Chapter 8

The master of the Li family and the lady in charge of the household had left, leaving only Li Yunzi, Luo Xiao, and Zhu Minglang in the pear wood-decorated grand hall.

Luo Xiao waited for a while after the master of the Li family left before slowly getting up.

He took a few steps forward, approaching Li Yunzi.

"Miss Yunzi, I have failed in my duties, causing you to suffer... Miss Yunzi, don't worry about what others think. After you return to the Li family, I will work even harder to become a pillar of the Li family. At that time, I will do everything in my power to have your father betroth Miss Yunzi to me. I... I, Luo Xiao, truly have sincere feelings for Miss Yunzi. I... I know it's a bit abrupt and presumptuous to say this now, but I will prove my sincerity through my actions. Miss Yunzi, please give me some time," Luo Xiao said, appearing somewhat stammering and nervous.

Zhu Minglang stood to the side, his mouth wide open.

Am I really that transparent!!

Regardless of how twisted Luo Xiao's mind might be, he seemed to genuinely care for Li Yunzi, and he chose the most appropriate moment to confess, sincerely stating that he would not care about Li Yunzi's past.

Li Yunzi did not respond, and her emotions were not discernible.

"Miss Yunzi, you don't need to rush your response. Just understand that Luo Xiao is loyal and devoted. Miss Yunzi must be tired. Zhu Minglang, have the servants take Miss back to rest. I will go to the master to receive my orders," Luo Xiao said.

Luo Xiao understood that Li Yunzi had not yet emerged from the shadows and needed time.

"Alright, I wish Mr. Luo a bright future," Zhu Minglang said perfunctorily.

Luo Xiao nodded in satisfaction, feeling that Zhu Minglang was a sensible junior.

Finally, with some reluctance, he moved his gaze from Li Yunzi and strode toward the master's palace. From this moment on, he, Luo Xiao, would truly embark on the path to the clouds!

Power, wealth, and women, he would have them all!!

"Chilien, do you remember those people who used to bully us? Haha, they never imagined we would return as a gold dragon and a dragon master!" Luo Xiao smiled, unable to resist touching the red carnelian ring on his finger.

The ring had a peculiar luster, and within its glow, a dragon's shadow could be seen slowly emerging.

In Wutu, it was wise not to act impulsively!

He would only gain more, and Li Yunzi would ultimately be his!

After what happened, few people of noble status would be willing to marry her. In that case, as long as he performed well under the master of the Li family, it was not impossible for the master to betroth Li Yunzi to him!

After all, Luo Xiao was once just a lowly servant in the Li family, with a status so humble!

Now, everything was different!

...

Pear wood grand hall

Zhu Minglang walked to the main seat, picked up the handkerchief left by the lady in charge, and handed it to Li Yunzi.

"It's still bleeding. By the way, was that man your father?" Zhu Minglang asked.

Li Yunzi did not wipe her wound but, when Zhu Minglang was not paying attention, a tear slowly slid down her cheek, forming a tear trail.

Li Yunzi had not expected that after enduring so much, she still could not wait for everyone to leave.

Why did she feel less guarded around this man?

Beside her, Zhu Minglang was at a loss for how to comfort her.

If she had been sobbing, it would have been easier, but she shed only a single tear, without pain or sorrow, showing a resilience that was almost admirable.

However, this resilience made her even more heart-wrenching to see.

She was the victim, yet she was seen as a sinner. After finally returning home, she received only abuse.

It seemed that if blood ties could be severed, the master of the Li family would do so without hesitation.

Was this the place she had traveled so far to return to?

"I'll help you back to rest. Don't think too much about it," Zhu Minglang maintained his politeness, supporting Li Yunzi as they walked out of the grand hall.

"This way."

"Oh."

...

When they reached Li Yunzi's courtyard, Zhu Minglang was indeed turned away at the door.

Zhu Minglang understood; after all, his comfort was of no use, and he was the one who had caused all this.

In a world where status and hierarchy were so rigid, Zhu Minglang would not be surprised if Li Yunzi wanted to kill him to vent her anger.

But where should he go now?

Mysteriously brought to the Ancestor Dragon City-State...

No status, no land, no home, no wealth. He couldn't beg on the streets again, could he?

Wait, why did he say "again"?

He had never begged on the streets!

Li Yunzi had not blamed him, but she probably did not want to see him again.

In fact, by bringing him to the Ancestor Dragon City-State, Li Yunzi had saved his life. At the time, Luo Xiao had planned to destroy Xiaotang Town as well.

Since he was here, he might as well settle down and find a place to earn a living, preferably somewhere he could plant mulberry trees. The gluttonous Xiao Bai Qi would likely wake up hungry and cause a fuss.

Xiao Bai Qi, the name of the little ice worm.

Speaking of Xiao Bai Qi, it had not come out to breathe for many days, lying in his spiritual domain, preparing for hibernation?

Zhu Minglang closed his eyes gently and checked his spiritual domain.

"Strange, why is there an ice cocoon..."

Probing his spiritual domain, Zhu Minglang was surprised to find that the little ice worm had somehow wrapped itself in ice silk, forming a large ice cocoon.

Was it about to undergo a metamorphosis?

But it was once a dragon general-level Azure Dragon, and he had never heard of Azure Dragon lineage having this ability.

The ice cocoon was not yet fully sealed, with a hole at the top.

Through this hole, Zhu Minglang saw the inside of the cocoon.

What he saw inside the ice cocoon was truly breathtaking!

The ice silk that wrapped the outer layer was intricately woven inside, forming a perfect art from scattered to whole, without any sense of chaos.

Embedded in this frost nest were ice crystals, like rare white diamonds, shining brilliantly, and like white stars in the vast night sky, orderly distributed in this small world, dreamlike and enchanting.

Each tiny frost silk had a long ancient pattern.

Each tiny ice crystal seemed to contain an incredible universe.

All of this ultimately gathered around a small holy spirit, which was Xiao Bai Qi, gradually growing wings and becoming incredibly graceful!

At the core of the cocoon, Xiao Bai Qi was drowsy, gently stretching its not yet fully grown wings, its beautiful and lively eyes trying hard to look at Zhu Minglang who had entered the spiritual domain.

But the little one was really too sleepy.

In the end, it lowered its eyelids.

For a moment, the frost silk began to dance, and the ice crystals began to shine. As Xiao Bai Qi fell asleep again, the world inside the ice cocoon began to run wildly, with tiny sprouts breaking through the ice, microscopic ice flowers blooming, and life-bearing snow trees spreading their leaves to cover the sky, creating a miniature universe...

It was as if the world had been created, and the ages had passed!

At the same time, the hole was filled by the frost silk from the inside, and the ice cocoon was completely sealed.

Zhu Minglang could no longer see anything inside.

The ice cocoon looked ordinary from the outside, but the breathtaking miniature world inside lingered in Zhu Minglang's mind!

Like a queen, Xiao Bai Qi, sleeping in that icy world, what was it?

This was probably the fifth year of Zhu Minglang's wandering.

Xiao Bai Qi was once an Azure Dragon.

When Zhu Minglang was still a young man, he was already a strong warrior, a dragon master, admired and celebrated by people.

But just when Zhu Minglang thought he would have a glorious future, Xiao Bai Qi degenerated from a proud Azure Dragon into the smallest and weakest of all living things, a little ice worm.

In one night...

Zhu Minglang still could not forget the white frost silk that enveloped half the city!!

A huge ice cocoon wrapped the Azure Dragon Xiao Bai Qi, covering half the city, a vast expanse of white like the descent of a snow spirit deity.

This stunning scene lasted the entire night.

But in the end, all the white silk melted in the morning light, leaving the lifeless body of the Azure Dragon, which, along with the frost silk, melted into water in the sunlight, leaving only a tiny ice worm, almost devoid of any consciousness, slowly crawling out...

Zhu Minglang stood on the cold city wall, watching the little ice worm crawl out of the ice city, and as a young man, how could he believe it!

The Azure Dragon had degenerated!

The once glorious young man was reduced to a grain of sand in the sea of people, beginning his long journey of wandering.

Over the years, the young man had grown into a young adult, and his lofty ambitions had been worn down into a life of eating and waiting to die.

He had forgotten how many places he had been to.

But the little ice worm, this old companion, he had always taken care of, unknowingly becoming a bond, almost like a family member.

For years, Xiao Bai Qi had remained a little ice worm, without any change.

But this time, it was transforming!!

In that brief glance, Zhu Minglang saw Xiao Bai Qi's half-transformed form, with thin wings, a graceful silhouette, and a slender tail...

It seemed to possess the delicate and lively beauty of a butterfly-dragon holy spirit, as well as the form of the original Azure Dragon!

Undoubtedly, these were all signs that it was about to transform into a dragon!!

The ice cocoon was its gateway.

Breaking out of the cocoon, it would return to its dragon form!!

At this moment, Zhu Minglang's almost stagnant heart suddenly boiled up!!

The Azure Dragon was returning!!

The recent events, if experienced by anyone with a cold heart, would have sparked a desire, but they dared not act because they could not see their own future...

With Xiao Bai Qi's return, everything was different!!