Before Leng Jing could speak, Leng Qingqing cut him off. "How could that be? Xiao Jing is my son; he’s a snake spirit."
The man in green frowned. "How can a snake spirit possess dragon aura?" As soon as he spoke, the wound on his chest throbbed with sharp pain. He exhaled slowly, thinking it best to return to the Dragon Court to report his mission first. "Are you two willing to serve in the Dragon Court?" he asked.
Leng Jing replied, "We are but rootless little demons. To hold a position in the Dragon Court would naturally be the honor of three lifetimes." He continued, "My name is Leng Jing, a wild hybrid dragon. This is my adoptive father, Leng Qingqing, a white snake."
"So, a wild-born dragon. No wonder you have dragon aura. Very well, come to the East Sea Dragon Court and seek me out. Bring my token, this green jade pendant, and say you were recommended by Qing Cang." The man handed them a jade pendant he carried.
So, his name was Qing Cang.
After Qing Cang departed, news of the Mountain Lord’s death spread like wildfire. To seize the position of the new Mountain Lord, the entire Snowy Mountain turned into a battlefield. It seemed that even monsters could not escape the lure of power and profit.
Seeing the chaos, Leng Qingqing had no choice but to discuss the matter of seeking refuge in the East Sea with Leng Jing.
By then, Xue Rumeng had recovered his magic. Since the mountain was in turmoil, he took the opportunity to rush down the mountain to find his mortal lover, leaving without even having time to say goodbye.
Leng Qingqing packed their belongings into a bundle, took a lingering look at the Snowy Mountain where he had lived and struggled, and set out on the journey once more with Leng Jing.
This time, Leng Jing transformed into his true form, soaring through the sky with Leng Qingqing on his back. Leng Qingqing gripped his horns, suddenly thinking that Leng Jing didn't look half bad with them.
Now, it is said that by the shore of the East Sea lived an old man. A great mountain stood right before his door, blocking the sunlight and his path, which was very inconvenient.
Thus, the old man decided to emulate the "Foolish Old Man who moved mountains," digging up earth every day. He dug for three whole years, but the mountain showed no sign of shrinking. His confidence slowly ebbed away during the process, and he began to doubt his own convictions.
Finally, one day, the old man gave up. He threw away the shovel and basket he had used for three years. Indeed, there was a vast distance between dreams and reality. The gods would not be moved by his actions after all.
Dejected, the old man went home to sleep.
Just as he lay down on his bed, a world-shaking boom nearly scared the soul out of him.
He didn't even have time to put on his shoes before rushing out to check. He saw a white dragon crashing straight into the mountain, shattering it into flying earth and stone! A great mountain was dismantled just like that!
The old man fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. His wish had actually come true!
Was this the power of persistence?!
In truth, Leng Jing was young and impetuous. He had pursued nothing but speed, and when he reached the East Sea, he couldn't brake in time, slamming headfirst into a coastal mountain and splitting it apart.
"Ah!! This is all your fault!" Leng Jing clutched his head, snapping at Leng Qingqing in anger.
"How can you blame me... I just wanted to see if Xiao Jing could fly with his eyes closed, so..." Leng Qingqing twiddled his fingers.
"So you suddenly covered my eyes with some ragged scrap of cloth?! Huh?!" Leng Jing roared in fury, tearing off the strip of cloth and throwing it to the ground. "Don't think I don't know what you were up to! You wanted to treat me like a mule! Using that rag as a bridle!"
"Oh... Xiao Jing, you're so smart... I didn't expect to accidentally cover your eyes... *Waaa*... I should have put it in your mouth instead..." Leng Qingqing said sheepishly.
Leng Jing closed his eyes in rage, counseling himself internally: *Don't lower yourself to the level of this silly snake!*
Unexpectedly, Leng Qingqing reached out to touch his forehead and blew on it gently. "Good son, that must have hurt! Daddy will blow on it, and then it won't hurt anymore~"
"Get away from me!" Leng Jing pushed him aside and walked toward the shore.
The vast sea stretched endlessly, where the sky and water met. A sea breeze carrying the scent of the ocean ruffled Leng Jing's long hair. Looking at the immense expanse, Leng Jing couldn't help but feel a sense of enchantment. Leng Qingqing grabbed his hand from behind and said with a grin, "Xiao Jing, you've never seen the sea before, have you? This is the ocean! Let's dive in quickly! The sea is where the real fun is!"
With that, he pulled Leng Jing's hand and leapt into the water. The two plunged into a deep blue world.
Leng Jing followed Leng Qingqing into the depths. Sunlight filtered down from the surface, shimmering and swaying with the waves. The quiet deep sea held a magnificent landscape entirely different from the land. Schools of fish frolicked freely like migratory birds in the sky, and corals and seaweeds of every color were a dazzling sight. Not to mention the strange marine creatures Leng Jing had never even heard of, which often left the "ugly little snake" mesmerized. He simply allowed the seemingly experienced Leng Qingqing to lead him through the seabed. Unknowingly, the surface of the sea had become as high and unreachable as the sky, while the abyss of the ocean seemed bottomless.
In this manner, Leng Qingqing led Leng Jing to a magnificent crystal palace in the depths of the ocean. The crystal pavilions, still radiant even when surrounded by deep blue seawater, were a splendid sight that seemed to belong only in dreams.
"This is the Dragon Court, the sacred land in the hearts of all dragons and snakes in the world." Leng Qingqing looked at the tall, exquisite crystal gates, his gaze flickering with a faint sense of nostalgia and sorrow.
"You have a tragic, legendary, and convoluted past, don't you?" Leng Jing looked at him askance.
"Adult matters are none of a child's business." Leng Qingqing put on his parental air, repeating that same phrase.
Leng Jing curled his lip and ignored him.
In the eyes of parents, a child is always a child; and parents always have secrets that a child can never know. In that sense, parents are truly a mysterious species.
No matter how deep or cool Leng Jing tried to be, in Leng Qingqing's eyes, he would always be just a little snake who liked to play. Therefore, he would bury all his sorrow and pain, leaving only the best things for his son, while interring that unbearable past forever in the depths of time and memory.
His only wish was to live happily and ordinarily with his son. Never, ever again would he be drawn back into that nightmare!
Leng Qingqing couldn't help but tightly embrace Leng Jing's waist from behind. Right now, the only thing he had was Leng Jing.
But Leng Jing still broke free from his embrace and walked toward the crystal gates. In that moment, Leng Qingqing felt a pang of sadness, a feeling that he ultimately wouldn't be able to keep him. But it was only for a moment. Leng Qingqing took a deep breath—if that was the case, then at the very least, he would stay by Xiao Jing's side as much as possible!
Thus, Leng Qingqing followed resolutely, trotting over as he usually did to grab the corner of Leng Jing's robe.
The gates of the Dragon Court finally opened to them!
"Lord Qing Cang has already told me about your situation." A sea turtle official, carrying a heavy shell on his back, led Leng Jing and his father through the Dragon Palace.
The corridors, built of white jade, were decorated with night-luminescent pearls and light gauze curtains. The walls featured openwork carved window frames, so exquisite that they dazzled the father and son.
"You're a grass dragon, aren't you?" The turtle official glanced at Leng Jing. "It's truly rare to see a coarse grass dragon with your looks and refined manners. Hmm, to be honest, you are quite a handsome young man... Go serve the Seventh Prince! He's currently lacking a personal attendant. As for your father, he can go along as well."
They talked as they walked, passing through numerous pavilions before arriving at an extremely remote and simple hall within the Dragon Court. The turtle official jerked his chin toward it and said, "This is the Seventh Prince's residence."
Having said that, he didn't even go in to announce them, simply leaving them there and walking away.
Leng Qingqing tugged at Leng Jing's sleeve and whispered, "That old man just said the Seventh Prince is a half-breed born to the Dragon Emperor and a Fish Consort. It seems he isn't favored!"
Leng Jing tucked the newly issued green jade tablet into his belt and said, "Let's go in and see for ourselves first."
This secluded hall was completely out of place with the magnificent Dragon Palace. The characters on the plaque were so mottled they were almost illegible, but one could vaguely make out the words "Hall of Desolation." When Leng Jing pushed the gate gently, a large piece of the already decayed vermilion lacquer peeled off.
The interior was even more meager, containing only the most basic daily furniture.
The innermost room was separated from the main hall by only a curtain. Leng Jing walked to the curtain and peered through the gap. Inside was a large bed, upon which a thin, weak figure was curled into a ball, sobbing.
Leng Jing spoke up, "I am the new guard sent to serve the Seventh Prince. I have come to pay my respects."
The person on the bed stopped crying and choked out, "Please come in."
Leng Jing lifted the curtain and entered, bowing first. "This humble one, Leng Jing, along with my father, Leng Qingqing, pays respects to the Seventh Prince."
"Rise." Although the person on the bed was weak, he was well-versed in etiquette, his speech carrying a hint of royal grace.
Only then did Leng Jing look up to observe him. The Seventh Prince was a thin, delicate youth with tear stains still on his face and bruises at the corners of his mouth. He seemed to have been bullied. With a little thought, Leng Jing understood; with the power struggles in the Dragon Palace, the Seventh Prince—born of a Fish Consort who had died early—was naturally lonely and subject to mistreatment.
However, Leng Jing felt a strange sensation. After observing the Seventh Prince for a moment, he realized why—the Seventh Prince's features actually bore a slight resemblance to Leng Qingqing's!
"Leng Jing, now that you've come to my place, I have nothing to entertain you with. If you get the chance in the future, leave me as soon as possible to pursue a better future. Staying here will only stifle you." The Seventh Prince was clear about his situation and explained it to Leng Jing beforehand. Although he had just been crying, he spoke to Leng Jing with a cold tone, as if deliberately trying to distance himself from others.
"Uh... this subordinate shall simply do his duty," Leng Jing replied.
After that, the atmosphere between him and the Seventh Prince turned awkward.
Neither spoke. Leng Jing, being bold, found a chair and sat down. The two simply stared at each other.
It wasn't until Leng Qingqing emerged from the kitchen with two bowls of noodles, grinning as he said, "Time to eat," that the atmosphere softened.
The Seventh Prince looked at the steaming noodles and murmured to himself, "It's been so long... since I've eaten something hot..." As he spoke, his tears fell again.
"Don't cry, don't cry. Xiao Yun, be good. I'll make you delicious food every day," Leng Qingqing comforted him, patting the Seventh Prince's back.
"Huh?!" Leng Jing was startled. "You two know each other?"
"Yes? Do we know each other? How do you know my name is Cang Yun?" the Seventh Prince asked, looking up.
Leng Qingqing hurriedly tried to cover it up. "I heard it from those subordinates. Hurry up and eat!"
"I don't believe you." Leng Jing stared straight at him.
Leng Qingqing felt a wave of guilt. He stammered for a long while before finally saying, "Xiao Yun's mother—the Fish Consort, Yun Rou—was my sworn sister!"
"Ah! Are you really my uncle?" Seventh Prince Cang Yun had never had a close relative; his brothers and stepmothers only knew how to bully him. Hearing that he had an uncle, he didn't care whether it was true or false and became excited immediately.
Leng Qingqing nodded earnestly. "When Yun Rou and I met back then, because we looked somewhat alike, we felt a great affinity and became siblings. Alas, I didn't expect Yun Rou to leave so early..."
"Uncle..." Thinking of the sad past, Cang Yun couldn't help but throw himself into Leng Qingqing's arms and weep bitterly.
"Xiao Yun, you've suffered..." Leng Qingqing also shed tears of emotion.
The Hall of Desolation suddenly became a place of family reunion.
Watching them cry and laugh, Leng Jing only felt that seeing Cang Yun in Leng Qingqing's arms made him feel quite unpleasant. He comforted himself: *Everyone has a heart of jealousy, after all.*
