Rebellion

At the little courtyard in Border City, Ao Xue had just finished discussing matters with several elders. Following the principle of “get it done quickly and come right back,” she immediately hurried back with Little Beast in tow.

As they neared the entrance, Ao Xue sprang into the air and kicked.

Boom!

The wooden door exploded inward.

Jiang Xin and Xia Hanmo, who were in the courtyard, jumped in surprise and turned toward the noise. They saw Ao Xue charging back in with Little Beast, looking around as she went.

“Where’s Big Bad?”

Seeing no sign of Ye Shu, Ao Xue impatiently released Little Beast and asked Jiang Xin and the others.

It had only been a short while since they had parted, yet she was already going crazy from missing that Big Bad!

According to Ye Shu, all the Beast Clan’s state affairs would be handed over to Little Beast in the future, while Ao Xue would only need to focus on being beautiful. By that logic, she would be able to stay by his side all the time and play with him whenever she wanted!

A wonderful life was waving at her from afar!

“He’s resting inside.”

Seeing Ao Xue rushing around like a whirlwind, Xia Hanmo and Jiang Xin could only look helplessly at each other.

She really was just a pet.

“You’d better not disturb him. He was up all night last night…”

Before Xia Hanmo could finish, Ao Xue had already swept past her like a gust of wind, crossed the threshold, and hurried toward the bedroom. She had no patience to waste on even half a moment’s delay.

“Big Bad! I’m back!”

Ye Shu had barely lain down when he was jolted awake by the thunderous sound of the door being kicked open from outside. He sat bolt upright just in time to see the bedroom door blasted open once again with a loud bang. Ao Xue shot inside like a cannonball, arms spread wide, and threw herself straight at him.

She wrapped both arms around his neck and affectionately rubbed her cheeks against either side of his neck. Every now and then, she even rolled over in contentment.

“Is this really a dragon?”

Ye Shu stared speechlessly at Ao Xue, who had narrowed her eyes and was rubbing against him of her own accord.

Why did she feel more like a cat?

But since she was already back—and judging from her current state, his attempt to get a little more sleep was clearly doomed—Ye Shu stopped struggling. He sat up straight and asked, “You came back that quickly?”

“I thought it would take at least some time.”

“Hehe!”

At that, Ao Xue raised her head and looked at him with shining eyes, her face full of pride.

“With me on the job, of course it was easy! I took care of it in no time!”

“Those old fogies all agreed.”

“Hehe, aren’t I amazing?”

Ao Xue beamed. As she spoke, she grabbed Ye Shu’s hand, placed it on top of her head, and then rubbed against his palm of her own accord. Her entire face seemed to be saying: Praise me! Praise me!

Ye Shu: “…”

Looking at her foolish grin, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. He just couldn’t put his finger on what.

He obediently rubbed her little head.

As he did so, he asked, “How did you convince those old-timers in the Beast Clan? They were gaining another person above them for no reason—and one whose bloodline is inferior to theirs, at that. How did none of them object?”

“They didn’t!”

Ao Xue shook her head and began gesturing with her hands. “I just did what I did before—kicked my way in and told them directly that, from now on, Little Purple and I would lead the Beast Clan.”

“They didn’t object to Little Beast’s bloodline?”

“They did, but who am I? I’m the Dragon King!”

Ao Xue proudly lifted her chin. “I was notifying them, not asking for their permission. Besides, I gave them the cultivation technique Little Purple gave me and told them to spread it throughout the Beast Clan. From now on, there’ll be no distinction between high and low bloodlines among the beasts. Naturally, Little Purple won’t be restricted by bloodline when she becomes the Beast Clan’s other leader.”

“How was that? I thought everything through, didn’t I?”

Having finished, Ao Xue looked at Ye Shu smugly.

She narrowed her eyes, already imagining how Ye Shu would praise her and how many more times he would pet her. What she failed to notice was that the moment she mentioned giving The Heavenly Dao Rewards Diligence to those elders, Ye Shu’s expression instantly became extraordinarily complicated.

“?”

When she didn’t receive the petting she had expected, Ao Xue raised her head in confusion. Ye Shu’s face had darkened, and he was gritting his teeth as if desperately trying to suppress something.

“So what you’re saying is…”

“You gave the cultivation technique I created—one that can be practiced by every beast regardless of bloodline—to the several clan elders who currently possess the highest bloodlines in the Beast Clan besides you. And what you gave them was… the original copy?”

“Y-yes.”

Ao Xue looked at him innocently.

“Is there a problem?”

Ye Shu did not answer. Instead, he continued, “And then you also told them to pass the technique down, declaring that from now on, there would be no distinction between high and low bloodlines in the Beast Clan?”

Ao Xue thought about it, then tilted her head.

“Exactly.”

“Why are you repeating what I just said?”

“Ugh!”

After repeating his words, Ye Shu’s vision went black. He felt as though all hope for the future had vanished. Closing his eyes, he fell straight backward, stiff as a board, frightening Ao Xue.

“Hey! Hey!”

She hurriedly caught the back of his head. Her large eyes were filled with concern.

“Don’t scare me! Why are you suddenly trying to go back to sleep in broad daylight?”

“Oh, my little ancestor!”

Ye Shu let out a mournful cry, utterly at a loss for words.

He should never have trusted her and Little Beast to handle this alone. This time, they had really screwed everything up.

Seeing him like this, Ao Xue was completely baffled.

“What’s wrong with you? Passing the technique down is a good thing for the Beast Clan. Is it really necessary to react like this? Besides, weren’t you the one who wanted the technique passed down?”

“I wanted to give the technique to the Beast Clan!”

Ye Shu was so furious he nearly spat blood, but he still forced himself to explain, “But I meant to give it to Little Beast and have her pass it on to the beasts at the bottom!”

“What’s the difference?”

Ao Xue stared at him blankly. “I already had them pass the technique down.”

“That difference is enormous!”

Ye Shu solemnly began spelling out the consequences for her.

“Why did the beasts in Myriad Beasts City and those eight-rank elders of the Beast Clan nominate you as the leader of the Beast Clan?”

“Because my bloodline is powerful.” Ao Xue answered as though it were obvious.

“Exactly!”

Ye Shu nodded. “Because your bloodline is powerful, you were born standing on the same level as them. Bloodline is the order you all uphold together, and it is the foundation that allows you to sit upon the throne.”

“But what did you just do?”

“In front of them, you handed over a cultivation technique capable of changing the entire history of the Beast Clan, then demanded that they pass it into the hands of every beast. That is the same as personally dismantling the class structure the Beast Clan has built over ten thousand years—a hierarchy based on bloodline!”

“All beasts are equal now.”

“Tell me,” Ye Shu said, “what will those beasts who were born noble and could look down on the other races simply by relying on their bloodlines think when they are suddenly told that their bloodlines don’t matter anymore?”

Ye Shu widened his eyes and stared at Ao Xue.

“Well? Answer me!”

“Lookingmyeyes!”

The barrage of questions left Ao Xue completely dizzy. She had no idea what he was talking about and could only stand there in a daze.

It took her quite a while to come back to her senses.

“B-But… if they don’t want anyone to surpass them, then why would they elect a Beast Queen and let me stand above them?”

“Wouldn’t it be better to just maintain the status quo?”

Ao Xue looked at him with a deeply aggrieved expression.

“That’s because things aren’t what they used to be.” Ye Shu let out a helpless sigh. “Maintaining the status quo is one thing, but the problem is that the human race poses too great a threat to the beast race. The threat is so severe that the beast race needs a ninth-tier powerhouse standing above them to hold the fort.”

“Besides, with your intelligence…”

Ye Shu paused, ultimately leaving the rest unsaid.

What he had originally wanted to say was that even if Ao Xue really became a ninth-tier Dragon Emperor, given her intelligence, she would merely be the beast race’s enforcer and mascot. She would pose no real threat to the other major races.

Wouldn’t they be overjoyed?

But wasn’t that basically calling Ao Xue stupid?

After thinking it over, he decided to let it go.

The child was already silly enough. There was no need to upset her further.

“Then wouldn’t that be fine?”

Even after hearing all this, Ao Xue still failed to understand. With a wronged look on her face, she said, “I still have a ninth-tier bloodline, don’t I? They need me!”

“You’re wrong!”

At those words, Ye Shu gave a sharp reprimand, his expression turning serious.

“Things aren’t what they used to be.”

“Do you remember what I told you? You personally dismantled the beast race’s bloodline hierarchy. That didn’t merely threaten them—it threatened you as well.”

“You handed that cultivation technique over to them.”

“So, in their eyes, you’re no longer the irreplaceable daughter of the Dragon King.”

Ao Xue froze.

She stood there blankly, never imagining that her unintentional act would create such an irreversible situation.

“Th-Then what do we do now?”

She looked at Ye Shu pitifully, her mind suddenly going blank. She didn’t even feel like acting cute or fawning over him anymore.

Ye Shu glanced at the sky outside the window.

The sun had yet to reach its highest point; it was still early morning.

“Run!”

Without the slightest hesitation, he grabbed Ao Xue and rolled out of bed. They didn’t even have time to put on their clothes before he hurried toward the little house.

“We have to leave before they realize what’s happened—before they think of this!”

This place was no longer safe.

It had become a cage that could be surrounded by those elders at any moment.

There was no time to explain why.

Ye Shu stepped outside and waved urgently at the people in the courtyard, his expression tense. “What happened to the tunnel you dug yesterday? We have to get out of here immediately!”

The girls were completely bewildered by his behavior.

Even so, they obediently pointed toward a certain direction and followed Ye Shu hurriedly outside.

However…

The moment they entered the tunnel, they discovered that its middle section had already been blocked by a layer of light.

At the same time, an aged voice rang out from beyond the courtyard.

“Your Highness, Dragon King, where do you think you’re going?”