet it lacked any true malice.
“A mere mortal, trespassing upon the territory of my Dragon Domain. Do you recognize your crime?”
The human scout kneeling on the ground was trembling all over.
Tears and snot covered his face as he wailed for mercy.
“Mercy, Your Majesty! I… I was only following military orders to scout the area. I planned to just take a quick look and leave. I didn’t mean to actually step into your territory! Please, have mercy, wahhh!”
Dragon Jiu frowned with dissatisfaction, her small nose twitching slightly.
‘The smell of human tears is truly awful!’
She cleared her throat, her tone remaining majestic, though she quietly dialed back the pressure of her aura.
“Coming here under orders? Hmph, just an excuse! Daring to enter my Dragon Domain with prying intentions is proof of your ill intent! I sentence you to three months of labor in the Dragon Domain’s fruit orchards. You must take good care of the spiritual fruit trees. You will be released once your sentence is served. If there is a next time, death will be your only punishment!”
“Thank you for sparing my life, Your Majesty! Thank you!”
The scout was overjoyed and kowtowed repeatedly in gratitude.
He was soon led away by two expressionless dragon soldiers.
Dragon Jiu sat on her throne, watching his retreating figure disappear outside the hall.
A flash of complex emotion flickered in her golden eyes.
Humans were truly cowardly and weak, willing to throw away their dignity just to stay alive.
But her Father was different.
He was clearly just an ordinary human, and he clearly knew that she and her sisters were members of the Demon Race that the world feared, yet he still mustered immense courage to raise the three little ones.
When she was young and playfully burned down the kitchen, her Father didn’t scold her.
He just smiled as he helped her clean up the mess and taught her how to play with fire safely.
When Zi Ya was afraid of the dark, her Father would light a warm lamp outside her room every night and wouldn’t leave until she fell asleep.
‘Father, your race has limited your body, but your soul is more powerful than any dragon’s.’
Dragon Jiu sighed softly, her small fist tightening as she made a silent plan.
‘When I get a little stronger, I must find a way for Father to escape that weak body so he can stay with us forever.’
—
Inside the palace of the Vampire Race, warm red candlelight reflected off the vine patterns on the walls.
The air was filled with a faint aroma of red wine.
Bai Ning sat regally on her throne, her fingertips gently stroking a crystal wine glass.
The red wine inside bubbled slightly.
“Your Majesty, forgive my intrusion, but where have you been for these past ten years?” a vampire maid asked, leaning down with a humble and concerned tone.
Bai Ning remained silent for a moment.
Her gaze drifted toward the moonlight outside the window.
When she spoke, her voice was calm, yet it carried a trace of softness that was hard to detect.
“I concealed my true form and delved into the mortal world to experience the various facets of humanity. I even lay dormant by the side of the Hero’s assistant, all to uncover the source of his immense power.”
“And did Your Majesty discover anything?”
“I discovered a ridiculous pattern.”
Bai Ning took a small sip of her wine.
‘Every time the title of “Demon King” appears in this world, the heavens grant the human Hero incomparably great power.’
“The Demon King?”
The maid looked puzzled.
“Indeed. To think that back then, my elder sister simply made a casual joke saying, ‘I am the Demon King,’ and it ended up inviting a disaster that nearly cost her her life. Such a preposterous causal mechanism is truly laughable.”
“Your Majesty, now that you have returned, what are your plans?”
“The hatred of a fallen kingdom must, naturally, be avenged.”
Bai Ning’s tone grew colder, though she remained composed.
“As long as my two younger sisters don’t recklessly claim the title of Demon King, I can lead them to crush those provocative human forces.”
“Your Majesty is wise!”
A flash of excitement appeared in the maid’s eyes.
“The remnants of the Vampire Race all harbor a desire for revenge. We are only waiting for your command!”
“Do not rush.”
Bai Ning raised a hand to stop her, her voice returning to its steady tone.
“Revenge shouldn’t be hurried. First, we must gather our forces and settle the matters of our restoration. Only when we are strong can we truly stand our ground.”
“Your Majesty is correct,” the maid replied with a bow.
Then, as if remembering something, she added, “You were previously undercover by that human’s side. Now that your mission is complete, should I arrange for someone to assassinate him to ensure your identity isn’t leaked?”
“How dare you!”
Bai Ning’s voice suddenly rose, and a sharp glint flashed through her crimson eyes.
She paused as the words reached the tip of her tongue, a faint, imperceptible blush creeping onto her cheeks.
“He… He is a person of importance I have acknowledged. *Cough.* That human is of great use to me. Don’t you dare touch a single hair on his head!”
“I beg for forgiveness!”
The maid hurriedly knelt to plead for mercy, though she couldn’t help but sigh in her heart.
‘It’s over. During Her Majesty’s undercover operation, she probably ended up going undercover straight into her own heart… and the person involved doesn’t even realize it yet.’
Under the candlelight, Bai Ning picked up her glass and took another sip of wine to cover her embarrassment.
However, that gentle silhouette involuntarily surfaced in her mind.
After ten years of dormancy, it was true that she had investigated the source of the Hero’s power, but the phrase “person of importance” was certainly not a casual remark.
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