In response to the bold confession from the young Ye Zhizhou, Dongfang Shu asked, "Who are you?"
Ye Zhizhou's stiff tail relaxed and then fiercely bit Dongfang Shu's hand, all the while trying to wriggle out of his embrace. His tail vigorously tugged at Dongfang Shu's hand as he muttered, "Grr... (Damn flirt, I'll ignore you)!"
The handsome youth blinked in bewilderment, "Chief, it's me, Xiao Ye. You even fed me when I hatched..."
His name is Xiao Ye? And he even watched Xiao Ye hatch and fed him? Did he do more than that, like carry him or take him to the heavens afterward? Ye Zhizhou couldn't contain his anger, but at this moment of intense rivalry, he found himself at a loss for words.
"Grr... (Dongfang, you scoundrel)!" He temporarily set aside his unfinished mission and was now filled with jealousy that his beloved dared to flirt with such a handsome little beast.
Dongfang Shu allowed him to pull at his hand and carefully protected him from falling to the ground. He looked at the handsome youth and said, "I'm sorry, I don't remember you. Also, I already have a partner, so please don't say things that might cause a misunderstanding."
The handsome youth widened his eyes, "Impossible! Chief, when did you get a partner, and why didn't I know about it? When I was assigned the task to get close to Xuan Yuan Hong, you specifically told me not to fall for him. Isn't this a confession? How could you confess to me and then find another beast to be your partner?"
Another slightly older and composed youth noticed the commotion and hurriedly approached, wiping away the bloodstains on his body. He reached out and held the handsome youth's head, saying, "Xiao Ye, don't make a scene! Chief has given this same warning to everyone who got close to Xuan Yuan Hong. It's not a confession." Then he turned to Dongfang Shu and respectfully bowed, "I apologize, Chief, for my younger brother's behavior."
The handsome youth hesitated for a moment, then loudly exclaimed, "Even if everyone received the same warning, Chief did watch me hatch and fed me! Isn't taking care of someone and feeding them a way of showing love?"
Exactly, how should this be explained? Ye Zhizhou nodded in agreement and, unable to break free from his lover's embrace, decided to grip his wrist tightly and nibble on one of his fingers to express his frustration. You dared to flirt with a little beast, now I'll bite you to death!
Dongfang Shu curled his finger, tapping Ye Zhizhou's not-yet-grown fangs, and then gently moved him forward in his palm. "He is the young beast I intended to raise, and he is also my partner. Thank you for your kindness."
Yu Mu and Yu Ye finally noticed the short, chubby snake coiled around Dongfang Shu's hand. Their minds were in a tangle. The other beastmen around also turned their attention to the scene, making Ye Zhizhou, who was currently nibbling on Dongfang Shu's finger, the center of attention.
"Chief...," Yu Ye swallowed hard and his voice trembled, "This snake... has just been born, right? So, when you watched me hatch, was it because you liked... younger ones? And now that I've grown up, you don't like me anymore?"
Yu Mu's eyebrows twitched, and he couldn't help but push his foolish younger brother's head down again. He then apologized to Dongfang Shu, "Chief, I'll make sure to discipline him when we get back." He restrained Yu Ye's struggles and whispered in his ear, "Chief watched you hatch because it was part of our tribe's initiation ceremony. Feeding you was just a ritual, nothing more. Get ready to be scolded by our mother when we return!"
With that, he pinched Yu Ye's nape and forcibly transformed him back into his beast form, carrying the frantically flapping little black eagle away.
Yu Ye, who had caused this misunderstanding, was dragged away, but his words still echoed in everyone's ears.
The beastmen watched Yu Ye leave, then turned their attention to the handsome and extraordinary Dongfang Shu, with the unmistakably recently born small black snake(?) in his hand. In their hearts, they sighed in unison: So, Chief Dongfang likes them young...
Ye Zhizhou: "..." The intense scrutiny from everyone made him feel rather warm all of a sudden.
The Tiger Clan Chief was furious and rolled up his sleeves, saying, "If you're jealous, just say it! Come on, let's settle it one-on-one!"
"Well, um..." The Rabbit Clan Chief timidly piped up, his face slightly pale, and pointed towards the center of the ancient formation. "The Black Dragon's body... it just disintegrated on its own..."
The clan chiefs were all startled by this revelation and turned to look. They saw the body of the Black Dragon rapidly transforming into black mist, dispersing into the air.
"What's going on?" The Snake Clan Chief was baffled by this eerie sight.
The Turtle Clan Chief's expression also changed, and he urgently said, "Quick! Inform Dongfang Clan Chief, quickly!"
[Detecting protagonist's soul fluctuation... Fluctuation complete. Checking the status of the Soul Banner... Locked, unable to retrieve data. Checking the completion status of the mission... Status unknown, Soul Projection Channel forcibly closed.]
[Interference detected. Soul fluctuation in the host detected, protective mechanism activated, entering dormancy.]
On a large bed covered in red feathers, a young black dragon with newly formed horns was peacefully asleep. A small hand quietly reached up to the edge of the bed, followed by a little head poking out. With beautiful red eyes that blinked, the child extended his short legs and began to crawl onto the bed. "Little brother, I've come to see you. Why are you sleeping again?"
The little dragon continued to sleep soundly, showing no signs of waking up.
"You've been sleeping for a long time, little brother. Everyone's waiting for you," the child said, a bit disappointed as he couldn't climb onto the bed. He reached out to touch the dragon lying in the center of the bed. "If you don't wake up soon, Uncle Dongfang might be taken away by someone else. Little brother, you're not just my little brother, you're also my dad's little brother now, and you're my little brother too. Please wake up. I'll be a good big brother to you."
Suddenly, the little dragon on the bed rolled over, and his curled-up tail unfurled. The child's eyes lit up, and he finally touched the dragon's tail. He carefully dragged him closer and hugged him, looking around with a smile. "Little brother, sleeping all the time isn't good. I'll take you out to bask in the sun."
Just as the closed door was about to be pushed open, the child was startled. He tripped and fell to the ground, his face and knees hurting from the fall. Without thinking, he transformed back into his beast form and rushed towards the little dragon that was about to fall to the ground.
"Ah! Little brother!" Ignoring the pain in his face and knees, he quickly picked up the little dragon, cradling him in his arms, and exclaimed in distress.
Ye Zhizhou groggily opened his eyes and instinctively screamed when he realized he was in freefall. Then, his body heated up, and he transformed into human form, landing on his buttocks with a painful thud, tears welling up in his eyes.
Thud! A chubby rabbit bumped into him and then rolled away, muttering to itself.
The middle-aged handsome uncle, who was actually Ye Mu, silently retracted his outstretched hand, transformed back into his beast form, and flew away, shouting, "Clan Chief! Ye Zhizhou is awake!"
Ye Zhizhou was bewildered, and so was the chubby rabbit. Then, the chubby rabbit ran over to Ye Zhizhou, rubbing against him with excitement. "Little brother, little brother, you're awake! I'll take you to see Grandpa. Grandpa has been thinking about you!"
Ye Zhizhou turned his head to look at the fluffy little rabbit, who was excitedly chattering with its three-parted mouth. He asked in confusion, "Little brother? Are you my brother? And who is your grandpa?" Wasn't this body he was in just dug up from the mud? How could he have a brother and a grandpa?
The little rabbit was stumped by his question and replied foolishly, "I'm your little brother. But originally, my grandpa and grandma were your older brothers. My grandpa was the former Cat Clan Chief, Tong Li, and my grandma was Coco, the cutest rabbit in the past."
Tong Li? Coco? Who were they? Wait, Coco? Cats and rabbits?
Images of the three small animals that had dug him out of the mud flashed in his mind, and he widened his eyes. "What did you say? Your grandpa and grandma? Weren't those animals still very young? How... how did they become grandpa and grandma?"
"Because you slept for too long, little brother. Grandma and Fox Grandpa have both passed away." The little rabbit suddenly became crestfallen, tears falling as it hung its head. "Mom and Dad said Grandpa is about to pass away too. Little brother, if you don't wake up soon, you won't be able to see Grandpa..."
Ye Zhizhou was dumbfounded. The fox and the rabbit had already passed away? He had slept for this long?!
A familiar presence rapidly approached, and he turned his head to see a tall figure appearing at the door. His mouth puckered, and he rushed forward, throwing himself at the figure. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Did I sleep for a long time? I didn't know. I'm sorry..."
Dongfang Shu calmly regulated his rapid breathing, closing his eyes slightly to suppress the intense emotions welling up inside him. He squatted down, holding Ye Zhizhou tightly without leaving any gaps. "It's okay... It's okay. You're awake. It's not your fault. It's okay."
[End of dormancy. Checking the host's physical condition... Checking complete. The body is healthy with no hidden illnesses.]
[Checking the completion status of the mission... Status unknown. Checking the status of the Soul Banner... Locked, Soul Projection Channel closed.]
[Detecting protagonist's soul fluctuation... Fluctuation complete. All ten Soul Banners have been fully restored. Bloodline transfer in progress. Host, please be careful! Host, please be careful!]
[Transfer complete. Checking the completion status of the mission... Warning! Warning! Interference detected. Unable to retrieve plot data. Host, please be cautious!]
The screen flickered wildly and suddenly dissipated into the air.
Ye Zhizhou was alarmed. He quickly broke free from Dongfang Shu's embrace and reached into the space to retrieve a small round mirror with cracks. He anxiously asked, "Tongtian, what's wrong? What's the soul fluctuation of the protagonist? And what does it mean for the Soul Banners' bloodline transfer? Have all those banners been transferred to the descendants or blood relatives in the harem?"
The small mirror trembled and emitted a faint, childish voice, "Attacked... Host... I'm sorry..." After saying this, it shook vigorously and fell silent.
"What... Tongtian!"
Dongfang Shu hastily consoled him, hugging him tightly, and took the small mirror from his hand to examine it. He shook his head and said, "The spirit guardian is damaged, but it's sealing its consciousness for self-repair."
Ye Zhizhou anxiously looked up and asked, "What does that mean? Is Tongtian okay?"
"It just needs time to repair itself. It's fine," Dongfang Shu reassured him, surrounding him with his spiritual power and patting his back gently. "Try not to get too emotional. Your bloodline power is still unstable."
How could he not be emotional? Tongtian's mirror was cracked!