Inside the Longyin Hall.
Chihuang stepped through the air, her crimson skirt gently swaying in mid-air like a walking flame.
She stopped before the door of a residence, crossed her arms, and examined it. After a moment, she shook her head.
“This one won’t do. Too remote, and too far from the Vast Sea Residence.”
The Vast Sea Residence was the core of the Longyin Hall, the dwelling place of Jiang Huai and Qin Qingyue, located at the very center of the entire palace.
The surrounding residences housed those closest to him.
Although Chihuang didn’t say it out loud, she was perfectly clear in her heart and naturally wanted to live closer.
She continued flying forward, looking at and picking through each residence one by one.
The Longyin Hall truly had many residences, each spacious, bright, and elegantly furnished, clearly designed with great care.
As she flew, she muttered to herself internally.
‘Why does this Longyin Hall feel bigger than our Red Dragon Clan’s Scarlet Flame Palace? It also has the most residences. Qin Qingyue really knows how to grab the best.’
She flew back and forth through the air, her skirt fluttering and her dragon tail lightly swaying, finally stopping before a residence extremely close to the Vast Sea Residence.
Her eyes lit up as she pointed at the carved door.
“This one is good! I instinctively like this place.”
From the outside, this residence wasn’t much different from the others: a vermilion door carved with dragons, surrounded by jade railings. A small wooden plaque hung on the lintel, engraved with three characters: Blazing Residence.
Chihuang could faintly sense a warm, yang-like energy slowly circulating inside, warm and comfortable, making her feel a natural affinity for it.
Jiang Huai glanced at the characters on the wooden plaque and shook his head.
“No, this one belongs to Zhurongxin and Zhu Siyao.”
This was the residence Zhurongxin had chosen a long time ago. Zhu Siyao insisted on living with her mother, so they both lived here.
Chihuang pursed her lips but didn’t say anything, just thinking internally, ‘They can live together?’ before turning and flying to the next one.
“How about this one?”
“Su Yingman’s.”
“This one?”
“That’s Chi Lian’s.”
Mentioning Chi Lian, Chihuang’s expression turned awkward. She coughed lightly and mumbled.
“No, change it.”
“Need to be farther away from this one.”
‘Come to think of it, I still don’t know how to face Chi Lian. Wouldn’t it be awkward if we met?’
Chihuang continued her selection, her slender finger pointing around in the sky, muttering to herself.
The Longyin Hall truly had many residences. She flew for quite a while, and the more she looked, the more she grumbled internally.
‘This Longyin Hall is probably the palace with the most and most magnificent residences among the Five Great Dragon Clans.’
‘When Qin Qingyue seized the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace back then, wasn’t she already eyeing this point?’
“This one…”
“Bailu’s.”
“That one?”
“Tang Zhaoxue’s.”
Chihuang deflated, hovering in mid-air, pouting as she looked at the corridor full of residences.
After a long moment, she waved her hand.
“Forget it, forget it, I’m not choosing.”
She turned and wrapped her arms around Jiang Huai’s arm, her voluptuous figure pressing against him, her tone carrying a mix of helplessness and coquettishness.
“My judgment definitely isn’t as good as my Honored Master’s. Let’s wait for her to come and choose.”
Little Courtyard.
Qin Xuange stood alone inside the room, looking around.
The mess left by the earlier fight had been mostly cleaned up by her.
The shattered fragments of the tea table were thrown away, the messy bedsheets were smoothed out again, and the stains of varying depths were taken away, replaced with new sheets.
She clapped her hands, her gaze sweeping over every corner to confirm nothing was missed.
Actually, Jiang Huai hadn’t told her to clean up.
But she still felt she should tidy up.
This was a place the White Dragon Clan had given Jiang Huai to live in.
Even if they weren’t staying anymore, she didn’t want outsiders to come and see this mess, to see something that could become a joke about Jiang Huai and herself.
She didn’t know when she had started to see things from the perspective of being one of his own people.
‘Was it from the moment Qin Qingyue possessed me?’ She shook her head, stopping that train of thought.
Just as she was about to turn and leave, a childish female voice came from outside the courtyard.
“I already said I’m here to see my father! What danger could there be? Can’t you stop following me all the time?!”
The voice was milky and childish, yet carried an air of self-righteousness.
“Don’t follow me!”
Qin Xuange’s delicate brows furrowed slightly, wondering who was causing trouble.
She turned, pushed the door open, and stepped out.
Outside the courtyard gate, a small figure swaggered in.
It was a young girl who looked about three or four years old.
Her figure was petite, wearing a snow-white little dress that barely covered her knees, revealing legs as white and tender as lotus root joints.
Most striking were the pair of small white dragon horns protruding from the sides of her forehead on top of her head. They were no thicker than a little finger, like two freshly sprouted bamboo shoots, their tips still having a slightly fuzzy texture.
She held her head high and chest out, hands clasped behind her back, walking into the courtyard with a stride that seemed to acknowledge no kin.
Her large, pale blue eyes darted around, full of curiosity, yet also carrying a sense of “this is my father’s territory, I can walk however I want.”
Behind her followed two young women with helpless expressions.
One of them Qin Xuange recognized: the Saintess of the White Dragon Clan, White Sandalwood.
White Sandalwood was still wearing a simple, pristine white dress today, the hem reaching her ankles, giving her a cool, ethereal air.
However, her usually indifferent face was now full of helplessness.
Watching the small figure ahead, she could only follow step by step, occasionally speaking up.
“Jianjia, slow down…”
The other young woman Qin Xuange didn’t know, but judging by her clothing and demeanor, she should also be a core member of the White Dragon Clan.
Qin Xuange observed the little dragon girl before her, her gaze lingering on those dragon horns for a moment.
‘A pure-blooded White Dragon takes on a young woman’s form upon transformation.’
‘That’s an ironclad rule of the Dragon Race. Only half-dragons maintain this young girl form during childhood.’
Combined with what she had just said, Qin Xuange immediately understood.
‘This is Jiang Huai’s daughter.’
‘Jiang Jianjia.’
For who knows which time, a complex emotion surged in Qin Xuange’s heart.
She looked at that small figure, at that delicate, doll-like little face, at those eyes that somewhat resembled Jiang Huai’s, feeling a mix of conflicting emotions.
‘This is his daughter.’
‘His and Bailu’s daughter.’
“Qin Xuange.” White Sandalwood stepped forward, giving Qin Xuange a slight nod in greeting.
Then she turned to Jianjia, explaining helplessly, her voice cool.
“Jianjia, listen to me. Our Honored Master specifically instructed us before she left to protect you closely.”
“Even if you want to see Jiang Huai, you have to let us follow you.”
She paused, then added.
“You are the Honored Master’s daughter, a descendant of the Yin-Yang Body. From any perspective, the White Dragon Clan cannot let you run around outside alone.”
Jianjia gave a light humph, not even turning her head, clearly not taking these words to heart.
She narrowed her dragon eyes, her gaze falling on Qin Xuange, looking her up and down, asking bluntly.
“Who are you?”
She tilted her head, her tone full of interrogation.
“Why are you in my father’s courtyard?”
Qin Xuange chuckled lightly.
People said the dragon ladies of the White Dragon Clan were as cold as frost, with expressions that acknowledged no emotion, yet she saw traces of helplessness and vexation on White Sandalwood’s face.
She crossed her arms, leaning against the doorframe, looking down at the little dragon girl, deliberately drawing out her words.
“You guess?”
Jianjia narrowed her dragon eyes.
She stared at Qin Xuange’s face for a good while, then turned her head to look at White Sandalwood, looking left and right.
Jianjia pointed at Qin Xuange, then at White Sandalwood.
“I recognize you! You’re like this woman, you both hit my father back then!”
Qin Xuange was taken aback.
She froze for a moment, then remembered. During that time when she helped Jiang Huai break through, this little white dragon, who hadn’t yet transformed at the time, was indeed watching from the side.
The corner of her mouth twitched slightly, momentarily at a loss for words.
“Where’s my father?” Jianjia asked, hands still clasped behind her back, looking up.
White Sandalwood looked at Qin Xuange, shrugging as she asked.
“Where’s Jiang Huai? Did he go out?”
Qin Xuange raised her hand, pointing casually not far away.
“Over there, having a private meeting with your mother.”
White Sandalwood and Jianjia followed the direction she pointed.
In the distant sky, a majestic palace floated among the clouds.
The palace was towering and imposing, with layers upon layers, piercing the clouds, suspended in the heavens, overlooking the mortal world, a magnificent sight.
Jianjia’s eyes widened, her little mouth forming an “O” shape.
“My mother is back?”
She turned her head to look at White Sandalwood, then at Qin Xuange, hesitated for a moment, then transformed into a stream of light. Her small figure shot into the sky, speeding towards the floating palace.
“Don’t run!” White Sandalwood’s expression changed, calling out urgently. “Slow down!”
Just as she was about to give chase, she suddenly remembered something, turning to ask Qin Xuange.
“When did the Clan Leader return? How come I didn’t know?”
She was currently handling various clan affairs in Bailu’s stead. If the Clan Leader had really returned, how could she not have heard the news?
Qin Xuange also shrugged, leaning lazily against the doorframe.
“I didn’t say it was Clan Leader Bailu.”
“Can’t other mothers be mothers too?”
White Sandalwood was stunned.
She opened her mouth, momentarily at a loss for words.
On the distant horizon, that small stream of light was almost about to rush into the Longyin Hall.
She stamped her foot, quickly transforming into a stream of light to chase after it.