bookbashuk Chapter 797 He Yuzhu's Confusion
Chapter 797 He Yuzhu's Confusion
Long Si gazed at his son's tall, pine-like back, a back that conveyed a resolute determination, a do-or-die spirit, and the hope for the dragon clan's revival. His eyes held both boundless anticipation for the future and a father's subtle, unspoken concern—after all, the road ahead was long, and the journey to shatter the void was always fraught with thorns. Finally, he nodded heavily, saying nothing more. Amidst swirling vapors around him, his figure transformed into a pale blue streak of light, slicing through the sky like a sword, vanishing instantly into the depths of the thick clouds, leaving only a faint, lingering dragon's might in the air.
Long Shishen stood rooted to the spot, gazing in the direction his father had departed. His clenched fists slowly loosened, the white marks on his knuckles fading with each effort. Yet, the resolve in his eyes burned ever brighter, like a blazing fire—he would fulfill the century-long promise, no matter the cost.
He knew the weight of the pressure on his shoulders—the expectations of his entire clan, a wait spanning two centuries. Taking a deep breath, he suppressed his turbulent emotions, slowed his pace, and leisurely walked back. The dragon aura around him had long since dissipated, making him appear no different from an ordinary person.
Just as he reached the courtyard gate, he saw Xiao Li peek out from the house. The tip of her tail swayed slightly behind her. When she saw him, she smiled and greeted him: "Brother Zhu, where have you been? It's almost dinnertime."
Long Shishen smiled gently, his tone as natural as if he were talking about something ordinary: "I just went out for a stroll, got some fresh air. You... came out specifically to find me?"
Xiao Li's cheeks flushed slightly after her thoughts were exposed, but she still nodded generously: "Yes, I was wondering if you had gotten lost since you've been gone for so long."
Even so, her nose twitched slightly, and a hint of doubt appeared in her eyes—the aura emanating from the "He Yuzhu" before her seemed somewhat off, faintly concealing a trace of extremely faint yet exceptionally domineering demonic energy, which was definitely not from any race she was familiar with.
Dragon Godslayer was incredibly perceptive and had already noticed Xiao Li's unusual behavior. He calmly and completely concealed the remaining dragon energy within his body, not letting even a trace leak out, before looking at her and speaking in a normal tone: "What's wrong? You look strange. It's getting late, let's go back soon, Xiu Xiu must be getting impatient."
Xiao Li clearly sensed a strange demonic aura emanating from him just now, but it vanished without a trace in an instant, as if it had never existed. She couldn't help but ask, "Brother Zhu, did you... have a demonic aura on you just now? A very special kind, not the kind of demon we know."
Long Shishen was prepared, his smile unchanged, and he explained in a relaxed tone: "You mean demonic energy? Yes, there is such a thing. A while ago in the south, we captured a wolf demon. It's very wild and is currently cultivating with Qingyi and the others. I just took a detour to check over there, and perhaps I caught a bit of its aura."
Xiao Li blinked, thinking carefully for a moment. The demonic aura she'd just felt, though domineering, did indeed carry a hint of bestial ferocity, somewhat similar to the aura of a wolf demon. Besides, Brother Zhu Zi would never lie to her. Her doubts subsided considerably, and she nodded, "Oh, I see. Let's go inside quickly then; I've made some soup, it'll get cold if we wait any longer."
“Okay.” Long Shishen replied and followed her into the courtyard.
Watching Xiao Li turn and disappear into the kitchen, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief—the fox clan's sense of smell was indeed keen. Once back in his room, after confirming no one was around, he sat cross-legged, formed a hand seal, and silently chanted an incantation. A pale golden light rose from between his brows, slowly sinking into his body, firmly sealing the dragon energy that could burst forth at any moment.
After doing all this, he finally relaxed, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes to rest. Even while pretending to be He Yuzhu, he still had to be extremely careful, since everyone around him was perceptive and the slightest carelessness could expose his true nature.
He Yuzhu was unaware of the terrifying scare outside last night. He felt utterly exhausted, as if his body had fallen apart, and even his bones felt sore and heavy. The night slipped away quietly in a deep, dreamless sleep, and he woke up just as dawn was breaking and the sky began to lighten.
Turning his head to look beside him, he saw Ma Xiuxiu still fast asleep. Her brows were relaxed, the worries of the day gone, her breathing even and long, and a faint smile seemed to linger on her lips; she must be sleeping exceptionally soundly. He Yuzhu felt a surge of tenderness in his heart. He moved with utmost care, as if afraid of shattering fragile glass, and quietly got up, his bare feet touching the cool floor as he tiptoed out of the room.
On the stone steps at the courtyard gate, Xiao Li was squatting, holding half a cornbread in her hand, breaking it into pieces to feed the stray cat she had picked up. The cat was so thin it was just skin and bones, but it was exceptionally affectionate, rubbing against Xiao Li's trouser leg and meowing. Seeing He Yuzhu come out, Xiao Li looked up, revealing a pair of shallow dimples, and smiled: "Brother Zhu, you're up so early? It's just dawn." The little girl's eyes were bright, like they held morning dew, and her two shiny braids still had some glistening water droplets on the ends, perhaps from accidentally rubbing them while feeding the cat.
He Yuzhu walked over, subconsciously kicking a small pebble at his feet, when he suddenly remembered something: "Oh right, I forgot to tell you, when I came back from outside this time, Elder Qingyi had a new companion named Evil Wolf. He's quite skilled, but he's a bit quiet and doesn't like to talk. When I have some free time in a couple of days, I'll take you to meet him, maybe you can keep each other company in the future."
Xiao Li blinked, and two pieces of cat food fell to the ground with a "plop." She looked up with a smile: "Brother Zhu, didn't you already say that last night? I even asked you if that evil wolf was as fierce as the wolves in the mountains. You said he was a nice guy."
He Yuzhu paused for a moment, then scratched the back of his head, his hair slightly disheveled from sleep—had he indeed mentioned it to Xiaoli when he came back last night? Perhaps he was too tired; his brain felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and he couldn't remember the details clearly. He chuckled twice, trying to smooth things over: "Really? Look at my memory; I probably didn't explain clearly last night. Don't worry, I'll definitely take you to see him when I have time. With me there, I guarantee he won't dare to yell at you."
Xiao Li nodded, stood up, dusted off her hands, and brushed away the crumbs of cat food: "Okay, then I'll go to the kitchen and get busy. I'll make some millet porridge and some cornbread to eat with pickled vegetables. It'll be delicious."
“Okay,” He Yuzhu replied, looking out of the courtyard. “I’m going out for a stroll to check out the area and get some fresh air. I’ll be right back.”