Chapter 271

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Chapter 271: Questioning and Breaking Through

Aren’t you dragons known for being very loyal to love and marriage?

What does it mean to try to steal someone else’s partner?

Do real dragons no longer care about their reputation?

Bai Wei wanted to retort with these words, but he held back.

You are the Dragon King, and I am an emperor. I must maintain elegance and composure.

He simply asked calmly, "Do you want to become my grandfather?"

The old Dragon King stroked his chin and replied, "Well, it’s not entirely out of the question."

"Xue Hanlei’s failed marriage has nothing to do with me. You, as the East Sea Dragon King, wouldn’t even confront the Black Dragon of the North Sea. So what does it matter to you, an outsider?"

Bai Wei shook his head. He wasn’t stupid. After observing Xue Hanlei for these past few days, he could deduce the messiness of her marriage.

It’s all because of arranged marriages.

No wonder she doesn’t want to go home.

"How can I help in this matter?" the old Dragon King shook his head and said, "If it were a matter in our East Sea, it would be different. But this is an internal dispute of the Ming Country, and it’s not suitable for the East Sea or the North Sea to get involved."

"Ah, yes, yes, yes!" Bai Wei didn’t want to talk about this and changed the subject.

"Judging by your reaction, it doesn’t seem like you’re lying." The old man was skeptical. "You really don’t have any thoughts about it?"

Bai Wei said, "None."

He truly wasn’t Zhen Zhibing (Translator: Zhen Zhibing is a famous Chinese character who loves other people’s wives).

"Why?"

"Because the sizes don’t match?" Bai Wei himself used questioning sentences.

"Nonsense!" The angry old Dragon King banged the table. "Who doesn’t know that dragons can be big or small!"

Bai Wei realized his shallowness and quickly said, "She’s already married."

"Isn’t that even better?" The Dragon King leaned forward.

"There’s something off about you, you might be a fake dragon." Bai Wei stood up, pressing on the table. "Am I still in a dream?"

"Young man, you’re young and naive. There’s nothing better than a married woman." The Dragon King shook his head. "A wife is not as good as a mistress, and a mistress is not as good as a stolen one."

"Trick me, then trick me again. I don’t believe you." Bai Wei rested his chin on his hand. "If you want to sell, why not sell other dragon maidens?"

"Others…" The old Dragon King pondered for a moment. "How about Ying Mu from the Ying family? She’s not bad, and would make a good wife and mother."

Ha! Do you think I haven’t seen her before? Just trying to fool me, huh?

Bai Wei was speechless. If he and this woman were set up on a blind date, it would be a battle to the end.

"Aren’t you the Dragon King? Why are you thinking of starting a matchmaking agency?"

"It’s important to seek a happy and fulfilling family for future generations," the old man chuckled. "Dragons don’t ask for much in this world. It’s best to live peacefully, love who we love, and do what we wish."

He tapped his fingers on the table, and suddenly, everything fell silent. Bubbles appeared on the table, reflecting faces and the trials taking place in the illusion.

"Don’t think that I don’t care about these things," said Bai Wei. "Actually, I pay attention to every pair of dragon maidens and their companions who enter the fantasy realm."

"Including me?" Bai Wei asked.

"Except for you," the old dragon shook his head. "The mysterious abilities you possess are no less than mine."

As an Eastern true dragon, the old dragon didn’t have the opportunity to witness the Golden Power of emperors. However, this level of mystery is rare. Bai Wei was happy to let others misunderstand it as a Heroic Spirit Principle. After all, gold is a type of mystery that should remain hidden. Although he doesn’t mind using it and being discovered, he secretly hopes to keep it a secret for a longer time.

Bai Wei also understood: "So the tests you set up are actually a way to test those with ulterior motives. The reason why dragon maidens who are not yet married are not included is because they do not have the obligation of marriage. All relatives in the Eastern Sea should undergo this test to avoid wrong marriages and unfortunate consequences. Only those who pass can be accepted into the dragon clan."

The old Dragon King nodded. "That’s right."

"What if they are not suitable?" Bai Wei asked again.

"I have my ways to make them realize it’s not suitable and give up." The old Dragon King hinted. "But these situations are rare. Going through the Mirror of Heart can also make them understand and grow. If one time is not enough, they can try again, just ten short years, it’s not like they can’t wait."

Bai Wei recalled the example mentioned by Ao Hanli before, a wandering dragon son and a woman who loves to flirt. They were able to successfully come together and live happily ever after, perhaps because they encountered something in the illusion.

"But not all dragon maidens are willing to get married," said Bai Wei. "Perhaps some of them are just pretending."

"That’s true," the old man said helplessly. "Hanluo, this girl, has always been clever, yet she brought us a baby girl, which is giving us a headache." He then added firmly, "But this is just a distraction. She doesn’t have any intention of starting a family, just like Hanlei, who is solely focused on becoming a dragon."

"This proves that she is very smart."

"From the perspective of me, it is actually foolish," said the Dragon King, shaking his head. "The risks of attempting to become a dragon are too dangerous."

"So, do you want her to become the next Xue Hanlei?"

"The next Xue Hanlei?" the Dragon King asked. "Young man, you really don’t understand Xue Hanlei. I believe you have no idea about her anymore."

"It’s good that misunderstandings are cleared, but can you please explain what you just said more clearly?"

"What else do you need to understand?" said the old Dragon King, shaking his head. "She never gave up on becoming a dragon, whether in the past or now… After getting married, she didn’t have to come, but she did because it was what she truly wanted."

Bai Wei suddenly realized, "The Mirror of Heart?"

Some doubts from before were now cleared.

So, originally, he pulled Yun Wuxin along, but then he realized it was better to go himself, proving that the chosen person wasn’t very important. She had already participated in the trials before, and she knew the rules better than anyone. The reason she pretended not to know was that she simply didn’t care about the first two rounds of trials.

"So I was fooled."

"She’s truly a bad woman."

Bai Wei muttered to himself, "Worthless dragon maiden."

The old Dragon King pointed his finger at a floating bubble, and the light suddenly brightened. The trials in the illusion were presented.

Between the images, there was a Chi dragong, pure white scales, no horns. It didn’t possess all the characteristics of a complete dragon, but it exuded grace instead.

A little bit of imperfection doesn’t affect its beauty, Bai Wei said, "The feeling I get from Ao Hanli is completely different."

Ao Hanli’s horns are the most exaggerated part of her entire body, just like the tail feathers of a male peacock. As soon as she enters, she is destined to attract attention.

The Dragon King said, "Chi dragon is this kind of dragon, graceful but not powerful."

Bai Wei noticed that Xue Hanlei in the picture was hovering in the water, stirring the currents beneath the deep pool.

"What is she doing?"

"Building up her strength," the Dragon King said. "Just wait and see."

In the fantasy realm, Xue Hanlei lurked in the depths of the abyss, refusing to be trapped. She gathered her strength, trying to leap over the mountains time and time again. But with each attempt, she failed, falling from the sky, scales torn apart, cracking, blood staining the pool red.

But she remained defiant, launching challenges again and again, until all her scales were shed.

With scales shedding and blood dripping, the beautiful Chi dragon became covered in wounds.

"It’s not over yet!"

The roar of the dragon echoed, as the rushing waters gathered their strength. This time, instead of leaping over the mountain peaks, it chose a more direct path, to break through the mountain itself.

The hornless dragon’s head collided with the mountain wall, its power carrying a furious storm. The blood-red tide surged and rolled, as it crashed into the mountain wall.

Boom! Boom! Boom! The violent sound resonated like a war drum, shaking the mountain peaks over and over again. The floodwaters rose rapidly, almost submerging the tall mountains.

Bai Wei was slightly taken aback. Xue Hanlei , who always appeared calm, hidden deep within her heart was such pride and bravery.

Perhaps, she was born to be a woman who wanted to burn brightly.

"Don’t you help her?" Bai Wei asked.

"This is her trial, and only she can help herself. Becoming a dragon is a lonely gamble, either breaking through the mountain and reaching the sea, or perishing along the way."

Inside the magical realm, the Chi dragon once again crashed into the mountain wall. The wall shattered, causing cracks to spread throughout the pitch-black mountain range. The river water was about to overflow through the gaps in the towering mountains and rush towards the ocean. The Chi dragon lay under the broken mountain wall, barely alive. It tried to break through the mountain, but failed. Not a ray of light could shine through.

She slowly lowered her head, her eyes filled with sadness.

The old Dragon King withdrew his gaze and sighed. He had witnessed the same scene many times before.

"Xue, this little girl, is the first in a thousand years in the East Sea. Her talent surpasses mine, but unfortunately… unfortunately…"

"Even in the face of such setbacks, she still maintains an ambitious heart. She dreams of one day being able to transform into a dragon. That’s why she comes back every ten years to ask herself. Every time is the same, never giving up even if it means being crushed into pieces. However, it may be the inevitable result destined by fate."

Bai Wei stared at the weak and almost dying Chi Dragon. His eyes glowed with a golden light and he said, "I don’t like stories that give up halfway. But this is just an illusion, not a real dragon transformation. There’s no such thing as destiny stopping her. She can’t get through because she thinks she can’t, just like her struggles in reality. It’s not difficult for her to cross this line."

The Old Dragon King asked, "How will you help her?"

Bai Wei replied, "It’s not about helping her, but showing her."

He placed his finger on a bubble, and a faint golden power was transmitted through the bubble into the illusion.

The struggling Chi Dragon could barely keep her eyes open. She once again fell into the trial of the Mirror of Heart, year after year, confused and desperate. But suddenly, a beam of golden light illuminated her eyes.

She saw a glimmer of light shining through a crack.