Zhang Wu decided to keep the fact that Xu Dongyou had drawn a super high-quality Level 1 talisman a secret, to avoid attracting trouble. After all, such a talisman could tempt many people. Given Xu Dongyou’s rising fame, it was better to stay low-key to avoid drawing unnecessary attention.
Xu Dongyou took the remaining two talismans, and the three of them discussed the topic of live streaming. Tian Ze asked Xu Dongyou when he planned to start taking missions and broadcasting them live. The official live streaming channel had not only caught the attention of operators but also the general public, with rampant speculation about the nature of this official channel.
The buzz around the previous incident with the monster fish attacking a ship had died down, but the live streaming channel still held significant attention. People were speculating whether the live streaming platform was merely riding on the official buzz or if there was a real collaboration between the platform and official entities. The live streaming platform had yet to issue a statement, and journalists trying to get answers received only “no comment” in response.
Time passed quickly, and three days went by. During these three days, Xu Dongyou, besides attending classes, spent his time drawing talismans. This way, he didn’t need to spend points on buying talismans from the mall, and he could also improve his skills—truly a win-win situation.
Additionally, he practiced controlling water using his demon powers, doing so whenever he was drinking water or washing his hands. These activities, along with attending classes, nearly filled up his entire schedule, leaving little time to practice flying techniques.
On Saturday, Xu Dongyou went to the top floor to study knowledge related to the demon clan and also used the formation gate there to visit the ancient great array. The ancient Zhulong remained in its previous position, asleep, with no signs of waking up. This was likely a good thing.
The water and food placed there remained fresh due to the formation, so Xu Dongyou didn’t need to replace them. To avoid disturbing Zhulong, Xu Dongyou did not enter the array, remembering the scene of Zhulong injuring itself by crashing into the barrier. Even though the barrier was soundproof, preventing Zhulong from hearing outside noise, Elder Chen still whispered, asking, “Have you felt any different these past few days?”
Xu Dongyou paused and tried to recall if there had been any changes. Finding none, he shook his head. Elder Chen nodded and did not ask further.
Feeling even more confused, Xu Dongyou didn’t dare to ask why and remained silent.
After staying for a while longer, Xu Dongyou and Elder Chen left the ancient array.
Inside the formation, Zhulong continued to sleep, occasionally muttering incoherently. Its wounds had fully healed two days earlier, with new scales having grown in. The dragon scale embedded in the stone wall tempted the research department of the bureau, but since it belonged to Zhulong, no one dared to take it without permission.
Earlier, Xu Dongyou had called his mother to say he would be coming home to rest over the weekend. His mother immediately urged his father to prepare a lavish dinner. When Xu Dongyou arrived home, his mother greeted him with a warm hug, saying, “Come in, your dad made a lot of delicious food for you.”
His father peeked out from the kitchen, still holding a spoon, and called out, “Sit down. I’m just finishing the last dish.”
Xu Dongyou nodded obediently, “Thanks, Dad.”
Father Xu smiled widely and hurried back to the kitchen. As Xu Dongyou entered the house, he found his younger brother, Xu Yangchen, engrossed in a game on the couch, furiously tapping the screen without even looking up.
Seeing this, Mother Xu couldn’t help but complain, “I don’t know what’s so great about these games. He’s obsessed with them all day long.”
Xu Dongyou quickly soothed his mother, successfully distracting her from the issue. When she got up to help his father in the kitchen, Xu Dongyou sat next to Xu Yangchen and glanced at his phone screen. The game seemed similar to many others on the market, with a dark, gothic style. Even after watching for a while, Xu Dongyou couldn’t see the appeal.
After finishing his dungeon run, Xu Yangchen noticed Xu Dongyou and jumped, “Bro! When did you get back?”
Xu Dongyou widened his eyes in surprise.
Feeling a bit guilty, Xu Yangchen tried to make amends by giving his brother a back massage, “Forgive me this time, I was just too focused on the game.”
Xu Dongyou wasn’t actually angry; he just felt that Xu Yangchen was getting a bit too absorbed in gaming. However, knowing that Xu Yangchen might be going through a late rebellious phase, he decided not to push too hard and changed the subject, “Is that mobile game really fun?”
Xu Yangchen nodded enthusiastically, “It’s super fun.”
Xu Dongyou took out his phone, “What’s it called? I’ll download it and give it a try.”
It seemed like a good opportunity to find a common interest.
Xu Yangchen shook his head, “Bro, don’t bother. The game is still in closed beta, with only a dozen players. It might be a long time before you can try it.”
Xu Dongyou felt a bit resigned.
Xu Yangchen glanced at his brother, “I get the feeling you’re not really into this game.”
Xu Dongyou gave a look of, “You caught me,” and leaned in to whisper, “You’ve been a bit too obsessed with gaming lately.”
Xu Yangchen nodded, “I know, but I really like this game. Plus, if I find any bugs during the beta, I can get a prize of ten thousand yuan.”
Lowering his voice, he added, “I want to use the money to buy a new laptop since the old one broke.”
Xu Dongyou paused, feeling a twinge of sadness. He patted his brother’s shoulder without saying anything.
He understood his brother’s mindset well. Their family wasn’t well-off, especially with the cost of educating two children. Their father had worked hard for years to provide for them, and only recently had things started to improve.
The laptop Xu Yangchen used was a newer model, but it struggled with running heavy software and had developed issues over time. It couldn’t be repaired over and over.
Xu Dongyou silently decided to buy a better laptop for his brother the next day and ask him not to mention it to their parents.
Soon, Father Xu finished cooking and called Xu Dongyou and Xu Yangchen to the table. Half of the dishes were Xu Dongyou’s favorites, and the other half were Xu Yangchen’s.
Although Mother Xu often seemed annoyed with Xu Yangchen lately, she still cared deeply for him. Outwardly, she remained stern, piling Xu Dongyou’s plate with his favorite dishes before begrudgingly serving Xu Yangchen his favorites.
Xu Yangchen ate quietly before looking up, “Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad. You’ve worked hard.”
“Smooth talker. If you really want to make your father and me happy, then spend less time on that useless game,” his mother retorted, clearly still upset about his gaming habit.
“Mom, have some of this,” Xu Dongyou quickly interjected, “Dad’s ribs taste even better than last time.”
Mother Xu glanced at Xu Yangchen with a stern look, then took a bite of the ribs, complimenting, “Your dad’s cooking really has improved this time.”
Father Xu smiled warmly, staying silent to avoid any conflict. Only after his wife’s approval did he cautiously add, “It’s because of the ribs you bought. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to make them taste so good.”
Mother Xu, feeling flattered, gave him a playful look and let the matter drop.
Xu Yangchen, relieved to have avoided further scolding, gave a grateful glance to both his brother and father.
Mother Xu, understanding the situation but choosing not to address it, continued eating.
After dinner, the family sat together on the sofa, watching TV and chatting. As it approached nine o’clock, Mother Xu urged Xu Dongyou and Xu Yangchen to head to their rooms.
Xu Dongyou obediently nodded and, once in their room, watched as Xu Yangchen immediately pulled out his phone to resume playing his mobile game. This time, Xu Dongyou didn’t stop him; instead, he lay down, mentally reviewing the runes of the talismans to reinforce his memory.
Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep. In the darkness, only the glow from Xu Yangchen’s phone illuminated the room as he continued playing his game, completing the last quest before finally going to sleep.
In his sleep, Xu Yangchen felt unusually heavy, as if dreaming of something terrifying. Upon waking, he couldn’t remember any details of the dream.
Xu Dongyou yawned as he woke up, tears welling at the corners of his eyes, and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Xu Yangchen snapped back to reality, scratched his head, and chuckled, “Nothing.”
Xu Dongyou didn’t pry, getting up to wash and then accompanying his mother to buy groceries and help his father. However, his mother quickly shooed him away, saying they needed some alone time as a couple.
Knowing his mother just didn’t want him to do any work, Xu Dongyou didn’t insist and instead returned to the living room to do some light cleaning.
Xu Yangchen sat on the sofa, glancing at the TV but frequently eyeing his phone, too afraid to play games in front of his mother and risk getting scolded again.
After lunch, Xu Dongyou mentioned he needed to go out for school-related matters. His mother waved him off, “Go ahead.”
Xu Dongyou first went to the top floor of the Bureau to continue his studies with Elder Chen and Jiu Chao, then made a visit to the sealed array to check on Zhulong.
Zhulong was still asleep, occasionally muttering incoherent phrases.
Finding it fascinating, Xu Dongyou asked Elder Chen, “Is it dreaming?”
Elder Chen hesitated for a few seconds before awkwardly replying, “Perhaps.”
This reminded Xu Dongyou of another question, “Is Zhulong’s muttering always incoherent?”
Like how people might talk nonsense in their sleep, yet each word still has its own meaning.
Only, a mad person would string these words together into nonsensical sentences.
Xu Dongyou wondered if Zhulong was experiencing something similar.
Elder Chen shook his head and, with a certain tone, told Xu Dongyou, “No, its mutterings are entirely chaotic, without any words that can convey meaning.”
It was like a divine script, incomprehensible to both humans and demons alike. Perhaps even Zhulong itself didn’t understand.
Elder Chen felt a mix of emotions, recalling a time long ago, back when Zhulong still retained a semblance of sanity…
No words could adequately describe Zhulong of that time. Despite being bound in the great array with chains piercing its body, it looked at him calmly and asked, “How is the outside world?”
Overcome with a complex mix of reverence and awe, perhaps with something else, Elder Chen had knelt, his voice trembling as he answered, “The world is slowly recovering from its scars, and the human race is flourishing.”
Zhulong had remained silent for a long while before finally responding, “That’s good.”
Gathering his courage, Elder Chen had looked up, glimpsing the chains around Zhulong with a heavy heart, tears welling up in his eyes as he murmured, “My lord…”
