GD Ch. 37 Part 1

Chapter 37: Why Let Yourself Be Bullied?

The devil gate was shrouded in thick black mist. Passing through it felt like being invaded by an icy chill.

As Zhuyou stepped through the gate, darkness suddenly engulfed her vision, as if she had gone completely blind. She lifted her arm, and the dim devil markings on her skin flared to life. The devil aura swirling before her was instantly dispelled. Only after the mist dissipated did she manage to roughly make out her surroundings.

Sand and dust swirled in the air, and rolling dunes stretched endlessly toward the horizon. The sky above was nothing like that of Shenhua Mountain—it was as if ink had been spilled across the heavens, painting everything in impenetrable blackness. Not a single star could be seen.

This was the Devil Realm.

She hadn’t expected that simply stepping through the devil gate would bring her back here.

Zhuyou turned back, only to find that the devil gate behind her had silently vanished. The thick black mist had disappeared, as if it had never been there in the first place.

Changying was leaning against her, still tightly ensnared by the devil aura, yet she made no sound—silent and indifferent.

Only then did Zhuyou withdraw the devil aura that wrapped around Changying, her gaze flickering with unease.

If that dragon hadn’t suddenly risen into the sky only to plummet back down, perhaps the fissure wouldn’t have formed. Without the fissure, the devil aura beneath wouldn’t have leaked out, and she wouldn’t have discovered the hidden devil gate within Shenhua Mountain.

Fortunately, she had sealed the fissure before leaving. Otherwise, if the Heavenly Realm had discovered it, the devil gate might not have remained intact.

Changying was pushed away slightly. But the moment Zhuyou wobbled slightly, she immediately reached out to steady her. Her brows were faintly furrowed, as if she were terribly nervous, afraid that this devil—whose spiritual power was severely depleted—would collapse right then and there.

Being soft was fine, but if she softened too much and lost her breath entirely, that would be a problem.

She had tasted a hint of divine power in Shenhua Mountain, as if her appetite had been whetted, yet she had been unable to take another bite. Now, she was so hungry that her head felt light and dizzy.

Even so, she wouldn’t drain Zhuyou’s spiritual sea just to satisfy herself. Instead, she endured her hunger and clung to Zhuyou’s arm. At least growing taller had its advantages—it made hugging an arm feel more natural.

Zhuyou had no idea what this dragon was thinking. The diabolic markings on her body grew even more distinct, likely a result of absorbing the devil aura from the valley’s depths.

Suddenly, she felt a cool sensation on her arm—Changying had wrapped her hands around it. Zhuyou didn’t push her away, and she even had the urge to pinch the girl’s small face.

The girl, now chest-high to her, had blurred features, but her cautious manner of clinging to Zhuyou’s arm was somewhat endearing. It seemed… perhaps she could be tamed.

“Why is your spiritual power always depleted so quickly?” Changying tilted her head up and asked, cutting straight to the point.

Zhuyou cast her a sidelong glance. All she could make out was a silhouette in black robes. She had no idea what Changying looked like now.

Changying had grown fast—already reaching her chest. Would she be as tall as Zhuyou before long?

“Let me check your spiritual sea.” Zhuyou raised a hand and pressed a fingertip toward Changying’s forehead.

Changying didn’t avoid it. Even though she had claws now, she was still as obedient as when she was younger. She even tilted her head slightly, leaning into the pale fingertip.

Zhuyou’s warm finger pressed against her skin, revealing a vast, white spiritual sea. The mist within seemed even thinner than before, but it still tightly wrapped around the spiritual threads, making them untouchable.

Zhuyou withdrew her hand, unwilling to risk being counterattacked again.

Seeing this, Changying asked, “How is it?” Her words were still precise and measured, but her voice had changed significantly from when she was younger—it was no longer so soft and sticky.

Zhuyou smirked, lowering her gaze to the top of Changying’s head. The dragon’s hair had been tousled wildly by the wind, but those two rebellious hair whorls were no longer visible.

How strange. As her head grew, her hair seemed to grow a lot more too.

Seeing Zhuyou remain silent, Changying’s brows furrowed slightly, her pale lips pressed into a thin line.

“Your spiritual sea is quite well-formed,” Zhuyou said, making things up as she went.

Changying didn’t think that sounded like a compliment. Her expression stiffened, and she fell silent.

Zhuyou chuckled. This dragon was still so easy to tease—so obedient, yet so foolish.

Only then did she answer Changying’s earlier question, though not entirely truthfully. Half real, half false, she said, “You asked why my spiritual power is always depleted so quickly—it’s because I can’t see. I rely entirely on my spiritual power to navigate, so of course it gets used up quickly.”

Changying was stunned. She had long known that Zhuyou’s eyes weren’t in great condition, but she hadn’t expected her to be half-blind. Without spiritual power, wouldn’t she be unable to walk at all? Her golden eyes lifted, coldly scrutinizing the devil before her—those eyes, slightly lost in expression. “Why is that? Were you born this way, or was it caused by someone else?”

Zhuyou laughed. “And if I said it was someone else, would you avenge me?” Seeing Changying’s serious expression, she couldn’t help but tease, “You? You couldn’t even break through Shenhua Mountain’s sky, yet you think you can stand up for me?”

With that, she flicked a finger, sending a message to Hanzhu, letting her know she had returned to the Devil’s Realm. She just didn’t know if Hanzhu had returned from Shangxi City yet.

Changying’s face darkened with displeasure, her gaze frigid and ruthless, her lips nearly colorless, like someone on the verge of death. She pouted awkwardly and said, “I should have been able to break through.” Her words implied that she should have been capable but, for some reason, had failed.

Zhuyou assumed the little dragon was just being prideful and didn’t argue. Instead, she sighed and said, “Enough. You’re truly irritating today. Stop talking nonsense. Say something pleasant for once.”

Changying lifted her eyelids slightly. Her eyes always moved in small, subtle motions, never meeting others’ gazes directly. It was unclear whether she ever truly acknowledged anyone.

But she didn’t know how to say nice things. So, she simply shut her mouth and refused to speak.

So arrogant—truly befitting a dragon, Zhuyou thought.

The wind in the Devil Realm was fierce, howling as it passed, shifting the dunes by a few inches.

Zhuyou no longer expected Changying to say anything pleasant. After all, she hadn’t even been willing to learn from Hanzhu—how could she speak well without learning?

Changying stared at her intently, tightening her grip around Zhuyou’s arm, clearly terrified that this devil would collapse into the yellow sand at any moment.

Zhuyou stepped forward without using any spiritual power, heading straight in the direction of the Grand Hall.

After walking only a few steps, the dragon holding onto her arm suddenly stopped in place. Lowering her head, she faintly saw the dragon’s face darkening, as if she was holding back anger.

Changying muttered, “You lied to me.”

Zhuyou looked at her, confused.

“You don’t need to use spiritual power to see the way at all. You tricked me into thinking you were blind.” Changying spoke through gritted teeth, her anger evident.

Zhuyou showed no sign of guilt. “Well, whose fault is it that you believe everything I say?”

Changying loosened her grip on Zhuyou’s arm, seemingly out of frustration, but within a moment, she latched on again—truly clingy.

In the distance, a figure was approaching slowly, their aura identical to Hanzhu’s. Zhuyou glanced over, holding some expectation in her heart. She wondered if Hanzhu had managed to gather any news from Wu Buzhi. Her lips moved as she commanded, “Return to the hall.”

Hanzhu hurried over. Upon seeing the person standing beside her mistress, she froze for a moment, thinking to herself—who is this?

In her memory, the dragon wasn’t this tall. How did she suddenly shoot up like this, like a flower that grows taller with just a little watering?

But she quickly convinced herself otherwise—this was no ordinary dragon. Growing a bit taller in a short time seemed reasonable enough. She noticed Zhuyou’s vacant gaze and instinctively stepped closer, offering herself as a walking stick.

Zhuyou, accustomed to using Hanzhu for support, naturally placed her hand on her.

Changying’s expression instantly turned colder. Her lips, previously pressed together, finally moved as she spoke words that left Hanzhu utterly stunned. With a cold and measured voice, she said, “Your servant’s clothing is far too coarse. Why not lean on my shoulder instead, lest your palms get scraped.”

Hanzhu’s eyes widened—this was the first time she had ever heard the dragon speak like this.

Zhuyou paused mid-step, her vacant gaze shifting to Changying as she sighed, “Who gave you the idea that dragon scales are softer than feathers?”

Hanzhu, a peafowl demon, had garments made from her own plumage, which was undoubtedly softer than dragon scales.

Changying remained stubborn, unwilling to let go. She was even more persistent than when she was a hatchling.

Hanzhu sucked in a breath, feeling rather conflicted. She thought to herself—this dragon clearly didn’t know that her mistress disliked being too close to others, yet she still dared to cling to her.

But in the next instant, the hand on Hanzhu’s shoulder lifted suddenly and landed on the dragon’s head in a light pat.

“Move to my right,” Zhuyou instructed.

Changying, expressionless, squeezed herself between Zhuyou and Hanzhu. She was clearly still small in stature, yet she managed to push Hanzhu aside completely.

Hanzhu was caught off guard, her mind momentarily blank.

Zhuyou halfheartedly ruffled Changying’s hair, thinking that raising children was truly troublesome—especially a dragon from the Dragon Clan, such a delicate thing that required constant coaxing, lest it become useless when needed.

But of course, she couldn’t say that aloud, lest Changying realize she was being treated as nothing more than a thing.