Three years flew by like a galloping horse, gone in the blink of an eye. The little bug, Mian Mian, had grown into a young boy. But…
Mian Mian was born with both demonic and dragon aura. Unlike the other two cubs, Mian Mian could cultivate both demonic and immortal powers, making his advancement much quicker. By just six months, he had already transformed successfully, proving to be the exquisite beauty that Qing Yun and Goldfish had predicted.
At one year old, when dragons start growing their teeth, Mian Mian’s were sharp and pointy. He learned to walk, but being so small and unsteady, he often fell down. On one occasion, he lost two teeth from a fall. After that, Mian Mian stopped crying and laughing and showed no interest in babbling. Shen Tanqi guessed that Mian Mian was trying to hide his teeth from others.
When Mian Mian was a year and a half old, his two ‘big brothers,’ Goldfish and Taro Ball, were thrilled to bring him exotic fruits to eat. Little Mian Mian lay in bed, calmly watching as Goldfish offered him a bunch of green grapes, trying to tempt him.
“Super tasty! Sandan, do you want to try? I’ll peel it for you.”
The little cub shook his head lightly and then turned his attention back to Shen Tanqi’s book from last night, reading it with great interest.
Goldfish and Taro Ball were puzzled.
The two brothers leaned in curiously, with Goldfish pointing at the words on the book, asking, “Sandan, do you understand these characters?”
Even at seven years old, he didn’t recognize many characters!
Taro Ball was also stunned, wondering if Mian Mian was a genius.
“What’s this one?” Goldfish asked excitedly, pointing at a character.
Mian Mian glanced at him, struggled to prop himself up with his tiny arms, and pointed at his own cheek, making some soft cooing sounds. Then he turned back to the book, engrossed in reading.
The two brothers stood there, dumbfounded.
Was Mian Mian trying to tell them… that he couldn’t speak?
Taro Ball and Goldfish exchanged glances, excitedly saying, “Brother, go get Daddy. Let’s have Mian Mian’s spiritual power tested.”
Even though the little cub had strong demonic and dragon auras, his spiritual power hadn’t been tested yet. Who knows, Mian Mian might be the rare successor of the daemon lord’s power—just like the previous one, Yu Ce.
Goldfish hurriedly dragged Shen Tanqi over. The little one stood firm and announced to Taro Ball, “Report, Erdan! Daddy’s here!”
“What’s going on?” Shen Tanqi had been in the pavilion, hands behind his back like a retired old man, watching Yu Ce and Qing Qun play chess. Suddenly, Goldfish pulled him in a rush, making him think something urgent had happened.
But when he got home, all three little ones seemed perfectly fine.
Hearing Shen Tanqi’s voice, Goldfish and Taro Ball, along with Mian Mian, who was resting his chin on his hands reading a book, all turned to look at him.
Before Goldfish and Taro Ball could say anything, Mian Mian shoved his book under the covers, stumbled to the edge of the bed, and threw himself into Shen Tanqi’s arms, mumbling, “Dad, Daddy…”
Shen Tanqi’s heart melted instantly. He pulled the little cub into his embrace, gently laughing and kissing his small face, “What’s wrong, Mian Mian?”
Mian Mian looked up with his chubby baby face, stuttering as he pointed at Goldfish and Taro Ball, “Bro… brothers…”
Shen Tanqi realized, his smile deepening, “Oh, so Mian Mian was playing with his brothers.”
Goldfish and Taro Ball: ?
Were they playing together just now?
Taro Ball glanced at Mian Mian on the bed, a bit confused.
Since his transformation, Mian Mian had stopped talking and seemed too clever for a baby. Other than sleeping or lying lazily, he rarely made a sound. So, Taro Ball couldn’t quite figure out what was off.
“Taro Ball, what’s the matter with calling Daddy?” Shen Tanqi, holding Mian Mian, sat on the bed and smiled at the thoughtful Taro Ball beside him.
Taro Ball snapped back to reality and said softly, “Daddy, Mian Mian was looking at a book earlier, and he seems to recognize characters already. He might be a genius, so we thought you could test his spiritual power.”
Shen Tanqi was stunned, looking down at the little cub in his arms. Taro Ball was reliable, so there must be something to it. Was his third cub another genius?
Goldfish kicked off his shoes, climbed onto the bed, and handed the book that Mian Mian had hidden to Shen Tanqi, saying, “Sandan, come on, show Daddy!”
Instantly, except for Mian Mian, both Taro Ball and Goldfish were staring at him.
Mian Mian’s gaze fell on the book. Seeing it as something interesting, he gently grabbed it, pursed his lips, and seemed ready to put it inside his mouth.
Shen Tanqi was startled and quickly took the book from him, saying, “You can’t eat this, it will upset your stomach. Be good, Mian Mian.”
Seeing the little cub still reaching for the book, Shen Tanqi tucked it into his own clothes and smiled at Goldfish and Taro Ball. “Mian Mian isn’t really reading. He probably just wants to play with it. Keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t put things in his mouth.”
Goldfish suddenly realized and nodded. “So that’s how it is. I got it, Daddy.”
“Alright, I’m going to watch your father play chess. Be good at home, okay?”
After giving his instructions, Shen Tanqi settled Mian Mian comfortably in bed and left. As he stepped outside, he suddenly remembered the book seemed familiar. He reached into his clothes and pulled it out.
The title read ‘Every Night’s Passion.’
…What!
Isn’t this the book he took out from his storage ring to kill time when he was free a few days ago?!
Fortunately, the kid really couldn’t understand it, otherwise all the early childhood education he had taught would have gone astray!
He quickly stuffed the book back into his clothes, relieved that Taro Ball and Goldfish were too naive to understand it.
However, after he left, Taro Ball in the room was still a little puzzled. He scratched his head and waited until Shen Tanqi was gone. Looking at Mian Mian, who seemed to be sound asleep, he carefully climbed onto the bed.
A small bump appeared under the blanket. Taro Ball, puzzled, lifted it to find Mian Mian, who had opened his eyes in the dim light, shifting a little to make some room.
Taro Ball’s heart softened, and he carefully crawled in, cuddling Mian Mian. Mian Mian smelled wonderful, like a sweet and faint scent of jasmine flowers. His little body was warm and soft, making Taro Ball adore his little brother even more.
Held by Taro Ball, Mian Mian found a cozy spot, resting his head against Taro Ball’s neck. He pulled out a sword manual from somewhere and continued to read it with interest, leaning against Taro Ball’s back.
Taro Ball, lulled by Mian Mian’s steady breathing, fell asleep without noticing the little movements behind him.
Nearby, Goldfish saw this and came over, whispering softly, “Sandan, don’t eat it, okay?”
Mian Mian blinked and nodded obediently.
Seeing Mian Mian being so well-behaved and cute, Goldfish felt a sense of accomplishment as an older brother. He was a bit pleased, even a little proud. Goldfish happily joined them under the blanket, squeezing in beside Taro Ball. The three little cubs snuggled together for a lazy sleep.
Once both of his brothers were sound asleep, Mian Mian slowly turned the pages of his book. After reading each page, he tossed the book aside and picked up another one, as if he could remember all the sword techniques after just one glance.
Two years later, when Mian Mian turned three, he could already speak. However, due to losing his teeth when he was younger, he had developed a habit of speaking very little. He rarely talked, but when he did, his words were concise and to the point. He would only speak more when he was around Shen Tanqi, somewhat resembling his cool demeanor from when he was still in his eggshell.
Of course—
Mian Mian still showed some pity to Yu Ce, the lowest on the family’s food chain. He often kept Yu Ce company.
In the blink of an eye, Mian Mian’s early years were coming to an end, and it was time for them to leave Hidden Dragon Valley and return to Shuoxia City to discuss marriage arrangements.
Yu Ce and Shen Tanqi were increasingly occupied with wedding preparations, poring over various books on the customs and steps of marriage. The busy parents left the cubs feeling quite bored.
Mian Mian, in particular, found himself aimlessly passing the time. Shen Tanqi and Yu Ce were concerned that early training might accidentally lead him down the wrong path or into demonic practices, so they had put his training on hold.
With no training to occupy him, Mian Mian devoured every book in Yu Ce’s collection—on cultivation, ancient texts, alchemy, and even the storybooks Shen Tanqi had acquired. He read them all, absorbing their content thoroughly.
Yet, no one noticed his progress, and Mian Mian himself didn’t feel particularly impressive. After all, his father was the strongest Golden Immortal in the world, his daddy was as wealthy as a nation, his older brother Yu Jin was blessed with incredible luck, and his second brother Yu Yuan was the youngest expert in swordsmanship in the Transformation Realm.
Mian Mian thought to himself that he must be the weakest in the family, considering he only read books.
On the morning of their departure from Hidden Dragon Valley, Goldfish and Taro Ball accompanied Qing Yun on a foraging trip, while Mian Mian stayed at home, sleeping.
When he woke up, the house was empty. His fathers and brothers were gone.
Rubbing his eyes, Mian Mian walked to the bookshelf, but he had already read everything there and was starting to get bored. He put the books aside and walked to the door, slowly opening it.
Peach blossom petals drifted in front of him from somewhere. Mian Mian reached out and caught one.
It was the first time he had seen peach blossoms in person. He had only seen them in pictures before, as Hidden Dragon Valley had no flowers except for the ones they grew themselves.
Could these peach blossoms be from the outside world? What was the outside world like?
Curious, Mian Mian followed the direction of the drifting petals, taking one step after another.
Eventually, he reached the edge of Hidden Dragon Valley and saw two figures approaching from beyond the barrier.
The two figures seemed to notice Mian Mian through the barrier. Their eyes gleamed with wild excitement as they exchanged glances, and they quickly dashed towards Mian Mian. Without hesitation, they broke through the barrier and grabbed the little dragon cub who was standing still, watching them.
“We didn’t expect to actually stumble upon Hidden Dragon Valley. We’ve hit the jackpot! Dragon cubs can be sold for a fortune in the demon realm’s black market!”
“Quick, tie him up! If we wait too long, other dragons will notice, and we’ll be done for!”
The two figures emitted strange, eerie auras, much like the demonic energy Mian Mian had read about in books. Mian Mian’s eyes scanned their forms, his dark pupils glinting with a hint of red.
Carried on their shoulders, the little cub showed no signs of resistance or desire to escape; instead, he endured the situation quietly. Yet, as he sensed the demonic energy, he felt a deep discomfort and an overwhelming urge in his mind—a single, relentless thought:
So hungry.
He desperately wanted to consume their demonic energy.
The Author has something to say:
The demons always seem to find the strongest cub among all the little ones with ease and snatch them away without hesitation (sigh).
Mian Mian’s adventure begins here!
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
