Chapter 60: Sightseeing with the Young Ones
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"Big brother!"
Luo Xue leaped forward, his little paws grabbing onto Yun Zhao's robe as he climbed up, rubbing his little head against his chest.
"I missed you so much..."
His fluffy little paws lifted to touch the young man's cheek, his triangular ears drooping sadly, and tears welled up in his eyes as he looked at Yun Zhao.
Yun Zhao tenderly rubbed the small white cat's head and apologized to the surrounding divine beasts, "I'm sorry for making you worry."
Ao Yu, who had been squeezed aside by a group of cubs, frowned slightly and endured it. He raised his eyes and asked the Bai Ze in front of him, "Why are you here?"
Upon hearing this, Bai Ze took out a handkerchief and pretended to wipe his teary eyes. "You heartless people! I was so worried that I brought the whole family here. Along the way, I even had to take care of a few delicate ones, and this is how you treat me!"
In fact, as soon as Ao Yu left, Bai Ze started to panic. He knew better than anyone how much Ao Yu valued Yun Zhao. If a conflict were to arise, it wouldn't be impossible for a scene like the banquet to repeat itself.
To avoid the possibility of Ao Yu being struck by heavenly thunder and turning into a charred dragon, it was better to come and see for himself for peace of mind.
Ao Yu was already accustomed to Bai Ze's fake crying and temper tantrums. He spoke calmly, "Well, you came just in time. If you were any later, you would have caught us on our way back with Yun Zhao."
Upon hearing this, Wu Mu covered his mouth with his paw and sneered, "It's his fault for taking the wrong path and almost stumbling into the lair of the Nine-Headed Jiao."
Bai Ze forced a dry laugh, "Sorry, I'm not familiar with the water routes..."
After much effort, the group finally managed to meet up. Yun Zhao briefly recounted his journey here with Ao Jing, and the young ones squatted obediently, listening attentively. Luo Xue couldn't help but keep asking, "And then what happened?"
Just as they were chatting and laughing, Ao Jing walked over from the nearby corridor. Seeing the young man being surrounded by a group of divine beasts, his fingers unconsciously clenched his robe.
The silvery little fish sensed his owner's hesitation and blew bubbles as it circled around the young child.
Ao Jing put the dizzy little fish back into his sleeve and slowly approached, facing the gaze of everyone as he greeted, "Elder brother, you're back."
"Mm."
Ao Yu glanced at him, his face devoid of expression as he responded flatly.
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He remembered this little green dragon. At every banquet in the past, it would respectfully come and toast him. Although young, it possessed powerful spiritual energy, so it was no wonder it was later favored by the Dragon Patriarch and welcomed into the Dragon Palace.
"Bringing you to the Dragon Palace in this manner was impolite of me." Ao Jing looked at Yun Zhao, bowing his head and apologizing softly.
Yun Zhao was happy to see Ao Jing approaching and said to him, "It's alright, I know that wasn't your intention. I also want to thank you for taking care of me these past two days."
Ao Jing looked at the curious and scrutinizing divine beasts around him, nodded slightly, and asked, "Are you... leaving?"
"Mm." Ao Yu squinted his eyes slightly. "Why? Do you want to stop me?"
"N-No." Ao Jing quickly shook his head. Just as he was about to step aside, a voice came from behind.
Wu Mu licked his paw and said somewhat disappointedly, "Ah... we finally came to the Dragon Palace, and now we're leaving?"
The black cat looked up at the fish swimming outside the barrier, reluctantly licking its mouth.
Yun Zhao felt a bit awkward seeing the young ones constantly turning their heads to take in the surrounding scenery, unsure of what to do.
Ao Yu sighed, seemingly helpless, and said, "Then let's stay for a couple more days."
Upon hearing this, Ao Jing suddenly looked up, a trace of delight flashing in his eyes.
When Ao Yu saw him looking over, he frowned, displeased. "No good?"
"Of course it's fine." Ao Jing's tone became more upbeat. He proposed to Yun Zhao and the others, "Since you're all newcomers to the Dragon Domain, why not let me entertain you."
Yun Zhao naturally noticed Ao Jing's joy and saw the young ones eager to go. He smiled and agreed.
They headed to a high platform, where the golden jade tiles allowed the little phoenix to walk down from Yun Zhao's shoulder for a rare stroll. Looking around at the decorations, carved jade columns and shimmering pearls, they could see the twelve palace chambers at a glance. Colorful fish swam through the barrier above, casting a dark reflection below.
Luo Xue looked up, his gaze transfixed, and his little head kept lifting higher, almost stumbling backward. Servants brought numerous seafood dishes and placed them on the table, with only a few plates of sashimi while the rest of the seafood was steamed to perfection.
The ingredients in the Dragon Palace were naturally top-notch. Wu Mu jumped onto the table and excitedly meowed at the giant scallops that were even bigger than his own head.
But they politely looked at Ao Jing, and Luo Xue looked up and asked, "Brother Ao Jing, can we eat?"
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Ao Jing was stared at by a group of divine beasts with eyes as bright as torches. He couldn't help but be taken aback but nodded and said, "Please, go ahead."
"Meow!"
Upon hearing this, the young ones immediately gathered around, and even the most picky little phoenix started urging Bai Ze to peel shrimp for it.
Yun Zhao found it amusing and was about to join in when he suddenly noticed Ao Yu standing to the side without any intention of eating.
"What's wrong? Aren't you hungry?" Yun Zhao asked curiously. The little dragon had quite an appetite, and even back at Yuming Mountain, he would make late-night snacks for him. But today, he seemed completely disinterested.
Ao Yu looked at the abundant seafood on the table with disdain in his eyes. "After eating for thousands of years, I'm tired of it."
Whether it's raw or steamed, even the most delicious things can become boring. Ao Jing, upon hearing this, became instantly at a loss and was about to instruct the servants to prepare something else.
But Yun Zhao intervened and said, "No need."
He took out numerous bottles and jars from his storage bag, arranged them on the table, and then held a small bowl to add seasoning.
Ao Jing curiously leaned over and asked, "What is this?"
Wu Mu licked his paw, sounding proud, "Haven't tried it before? It's Yun Zhao's seasoning, even wild vegetables taste great with it!"
Although Ao Jing had never eaten wild vegetables, seeing everyone's enthusiastic expressions, he became curious about the taste of the sauce in that bowl.
Yun Zhao prepared a bowl of spicy sauce and a bowl of seafood soy sauce, placing them in the center of the table and gesturing, "Dip and eat."
Wu Mu and Luo Xue transformed back into their child forms, peeled shrimp and cracked crab by themselves, and even dipped them in the sauce and placed them in plates for Xuanming and the others.
Ao Jing also peeled a shrimp, hesitating with the shrimp meat in front of the two small bowls. Eventually, he dipped it in the red paste.
He took a small bite, and after the fresh and sweet taste of the shrimp meat, an intense and fiery spiciness exploded on his taste buds, dominantly occupying his palate, yet making him crave another bite.
Yun Zhao skillfully peeled a large shrimp and the reddish oil of the shrimp roe made the white flesh even more enticing. He quickly dipped it in the spicy oil and fed it to Ao Yu.
The nearby servants had initially wanted to assist in serving the dishes, but upon seeing Yun Zhao's actions, they immediately lowered their heads and stepped back.
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The bright red spicy oil flowed down the youth's fingers, and Ao Yu grabbed his hand as it tried to retreat. He tilted his head slightly, and his scarlet tongue curled around the tender fingers. The moist and warm touch made Yun Zhao shiver involuntarily, blushing as he withdrew his hand.
Ao Yu wrinkled his nose and secretly glanced at the little dragon. To his surprise, Ao Yu casually picked up a shrimp and placed it in his own plate, silently indicating for Yun Zhao to continue peeling shrimp and feed him.
Luo Xue's little mouth was filled with crab roe, and she looked satisfied as she raised her head. However, Bai Ze reached out and blocked her line of sight, quietly chuckling, "Keep eating yours."
The cat-eared child nodded happily and continued enjoying the seafood feast.
After a full meal and plenty of wine, Yun Zhao originally thought the divine beasts would be as drowsy as usual, clamoring to sleep. But to his surprise, one after another, they were all excitedly playing and frolicking on the high platform, showing no signs of sleepiness.
Ao Jing was pulled by Wu Mu to play with a ball for a while, clearly not familiar with the games of the young ones, and he followed behind Wu Mu in a dazed manner.
Yun Zhao actually found it quite enjoyable. Considering the age of the Dragon Clan, even at two hundred years old, they were still considered young. It wouldn't be fun if he had a serious and stern expression on his face all the time, pretending to be old.
He sat on the soft couch and looked at Ao Yu. "Were you also cold and rarely smiled when you were a child, just like Ao Jing?"
Ao Yu glanced at the young boy playing football not far away and frowned, full of dissatisfaction. "No, I'm better looking than him."
Yun Zhao laughed, "I didn't mention appearance."
Bai Ze listened to their conversation and interjected with a smile, "He was even more reserved when he was a child. Besides cultivating, he would only sleep. Occasionally, he would go to Mount Yuming to play."
Ao Yu frowned inwardly and was about to retort when Yun Zhao curiously asked, "What did he play?"
"Well... let me think..." Bai Ze didn't care about the gaze Ao Yu threw at him. He stroked his chin, pondering. "He went to the river to catch fish, and pulled flowers for the bird's nest... Oh, right! At that time, he had just transformed and couldn't retract his tail. The tip of his tail was bitten by a big fish in the river! He got so angry that he used magic to blow up the big fish into dried fish, hahaha... Ahem!"
Bai Ze was getting into it, but Ao Yu snapped his fingers and cast a silence spell on him, leaving Bai Ze whining and complaining.
Yun Zhao couldn't help but imagine the image of the little dragon brat, dragging his dragon tail and angrily casting spells at the river. He burst into laughter.
Ao Yu drove Bai Ze away and turned to see the young man's silly smiling face, his ears slightly red. He cupped Yun Zhao's face and shook it, warning, "No wild imagination allowed."
Yun Zhao obediently nodded with a smile, but secretly planned to spoil Bai Ze and coax him into revealing more about the little dragon's childhood.
"Yun Zhao, let's go outside the barrier and play for a while!" Wu Mu stood on the ball, not letting the little ferret snatch it, and shouted to them.
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Yun Zhao knew they were curious about the underwater world, so he turned to Ao Jing and asked, "Is it okay?"
Ao Jing straightened his wrinkled clothes from playing with the ball and nodded, "Of course."
He gave instructions to the surrounding attendants, and two large stingrays with exquisite sedan chairs approached.
Yun Zhao, Ao Yu, and Bai Ze sat together, while the rest of the little ones crowded onto the other stingray.
Before entering the sea area, Bai Ze had already fed them pills that could resist water, which saved them a lot of trouble. The two sedan chairs gently left the barrier and swam towards the deep sea.
Countless sea creatures swam past the coral reefs, making way for the two stingrays.
Small fish emitting a faint blue glow swam past the windows of the sedan chair, tempting Wu Mu to constantly extend his paw to try to catch them.
Xuanming squinted his eyes and swiftly hooked a small glowing fish with his tail, placing it in Luo Xue's hand for the kitten to play with.
When they arrived at a splendid and bustling coral reef, Ao Jing introduced, "The city of the merfolk is ahead."
"Merfolk?" Wu Mu became excited. He knew about these half-human, half-fish creatures. Although they couldn't be eaten, their tears were fun to play with!
Yun Zhao also heard Ao Jing's words. He had seen merfolk in the market before, but they were all ordinary human-like beings. He pondered on the legendary descriptions of merfolk, whether they were graceful and enchanting or cool and noble in the underwater world.
Suddenly, Yun Zhao became interested and squeezed past Ao Yu to peek out the window.
Let me see the beautiful merfolk!
In the colorful coral reefs, a group of merfolk emerged from a cave, each of them holding a crystal trident. They had muscular backs, eight-pack abs, and raised their heads to see the dragon clan sitting in the sedan chair. They immediately shouted in unison, "Greetings, Your Highness!"
Yun Zhao: "..."
Sensing the gradual stiffness in the young man, Ao Yu, who had been pushed aside, squinted his eyes slightly.
He looked at the young man occupying the window and whispered softly in his ear, "These are the merfolk you like. Shall we go and greet them?"
Yun Zhao was instantly at a loss and on the verge of tears. He never expected that the beautiful creatures capable of shedding tears that turned into pearls would be as strong as gorillas, able to slap themselves into two pieces with a single tail swipe.
Chapter 60: Sightseeing with the Young Ones
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"Big brother!"
Luo Xue leaped forward, his little paws grabbing onto Yun Zhao's robe as he climbed up, rubbing his little head against his chest.
"I missed you so much..."
His fluffy little paws lifted to touch the young man's cheek, his triangular ears drooping sadly, and tears welled up in his eyes as he looked at Yun Zhao.
Yun Zhao tenderly rubbed the small white cat's head and apologized to the surrounding divine beasts, "I'm sorry for making you worry."
Ao Yu, who had been squeezed aside by a group of cubs, frowned slightly and endured it. He raised his eyes and asked the Bai Ze in front of him, "Why are you here?"
Upon hearing this, Bai Ze took out a handkerchief and pretended to wipe his teary eyes. "You heartless people! I was so worried that I brought the whole family here. Along the way, I even had to take care of a few delicate ones, and this is how you treat me!"
In fact, as soon as Ao Yu left, Bai Ze started to panic. He knew better than anyone how much Ao Yu valued Yun Zhao. If a conflict were to arise, it wouldn't be impossible for a scene like the banquet to repeat itself.
To avoid the possibility of Ao Yu being struck by heavenly thunder and turning into a charred dragon, it was better to come and see for himself for peace of mind.
Ao Yu was already accustomed to Bai Ze's fake crying and temper tantrums. He spoke calmly, "Well, you came just in time. If you were any later, you would have caught us on our way back with Yun Zhao."
Upon hearing this, Wu Mu covered his mouth with his paw and sneered, "It's his fault for taking the wrong path and almost stumbling into the lair of the Nine-Headed Jiao."
Bai Ze forced a dry laugh, "Sorry, I'm not familiar with the water routes..."
After much effort, the group finally managed to meet up. Yun Zhao briefly recounted his journey here with Ao Jing, and the young ones squatted obediently, listening attentively. Luo Xue couldn't help but keep asking, "And then what happened?"
Just as they were chatting and laughing, Ao Jing walked over from the nearby corridor. Seeing the young man being surrounded by a group of divine beasts, his fingers unconsciously clenched his robe.
The silvery little fish sensed his owner's hesitation and blew bubbles as it circled around the young child.
Ao Jing put the dizzy little fish back into his sleeve and slowly approached, facing the gaze of everyone as he greeted, "Elder brother, you're back."
"Mm."
Ao Yu glanced at him, his face devoid of expression as he responded flatly.
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He remembered this little green dragon. At every banquet in the past, it would respectfully come and toast him. Although young, it possessed powerful spiritual energy, so it was no wonder it was later favored by the Dragon Patriarch and welcomed into the Dragon Palace.
"Bringing you to the Dragon Palace in this manner was impolite of me." Ao Jing looked at Yun Zhao, bowing his head and apologizing softly.
Yun Zhao was happy to see Ao Jing approaching and said to him, "It's alright, I know that wasn't your intention. I also want to thank you for taking care of me these past two days."
Ao Jing looked at the curious and scrutinizing divine beasts around him, nodded slightly, and asked, "Are you... leaving?"
"Mm." Ao Yu squinted his eyes slightly. "Why? Do you want to stop me?"
"N-No." Ao Jing quickly shook his head. Just as he was about to step aside, a voice came from behind.
Wu Mu licked his paw and said somewhat disappointedly, "Ah... we finally came to the Dragon Palace, and now we're leaving?"
The black cat looked up at the fish swimming outside the barrier, reluctantly licking its mouth.
Yun Zhao felt a bit awkward seeing the young ones constantly turning their heads to take in the surrounding scenery, unsure of what to do.
Ao Yu sighed, seemingly helpless, and said, "Then let's stay for a couple more days."
Upon hearing this, Ao Jing suddenly looked up, a trace of delight flashing in his eyes.
When Ao Yu saw him looking over, he frowned, displeased. "No good?"
"Of course it's fine." Ao Jing's tone became more upbeat. He proposed to Yun Zhao and the others, "Since you're all newcomers to the Dragon Domain, why not let me entertain you."
Yun Zhao naturally noticed Ao Jing's joy and saw the young ones eager to go. He smiled and agreed.
They headed to a high platform, where the golden jade tiles allowed the little phoenix to walk down from Yun Zhao's shoulder for a rare stroll. Looking around at the decorations, carved jade columns and shimmering pearls, they could see the twelve palace chambers at a glance. Colorful fish swam through the barrier above, casting a dark reflection below.
Luo Xue looked up, his gaze transfixed, and his little head kept lifting higher, almost stumbling backward. Servants brought numerous seafood dishes and placed them on the table, with only a few plates of sashimi while the rest of the seafood was steamed to perfection.
The ingredients in the Dragon Palace were naturally top-notch. Wu Mu jumped onto the table and excitedly meowed at the giant scallops that were even bigger than his own head.
But they politely looked at Ao Jing, and Luo Xue looked up and asked, "Brother Ao Jing, can we eat?"
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Ao Jing was stared at by a group of divine beasts with eyes as bright as torches. He couldn't help but be taken aback but nodded and said, "Please, go ahead."
"Meow!"
Upon hearing this, the young ones immediately gathered around, and even the most picky little phoenix started urging Bai Ze to peel shrimp for it.
Yun Zhao found it amusing and was about to join in when he suddenly noticed Ao Yu standing to the side without any intention of eating.
"What's wrong? Aren't you hungry?" Yun Zhao asked curiously. The little dragon had quite an appetite, and even back at Yuming Mountain, he would make late-night snacks for him. But today, he seemed completely disinterested.
Ao Yu looked at the abundant seafood on the table with disdain in his eyes. "After eating for thousands of years, I'm tired of it."
Whether it's raw or steamed, even the most delicious things can become boring. Ao Jing, upon hearing this, became instantly at a loss and was about to instruct the servants to prepare something else.
But Yun Zhao intervened and said, "No need."
He took out numerous bottles and jars from his storage bag, arranged them on the table, and then held a small bowl to add seasoning.
Ao Jing curiously leaned over and asked, "What is this?"
Wu Mu licked his paw, sounding proud, "Haven't tried it before? It's Yun Zhao's seasoning, even wild vegetables taste great with it!"
Although Ao Jing had never eaten wild vegetables, seeing everyone's enthusiastic expressions, he became curious about the taste of the sauce in that bowl.
Yun Zhao prepared a bowl of spicy sauce and a bowl of seafood soy sauce, placing them in the center of the table and gesturing, "Dip and eat."
Wu Mu and Luo Xue transformed back into their child forms, peeled shrimp and cracked crab by themselves, and even dipped them in the sauce and placed them in plates for Xuanming and the others.
Ao Jing also peeled a shrimp, hesitating with the shrimp meat in front of the two small bowls. Eventually, he dipped it in the red paste.
He took a small bite, and after the fresh and sweet taste of the shrimp meat, an intense and fiery spiciness exploded on his taste buds, dominantly occupying his palate, yet making him crave another bite.
Yun Zhao skillfully peeled a large shrimp and the reddish oil of the shrimp roe made the white flesh even more enticing. He quickly dipped it in the spicy oil and fed it to Ao Yu.
The nearby servants had initially wanted to assist in serving the dishes, but upon seeing Yun Zhao's actions, they immediately lowered their heads and stepped back.
Sponsored Content
The bright red spicy oil flowed down the youth's fingers, and Ao Yu grabbed his hand as it tried to retreat. He tilted his head slightly, and his scarlet tongue curled around the tender fingers. The moist and warm touch made Yun Zhao shiver involuntarily, blushing as he withdrew his hand.
Ao Yu wrinkled his nose and secretly glanced at the little dragon. To his surprise, Ao Yu casually picked up a shrimp and placed it in his own plate, silently indicating for Yun Zhao to continue peeling shrimp and feed him.
Luo Xue's little mouth was filled with crab roe, and she looked satisfied as she raised her head. However, Bai Ze reached out and blocked her line of sight, quietly chuckling, "Keep eating yours."
The cat-eared child nodded happily and continued enjoying the seafood feast.
After a full meal and plenty of wine, Yun Zhao originally thought the divine beasts would be as drowsy as usual, clamoring to sleep. But to his surprise, one after another, they were all excitedly playing and frolicking on the high platform, showing no signs of sleepiness.
Ao Jing was pulled by Wu Mu to play with a ball for a while, clearly not familiar with the games of the young ones, and he followed behind Wu Mu in a dazed manner.
Yun Zhao actually found it quite enjoyable. Considering the age of the Dragon Clan, even at two hundred years old, they were still considered young. It wouldn't be fun if he had a serious and stern expression on his face all the time, pretending to be old.
He sat on the soft couch and looked at Ao Yu. "Were you also cold and rarely smiled when you were a child, just like Ao Jing?"
Ao Yu glanced at the young boy playing football not far away and frowned, full of dissatisfaction. "No, I'm better looking than him."
Yun Zhao laughed, "I didn't mention appearance."
Bai Ze listened to their conversation and interjected with a smile, "He was even more reserved when he was a child. Besides cultivating, he would only sleep. Occasionally, he would go to Mount Yuming to play."
Ao Yu frowned inwardly and was about to retort when Yun Zhao curiously asked, "What did he play?"
"Well... let me think..." Bai Ze didn't care about the gaze Ao Yu threw at him. He stroked his chin, pondering. "He went to the river to catch fish, and pulled flowers for the bird's nest... Oh, right! At that time, he had just transformed and couldn't retract his tail. The tip of his tail was bitten by a big fish in the river! He got so angry that he used magic to blow up the big fish into dried fish, hahaha... Ahem!"
Bai Ze was getting into it, but Ao Yu snapped his fingers and cast a silence spell on him, leaving Bai Ze whining and complaining.
Yun Zhao couldn't help but imagine the image of the little dragon brat, dragging his dragon tail and angrily casting spells at the river. He burst into laughter.
Ao Yu drove Bai Ze away and turned to see the young man's silly smiling face, his ears slightly red. He cupped Yun Zhao's face and shook it, warning, "No wild imagination allowed."
Yun Zhao obediently nodded with a smile, but secretly planned to spoil Bai Ze and coax him into revealing more about the little dragon's childhood.
"Yun Zhao, let's go outside the barrier and play for a while!" Wu Mu stood on the ball, not letting the little ferret snatch it, and shouted to them.
Sponsored Content
Yun Zhao knew they were curious about the underwater world, so he turned to Ao Jing and asked, "Is it okay?"
Ao Jing straightened his wrinkled clothes from playing with the ball and nodded, "Of course."
He gave instructions to the surrounding attendants, and two large stingrays with exquisite sedan chairs approached.
Yun Zhao, Ao Yu, and Bai Ze sat together, while the rest of the little ones crowded onto the other stingray.
Before entering the sea area, Bai Ze had already fed them pills that could resist water, which saved them a lot of trouble. The two sedan chairs gently left the barrier and swam towards the deep sea.
Countless sea creatures swam past the coral reefs, making way for the two stingrays.
Small fish emitting a faint blue glow swam past the windows of the sedan chair, tempting Wu Mu to constantly extend his paw to try to catch them.
Xuanming squinted his eyes and swiftly hooked a small glowing fish with his tail, placing it in Luo Xue's hand for the kitten to play with.
When they arrived at a splendid and bustling coral reef, Ao Jing introduced, "The city of the merfolk is ahead."
"Merfolk?" Wu Mu became excited. He knew about these half-human, half-fish creatures. Although they couldn't be eaten, their tears were fun to play with!
Yun Zhao also heard Ao Jing's words. He had seen merfolk in the market before, but they were all ordinary human-like beings. He pondered on the legendary descriptions of merfolk, whether they were graceful and enchanting or cool and noble in the underwater world.
Suddenly, Yun Zhao became interested and squeezed past Ao Yu to peek out the window.
Let me see the beautiful merfolk!
In the colorful coral reefs, a group of merfolk emerged from a cave, each of them holding a crystal trident. They had muscular backs, eight-pack abs, and raised their heads to see the dragon clan sitting in the sedan chair. They immediately shouted in unison, "Greetings, Your Highness!"
Yun Zhao: "..."
Sensing the gradual stiffness in the young man, Ao Yu, who had been pushed aside, squinted his eyes slightly.
He looked at the young man occupying the window and whispered softly in his ear, "These are the merfolk you like. Shall we go and greet them?"
Yun Zhao was instantly at a loss and on the verge of tears. He never expected that the beautiful creatures capable of shedding tears that turned into pearls would be as strong as gorillas, able to slap themselves into two pieces with a single tail swipe.
