Black Dragon’s Blood

Yexi watched Ard slip from her grasp, grinding her teeth in silent frustration as he was swept into conversation by the Marquis. The man he was now chatting so amiably with was the head of the house; she had no choice but to endure it, though every instinct screamed at her to drag the rogue away.

Marquis Trefle, for his part, had no lordly airs about him as he spoke with Ard, his voice warm and engaging.

“Your name is Ard, is it? Thank you for taking care of our maid. Amidst the chaos of the banquet, I didn’t get a chance to speak with you properly earlier.”

Ard gave a wry, self-deprecating smile. “Not at all, Your Excellency. In truth, even if I hadn’t intervened, I suspect Yexi could have handled that Tusk-Bear on her own, couldn’t she?”

“That may be so,” the Marquis chuckled, his eyes crinkling. “But it’s not about whether Yexi had the ability, but whether you chose to act. In the end, you still helped our maid, didn’t you? I saw you two having quite the lively time earlier.”

“Ah, that… haha.” He’s not denying Yexi’s strength? Ard scratched his cheek, feeling a flush of embarrassment. “It’s a bit of a long story.”

“Yexi is a good child, though she isn’t always the most straightforward in her affections. Never mind that.” The Marquis’s expression shifted subtly. “Ard, I’d like to ask you a few things now, if you don’t mind.”

“Please, Marquis, go ahead.”

“You say you’re an adventurer, correct? If so, why come to Pekoin? While it’s possible to enter the Beast Forest from this region, it’s far from the ideal entry point. The kingdom has established a dedicated passage for adventurers to enter the forest, many leagues from here.”

At that moment, the earlier levity in the Marquis’s eyes vanished, replaced by a sharp, penetrating glint that seemed to see right through Ard’s soul.

Ard maintained his smile, though it felt brittle. “Isn’t forging a path where none have gone before the very joy of being an adventurer? The unknown is what’s most exciting, after all.”

“No, no, no.” The Marquis wagged a finger, his voice calm but firm as iron. “I don’t see the madness in your eyes, the kind that would risk everything to explore the unknown. I see weariness and reason. A man like you wouldn’t do something so inefficient without a purpose. You came here with a strong, unyielding objective. So, young man, what is your business here?”

“Your insight is terrifying, Marquis.”

“It can’t be helped. In my position, one deals with many old foxes. Spend enough time with them, and you naturally pick up their scent.” The Marquis shrugged. Ard smiled helplessly. It seemed that even being reborn didn’t mean he could underestimate the people of this world. He still had a long way to go. But at least the experiences of two lifetimes had finally calmed his heart, ridding him of his former arrogance and impatience.

Ard took a deep breath, about to speak, but the Marquis suddenly stopped him, gesturing toward the courtyard. “As much as I’d like to hear your story, now doesn’t seem to be the time. I am, after all, a father and a lord, and my people call.”

Ard followed the Marquis’s gesture and saw his wife, his family, and his subjects beckoning to him from the heart of the celebration.

“Let’s talk about the rest tonight, just the two of us. Hmm, let’s say at midnight.”

“It seems this celebration will go on all night.”

The Marquis laughed, a deep, booming sound. “It won’t. My wife has a habit we all know well: she goes to bed at midnight, sharp, no matter the occasion. So the banquet will end by eleven at the latest. Come to my office then. I’ll have Yexi bring you.”

“A private meeting? You certainly trust me, Your Excellency.”

“I’m not exactly defenseless, kid.” The Marquis’s voice dropped, taking on a dangerous edge. “From your bearing and physique, I can tell you’re well-trained, and definitely not self-taught. But what’s strange is that the Ki in your body is dead. It flows like stone, not water. Could you be… well, I won’t pry into your private affairs. But, a friendly warning: if you truly harbor hostile intentions, you might find yourself suddenly… removed. This residence is far more dangerous than you imagine.”

With those cryptic words, the Marquis turned and strode back into the festivities, leaving Ard standing there, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles were white.

He saw right through me. I can’t believe the main reason I’m still so weak was seen so easily. Is this the power of a true master?

And… so she really is here. The thought hit him like a physical blow. Silver Wing, the legendary assassin from my past life. The one who single-handedly caused the downfall of the heretical cult that had troubled even the Grand Holy Church.

She had first appeared on the world stage after the Pekoin City incident. Her pursuit of the cult could only be described as fanatical. Anyone or anything even remotely connected to them would draw her out like a moth to a flame. If they cooperated, they were spared. If not, they faced tortures that rivaled the eighteen hells. Few survived. Those who did were left broken, their minds shattered husks.

The Grand Holy Church had a massive headache dealing with such a ruthless, untraceable force. Silver Wing’s methods were cold and absolute; she would rather kill a thousand innocents than let a single guilty party escape, leading to many blameless deaths. Consequently, the highest-level warrants for her arrest were issued by various nations and the Church itself.

Because she caused such a stir, rumors about her were rampant. One of the most credible was that Silver Wing hailed from the destroyed city of Pekoin, her family having died in the disaster, sparking her vengeful, one-person war.

Ard had come to Pekoin hoping to meet Silver Wing. If he could earn a favor from a master of her caliber by saving the city, it would be a great help in breaking the bloodline curse that shackled him. Judging by her actions, she was someone who valued loyalty and kindness, even if her methods were monstrous.

Ard looked out at Yexi, who had gone to help with the festivities, her silver hair catching the torchlight. Could it be her?

Silver Wing’s gender was a mystery, but her striking silver hair was a signature trait. And the Marquis’s words had all but confirmed a powerful guardian resided in his home. The combination of Yexi’s silver hair and her terrifying skills made Ard’s mind race. If it is her, that would be perfect. If I save Pekoin in front of her, the favor she owes me might be even greater.

…….

Night fell, but Pekoin City was ablaze with light, alive with the joyous sounds of celebration for the lord’s son and his betrothal.

But miles outside the city, at the edge of the dark and silent Beast Forest, a group of shadowy figures gathered like vultures.

“How are the preparations?” a voice rasped.

“The teleportation circles are set, and the manpower is in place. We just need to wait for the dark moon in two days to execute the plan.”

“Good. This will satisfy the bishops. Go back and double-check everything. This mission is extremely important. Three bishops may be coming personally to oversee it. If there are any mistakes, none of us will survive their wrath.”

“Three bishops?! For a mere border city like Pekoin? Is such caution necessary?”

“Silence. It’s not for this city. Knowing too much is not good for you. Dismissed!”

“Yes, sir!”

The gathered shadows dispersed, melting back into the trees. Moonlight once again fell upon the land, a placid silver veil unable to conceal the storm that was about to break.

…….

As the clock crept toward midnight, Ard lay on the bed in his assigned room. He looked at his hands, recalling the Marquis’s words—“Your Ki is dead”—and gave a bitter smile.

How could Ard not know his own condition? The Ki cultivated by practitioners flowed endlessly through the body in a constant, life-giving cycle, but his was not like that. His Ki was like sandbags, and all his arduous training merely involved hauling these sandbags into the great warehouse of his body, where they sat, inert, heavy, and unusable.

The cause of all this was his bloodline: the blood of a Black Dragon.

In this world, hybrids of humans and other races were not common, but not unheard of either. The natural adaptability of human genes allowed them to absorb the talents of other races. Hybrids often possessed talents ordinary humans did not, and when combined with human intellect, their power could even surpass that of purebloods.

But it wasn’t always a case of the stronger the bloodline, the better. An overly powerful bloodline could overwhelm human genes. The body would then react, trying to suppress the bloodline’s ferocious instincts. But this was merely suppression; the savage nature of the bloodline never truly yielded. This resulted in a body one could not fully control. Even if Ki was cultivated, it couldn’t circulate, let alone be used.

The bloodline of dragons was one of the most domineering known. A half-dragon might not even be able to train at all. Those with high blood purity could even turn into mindless, raging beasts, their lives in constant peril. The human race had tried many methods to tame this power, but all had failed.

Later, as the human race rose and dragons began to interact more with other races, a path was opened for these half-dragons, a way for humans to finally use the power of dragon blood. By bathing in the fresh blood of the same type of dragon and passing its trial, one could make the bloodline’s power their own.

The activation process was surprisingly mundane. One took a transport to Dragon Island, paid a sufficient ‘sincerity fee’ to the Dragon Island authorities, and they would arrange a ‘one-dragon service’. But the cost was anything but ordinary. Dragons were notoriously greedy. There was a hefty entrance fee to Dragon Island, and the service fee was astronomical, running into the billions of gold coins. The price also varied by dragon type, with the noblest Gold Dragons costing tens of billions. Throughout history, only one fool had ever paid to activate it, though the power of the Gold Dragon bloodline was said to be indeed immense.

In his past life, Ard had been crushed by this price, which he couldn’t afford even if he sold himself into servitude for a lifetime. But what had truly driven him to despair was the fact that there were no Black Dragons on Dragon Island.

The Black Dragon clan, due to their depravity, cruelty, and debauchery, had angered all the other dragon clans and had been exiled from Dragon Island centuries ago. And once exiled, the solitary Black Dragons had scattered to the four corners of the world.

The powerful members of other races were overjoyed. They had long coveted the treasures that were a dragon’s body—scales, horns, heart—but had been deterred by Dragon Island’s might. But the Black Dragons, though still powerful, were no longer protected. And they were solitary. The entire continent went into a frenzy. It was a hunt. Just selling information on a Black Dragon’s location could fetch a sky-high price. And so, the other races, now strong enough, competed amongst themselves, and the Black Dragon clan was hunted to near extinction.

In this era, Black Dragons were the stuff of legends. And because their bloodline was so powerful, half-bloods like him received no Blessing from the gods. They were cursed from birth.

Ard’s nails dug deep into his palms. Blood trickled from his hand, hot and sticky, but it couldn’t wash away the cold unease in his heart. In the eyes of the world, a Black Dragon half-blood was no different from a cripple.

Ard took a few deep, shuddering breaths. He hadn’t given up hope. His efforts in his past life were not in vain. He had once heard a rumor that in the Sky Arena of the Amahl Kingdom’s capital, there was fresh Black Dragon blood preserved in a holy grail. It was just hearsay, a whisper on the wind, but it was hope. Bathing in the dragon’s blood would only release the suppression on his body, allowing him to train like a normal person. He would never be able to activate the Black Dragon’s racial talents, but that was enough. As long as he didn’t have to waste his life in a daze like before, anything was fine.

Knock, knock, knock.

The sound was soft, accompanied by a pleasant, cold female voice that cut through his dark thoughts.

“Mr. Guest, it is almost time.”

“I know. Please, come in.”

Yexi pushed open the door and her eyes immediately fell to the blood flowing from Ard’s clenched hand.

“What is this?” she asked, her voice flat.

Ard looked at his bleeding hand and gave a bitter, tired smile. “This… was an accident.”

Yexi’s eyes narrowed. She sighed, a soft, almost imperceptible sound, then skillfully retrieved some ointment and bandages from a drawer in the guest room. She sat down next to him on the edge of the bed, her presence a sudden, calming weight in the room. “Give me your hand. I’ll take care of it. I can’t take you to see the Lord like this.”

“Sorry to trouble you. Thank you.”

Ard offered his injured hand to Yexi. As her cool, deft fingers began to clean the wound with practiced ease, he watched the serene, silver-haired maid before him, and for the first time in a long, long time, he felt the restless, raging storm in his heart begin to calm.