Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei finds a Freylian

“Murder. Theft. Deception. Protecting some people, destroying others,” the man listed casually. “But at least you won’t be abandoned because of your bloodline. Because I myself am the biggest anomaly.”

He extended his left hand.

His hands were very white, with long, slender fingers and distinct knuckles. He unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled them up to his elbows. On his forearms, dark blue veins were clearly visible, and beneath the skin, fine, scaly lines seemed to flow. It wasn't a tattoo; it was something alive, rising and falling slightly with his heartbeat.

The pupils of the wine-loving Mai contracted.

The patterns were similar to those that had begun to appear on her own arm, but denser, more complex, and more perfect. It wasn't a sign of things getting out of control; it was a higher, more stable form of existence.

“You too,” she murmured.

“Worse than that,” the man said, lowering his sleeves. “So, choose, Mai Shutoku. Death, or make a pact with me?”

She looked into his eyes. Those ancient, golden eyes held no pity, no temptation, only a calm waiting. It was as if he would accept whatever she chose.

The rain is still falling. The river flows beneath my feet. The neon lights on the opposite bank are still flashing.

She thought of her younger sister, Aki. She thought of the sweat shed on the training field. She thought of her vow to become the strongest ninja and protect those she loved. Then she thought of the faces lurking in the shadows in the courtroom. She thought of the word "pollution."

“If I go with you,” she heard herself say, her voice hoarse, “can my bloodline really remain stable?”

“It can’t be completely stable,” the man answered honestly. “The White King’s genes are etched into your DNA and cannot be removed. But I can give you my blood. Not ordinary blood, but primal blood. It will suppress the unstable parts of your body and give you control. The price is that you will become more like a dragon, but at least you will be able to maintain your sanity.”

"Your blood," Mai Shutoku stared at him. "Who are you? Who exactly are you?"

The man smiled. This time, the smile was deeper, and a hint of nostalgia flashed in his golden eyes.

"You can call me boss. As for who I am, you'll find out later. Right now, all you need to do is answer whether you're willing or not."

Mai Shude took a deep breath.

The smell of rain, the smell of river water, and a very faint scent emanating from the man, like the smell of incense mixed with rust in an ancient temple.

She reached out her hand. Not to hold his hand, but to grasp his wrist directly. It was cool to the touch, but the pulse beneath his skin was steady and strong, each beat carrying a primal, heart-pounding power.

“Give it to me. Give me your blood. Then tell me what to do.”

The man, the boss, looked down at her hand gripping his wrist, and his smile deepened.

"it is good."

He didn't even use a knife. He simply extended the index finger of his other hand, his nail lightly tracing the tip of his finger. Blood seeped out on its own. Not bright red, but a dark gold, viscous like molten gold, gleaming faintly in the night.

He smeared the drop of blood on her lips.

Mai instinctively tried to back away, but it was too late. The moment the blood touched her skin, it seeped in like a living thing. It had no taste, no temperature, but an indescribable power surged from her lips into her veins like lightning.

She groaned and knelt down.

The world was spinning. It wasn't an illusion; it was really spinning. Her senses were instantly amplified and distorted. She could hear the sound of every raindrop hitting the ground, the sound of fish swimming in the river, the babbling of drunkards a few streets away, and the roar of her own blood surging through her veins.

Then came the excruciating pain.

A pain surged from the depths of her bones. It felt like countless red-hot needles piercing her bones, or like lava flowing through her veins. She curled up on the ground, biting her lip hard to keep from screaming.

The boss squatted down, the umbrella still over her head.

"Bear with it. It's always like this the first time. Your body is reorganizing, your genes are being rearranged. The power of the White King and my power are vying for control. But eventually, they will reach a balance."

"How long?" she managed to squeeze out.

"A few minutes. Or a few hours. It depends on your willpower."

She closed her eyes, focusing all her consciousness on fighting the pain. Ninja training includes lessons in enduring torture, but no course can simulate this feeling. This wasn't external injury; it was an internal, genetic reshaping.

Time has lost its meaning.

After an unknown amount of time, the pain began to subside. Mai Shutoku felt changes in her body: her muscles became tighter, her bones harder, and her senses became exceptionally sharp. Most importantly, the restless, raging power within her, like a trapped wild beast, suddenly quieted down.

They have been tamed, like a ferocious wolf put on a leash; still powerful, but controllable.

She slowly opened her eyes.

The rain stopped. Or rather, the rain was still falling, but the space under the umbrella remained dry. The shopkeeper was still squatting in front of her, his golden eyes calmly watching her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

Mai Shude propped herself up and looked down at her hands. Her skin was fair, but the faint bluish-black veins that had been visible before were gone.

She clenched her fist. Power. She could feel pure power surging through her muscles and bones, ready to erupt at any moment. And her mind was unusually clear.

"I've got it under control."

Chapter 435 Mai Shude & the Boss (Part 2)

“Very good.” The boss stood up and extended his hand. “Then, welcome to the team, Mai Shude. From today onwards, you are one of my people.”

She grasped his hand and stood up. Her body felt incredibly light; all her previous fatigue and weakness had vanished. She looked at her boss, this mysterious man, the one who had given her blood, the one who had given her a second life.

What do I need to do?

“First, change your name,” the boss said. “In the records of the Snake Clan, Mai Shutoku is already a demon who has been removed from the list and is under surveillance. You need a new identity. From now on, you’ll be called Long Legs.”

"Long legs?" she frowned.

The boss smiled, his gaze sweeping over her long legs: "It's just a code name. I have a partner named Potato Chips. From now on, you two will be partners."

"partner?"

“Okay. She’ll handle the brains, you’ll handle the physical labor. She’ll plan, you’ll execute.” The boss turned and walked into the depths of the alley. “Come with me, I’ll take you to meet her. Then, we have some preparations to make.”

Mai followed.

She waded barefoot through the puddles, but this time, she didn't feel the cold. The boss's blood flowed through her veins, bringing a strange warmth. She watched the black figure ahead, holding a black umbrella, walking through the rainy Tokyo alleys, like a ghost from another world.

She didn't know what she was supposed to do, or what the future held. But she knew that from this moment on, her life was given to her by this man. So, this life belonged to him.

Many years later, Mai Shude had grown accustomed to the nickname "Long Legs," to partnering with "Potato Chips" Su Enxi, and to carrying out all sorts of bizarre missions for her boss. She became a top-tier ninja, her bloodline stabilizing at a delicate balance—powerful enough, but not out of control.

But she still had one question.

It was during a break in a mission, when she and Su Enxi were resting in the safe house. As always, Chip Girl was holding a bag of potato chips, staring at three monitors processing information.

Mai Shude, wiping her knife, suddenly spoke up: "Potato Chips, don't you feel like the boss has known us for a long time?"

Su Enxi paused in typing: "What do you mean?"

“Exactly,” Mai Shude organized her thoughts. “When he first met me, it was as if he knew everything about me. He knew about my mother, about my lineage, and even what I was thinking. He knew about you too, didn’t he? When he found you, you were still a trader on Wall Street, but it was as if he already knew about your Divine Words of Power and the limits of your abilities.”

Su Enxi paused for a few seconds, then continued typing: "The boss knows a lot of things. There's nothing strange about that."

“But it’s not just knowing,” Mai Shude put down her knife. “The way he looks at us, sometimes, I feel like that look is familiar. It’s not like a superior looking at a subordinate, nor an employer looking at an employee. It’s more like an old friend? Or something even stranger, like looking at something lost and found.”

Su Enxi finally turned her head, pushed up her glasses, and said, "You're overthinking it. Long legs. A boss is a boss—mysterious, powerful, and all-knowing. That's his persona."

"Is that so?" Mai Shude asked uncertainly.

She decided to ask in person.

The opportunity soon arrived. After a mission report, the boss, unusually, didn't leave immediately but stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the Tokyo night view. Mai hesitated for a moment, then walked over.

"Boss, can I ask you a question?"

"Ask," the boss said without turning around.

"Have you known me for a long time? Do you know me and potato chips?"

The boss fell silent.

The neon lights outside the window cast shifting shadows on his face. After a long while, he smiled softly.

Why would you think that?

“Intuition,” Mai Shude said. “The way you looked at me when you first met me wasn’t like you were looking at a stranger. You knew everything about me, even things I didn’t know myself. The same goes for potato chips. It doesn’t make sense.”

The boss turned around and looked at her. His golden eyes shone like two ancient lamps in the night.

"Shude Mai," he called her by her real name, not her code name, "Do you believe in reincarnation?"

She paused for a moment: "Reincarnation?"

"Past lives and present lives. Souls repeat their experiences in different eras and different bodies." The boss's voice was very soft, as if he were telling an ancient story. "Perhaps a long, long time ago, in another era, we knew each other. You were someone's ninja, potato chips were someone's strategist, and I was someone's boss."

Mai frowned: "You mean your past life?"

"Maybe," the boss smiled, a smile that held an emotion she couldn't decipher—a mix of nostalgia, regret, and profound weariness. "Maybe we knew each other in a past life, did many things together, and then separated for some reason. In this life, I've found you all again."

“This is absurd,” said Mai Shude. “I have no memory of my past life.”

“Most people don’t,” the boss said, looking out the window again. “But some bonds can transcend time. Some promises can transcend reincarnation. Perhaps we owed each other a debt in our past lives, so we’re entangled in this one.”

He paused, his voice becoming even softer: "Or perhaps, I owe you a debt. So, in this lifetime, I must repay it."

Mai Shude didn't know what to say.

The boss suddenly raised his hand and ruffled her hair—a very intimate and natural gesture, like an elder treating a younger person.

Mai Shutoku froze, because the gesture was eerily familiar. It felt like a long time ago, someone had ruffled her hair like that.

"Don't overthink it," the shopkeeper said, withdrawing his hand. "No matter what happened in our past lives, in this life, you're my long legs and potato chips. That's enough."

He left the safe house.

Mai Shude stood still for a long time.

Tokyo outside the window was still brightly lit. She touched her hair, where the warmth of her boss's fingers still seemed to linger.

"In my past life..." she murmured to herself.

Then she shook her head, dismissing the absurd thought. But deep inside, a voice said: Maybe it's not absurd?

Perhaps in some forgotten time and space, she truly did serve this man loyally, clearing his path with a ninja's sword. And Su Enxi truly did use her extraordinary wisdom to plan his empire.

Then, for some reason, they lost each other. In this life, he found them and, with a drop of blood and a contract, bound them back to his side.

It's not because I need the tools. It's because... I don't want to lose them again.

Mai Shude picked up the knife and continued wiping it. The blade reflected her face and her eyes, which had calmed down and were now gleaming with a faint silver light.

She didn't know the truth. But she knew that, regardless of past lives or reincarnation, in this life, her life belonged to him.

This is enough.

Chapter 436 Frillie Under House Arrest (Part 1)