Zijin's Childhood Memories

Su Ming didn't understand Zijin's words at first. But by the afternoon, he understood.

An envoy from the Star Empire, riding a sea eagle, traveled a long way to board the ship and pay a visit.

The White Triangle has now reached the side closer to the Eastern Continent. The envoy must have expended a great deal of effort to come all the way from the Western Continent and catch up with the visit.

Three guards remained on the deck, the messenger asked the unicorn for food to feed the Sea Eagle Beast, and then one of them went into the reception room.

When he lifted the hood of his cloak, even Zijin, who had maintained a cold expression, showed a look of surprise.

"Your Bone King, Scholar Li!" The other party bowed and introduced himself to Su Ming, "I am Fernand, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Star Empire."

"The Foreign Minister is here in person." Zijin frowned. "My level of hospitality is too low."

"You're joking," Fernand said. "I'm just a negotiator. I came here because there are some things that others can't make decisions about." Beilou served tea, and Fernand didn't stand on ceremony, drinking it all in one gulp, then picked up a flatbread and started eating it.

His actions were very down-to-earth, which also shows that he had traveled a very long distance.

"Alright, how does King Xialike plan to explain this?" Zijin asked bluntly, "How about we get half of such a large island for free?"

"Chestnut Crow Scholar is too kind." Fernand ordered another cup of tea, drinking half of it. "The Star Empire is willing to pay one million gold coins, or equivalent value in goods, to thank you for your contribution."

Midsummer Island isn't far from the coast, and the surrounding archipelago is the home ground of the Temple of Light. Before the White Triangle can complete its small-caliber air defense system, it's not convenient for it to roam freely there. But the Star Empire, with far too many places to cause them trouble.

Therefore, King Xialike was both reasonable and courteous, and he immediately offered one million gold coins.

Zijin laughed out loud, "Stop with all this nonsense, I need his help."

In political transactions, rules come first, resources second, and money third.

"Money and resources can be given, but a debt of gratitude is hard to repay," Fernand said. "The Star Empire will no longer be involved in the matter of issuing an arrest warrant for your forces."

"Is this a condition?" Su Ming sneered. "You'd better dare to participate—does the Navy not want you anymore?"

The Star Empire must maintain its military superiority and suppress its neighbors. If the White Triangle were to take action, the losses would far exceed those of a few military aircraft.

To back down when faced with difficulties, and then to glorify it as a concession—even creating cards out of thin air wouldn't be this blatant. Su Ming didn't hesitate to open his hand.

Fernand raised his hand, signaling to end the conversation.

"I apologize, I was merely stating the Empire's unilateral decision." He quickly proposed a new condition, "We are willing to negotiate, requesting the Temple of Light to lift the arrest warrant against your side."

"Again?" Zijin lost her patience. "Xiao Fei, we may be friends, but if you keep playing this game, I'm kicking you out. You'll have to spit out everything those Sea Eagle Beast ate!"

Both of them were easily provoked, leaving Fernand somewhat helpless. He abandoned his serious demeanor, "Forget it, we can't do that. The High Council of the Temple of Light has unanimously resolved to resolutely hunt down your forces—excuse my bluntness, but what about the ancestral graves of your Pope and Cardinals?"

Su Ming wasn't surprised at all; he was used to this kind of thing. Most people start with neutral reputation, and he wasn't far from being fully red on the map.

"No, it just means they'll be childless."

"So, what exactly do you want, Chestnut Crow Scholar?" Fernand simply relinquished control of the negotiations. This wasn't his first time dealing with Zijin; the necessary procedures had to be followed.

"Although you are the Minister of Foreign Affairs, you still cannot decide what we want," Zijin said.

Su Ming took out an alchemical letter bearing intricate runes and made from materials that appeared to be extremely valuable. This was none other than the letter the Pope had previously written to Zijin, which she had then kept hidden. Zijin had made some minor modifications and appropriated it for her own use.

"This letter can only be opened by Xialike himself, otherwise the contents will be lost." Su Ming handed the letter to Fernand.

Fernand took the letter, examined it, and found that it was merely a communication encryption function, without any harmful traps or the like.

"Since it's the Chestnut Crow Scholar's wish, I'll convey and present it accordingly." Fernand didn't waste any more words and put the letter away.

After finishing his business, Fernand said goodbye and asked for some food and water.

"I'm so sorry, but I still have a six-hour flight to my next destination."

"You're heading to the dwarves' territory, aren't you?" Zijin quickly guessed. "A diplomatic mission? Looks like your visit is just a side trip—no, Fernand, you're treating this place like a supply point!"

"The visit was true, and it was also a coincidence that I was passing by." Fernand showed no embarrassment whatsoever. "Let me reveal a little: this time I'm discussing with the dwarves a joint sanction against the orcs of Water Chestnut Island."

"You guys are so slow," Zijin said disapprovingly. "If it's time to fight, then get to it."

"Oceanic warfare is never that easy," Fernand said with a wry smile.

The Orcs are a complete nation. Their navy's suppression across thousands of kilometers of ocean has already put immense pressure on their logistics. Further military action is difficult given their current level of productivity.

"Why don't we just hand the documents to him?" Su Ming suggested, "[It'll only make things worse.]"

[I haven't finished writing the part about the Xialike siblings yet.] Zijin said regretfully, [Oh well, I won't strive for perfection.]

"Your Excellency Fernand, during our investigation, we found some interesting information at the Yexiya base." Su Ming got straight to the point, handing over the information.

Fernand glanced at the cover. "Planting bombs in the Star Continent's royal palace?" He was shocked. "Have the orcs gone mad?!"

"It seems like they've prepared a backup plan in case things get exposed," Zijin said. "It contains detailed plans, including the locations and methods of planting the bombs. 20,000 gold coins, a very reasonable price!"

Fernand's expression changed slightly, but he didn't dwell on it and readily agreed to Zijin's offer. At the same time, he requested access to the communication array and hurriedly went to report.

The communication ended, Fernand returned to the reception room. He looked at another document, but clearly didn't believe it. "How could orcs steal dwarf bodies—they despise dwarves the most; they'd wash their skin raw just to touch them."

These two races are so averse to each other that they find each other disgusting; if it weren't for their geographical separation, they would have fought to the death long ago.

"I'm also very skeptical, but this is exactly what we found—we'll give this document a discount, how about 10,000 gold coins?" Zijin said calmly.

Fernand flipped through it and found that the booklet was extremely detailed and full of useful information, and it certainly didn't seem like a forgery.

Fernand's eyes suddenly lit up, "Academy Spell: Caution in Speech"

Then came another one, "Academy Spell: Paper's Lament and Ink's Calamity".

"What is this?" Su Ming asked.

"The first step is to check if the document shows signs of forgery or alteration," Zijin replied. "The second step is to analyze the paper's quality and the ink's fading to determine the date the document was written."

Su Ming was somewhat amazed; the otherworldly aspect was quite sophisticated.

[What if Fernand uses magic to examine the first document?] he worried.

"He already checked it when he took it out," Zijin said. "Don't worry, he won't find any flaws."

[So confident?] Su Ming said in surprise [Guess who named the spell's name "Jin" and "Zhi".]

[--]Paper, cautious, Su Ming was speechless. He looked again at the focused and serious Imperial Foreign Minister in front of him and felt that the other party had not been wronged at all.

Fernand studied it for a long time but found no problem.

"I also paid for this document," he said.

Before leaving, Feilide suddenly thanked Zijin earnestly, "I am grateful for your leniency regarding Princess Yise's matter."

Princess Yise? Su Ming was somewhat surprised upon hearing this, but then he understood. With Katharine married to King Xialike, her daughter Yise would naturally be officially named an Imperial Princess.

Recalling Yise had fought them to the death at sea not long ago, Su Ming sighed. If Zijin hadn't changed the sword's direction at the last moment, turning a slash into a strike, the princess would have suffered a severe injury similar to Yexiya's, if not perished.

It's a good thing that the mother and daughter are enjoying wealth and luxury; Su Ming doesn't want to see them again.

The four Sea Eagle Beast took off one after another, quickly becoming Xiaohei in the sky.

"Will a scheme worth 1 million gold coins be of any use?" Zijin asked.

"It's worth the price of admission," Su Ming replied. "Anyway, our feud with the Church is already irreconcilable!"

****

At noon, an anonymous message was sent to White Triangle.

Zijin checked the code and deciphered it. The contents of the code shocked the scholar.

She quickly sought out Su Ming to discuss it.

This is intelligence from Stanton. It indicates that the Temple of Light's flying beast mothership, the Jade Sea and Tang Valley, entered the shipyard for modifications after the Battle of Agate Sea. It only set sail again a week ago, its destination unknown.

"Among the supplies dispatched by the Jade Sea and Tang Valley, there is a large amount of dragon food," Zijin sighed.

"This aircraft carrier has changed passengers, huh?" Su Ming murmured.

He opened his computer and calculated that, after the 4,500-ton Flying Beast aircraft carrier was modified, after deducting the space for power, supplies, materials, and support personnel, the Jade Sea and Tang Valley could carry at least seven giant dragons!

If equipped with a supply ship, and squeezed in a bit more, it could also carry all twelve dragons.

Their combat power is absolutely cheat-level!

"Your people really love you," Su Ming said. "We have to blow up the Jade Sea and Tang Valley."

"Blowing up the ship is a good idea," Zijin agreed. "It would prevent the situation from escalating further if we killed the dragon."

The Temple of Light has already fared badly enough by escaping its doctrinal crisis; it cannot afford to offend any more powerful forces.

"For safety's sake, let's not go to Central Ocean for now," Su Ming said. "I have a plan."

Zijin gestured with his hand, inviting him to continue.

"Get an unmanned underwater vehicle, load it with a large amount of alchemical explosives, dive over there, and sink it," Su Ming explained. "Earth's equipment and radio technology don't generate magical fluctuations, so an underwater vehicle can approach stealthily."

"That sounds feasible."

Thinking about the pile of new work ahead, Su Ming felt a headache coming on. "The teleportation equipment needs to be tested and then we need to do several simulation exercises. There's a ton of things to prepare."

"Manpower is a problem," Zijin said, rubbing her temples. "I was considering officially recruiting Beianqi, but she's recovering from her injuries."

The characteristics of the technology side are that the more complex and powerful something is, the more it relies on the team and the system. And suitable talents are extremely scarce in this other world where magic is the main focus.

"It's just the two of us who have to work hard. If we blow up the Jade Sea and Tang Valley, even the giant dragon won't be able to do anything to us at sea. Only then will we be able to truly establish a foothold in the Central Ocean Waters."

Although dragons are powerful, they cannot maintain flight indefinitely. The vast ocean, spanning tens of thousands of kilometers, would be unbearable for these land creatures.

Zijin suddenly thought of something and reminded her, "If we bomb the ship in a bad spot, the dragon won't be able to fly back to land and will drown eventually."

This is somewhat tricky, Su Ming pondered. They have no control over where the Jade Sea and Tang Valley goes; this requires maneuvering the enemy at the tactical level and engaging in various strategic maneuvers.

"Could you tell me why the Dragon Race are looking for you? By the way, I've roughly solved the mystery of your origins," he said.

Zijin hesitated for a moment, then suggested, "Shall we go outside for some fresh air?"

Su Ming did not refuse.

****

The two walked to the aft deck of the ship, leaned against the railing, and looked into the distance. In the Dawn, the White Triangle's contrail was steady and beautiful, and several seabirds chased after the ship, occasionally catching fish thrown out of the water by the propeller.

"Tell me your answer first!" Zijin said. "The riddle is just a game. I'll tell you whether I guess correctly or not, otherwise it will affect your judgment of the situation."

"Then I'll get straight to the point," Su Ming said. "You have two mothers, a dragon mother Misaila and a human mother named Atiya. Your birth is very unusual; it belongs to... alchemical-assisted reproduction?"

After a moment of silence, Zijin finally spoke, "You've solved the riddle."

The sea breeze ruffled her long hair from behind, making it impossible for Su Ming to see the girl's expression clearly. The subtle emotions in her voice were masked by the sea breeze, which was perhaps why she chose to talk on the deck.

"I was just lucky, and some things also gave me some clues."

"You always surprise me. With just a hint, you can find the right answer," Zijin said. She had hinted in their conversation that she had more than one mother, and she thought Su Ming had deduced it from that.

But Su Ming was able to solve the problem entirely because Beianqi handed him the picture book with the answer written in it. When he had that sudden thought about whether lesbianism could be inherited, he connected everything.

If we assume a conclusion, we can find many corroborating evidence. The illustrations in that picture book are so exquisite that we can see a resemblance to Zijin in the eyes and brows of the Holy Sword Girl Atiya.

Misaila happens to be Faerie Dragon, and the timeline matches Zijin's age.

"Humans and dragons cannot have offspring," Su Ming said. "After I deduced that you were a human-dragon hybrid, I knew you weren't a naturally born child."

Dragons and humans are completely different species. Compared to this incredible leap, the fact that both parents are of the same sex is insignificant.

"How do you know I'm a hybrid of human and dragon?" Zijin didn't allow him to skip this part.

Do I really have to say it?

"Hmm, just consider it helping me remember."

Su Ming took a deep breath. "You were so sickly as a child that you almost died, and you were so thin that you could only catch mice to survive, so you're probably not a normal dragon."

Zijin swayed slightly, covering her mouth with her hand. "Misaila has absolutely no idea how to raise a baby other than a dragon. All the dragons just think I'm strange!" Her voice choked with emotion. "Atiya doesn't care about me either. I don't even see her once a year! If it weren't for luck in meeting Xiwo— "

"If you insist on telling me, I'll break down in a second," Su Ming sighed inwardly. He gently patted the girl's back. "Maybe it's not like that. When you were born, Xiwo was searching for a sunken ship at the bottom of the sea. He was close to success, but suddenly he abandoned everything to go to Dragon Valley to do so-called research."

Zijin hung her head, her long hair dancing wildly in the wind. She thought for a moment, then murmured, "You mean, Grandpa Xiwo went there specifically to take care of me?"

"The treasure abandoned by Xiwo was snatched up by someone else in less than a year. This is completely unreasonable for an elf who has been in the world of ocean exploration for many years."

Zijin clearly recalled some previously overlooked details. "Oh, I see. Yes, he was my mother Atiya's friend." She wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. "I hadn't even realized that!"

"There's actually a question here: why did Atiya ask Siwo for Xiwo? He was a renowned High-Rank Magus at the time. Taking up more than ten years of his time, not to mention the cost, would be a huge favor to be done."

"Considering that you now possess two bodies, one dragon and one human, I speculate that you were originally born as a human-dragon hybrid through a special method. This would explain why your mother needed to enlist the help of a higher-ranking elf. Xiwo is a broad-minded research scholar."

Only someone like that can pull you back from danger and allow you to safely navigate your childhood.

"Zijin, you've always been taken care of," Su Ming comforted her.

The girl was silent for a while, then finally let out a sigh of relief. "It seems I'm not as pathetic as I always thought. I'm sorry you had to laugh at me; I always called you dramatic."

The skeleton servant came over and put down some tissues. Zijin took one out and wiped her eyes dry.

"I didn't expect myself to cry so easily; this is the first time I've talked about these things with someone. Sure enough, I've become even more sentimental since using Ailisha form."

"When you're a dragon, you must have emotions too, right?" Su Ming asked.

"Of course there are, but they're easier to control than they are now," Zijin said, her tone calmer and noticeably more subdued. "I don't really like showing my emotions."

"So, once you get used to your human form, you'll revert to that aloofness you had when we first met?" Su Ming asked regretfully. "I still quite like you the way you are now."

The scholar rolled her eyes at Su Ming. "Aloof? When did I ever give you that impression?"

"Well, maybe we weren't familiar enough at the beginning?"

Zijin returned to the previous topic, "I am a being created by two mothers through alchemy, using their own bloodlines as a combination."

Born from Misaila in Dragon Form, but my gestation period was only half that of other dragons, and I was very weak after birth—and you know much more about what happened after that."

"You stayed in Dragon Canyon until you were a teenager before leaving, and have been living in human form ever since," Su Ming continued. "Normally, a young dragon that small couldn't possibly master Polymorph, but it must be the human-human hybrid that's at work; you can even maintain your human form for extended periods."

Zijin nodded. "I'm not a pure dragon, so my mental development is faster than other dragons my age, but I'm also weaker and always get bullied. Dragon Race culture considers this kind of roughhousing normal, and no dragon will interfere. So, not long after Xiwo left, I left Dragon Valley directly. I always felt out of place in the dragon's territory, but I only found a place to stay when I came to the human territory."

"That's because your physical strength is weaker than a dragon's, but much stronger than a human's!" Su Ming chuckled.

"I wasn't bullied, I could work and earn money, and when I was hungry, there were endless rats to scratch me, and no one would fight with me for food," Zijin said. "For me as a child, human mines were paradise!"

Su Ming couldn't help but look at Zijin. His family wasn't well-off, and he cried and fussed as a child because he didn't have the same toys as others. But overall, he grew up normally, with enough to eat and wear, loving parents, and no illnesses, disasters, or bullying. He didn't have a childhood that needed healing.

The morning light was turning white, and the girl's hair was bathed in its glow.

Having been spending a lot of time in the sunny sea lately, even her fair Zijin have started to take on a healthy tan. Because of Qiluo's visit, she wore a light-colored thick shirt and a coffee-colored long skirt today, looking both formal and charming.

Su Ming sighed, realizing he had completely aroused his desire to care for her. He turned back, thinking he couldn't let this continue, or he would really fall for her.