A night so dark you couldn't see your own hand before your face.
Aiden Ao, the little white dragon, crept along the mountain path, his steps light and silent as a cat. All the way, he felt tonight’s wind biting cold, and kept glancing nervously over his shoulder.
Behind him, the mountain path was utterly deserted.
In the distance, a patrol of demon soldiers approached.
Aiden instantly froze, holding his breath and widening his eyes in alarm.
Only when the patrol drew near, passing him with polite nods as usual, did Aiden finally let out a small sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness—they weren’t sent to catch me...”
Monkey’s words still echoed in his ears, especially those two—‘tear up the ticket.’ (A bandit term meaning to kill the hostage after ransom negotiations fail.) Every time he thought of it, Aiden felt his legs go weak.
This was Blossom Mountain—Handsome Monkey King Simon Sun’s territory. Here, if the Handsome Monkey King gave the word...
He was nothing but a juicy piece of meat in Monkey’s mouth!
In all his life, Aiden had never felt his existence so threatened.
Back at the Western Sea Dragon Palace, he was the Third Prince—no matter how he misbehaved, everyone had to give him face (show him respect and preserve his dignity, a vital concept in Chinese culture). Even if he truly messed up, the worst he’d get was a few days of confinement and reflection. He’d never even been spanked.
Yet now, someone actually wanted his life...
So naïve—how could he ever have thought of coming alone to this bandit’s den to take revenge on Nigel Wyrm?
In the temporary cave-palace, Belle Whitebone—just thrown out by Monkey—rubbed her sore shoulder and slowly got up from the ground.
“Don’t be scared, don’t be scared, he’s just trying to frighten me,” Aiden whispered to himself, trying to calm down.
It was a standalone, three-story earth building halfway up Blossom Mountain. Besides Aiden Ao, Anna Yang, Tina Ao, Belle Whitebone, Isabel Su, and several junior officers responsible for alchemy lived there. The basement even had a tunnel leading straight to Underworld City.
He looked so pitiful, he was nearly wetting his pants.
After a long moment, he finally confirmed there was nothing unusual around him—only to find himself drenched in cold sweat.
“It’s fine, it’s fine, I’m just scaring myself,” he muttered, trying to encourage himself.
But as soon as he said it, he hesitated: “But what if it isn’t?”
“No way, no way, he’s definitely just trying to scare me. If he really killed me, how would he explain it to Anna Yang? They aren’t married, but my sister says they’re headed that way, right? And don’t forget I’ve got my brother-in-law backing me up. He’s the greatest war-god in the world—Monkey wouldn’t dare cross Erik Yang!” Thinking this, he thumped his chest, mustered his courage, and strode forward.
But after just two steps, his legs felt weak again: “But... what if he really does dare? What if he lures me outside and kills me—then he could wash his hands of it all...”
“How could that be? Monkey’s a decent guy, pretty straightforward, isn’t he? Just a young fellow, never seen the world, getting scared over nothing—what a coward. Hahaha.” He shook his head hard, mocking himself.
It started out fine, but as he laughed, his confidence faltered: “Wait... since when was he ever straightforward? He’s as crafty as they come with the Celestial Army.”
So he walked on, wavering and uneasy, finishing the long mountain road at last, and finally glimpsed his current residence in the distance.
It was a standalone, three-story earth building halfway up Blossom Mountain. Besides Aiden Ao, Anna Yang, Tina Ao, Belle, Isabel Su, and several junior officers responsible for alchemy lived there. The basement even had a tunnel leading straight to Underworld City.
Because of this, the place needed special protection—fences all around, and troops on guard day and night.
From afar, seeing the lines of demon soldiers marching by the building, Aiden let out a slow breath and reassured himself: “Stop scaring yourself, it’s fine. I’ll talk to Anna first, give her a heads-up, then she’ll negotiate with Monkey. I’ll get a good night’s sleep, and tomorrow the world will be back to normal!”
He took a deep breath and summoned the courage to step forward.
Just then, he heard footsteps behind him. Panicked, he tumbled into the nearby grass, nearly crashing into a tree.
Steadying himself, he parted the tall grass and peeked out—just in time to see two minor demons walking along the mountain path.
“Just two minor demons—see, I’m scaring myself.”
He exhaled slowly and started to step out of the grass.
But at that moment, he overheard the two minor demons talking to the guards at the door, and froze.
“Has he come back yet?”
It was a standalone, three-story earth building halfway up Blossom Mountain. Besides Aiden Ao, Anna Yang, Tina Ao, Belle Whitebone, Isabel Su, and several junior officers responsible for alchemy lived there. The basement even had a tunnel leading straight to Underworld City.
“Not Anna—I mean Aiden Ao.”
Aiden Ao? Haven’t seen him tonight. What’s up?
“If he comes back, have someone keep an eye on him.”
“Keep an eye on him?”
“That’s right. Don’t ask why. It’s the King’s command.”
“The King’s command... Got it.”
With that, the two minor demons muttered quietly to each other, then one turned back while the other stayed at the door.
“I’m doomed... he really means to ‘tear up the ticket’...” Aiden suddenly felt all strength leave his body, collapsing in the grass like a deflated ball.
“What do I do, what do I do?”
“No—I have to run! Before he finds out, I have to run! Tonight!”
But where could he run? He’d snuck out without telling his father, who’d already threatened to confine him for a hundred years if he went back...
Anywhere is better! Even being confined in the Western Sea is better than losing his life—if he stayed on Blossom Mountain, he was dead for sure!
Resolved, Aiden Ao slipped out of the grass and kept to the shadows under the trees.
He glanced back at the building from afar, then, furtive as ever, turned and retraced his steps down the mountain path.
...
In the temporary cave-palace, Belle Whitebone—just thrown out by Monkey—rubbed her sore shoulder and slowly got up from the ground.
In the temporary cave-palace, Belle Whitebone—just thrown out by Monkey—rubbed her sore shoulder and slowly got up from the ground.
Turning around, she saw the two demons guarding the door staring at her with a strange look—as if she were just an ordinary human girl, a minor demon barely grown.
Their gaze seemed almost mocking.
Was she really overestimating herself? But what had she actually done wrong?