Right as Chao Huangmu landed.
The sunny puppy made one trip here and turned straight into a gloomy dog.
Those doggy eyes, once always bright and smiling, were now shadowed—honestly, there’s a reason why going “dark mode” makes you look cooler.
At first glance, he now seemed more like one of those fierce, reliable big wolves, though his expression still held a hint of awkwardness.
Chu Zao yanked Chao Huangmu over.
Negotiation, huh?
You really are unpredictable.
But Chu Zao glanced again at Xi, whose expression was even darker.
“Your psionic force is really strange.”
“Yeah——” Xi said, face blank, gazing up at the sky, his whole body covered in wounds, about to cough up blood from Chao Huangmu’s psionic suppression, “can you just put me out of my misery?”
It wasn’t just his miserable state—even now, there was not a soul by his side, and he’d run right into Chao Huangmu, who, truth be told, was the last person he wanted to see. Back when he was twenty, a bit childish and quick to vent at Chao Huangmu because of years in a lab, but now, already an uncle, Xi was blank-faced, just giving up—ah, might as well die.
“Can’t really be done.”
Chu Zao still held onto Chao Huangmu and blinked at Xi.
“In a way, you had a hand in exposing the Hymn Organization. With hope of saving you, if I dealt with you now, it’d be ungrateful of me.”
Chu Zao spoke very earnestly, and also very politely.
“Hello, I’m Chu Zao Dwight, from Holy Cas. What’s your name?”
Xi stared in disbelief—unsure whether he’d misheard.
Introducing himself at a time like this?
Huh?
Must be a joke.
Yet the young boy’s eyes were clear, his actions utterly natural, not the least bit calculating or concealed, and that only made Xi more at a loss.
Shenghua got this much right.
In the whole star system—there probably wasn’t anyone more genuinely passionate and puzzling than Chu Zao.
“Do you know where this is? Got any info?”
Xi ignored the rest.
He thought—
With someone as soft-hearted as Shenghua, no wonder she orbited around this guy, but he himself was nothing alike.
He was sick of it all. He believed in no light—most of it was fake, like bubbles that burst at a touch.
Xi sneered, shut his eyes, and stopped responding.
After being pulled down, Chao Huangmu, whose mind felt like boiling over, couldn’t think straight, but his gaze stuck to his wrist where it was being held.
Until he heard that cold snort beside him.
Chao Huangmu looked over suddenly—
And in the next second, Xi let out a suppressed groan, snapping his eyes wide, turning to Chao Huangmu beside Chu Zao.
This guy, so overtly strange and oddly close to Chu Zao, was staring at him with absolutely no emotion—worse than last time they met, the psionic force behind him now solid, a terrible black dragon baring its teeth.
Even leaving aside if he’d quarreled with his little highness to be so menacing and directly crush his psionic force, it was simply vicious and mad-dog-like.
But that totally clear-cut Soul Clan psionic force at his back—what the hell?
Wasn’t this guy supposed to be mixed-blood?
Why did it feel even crazier and stronger than any Soul Clan he knew?
Xi had never seen such a pure, outright insane Soul Clan psionic force.
Chao Huangmu lowered his gaze at Xi.
Secretly making little moves—
Xi hated Chao Huangmu, and as luck would have it, this amnesiac Chao Huangmu hated Xi at first sight too.
Especially that similar, irritating psionic force.
But Chao Huangmu held back, didn’t leave, and even tugged once at the hand.
Chu Zao, still gripping his wrist, turned his attention from Xi to Chao Huangmu.
He could feel the other’s aura, warmth, and the pulse beating under his fingers.
Could even sense the faint trembling of the skin.
As for Xi, not cooperating with anything and dead-set on seeking death, Chu Zao set him aside for now, deciding to deal with Chao Huangmu first.
“Negotiation?” Chu Zao looked up at Chao Huangmu. “I brought some things. See if any of them spark a memory.”
At the mention of memories, Chao Huangmu got a little impatient, wanting to say something—he felt he needed a mate, but wasn’t someone who could be handled so easily.
One more look at Xi, and Chao Huangmu practically pinched his nose and sat down.
“Uh…what are you showing me?”
Chao Huangmu looked up, eyelids half-closed, voice deliberately casual.
Which made him look even fiercer.
And harder to deal with.
Chu Zao also sat, the two of them by Xi’s side.
Xi tried blankly to turn his head—honestly, he was in so much pain he could barely move a finger.
But he could watch as these two treated him like backdrop.
Xi: … Hey!!
Am I just a prop for your play??
But such nearly invisible protests naturally went unnoticed.
Chu Zao started taking things out one by one from the past.
“Remember this?”
A pretty stone he’d given Chao Huangmu before; Chu Zao had kept a matching piece.
Chao Huangmu barely glanced at it.
“Nope.”
“And this?”
The first candy he ever gave Chao Huangmu—this same kind; Peng-ge said Chao Huangmu still hadn’t eaten it, who knows how expired, just holding onto it.
Chao Huangmu responded even more smoothly this time: “Don’t remember.”
That attitude pretty much said it all—
Chu Zao narrowed his eyes.
Stared at him.
He really wasn’t used to it—
He wasn’t used to Chao Huangmu being a bit of a punk when not in front of him.
If he wanted to do something, he’d pester you endlessly; if he didn’t, he could be as perfunctory as he liked.
After a few more questions—
Chu Zao figured he ought to bring Chao Huangmu back to Holy Cas to have his head checked—this wasn’t a short-term fix.
Clenching his fist, Chu Zao, who’d appeared calm on the surface, suddenly asked, “Do you even want your memory back?”
Chao Huangmu replied even faster: “No—”
And then paused.
His breathing caught.
It wasn’t from guilt, but because Chu Zao, who even when upstanding, kind, and brave, could never quite suppress his Crown Clan heritage, grabbed him by the collar.
Chu Zao yanked Chao Huangmu right in front of him.
The clenched fist landed on Chao Huangmu’s head.
Already suffering a headache, Chao Huangmu jerked his eyes up, canines bared, grinning in angry amusement—but that grin instantly died.
The scent of sweet candy—got stronger.
Chu Zao’s honey-colored eyes were right there.
“Chao. Huang. Mu, you jerk, you’re just not cooperating at all!”
With such excellent family training, Chu Zao didn’t care about arguing.
Holy Cas had a professional diplomacy department for that sort of thing, but the Crown Clan handled such issues directly—just go right at it, for thousands of years, always successful.
So even when scolding, it was with these mild words.
But with his excited movements and actions, his voice was clear and soft—a steady, calm young tone.
And cute.
How did he even scold people so adorably?
Chao Huangmu was stunned, didn’t even notice Chu Zao bopping him on the head—or maybe, Chu Zao, after all, cared about him. He said he’d “thrash him,” but honestly held back, and compared to the splitting headache, it was nothing at all. Not until Chu Zao quickly unwrapped something and shoved it in his mouth.
The sudden sour taste made Chao Huangmu’s face contort instantly.
What was that?
—So sour it deformed.jpg
“What did you just put in my mouth?”
Chao Huangmu, sour candy in his mouth, grabbed on to Chu Zao’s hand.
His headache got worse—
Chao Huangmu thought—his need for a mate was even more urgent.
His brain felt like it was boiling and screaming.
And yet, somehow, he maintained a degree of lucidity, as if this pain wasn’t his limit—just dulled his reaction.
“Sour candy.”
Chu Zao said.
“The same kind you once gave me.”
“I gave you—”
Chao Huangmu didn’t finish.
Chu Zao interrupted, “You gave it to me. We grew up together. I knew you often stayed alone at military academy for the holidays, so I always invited you to the royal court. You’re my closest friend, my companion, my former sworn protector—the person I used to count on most, even if you tended to mess things up sometimes—”
A different angle, a different memory.
Unlike those dark moments.
Chao Huangmu thought—he subconsciously looked more carefully at the things he’d brushed off before; he’d just wanted to muddle through and take Chu Zao to see his lair.
He’d always resisted and chewed over the past.
But hearing it like this, maybe it wasn’t so bad?
His sharp teeth crunched the sour candy, the syrup inside even sourer, Chao Huangmu’s whole face scrunching up, eyes finally round and clear, brows twisted miserably as he looked at Chu Zao—just like a wronged, heartbroken puppy.
Chu Zao froze for an instant, then, suddenly, smiled.
“Brother Huangmu, honestly, you’re still just like before.”
Though he looked a bit fiercer on the outside, inside he seemed unchanged.
Chao Huangmu couldn’t even hear what Chu Zao was saying.
His collar was still bunched in Chu Zao’s hand, pulled close.
And in his eyes, Chu Zao’s face—a vision of cuteness.
Wanted to take him home, set amidst all those glittering treasures…
Xi, who’d spent half this time mute and perpetually weary, finally couldn’t hold it in.
“Hey—”
Did you ever once consider him a person—?
What was this?
Quarreling or flirting?
And you, kid, really have nerves, aren’t you worried the Crown Clan elders will grind you into powder for treating the little one like this—even with this amnesia business.
Damn it, he was seriously sick of Chao Huangmu, especially as he continued pressing down on his psionic force while talking to Chu Zao—Xi was even more peeved.
What the hell had he done in a past life to deserve this, unable to die in peace?
“You willing to talk now?”
Chu Zao let go of Chao Huangmu’s collar, grabbed his wrist again, and turned to Xi.
Xi: …
Are you just waiting until I can’t take it anymore?
The Crown Clan—so tricky! Damn!
Xi awkwardly turned away, trying not to look so pitiful—he thought he’d had it bad enough, but to go like this, in front of an enemy, was just too sad. He didn’t want to die like this.
His voice was hoarse and cold: “I don’t know anything. If you’re really grateful, put me out of my misery—kill me. Also, just so you know—”
Xi suddenly remembered, giving a harsh laugh. “I’m from a Hymn Organization lab—I’m your enemy. From beginning to end—I never planned to stand on your side.”
So—don’t start with the “deep gratitude” stuff. On missions, he’d never showed mercy.
“But you’re not on the Hymn Organization’s side either, are you?”
Chu Zao propped his cheek, looking down at Xi.
Anyone who’d truly harmed Holy Cas was either on the wanted list, had never personally acted, or had already been dealt with by the Crown Clan.
Before this, Chu Zao didn’t really know Xi, but could see that, in the Hymn Organization’s mad war on the star system, Xi had done little to help.
Which was true.
As a rare success, Xi had long been trusted by Chastity—so after many Hymn Organization leaders vanished, he had ended up as Shenghua’s observer, monitoring her every action.
He’d hardly been involved in interstellar operations.
If anything, he’d been persuaded by Shenghua—he ought to hate the Hymn Organization most.
But did that mean putting his life on the line was worth it? Xi didn’t know before all this.
Xi didn’t even know why he kept clinging to life—why he still wanted…to keep living.
He’d just been a test subject no one cared about…
“So there’s no issue.”
Chu Zao went on.
“You must know a lot about the inner workings of the Hymn Organization, right? Even if the leaders are gone, as long as their twisted ideas live, they’ll never truly quiet down. Only alive can you accomplish more.”
“And you don’t have to worry, Holy Cas has the top psionic center anywhere.”
Chu Zao looked at him.
“I can’t stand the Hymn Organization, so I want to cooperate with you. We’ll deal with what’s left together. If you insist on dying right now, it’ll slow down your new plans—”
Direct, clear, very gentle-voiced, with no grand theory.
But in Xi’s excruciating pain, just as he was about to give up his will to survive, this gave him a reason to grab that chain once more.
Xi’s lips parted, then closed, muttering, “Whatever.”
If it was like this—if it was always like this.
Xi thought—he’d seen so much filth inside the Hymn Organization, seen so many secrets and conspiracies at the state level. If Chu Zao was always like this—
No wonder Shenghua chased him so desperately.
Someone with her power and status, who could have practically anything she wanted—no wonder she looked up to one person…
Xi grunted again.
And finally, Chu Zao realized why Xi had kept hissing with pain.
Looking down, he saw the black dragon tail of psionic force behind Chao Huangmu actively whipping at Xi’s spirit. Chu Zao: …
“Brother Huangmu, what are you doing?”
Chao Huangmu snapped his gaze back, stopped moving, and jumped up.
He looked down at Chu Zao and muttered something very softly.
“You wait here, I’ll be right back.”
What was there to mind about all that?
He’d go get all his gems and show Chu Zao what he was going to decorate their lair with—shiny, shiny treasures.
“You—”
Because Chu Zao had his psionic force tied tightly around his coronet, he wasn’t worried about Chao Huangmu getting lost.
But right now, Chao Huangmu, all fired up, didn’t even finish his sentence before turning and flying off.
In the sky—the gathering clouds grew heavier.
The wind picked up, growing stronger.
Tiny raindrops blew onto their faces.
Bone-chilling cold.
Dan, still watching not far away, glanced up at the sky. He wiped at his cheek.
“Rainy season—came early?”
Desmond looked up as well, lazy and wild expression disappeared, a shadow of gravity there.
“Not a good sign, whatever it is.”
“Yeah—”
After a while, Desmond suddenly paused, tilting his head to listen: “Do you hear something?”
“What?”
Dan looked over.
“Sounds like monsters and dragons moving together.”
Desmond raised a hand, pushing aside the branches blocking the view.
Chao Huangmu moved quickly.
Especially once it started raining.
It was about to rain and he didn’t know if the pretty little gem would still wait for him.
Also, it was bothering him—a weird guy had shown up from nowhere.
Chao Huangmu quickly returned to the lair he’d chosen—on the way, he’d already decided, this place was still too far from Chu Zao’s side; even as fast as he was, Chu Zao clearly wasn’t happy about it, so it wouldn’t do as a lair.
He gathered up all his shiny gems and headed straight for Chu Zao.
It wasn’t pouring yet, just a few random drops.
Until, right as he was almost there—
Chao Huangmu was blocked.
A youth, his load of shiny things bundled in cloth, hovered midair, black psionic wings unfurled. At his side, the black dragon roared at the encircling threat.
Dragons weren’t the only ones ahead—there were all sorts of monstrous beings too.
They blocked every possible escape.
“Get out of my way—”
Away from Chu Zao, Chao Huangmu’s headache seemed lighter, his presence far more cold and terrifying.
But the lead dragon roared and lunged, the surrounding dragons were wild-eyed, seemingly out of control.
“Outsider—eliminate—”
A raspy voice sounded, making Chao Huangmu uncomfortable.
What exactly are they doing?
Chao Huangmu sneered.
Were these guys all nuts?
He showed no mercy, his black dragon darting into the mob, ripping apart bodies, himself guarding the shining bundle like a treasure, smashing through attackers.
But wave after wave of monsters surged up.
Dragon roars filled the air, as if they’d tear Chao Huangmu to pieces.
The psionic force wavered for a moment.
Chao Huangmu twisted aside.
Those mad dragons barreled forward.
And then, numerous blood-red eyes locked onto Chao Huangmu—in such proximity and so completely out of control.
Destroy everything.
Already unstable to start, Chao Huangmu was a bit restricted by his treasures, and now surrounded, all those memories he’d wanted to avoid rose to the surface again.
You want to recall the past—
Why? I was abandoned. I don’t want to remember being left behind.
I don’t want to remember the feel of blades in my flesh.
I don’t want to remember those maddening eyes—would he become that too?
Chao Huangmu stalled midair, the black dragon mauling the dragons suddenly started twisting, as though mutating, voice wracked with pain.
The boiling shrieks in his mind changed—drawn on by external force, his power spiraling further out of control and now tinged with a seductive note.
——Yes, the final fate of the Soul Clan is always that kind of madness. The longer you fight it, the more you suffer.
Yeah…
Who would ever care, anyway.
His kin never did.
Chao Huangmu’s eyes grew hollow—so much like back when the Holy Cas crowd had first found him.
But then, a bright arrow flashed past.
He heard unfamiliar voices.
“These dragons nuts? Teaming up with the monsters now.”
“Anyone else get here yet? Oh, wait, I see some shapes.”
“Hey, Chu Zao’s flying that way, should we cover him? Desmond—”
“Dan, you talk too much.”
Half his hoard had been scattered, only a portion still in hand.
With violent eyes and slipping sanity, he wanted to destroy everything, but knew that if he did, he’d lose all control, like a dam breaking.
Until someone grabbed him.
The rain got heavier, falling cold on his face.
“Chao Huangmu!”
He heard someone shouting his name in his ear and grabbing his hand.
That little cub, once gone mad with the urge to destroy, was seized by the hand and hauled out of the devouring gloom of the past.
Chao Huangmu came to in an instant, wings stilled, as a dragon slammed into them from above; the one holding him kept them both from falling till they hit the ground.
Chao Huangmu’s head raised slowly, face streaked with blood, not all his own—a lot from the dragons.
He looked dangerous, empty, and exhausted; he just stared at Chu Zao—the reflection of himself in Chu Zao’s eyes—
So ugly.
He looked horrible.
The black mutated dragon above vanished, dove for Chao Huangmu’s head, and in that instant, merged into him.
“Brother Huangmu, are you—”
The voice echoed by his ear, arms wrapped around his chest and waist, that familiar sweet scent, the taste of candy—
Chao Huangmu felt like he was done for, looking dully at Chu Zao, still stubborn: “I’m not…”
He was cut off halfway through.
Chu Zao, having noticed things were off before, had just made eye contact with him and rushed here. He didn’t even register what happened—as Chao Huangmu, usually much taller, abruptly started shrinking, then—very quickly—turned tiny?
Chu Zao shifted down in size instinctively, the snowy fluff supporting a little bundle of inky black.
Startled dumb.
What had Chao Huangmu become now?
——Matte black little dragon horns, inky scales, eyes tinged with gold, a scaly tail dragging behind, two tiny wings spread desperately, trying to shield the white little fluff from rain, looking ragged, dumb, and fierce—those eyes still a bit dog-dragon-like.
So this was—a little black dragon?
The white fluff supported the black dragon, honey-colored eyes looking up.
Chao Huangmu fell dazed for a second—somewhere, sometime, it had been like this too, maybe hiding from the rain—rain falling, the damp, indistinct noise, something about potatoes, but none of that mattered—what did was the same gaze looking up.
It made him freeze, made him inch closer, made him, ever so carefully, gently press a kiss to the white fluff—he needed a mate.
Heart racing, all his reactions was saying—he was really done for.
Chao Huangmu thought, but the restless mood faded because of Chu Zao, because of the little fluff supporting him—he was being watched, he was “favored,” he wasn’t just nobody—
Ever since seeing Chu Zao, beside loving “shiny things” on instinct—
He was done for.
In front of Chu Zao, it was reasonable and completely right to fall completely, utterly apart.