CH 63

Chapter 63: Farewell Journey

After a whole day of playing, when they arrived at the Dragon Palace, many little ones were already happily snoring.

Yun Zhao settled them in a side hall and looked at Wu Mu, who was sleeping in a twisted position. He said to Ao Jing, "You must be tired too. Go rest quickly."

Ao Jing wanted to say that he wanted to go cultivate, but seeing the concerned eyes of the youth, he thought for a moment and said, "Okay. Yun Zhao... Good night, brother."

Hearing Ao Jing imitating what Luo Xue called them, Yun Zhao's face blossomed into a smile. He pinched Ao Jing's cheek and sent him out of the hall.

Ao Jing walked on the jade bridge with the attendants and looked back. The youth and his elder brother (cousin) walked side by side, with the gentle falling of sandalwood petals being brushed off the youth's shoulder by someone.

One attendant sighed, saying, "Prince Ao Yu and Lord Yun Zhao have such a good relationship."

"Yeah, Lord Yun Zhao is really gentle."

"Even the prince is quite gentle..."

Listening to the quiet discussions of the palace servants, Ao Jing couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope in his heart. If they could stay a little longer, perhaps this Dragon Palace would have a bit more warmth.

"Let's go."

Ao Jing withdrew his gaze, softly spoke, and turned around to continue walking towards the nearby palace chambers.

Yun Zhao didn't sleep well that night. He always felt like someone was rubbing dog's tail grass on his face.

When he opened his eyes, he realized that the surroundings were filled with various sizes of furry bundles. Wu Mu curled up on top of his head, its long black tail brushing across his forehead.

Although he had seen them go to sleep in the side hall, he didn't expect that they would all come over, squeezing beside him all at once.

Beside him, Ao Yu was squeezed out of space. He sat up, wearing his robe, revealing bright red marks on his smooth chest, causing Yun Zhao to feel dizzy.

"Tsk, why did they all come over to sleep."

Ao Yu discontentedly grabbed the small white cat on him and tossed it onto the black panther. Xuanming half-opened his eyes, and his front paw embraced the still-sleeping kitten, snuggling it in his embrace and continued sleeping.

Yun Zhao speculated, "Perhaps it's because they are unfamiliar with the sea, so they feel safer staying with us."

Seeing that Ao Yu still had a displeased expression, Yun Zhao leaned over and hugged him, rubbing against his neck. Only then did he manage to coax Ao Yu into holding him again and lying down to continue sleeping.

When Yun Zhao woke up completely, there was no sign of Ao Yu on the bed, only a group of little ones approaching, wanting to touch him.

...

In the splendid and chilly palace, the Dragon Patriarch was reviewing the documents in his hand, showing a calm demeanor upon Ao Yu's arrival.

He put down his pen. "Why have you come?"

Ao Yu stood under the candlelight, the play of light and shadow on his face, without adding any softness to his manner toward the Dragon Patriarch. "I came to tell you that we will leave today. Don't casually capture Yun Zhao and bring him over again."

"I thought you came specifically to bid farewell to your father." The Dragon Patriarch smiled. "Turns out you're here to give a warning."

Seeing Ao Yu turning to leave, the Dragon Patriarch called out to him, "Are you unwilling to stay because of Yun Zhao?"

The pearl curtain, crafted from gold and jade, made a few crisp sounds as it collided. Ao Yu turned around, looking at his father seated on the throne, and lifted the hem of his garment as he approached.

"Genuine affection is rare in this world. How many people can accompany you when you are alone?" He lowered his gaze and looked at the Dragon Patriarch with indifference. Only when speaking of his beloved would his eyes soften slightly.

The Dragon Lord remained silent, and Ao Yu lost interest in continuing the conversation with him. He walked back towards the hall doors.

As he passed by the enormous ginkgo tree, he heard the Dragon Patriarch's voice from behind.

"The Abyss is unstable, and you know that."

Ao Yu halted his steps and glanced sideways at the luminous golden tree, the spiritual vein of the entire sea domain, nurturing all beings of the sea but also burying countless corpses.

He spoke calmly, "With you guarding it, the four seas will be stable and safe."

Saying that, he no longer paid attention to the Dragon Patriarch and pushed the doors open without any reluctance.

The attendants on both sides sensed the displeasure of the prince and cautiously retreated, none daring to approach and stop him.

In the empty hall, the Dragon Patriarch leaned back in his chair, gazing at the sprawling branches and leaves of the spiritual tree, wearily closing his eyes.

...

When Ao Yu went to meet Yun Zhao, he saw the young man covered in two cat balls, with other divine beasts gathered around him. They were stretching their claws and scratching at his clothes.

"What are you doing?" Ao Yu frowned as he approached him.

"Oh? You're back?" Yun Zhao looked at Ao Yu with delight, holding a dried fish in his hand. "It's the leftovers from yesterday. I just sprinkled some chili flakes on it. The taste is not bad!"

As he spoke, he tore off a small piece and fed it to Ao Yu's mouth. "Is it delicious?"

Ao Yu chewed a few times and nodded. "It's alright."

Yun Zhao chuckled, the dried fish in his hand was small, and it was gone after two bites for each of them.

He wiped the residue off his hands, looking at the kittens still savoring the taste, and smiled. "There were plenty of fish yesterday. Why didn't you all eat with such enthusiasm?"

"Mmm..." Wu Mu tilted his head and licked the residue off his brother's whiskers. He smacked his lips and replied, "You don't understand. It's only delicious when you fight for it!"

Yun Zhao shrugged, showing that he didn't quite comprehend the kittens' preferences but respected them.

Seeing Bai Ze leisurely approaching, Yun Zhao turned his head and asked Ao Yu, "Where did you go just now?"

"Just went for a stroll."

Ao Yu didn't tell Yun Zhao about his meeting with the Dragon Patriarch. It was weird and unnecessary to let him know.

Now that everyone was present, Ao Yu transformed into his dragon form. "It's getting late. Let's return to the mountain."

Yun Zhao naturally agreed and skillfully climbed onto the dragon's back. Unexpectedly, this time there was a trail of little ones following behind.

Bai Ze took out his own carriage and found that only Xuanming and Sun Yang obediently went inside and lay down. He looked at the rest of the cubs in confusion. "What's wrong? Don't want to ride in my carriage?"

Bai Ze's carriage was elegant and exquisite, pulled by four illusory cranes. The four wheels were surrounded by flowing silver light, the carriage was spacious and comfortable, and it was even covered with thick blankets. It looked quite appealing.

Wu Mu rubbed against the feathers of the white dragon and glanced up, muttering after just a brief glance, "Don't want to."

Who would want to ride in a carriage when there was a dragon available?

Annoyed, Ao Yu turned his head and tapped the heads of the cubs with his tail, warning, "If you dare to sharpen your claws on my back, I'll throw you off."

Wu Mu raised his Mei Hua cushion, retracting his claws, and tilted his head cutely while letting out a couple of meows, indicating that he was the most obedient kitty and would never do something so uncouth.

Yun Zhao chuckled and pulled them into his arms, rubbing their furry heads with his chin.

Ao Yu clicked his tongue and exhaled a few bursts of dragon breath, dispersing the seaweed around them.

He turned his head to make sure they were seated properly, but just as he was about to lift his dragon claw, he caught sight of a young boy in green clothes running towards them, carrying several objects.

Ao Jing ran breathlessly, holding pearls and shells that the kittens loved to play with in his arms.

"Brother, are you... leaving?" The young boy ran all the way to the enormous white dragon, looking up at them. The attendants hurriedly chased after him, shouting, "Prince Ao Jing, the Dragon Patriarch wants to see you."

"I know," Ao Jing replied, turning his head.

Wu Mu peeked his head out from Yun Zhao's embrace and exclaimed in surprise, "Ah, Ao Jing, are you here to see us off?"

"Um..." Ao Jing put the objects he was holding into a treasure box. "I picked out some things for you to take back and play with in the mountains."

Wu Mu's triangular ears perked up happily, and his tail wagged and swayed on the dragon's back.

The white dragon's tail rolled up the box from Ao Jing's hand and placed it in Yun Zhao's embrace. It glanced at Ao Jing, who was stunned, and then took off into the air.

Wu Mu turned around, lifting his little paw and waving. "Ao Jing, remember to come and play at Yuming Mountain!"

The white dragon broke through the barrier, leaving only a trail of watermarks. Ao Jing watched the figure grow more distant and stretched out his hand, imitating the posture of the cubs, and softly replied, "Okay..."

...

The white dragon soared through the clouds, flying above the sea surface, drawing cheerful shouts from the cubs.

Yun Zhao held the phoenix and the little ferret in his arms, with two kittens hanging on him. His entire face was filled with a satisfied smile, wrapped in a furry embrace.

From the carriage not far away, a golden dog head popped out and barked at Yun Zhao.

Yun Zhao waved happily towards Sun Yang, but suddenly, a chill rose behind him, and that feeling of being watched crept back into his heart.

He turned around to look at the purple clouds behind him, but his view was blocked by Ao Yu's tail.

The silky silver-white tail gently brushed over the young man's head before wagging forcefully, accelerating its departure.

It wasn't until they reached the foot of Yuming Mountain that Ao Yu landed on the ground and reverted to his human form.

Yun Zhao stretched lazily and said, "I remember there's some fern that the rabbits here like. Let's dig some and take it back."

After being away for so long, the rabbits must have been worried.

The cubs were still immersed in the excitement of riding the dragon, but when they heard Yun Zhao's suggestion, they all responded eagerly and ran off, wiggling their little bottoms.

Bai Ze's carriage was also guided to land by the cranes, but it landed with a slight deviation, sinking into a muddy pit. Bai Ze held his head and went crazy, "This is my only flying artifact!"

The black panther yawned indifferently and jumped out of the carriage with Sun Yang, squatting nearby to enjoy Bai Ze's tantrum.

Ao Yu sighed helplessly and planned to help Bai Ze get the carriage out while also fetching his cloak.

The ground in that area was muddy, and Yun Zhao obediently stood in place, waiting for the little dragon.

Rustling sounds came from the bushes, and Yun Zhao's fingers involuntarily twitched as he frowned and looked over.

He took a few steps forward, reached out, and pushed aside the foliage, when suddenly a jet-black snake head shot out.

"Oops!"

Yun Zhao was startled and quickly withdrew his hand, his eyes widening in surprise.

It was a completely black python, staring fixedly at him, its crimson tongue hissing, sending a chill down Yun Zhao's spine.

Yun Zhao locked eyes with the snake for a few seconds, and the snake's beastly pupils slightly narrowed, seemingly mocking the young man's timidity. It swayed its body and swam straight towards him.

"Yun Zhao."

Ao Yu walked over with the cloak from not far away and saw the young man staring blankly at a patch of bushes, so he asked, "What's wrong?"

Yun Zhao pointed at the bushes and said, "There's a snake!"

"A snake?"

Ao Yu followed the direction of the young man's finger, but apart from a few pieces of broken stones, there was nothing there.

Yun Zhao scratched his head in confusion. "Huh? It was there just now..."

"Looks like it ran away," Ao Yu said as he draped the cloak over the young man. He reached out and held his hand. "Bai Ze's carriage is sorted out. Let's go up the mountain when Wu mu and the others come back."

"Yeah," Yun Zhao replied.

Yun Zhao rubbed the goosebumps that had formed on his arms and followed Ao Yu as they left.

When they returned to the mountain, the rabbits were overjoyed. They surrounded Yun Zhao, rubbing against him and leaving rabbit fur all over his legs.

Little Black Rabbit cried with reddened eyes, "Wuwuwu... Why did you take so long? We were so worried!"

"Sorry, sorry. I won't do it again next time," Yun Zhao apologized. To comfort the rabbits, he cooked a large pot of wild vegetable soup using the fern they had collected, and each rabbit ate until their bellies were round, finally relieved.

After returning to Yuming Mountain, apart from the slightly inappropriate activities they engaged in every evening, life was pretty much the same as before.

However, Yun Zhao noticed that the cubs seemed a little gloomy when they played with the pearls they had brought back from the sea.

As Yun Zhao sighed, watching Wu mu lost in thought while playing with a pearl, he pondered whether to ask Bai Ze to take the cubs to the sea for a while.

Lost in his thoughts, Yun Zhao was interrupted by Little Black Rabbit's call. "My Lord! Someone is here! They say they want to enter the nursery!"

"Really?" Yun Zhao raised his head and was pulled by Little Black Rabbit towards the mountain gate.

At the mountain gate, the weeping thread plum blossoms floated in the wind, and a child was surrounded by attendants, standing under the tree quietly. When the child and the servants saw them approaching, they respectfully greeted him, "Hello, Brother Yun Zhao."

Perhaps it was the aura emanating from the young dragon that piqued the curiosity of the rabbits. They all approached, squeezing past the attendants, and surrounded him, using their little paws to touch him gently and sniff him.

"It smells like seawater..."

"It's stronger than Lord Ao Yu's..."

Yun Zhao was astonished, and before he could recover, he heard Ao Jing, who was covered in rabbits, calmly say, "I apologize for the rudeness, but could you please let these rabbits get off me first? They... are a bit heavy."

Yun Zhao: "..."