Kang De and the Dragon Emperor, a Friendship Across Races!

In short, the second day saw the grandest celebration at the Distant Harbor.

As the residents awoke from their sweet dreams in the early morning, they saw the enormous vessel anchored outside the harbor. The silver behemoth reflected the glow of the rising sun; it had neither sails nor oars, and everyone knew it belonged to the Kang family.

The Empire's Valencia-class warships, the Twilight Moon's flagship, and the Arcane Council's magical armored ships—these vessels, like stars guarding the North Star, were arrayed outside the harbor, surrounding A Fu.

The black hulls of the various national fleets, weathered by wind and rain, and the white hulls of the France warships, polished with wax, fluttered the flags of various nations and shone with magical radiance, making the Goth merchant ships and Coastal Defense Fleet in the Distant Harbor look like their younger siblings.

The warships in the harbor represent distant Truth, while the soldiers on the streets offer nearby admonitions. Clad in black robes, these soldiers roam the streets and alleys, brandishing white magical artifacts resembling morning glories, shouting that the benevolent Lord Kang De is calling on all good citizens of conscience to attend a rally in the city center to witness the fate of traitors.

Dragons soared through the sky, foot soldiers patrolled the land, and unheard-of magical artifacts darted through the low air, their deep voices emphasizing that the Distant Harbor must maintain order today. As a result, the city's security was better than ever before, but only for today, because even the most rampant thieves dared not act recklessly.

A high platform was erected there, and various execution instruments were set up. Elite soldiers and sorcerers from the Three Kingdoms maintained order in the distance. On the platform, a well-dressed magistrate announced the crimes. Leading the group was an elderly man from China with gray Cathay. He owned seven merchant ships in Distant Harbor and had a twenty-four-year-old son who was busy with school.

There weren't many nobles on the viewing platform. They all looked around anxiously, their eyes filled with unease, excitement, and bewilderment. Although the ceremony was packed with people, the governor was not present. The top figures of the Distant Harbor made their stance clear by their absence. Now, they were quietly protesting from their own mansions. What they all felt was the same: unease, excitement, and bewilderment.

Han Zezheng giving a speech on the high platform, and his voice could be heard throughout the vast square. Executioners sharpened their guillotines, condemned prisoners wandered in fear, and onlookers below the platform stood bewildered under the sunlight.

They didn't understand lengthy explanations of crimes, nor did they understand the value of loyalty and the consequences of betrayal. They had their daily toil and hardship, and there was only one reason that brought them here to listen to the lecture: a man named Kang De sent a soldier with a knife to tell them, "No, you are not in a hurry."

Where are the initiators of this daytime extravaganza now?

To my shame, Kang De was not present.

He received a monarch at the Sound of the Tide Manor, whose title was Dragon Emperor.

On the balcony of the third-floor reception room, one can see the distant, surging waves. Lily sits next to Kang De. (Note: "Next to" is correct, not "on the whip.")

Let's introduce this Dragon Emperor in a lighthearted way.

He wasn't wearing a crown or royal robes, and he didn't even look handsome or have any regal majesty. He even had a buzz cut. His ordinary formal attire was neat and long. His first meeting with Kang De took place in the breakfast restaurant on the third floor. He walked in while the Earthlings were eating egg pancakes. Lily was beside him, looking helpless, like a good-for-nothing alcoholic father meeting his lover.

The other person extended their hand warmly.

Hello, Kang De, nice to meet you, I am the Dragon Emperor.

The handshake was warm and firm, but with ordinary force. Kang De wiped his hands and greeted him calmly, without any probing or hostility. Neither side was hostile. The Dragon Emperor did not use the innate divine power of a dragon to crush Kang De's hand bones, nor did Kang De inject the Paradox Element into the heart of this flying lizard.

Kang De asked, "Have you eaten?"

The Dragon Emperor said, "Not yet, we just landed recently."

Together?

The dragon monarch laughed heartily, "That's wonderful! I can't refuse the invitation from the Forbidden Spell mage."

So they retrieved the ingredients and redid breakfast in the small restaurant on the third floor. Lily unpacked the food, and the Dragon Emperor took out new plates and bowls. Kang De shared a sumptuous breakfast with the two dragons: cream buns, a large plate of fried bacon, soft bread, piping hot wontons, German sausages, Hong Kong-style siu mai, various fruits, refreshing ice cream, golden egg tarts, McDonald's pork burgers, and he even set up a hot pot.

I feel like this is a good choice for me.

After finishing their meal, the man and his two dragons sat on the balcony picking their teeth, gazing at the beautiful coastline, the distant frigates, and the dense crowds in the city center—what a stark contrast!

"Mr. Kang De."

The Dragon Emperor examined the dental floss in his hand with great interest. The high molecular weight polyethylene material fascinated him, and he couldn't put it down, but these were minor matters.

He placed the dental floss on the table and said solemnly, "I have to thank you. You saved Lily, you saved those eight dragons, and you even preserved the dignity of our dragon race."

Kang De chuckled, "What, do you want to do me a small favor?"

The Dragon Emperor seemed not to hear him and said seriously, "Really, I am very grateful to you."

Oh.

I understand.

Kang De picked up a slice of watermelon from the fruit plate and handed it to the Dragon Emperor.

"Thanks."

The Dragon Emperor took it, took a bite, and looked at the scene in the city in the distance: the nobles being judged, the crowds gathering, the major events in the Distant Harbor. But in the eyes of the Dragon King, it was just a farce.

He, however, showed a look of great interest.

"Kang De Excellency Kant," he said, "Before coming to see you, I spoke with Lily, chatted with those worthless dragons, and learned some things, including what you did yesterday."

"I have lived for many years, a length unimaginable to humankind. I have witnessed many things, the actions of many monarchs, and the insights of many renowned ministers. From their writings, words, and policies, I have glimpsed their philosophies. In the arrogance of a dragon, they are pathetic and tedious, or rather, their entire race, Civilization, and even era are repeating the painful cycle of the past... But you..."

He pointed at Kang De with a half-eaten melon. "You're different, you're different from them."

Kang De shrugged. "How is it different?"

"Rational yet insane, confident yet flamboyant, like a madman who sees through everything, ambitious yet unable to understand your thoughts..."

The Dragon Emperor looked at Kang De and said, "In Valentan, you buried hundreds of thousands of Elven troops without hesitation, but in Distant Harbor, you patiently discerned and categorized the traitors according to the severity of their crimes."

"This is not out of mercy for Goth, because your insistence on executing nobles in the cruelest, even rule-breaking, way will certainly provoke a strong backlash from Goth and even the continental aristocratic system. You couldn't possibly be unaware of this, and I even think you're completely happy about it."

Kang De turned his head and said, "What, is His Majesty the Dragon Emperor also a supporter and sympathizer of the aristocratic system?"

The Dragon Emperor smiled, "In fact, Your Majesty, the dragon race existed for a very, very long time before a group of short-lived creatures who used mud fences, stone weapons, and Flame to drive away wild beasts and establish communal settlements distinguished themselves by strength and the number of slaves they had. They even witnessed the end of an era."

Kang De's gaze shifted slightly.

Yes, I know.

He immediately said, "Then why does Your Majesty care about such a trivial matter?"

No, this is no small matter.

"Oh? You seem to scoff at the concept of nobility."

"But I dare not underestimate you."

The Dragon Emperor was still smiling, but the smile had vanished from his eyes.

"No one understands the terror of world extinction better than the dragons, and the Forbidden Spell that struck the Broken Isles has made me realize that you may also have the power to end this era."

Upon hearing this, Lily's body instantly straightened and tensed.

The Dragon Emperor glanced at her and smiled helplessly, "You see, she's completely on your side now."

Kang De said calmly, "You used the word 'also'."

The Dragon Language calmly, "Yes, the Fire Thief."

The Fire Thief remained silent, squinting his eyes.

Lily's voice was a few decibels faster than usual. "I didn't say that!"

"I know," Kang De smiled. "He watched you grow up, didn't he?"

"Yes."

The Dragon Emperor answered, looking at the Dragon Girl and shaking his head, "Silly girl, I don't believe any human could win you over in a day. Do you think the Elder of the Library was never there when you sneaked into the Dragon Library to look at the top-secret records as a child? There's only one thing in this world that you care about, and only one person in this world that you can sign the Dragon's Covenant with without hesitation."

His gaze returned to Kang De.

What his eyes held was an unconscious wariness and apprehension.

The Fire Thief have reappeared.

He sighed. "So, it turns out that Princess Tina of Goth found you on the Holy Seal Archipelago. You look very different from Li Manyue, but you have something she doesn't, and you're more dangerous than her. You've caused so much trouble since you appeared in the world... Fire Thief, what have you brought this time?"

These words sound like a personal reflection and sigh.

Li Manyue.

It's that name again.

The Dragon Emperor and Lily's father, a monstrous creature from the Holy Seal Archipelago, was a dragon from the same era.

Kang De leaned forward. "I have many questions."

"I have that too," the Dragon Emperor said. "For example, what is the Paradox Element?"

Kang De shrugged and said, "A substance with bright future applications, which was once dangerous but is now safe, represents the direction of advancement for the world's advanced productive forces..."

The Dragon Emperor said in a deep voice, "How can you convince me that it is safe now?"

Kang De pointed to himself. "Me, I made you believe that it is now safe, that it is now under my control, that I am safe, and therefore it is safe."

The Dragon Emperor leaned forward as well. "You? Why should I believe you're safe?"

You can only trust that I am safe.

"No, I have another way."

No, you didn't.

Why didn't I?

"Because you said I'm dangerous."

Kang De and the Dragon Emperor locked eyes.

Those dazzling eyes seemed to possess boundless Magic Power, sacred and majestic, enough to shatter all defenses. This was the highest level of Dragon Might, belonging to the strongest dragon in the world.

... But to hell with it, my boss is Brother Tu, you're just a Right Envoy of Light at best.

The Dragon Emperor calmly said, "Danger can be nipped in the bud."

Kang De countered, "Did you kill Li Manyue?"

"No, I ignored her at first."

You ignored me from the beginning too.

No, I'm not ignoring you now.

"This is not the beginning. The beginning is when I emerge from the Holy Seal Archipelago, when I slaughter people in Glittering Sand, and even when I brave a rain of arrows from the elves in Valentan to exchange fire with them—that is the beginning."

Kang De said, "And now, you value me, and you can only value me."

"Are you that confident?"

"Did Li Manyue sacrifice her flag with the blood of hundreds of thousands of soldiers from the world's hegemonic army just two months after her debut?"

"But ultimately, your paths diverge from hers. You and I, however, are very close."

The Dragon Emperor finished the melon in his hand, then slowly placed the rind on the table. "Very close."

"No, distance is relative. Spatially speaking, our distance can be infinitely far," Kang De replied. "But the distance between me and your people, your home, your kingdom can be much closer."

Holding their breath, everything fell silent, and the air became extremely heavy.

Lily suddenly shouted, "Hey! Do you have to communicate like this? Weren't you getting along just now? Does it mean that males instinctively confront each other when they get together, choosing a radical, foolish, and unwinnable way of negotiating without compromise?"

Kang De and the Dragon Emperor looked at each other in bewilderment.

"You know what, she's right," the Dragon Emperor nodded. "We don't know each other, but I respect your power and achievements, and you respect me in return. This is the premise of equal communication. I think we can use a gentler approach to resolve our differences and concerns, for example..."

Kang De tentatively asked, "A marriage alliance?"

"A wise choice!"

The Dragon Emperor snapped his fingers, "How much dowry are you planning to offer?"

"Five percent!" Kang De exclaimed, "You can't imagine how huge that is..."

"--Hey!" Lily shouted, "What are you talking about!"

Kang De ignored her and shrugged at the Dragon Emperor, saying, "By the way, Lily is very dissatisfied with this betrothal gift; she insists on fifty percent before she'll agree to my proposal..."

"This silly girl has never had any business acumen since she was little."

The Dragon Emperor laughed, "If it were me, I'd agree even with just one percent. After the marriage, I have twenty-seven ways to get the remaining ninety-nine percent—twenty-seven ways!"

Kang De nodded and said, "You see, this is why I chose her for the marriage alliance."

The Dragon Emperor burst into laughter, and Kang De laughed along with him.

Then they reached out and clapped their hands in the air, who knows what they were celebrating.

Lily jumped up and said, "Do you only reach a consensus when you're making fun of me?"

Kang De glanced sideways and said, "Otherwise what? What's the point of talking to this guy who's polite on the surface but suspicious at heart and determined to get something out of me?"

The Dragon Emperor nodded and said, "Yes, this dangerous and irritable short-lived madman is simply incomprehensible and impossible to communicate with. He is even more arrogant than the dragons, and he does incomprehensible things. He could have just slaughtered everyone to intimidate them, but he chose the most awkward way."

"They didn't even kill them all cleanly, and they had to put on a show, not oppressing the common people, but slaughtering the nobles, even forcing the entire city's populace to watch the execution to frighten them. This is completely pointless; there are a thousand ways to frighten them..."

"--etc!"

Kang De interrupted the Dragon Emperor.

He asked, "Who said it's meaningless?"

"Then what's the point?"

Kang De held up one finger. "One silver coin, one silver coin for each person."

"Huh?" the Dragon Emperor asked, puzzled. "You're forcing them to watch an execution and then making them pay for admission?"

"No, I won't take money, I'll give it away," Kang De said. "I'll send someone to tell them, 'Come and see the execution, come and see with your eyes open. After you've seen it, every single person—adult, child, old man, woman, transvestite, eunuch—as long as they're human, I'll give them money, one silver coin each!'"

The Dragon Emperor was no longer puzzled, but heartbroken. "Why did you do this! It's a waste of money!"

"Don't waste it," Kang De waved his hand and said, "The money came from two powerful families."

"You got all of this, so isn't it yours now? That's money too!" the Dragon Emperor said, heartbroken. "To control lowly people, all you need is a knife; why bother paying them?"

"No, you're wrong. This money isn't free."

"What, you want them to shout and do it?"

"No, I won't shout or do anything."

Kang De pointed to himself. "When they receive the money, they have to line up one by one, sit down, and I take their photos—it's like using a magic device to instantly create a portrait. They have to state their names, family situation, and address to prove they're locals. I also have to stamp their photos to confirm that no one is fraudulently claiming the money."

"In the end, they took the money, and I know how many people took my money, who they are, what they look like, what their family situations are like... Do you understand?"

As he said this, a sly smile appeared on his face.

The Dragon Emperor's expression shifted from puzzlement to surprise, and then to excitement.

--As everyone knows, the Dragon Clan's household registration system is unparalleled in the world.

"Damn!" he exclaimed, slapping his thigh. "I've made a fortune!"

"Of course we made a profit!" Kang De exclaimed. "They took the money, I took the data. They had the money to spend, but with the data, I knew how to earn it back!"

"We need to use them to make even more money!"

"Earn more money, but pay them more money too!"

"And then you can earn that money back!"

"And the money will only keep increasing!"

"Why did the money increase?"

"Because they're doing hard labor!"

In an instant, Kang De and the Dragon Emperor burst into laughter, then clasped their hands tightly together.

"I wish we had met sooner!"

A consensus was reached instantly.

The Dragon Emperor's face flushed crimson, and he exclaimed, "Just one silver coin! Just one silver coin!"

Kang De shook his head and said, "Not only that!"

"What else?"

"And what else? I sent someone to tell them, 'Come, come and see! Food provided! Not only will you get a silver coin, but you'll also have food! Delicious food! High in sugar, salt, fat, and protein, sprinkled with spices! Cheap! I've eaten it three times and never want to eat it again, but they've never eaten it before, and they'll definitely love it—delicious food!'"

The Dragon Emperor shook hands with Kang De, and with his other hand patting Kang De's shoulder, he laughed loudly, "Give them money and food, and they run to the square to watch you behead them. It's such a simple thing, yet you give them money, food, and enough to fill them up. Ten thousand people come, and you give them ten thousand silver coins and ten thousand full meals—why?"

"Of course..."

Kang De grinned and said, "Let them know that I, Kang De —keep my word!"

The man and the dragon burst into wild laughter again.

The style of the scene suddenly changed, so fast that Lily was stunned and muttered, "Um..."

Kang De and the Dragon Emperor turned around simultaneously and said in unison, "Shut up!"

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PS1: Update... This update is late too, the reason is in the chapter!