“……”
“……”
White Feather Dove and Qingshamu both stared at Xueyuedai with clear ill intent, eyes wary and silent, ceasing their conversation for fear of leaking any information.
“What’s wrong? Weren’t we just teammates not long ago? Now you’re pretending not to know me?” Xueyuedai said sarcastically.
“Feini’s reputation is in ruins now. You should be able to act as Ten-Step Hall’s strategist. So what are you doing here? To mock us?” Qingshamu asked.
“You think I actually want to be anyone’s strategist?” Xueyuedai sat down beside them as well, speaking calmly. “If I really wanted that, I would’ve pushed her out to block the Honglong Guangpao ages ago. There’s no need to protect her.”
“Then what do you want?” Qingshamu asked.
“I should be asking what you two want to do,” Xueyuedai retorted.
White Feather Dove and Qingshamu remained silent, clearly unwilling to reveal their own plans.
“You want to rescue Feini, don’t you? And you’re planning to make your move during the Hearing,” Xueyuedai said, as if talking to herself.
The expressions of the white-haired father and daughter shifted subtly, but such details did not escape Fox Fox’s sharp eyes.
Moreover, with the simple-minded logic of these two, it wasn’t hard to guess what they were up to. After all, squatting in the Witch’s building all day—how many good ideas could they possibly come up with?
“I can help you,” Xueyuedai said.
“What can you do for us?” Qingshamu asked.
“The Witch has already handed over all the arrangements for the Hearing to our Tea Ceremony Society. It’ll be held in our club building’s new Huiyishi. All the core members from the major clubs will be present, and anyone not invited won’t be allowed in. Unfortunately, Ten-Step Hall has no intention of inviting either of you,” Xueyuedai said.
“That Ten-Step Hall girl really doesn’t care about her old teammates at all?” Qingshamu said angrily.
“She’s gone too far down the road of the nobility. Lately, she’s even been connecting with Orange Sea Dream. The Hearing isn’t just Feini’s place of judgment—it’s also where the two dragons will secretly form an alliance,” Xueyuedai explained.
“They’ve realized that fighting to the bitter end benefits no one, so they might as well join forces again—‘no discord, no concord’, as the saying goes. Once that happens, no one in God and Demon Academy will be their match.”
“Two dragons…” Qingshamu suddenly seemed to realize something, her eyes widening.
Ten-Step Hall was a dragon, too—a mysterious ancient dragon capable of suppressing even a pureblood red dragon. That could only mean she was the legendary Red Dragon, the true form of the Northern Demon King.
She remembered that she’d asked Feini at the very beginning, who the Northern Demon King was, and Feini had answered: Ten-Step Hall Simon.
But now, knowing the truth was already too late.
“So she wasn’t lying to me after all?” Qingshamu muttered with a bitter smile.
“What are you talking about?” Xueyuedai asked.
“Can you get us in?” Qingshamu asked.
“I can.” Xueyuedai nodded. That was precisely why she had come.
“We need three spots,” White Feather Dove interjected.
“Alright.” Xueyuedai agreed at once.
“Why are you helping us?” Qingshamu asked.
“Wait for my word. We’ll meet here.” Xueyuedai had no intention of answering, perhaps because she couldn’t explain it herself. She got up and left.
Just as Fox Fox had said, after fighting, the Tea Party and Tea Ceremony Society were now preparing to unite.
One could only sigh at the way the Longnü’s minds worked—never holding grudges overnight, always looking for the greatest gain in the moment.
Thinking about it, the Longlongs didn’t have any real hatred between them; it was just clubs clashing back and forth.
There was no need to risk their dragon lives for it. Even before, when Hongshan Dragon turned tail and ran, it was clear all the Longlongs valued their lives.
“Baicheng, go home and sharpen your sword,” Qingshamu instructed.
“I know,” White Feather Dove replied very obediently this time.
After that, the father and daughter parted ways and left the training grounds.
White Feather Dove went to the low-grade Demonic Beast cafeteria to get a big box meal.
“Look, that’s her, the pseudo-demon’s close friend.”
“Still dares to walk around out here. Shameless.”
Baicheng faced all sorts of gossip, but she wasn’t as irritable as her Evil Father had been. If anyone dared say anything directly to her, she’d draw her sword and cut them down.
As for the other venomous remarks, she simply ignored them, grabbed a few big meal boxes, and left.
She still remembered the first day she’d started school—when she saw Feini being bullied by delinquent girls, she immediately started a fight.
Back then, she’d been hot-tempered to the extreme, but now she’d grown much calmer and no longer acted rashly.
———
Baicheng returned to the little wooden cabin, but neither the Witch nor Mother were home.
Only a big little sister sat there in a daze. Though she had a sinister appearance, right now she was curled up on the bed looking like a scaredy-cat.
“Blackie, what are you doing?” White Feather Dove asked.
“Elder sister, has Mother and the Witch abandoned us?” Hei Qi Long asked weakly in return.
“What’s with that look? What’s with that tone? Blackie, pull yourself together. We need to go rescue Mother. Why would you even think Mother would abandon us? This is exactly when she needs us most! Get up!” White Feather Dove grew furious at once and dragged Blackie off the bed.
She was a dragon too, with dragon blood flowing in her veins.
She might look aloof and evil on the outside, swaggering about thanks to the Red Dragon’s protection, but deep down she was just as indecisive and soft-hearted.
“You’ve done great already. It’s all thanks to you that Mother’s been safe.” After scolding her, White Feather Dove consoled her a few times, coaxing her little sister.
She’d learned all these lines from the Faceless Witch. The Faceless Witch was always such a professional at coaxing Feini in the past.
“The Witch is taking care of Mother, not abandoning us. But they’re in a tough spot right now and need our help. So stop sniffling—we’ve still got things to do,” White Feather Dove said.
“Really?” Hei Qi Long finally perked up.
“Mother always felt guilty for not spending more time with you. She always said she’s with me every day, but she actually wants to play with you too, Blackie.” White Feather Dove said.
“……” Hei Qi Long listened, tears swirling in her eyes.
“I want to play with you too. But we were born in a troubled place. Right now, we have to fight. Don’t you want revenge against Simon?” White Feather Dove patted Hei Qi Long’s shoulder, encouraging her.
It had to be said, she really had inherited the Evil Father’s ‘hero’s mouth’—when it came to motivational talk, she had a whole set.
Who could listen without getting confused or moved?
And the moment revenge against Simon was mentioned, Blackie stopped crying at once. Her expression turned serious in an instant.
White Feather Dove patted her dragon head, then went over to sit on the sofa, meditating and resting.
It seemed there was little need to worry about her silly little sister. Though unreliable at times, once the fight started, she’d naturally awaken.
Because, unlike herself, her sister didn’t need daily training—Blackie was a born warrior.
Hei Qi Long didn’t need to cultivate. All she had to do was eat her fill alone.
After a meal, she’d nap, and once she was full, she’d have all the strength she needed to fight.