*Bang!*
Lü Erlu, fearing that something might have happened to his precious daughters, burst through the door without a second thought.
“What’s wrong? What’s wrong? What happened?!”
Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as his gaze darted back and forth between his three daughters, terrified of missing even the slightest injury.
“Uh… Dad, don’t panic,” Baining said, scratching her head and laughing to play it off.
“It was just us three sisters chatting. We thought of something funny and couldn’t help shouting.”
“Oh, I see.”
Lü Erlu let out a long sigh of relief, clutching his chest.
“You scared me to death. I thought you’d tripped, fallen, or something terrible had happened…”
“Don’t worry, don’t worry!”
Baining waved her hand with a look of certainty.
“What could possibly happen to your daughters? Rest easy.”
“Fine, fine.”
Lü Erlu was still a bit uneasy, so he offered a final reminder.
“But you three shouldn’t stay up too late. It’s the middle of the night, so get some rest soon.”
“Understood!”
“Yes, Father.”
“No problem, Dad.”
The three sisters responded in unison.
Only then did Lü Erlu feel at ease, turning to close the door as he left.
As the sound of his footsteps gradually faded, Baining immediately stood on her tiptoes, peeking through the crack in the door.
Once she confirmed their father was long gone, she turned around and glared at Longjiu.
“Sister Longjiu, you really are full of surprises. You gave us quite a shock just now.”
“Mhm, she’s right!”
Ziya nodded along, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
“Longjiu, you’re way too amazing! How on earth did you do that?”
The two of them stared intently at Longjiu, their eyes filled with a desperate need for answers.
“It’s a secret.”
…
Faced with such an incredibly vague response, Baining and Ziya shared a look, sighed in unison, and shook their heads helplessly.
“Sigh, our little dragon has grown up. Her wings have hardened,” Baining lamented, feigning a world-weary tone.
“Now she’s starting to keep little secrets from her older sisters.”
“Exactly!”
Ziya joined in the teasing, poking Longjiu’s arm.
“Not only have her wings hardened, but her mouth has become a steel trap! Keeping such a huge matter to herself without a word…”
Longjiu pursed her lips, and this time, it was her turn to fall silent.
After a long while, she looked at the two of them with a serious expression.
“Sister Ziya, Sister Baining, you’ll find out eventually. Now really isn’t the time, so please don’t make it difficult for me. Just… keep it in mind for now.”
“Fine, fine, we won’t push you.”
Baining spread her hands.
“Then that’s it for tonight’s sisterly chat. Regarding Dad’s situation, we’ll take it as it comes and talk more later.”
“Hmph, Sister Longjiu the riddle-teller,” Ziya muttered, pouting as she waved and turned toward the door.
“Whatever, I’m going back to my room. Goodnight.”
As the footsteps vanished outside the door, Longjiu stood up and gave Baining a slight nod.
“Then I shall take my leave as well. Goodnight, Sister Baining.”
“Wait.”
Baining called out to her, her gaze tender yet firm.
“Longjiu, remember this: I support you unconditionally. Whatever it is, don’t shoulder it alone. Ziya and I are Queens in our own right; we aren’t weak!”
Longjiu’s heart instantly felt warm.
She nodded vigorously and curled her lips into a smile.
“Mhm, alright, Queen Sister. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Queen Sister.”
The night grew still, and the moonlight was as clear as water.
However, not one of the four members of the Lü Erlu family could sleep peacefully.
Each preoccupied with their own concerns, they tossed and turned in their beds, buried in a thousand layers of worry.
In the darkness, three pairs of eyes—glowing red, purple, and yellow respectively—surged silently in the night.
Those rebellious, perhaps even deviant, thoughts buried deep in their hearts seemed to become clearer and firmer because of everything that had happened tonight.
They had been hesitant, but from tonight on, they decided to put those thoughts into action.
On the other side, Lü Erlu was still sighing at the ceiling, his mind filled with worry for his daughters and confusion about the future.
“Sigh…”
—
*Tap, tap, tap.*
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.
*Knock, knock, knock.*
The three knocks were unhurried, carrying an indescribable sense of pressure.
“Come in.”
A low, raspy voice came from inside the room.
Upon hearing it, Sok immediately pushed the door open and stood respectfully by the entrance with his hands hanging at his sides.
“Is the task finished?”
“Reporting to my Lord, yes. That letter has been delivered to Lü Erlu exactly as it was.”
Sok’s gaze fell upon the figure seated in a high-backed chair with their back to him.
His tone was even more respectful than when he faced the King, and he bowed his head low, terrified of making even the slightest mistake.
“Mhm.”
The person responded nonchalantly, their fingertip tapping lightly on the desk.
“If the time comes and he still refuses to show himself, you know what to do, don’t you?”
“This subordinate knows. The Dark Guards are already standing by, waiting only for your command, my Lord.”
“Mhm, good.”
The person gave a light chuckle, their voice tinged with amusement.
“Sok, I quite like you. It seems the position of King should probably see a change of pace—a new face in the seat. Tell me, the current King isn’t exactly young. If he were to suddenly die of illness at a time like this, wouldn’t that be perfectly reasonable?”
“My Lord! This lowly one wouldn’t dare!”
Sok’s entire body stiffened, and cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead.
How could he not hear that this was both a test and a golden opportunity being handed to him?
“Handle this matter without leaving a single trace, and I guarantee you a boundless future. Dismissed.”
“This subordinate obeys! I shall take my leave at once!”
Sok hurriedly complied, hunching his back and tiptoeing away.
He didn’t gently close the wooden door until he was outside, moving as if he were afraid of disturbing something.
Inside the room, the mysterious dark shadow picked up a water cup from the table, took a shallow sip, and curled their lips into a profound smile.
“Lü Erlu… oh, Lü Erlu. I should really say your life wasn’t meant to end yet. I had already decided to deal with you, but the Hero just had to die at this exact moment. Fine, I’ll let you live just a little bit longer.”
His fingertips stroked the rim of the cup, a greedy light flashing in his eyes.
“When the time comes, I only need to take your head and present it to the current Dragon Queen. Faced with the head of her mother’s killer, she will surely grant me Dragon Blood and bestow upon me Immortal Power…”
“Hahahaha!”
The cold laughter echoed in the empty room, carrying a hint of arrogant certainty that lingered for a long time.
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