Chasing after her husband? Is it even possible to win him back?

“When Duke Kang regards the Dragon Clan as an adversary and attaches great importance to them, the Dragon Clan is certainly not a fool.” Si You understood something as soon as he heard Duke Kang’s question.

"The Phoenix Blood Dragon Bone Pill is a ninth-grade body-forging pill, known as the number one top-grade body-forging pill. This is not only because of its body-forging effect, but also because of the secrets of the Dragon and Phoenix clans' heritage. Although I don't know too much, hundreds of years of history, even just by looking and observing, can reveal many clues." Kang's tone was somewhat low and complicated.

"Before leaping over the Dragon Gate, if a non-dragon race were to master the bloodline supernatural powers of the dragon race, then such an existence could leap over the gate and transform into a dragon."

"The second prince of the Dragon Clan two hundred years ago was a black python with dragon blood and inherited the talent of poison breath."

"One hundred and fifty years ago, the eldest princess's husband was a crayfish in the South China Sea that had swallowed dragon blood and gained the power to wield thunder."

"In recent years, the Red Princess three years ago was a red carp that inherited a trace of dragon blood and possessed the talent to control droplets."

"Historically, all aquatic and demon races who possessed the bloodline and supernatural powers of the dragon race have, without exception, inherited the legacy of the true dragon, purified their bloodline, and transformed into true dragons. Remember, without exception." Kang looked at Si You. "Now, do you think Chu Xunfeng will be the exception?"

"Are humans the first example of leaping over the dragon gate?" Si You asked in a deep voice.

“No, nearly a thousand years ago, there was a human prodigy who obtained the inheritance of the dragon race and successfully leaped over the dragon gate, but he did not purify the dragon blood. However, it is only recorded in history, and the specific details are unknown. But, I can only look for similar precedents in history, while the dragon race may know more.” Kang shook his head.

“I can’t gamble, so the fact that Chu Xunfeng is here to work for me is a relief.” Kang shook his head.

"Could there be something wrong with him?" Si You wondered. "Since leaping over the Dragon Gate brings so many benefits, why would Chu Xunfeng betray the Dragon Clan and join our side?"

“I believe his reasons.” Kang raised his hand to stop Si You from speaking. “Besides, although there were some errors in the information he brought us, it was not his fault, but rather normal.”

Si You nodded. His suspicions about Chu Xunfeng were fleeting. After being reminded by Dang Kang, he also let go of his doubts, because it was pointless.

The secret passage leading to the palace had collapsed, but it had been successfully opened and was usable intelligence.

The Azure Dragon God only separated a wisp of divine thought; his main body and consciousness were both asleep, which matched all the information Dang Kang had.

The list of aquatic creatures that leaped over the dragon gate, supported by the dragon clan, although it contained errors and omissions, only minor figures were missing; the truly important ones were all included.

Everyone witnessed him stirring up trouble in the capital, then leaving himself to his own devices, leaving the city's defense forces seething with hatred for Chu Xunfeng.

There is absolutely no need to doubt Chu Xunfeng's stance.

Kang even had to consider whether he should make preparations in advance to prevent the Dragon Clan from preventing Chu Xunfeng from participating in the Dragon Gate Gathering.

"Remember to have Luo Ze help us build connections in advance. At the banquet three days from now, I need to make sure they remember Chu Xunfeng. His current stance is probably completely exposed to the Dragon Clan. Ao Xiu is a ruthless character, and they might hinder Chu Xunfeng from leaping over the Dragon Gate."

"Yes, I will convey your message to Luo Ze." Si You nodded. "Lord Kang, is there anything else you require?"

"That's settled for now. I'm taking that little thing to the capital later. Remember to stop all visitors." Kang slowly stood up.

"Understood," Si You replied in a deep voice.

—And at the same time, the coast of the South China Sea—

As the Dragon Gate first appeared, the strange phenomenon was not yet clearly visible on the sea surface. Chu Xunfeng looked out over the sea and could only see wisps of illusions reflected in the shimmering waves. In the sky, however, the strange phenomenon was not visible to the naked eye.

[User, someone's approaching. Tianxuan Realm expert is behind you.]

The young man quietly exhaled, turning his gaze from the vast sea to behind him.

On the spacious beach, as far as the eye could see, only a young man in a black robe holding a black umbrella slowly walked towards him.

Beneath the black umbrella, a gaunt and aloof middle-aged man stared at the face of the young human with his icy green vertical pupils. "Chu Xunfeng... I've long heard of your great name."

"You are..." Chu Xunfeng did not recognize the man in front of him.

"Ao Xiu, the second prince of the Dragon Clan." The man with a cold expression stopped three zhang away from Chu Xunfeng. "You had my men deliver a message to me, yet you don't recognize me?"

"It was just a channel provided to me by His Highness Ao Ning, Your Highness Ao Xiu," Chu Xunfeng replied softly without any pressure.

“Ao Ning…heh…” Second Prince Ao Xiu sneered, “I’m not like him. I don’t like playing house.”

"So I handed over the twelve lives I found to Your Highness," Chu Xunfeng said, looking at Ao Xiu, "I wanted to exchange some information."

"Twelve lives, in exchange for a message?" Ao Xiu raised his delicate eyebrows, a slight smile curving his thin lips. "Interesting. Tell me?"

“I haven’t heard anything about Missing Tooth for almost a month, Your Highness Ao Xiu.” Chu Xunfeng looked at Ao Xiu, who was known as the Snake King. “Your Highness promised to help me protect this family, but I seem to have heard some bad rumors about Missing Tooth’s family.”

The Serpent King looked at the human youth.

Chu Xunfeng also silently looked at the second prince of the Dragon Clan.

The shallows of the South China Sea were so quiet that even the sound of the wind disappeared.

Only the gentle sound of the surging tide remains.

Chapter Four, The Dungeon

The waves surged gently, washing over Chu Xunfeng's feet, carrying sand and gravel, before retreating back into the South China Sea.

The atmosphere between the human youth and the snake lord seemed to be so intense that even the surging tide could not touch them.

"Twelve lives for this one piece of news?" Ao Xiu's vertical pupils narrowed, his eerie green eyes staring back at the human youth's indifferent and solid expression.

"Yes." Chu Xunfeng nodded. "He is my friend. I heard that his family went missing and may have encountered something bad."

"How did you learn that?" The Snake King squinted.

"I have friends or acquaintances in the city defense army who can talk to me, and they passed on this information to me." Chu Xunfeng looked at Ao Xiu, "Please enlighten me, Your Highness Ao Xiu."

"Alright, the rabbit demons Queya and Xiaoya are currently missing, their whereabouts and fates unknown. As for the rabbit demon Linzhi, she has turned into a crazy old woman and is currently being housed in a courtyard in the North District by my men." When Snake Lord described the situation of the rabbit demon family, his voice became more serious, and the faint smile he had shown when talking to Chu Xunfeng earlier was gone.

"what is going on?"

"I don't know. Some time ago, when Kang's forces were making moves, I didn't pay attention to the matter my fourth brother asked me to do right away. About three to five days later, I remembered this matter and went to look for the rabbit demon family. There was no one at home. In the end, my family only found the crazy Lin Zhi in the South District."

"South District?" Chu Xunfeng squinted.

“Lin Zhi seems to be looking for you.” Snake King stared at Chu Xunfeng’s face. “According to the report from the person who found Lin Zhi, she is knocking on doors in the South District, asking all the way, ‘Does anyone know my family member who is missing a tooth?’... and so on.”

"Who did this?" Chu Xunfeng clenched his fist.

"I don't know, but this isn't your problem. You went to Fourth Brother, Fourth Brother went to me, and I agreed. If things didn't go well, it's my fault." The Snake King's eyes darkened. "I will give you an explanation regarding the Rabbit Demon family's affairs, whether they are alive or dead."

Chu Xunfeng was silent for a moment, then let out a soft breath, "Okay."

Although Chu Xunfeng was indignant that Ao Ning and Ao Xiu had done something wrong, the deed was done and he couldn't change the established facts. At this point, it would be pointless to question the Snake Lord or vent his anger on the matter. Letting Ao Xiu investigate the matter was the best option.

Not only did Chu Xunfeng lack the connections and influence of the Snake Lord, he also couldn't afford to cause trouble at this critical juncture.

"Consider this something I owe you." The Serpent King looked at the human youth who had quickly calmed down and spoke quietly, "Twelve lives. You can make up your terms again."

"Obstructing Chu Xunfeng from participating in the Dragon Gate Gathering is something you, Serpent Lord, need to do with your own power. Whether or not to inform His Highness Ao Ning is up to you to decide, and the means you use are irrelevant. There are less than half a month left, and my identity and stance have already been determined. It's time to be a bit more aggressive." Chu Xunfeng looked at Ao Xiu. "You should understand what I mean."

"Should I, on behalf of the Dragon Clan, give you a push and propel you into the center of the Dang Kang camp...?" The Serpent King pondered for a moment, then nodded. "I can agree, but I will do it my own way. You should remember that..."

"You/I don't play house."

The two spoke in unison, exchanged a glance, and then Snake Lord's lips curled into a smile, "Tonight, two assassins at the Profound Realm will sneak into your house. How you survive is up to you."

"Alright." The young man nodded. "Can I try to turn the tables?"

"Sure, but you'd better make the whole thing seem plausible." Snake King, holding his black umbrella, turned and walked away step by step on the gravel. "Be careful not to make things worse."

Chu Xunfeng did not reply, and the Snake King did not care whether Chu Xunfeng would give an answer or not. After taking six or seven steps, Ao Xiu's figure disappeared from Chu Xunfeng's sight in an instant, without leaving a trace.

The strength of someone at the peak of the Heavenly Profound Realm is... unfathomable.

Chu Xunfeng couldn't understand how Ao Xiu could disappear without a trace in an instant without making a sound.

However, this is not something Chu Xunfeng should care about.

Missing Tooth and his younger brother are missing, their fates unknown, and their mother has gone insane...

Chu Xunfeng clenched his fist for a long time before slowly relaxing it. He couldn't understand why the Queya family had suffered such a misfortune. The little bit of money he lent to Queya shouldn't have caused such a disaster that ruined their family. So, what exactly happened?

Meanwhile, in the imperial city, in the dungeon.

The dungeon of the Bixie clan had been abandoned for many years, but two hundred years after the Bixie clan disappeared, torches once again dispelled the darkness and dampness in this dark and abandoned dungeon.

A massive figure stood outside the brand-new prison door, looking down at the young beast huddled in the corner of the cage.

With a large face, a small body, and wings on its back, Ah Chou hid in the shadows, its pupils reflecting the bright firelight, staring intently at Dang Kang outside the prison door.

Looking at the hatred and bloodlust in Xiao Bixie's eyes, Dang Kang couldn't help but laugh, "Still alive, not bad."

Ah Chou lowered her eyes, licking her paws folded in front of her, no longer looking at Dang Kang.

The prince's eye twitched slightly. He slowly turned his head and looked at another cage behind him. The rabbit-eared boy sat on the edge of the cage door, breathing weakly. Deeper inside the cage, on the bed, the young rabbit demon curled up, motionless.

"My lord... please, give me some food, please give me some fire, please." The faint voice was still relatively clear in the dimly lit dungeon.

The evil spirit lying on a clump of hay heard the faint sound of missing teeth. It suddenly stopped licking its paws, raised its eerie green pupils, and looked at the rabbit demon with its hands hanging limply on the ground by the cage wall opposite it.

Ah Chou suddenly realized that the two rabbit demons in his house did not have his strong body. He was not afraid of the cold, but they were. He could go without food, but they had to eat.

"I can't hear you, rabbit demon, shout louder, shout it so that the evil spirit can hear you." Kang Le chuckled and replied, "Whether you can keep warm and eat depends on whether it begs me or not."

Although he was still in a daze, he still clearly heard what Dang Kang said.

He turned his head with difficulty and looked at Ah Chou, who was walking in the firelight in the opposite cell.

On the left side of the small beast's body, there was a huge wound that had just scabbed over.

"Don't look down..." The man with the missing tooth revealed a wrinkled smile. "You're a talisman against evil..."

The rabbit-eared boy lost his balance and crashed to the ground. His consciousness was almost gone, but he was still muttering the same words.

"Don't look down..."

As Kang chuckled, he slowly turned around, his sinister and sharp gaze falling upon the sullen, bowed head of the Pixie in the firelight. "Have you thought it through, Pixie?"

Ah Chou lowered his head as the words "Don't bow your head" echoed in the air.