Chapter 160 – Proposal
In this book, in black letters on a white background, it was written that the previous Dragon King, Lu Chen, passed away during his six hundredth year, during his third transformation period, for reasons that remain unclear.
Unclear?
Jian Luo stared at the line in the book, feeling like he could punch a hole through it. “Why is it unclear?”
Zhan Wentai said, “The content of the Dragon Clan’s transformations is closely related to the participants themselves. The specifics are not easily ascertainable, and there is no correlation between each dragon.”
Jian Luo flipped through two more pages. “Are there no successful cases?”
After all, what this book recorded was meager. He needed more information to support himself.
The three little dragons sensed their father’s tension and obediently came over, affectionately nuzzling Jian Luo, trying to calm his emotions.
Jian Luo took a deep breath, patting the dragon hatchlings’ heads. “It’s okay.”
Zhan Wentai said, “Information about transformations is not widely known outside. Specifics are stored in the Dragon Clan’s archive, guarded by specialists. Ordinary people are not allowed entry, not even me.”
?
How could this be?
Jian Luo’s heart sank. After a stunned silence, he finally said, “Okay.”
Seeing Jian Luo looking somewhat hurt, Zhan Wentai spoke, “If you want to know, those close to you might have the best answers.”
Jian Luo smiled faintly. “He never told me.”
“But he didn’t forbid you from asking,” Zhan Wentai remained calm and composed. “The decision is yours.”
“…Okay.”
After checking their homework, the dragon hatchlings were free to roam. They were particularly excited today, possibly because they were happy to see Jian Luo, chattering incessantly about whether the teacher had praised them, or which question they couldn’t solve today.
By the time Lu Shifeng arrived in the evening, all three were tired, curled up in balls on the bed. Dragon hatchlings curled up when sleeping, their small claws holding their tails, sleeping in a docile manner.
“Drip”
The door outside opened.
Lu Shifeng walked in and immediately frowned upon seeing the three hatchlings. “Why did you bring them here?”
Jian Luo replied, “It’s been days since they saw you. They missed you, so I brought them over to see you.”
Lu Shifeng had initially wanted to scold the children for being reckless and thoughtless, but seeing Jian Luo protectively explaining softened him. He walked over and sat on the sofa. “How was your run to the cold spring today?”
“Not bad,” Jian Luo replied.
There was food on the table, simple dishes made by Jian Luo himself. He had been avoiding greasy food lately, and inadvertently, Lu Shifeng had also refrained from it.
Lu Shifeng picked up a pastry. “I heard you went for a blood test.”
“Hmm?”
Jian Luo hesitated before saying, “Yes, I did.”
Lu Shifeng lifted his eyelids slightly, observing Jian Luo’s somewhat pale face. He frowned and Jian Luo took the initiative to walk over and stop behind him. His hands skillfully massaged Lu Shifeng’s shoulders. The Marshal worked hard during weekdays, so when he had free time, Jian Luo liked to help him relax.
Lu Shifeng reached out and held Jian Luo’s hand, his rough fingertips clasping Jian Luo’s delicate wrist. “Don’t move.”
Jian Luo’s movements froze.
Lu Shifeng said, “Come here, take a break.”
Jian Luo laughed wryly. “I’m not that fragile. I’ve only been to the hospital for a few days and slept most of the time. Today, I just went for a blood test.”
Lu Shifeng asked him to sit beside him. He just held Jian Luo’s hand and lowered his handsome face, quietly watching him for a long time before whispering, “You’ve been through a lot.”
Jian Luo asked, “Huh?”
“For the research on Dark Stars.” Lu Shifeng stroked the bruise left on Jian Luo’s arm after the blood draw. “Does it still hurt?”
He knew Jian Luo was afraid of pain.
During pregnancy check-ups, every time the doctor drew blood, Jian Luo found it much more painful than others.
Jian Luo felt a tingling sensation in his arm. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
He looked at Lu Shifeng. At this moment, the Marshal appeared unusually gentle and harmless, almost for an instant merging with the shadow of the little dragon, except one was a meek little dragon and the other a meek great dragon.
Jian Luo asked casually, “How much longer until their transformation?”
Lu Shifeng paused before replying, “Less than three months until the Transformation Realm. They’ll be ready by then. I’ll train them over the next two months, so don’t worry, there won’t be any major issues.”
“Is the first transformation dangerous?”
“Not for them.”
“Really?” Jian Luo gathered courage. “Then was your first time without danger?”
He didn’t know that before this, no one knew what Lu Shifeng had experienced during his first transformation. People only knew that the formidable Marshal had failed during his first transformation and rose from the flames during the second.
It was widely known that a dragon’s first transformation might fail, which seemed incredible.
Lu Shifeng suspiciously paused, his voice quiet. “It’s not a good thing. You don’t want to know.”
Jian Luo choked up.
He had many questions to ask, but for a moment, he saw melancholy flicker across Lu Shifeng’s face. Though fleeting, Jian Luo caught it—a wave of emotion that unexpectedly touched his heart.
Quickly, Jian Luo said, “I’ve made rice porridge. Would you like some?”
Lu Shifeng just silently watched him. His deep, dark eyes seemed to see through Jian Luo’s thoughts, making everything laid bare under his gaze, with nothing left to hide.
Under such scrutiny, Jian Luo looked away.
Finally, Lu Shifeng spoke, “You know now.”
Jian Luo nodded slightly. He felt there was no need to hide anymore. “Yes, I know.”
Seeing the stubborn figure of the young man sitting next to him on the sofa, Lu Shifeng rubbed his head and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It’s too early. Knowing so early, how long would you worry?” Lu Shifeng’s voice was deep but magnetic. “You think too much; earlier disclosure wouldn’t help.”
Jian Luo glared at him. “Not telling me makes me worry even more!”
Seeing Jian Luo bristling like a little hedgehog, Lu Shifeng smirked. “Alright, I won’t do it next time.”
Next time, there would be a next time.
Jian Luo’s nose tingled. “Do you have to go? Can’t you stay?”
Seeing him pout, Lu Shifeng spoke gently, “When you gain something, you also have to pay a price. Everyone’s the same; there are no exceptions.”
Jian Luo asked the question he most wanted to ask, “What if you lose your wings?”
“Maybe I’ll lose them. Maybe I won’t be able to come out. Anything’s possible.”
Jian Luo stood up in surprise to speak, but the movement seemed to disturb the dragon cubs on the bed. The little dragons hummed sleepily, seemingly unhappy about their sleep being disturbed. Jian Luo covered his mouth, sat down quietly again.
Lu Shifeng held his hand, gesturing him to sit. He said, “Don’t think so much. I’m not afraid; what are you afraid of?”
Jian Luo’s hands and feet were cold.
Lu Shifeng sat on the bed, holding him close, whispering, “Luo Luo.”
“Yeah?”
“Would you marry me?” Lu Shifeng’s voice echoed above his head. The lights in the room went out. Jian Luo couldn’t see his face, only hearing him say, “Under the Second Marriage Law, we’ll use my blood in a ceremony at the Sacred Tree. I’ll marry you properly. Over these years, I’ve saved some money; it should be enough for you to live on, for you to do whatever you want, whether it’s eating, drinking, having fun, or building Earth, anything you wish to do.”
Jian Luo widened his eyes, his heart tightening. He could hardly believe what he was hearing.
Building Earth.
Jian Luo’s hands curled unconsciously. Why did Lu Shifeng say this? Did he know about this long ago, wanting him to build Earth, in case he couldn’t return, providing a place for himself to live?
Suddenly, Jian Luo felt he might have never truly understood this man before.
Lu Shifeng’s voice came low, “Don’t worry about those three. The Dragon Clan isn’t strict with the next Dragon King.”
Jian Luo listened quietly before asking, “Why?”
Lu Shifeng hesitated.
Jian Luo said, “Do you want to marry me to secure my inheritance or because you love me?”
There was a moment of silence in the air.
After a while, Lu Shifeng lowered his voice, “You’re too fragile. I’m afraid you’ll be bullied. The Dark Star has strong constraints on marriage protection laws; no one will dare to trouble you.”
Jian Luo pursed his lips, still wanting to pick a fight, “What about taking care of your brother…”
Lu Shifeng kissed him before he could finish his sentence. The Marshal’s actions were gentle yet lingering, successfully silencing him. After the kiss, Lu Shifeng’s voice was husky, “I don’t kiss the silver-haired, alright?”
Jian Luo was taken aback, then burst into laughter.
Lu Shifeng held him, their position so intimate it seemed he wanted to merge Jian Luo into his very being. He said, “Be good, listen.”
Jian Luo sniffed and said, “No.”
He couldn’t stand Lu Shifeng’s way of leaving these parting words. “If you go, what am I supposed to do? If I die later, what will happen to the children? You must live well. I don’t want to talk about such gloomy things.”
Lu Shifeng patted Jian Luo’s head, remained silent for a while, then sighed. “Go to sleep.”
Jian Luo nestled into his arms, saying nothing.
—
The next day,
Early in the morning, he finished his run at the cold spring, then took the cubs back to the Dragon Clan for their studies. He also went to find Secretary Jin and asked, “Where is the archive? Can I go take a look?”
Secretary Jin didn’t expect him to ask this. “It’s above the Sky City, but you need permission to enter.”
Jian Luo asked, “What level of permission?”
“You need the highest level. Usually, only those with a black card or higher can enter,” Secretary Jin replied.
Jian Luo remembered the black card Lu Shifeng had given him when he was pregnant. He quickly took it out from his storage space and asked, “Is this it?”
A black card appeared at his fingertips. Secretary Jin stared wide-eyed and slowly gave him a thumbs up.
Jian Luo smiled. “Let’s go.”
The archive was heavily guarded. After swiping his card to enter, Jian Luo followed the instructions of the intelligent brain to find some documents. There were quite a few, requiring careful selection and a slow read.
He hadn’t found any information on the Transformation Realm yet. As he flipped through, he suddenly came across a page of rumors. It recorded a passage: “There are two methods for intermarriage between the Dragon Clan and other races. With the Dragon Blood as sacrifice at the Sacred Tree, both parties can share their lifespan. If sacrificed unilaterally, the sacrificer’s demise doesn’t affect the other.”
Jian Luo’s hand trembled, and he continued reading.
The second page recorded: “The second method involves the partner sacrificing their blood, similarly allowing them to share the other’s lifespan. If one party dies unilaterally, the living partner can share the other’s lifespan, but the lifespan of the partner who sacrificed their blood is halved.”
!!
Jian Luo widened his eyes, his heart beating faster.
Could he interpret this clause like this: if he used Lu Shifeng’s blood in the ceremony, he could share Lu Shifeng’s lifespan, and even after Lu Shifeng’s death, his own longevity would remain unaffected? But if he used his own blood, he could still share Lu Shifeng’s lifespan, but if Lu Shifeng died, he could save him once with his own life, at the cost of halving his own lifespan.
Humans could live up to 100 years at most. He was currently 22 years old, so even if he calculated generously, he had only about 78 years left. Halved, that would be 39 years. Did that mean they might only have 39 years left together?
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
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How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep
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