Two Events in Three Years

Over a month later, in a rear garden of the Dragon Palace within the Tongtian River Water Mansion, Ji Yuan sat facing the Old Dragon at a garden table. There was no chessboard on it this time, only pastries and tea.

Ji Yuan and the Three Ying Dragons had only returned here yesterday. For the time being, they need not trouble themselves with searching for Dragon Corpse Worms or with what they had seen of the Fusang Divine Tree and the Sun Golden Crow. Old Yellow Dragon Huang Yuzhong would chiefly be responsible for informing the dragon clan of these matters, and Ji Yuan's group was more than happy to rest for a while.

At that moment, Ji Yuan took the Xiezhi Scroll from his sleeve and slowly spread it across the table. The gentle, clear ripples of the Water Mansion had no effect whatsoever on the scroll. Beside him, the Old Dragon studied the lifelike Xiezhi on the painting intently while tossing berries into his mouth and chewing them.

Ji Yuan watched the unresponsive Xiezhi in the scroll, then placed a hand upon it and slowly infused it with some magical power. As the Xiezhi became increasingly vivid and its colors gradually brightened, he said in a deep voice.

"Xiezhi, is there anything you wish to say to Ji?"

Ji Yuan's question might have sounded utterly baffling, but there was a reason for it. When he had observed the Fusang Divine Tree before, Ji Yuan had taken out the Xiezhi Scroll more than once, yet it had shown no reaction on any of those occasions.

After asking, Ji Yuan waited for a while. The scroll still showed no response. The Old Dragon glanced at Ji Yuan, and like him, a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Xiezhi,