Shen Jiang maintained a straight face and began apologizing to the Great Dragon with utmost remorse:
“I’m sorry, I got too excited. The moment I saw you, I couldn’t help but want to kneel and bow. When I realized you were sleeping, I understood how presumptuous I had been—entering without permission is nothing short of blasphemy against you!
I originally intended to quietly retreat and wait outside for your summons, but I ended up disturbing your esteemed slumber.
I deserve death ten thousand times over and dare not hope for your forgiveness.”
As Shen Jiang spoke, she grew increasingly uneasy and quickly shut her mouth.
Godwin·Westzer’s massive pupils flickered with exasperation—at least she knew she deserved to die.
On that point, they somewhat agreed.
This human couldn’t withstand even a millionth of his attack; her fragility had ironically become her shield. Once the death mechanism triggered, she would simply revive again.
Her words sounded sincere, but what could he actually do to her?
This human of unknown origin was riddled with contradictions and suspicions.
Damn it, her utterly devoted demeanor stirred a faint, unwelcome sense of tolerance in Godwin.
Godwin let out a cold laugh. “Hah.”
Did she really think he had no way to deal with her?
The derisive snort sent a jolt through Shen Jiang. She detected three parts frustration, four parts nonchalance, and seven parts gnashing resentment in his tone.
The Black Dragon’s shimmering golden vertical pupils reflected the tiny human girl before him. His icy gaze, as if looking at a corpse, made Shen Jiang’s heart tremble.
Crap, she never should have suggested letting the dragon punish her.
Though Shen Jiang tried to maintain the perfect sycophantic balance, the blade of death still hung over her head. Beads of sweat slid from her forehead into her hairline, vanishing without a trace upon hitting the ground.
“Respected Great Dragon, I sincerely wish to become your follower—”
Before she could finish, the Black Dragon coldly interrupted, “I can give you one chance.”
Joy spilled from Shen Jiang’s eyes and lips. She looked up in disbelief, her sparkling eyes filled with astonishment.
Grandma! She’d actually survived a brush with death at the hands of a Great Dragon!
A faint smile also touched Godwin·Westzer’s lips. Faced with the first human to ever make him feel defeated, how could he easily agree to let her become his follower? He had just devised the perfect test.
“You’ve seen those unsightly weeds growing outside, haven’t you?” The Black Dragon’s malicious grin was unmistakable. “If you’re willing to clear those weeds for me, I’ll allow you to become my follower.”
Shen Jiang was dumbstruck. His blatantly villainous smile was impossible to ignore, even if she tried.
A trap! There must be something outside far more terrifying than this dragon!
“What, you’re unwilling?”
Shen Jiang hastily shook her head. She’d committed to this act—how could she show fear now after coming this far?
Godwin snorted, his anger palpable. “If you don’t want to—”
Shen Jiang loudly declared, “I do! I absolutely do!”
“—then get as far away from me as possible and never let me see you again.” Godwin·Westzer’s deep voice overlapped with the human’s eager pleas.
Countless question marks slowly surfaced in Shen Jiang’s mind ???
…So she had agreed too hastily without thinking it through.
Her mind screamed sharply: If only she had known there was such a good deal! Had the Great Dragon explained everything clearly from the start, she wouldn’t have hesitated at all and would have packed herself up immediately for the journey.
But Shen Jiang never expected this massive Black Dragon to be so reasonable – either stay and work as a gardener or get out of his territory. This was practically the kindest dragon in the world!
She couldn’t detect any trace of conspiracy in his offer at all.
Shen Jiang calculated in her mind how she would later perform the act of “willing but unable.” Her current persona was that of a devoted fan genuinely wanting to become a dragon worshipper, soon to transition into a useless fan held back by inadequate abilities. Because she couldn’t meet the dragon’s requirements, she would have to reluctantly obey his command and leave this sacred place of worship.
She would definitely give her all to perfectly ruin this opportunity.
Godwin was born with a love for dazzling gemstones and glittering gold mines, passionately pursuing all things beautiful. As the world’s most powerful dragon, he could confidently declare that the treasures in his dragon lair were unquestionably the rarest and most abundant in existence.
Yet even such a powerful and tasteful dragon had his own troubles. No matter where he relocated, various weeds would always run rampant outside his dragon lair – not only unattractive but also ordinary plants completely devoid of magic power.
This problem troubled not only him but other dragons as well.
Godwin·Westzer had tried moving constantly, but finding a dwelling that met dragon standards wasn’t easy. Often before he could even settle properly into his new home, messy weeds would already be sprouting from what was once flat grassland outside his dragon lair.
The mountain range where Godwin·Westzer currently resided was a beloved lair he had inhabited ten years ago. Back then he was merely a hundred years old, a young dragon who had just reached adulthood, full of youthful arrogance. In a fit of anger, he had used his Rolling Fierce Dragon Flames to burn the entire mountain range to ashes, the great fire raging for three full months until not a single trace of weeds remained. Though the weeds disappeared, the mountain peak had turned into a pitch-black, scabby-looking hill that nearly made Godwin’s eyes hurt from its ugliness.
This had once been Godwin·Westzer’s favorite home. When he discovered that this dull, ugly black mountain had restored its original vibrant vitality, he simply couldn’t be bothered to search for a replacement elsewhere and moved directly back.
And those weeds, following his return, had now grown abundantly again.
Godwin never forgot those human trespassers who came boasting outside his dragon lair, mocking him relentlessly and ridiculing his vulgar taste – how even the lowest Storm Pig wouldn’t eat the inferior plants covering his dragon territory’s mountains and plains.
“Nothing but a powerful fool who only knows how to collect shiny treasures, yet chooses to live in such a shabby place.””
Godwin remembered those words to this day, not because he couldn’t bear the humiliation. Rather, the reactions of those Magicians when he subdued them and ordered them to personally clear the weeds from his mountain, one plant at a time, were simply too amusing.
He still vividly recalled the humans’ expressions – some would rather die than submit, declaring that noble Magicians would never perform such menial labor.
Others tearfully pulled up the weeds, as if the Great Dragon was forcing them to perform some terrible task that would destroy their very character.
Unfortunately, their weeding speed couldn’t keep up with the grass’s growth rate. In their panic to escape, they were ultimately mercilessly eliminated by Godwin.
Now he wanted this fragile human with powerful magic power to personally pull out, one by one, the inferior plants that even Storm Pigs refused to eat.
Would she do it?
Godwin·Westzer felt a faint sense of anticipation. Such a humiliating task—unless facing life-or-death choices, those self-proclaimed noble human Magicians would never willingly perform it.
Would this “prospective believer” willingly degrade herself for her faith, or would she break down on the spot and flee in panic?
“If what you say is true, then let the great Godwin·Westzer witness your sincerity,” Godwin·Westzer said coldly.
So this Black Dragon was called Godwin·Westzer.
“I will definitely not disappoint you!” The believer’s expression was resolute, seemingly eager to gain his approval.
Godwin paid her no mind, merely loosening his massive claw.
Words might deceive a dragon, but actions never would.
When Shen Jiang emerged from the Dragon lair, she still felt somewhat apprehensive. After all, the Great Black Dragon’s final mocking, amused expression had given her an uneasy intuition.
But now, she was genuinely slightly stunned by the scene before her.
An unobstructed landscape scroll slowly unfolded before her eyes—endless rolling mountain ranges resembled an endless dragon. Two adjacent mountains appeared split apart by a giant axe, forming a majestic natural canyon between steep cliffs. The lake at the valley bottom resembled a disrupted palette, displaying varying shades of clear blue-green, starting from the mountain foot like a blue-green ribbon stretching into the distance.
Above, the clear sky was as beautiful and exquisite as blue velvet, with sunlight pouring into every corner, making everything appear to sparkle.
It was truly a world-class landscape capable of cleansing one’s vision.
The air here seemed exceptionally pure, completely opposite to the smoggy weather she had long grown accustomed to.
The scenery at this dragon’s doorstep was even more breathtaking than the world-class tourism promotional images she had seen online before.
Wait… she had never seen any landscape photos online that resembled this place. Shen Jiang froze.
Shen Jiang was startled by the thought that suddenly popped into her mind.
Was she still in her original world?
Could she still return home?
“Why are you still standing there? Do you think these weeds are beneath your notice, unworthy of you bending over?”
A deep, majestic dragon’s roar of dissatisfaction emanated from the cave entrance, reminding Shen Jiang of the reality of her situation. The scythe of death still hung by her neck—she shouldn’t let her guard down.
Shen Jiang hurriedly responded: “How could that be? It’s my honor to serve you. Please forgive my lack of experience—I was momentarily stunned by the scenery at your doorstep.”
For now, she needed to overcome this immediate challenge first. Otherwise, she might end up preceding her grandmother in death.
However, this mountain was simply too vast. There was no way she could complete the Great Dragon’s task alone. Shen Jiang felt relieved—as long as she tried her best and retreated upon recognizing the difficulty, the dragon’s instruction to “get as far away as possible” would soon become reality.
Perhaps before nightfall, she would already be on her way home.
There was no path on this mountain, since no one would casually stroll near a dragon lair, and presumably the dragon wouldn’t wander through what it called weeds either. Shen Jiang fastened the buttons on her sleeves and tucked her pants into her socks, preparing to prove her loyalty through diligent work.
But as she stepped into the grass, seeds kept finding their way into her socks, pricking her feet with sharp discomfort.
Shen Jiang gritted her teeth. Compared to the agony of being restrained by the Great Dragon’s power earlier, this minor pain was nothing.
As she calmly focused on clearing the weeds, Shen Jiang was pleasantly surprised to discover that the plants the Great Dragon referred to as weeds were all familiar to her—species like foxtail grass and knotgrass that she’d often seen while gathering herbs with her grandmother in the mountains.
This realization put her mind at ease. Optimistically thinking, she should still be in her original world, so there wouldn’t be any problem returning home.
Until she cleared a small patch of weeds, sweating profusely, and the new plant that appeared before her made her stare in astonishment.
Godwin·Westzer was currently admiring his treasures with bored indulgence. The sunlight was perfect, brilliantly illuminating the dazzling pile of gold, silver, and jewels. These mesmerizing gems that stirred a dragon’s heart remained as captivating as ever, yet his thoughts were elsewhere.
He was listening for reactions from the human outside his cave.
Soon, commotion arose from outside.
Godwin·Westzer’s black-scaled dragon face revealed an “as expected” expression—not quite disappointment, but somewhat regrettable.
Truthfully, given her powerful magic level, having her bow before him and become his follower wouldn’t be entirely unacceptable. He felt confident he could guide her back from her misguided path.
The next moment, however, Godwin·Westzer began doubting his own hearing.
What was that delighted, admiring exclamation from the woman outside?
What could she possibly be so happy about?
“Heavens! How can there be so much Cistanche deserticola! This is truly wealthy—absolutely wealthy…”
Before her stood “Little Pagodas” as thick as half a person’s height, making Shen Jiang’s eyes gleam with excitement. And such “Little Pagodas”—Shen Jiang swallowed—numbered in the hundreds. In all her life, she’d only seen such massive Cistanche deserticola in pictures. Being surrounded by so many fresh specimens gave her a dizzying sense of unreality.
She never expected the dragon lair to be casually surrounded by such abundant Cistanche deserticola! Their medical clinic hadn’t been able to source wild Cistanche deserticola for a long time!
Yet Shen Jiang hesitated. If she heard correctly earlier, the Great Black Dragon had asked her to clear weeds. These Cistanche deserticola plants before her were all thriving with excellent quality—they could be considered treasures. She couldn’t casually uproot such auspicious plants growing at the dragon’s doorstep.
Was this the trap the Great Black Dragon had set for her?
But now she genuinely wanted to become this Great Black Dragon’s follower.
May I ask if his followers get to harvest medicinal herbs here for free?