195 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

Chapter 195 - Fur Setting foot in the demon capital with his physical body once more, He returned after a separation of over seven hundred years. Carp demon emperors were often short-lived, replaced long ago by juniors He had never heard of. Suzaku Avenue in the demon capital buzzed with noise, where demon cultivators with partial beast forms roamed freely in the streets. He's gaze wandered back and forth among those moving nearby, dragging plush tails behind them. For demon cultivators, showcasing a part of their beast form was quite ordinary, something that some human cultivators might never understand, dismissing it as barbaric. Because they took pride in revealing themselves, many demon cultivators meticulously groomed their beast-like features. The tails sweeping lazily from behind passersby were lustrous and free of stray hairs; some men and women with horns walked with their heads held high, the well-polished horns gleaming under the sun; the garments of feather-winged demon clans were distinct, with gleaming feathers adorning their necks and arms. Only the scale-winged demon clans appeared rustic and devoid of distinctive features. He despised those members of his so-called kind, touching the tiny black scales lightly surfacing on His cheek, appearing no different from ordinary black-scaled serpents—except for His deer-like horns. He's attention was caught by a small red fox. Though dressed in white, the young woman's appearance bore no resemblance to Xiang Shi Yan, yet her crimson fur, with snow-white tips on ears and tail, drew his eye. As she spoke with a shopkeeper, her tail lightly swept her thigh, her ears flicking. This stranger's fur lay much smoother compared to Xiang Shi Yan, who endeavored to conceal her demonic aspects even in solitude. The fox woman before him clearly invested much effort in grooming herself. His master's fur was fluffy, her tail reaching down to her calves, twice as large as others of her kind, with somewhat unruly snow-white fur that felt velvety to touch. Her ears, sharp and long, appeared especially adorable owing to the soft fluff, pressing against her head when fearful or anxious, leaving a round silhouette. His intense staring distracted the fox woman haggling with the shopkeeper. Surprised, she glanced at the dazed, slender-scaled demon before striding quickly past her. After a couple of steps, she hesitated and turned back to give him another look. Such a peculiar scaled demon, could he be some odd breed from the marsh tribes... He's head spun from the abundance of plush tails, wishing nothing more than to grab all the fluffy tails lining the street and take them home. As he whistled cheerfully while walking, the street onlookers cautiously observed this oddly-appearing scaled demon. A shaggy cat demon called out to him, "Your horns are truly splendid, Immortal—" The words halted abruptly as the man trimming horns hesitated, staring at the woman before him. The elegant woman bore beautiful and unique horns on her forehead, with scales lining her cheeks. He stared in confusion as He departed. The unfamiliar, strange, scaled demon walked along to Flower Street, her demonic aura faint but her unusual form kept others at bay. Dragons had vanished from Shenzhou for too long; transforming into one had become a distant myth. No wonder the Holy Sect and Carp Clan's influence had waned; various tribes feigned obedience, many harboring secret defiance. Present-day demon clans even forgot why the Carp Clan could firmly retain the demon emperor's throne. Following a scent, He arrived here, searching among the mixed odors for his target. He's long ingrained the scent of the jade fox in his memory. Upon overhearing a bit of the city's tales in an inn earlier, he immediately tracked down to this place. Xiang Shi Yan's biological father was named Du Guo Yan, once a gifted member of the jade fox clan, one of the six ancient bloodlines. Now diminished in bloodline, he and his brother—who inherited the family head position—were openly the only remaining purebloods. Du Guo Yan, more talented than his brother, was indifferent to power, seeking only immortality. Thus, he left home a century ago to wander, granting the family head position to his less outstanding brother. The jade fox clan's legendary skills were intricately tied to "emotion," quirkily so, capable even of extracting a human's heart with secret methods, melding all their emotions and desires into one's cultivation. He had perused Xiang Shi Yan’s memories when she was trapped in an illusion, though mostly to steal her future knowledge, he couldn't resist glimpsing moments of his master’s childhood. To He, Xiang Shi Yan’s mother was truly peculiar. Typically, those whose heart was taken did not survive a year, some even ending their own lives early due to indifference. Yet Xiang Huai Lei neither died young nor ended her life; what drove her to continue eating meals she didn't wish to eat, to prolong a life seemingly devoid of any meaning? Naturally, it was for her pitiable daughter. Without her, illegitimate Xiang Shi Yan would undoubtedly have lived miserably. When her heart was taken, Xiang Huai Lei was already six months pregnant. To the jade fox clan, with its scarce progeny, no clan member could be abandoned. It's thus reasonable to deduce that the man lingered near Xiang residence when Xiang Shi Yan was born, possibly returning to check when the girl turned seven. Disappointed by her lack of demon traits, Du Guo Yan left once more, abandoning the mother and daughter thrice. No wonder Xiang Shi Yan sought vengeance for her mother. When her cultivation matured, she stormed the Du residence to question her "uncle," only to find the rake absent. A verbal altercation ensued between the two foxes, and Xiang Shi Yan fled the snowy estate, slaying two Nascent Soul cultivators, numerous Golden Core retainers, and guards, ultimately killing her eldest nephew while escaping, resulting in the "Du Extinction Tragedy," which to this day remains a popular topic at demon clan gatherings. Only a few young foxes survived the massacre, yet over the following years, they met with accidents one after another, leaving Du Guo Yan as the sole remaining pureblood. From He's understanding of Xiang Shi Yan, his master was unlikely to harm children; it was unclear how she ended up taking the blame. Following the incident, although peripheral foxes managed clan affairs, with the mainline's demise and the bloodline's decline exposed, the demon clans lamented. A leader among the six ancient bloodlines, the jade foxes had dwindled to having no capable individuals, even the clan head serving as the demon clan's left envoy was easily slain. The jade foxes swiftly lost power, becoming the butt of jokes, even losing their position within the Holy Sect and command over the beast clans, claimed by the tiger clan instead. In a sense, Xiang Shi Yan did manage to exact revenge. Yet none of this explained why Xiang Shi Yan entrusted him with the task. He had thought his master would be too reticent to speak a word to him, and then... Recalling the affection his master uttered cold-faced a few days ago, He couldn't help but feel shaken. His master, who couldn't look him in the eyes even in their most intimate moments, said such words of love. He had always openly professed love without qualms, yet coming from Xiang Shi Yan, it felt distinctly different. There must be a deception at play; He had already been fooled once by Xiang Shi Yan's diversion tactics and wouldn't fall for it again. The entire demon clan knew Du Guo Yan swaggered back to the demon capital, clearly boosting his image. Xiang Shi Yan could effortlessly find him, just as He had circled the demon capital once and tracked down the debonair prince by his aura. Was it because Du Guo Yan's cultivation surpassed Xiang Shi Yan's, and she lacked confidence in defeating him? Not so. According to Xiang Shi Yan’s future memories, this person secluded himself for a century to attempt a breakthrough to the Great Ascension's late stage, only emerging upon hearing about his family's upheaval, hurriedly returning to the demon capital to rally the peripheral branch and reclaim territory. When last seeing Xiang Shi Yan, his master's cultivation was around the mid-stage of the Great Ascension. With the demon emperor backing her, she may very well contend with Du Guo Yan. Indeed, without Du Guo Yan’s presence, Xiang Shi Yan could maneuver to potentially control the jade fox clan given her status. If that provoked internal strife within the beast clans, the owl clans would lose yet another ally for unification, making it more difficult for him to leverage the owl clan’s influence to dominate demon clans. Everything seemed plausible, yet there remained an oddity. Regardless, even without these tangled affairs, He wouldn't mind helping Xiang Shi Yan with this task. Du Guo Yan's existence was an obstacle; following the jade fox clan's decline, territories were carved up by various forces, with a considerable portion now under owl and tiger clan control. He wasn't about to grant him the chance to restore his family. He lifted his head, acknowledging a glamorous woman waving a handkerchief from a brothel balcony, smiling as he retrieved a delicate small lamp from his sleeve. A golden flame was trapped within, quietly flickering, and within the glass lamp, something seemed to be turning, with pitiful screams faintly audible upon close approach. Two wisps of mist were ensnared within the glass cover, with no escape from the gold flame’s torment. One was gray-black, notably fainter than the gray-white one, seeming exhausted. The woman gave the lamp a shake. “Good senior brothers, quiet yourselves, let’s go pay a visit to this jade fox descendant. With any luck, a new person will join you today.” Xiang Shi Yan had another nightmare, leaving Du Ruo at a loss as she watched the sudden pallor of fear spread across Xiang Shi Yan's face, cold sweat beading on her forehead. The two were aboard a small flying vessel, which featured only two cabins. Just a wall away was the rumored young elder of the Tianji Sect who had been expelled—now reduced to an ordinary disciple. It had only been seven days since Fu Zhi left her sect when she received an invitation from the Tai Xu Sect. She, along with the Tianji Sect disciples accompanying her, immediately headed east, though none knew that during their border wanderings, they picked up someone else. At some point, Xiang Shi Yan began to sleep as much as an ordinary human. Du Ruo witnessed her dozing off in the study a few times; the woman would suddenly knit her brows in her sleep, her face etched with pain. To this day, Du Ruo remained unaware of what plagues her nightmares, as Xiang Shi Yan never uttered anyone's name while dreaming. Perhaps it related to her forced escape in the past. Picking up a blanket, Du Ruo gently draped it over the sleeping Xiang Shi Yan, reclining on a chair, only for the woman to snap her eyes open the instant Du Ruo approached, gripping the snake demon’s hand. Xiang Shi Yan's eyes turned predatory, like those of a fierce beast. The crunch of bones shifting was disconcerting, and the claws that sprang forth scratched Du Ruo’s wrist, causing her to grimace under the excruciating grip that nearly dislocated her arm, despite being at the Nascent Soul's pinnacle. “Hiss... Senior, it’s me…” Though Du Ruo spoke, it was as if Xiang Shi Yan didn’t hear her. Her demonic traits surfaced, with the fur on her fox ears standing erect in a bid to intimidate. Du Ruo's face drained of color as Xiang Shi Yan twisted her arm back, nearly ripping it straight out of its socket. The overpowering force, solely from Xiang Shi Yan’s physical strength, left the snake demon utterly shocked. Bloodline and cultivation feed back manifold into a demon cultivator’s physical form. Although there was a significant gap in cultivation between Xiang Shi Yan and Du Ruo, Xiang Shi Yan easily subdued the Nascent Soul’s peak-level snake demon, pinning her to the ground without breaking a sweat. This was impressive, considering Xiang Shi Yan wasn't entirely awake. In a state between dream and reality, Xiang Shi Yan unconsciously let out a bit of her scent-mark, but Du Ruo, being a Danyuan themselves, instinctively reign in any untoward thoughts. Her amber snake eyes darted about in panic as she forced herself to remain calm, gently stroking Xiang Shi Yan's wrist. "Senior, it's Du Ruo." Why am I always the one getting into these predicaments, thought the snake demon, reminiscing with a bitter smile about the time she was beaten up by Xiang Shi Yan in Xinyang City. After being shaken a couple of times, Xiang Shi Yan finally tore herself free from the nightmare, her slit pupils reverting to normal. The abrupt change in vision made her frown, the lingering fear from her dream yet to dissipate. She wiped the sweat off her forehead, chest heaving violently. Only then did she notice Du Ruo, who was pitifully sticking out her tongue, rubbing her wrist. The snake demon’s white wrist bore bruises from Xiang Shi Yan's grasp, her joint having been easily dislocated during the forceful restraint. Her forearm continued to tremble uncontrollably. Fortunately, Xiang Shi Yan's moment of lost consciousness was fleeting—any longer, and she might have broken Du Ruo's arm. “Sorry, I was half-asleep…” Xiang Shi Yan apologized, helping Du Ruo reset her wrist with a click. Du Ruo winced from the pain, cold sweat breaking out, yet maintained a face of nonchalance. “Senior…are you becoming more drowsy lately, is there something wrong?” “...It's nothing, I've just overused my spiritual sense, sometimes unable to suppress the fatigue.” Cultivators could recover their spiritual sense through meditation and cultivation, and even continuous sleepless nights wouldn’t typically result in such symptoms. Xiang Shi Yan’s condition seemed unusual, as if something was indeed wrong. Still seeing the guilt in Xiang Shi Yan's gaze toward her arm, Du Ruo decisively transformed into her beast form, a small black snake lazily curling up onto the nearby table, taking the opportunity to rest her head on Xiang Shi Yan's arm. Her golden eyes looked up innocently at her, “What did Senior dream about?” Unbeknownst to her, Xiang Shi Yan frowned unconsciously. Xiang Shi Yan bore no grudge against Du Ruo, but... amber-eyed snakes always reminded her of He He. Feeling exhausted, Xiang Shi Yan leaned back onto her chair, fingers lightly stroking the thin black snake's back. Du Ruo never wore makeup in front of her, contrasting greatly with the bewitching demon saintess from the original work. This sincere attentiveness was something Xiang Shi Yan found subtly engaging, as if Du Ruo completely understood the kind of person she liked: straightforward and innocent, with a face without hidden layers, someone Xiang Shi Yan couldn’t resist. The fox demon's hand scratched Du Ruo’s head lightly as Xiang Shi Yan’s ethereal voice drifted out, “I dreamt... He was dead.” “...” The little snake demon fell silent, wrapping her diminutive body around Xiang Shi Yan's wrist, slowly burrowing into her sleeve. The temperatures of human cultivators and other demon cultivators were bothersomely high, while Xiang Shi Yan’s was just right. Du Ruo, curling herself around the woman’s forearm, felt no qualms in portraying herself as a pet despite her title as the black-scaled clan leader and holy saintess. Being close is advantageous. Although Du Ruo wasn't entirely sure what was happening with Xiang Shi Yan, the turning of the tides seemed in her favor now. Even if the female ape Huai Ye, whom fortune allowed to be raised and eventually ran off for ten years, had her place—now it was Du Ruo's golden chance. Stupid ones should stay put on Yucang Mountain waiting foolishly! Xiang Shi Yan was accustomed to Du Ruo’s touch by now, not even resisting her beast form. Du Ruo reveled in the thought, certain she’d outpaced all the competition. As the little snake rubbed against Xiang Shi Yan’s wrist, smiling foolishly, she couldn’t foresee that upon reaching the finish line, she’d find someone had long been waiting there patiently. “I dreamt she was eaten…” Xiang Shi Yan spoke again suddenly, her voice quivering slightly. “I saw that thing gnawing on her chest cavity, hollowing her abdomen into a void, then moving on to chew her face.” Then, the monster adopted He’s identical visage, pulling flesh and tendon from her pallid face. The slender creature lying atop the girl turned its head, golden eyes gleaming in darkness. She dreamt the deflated chested corpse being swallowed piece by piece by the black dragon, fresh blood still flowing from the bed to the floor, scarlet liquid creeping toward Xiang Shi Yan as if it had a life of its own, its viscous grasp climbing her legs. The cold mournful cries for help gradually fading away, Xiang Shi Yan became ensnared in a hell of blood and flesh shards, bound with no escape. It wasn't just a dream. When Xiang Shi Yan awoke to find herself in a mountain cave rather than He's room, her first instinct was a fearful glance toward the seemingly unchanged girl beside her. The draconian disguised as last night’s corpse gave her a wink, Xiang Shi Yan recalling the cold mockery in her eyes. With no need to mask her melancholy in front of Xiang Shi Yan, the draco’s words cut like swords. Xiang Shi Yan hoarsely inquired where He was. The black dragon paused only briefly before laughing, “Why, I ate her, of course. Though but a frail human corpse, she was tempered with my dragon soul for years, how could I let it go to waste?” Bending over, the chill of her hand lifted Xiang Shi Yan’s chin, gold eyes meeting her tear-filled doe eyes, the draco smiled wickedly, “You may try again, Master. I won't stop you. With you gone, dealing in false snake mirages with these human cultivators bores me. Why not have them accompany you in death?” Tears blurred her vision; Xiang Shi Yan couldn’t recall the exact cause of her despair back then—all she saw was the black dragon’s sinister smile. “Whom shall we start with? We've been teacher and student, you may choose. I'll save your favorite juniors for last before killing them.” It was He’s second time saying this, yet unlike her previous hysteria, the composed dragon carried a certainty in her words, staunch in her actions, not empty threats. Xiang Shi Yan left Yucang Mountain to draw He toward the demons, avoiding conflict that might affect Yucang Mountain. Yet the clever black dragon wouldn’t walk into her traps. Once He chose to continue masquerading as a human, she must meet on human terms. But even separated by a thousand miles, the malicious dragon's influence never waned. Every time Xiang Shi Yan succumbed to sleep, she’d relive the despair and helplessness, witness her loved ones die one by one, caught in an endless nightmare. Awakening left her spiritually restored but emotionally spent. Du Ruo felt her scales rise uncontrollably as Xiang Shi Yan's voice, hollow yet laden with emotion, spilled forth. It took Xiang Shi Yan five years to evolve from tortured by inner demons at transformation's onset to showing no weakness in detachment. By now, Du Ruo seldom gleaned insights into her heart. Curiously, she peeked from Xiang Shi Yan's sleeve, glimpsing only Xiang Shi Yan brushing her chest. Emotions swelled behind the slight pink tinge in her eyes, wave-like receding. Puzzled, the black-scaled little snake blinked and burrowed back inside. As the flying vessel touched down, Xiang Shi Yan pushed open the cabin door to disembark, coincidentally encountering Mu Hua. The new elder of Tianji Sect frowned at her. Unlike her more naive shishu and shimei, Mu Hua was acutely aware of the intrigue surrounding Xiang Shi Yan, wary of this person Fu Zhi completely trusted. The woman in white nodded at Mu Hua, continuing toward Fu Zhi, trailing behind her. "Senior Xiang, while we can manage it, how do you plan to infiltrate the venue?" Fu Zhi inquired, donning an exquisite dark robe and receiving a staff from Fu Xiao. Xiang Shi Yan glanced at the grand celestial estate on the far side of her vision. It was the main sect of Tai Xu Sect, one of the thirteen sect leaders of the immortal sects. Everyone knew that tonight's clandestine black market auction was tied to Tai Xu Sect, prompting a rush to see what they were really selling. The dream of He He might have resurfaced because she was revisiting familiar grounds. It was here that Xiang Shi Yan first sought to capture the fugitive Qin Miao, only to accidentally uncover He's true identity following the system’s guidance. Returning to this small city inevitably stirred nostalgia within her. In the dark of night, nobody noticed when a small, dark figure slipped out of the woman's sleeve, vanishing on the deck in the blink of an eye. Though she had been missing for a full sixty years, many still recognized Xiang Shi Yan, making Fu Zhi’s concerns valid. However, Xiang Shi Yan was well-prepared. The blind woman suddenly felt a bundle of fluff crash into her arms, causing her two startled companions to gasp belatedly. Reaching out, Fu Zhi touched the fluffy mass, finding a warm body beneath the fur, roughly the size of a small dog, nestled within her embrace, ears perked arrogantly. "Just walk right in; don't worry about me." Curiously, Xiang Shi Yan's voice emanated from within her arms. Fu Zhi wondered if she misheard, spinning in confusion before feeling her arm gently tapped by what felt like a paw. Xiang Shi Yan's urging followed, "Hurry along now."