Last Dragon Chapter 41: Extra: After Ascension (3)

Translated by ethidda of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: KarateChopMonkey

 

Xiaoshen finally finished going through Lord Zhenbao’s con job records and understood the situation in the immortal realm. He also received countless gifts. In other words, the immortal realm was in balance again… Now he finally had time to do his own tasks.

“Prepare the carriage! I want to go find Fang Cun!” Xiaoshen said impatiently.

In the last several days, he had already had the yellow dragon look into it. With Grandmaster Fang Cun’s vibrant talents, of course he would not remain in obscurity in the immortal realm. Now, he performed his Taoist rites at Fang Cun Mountain, and there is a whole group of people who are under him. Of course, included in them are the direct disciples of Yuling who had ascended, even including Chen MiaoXiang. So he could kill two birds with one stone when he went to visit Fang Cun.

“Yes, Your Highness. Do you want your armor?” The yellow dragon knew he was going to get the debt paid, so asked cleverly.

“Not now.” Xiaoshen said. He had also ruled Yuling for a hundred years. There was some attachment there. Now he was a Dragon King. As long as Fang Cun knew his place, he thought the situation shouldn’t escalate.

Xiaoshen and Shang Jiyu got into the cart together and headed for Fang Cun Mountain.

As they went, they passed relatives everywhere… 

With a group of people who want to be your dad, then by connection, there would be continuously aunts and cousins coming out of the woodwork. This made Xiaoshen unbearably annoyed.

“Hey, isn’t this Xiaoshen?” Someone even waved from the cart next to them. “It’s me. Did you receive all the treasures I gave you?”

Xiaoshen pulled open the curtain and said with a dark expression. “What a coincidence, Lord LuHua.”

“So formal. You can call me dad.” Lord LuHua said with a smile. “Aiya, Jiyu is here, too. The two of you have such great accord and affection. It’s too bad that daddy has to spend every long night all alone.”

Lord LuHua made the implications so obvious.

Xiaoshen, Shang Jiyu, “……”

“It can’t be helped,” Xiaoshen said uncaringly. “I think you’re better off marrying someone else sooner than later.”

Lord LuHua said despondently, “Xiaoshen, are you questioning my devotion to Lord Zhenbao? There was just a tiny misunderstanding. When he comes back, we’ll figure it out. Then, we will be a harmonious family.”

Xiaoshen, “No. I just don’t think you can win in a fight against Lord CangHai.”

LuHua Jun, “……”

Xiaoshen took advantage of his speechlessness and quickly pulled down the curtain. He told his servants to leave quickly.

They didn’t get to walk for too long.

“It seems like somebody’s following us.” Shang Jiyu said suddenly. “And it doesn’t seem to be Lord LuHua.”

“I noticed.” Xiaoshen said without energy. “There’s no way Lord LuHua’s appearance was a coincidence. They all don’t trust me, and are probably worried that I’m going to secretly visit Lord Zhenbao.”

On the way to FangCun Mountain, Xiaoshen lost track of how many times he was interrupted. Finally, he could only get off the cart in range, and yell at the completely empty area behind him, “I’m going to get them to pay me back my debt. If you want to follow, then follow, but please stop disturbing me! I really don’t know where Lord Zhenbao is!!”

After a while, a voice said faintly, “But you’ve been dodging me this whole time.”

Xiaoshen was willing to placate when needed, in order to not be bothered. He would say that maybe Lord Zhenbao went to take care of his pregnancy. Or he would say Lord Zhenbao couldn’t give birth and that he himself was adopted. Sometimes, he would even imply that this was all the Immortal Emperor’s mistake, that the Immortal Emperor had a great secret.

Only the heavens knew that even Xiaoshen didn’t know how he was born. Lord Zhenbao even lied to him. At first, Lord Zhenbao had actually said Xiaoshen was born of the spiritual energy of the sky and earth, and that he pulled him out from his ear. And that was why he was so much thinner than the other dragons, and took so much effort to raise.

But Xiaoshen now thought maybe he was a lying dragon, because later he found out that the other dragons were egg layers and born from eggs!

At this moment, Xiaoshen hurriedly upheld his father’s ways and said seriously, “I’m really not lying this time. I’m going there to take care of some personal business.”

For a while, there was silence. Maybe they believed him.

Xiaoshen finally fell into Shang Jiyu’s embrace, feeling wronged.

But after he had clarified it, there really were no more disturbances.

FangCun Mountain.

The child outside the mountain gates saw the dragon carriages, from far away. They were not passing by, but coming straight for FangCun Mountain. He hurried to come out and welcome them. “How may I help our honored guests?”

Xiaoshen, “I’m here to see Fang Cun!”

He had wanted to say this for a very long time. Here finally was his chance, so he said it most imposingly.

The child was frightened by his menacing attitude and said in a rush, “I’ll report your arrival right away.”

The people of FangCun Mountain had never participated in the wordly rivalries, and have lived their lives like floating clouds and wild cranes ¹ . How could they have gotten involved with the dragon clan?

“Wait,” Shang Jiyu called out to them, and threw his command badge to them. “Bring this.”

The child finally sighed in relief. This held the sign of Yuling Sect. So they did have a deep connection. They probably didn’t come for some terrible thing.

This command badge also distinguished who the owner was. Not long after, a woman in ornate clothes and a phoenix hair stick in her gorgeous black locks came out towards them, holding up the corner of her skirt. She saw Shang Jiyu and smiled. “My wonderful disciple. It hasn’t even been a thousand years and you’ve already ascended!”

Shang Jiyu raised his hands in a respectful greeting. “Master.”

Chen MiaoXiang’s gaze swept the group. She saw Xiaoshen and her expression became a bit complicated. She could only smile awkwardly. “This is…”

“Master, this is the owner of Lanyu Lake, Qing Long Shen (Azure Dragon Shen). He is also my cultivation partner.” Shang Jiyu said plainly.

“I’ve long heard of you,” Chen MiaoXiang said chattily.

Yu Yi had ascended before them. So of course Chen MiaoXiang had already learned everything she needed to know.

“Haha.” Xiaoshen’s expression was a cute smile, and said as a greeting, “Master, then it was you who stole my water, right?”

Chen MiaoXiang, “……”

He was too straightforward. Chen MiaoXiang didn’t know quite how to respond. “Well… Well…”

She raised her head. “Aiya, the water was actually stolen by Shizu. He ordered me to lead you inside. Let’s go, let’s go.”

What a great tactic to redirect the calamitous water east ² . Xiaoshen decided to not question her for now. If he needed to bully someone, it should be Grandmaster Fang Cun anyway.

On the way, Chen MiaoXiang took out an embroidered pouch. “Sigh. I have had some time over the years and cultivated these toys. Why don’t you pick a few that seem suitable to entertain yourself?”

Her expression was an inscrutable smile, as she shoved the pouch towards Xiaoshen and Shang Jiyu.

Xiaoshen took a look instead. “Huh? Wow—” 

Shang Jiyu didn’t bother looking. “Master…”

Chen MiaoXiang generously waved her sleeve, and said with the full immortal air, “This is as it should be. Disciple, help yourself!”

In front of the lobby on the mountain, a cultivator wearing a moon-white robe stood at the door. He looked no older than twenty-seven or -eight, dressed clean and understated. The only eye-catching thing was the glass hairpin on his head. This was Yuling’s founding master, Grandmaster Fang Cun.

Seeing them, Fang Cun said immediately, “Please excuse me for not walking you in. I can finally apologize in person now. Lord ShanHe, at the time, I didn’t know that you were resting in the lake and moved your water. Later, I was calculated and learned that it seemed to be related to the potential end of the world. After a hundred different simulations, I still could only see the vague shape of the future, and so left word with my disciple to rescue. It was only when Yu Zhao ascended that I learned that I had almost ruined the Dragon Clan’s plans.”

He bowed to Xiaoshen formally.

Actually, in all this, it could also be said that he had found his destiny. But Fang Cun made no excuses and was generous with his words.

Shang Jiyu had originally stood next to Xiaoshen. Now, he hurried to step away, so that he would not be receiving a bow from his Master.

Fang Cun saw Shang Jiyu and knew that he was a Yulin disciple and also smiled at him.

Each debt was its own. Shang Jiyu himself also bowed to Fang Cun, and called him Master.

“Good, you seem sincere. I saw that the red snow wood you’re growing in those woods over there looks good. Chop it down and build a palace for me.” Xiaoshen was pretty satisfied with Fang Cun’s attitude and said right away. “It would be a way to make it up to me. Once you’ve repaid me enough, then your debt will be cleared. As for interest, I guess your disciples in the human realm paid you back for that!”

He felt that he was given especially good treatment to Fang Cun. Even though Shang Jiyu hadn’t said anything, he still reduced the repayment, because of his cultivation partner.

But Fang Cun’s expression showed he was in a difficult spot. “This… These woods aren’t quite mature yet…”

Xiaoshen said disappointingly, “You can’t give them to me? Then do you have TianJiang Plant?” ³

FangCun, “I do, but…”

Xiaoshen asked several more questions. Fang Cun refused him every time.

With Xiaoshen’s many years’ experience of cultivating illusion theurgy, and the fact that he came from a clan of conmen, of course he could tell Fang Cun was finding excuses. But this was completely opposite of Fang Cun’s original attitude. He asked with suspicion, “Are you hiding something from me?”

Fang Cun tried to say tactfully, “Um… These past few years have actually been a bit difficult…”

“Are you saying no?” Xiaoshen said. “Do you know that many people who want to be my step-father are right outside, waiting to stand up for me?”

Shang Jiyu, “……”

FangCun, “……”

Fang Cun panicked, and seemed to be scared by Xiaoshen now. “Your Highness, what do you mean by that they are right outside?”

Xiaoshen said, “Oh, just that they were following me… Do you know them?”

It was said the whole immortal realm knew of the infamous trouble that Lord Zhenbao had created. He shouldn’t have to explain this to Fang Cun, right?

Fang Cun’s expression darkened and said in a low voice, “Your Highness, look at this.” He retrieved the hairpin from his hair. “This was… created by Chen MiaoXiang.”

Chen MiaoXiang created this? Chen MiaoXiang had so much free time that she really made everything, even jewelry. But what was this? Did he want to use this to pay off his debt?

Xiaoshen took the hairpin in order to look at it carefully, but heard Fang Cun say beside him in a thin whisper, “Actually, several years ago, your father came here already to ask for us to repay our debt to Your Highness. We are currently so poor that our sleeves have nothing but wind in them…” ⁴

Huh? Lord Zhenbao had come by?

It was true, that did seem like something he would do. It was just that Xiaoshen had been busy the whole time and hadn’t gone to the treasure room, so he didn’t know that the debt had already been repaid. Then, this was a pointless trip, and he put on airs for nothing. But before Xiaoshen could get embarrassed, he already felt that something was wrong.

—This Lord Zhenbao must have been hiding where people wouldn’t guess.

For example, the connection between Yuling Sect and Lord Zhenbao was from Xiaoshen. Beside Yu Yi, nobody knew of it… Supposedly, Fang Cun had always been living apart and simply.

Xiaoshen panicked and hurried to bring the hairpin closer and observed it in detail, until the tiny azure dragon swimming inside met his eyes.

ZhenBao Jun, “……”

Xiaoshen, “……”

They shrunk the giant dragon into a tiny corner?

So… Lord Zhenbao had actually been hiding in Grandmaster Fang Cun’s hairpin the entire time!

Oh, no.

Xiaoshen grasped the hairpin, thinking to himself that this was bad. Those guys were right behind him. It might’ve been fine if they had been far away. But they were all powerful beings, who were right there, won’t they feel that something was going on?

Of course what he worried about came to pass. As Xiaoshen was worrying about it, he heard a thunder-like noise outside. It was Lord CangHai. “I can smell you! Lord Zhenbao, come out now!!”

Lord Zhenbao, who had been shrunken into a very thin form, rolled his eyes. 

Fang Cun slapped his forehead and sighed loudly. “I should’ve sent someone to find you a long time ago. By the time I heard the news that you had ascended, it was already too late!”

Lord Zhenbao had decided on this location because not many outsiders came through FangCun Mountain.

Xiaoshen walked out of the lobby to take a look. Outside, demonic energy twisted and coiled everywhere. Not long after, other immortal/spiritual energy was fighting it off. They held each other at an impasse, so nobody was able to push their way in at the moment.

They seemed to be able to hear someone say, “And Lord ShanHe had been so willing to guarantee that Lord Zhenbao definitely wasn’t here. He really had been lying!”

“He is Lord Zhenbao’s son. You think he’d be up to any good?”

“Hey, who dares to talk badly of my son?”

Xiaoshen, “……”

Xiaoshen gave Shang Jiyu a look. The situation wasn’t good. They would just leave.

Shang Jiyu hesitated. Should he just ignore his father?”

“He doesn’t need us to rescue him. If we leave him by himself, he’ll be able to use his abilities to the fullest.” Xiaoshen held the hairpin and his eyes met with Lord Zhenbao. This pair of father and son had conned each other, and finally reunited after twenty thousand years. Yet, they were running away separately after just one brief meeting.

Lord Zhenbao only lingered in the hairpin. He was in a very bad mood, because he had been discovered so quickly. He swung around his tail, signaling, “Fine, go.”

Xiaoshen put down the hairpin and pulled along Shang Jiyu. He said to Fang Cun and Chen MiaoXiang, “Let’s go. I’ll give Jiyu face and bring you two along.”

Fang Cun was at a loss. He was Lord Zhenbao’s helper.

…Sigh, actually, he didn’t know what happened, either. He made a rash decision, and was willing to offend so many people for Fang Cun. Now he had to face the consequences, he felt like even he himself couldn’t escape.

Fang Cun said, with difficulty, “Your Highness, I’d better not bother you with this. You might not be able to run away either.”

They all knew, as soon as these people saw Lord Zhenbao, they would take Xiaoshen and Shang Jiyu hostage in order to enjoy marital bliss.

“Bull, what nonsense.” Xiaoshen waved his hand. “Come with me.”

At this moment, how could it be possible to leave FangCun Mountain?

Xiaoshen had only just arrived at the edge, and was blocked by the demonic energy. As Fang Cun and Chen MiaoXiang watched worriedly, he transformed into a dragon.

Facing the aggressive and violent Lord CangHai, Xiaoshen was not scared at all. He said loudly and with great dignity, “Daddy, save me!”

In a moment, five or six rays of light flew over, knocking Lord CangHai out of sight.

Everyone else, “……”

He was willing to accept a dad on site? He really was flexible.

“Thank you, all my dads!” Xiaoshen said clearly, and raised his hands politely in different directions. After enough formalities, “Lord Zhenbao is trapped and is waiting for everyone to rescue him. I hope everybody understands the situation, and don’t waste time on us. At this time, an extra ounce of effort means an extra chance at success!”

If they didn’t know any better, it almost sounded like Xiaoshen was encouraging people to fight over his father… 

But this speech was effective, after all. And maybe because he was scared that he would become the next Lord CangHai, Xiaoshen took the others and left, without meeting any resistance.

Shang Jiyu, “I thought you didn’t want to accept any dads?”

Now, it was great, he even said “all my dads”.

Xiaoshen, “I’m only accepting them for a little while.”

Shang Jiyu, “……”

In the distance, they could hear Lord Zhenbao’s calm dragon howl: “…Actually, it was myself who ordered Xiaoshen to direct you here, to see who was most earnest in your affections. Before, for personal gains, I had lied to everyone here. But now, I’m actually opening the doors to the harem wide open… Hmm? Why are you glaring at me? I had misremembered, should I have three doors… two doors…?”

Xiaoshen, Shang Jiyu, “……”

Shang Jiyu, “I keep thinking that you will have to keep on being the Dragon King for quite a while longer.”