Seeing the Dragon Lord so startled, Cheng Xinzhan did not even stop to pull up his collar before asking,
"It is a Green Chi-Dragon. What is wrong with that?"
The Dragon Lord waved a hand, his expression peculiar, as though both surprised and delighted.
"Wait a moment. Let me summon my wife to meet you."
Cheng Xinzhan was rather bewildered, but all he could do now was follow the Dragon Lord's arrangements. He hurriedly straightened his collar.
Only a short while later, someone entered the side hall, like a shaft of pure moonlight shining in, instantly brightening the entire hall.
It was a woman who looked thirty, graceful and willowy, with an elegant bearing. Her black hair was swept high into an upturned-lotus bun, and she was fresh-featured and radiant. Her face resembled the luminous moon, her brows dark willow leaves. A wave-shaped crystal ornament adorned her forehead. She wore no vivid colors around her eyes, only a light dusting of pearl powder, which set off eyes as clear as a bright lake.
The woman wore a wide-sleeved gauze robe of sky-water blue-green, covered by a translucent white gauze mantle embroidered with dragons in silver thread. A pair of jade bracelets encircled her wrists, green showing through their blue, precious light swirling within them.
The Dragon Lord rose, took the woman's hand, and introduced her.
"Fellow Daoist, this is my wife."
Cheng Xinzhan had also risen. He bowed.
"Greetings, Dragon Consort."
Then the Dragon Lord said to the woman,
"Li'er, this is the Myriad-Dharma Scripture Master of Three Pure Ones Mountain."
The woman also bowed, her voice lilting like an oriole's.
"Greetings, Scripture Master."
Once they had exchanged greetings, the Dragon Lord helped the Dragon Consort sit on the inner side of the couch and took the outer seat himself.