The Silver Dragon King

The three of them quietly retreated from the entrance of Red Mountain Academy, their figures blending into the thinning morning crowd and the shadows of the streets until they were far from the commotion.

"Mm, we need to make a move and test her tomorrow." After leaving the Tang family's little house, Huo Yuhao leaned against an old tree with his arms crossed, his expression serious.

"If she's the Silver Dragon King, then there's still room for discussion," he continued analyzing. "After all, the Golden Dragon King's God Core is inside the child she's watching. Their goals may be aligned, and the Divine Core will need to be separated eventually. But if she's some other unknown existence..." He did not finish, but his meaning was clear.

Di Tian nodded. He had little interest in the Golden Dragon King's God Core itself, but he absolutely could not tolerate it falling under dangerous or unknown control. If it truly was his lord, everything might be negotiable; if not, the threat had to be eliminated.

"What do you plan to do?" Di Tian asked.

"Walk right up and ask, 'Are you the Silver Dragon King?'" Huo Yuhao answered solemnly.

"Huh?" Demon Spirit froze beside him, unable to wrap her head around it. Could they really be that direct?

Di Tian frowned slightly as well. After some thought, however, he shook his head. "I think it would be better to wait a little longer. You noticed it too. Her instinctive alienation from and rejection of that human family has been diminishing day by day, and she's blending in more naturally. You want to provoke an emotional reaction with sudden stimulation to judge her, but if she sinks in more deeply, then if the instincts belonging to her 'nonhuman' side still remain, her reaction when touched may be more genuine and intense. If we test her now, she may hide it more deeply."

"But the problem is," Huo Yuhao spread his hands, "all these assumptions depend on her actually being the Silver Dragon King. What if she isn't? Would waiting make us miss our chance?"

A dark-gold gleam flashed in Di Tian's eyes, and his tone took on a cold edge. "Then we use a more direct method. Give her a nonlethal sword aura. If she is my lord, she will have ways to block or dispel it. If she isn't, one sword will finish her and eliminate future trouble."

"Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop!" Huo Yuhao hurriedly waved his hands, stopping that dangerous idea. "That would cause too much of a disturbance. If innocent people get hurt, or if it triggers a backlash from the guard Tang San left behind, it'll be even more troublesome." A thought suddenly occurred to him, and he looked at Di Tian. "By the way, has your lord seen this appearance after you took human form? Is this the image you usually use when operating outside?"

"She has. When meeting important human figures, we usually wear specially made masks, so this appearance is 'clean' in the human world. There's no problem." Di Tian answered.

"Then this will be easy!" Huo Yuhao slapped his thigh, an idea coming to him. "Tomorrow, we'll sell grilled fish outside their school. You sit there and act like an ordinary stall owner. I'll find a chance for you to 'naturally' leak an extremely faint trace of your unique spiritual fluctuation, enough for someone of her level to sense. If she truly is the Silver Dragon King or has a deep connection to her, she can't possibly remain indifferent. We'll observe her most instinctive reaction!"

Di Tian pondered for a moment. This method was indeed subtler and more concealed than attacking or asking outright. He nodded. "It's feasible. We'll do that."

With the matter settled, Huo Yuhao relaxed. He got up to leave and prepare the things they would need for tomorrow's stall.

"Hey, wait." Di Tian suddenly reached out and grabbed his arm.

"What is it?"

Di Tian looked at him expressionlessly, then slowly uttered a form of address that instantly gave Huo Yuhao goosebumps. "Say, Little Haohao... haven't you forgotten something?"

Huo Yuhao visibly stiffened. Then he made an expression of aching disbelief and rubbed his arms vigorously. "Eugh—so this is what it feels like to be called that... Fine, fine, I know! Dinner! All the grilled fish you can eat! I'm going now!" With that, he turned and hurried away, almost as though fleeing.

Di Tian watched his retreating back, and the corner of his mouth lifted almost imperceptibly. He seemed quite satisfied with the effect.

Demon Spirit, who had witnessed the whole exchange, had long since widened her amber eyes. She looked at Huo Yuhao's "panicked" retreating figure, then at Di Tian's barely noticeable smug expression. She tightly covered her mouth with one hand, but her shoulders trembled uncontrollably. Her eyes were full of novelty and suppressed laughter, as though she had just witnessed the most amusing scene in the world.

The next morning, a brand-new grilled fish stall was set up outside Red Mountain Academy in Aolai City. Huo Yuhao had specially ignited the finest fruitwood charcoal with Soul Power. There was no choking smoke, only a gentle, toasted fragrance. Several sea fish freshly taken from an ice bucket, their scales glinting silver, were flipped, scored, and brushed with secret sauce between Demon Spirit's delicate fingers. Her movements flowed like water, carrying a pleasing rhythm.

Their five years as partners at Eastsea City's Rain Spirit Grilled Fish Shop had not been for nothing. Huo Yuhao controlled the overall heat and infused Soul Power, locking the fish's juices inside in an instant. Demon Spirit, relying on her keen perception of subtle energy currents, evenly worked the seasonings into every strand of flesh. They needed no words. A glance or the faint crackle of charcoal was enough for them to coordinate. The aroma of grilled fish was not intense or overbearing. It spread like a living thing, thread by thread, endlessly drifting into the noses of every passerby and stirring the most primal appetite.

Beside the stall, Di Tian had somehow acquired a heavy old grandmaster's chair and sprawled across it, swaying to the faint creak of its wood. He kept his eyes closed, looking like an idle old man basking in the sun. He seemed somewhat out of place amid the gradually gathering crowd, yet strangely blended into the bustling morning backdrop.

"Hey, that's not how you run a stall. Why are Demon Spirit and I the ones doing all the work?" Seeing Di Tian like this, Huo Yuhao could not help muttering.

"Then I'll do it. Don't blame me if it tastes bad." Di Tian immediately shot back.

Still, Huo Yuhao's grilled fish really did smell amazing.

Like an invisible hook, the fragrance indeed reeled in the people they wanted to see.

"Wow, what's that smell? It's so good!" A lively child's voice rang out. It was Tang Wulin. He tightly held quiet Na'er's hand in one hand, while Tang Ziran and Lang Yue followed behind them with smiles on their faces. Little Wulin sniffed hard, his blue eyes shining brightly. "Dad, Mom, Na'er, we ate breakfast early. Want to try some? My treat! Uncle Mang Tian praised me for being strong and tough yesterday, so he gave me an advance apprentice allowance of 80 Federal Credits!" His little face was full of pride, and he puffed out his chest as though he had become a little man capable of supporting the family overnight.

Lang Yue lovingly and proudly stroked her son's head. "Our Wulin is amazing. But you should save your money..."

"No, Mom," Tang Wulin said, tugging on her arm. "This grilled fish smells so good. Na'er must want some too, right?" He turned to the silver-haired girl beside him, his eyes eager.

Na'er raised her violet eyes. Her gaze first passed over the sizzling fish as it gradually turned golden and crisp. Her long lashes trembled, and she nodded almost imperceptibly. "Mm." Her expression remained calm, but her slightly quicker breathing and the subtle movement of her throat revealed that the scent was equally tempting to her.

The family of four slowly moved forward with the line. At last, they reached the stall.

"Uncle, Auntie, how much is the grilled fish?" Tang Wulin stood on tiptoe and tried to look at Huo Yuhao behind the stall. He asked politely, his little hand already reaching for the crisp bills in his pocket.

Huo Yuhao wore a gentle, harmless smile, his hands never stopping. "Don't rush, little friend. It'll be ready soon." As he spoke, he secretly sent Di Tian, seated in the grandmaster's chair, a look.

Just as Tang Wulin's attention was entirely on the grilled fish, Di Tian's fingers, seemingly resting casually on the armrest, moved almost imperceptibly. An extremely faint, precisely controlled spiritual fluctuation swept gently across the Tang family of four like invisible feelers. The first time, it was like a pebble falling into a deep pool, causing no abnormal reaction. The four of them remained natural. Tang Wulin was still chattering about how he had worked hard to swing a hammer three hundred times in the forging room yesterday.

Di Tian did not open his eyes, but the swaying of the grandmaster's chair stopped. A second spiritual fluctuation followed immediately after, slightly stronger this time. It was not an attack, but more like the revelation of a "call" or "mark" carrying a specific frequency, its target faintly focused on Na'er.

And in that instant—

Na'er, who had been slightly lowering her eyes as if all her attention was on the grilled fish, stiffened for a hundredth of a second. Her fingers around Tang Wulin's hand unconsciously tightened for a moment, then immediately relaxed. Yet deep in those calm violet-crystal-lake eyes, stormy waves suddenly surged! Her pupils contracted sharply. Although she swiftly forced herself to calm down with astonishing control, the instant shock, disbelief, and sharpness of having her disguise unexpectedly exposed flashed like lightning exploding in the darkness, clearly caught by the highly vigilant Huo Yuhao, Di Tian, and Demon Spirit.

She had "seen" it! Not with her eyes, but through some deeper perception. She had "recognized" the existence represented by that spiritual fluctuation—the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King, Di Tian, who should have been deep within the Star Dou Great Forest!

Huo Yuhao did not pause in turning the grilled fish, as though nothing had happened. Demon Spirit's hand passing over the bamboo skewers remained steady as ever. Yet in an instant, their eyes completed a silent and complicated exchange: surprise, confirmation, and deeper suspicion.

"Here, here, it's ready!" Huo Yuhao's smile did not change as he handed Tang Wulin two perfectly grilled, fragrant fish. "You're such a thoughtful little brother, looking after your sister and treating your parents. Uncle will give you a discount. Five Federal Credits each, ten for two. That's enough for all of you to have a taste!"

"Really? Thank you, Uncle!" Tang Wulin cried out in delight. He quickly counted out ten Federal Credits and solemnly handed them to Demon Spirit, then accepted the grilled fish as if they were treasures. He gave the larger one to Na'er first. "Na'er, hurry, eat while it's hot!" Then he turned to his parents. "Dad, Mom, you try some too!"

Tang Ziran and Lang Yue repeatedly declined, telling the two children to eat first. Na'er accepted the grilled fish, took a small bite, and chewed carefully. The fish was crisp outside and tender inside, while the savory sauce carried a faint lingering sweetness. It truly was a delicacy she had never tasted before. But at this moment, it seemed as though her sense of taste was separated by a layer. Her entire mind was occupied by the "old man" beside the stall, who had resumed swaying in the grandmaster's chair with his eyes closed. He was Di Tian? Why was he here? And with those two people selling grilled fish? Who were they? Was their target... me, or Wulin?

Countless questions and vigilance churned within her, but apart from that initial fleeting loss of composure, her face quickly returned to that of a quiet, even overly obedient little girl. Only her chewing had become slower and more mechanical than usual.

They watched the Tang family of four share their grilled fish and gradually walk away, their warm figures receding until they disappeared through the gates of Red Mountain Academy. Only then did Huo Yuhao slowly let his smile fade.

Di Tian still lay in the grandmaster's chair without swaying again. His eyes were tightly shut, and the leisure on his face had long vanished, replaced by deep gravity. The sea breeze stirred the black hair over his forehead. His lips moved slightly as he murmured in a voice only the three of them could hear, carrying an incredulous tangle of emotions.

"Split... it really was a split..."

He slowly opened his eyes. His purple-gold dragon pupils looked toward the academy, yet his gaze had no focus, as though it pierced through the walls and saw the silver-haired girl sitting quietly in the classroom.

"It wasn't a disguise, nor an elemental incarnation... It was a part completely severed at the level of soul and consciousness, bearing an independent mission of observation and learning, yet perhaps... having forgotten the power of its origin and most of its memories?" Di Tian's voice was low, as though analyzing, yet also questioning the Void. "My lord... Gu Yuena... what exactly are you thinking? You sent such a fragile 'self' beside the Golden Dragon King's God Core merely to 'observe' humans? Or can even you not fully control the outcome of this 'split'?"

He recalled Na'er's pure, unfamiliar eyes when she had been making handicrafts yesterday; the fleeting sharpness that belonged to a top predator amid her shock today; and the more solid disguise that followed. This was not the Silver Dragon King he knew, the ruler of all beasts and master of the elements. She was more like an entirely new "individual" with an independent path of growth, a lost shadow bearing the Silver Dragon King's imprint while walking the path of humans.

"Even at the cost of splitting yourself apart, you still wished to enter this mortal world... What answer are you truly seeking?" Di Tian's final words were almost inaudible, scattering into the sea breeze and the faint sound of distant reading. There was no anger or urgency in his sigh, only bottomless confusion and a deep concern for his lord's true condition that even he had not fully realized.

The charcoal fire beneath the grilled fish stall gradually died out, and the morning's bustle temporarily came to an end. Yet beneath the ordinary smoke and fire of the marketplace, an undercurrent involving Dragon Kings, a Divine Core, and human bonds had already revealed another, deeper edge.