CH 70

when pei xia galloped out of the city, a column of orc soldiers caught up, led by prince norsen.

“hey, pei xia, wait!” norsen caught up with him and shouted, “it’s too dangerous for you alone. we’re going with you!”

pei xia felt a bit of a headache. in front of a dragon, unless there’s a super powerful individual, going alone or with a hundred people makes no difference—it’s all a death sentence.

on the contrary, he’d be more covert alone.

apart from that, just like refusing buck and others, lucifer’s true identity was another important reason pei xia didn’t want others involved.

“prince norsen,” pei xia helplessly said, “it’s very dangerous.”

norsen shrugged, “if it weren’t dangerous, i wouldn’t have come. lucifer is my father’s benefactor and a friend of our empire. anyway, i can’t just stand by and do nothing. pei xia, i must go with you!”

“there are some hidden reasons in this. i think it’s not appropriate for you to come out. moreover, does prince nord know you’re here?” nord is more stable, and pei xia had to use him as an excuse.

“what hidden reasons could there be? enough, pei xia, stop the nonsense. i don’t want to be an ungrateful person. besides, if my brother didn’t need to stay in the city to manage things, he would have come with me. alright, enough talking. maybe you alone can’t even find the dragon. i am the prince, and what i say goes. let’s go!”

with the conversation reaching this point, unless pei xia tells norsen the truth about lucifer’s identity, he can’t find another reason to refuse and has no choice but to act with them.

pei xia doesn’t plan to reveal the truth to norsen now. after all, whether the other party will believe it is a question, and whether lucifer will clean up those who know the truth after coming out is also a concern.

so, a group of people, led by pei xia and norsen, rushed towards the direction where the silver dragon flew.

late at night, in the shadows behind the team, two shadows squeezed together.

one said, “all this is indeed within the expectations of my great master!”

the other said, “the master is not here. there’s no need to flatter.”

the shadow demon looked disdainfully at eldora, “you understand nothing!”

eldora sneered, showing no respect for his senior, “a lowly demon without even a name can only stay by the master’s side by flattery. but now that i’m here, the master will soon abandon you.”

the shadow demon emitted a silent roar, shaking souls, “who said i don’t have a name!”

“but the master has never called your name.”

the shadow demon paused and said, “that’s because my name is a bit long.”

“huh???”

the shadow demon continued, “my name is labrador comiaskuloyanizmi.”

eldora: “…”

the shadow demon added, “my middle name is clacri.”

eldora: “enough!”

the shadow demon gave a noble and cold glare at his junior, “hehe, i really don’t understand why the master keeps someone like you, rude, fierce, evil, and cunning, by his side.”

eldora sarcastically said, “isn’t a demon called a demon because it’s rude, fierce, evil, and cunning? is there such a thing as a gentle, kind, helpful demon in this world?”

the shadow demon thought for a moment and said, “yes, there is. the master is one.”

eldora was speechless.

…

this journey wasn’t very long. pei xia and the others traveled day and night, inquiring along the way. finally, on the third night, they found the silver dragon’s lair—a prominent mountain.

the mountain was covered with lush green grass and sparse trees. under the moonlight, it appeared exceptionally tranquil and beautiful. at the top of the mountain, there was a conspicuous large cave emitting a suppressed aura, making people involuntarily feel weak even before approaching.

intuition advised the body: danger, run away quickly!

just as they reached the foot of the mountain, the horses neighed and refused to move forward. pei xia dismounted and handed his black horse to a soldier, saying, “this is far enough. your highness, please wait down here.”

norsen was somewhat angered, feeling that pei xia didn’t treat him as a brother. “no, i’m coming with you!”

pei xia cleared his throat. “there are too many people, and making too much noise might alert the enemy. i’d like to go up first to quietly assess the situation.”

norsen insisted, “then let’s go together, just the two of us.”

pei xia politely declined, “your highness, even your movements might attract attention.”

norsen: “…”

however, before they could even decide on a plan, a silver light shot out from the cave. the dragon spread its wings, emanating a domineering aura, but its posture upon emerging seemed oddly awkward.

“roar!”

the dragon’s roar was deafening, accompanied by a fierce wind. pei xia covered his ears, crouching on the ground. horses panicked, some kneeling, others running, creating chaos on the scene.

well, no need to figure out who should go up; the dragon they wanted to subdue came out on its own.

after the silver dragon’s roar, it flew at a low altitude, uttering a series of dragon language spells. countless water projectiles appeared out of thin air, mercilessly knocking everyone, except pei xia, unconscious.

as a result, only pei xia remained standing on the scene.

what does this dragon mean? pei xia pulled out his sword, assuming a defensive posture against the imposing presence that could easily crush him. fear was inevitable, but he couldn’t just run away.

“human, i admire your bravery!” the dragon’s voice was thunderous, resonating like thunderclaps.

pei xia looked at it skeptically. the moonlight turned the surroundings as bright as daylight, revealing the majestic dragon clearly. pei xia asked, “why do you appreciate others’ bravery?”

the silver dragon replied: “…”

pei xia: “why?”

silver dragon: “so, i’ve decided to keep you alone and give you a chance to challenge me!”

pei xia: “why?”

the silver dragon angrily snorted, “no why, no, no, no! i just want to appreciate only you, can’t i?”

pei xia: “i was asking, why is your tail bald?”

silver dragon: “…”

the silver moonlight bathed the earth as if draping the world in a shimmering thin veil. this warm and clear radiance sprinkled onto the silver dragon, enhancing its mysterious and majestic beauty.

however, behind the mighty, perfect, and powerful body of the silver dragon trailed a tail that was bald for more than half of its length, adding a touch of peculiar humor to this otherwise breathtaking masterpiece.

pei xia found it strange. when he saw the dragon in beist city, its tail was perfectly fine.

the silver dragon shivered, and the broad wings stirred up a gust of wind. it involuntarily recalled the demon’s whisper: he will come, he won’t come, he will come, he won’t come.

bending its neck, the silver dragon glared angrily at pei xia. “why didn’t you come earlier?”

pei xia innocently replied, “i did my best. it’s just that you fly too fast.”

the silver dragon roared in frustration, flapping its wings. tears glistened at the corners of its eyes. being enchanted by the demon’s beauty was the biggest mistake of its life, but it had to continue following the demon’s instructions.

“enough, stop the nonsense.” the silver dragon sniffed, and a wave of light distorted around its body. in no time, the silver dragon vanished, and a boy with silver armor, silver hair, and silver eyes appeared on the ground.

pei xia’s pupils contracted. he hadn’t expected the terrifying dragon to transform into a cute boy.

this feeling was somewhat subtle.

the silver dragon boy, hands on hips, said, “human, i give you a chance to challenge me. for fairness, i won’t use the body and magic of a dragon. if you defeat me, you can take the princess back!”

pei xia asked, “princess?”

the silver dragon boy replied, “if you defeat me, you can take the beautiful bride back!”

pei xia erupted in anger, “have you already married him?!”

the silver dragon boy broke down, “stop cursing me!”

pei xia chuckled, “heh heh.”

the silver dragon boy held his forehead, feeling both urgent, annoyed, and exhausted. “enough, i’ve had enough. please, do it quickly!”

although pei xia didn’t understand why this dragon unexpectedly behaved so reasonably, he cautiously approached, holding his sword, ready to challenge this young boss.

at the moment, it seemed that challenging him was the only option.

the battle ended surprisingly fast, like a poorly made 3d game. the protagonist casually swung his long sword a few times, and the boss exaggeratedly yelled, flying backward on his own.

“ah, i lost! brave knight, you won. take the princess away!”

pei xia squinted, feeling angry. at this point, if he couldn’t see that something was wrong, he would truly be a fool.

after the silver dragon boy happily flew out and then tumbled on the ground, not moving at all, pei xia didn’t bother with him. he needed to find the real culprit.

sheathing his sword, pei xia bit his lip tightly. his face moved involuntarily due to the anger within, his brows furrowed, and his eyes bright. climbing up the mountain without stopping, he finally reached the cave.

inside, the cave was brightly lit, not by moonlight but by the treasures inside reflecting the torchlight, making the whole cave glitter with gold and brilliance.

in this cave filled with gold coins and gemstones, the most captivating sight for pei xia was a golden-haired beauty sitting quietly on a wooden box.

dressed in a thin robe, simple yet elegant, exuding a lonely aura, as if one person was an entire world, disconnected from everything around.

the once pristine white robe now had a bit of dust on it, with some tears at the corners, showing signs of disarray. yet, the straight spine still appeared exceptionally noble.

hearing the footsteps approaching, lucifer slowly raised his head. a faint smile appeared on his pale face. “pei xia.”

pei xia clenched his fists, his body trembling uncontrollably. the irrational fury gradually disappeared, replaced by growing fear.

damn it, how did he get deceived by this demon again? he did it on purpose; he must have done it on purpose. this demon was adept at toying with people’s hearts, deliberately luring him here. there must be a conspiracy.

he shouldn’t have come. he definitely shouldn’t have come up here after sensing something was wrong.

now that this demon had successfully lured him close, what would happen next?

pei xia couldn’t restrain the fear in his heart. he wanted to escape, and he should escape, but pei xia was just too exhausted. not only was his body tired, but his soul also felt lethargic.

this lethargy stemmed from a poignant emotion. pei xia’s heart was in turmoil, words failed him, and fear and anger intertwined, leaving him unsure how to face lucifer. in the end, he emitted a painful, hoarse cry from his throat and turned to leave.

lucifer abruptly stood up, fluttering towards him like a wisp in the wind. his once pristine robe now resembled the ragged wings of a butterfly caught in the rain. he swiftly embraced pei xia from behind.

“i knew you would come, pei xia. you can’t let go of me. you love me!”

only at times like this would he fall from the pedestal, gaining a touch of humanity.

pei xia was tightly held by the man behind him. the strong arms enveloped him, leaving him with no escape. the slightly cool body temperature made him both attached and frightened. the faint floral scent made him involuntarily indulge.

his entire being was under lucifer’s control. his heart beat fervently for him, his body softened and tingled under his touch, and even his soul began a painful tearing, torn between plunging into the sea of lies and remaining in the rational church.

“of course, i love you.” pei xia, angry and aggrieved, with a hint of fear, retorted, “otherwise, why would i be deceived by you again and again, lucifer? it’s not right. perhaps even this name is fake. what do you really want? is playing with me so amusing?”

he attempted to believe him once more, only to be deceived again.

lucifer nuzzled against his neck, sighing lightly. “i’m sorry, pei xia.”

pei xia’s eyes reddened, uncertain how to respond to this apology.

“that day, i happened to see you.” lucifer recounted, “i didn’t plan it; it just occurred to me that i could make you come to me willingly like this. after all, you don’t trust me at all, you fear me. but i’ve said before, as long as you come to me, i’ll tell you everything. fortunately, you believed me again.”

“what does that mean?” pei xia asked, his voice husky.

lucifer, embracing his hand upward, gently pinched his chin, forcing him to turn his head back to meet his gaze. “forgot already? i promised you. as long as you’re willing to believe me again, i’ll tell you everything. i’ll prove the truth to you, prove my sincerity.”

pei xia was somewhat bewildered. “why?”

“aren’t you a demon? a malicious being playing with human hearts? how could you really bow to a weak human?” is this real, or is it another game of emotions?

lucifer sighed helplessly and looked at him with gentle eyes. “but before that, there’s one more thing.”

“what?”

he stood with his beloved from behind at the entrance of the cave on the top of the high mountain. in the profound night sky, the silver mysterious moon unabashedly displayed its beauty.

lucifer reached into pei xia’s pocket from behind and took out a small box, the birthday gift he had prepared for him, forgotten by the anxious and worried holy knight.

“the moon has gone west; it’s past midnight, pei xia, happy birthday.”

with lucifer’s elegant and enchanting voice, the gift box was opened, revealing two silver rings inside.

they were rings!

pei xia involuntarily held his breath, his gaze fixed on the two rings, unable to look away.

lucifer took out one of the silver rings engraved with pei xia’s name and magical pattern and placed it in pei xia’s trembling hand, instructing him to put the ring on his1lucifer ring finger.

it was not just a ring; it was also a contract. lucifer let pei xia face him, holding onto the second silver ring with a magical pattern engraved with lucifer’s name.

“wear it, and you will forever have me,” lucifer said, enticing anyone with an offer that was impossible to refuse.

pei xia stared at him for a long time before raising his hand in front of him.

“i’m not very smart,” pei xia said hesitantly, “i don’t know which of your words is true or false, don’t know how to correctly fathom the human heart, and don’t know how to protect myself. this time, i believe you again, not because i’ve judged whether you are trustworthy, but because i want to believe you.”

when he saw these two rings, pei xia unexpectedly had a ludicrous thought—even if the outcome is being eaten, he still wants that silver ring and the contract.

“i understand,” lucifer held his hand, brought the ring to the base of his ring finger. “no matter how many lies, at least i have never lied to you about this—i love you, pei xia.”

after the ring was put on, a mysterious silver light flashed, and lucifer cupped pei xia’s face, deeply kissing him.