Ao Bing had always been an honest child, the most obedient and well-behaved among the Dragon King's many sons.
The little prince was lively and adorable, with such a pleasing appearance and a sweet little mouth, calling him "Brother Ao Bing" with every word, melting his heart.
Although they hadn't spent much time together, they had played together happily, and the little one was very attached to him. From the depths of the sea to the surface, they had already built a very solid friendship.
When the little one had stepped forward to shield him earlier, Ao Bing had been quite moved. Even his own brothers had never stood up to protect him like that, yet a three-year-old child had done so.
But his moment of gratitude didn't last long. As soon as Nezha said that winning meant Ao Bing would have to transform into his true form and become a mount, the little one silently stepped aside.
Yun Heng smiled at Ao Bing, an innocent and harmless smile, his big eyes curving into crescents: "Brother Ao Bing, do your best!"
Then, he turned to Nezha and said, "Be gentle. Just defeat him, but don't hurt him, okay?"
With that, he climbed onto a large rock using both hands and feet, sat down, cupped his little face in his hands, and prepared to watch the excitement.
Nezha: "…"
Ao Bing: "…"
Nezha twirled his Fire-Tipped Spear in his hand and pointed it at Ao Bing: "Come on!"
Ao Bing stretched his arms to the sides, and a pair of massive hammers instantly appeared in his palms.
Yun Heng squinted as he looked over. The hammers seemed to ripple like flowing water, as if formed from condensed seawater, faintly shimmering with fine, sparkling light.
Yun Heng felt as if someone had sprinkled sugar into Hundred-Flower Nectar, and he couldn't help but swallow his saliva: "Brother Ao Bing, your Magical Treasure looks so delicious!"
Ao Bing replied, "I'll let you taste it later."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Nezha's Fire-Tipped Spear was already thrusting toward him. Ao Bing raised his hammers calmly to meet the attack, engaging in a fierce battle with him.
Both of them moved quickly, fighting from land to the air. Their weapons clashed with a cacophony of clangs and clatters, leaving Yun Heng dazzled.
Although it was supposed to be a martial arts contest, Nezha's moves were fierce and relentless. His Fire-Tipped Spear carried a blazing momentum, each strike aimed at vital points.
Watching Ao Bing tilt his head just in time to dodge Nezha's thrusting spear, Yun Heng's heart clenched. His earlier excitement turned into conflict, and he frowned anxiously.
He wanted Nezha to win the contest, but he was also worried that Ao Bing might get hurt.
By then, the two had already moved their fight to the sea. Nezha, who had held the advantage earlier, now found himself at a disadvantage on the water.
The sea churned with waves from their battle, making it hard for Yun Heng to see clearly. All he could make out was the red Hun Tian Ling (Cosmic Silk) stretching to an astonishing length amid the towering waves.
Suddenly, something soared out of the water, accompanied by a low, resonant dragon roar. As the spray settled, a massive white dragon appeared before Yun Heng, leaving the little one stunned.
He had seen many dragons in the Heavenly Court, but never one so large and beautiful.
Nezha stood before the giant dragon, holding his Fire-Tipped Spear and pointing its tip at the dragon's nose, while the Hun Tian Ling bound the dragon tightly: "Do you yield?"
The dragon twitched its nose and sprayed a torrent of water all over him.
Yun Heng jumped down from the rock, rushed to the shore, and waved his hands in the air, shouting, "Brother Ao Bing, Brother Ao Bing!"
Ao Bing lowered his head, bringing it close to him. Under the backdrop of the sky and sea, his silver-white scales took on a faint blue hue.
Yun Heng reached out, only able to touch the long dragon whiskers, yet he spared no praise: "So beautiful, so beautiful!"
Nezha retrieved his Hun Tian Ling and Fire-Tipped Spear: "Now he is your mount."
Yun Heng excitedly spun around in place: "Wonderful! I finally have my own mount."
He ran from the left side of the giant dragon to the right, then back again: "But, how do I ride him?"
"Come on up." Ao Bing swept his dragon tail, lifting Yun Heng's small body and gently placing him on his back. "Sit tight, we're heading back to the Dragon Palace."
Nezha quickly flew forward, landing beside Yun Heng and sitting next to him: "Little Prince, do you like the mount I found for you?"
If Yun Heng weren't still sitting on his back, Ao Bing would have tossed him into the sea to feed the fish.
Yun Heng nodded obediently: "I like it! I like Ao Bing brother the most."
Nezha corrected him: "It's Nezha brother."
But Yun Heng hugged Ao Bing's dragon horn: "I like Nezha brother, and I like Ao Bing brother too."
The giant dragon flew along the sea surface, attracting birds and large fish with the auspicious aura of the dragon clan, circling around them.
Far away, the sun was about to sink below the horizon, casting a golden hue over the sky, the sea, and the dragon's scales.
Yun Heng remembered that when they arrived, the sun had just risen, and now it was about to set.
The little one was immersed in the beauty of the sunset, but the next moment, the waters parted to both sides. The giant dragon swooped downward, diving deep into the sea, and instantly, they returned to the Dragon Palace of the East Sea.
Ao Bing had already transformed back into human form, with Yun Heng clinging to his back: "Ao Bing brother, I want to take you back to the Heavenly Court."
Ao Bing laughed: "I won't go."
"But, you are my mount now."
"Didn't you already ride me just now?"
"Ah?" Yun Heng was so surprised he couldn't speak. Something seemed off, but he couldn't pinpoint what exactly, feeling as if he had been tricked.
Ao Bing continued teasing him: "Only one chance."
Yun Heng turned to look for Nezha: "Nezha brother, beat him up!"
Nezha was delighted: "Alright! Shall we strip his dragon sinew and take his dragon pearl?"
Yun Heng asked with concern: "But wouldn't that hurt him a lot?"
Ao Bing laughed: "Then there would be no me."
Yun Heng hurriedly waved his hands: "No, no, we can't lose Ao Bing brother."
The little one frowned, pondering for a moment: "Let's just beat him up once, and that's enough."
"Hahahahahaha!" Nezha, standing nearby, nearly laughed himself to death over their precarious friendship.
At that moment, outside the Dragon Palace gate, besides the shrimp soldiers and crab generals, there was also a person.
That person stood with his hands behind his back, facing away from them. His silhouette resembled Ao Bing somewhat but was taller.
Hearing the laughter and chatter of the three, he turned around. Even his appearance bore a sixty to seventy percent resemblance to Ao Bing, though his demeanor was entirely different.
He frowned, emanating a chilling aura, and asked coldly: "Where did you run off to?"
"Second brother…"
This was Ao Yi, the second prince of the Dragon Palace of the East Sea.
Ao Bing stood still, somewhat at a loss. It was clear he feared this second brother: "I took the little prince to play around nearby for a while."
Ao Yi glared at his younger brother: "You're being reckless."
He then turned his gaze to Yun Heng, his tone respectful yet still carrying a chill: "Your Highness, His Majesty was just asking about you. Please go inside."
Yun Heng glanced at Ao Bing. Since Father Emperor was looking for him, he had no choice but to follow Ao Yi inside.
Yun Heng didn’t know Ao Yi’s name yet, nor did he know how to address him. After a moment’s thought, he called out, "Ao Bing’s second brother…"
"My name is Ao Yi."
Yun Heng looked up at him. Although the icy, distant aura made the little one somewhat fearful, the features so strikingly similar to Ao Bing’s were truly pleasing to the eye.
The little one couldn’t help but say, "You’re really good-looking too."
"…"
"Are all the Dragon King’s sons this good-looking?"
"…"
"Do you have a mount?"
"…"
"You’re a big dragon too, right?"
"…"
"Can you…" Ao Yi suddenly looked down at him, and Yun Heng swallowed the rest of his words, changing the subject instead. "The sun is almost setting. It seems we’ve been playing for a long time. Is my father angry?"
Ao Yi’s eyebrows twitched. "Ao Bing took you to the surface?"
"No!" Yun Heng covered his mouth.
"If His Majesty finds out…"
Yun Heng immediately interrupted him, "It was my idea. If Father Emperor gets angry, I’ll let him spank me. It’s not Ao Bing’s fault."
"…"
Ao Yi was taken aback. "I never expected the Crown Prince, despite his young age, to be so responsible."
Yun Heng watched the change in his expression. "So… is my father angry?"
"No," Ao Yi’s lips twitched slightly, as if he were smiling, yet not quite. "The Dragon Palace is different from the surface. While the mortal world experiences sunrise and sunset, only a cup of tea’s time passes here."
Yun Heng said, "So, Father Emperor doesn’t know I sneaked out to play."
"…"
The little one suddenly grabbed his hand. "You’re not allowed to tell on me."
"…"
As they spoke, the two had already arrived at the main hall of the Dragon Palace.
Yun Heng rushed over to the Jade Emperor. "Father Emperor, I heard you missed me."
The Jade Emperor patted his bottom. "Stand properly. Don’t be impudent!"
The little Crown Prince’s warm, cheerful, and affectionate nature was already well-known among the Immortals of the Heavenly Court, but the Dragon King and his sons were witnessing it for the first time.
Ao Guang had over a dozen sons and daughters combined, yet none were quite like Yun Heng in temperament. Watching him, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy.
After the incident in the underworld, the Jade Emperor grew anxious whenever he couldn’t see his son for even a moment. He needed to lay eyes on him, to see that he was safe and sound, before he could focus on handling celestial duties with peace of mind.
The Jade Emperor was inquiring with Ao Guang about the Demons suppressed beneath the Dragon Palace. Yun Heng, finding the conversation dull, chimed in, "Father Emperor, I want to go out and play for a while."
"Go ahead."
"Alright!"
The little one agreed and dashed outside. Watching his bouncing figure, the Jade Emperor couldn’t help but remind him, "Slow down. Don’t fall."
"I won’t!"
"Let Nezha accompany you."
"Got it!"
Compared to the Heavenly Court, the Dragon Palace was much smaller. However, built according to the undersea terrain, it was arranged in a picturesque, layered fashion. Dense coral clusters and various deep-sea treasures adorned the surroundings, creating a dazzling and uniquely beautiful scene.
Yun Heng wandered through the garden, looking here and there. He nearly had his hand caught by a giant clam shell, but fortunately, Nezha reacted quickly, splitting the shell in two with a thrust of his spear.
The little one, frightened, was shielded behind Nezha. Seeing the clam shell fall to the ground without moving, he mustered the courage to step on it: "Monster!"
Nezha laughed heartily: "Exactly, it's a monster. Stay away from it in the future."
Yun Heng nodded obediently: "Okay!"
Soon, they arrived before a vast expanse of palaces.
Yun Heng asked Nezha: "Where is this?"
Nezha glanced at the plaque above the palace: "It's the Dragon King's bedchamber."
"Does Brother Ao Bing live here too?"
"Perhaps…"
"Then let's go find him!"
With that, the little one ran inside. Inside, there were numerous halls, each furnished similarly, with no sign of anyone. Yun Heng didn't know which one was Ao Bing's bedchamber, so he could only search room by room.
"Brother Ao Bing, Brother Ao Bing… Ah, there's a monster!"
Nezha was startled—how could there be a monster inside the Dragon Palace? He hurried to the door and looked inside.
It turned out this hall was different from the others. Inside, there was a stone platform, and on it lay a clam shell, larger than the one they had seen in the garden, resembling a large bed. Inside, soft bedding was spread, and on the bedding rested something.
That thing, hearing the commotion, stirred uneasily twice.
Yun Heng raised his golden bow and silver pellet, the bow already drawn to its fullest. Just as he was about to release it, Ao Bing rushed out from somewhere: "Your Highness, show mercy!"