Free Web NovelChapter 62: Chapter 37: Legend of the Dragon Maiden
The splendor of the Dragon Palace was truly extraordinary.
Xuzhuang and Shishi had come to the Dragon Palace’s domain under the pretext of being sightseers, so it wouldn’t do to remain in the main hall all the time. Over the past two days, they had wandered through some of the less critical areas. They had to admit, the scenery of this underwater Crystal Palace truly lived up to the world’s fantasies of a subaquatic Immortal Realm.
Today was the day of the Eighth Prince’s grand wedding feast in the Dragon Palace. However, on their way to the banquet, Xuzhuang noticed that many of the palace halls had their great doors shut tight, and there were far fewer servants coming and going.
"It seems many are displeased with the Eighth Prince’s actions," Xuzhuang said via voice transmission.
"All the better. If something really does happen, it will be easier to handle." Just as Shishi was replying, a procession of minor demons in festive attire, carrying lanterns and wearing red, appeared from another path. Shishi gave a dazzling smile and said, "Xu Lang, I see the time. The feast has already started. We should hurry."
Xuzhuang nodded. The two picked up their pace slightly, and soon, the area ahead grew livelier. They had arrived at the banquet hall.
"Hey! You two, wait a moment." Just as they were about to enter, a small attendant with a sharp snout and two fleshy whiskers leaped out from the side, shouting, "Please present your invitation."
Shishi handed over the invitation. The sharp-snouted attendant took one look, his fleshy whiskers twitching, and said with a fawning smile, "Ah, distinguished guests! Please, follow me. The VIP seating is this way."
By now, the hall was already full of people. Xuzhuang glanced around and saw all sorts of bizarre figures: shrimp heads, fish faces, octopus heads, and more. He even spotted some with the heads of white bears and tigers—clearly land creatures who had also come to join the festivities.
The attendant led Xuzhuang and Shishi on a winding path to the front of the hall, guiding them to seats at a round table.
The table was full except for two empty seats. Their arrival and seating immediately caused the others at the table to pause their conversations and turn their attention toward them.
These ’people’ looked much more normal than the bizarre figures outside. But perhaps due to differing aesthetics, they still retained some demonic features. Staring all at once, they were a rather frightening sight. Xuzhuang, of course, had no reason to be intimidated. He sat down calmly, picked up the pot, poured himself a cup of Flowing Liquid, and raised it in a small gesture.
A young man with handsome features, but who happened to have six fleshy horns growing on his head, suddenly laughed aloud. He raised his cup and said, "I am the Marquis of Jinhai. You two friends look quite unfamiliar. Might I ask where you cultivate? Your transformations are so perfect that I can’t spot a single peculiarity."
Xuzhuang saw the others staring at them coldly. He unhurriedly took a sip and said, "We are human."
"Oh?" the Marquis of Jinhai said, feigning surprise. "It’s quite a rarity to see humans here in the Dragon Palace."
Xuzhuang merely smiled faintly, taking a sip without replying.
Seeing Xuzhuang’s silence, the Marquis of Jinhai didn’t get angry. Instead, he suddenly picked up his chopsticks and called out, "Everyone, why be so polite?"
The others burst into laughter and began picking up their chopsticks and pouring wine. The Marquis of Jinhai added with another smile, "Fellow Daoists, please, help yourselves. We of the Sea Race have never been much for rigid rules and etiquette. Come, come, these are all famous delicacies from the ocean floor..."
"Oh, my," the Marquis of Jinhai suddenly said, his expression stiffening. "This is..."
Xuzhuang followed the direction of his chopsticks and his eyes narrowed. He heard the Marquis of Jinhai say, "My apologies, friend. This dish is served because some demons with a taste for it consider the human heart a delicacy. We demons believe in survival of the fittest—the big fish eat the small fish, and the small fish eat the shrimp. We don’t think much of it. If it’s not to your taste, please don’t mind it."
"Is that so?" A hint of coldness crept into Xuzhuang’s smile. He asked in mock surprise, "Then have you, friend, ever eaten this dish? Is it truly that delicious?"
The Marquis of Jinhai picked up his wine cup, rubbing it. "Well..."
Suddenly, a burly man beside them with eyes set wide apart near his temples and shark-like gills on his face sneered, "So what if I have?"
"Oh?" Xuzhuang turned his gaze to him and asked, "You’ve eaten it, friend?"
"..." For some reason, the shark-gilled man’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He stammered, "I... I cultivate in the deep sea. I’ve never seen a human, so I’ve never eaten one."
"That’s good to hear." Xuzhuang nodded with a smile, then turned back to the Marquis of Jinhai. "So, have you eaten it or not? Is it truly delicious?"
"Hahahaha." The Marquis of Jinhai was silent for a few breaths, then suddenly raised his cup and laughed. "I cultivate in the waters of the Three Mountains Immortal Sect. How could I have possibly eaten it?"
Xuzhuang raised his cup, took a sip, and said lightly, "Then that’s for the best."
After this exchange, the table fell silent, a stark contrast to the boisterous atmosphere of the other guests.
Xuzhuang paid it no mind. He drank his Flowing Liquid Spirit Truth and occasionally sampled the undersea Spirit Fruits, enjoying himself. A moment later, the commotion outside grew even louder. Someone shouted, "The Eighth Prince is here!"
"Is that the Eighth Prince’s Consort?"
Xuzhuang and Shishi exchanged a glance and looked toward the sound. On the main path, a handsome young man with golden dragon horns strode forward, his head held high. Following him was a woman whose head was covered by a silk veil. Her steps were slow and hesitant. The young man noticed, turned his head to whisper something, and only then did she quicken her pace to keep up.
Xuzhuang raised an eyebrow and sent a voice transmission: "Why does it seem like this woman’s cultivation has been sealed?"
Shishi’s delicate brows furrowed. "I do not know," she replied. She suddenly turned to a rowdy person nearby and asked, "Friend, do you know which family’s Dragon Maiden the Eighth Prince is marrying? With that veil on, I can’t see clearly."
The person she asked was taken aback for a moment. He glanced at Xuzhuang, hesitated, and then said in a low voice, "What do you mean, which family’s Dragon Maiden? The Eighth Prince brought her back from outside the palace and insisted on marrying her."
Shishi said in surprise, "From what I know, doesn’t a Dragon Palace Crown Prince’s official consort have to be a true Dragon Maiden? Even if the Eighth Prince likes her that much, can he really break the Dragon Palace’s rules?"
The man scratched his face and said, "Of course not. So, this one is indeed a true Dragon Maiden."
"Huh?" Shishi was confused. "Are there other branches of the Dragon Race in this world besides the Dragon Palace?"
"Of course not. And even if there were, they would have originated from the Dragon Palace." The man glanced around and said, "I heard she was originally just a fish spirit from the East Sea Coast. I don’t know when... but she transformed into the body of a true dragon."
"She was hiding it quite well at first, and no one knew. Later..." At this point, the man coughed and stammered, "I heard that later on, a few yakshas went to the coastal waters to catch some fishermen for a meal..."
He glanced at Xuzhuang again, his voice dropping even lower. "She revealed her dragon form and pretended to be a Dragon Maiden from the palace to scare them off. But that’s how she gave herself away. When those yakshas were boasting about it, someone from the palace overheard. They investigated and investigated, but couldn’t figure out her origins. You have to understand, the Dragon Palace forbids abandoning true dragons in the outside world..."
Shishi said thoughtfully, "And after that, the Eighth Prince personally went to the East Sea Coast and captured this Dragon Maiden?"
"That’s right. I heard the Eighth Prince tried every method to ask her how she transformed into a dragon, but she would only say she was enlightened by an Immortal. That’s ridiculous enough to make you laugh your head off! Where would you find an Immortal in this world?" The man rubbed his scaly chin. "And then, somehow, the Eighth Prince took a liking to her and decided he had to marry her..."
"I see." Shishi’s delicate brows knitted tightly. For some reason, she felt a deep sense of unease in her heart.
’As far as I know, there is absolutely nothing in this world that could cause a fish spirit to suddenly transform into the body of a true dragon. Even among flood dragons with the purest bloodlines, those who can shed their form and ascend to dragonhood are few and far between. Will this variable affect my plans?’
