In the magnificent dragon palace, the little dragon cub, having just turned fifty years old and still in her early childhood, was rummaging through her father’s enormous treasure chest with her little bottom sticking up in the air. Her upper body was buried inside the chest, leaving only her lower half visible. As she tossed things left and right, she muttered to herself.
“Not this, not this either… where is it?” One by one, she flung out rare and wondrous artifacts shimmering with all kinds of treasure light. Finally, she crawled entirely into the chest.
“Ha ha, found it!” Her excited, squeaky little voice rang out. She clung to the edge of the chest with one hand and climbed out, holding something in the other.
On her round little head were two tiny buns tied with red ribbons. She had chubby cheeks, round eyes, a pert little nose, and a small rosy mouth. She looked just like a soft little bun, making people itch to pinch her.
Opening her chubby little paw, she revealed a pearl the size of a baby’s fist, glowing with a soft, pale golden light.
After admiring it for a while, she tucked it into her little pouch, turned, and ran out the door, leaving behind the treasure room in utter chaos, barely a place to step.
The shrimp and crab soldiers guarding the entrance let out a collective sigh of relief when they saw this little ancestor come out. Good—she was out quickly this time, and they hadn’t heard any sounds of breaking from inside. So nothing should be destroyed. They wouldn’t have to be punished!
As for the ransacked treasury? That was nothing! Someone would be along soon to tidy it up.
The tiny little figure wiggled her bottom, her short legs moving rapidly, and quickly disappeared from sight.
The shrimp soldier said to the crab soldier, “Old Crab, I’m going to find someone to come clean up. Can you manage here alone?”
The crab soldier nodded. “Go ahead. No problem. That little ancestor just left; she won’t be back anytime soon.”
No one else ever really came around here. It was only the little ancestor, rummaging through things every few days looking for “toys.” He wondered what she’d found this time—she’d looked so happy when she came out.
But he guessed their Dragon King wouldn’t be so pleased, because every time the little ancestor took something, it was always one of his treasured possessions. He had no idea why her eye was so sharp, able to spot the most valuable items instantly.
Come to think of it, the little ancestor’s background was extraordinary. Her father was the Dragon King of the North Sea, and her mother was the eldest princess of the Phoenix Clan. But her mother didn’t like living in the dragon palace, so she always resided at Wutong Ridge on Mount Spirit, the phoenix clan’s territory.
Although the couple lived apart, they actually had a very good relationship, meeting up every few days—though of course, the Dragon King always went to Wutong Ridge to visit his wife.
This little ancestor was their only beloved daughter. Among this generation’s Four Seas Dragon Kings, Ao Zhan of the North Sea was the most devoted and faithful. The other three Dragon Kings all had countless wives and concubines and many children.
But then again, if their lawful wives were as formidable as the Phoenix eldest princess, they wouldn’t dare get any ideas…
She was the kind of woman who, when in a bad mood, would burn you to ashes without a second thought. No matter how thick a dragon’s scales were, they couldn’t withstand a roasting by phoenix fire!
Meanwhile, the little dragon cub, having just obtained a new toy, bounced and skipped toward her father’s private chambers.
As soon as she entered, she saw her father bent over the desk, painting. No need to guess—he was drawing his own dragon form again.
Father loved to paint his own body, then give the paintings to Mother. In his words: “Your mother is most infatuated with my mighty, heroic dragon form!”
She would never tell Father that Mother actually gave his paintings away as talismans to ward off evil. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
“Father, what is this for?” She held out the pearl on her chubby little hand for her father to see.
Ao Zhan’s heart ached at the sight of the pearl in his daughter’s hand. He quickly pressed his left palm to his chest. “Oh, my precious! How did you dig that one out?” He had hidden it so carefully. How had his little cub still managed to find it?