Yuan Rutan took a deep breath, savoring the lingering aroma of meat. He stood up and slunk into an empty corner, transforming into a small golden dragon and disappearing into the sky.
He let out a yawn, flopped onto a dead tree branch, curling his tail around himself, and fell asleep.
The flapping of wings woke him. Opening his eyes, he found a black-speckled shadow covering his view.
Looking up, he saw a bald eagle.
Apparently, the eagle mistook him for a snake. Its sharp beak snapped toward him, ready to swallow him whole.
Yuan Rutan: “?”
Squinting, he gnawed at the eagle’s wing.
The eagle screeched, clutching its wing and plummeting straight to the ground.
Yuan Rutan snorted, coughing up a bit of feather from his mouth, then lifted his head to the sky, ready to get down to business.
He summoned lightning once again to bring rain. On the ground, the villagers fell to their knees, and the soldiers hurriedly guided the people and moved the corpses.
Purple lightning flashed for an hour, then the sky returned to calm. The villagers were stunned, faces flushed with emotion.
The officials relaxed slightly but their sense of urgency only deepened.
The entire Yan Prefecture was in motion; the imperial court mobilized the army, all in preparation for the coming rain.
After summoning lightning for five days, Yuan Rutan descended from the clouds and overheard a blue-robed officer whispering next to Li Yin:
“Lightning without rain… could it be some demon at work?”
Yuan Rutan: “?”
The dragon felt wronged. Dragon energy flared.
He shook his claws, sending the still-thundering lightning streaking toward the blue-robed officer.
“Boom! Crash!”
Lightning struck at the officer’s feet. Startled, he went weak in the knees and collapsed to the ground, hands trembling in prayer.
Moments later, the officer set up a small altar, burning incense to apologize.
Because of local food shortages, the altar held only four rough steamed buns, two bowls of rice porridge, a scrawny, skin-and-bones chicken, and a string of smooth white jade beads.
The officer bowed to the altar, then, busy with official duties, hurried away.
Alone, Yuan Rutan quietly flew over the altar.
He sniffed the rough buns and took a bite, frowning in disgust.
The rice porridge had expensive medicinal herbs added, obviously the officer trying to show off. The taste left a bitter water-like sensation in his mouth.
He ignored the chicken. Too scrawny, only feathers and bones.
Only the string of jade beads remained. Yuan Rutan sniffed them, eyes lighting up, and took the beads.
Back in his rabbit hole, he broke the string, dropping most beads into a cloth bag, while keeping two in his mouth. A crunch, he bit down.
A wave of lily like fragrance flooded his mouth, crisp and delicate. Swallowing it brought an unexpected fullness to his stomach.
He ate two more beads, chewing them like candy. Then, taking another bite of the beef jerky he’d been hoarding, his golden eyes narrowed in satisfaction. His dragon heart felt content.
Yuan Rutan had been exhausted for too long. When he awoke, it was already the next day.
As usual, he rescued ten more people, summoned wind and lightning again, and the soldiers on the ground moved faster than before.
After finishing, Yuan Rutan descended from the clouds, rewarding himself with two more jade beads.
The taste was exquisite. He reached into the cloth bag and found only four beads left.
Pursing his lips, he glanced toward the officials’ tents.
He thought: Yesterday, he had scared the blue-robed officer with lightning. If he frightened a few more officials today, surely they’d give him even more jade beads.
His golden eyes swept the surroundings. Something in his subconscious told him this might not be right.
But he hadn’t harmed anyone, and the beads were freely offered by the nervous officials.
Just then, merit descended upon him, a reward from Heaven for his acts of saving people yesterday.
Yuan Rutan noticed that nine-tenths of the merit had vanished. He looked up at the sky, feeling wronged.
After a long while, he reluctantly absorbed the merit and quietly returned to his rabbit hole to gnaw on his beef jerky.
Because he had frightened the blue-robed officer yesterday, Heaven’s reckoning delayed the arrival of merit. Like the black-red fog, it came slowly, so he received only a fraction.
Yuan Rutan lay on his rabbit hide, eyelids drooping, thinking that perhaps he shouldn’t have scared people.
For half a month, he continued his work, and finally, all of Yan Prefecture was ready for rain.
Temporary shelters were set up for the people. Corpses were cremated. Soil was tilled. New grain from other regions was planted.
Then… Crack! Boom!
The sky over Yan Prefecture seemed torn open. Thunder roared for nearly two hours.
Fine rain fell from the clouds, like countless tiny needles, covering the entire land.
Inside the rain shelters, weary eyes blinked toward the windows, bloodshot and wide.
When the villagers saw the rain soak the soil, huge tears welled from their cracked eyes.
Their cries rose from soft sobs to hoarse wails.
The smell of wet earth filled the air. Hardened soil softened.
Elderly people fell to the ground, laughing and crying as water dripped from the sky onto their faces.
Some thought the tents were leaking. Looking up, they saw young women shedding tears that fell inside.
Deep in the soil, seeds trembled. Faint hints of green appeared across the yellow-brown earth.
Rain turned from drizzle to torrential. Water splashed off rooftops onto blue stones.
Yan Prefecture was shrouded in mist. Water pooled in potholes, flowing into streams and rivers.
Li Yin and the officials stepped out of their buildings, umbrellas held by attendants. They walked into the rain, kneeling in unison, paying homage to the dark clouds.
Yuan Rutan weaved among the clouds, raining down over Yan Prefecture for an entire day and night. He used up his last drop of spiritual power.
Exhausted, his vision dim, he almost lost all senses.
Where once he could sense energies for a hundred miles, now he couldn’t even detect anything ten feet away.
The little golden dragon hovered on the clouds, golden pupils glazed, struggling to find his way home.
He shivered with fear, afraid that phoenixes might catch him, tear him apart, scatter his soul.
He shook his head, trembling, hiding in the clouds, half-conscious as he flew.
Several times, fatigue nearly sent him plummeting from the sky.
He opened his cloth bag, devouring the remaining jade beads and beef jerky. Only then did his vision clear a little.
He remembered flying for what felt like forever, unable to find home.
Then, suddenly, a jolt awakened him. He looked up at the damp pit and realized, he had finally returned home.
The little golden dragon clutched a rotting dragon-shaped log. Moss had grown across its surface, and the inside was decayed.
He curled around it, unwilling to let go.
Using his horns, he nudged the “dragon chin” of the log. His eyelids were too heavy to lift.
Water dripped from the cliff onto his scales; his tail sank into the mud.
The sun rose and fell. Day after day.
Occasionally he awoke, sometimes at dawn, sometimes at dusk but only for a moment, before falling back asleep.
When he awoke again, he hugged the rotten log tightly. His stomach ached, intestines twisted.
He was hungry, dizzy, uncomfortable…
Tears pooled in his eyes. Carefully, he pulled a cloth bag from his scales.
Inside were several eggshell pieces, big and small and some crumbs.
Yuan Rutan thought: “I feel so miserable… can I reward myself with one big piece?”
He pursed his lips, hesitated, then used his claws to extract the second-largest piece.
Claws cradling the eggshell, he bit down. Soon it was gone. Energy returned, and his body felt less painful.
The eggshell tasted fragrant. He couldn’t resist nibbling a few crumbs, then tucked the bag back under his scales.
He couldn’t eat it all at once, it was his eggshell. If he ate too much too soon, what would he do in the future?
At eighteen years old, he still had to ration it.
The little golden dragon nudged the log, feeling wronged. In the memory of his predecessors, other dragons ate all their eggshells immediately after hatching.
Yuan Rutan hugged the log, head tilted. The reflection in the water mirrored his face and the moisture in his eyes.
He gazed at the reflection, feeling sleepier and sleepier, unsure how many years he would drift away.
Suddenly, his ears twitched. Confused, he turned his head and saw golden light flooding the pit.
His pupils constricted. Streams of merit poured into him, colliding with his body.
Yuan Rutan blinked. His limbs gradually regained strength. He sat up, staring at the sky.
In his eyes, he saw the merit rain down like a torrent, recalling the rain he brought to the people of Yan Prefecture. No one knew when it would end.
✦ ✧ ✦
Vynellia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The magical Realm runs on stories, chaos, and suspicious amounts of coffee.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
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)