The vast expanse of blue water, shrouded in mist and clouds, is illuminated by the glow of the sunset, which casts a dazzling array of colors.
Amidst this expanse of clear water, a willow-wood boardwalk leads directly to a small pavilion in the center of the lake. Inside the pavilion, two men are playing chess.
The two men were of different types. One had jet-black hair that cascaded down his shoulders. He was handsome with sharp eyes, calm and composed, and sat upright and solemnly. His white brocade robe was dotted with silver patterns, like starlight, and the jade belt around his waist accentuated his tall and straight figure.
The man opposite him had dragon horns on his head, snow-white hair, and unimaginable handsomeness. His golden vertical pupils were indifferent yet revealed a hint of languor. He wore a black robe, and behind him, a silver dragon tail lazily drooped to the ground.
The long, strong hand that emerged from the wide sleeve held a white chess piece between two jade-like fingers, hovering quietly above the chessboard without being moved. Meanwhile, the golden vertical pupils of the dragon-man in the black robe stared blankly at the chessboard before him, lost in thought.
He sat there for a long time.
Just as a gentle breeze blew by, causing ripples to spread across the water outside the pavilion, the dragon seemed to suddenly awaken. With a flick of his finger, the white chess piece fell onto the board, landing in an unexpected position.
The man in the white robe quietly placed a black piece on the board, making a crisp snap. He raised his eyes, his dark eyes gleaming like bright, cold stars in the night, deep yet imposing. He parted his thin lips and uttered three words: "You lost."
The dragon-man was slightly taken aback. After a moment, he withdrew his hand and stopped looking at the chessboard.
"Your Excellency Dragon God, you seem uneasy. Is something the matter?" The man in white robes waved his hand gently, and the black and white pieces on the chessboard flew back into their respective boxes. In a short while, the chessboard was clean again, and then the chessboard and pieces turned into streams of light and disappeared into the man's hand.
"It's alright." The Dragon God, or rather, Dragon Seeker, shook his head slightly.
"That's good then." Immortal Emperor Bei Chen lowered his eyes slightly, then waved his hand, and a pot of celestial wine appeared on the table, its fragrance filling the air. "Your Majesty, please."
Long Xun nodded slightly, raised his glass to his friend, and they began to enjoy the scenery and drink together.
A gentle breeze blows, and a thin mist lightly envelops the scene, erasing the poetic beauty. When the scene reappears, the serene and tranquil atmosphere that once soothed the soul has suddenly transformed into a bustling street.
As night fell, the small town, which should have quieted down, was decorated with lanterns and colorful lights everywhere. Literati, ladies from noble families, and young people of all kinds, dressed in their most presentable clothes, or wearing masks, or in groups of three or five, strolled around the streets.
Watching lanterns, guessing riddles, making wishes and releasing river lanterns—countless young people brush past each other on the street, their eyes meeting, and a figure is etched in their hearts.
During the Lantern Festival, it is only at this time in the mortal world that young ladies who are confined to their chambers can come out and enjoy themselves to the fullest.
Wearing a black robe, with dragon horns on his head and a dragon tail on his body, Long Xun walked slowly and indifferently through the bustling crowd. Such a prosperous scene could not seem to break the sense of aloofness that permeated him.
The ordinary people around him seemed unable to see him, who blended into the crowd and whose appearance was different from that of a human.
Those indifferent golden vertical pupils reflected thousands of beautiful lanterns and illuminated countless touching smiles of happiness or sweetness, yet they could not capture this scene in their hearts.
He seemed unable to ever truly understand the vicissitudes of life, whether it be prosperity or hardship. Even when walking among crowds, he remained lonely and desolate, just as he had existed in the chaos of nothingness during his long and boundless life.
"Xiaoyu, slow down, I can't keep up!"
"If you don't want it, then you don't want it. You're just too slow!"
On the street, a little girl holding a string of sugar figurines laughed and dodged the pursuit of a naughty boy. She ran over playfully, and passersby smiled at this innocent scene, carefully avoiding bumping into her.
Long Xun, who had just turned the corner, didn't notice that the little girl named Xiao Yu had pounced on him, only to be thrown back and land on her bottom, shattering the small sugar figurine on the ground.
Xiaoyu couldn't see Long Xun, but could only see her sugar figurine shattered on the ground. She felt a sharp pain in her bottom from the fall, rubbed her eyes, and started to sob.
Long Xun stopped, his golden pupils shifting downwards, his gaze landing on Xiao Yu, who was sobbing softly. After a moment, his dragon horns and tail disappeared, his silver hair and golden eyes turning black. Apart from being devastatingly handsome, he was no different from an ordinary person.
Only then did he step forward and walk to the little girl he had bumped into. He slowly squatted down, his long, slender, white hand emerging from his wide sleeve to pick up the broken sugar figurine from the ground.
Xiaoyu sensed someone in front of her, wiped away her tears, and gently sobbed as she looked up. When she saw the man's face in front of her, she stared blankly, forgetting to cry.
He was the most handsome man she had ever seen in her young life; she even thought he must be a god descended from heaven.
The deity was half-squatting on the ground, picking up the scattered sugar pieces one by one, slowly piecing them together to recreate the original shape of the sugar figurine.
The serious focus revealed in those beautiful eyes and brows made it seem as if this was an extremely important matter.
Soon, Long Xun opened his palm and handed the pieced-together sugar figurine to Xiao Yu.
The little girl looked down at the sugar figurine. The original butterfly-shaped sugar figurine had fallen to the ground and was now covered in dust. Even after it was put back together, the broken traces of the wings and antennae could still be seen.
Xiaoyu shook her head and said cautiously, "Big brother, it fell on the ground and is dirty now, you can't eat it..."
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