Chapter 402: Volume 1, Chapter 402: Evil Dragon x Slave x Witch (22)

One week later.

The gradually expanding shelter could now accommodate over a hundred million residents. Building materials piled up like mountains, and everyone helped construct their own homes. Passing through the shelter's river streams connected to the main city, the entire Chendi's soil was transformed into arable land. After a rainstorm lasting two days and two nights, green sprouts emerged from the ground, and vegetation gradually dyed Chendi green.

Monsters attacked humans out of hunger, but now the verdant earth nourishes many small animals; deep gullies have accumulated into rivers, supplying water.

The sole surviving Second Elder stood on the constructed platform, recounting this near-catastrophic disaster through sound seals, self-criticizing and condemning the various actions of the Twelve Elders.

Everyone fell into silence and grief.

After their faith collapsed, they rebuilt a new belief. They did not remain despondent for long.

Unwilling to accept the adored and revered Jiang Zhi, she hid herself, using her paintbrush to depict beaches and oceans, straying from the shelter to a secluded, uninhabited place.

After returning from the main city, the Evil Dragon entered a dormant state and remained asleep for a long time.

Jiang Zhi simply built a small seaside cottage, with Xiaohei accompanying her; she fished and foraged daily, living a very carefree life.

Xiaohei helped her carry water buckets and hold up parasols.

Jiang Zhi saw that he had become dark as charcoal from the sun these past few days, and she smiled, saying, 'Come sit beside me; just leave that parasol there.'

Xiaohei refused to sit no matter what, diligently engraving 'How to Be a Good Slave' into his bones, making him especially servile.

'I'm not tired, Master.'

He now speaks normally, but his personality is introverted, and he rarely talks.

Jiang Zhi took his hand and pulled him to the chair, sitting beside him, saying, 'I order you to sit beside me.'

Lately Xiaohei has been acting strangely; holding her hand makes his face flush, he dares not look at her face, his speech stutters, and his scales occasionally gleam gold, resembling the Evil Dragon's scales yet not quite.

She rested her chin on her hand, curiously asking, 'Xiaohei, what kind of monster are you?'

Xiaohei sat properly on the chair, knees together, hands resting on his legs, completely still.

He whispered, 'Sta... sta...'

Jiang Zhi didn't hear clearly, she leaned in, her whole face pressing against his, her breath scattering over his ear.

'Start what?'

Xiaohei suddenly sprang to his feet, his scales standing up like bristled fur, two dragon horns sprouting from his forehead, translucent like jade with a faint gold hue, his deep, handsome, cold visage flushed with a deep red.

'Qilin.'

Jiang Zhi looked at his transformation in disbelief, her pink lips slightly parted, quite surprised.

'Qilin? You're a Qilin?'

Isn't that a monster older than the Evil Dragon? Now it's only passed down in mythic tales, unknown to anyone.

No wonder his father, as a monster, could actually transform into human form, possessing strong healing abilities, and his compatibility with the Evil Dragon was so high.

It turns out he himself is of the Dragon Clan.

But.

Jiang Zhi questioned doubtfully, 'Then shouldn't you be stronger than the Evil Dragon?'

Xiaohei, upon hearing this, fell silent for a few seconds.

After a while, he lowered his head, shook it, and said, 'They drained my blood.'

Blood is crucial for monsters; those nobles sought immortality, continually drawing his blood, so over time human blood increased while his monster blood decreased, and once he had no value, the nobles discarded him into the slums.

Forcibly altering his lineage, the Qilin blood in him had already become minuscule.

Jiang Zhi listened, feeling heartbroken.

Back then he was still so young, bound by humans to an operating table; the physical and mental torment would have turned him into a demon, but Xiaohei always retained a kind heart, staying by her side as a human.

'Xiaohei, you're doing great now.' She walked to his side, reached out to lift his drooping head, gazing at his eyes regaining luster; when they first met, his eyes held no light at all, empty and dead like a soulless puppet.

But now, his jet-black pupils shine with a different light, like a meteor streaking across the night sky, making it impossible to look away.

'If Xiaohei weren't by my side, I probably couldn't save those people mired in the mud, and might even die at the hands of villains.'

Xiaohei stared at her blankly, murmuring, 'Really, truly?'

To his master, is he important?

Jiang Zhi nodded, affirming, 'Meeting Xiaohei is truly wonderful~'

The tall, slender youth's eye rims gradually reddened, his lips pressed tight, the dragon horns on his forehead glittering brilliantly in the sunlight; suddenly he covered his eyes and burst into tears, his scale-covered hands haphazardly wiping away tears.

When he cried, it was soundless, his whole body trembling.

…

Ten years ago.

Xiaohei actually has a name; he is called Lin Le'an.

His father surnamed Lin gave him this name, hoping he would live a lifetime of peace and happiness; this is also every parent's wish.

On a rainy night.

The mother Lin who brought him fleeing was covered in wounds; her ankle was sliced by the thorns spreading from Chendi, and human blood would attract more monsters.

Pursuing them was Duke Wang, who used monsters and humans as subjects for immortality research, and the number of people dead at their hands is countless.

Not long after Lin's father was captured by them, they discovered he still had a child—Xiaohei—who his mother had hidden in the slums, yet they still found him.

At only eight years old, Xiaohei was still an immature child; the thorns growing in Chendi cut his knee, hurting so much he cried, saying he didn't want to run anymore.

'Mom… waa waa waa…… I hurt so much…'

Lin's mother was a gentle and graceful woman; her inner strength surpassed her outward appearance, and upon hearing of her husband's death, she immediately took Xiaohei and fled the main city.

Having hidden in the slums for so many years, she never thought of giving up.

Xiaohei is her child; if she lost her parents, what would become of him?

Lin's mother held him as they hid in a hillside cave.

The cramped, narrow cave barely accommodated the two of them; torrential rain poured into the mouth of the cave, making it damp and chilly.

She put the child on the ground, raised her hand and struck his palm hard, her expression stern and icy.

"No crying! Did you hear me?!"

Xiaohei was afraid of pain, but he didn't expect his mother to hit him; he froze in place, his eyes red and wet, his mouth pursed, not daring to cry again.

Seeing his state, Mother Lin felt heartbroken, but for his future she still kept a stern face and said earnestly:

"Lele, from now on don't cry. The more you cry, the more others will bully you. In this world, you must strive to live on your own—did you hear me clearly?"

Xiaohei seemed to anticipate something, he reached out and tightly gripped a corner of his mother's clothing, refusing to let go: "I'll obey, Mom, I won't cry again—Mom, please don't abandon me, okay?"

Mother Lin steeled herself, pulled his hand away, shoved him to the innermost part of the cave, covered his mouth, her heart aching and sorrowful, forcing a smile as she said: "Stay here and don't go out; wait until the rain stops, then Mom and Dad will come back to get you."

Xiaohei nodded firmly.

He hid obediently in the cave.

He waited until dawn, then until nightfall.

After two days the rain ended, but his parents still hadn't returned to pick him up.

Later he was still caught by that group, taken to a lab where they drew blood from him nonstop.

Once he had no more use value, he was abandoned in the Pinminku, bought, then discarded again. Over time he lost all hope.