Reborn To Be The Imperial Consort [BL]-Chapter 76: Thalassotélos — XIV

"Except for one single mutt who has been intent on being a nuisance to everyone since the first day of this war." The dragon who approached him squatted in front of him, his looming shadow blocking out the piercing bright light. "How do you love and remain loyal to such a selfish being who, instead of dying for good, chose to fight until the bitter end. Going as far as to let a fallen being, who had been sealed for good to take control over his body?"

Long ZhenHai froze, his mind coming to a halt as he tried to process the dragon’s words. Had he misheard this fucker?

His stiff and abnormally still body must have given away his feelings. The dragon squatting in front of him chuckled, finding humour in Long ZhenHai’s apparent naivete.

Long ZhenHai’s body stiffened further at the twisted amusement that dripped from the male’s voice. Balling his fists tightly, the water born divine dragon bowed his head, letting his curtains of long hair hide away his furious expression as he bit his lips until they bled.

"Oh, no. Long ZhenHai, you heard me right. Hu Lijing, the Clan Leader of Spirit Fox clan clearly went mad and allowed the fallen deity to use his body as a tool to wreak havoc in a desperate attempt to — maybe — avenge his clan." The man laughed again, it was an unpleasant sound.

Long ZhenHai wished he had the strength and the luxury of punching this motherfucker in the face. Unfortunately, the years of self-neglect had done a number on his body.

The water-borne dragon bristled in rage, ill-concealed waves of palpable fury thick in the air as he bit his lips harder. His icy blue eyes held unspoken rage, his teeth biting down on his lips an example of what he wanted to do to this bastard.

The blood dripped down his chin, the beads of it falling on his robes as they trailed down, drawing glaring red lines on the stark white fabric. As his shoulders trembled, the chains beating against one another in a clear cacophony of his hatred, the dragon looming over him merely snorted out another unpleasant laugh.

"What will you do now?" The hateful coward asked, his voice the last thing Long ZhenHai wanted to hear. He remembered this man, one of the crowd who used to cower in his presence. Now that Long ZhenHai was incapacitated, he was trying to assert his power.

How laughable.

"Long ZhenHai... Answer me this, who will you choose to side with?" The man pushed as though contemplating his words.

Long ZhenHai didn’t know his brain was capable of basic thinking.

"Who will you choose, the clan wants to know: a fire mutt you barely recognisable, not to mention a mutt who might not even be alive now. Or your clan, your kinsmen. The realm? Will you help us in eradicating the last of that mutt’s cursed blood or will you be a hindrance to our cause and perish alongside him?"

Long ZhenHai opened his mouth, teeth stained with his own blood as he muttered in a low voice, his words barely audible.

"...’ge."

"Hm, what did you say?"

Long ZhenHai’s nostrils flared as he took in a deep breath and snapped his head up, his bloodshot icy blue eyes meeting with the other dragon’s. The thin red veins in his white sclera lined across the white expanse, like countless cracks in a perfect piece of glass.

There was a maniacal gleam in his eyes, blood rushing into his eyes as his lips twitched along with his body, then—

As though an animal, Long ZhenHai let out a growl, his rage boiling over as the ground trembled with his voice, his body shook, chains clinking as cracks in its body started appearing. Like a beast, a feral, blind beast, Long ZhenHai reeled forward, his sharp canines bared as he snarled at the other man.

His hair shook, raven locks fluttering as he fought against his restraints, looking as though he wanted to tear the man apart with his bare claws.

Seeing the madness in the water-borne dragon of the infinite sea’s eyes, the male reeled back, blanching, his face as pale as the first snow of winter. He threw himself out of Long ZhenHai’s reach and even beyond that. ƒrēenovelkiss.com

A strangled cry of terror left his lips as he raised a trembling hand and pointed his finger at the former. Sweat broke all over his body as his spine chilled.

Looking at the breaking chains and the feral dragon, he was instantly remind of one thing—

A beast would always remain a beast, even when shackled. Lesser ones should not celebrate in its moment of weakness... Because the moment that beast breaks free, those lesser ones would be the first to fall prey.

The dragon crawled back, his trembling finger still pointing towards Long ZhenHai as he screamed, consumed by raw, primal fear making him stumble to his feet and all but run away with his tails tucked in between his legs.

Not once did he dare to look back, feeling the cold sweat clinging to his body, a cold reminder of what sort of beast was enchained behind him.

A beast who had single-handedly bested all of the Spirit Realm’s marine forces by controlling the seas from a place too far away. He alone was the reason why they had not been able to corner those damned foxes in the sea for far too long.

As he ran away, the dragon could still hear the snarl tumbling out of Long ZhenHai’s throat. He felt a chill crawl all over his body.

He dared not look back. What if he lost his life? He swallowed.

But one thing was certain—

—Long ZhenHai would always choose Hu Lijing. Over anything and everything else. No matter the price he would have to pay for his decision.

No matter the price.

...

"Say white tiger," the ten-tailed fox sneered, lips pulled back as he held the white tiger’s chin in his clawed hands, pinching the skin to draw blood. He leaned against the feline’s neck. "Do you recognise me?" He purred, malice gleaming in his eyes. "Or have you, so cruelly, forgotten the fox you betrayed?" He jerked the man’s face, his hand sliding to grab his neck as the tiger groaned in pain. "And here I am, holding the grudge so close that right after wiping those monkeys out, I came to end your life."

"Bai——"

"Hush, hush.." the ten-tailed fox put a finger on his lips, the claw of it piercing through the busted skin as it drew a wince. "I thought we agreed more than ten thousand years ago that you would never take that name?" He hissed, mockingly looking around them to relish in the death and destruction he wreaked. "This is for backstabbing me."

He smiled, making the white tiger’s blood run cold. And suddenly, everything was...

No more.

The ten-tailed fox in Hu Lijing’s body grinned widely, throwing away the decapitated head as he took a deep breath, scent of blood, death and decay swirling in the air as he brought his hand to his lips and licked the crimson liquid flowing down his appendages before turning his eyes to the decapitated head that was rolling away.

His nine-tails and a barely tenth tail swirling behind him as he facepalmed.

"Ah... I was supposed to eat that delicious brain." He pouted, disheartened.

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Author has something to say:

Author (Sheepishly): I messed up a wee-bit in this Chapter, but don’t worry, now it’s been edited! I’m an irresponsibly responsible and good person!

Hu Lijing (throws a flying ball of flames on my head): Good person my arse!

Long ZhenHai (hiding his mouth): It hurts, owie.

Hu Lijing (slowly turns to author): You are dead!

Author (screaming): AHH—!