Shen Zhaomu opened the door to his home, and the light inside emanated a warm glow.
A young man lay asleep on the table, dressed in a simple white shirt. He had a lively countenance and eyelashes resembling crow feathers, giving him a serene and well-behaved appearance. As Shen Zhaomu entered, the young man immediately lifted his head and, upon recognizing him, let out a lazy yawn.
He greeted Shen Zhaomu with a smile, revealing sharp fangs.
“Aren’t you sleeping yet?” Shen Zhaomu removed his coat and hung it aside.
“I’m not sleepy,” Long Shiyu replied. “Did you take down the dust python? I saw the news.”
Shen Zhaomu’s tone remained calm.
“Why are you interested in that?”
He pulled out a chair and sat down across from Long Shiyu, a hint of mockery briefly flashing in his eyes.
“Yes, it was me.”
He took out a cigarette and pushed it towards Long Shiyu.
“What’s wrong?” the latter inquired.
“The lighter’s broken,” Shen Zhaomu stated matter-of-factly.
Long Shiyu: “……”
His fingers were long and slender, and he conjured a small flame from the tip of his index finger.
It was a mixture of orange, red, and gold—known as dragon’s breath, once feared throughout the world.
The cigarette was lit, and Shen Zhaomu leaned back, taking a deep drag.
“I’ve prepared your fake identity, and you’ll be able to pass customs inspections. Tomorrow, I’ll introduce you to the association members.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Shen Zhaomu was born into the Hunter Association and was widely recognized as one of the Chief Hunter candidates.
Hunters roamed the cosmos, resolving conflicts and hunting exotic beasts. Few dared to challenge renowned hunters, and the Chief Hunter always garnered special attention within the Star Alliance.
If their personality was flamboyant, they would be even more sought after. Their names would be known far and wide, an unparalleled honor.
In addition to all that, Shen Zhaomu was the youngest candidate in the association’s history.
Long Shiyu inquired, “Introduce? What identity are you planning to use?”
Shen Zhaomu smiled. “What identity can I use? They all know I prefer men. This identity would make it convenient for me to have you by my side.”
“Oh,” Long Shiyu responded, not dwelling on the topic.
In the early morning of that day, a thunderstorm raged. Rain poured down and it was so dark that one would not even be able to see their own fingers.
A gentle knock sounded at Shen Zhaomu’s door.
Shen Zhaomu had not yet fallen asleep; he had woken up as the rain began. “Come in,” he called out.
The door opened, and Long Shiyu entered, clutching a pillow and blanket. Wearing loose white pajamas, he gazed at Shen Zhaomu with dark eyes.
Outside, lightning split the sky, briefly illuminating the world in a ghastly white hue before a deafening thunderclap followed.
Today’s thunderstorm was more intense than usual. It felt as if the entire planet was shaking. A thunderstorm warning was issued, the dams were raised, the planetary ports were closed, and the holographic lighthouse was at maximum brightness, yet it struggled to pierce the immense black vortex in the sky.
Shen Zhaomu knew Long Shiyu was afraid of such weather. On normal days, it wasn’t an issue, but he certainly wouldn’t want to be alone during such a fierce storm.
It was absurd that the violent and cruel dragon race that once dominated the cosmos would fear something.
As Long Shiyu huddled closer to Shen Zhaomu under the blanket, Shen Zhaomu couldn’t help but find it peculiar.
Long Shiyu was the first dragon he’d encountered with a bloodline more than five times removed. He was susceptible to illness and fear, unable to perform alchemy, and possessed weak spiritual power.
He lacked the aggression and competitiveness of typical dragons, and thus was neither accepted by his brethren, nor liked by other races. The only thing he had was his bloodline — and consequentially, was stuck awkwardly in the middle, welcomed by neither side.
He was a weak dragon. If he encountered another of his kind, he’d likely be torn apart instantly.
Under Shen Zhaomu’s pillow rested a cold dagger, an heirloom of his dragon-hunting family. It had pierced the hearts of countless dragons.
He hailed from an ancient dragon-hunting clan. His ancestors had waged bloody battles against dragons for a long time, putting their lives on the line. However, as the dragons’ numbers dwindled, the clansmen went their separate ways.
Long Shiyu was the only dragon he’d seen in recent years.
Initially, Long Shiyu had been his prey, but Shen Zhaomu had changed his mind; he needed dragon blood, and Long Shiyu, with his inferior bloodline, could not even pose a threat to him, much less beat him in a fight.
Now, Long Shiyu had been by his side for nearly two months.
Another thunderclap echoed, and Long Shiyu instinctively huddled into Shen Zhaomu.
Shen Zhaomu didn’t particularly like having physical contact with others, but Long Shiyu was simply too well-behaved. He breathed lightly, and wouldn’t fidget at all throughout the night. It wasn’t hard to put up with it.
Long Shiyu was like a small, harmless creature. He’d curl up in a ball and never made any noise.
…It was actually pretty cute.
So Shen Zhaomu silently accepted Long Shiyu’s closeness.
After some time, both of them started to feel drowsy, but the rain outside persisted.
The next day, the Hunter Association headquarters was bustling. There were researchers in white lab coats and hunters donning various outfits. A fresh batch of intern hunters had recently joined, adding to the lively atmosphere.
Shen Zhaomu’s entrance briefly disrupted the busy scene, causing a momentary lull. It only lasted for an instant before people went back to their business, though murmurs still arose sporadically.
“Is that him?”
“Yes, he’s the one who clashed with Old Qin last time and almost blew up the headquarters, according to my senior.”
“Who’d dare fight with Old Qin…? He wouldn’t be the chairman’s younger brother, would he?”
“Why didn’t you consider his family’s prestige?”
After hearing that reply, the person finally realized, “Oh, he’s from the dragon-hunting Shen family, right? I thought they just coincidentally shared the same surname. This… Shen Zhaomu guy must be the hunter with the best track record, right?”
“Yes, the best we’ve ever seen to date.”
“Then who’s the guy following him?”
“…I don’t know, I don’t recall seeing him before. He does look quite handsome.”
When Shen Zhaomu entered the room and spoke with the chief dispatcher, Long Shiyu waited outside for him.
Not far away, an environmental simulation chamber was separated by special glass. This vast space mimicked the deep sea and extended to the top of the building. Scarlet-eyed creatures that had the characteristics of both dragons and whales swam in the water.
Only the Hunter Association would make the bold and unrestrained decision to exhibit Dragon Whales that preyed on humans in their lobby.
Some had questioned the safety of this move, only to be met with the technical manager’s patient explanation.
“Firstly, our security system is top-notch, featuring the best technology the cosmos has to offer. The environmental simulation chamber is nearly indestructible. Secondly, in my opinion, there’s no need for hunters who can’t even handle a restrained dragon whale to continue breathing. Though of course, you all can rest assured; our association has comprehensive insurance. Your family will receive substantial compensation and your life will still have meaning…
It was currently the beginning of summer — the season whereby Dragon Whales were most active. Hormones suppressed their fatigue and fear, enabling them to travel thousands of kilometers to hunt and mate. They would form pods to attack giant whaling ships, and there were even records of them challenging dragons.
The room seemed small, and the creatures occasionally slammed into the glass with the twin horns on their head. The collision between their bodies, weighing tens of tons, and the glass caused dull thuds to sound out.
Long Shiyu, bored, leaned against the glass and watched these colossal creatures relentlessly slam themselves into the glass in their futile attempts to break free.
He felt drowsy once more and let out a yawn.
Another violent collision occurred, and the extremely agitated Dragon Whale locked eyes with him.
Long Shiyu estimated that even three of himself, stacked on top of each other, wouldn’t be tall enough to reach the Dragon Whale’s eyes.
As he pondered, the Dragon Whale’s body started to tremble violently, as if it had encountered its most fearsome natural predator. Fear filled its scarlet eyes, and it turned and fled.
Huhuhu, seems like the “weak” and “sickly” dragon is the one thats rhe most feared among the dragons as said in the summary.
Thanks for the chapter~~~ ( ´∀`)
Alright, ‘Mr. I’m-so-weak-I-need-protection Dragon Lord’… Let’s see how long your facade will last 😆
Heheheheehee I love a sly shou, seeming weak, but actually being the strongest of all xD
So he’s acting ~ lol
The shou is cute and sly 😭
“Your life will still have meaning…” Hahaha why do I have my doubts about the importance of a hunter who doesn’t meet the guild’s standards 😄