Chapter 159 – Illusion
When Jian Luo heard Little Zai Zai speak like that, his heart tightened suddenly.
“Don’t talk nonsense!” Jian Luo blurted out, then realizing he might have been too agitated, he softened his tone, “Baby, Dragon Scale is very important. You need to protect yourself and not let others know about it casually, okay?”
He was truly worried that his child might be deceived in the future.
His little sister tilted her head after hearing this, saying, “Daddy isn’t just anyone.”
“…Ah, this.”
Jian Luo smiled wryly, “It’s okay, Daddy doesn’t need Dragon Scale anymore, the illness is already cured.”
Long Ao Tian climbed onto Su Liang’s body to rub against his wristband. It had grown to the size of a basketball, quite heavy; sometimes Su Liang couldn’t support it.
Jian Luo knew she wanted to see him. His heart softened completely, “Daddy will have Grandma bring you over.”
Long Ao Tian’s tail wagged happily upon hearing this, its red eyes filled with joy, chirping incessantly as if eager to fly to Jian Luo’s side.
But Jian Luo added, “But today is not a rest day. Go back for dinner first, then attend classes. Come over in the evening, okay?”
The three little ones couldn’t hide their disappointment, but they knew they had to behave at this moment, or Grandma might not take them.
Su Liang put down Long Ao Tian and patted its head, “Let’s go, time for dinner.”
Long Ao Tian comfortably leaned its head, rubbing its small dragon horn against Su Liang’s palm, purring contentedly, its adorable demeanor melting hearts.
Though mischievous at times, and occasionally noisy, sometimes they were surprisingly well-behaved.
—
After ending the communication, Jian Luo went to soak in the cold spring.
The hospital’s cold spring wasn’t actually cold in temperature, but its water had a chilling effect, which Jian Luo didn’t fully understand. Finally, a doctor explained, “This is the Fountain of Life of the Jade Rabbit clan. It has medicinal properties.”
Jian Luo asked, “Since it belongs to them, can we also use it?”
“Every race has a duty to contribute to the Dark Star,” the doctor smiled, “Sacrifices made when necessary are meaningful.”
Jian Luo realized that the people of Dark Star never explicitly mentioned unity, but each person, each race contributed to the world. The brave defended the country, the skilled in business filled the treasury, the intelligent established research institutes. From nobles to the smallest and seemingly insignificant groups, they used their strengths to build a vast empire that stood unshakable at its peak.
Suddenly, he understood why humans were ostracized.
Because Dark Star appeared indifferent, yet acted like fair judges. Everything was mutual—you plant vegetables for us, we provide you with a home. If you give us more, we’ll give you more. We never reject you coming, but you’ve been standing still.
The doctor assured him, “Don’t worry, this is just a small part of the Spirit Spring. The Jade Rabbit clan’s Spirit Spring is vast, and this small part is cut out for the nobles’ use.”
“I see, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
They went inside, and Jian Luo began soaking in the spring. During this free time, he began his official duties. The factory in Paradise mainly produced fast food, and the assembly line had already started operating. Chief Wang messaged him whenever Jian Luo had spare time, urging him to rest assured and recuperate, as everything was under control here.
Jian Luo hadn’t had time these past few days, so he took the opportunity to review product quality inspection reports. Items like potato chips needed proper sealing; once air leaked in, they wouldn’t taste good. Hygiene in food production was also crucial, so he had purchased disinfection and protective equipment at a high price, which was now being utilized.
Even so, Jian Luo still reminded Director Wang, “Pay attention to hygiene every day. Our first batch of products will undergo quality inspection. Mr. Nie will handle logistics, but he’s very strict about product quality. It’s the first time humans are doing business, and many are watching. We can’t afford any mistakes.”
Director Wang reassured him, “Don’t worry, I understand.”
“Okay,” Jian Luo added, “There’s also a system of rewards and penalties. If any employees violate rules, they should be dismissed without leniency just because they’re from the same village. This is a workplace, not a charity.”
Some harsh truths needed to be stated upfront, though unpleasant.
Director Wang said, “Rest assured, at my age, I know these things.”
With that settled, Jian Luo ended the communication. There was more to do; he needed to check on the situation back on Earth. The connection was slow, and he waited for a while after switching over.
“…Drip.”
The scene shifted to Jian Sheng’s face.
Jian Sheng looked much darker now, currently in a field, extremely excited as he spoke to Jian Luo, “Brother, Earth is so beautiful!”
Seeing his excitement, Jian Luo smiled, “How beautiful is it?”
“Even more beautiful than I imagined.” Jian Sheng gestured, “Its surface is blue and white, resembling the clouds in our sky. There are towering mountains, it’s spring here, and there are butterflies.”
Dark Star only had Sky Cities, not very tall mountains, and the sky was dark red. There were endless greenery in spring, but no colorful butterflies like on Earth.
Jian Luo remarked, “It’ll be even more beautiful in winter.”
Jian Sheng was visibly excited.
“How are the research results over there?” Jian Luo asked, “Is Professor’s health okay?”
Jian Sheng obediently replied, “He’s doing well. As soon as the professor returned, he went everywhere, climbed a mountain every day, and collected a warehouse full of herbs with us.”
Frowning, Jian Luo asked, “Is his body able to handle it? Did you encounter any wild beasts on the mountain?”
Jian Sheng explained that they were accompanied by a leader and the leader’s wife, Aya, and that while collecting herbs, the professor also aimed to gather wild fruits. He also mentioned that their research base was established.
Finally, Jian Sheng added, “Oh, Brother, Professor mentioned he needs your blood for DNA comparison and sampling. Is that okay?”
“It’s fine,” Jian Luo replied.
Jian Sheng seemed concerned, “Mom said you had a fever. If you’re not feeling well, please rest. We’ll be fine here.”
“It’s okay,” Jian Luo assured him, “I’m already fine.”
This reassured Jian Sheng.
They chatted a bit more before ending the call. Jian Luo finished soaking in the cold spring and prepared to leave. As he stepped out, he saw a doctor outside and said, “I need to draw blood. Could you lead the way?”
The doctor asked, “Why?”
Jian Luo explained, “The research base needs it.”
The doctor nodded, and they went to draw blood. On the way back, Jian Luo received a call from Su Liang, who said, “The little ones are in the room. I’ll bring them to see you.”
“Okay.”
He quickly returned to his room, went to the mirror to tidy up his appearance, afraid his complexion might not look good. Indeed, he seemed a bit thinner and paler, perhaps due to the blood draw, looking somewhat weary.
“Squeak.”
The door outside opened.
As Jian Luo turned around, he saw three dragon cubs running towards him, especially excited, as if they hadn’t seen him in a long time, chirping and rubbing against him non-stop.
The impact nearly pushed Jian Luo back a few steps, almost knocking over a nearby shelf.
Su Liang hurried over and quickly held the black cub, saying, “Baby, come down quickly.”
Realizing what happened belatedly, the cub’s eyes quickly showed a hint of self-blame, letting out a mournful whimper.
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Jian Luo hurriedly reassured, “Daddy’s fine.”
His sister and younger brother crouched beside Jian Luo’s footsteps, having learned from their older brother’s example not to act recklessly.
Jian Luo crouched down and stroked their little heads, “Good, did you bring your homework? Write it here. Daddy will make delicious food for you.”
There was a small kitchen in the hospital, and as parents, they always wanted to take good care of their children, without exception. Jian Luo thought the cubs would be very happy, but they weren’t.
Long Ao Tian shook its head and jumped onto the bed, gesturing for a while.
Jian Luo was puzzled, but then heard his sister softly say, “Dad, go rest.”
Long Ao Tian eagerly nodded in agreement, then pointed at the bed, rolling around on it in a classic sleeping pose. Jian Luo couldn’t help but laugh at its comical posture, his eyes reddening as he did.
…
In the evening, the children did their homework in front of him.
Sometimes, Chief Zhan Wen would inspect their homework. Tonight happened to be the routine inspection. Checking through his information bracelet, Zhan Wen said, “This question is wrong.”
The dragon cubs were obedient and well-trained.
Turning to Jian Luo, Zhan Wen asked, “Didn’t you check it already?”
Jian Luo was inexplicably troubled, “Which question?”
“The Dragon Clan’s Mirror Retreat period is once every three hundred years,” Zhan Wen explained. “Entering from Dragon Valley, the retreat period is one year. During this time, they must undergo the Dragon God’s test, undergo a baptism by fire, and only successful dragons can emerge. If they fail, they’ll be punished by the Dragon God, losing their wings.”
Jian Luo had just realized he hadn’t paid much attention to this question: “Once every three hundred years?”
Zhan Wentai looked at Jian Luo with a probing gaze and said, “Has Lu Shifeng not told you? Your family’s three, plus there’s about half a year left before they enter the Dragon Valley for the Mirror Transformation. If successful, they can transform into humanoid forms with dragon bodies and wings. If unsuccessful, they won’t fly.”
In an instant, Jian Luo thought of his own dream where Lu Shifeng couldn’t fly…
Could it be that Lu Shifeng didn’t pass back then?!
Jian Luo’s expression changed rapidly. Zhan Wentai continued, “Also, since we’re on this topic, I should remind you: do you know how old Lu Shifeng is?”
Jian Luo replied, “Over five hundred years.”
“More precisely, he’s five hundred and ninety-nine years old,” Zhan Wentai set down the documents in his hand. “In less than a month, he’ll enter the Dragon Valley for transformation for the third time. Based on inference, this attempt will be more challenging than the previous two.”
“How challenging? Is it dangerous?”
“How do you think the former Dragon King died?” Zhan Wentai glanced dispassionately at him. “Didn’t you read the history books?”
The history books of the little dragons were nearby. Jian Luo quickly jumped off the bed to find the index, flipped to the page on transformation, and found the passage he wanted to read. For a moment, when he saw those lines, his mind buzzed.
T/N: Hope you’re having a good day! Drink water and make sure to sleep early! (>w<)/
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If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield
If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’
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What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love
How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep
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