The golden dragon cut through the clouds, its massive form flashing in and out of the mist. Sunlight refracted through its scales, scattering into the clouds and painting the sky in soft, iridescent hues.
Following the faint echo of ancestral memory, Yuan Rutan finally managed to sense the direction of the imperial capital.
With a mighty sweep of his tail, he surged forward, tearing through the air. Wherever he passed, black clouds rolled together, thunder rumbled, and lightning laced across the heavens.
From below, people shouted in terror, their voices breaking apart, “Dra… dra… dra… dragon… aaah!!”
Someone stammered so hard they forgot how to speak entirely.
Yuan Rutan, satisfied with the chaos he caused, gave his tail an indulgent flick and continued soaring onward.
Maintaining his full dragon form consumed a great deal of spiritual power, and he had not eaten for days. Every thunderous roar drained his strength further. But today was no ordinary day.
For the first time in years, the weight that had pressed upon his chest had lifted. He no longer had to hide. His enemies were dead, all of them.
Such a glorious day deserved to be celebrated.
All along his flight, Yuan Rutan let out joyous roars that rippled through the sky. By the time he reached the skies above the capital, his voice had rolled across mountains and plains, frightening flocks of birds into flight.
At that very moment, the grand ceremony of Heaven Worship was being held in the capital.
The sky was clear, the sun bright. Warm winds stirred the banners on the towering altar, making them snap and roll like waves.
Officials in ceremonial robes arrived one after another, assembling below the altar in orderly lines. No one spoke. The air was heavy with the scent of incense, a rare fragrance used only for the royal family, worth a fortune in gold.
Inside the nearby palace hall, all was silent.
The Emperor, Fu Chui, sat with his eyes closed, resting on his carved chair.
Eunuch Xu Yongde stood nearby, his expression anxious and uncertain. Seeing that it was not yet time for the ceremony, he quietly lit calming incense.
His Majesty had not slept the night before. He had spent the first half of the night handling affairs of state, and the rest standing under a flowering autumn tree, watching the blossoms scatter until dawn.
The fragrance soothed Fu Chui’s tense brows a little. He slowly opened his eyes, their depths dark as obsidian.
“Xu Yongde,” he asked softly, “what time is it now?”
The eunuch bowed deeply. “Your Majesty, there is still a quarter of an hour left. You may rest a little longer.”
Fu Chui waved his hand. “Bring me the memorial from the Ministry of Revenue. I want to read it again.”
“Your Majesty!” Xu Yongde said anxiously. “Please, you should rest for a moment at least.”
Fu Chui lowered his eyes, a faint, humorless smile tugging at his lips. “Once the ceremony is over, the new tax reform must still be issued. Resting or not will make no difference.”
The eunuch bit his lip. “Perhaps today’s sacrifice will bring Heaven’s blessing. If the skies favor us, the winds and rains will return to harmony, and Your Majesty may find peace again.”
The Emperor’s fingers paused above the desk. He picked up a scroll, the decree of repentance he had written with his own hand. His gaze rested on the dense characters.
“If today passes without wind, without lightning, without shattered banners… that alone will be enough.”
Yuan Rutang did not hide his true form any longer. For once, Yuan Rutan revealed himself boldly before the mortal world.
From high above, he gazed down upon the lands of men. Below, people scrambled about in alarm as dark clouds swallowed the sun.
“Oh no, the storm is coming!”
“The harvest isn’t in yet! Move faster!”
“Third girl, run home and bring in the quilts! It’s the only cotton one we have!”
Yuan Rutan blinked his golden eyes, puzzled. He was barely holding his form together, where would he find the strength to bring them rain?
And yet… How strange. None of these humans even noticed the dragon above their heads.
He blinked again, then stirred the air with his will. The heavens exploded with purple lightning, the sound sharp and fierce, like blades tearing through silk.
At last, those below looked up in awe and terror.
“Is someone transcending a heavenly tribulation?” one shouted.
Another scoffed. “You’ve read too many storybooks!”
Yuan Rutan gave an indignant snort and decided subtlety was pointless. With a sweep of his claws, he burst through the cloud bank.
A massive golden dragon, stretching hundreds of feet, emerged from the thunderclouds. His body shimmered with light, and his roar split the air.
Wind howled across the earth, flattening fields and shaking rooftops.
The people below froze. Then, one by one, they dropped to their knees. Their faces went pale, their eyes wide, their mouths hanging open.
“A dragon!”
“It’s a dragon!”
“A golden dragon, so enormous!”
“Why has a dragon appeared here?!”
Within moments, the streets filled with the sound of people prostrating themselves.
“The Dragon King blesses us!”
“The Dragon King grants our families long life and peace!”
“Praise be to the Dragon King! May I live long under your protection!”
Their voices blended into one endless prayer.
Meanwhile, within the palace, Xu Yongde trembled as he approached the Emperor. His lips moved soundlessly before he finally stammered, “Your Majesty… the skies outside are clear and bright.”
The time for the ceremony had come.
Under the watchful eyes of his ministers, Fu Chui stepped out of the hall. The court officials bowed deeply as the Emperor ascended the black stone stairs to the towering altar.
The banners flapped and cracked in the wind.
Before him stood the heavy bronze incense burner. The sky beyond was a clear, endless blue.
The incense smoke rose in slow spirals, curling upward like the birth of new clouds.
The Emperor’s heart was calm, though his mind was not. As he listened to the low chanting of the ritual priests, countless thoughts tangled within him.
Was this repentance edict written under pressure from his court? Perhaps. Yet he did not truly believe he was wrong.
If Heaven believed he was at fault and had punished his people year after year, then perhaps admitting guilt might bring peace to the realm. For that reason alone, he would bow.
He remembered the brilliance of last night’s stars, the scent of incense, the prayers whispered until dawn.
If an omen of blessing appeared today, it would mean Heaven’s forgiveness, however small.
He would pay any price for it, so long as the flames did not consume his country.
Xu Yongde presented a jade basin for purification. The Emperor washed his hands, then lit the incense and placed it within the burner.
The ritual officer recited the invocations in a solemn voice. When the words ended, it was time for the most sacred moment.
Fu Chui turned his back to the court, took up the repentance edict, and raised his gaze to the vast sky. His voice rang out steady and deep.
“Heaven above… ”
He had spoken only three words when the sky darkened.
Black clouds surged in from every direction, thick and heavy, swallowing all light.
The Emperor’s hand tightened on the scroll. Around the altar, officials began to murmur in fear.
Why had the skies changed? Was Heaven rejecting their prayers?
He took a breath and continued reading calmly.
But the clouds only deepened. The air turned cold.
Thunder cracked across the heavens, lightning blazed so bright that the entire altar glowed white.
A second rumble followed, shaking the ground. Leaves and dust were flung into the air.
Panic spread. One after another, ministers fell to their knees. Tears streamed down their faces as they begged the heavens.
“Heaven, forgive us!”
“Spare the Great Xuan!”
“Grant mercy to the Emperor!”
The wind screamed. The banners strained and tore. Yet Fu Chui stood unmoving, robes whipping violently around him. His eyes reflected only calm resolve, as though he had expected this storm.
He read on, his voice cutting through the thunder.
From above came the faint, scraping sound of scales rubbing together, low at first, then closer, closer still.
The Emperor felt a hot breath fall upon him. He paused mid-sentence and lifted his eyes.
Before him loomed two enormous golden eyes, each larger than the altar itself.
They blinked once, slowly, and a deep, guttural roar followed.
The sound was strange, almost like the lowing of an ox, but to Fu Chui’s ears, it carried a faint, bewildering echo. It almost sounded like… “Awoo.”
He looked higher, and his breath caught.
A golden dragon filled the sky, its coiling body stretching farther than sight.
The officials gasped. None of them could comprehend what they were seeing.
The clouds parted, and the colossal creature broke through with a roar that shook the heavens.
For one terrifying moment, everyone thought the Emperor was under attack.
Then realization struck.
“That… that’s…!”
The elder ministers trembled so violently that one clutched his chest and collapsed.
The younger officials stared in shock, eyes wide as coins.
“That’s the dragon! The very dragon from the imperial ancestral hall!” someone cried.
“A dragon? The true dragon?”
“It is! It’s real!”
They stared up, mouths open, hardly daring to breathe.
In the imperial portraits, dragons were majestic but lifeless. Yet this one, this one looked more divine than the depictions ever had.
The dragons in the murals bore five claws, the symbol of imperial might. But this dragon had nine.
The original dragon. The primal one written in the oldest scriptures.
Their shock turned to awe.
Tears welled in their eyes as they dropped to their knees and bowed until their foreheads hit the ground.
“Heaven bless the Great Xuan! We welcome this divine omen!”
“Praise be to Heaven’s blessing! The true dragon descends!”
“Long live the Emperor! Long live the sacred dragon!”
Yuan Rutan hovered above the altar, his golden eyes flickering with delight.
Hmph. Humans seemed to like dragons even more than he had imagined.
Surely, they would treat him with the respect he deserved.
He focused on the man standing proudly before the altar, the one they called Emperor. After some thought, he gathered his words.
Fu Chui met the dragon’s gaze. Unlike the ministers, he did not tremble or cry. His brows furrowed slightly. Was this an omen of fortune, or a warning?
The dragon’s sudden appearance answered the prayer he had whispered last night. But every blessing had its cost. What would Heaven demand in return?
Just then, a voice sounded directly within his mind, a young, clear voice.
“I… I am a true dragon,” it said. “So… give me a ninth-rank post.”
Fu Chui blinked. “What?”
The dragon blinked back at him, big golden eyes round and hopeful.
“I only want a ninth-rank official post,” Yuan Rutan said earnestly. “Maybe a little higher than a county officer. A quiet one, where no one bothers me. I just want to be an official in peace… That’s not too much to ask, right?”
Fu Chui was silent.
“I mean, I didn’t take the civil exams,” the dragon continued, tail flicking sheepishly, “but I’m a dragon. You humans should give me some special treatment. I don’t need much, just fifty taels of silver a month, maybe two pieces of cake a day. That’s fair, isn’t it?”
Fu Chui: …
“And,” Yuan Rutan added, his tone growing righteous, “I need to file a complaint. This is a matter between me and your people. You’re the Emperor, so you have to make it right. Isn’t that what you call… uh… bringing a case before the throne..”
✦ ✧ ✦
Vynellia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
(｡•̀ᴗ-)✧ you know what to do
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Little DragonChapter 2 · Selling FishChapter 3 · DraughtChapter 4 · Giving LifeChapter 5 · MeritsChapter 6 · Dragon can summon Rain?!Chapter 7 · Wicked Dragon?Chapter 8 · Dragon likes sweetChapter 9 · Dragon WineChapter 10 · Snow Mountain ElixirChapter 11 · The official forced the dragon to rebelChapter 12 · Ministers kneel down and confess their sinsChapter 13 · Court struggle, faith is the dragonChapter 14 · Why do others have auspicious signs, but I don’t?Chapter 15 · Corrupt officialsChapter 16 · The dark side of officialdomChapter 17 Part 1 · Transforming into a golden dragon in full view of all!Chapter 17 Part 2 · Transforming into a golden dragon in full view of all!Chapter 18 · Wrath of the True DragonChapter 19 · Give him a ninth-rank official position!Chapter 20 · The days of being loved by Longlong have begunChapter 21 · Pamper the little dragon, finally full!Chapter 22 · It’s perfectly normal for humans to like dragonsChapter 23 · Avenge Longlong against corrupt officialsChapter 24 · Is being an official like the Dragon King difficult?Chapter 25 · Dragon-shaped woodChapter 26 · Emperor felt the vibrancy of lifeChapter 27 · Do you like the obedient and affectionate little dragon?Chapter 28 · Your Majesty’s PastChapter 29 · A ray of light in a noisy worldChapter 30 · Let’s give the dragon a lake!Chapter 31 · Dragon, don’t run aroundChapter 32 · YaunBaoChapter 33 · Recruiting soldiers and buying horsesChapter 34 · Expand Dragon armyChapter 35 · Longlong is in a dilemmaChapter 36 · Being a king is difficultChapter 37 · Attended the morning court session.Chapter 38 · Secretly feeding the dragonChapter 39 · The restless little golden dragonChapter 40 · Your Majesty foreshadowed thisChapter 41 · Fostering teacher student bondsChapter 42 · Now that the dragon has an official positionChapter 43 · If a dragon wants to become an official, why not touch it?Chapter 44 · Longlong enters officialdomChapter 45 · The Emperor’s disciple?Chapter 46 · Long day’s laborChapter 47 · Being a dragon is comfortableChapter 48 · Thank you, YuanbaoChapter 49 · Very sleepyChapter 50 · The Dragon Who Saves the WorldChapter 51 · Strange storiesChapter 52 · Dragon God saying it wanted to eat peach crystal cakesChapter 53 · The tree is aliveChapter 54 · We can just hold a family feastChapter 55 · What kind of worship?Chapter 56 · Don’t be naughtyChapter 57 · Why does Teacher always avoid my human formChapter 58 · I will be an indifferent learning machineChapter 59 · Jinlong made a fortuneChapter 60 · Ten thousand taelsChapter 61 · FamilyChapter 62 · Will you accompany the dragon?Chapter 63 · What did you hunt, sir?Chapter 64 · From fifth rank to proper fourth rankChapter 65 · Orange PeelChapter 66 · Great Xuan may have enough to eatChapter 67 · Poisoned GrainsChapter 68 · The balance of the mortal world is about to changeChapter 69 · Teacher’s lap truly was very comfortable.Chapter 70 · Caught the little dragonChapter 71 · Only he alone could see that golden lightChapter 72 · Great King must not declineChapter 73 · The top scholarChapter 74 · I do not like other defying meChapter 75 · Great Xuan truly has quite a number of martial expertsChapter 76 · What was there to fear?Chapter 77 · Then Teacher can raise the dragonChapter 78 · Little Dragon Steals Peaches.Chapter 79 · Resentment and Poison.Chapter 80 · Male PartnerChapter 81 · How about choosing a human?Chapter 82 · Young Lord Zhen has a friendChapter 83 · Morning DewChapter 84 · Earth DragonsChapter 85 · Greetings, Your MajestyChapter 86 · Then what am I allowed to do?Chapter 87 · What exactly Happened?Chapter 88 · Praise The golden Dragon!Chapter 89 · ComplexionChapter 90 · Gift is almost readyChapter 91 · Surely Sir would no longer refuse himChapter 92 · Seven YearsChapter 93 · She is really just a childChapter 94 · Good YuanbaoChapter 95 · Ten Thousand year old JadeChapter 96 · They were overwhelmed with griefChapter 97 · Villain: So what if I use magic?Chapter 98 · The Dragon Clan MeetingChapter 99 · The Big reveal!Chapter 100 · The prototype of His MajestyChapter 101 · Autumn HuntChapter 102 · This painting was created by the Emperor’s consortChapter 103 · They gave themselves away and caught the plush rabbit doctor.Chapter 104 · The Rabbit gangChapter 105 · The scars on the fox spirit’s handsChapter 106 · Wang JinzhongChapter 107 · I don’t believe the White Tiger doesn’t protect its foodChapter 108 · Karmic SinChapter 109 · Yuanbao, would you take me a thousand li away?Chapter 110 · Pear FrostChapter 111 · If Yuanbao ever loses sight of the road ahead, then come find meChapter 112 · Let’s take a step at a time..Chapter 113 · The imperial marriage was announced to the public.Chapter 114 · The army, navy, and air force are preparing to attack the Yujing River.Chapter 115 · The attack on Yujing River-humans should not spread rumors!Chapter 116 · King Golden Dragon ascends the throneChapter 117 · Sir, would you like a bowl of dragon soup?Chapter 118 · Wedding celebrationChapter 119 · Establish the Demon RealmChapter 120 · Lord of the Demon RealmChapter 121 · Flourishing and decliningChapter 122 · The Ling Dynasty was defeated, and father and son fought amongst themselvesChapter 123 · The gentleman’s is dragon-themedChapter 124 · People from HeavenChapter 125 · The truth behind the White TigerChapter 126 · Azure Dragon, WarChapter 127 · A great war is about to break outChapter 128 · Victory in the great battleChapter 129 · Side Story (1)Chapter 130 · Side Story (2)Chapter 131 · Side Story (3)Chapter 132 · Side Story (4)Chapter 133 · Side Story (4)Chapter 134 · Side Story (5)Chapter 135 · Side Story (6)Chapter 136 · Side story (7)Chapter 137 · Side Story (8)Chapter 138 · Side Story (9)Chapter 139 · Side Story (10)Chapter 140 · Side Story (11)Chapter 141 · Side Story (12)Chapter 142 · Side Story (13)Chapter 143 · Side Story (14)Chapter 144 · Side Story (15)Chapter 145 · Side Story (16)Chapter 146 · Side Story (17)Chapter 147 · Side Story (18)Chapter 148 · Side Story (19)Chapter 149 · Side Story (20)Chapter 150 · Side Story (21)Chapter 151 · Side Story (22)