“So what you’re saying is—Wu Zhaohua is a formidable cultivator, at least on par with you, right?”
Jiang Huai’s body was slowly released from Qin Qingyue’s dragon tail, his gaze somewhat dazed as he asked her.
He could hardly believe it. The woman who had shared meals and a bed with him all this time was actually a powerful cultivator—a Great Ascension cultivator, no less.
Qin Qingyue’s lips curled with amusement as she savored the look on Jiang Huai’s face, fanning the flames as she continued,
“That’s right. She’s a Great Ascension cultivator. Do you know why she’s been living as an ordinary person by your side?”
Jiang Huai blurted out, “Why?”
Someone so powerful could roam the four seas without trouble. Why would she linger by his side, pretending to be a frail, sickly woman?
“It’s because of the Secret Technique of Wenxuan Sect—the San E Gui Zhen Lu.”
“After passing through the Heaven Tribulation and Earth Tribulation, the most dangerous is the Human Tribulation. She met you precisely when she was facing the Human Tribulation,” Qin Qingyue said with a smile.
“Of the three tribulations, the Human Tribulation is the hardest. The body is gravely ill, meridians shattered, fragile as glass, luck at its lowest, and even others nearby are dragged down.”
She leaned in close to Jiang Huai’s ear, her eyes bright with delight as she watched his reaction.
“That’s why your luck has been so terrible. It’s because you’ve been caught up in her tribulation.”
“You’re nothing more than a tool for her to overcome the Human Tribulation. Wu Zhaohua saw your tough fate and decided to use you to help resist it, so she kept you by her side.”
“She never told you any of this, did she?”
Qin Qingyue eyed Jiang Huai with a hint of mischief, eager to see resentment flicker in his eyes.
Speaking of her relationship with Wu Zhaohua, it was truly a case of enemies fated to meet. The two had been at odds since the Foundation Establishment Period.
Wu Zhaohua had a privileged background—not from the Two Palaces Three Sects, but at least backed by a Nascent Soul Stage Honored Master.
Qin Qingyue was a lone wanderer, relying on her Xuanhei Dragon Physique and stubborn fate to snatch every opportunity she could.
They often quarreled and clashed. Whenever they met, it ended in a fight. Neither could remember who had gotten the better of whom or who had stolen what from the other last time.
Even upon reaching Great Ascension, they’d still curse and bicker upon meeting, never conceding an inch.
Jiang Huai’s ears buzzed, Qin Qingyue’s words stabbing into his mind like icy needles.
He saw again that dilapidated courtyard, Wu Zhaohua’s pale but stubborn face.
And the words she’d once said to him.
‘So petty. One day, when you follow me, you’ll eat and drink well, wear silk and jewels. Why bother staring at this little patch of land?’
‘Then you’ll see how worthwhile it was to look after me all these years.’
So from that day, her so-called “Human Tribulation” must have reached its final stage or perhaps already passed.
And from that day, he had faced his final misfortune—being taken to be sacrificed to the so-called River God.
“This might be for the best,” Jiang Huai said softly.
The smile froze instantly on Qin Qingyue’s lips, her brows knitting tight.
“What did you say?”
“She’s overcome her Human Tribulation. She doesn’t have to suffer anymore. That’s good.”
Jiang Huai lifted his gaze, meeting Qin Qingyue’s eyes calmly.
“As for bad luck? She saved my life. Giving it back to her is only right.”
Wu Zhaohua no longer needed him to look after her, and the years of bad luck she’d brought him didn’t matter anymore.
He owed her his life. Now that he’d helped her through the Human Tribulation, he’d repaid that debt.
The teasing vanished entirely from Qin Qingyue’s face.
She fell silent, those dragon eyes—accustomed to life and death, full of calculation—gazing at the naked man before her with unprecedented intensity.
Jiang Huai’s answer was like a stone dropped into a deep pool, sending unfamiliar ripples through her heart.
“She dragged you through years of misfortune, kept you in the Human Tribulation with her. No matter how tough your fate, you must have suffered plenty, right?”
Jiang Huai thought for a moment. He had indeed been hurt countless times, bad luck following him everywhere. Even just walking, his left leg would trip his right and he’d end up hurt.
“But she saved my life, too. If not for her, I’d already be dead.”
“A person should know gratitude and repay kindness. You can’t just accept someone’s help and then forget it when they need you,” he said earnestly.
Qin Qingyue’s voice was cold, laced with skepticism.
“Even if, from start to finish, you were nothing but a ‘material’ for her to ward off calamity? A convenient ‘tool’? Is that what you call gratitude?”
Jiang Huai shook his head, his gaze unwavering.
“But it’s true that she saved my life.”
No matter how you put it, when he first arrived in this world, it was Wu Zhaohua who saved him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t even have had value to be used.
Maybe that was part of his so-called fate, too.
Hearing Jiang Huai’s reply, Qin Qingyue felt a strange flutter in her heart. She stepped back, giving him a once-over.
Jiang Huai stood there, utterly bare, half-proud, half-helpless. The sight was both comical and awkward.
That part of him she’d never seen before was peeking out curiously, its single eye fixed on her tall figure.
As a lone dragon, she’d roamed these parts for ages—she’d never seen anything like this.
“So, you really value a life-saving grace, huh?” Qin Qingyue raised her elegant brows, the black armor flowing over her body like living ink, silently dissolving into her lustrous skin.
Jiang Huai looked carefully, and when he saw her reveal her true form, his rod couldn’t help but rise, quite satisfied.
Sleek, jet-black dragon scales covered most of her body, shimmering with a cold, mysterious luster.
Her ample, proud peaks were half-wrapped, only their upper curves left bare and smooth.
A slender yet strong waist was exposed, while her lower abdomen was shielded by black dragon scales.
The most alluring triangle was tightly covered, promising unknown temptation, the scales extending to her thighs, then revealing shapely calves and delicate jade feet. Her restless dragon tail lazily swayed behind her.
This half-concealed, wild and seductive form was more striking than any mortal finery.
Jiang Huai’s breath caught, blood rushing downward, his body rigid as he tried to hide his excitement.
He couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Speaking of which, I suppose I’m your life-saving benefactor too, aren’t I?”
“If I hadn’t slain that monster at the river’s bottom, you’d have been ravaged and killed—over and over—by her,” she said, stepping lightly toward Jiang Huai with a smile.
“When I first met her, I saw the bones of many little men piled up there.”
This man was interesting—his fate tough enough to withstand the Human Tribulation, a perfect match for her own.
Might as well keep him nearby. Next time she ran into Wu Zhaohua, she could show him off.
Come to think of it, whether by accident or design, Jiang Huai really did owe Qin Qingyue a life. If not for her, he’d be bones like the rest.
What kind of fate was this? How had he gone from one life-saving benefactor to another?
This one was a walking disaster, no less troublesome than the Human Tribulation itself.
“Yes, I do owe you my life,” Jiang Huai admitted, sounding a bit drained.
“If not for you, I’d probably have drowned at best.”
Qin Qingyue nodded in satisfaction, adding, “And you married me, didn’t you?”
“We both arrived in wedding robes.”
“Does that count as marrying you?” Jiang Huai asked in surprise.
What did she mean? Was this Dragon Lord really planning to marry him?
Would he ever have any freedom again?
“My true form is invisible to others. If you hadn’t called me ‘wife-lord,’ I wouldn’t have…”
Qin Qingyue’s smile hadn’t faded yet when her dragon pupils suddenly contracted into dangerous slits, her expression changing in an instant.
She whipped her head toward the palace entrance, her aura turning fierce and wild. In a heartbeat, her armor reappeared, majestic and imposing.
“Wretched dragon! Demon dragon! Come out and meet your death!!”