The Empress

"Is something on your mind?"

Throughout the entire Mortal World, there are very few guests who could be personally greeted and treated with such solemnity by Kang De.

The latter, needless to say, is Kang De's relative in this world, his half-brother, with whom he shares a deep bond of brotherhood and loyalty, to whom betrayal would incur a hefty price: His Majesty the Dragon Emperor of the Long Yi.

The former was his rumored girlfriend, his playboy lover, and the key figure who earned Kang De the title of "Ultimate gigolo"—the contemporary Twilight Moon Dairila, who was Kang De's absolute benefactor.

As for why he is a benefactor?

It's quite simple... It was precisely because of their rumored romance and Dairila's ambiguous attitude of not clarifying or opposing it that Kang De's title as a peerless lover, renowned throughout the continent, was solidified. From Summer Dusk Island to the Eastern Mountains, his methods of seducing women were known to everyone, even the dwarves felt that this Cathay must have "amazing talents." Such fame naturally overshadowed the top secrets of Distant Harbor.

Right now--

Lord Kant, the High Governor of Distant Harbor, Duke of Cathay, Prince Consort of Goth, legendary alchemist, invincible Forbidden Spell spellcaster, guardian deity of Yilan-Tai'er, protector of Kang De Broken Isles... is a virgin.

Thanks to Dairila, this secret became a laughable rumor, the kind that no one would believe.

The Phoenix King and the Dragon Emperor arrived one after the other. Kang De first entertained his half-brother. After chatting for a while, His Majesty the Dragon Emperor very considerately pulled Dong Tianming aside to chat, leaving Kang De to his "sister-in-law." At the same time, he secretly winked at Kang De, showing his good intentions in helping him.

Only Kang De and Dairila remained in the tent. The Phoenix King looked at him for a moment and asked directly.

Kang De felt a surge of emotion, but instead of answering, he subtly changed the subject. "How did you end up with the Dragon Emperor? Did you run into him on the way?"

Upon hearing this, Dairila smiled and said, "No, I used my Phoenix Eye to predict his route and took the lead, setting off from another direction to deliberately create the illusion of a chance encounter."

Kang De asked in surprise, "How did you know I invited him?"

Her Majesty the Queen raised her delicate chin, a smug look on her face. "The elven battlefield observer on the other side told me that he has witnessed dragons taking to the skies from the Distant Harbor position more than once, engaging in aerial combat with Griffin's Wyvern forces... Of course, that's not the point."

"The key point is that the dragons that went into battle were also wearing something like power armor, with huge rotary cannons hanging from their bellies, honeycomb-like magical devices on their shoulders, and even their two front claws were carrying weapons. Even under the restriction of the Deceleration Field, they gained an overwhelming advantage over the Wyvern..."

She looked as if she saw right through Kang De, and scoffed, "I can tell at a glance that you're trying to seduce the Dragon Emperor. This kind of dragon weaponry will not only allow Dragon Island Defense to sweep the mercenary market, but it will also multiply the Dragon Emperor's dragon combat power advantage and completely suppress the opposition forces on Dragon Island."

"Since you've specifically brought out this dragon-themed weapon, it's naturally to entice the Dragon Emperor to continue betting and solidify his side. There's no better way to establish an alliance than by formally joining the war..."

The Empress smiled and said, "This time you're launching a decisive battle, and you're even asking me to help you fight. How could you not ask the Dragon Emperor to be your tool dragon? Haha, tool dragon, that's quite fitting—I'm a tool spirit too, huh?"

No, I'd rather it be Doll Sister... oops, I mean Toy Elf.

Thankfully, Kang De didn't blurt out that infuriatingly arrogant question, "Then why did you...?"

Why wait for the Dragon Emperor?

Dairila stretched out her fingers and shook them. "The Dragon Emperor is very cautious. It's not appropriate to try and completely win him over with just this kind of dragon-themed weaponry. I pretended to bump into him by chance, just to escalate the situation. Sure enough, he brought you up, subtly inquiring about my relationship with you..."

At this point, a blush rose to the Empress's exquisite face, as warm as the spring sun, her skin glowing white. She feigned composure and said, "I... I of course misled him..."

Kang De leaned closer. "Tell me more, tell me, how did you mislead me?"

The Empress, annoyed, pressed his face and pushed him away. "Shut up, my foot! Isn't it all for you?"

She huffed, "It's all our ancestor's fault for being lazy, frivolous, and undignified! And it's also your fault for not knowing how to cover it up! Now the whole continent mistakes our ancestor for me, spreading increasingly outrageous rumors about us, making it impossible to distinguish the truth! Even if I clarify the situation, no one will believe me. Since we've already suffered such slander and loss for no reason..."

Before she could finish speaking, Kang De brazenly leaned closer and asked, "Wouldn't it be a waste not to do something?"

Even though she had already used her mental power to cover an area of 100 meters in advance and paid attention to every little movement, Dairila still nervously looked around unconsciously after hearing Kang De's words.

Then, she angrily retorted, "Don't you dare say such strange things to me!"

Kang De muttered, "You were the one who said it first..."

"That won't do! You're allowed to say it, but not me!"

The Empress asserted her imperial privileges with an air of dominance, then turned her face away, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "Anyway... anyway, I misled the Dragon Emperor, making him believe... Hmph, you understand! In short, he now knows I'm completely on your side, which should be a very significant bargaining chip! It should be enough to solidify his resolve to bet on you..."

Kang De understood what Dairila meant.

People are grateful for the kindness and sacrifices others make for them, especially since she's a stunningly beautiful young woman, and a non-human girl with pointed ears. You could practically call her a lucky charm... Pshaw.

In short, this is called being deeply indebted to a beautiful woman.

He gently took Dairila's hand, and Her Majesty the Queen looked around nervously, then symbolically struggled a few times to show that she was not a frivolous girl, just not as strong as Kang De.

Then she quieted down, her pointed ears turning a lovely pink, and heard Kang De say, "Thank you so much. You've been helping me all this time, and I don't know how to repay you."

"It's nothing... we're comrades."

Dairila still tilted her head, saying, "This is all for the sake of fighting the Star Palace. My personal sacrifice is insignificant, just for reputation. It's nothing compared to the safety of all living beings on the continent..."

Kang De's smile faltered.

Comrade.

Facing the Star Palace.

He suddenly realized that the plan he and the Parrot had come up with on a whim actually required persuading many people.

From Valentan first meeting, Dairila's intentions were clear and her goal extremely specific. She was aware of the threat posed by the Star Palace and considered it the primary challenge.

Therefore, she strongly advocated for a ceasefire with Kang De, even at the cost of immense pressure from within the country and her own reputation, in order to promote cooperation with Kang De and maintain peace. In order to strengthen Kang De's power, she even sacrificed the potential national interests of Twilight Moon in some aspects.

And now...

He was shaken and his thoughts were in turmoil.

Although Dairila avoided looking directly at him out of shyness, almost all of her attention was still focused on Kang De. She immediately noticed that his breathing rate had changed, his body temperature had risen, and his mental fluctuations had become scattered. The Phoenix King suddenly turned around and saw Kang De's stunned expression.

Her expression changed, and she stammered, "Ah, it's not just because of fighting against the Star Palace. I also have my pride and my own stance, and I won't treat everyone this way. You're special, I..."

"--I never imagined the Phoenix King was a fledgling."

On the other side, His Majesty the Dragon Emperor and Dong Tianming walked side by side in the trench, when suddenly he grinned.

He and Dong Tianming were old acquaintances, and he nudged the Imperial Tutor of Cathay beside him with his shoulder. "You know, she waited for me on the way, and then casually talked about her relationship with Kang De. Her intentions were obvious. But she's not a good persuader; she ended up getting herself tangled up in her own words."

Dong Tianming forced a smile and said, "You saw through it?"

"She saw through it, but she still succeeded."

The dragon's monarch wore a complex expression. "Moreover, although I saw through her plan and secretly chuckled at her for acting like a timid wife, the more I listened to her story about her and my virtuous brother, the angrier I became. I felt incredibly annoyed, like I'd swallowed three tons of lemons..."

"So what?"

"So, I think I understand now." The Dragon Emperor stopped, his expression solemn. "Her Majesty Dairila is capable of risking her life for Brother Kang De —I'm shipping this couple!"

"Huh?" Dong Tianming asked, puzzled, "What approval?"

"Haha, I misspoke, I misspoke."

The Dragon Emperor laughed a few times, "It's a term that Brother Kang taught me, a concept, a way of thinking, an inspiration—our Dragon Island Defense marketing team recently added a new measure, bundling the two giant dragons together for sale, making up stories about these two dragons, and telling them to customers, and sometimes even to their wives. Brother Kang De calls this 'CP hype,' and I've already written it into the marketing team's script training manual..."

He took out his phone, opened a social media post, and showed it to Old Dong.

The Imperial Tutor squinted and saw two giant dragons flying side by side under the azure sky, their majestic figures striking. Although it was a still image, the composition was exquisite, the colors were rich and grand, and the magnificent impact was overwhelming.

Below is a text description.

Even when Biting Wind was poisoned, paralyzed in his right wing, and on the verge of death, Winter Moon remained by his side, caring for him meticulously. After a long period of waiting, this couple finally took flight again, soaring through the skies. No matter what fate held in their future, they decided to face it together. What an incredible love story! It's so touching!

Then came another update.

"Kamijou, in order to pay off the debts incurred for Biting Wind's treatment and recuperation, the couple started taking orders. They don't want to be apart for a moment, so they only accept simultaneous hires, with amazing discounts..."

Dong Tianming looked surprised and carefully examined the photo of the two dragons flying side by side.

He was heroic and spirited.

"This..." he asked, "Are both of them male dragons?"

The Dragon Emperor nodded and said, "Yes... many humans have a taste for this."

"In other words..."

"They're not actually a couple, they're just pretending," said Brother Kang De. "That's called packaging and 'dragon styling.'" The Dragon Emperor clapped his hands and said, "He said something that really resonates with me—making money isn't shameful."

He added, "Their names aren't actually Biting Wind and Winter Moon, but the client likes the style."

Dong Tianming's expression became increasingly distorted. "... After all, it's a dragon, so proud, yet it's forced to change its name like this, to pretend to be a couple, and to have stories fabricated about it. Don't they have any objections?"

The Dragon Emperor arrogantly declared, "Biting Wind is a useless piece of trash with congenital deficiencies. His combat power is low, and he's even had two orders canceled, so he basically has no business and can barely afford the rent. And yet, he dares to secretly go out and do side gigs! Taking on private jobs is one thing, but he even dares to lower his prices! He's practically poaching the company's talent, utterly lawless!"

He raised his hand in a slashing motion, his murderous intent palpable. "Caught red-handed by the anti-traitor squad, he was fined a hefty sum. Unable to pay the fine, he was, as usual, sent to the copper workshop to sell his blood and scrape his scales to pay off his debts. But he's lucky; he has a good presence, and the marketing department took a liking to him for a new marketing experiment, casting him as this badly injured and sickly Biting Wind."

The Dragon Emperor explained this, then swiped his finger to turn to the previous page.

A tall, pale-faced, handsome man with a stubborn expression sat in a chair, legs crossed, exuding arrogance and aloofness, with an air of nobility about him.

"This is him," the chairman of Dragon Island Defense added. "His appearance has been altered."

Standing next to him was a handsome young boy who looked about twelve or thirteen years old. He was only the same height as Biting Wind, who was sitting down. He had silver-white hair, wore a shirt and shorts, and his fair arms and legs were exposed.

"... Is this what Winter Day is like?"

"Yes, she has high combat power, rich experience, and fights like a madman. Her character is deeply in love with Biting Wind and never gives up. Even when Biting Wind drives her away and scolds her many times, she does not change her mind. She has suffered a lot and incurred a lot of debt in order to cure Biting Wind. She wants to work hard to pay off the debt and face the future with Biting Wind."

"Grass."

Old Dong suddenly felt that the dragon race was somewhat unfamiliar... Why had it changed like this?

The old man stared at the Dragon Emperor's phone as if he were on the subway.

"Well... Biting Wind is a useless, good-for-nothing dragon, but didn't you say that Winter Day is a highly capable core member of the company?" he asked uncertainly, "Is it appropriate for him to play this kind of role?"

"He splits the profits 70/70 with Biting Wind, which is more than he would have earned going solo."

"No, no, no, the point isn't about how much money he makes. He's so young, and his combat strength is outstanding. Why would he..."

"He's several hundred years older than Biting Wind, old enough to be Biting Wind's father."

"..."

"..."

Dong Tianming was even more astonished, staring at the twelve or thirteen-year-old boy named "Winter Day," his voice rising eight octaves. "What did you say? How the hell is he?"

"It was a design personally created by the Dragon Elder of the Transformation Department. This kind of dragon design naturally needs to be matched with this kind of appearance in order to maximize the client's affection."

"How... how could he agree to this?"

"He wouldn't dare disagree."

The Dragon Emperor said coldly, "He's already middle-aged. In a few decades, he'll probably be too old to fight anymore. He's married, has three kids, and is burdened with a mortgage—do you think he'd dare disagree?"

Dong Tianming looked at the Dragon Emperor beside him.

He traveled eastward to this place, visited the mainland, and became acquainted with the Dragon Emperor. Their friendship had lasted for decades.

But it seems only today that I truly realize how terrifying this old friend is...

"Let's not talk about that," the Dragon Emperor laughed. "Let's talk about my sworn brother Kang De and Her Majesty the Phoenix King's relationship—tell me, if I express any doubt about their feelings for each other, wouldn't Her Majesty the Empress, in her anxiety, do something to Kang De to prove that they do indeed have that kind of relationship?"

"... what you up to?"

"When it comes to business, of course you need to build relationships. I'll let Brother Kang De get some benefits and do some support, so he'll have to give me some concessions, won't he?" the Dragon Emperor laughed. "That's the Elf Queen, after all."

I think it's unlikely.

"What if we add this?" The Dragon Emperor turned on the phone's recording function and played a previously recorded file. Dairila's clear voice came through softly.

"To me, Kang De was both a comrade-in-arms and a friend, a teacher who could teach me many things, and a close confidant who could listen to all my troubles. We shared common ideals and goals, could entrust our secrets to each other, and could do anything I wanted in his presence, if..."

The Dragon Emperor pressed the pause button, revealing his pearly white teeth. "Could this make money?"

Dong Tianming blinked, surprisingly a beat slow.

"Wrong."

The Dragon Emperor then realized that his old friend's behavior was unusual. "Is something on your mind?"

"Is something on your mind?"

Dairila repeated her previous question.

Kang De avoided eye contact and whispered, "It's nothing."

The Phoenix King swayed slightly, his hands and feet turning icy cold. "You... you and the ancestor..."

Kang De quickly replied, "No!"

I swear to God.

Dairila bit her lip. "... You're going to marry Tina?"

"Not yet."

The Empress breathed a sigh of relief, but her expression grew increasingly suspicious. "Then what are you feeling guilty about?"

"I..."

Kang De was speechless, feeling a heaviness in his mouth, unable to utter a word.

They retreated and returned to their hometowns, waiting five years before returning again.

It's easier said than done.

But for those who must remain in the Mortal World to wait, how cruel and lonely that must be.

Tina could go with him, Hong San could go with him, and even all the Distant Harbor were willing to go with him, but what reason did Dairila, as the Elf Queen, have to go to Earth with him and stay for decades?

Finally, he said softly, "Let's talk about it after this battle is over."

Dairila looked at Kang De's face, then suddenly moved her body, lowered herself, wrapped her arms around Kang De's waist, and pressed her cheek against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat.

"Are you feeling uneasy and fearful?" she asked softly, "Unsure of the outcome?"

"..."

Kang De didn't know what to say.

Suddenly, the Queen stood up, bent down, grabbed his hand, and pulled him up.

"I too ascended the throne against my will," she chuckled at Kang De. "I have also questioned countless times whether I am capable, whether I can meet the expectations of my subjects, whether I can be a worthy monarch... Whenever my mind wavers, I visit my army and subjects, visit my most trusted followers, listen to their voices, witness their smiles, and feel their trust."

So, let's go.

She took Kang De's hand and pulled him outside.

"Go listen to the sound of your army."