Reaching the palace gates, Leng Jing looked up. The gates were magnificent, decorated with motifs of winding dragons and standing dozens of zhang high, operated by heavy machinery. Leng Jing placed his hand on the gilded fish-monster mechanism beside the door. Before triggering it, he called Leng Qingqing and the White Mink together for a brief pre-battle strategy meeting.
The task Leng Jing assigned to Leng Qingqing and the White Mink was to be professional underlings. They had to play their roles with dedication—neither so shabby as to embarrass their commander, nor so overbearing as to upstage him. They needed to know when to advance and when to retreat, understand the big picture, and be adept at guessing their leader's intentions. Since there were only three of them, Leng Jing needed a more imposing entrance to overawe the vast army.
Thus, Leng Jing said to the White Mink, "Can you grow larger?"
The White Mink understood. With a shimmer of light, he transformed into a beautiful human youth. Covering his face bashfully, he said, "Young Master, I won't let you down."
Leng Jing waved a hand. "I didn't ask you to become human. I asked you to grow larger."
"Huh?" The beautiful youth looked at him, dazed and confused.
"I want to ride you," Leng Jing added by way of explanation.
The White Mink’s eyes immediately welled with tears as he clutched his clothes to his chest. "No, Young Master... my technique is very poor, I won't be able to give you any pleasure..."
"Idiot, just let him ride you!" Leng Qingqing snapped, losing his patience.
"Even you, Master...! You two! Have you been lusting after me all this time?!" The beautiful mink youth wailed in a blood-curdling accusation. "I know I am but a servant, but... but... I still have a sense of shame! I still have my chastity!"
Leng Qingqing: *Speechless.*
Leng Jing: *...*
In the end, a massive, beast-form White Mink trudged out of the city gates, looking utterly dejected as he carried Leng Jing and Leng Qingqing. Leng Jing had even placed a set of reins in his mouth, treating him exactly like a mount. Feeling profoundly humiliated, the White Mink crawled out of the palace gates step by step, using one forepaw to cover his face.
The moment they exited the gates and left the Dragon Palace’s few remaining protective barriers, they saw demonic creatures and spirits flitting everywhere. The surrounding seabed was thick with a sinister, macabre energy. The seawater had been pushed back by water-parting spells, held aloft like a ceiling, while the demon army formed a dense, black circle around them. The front lines consisted of demonic beast cavalry, while the rear was filled with endless ranks of infantry under a sea of banners. It was a chilling sight.
Seated at the very front in a giant elephant-drawn war chariot were the commanders of the demon forces—the Second Prince of the Demon Realm and a dark-skinned boy dressed in exotic attire. The Second Prince had a head of red hair and a sturdy build, but his features clearly marked him as a man of violent temperament. Clad in a black war robe, he reclined half-languidly beneath a jeweled canopy on the elephant's back, snacking on fruit and dozing off out of boredom. Two enchanting demon handmaidens stood behind him, fanning him.
The dark-skinned boy wore strange Western-style clothing adorned with colorful ornaments. His pitch-black hair fell in tight curls. He could be considered handsome in a delicate way, though his skin was exceptionally dark.
As the White Mink emerged from the palace gates, Leng Qingqing, who was sitting behind Leng Jing, saw the enemy's grand display. Not to be outdone, he pulled out a folding fan and began fanning Leng Jing. He even spread out their leftover pastries and tea on top of the White Mink’s head for Leng Jing to enjoy as he sat cross-legged.
Despite their efforts, their appearance from the palace gates triggered thunderous laughter from the Second Prince and the demon army.
Wave after wave of mockery nearly drowned them out.
The Second Prince raised his hand, unable to suppress his sneer—the Dragon Palace truly was empty if they had sent a bunch of fools like this. With a flick of his finger, the front-rank sharpshooters would take these idiots down with soul-confounding poisoned arrows, leaving them to be slowly tortured later.
*But these fools really are hilarious!* The Second Prince thought, barely containing his mirth. He propped his chin on one hand while the other was halfway through the motion of giving the order.
That was when he found himself face-to-face with Leng Jing.
No one saw the terrifying speed of the white-clad beauty. The fastest image anyone could register was Leng Jing instantly standing upon the canopy’s plush carpet in a perfect stance. His body leaned forward in a graceful arc, hair flying, a short sword flashing with brilliant light held in his hand. By the time people realized what was happening, the Second Prince’s half-raised arm was already flying through the air.
There was no pain! Because it was too fast, not even blood had sprayed yet! Even as the Second Prince watched his own left hand fly away, he could still clearly feel the sensations remaining in that airborne limb!
By the time the Second Prince screamed, "Demon Child!!" his body had already tumbled down beside the giant elephant’s feet, crashing heavily into the seabed gravel.
The Demon Child—the dark-skinned boy—stared blankly at Leng Jing, his mouth slowly falling open as if he were too terrified to even scream.
"Kill them!" The Second Prince, rolling on the ground, did not forget to bark his orders. The vast army immediately leveled their weapons at the Leng trio.
A thousand archers aimed at the White Mink and Leng Qingqing. Leng Qingqing actually gave a faint smile. He stood up straight on the White Mink’s head, spreading his arms with an air of tragic righteousness. He shouted loudly, "You wicked heretics! I will never let you take another step forward! Even if I must exhaust my very life! I will protect the safety of these children and the peace of the Three Realms!"
The White Mink was speechless, but it immediately followed suit with a majestic roar, waving its paws around with great bravado. At that moment, ten thousand arrows were released, falling like rain. However, as they reached Leng Qingqing and the others, they were blocked by a shimmering wall of light that gradually rose, leaving them completely unharmed!
Leng Qingqing now had his fingers interlaced, his brow furrowed and eyes tightly shut, looking as though he were exerting immense effort. He cried out, "Though it is painful! I must hold this barrier! I will never let you pass! I feel my inner core burning to ash! My whole body feels like it's being wrapped in moldy noodles! Such agony! I can't breathe! But I must hold on! For everyone’s sake! I will endure!"
The White Mink chimed in with exaggerated loyalty: "Master! This old servant shall live and die with you! This is my great loyalty and righteousness!!! Ohhhhhhh!"
However, seeing that the demon soldiers were only focused on firing arrows, thrusting spears, or attacking the barrier with spells—completely ignoring their passionate, tragic performance—Leng Qingqing’s enthusiasm for self-sacrifice flickered out. He deflated, made a face at the demons who couldn't get in, and squatted down behind the barrier with the now-shrunken White Mink to eat the remaining snacks.
Naturally, this barrier was a gift from the omnipotent Dragon God, Leng Jing.
Leng Qingqing had eaten a bit too much. Between dinner and the constant snacking to pass the time, his stomach was starting to feel uncomfortable. He stood up, clutching his belly, and ran from behind the barrier back into the palace gates. He crossed the terrace and entered the Great Hall. Because the terrace was so vast, those inside the hall didn't quite know what was happening outside. Amidst the chaos in the hall, Leng Qingqing slipped through a side door, crossed the hall, and reached the latrine in the back. He lowered his trousers and began to relieve himself.
In such a dire, crisis-ridden moment, hiding in a quiet latrine to peacefully do one's business was a rare sensation. At the very least, it wasn't a bad feeling. Leng Qingqing let out a long, deep sigh of relief.
"Waaaah, I can't get it out." A child's crying came from the neighboring stall. A dragon girl's voice followed: "Your Highness Golden Dragon, push a little harder, it will come out."
"Waaaah... it's all because you people believed that damn little White Dragon last time and gave me that bitter, weird medicine! Now I can't go! I'm so mad! Waaaah..." the child shouted petulantly.
Leng Qingqing pursed his lips in sympathy. He looked down and saw that, indeed, the extravagant Dragon Palace even had golden toilets. Glancing at the rack beside the toilet, he saw several neatly folded stacks of snow-white silk handkerchiefs. Each handkerchief was square and decorated with embroidered patterns. Having been born into the royalty of the Snake Gods, Leng Qingqing knew exactly what these were for. Years ago, when he had accompanied his Imperial Father and brothers to visit the Dragon Palace, they had used this fine silk in the latrines for wiping. *How wasteful,* Leng Qingqing thought. *I must never let Leng Jing know about this. Otherwise, he'll learn from the Dragon Palace and spend all our household money on luxuries, and my budget for noodles will be slashed.*
While Leng Qingqing was occupied in the latrine, Leng Jing and the boy began their standoff. The one the Second Prince called the "Demon Child" initially looked astonished, but then his mouth began to stretch wider and wider, eventually reaching the point where his jaw dislocated. Not only that, but the opening of his mouth continued to expand.
Leng Jing found it strange, so he quietly observed the boy's mouth as it grew. Because it was stretched so wide, the boy's delicate face became grotesque—we often say someone's "jaw hit the floor," but actually seeing a jaw drop in such a manner was deeply unpleasant.
The boy's gaping mouth looked like a bottomless abyss, from which a strange cackling sound emerged. Suddenly, a man's large hand reached out from the boy's mouth. Had Leng Jing not dodged quickly, it would have grabbed his face.
Leng Jing took a step back, watching this eerie sight. A thick, muscular man's arm extended from the Demon Child's deformed mouth. The arm pointed at Leng Jing, while a man's low voice rumbled from within the boy's chest: "You monster dragon!"
Sensing something was wrong, Leng Jing immediately shifted his form, returning from the elephant's back to the White Mink’s side. By now, Leng Qingqing had already left to relieve himself.
Because the rain of arrows had been too thick earlier, the White Mink hadn't seen Leng Jing’s bizarre encounter on the elephant. He hurriedly dropped his pastries and came over to ask, "Young Master! How goes the battle?"
The moment he spoke, the surroundings began to change violently. Both the White Mink and Leng Jing were startled.
The arm inside the Demon Child's mouth retracted, but the mouth remained grotesquely open. This time, what emerged was not an arm, but a hurricane with a powerful suction force. Even with Leng Jing’s barrier protecting them, the White Mink and Leng Jing were blown to the edge, pressed against the wall of light.
The demon army fared even worse. Any soldier caught in the gale was instantly turned into a withered corpse; some even crumbled into ash. The massive spiritual energy generated by the deaths of a hundred thousand demon soldiers flowed continuously into the Demon Child's gaping maw. Even the Second Prince could not escape, turning into a dried-up husk.
"That monster sacrificed a hundred thousand of his own troops to bolster his own power!" The White Mink finally realized what was happening and screamed in terror. "He must have realized how difficult you are to deal with, Young Master, so he resorted to this!"
Once the surrounding demon army had all been reduced to withered bones, the Demon Child seemed satiated. A man's arm reached out from his mouth again—two arms this time. It was clear that a man was inside the boy's body, attempting to crawl out. It sounded impossible, but Leng Jing and the White Mink saw it with their own eyes.
Finally, a tall, naked man crawled completely out of the Demon Child's mouth. He stood atop the skeletal remains of the giant elephant, the only thing left standing, looking down at Leng Jing with disdain.
the man had dark skin and was covered in crimson tattoos. His messy blue hair whipped about in the intense demonic energy surrounding him. He let out a cold chuckle, picking up the discarded skin of the boy like a piece of clothing and tossing it down. "This vessel is no longer needed."
This man was the First Prince of the Demon Realm. He was the former Crown Prince who had been exiled and deposed for researching forbidden dark arts. During his exile, he had been taken in by the Second Prince, promising to assist him while continuing his evil research. To achieve the ancient heterodox arts left behind by the primordial demon, Curse-Demon, he had sacrificed ten thousand boys. The boy he had finally chosen as his vessel was actually the long-lost youngest son of the Heavenly Emperor. To complete his transformation into a true, blood-soaked Demon God, the First Prince had incited the Second Prince to launch the largest siege in the history of the Demon Realm, waiting for the perfect moment to complete his absorption.
Of course, regardless of the various conspiracies, hidden motives, and past entanglements, while the First Prince had completed his ritual to become a Demon God, he had the misfortune of encountering the "God of Spoiling the Mood," Leng Jing.
Let us now observe the battle between the evil First Prince and Leng Jing.
Like all great demon lords, the First Prince first let out a long laugh toward the heavens. Then, he pointed a finger and declared, "In all of heaven and earth, I alone am supreme!!!!"
Thick, pitch-black demonic energy radiated from him as the center. It quickly filled the surrounding space. This energy was highly toxic; even an immortal would be corroded if they inhaled too much. Leng Jing, however, stood at the front of the barrier. He leaned on a long sword he had pulled from somewhere, appearing exhausted and heavily wounded. Gritting his teeth, he said, "You wicked heretic! I will never let you take another step forward! Even if I must exhaust my very life! I will protect the peace of the Three Realms!"
Truly, birds of a feather flock together. The White Mink secretly looked down on Leng Jing from behind—*Young Master, are you just bored because you've eaten too much?*
But clearly, Leng Jing’s performance fell flat. The First Prince ignored him entirely, merely laughing maniacally, not even deigning to speak to him. Leng Jing’s face darkened. It was rare for there to be no one around so he could indulge his heroic complex and put on a show, yet he was being completely ignored.
He thrust the long sword into the ground and resolutely stepped out of the barrier.
The demonic energy turned into countless whirlwinds, coiling around Leng Jing’s body, but it had absolutely no effect on him. Leng Jing let out a soft breath, and the demonic energy within a dozen zhang of him vanished without a trace.
This finally caught the First Prince’s attention. He tilted his head and started to curl his lip into a sneer, but before the cold laugh could escape, a white shadow blurred before his eyes. Leng Jing was standing right in front of him. A massive force slammed into the top of the First Prince’s head, and his world began to spin.
The White Mink pressed against the barrier, watching this terrifying scene with wide eyes. Leng Jing had used a heavy brick from near the palace gates to bash the First Prince right off the elephant’s carcass.
The First Prince lay on the ground, taking a long time to regain consciousness. Leng Jing was pinning him down by the throat with one hand, mocking him: "Where is the power of a hundred thousand men? Show me. If you're a man, face me in a proper duel!"
"You mongrel!!" the First Prince roared in fury. He broke free from Leng Jing’s grip, and demonic energy condensed in his hand into a massive greatsword, which he thrust toward Leng Jing with a howl. The sword-wind swirled with dense demonic energy, turning everything in its path to ash!
Leng Jing also condensed his own pure dragon qi into a magnificent dragon sword, meeting the First Prince in close combat. Every clash of their weapons caused the earth to shake and the mountains to tremble. The White Mink watched with surging passion, shouting and cheering them on.
In a few short moments, the two had exchanged over a hundred blows. Because the energy from both sides was too immense, earthquakes were constant. Had it not been for Leng Jing’s barrier, the Dragon Palace would have long since been reduced to ruins. Leng Qingqing was currently squatting on the golden toilet. Perhaps influenced by the little Golden Dragon, he had also started to feel constipated. When the earthquake hit, he was so startled he grabbed the nearby rack for support.
Finally, Leng Jing used a master move taught to him by a famous swordsman of the martial world to elegantly claim victory. He plunged his sword into the First Prince’s chest. However, the First Prince did not fall. Instead, he laughed loudly: "Do you think a measly sword can hurt me? How naive! Wahahahaha!" He slammed a palm into Leng Jing’s chest, and Leng Jing’s body went flying back.
A trail of black "blood" trickled from the corner of Leng Jing’s mouth. He furrowed his brows, clutching his chest and gasping for air, looking quite seriously injured. Just as he was about to deliver his "wounded hero" speech, an anxious cry fell from the sky:
"Baby!!!"
Gu Fengchen, maintaining a water-parting spell, charged recklessly into the battle zone. He scooped the seemingly heavily injured Leng Jing into his arms, frantic with worry. "Baby! How are you? Is the wound deep? Big Brother will take you for treatment right now! Baby, you have to hold on!"
It turned out he had sensed the overwhelming demonic energy in the Sea of Yearning and had come to investigate, only to witness a scene that tore his heart asunder—his White Dragon Baby being brutally ravaged and injured by a demon lord!
"Pfft!" Leng Jing spat out a mouthful of grape juice. Why! Why could he never fulfill his long-held, secret hobby—to successfully fake a heavy injury just once to see what would happen...
"Forget it." Leng Jing climbed to his feet. Before Gu Fengchen could understand what was going on, he himself vomited black blood and collapsed, having inhaled too much demonic energy.
Leng Jing tossed Gu Fengchen into the barrier; it seemed they had one more patient. Seeing that dawn was approaching, he transformed into his true White Dragon form and lunged toward the First Prince.
The First Prince’s final conscious experience was a deafening, majestic dragon roar—a wild, free sound that seemed to roar his very soul out of his body. It was so full of passion that for a fleeting moment, he felt a desire to roar along with it in release.
Unfortunately, that was his last thought.
A massive whirlpool, the likes of which had never been seen before, rose in the Sea of Yearning. Countless waterspouts shot into the clouds, washing away every trace of demonic energy. They broke through the thick demonic mist that had lingered for days, allowing the morning sun to shine upon the surface of the Sea of Yearning. Conspiracies, fear, desire... all the dark clouds were swept away by the White Dragon Leng Jing’s all-consuming roar and dragon storm.
An exhausted Leng Qingqing finally returned from the latrine. Leng Jing and the White Mink were at the palace gates, drinking wine to celebrate their victory. Leng Jing had quietly transported the Dragon Physician out and tied him up together with Gu Fengchen.
Inside the Dragon Palace, the mysterious disappearance of the Dragon Physician didn't attract much attention. Everyone continued to live in terror. Because of the insulating and soundproofing effects of Leng Jing’s barrier, they had no idea what world-shaking events had occurred outside. Trembling with unease, no one dared to go out and check.
Perhaps Leng Jing didn't know, but after they had leisurely returned home, the people of the Dragon Palace spent a full half-month in fear before they finally dared to open the gates and look outside.
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
魔童 | Demon Child | The vessel used by the First Prince of the Demon Realm.
魔大 | Mo Da | Short for the First Prince (大皇子) of the Demon Realm.
金龙 | Golden Dragon | The young prince of the Dragon Palace.
相思海 | Sea of Yearning | The location of the Dragon Palace (Xiangsi Sea).
天诛之界 | Heaven's Punishment Boundary | A powerful barrier around the Dragon Palace.
起死丹药 | Resurrection Pill | A pill supposedly capable of bringing one back from the brink of death.
