*Huff… huff…*
The lingering warmth from playing with Bai Li while coaxing him to sleep still clung to her fingertips.
Long Jiu gently closed the door, her movements so soft she feared disturbing the tiny, sleeping breaths inside.
The night mist under the corridor was slightly cool.
As soon as she turned around, a dragon soldier who had been waiting for a long time stepped forward quickly.
His armor clinked softly as he bowed with meticulous respect.
“Dragon King, an urgent report from the front lines. Following your decree, the Succubus Queen and the Vampire Queen have been blocked outside the pass. They haven’t been allowed to take a single step into dragon territory.”
“Mhm. You’ve worked hard. You may leave.”
Long Jiu’s voice was calm.
The soldier bowed and retreated, his footsteps fading into the distance until she was left alone under the corridor.
Looking toward the dark night beyond the pass, Long Jiu felt a mix of complicated emotions.
‘I hope my two troublesome sisters won’t hold a grudge against me for this.’
She wasn’t being impulsive, nor did she simply want to keep her father to herself.
Within Bai Li, the three bloodlines of Human, Vampire, and Succubus were entangled like a mess of yarn, clashing with one another.
A single mistake could trigger a bloodline rampage.
He would either die a miserable death from his body exploding or be consumed by the two alien powers, falling into a permanent coma.
This was no exaggeration.
According to her memories, if a hybrid bloodline could not find a dominant balance, its existence would ultimately be as fragile as a reflection in a mirror.
‘Sister Bai Ning’s vampire power is overbearing and fierce, while Sister Zi Ya’s succubus power is ethereal and unpredictable. Only the upright and pure nature of the dragon bloodline can suppress these two undercurrents.’
A flash of determination crossed Long Jiu’s eyes.
‘What I’m doing now is gradually purifying Bai Li’s dragon blood to make it dominant. By using the dragon blood’s overbearing nature to neutralize the other two bloodlines, I can ensure his safety.’
At that thought, a cunning smile curved her lips, and a spark of girlish excitement flickered in her eyes.
‘Once I’ve trained Father until he’s settled and obedient, I’ll naturally share him with my sisters. But for now, the time isn’t right. A good show needs to be brewed slowly to be interesting…’
—
Meanwhile, in the King’s office in the Human Royal City, candlelight flickered, casting shifting shadows over the map of the realm on the wall.
*Knock, knock, knock!*
The urgent knocking pounded on the door like a heavy hammer, carrying a sense of imminent crisis.
“Come in.”
The King’s voice carried a hint of imperceptible fatigue.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose and looked up at the door.
“What has caused such panic and loss of composure?”
An intelligence soldier rushed in, his face as pale as paper and his forehead drenched in cold sweat.
“Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! According to urgent reports from our scouts, the Succubus and Vampire tribes have suddenly mobilized large numbers of troops. They are massing at the border, and it looks like they have ill intentions!”
“What?!”
The King stood up abruptly from his seat.
“Where specifically are they deploying? Is there a clear location?”
The soldier lowered his head even further, his voice trembling.
“Please forgive me, Your Majesty! We cannot determine the exact location yet… Most of the scouts stationed in the demon territories have lost contact. I fear… I fear they have met with disaster. This current information was bought by several warriors who used their last breaths and countless lives to send it back!!”
The King staggered back half a step.
He stared out at the deep night, murmuring in a voice filled with despair.
“What should we do now? The previous Hero died on the battlefield, and the new Hero has yet to appear. Meanwhile, the monsters are suddenly making a comeback. Is this heaven’s will? Is the human race doomed?”
“This…”
The soldier’s heart tightened as he watched the King sigh in distress.
He couldn’t think of a single solution and could only watch as the situation reached a deadlock.
The King remained silent for a long time.
A sense of helplessness flashed in his eyes as he waved his hand.
“Go and notify those old fossils in the Council of Elders. Have them come for a meeting immediately. Let’s see what kind of plan these people, who usually pride themselves on being resourceful, can come up with. My power has long since been stripped by them; I cannot do this alone.”
“As you command!”
The soldier, feeling as if he had been granted a reprieve, hurried away.
The room fell back into a deathly silence.
The King looked at the empty doorway and suddenly spoke, his voice calm yet piercing.
“Suo Ke, stop hiding. Come out.”
In the shadows outside the window, Suo Ke’s body stiffened.
He muttered to himself.
‘Is the King bluffing? Impossible. I’ve hidden myself perfectly. How could I be discovered?’
“I’ve known you were eavesdropping since the beginning. There’s no need to deceive yourself.”
The King’s voice was cold, shattering Suo Ke’s last hope.
Knowing he could no longer hide, Suo Ke shrunk his neck and sneakily climbed in through the window.
He bowed so low he hardly dared to breathe.
“Your Majesty… I really didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I was just passing by and overheard a few words. Please calm your anger and forgive me this once!”
The King slowly turned around, his eyes like torches as he glared at Suo Ke.
His voice was thick with long-suppressed rage.
“Passing by? Do you take me for a 3-year-old child who is so easily fooled? Look at the mess you and the Council of Elders have made! The Hero is dead, and the loyal minister Lv Chen has vanished. I turned a blind eye to your secret schemes for the sake of the big picture, but now that the situation is critical, I can no longer tolerate it!”
Suo Ke shook with fear, his knees nearly giving way.
His face turned bloodless as he stammered.
“W-What? Does… Does Your Majesty mean you’ve always known… that I had ulterior motives?”
He never imagined his clever disguise had been seen through by the King long ago.
Recalling what the master from the Council of Elders had told him, and seeing that this was the perfect opportunity to be alone with the King, Suo Ke’s right hand slowly reached for the small blade at his waist — if only for self-preservation…
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