I am the last black dragon of the Black Dragon Clan. Because there was no black dragon marriage, I tied the young master of the White Dragon Clan back, forcibly, I didn't expect to give birth to a few dragon eggs. Later, I ran away with the black egg and left the white egg with him. I heard that the young master of the White Dragon has been looking for the black dragon that scummed him.
I am the last Black Dragon of the Hei Family. My entire clan, parents, uncles, aunts, even Great-aunt Hei Pingping were all wiped out years ago in that notorious Celestial Demon Showdown. Only a tiny hatchling, yours truly, was hidden under a cabbage leaf and saved by my valiant mother and father. Before she died, my mother clutched my claw with her last breath and whispered, "Little Zhu, the future of the Hei dragons rests on your shoulders. When you grow up, you must lay lots and lots of dragon eggs and bring our clan back to glory." So, I hid out in the Secret Dragon Gully for centuries, nibbling on moss and the occasional misdelivered takeout.
When I finally grew old enough to breathe fire without sneezing, I faced a problem none of the ancient scrolls had prepared me for: How was I supposed to lay lots of dragon eggs if I was the only Black Dragon left on this planet? Talk about being set up to fail by fate.
Desperate, I morphed into my human form, tall, dark, and devastatingly misunderstood and set off to find a solution. Black and white dragons might not look the same, but they all fall under the grand umbrella of dragon like noodles, they come in more than one color. Maybe I could find a loophole for the whole extinction thing. That’s why I found myself strutting down the road to Baiyun Town, a quaint little village famous for being home to the legendary Bai White Dragons. The second I arrived, I stumbled into a crowd gathered outside the grand mansion of the Bai Family. They were hosting their annual recruitment drive, and frankly, I needed a job rent in Secret Dragon Gully is outrageous.
Gritting my teeth, I disguised myself as a humble black snake. Sure, a lowly snake isn’t as legendary as a dragon, but nobody questions a good story these days. Besides, snakes and dragons are practically cousins. A grumpy old man with bushy eyebrow squinted at me.
"What kind of creature are you, then?" he barked, poking my scales with his cane.
"I’m a snake demon, sir. Almost on the verge of becoming a noble Jiao."
Snakes, dragons it’s all reptiles and wishful thinking. The old man stroked his beard suspiciously, then shrugged. "Eh, the Young Master has seen worse. You’re kind of adorable, like a licorice rope." He scribbled a note in his ledger and shooed me along. "Stick around, kid. You’re on probation." Just like that, I infiltrated the Baiyun Estate.
To my shock, Baiyun Town only had the one real White Dragon clan; everyone else in town was some flavor of minor spirit, yokai, or failed magician, all vying for the White Dragons’ approval. The Bai Family itself boasted seven or eight lavish White Dragons, but the talk of the manor was their soon-to-be adult Young Master, Bai Mu, an impossibly handsome lad of seventeen, lips redder than firecrackers, skin fair like steamed buns, and hair so white he looked like a snowstorm wearing boots.
The moment I spotted Young Master Bai Mu from across the courtyard, bustling around waving his sword at terrified peacocks, I knew: If I couldn’t marry another Black Dragon, why not borrow a White Dragon heir? Kidnap him, have a couple of eggs, and hope for some genetic variety. Black, white, polka dotted anything but extinction. That would finally make my ancestors roll comfortably in their graves. So, as I scrubbed cauldrons and fetched cherry pastries, I kept my eye on Bai Mu. Every day, I tried to inch a little closer, blending in with the other weirdos, while mentally rehearsing my "surprise, you’re coming with me" speech. What could possibly go wrong?
"What's your name?" Young Master Bai Mu suddenly stopped in his tracks as he passed by me and asked with genuine curiosity.
"I’m Qing Yao." I kept sweeping the courtyard floor while casually answering him.
"You’re not one of the spirits from Baiyun Town, are you?" Bai Mu’s question made my heart skip. Did he somehow sense my true identity?
He looked at me with innocent, wide eyes. "I know the scent of every spirit in Baiyun Town, but I’ve never smelled anything like you."
"Reporting to you, Young Master," I said quickly, "I just moved here. I am a snake demon. I heard that serving close to the dragon clan allows one to absorb dragon aura, so I came."
Bai Mu tossed me a small jade token.
"What’s this?" I pinched the smooth jade in my palm, puzzled.
"This is a Baiyun Town pass. With this, you won’t be discovered as an outsider spirit, and nobody will kick you out."
"Thank you, Young Master. You’re so kind." I tucked the token safely into my pocket, amazed at how easy it was to gain his favor. I slapped my chest with a confident grin, swearing allegiance to Young Master Bai Mu from now on.
Bai Mu stroked his chin thoughtfully, and after a pause, he said, "I want to visit the Human Realm, but everyone forbids me. Do you have any ideas?"
He really trusted me we’d just met, and he already treated me like one of his own. Was the little white dragon a bit too innocent?
I stood awkwardly, thinking for a moment. To earn his trust, I had to help him this one time.
"There’s a way, Young Master." I leaned close and whispered, "Use transformation magic. Pretend you’re a small spirit and slip out unnoticed."
Back when my parents were alive and I was still a little dragon, I used the very same trick to sneak out for some fun.
Under my guidance, Bai Mu transformed into a tiny white rabbit. With hardly any effort, I led the little white rabbit safely out of Baiyun Town, just as the human realm was celebrating the Lantern Festival.
The dazzling array of lanterns instantly caught our eyes.
"Wow. I didn’t expect the human world to be so beautiful. Every time I asked my parents to take me out, they said I was too young and shouldn’t wander off."
Bai Mu’s eyes widened in amazement as he dashed along the streets, happily munching on candied hawthorn skewers sold by a vendor.
Luckily, I had more experience and quickly paid the vendor's bill for him before he got into trouble.
"Qing Yao, let’s go release sky lanterns," Bai Mu said excitedly.
After running around enough, he stood at the bridge, staring up at the night sky filled with hundreds of glowing lanterns floating gently upwards.
The lanterns flickered and bobbed like tiny stars set free, casting a warm glow over the river below.
"Look, Qing Yao, each lantern carries a wish," Bai Mu whispered, eyes sparkling. "What should we wish for?"
I smiled under the soft light. "How about that the Black Dragon clan thrives again? That we never have to hide or run?"
Bai Mu nodded solemnly. "Yes, that’s a good wish.
Just as we released our lanterns, a sudden gust of wind sent dozens of them swirling chaotically, one striking a nearby tree and setting its leaves aflame.
"That’s a bit more excitement than I expected," Bai Mu said nervously.
"Don’t worry, I’ve got it," I said, transforming my hand into a small flame and carefully dousing the fire.
Bai Mu watched me with admiration. "Qing Yao, you’re braver than you look."
"Well, sometimes you have to be when you’re the last black dragon trying to survive among all these white dragons," I replied with a wink.
As the festivities continued with laughter, fireworks, and music floating through the night air, I realized that this unlikely friendship with Young Master Bai Mu might just be the beginning of something complicated. Because the more I got to know him, the harder it became to remember why I was supposed to keep him captive in the first place.
Under the myriad glowing lanterns scattering the night sky, Bai Mu tugged at my sleeve eagerly. "You have to release a sky lantern too," he insisted with a bright smile.
Unable to resist, I followed him to the stall selling lanterns and picked one out together.
"You can write your wish on the lantern," the vendor said, handing us a brush, "If the gods up there see it, maybe they’ll help make it come true."
I carefully wrote on the lantern: "Many offspring, much fortune."
Bai Mu glanced at my writing, confused. "You really want to have a lot of kids?"
I smiled sweetly and nodded, "I’m the last one left in my family, so I plan to have lots of children. That way the house will be lively again."
Bai Mu grinned and grabbed the brush to write on the same lantern: "Many offspring, much fortune."
I stared at him, astonished. "Why are you writing exactly the same thing as me?"
He beamed, "To help you make your wish come true."
Watching his cheerful face made my heart flutter. But secretly, I started scheming in my mind when should I take him home as mine? If I had a few eggs from him, surely one of them would hatch a black dragon, right?
Chapter 01
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