The Legend of Dragon Ao

Did she think he was too weak? That couldn't be right either. How old was that kid anyway? Even Santai, who was just a little girl in his eyes, was old enough to be the kid's aunt.

"Old Bai."

A small black figure suddenly appeared on the armrest of his chair. Without a doubt, it was the elusive Beidou again.

"What do you want?" White Tiger waved his hand in annoyance, brushing the small black figure aside.

Beidou didn't take offense. "It's official business this time. The boss wants you to go to Jiangcheng. Check your email for the details."

With that said, Beidou didn't linger. The small black figure melted into the floor; he had his own matters to attend to.

Santai was a reliable subordinate in times of crisis. As for why she was always in a crisis, it was better not to ask. She was much harder to manage than Southern Dipper and Kongchen.

"Sigh, I might as well work myself to death."

White Tiger looked like he had nothing left to live for. He couldn't refuse the boss's orders, yet he had no subordinates of his own to outsource the work to. He had to do everything himself.

Although, as a noble Summoner, he could easily have his sweethearts run the errand for him, he just couldn't bear to work them too hard. He was simply too kind-hearted.

White Tiger rubbed his temples and muttered a complaint, "The boss is treating me like a pack mule... Jiangcheng is a powder keg right now. The Embrace of Flesh and Blood, the mess left by the Great Wall, and now the trouble that brat Santai stirred up... Tsk."

Despite his words, he dutifully opened the internal encrypted email of the Origin Return Group. A single email sat quietly in his inbox.

"I see... This is quite a troublesome matter."

After briefly skimming the contents, he closed his phone and stood up.

"Hmm, what identity should I use this time?" White Tiger stood before a floor-to-ceiling mirror, took off his mask, and continuously adjusted the shape of his face.

He stroked his chin and muttered to himself, "I heard there's an antique expo in Jiangcheng recently? Perfect, they could use an independent appraiser with good taste."

When traveling, you make your own identity.

The aura around him began to change. His simple white clothes transformed into a well-tailored, vintage black suit. The smiling mask in his hand turned into a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, which he placed directly on the bridge of his nose. His entire demeanor shifted from cynical and playful to refined and composed, looking every bit the erudite gentleman.

"Perfect." He checked his reflection in the mirror and nodded in satisfaction.

Subsequently, the space in front of him slightly distorted. He took a step forward and vanished from the cave dwelling.

...

Meanwhile. At the Great Wall office, Hong Xing sat in the main seat with a troubled expression.

"Student Chen Guan, according to the information we received from our hidden informants, it seems the Embrace of Flesh and Blood has already deemed you a major enemy. Your face is on their internal wanted list."

Hong Xing's words made Chen Guan's heart sink, though he wasn't entirely surprised.

Chen Guan stayed silent for a moment before asking, "What are you suggesting, Captain Hong?"

"The Great Wall is preparing to launch a thorough strike against the Embrace of Flesh and Blood's forces in Jiangcheng."

Hong Xing leaned forward and lowered his voice. "But they have been operating in Jiangcheng for years and are deeply rooted there. They are highly vigilant against official forces. Besides, a cult doesn't exactly write the word 'cult' on their foreheads."

"We need a bait. A breakthrough point that can attract their attention, someone they might even actively invite inside."

He looked at Chen Guan with a pleading gaze. "Student Chen Guan, we know this is an unreasonable request that puts you in danger, but you are the most suitable candidate right now. You're already on their radar, and as a student, you're less likely to arouse the suspicion of the people backing them."

This world had always been dangerous. Demons, cults, experts of all kinds...

If it weren't so, he wouldn't have accepted the system's arrangement to enter the academy where the protagonist was, actively stepping onto the stage at the center of the world.

He had long prepared himself to face all sorts of endless dangers. Although this malice came inexplicably, Chen Guan had no choice. Comfort was never an option.

Throw one hard punch now to avoid a hundred punches later.

Even though he had already made up his mind, Chen Guan feigned hesitation. "Captain Hong, what about school..."

"I'll handle the communication."

"This matter is quite dangerous. As for my personal safety..."

"We will dispatch professionals to ensure your safety. Also, as compensation, you can pick a few things from the storehouse."

Hong Xing spoke rapidly, directly letting Chen Guan name his price. He could already tell that this student was clearly trying to extort him.

"That... wouldn't be very appropriate, would it?"

Chen Guan pretended to hesitate.

"It's fine, no need to be shy."

Hong Xing feigned generosity.

Chen Guan smiled. At this moment, Hong Xing didn't yet realize that this was the smile of a devil.

Half an hour later, Hong Xing had a miserable expression, regretting his youthful arrogance.

In contrast, Chen Guan was beaming with satisfaction. "See you next time, Captain Hong."

Hong Xing forced out a smile. "...I hope we can meet somewhere else next time, Student Chen."

After Chen Guan left, Hong Xing distressingly took inventory of the losses. All of this had to be reported. If a big shot hadn't given the order to send Chen Guan to Jiangcheng, he would never have been so generous.

...

Early the next morning, Chen Guan set off on his journey.

He draped a black cloak over himself. This was one of the items he had snagged from the Great Wall's storehouse. Its main purpose was to conceal the coffin he carried on his back. In the eyes of others, he currently appeared to be wearing only a black shirt.

Arriving at the entrance of the teleportation array, Chen Guan paused his steps.

"You're up really late."

Long Ao stood up straight, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "Let's go. To Jiangcheng."

Mildly surprised, Chen Guan followed along. It wasn't hard to see that Long Ao had been waiting for him.

"What are you..."

"Going back to see the old man." Long Ao entered the destination and activated the teleportation array, his words becoming muffled by the noise of the array.

Long Ao's ancestral home was in Jiangcheng. It was only because his grandfather had achieved illustrious merits back in the day that the whole family moved to Beishi.

After a flash of white light, Long Ao looked at the familiar city before him, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes.

He hadn't been home in a long time. It wasn't because he had a bad relationship with his family, but for other reasons.

If that was the case for his home in Beishi, it was even more so for the one here in Jiangcheng. Having gone to school in Beishi since childhood, his memories of this place had long faded, leaving only a few blurry fragments.

Standing on the main street, Long Ao felt a rare sense of melancholy.

The air of Jiangcheng rushed into his nose; it was damp, carrying the unique faint fishiness of river water, along with a slight scent of old mildew.

Unlike the modern and orderly Beishi, Jiangcheng was more like a man in his twilight years. The streets were narrow and winding, lined with rows of old-fashioned buildings on both sides. The plaster on the walls was mottled, overgrown with dark green vines.

In the distance, beneath the hazy gray skyline, the winding Yangtze River looked like a faded yellow silk ribbon. This was a city forgotten by the times, appearing old and dilapidated.

"Want to come to my house with me?"

Chen Guan naturally wouldn't refuse. Suddenly, the bullet comments began to boil over.

[Front row! The Long Ao spin-off is finally airing.]