Observations of the Three

The sea breeze was gentle, carrying the lingering warmth of the sunset and a faint salty dampness as it brushed against Huo Yuhao and Demon Spirit's cheeks. In the distance, the last streak of molten gold reluctantly sank beneath the deep-blue horizon, dyeing the clouds in soft orange-pink and dark violet. Amid this tranquil twilight, the sea not far away splashed softly as Di Tian broke through the surface, carrying a bulging seaweed net filled with stones of all colors, their wet surfaces gleaming softly in the dusk.

With a flicker, he arrived on the rocky shore and carefully set the stones aside. His gaze landed on the exquisite shopping bags by Huo Yuhao and Demon Spirit's feet, and he raised a brow. "Oh? Quite a haul. Looks like today's trip wasn't for nothing."

"We got a taste of the results of the soul beast bigwigs entering the human consumer market." Huo Yuhao smiled and patted the reef beside him, gesturing for Di Tian to sit.

Di Tian readily obliged, leaning against a reef beside Huo Yuhao and stretching his muscles. Up high, Demon Spirit sat at the edge of a flatter boulder, casually swinging her little legs as she watched the shifting colors where sea met sky. For a while, none of the three spoke. Only the waves gently lapped against the rocks with a steady splash, mingling with the scattered calls of seabirds returning to their nests to form a pleasant evening melody.

"Not bad, Old Black." Huo Yuhao suddenly turned his head and grinned in a teasingly familiar tone. "You're pretty good at hiding things."

Di Tian was momentarily stunned by the nickname and tone, then showed a hint of disdain. "Hm? What did I hide? And don't talk in that disgusting voice." He really was not used to Huo Yuhao's overly buddy-like teasing.

"Well, this." Unhurriedly, Huo Yuhao pulled out the distinctive package from the largest shopping bag, its matte-black surface decorated with dark-gold scale patterns and the logo of the Deep Space Dragon Domain.

Seeing the familiar lettering and design, Di Tian's gaze flickered. He knew his secret had been exposed. A flash of awkwardness crossed his face, but he quickly tried to remain composed. "This... well... I wasn't deliberately hiding it. It's just... I hadn't found the right chance to tell you." By the end, he was actually stumbling over his words.

Huo Yuhao did not press him. He merely smiled, relaxed back onto the reef, and gazed at the increasingly deep sky. Demon Spirit cooperatively blinked as well, wearing the obedient expression of someone enjoying a good show.

"...Sigh." After several seconds of deadlock, Di Tian was the first to crack. His shoulders slumped slightly as he said in a tone mixed with helplessness and boredom, "I originally wanted to wait until the manor was completely finished and all the product lines were in place, then show it to you as a surprise. But you brat stumbled onto it ahead of time. How boring."

Huo Yuhao immediately laughed. "Huh? And now you're blaming me?"

"Why shouldn't I?" Di Tian simply started acting shamelessly. Spreading his hands, he leaned back and copied the human posture of giving up. "You found out too early, so the surprise is gone. I'm quitting. No motivation left."

After saying that, he deliberately closed his eyes and waited, but instead of Huo Yuhao's expected consolation or apology, he only heard the sound of waves growing clearer. Di Tian could not help opening his eyes and raising his voice. "Hey! Huo Yuhao! I'm serious!"

"Yes, yes, yes." Huo Yuhao drew out his reply lazily. "How could the dignified Black Dragon King, Lord Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King Di Tian, possibly care about the tiny achievement of starting a side business in the human world? I was being nosy."

"You—!" Di Tian choked on that backhanded mockery, both annoyed and amused. A flash of black light flickered at his fingertips, and the phantom of a solid, razor-sharp black dragon sword wreathed in dark energy appeared and vanished in his palm.

"Alright, alright, my fault, my fault!" Seeing that, Huo Yuhao immediately raised his hands in surrender, though the smile on his face only widened. "Dinner's on me tonight. I'll be the chef—an all-you-can-eat grilled seafood feast. Sound good?" Given his current condition, he really did not want to test the sword energy Di Tian casually condensed.

Di Tian snorted and dispersed the sword phantom, his expression turning from cloudy to clear. "That's more like it. Now, to business. Did you sense the discussion in that house? That kid Tang Wulin is going to the forging room tonight for a trial job."

Up above, Demon Spirit swung her little legs and added, "Mm, I heard it. His father, Tang Ziran, got him introduced through an old colleague's connection to Master Mang Tian. That Master Mang Tian seems to be a rather famous master-level blacksmith."

"Mang Tian... I seem to have seen that name on the Association roster." Di Tian nodded slightly. "Ever since Bear Lord became obsessed with forging, he's been thriving in the Blacksmiths Association. His Dark Gold Mountainforge Workshop is quite well-known among the high-end circles. Any official blacksmith mentioned in that workshop's briefings or connected to it in some way must at least have solid skills. This is a proper starting point for Tang Wulin."

Huo Yuhao nodded. "The Golden Dragon King bloodline has an instinctive resonance with strength and metal. This path may truly suit him. Let's go take a look."

The three rose to their feet. Huo Yuhao casually stored the clothing bags in his storage soul tool, while Di Tian put away his net bag of "gems" as well. Carrying shopping bags while strolling was part of experiencing everyday human life, but when it came to moving around, convenience naturally came first.

They quietly arrived near Mang Tian Studio. They watched Tang Wulin, carrying a small tool bag on his back, enter the steady, sturdy-looking workshop with both nervousness and excitement. Through the window, they could vaguely hear Mang Tian's stern explanations, followed by Tang Wulin's somewhat clumsy yet exceptionally determined attempts at hammering.

After observing for a while and seeing that everything was going smoothly with no unusual energy fluctuations, the three turned and left, returning to the outside of the Tang family's little house.

Inside, Na'er sat quietly beside Lang Yue, holding a piece of cloth and some needle and thread in her small hands as she learned to make simple handicrafts. The lighting was soft, her profile serene, her purple eyes lowered. She looked entirely like an obedient girl next door.

However, outside the window, there was no warmth in Di Tian's violet-gold eyes—only cold scrutiny and a lingering trace of doubt.

"Did you see clearly?" Di Tian's voice was lowered, carrying an unquestionable denial. "There isn't any elemental aura belonging to my lord on her. Not even the slightest trace."

Huo Yuhao and Demon Spirit focused their senses. Sure enough, only extremely faint soul power fluctuations surrounded Na'er, no different from an ordinary child who had awakened not long ago. There was absolutely no trace of the vast, primal power of the Silver Dragon King that should have inspired terror—the source capable of commanding all elements.

"The projected aura of the Silver Dragon Spear may still be there, but that's like an object stained with its former master's scent. It doesn't mean the true body is here." Di Tian continued his analysis decisively. "If my lord had descended through a separated soul, then no matter how perfect the disguise, elemental affinity and fluctuations of law are part of life's essence. They could never be concealed so completely. This Na'er before us is either an extremely special avatar created by my lord, one utterly unlike anything we understand, or..."

He paused, his gaze sharp as a blade. "Or she is not my lord's true self at all, but some other kind of thing. If she remains beside the inheritor of the Golden Dragon King's God Core, then she must have an agenda—and a major one at that."

If it was the former, that would be fine. But if it was the latter, the danger would increase dramatically.