The Azure Dragon Guild

Riyao took Mirajane to stroll through the floating market, where the boats were all linked together with iron chains and wooden planks, allowing ordinary people to walk across steadily.

Dozens of wooden boats of various sizes were lined up end to end, the thick wooden planks beneath their feet swaying with the waves, creaking underfoot.

Colorful magic lanterns hung on both sides, and the aroma of grilled squid mixed with the salty sea breeze filled the air, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.

The surrounding area was filled with vendors selling seafood barbecue and handmade seashell ornaments, and tourists with beer in hand moved between the decks of the boat, creating a lively atmosphere like a bustling market during Chinese New Year.

Riyao put his hands in his pockets, his gaze sweeping back and forth over the fleet of ships linked together by iron chains. His eyes darted around, and his palms began to itch.

This formation looks so familiar; it's practically a replica of the chained ships at the Battle of Red Cliffs from my hometown history book.

If a southeasterly wind were to blow a tinderbox down at this moment, a massive fireworks display that would shake the entire port of Hargeon would be set off.

If Natsu's Fire Dragon were to spit at the bow of the ship, this entire chain of ships probably wouldn't last three seconds.

"This is making me so tempted, I really want to light a fire... Oh dear!"

Before he could finish speaking, Mirajane, who was walking beside him, raised his hand and delivered a light but firm chop to his forehead.

"What do you want? Can't you see how haggard our eighth Chairman Makarov looks? You're still causing him trouble."

Mirajane puffed out her cheeks in annoyance, grabbed his sleeve, and pulled him toward the stall, afraid that this bastard might accidentally destroy the floating night market that everyone had worked so hard to build.

If a fire were to burn down the livelihoods of these hundreds of vendors, the mayor of Hargeon Port would be crying and jumping off a building in Fairy Tail tomorrow. At that point, Makarov would definitely chase the couple for three thousand miles with a kitchen knife.

"I was just thinking about it. How could I possibly do such a thing? You know me, I'm a completely good person."

Riyao rubbed his forehead, putting on an innocent expression like a law-abiding, model citizen, while muttering to himself that he was giving himself a "good guy" card.

Mirajane rolled her eyes at Riyao.

What kind of good person? A really bad person, right?

Others might not know how wicked this guy is, but how could she, his bedmate, not know?

If you were to plaster the words "purely good person" on his forehead, even the dogs on the street would shake their heads in protest all night.

They deliberately stayed away from Lisanna and the other two big lights, strolling leisurely around the boat, stopping to watch any interesting stalls they came across.

Just now, under the guise of buying candied hawthorns, Riyao grabbed Mirajane and slipped into the crowd, leaving Lisanna, Lucy, and Natsu's group, whom they had just met, far behind.

Now that the chattering little tails were gone, begging for snacks, the two of them strolled hand in hand past stalls filled with exotic treasures and seafood snacks, finally rediscovering a bit of their own private time.

Looking up, the giant Parasol tree, its canopy blocking out the night sky, was emitting a soft green light. Tiny specks of fluorescent light drifted down from its canopy, illuminating the entire sea surface like a dream.

Riyao rested his chin on his hand and stared at something for a long time before suddenly nudging Mirajane on the shoulder.

"To be honest, this floating market is quite interesting. Maybe when I bring the Parasol Tree back, I'll plant it in the sea outside the guild as well."

The Fairy Tail guild's main entrance faces a vast ocean. It was from there that Phantom Lord launched its attack, unleashing a powerful Jupiter Ray at the guild.

That sea area is usually empty except for a few fishing boats. If this big tree were moved there and put down roots, it would not only serve as a natural breakwater, but any foolish enemy who tries to fire from the sea could have their bows smashed with tree branches.

The two started planning what to do, and had already thought of going to Mayor Magnolia to get approval for the land use, without charging rent, just for the sake of having some fun.

Anyway, the mayor of Hargeon Port made a fortune off this tree. Once it's moved back to Magnolia, the mayor will probably be laughing in his sleep. The approval process will be a piece of cake.

Then we can have Cana and Wakaba from the guild set up a bar on the ship. We can keep the profits in the family and even make a good profit from the guild's daily expenses.

"Then the treetops will be our own private plot of land. We can go up there to enjoy the scenery and stargaze whenever we want, hehe..."

Mirajane's eyes sparkled; she already had a picture in her mind, and she smiled sweetly.

With her hands clasped together in front of her chest, her long eyelashes fluttered in the lantern light, and she seemed to be radiating pink bubbles.

This made Riyao unable to resist. He reached out and pinched the little face, then cupped the cute little face in his big hands and kissed it several times.

Smack! Smack!

He took several quick sucks on her cheeks and forehead, like stamping an official seal, messing up Mirajane's neatly combed sideburns.

Shut up, you idiot! It's all drool.

Mirajane tried to block Riyao's attack with his hand, but found it had little effect, so he pulled down with his right hand.

Her face flushed red as she pushed against Riyao's chest, but the bastard clung to her like a leech.

In a moment of desperation, Mirajane reached down with her right hand and groped around, accurately pinching his vitals through the thin fabric of his shirt, then twisting her wrist ninety degrees.

"Ouch! That hurts... Ouch, what are you doing?"

Riyao froze, jumping up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He clutched his left chest tightly with both hands, forced out two tears from the corners of his eyes, and gasped for breath as he hopped around.

Good heavens, even the Black Dragon's claws couldn't break through his defenses, and he almost fell victim to his own wife's incredibly precise "dragon claw" strike!

Mirajane scratched her cheek, looking embarrassed. She had meant to pinch the soft flesh around her waist, but before she even reached the intended spot, she gave it a quick squeeze instead.

Seeing her husband squatting on the ground, grinning and making funny faces, she blinked her big eyes twice. Far from feeling guilty, she seemed to have discovered some magic weapon to defeat her enemy.

"If you don't behave again, I'll pinch you again!"

She found this much more effective than twisting the soft flesh around her waist, which opened a new world for her, and she glanced at Riyao a few times.

Mirajane rubbed his hands together, his sapphire-like eyes scanning down Riyao's collarbone and chest as if they were equipped with radar, clearly looking for any other equally functional switches.

"Stop looking! Stop looking! Your eyes are scaring me! Where else are you trying to pinch?! Hey, not here! It'll break!"

Seeing that Mirajane's gaze was becoming increasingly strange, Riyao quickly turned around, afraid that she would test him.

Especially when he saw her gaze drift towards the area under his belt, Riyao felt a chill in his crotch and quickly put his legs together and turned his back, covering his private parts completely.

She leaned against Riyao with a grin, her face full of curiosity, discovering many vulnerable spots besides the soft flesh around her waist.

Mirajane wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, rested her chin on his shoulder, and her slender fingers lightly traced his belly and ribs, startling Riyao so much that he stumbled as he walked.

The two were playfully bickering, attracting the attention of those around them. Passersby cast envious, jealous, and resentful glances, wishing one of them were them.

Several single men who were strolling through the night market alone watched with gritted teeth, their freshly bought kebabs suddenly losing their appeal, their mouths filled with the sour taste of lemon.

In the air thick with the stench of love, a sudden commotion arose among the crowd ahead. A dozen burly men swaggered past the vendors blocking their way and swarmed towards them.

"Hey beautiful, my brother wants you to come over and have a drink with him!"

An ordinary-looking thug walked over, followed by more than a dozen people. The one with an outstanding presence next to him was probably his older brother.

The thug who was leading the shouting was wearing a bandana askew, his chin almost touching the sky, and he pointed to a cold-looking man standing in the shadows next to him, wearing a black cloak and with his arms crossed.

Riyao and Mirajane exchanged a glance. How long had it been since they'd encountered something like this?

When Mirajane first switched to a gentler style, she attracted quite a few thugs like this. Later, she found it too troublesome and started tying her hair in a small bun on her forehead to lower her attractiveness, although it didn't really help.

After all, their natural talent is undeniable. Even if they went out in a burlap sack, they would still be the most stylish guys on the street. Moreover, in recent years, Riyao's reputation has spread far and wide. Local bullies around Magnolia would avoid them. It's been years since they've seen such stubborn, wild extras.

The two found it quite amusing and immediately got into character, with Mirajane trembling as she hid behind Riyao.

The S-Class poster girl, who could usually tear demons apart with her bare hands, was now clutching the back of Riyao's clothes with both hands, her shoulders trembling as she shrank back, her face instantly switching to a pitiful, frightened expression.

"I have a husband! You all get out of here right now, my husband is a mage!"

Riyao obediently stepped forward.

He also tensed up, adopting the demeanor of an ordinary citizen who, though inwardly apprehensive, had to put on a brave front to protect his wife, and brandished his fist with a fierce but ultimately weak expression.

"That's right! If you know what's good for you, get lost!"

The thugs opposite glanced at the two of them, but didn't see any guild crests, so they assumed the other party was just some low-level mage.

After all, Riyao's guild crest is printed on his chest, while Mirajane's is covered by her long dress, so outsiders really can't tell anything about her from the outside.

"Big brother! They're definitely not any powerful mages; they're just trash who haven't even joined a guild."

As he spoke, he showed off his guild emblem.

The thug smugly ripped open his collar, revealing a blue dragon head pattern on his chest, and roared while spitting as he spoke.

"See that?! We're mages from the Azure Dragon Guild!"

Upon hearing the name, Riyao and Mirajane were both stunned, as were Natsu and the others who were squatting to the side watching the show.

Behind the grilled fish stall not far away, Natsu, Gray, and Lucy, who were leaning over a wooden bucket eating sunflower seeds and watching the commotion, froze in unison, the sunflower seeds falling to the ground with a thud.