The carriage pulled by celestial horses rose into the clouds. Outside the windows, thick banks of vapor drifted by, looking just like the cotton candy Leng Qingqing loved to eat—soft, white, and fluffy. Leng Qingqing pressed himself against the glass, his eyes wide as he took in the wondrous sights. Within the dense mist, flat plateaus of clouds appeared from time to time, where snowy white rabbits stood, waving their paws at them.
"Those are celestial rabbits from the lower heavens. They are all cultivating diligently. If they pass the Heavenly Trials, they can go to the moon to serve as attendants to the Moon Goddess," explained Gu Fengchen, who had taken it upon himself to act as their tour guide inside the carriage.
"What are you doing here? Why are you sitting in here?" Leng Jing asked coldly.
Gu Fengchen scratched his head. "I thought the baby might need my care, so I came over as soon as I sobered up."
Leng Jing opened the carriage door and unceremoniously shoved Gu Fengchen out.
A powerful gust of wind howled through the open door, forcing Bai Diao to cling tightly to Leng Qingqing’s leg to keep from being blown away. Only after Leng Jing slammed the door shut did the minor commotion subside.
Leng Jing turned back, his face resuming its usual stern expression.
"Jing-er, you still look very unhappy," Leng Qingqing ventured cautiously.
"......" Leng Jing remained silent, a knot of unease still tightening in his chest. He was suddenly plagued by a multitude of pointless worries. After that night, a faint silver dragon mark had appeared on Leng Qingqing’s forehead. Leng Jing had used a spell to hide it early that morning, so Leng Qingqing hadn't noticed it yet.
Countless troubling thoughts flashed through Leng Jing’s mind. He stood up, sat back down, and finally couldn't resist grabbing Leng Qingqing’s wrist to check his pulse.
"What on earth are you fretting about?" Leng Qingqing asked, bewildered.
"I am merely performing a casual check of your meridians," Leng Jing replied, his expression grave to the extreme.
"......Young Master." The cunning Bai Diao quickly deduced Leng Jing’s concern: he was worried Leng Qingqing might get pregnant! Although Leng Qingqing was a male snake, Leng Jing was a Divine Dragon. Who knew what unexpected consequences might arise after such an act? Perhaps male pregnancy wasn't impossible. How could the selfish Young Master allow another little one to come along and compete for his affection? Hmph.
After checking the pulse for a while, Leng Jing’s expression finally softened. It seemed his greatest fear of pregnancy was merely a delusion. Thus, he declared, "Qingqing, I will not call you 'Father' anymore."
"Why..." Leng Qingqing felt a pang of sadness. His son refused to call him father.
"The relationship between us is no longer that of father and son. Qingqing, you are not to call me 'son' anymore either," Leng Jing said with a stiff face.
"Then what is our relationship?" Leng Qingqing became increasingly upset.
"We are lovers now. Qingqing, I am formally courting you," Leng Jing said seriously.
"I don't want to be lovers, that's no fun at all..." Leng Qingqing grumbled unhappily under his breath.
"In any case, it is settled." Leng Jing exhaled as if he had completed a monumental task. "From now on, I shall call you Qingqing. Qingqing, you are my beloved now; I will cherish you well."
"Boring. Hmph. You're clearly my son," Leng Qingqing huffed, crossing his arms as he began a cold war with Leng Jing.
The atmosphere in the carriage instantly turned heavy.
And so it went—one quarter-hour, two, three...
The blue sky around the carriage was gradually replaced by the vast, deep blue of the night sky. Along the Cloud Path, distant cities shimmered with beautiful phosphorescence. These were the dwellings of the Celestials, for the path they took was a shortcut through the Heavenly Realm. Seeing the brilliant, colorful aurora floating in the night sky, the Leng family trio pressed themselves against the windows to admire the view. Although the "Dragon-style Ferrari" could cover thousands of miles in an instant, they had never truly taken the time to appreciate such magnificent scenery along the way.
The auroras shifted unpredictably, and from the clusters of light, many Light Spirits gradually separated. They gathered in groups of three or five, singing and dancing with great joy. Many young spirits even swirled around the carriage, some approaching the windows to make faces at the staring trio, mouthing the words "Country Bumpkins" before flying away with mocking laughter.
"What a bunch of ill-bred creatures!" Leng Jing, already in a foul mood, snorted coldly. He and Bai Diao both made "shoo" gestures at the spirits.
The giggling spirits made faces back at them and soon flew off toward a single spot.
"What are they doing?" the trio observed curiously.
A moment later.
"Father!! Look at those ill-bred things! This is absolutely malicious!" Leng Jing pointed out the window in a rage.
The spirits had arranged themselves in mid-air to form five glowing characters: "DIE, COUNTRY BUMPKINS."
"Do they have a death wish?" Leng Jing stood up, intending to go out and teach them a lesson.
"Don't go! Young Master, look, it says here in the 'Gu Family Travel Guide'—Light Spirits belong to the Empress's clan. They aren't to be trifled with, or it'll cause a lot of trouble," Bai Diao said, waving the guidebook in his hand.
"So what? We're just supposed to let them bully us like that?" Leng Jing poked his finger against the glass window. The glowing words had already changed to "LOWLY."
"Just pretend you didn't see it," Bai Diao said helplessly. "Young Master, why bother lowering yourself to the level of those children?"
Thus, the Leng family trio proceeded in silence amidst the mockery of the giant glowing words.
However, it was said that the Ancient Cloud Path, which was supposedly clear year-round, later experienced a once-in-ten-thousand-years super-thunderstorm. It occurred exactly fifteen minutes after the trio's carriage passed through. Leng Jing remained silent on the matter, making it impossible to determine if the weather disaster was due to natural causes or human factors.
***
Snow Dragon Kingdom was a distant realm of the gods, shrouded in ice and snow year-round, named so because the royal family belonged to the Snow Dragon lineage. The Snow Dragon clan held great prestige among the dragon tribes; their dragons were characterized by being snow-white from head to tail and possessing immense innate power.
When the trio arrived above the kingdom, they saw that the true Snow Dragon Kingdom was a vast, boundless expanse of snowfields and mountain ranges. It was said the kingdom spanned a hundred thousand miles, but the vast majority was uninhabited due to the extreme cold. In reality, the capital was nestled within the Green Mountains to the northeast of the snowfields.
The Green Mountains formed a massive ring that blocked out most of the wind and snow. Combined with the abundant spiritual energy of the earth, it had become a blessed land where spring reigned eternal amidst the ice and snow. The towering palaces of the Snow Dragon Kingdom stood upon the Snow God Plateau within these mountains.
Leng Qingqing and Leng Jing both expected a grand welcome, given that Leng Jing’s current identity was the "long-lost little prince of the Snow Dragon Kingdom." To their surprise, the celestial carriage stopped at a mountain pass far from the palace. They, along with four guards, were then secretly smuggled into the city in a donkey cart, disguised.
In truth, Leng Jing had wanted to enjoy being a prince for once, much like his snake father. This treatment left him feeling quite stifled.
The interior of the Snow Dragon capital was incredibly prosperous, but the architecture and clothing were very different from the Central Plains. The men and women of the Dragon Clan were exceptionally beautiful and dressed magnificently. Everyone put immense effort into their appearance; some even adorned their heads with multiple layers of elaborate gemstones and ornaments, or wore clinking gold and jade rings and exquisite chains on their waists and arms. In short, it was the exaggeratedly refined and fashionable look of the God Realm.
In contrast, Leng Qingqing and the others wore grey robes to hide their identities, covering their heads and faces. They looked no different from country bumpkins. The Snow Dragon tribe graded status by appearance—the more beautiful one was, the higher their spiritual power was presumed to be. Consequently, those with ordinary looks were looked down upon. Leng Qingqing and his companions were viewed as low-level servants, receiving many contemptuous glances along the way.
Led by the guards, they arrived at a side gate of the royal palace. After a few whispered words to the sentries, they were allowed inside. The interior of the palace was extraordinarily grand. Even a single side corridor was carved with exquisite beauty, winding through lush green vines that clung to snow-white pillars. Roses bloomed in competition, releasing their fragrance; though it was but a small corner, the scenery was intoxicating.
After passing through the long side corridor, they entered the inner chambers of the side palace. The interior offered yet another style—thousands of doors and ten thousand households, layer upon layer without end. The trio focused on following the lead guard until they reached a secluded residence. A plaque above the door read "Jing Palace." The guard explained, "This shall be Your Highness's quarters."
The "Bumpkin Trio" entered the deserted Jing Palace. The furnishings were complete and the layout was orderly, but a thick layer of dust on the tables indicated it hadn't been inhabited for a long time. There weren't even any maidservants or attendants. Every sign pointed to this being a neglected "Cold Palace."
However, Leng Qingqing, who caught the familiar scent of royalty, and Bai Diao, who had never had the chance to enter a palace, were thrilled to death. They began a busy spring cleaning. Because Leng Qingqing intended to use the legendary "Ten Thousand Path Snake Clone Technique" to speed up the cleaning, Leng Jing quickly slipped out for a stroll. When it came to sweeping floors, one could never find the "Dragon-style Ferrari" Young Master.
No one knew exactly where Leng Jing wandered, but he returned on time for lunch, bringing heaps of food. He had somehow acquired sesame cakes from the shores of the East Sea, desserts from the Southern Barbarians, flower tea from the Far West, and savory sauce meatballs from a local stall. Being able to taste the world's delicacies without leaving the house was the greatest advantage of the "Dragon-style Ferrari." Thus, the sweat-drenched Leng Qingqing and Bai Diao spread a bamboo mat on the floor, and the three sat together to eat.
"Father, you are quite familiar with palace etiquette and rules, aren't you?" Leng Jing asked tentatively.
"Hmph," Leng Qingqing held his sesame cake and put on airs, turning his face away. "Who was it that said they would never call me 'Father' again? Hmph hmph hmph. If someone were to shout 'Long live Father,' I might teach him everything I know about palace etiquette."
"Forget it then." Leng Jing continued eating his fried small fish.
"Long live Father~!" Bai Diao, on the other hand, excitedly raised his paws. As a "bumpkin," he harbored a certain worship for royalty. In his mind, with the Young Master's extraordinary talent, he would surely succeed the Snow Dragon Emperor one day. When that happened, Leng Jing would become the Emperor! And he, at the very least, would be titled a Prince! Oh yeah~ Prince Bai Diao~ No, he wouldn't use such a silly name then. He had already thought it over: when he became a Prince, he would change his name to Bai Di'ao, a refined and virtuous Prince of peerless grace. He would have many beauties to accompany him and then enslave them to do his chores...
Bai Diao drifted into a wonderful fantasy.
Having gained a follower, Leng Qingqing became even more spirited. He said with an air of profound mystery, "Hmph, listen or don't, I only tell those who love to learn. Listen well, Bai Diao: when you see the Emperor, call him 'Imperial Father.' When you see the Empress, call her 'Imperial Mother.' When you see a prince older than you, call him 'Imperial Brother.' I haven't seen any princes younger than me, so I don't know what to call them. Call general concubines 'Niangniang,' call eunuchs 'Gonggong,' and call palace maids 'Sister'!"
"Is there more? Is there more? How do you survive in the palace? How do you win the Emperor's favor?" Bai Diao asked, his watery eyes sparkling.
"I don't know." Leng Qingqing went back to eating his cake.
*I knew this guy wouldn't have anything useful to say...* Bai Diao dropped his food in disappointment and went to clean his private restroom.
Thus, by nightfall, the Jing Palace was refreshed inside and out. The three sat in the clean, bright hall, enjoying tea and chatting.
*Is this your idea of palace life? You shut-in bumpkins!!!*
They were leisurely gossiping about the scandals of the celestial immortals when a shout came from outside the hall: "Consort Huan has arrived—!"
Before the three could hide the snacks scattered on the floor, the doors were flung open. A procession of palace maids filed in, standing on either side with bowed heads. A dignified and elegant noblewoman, surrounded by her entourage, walked gracefully into the Jing Palace. When she saw the three sitting on the floor, she rushed forward, grabbed the stunned Leng Qingqing, and began to sob.
"My poor child... Mother has finally found you...!"
Leng Qingqing was so moved that he began to cry along with her. After a long while, Consort Huan lifted her head, her eyes tearful as she touched Leng Qingqing’s forehead. "My Prince, how have you endured all these years?"
It turned out that because of his intimacy with Leng Jing, the dragon aura lingering around Leng Qingqing led Consort Huan to mistake him for the Snow Dragon Prince.
"I... I've been living with Jing-er," Leng Qingqing answered honestly.
Consort Huan nodded through her tears. "Good child. Mother will never let you suffer again. Tomorrow, Mother will take you to see your Imperial Father and restore your true status!"
Bai Diao watched all this with his mouth agape, looking from Leng Qingqing to the brooding Leng Jing.
***
"What is this! I am clearly the dragon! That prince clearly agreed to let me do it! Father is being too much, competing with his son for the throne—what kind of logic is that!" After Consort Huan left, Leng Jing began to throw a tantrum at his snake father.
"Didn't you say you wouldn't even acknowledge me as your father? Hmph, now it's fair competition! If you don't look like a prince, don't blame your father!" Leng Qingqing seemed to be quite enjoying his reclaimed royal identity. He touched his face and closed his eyes. "Ah, it seems I truly do possess a royal aura after all. Unlike a certain unfilial son who disowns his own father and is only fit to be a martial arts leader or a mountain bandit... Oh my... the prince's clothes are so comfortable... Oh my... the prince's golden crown is so beautiful... Oh my... Oh my..."
The great white snake rubbed against the delivered royal garments with a blissful smile.
"Go and explain it clearly to them. You are a snake," Leng Jing said, reaching out to pinch the snake's neck.
"I won't! I look more like a prince than you! Take that! Stupid Jing-er, smelly Jing-er!" Leng Qingqing stuck his tongue out at Leng Jing.
Bai Diao hid behind a bedpost, watching secretly. He thought to himself: *Young Master, your royal complex is quite significant too!*
Ultimately, Leng Jing sat on the wide bed with his back to them in silence. Ignoring the plummeting temperature around him, Leng Qingqing gleefully tried on his new clothes. Eventually, the triumphant white snake went into hibernation because the temperature was too low. Before falling asleep, he clutched the royal attire tightly.
For once, Leng Jing was actually jealous of Leng Qingqing. Although he would die before admitting it, Leng Qingqing had risked his life to earn the only moment in his existence where he was envied by his son. As he hibernated, he thought that even if he died now, it would be worth it. The feeling of being envied was truly, truly, truly wonderful!
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
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雪龙国 | Snow Dragon Kingdom | A divine realm inhabited by the Snow Dragon clan.
光灵仙子 | Light Spirit Fairies | A clan related to the Heavenly Empress, known for their arrogance.
幻妃 | Consort Huan | A high-ranking concubine in the Snow Dragon Kingdom.
静殿 | Jing Palace | Literally "Silent Palace" or "Hall of Stillness."
龙行法拉利 | Dragon-style Ferrari | A humorous modern reference used by the author for Leng Jing's high-speed travel.
土包子 | Country Bumpkin | A derogatory term for unrefined or rural people.
雪神坪 | Snow God Plateau | The location of the royal palace in the Green Mountains.
绿山 | Green Mountains | A ring of mountains in the Snow Dragon Kingdom that creates a spring-like climate.
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