Chapter 5

Xiaotang Town

The cold wind blew, and the mulberry leaves, chilled by the autumn frost, fell all over the courtyard after a night of rain. A large part of them lay on the roof, forming a ripple of leaves, adding a touch of damp elegance to the humble little house.

With the mulberry leaves fallen, the silkworm merchants were like entering the harsh winter early. This was the time when Zhu Minglang usually started to wander aimlessly.

Wearing a bamboo hat and a straw cloak, Zhu Minglang swept the rain-soaked fallen leaves in the courtyard. Suddenly, he saw a pair of slender, well-shaped feet approaching gracefully.

Zhu Minglang looked up at her.

She was cold and distant, with a beauty like amber, and her eyes carried a hint of killing intent.

Today, she was not as weak as usual, nor as peaceful. A powerful aura surrounded her, one that only someone who had experienced the baptism of war could possess!

It seemed that her strength had recovered somewhat, though it was far from what she used to be. Zhu Minglang had heard many stories about her formidable power.

"Are you going to seek revenge?" Zhu Minglang asked.

As soon as he spoke, countless silver threads flew out from the sleeves of the Valkyrie. They were incredibly hard and quickly converged into a silver-threaded sword, which hovered at Zhu Minglang's throat.

"Am I the first?" Zhu Minglang smiled bitterly.

The sword slid, and the Valkyrie moved like a swallow, leaving a bloodstain on Zhu Minglang's neck.

Zhu Minglang didn't move, waiting for his head to roll to the ground.

But it was just a shallow cut, breaking the skin.

Not going to kill me?

Zhu Minglang held his neck and turned to look at the Valkyrie's tall and graceful back.

He didn't thank her for sparing his life, as she wouldn't have reached out to him in the dungeon if she were truly ruthless.

"Will I really be a stain on your heart, a lifelong disgrace?" Zhu Minglang asked.

In recent days, he had often heard stories about the Valkyrie and the homeless man, one in the heavenly palace and the other in the stinky underground sewer. The huge disparity in their status yet their entanglement was a sensational topic, and it wouldn't be long before people outside Yongcheng would also know about it.

The Valkyrie didn't answer, continuing to walk out. This time, she didn't disguise herself as she had in the past few days but revealed her true appearance—simple, haggard, yet still breathtakingly beautiful.

"Actually..." Zhu Minglang watched her gradually disappear, but the words died on his lips.

Zhu Minglang understood.

He wasn't the Valkyrie's disgrace; his current lowly status was.

...

She left, and Zhu Minglang felt a bit complex. He subconsciously picked a large, plump mulberry leaf and placed it in his palm. The little ice worm immediately jumped from his shoulder onto the leaf happily.

"Can we ever go back to the days when we commanded the winds and the clouds?" Zhu Minglang asked the little ice worm casually.

For so many years, Zhu Minglang still couldn't understand why a white dragon would suddenly be wrapped in silkworm silk and then rapidly degenerate into a small creature that only knew how to munch on mulberry leaves.

The little ice worm ignored him, lifting the leaf slightly with its almost invisible front claws, as if a small child was holding a bowl much larger than itself. It started munching, "sasa," and its plump body wriggled with joy, its big eyes twinkling in satisfaction after eating.

Seeing the little creature's adorable appearance, Zhu Minglang couldn't help but laugh and poked its big belly with his other hand.

The little creature showed no shame, immediately flipping over to let Zhu Minglang massage it, making a "hmm" sound of enjoyment.

"Being ordinary is pretty good too, no pressure, no worries, and no one expects us to take responsibility..."

Shaking his head, Zhu Minglang continued to clean his small courtyard. Next year, he would plant more large mulberry trees on the back mountain; the little creature's appetite was getting bigger, and if he didn't work harder, he wouldn't be able to support the little ice worm, who depended on him for survival.

"By the way, it's not even noon, why is it getting so hot?" Zhu Minglang hadn't been cleaning for long when he started to feel the cold air being dispelled.

Strands of red light pierced through the dense clouds, dyeing the small mulberry town and the nearby forest as red as maple leaves.

Zhu Minglang looked up at the sky.

Hadn't morning already passed? Why was there such an exaggerated sunrise?

The red clouds hung like real flames, and in a short time, the vast blue sky became incredibly brilliant!

"Creak~~~"

Before Zhu Minglang could figure out the source of the sky's anomaly, the wooden door was suddenly pushed open, and the Valkyrie, who had just left, rushed in with a hurried expression.

Zhu Minglang's eyes lit up...

She came back.

Actually, he could plant more winter plum trees. This winter, Zhu Minglang could be more diligent. As long as she was willing to live a simple life with him and didn't mind the smell of silkworm droppings in the small courtyard, he could support her.

"Can you not seek revenge?" Zhu Minglang smiled, having already thought about what to say.

But before he could speak, the Valkyrie said with a serious expression and rapid speech, "You will pretend to be one of my clan."

Zhu Minglang hadn't understood what was happening when the courtyard gate was pushed open again, and a man in a green robe with red patterns walked in.

Although his attire and appearance were somewhat extraordinary, what drew the most attention was his extremely pale face, as if he was suffering from some chronic illness, lacking the normal human blood color.

Despite his appearance, he didn't look weak; instead, he exuded a cold and proud aura that made people feel intimidated.

Zhu Minglang looked at the endless red clouds in the sky and the occasional red glow in the man's eyes, quickly understanding something.

Dragon Shepherd.

And very strong!!

"Is the person you said would travel with you him?" Luo Xiao asked, his gaze even more piercing as he looked at Zhu Minglang.

"He came first and has already reported my current situation to the clan. I asked him to clean up the traces of my stay here and return to the Ancestor Dragon City tomorrow," the Valkyrie said.

Luo Xiao approached and began to scrutinize Zhu Minglang, his serious and somewhat skeptical expression clearly not fully trusting the Valkyrie's words.

"Milady." Zhu Minglang bowed to the Valkyrie, his face unchanged, "The clan ordered me to bring you back, but did not allow strangers to accompany you. Your status is noble, and you are so dignified and beautiful. I suggest you not trust people of unknown origin."

"What unknown origin? I am from the clan... the clan..." Luo Xiao stopped, unsure how to continue.

"Luo Xiao was once a servant in my father's courtyard and is now a Dragon Shepherd. He is not of unknown origin," the Valkyrie said.

"Oh, then he is a clansman. Since that's the case, let's travel together for mutual support," Zhu Minglang said, feigning reluctance.

First, he questioned the person who was about to question him, showing both intelligence and a bit of mischief!

Zhu Minglang couldn't help but marvel at his own acting skills, which hadn't diminished over the years!