"Who? Who dares to ambush our Dragon Sovereign?!"
"Dragon Sovereign, Dragon Sovereign, are you okay? Say something, please!"
"Dragon Sovereign, Dragon Sovereign, you're bleeding from your nose—it's on your clothes!"
"What?! Pass it down: the Dragon Sovereign's clothes are covered in blood!"
"What?! Pass it down: the Dragon Sovereign is covered in blood!"
"What?! Pass it down: the Dragon Sovereign was attacked, his life hangs in the balance, lock down the area!"
"What?! Pass it down: the Dragon Sovereign…"
The boy with dragon horns, blood dripping from his nose, maintained a composed posture. He raised a hand to signal to those around him that he was fine, then turned his gaze to the boy who had fallen to the ground.
Running recklessly in public—this guy… so uncouth.
"Uh… sorry, really sorry."
Yingxing looked at the boy. "Is your nose okay? Should I take you to the hospital?"
The boy frowned slightly. "No need. I, the Vidyadhara Dragon Sovereign, would I go to the hospital over a minor injury? Watch yourself next time, or else…"
Yingxing: "You really don't need a hospital? When I hit you, I could feel your nose collapse."
The boy instinctively touched his nose, saying stubbornly, "I said, no need."
"Really? Your voice sounds different now. It must hurt a lot, right?"
"Hah?!"
The boy gave an angry laugh. "Kid, you're an ordinary person, so I won't hold your foolish words against you. But listen clearly: I am the Luofu's Vidyadhara Dragon Sovereign. A minor injury like this is nothing!"
The Vidyadhara around him chimed in, "Exactly, exactly! Lord Dan Feng is the most exceptional Dragon Sovereign in our history. How could a mere mortal like you harm him?"
Drip.
As they spoke, another drop of blood fell from Dan Feng's nose.
Yingxing: …
In his mind: Sigh, I was the one who bumped into him, but this guy's got a really stubborn mouth. And for some reason, seeing his face makes me want to bump into him again.
Vidyadhara Dragon Sovereign? He'd heard of the title—a figure akin to the leader of the Vidyadhara clan… Oh, I get it. He's probably putting on a tough front because his lackeys are here and he can't lose face.
Better give him a way out.
"Then… let me wipe it for you."
Yingxing decided to take responsibility. Under the shocked gazes of the crowd, he used his sleeve to wipe Dan Feng's face—
And smeared blood all over it.
"Oh no, you're bleeding way more than I thought. For your health, let me take you to the hospital. Otherwise, I'll feel guilty," Yingxing said.
Dan Feng suppressed the urge to hit him, activating his Cloudhymn technique. Water flowed over the wound, healing it visibly and cleaning the blood from his face.
"See? I told you, it's just a minor injury. No big deal."
Dan Feng looked down at Yingxing, feeling a surge of satisfaction. This kid must be stunned, huh? Heh, with that dumbfounded look, he's probably some ignorant outworlder.
…Fine, even if this guy was rude earlier, ignorance is no crime. He'd be magnanimous and let it slide.
Give him a way out.
"Alright, I misjudged earlier. I apologize."
Yingxing bowed slightly. "I'm Yingxing, from the Zhuming. If there's any issue later, you can find me. I won't shirk responsibility."
With that, he turned and left.
"Ugh… what bad luck."
After parting with Dan Feng, Yingxing walked alone through this unfamiliar land, suddenly feeling quite miserable. On his first day at the Luofu, he'd already run into so much trouble.
—"The Cloud Knight said the person went this way. Let's look closer."
At that moment, a crisp voice came from nearby. Three white-haired figures approached Yingxing, chatting and laughing among themselves.
How old are Xianzhou people when their hair turns white? These three look pretty young…
As Yingxing thought this, he glanced at the trio. He might not have noticed if he hadn't looked closely, but when he saw Baiheng, he froze in place.
How to describe it? It was like an Italian cannon spotting a ghost—a boom went off in Yingxing's heart.
As if fated, without reason or logic, the moment Yingxing saw Baiheng, his heartbeat faltered.
Was there really such an enchanting girl in this world?
For no reason, Yingxing panicked. When Baiheng and the others glanced at him, he instinctively lowered his head, avoiding their gazes.
…
After dismissing his entourage and ensuring no one was around, Dan Feng finally let out a sigh of relief. His handsome face twisted as he sucked in a sharp breath.
As Yingxing had said, he'd been enduring the pain all along.
—"Look, is that him?"
A crisp voice rang out. Dan Feng turned to see a Foxian girl running toward him, sizing him up.
Dan Feng frowned. "Woman, I'm not interested in your kind."
"Uh… sorry, please wait."
Jingliu followed, holding a list and checking it against his features. "Male, young, dignified, confident and commanding, dismissive of romantic pursuits, focused on forging… Seems to match."
Dan Feng: "What are you talking about?"
Jing Yuan caught up, and the moment he saw Dan Feng, he sensed something was off.
He recalled General Huaiyan's disciple was a white-haired youth. Why were these two crowding around a black-haired Vidyadhara?
Even if Baiheng hadn't seen him, Jingliu should have… Oh, right, her memory's terrible. Forgetting is normal.
Baiheng grinned. "We're talking about you! You're Yingxing, right? Gotta say, General Huaiyan's description was spot-on. Along the way, you're the only one who fits all these traits."
Dan Feng: ?
What traits? And the name "Yingxing" sounded vaguely familiar.
"No, wait, what are you even talking about?"
"Geez, such a big guy throwing a childish tantrum."
Baiheng stood on her toes, playfully ruffling Dan Feng's hair. "Listen to you. Come on, let's go back, Yingxing."
Yingxing… Yingxing?
Dan Feng suddenly remembered—the youth who'd bumped into him earlier was named Yingxing.
These people were looking for that guy?
How absurd. He, the grand Vidyadhara Dragon Sovereign, mistaken for some crude kid?
Dan Feng's throat moved, about to clarify, but then a thought struck him: Clarify? Why should I bother?