Chapter 95: The Little Princess

The imperial court dispatched the Marquis of Wu'an with a great army to quell the rebellion. Upon hearing this, many monsters in the southern lands were startled. In this era when humans, demons, gods, and ghosts coexist, there was always the possibility that some monsters might emerge to cause havoc. Thus, the court’s enemies were not only other dynasties but also the demon clans.

In the mortal world, the discovery of any monster warrants only one response: kill.

Every year, numerous beings transform into demons, though most dwell quietly in forests, mountains, and marshes, rarely venturing into human territories. Only those with a strong connection to humans by fate might, by coincidence, find themselves mingling in the mortal realm.

The various monsters inhabiting Dongting Lake originally had their own territories, but on one hand, human domains were expanding, seizing the momentum of heaven and earth; on the other, the Dragon Lord harbored personal ambitions.

When the news came that the army was led by the Marquis of Wu'an, there was indeed some fear. Yet, upon learning that only ten thousand troops were dispatched to pacify an entire vast continent, many deemed it impossible. Even with excellent equipment, such a small force could not conquer the southern continent swiftly—not even one of the three great powers of the south could be subdued so quickly.

The Dragon Lord pondered long and hard, then looked at Water Leopard and said, “Only the Marquis of Wu’an’s forces are involved. Moreover, they have no foothold ahead and no supply lines behind. Even the territories they pacify will be limited. We just need to trap them in one place and deal with them gradually.”

Water Leopard considered the truth behind these words. The Dragon Lord could not relinquish his divine status, and his way of thinking resembled that of a worldly merchant, prioritizing profit above all. Previously, peace prevailed. As the Dongting Lake Dragon Lord, he held a divine title bestowed by the previous dynasty, with national sacrifices in his honor. But the current dynasty neither recognized nor enshrined him as a god, only honoring ancestors and heroes. This severely damaged the interests of all postnatal deities.

Postnatal gods require faith and worship to truly be gods; without followers, their divine status is weakened or even lost entirely. The Dongting Lake Dragon Lord’s position was unstable, lacking the auspices of state fortune, so he had spent years vying for believers.

Water Leopard guessed that while the Dragon Lord’s ambition was considerable, his abilities were lacking. His vision was shortsighted, failing to see the grand trend of the world. The Dragon Lord seemed oblivious to the fact that if the divine path was already in decline, and the people of the southern continent were growing wise and self-reliant, the pure worshippers seeking gods and Buddhas would become fewer and fewer. The decline of the postnatal divine path was an inevitable phenomenon.

Water Leopard also understood that it wasn’t a matter of unwillingness to let go, but rather a genuine lack of retreat—he was caught in a dilemma, unable to dismount the tiger. Smiling quietly to himself, he said, “The Dragon Lord is truly wise. As long as our continent remains stable and the people live free of disaster, they will not forget the Dragon Lord’s merits. We only need to seal off the southern continent so that no one can meddle.”

“Good,” the Dongting Lake Dragon Lord exclaimed approvingly, then added, “Then let us work together to turn the southern continent into an impregnable fortress.”

“Agreed.” Water Leopard nodded. “I will report back to my mother and convey the Dragon Lord’s intentions.”

The two monsters exchanged polite words, each harboring their own schemes. No fruitful outcome was reached; the Dragon Lord wanted only to stabilize the Jishan faction to prevent interference, while the Jishan faction merely sought to test the Dragon Lord’s stance and prepare defenses.

At that moment, a small monster carrying a crab shell on its back entered and addressed the Dragon Lord: “Report to the Dragon King: everything is ready. Once the little princess is brought here, we can begin.”

The Dragon King nodded and asked, “How many have arrived in total?”

The crab monster glanced hesitantly at Water Leopard before the Dragon Lord said, “No matter, the Jishan young master is no stranger.”

The crab monster nodded and replied, “We sent invitations to three hundred and fifty guests. Nearly thirty did not come—twenty claimed other engagements, and almost ten mysteriously disappeared.”

“Oh?” The Dongting Lake Dragon Lord’s expression darkened. While absences were common, at such a critical moment it was different. Everyone knew a major event was unfolding; no matter the reason, these absences felt like deliberate defiance.

After a moment of silence, he instructed the crab monster, “Go to the Dragon Palace and make preparations. At dawn tomorrow, bring the little princess out. The suitor selection ceremony will proceed as scheduled.”

“Yes, Dragon Lord.” The crab monster responded and left the hall.

Water Leopard looked at the Dongting Lake Dragon Lord with curiosity and asked, “Who is this little princess?”

Water Leopard was indeed puzzled. Every year the Dragon King married off a daughter; last year it was said the heir’s daughter wed. Yet now another little princess appeared, which seemed strange.

“Heh,” the Dragon Lord chuckled. “This little princess is extraordinary, of pure bloodline belonging to the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon clan. She was lost here and taken in as my goddaughter. This grand banquet is arranged especially for her.”

“Oh?” Water Leopard’s brow furrowed slightly. “Where is she now? Could I have the honor of seeing the splendor of a Golden Dragon?”

“She is currently inside the water palace. Tomorrow you will see her yourself,” the Dragon Lord said proudly. Even he envied her golden dragon bloodline. If time allowed, he would have coveted it for himself.

Though it was ostensibly a marriage, it was merely a pretense. The true aim was to unify Dongting Lake. As for this dragon daughter, the Dragon Lord intended to keep her for himself. Thinking this, he glanced warily at Water Leopard.

The dragon daughter’s bloodline was the key to his evolution into a true dragon. It could not suffer the slightest mishap. After careful observation, he found nothing amiss with Water Leopard and quietly exhaled in relief.

The two chatted idly for a time before Water Leopard took his leave and returned to his room. Soon after, a great flood dragon known for spreading rumors among the rebel kings was struck by a stone. Looking around and seeing nothing unusual, he examined the stone closely and noticed a strange pattern. Delighted, he secretly pocketed it.

He went to a secluded spot and used his divine sense to scan the stone, discovering not only a crude drawing but also tiny inscriptions as fine as mosquito legs. The flood dragon studied them carefully and murmured to himself, “She’s still in the Dragon Palace—that’s why I couldn’t find a trace of her.”

He crushed the stone into powder between two fingers.

“Good thing I have this brother’s help; otherwise, I wouldn’t know how to proceed.” With that, the flood dragon slowly moved toward the water.

Upon reaching the water’s edge, he waded in, his form shifting into a seven-foot-long, half-faded yellow, half-blue horned flood dragon. His arm’s thickness resembled a tree branch, so one might easily mistake him for a twig without a closer look.

Within the Dongting Water Palace—claimed by the Dongting Lake Dragon Lord as the Dragon Palace—life bustled with activity.

In a room beside the Dragon Lord’s residence sat a woman with a pair of one-foot-long golden horns. She rummaged through the chamber but found nothing after a while.

Sighing helplessly, she sat down and glanced at the chains on her hands and feet.

“Why on earth did I have to come play in Dongting Lake? I wonder if the flood dragon and the others can find me.”

“Never expected that playing around would bring a pervert who wants to claim me as his goddaughter and force me into marriage. If I were to marry him, why not just say so?” She muttered to herself, then, resigned, sat there silently stewing in her own frustration.