“What are you doing, let go… ugh…”
Liu Nanfeng shouted and rushed over, but his words got stuck in his throat halfway because the text above the other party’s head had already told him her identity.
Name: Ao Jiangyue
Race: Dragon
Cultivation: Two thousand four hundred and thirty-one years
Identity: Daughter of the Dragon King, banished to the Yangtze River for violating a taboo, with a cold disposition and innate kindness.
Past causes: Not triggered
Liu Nanfeng was greatly surprised. This was the monster he had encountered with the highest cultivation so far, and it was a dragon girl.
As a person from Great Xia, known as a descendant of the dragon, he naturally felt a sense of kinship with dragons.
Furthermore, Liu Nanfeng vaguely remembered meeting this dragon girl twice. The first time was a fleeting glimpse from afar on the embankment after meeting Feng Hongjin.
The second time was when he was escorting Feng Hongjin home and encountered a demon. She stood on a sand and stone boat in the river, and he only saw a brief glimpse of her again.
Thinking of this, Liu Nanfeng suddenly realized that it seemed to be related to this little fellow Feng Hongjin every time. Had she been following Feng Hongjin all along?
His mind raced, but his actions did not slow. He directly reached for her wrist, intending to snatch Feng Hongjin away.
She held Feng Hongjin by the collar with one hand, dangling her in mid-air. The little one was like a fish; well, she was a little fish.
Perhaps it was instinct, she wriggled her body vigorously, shouting, “Help, help…”
Seeing Liu Nanfeng reach out to grab her, Ao Jiangyue extended her other hand to block. Their hands touched, and both were startled.
Liu Nanfeng was surprised because, with just that one contact, he felt the immense power of the other party. It was like hitting a rubber-coated iron pillar, and his wrist ached faintly.
Ao Jiangyue was, of course, not surprised by Liu Nanfeng’s strength. Although Liu Nanfeng’s physical fitness had improved significantly, and his “Mighty” skill doubled his strength against female creatures.
However, for Ao Jiangyue, a dragon, these were still like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, having no effect whatsoever.
What surprised her was why Liu Nanfeng’s strength was so small, and even more so that Liu Nanfeng was just an ordinary person with slightly stronger physical fitness.
She had clearly seen Liu Nanfeng “slay” the demon from the river that day.
How could someone who made the demon turn and flee be so weak? That was why she was surprised; it was completely contrary to her guess.
Seeing her in a daze, Liu Nanfeng did not stop his actions and continued to reach for the wrist of the hand holding Feng Hongjin.
But to Liu Nanfeng’s surprise, the other party directly let go of Feng Hongjin.
And then it turned into an awkward situation where Liu Nanfeng was holding her wrist.
Dragon girl Ao Jiangyue had two thousand four hundred and thirty-one years of cultivation. Calculating based on a dragon year being equivalent to a human century, she was twenty-four years old.
However, she looked at most eighteen or nineteen. Her long, black hair fell to her shoulders. She wore a loose chiffon shirt on top and a khaki culotte skirt on the bottom. The high-waisted culotte skirt further accentuated her slender, hourglass waist.
Her pair of long legs were fair and shapely, adding to her youthful and beautiful appearance.
Upon feeling her wrist being grabbed, Ao Jiangyue’s originally black eyes instantly turned into golden vertical pupils. In that moment, Liu Nanfeng felt as if the air had become much more viscous.
Feng Hongjin, now released, had already hidden behind Liu Nanfeng and was peeking out with her little head. Seeing Ao Jiangyue’s eyes turn into vertical pupils, she was so frightened that she immediately retracted her head and pressed it against Liu Nanfeng’s leg, muttering incessantly.
“I’m sorry.” Liu Nanfeng quickly released her wrist.
Then he immediately said, “You must be Sister Ao that Hongjin mentioned, right? I apologize, I was too hasty.”
“You know me?”
Ao Jiangyue tilted her head slightly, her long, straight black hair cascading down like a waterfall on one side.
Her facial features were exquisite, but her expression was cold, with very little emotion. Even when asking Liu Nanfeng, her expression did not change at all.
“Yes, Hongjin mentioned you.” Liu Nanfeng put his arm around Feng Hongjin behind him.
Ao Jiangyue glanced at Feng Hongjin, who was hiding behind Liu Nanfeng, her eyes flashing with a strange light.
She knew that Feng Hongjin knew Liu Nanfeng, but she hadn’t expected their relationship to be so good.
“If I catch you again, I’ll tell your mother.”
Ao Jiangyue said this, glanced at Feng Hongjin again, then transformed into a mist and disappeared into the river without a trace.
Seeing her leave, Liu Nanfeng turned back to ask Feng Hongjin, “What happened?”
Actually, he had a vague guess that Feng Hongjin must have done something wrong and was caught by her, otherwise Ao Jiangyue wouldn’t have said she would tell her mother.
“I wanted to go to the embankment to find you, but Sister Ao caught me. She said it was dangerous on shore and that I would be kidnapped by bad guys if I went ashore.”
Feng Hongjin’s little face was full of grievance, her big eyes instantly brimming with mist, looking as if she might cry at any moment.
“Uh… what she said makes sense. You’re so young and so cute. It’s really dangerous to run ashore.”
“Mom and Sister Yuchan also say that I can’t leave here, and going up there would be very dangerous.”
The little one pointed to the area from below the embankment to the riverside with her little finger as she spoke.
“Huh? Is there some kind of protection for this area?”
This was because the scope restricted by the little one’s mother was not going ashore, but not going up to the embankment. Therefore, the distance from below the embankment to the riverside was a safe zone, leading to this thought.
“In that case, why didn’t you listen and run onto the embankment?” Liu Nanfeng asked somewhat seriously.
Seeing this, the little one pouted and said with a slight sob, “I wanted to play with you.”
“Uh… if you want to find me, you can use the conch to call me…”
Right, he remembered that he had been busy these past two days and hadn’t listened to the conch messages at all.
“I did, but you never responded. You were working, weren’t you?” The little one tilted her head up, her face full of hope.
She hoped Liu Nanfeng would say he was working or busy, not that he didn’t want to bother with her.
Liu Nanfeng didn’t disappoint her. He nodded and said, “Yes, I’ve been busy these past few days. I just got back from delivering food.”
The simple little carp was overjoyed upon hearing this. So, people weren’t ignoring her because they didn’t want to play with her.
“Here, this is for you.” Liu Nanfeng rummaged in his pocket and took out a Snickers bar.
Liu Nanfeng had bought these just today, along with chocolates. The reason he bought them was, naturally, because they were high-calorie foods that could be quickly converted into his strength.
Feng Hongjin accepted it without hesitation.
“Thank you.”
She held it in her hand, looking at it curiously, not knowing how to eat it.
Seeing this, Liu Nanfeng had to take it back and help her unwrap it.
“Wait for me here for a moment.”
Liu Nanfeng then remembered that his electric bike was still parked on the roadside, so he hurried towards the embankment.
Feng Hongjin took small steps, about to follow, then remembered something and stopped. She looked at the Snickers bar in her hand and took a bite.
“It’s delicious.”
She squinted her eyes, her face filled with bliss.
…
“Team Leader, have some tea.” Wei Xiaoming brought the brewed tea to An Bohou.
An Bohou, who was staring at the computer screen, shifted his gaze from the screen.
Then he said with a hint of curiosity, “You brat, offering unsolicited kindness. What rotten idea do you have now?”
Ever since a few days ago, when the “rotten idea” he came up with had earned the department a large sum of money, he had felt that this child was bright and had a promising future.
“Team Leader, how can you say that? I am a righteous law enforcement officer, and all my actions are righteous deeds.”
“Haha, you brat, alright, stop fooling around. If you have something to say, say it quickly.” An Bohou said impatiently.
He was doing financial accounting, in layman’s terms, counting money. Being interrupted like this meant he had to start all over again.
“Team Leader, I just looked at the registration form. I noticed that our Jiangcheng has an unusually large number of demon races compared to other identities.”
“Oh, you’ve learned to think now.” An Bohou showed a look of pleasant surprise.
“Team Leader, please stop teasing me. You should tell me the reason. After all, Jiangcheng is just an insignificant small city compared to the rest of the country. There must be something attracting them.”
“A paradise.” An Bo said.
“What?” Wei Xiaoming didn’t react for a moment.
“A paradise, or rather, the Heavenly Palace. You might understand it better that way.”
“Heavenly Palace?” Wei Xiaoming looked surprised.
“Yes, there are gods, dragons, demons, and ghosts in this world, so naturally, there is also the legendary Heavenly Palace, but it’s a bit different from what you imagine.”
“Different? How is it different?”
“Because the Heavenly Palace is not as you imagine, the dwelling of gods and the Jade Emperor, but rather a paradise for all beings who have undergone life-level transformations.”
“Because this world has limits. Once a certain bottleneck is reached, there is no further progress, and one stagnates. Only by entering the paradise can one evolve to a higher life level.”
“Meaning an independent plane, a higher dimension?” Wei Xiaoming said with a dawning realization.
“That understanding is not incorrect.”
“So, is this paradise in Jiangcheng? Or is the entrance in Jiangcheng?”
“Neither. About three hundred years ago, heaven and earth underwent a drastic change, the Heavenly Dao became invisible, and the Heavenly Palace completely disappeared. In recent years, countless powerful individuals have been searching for the Heavenly Palace.”
“So, Jiangcheng holds clues to the Heavenly Palace?” Wei Xiaoming asked with great curiosity.
An Bohou nodded.
Wei Xiaoming finally showed a look of realization. So, all these “demons and ghosts” were here for the Heavenly Palace.
“Does it really exist? Why is it in Jiangcheng?” Wei Xiaoming continued to ask curiously.
“It’s just a legend. How would I know? As for why it’s in Jiangcheng, you don’t need to know now.” An Bohou said with a serious expression.
Upon hearing this, Wei Xiaoming immediately shut his mouth. In departments like theirs, if they don’t want you to know, it’s best not to pry.
“However, with so many demons and ghosts, what if they really cause trouble?” Wei Xiaoming frowned.
These “people” were all incredibly powerful. If a real fight broke out, Jiangcheng could be destroyed in minutes.
“As long as there is no definite news, there won’t be any problems. Otherwise, how could the higher-ups only assign us this few people to guard Jiangcheng?”
“Honestly, this legend has been circulating for hundreds of years, and there hasn’t been any movement yet. Besides, if the sky falls, there will be taller people to bear it. The higher-ups will definitely arrange for personnel to come. Just focus on your own work.”
“Okay.”
Wei Xiaoming nodded obediently and did not continue to inquire.
“Don’t just stare at the computer and look at data. I asked you to read more materials in the archives last time. Did you?” An Bohou said meaningfully.
“Not yet.”
“If not, what are you still doing here? Get lost.”
“Oh, do you want to go for a drink after work?”
“You’re paying?”
“Sure.”
“Get lost.”
“Okay.”
…
“How did you get your face so messy?”
Seeing the little one eat a Snickers bar and get it all over her face, Liu Nanfeng was truly impressed.
“Heh heh…”
The little one just giggled foolishly, with some chocolate smudged on her nose.
Liu Nanfeng didn’t have wet wipes, so he had to scoop some river water to help her wipe it off.
“Here, this is for you. You should go home, or your mother will worry about you.”
Liu Nanfeng handed Feng Hongjin the snacks he had taken out of his storage compartment.
These were all high-energy snacks he had bought to eat himself.
But Feng Hongjin didn’t take it. Instead, she tilted her small face up and said hopefully, “I want to go play with you.”
“Your mother will worry if you don’t go home,” Liu Nanfeng said.
“I’ve already told Mom. She agreed!” Feng Hongjin took out a conch and said proudly.
“It’s true. Master Liu, I’ll trouble you with Hongjin. Let me know when you send her back, and I’ll come to pick her up.” Zhu Yuchan’s voice immediately came from the conch.
Alright, since the guardian had agreed, Liu Nanfeng no longer refused and nodded in Feng Hongjin’s anticipation.
The little one immediately cheered and hugged his leg.
…
“Madam, is this really okay?”
Zhu Yuchan put away the conch and said worriedly to Zhu Yin’e, who was sewing clothes nearby.
“Don’t worry, Sister Su will take care of her,” Zhu Yin’e said without lifting her head.
“But… but…”
Zhu Yuchan wanted to say more, but Zhu Yin’e interrupted her directly.
“Alright, she’s my daughter. Would I let her be in danger?”
“Fine, since Madam says so, I won’t interfere anymore.” Zhu Yuchan said with some displeasure.
Zhu Yin’e looked up at her, then casually continued sewing.
“Huh? Madam, is this Dragon Brocade?” Zhu Yuchan said in surprise.
The so-called Dragon Brocade was shed dragon hair, woven into brocade, hence Dragon Brocade.
Dragon hair was already scarce, so collecting it to weave into brocade was almost a fantasy, and naturally, it was incredibly precious.
“Yes, I collected it daily for a thousand years to weave this piece of Dragon Brocade.”
“Madam, you are truly thoughtful.”
Zhu Yuchan couldn’t help but praise upon hearing this. A thousand years, collecting daily, such persistent dedication was not something an ordinary person could achieve.
“But—why are you sewing a zhishēn?”
The so-called zhishēn was somewhat similar to a zhi zhui or daoist robe. During the Ming Dynasty, the zhishēn was considered a common attire.
Of course, the key point was that the zhishēn was a garment worn by men.
That was why Zhu Yuchan had this question.