Dragon Tamer

Zhu Clan Inner Court, filled with maple and willow trees, had building structures resembling pavilions, intricately scattered around this hillside lake island.

Looking back, one could catch sight of the entire bustling, dreamlike Waterdrop Lake City; looking ahead was like stepping into an otherworldly garden, with broad paths lined with orchids that bloom all year round, and branches, willow twigs, grasslands, and flower beds all meticulously maintained.

The outer court still carried a strong metropolitan residence flavor, but upon entering the inner court, it became a completely different world, as if it was the spiritual essence of the grand Waterdrop Lake all concentrated in one place. To describe it as the Spiritual Mountain Wonderland would not be an exaggeration.

This is probably the true foundation of the Zhu Clan. At the gate, it would have been impossible to imagine such a sight within; even the Imperial Palace’s Imperial Court could not compare to the tranquility and elegance here.

“The stone arch bridge we just crossed is the boundary between the inner and outer court. Sigh, my uncle and aunt have borne such humiliation; after such an incident, they probably don’t wish to share the details with my father. In the end, they just swallow it all down.” Zhu Minglang heaved a sigh.

“You think I’m unaware of this matter?” Just then, a man fishing by an ancient willow tree at the lakeside spoke.

Zhu Minglang, Nan Lingsha, and Fang Niannian all turned their gaze toward the lakeside simultaneously; initially, they hadn’t even noticed there was someone sitting there.

“Your wife and daughter have grown up so much, and only now you bring them back home. If your Elder Sword Sovereign hadn’t given me a heads up, next month we’d be arranging your funeral here in the inner court,” the fisherman continued.

Fang Niannian and Nan Lingsha glanced at each other.

Uncle, please don’t pretend to be some wise man and not even turn around. Could you please make sure of your facts before speaking?

Who are his wife and daughter here?

“Father, after so many years, you still haven’t cured your poor eyesight,” Zhu Minglang said, bringing the two women with him toward the fisherman.

It was then that the fisherman finally gave Nan Lingsha and Fang Niannian a closer look before his eyes awkwardly returned to Zhu Minglang, and with an embarrassed smile, he said, “Your mother has never allowed me to take a concubine. You, on the other hand, are leading a carefree life, discarding the enviable cultivation others dream of, ignoring the complex familial politics, living these worry-free days…”

“Uncle, don’t live in your own world. We aren’t like that!” Fang Niannian said indignantly.

“They are members of my Dragon Shepherd Team, this is a Divine and Mortal from the Nan Family of the Li Chuan Continent’s Ancestral Dragon City-State, Nan Lingsha. The one calling you uncle is my Little Food Manager; we are partners, not spouses,” Zhu Minglang earnestly explained.

“What did you just say you were?” the fisherman slowly stood up, looking solemnly at Zhu Minglang.

“I said I am now a Dragon Shepherd,” Zhu Minglang met his gaze, unflinching.

“Dragon Shepherd, Dragon Shepherd!!” The fisherman seemed almost frantic upon hearing this, nearly throwing his fishing rod aside as he lamented, “The Zhu Clan’s Casting Art—does it hold no place in your eyes? You said you wanted to pursue the sword, and then you followed your Aunt Xuehen to the Yaoshan Sword Sect. Now that your Sword Cultivation is gone, I was actually very happy, thinking you could settle down and learn our Zhu Clan’s skills properly. But no, not you, you became a Dragon Shepherd instead. Is there something disgraceful about Casting Art??”

Fang Niannian and Nan Lingsha stood by with their mouths agape.

Something seemed off about Zhu Minglang’s father.

As the helmsman of the Zhu Clan, shouldn’t he be stern and authoritative, not indulging in laughter with his son? Why did he seem… somewhat like a humbly doting father?

“Father, I have been practicing. I made a suit of armor for my dragon, I’ll show it to you later,” Zhu Minglang said.

“So you picked up our ancestral craft because of dragons?”

“If you wish to see it that way, I can’t help it,” Zhu Minglang replied helplessly.

“Fine, if it’s for the sake of dragons, then let it be for dragons,” the fisherman said, settling back down.

He waved his hand toward the lake as if calling someone upon the water’s surface.

Suddenly, in the tranquil lake, a figure as graceful as a goose skimmed across the water, a valiant woman in black brocade landed at the lakeside, her whole being like a block of ice emerging from the water…

Without a word, the black-brocaded woman simply maintained a kneeling posture, her cheeks showing no superfluous emotions.

“I originally instructed Qin Yang to chop off the limbs of that little beast but spare his life so that your uncle and aunt could exchange it for some improvement in status. However, since you’ve already said what you did in the ancestral hall, there’s no need for me to intervene,” Zhu Heavenly Officer stated.

“So you had plans in place, father. I thought the years had softened you,” Zhu Minglang said, managing a slight smile.

Seeking justice for Zhu Tong was the least he could do for Zhu Yushan and Bai Xin.

“There are things you’re better handling publicly than me doing them covertly,” Zhu Heavenly Officer remarked.

Power struggles in the dark, friction and grudges are all too common, but there are unwritten rules as well.

If Zhu Heavenly Officer were to kill Hao Shaocong himself, it would not ensure that some higher-ranked individuals from the Purple Sect Clan would not harm the younger generations of the Zhu Clan.

“Is this matter targeted at you?” Zhu Minglang asked.

“Half of it is. They want to provoke me, tossing out a Hao Shaocong and Hao Yong, hoping I would strike first. It would be equivalent to me breaking the rules first, giving the Purple Sect Clan free rein to suppress and bully the younger generation of our Zhu Clan,” Zhu Heavenly Officer explained.

“Knowing the gravity of the situation, you still planned to have Qin Yang take action?” Zhu Minglang inquired.

“They have their plans, and I have my anger to vent. If something similar happens in the future, I will act the same,” Zhu Heavenly Officer snorted coldly.

Don’t talk to him, Zhu Heavenly Officer, about schemes; he was a man who believed in retribution!

Of course, Zhu Minglang had returned…

Originally, it meant harming the enemy by a thousand, at the cost of self-inflicting eight hundred, but now there was no need for self-hurt.

Whatever conspiratorial tactics the other party used, they would simply bite back in kind.

Having Zhu Minglang kill Hao Shaocong in the grand tournament would be no big deal, they, Zhu Clan, would even pay for Hao Shaocong’s funeral expenses.

Zhu Yushan and Bai Xin would surely be delighted to spend that money, probably even hiring a professional pallbearer team to ensure the Hao family’s loss was handled with dignity!

“Father, I heard from the Elder that there have been great changes within our Zhu Clan recently. Has something significant happened? Our Zhu Clan is, after all, one of the Six Great Clans, albeit the last one; why do we now seem so destitute?” Zhu Minglang said.

“What destitute, Young Master? Do you even care about the Zhu Clan at all?” Qin Yang, dressed in black brocade, spoke up at this moment.

“Aren’t we destitute??” Zhu Minglang asked in confusion.

“Do you really have that little confidence in your father’s ability to manage our clan?” Zhu Heavenly Officer raised an eyebrow and asked.

“Now the Zhu Clan and the Pu Clan stand as the two heads of the Six Great Clans. The other four major clans have already been suppressed by us. Let alone Hao Yong and Hao Shaocong – these minor families and clans – without Purple Sect Clan, we could annihilate them and no one would dare to criticize us. It’s precisely because in these years, our clan’s development has been too rapid, which has drawn jealous eyes from the Royal Family, Purple Sect Clan, and other clans and powers, leading to many incidents.” Qin Yang explained. Zhu Minglang’s mouth hung open in shock for a long while, unable to close it.

The so-called changes…

Meant that we had risen from the last of the Six Great Clans to the first???

Elder Sword Sovereign, could you not speak so ambiguously?

All the way here, Zhu Minglang had been incredibly nervous in his heart, fearing that the people in his clan were being bullied and destitute. Especially after returning and seeing those white lanterns for the funeral!

“So when you act in the future, you don’t need to be too timid… But the thing about severing the limbs of Royal Family descendants, try to do less of that. If you must, don’t leave any leverage for others, make it flawless, you understand?” Zhu Heavenly Officer earnestly advised.

Fang Niannian and Nan Lingsha listened from the side, finding it all very odd.

Would any father really teach his son to act this way? Shouldn’t he be advising his son to be cautious, not to act rashly or on impulse?

“Right, there is something I need Father to take care of urgently…” Zhu Minglang said.

“Which girl did you impregnate?” Zhu Heavenly Officer asked.

“Would you stop being so disrespectful? I’m speaking of urgent matters. Do you know of the Li Chuan Continent?” Zhu Minglang said.

“Of course I know. That land isn’t as simple as it appears, and in a little while, I’m afraid many powers will covet it.” Zhu Heavenly Officer stated.

“What does Father know?” Zhu Minglang was somewhat surprised.

Likely, such a distant territory shouldn’t arouse any interest in the Zhu Clan, so why did it sound like many big figures were eying the Li Chuan Continent???

“I’ve only heard some fragments here and there. The Li Chuan Continent is actually even older than the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. It is said to contain many undiscovered ancient relics, and perhaps even an Ancient Dragon Gate…” Zhu Heavenly Officer revealed.

“Is that true?” Zhu Minglang looked perplexed and turned to glance at Nan Lingsha.

Nan Lingsha did not respond.

It was unclear whether she had never heard of such matters or if she indeed had some secrets she had not shared with him.

“So if you are intending to compete, you may face not just scions of various clans.” Zhu Heavenly Officer also knew what Zhu Minglang was thinking.

“Does Father have any good ideas?” Zhu Minglang asked.

“What ideas can I have? Our Zhu Clan is now the envy of many. Any slight movement can bring a host of troubles. It might be difficult to protect the entire Li Chuan Continent, and if the rumors are true, those old monsters will certainly not allow our Zhu Clan to monopolize it… But to protect the four city-states you mentioned should be no problem. If worst comes to worst, I’ll call in your grandfather and tell him there’s an ancient sword tomb on the Li Chuan Continent. With Yaoshan Sword Sect backing us, this matter will be secure.” Zhu Heavenly Officer said.

Zhu Minglang nodded. He had had this idea for a while, which was why he had made a point of visiting Yaoshan Sword Sect.

“With Father saying this, I can rest assured. Sigh, I thought there had been a huge change in the clan, that it was struggling to survive. I had planned to return and revitalize the clan; it seems my worries were unnecessary.” Zhu Minglang remarked.

“Huh, I knew early on that I couldn’t rely on you, you little good-for-nothing, so I had to be even more prudent than you. Our Zhu Clan doesn’t have many Dragon Shepherds, so we can’t offer you much support. Or else I’ll go to the Royal Family and arrange a marriage for you, make you a prince consort or something. With the resources of the Royal Family, you will surely ascend to the top with ease!” Zhu Heavenly Officer’s eyes lit up, as if even he thought the idea was excellent.

Eating soft rice again??? Zhu Minglang wouldn’t stand for it!

Hey, why did he think ‘again’?

Fang Niannian, standing nearby, was already laughing so hard she could barely stand straight..