The moment Lu Yin appeared, the man’s eyes never left Lu Yin’s. This person was the White Dragon Clan’s Junior Progenitor, one of the four Junior Progenitors chosen during the Perennial World’s Yuanlun Festival: Long Tian.
“Long Qi greets big brother.” Lu Yin respectfully bowed. The person in front of him was an important man.
Long Tian looked at Lu Yin. His eyes were indifferent, and there was not even the slightest fluctuation in his expression, though his voice was even more blunt and uncomfortable. “Call me Junior Progenitor.”
Long Xi could not stop herself from speaking up, “Big brother, he is my husband.”
Long Tian frowned and looked over at Long Xi. “He’s trash who doesn’t qualify to speak to me in such a manner.”
Long Xi’s eyes instantly grew colder. “Does big brother also see me as trash?”
“He’s nothing more than a replacement to help you hold off Bai Shaohong. Given time, I could find many others just as qualified,” Long Tian coldly stated.
“And yet, before he showed up, big brother never mentioned any of that. Bai Shaohong even slaughtered my White Dragon Clan’s branch families, but big brother still never said a thing,” Long Xi’s voice was also cold.
Long Tian sighed. “I’ve been focused on cultivating. You know that I rarely pay attention to such things.”
Long Xi stared at Long Tian. “If that’s the case, then you don’t need to worry about it in the future. He won’t call you big brother because you two won’t meet in the future. I believe that big brother feels that my husband is not qualified to look upon you.”
Long Tian snorted. “Xiao Xi, you keep getting worse and worse about assuming things.”
Long Xi looked up and said, “Big brother, please show some respect towards my husband. Your attitude determines the attitude of the entire White Dragon Clan, and I don’t want him to live in ridicule and eventually fall into depression.”
Lu Yin looked at Long Xi’s back and was inexplicably moved. He knew that, regardless of who was against him, Long Xi would still protect him in this manner. Lu Yin had rarely been protected by a woman in this manner, but it felt quite nice.
Long Tian and Long Xi stared at each other for a moment, and then Long Tian helplessly said, “Alright, he can call me big brother, and I’ll also tell people to not be rude to him.”
“Is there anything else that you need, big brother?” Long Xi asked.
Long Tian grew serious. “As you know, the four of us will soon head to the Dominion Realm to explore it, which is a reward for the Junior Progenitors. Each one of us is allowed to take a few people along. I would like you to go with me.”
Long Xi was surprised. “Based on what’s happened in the past, Junior Progenitors have rarely ever taken people with them when they go to explore the Dominion Realm.”
“That’s because others are not able to reach the necessary level, and exploring the Dominion Realm is too important. That place contains many inheritances from ancient times, so naturally, the stronger the people in the exploration group, the better. You can’t think of kinship at such a time. During the other Yuanlun festivals when the Junior Progenitors explored the Dominion Realm, trespassers would sneak in from the Forsaken Land, and they were not weak. I need help from people who are absolutely reliable, and you are strong enough,” Long Tian explained. He did not try to hide anything from Lu Yin.
Lu Yin heard everything. Forsaken Land? Trespassers?
Long Xi started thinking.
Long Tian continued explaining, saying, “In the past, the Junior Progenitors were overwhelmingly more powerful than the other members of their generation after the Yuanlun Festival. Thus, all opportunities were seized by them alone. This was also why they traveled alone and did not work with others. However, our generation has several talented people, and you are one of them, just like the Wang family and Shenwu’s Sky. There should not be any trespassers from the Forsaken Land, so what we need to be the most concerned about are actually attacks from the other Junior Progenitors. I would like you to help me so that I don’t have to worry about being attacked from behind.”
Long Xi asked, “Don’t you have a good relationship with Bai Shaohong? Why would you be afraid of being attacked?”
Long Tian frowned. “Big brother was wrong about the situation with Bai Shaohong. Additionally, anything obtained from the Dominion Realm is too important, as it might even be something from an ancient Progenitor. Just think about the power of those old Progenitors! The current Progenitors can’t even come close to comparing to those ancient powerhouses, and by our measure, those ancient Progenitors were powerful enough to be called gods. Obtaining the right inheritance could allow our White Dragon Clan to rise up and surpass the Celestial Frost Sect, which would also allow you to be free.”
Long Xi’s eyes shifted. “Alright, but I have a condition.”
“Say it,” Long Tian said.
Long Xi looked over at Lu Yin, and then told Long Tian, “I want you to arrange for him to enter Humility’s Gate to give him a way out.”
Long Tian arched a brow. “Are you worried about dying on this path to climbing to greater heights and that no one will take care of him?”
Long Xi was silent.
Long Tian grew embarrassed. “I can’t make decisions for Humility’s Gate. You should already know that they have their own means of handling things. There’s also a Progenitor behind that system.”
“That’s why I asked you to find a way to send him there. No one can find trouble with him if he enters Humility’s Gate,” Long Xi said.
Long Tian felt helpless, and he gritted his teeth.
“Okay.” After saying that, he carefully appraised Lu Yin. “Try to improve your cultivation. Although Humility’s Gate is a good place to spend your time mooching your life away, if you’re ever discovered, things will end badly.”
With that, the projection of the man disappeared.
Long Xi let out a pent up breath, and Lu Yin finally noticed that her fists had been clenched the entire time. Only now had the young woman relaxed her fists.
What did her reaction mean? This reaction should have been what one showed to an enemy, but wasn’t that her older brother?
“Enter Humility’s Gate to keep yourself safe. Before we go to the Dominion Realm, I will do my best to help you gain some merit so that you can retire to Humility’s Gate. With a status as a retired member of Humility’s Gate, no one will dare to touch you. This is my way of repaying you. If I survive and come back, then it’ll be fine. But if I don’t…” Long Xi looked at Lu Yin and solemnly continued, saying, “Then you should leave the White Dragon Clan and live a quiet life. If that happens, never go to the Higher Realm.”
Lu Yin pursed his lips. The atmosphere had become incredibly serious. “Why should I retire to Humility’s Gate?”
Long Xi’s eyes narrowed. “You can’t think of Humility’s Gate as a place for the rich and powerful to be coddled. People like that die every year. Humility’s Gate is only able to remain independent and stand on the same level as the four ruling powers because they are supported by a Progenitor who does so for their own reasons. Every year, countless traitors of the Perennial World are hunted down and killed all across the Perennial World, and Humility’s Gate is responsible for all of those deaths. Most of what you hear about Humility’s Gate is not accurate, so don’t even think about trying to mess around in there.”
Lu Yin snorted. From what he was hearing, it sounded like Humility’s Gate held a similar position in the Perennial World to the Hall of Honor’s Interstellar Supreme Court. However, Humility’s Gate sounded much more powerful than the Interstellar Supreme Court.
There were three steps to getting married into the White Dragon Clan. Long Xi, as the White Dragon Clan’s princess, held a high position. She had gotten married, and even though everyone knew that she had done so purely to deal with the Celestial Frost Sect, getting married was still getting married. Thus, many people continued to stop by in order to congratulate her. However, most of them were not allowed to see Long Xi.
One day, Lu Yin was once again reading in the library. Xiao Qian approached him and asked him to join Long Xi as she received some distinguished guests.
Lu Yin was surprised, and his guess was that the guests were from one of the four ruling powers, as no one else would be able to receive such respect from Long Xi. But something was off, as receiving congratulations from those four powers was supposed to be the finale of the event. Then, Lu Yin was supposed to follow Long Xi up to the Higher Realm, where his name would be officially added to the family’s genealogy as a member of the White Dragon Clan’s main family. The four forces should only offer their congratulations after that final step. It was still too early.
Before Lu Yin arrived at a guest room, he heard the pleasant sound of Long Xi’s voice, as well as a man’s laughter.
Lu Yin grew upset. Although he had not truly married Long Xi, hearing his wife-to-be enjoy the presence of another man would make anyone upset, especially since Long Xi was always so restrained even when in front of Lu Yin.
Lu Yin entered the sitting room and glanced at the man who had instantly drawn his attention. This person was really, really weird.
Lu Yin had seen many people during his life: beautiful people, ugly people, handsome people, pretentious people, and even impossibly attractive people like Yao Xuan. However, he had never seen someone like this person before.
It was not that there was anything wrong with the man’s appearance, but rather that his clothes were clearly those of a farmer.
The moment he saw Lu Yin enter the room, the man stood up with a bright smile on his face. “Brother Long Qi, my name is Nong Lie.”
Lu Yin nodded and blinked. The man in front of him, Nong Lie, was dressed simply and plainly. His clothes looked quite ordinary, and they were of even worse quality than some ordinary businessmen’s. The man’s hands were also covered with calluses that seemed to come from farm work. There was a white cloth wrapped around his head, and even stranger still, his pants were rolled up, and there was mud on his feet.
Lu Yin was completely stunned. This was his first time seeing such a person. How could he describe him? Down to earth. That was it—down to earth.
“Someone is greeting you.” Long Xi’s clearly disgruntled voice entered Lu Yin’s ears.
Lu Yin finally reacted and smiled as he said, “I’m Long Qi. Hello, Brother Nong Lie.”
Nong Lie’s1 eyes lit up. “Brother Long Qi is from the White Dragon Clan’s Dalian branch, and you should have had a pretty good life. I’ve heard that there are wild beasts around Dalian Mountain. Does brother farm back at home?”
Lu Yin choked on his words for a moment. Farming? That was a very unfamiliar concept to him.
“Brother Lie, let’s sit back down to talk,” Long Xi said.
Nong Lie patted his head. “Look at me! This is my first time meeting Brother Long Qi, and I’ve forgotten my manners! Come, Brother Long Qi, sit down. You’re welcome to join us.”
Lu Yin nodded, speechless. Just whose house was this? Also, when had they met each other? Lu Yin had never farmed any bit of land! However, he had destroyed quite a lot…
“Brother Lie rarely has the time to visit. I wonder, what happened to Sanniang?” Long Xi asked.
Lu Yin’s eye twitched. Sanniang, what a nice name.2
Nong Lie explained, “My sister is still farming. When Brother Long Qi’s name is engraved into the White Dragon Clan’s main family tree, my sister will definitely go to congratulate you two.”
Long Xi nodded. “It’s been several years since I last saw her. I miss Sanniang very much.”
“Haha, little princess, you’re in the Middle Realm now. If you have the time, then go and visit the Seed Garden. Sanniang also misses you greatly. It’s not that she doesn’t want to come visit you, but… you know the reason,” Nong Lie said.
Long Xi nodded and stayed silent.
Long Lie shifted his eyes to look at Lu Yin. “Brother Long Qi, what are your typical pastimes?”
Lu Yin felt a bit strange, as this man’s manner of address was far too familiar. “Reading.”
Nong Lie’s eyes lit up. “Reading? You have such elegant taste in your hobbies! I thought that you’d be cultivating all year round, brother. Cultivating is way too boring, and it’s better to farm. Of course, reading’s good too, haha.”
Lu Yin was really curious what this person meant when he said ‘farming.’ Could he actually be speaking literally? “Brother Nong Lie’s words ring true.”
After hearing Lu Yin’s agreement, Nong Lie laughed even more. At this moment, his rolled up pants shifted, and a round creature that looked like a palm-sized peach jumped out. It had eyes and a mouth, and it let out a loud noise despite its size. It was very cute.
“Little guy, don’t stir up any trouble. Get back,” Nong Lie quietly grunted.
Lu Yin looked at the creature in surprise. What was this thing? An astral beast?
Yiyiyi, the little thing let out a cry as it looked at Lu Yin with evident curiosity, surprising Nong Lie. “You like Brother Long Qi?”
“Yiyi,” the little thing cried out again before jumping at Lu Yin.
Lu Yin caught it by reflex, only to discover the thing weighed nothing. He then looked at Nong Lie curiously. “What is this thing?”
[1] This “Nong” means farmer. So this guy is Farmer Lie. ☜
[2] Her name literally means “third mom,” but the name gives offs a very edgy bossy women kind of feeling, like those mysterious female inn keepers in a dangerous place. ☜
