In the past, when the other party made snide remarks, Chu Yuan never bothered to respond. In his eyes, Chu Linfeng was nothing more than a clown. Responding would only make him seem cheap. If a few provocations from an ant like that could make him explode into confrontation, what was the point of his three hundred years of cultivation in his previous life? His Dao Heart had grown ever more settled.
But he could no longer ignore it. Now Chu Linfeng dared to lay a hand on his sovereign? That, Chu Yuan could not tolerate.
Just as he was about to strike, an aged voice suddenly thundered: “What do you think you’re saying, boy!”
Feeling the pressure of the Domain Transformation Realm in those words, Chu Linfeng was suffocated. He turned to look and saw the Great Elder glaring at him with eyes like knives. The outburst startled both Chu Yuan and Chu Linfeng.
“G-Great Elder?” Chu Linfeng’s voice was filled with disbelief.
In his memory, the Great Elder had always been harsh and critical toward that waste, scolding him at every turn. He had expected today to be no different. But now, the Great Elder’s gaze was wrong—angry yet protective, almost instinctive. Chu Linfeng couldn’t believe it. He thought perhaps he hadn’t bullied the waste enough. Cupping his hands, he quickly said, “Great Elder, please don’t be angry. I’ll send this waste to—”
Before he could finish, Chu Zhenshan interrupted furiously: “You’re the waste! Get to the logistics department!”
What was going on? Hadn’t the Great Elder always looked down on that kid? Why was he being so protective today?
Chu Linfeng looked at Chu Zhenshan, then at Chu Yuan, his mind as muddled as a bowl of paste. Before he could figure it out, Chu Zhenshan stepped forward and snapped, “What? Are you ignoring my words now?”
Chu Linfeng shuddered, nearly losing his footing. He opened his mouth to say something, but when he met Chu Zhenshan’s blazing eyes, the words died in his throat. He shrank back and scurried off toward logistics.
After a few steps, he couldn’t resist turning back for a glance—Chu Yuan was following the Great Elder in the other direction, his eyes showing no smugness, only pity.
Chu Linfeng gritted his teeth, turned his head, and quickened his pace, thinking: ‘Waste! Just wait! What I suffered today, I’ll make you pay back double!’
As Chu Linfeng disappeared at the end of the corridor, Great Elder Chu Zhenshan turned back to Chu Yuan, clasped his hands apologetically, and said, “Your Highness, Linfeng… please don’t take it to heart. All these years, I’ve indulged him too much. It’s my failure.”
Chu Yuan put aside his killing intent for now, shook his head, and said calmly, “Say no more, Great Elder. I understand.”
Chu Zhenshan looked at him, a wave of indescribable emotion welling up inside. This child had truly grown up. He no longer needed anyone to shield him.
But Chu Yuan had no intention of letting Chu Linfeng off so easily. The Divine Grade Auction was the Divine Hunt Grand Ceremony. For the candidates entering the secret realm of Mist Hidden Swamp, every faction had a limit on numbers. To decide the participants, the Chu Clan branch usually held a Martial Selection.
As a disciple with some capability in the clan, Chu Linfeng would never miss such an opportunity. During the selection, Chu Yuan would have plenty of chances to make him suffer.
Fifteen minutes later, following the Great Elder, he entered a quiet side room. The room was small, with a rosewood desk by the window, on which sat a set of celadon tea utensils. A copper burner in the corner held a faint incense of agarwood, soothing Chu Yuan’s restless heart.
“Your Highness, please rest here for a while,” Chu Zhenshan said as he closed the door, lowering his voice to a whisper. “I’ll go prepare some snacks for the spirit beast.”
Chu Yuan nodded and looked down. The little creature in his arms had fallen asleep without him noticing. It made sense—after all, the sovereign had just hatched and was still weak. It must have exhausted all its strength flying into his arms during the two-choice in the Crown Prince’s room.
With a gentle smile, Chu Yuan took the young dragon from his arms and placed it gently on the soft couch. In response, the little one smacked its dragon lips, curled into a ball, its scales glinting in the candlelight.
Seeing the sovereign like this, Chu Zhenshan’s smile grew even softer.
Soon, Chu Zhenshan had someone bring a food box. Inside were a small bowl of spirit honey, a few pieces of animal milk cake, and some finely cut spirit fruits—all snacks the spirit beast loved.
Chu Yuan placed the food box beside the soft couch. The moment the young dragon smelled the aroma, it perked up. Wobbling over, it plunged its head into the bowl, gobbling noisily, its mouth covered in milk stains. As it ate, the spiritual energy and nutrients in the spirit fruits and milk cakes were continuously absorbed.
After a while, the little creature patted its fluffy belly, sprawled contentedly on the cushion, and yawned, showing its pink gums. Chu Yuan activated the room’s dust-clearing magic formation and teased with a smile, “Well? Has His Majesty the Sovereign recovered some energy?”
Upon hearing this, Gu Su Die instantly snapped awake. Earlier, in the changing room, seeing Chu Yuan reach an agreement with Fox Venerable, it had fallen asleep from exhaustion. Now, sitting on the cushion, it bristled and hissed at him: “Don’t think I forgive you just like that, bad man! Once I grow a little bigger, I’m running away and never caring about you again!”
Forced into the two-choice earlier, Gu Su Die had only reluctantly chosen its own cook. That didn’t mean it had forgiven him.
Hearing the sovereign’s childish voice, Chu Yuan was instead delighted: “Your Majesty, you can speak already? Your cultivation must be quite high.”
He stepped forward, wanting to pet the little one properly. But what he got was even more frantic hissing: “Get lost! Come any closer, and I’ll slap your stinking face with my little claws!”
It was determined to show that it, Gu Su Die, was not so easily appeased!
Chu Yuan scratched his head, lamenting: ‘Of course, things from the past life aren’t going to be resolved so quickly… What do I do now?’
He felt a bit frustrated. If the sovereign had no memories, he could just raise it like a normal pet. But now that his sovereign had also been reborn, the situation was trickier. Still, thinking back to the two-choice, when the sovereign had chosen him, Chu Yuan felt reconciliation was still possible. Given the sovereign’s tsundere nature, he would have to think of a good method.
Wait! That Crown Prince… could I use her?
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