Chapter 31
He buttoned his shirt slowly and methodically, his dark pupils staring at the person in the mirror.
According to the lifespan of a dragon, he is in the prime of life.
But his appearance after transformation is not that young at all.
Especially, compared to another dragon.
Hubbard is much older than Finks. Before the latter grows up to be able to stand on his own, he has always been the most promising candidate to succeed the next leader of the dragon clan. He is the focus of everyone's attention and is highly respected.
Then, Finks grew up.
The last and only golden dragon scale in the world lives up to its rare and distinguished bloodline, and its strength is strong enough to conquer any fellow warrior who admires strength.
It can be said that when Hubbard was only one step away from reaching the sky, a young man suddenly appeared.
I'm afraid no one knows better than him what it means to be formidable when young.
The door opened and someone walked in.
The young man saluted him from behind, then looked back at him through the mirror. He skipped the small talk and got straight to the point: "Father, I don't understand."
Hubbard had anticipated his intentions: "You say."
"We've tried so hard to coerce Finks into returning, and yet he's let us slip away like this—why, why haven't we complained to Elder Joe?" the young man clenched his fist. "You know full well that child isn't Finks's biological son. He only showed up on the starship a few weeks ago. He's not even a dragon descendant!"
The "spy" lurking in the Golden Dragon Family, the anonymous person who reported to the Elders that Finks had an "illegitimate child", was none other than the young man named Natsu.
And he is the real illegitimate son of Hubbard who has never been made public.
Natsu was born to Hubbard and a blue dragon, and his scales are also blue. Therefore, in the Hubbard family, which is almost entirely made up of pure-blooded black dragons, no one has ever suspected that Natsu is one of them.
Not long after Finks led the dragons who had joined him out of Scale City, Hubbard had already begun arranging for Naz to find an opportunity to join the new family and become his spy.
A son who made the most of everything.
A useful chess piece that will not betray you.
Natsu dutifully acts as a loyal crew member, waiting for an opportunity to steal the Golden Dragon's secrets and weaknesses.
After lurking for several years, he gained nothing - the reason why a tyrant can become a tyrant is because he has no weaknesses at all.
Until a few weeks ago, a golden kitten appeared in everyone's sight.
His fur color was so similar to that of Phinks that the latter really loved him as his own child, keeping the little guy by his side every day, showing tenderness and "fatherly love" that he had never shown to others.
It's not just Finks, the other crew members are the same. They will feel anxious and restless when they can't see Li Jue, but they will calm down when they see Li Jue.
Especially the sweet smile of the little cub, which is like a panacea that can cure thousands of troubles, has become the biggest daily prayer of all dragons on the starship - if they can see the cub's smile today, their day will be perfect.
Natsu was very happy. Perhaps this little cub was the breakthrough point that could destroy the entire Golden Dragon family in one fell swoop.
He conveyed the matter to his father. After learning about it, Hubbard told him not to be impatient and to slowly collect evidence until it was organized into detailed information that could be reported to the Presbyterian Church.
Natsu successfully completed his mission and was very happy that even though he was an illegitimate child who was not allowed to be seen in public, he could still lend a hand to his father.
Hubbard glanced in the mirror at the impatient, far from mature child and sighed: "Finks already knows who you are."
Natsu's pupils shrank.
In order to quickly integrate into the Golden Dragon family and gain the boss's trust, he has been overly attentive to every dragon in the past few years, eager to establish good relationships with all of them.
Yet aboard the tyrant's ships, all dragons share a broken past of abandonment and betrayal.
They are indeed 100% loyal to Finks, but their past experiences have determined that they will not have much trust and closeness to others.
Natsu never realized how conspicuous he was among his fellow tribesmen who had built their hearts high.
Hubbard turned and looked at the real Natsu. "He didn't drive you away because he wanted to see what you were going to do. He was also absolutely confident that you couldn't threaten him or the people he really wanted to protect."
The young dragon's eyes widened in fear. "Then...what should we do? Boss, I mean Finks, will he...I..."
Hubbard shook his head. "You still don't understand. You're not important at all in his eyes. No, let alone you, he probably never even took me, your father, seriously."
Natsu choked.
After enduring humiliation under Finks for several years, he came to understand the chief's temperament.
Indeed, just as my father said, the eldest brother doesn't care at all.
Whether it was a nobody like him, his father, or even Elder Joe, Finks didn't care about their opinions, attitudes, or ideas.
What does the arrogant, cold-blooded and ruthless golden tyrant really care about and cherish?
There may not have been a standard answer in the past, but now there is a definite answer.
Hubbard glanced at his son. "Is that little fellow from the Finks family really that good? You've met him, haven't you?"
Natsu's rank was not high enough, let alone meeting the leader directly. He had little chance of meeting even third-level officers like Lydia and Will, not to mention the little cubs whom they regarded as treasures.
However, I have come into contact with it.
That time, the cub was playing hide-and-seek with the only human boy servant on the ship - literally, a kitten hiding from view - and chose to play behind the door where Natsu was on duty.
Normally, people who are not on the current shift are not allowed to enter the duty room at will. However, when the cub opens its big watery eyes and softly calls out "Brother, please", who can bear to refuse such a little cutie?
Even Natsu, who knew his mission well, couldn't do it.
That day he sat in front of his laptop, seemingly typing away seriously, but in fact he glanced at the little cub clinging to the door from time to time.
The fluffy, golden tail swung back and forth behind the dog. Without asking, it was obvious that the owner was extremely interested in the game.
He was so small, Natsu thought, that he could be held in one hand.
Soft. Warm.
It's completely different from a dragon...
A little kitten.
Just when Natsu realized for the umpteenth time that he was too distracted and was about to put on the shielding helmet to isolate the source of interference, the cub screamed excitedly and then "bang" fell into the golden light.
When the light faded again, the child disappeared, leaving only a palm-sized kitten.
The kitten raised its head and meowed at him, then jumped up under Natsu's dull gaze and jumped onto his lap.
The human-shaped dragons didn't dare to move.
The little kitten looked up at him and saw that the two-legged beast had become dumbfounded, so he had no choice but to do it himself:
She straightened up on his knees, scratching and clawing with her little claws until she finally touched his helmet.
With a strong push, the helmet fell down, completely covering the kitten underneath.
The dumbfounded Natsu finally reacted. He thought it was an accident and was startled. Just as he was about to lift the "lid" of the pot, a little cat's paw stretched out from the gap, retracted its nails and patted his hand.
Natsu retracted his hand reflexively, and the "lid" closed again, covering the little guy tightly.
At the same time, another polite child's voice sounded in the room: "Sir, have you seen Li Jue?"
Natsu turned around and saw little Ayaka standing by the door.
He finally came to his senses. Was the cub hiding in his helmet to continue the game of hide-and-seek?
He put his hands on his helmet, pretending nothing had happened, and said, "No."
…
Natsu thought that was the closest he would ever get to the cubs of the old family.
Until now, he still remembers every detail of what happened that day. After Ling Xi left, the kitten came out of the helmet, nudged his hand with its little head and acted coquettishly to express its gratitude.
Warm and soft indeed.
It was pretty much the same as he had imagined.
The little guy is like a candy that will never melt or fade. Whenever I think of him, it is always sweet.
He is the little darling of the whole ship.
Seeing that the younger one hadn't answered the question yet and looked as if he was out of his mind, Hubbard knew that the Finks kid must have also captured Natsu's heart.
Tsk.
An incredible little gadget.
"Is he really so beloved by everyone? I thought Elder Qiao's fall was shocking enough, but even you..."
Hubbard looked at himself in the mirror again, straightened his tie, and smiled grimly.
"Since everyone wants it, I certainly can't miss it."
*
Three-year-old Li Jue is a good boy who never sleeps late.
There are so many interesting and fun things to do, how can we waste time sleeping?
Unfortunately, children cannot go out and explore the world alone and must be accompanied by a guardian.
That's why Li Jue was lying on the edge of Finks' bed, whispering into the grown-up's ear: "Mimi, get up—get up!"
His height was too small for an adult's bed. Not only did he have to stand on tiptoe, he also had to hold onto the edge of the bed, with his entire body almost suspended in the air.
Under normal circumstances, even in deep sleep, Finks still has a part of his consciousness on alert 24/7 to prevent the subject from being harmed at any level; to put it simply, no matter what approaches, he will be aware of it immediately.
But the appearance of the little cub broke this balance. As long as Li Jue was nearby, he could sleep very relaxedly and peacefully.
The mini-system's ability to soothe the boss is also reflected in good dreams.
Seeing that Finks ignored him, Zizi didn't give up and continued to call.
He first raised his voice a little, and then added some movements - since his hands were clinging to the edge of the bed, he might lose his balance and fall if he left either side, so he had to use his head to push forward - as a kitten, this movement was normal.
However, the cub's ears were itchy and the tips of his ears were twitching, but his brother Mi still didn't get up.
Li Jue puffed out his cheeks like a little pufferfish.
It is really annoying that my height limits my range of activities.
It seems that I have to drink milk with Xixi every day in the future, and grow taller quickly QQ
But this little difficulty can't stop the clever system cub!
He hugged his tail and closed his eyes, turning into a kitten in the shining light.
The cat's pupils dilated into round pupils with excitement, and the little cat broke through the height limit and jumped onto the bed easily.
Instead of calling Finks to get up immediately, he rolled over on the quilt.
This was one of his favorite games back in Finks' room on the starship.
Although this is not the room and bed he is familiar with, the presence of his brother Mi still makes Zizi feel safe.
After the kitten made sure all of his territories were marked, he finally came to the most important task.
Li Jue stared at his parents' peaceful sleeping eyes and blinked slowly.
He measured the distance, took a half step back, hunched his body, and jumped high—
Before Finks's face was hit by an air strike and became the landing place of the kitten, a tail swooped out, and the tip of the tail with retracted barbs accurately grabbed the kitten in mid-air like the pliers of a claw machine.
"Meow!" the kitten whimpered coquettishly.
The dragon's tail slid the kitten over. The guardian slowly opened his eyes, his red-gold dragon pupils meeting the milky-gold cat pupils. "Little rascal, how dare you sneak attack me?"
Finks had woken up a long time ago, and he had been pretending to be asleep until now just to see what the little guy was going to do.
Li Jue was certainly not afraid of this unintimidating questioning, but when Finks reached out and poked his wet little nose, the kitten still bit his finger in a flattering manner.
Finks chuckled, put away his dragon tail, and instead held the light kitten in his hands, brought it in front of him, and buried his head in the kitten's furry belly and sucked it well.
Ah. The tyrant thought intoxicatedly, petting cats is the happiest thing in the world.
After enjoying the pleasure of petting the cat, Finks finally got up slowly.
He didn't have the habit of wearing pajamas when he slept, and the quilt slipped down, revealing his tight, beautiful muscles like a statue.
There were still some dragon scales on his chest, abdomen, collarbone and arms that had not yet dissipated from the transformation into a dragon tail. The red-gold color that changed under the light looked like some kind of scar of outstanding merit.
Finks had not yet fully stood up, with only his upper body naked. He nodded the cub's head, indicating that Li Jue could return to human form.
The cub obediently changed back into form, nimbly climbed down from the bed, and ran to the other side of the room, happily asking for credit: "Brother Yaoyao, I woke Mimi up!"
Finks froze at the first word.
……What?
He looked in disbelief at the place where Li Jue ran to.
Under the curtains fluttering in the wind, on the purple velvet sofa, there was indeed a figure standing against the light.
His eyes and mind were filled with the little cub, and his attention was completely focused on playing with the cub. In addition, the person who came deliberately restrained his breath, so Finks didn't notice the existence of the other person at all.
The anger of having his territory invaded instantly filled Finks's mind.
The golden dragon narrowed his eyes dangerously.
Under the shining starlight, the pair of red-gold eyes shone so brightly that they seemed as if they could burn at any time.
However, the uninvited guest was not afraid of his threat.
The usually aloof Sea Monster King now looked over with a faint smile, and looked him up and down several times with a rare, critical and wonderful look.
Finks then realized that he was not wearing anything.
If he hadn't completely gotten out of bed, his current appearance would have made him a laughing stock in front of his enemies.
The tyrant frowned in displeasure and tore off a part of the bed sheet to tie it around his waist.
He had no problem showing his body. The transformed appearance was just a shell to dragons. It was common to see little dragons who had just learned how to transform running around on the streets.
Shame is not his race at all.
If it were someone else, Finks might not have had much of a grudge.
...But not in front of this person.
The only thing that can’t be it is Qian Xing.
The Siren King was aware of the Golden Dragon's displeasure. He intermittently combed the cub's soft golden hair with his fingers, accurately grasping the limit of Phinx's patience. He stood up gracefully before the volcano erupted. "Well done. I'll meet you outside."
He was talking to Li Jue, but his eyes were always on Finks. He could be described as staring at him intently, as if he wanted to take in every little reaction of the latter.
Changing someone else might be temptation.
But the Kraken King versus the Golden Dragon?
That can only be a provocation.
Qian Xing ruffled Xiao Lijue's hair again and passed by Finks.
Leaving behind a faint, almost invisible smile, and a cool, deep and distant breath like the ocean.
Is it a mockery?
There is no other possibility.
Li Jue looked at this and that in confusion, not understanding why the adults didn't say good morning to each other like she did; it would be even better if there was a good morning kiss!
Finks didn't say anything until Qian Xing left, with a gloomy face.
The door of the master bedroom closed behind him. The man clenched his fists and then unclenched them. He took a few deep breaths before calming himself down so as not to get angry in front of Zizi.
One day, he secretly vowed to himself, he would make Qian Xing no longer appear in front of him.
Until then...
What he did, humph, was more than just mockery.
*
Today is the day to visit Elder Qiao’s residence.
It is both a courtesy and a part of the test.
Last time in the Elders' Council, little Li Jue got away with it by wearing a hat. At that time, everyone was shocked that the cub was so bold as to dare to get close to Elder Qiao, and no one cared to find out what was under the hat. I'm afraid he won't be so lucky this time.
It’s better to cover up those overly distinctive cat ears to be safe.
In theory, when the communication post system enters the sub-world, its appearance can be changed as needed.
But Li Jue was too young and had not yet mastered this function; the system assistant guiding him also went offline again for some reason.
A group of adult dragons surrounded the cub sitting on the chair in the middle, stroking their chins as they considered what to do.
Young dragon cubs may not be able to retract their dragon horns due to their lack of skill in transformation, but they will never show characteristics of other races unless they are mixed-race.
However, the dragons have very high requirements for the bloodline of their offspring and rarely allow intermarriage with other races; plus, pure-blood reproduction is already very difficult, and mixed-blood offspring are even rarer.
Lin Wang was the first to suggest, "How about buying the baby a pair of dragon horns? And as for the ears... just call them decorations? After all, no one except us has ever seen a cat."
Will curled his lips: "Do you think all the elders are fools?"
Lida actually considered Lin Wang's suggestion seriously: "Dragon horns do shed during growth, and some parents keep their children's fallen horns. But the size of a cub can only match the size of a dragon horn that has hatched. Where can we find one that is that small?"
Everyone here hasn't seen a real dragon cub for a long time.
If juvenile horns were so common, then dragon cubs wouldn't be so rare that every one of them would have to be registered in Scale City.
The dragons fell into deep thought, and only Rock noticed that the little guy who was supposed to be on the chair was missing again.
They have gradually become accustomed to the sudden disappearance of Zizi, and Li Jue won't run too far anyway.
Just as they were about to split up to look for them, they saw two small figures at the door.
Ling Xi held Li Jue's hand, and her usually calm face showed a rare expression of uncontrollable excitement: "Commanders, please look."
The adults' attention was focused on the younger one, and their eyes widened in shock, each one more than the other.
——The little cub in front of them had lost its fluffy cat ears, and the pair of small horns on its head that looked like twigs and deer antlers, what else could they be but dragon horns in the early stage of hatching?
Lin Wang walked over quickly, picked up Li Jue and put him back on the chair in the middle, and touched his little dragon horn in surprise.
That was indeed the touch of a real dragon horn, which he was very familiar with as a dragon; in addition, although he could not see with his eyes, he was sure that he also touched the baby's kitten ears.
Will pushed Lin Wang aside, as if he was visiting some precious collection. He first wiped his hands on his clothes, and then reverently touched the kitten's head - now it could also be the dragon's head.
After him, Lyda and Rock also felt it one by one.
After they let go of each other's hands, they all showed the same surprised expression and looked at Ling Xi in unison: "How did you do that?"
The boy glanced at the little cub sitting on the chair, shaking its head happily as it was being petted, and explained, "This dragon horn is the smallest I bought from the second-hand market, and then I polished it by hand."
The dragons had no idea what skills a five or six-year-old human cub should master. They only knew that the little male servant they took in was omnipotent and could do even manual work.
Lida asked, "Then how can his ears be invisible... Oh, I know."
I was so busy rubbing the cub that I almost noticed that there was a small flower tied on each of its horns.
It is common for some dragons who love beauty to decorate their horns, so they initially overlook that the two flowers are not just ornaments - they also contain miniature shielding devices.
The angle is calibrated to precisely shield the cat's ears without making other parts invisible as well.
It's normal for a five-year-old human child to make some high-tech inventions, right?
Ling Xi smiled slightly and accepted the adults' generous praise. In the eyes of dragons, humans are stupid, but their little human servant is extremely smart.
He walked to the chair and picked up Li Jue, with the flower decoration on the little dragon's horn close at hand.
There was indeed a shielding device inside, but it was not turned on at all.
He made Li Jue's cat ears disappear not by using science, but by using metaphysics.
Simply put, a small illusion was cast so that the cat ears could only be touched but not seen.
Hallucination is not one of the supernatural powers that can be possessed by the Dragon World. It is a bug that the residents of the sub-world cannot distinguish; however, Ling Xi can do far more than just this one trick.
This seemingly ordinary human boy actually has far greater authority in the infinite space than most people imagine.
Of course, this is top secret.
He held the little hand in his palm, which was full of defenseless trust and dependence.
Ling Xi looked at Li Jue, and the younger one smiled sweetly at him.
Protecting Li Jue is a promise to Zaizai, and also an agreement between him and someone.
unbreakable.
Just then, the door slid open and Finks and Qianxing walked in one after another.
"Are you all ready?" Finks lifted Li Jue with one hand, letting the baby sit on his arm, and nodded to his men, "Let's go."
The makeshift and sloppy family of three is about to be put to the test.
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