After habitually poking the dragon horns, Rong Sui realized in hindsight that his actions were somewhat inappropriate now.

Previously, Yin Zhuzhi had suffered memory damage and, influenced by his natural instincts, exhibited childish behavior. Though he had been somewhat precocious, in Rong Sui’s eyes, he was no different from any other juvenile creature.

Now, however, things were different. Yin Zhuzhi had truly returned to his adult state. Although he had changed back into a juvenile once again, it was an adult soul residing inside a juvenile shell. If Rong Sui continued to treat him as a mere child, it would indeed be improper.

Retracting his fingers, Rong Sui cleared his throat and coughed, feeling a bit embarrassed. “I was used to petting you earlier—sorry about that.”

Looking at him with golden, round eyes, Yin Zhuzhi said flatly, “It is fine.”

Seeing his current appearance, the fingers Rong Sui had tucked in his pockets began to itch again. It wasn’t that he lacked respect for Yin Zhuzhi; it was simply that the dragon baby was far too cute to resist.

Suppressing the urge within his heart, Rong Sui asked tentatively, “I’m heading downstairs now. Will the Lord God walk on his own, or…?”

In the past, Yin Zhuzhi would definitely have curled up in Rong Sui’s arms to be carried down. Yin Zhuzhi had never minded such close affection, but now… wagging his tail back and forth, Yin Zhuzhi chose to hop off the bed by himself instead.

Now that he had recovered, he could no longer put on juvenile airs and ought to display the dignity fitting of the God of Mount Zhong.

Following behind him, Rong Sui watched as the chubby dragon baby took step after step with his short legs, hopping down the staircase. He finally couldn’t hold back a snicker.

Yin Zhuzhi paused and looked back at him in confusion. “Hmm?”

Rong Sui tried hard to suppress his laughter, waving a hand. “Nothing, nothing.”

Yin Zhuzhi gave him a bewildered glance, unaware of what he was laughing at, and had no choice but to turn back around to keep hopping down the steps.

Coiled up, the dragon baby was roughly the size of a basketball, measuring barely a foot long from head to tail tip. The dragon claws on his belly were a bit too short to reach the next step, leaving him with no choice but to hop down one stair at a time.

Rong Sui held back his laughter as he watched him bounce down a few more steps before finally bending down to scoop him up. “The stairs are inconvenient. Let me carry the Lord God down.”

Yin Zhuzhi’s tail stiffened for a moment. Resting against his chest, his body gradually relaxed, and he turned his face away with a flat “Mm.”

Everyone else was gathered in the living room, where Bi Fang was colorfully recounting gossip about the ancient Torch Dragon to Bai Tu. Just as he was getting excited, he caught sight of Rong Sui carrying the dragon baby downstairs and immediately shut his mouth.

Long Ya had saved up a whole stomach full of questions to ask Yin Zhuzhi, but seeing him in this state, they all turned into a single exclamation of surprise: “What happened here?”

Rong Sui put on an innocent face. “I don’t know.”

Bi Fang flapped his wings and flew close to Rong Sui, landing on his head, craning his neck as far as it would go to peer down at Yin Zhuzhi.

Yin Zhuzhi glanced at him with an attitude no different from before.

Bi Fang felt at ease, hopping around joyfully atop Rong Sui’s head. “The dragon baby is still much better to look at. Once he grows up, he sure knows how to put on a grand front.”

Rong Sui: “…”

Bi Fang continued rattling on, “To think he actually stuffed this grand lord into his sleeve!” As he spoke, he grew indignant, stretching out his neck to peck courageously at Yin Zhuzhi with his sharp beak. “You scared my feathers right off.”

Yin Zhuzhi looked at him expressionlessly. “…Do you wish for this venerated one to help pluck the rest of your feathers as well?”

Bi Fang: “…!!!”

He let out a sharp gasp and tumbled off Rong Sui’s head in shock. Only right before hitting the ground did he flap his wings to fly back up, asking in horror, “He still remembers?!”

Once he turned back into a juvenile, shouldn’t he have forgotten many things?

Just like before, no matter how grand and unreachable the God of Mount Zhong was, once he became a juvenile and got riled up, wouldn’t he still end up brawling with them all the same?

Bi Fang shrank his neck, cowed down, and hid behind a pile of throw pillows, poking out only a round bird head to look outside.

Rong Sui held back a laugh, smoothing down Yin Zhuzhi’s spine with great familiarity. Yin Zhuzhi’s sharp gaze wavered slightly, and he lay back down once more.

Long Ya was more concerned with the reason for his recovery. “Has the Lord God grasped the key mechanism behind it?”

Yin Zhuzhi shook his head. “Only a vague conjecture. Once I have confirmed it, I will inform you all.”

Hearing this, Long Ya asked no further. If even Yin Zhuzhi could not figure out the reason, speaking of it now would be of no help.

Deep within the Wolong Mountain Range.

Clutching the rope, Rong Fu’s expression grew increasingly impatient. “Why haven’t we arrived yet? You aren’t tricking me, are you?”

He looked down with an ill-intentioned gaze at the tightly bound Night-Stalker Woman.

The Night-Stalker Woman’s nine heads were tied together, and her pair of massive black wings was bound right from the base. Her two sharp talons were tied with the leftover length of rope used on her necks. Had it not been for her massive size, she looked just like an old hen bound up and ready for sale.

“If I tricked you, would you pluck a few less feathers from me?” The Night-Stalker Woman was so furious she nearly vomited blood. Her nine heads dangled sideways in a messy cluster to avoid being squished together so tightly she couldn’t even open her mouths.

Rong Fu was a ruthless one. When the Night-Stalker Woman initially refused to reveal where she had hidden the child, he went straight ahead and plucked the ring of feathers at the tips of her wings completely bald. After plucking the left wing, he moved to pluck the right. The Night-Stalker Woman was thoroughly terrified of him, leaving her no choice but to compromise and lead him to the cave.

And then she was bound up like this.

Rong Fu remained skeptical. “You have nine heads and look different from everyone else. Who knows what goes on in your mind?”

Night-Stalker Woman: “…” Dammit!

If she weren’t tied up and unable to move, she would have fought this winged tiger idiot to the death, even at the cost of her life.

While she was grumbling inwardly, a waterfall appeared not far ahead. Rong Fu looked closely and saw a cave beside it, realizing the Night-Stalker Woman hadn’t lied to him after all, so he accelerated his flight toward it.

Outside the cave half-hidden by the waterfall, a short little girl holding a sharp stone stood with a contorted expression, attempting to charge inside.

“Let me in!” Minmin was covered in filth, with uncleaned bloodstains hanging on the corners of her mouth. Although the Night-Stalker Woman hadn’t thrown her with much force, her fragile human body still couldn’t handle it well, and she had lain outside for quite a while before recovering.

Later, when the nine-headed monster bird flew off like crazy, she hatched a plan. Surrounded by steep cliffs, this place was definitely a dead end ahead. She wanted to enter the cave first to find some food to replenish her strength, and then search inside for a way out.

At worst, if that monster returned, she could use the children inside the cave to buy herself time.

She had calculated everything clearly, but she hadn’t expected Bai Ze to refuse her entry into the cave, casting an illusion spell at the entrance that left her walking in circles outside.

Seeing the sky brighten, and not knowing when that monster would return, she grew increasingly anxious. Grasping a stone with a sharp end in her hand, she tried to attack Bai Ze.

She had always detested her short stature and extended that hatred to children as well. Now blocked outside by Bai Ze in child form, with several children poking their heads out from inside the cave to laugh at her predicament, her eyes turned red with fury. Gripping the sharp stone tightly, she tried to pounce on Bai Ze like mad.

“Tsk, why is this little girl so fierce?”

Having just landed, Rong Fu saw her pouncing toward Bai Ze with her claws bared, so he quickly raised a paw and swatted Minmin aside. However, because of Rong Sui, his love for human children extended by association, so he didn’t use much force with this swat.

Pushed aside by the force, Minmin turned around, only to discover the nine-headed monster bird held bound in the hands of a burly man. Her heart moved; raising a hand to cover her face, her shoulders twitched as she began to sob softly.

Not expecting to bring the little girl to tears, Rong Fu’s expression instantly turned awkward.

“Pfft!”

Seeing his helpless appearance, the Night-Stalker Woman immediately mocked, “By human accounting, she’s old enough to be called an aunt at her age, and you’re still feeling sorry for her? Your taste is certainly unique!”

Minmin’s face, hidden beneath her hands as she feigned crying, twisted in fury.

Rong Fu was stunned. Reacting to her words, he looked closely and realized the joints exposed by this little girl were far thicker and sturdier than those of a young child. Only then did he realize he had been duped. Glaring annoyed at the Night-Stalker Woman, he turned around to scoop up Bai Ze, but without warning, Minmin beside him suddenly leaped up, thrusting the sharp stone toward him.

Holding Bai Ze, Rong Fu neither ducked nor dodged, kicking Minmin away directly. He held back no force with this strike, sending Minmin flying directly outward, with more than half her body dangling off the cliff edge.

She let out a scream, her fingers desperately clawing at the protruding rocks, trying to climb back up. “Save me, I don’t want to die!”

Ignoring her cries for help, Rong Fu entered the cave to scoop out the human children one by one. The children huddled close to Bai Ze, holding back their tears as they peered timidly at Rong Fu.

Rong Fu let out a chuckle. “Watch me perform a magic trick for you all.” With that, he reverted to his true form, folding his white wings at his sides and retracting his teeth as he picked up the children one by one in his mouth to place them safely on his back.

Children had simple minds; after a brief moment of panic, they grew curious, sitting on his back to touch here and there.

Rong Fu spread his wings and shook them to help them sit securely, then grabbed the Night-Stalker Woman off the ground and flapped his wings to leave.

Minmin watched their departing figures with venom in her eyes, yet her fingers gripped the rock tightly, refusing to let go…

After secretly dropping the children off at a nearby police station first, Rong Fu happily returned home carrying the Night-Stalker Woman and holding Bai Ze.

The triumphant father received a warm welcome. Rong Sui took Bai Ze from his arms, carefully checking him over to confirm he wasn’t injured before letting him go take a shower and change clothes.

Bi Fang was unusually quiet for once, retracting his legs into the down feathers on his belly, perching atop Bai Ze’s head and refusing to budge. The two juveniles went upstairs whispering to each other.

Rong Fu enjoyed his son serving tea, handing over water, and massaging his shoulders, grinning so wide his mouth couldn’t close, practically floating up to the heavens.

The ignored Night-Stalker Woman struggled twice, unwilling to be left out, and said angrily, “The child has been returned to you! Can you let me go now?”

Only then did everyone notice there was still an unidentified creature lying on the ground.

Rong Sui leaned over curiously. “Is this the Nine-Headed Bird? Why is she so bald?”

Rong Fu felt no guilt whatsoever. “Probably shedding feathers because of old age.”

Night-Stalker Woman: “…”

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Author’s Note:

Night-Stalker Woman: F*** YOU! F*** YOU! Did you hear that?! F*** YOU!! (heart-wrenching.jpg)