During the autumn hunt, Liang Jun turned traitor, helping Sheng Feng capture Sheng Lan. Using her as a hostage, he threatened my parents.
The second branch of the family had torn off all pretense. Led by Sheng Feng and Sheng Lie, they led a group of guardian beasts to seize our home.
“Where are my parents and my sister?”
I leapt forward, grabbing Sheng Feng by the collar.
He looked panicked, forcing a smile and groveling.
“Good niece, your parents are in the rear courtyard. Let me go—I’ll take you to them!”
I let him go, but he threw a smoke bomb and fled.
Only Liang Jun remained.
“Where are my parents and my sister?”
He lifted his head, his eyes shifting from sorrow to stubborn hatred.
He sneered, “Want to know? You’ll have to kill me.”
I froze.
Liang Jun hated me?
“A guardian who betrays his master—I, Sheng Yu, will never accept again.”
“Liang Jun, let’s break our contract.”
His eyes widened, his fists clenched.
His breath came ragged, as if panicked.
Suddenly, a thought struck him.
“Break the contract? Do you dare?”
I answered with action.
Channeling my spiritual power, my head throbbed with pain.
Liang Jun cried out, clutching his head.
“No… Sheng Yu…”
At last, I collapsed, exhausted.
Sang caught me, gently soothing my spirit.
Seeing my weakness, Sang’s expression turned icy.
He punched Liang Jun in the chest.
Liang Jun flew through the air and crashed to the ground.
He bit his lip, staring at me with eyes full of regret and hatred.
“You dare break the contract? If you die young, don’t blame me for not sharing my lifespan!”
His eyes were a storm of emotions—hatred, reluctance, pain.
Sang slapped him.
“Don’t worry. She has me.”
Liang Jun spat blood, silent, his eyes red and furious.
I looked at him coldly.
“Liang Jun, my family has always treated you well. Why betray us?”
Liang Jun laughed, a bitter, mocking sound.
“Treated me well? What about my parents? You and your father killed them. You deserve this!”
I was stunned.
“What are you talking about?”
Liang Jun was an orphan. When he came to our family, his parents were already dead.
I’d once asked my father about his origins.
Father had sighed and patted my head, saying Liang Jun was a pitiful child.
Father always helped injured beasts. He’d never harm anyone.
Liang Jun’s lips pressed tight, his eyes bloodshot.
“When you were weak, your father wanted a talented guardian. He killed my parents and took me.”
“I’ve been serving my enemy for years… and I even… I even…”
He choked, unable to finish.
“Your fate is deserved! I hate myself for not killing you myself.”
My face turned cold.
Sheng Lan had told me that before I was born, Father had chosen a bear guardian for me, just like hers.
But something happened, and Liang Jun replaced the bear.
I had no memory of those days. How did Liang Jun know?
After a long silence, I spoke.
“Who told you this?”
Liang Jun clenched his jaw, looking away.
His stubbornness made me angry.
“You don’t have to tell me. I know—it was Sheng Feng.”
“Liang Jun, you never even asked me or my father. You condemned us, made me fall from the cliff, poisoned my sister, and hurt my parents!”
My voice grew colder.
“Choosing you as my guardian was the biggest mistake of my life.”
Liang Jun’s eyes widened in shock.
He’d sought revenge, only to realize he’d been deceived.
He muttered, “No… that’s not possible…”
Sang spoke, “If you want the truth, you only need to look.”
Liang Jun struggled to his feet, swaying.
“Sheng Yu… don’t lie to me…”
I closed my eyes, exhausted.
Liang Jun’s betrayal was all because he’d believed Sheng Feng’s lies.
Sheng Feng escaped. Without their leader, his followers surrendered, leading me to my sister.
When I found Sheng Lan, she was near death.
Sheng Feng had poisoned her.
Desperate, I cut my wrist and fed her my blood.
Soon, she revived, looking at me with weak surprise.
“Am I dying? I see Sheng Yu…”
Tears fell as I held her hand.
“No, sister. It’s really me.”
When she recovered, I went to the dungeon for my parents.
Sheng Feng had killed their guardians, forcing the contract to break.
My parents were gravely injured.
If I hadn’t returned, they might not have survived.
Mother told me Liang Jun had conspired with Sheng Feng for half a year.
The autumn hunt was a trap.
Seeing the state of our family, my heart turned cold.
By family law, a guardian who betrays his master is executed—publicly, by a thousand cuts.
I explained Sang’s origins.
My parents were stunned. They couldn’t believe a real dragon existed.
Father examined Sang and whispered to me, “Your body… if Sang is willing to become your guardian and share his lifespan…”
I shook my head.
Sang was too powerful. The guardian contract was a master-servant bond.
If the master died, the servant died. But if the servant died, the master was unharmed.
It wasn’t fair to Sang.
He wouldn’t want it.
Chapter 03
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