A low hum emanated from the transmission talisman.
Feeling the slight vibration, Yan Zhen quickly pulled out the Cloud Heaven Palace Transmission Talisman from his storage ring. A message from Huangfu Wenqing blinked on its surface.
【Fiancée Wenqing: Yan Zhen, where are you? Why haven’t you come back yet?】
【Fiancé Yan Zhen: Sorry, something unexpected came up. We can’t return for now.】
【Fiancée Wenqing: What happened?】
【Fiancé Yan Zhen: We were chased to the mountaintop and jumped into the volcano crater. We’re in a cavern beneath the lava now.】
【Fiancée Wenqing: Are you hurt? How bad is it?】
【Fiancé Yan Zhen: No big deal. The cave is full of fire crystal ore. I’m going to mine it all to forge a greatsword. You and Zi Ji are okay?】
【Fiancée Wenqing: We’re fine. Just a few clueless fools came to harass us, but we beat them off.】
【Fiancé Yan Zhen: Which society’s dumbasses were they? I’ll go teach them a lesson when I get back!】
Yan Zhen smoothly shifted the topic, sparing Zi Xunyi and Huangfu Wenqing undue worry. After chatting for a good while, he assured them that he and Long Ying would return as soon as possible and told them to keep cultivating while they waited.
Most of the Top Ten Societies’ members were still waiting outside the volcano crater for now, so leaving would only invite a swarm attack.
“…Yan Zhen Zhen, you’re so gentle.”
Long Ying’s voice suddenly whispered in his ear, startling Yan Zhen. He turned to see her awake, her lively emerald eyes fixed intently on him, making him shift uncomfortably.
After all, he was still cradled in her arms, his head pillowed on her limb.
“Are you Long Ying?”
“This is my original form. What do you think, Yan Zhen Zhen?”
“It’s pretty.”
“Really? Do you like it, Yan Zhen Zhen?”
“Ahem.”
“Hee hee, Yan Zhen Zhen’s blushing~”
“Don’t tease me.”
“I’m all grown up now too.”
Yan Zhen felt a little helpless.
“Anyway, let’s get up first.”
Long Ying reluctantly released him.
“Yan Zhen Zhen, are your injuries healed?”
“Mostly fine now. Thanks for taking care of me, Long Ying.” Yan Zhen sat up and stretched his stiff limbs. Glancing at Long Ying as she rose too, he probed cautiously, “You… you’re going to stay like this from now on?”
Long Ying blinked, then quickly shook her head.
“Nope. I haven’t fully recovered yet, so I’ll change back soon.”
The loli form had its charms—being small meant she could keep snuggling close to Yan Zhen. But the big form? That wouldn’t work.
Yan Zhen’s eyes lit up at her words. He’d been worried that without her feeding him dragon blood, she’d stay in her Big Sis form forever. That would derail the plot entirely. Good thing the worldline had converged.
“Like that.”
The atmosphere grew awkward. Facing Big Sis Long Ying, Yan Zhen just couldn’t adjust, especially knowing she might be eyeing his body.
It sounded odd, but Yan Zhen came from a proper background. He wasn’t the type to fool around casually.
His impression of Long Ying was still stuck on “Rice Bucket Loli.” He liked her, sure, but like a little sister who needed looking after—not romantically. Even seeing her killer figure hadn’t changed that.
Yet Long Ying’s gaze on him was off. She seemed to be hiding something, but not really succeeding. Her eyes lingered obviously on his lips, and Yan Zhen flashed back to last night—her taking advantage while he was “unconscious,” kissing him nonstop. Classic Dragon Knight move.
Was that okay? No, it wasn’t!
“Yan Zhen Zhen, are you hungry? I have some fasting pills left.”
“You eat them. I have some too if you run out.”
“Oh.”
“No.”
“Hm?”
“Uh, nothing. Reflex.”
Long Ying pulled out a roasted meat-flavored fasting pill and popped it in her mouth. Yan Zhen did the same with a fruit-flavored one.
“We can’t leave yet, or the people outside will swarm us.”
“I can smash their dog heads.”
“I know you can, but it’s unnecessary.” Yan Zhen shook his head. “They’ll pull back in a day or two anyway. Hanging around here costs a hundred points a day. Squatting to ambush instead of body refining? Not worth it.”
“Like that.” Long Ying grinned happily. “So we can stay together alone longer.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized she’d let it slip. She clapped a hand over it, her face flushing pink.
—N-No way did Yan Zhen Zhen figure out she wanted his body? So embarrassing!
…
Yan Zhen felt the pressure mounting. In the script, once he woke, Long Ying turned back into the Rice Bucket Loli, tugging his clothes and demanding, “Yan Zhen Zhen, I’m hungry! I got this way saving you! Hmph!”
Full “trick-or-treat” energy.
Then he’d coax her with a pile of pills, promise a massive feast at the dining hall once out, and the little loli would behave.
Now, food alone probably wouldn’t cut it.
Yan Zhen had a bad feeling his innocence was at risk. He hoped she wouldn’t pull a Mi Xue’er and mount him cowgirl-style again.
“There’s so much fire crystal ore here. I’m collecting it all.”
“I’ll help!”
“Mm.”
Yan Zhen took out two small pickaxes he’d prepared, handing one to Long Ying, and they set to mining the fire crystal ore.
Forging the Gold-Silver Flame Sword required heaps of it. What he’d scavenged before wasn’t nearly enough.
That fire spirit crystal would serve as the inlaid gem.
“Oh, right, Yan Zhen Zhen. I grabbed a bunch of ore earlier too, including some fire crystal.”
“Good. The fire crystal’s mine. I’ll help swap the rest for points later.”
“Mm-hm.”
They mined for half a day, gathering every high-purity chunk into two low-grade storage rings.
Once done, they sat on the ground to rest. Yan Zhen took a swig from his waterskin and offered it to Long Ying.
She took it, but her expression turned strange. She stared at the mouthpiece for a long moment, cheeks reddening, and only drank—gulping noisily—after he looked away.
When she handed it back, her beautiful eyes fixed on him unblinkingly.
Yan Zhen had been about to take another sip but awkwardly stowed it away.
—So how did the innocent Long Ying turn into this subtly seductive girl? Even as a reincarnator, it shouldn’t… In the script, they stayed “good bros” till the end. Now she’s making moves on her “good bro”… How was he supposed to relax into being a Dragon Knight?
The thought of tricking her into the contract later—to make her his mount—gave him a headache.
If she really signed it, who ended up the mount was anyone’s guess.
…
