Reborn To Be The Imperial Consort [BL]-Chapter 88: Thalassotélos — XX

It was a nightmare for the dragon to be just there, unable to do anything as the people of his clan tore Hu Lijing away from his arms and all but dragged his nearly unconscious body to the dungeon, throwing him there in disregard.

Thousands of words died an immature death on the dragon’s tongue as he watched it all happen, helpless and shaking as all the tenderness melted away and was replaced by intense, blinding waves of anger that crashed into him like an unstoppable tide.

His fury was so overwhelming, like a stream of lava burning in his veins as the flames simmered under his skin.

For a moment, he had been more than ready to pounce on them and tear them to shreds with his bare hands and claws for dating to lay their filthy hands on his Jing’ge.

But in the nick of time, he stopped himself, freezing right where he sat motionless as one of the surviving elders turned to him, his eyes anything but angry.

Long ZhenHai’s breath lightened as the old bastard walked over to him, tattered clothes hiding his old bones as he squatted in front of him, thoughtfully caressing his beard as he hummed.

Long ZhenHai didn’t look up, he didn’t raise his head to meet his eyes, afraid that he might gouge them out for so much as looking at him.

And then, the dragon leaned towards him, not sparing even a single glance to the cooling char of ashes of the Clan Leader as he stared at Long ZhenHai and then spoke in his gravelly and entirely too unpleasant voice.

"I knew you could be saved." The man stated, his voice filled with something akin to smug pride. It left Long ZhenHai confused, making him wonder what sort of drivel he was about to spout. "You have my gratitude, Dragon of The Infinite Sea, for fulfilling your duty in spite of the situation. For killing those feelings for the nine-tailed fox and bringing him to his demise."

With his head still bowed, the dragon’s icy blue eyes narrowed, a murderous glint passing through them as his fingers curled inward as he clenched his hands into fists and gritted his teeth.

Say what now? What was this man playing at? Long ZhenHai and killing the feelings he had for Hu Lijing?

What a fucking joke.

For a moment, he was tempted to spit in the man’s face. But his thoughts caught up to his body and stopped him from acting on his impulsive desire.

He wanted to see what this old coot was playing at. There was no way Long ZhenHai could ever even think of not loving Hu Lijing, so what was that bastard thinking?

Or was he under a false impression?

No, he needed to see where this was going, who could say, it may as well benefit him sooner or later.

Internally shaking his head, Long ZhenHai silently willed the anger burning in his heart to calm down as he raised his head, taking a deep breath to conceal the bitter hatred in his eyes as he met the older dragon’s hateful gaze with his own impassive icy ones.

The dragon looked away not even a moment later, as though unnerved by Long ZhenHai’s gaze, and cleared his throat as he stood up and took a few steps away from the agitated dragon.

"I understand that it must not have been easy for you, to abandon the man for whom you are held... Rather strong emotions for the better part of your life, but still," he paused, glancing ever so briefly at the unconscious body of Hu Lijing before glancing back at Long ZhenHai, and then added. "You have my gratitude for choosing your divine duties over your emotions for the sinner."

Oh heaven, did it make Long ZhenHai’s blood boil? Did it make him want to tear the man apart limb for limb while keeping him alive through it all?

Did it make him want to pull out of filthy tongue that had spoken against Hu Lijing and force it down his throat?

However, for the sake of whatever was to come, Long ZhenHai reigned in his fury and simply stared at the man, his gaze bordering to a glower as his expression twisted into something a bizarre mixture of anger and pain before he simply bowed his head once more, taking to stare at his lap instead.

Hu Lijing was not a sinner, not to him, never to him. Even if he committed atrocities that Long ZhenHai would have trouble counting on his fingers, he would most definitely have a reason — if not multiple of them — to do so.

Long ZhenHai was not one to ignore or pretend as if the atrocities committed by his Jing’ge were non-existent, but he was also not going to suddenly abhor Hu Lijing for the things he did.

For this, perhaps, he was in the wrong, but it was his choice to make. And no matter how many times, Long ZhenHai would — by all means — make the same choice over and over again.

No matter what.

Long ZhenHai believed in his Jing’ge and his belief? His belief in Hu Lijing was unshakeable.

Even if he was in the wrong, he was willing to believe in Hu Lijing.

Even until he drew his final breath.

"Because of your actions alone," the older dragon spoke after a long time, his voice grating against Long ZhenHai’s ears so much so that the latter had to make a humongous effort to not lash out on him.

"The destruction, the disaster, that Hu Lijing was—" he had the audacity to spit out the nine-tailed fox’s name as though it was damning curse "—became an isolated calamity. If not for the barriers that you had erected around him, our clan too may have been wiped out by the ten-tailed fox who took possession of the nine-tailed fox’s body. While as a result we may have lost our leader, but our clan was spared."

The older bastard paused, his hands caressing his beard in a way that Long ZhenHai found immensely irritating but chose to ignore, and gazed down at the latter very thoughtfully before a going passed through his eyes.

"... Since you’re the reason our clan has managed to survive this disaster and our Clan Leader, too, has succumbed into the arms of death; would you, Long ZhenHai, be willing to take over the position that has now been vacated?"

Long ZhenHai froze.

This old bastard said what?

Long ZhenHai was beginning to doubt his ears as he clenched his fists and took a deep breath.

Was this old dragon mocking his predicament or was it an unwitting proposal? Either way, it was... It was jarring to say the least.

Sure, Long ZhenHai gave his ’contribution’ to ending this war, sure he ’isolated’ the ten-tailed fox too, but how could the dragon clan go from imposing house arrest on him to offering him the position of the Clan Leader.

It... Did not make sense, at all. At least not to the dragon.

Blinking slowly, the dragon of the infinite sea took a deep, calming breath as he tried to quell the storm of thoughts raging in the vaults of his mind and considered his options.

Then—

"I’m afraid I cannot take you up on the offer, Elder." Through gritted teeth, Long ZhenHai refused, raising his head to meet the old dragon’s eyes once more with cold detachment in his own.

"Oh, that is a pity. Surely, you might be willing to reconsider?"

"No," firmly, the dragon of the infinite sea refused, closing his eyes as he drew in a shallow breath. "I do not believe myself to be qualified of this position... However, I would like to ask of you— no, I would like to demand of you — and the clan — to return my freedom."

Upon hearing his words, the old coot stilled for a moment, his hand stopping its movement as he looked down at Long ZhenHai, regarding the latter with a long, hard stare.

The younger dragon could see several thoughts flajs through his eyes, he could see the wheels of his mind turning ever so slowly as he continued to stare at him.

The old coot said nothing, his silence giving away the fact that he may just have remembered the Long ZhenHai had been put under house arrest by the — now deceased — Clan Leader for years on end.

But ultimately, as though a side of him won the debate — Long ZhenHai hoped it was in his favour — the older dragon nodded, slowly, almost hesitantly even.

"Very well, Long ZhenHai, the Dragon of the Infinite Sea, with the power vested upon me by the ancestors and the heaven, I — the seventh Elder of the Dragon Clan — remove the imprisonment imposed upon you by our late Clan Leader."

And thus, Long ZhenHai had won.