CH 43

The next day, as soon as it was dawn, Bai Xianzhi called the Temporal Management Bureau, providing the basic information of the two children to the staff and also sent two photos to them. An hour later, he received a callback.

“Hello, Mr. Bai. The two children you mentioned are named Shui Lu and Shui Mo. They are members of the 36th division of the Spirit Clan in the Southern Star. Their guardian, Shui Qingqing, passed away a month ago. The girl, Shui Lu’s parents, were killed by space pirates four years ago. As for Shui Mo, there are no records of his parents in the system, and it’s highly likely they are no longer in this world.”

“…We plan to send the two children to the Spirit Clan’s orphanage. Can we come to the Three Thousand Food House this afternoon to take them away?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, we will be there at three o’clock in the afternoon.”

“Okay, see you then.”

After hanging up the phone, Bai Xianzhi walked into the kitchen, where the two children were each drinking a box of coconut milk, gazing at him with big, round eyes. They had been cleaned up by Bai Xianzhi from last night’s mess and were temporarily wearing his oversized sweatshirts, sitting cutely on small stools, waiting for him to finish the call.

Xiao Lu blinked her eyes and asked, “Uncle, Uncle, have you found Xiao Long’s dad and my mom and dad?”

Bai Xianzhi’s throat tightened, a bit afraid to meet the gaze of the two children. He didn’t expect their backgrounds to be so tragic. The only guardian had passed away a month ago, Xiao Lu’s parents were deceased, and Xiao Long’s parents were likely not in this world. Taking a deep breath, he sat on a small stool in front of them, trying to speak gently, “I’m sorry, Uncle lied just now.”

The two children stared at him blankly, and he had to continue, “The Uncle on the phone said that your parents might not be in this world and couldn’t be found.”

Bai Xianzhi noticed that both children blinked their eyes. He thought they might burst into tears the next second, but they didn’t. Xiao Lu even smiled and said, “It’s okay, Uncle. I already knew. Grandma told me a long time ago that my parents couldn’t be found. I’m sorry for causing trouble for you, Uncle.”

Bai Xianzhi’s heart softened, and he touched Xiao Lu’s head. “No, you didn’t cause trouble for me. I just made a phone call, that’s all.”

Xiao Lu pursed her lips and smiled. She looked at Xiao Long, who seemed upset, and said, “Uncle, Xiao Long’s dad can still be found, right?”

Bai Xianzhi nodded, “The Uncle on the phone said he might not be found.”

Xiao Lu looked at him seriously, “No way! Xiao Long’s dad will definitely be found. Those Uncles don’t know that Xiao Long is a little black dragon, that’s why they said that!”

“…Uncle, you’re from the Black Dragon Clan, and you can definitely help Xiao Long find his dad!”

Black Dragon Clan?

Bai Xianzhi was puzzled. “But, I’m not from the Black Dragon Clan.”

Xiao Lu widened her eyes, and Xiao Long also looked at him in disbelief. Excitedly, Xiao Long said, “But… everyone on the communication device says you are from the Black Dragon Clan!”

Bai Xianzhi understood. He chuckled, “Those are just wild speculations from netizens. In fact, I am not from the Black Dragon Clan!”

Tears welled up in Xiao Lu’s eyes, and she looked at Xiao Long, saying, “Xiao Long, I’m sorry, he’s not from the Black Dragon Clan, he’s not your dad! It’s my fault! Waaah!”

Xiao Long quickly hugged Xiao Lu, his voice choked with tears, “It’s not your fault, Xiao Lu, you’re the best! Don’t cry! Waaah!”

In an instant, the kitchen felt like a kindergarten. The two children embraced each other, sobbing and crying with heartbreaking sorrow.

Bai Xianzhi’s fingers twitched. He wanted to comfort the two little ones but saw Xiao Long blowing a big bubble from his nose. Before he could hand him a tissue, Xiao Long wiped it away with his sleeve and continued to sob, Xiao Lu tightly.

Bai Xianzhi: Although it’s quite pitiful, why do I feel like laughing at this moment?

Silently sneaking past the emotionally immersed children, he went upstairs to get them some towels and also… empty ears.

As soon as he grabbed the towels, the crying downstairs stopped. Worried that something might have happened, Bai Xianzhi hurried downstairs. As he descended the stairs, he saw Tu linlin and the two children looking at each other. Upon seeing him, Tu linlin looked puzzled and asked, “Boss, who are they?”

Bai Xianzhi explained, “They are two little kids, don’t worry. Why did you come so early today?”

Since the boss said there was no problem, Tu linlin didn’t dwell on it and smiled, “I brought something for you to try. I sent my grandma to the hospital some time ago, but now she’s much better. Yesterday, she made some delicious sour fruit jelly, so I brought some specially for you.”

Bai Xianzhi walked over to take the large lunch box from Tu linlin’s hand. As he opened it, a sweet and tangy aroma filled the air, stimulating his taste buds. The sour fruit jelly inside the lunch box was brown and jelly-like, giving a refreshing and cool sensation. There were also small bamboo sticks in the box, with pieces of the sour fruit jelly skewered on them.

“Mmm, it’s delicious!”

It truly was delicious—cool and refreshing, despite its name suggesting sourness, it leaned towards sweetness with a hint of tanginess. It wasn’t cloying at all, suitable for both young and old. After finishing one piece, Bai Xianzhi wanted to have another, but when he looked down, he saw the two children looking at him with teary eyes. His movements paused, and he squatted down, inserting a piece of sour fruit jelly into each of their hands, saying, “Try it, this was made by Tu linlin’s grandma, it’s really tasty.”

The two children received the sour fruit jelly a bit shyly and thanked Tu linlin tenderly, “Thank you, Brother Tu linlin!”

Bai Xianzhi: Wait, why is Tu linlin their brother? And I’m their uncle? Didn’t I ask them to call him ‘uncle’ too?

Voicing his inner confusion, the two children looked at him with a touch of disdain. Xiao Lu said, “Uncle, you’re so silly! We thought you were Xiao Long’s dad, so of course, we call you ‘uncle’! But Tu linlin isn’t, and besides, he has long ears. Everyone with long ears is a big brother!”

After glancing at Tu linlin’s long rabbit ears, Bai Xianzhi was at a loss for words.

Tu linlin laughed heartily while Xiao Lu and Xiao Long held the sour fruit jelly in their hands, eagerly looking at Tu linlin. “Brother Tu linlin, can we touch your ears?”

Tu linlin chuckled, “Hahaha… burp!”

Having finished laughing, Bai Xianzhi squatted down and explained to the two kids where they would be going later. “In the afternoon, some uncles from the Temporal Management Bureau will come to take you away. They will send you to the orphanage, where you’ll find many kids your age to play with, and you won’t go hungry anymore.”

He thought the two children would be happy about it, but unexpectedly, they took a step back and stared at him in disbelief when they heard “orphanage.” “Why do you want to send us to an orphanage? You’re a bad uncle!!”

After saying this, the two kids immediately ran towards the door. Bai Xianzhi hurriedly stood up and managed to catch them just in time. They struggled and shouted, “Bad uncle! Let us go! We won’t go to the orphanage! We won’t go!!”

Bai Xianzhi: …

After calming the two children down, mainly with the help of Tu linlin and his two long ears, Bai Xianzhi looked at them as they sat in Tu linlin’s arms, still touching his white ears while glaring at him with indignation. Bai Xianzhi touched his nose and asked with guilt, “Why… don’t you want to go to the orphanage?”

“Hmph!” Xiao Long turned his head away, while Xiao Lu stared at him angrily, “We just don’t want to! The orphanage is where children without moms and dads go! Xiao Long has a dad, so we won’t go!”

Bai Xianzhi softened his tone and explained, “It’s not like that. You can stay at the orphanage for now and leave once we find Xiao Long’s dad.”

Xiao Lu tilted her head, “Liar!”

Bai Xianzhi: …

Embracing the two kids, Tu linlin said awkwardly, “If you don’t go to the orphanage, where else can you go? You two little guys will starve outside.”

Xiao Long whispered, “No, we won’t.” Then he looked up and said loudly, “No, I won’t let Xiao Lu starve. If I run out of money, I’ll sell my hair. I can even sell my horns. People online say that black dragons’ hair and horns are in high demand!”

Bai Xianzhi: … So, that’s why your hair looks like it’s been chewed by a dog.

“How fast does your hair grow? Can it feed you that quickly?” he said as he gently tugged on Xiao Long’s little pouch.

“Ouch!” Xiao Long covered his little pouch, and Xiao Lu immediately leaned over, shielding Xiao Long. “Bad uncle!”

Bai Xianzhi sighed, “You see, if I gently pulled a bit and it hurts, then selling your horns would be a hundred times more painful!”

He then turned to look at Xiao Lu. “Knowing that Xiao Long is in pain, are you still willing to let him sell his horns?”

Xiao Lu hesitated and turned to Xiao Long, “Xiao Long, I didn’t know it would hurt you so much! We won’t sell your horns anymore!” As she spoke, she gently touched Xiao Long’s black little pouch.

“But, we still won’t go to the orphanage!”

Turning around, Xiao Lu glared at Bai Xianzhi, “We can find something to eat! Grandma praised us for being resourceful!”

Bai Xianzhi sighed, “Xiao Lu, you are still young. If you go to the orphanage, you can eat well every day without worrying about your next meal. With the time you save, you can study well. When you grow up, you can work and earn money, and it won’t be that hard to find your dad.”

Xiao Lu and Xiao Long didn’t say anything. Bai Xianzhi was helpless, “Alright, let me ask a friend of mine. He might be able to help Xiao Long find his dad. But if we don’t find him, will you be good and go to the orphanage?”

Xiao Lu and Xiao Long looked at each other and nodded firmly.

Bai Xianzhi then stood up and picked up the communicator on the table to send a message to Feng Ye.

On the Divine Clan’s side, Feng Ye was tending to flowers and plants when he heard a notification sound. He took out the communicator and saw Bai Xianzhi’s message. After reading it, he called for Lin and asked him to inquire with the Black Dragon Clan’s chief about any lost little black dragon outside their clan.

Half an hour later, Lin returned with a reply, “The chief of the Black Dragon Clan said that there are no lost little black dragons in their clan. Moreover, the Black Dragon Clan values their offspring greatly and would never abandon a child. He thinks that the child might be a little Jiao with four claws, as the Black Dragon Clan is known for its mystery, and many little Jiaos with four claws often impersonate Black Dragon Clan members.”

Feng Ye nodded and replied to Bai Xianzhi’s message.

After reading Feng Ye’s reply, Bai Xianzhi looked at the two kids and shook his head lightly. “They haven’t found anything. The Black Dragon Clan says they haven’t lost any young ones.”

Xiao Long instantly felt disappointed and hung his head low. Xiao Lu quickly tried to comfort him, “Xiao Long, they must have made a mistake! Your dad must be looking for you!”

Xiao Long murmured sadly, “No, no! If he was looking for me, why hasn’t he found me after all this time? The Black Dragon Clan says they don’t have any children outside the clan. My dad isn’t part of the Black Dragon Clan, I don’t have a dad! Sob, sob, sob, sob…”

Xiao Lu hugged him and said, “It’s okay, I don’t have a dad either. We both don’t have dads, sob, sob, sob, sob…”

As their cries filled the air, Zhuo Long walked in. He addressed Bai Xianzhi, “Boss, I’m already an adult. Can I adopt them?”

Bai Xianzhi: “???!!!” Adopt? But you’re still a child yourself!!

…..

At half past ten in the morning, with half an hour left before the opening of “Three Thousand Food House,” Bai Xianzhi, Tu linlin, Zhuo Long, and the two kids sat around the table. Zhuo Long broke the silence, “Boss, the orphanage isn’t suitable for them. They are too young. How about I adopt them?”

Bai Xianzhi looked at the older child, Zhuo Long, and then at the two little kids, feeling a headache coming on. “Zhuo Long, you are still a child yourself. If you adopt these two kids, how will they address you?”

“Big brother,” Zhuo Long replied.

Xiao Lu and Xiao Long immediately chimed in, “Big brother!”

Bai Xianzhi: The headache intensifies.

Tu linlin chimed in, “How about this? The two kids can stay in the orphanage for a while, and when Zhuo Long is older, he can adopt them.”

Bai Xianzhi nodded, “That sounds like a good idea.”

Zhuo Long silently looked at the two without saying anything.

Bai Xianzhi massaged his forehead. After spending nearly a month together, he knew that Zhuo Long was introverted and would keep things to himself. His sudden suggestion of adoption was not clear, and now he remained silent, carrying the “silence is golden” principle to the extreme.

“Do you really want to adopt them?” Bai Xianzhi asked.

Zhuo Long nodded.

“Okay, I understand. Let’s disperse for now.”

The impromptu meeting came to an end, and Zhuo Long and Tu linlin went to the kitchen to prepare ingredients, while Xiao Lu took Xiao Long to the restroom. The two kids whispered to each other, “Xiao Long, Ah Hua said that the adults in the orphanage hit people, and the older kids bully the younger ones. We can’t go to the orphanage! Since we can’t find Dad, let’s go back to Ah Hua!”

Xiao Long nodded, “When they take us to the orphanage, I will use my horn to make a hole in the wall at night, and then we can run back and find Ah Hua!”

“Great! But what about Zhuo Long, big brother? He wants to be with us!”

“Then we’ll take Zhuo Long with us too!”

“Okay!”

Outside the door, Bai Xianzhi muttered, “…”

So, they want to escape and kidnap my employee?

…

In the afternoon, personnel from the Temporal Management Bureau’s Ling Clan Branch arrived. After a simple registration of the two kids, they expressed their intention to take them away. Bai Xianzhi temporarily apologized to the waiting customers and walked over to ask, “Can I adopt them?”

The two kids, who were about to be taken away, widened their eyes and stared at him, while Zhuo Long, who was washing dishes, also turned to look at him, unaware of the situation as he was busy entertaining guests.

Seeing the three kids looking at him, Bai Xianzhi smiled, “What? Don’t want to?”

Zhuo Long shook his head quickly, while Xiao Lu and Xiao Long bit their ears and asked, “Why do you want to adopt us? Didn’t you refuse Zhuo Long’s adoption earlier?”

Bai Xianzhi thought for a moment and replied earnestly, “Maybe I’m afraid someone will headbutt himself to injury and also worried that someone will kidnap my employee.”

Xiao Lu and Xiao Long widened their eyes, and Xiao Long quickly covered his little pouch. The two kids bit their ears again and looked at Bai Xianzhi, saying, “We don’t understand what you’re saying, but after discussing it, we decided that it’s okay. You can adopt us, but you can’t force us to work!”

Bai Xianzhi looked at their small figures with disdain. “What can you two do? Let’s talk about working when you’re as big as Zhuo Long.”

The two kids looked at the tall Zhuo Long, ran over to measure the height difference between them and Zhuo Long, and found that they were still shorter than Zhuo Long’s legs. Then they felt relieved.

They ran back to Bai Xianzhi and said, “Okay! We approve of you adopting us.”

Since someone was willing to adopt, the two bureau personnel naturally approved. Adoption conditions in the Three Thousand Worlds were not as stringent as in Huaxia. As long as there was a stable source of income and the person was of legal age, they could adopt children.

Bai Xianzhi undoubtedly met these conditions. After entering the adoption information into the system, the two personnel announced, “From now on, Shui Lu and Shui Mo are officially Mr. Bai Xianzhi’s adopted daughter and adopted son. Mr. Bai Xianzhi is their adoptive father. Until they reach adulthood, you must take care of them, ensure their healthy growth, provide them with food, clothing, and shelter, and ensure that they receive proper education at the appropriate age…”

After the matters were announced, the two bureau personnel had completed their external task. They grinned and said, “Boss, we’ve been here for so long. Do you think it’s possible now?”

Their gaze drifted straight to the big pot in the kitchen, and Bai Xianzhi understood. He smiled and said, “No problem, I’ll fry a plate of egg-fried rice for both of you to taste.”

After enjoying a large plate of egg-fried rice, the two personnel returned to the Temporal Management Bureau, feeling satisfied. After some manipulation, they assigned all the follow-up visits to Three Thousand Food House to themselves. This way, they could not only complete their work but also avoid waiting in line to eat delicious food. They couldn’t let such a good opportunity fall into someone else’s hands!

In the Dragon Realm, there are ten different dragon races, each with its unique characteristics. Within each race, there is a strict hierarchical division. There is a significant difference in strength between the Royal Dragons and common dragons. Therefore, the dragons place great importance on bloodline purity, and the Royal Dragons are not allowed to marry commoners, let alone marry members of other races!

The only exception is if the person they want to marry is from a more powerful race than the dragons. However, such examples have been rare over the years, with the Silver Dragon Clan being the only known case. The daughter of the Silver Dragon Clan’s leader successfully married into the powerful divine clan, and even into the main family! At that time, it was a tremendous achievement. The Silver Dragon Clan, which was originally at a disadvantage among the ten races, instantly became the object of affection for the other nine races. There was no choice since the power of the divine clan was unfathomable, and even the second strongest dragon race, the Black Dragon Clan, dared not oppose them.

However, in just a few years, the Silver Dragon Clan rose to become the leading dragon race. The Black Dragon Clan, known for its invincible scales that were previously unmatched even by the gods, gradually became second. How could the Black Dragon Clan accept this willingly?

At this moment, within the Black Dragon Clan’s territory, the third son of the clan chief, Ye Yan, was lying in bed in his dragon form, asleep. His mother, a fiery dragon, impatiently pushed aside the giant stone blocking the entrance to the cave and roared, “Third son! Get up and find a wife! I want grandchildren!”

Ye Yan lazily rolled over, “Heh, don’t Big Brother and Second Brother’s grandchildren satisfy you?”

His mother roared again, “Their children are theirs, and your children are yours! I want grandchildren from each of my sons! Get up and find a wife for me! Otherwise, I’ll post your picture on the network and directly look for a marriage candidate online!”

Ye Yan helplessly replied, “Alright, alright, I’ll get up and find a wife for you, okay?”

After finally sending off his mother, Ye Yan lay back on the bed feeling despondent. He did want to find a wife, but ever since he met that woman five years ago and had a one-night stand with her, he thought it was just a fleeting romance. However, he never expected that he would be unable to engage with anyone else again. Any attempt at lustful thoughts would cause him pain. As a dragon, inherently lustful, why has he been lying here for five years, unable to function?

If he could, why would he have spent five whole years in this cave?

Now, his mother was pushing him even further. If it weren’t for this matter being related to his dignity, it would be too embarrassing to discuss. He had already asked the clan for help in solving this issue! He was really struggling!!

Transforming into human form and putting on clothes, Ye Yan gazed at the darkened sky of the Dragon Realm, shedding tears of sadness. This time, he’ll go out and find that woman again. After all, living life so monotonously and celibate is not an option! If this continues, forget about having children, he won’t even be able to see an egg!

Meanwhile, in the Time-Space Battlefield, a woman was engaged in battle with the Stone Clan. With a swing of her staff, she turned one Stone Clan member into tiny fragments that couldn’t be reassembled…

After the battle ended, the woman returned to her tent in Three Thousand Worlds. Her comrades called out to her, “Sister Ji, Sister Ji! Your protector has fallen again!”

The woman turned around, took the protector and put it back on her arm, saying, “Thanks!”

Her comrade, a petite girl, pouted and said, “I really don’t understand why Sister Ji can’t feel the protector falling off. The battlefield set up by the Time-Space Group is said to have increased the pain level. When the protector falls off, it’s said to be more painful than giving birth. How could you overlook it, Sister Ji?!”

“Um,” the woman scratched her head, “Maybe… it’s because I have a high tolerance for pain? I really didn’t feel any pain.”

—–

Author’s Note: Finally, a longer update. I hope to continue tomorrow…

Thanks to all the lovely readers for your support! Muah~ Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or gave me nutrient solutions between 2020-07-30 15:14:32 and 2020-07-31 15:05:38.

Thanks to the following for nutrient solutions: Xia (30 bottles), Yunying Miluo, Yuzui Ban Hua Mian, vanvan (5 bottles), Peier (3 bottles), Bai An, Hsia (2 bottles), Fanxing, Qingli (1 bottle).

Thank you all for your support, and I will continue to work hard!

1TL: YSIAD “You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you ”