Stung by Shu Yang’s light slap, the cub covered his tiny bottom, looking aggrieved. His round, pitch-black eyes fixed intently on Shu Yang, his mouth trembling as if he were about to wail.
Shu Yang: “…”
He pointed a finger, warning, “You dare cry?”
The Lord of Purple Star had no experience with children. In his centuries of life, those who disobeyed him were usually subdued with a thrashing. However, the cub was not an adult who understood the law of the jungle. Being scolded by Shu Yang, his instinct was simply to cry. While there was a mix of calculated pouting and seeking favor in his behavior, Shu Yang’s sharp gesture broke his restraint, and the cub erupted into a loud, tearful wail.
Shu Yang: “…”
He glared at the wailing cub, tempted to use a spell to seal the child’s mouth but fearing that triggering further madness would cause the cub to demolish the entire Phoenix Palace. Fine, if he will not leave, I shall leave.
Shu Yang looked at the tear-streaked face of the cub, feeling a rush of irritation. He rolled off the bed and turned to walk away. But before he had taken a few steps, he felt a sudden weight on his leg.
Shu Yang: “…”
He looked down to find the cub had tumbled off the bed, clutching his shin with hands and feet, gripping it with a death-defying tenacity.
Shu Yang: “…”
He struggled to take a few steps, the cub being dragged along in his wake, refusing to let go.
Shu Yang: “…”
I give up.
He could not beat him, and he could not throw him away. Just whose child was this? Why was he so infuriating?
Shu Yang sighed deeply. After a long moment, watching the cub’s sobs subside to ragged hiccups as he rubbed his reddened eyes, Shu Yang leaned down and scooped him up.
Once held, the cub was content and stopped his madness. The cub was actually quite well-behaved when not in a trance, preferring to cling to Shu Yang, burying his face against him and muttering unintelligible things.
“Stop crying.” Shu Yang, having never been a father, knew nothing of how to soothe a child. He awkwardly patted the cub’s back, distractedly mumbling, “Crawl if you must.” Just stop going mad.
The cub seemed to understand, resting obediently on Shu Yang’s shoulder. Relaxed, he felt as soft as a pastry. As Shu Yang held him, watching the cub’s moist, dark eyes gaze up at him, his heart skipped a beat for no reason.
Immortals were not supposed to be easily moved, whether by love or any other emotion. Shu Yang did not have feelings for a mere child, but he suddenly felt that this cub might share a deeper, unfathomable fate with him. This groundless suspicion left him startled.
Before he could dwell on it, footsteps sounded outside. Shu Yang carried the cub to the door and saw that the physician invited by the Phoenix clan had arrived.
The physician had likely survived the floods and demons under the protection of the Phoenix clan. Grateful for their kindness, he arrived promptly. Upon seeing Shu Yang, he knelt respectfully, hands clasped above his head. “Immortal Lord.”
“Hmm.” Shu Yang sat down with the cub and gestured for the physician to come closer. “Take a look at him and see if he suffers from some sort of hysteria.”
The physician knelt, put down his medicine chest, and reached out to take the cub’s pulse. The cub was restless, squirming in Shu Yang’s arms until he was pinched on the cheek as a warning. Once the pulse was read, the cub immediately dove back into Shu Yang’s embrace, clutching his neck and resting his chin on his shoulder like a clingy pillow.
“Does he have hysteria?” Shu Yang asked, holding the child securely. “Speak the truth.”
The physician stroked his beard, pondering for a moment before shaking his head. “The young master’s meridians are stable, his qi flows freely, and his blood circulates unobstructed. His organs are balanced. This is the pulse of a healthy spirit, a body untouched by illness.”
He added, puzzled, “Logic dictates that hysteria is an affliction of adults. How could a child suffer from it without having experienced significant trauma?”
Shu Yang recalled the scene when he had first rescued the cub from the human traffickers. He had saved him, then abandoned him. Could that trauma have caused the hysteria? A subtle sense of guilt pricked at his conscience. His expression grew strange, and he let out a low sigh.
The cub, oblivious to why Shu Yang’s expression had darkened, leaned against his cheek, nuzzling him with soft cheeks as if offering comfort.
Ruan Wei, sensing Shu Yang’s low spirits, crawled out of the sleeve and perched on his shoulder. He stood tall, scanning the room, his dragon senses judging who might be a threat to Shu Yang. Judging by his posture, he seemed to suspect the physician and looked ready to pierce the man’s stomach with his dragon horn.
To prevent a homicide, Shu Yang plucked Ruan Wei from his shoulder, stuffed him back into his sleeve, and turned to the physician. “Understood. You may leave.”
“Yes.” The physician retreated, trembling with fear.
A moment later, Xuanqing entered and bowed. The cub lay in Shu Yang’s arms, clutching his hair, curiously peering over Shu Yang’s shoulder at her. His expression was innocent, as if just observing her. But when Xuanqing looked down at him, she noticed the cub’s eyes slowly shift into red, needle-thin slits, as if sensing a threat in the unsettling environment.
Xuanqing: “…”
Her pupils contracted, and she pointed at the cub, gasping, “His eyes…”
In that moment, the cub’s eyes reverted to innocent, dark, puppy-like orbs. When Shu Yang turned around to ask what was wrong, the cub kicked his legs and tightened his grip around Shu Yang’s neck. He seemed to have done nothing at all; that flicker of change was so fast it seemed like Xuanqing’s imagination.
Shu Yang, unaware of what had happened while he had his back turned, looked baffled at Xuanqing, who was left speechless.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Nothing.” Xuanqing hesitated for a few seconds but ultimately decided not to share what she had seen. If the cub had such a good relationship with the Immortal Lord, it was better not to interfere or expose secrets. “Since the child is well, Immortal Lord, are you planning to select the candidates for luring the flower demon?”
“No rush.” Shu Yang looked at the cub, who was rubbing his head against his chest and scratching at his scalp in distress. His eyes were filled with helplessness. “I must take him to see the Immortal of Penglai.”
The Immortal of Penglai was a close friend. Before Shu Yang had ascended, they had studied under the same master and often drank together. Later, the Immortal of Penglai witnessed an entire village die of a mysterious plague. Heartbroken, he abandoned the path of immortality to practice medicine, saving thousands during plagues for over a century. Upon his passing, he had gained enough merit to ascend as a Loose Immortal.
However, his immortal foundation was weak. Although he was ranked among the immortals, his territory was the remote Penglai. With few people to serve, he gathered little merit; thus, he was often bullied by other immortals or demons. It was not until Shu Yang became the Lord of Purple Star and took charge of the stars that Penglai’s situation improved, thanks to Shu Yang’s patronage.
The cub did not know where Shu Yang was taking him; he only knew his head was itching unbearably.
That night, while Shu Yang slept, the cub’s head began to throb with pain. He rolled off the bed, his body burning like fire. Panicked, he dove into the nearby lotus pond to soothe the heat. But he was not a strong swimmer. He thrashed, gasped, blew a few bubbles, and sank toward the bottom of the pond, exhausted.
At this critical moment, Ruan Wei, sleeping in Shu Yang’s sleeve, opened his eyes. Sensing something, he flew out without hesitation. He dove straight into the lotus pond. It was night, and the pond was dark. Ruan Wei darted frantically through the water, finally spotting a faint glimmer.
He flicked his tail and darted over. He saw the cub sinking, surrounded by a soft, pale light. Then, something on the cub’s arm began to glow. A shimmering scale, as if struggling to break through, pushed its way out from beneath the skin.
Ruan Wei froze, staring intently, until he recognized what was growing from the cub’s arm:
Dragon scales!