Chapter 163 – I Am Still a Child
Jian Luo looked at Lu Shifeng’s face before him. Lu spoke casually, but there was an inexplicable sadness in his words. Below them, three little ones were happily playing, surrounded by a scenery so beautiful it seemed like a fairyland on earth. However, Jian Luo’s mind was filled with Lu Shifeng’s past realms.
He had been there.
In that dream realm, he had been there.
It was a place filled with torrential rain, where trees in the forest blocked out the sky, and the gloomy atmosphere was occasionally pierced by the roars of wild beasts. The landscape was rugged, desolate, and lonely.
Jian Luo felt a dryness in his throat. He said, “This isn’t your fault.”
Lu Shifeng looked down at him. “Is it?”
“Yeah,” Jian Luo nodded gently. “Maybe the God Tree has its own reasons, but you’re not at fault.”
Lu Shifeng stood beside him on a nearby rock, watching three little ones playing by the stream not far away. Sitting down with Jian Luo on the rock, under the clear sky and in an atmosphere reminiscent of a fairyland, he lounged lazily and said, “The second time in the Mirror of Transformation was different from the first.”
Jian Luo asked, “Oh?”
“That time, I returned to an ancient era of great wars. I was a soldier, participating in the legendary battle of Dragon’s glory. The entire legion was nearly wiped out, with wreckage everywhere and vultures circling in the sky.” Lu Shifeng looked at the sky, as if reminiscing. “Enemies were everywhere, and I was the last line of defense.”
He had fought fiercely, entering a frenzied state without realizing it.
In the illusion, where darkness prevailed, he had grown accustomed to pain, accustomed to killing, accustomed to darkness. Born as a Dragon King, born to sacrifice for his race—it was his mission, his duty.
As his last shred of consciousness faded, he had thought—dying like this wouldn’t be so bad.
Jian Luo’s voice came from beside him. “You succeeded.”
“Yeah,” Lu Shifeng replied.
Stepping out of his memories, Lu Shifeng said, “I succeeded.”
What sacrifices were necessary to achieve an invincible physique and stature in battle? He didn’t like discussing the past with others. This was the first time he had shared it with someone, and surprisingly, he felt calm.
Jian Luo turned to look at him, a trace of heartache on his face. “Do all Dragons have to go through this?”
Lu Shifeng said, “I don’t know.”
“Everyone’s transformation is different,” Lu Shifeng looked down at the three little ones not far away. “They will also experience their own swamps.”
Jian Luo couldn’t help but furrow his brow, feeling worried.
Meanwhile, the three little ones had no idea what would happen next. The illusion here was so real; the clear stream even contained live fish. Long Aotian had always enjoyed this kind of physical activity since he was young. After catching one fish and giving it to his younger sister, he failed to catch any more. Long Ao Tian was looking disdainfully at the rain, and Long Ao Tian was chasing it away. Finally, the two fell into the river together and lost their fish.
Jian Luo laughed straight at it. “Should we give them their grown-up, official names?”
Lu Shifeng said, “It’s already planned.”
?
First shocked, then accepted, they had already discussed it before. He took the children’s nicknames, and Lu Shifeng didn’t interfere, and the Dragon Family took it.
He still curiously asked, “What are their names?”
Lu Shifeng replied, “Lu Chengyin, Lu Chengyu, Lu Chengqi.”
Jian Luo was shocked. He knew “yin” meant descendant, “cheng” meant connection or continuation. The name for the eldest probably carried some blessings from the Dragon Clan and the Dark Star. “Yu” meant brightness and light, quite a significant character. As for “qi,” it suited girls well, describing beauty and inheriting goodness.
Jian Luo sighed, “It took quite some thought.”
Lu Shifeng said, “It was only recently decided. The Dragon Clan formalizes their names after their first adult transformation. We don’t need to tell them yet.”
Jian Luo nodded, “Alright.”
They rested for a while, and nearby, the dragon cubs tired themselves out from their play. Jian Luo went over and lifted them up to see the God Tree. This place was sacred to the Dragon Clan, beyond the farthest river boundary lay the unified sacred land of the Dragon Clan. Towering above all was the immense green God Tree, majestic and imposing.
The three cubs widened their eyes upon seeing the God Tree for the first time.
Lu Shifeng stopped under the tree and said to them, “Kneel and pay respects to the Mother Tree ahead.”
In the Dragon Clan, receiving the Mother Tree’s inheritance and favor was extremely important. The cubs had been instructed before coming to kneel before the Mother Tree, but now they seemed a bit fearful. Jian Luo gently patted their heads one by one and reassured them, “Go on, it’s alright. The Mother Tree is our protector; it loves you.”
The cubs seemed to understand vaguely, and awkwardly moved their legs towards the towering tree.
Jian Luo watched as they knelt not far away, and a gust of wind blew through. The branches of the God Tree swayed, and a green vine slowly descended from the tree. Around it, several small green orbs gently swayed in the air, softly dancing around the cubs.
The green vine approached the children and tenderly stroked each of their heads, much like a gentle elder would with obedient descendants.
Lu Shifeng remarked, “The Mother Tree really likes them.”
Jian Luo breathed a sigh of relief, “That’s good then.”
“Are the vines of the Mother Tree its hands?” Jian Luo asked softly.
Lu Shifeng didn’t confirm or deny, simply saying, “They symbolize a spiritual entity. Its vines and branches are imbued with powerful spiritual energy, untouchable and inviolable…”
As he spoke, he noticed Jian Luo’s expression seemed somewhat uneasy.
Raising an eyebrow, Lu Shifeng asked, “What is it?”
“Well…” Jian Luo hesitated, pointing not far away, “What if they pluck them?”
Lu Shifeng turned to look and saw Long Aotian curiously pulling on the vine on his own head. A leaf happened to brush against his nose, causing a slight itch. The young dragon casually plucked the leaf and earnestly examined it in his hand.
Jian Luo was exasperated and whispered, “Don’t pluck the leaves!”
Long Aotian innocently looked back at his father, while even the Mother Tree above seemed momentarily surprised. It had not encountered such a mischievous young dragon in a long time; the replicas of Dark Stars born after were always mature, with no young dragons misbehaving and being affectionate with it.
“Hm?” Long Aotian looked puzzled, holding the leaf.
The Mother Tree gently touched him with the vine, conveying a soothing force that felt warm and comforting.
Long Aotian found it pleasant, squinting his eyes and even purring softly in his throat. He nuzzled against the vine with his head, seeming to greet it with his small claws. He even curiously thought about taking a bite to taste what it was, sniffed it, found it not tasty, and disdainfully let go.
The Mother Tree: “…”
Jian Luo, not far away, had given up.
However, unexpectedly, the Mother Tree did not get angry. Instead, several more vines descended from the tree, each bearing golden fruits. The vines handed one to each of the three little cubs, then slowly descended towards Jian Luo and Lu Shifeng, giving each of them a fruit.
Jian Luo instinctively said, “Thank you…”
The vine of the Mother Tree shook as if laughing. Its tender green sprout patted Jian Luo’s head before retracting.
Lu Shifeng collected the fruit, “It seems the Mother Tree is very happy today.”
Jian Luo nodded with relief.
When the three cubs grew tired of playing with the Mother Tree, Lu Shifeng carried them back. On the way to Dragon Valley, Jian Luo remarked, “The Mother Tree is really tolerant towards the children.”
Lu Shifeng lightly said, “It depends on the person.”
?
Jian Luo looked back at him.
Lu Shifeng landed on the ground, sending the children back to the nursery before saying, “Except for these two times, the Mother Tree has never responded to me.”
Jian Luo widened his eyes, “How could…”
“It likes children full of light and hope,” Lu Shifeng said, “I obviously don’t fit that description.”
!!
Jian Luo processed this for a moment, then retorted with a hint of disbelief, “How can it be biased like that? It’s not like you want it that way.”
Lu Shifeng looked at him silently, his red eyes seeming to hold a deep and intense storm, ready to engulf anyone at any moment.
Jian Luo felt his heart race under his gaze, stuttering, “What’s wrong?”
Lu Shifeng lowered his eyes, then led Jian Luo out of the room. Only then did he smile faintly, looking calmly at him, “You, criticizing the Mother Tree in front of the Dragon King?”
Jian Luo realized belatedly, feeling a bit guilty, “You, you shouldn’t take it seriously, I was just…”
He hadn’t finished speaking when Lu Shifeng bent down and lightly kissed his forehead. The tall, handsome man bowed before him, his blood-red eyes carrying a charming smile as he said, “Thank you, Madam.”
His deep, husky voice landed on Jian Luo’s heart as if tickling it.
They were very close, feeling each other’s breaths intertwining, lingering, their uncontrollable heartbeats quickening in an inexplicable tenderness.
Lu Shifeng intended to kiss Jian Luo’s lips next, but his attempt was blocked by Jian Luo’s slender hand.
Jian Luo’s cheeks flushed slightly as he said, “I, I just remembered something.”
Lu Shifeng suppressed his impatience, wanting to hear Jian Luo finish speaking so he could gain some advantages, but instead heard his blushing young wife say, “Our wedding is scheduled for a week from now. Starting tomorrow, I will move back to Paradise to live. We have a tradition: the seven days before the wedding are spent apart and we cannot see each other.”
?
Lu Shifeng raised an eyebrow, “Seven days?”
Jian Luo leaned back a bit and nodded gently, “Yes, no seeing each other. You’ll come to fetch me on the wedding day, and then we can meet.”
Lu Shifeng commented, “In today’s open society, shouldn’t those ancient customs of yours be changed?”
“No.” Jian Luo shook his head. “These are our ancestors’ customs. We can’t forget our roots or change them casually. Besides, it’s just seven days. When you were away on business, I waited for you for a long time too. You’re a mature dragon now, not like the little cubs who need care.”
Lu Shifeng asked, “Do you know the average lifespan of dragons?”
Jian Luo admitted he did not.
“For ordinary dragons, it’s about 2,000 to 3,000 years. If we consider that…”
Lu Shifeng quietly looked at Jian Luo.
Jian Luo asked, “Consider what?”
“I’m still young,” Lu Shifeng said seriously.
T/N: Hope you’re having a good day! Drink water and make sure to sleep early! (>w<)/
If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!
I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!
Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!
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’
How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection
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
and many, many more!
Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!
Leave a Reply