Picking Up a Little Na'er, Yao Chuan's Confusion: Did She Mistake Me for the Golden Dragon King?

Meanwhile, Yao Chuan was strolling alone along the seaside in Aolai City.

The fine sand beneath his feet was soft, and the waves gently lapped at the shore with a swishing sound. The salty sea breeze brushed his face. It was wonderfully pleasant.

He was enjoying the tranquility when a few sleazy chuckles and voices suddenly drifted into his ears.

"Heh heh, boss, look at that. You don't see silver-white hair like that every day! And what a pretty face!"

"Tsk, tsk. From the looks of her, she might even have some rare bloodline from one of the other two continents!"

"Exactly, boss. If we sell her to those big shots with peculiar tastes in the underground black market, we'll get a fortune!"

Why did that conversation sound so familiar?

Yao Chuan raised an eyebrow and instinctively turned toward the voices.

On the beach not far away, several thuggish young men with dyed blond hair were gathered in a circle, trapping a small figure in the middle.

Inside the circle was a grubby little girl. Her head was bowed, so he couldn't see her expression, but her striking silver hair stood out in the sunlight.

At the sight, Yao Chuan suddenly understood.

Wasn't this the classic scene from the original story where Na'er, the Silver Dragon King's avatar, first met the protagonist, Tang Wulin?

He instinctively looked around, searching the beach for that familiar little figure—Tang Wulin.

Strange. Where was he?

According to the plot, Tang Wulin should have shown up to play the hero and save the beauty by now.

While Yao Chuan was puzzling over it, something else happened.

Among the blond thugs surrounding Na'er, one sharp-eyed lackey suddenly spotted Yao Chuan standing nearby.

As if he'd discovered a new continent, he excitedly pointed in Yao Chuan's direction and shouted.

"Boss! Boss! Look! Over there!"

"There's another one with silver hair! It's a boy!"

"A boy?"

The blond leader followed his lackey's finger. His eyes immediately lit up like a pair of bulbs.

"Holy crap! This kid... He's already this good-looking at such a young age? Imagine what he'll look like when he grows up! He'll be out of this world!"

He slapped his thigh, a greedy smile spreading across his face.

"What a stroke of luck! It's like heaven itself is sending us money!"

"Let's grab both silver-haired kids! One boy and one girl—we'll make a golden pair and sell them together to those perverted collectors. We'll get several times the price!"

"Brothers, move! Surround him too!"

At the blond leader's command, several thugs broke away from the group and closed in on Yao Chuan with sinister grins.

Yao Chuan was genuinely a little surprised by what was happening.

He'd only meant to watch quietly and wait for Tang Wulin to show up. He hadn't expected the trouble to come looking for him.

But once the surprise passed, he felt nothing at all. If anything, he almost wanted to laugh.

With the strength of a thousand pounds in one arm and an overwhelming presence that came with his Martial Soul Awakening, was he supposed to be afraid of a few street punks?

What a joke!

The blond-haired thugs came closer and closer, spewing obscenities as they went. Yao Chuan furrowed his brow, a trace of impatience flashing in his eyes.

He couldn't be bothered to waste words, or even to lift a hand.

A deep, powerful shout burst from his lips.

"Get lost!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it seemed to carry tangible weight, like an invisible wave crashing against the shore!

A terrifying pressure rooted in the depths of the Black Dragon Martial Soul's bloodline erupted without warning. Like a violent hurricane, it swept toward the clueless blond thugs.

The thugs felt a "boom" in their heads, as if an invisible sledgehammer had slammed into them.

Their ferocious grins froze and twisted, and their eyes turned blank and dazed.

Before they could even groan, it was as though their bones had been pulled out from under them. With several dull thumps, they slumped limply onto the sand and passed out cold.

Quick and clean.

With the troublemakers knocked to the ground, the beach fell much quieter.

The little girl who had been huddled in the middle with her head lowered—Na'er—seemed to sense the change in the air.

She slowly raised her head, revealing a delicate little face like a porcelain doll's, though it was smudged with sand.

Her eyes, in particular, were as clear as the purest amethyst.

Now those beautiful eyes were fixed on Yao Chuan, unblinking and full of innocent curiosity.

Her gaze made Yao Chuan feel a little uneasy. He was wondering whether he should ask what was going on.

But Na'er didn't wait for him to speak.

She set off on her little legs and walked toward him, step by step, her feet sinking into the soft sand. She moved slowly, but with clear purpose.

Under Yao Chuan's puzzled, scrutinizing gaze, Na'er walked right up to him.

Then something completely unexpected happened.

The little girl tilted her head slightly and studied him for a few seconds.

Then she opened her little arms and hugged Yao Chuan's leg tightly.

She gently rested her face against his pants, then looked up at him with those amethyst eyes.

Her voice was soft, but carried an odd certainty, as if she were stating an unquestionable fact.

"Big brother... you're my family, right?"

Her words fell lightly into Yao Chuan's ears, yet struck him like thunder out of a clear sky!

Yao Chuan was completely dumbfounded.

Family?

What was going on?

Could she... have mistaken me for the Golden Dragon King?

Was it because my Black Dragon Martial Soul naturally carried an aura of supreme dragonkind?

Yao Chuan's mind raced as he fell into brief thought.

Before he could figure it out, a soft snort—heavy with displeasure and jealousy—came from behind him without warning.

"Hmph!"

Yao Chuan's heart jumped. He instinctively turned toward the sound.

At some point, Mu Xi had followed them to the beach too.

She was standing a few steps away with her hands on her hips, her little mouth pursed. Her pretty eyes were fixed on Na'er clinging to Yao Chuan's leg, filled with undisguised resentment and wariness.

"Hey! What are you two doing hugging each other?!"

Yao Chuan hurriedly explained what had happened from beginning to end.

Only after hearing him out did Mu Xi relax.

Still, she felt that even so, there was no reason for the girl to keep clinging to him like that.

What kind of behavior was that?

She lowered her head and looked at the little girl clutching Yao Chuan's leg.

"Little girl, what's your name?"

"Let go, okay?"

Na'er ignored her completely.

Instead, she clung even tighter and rubbed her little head against Yao Chuan.

"Big brother... you're my family."

Her voice was tiny, but absolutely certain.

Yao Chuan looked down at the "ornament" attached to his leg, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Mu Xi was fuming beside him.

But Na'er looked only five or six years old.

And remembering that she really had been in danger just moments ago, Mu Xi's heart softened.

In the end, she agreed with Yao Chuan's suggestion.

They would take the little girl to the hotel first, give her a bath, and get her cleaned up.

They would also call the police and ask them to help find her real family.

Mu Xi turned around and led Yao Chuan and Na'er, still glued to his leg, back to the hotel.

The three of them had only just left.

Tang Wulin happened to pass by this stretch of beach. As he approached, he paused, a look of surprise on his face. For some reason, he felt strangely empty inside, as though he'd lost something.

But he couldn't figure out why. He shook his head and didn't think about it any further, quickly turning his attention back to blacksmithing.

Little Wulin clenched his fists and encouraged himself.

"Come on! Today, I'll get even better at mastering the rhythm of hammering!"