At the Chen Long Sect
"He is really here… this isn't a dream, right?" At first, Zoe couldn't believe himself after seeing his father sitting beside him and taking care of his needs. It felt unreal for him, because in the previous life, Chen Zeng didn't return until the dragon hunt was officially over.
'Does this mean… I changed the future.
Eh... I'm not sure?
Uncle Zeon stayed behind to deal with things instead of Father. What if… he ends up playing Father's role and returns with Hua Long's head just like in the past?' The thought drove him crazy.
"What's the troublesome matter that's making my son frown like this?" Seeing Zoe deep in thought, Zeng gently asked.
Zoe quickly shook his head, saying it was nothing.
Zeng's hand softly patted his son's head. A gentle smile rested on Zeng's face, but it slowly faded when his eyes fell on the claw marks across Zoe's face. "Does it hurt?" he asked with concern.
"It stings a little sometimes."
"…I'm sorry." His voice grew heavy. "If I had arrived earlier, maybe you wouldn't have suffered… and maybe your mother and Zyan wouldn't have…" Chen Zeng blamed himself.
"You don't need to apologize," Zoe said quietly. "I understand your situation." He paused before continuing. "More than being angry… I'm just happy that you're here."
He muttered the words out; it was something he always wanted to say to his father.
Because the real Chen Zoe who once hated him—the man who abandoned his family for duty—had already forgiven him long ago.
Even as Li Xin, after possessing the body for the first time, only tried to understand his father, who is cold from outside and warm inside. And now, after returning to the past… Zoe was simply happy to have him here.
"Senior—" The moment was suddenly interrupted when Rui walked into the room.
Rui froze the moment he saw the sect leader. "Good evening, Leader Zeng," he greeted stiffly, his voice sounding almost mechanical. Zoe almost laughed after seeing Rui's awkward expression.
Being considerate, Chen Zeng quietly left the room to give the young ones some space.
The moment Chen Zeng left, Rui casually tossed the books he was carrying onto the table before jumping onto the bed. He even pushed Zoe aside and lay down comfortably.
'Did he come here straight after class?'
"Who's the patient here?" Zoe teasingly asked.
"Mm…" Rui looked at Zoe's face for a moment before speaking again. "I'm jealous of you... How many days has it been? You don't have to attend classes and can just lie here resting."
"Then you should've jumped in front of the dragon like I did," Zoe replied. "Where were you at that time?"
Hearing that, Rui turned toward Zoe with curiosity. "Senior, I have a question."
"What is it?"
"How did you survive the dragon attack?" Zoe didn't understand what he meant at first.
"Everyone else was killed by the dragon, but you survived." He continued thoughtfully. "From what my father said, when Uncle Zeon arrived, the dragon had already been killed by someone… and you were the only one left alive."
That was something Zoe himself didn't know either.
Even in his previous life, Li Xin only possessed Chen Zoe's body after he had already been gravely injured by the dragon.
"I… don't know," Zoe said after a moment of hesitation.
Rui didn't push further.
"Tomorrow is Sunday," he said instead. "If you're feeling better, how about going for a small walk near the bamboo forest?
The place is really nice. The morning view is amazing." Rui looked at Zoe expectantly, clearly hoping he would agree.
"Okay," Zoe agreed.
After staying in this room for days, he also wanted some fresh air. Most of the bandages on his body had already been removed. However, the scar left on the left side of his face, near the eye, made Zoe look somewhat strange.
"Ah! I almost forgot," Rui suddenly said. "I have something for you. Wait here." He jumped off the bed and rushed outside.
A few minutes later, Rui returned, hiding something behind his back. "Close your eyes."
He commanded cutely, and Zoe couldn't help but obey.
Rui gently placed something in Zoe's hands. When he opened his eyes, Zoe saw a thin wooden mask. It was shaped perfectly to fit Zoe's face and covered only the left side.
"Now you don't have to worry about going outside," Rui said, thinking it was Zoe's concern all this time. Not wanting to disappoint Rui, Zoe put the mask on.
...
Meanwhile at Demon Realm
Inside the king's chamber of the Demon Realm…
"How many days had it been? Why isn't he waking up yet?" Standing beside a man lying unconscious on the bed, Hua Long asked anxiously.
"Your Highness," the physician replied respectfully after examining him, "His Majesty's demonic energy was completely drained while suppressing the sudden chaos that occurred days ago.
Once his energy recovers, His Majesty will naturally awaken from this slumber."
The man lying on the bed was Mo Tianzhi, the ruler of the Demon Realm and Hua Long's husband.
"You may leave," Hua Long said quietly.
After the physician left, Hua Long's uneasiness only grew stronger. The events that had happened in the Demon Realm at the exact moment her son was born continued to trouble her mind.
Darkness had suddenly swallowed the skies. A violent storm had appeared without warning. Cracks had spread across the land. Even the sacred temple that specially built for her, which had stood for twenty years, had suddenly collapsed.
"Now you're finally getting nervous?" A familiar voice came from behind.
Hua Long turned around.
"Didn't I warn you before?" the man continued coldly. "A child born from a dragon and a demon will only bring disaster to this world."
"Wei…" Instead of relief at seeing her younger brother, hearing his words what naturally came was anger.
She grabbed the nearest object and threw it at him. It correctly struck his forehead with a loud thud.
"Have you gone mad?" Lei Wei complained while rubbing his forehead.
"You haven't even seen your nephew yet, and you come here spouting nonsense!" she shouted.
"Did I say anything wrong?" Lei Wei shot back. "It's written in our ancient texts. A child born between a dragon and a demon will bring calamity.
Isn't everything happening in the Demon Realm, a proof of that?"
"If that's what you believe, then I have no reason to argue with a fool." Hua Long's voice trembled with anger. "It's my mistake for thinking you might treat him like a normal child—unlike those old fools. If you came here just to say such cruel things, then leave. I don't want my child to grow up hearing such cruel words."
"It's not me..." Lei Wei said coldly. "It's you who needs to wake up and face reality. The truth is right in front of you. That child is a disaster star.
One day, you'll understand." With that final warning, he stormed out of the chamber.
For dragons, falling in love with a demon had always been considered a forbidden act. According to their ancient beliefs, a child born from such a union would become a disaster star—one destined to bring destruction.
Hua Long had been the first Dragon Queen to defy those rules. She had rewritten the laws of the dragons after falling in love with the Demon King. She had never believed in those ancient superstitions.
But now…
After seeing everything that had happened… She couldn't completely ignore them either.
Just then, the sound of a baby crying echoed through the room. Hua Long quickly walked toward the cradle.
The moment she saw her child's innocent face, her heart melted. She knew that instant, even if the entire world pointed at her son… She never would.
Because he wasn't an unwanted child or disaster star.
He was simply the living proof of her love towards the Mo Tianzhi, who is her entire world.