Bai Li’s heart sank.
He sat upright and braced himself.
Ziya put down her spoon, and Xiaomiao curled into her arms.
The warm atmosphere turned heavy in an instant.
“You want to go to the Blood Tribe Camp to see Baining, don’t you?”
Longjiu asked directly, her eyes burning as she looked at him.
Bai Li nodded, making no attempt to hide his intentions.
“Yes. The war cannot continue. I must persuade her to halt her troops.”
“You think you can move her just by going there?”
Longjiu arched an eyebrow, her tone laced with mockery.
“You know Baining’s temperament better than I do. Once she sets her mind on something, not even eight oxen could pull her back. Besides, this mobilization was no mere impulse.”
Bai Li’s brow furrowed deeper.
“I know she has her reasons, but regardless, war is never the way to solve a problem.”
“You’re wrong.”
Longjiu stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the distant, rolling mountain ranges.
Her voice grew heavy.
“This matter involves the ‘Hero’s Reincarnation’.”
“What?”
Bai Li and Ziya cried out in unison.
“The Hero is the natural enemy of the Demon Race on this continent. The birth of every generation’s Hero brings a storm of blood and fire. After I defeated the previous Hero, he fled and has been missing ever since.”
Longjiu turned around, her gaze landing on Bai Li.
“Baining is insisting on this campaign because she wants to stabilize the situation before that missing Hero completely loses control or is used by others. She is trying to secure a chance at survival for the Demon Race. She isn’t warmongering; she is gambling — gambling on the future of the Demon Race.”
Bai Li’s heart shook.
He finally understood why Baining was so stubborn.
“And what about you?”
Bai Li looked steadily at Longjiu.
“You know all this, so why didn’t you send troops to help her? Why did you stop me instead?”
Longjiu stepped toward him, leaning down to meet his eyes at his level.
Her golden pupils swirled with complex emotions — obsession, unease, and a trace of barely perceptible vulnerability.
“I won’t help her because I don’t trust her.”
Longjiu’s voice was soft yet resolute.
“She is just like me; she wants to keep you by her side. If I help her win, she will definitely use the opportunity to keep you in the Blood Tribe and never let you leave again.”
Bai Li was momentarily speechless.
He hadn’t expected Longjiu’s concern to be this.
“I know, I’m being selfish,” Longjiu said with a self-mocking smile.
“But I lost you once. I cannot bear it a second time. Baining wants to use the Blood Tribe to keep you, while I want to use the Dragon Palace to lock you by my side. We are the same. We will use any means necessary to keep you.”
Listening from the side, Ziya couldn’t help but whisper, “Actually… I want to keep Father all to myself too.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she covered it, her cheeks turning bright red.
Bai Li and Longjiu turned to look at her simultaneously.
Ziya lowered her head in embarrassment, muttering softly, “But… I know Father belongs to everyone, so I’m willing to compromise.”
Looking at the three before him — the domineering Longjiu, the shy Ziya, and the well-behaved Xiaomiao — Bai Li felt both exasperated and warmed.
He was annoyed that they all wanted to possess him, but touched that everything they did was, ultimately, because they cared for him.
“I understand.”
Bai Li took a deep breath and stood up.
His frame was small, making him look exceptionally fragile in front of the tall Longjiu, but his eyes were extraordinarily firm.
“I’m moved that you all want to keep me. However, I cannot stand by and watch a war break out, nor can I watch that missing Hero drag everyone into the abyss.”
“Therefore, I have a proposal.”
Bai Li’s gaze swept over Longjiu and Ziya, his tone solemn.
“Longjiu, you will send troops to help Baining so you can work together to find and stabilize the missing Hero. Ziya, you will gather the support casters of the Dream Demon Kingdom to provide assistance to the front lines. And I will go to the Blood Tribe Camp to convince Baining to adopt a plan of ‘Stop War, Find Hero, Stabilize Situation’ — one that avoids a total war while resolving the crisis.”
“As for myself…”
Bai Li paused, a helpless smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“Once this matter is resolved, I will spend time at the Dragon Palace, the Blood Tribe, and the Dream Demon Kingdom. The three of you are my daughters. I will not favor one over the others, and I will not leave any of you.”
Longjiu’s eyes suddenly lit up.
“Are you serious?”
“Absolutely.”
Bai Li nodded.
“I swear it upon my name as the former Great Human Magic Instructor. I will not go back on my word.”
Ziya also stood up excitedly.
“Father, you’re the best!”
Xiaomiao even jumped from Ziya’s arms and pounced onto Bai Li’s leg, rubbing against his skirt and meowing as if in agreement.
Longjiu remained silent for a moment.
A flicker of struggle passed through her golden eyes before she finally nodded.
“Fine, I believe you. However, I have one condition.”
“Tell me.”
“You can go to the Blood Tribe Camp, but I will send the Dragon Clan Royal Guard to accompany you for your safety.”
Longjiu’s tone left no room for argument.
“Furthermore, you must write to me every day to report your safety. If you dare to sneak away — I will lead the Dragon Clan army to trample the Blood Tribe Camp and level the Dream Demon Kingdom.”
The threat came out of nowhere.
Bai Li couldn’t help but roll his eyes.
“You girl, you’re still so domineering.”
“When dealing with you, I have to be.”
Longjiu smiled and reached out to ruffle his hair.
“Also, before you return, you must obediently act as my ‘daughter’. Once you’re back, we can slowly discuss whether or not to change how we address each other.”
Bai Li’s cheeks flushed red, and he nodded helplessly.
“Fine, I promise.”
“Deal!”
Longjiu immediately held out her hand, wanting to pinky swear.
Bai Li looked at her open hand.
Her fingertips were rounded, looking exactly as they had when she was a child.
He couldn’t help but smile, reaching out his small hand to hook his finger with hers.
“Pinky swear, 100 years, no changing it.”
They spoke the childhood vow in unison.
The atmosphere in the dining hall instantly became warm and sweet.
Watching them, Ziya couldn’t help but clap and laugh.
“This is wonderful! This way, we can work together to stabilize the Hero and preserve the peace!”
“Exactly!”
Longjiu’s mood was excellent.
She turned and shouted toward the door, “Someone! Pass down my order — assemble 30,000 of the Dragon Clan Royal Guard. We depart in three days to support the Blood Tribe Camp!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
The response echoed through the corridor.
Watching the high-spirited Longjiu, Bai Li felt a sudden surge of pride.
This was the daughter he had raised; she could now stand on her own and protect her people.
“Oh, right.”
Longjiu suddenly turned back to Bai Li, a hint of mischief in her eyes.
“Since you’ve agreed to be my ‘daughter’, you have to accompany me to the Dragon Clan Treasury this afternoon to pick out some beautiful clothes. That frame of yours looks too awkward in men’s clothing. You’ll look much better in a dress.”
“You?!”
Bai Li’s hair practically stood on end.
“I am not wearing a dress!”
“That isn’t up to you.”
Longjiu scooped him up in one arm and strode outside.
“As my daughter, you naturally have to be dressed beautifully.”
“Ziya, you come too! Help your sister pick out some clothes!”
“Coming!”
Ziya followed immediately, holding Xiaomiao and smiling so widely her eyes curved into crescents.
“Longjiu! Put me down! I won’t wear a dress! You rebellious daughter! You’re going too far!”
Bai Li’s protests echoed through the corridors of the Dragon Palace, mingled with Longjiu’s laughter, Ziya’s agreement, and Xiaomiao’s meows.
It was lively and warm.
Sunlight streamed through the carved windows, casting long shadows of the three of them.
Bai Li struggled, but inadvertently leaned into Longjiu’s embrace.
Looking at the familiar corridors of the Dragon Palace, he suddenly realized — perhaps this reversed identity and this domineering protection were also a different kind of happiness.
—
Three days later, the Dragon Clan army finished its assembly and marched grandly toward the Blood Tribe Camp.
Bai Li sat on Longjiu’s back, wearing a pink Dragon Clan Princess Dress with a pearl-encrusted crown on his head.
He looked delicate and adorable, drawing the attention of the Dragon Clan soldiers.
He covered his face, wishing he could find a hole to crawl into.
“Longjiu, did you really have to make me dress like this?”
Longjiu beat her wings, soaring into the clouds.
The wind tossed her long hair and Bai Li’s skirt.
She looked down at him with a brilliant smile.
“Of course,” she said.
“You are the Princess of my Dragon Clan. Naturally, you must dress the part. Going to see Baining like this, she won’t dare to underestimate you.”
Bai Li rolled his eyes but couldn’t help looking down.
The Dragon Clan army was like a tide of crimson, magnificent and imposing.
Ziya followed behind the army on a flying carpet with the Dream Demon Kingdom’s illusionists.
In the distance, the territory of the Blood Tribe was already visible, shrouded in smoke and the fires of war.
Bai Li’s gaze gradually turned firm.
He knew a difficult battle was about to begin.
And as a former father and a current “daughter”, he would use his wisdom to protect his children and the peace of this continent.
Sensing his emotions, Longjiu tightened her arm around him and whispered in his ear, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”
Bai Li turned his head to look at Longjiu.
The sunlight caught her face, outlining her exquisite features, and her golden eyes were filled with determination and tenderness.
He nodded and spoke softly, “Mhm. With you here, I’m not afraid.”
A dragon’s roar pierced the sky as the Dragon Clan army charged toward the Blood Tribe Camp.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.