Last Dragon Chapter 30: I Can’t Talk With You Illiterate People.

Translated by Aphelios of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: KarateChopMonkey

 

Xuan Wuzi felt that Bai Cangnian truly was worthy of being a family historian. Perhaps he even had experience serving incapable monarchs that even after hearing such a shameless request, he was able to quickly respond accordingly and even pleaded guilty of his slip of the tongue earlier. “Your Highness, please forgive me. I, your servant, understand now and will rightly fulfill my duties loyally.” 

That’s right, the venerable dragon had no faults. Xiaoshen seemed to be satisfied at his response – Bai Cangnian knew to correct his mistakes. “Then you shall live in the imperial residence. I’ll introduce you to Daoist Master Ziran shortly and we’ll all discuss poetry and prose together.”

Upon hearing this, Bai Cangnian immediately said, “Then your servant must ask Your Highness for advice.”   

He didn’t know why, but after he said this, the others all revealed an appalling expression.

Bai Cangnian had a trace of doubt. What did their response mean?

The dragon clan’s imperial palace was now built on the land of the Yuling Sect and the staff were all part of the Yuling Sect. It could be said that this was the authority of the creditor, but from Bai Cangnian’s perspective, it seemed more like the Yuling Sect was raising Xiaoshen in captivi… no, providing for His Highness.

For example, now, it was Xie Kurong who was doing the job of the turtle grand chancellor, “Then I’ll call for Daomi to receive Mr. Bai. Daomi’s family has lived in Yuling for generations. Since it’s mister’s first time here, If you have any questions or concerns, you can just ask him.”

“……” The others immediately looked at the patriarch again. Was this intentional or accidental? Daomi?

“Good, good. Let Daomi help him settle in.” Xiaoshen said to Bai Cangnian, “I’m in the library during the day. You can come find me after you’re done.”

Bai Cangnian bowed, “Yes.”

Bai Cangnian was led away for the time being. Xiaoshen stared at his back for a bit and then naturally stretched out his waist and said, “I think this person only appeared to submit on the surface, but in actuality was quite unconvinced.”

Everyone smiled embarrassingly. Who can accept this? He was a white sea turtle after all.

Since Bai Cangnian’s birth, there were already no real dragons left in the mortal realm. They didn’t know how many times he must have drew and imagined the dragon clan’s appearance, yet, the view the heavens blessed him with the grace to set his eyes upon was in fact this… They were afraid that it was quite different from what Bai Cangnian had yearned for.

How pitiful.

Xiaoshen hummed and laughed twice. As soon as he reached out his hand, Yu Yi jumped on and he said to Shang Jiyu, “You, come here.”

He was going to lead Shang Jiyu to the library.

Shang Jiyu followed along as his mouth carried on with subtle sarcasm, “Your Venerable Highness is so kind. You are willing to call me to accompany you again.”

Xie Kurong let out an ah sound and casually said, “Your Highness Xiaoshen, don’t you want to talk for a bit longer?”

Xiaoshen did not look back and said with disdain, “I can’t talk to you illiterates.”

It was a better option for him to continue hitting his wife. ¹ No women were harmed in the duration of this relationship. No fears! ²

Xie Kurong, “……”

Others, “……”

The news that the white sea turtle had appeared in Yuling soon spread to the entire sect. In the beginning, when they mistook Xiaoshen for a white sea turtle, the entire Yuling Sect – even those who didn’t know about the white sea turtle in the beginning – all read many records and accounts on the white sea turtle after that time and thus, everyone was naturally incomparably excited.

This was truly someone who was erudite and knowledgeable!

It was said that he was wearing an outer garment, which was refined from the white sea turtle’s historical annals. There was the language of the dragon clan on top, and even included the ancient language. Even if they couldn’t read them, it was still nice to take a look at it. Maybe they could even absorb some literary culture from it!

Everyone gathered outside the library. If they wanted to wait for the white sea turtle, of course it was better to wait here where Brother Xiaoshen was then anywhere else.

The Yuling disciples looked forward to it and half a day later, they finally saw Bai Cangnian, in  a daze, walking into the library with Daomi.

They only saw Daomi’s mouth chattering nonstop with one eye looking straight ahead to control the boat while the other eye was turned sideways to glance at Mr. Bai, “Don’t you think this was Granny Yama’s big belly — a belly full of ghosts?”

 

Bai Cangnian, “……”

 

The crowd showed sympathy at his plight. Daomi truly was a harmful being! First, he harmed His Highness Xiaoshen, and now he has harmed the white sea turtle!

But at last, they’ve finally seen the white sea turtle himself. This was still a source of great joy! Indeed, he was brimming with elegant charm. Bai Cangnian’s long robe was covered with words in black ink, which made him seem even more distinguished while his long jade-like white eyelashes had everyone exclaimed in admiration.

The Yuling disciples saluted him one after another and admiringly called him Mr. Bai, an erudite scholar. 

Bai Cangnian nodded his head in response. Previously, he had only seen the library from afar, but now that he arrived at the Immobile Lands, he looked around and discovered there stood a small boat, in which there was a base underneath and looked as if it was specifically placed here as an exhibition, and he couldn’t help but give it a few more looks.

Daomi, who has been a professional guide for many years, immediately gave an introduction, “Mr. Bai, this is Xiao… His Highness Xiaoshen’s boat that he used in the beginning and there was even a poem that he wrote and carved onto it with his own hands.”

According to His Highness Xiaoshen’s appointment, Bai Cangnian’s duty was to record his famous sayings, poetry and literature, thus Bai Cangnian’s scarlet eyes moved toward the boat once again and naturally walked up to take a closer look and read the words out loud, “Yuling spent the night surrounding the mountains with water, I fished for an old friend amongst the waves.”

“??” Bai Cangnian’s mouth opened slightly, in slight confusion. He looked at the boat once again. Perhaps he suspected that there were other poems on the boat and he just read the wrong one, or it was probable that he was contemplating on what this poem was about.

Daomi had already been brainwashed by Xiaoshen a long time ago and seriously said, “We didn’t know what this poem meant when it was written either, but later we learned that His Highness Xiaoshen was saying that when he had a land-based palace in the future, he would create a new etiquette – fishing for Martial Uncle in the waters.”

Bai Cangnian, “……”

Daomi, “This is his highness Xiaoshen’s masterpiece. Would you like a pen to record it?”

Bai Cangnian, “……”

Everyone only saw Bai Cangnian’s body shaking terribly and appeared even frailer than before.

Sob. Even they have been severely harmed by Yun Ziran and Xiaoshen’s poems, let alone the white sea turtle who was this era’s great scholar and encompassed tens of millions of years of great knowledge and scholarship.

“I’ll go… pay my respects to His Highness.” Bai Cangnian said strongly, “This… This poem… I have already recorded it.”

He really recorded it!

And it seemed that Mr. Bai perhaps already guessed the literary level of the infamous Yun Ziran.

This made people mutter in despair. Will the white sea turtle be driven crazy? 

Bai Cangnian entered the library and saw the ink essences bouncing back and forth. He casually said to Daomi, “I saw an ink essence before. It was very strange and different from the other ink essences. It was carrying a sword.”

“Oh, that’s Yu Yi.” Daomi said, “It was created from the works of our Grandmaster Yu Zhao, whose writings too has an extraordinary sword aura and thus it was borned with a sword on its back. In the past, we merely called it the sword carrying ink essence. Yu Yi got its name from His Highness Xiaoshen.”

“Ah, so it was Yu Zhao’s sword aura… No wonder it was so different.” Bai Cangnian looked thoughtfully.

Just as they were discussing Yu Yi, Yu Yi came out too. It stood besides the bookshelf with its ink sword in hand. Its eyes shone brightly from its dark, black face and looked to be especially alert. The sword in its hand was held on even tighter than before. 

Daomi didn’t know what happened and wasn’t aware of the situation from earlier. If it was Xuan Wuzi in his place, he would have already been worrying about whether Yu Yi would come at him with his sword in fury again, “Ah, Yu Yi’s here too. Then Brothe… His Highness Xiaoshen should be nearby as well.”

He was used to calling Xiaoshen Brother Xiaoshen, and still wasn’t used to the change in honorifics and had stuttered several times.

Bai Cangnian and Yu Yi looked at each other. It was probably that after exchanging swords, they felt awkward around each other, however, for Yu Yi, it was more confusion than anything else. It didn’t recognize Bai Cangnian. 

A few breaths later, Bai Cangnian slightly nodded at it and passed by. 

Xiaoshen and Shang Jiyu sat together and were arguing about something.

Shang Jiyu crossed his arms and said, “You always think that he is the best in the whole world. Just because I said a few words years back, I became the bad guy. Who was the one who wouldn’t fulfill that little request you had? Do you have a differentiation problem?”

Xiaoshen said angrily, “Of course, I can tell red from purple! I just can’t tell you two apart! “

Shang Jiyu, “……”

Shang Jiyu, “I said, differentiation problem.”

Wasn’t that the meaning? Xiaoshen was momentarily dumbfounded and waved his hands, “Well regardless, it’s definitely not anything good.”

Shang Jiyu, “……That’s true.”

Xiaoshen, “……”

He actually admitted it!

Daomi looked at Bai Cangnian again and thought he didn’t look too good.

“Mr. Bai? Are you all right?” Daomi asked quietly, “Don’t worry. His Highness Xiaoshen just learned the human language, wasn’t even able to use idioms a while back.”

Bai Cangnian waved his hand wearily and didn’t speak further.

This had nothing to do with just having learned it or not. For some people, even if they learned a new language, their behaviors were totally different…

“You guys are here.” Xiaoshen didn’t want to talk to Shang Jiyu anymore and looked towards the two men. “Come and sit down.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.” Bai Cangnian saluted as per proper decorum and sat down.

Daomi had wanted to sit down directly, but after he saw Bai Cangnian, he too followed suit and made a salute before sitting down.

Shang Jiyu swaggered to the back of his chair and cast a sidelong glance at Bai Cangnian, “What about me?”

Bai Cangnian paused in his movements and looked at Shang Jiyu. His brows knitted and he seemed to be confused.

Shang Jiyu said with a smile, “Jin Qianzi – the current Grand Chancellor of the Dragon Palace, too, addresses me as ‘Your Highness’.”

Bai Cangnian was silent for a while before he stood up and made a salute again, “Princess consort your royal highness.”

Daomi stood up and scratched his head. “I…”

Do I have to say Princess Consort Your Royal Highness too?

Shang Jiyu immediately said, “You what you? You’re not the Dragon Palace’s grand chancellor. Who did you want to follow and say?”

“I’m so tired.” Daomi thought of his sad fate of losing the grand chancellor’s election and finally couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Your titles keep changing all the time. Sometimes the Patriarch addresses you as Xiaoshen, but sometimes he says ‘Your highness’, …Mr. Bai is so serious about all this that I dare not call you Brother Xiaoshen anymore… Martial Uncle, can I really continue calling you Martial Uncle? Sometimes when you’re not happy, I don’t even know whether to call you ‘Your Highness’ or ‘sister-in-law’.”

Shang Jiyu, “……”

Shang Jiyu was originally just using it as an example. He sometimes mentioned the first legal wife, princess consort, etc. just to tease Xiaoshen. Only this starling would seriously consider calling him sister-in-law.

This title sounded awful.

Xiaoshen too said in dismay, “No! No! Don’t call him sister-in-law!”

Bai Cangnian’s mouth drew up in suspicion, “The historian recorded that the two Royal Highnesses were deeply in love and in matrimony.”

Xiaoshen sighed in despair, “It’s all wrong. I always picked up the wrong ones.”

Bai Cangnian’s smile was a bit stiff yet again.

Daomi reckoned that Mr. Bai probably felt cheated to have made a salute to Martial Uncle. After all, even though Martial Uncle had a high standing in Yuling, the white sea turtle had lived for thousands of years.

As for the fact that Martial Uncle was not very friendly to Mr. Bai… well, it wasn’t surprising, He had a bad temper after all…

Shang Jiyu sneered, even if he picked the wrong one, he still picked it and as for a refund, well, that was completely out of the question. 

“Remove your shell and let me take a look.” Xiaoshen suddenly said to Bai Cangnian.

Bai Cangnian was stumped and immediately took off his robe and handed it to Xiaoshen.

Xiaoshen held this ink filled robe in examination, “You copied all of this right? Good penmanship. I’ve seen your father’s handwriting before. He loved writing in big characters, but you’re a bit different. That’s right, you can start to record my poems and literature now.”

“……” Bai Cangnian suspected for a moment that Xiaoshen had deliberately taken his shell in order to force him to record it. 

Under Xiaoshen’s scorching eyes, and due to him holding onto his robe with a firm grasp, Bai Cangnian had no choice but to add a line of very teeny-tiny words, as small as a fly. It was Xiaoshen’s poem. 

Xiaoshen was not picky. He shook the historiographic shell and said, “This shell seems a lot lighter than your father’s.”

“This ten thousand years had not been smooth and safe without the protection of the dragon race. There was bound to be wear and tear after battles, but fortunately, the historical annals were all preserved.” Bai Cangnian played down the severity, and indicated that his shell has become thin through battles with others.

Daomi sighed in sadness. There were bound to be people who had their eyes set on the white sea turtle. Though the white sea turtle was the ancestor of all creatures, they only had one heir per generation. In the meanwhile, there were many strong cultivators in the cultivation world. It was no wonder that the white sea turtle disappeared without a trace for all these years.

“I’m fine. But you.” Bai Cangnian also looked at Xiaoshen with concern, “Only this little remains of the Lanyu River, and I heard the rest hasn’t been found yet? Would it be more accurate to record the history as Your Highness ‘Wangjia Shen’?”

Xiaoshen, “……”

……If Bai Cangnian didn’t mention this name, he would have almost forgotten about it!

Daomi and Shang Jiyu both looked at Xiaoshen in surprise. What Wangjia Shen? Wasn’t Xiaoshen called Lanyu Shen?

Ordinary people didn’t know the dragon clan’s rules for names. That coupled with Xiaoshen usually calling himself “Xiaoshen”, or the occasionally original name “Lanyu Shen”, since the humans didn’t know about the rules caused the two to be even more confused. 

The white sea turtle however, was familiar with the dragon clan’s history and seemed to have found out that of the entire Lanyu River, only Wangjia Pond remained. With just one sentence, he exposed Xiaoshen and immediately, Xiaoshen’s face blackened. 

Bai Cangnian explained to the two in serious earnestness, “It was customarily of the dragon clan to give a single character as the name and use their water territory as their prefix. Therefore, his highness was originally Lanyu, from the Lanyu River. However, since the Lanyu River is currently missing, for the time being, we can only call him ‘Wangjia Shen’. There was only one deep pond left in Lanyu River’s original place, and that was Wang Clan Pond.”

Daomi, “Heh.”

Shang Jiyu thought it was funny as well, “I didn’t hear Your Highness mention it before.”

It was obvious to him that Xiaoshen felt ashamed.

Xiaoshen’s face was taut and his coloring looked terrible, “Do not record it like this.”

Shang Jiyu said, “Wangjia Shen… hahaha, it’s quite adorable.”

Xiaoshen, “……”

What dignity was left for His Highness with this kind of name? So hateful! He had kept it from them for so long.

Xiaoshen was so angry and after a long while, he finally choked out these words, “What are you so happy about? According to Daomi’s description, aren’t you sister-in-law Wang now?”

Shang Jiyu, “……”

Bai Cangnian, “……ahem!” 

Daomi went crazy, “I wouldn’t dare! I wouldn’t dare heh!!”

In a moment of carelessness, a sound of laughter was squeezed out.

……

The news that Xiaoshen was now known as Wangjia Shen has spread like wildfire across Yuling and has become the number one trending topic of discussion.

“No wonder we were occupied and caused even Brother Wang to change his name.”

“You’re so going to die. If Brother Xiaoshen heard you calling him that, be prepared to never borrow a book in your life.”

“Hehehe, I’m just saying it secretly.”

“Don’t you say, my senior brother was still writing today that Brother Xiaoshen was already in Yuling and didn’t need to be called that whatchamacallit Wangjia Shen. Even if the Lanyu River wasn’t found yet, he should still be called Ligou Shen.”

“No, no. Brother Xiaoshen now lives in the Imperial Palace and has occupied this sect, thus he should be called Yuling Shen!”

Everyone was surprised when he said this.

Yes! Yuling Shen!

That’s a good name…

Everyone gave their support to the name “Yuling Shen”, but no one dared to speak of it in front of Xiaoshen.

After a few more days had passed, Jin Qianzi reported to Xiaoshen that those water clans who were coming to pay their respects to His Highness would arrive in a few days. Furthermore, kingdoms from the human race had sent emissaries bearing gifts to Yuling to request for a meeting. 

Xiaoshen was surprised, “Emissaries from mortal kingdoms? Was it the country that suffered from the Jiaos before?”

To thank him?

These days, the people who came to Yuling one after another were all either cultivators from the different sects or various water clans. He hasn’t seen any mortals joining in on the action.

Jin Qianzi rubbed his beard, “No. The rumor that a real dragon has descended has spread wide and far in the human world, however, since the witnesses were only from one city, many places were still skeptical.”

“The royal family of this country had produced a cultivator in the past so they have some knowledge of the cultivation world and connections within the circle. From what I can tell, the purpose of these emissaries is to confirm the rumors and show reverence.”

This was normal. Xiaoshen let out a “Ah” sound, and said, “Then accept the gifts and send them away.”

Jin Qianzi nodded and left. 

After a while, Jin Qianzi returned, “Your Highness, that mortal, he… he said…”

“What?” Xiaoshen asked Jin Qianzi, who looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated, “Must I really meet him?”

What dragon did they take him for? Did they think they could freely see him after giving a gift? Then what was the point of calling it having an audience with the emperor? They might as well call this a tour. 

Jin Qianzi wiped his sweat. His expression was a bit strange, “No. This mortal said that their new emperor would soon ascend to the throne, however, since he seized the crown from his elder brother, his ascension wasn’t really legitimate. He heard that Your Highness was in Yuling and wanted to ask whether they can exchange the numerous collection of treasures in their imperial chambers for your Highness’s appearance at their king’s coronation and fly two circles at the ceremony so that they may proclaim that their king was the son of heavens, the son of a real dragon…”

Xiaoshen, “……”

Xiaoshen was shocked by these mortal’s imaginations, “They… they can still do this?”

Jin Qianzi cried, “This is also the first time your chancellor had encountered something like this and wanted to share this strange phenomenon with Your Highness.”

The invitation was so ridiculous that Xiaoshen couldn’t even muster up the energy to feel angry.

He said to himself, “I have contemplated this too, on why humans became the most powerful race after the dragon clan had ascended to the heavens… so much so that even the Jiaos couldn’t compare. Now it seemed clear that even mere mortals had the courage to frighten dragons…”

 

The author has something to say: 

How bold humans are equates to how productive they are.

Water clan: What? There’s a dragon! We’re coming to pay our respects to the Dragon King!

Humans: What? There’s a dragon?? Hello Dragon King, want to go on tour?