*Bang!*
Lu Erlu, fearing something had gone wrong with his precious daughters, burst through the door without a second thought.
“What’s wrong? What’s wrong? What happened?!”
Beads of sweat rolled down his anxious forehead.
His eyes darted frantically between his three daughters, terrified he might miss even the slightest injury.
“Uh… don’t panic, Pops,” Bai Ning said, scratching her head and laughing sheepishly.
“The three of us were just chatting and thought of something funny. We just got a little loud, that’s all.”
“Oh, is that it?”
Lu Erlu let out a long sigh of relief, clutching his chest.
“You scared me to death. I thought you had tripped or fallen — that something big had happened…”
“Don’t worry, don’t worry!”
Bai Ning waved him off with a look of absolute certainty.
“How could anything happen to your daughters? Rest easy.”
“Fine, fine.”
Lu Erlu was still a bit uneasy as he urged them, “But the three of you shouldn’t stay up too late. It’s the middle of the night; get some sleep soon.”
“Message received!”
“Yes, Father.”
“No problem, Pops!”
The three sisters replied in unison.
Only then did Lu Erlu relax, turning to close the door as he left.
As the sound of his footsteps faded, Bai Ning immediately stood on her tiptoes, peeking through the crack in the door.
Once she confirmed their father was gone, she turned around and glared at Long Jiu.
“Sister Long, you certainly know how to make an entrance. You gave us quite the surprise.”
“Yeah, really!”
Ziya nodded in agreement, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
“Sister Long, you’re amazing! How on earth did you do that?”
The two of them stared intently at Long Jiu, their eyes filled with a desperate need for answers.
“Secret.”
Faced with this utterly dismissive answer, Bai Ning and Ziya exchanged a look and sighed in unison, shaking their heads helplessly.
“Sigh, Sister Long is all grown up; her wings have grown strong,” Bai Ning lamented with an exaggerated air of world-weariness.
“Now she’s starting to keep little secrets from her sisters.”
“Exactly!”
Ziya joined in the teasing, poking Long Jiu’s arm.
“Not only are her wings strong, but her mouth is sealed shut too! Something this big, and not a single word…”
Long Jiu pursed her lips.
This time, it was her turn to be silent.
After a long while, she looked at the two of them seriously.
“Sister Ziya, Sister Bai Ning, you will find out sooner or later. Now really isn’t the time, so please don’t make it hard for me. Just… keep it in mind for now.”
“Fine, fine, we won’t push you,” Bai Ning said, spreading her hands.
“Then let’s end tonight’s sisterly chat here. As for Pops’ situation, we’ll deal with things as they come and talk more later.”
“Hmph, riddle-loving Sister Long…”
Ziya pouted, waving her hand as she turned toward the door.
“Whatever, I’m going back to my room. Goodnight.”
Once the footsteps disappeared outside, Long Jiu stood up and gave Bai Ning a small nod.
“Then I shall take my leave as well. Goodnight, Sister Bai Ning.”
“Wait.”
Bai Ning stopped her, her gaze tender yet firm.
“Long Jiu, remember this: I support you unconditionally. Don’t carry everything on your own. Ziya and I are queens in our own right, after all. Our strength is not to be underestimated!”
Long Jiu’s heart instantly felt warm.
She nodded vigorously, her lips curving into a smile.
“Yes, okay, Queen Sister. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Queen Sister.”
***
The night was still, and the moonlight was like water.
Of the four family members in Lu Erlu’s household, not one could sleep soundly.
Each was preoccupied with their own thoughts, tossing and turning in bed, consumed by a thousand worries.
In the darkness, three pairs of eyes — glowing red, purple, and yellow — flickered in the night.
Those rebellious, even unorthodox thoughts buried deep in their hearts seemed to become clearer and firmer because of everything that had happened tonight.
They had been hesitating, but starting tonight, they decided to put those ideas into action.
On the other side of the house, Lu Erlu was still sighing at the ceiling, his mind full of worry for his daughters and uncertainty about the future.
“Sigh…”
*Clack, clack, clack.*
The hem of a long robe dragged across the floor, making a dull sound with every step.
The newcomer stopped in front of a door and knocked.
*Thump, thump, thump.*
The three knocks were measured and steady, carrying an indescribable sense of pressure.
“Come in.”
A low, raspy voice came from inside.
Upon hearing it, Soke immediately pushed the door open and stood respectfully by the entrance with his hands at his sides.
“Is the task finished?”
“Reporting to My Lord, yes. That letter has been delivered to Lu Erlu’s hands exactly as it was.”
Soke’s gaze fell upon the figure on the bench who had their back turned to him.
The respect in his voice was even greater than what he showed the King, and he stood with a bowed head, terrified of making the slightest mistake.
“Mm.”
The person gave a casual response, their fingertip lightly tapping the table.
“When the time comes, if he still refuses to show himself, you know what to do, right?”
“Your subordinate understands. The secret guards are already standing by, waiting for your command, My Lord.”
“Mm, good.”
The person chuckled, their voice tinged with amusement.
“Soke, I am very fond of you. It seems the King’s throne is due for a change of pace. Don’t you think it would be quite reasonable if the current King, at his advanced age, were to suddenly pass away from illness?”
“My Lord! This lowly one wouldn’t dare!”
Soke froze, cold sweat instantly breaking out on his forehead.
How could he not hear that this was both a test and a path to greatness being offered to him?
“Handle this matter flawlessly, and I guarantee you a boundless future. Dismissed.”
“Your subordinate obeys! I shall leave at once!”
Soke hurriedly complied, bowing low and tiptoeing backward until he was out of the room.
He closed the wooden door as softly as possible, as if afraid of disturbing something.
Inside the room, the mysterious dark shadow picked up a cup from the table and took a shallow sip, a profound smile playing on his lips.
“Lu Erlu, oh, Lu Erlu… I should really say you’re lucky to be alive. I had already decided to get rid of you, but then the Hero just had to die at this exact moment. Fine, I’ll let you live a little longer.”
His fingertips rubbed the rim of the cup, a glint of greed flashing in his eyes.
“When the time comes, I only need to take your head and present it to the current Dragon Queen. Facing the head of her mother’s killer, she will definitely reward me with dragon blood and grant me the power of eternal life…”
“Hahaha! Hahahaha!”
Cold laughter echoed through the empty room, carrying an arrogant confidence that lingered for a long time.
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