Dragon Tamer

“My mood swings between good and bad.”

“Seeing the shifting clouds upon Yao Mountain and the verdant dawn upon Dawn Mountain fills me with joy.”

“Beholding the bright moon above the vast sky and stars mirroring the Milky Way also delights my heart.”

“What irritates me most, though, are prying questions and meddlesome behavior!”

Nan Lingsha’s fierce gaze swept across Zhu Minglang, making it clear that her words targeted him alone.

Zhu Minglang forced a smile.

If she found him annoying, why not just say it straight instead of speaking in riddles…

Her temperament was as unpredictable as June rain.

And in fact, she had always been like that.

“Then, the ties between me and the Sword Sect actually have nothing to do with the young miss…”

“I told my older sister that you blackmailed our grandmother, wanting me to marry you in my sister’s place,” Nan Lingsha said with a smile, her dimples as beautiful as the crescent moon.

“As for me and the Sword Sect, the connection runs deep indeed. I spent a large part of my childhood practicing at Yaoshan Sword Sect, and one of the Sword Masters there is my grandfather,” Zhu Minglang said.

“How come you’re both a Sword Cultivator and a Dragon Shepherd?” Nan Lingsha asked.

Zhu Minglang looked deeply at Nan Lingsha.

Complaining about others’ incessant questions, yet she herself is quite the curious cat.

“All types of cultivation are inferior; only the Shepherd stands supreme. I believe that Sword Cultivators alone can’t save this primordial universe, nor rectify the uncompassionate Heavenly Dao. Thus, I switched to become a Dragon Shepherd, hoping to do more for the world’s populace,” Zhu Minglang expounded grandly.

“When I don’t sell many peaches, I switch to selling honey,” Fang Niannian nodded in agreement, appearing to endorse Zhu Minglang’s perspective fully.

Nan Lingsha’s laughter continued, crisp and pleasant, setting her frame lightly quivering.

Following that, Fang Niannian also laughed, clutching Nan Lingsha like a pair of joyful sparrows.

Zhu Minglang showed a glum face.

How could he have forgotten that Fang Niannian had seen him at his lowest?

Why did he choose someone who knew his dark history to be the Little Food Manager?

“The reason I’m leaving the City of Sin is that I want to make a trip to Yaoshan Sword Sect first. Making my way back to Zhu Gate is far too distant, and I’m concerned that people might exploit esoteric or sinister methods to infuse powerful individuals into the battlefield…” Zhu Minglang continued.

“Is Yaoshan Sword Sect far away?” Nan Lingsha asked.

“From here, crossing through another nation’s territory should bring us to the boundary of Yaoshan Sword Sect’s Forest,” Zhu Minglang said.

“Then let’s go and see what the Sect Forest on the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent is like,” Nan Lingsha’s eyes gleamed with interest, evidently quite intrigued by the Sect Forest.

Although reluctant to visit Yaoshan Sword Sect,

He thought about the forces that, aside from the major orthodox powers, behaved so wantonly, like the City of Sin.

It’s not enough to rely solely on Zhu Xuehen’s authority to deter those powerful entities; some substantial forces are needed to bolster the defenses of

Ancestral Dragon City-State.

“Zhu Minglang, the attire of those few people earlier resembles that of the female Orderer. Is she also from Yaoshan Sword Sect?” Fang Niannian suddenly recalled this matter and asked.

“Yes, she’s a Sword Cultivator too, like me, having trained at Yaoshan Sword Sect since our younger days, ” Zhu Minglang nodded.

It was only after purchasing a few maps of the nation-states that Zhu Minglang realized Yaoshan Sword Sect wasn’t too far from West Cliff, which explained why Zhu Xuehen became the Orderer of the new lands.

She must have been at Yaoshan Sword Sect all these years.

During their journey, they didn’t stay long in the city-states and national capitals they passed through. After acquiring what they needed, they continued on their way.

Though said to be not far, the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent was much more vast than the Li Chuan Continent, compounded by high mountains, ancient forests, and many areas where direct flight was impossible.

Villages, market towns, cities, city-states, and national capitals—all were meticulously categorized on the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. Even so, the region was fraught with endless wars and not as peaceful as the Li Chuan Continent.

Moreover, a plethora of forces—large and small Sect Forests, Family Doors, sanctified courts, palaces, and academies—were intermingled, ensuring the rise of factional strife…

What kind of primordial power caused continents to crumble and join together in such a manner? Zhu Minglang felt his life on the Li Chuan Continent was quite comfortable by comparison.

Laying low for another year or so until Little White reached full maturity, he could then eradicate the cancerous Sect Palace and, together with his wife, become invincible in the world, joyfully exploring famous rivers and mountains, living freely and at ease.

Alas, what was supposed to be an attainable dream was delayed and complicated by the unexpected interference of the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent.

Layer upon layer, as picturesque as the winding mountain screens.

The view of Yao Mountain revealed overlapping ridges shrouded in clouds and mist. When one found themselves within, they discovered many peaks and mountains soared above the clouds, as if ascending the highest peaks would allow one to touch the actual Cloud Courtyard Immortal Hall…

Amidst the mountains lay a city, enclosed by the screen-like meandering mountains. At night, the stars shone down mingling with the city lights, creating a sublime vision. Nan Lingsha lingered at a cliffside especially for this, capturing the splendid tranquility on her canvas, majestic and profound!

Yao Mountain boasted a Fog City connected to the borderlands of Yaoshan

Sword Sect Forest. Zhu Minglang didn’t venture into the capital of Mist

Country; instead, he followed the city’s outskirts directly to Yaoshan Sword

Sect Forest.

Indeed, upon reaching this place, Zhu Minglang was quite familiar with the terrain, no longer needing a map to distinguish these towering mountains; after all, he had spent so many years cultivating here, so he was well aware of the number of female birds atop the mountains.

“Please inform Junior Sister Miuzhu that Zhu Minglang has come to visit,” Zhu Minglang said to the disciples guarding the mountain.

“Do you have any tokens of identification?” the disciple with long eyebrows asked.

“This…” Zhu Minglang truly didn’t have any token on hand; he didn’t even have the Zhu Gate’s identity waist plaque anymore.

Having left the Sword Sect for many years now, it was perfectly normal for these disciples to be unaware of him—after all, the ones who guarded the mountains were usually from the younger generation.

“Well, there is a phoenix pine in front of the peak where she resides, with leaf bells hanging on it… Does that count as a token?” Zhu Minglang said.

The long-eyebrowed disciple scratched his head, deliberately glanced at several fellow disciples, and eventually, they all nodded in agreement.

Junior Sister Miuzhu disliked being disturbed by others, so anyone who knew about the tree on the little peak where she resided must have been invited into her courtyard.

The message was quickly passed along by the mountain birds; Zhu Minglang, Nan Lingsha, and Fang Niannian only needed to wait patiently in front of the Sect Forest Gate.

“If you’re truly from the Sword Sect, how come it seems no one recognizes you? Could it be you had no reputation to speak of… which is why you switched professions?” Fang Niannian asked.

“I left here when I was fifteen years old. So many years have passed; it’s only natural these newcomers don’t know me,” Zhu Minglang explained.

“Then who is this Junior Sister Miuzhu? How does she remember you?” Fang Niannian continued to inquire.

“We practiced together when we were children. She was a bit slow and learned at a leisurely pace, while I was clever and learned quickly. I used to give her some guidance,” Zhu Minglang said.

Zhu Minglang actually spoke these words very softly.

Yet the disciple with long eyebrows still overheard him. He immediately furrowed his long eyebrows tightly and glared at Zhu Minglang, saying displeasedly, “Junior Sister Miuzhu is now the senior sister among our Holy Hall disciples. You giving her pointers? You don’t even have a touch of the Sword Cultivator aura about you; don’t spout such madness at the Sword Sect Forest Gate!”

This long-eyebrowed disciple was relatively polite, merely giving Zhu Minglang a verbal warning.

“Probably just some distant relative with nowhere to go, seeking refuge. Our Sword Sect certainly doesn’t lack such menial helpers, ” laughed a few of the other younger disciples.

“The senior sister is arriving; everyone be more dignified.”

“Be more dignified!”

The group of mountain-guarding disciples, who had just been casually chatting, swiftly stood at attention with their hands behind their backs, a solemn expression on their faces. Below the white stone mountain gate, they appeared as majestic and solemn as statues. It was evident that their swords, although not being held, all hung at their sides, slowly rotating, emitting a faint metallic tremor! “Senior Sister!”

“Senior Sister!”

“Senior Sister!”

The voices rose one after another as the disciples all saluted meticulously, showing no signs of negligence.

Zhu Minglang looked up to see a woman of outstanding temperament dressed in a light-colored, form-fitting robe, her jet-black hair elegantly pinned up without a single stray strand.

Adorning her smooth forehead was a piece of jade jewelry, the luster of the silver forehead jade making her cheek skin appear even more ruddy and alluring, delicate as if it could be shattered by a blow, bright and graceful.

“Zhu Minglang!”

“Junior Sister…” Zhu Minglang tried his best to show a warm and gentle smile.

“Who is she!” Zi Miuzhu suddenly pointed at Nan Lingsha, her words carrying a deep questioning tone.

Zi Miuzhu’s questioning completely scattered Zhu Minglang’s train of thought!

Zhu Minglang had prepared a perfect explanation, one that would make his junior sister feel that his years of disappearance were justified and also touch her heart.

Shouldn’t she be overjoyed to tears upon seeing her senior brother was still alive?

“She is a Divine and Mortal from my Dragon Team, a travel companion, Nan Lingsha. Beside her is our little food manager, Fang Niannian,” Zhu Minglang gathered his thoughts and then explained.

“Travel companions? Why are you traveling together??” Zi Miuzhu questioned again.

Zhu Minglang felt dizzy.

Under normal circumstances, shouldn’t his junior sister be concerned as to why he became a Dragon Shepherd?

“Zhu Lang, why the need for secrecy? Our story of immediate kinship and mutual affection, known throughout the Li Chuan Continent, speaks for itself,” Nan Lingsha said with a laugh at this moment; even wearing a veil, one could sense the alluring waves undulating within her exquisite demeanor.

“Just as I thought, just as I thought!” Zi Miuzhu quivered with anger, her beautiful eyes brimming with indignation, “All these years, Grandfather has been lying to me, saying you were dead. In the end, you simply found another woman and didn’t want to see me anymore!”

Zhu Minglang felt a tightness in his chest as if blood was about to surge up his throat.

Could it be that all Sword Cultivators have somewhat of a ‘sword pit’ in their brains?

He was supposed to be dead…

Ah, ah, ah, this is too hard to explain, especially since he was standing here, alive and well.

Nan Lingsha!

Nan Lingsha!!

Why is it that every time she stirs the waters, she is not in her usual detached serenity, the lady of the house demeanor, but takes on the role of this mischief-making little witch, as if she fears the world is not chaotic enough!!