Now that she had admitted it openly, even though Yang Kai had some inkling beforehand, he was still utterly stunned.
The Dragon Clan — supreme among all living creatures. While that title might carry a whiff of self-aggrandizement, it wasn't far from the truth.
In the primordial age, holy spirits were countless, yet the Dragons and Phoenixes still reigned supreme! Even now, when most holy spirits had long since perished, the Dragon Clan could still claim an island in the Eastern Sea and propagate their kind.
One could say this sacred and mighty race had witnessed the transformation of heaven and earth, had watched countless ages flow past. The Dragon Clan was not merely a name — it was a symbol of legacy and power!
Yang Kai carried the primordial essence of the Golden Holy Dragon within him, so when facing Zhu Qing, a living member of the Dragon Clan, he felt remarkably little trepidation or fear. Instead, there was a strange sense of intimacy.
That intimacy quickly gave way to greed and covetousness, his mind calculating that if he could truly subdue this dragon woman and make her his exclusive possession... tsk tsk, what more could a man ask for in life?
"How did you know?" Zhu Qing asked again.
Yang Kai smiled faintly and pretended to divine with his fingers. "This young master is well-versed in the art of divination. A quick calculation and—"
Zhu Qing shot him an exasperated glare, thinking there was no way she'd believe that nonsense. However, during their earlier brawl, she had inadvertently revealed quite a bit of information, so it wasn't all that surprising that Yang Kai had been able to deduce her dragon identity.
"It doesn't matter that you know, but I must ask you to keep it secret. The Dragon Clan's identity is, after all, rather... earth-shattering," Zhu Qing said, gazing at Yang Kai with sincere eyes.
Rumors had it that somewhere in the Eastern Region's Eastern Sea, there existed a Dragon Island where many dragons dwelled. But those were merely hearsay — the world at large didn't know the truth. If a living dragon woman were to be exposed before everyone's eyes, the resulting shock would be unimaginable.
"No problem," Yang Kai agreed readily. "I'm not the sort of petty person who loves to wag his tongue."
Zhu Qing's expression softened with gratitude, thinking that this man was actually decent enough when he spoke properly. Perhaps she had been somewhat prejudiced — no matter how she looked at him, she always found that face rather annoying. Maybe it was time to change her impression of him.
"But what can you offer me in return?" Yang Kai shifted the topic abruptly. His predatory gaze once again swept over her sensitive areas, as though an invisible hand were about to strip her bare.
Zhu Qing drew a deep breath and slowly closed her eyes, her body trembling slightly.
*The fool who thought this man was decent — that was me!*
"What... do... you... want... in... exchange!" Zhu Qing opened her eyes and ground out the words one by one through clenched teeth. This face grew more infuriating the longer she looked at it.
"That depends on what you can give me," Yang Kai replied, propping his chin on his hand and regarding her with leisurely composure.
He instinctively sensed that something was off. Ever since encountering Zhu Qing today, desires that had been suppressed — even forgotten — for ages kept surging up. After parting from her earlier, the feeling had faded, but now that they met again, alone together in a room, those thoughts roiled to the surface once more. Despite his mind warning him that this dragon woman was not to be trifled with, the thrill of playing with fire made it hard to pull away.
Zhu Qing stared at him intently for a long while before finally parting her crimson lips. "Friends!"
"What?" Yang Kai stared at her in astonishment.
Zhu Qing took a soft breath. "I said, I can be friends with you."
Her tone was measured, yet between her brows there was unmistakable pride, as though this were some grand favor she was bestowing.
Yang Kai froze on the spot, staring blankly at her.
Zhu Qing met his gaze without flinching. After a long pause with no reaction from him, she frowned. "Did you hear what I—"
"Hahahaha!" Yang Kai burst out laughing, slapping his thigh so hard it echoed.
"What are you laughing at?" Zhu Qing snapped, irritated.
Yang Kai's laughter subsided, and he regarded her with a mocking expression. "The Dragon Clan's arrogance truly lives up to its reputation."
Zhu Qing returned a cool, disdainful smile. "Still better than your human species' cunning."
Yang Kai pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Mm, you're right about that. Humans are indeed awfully cunning — no one can deny it. But you say you want to be friends with me. Do you even know... what friends are?"
Zhu Qing declared proudly, "I don't need to know."
Yang Kai slowly shook his head, looking at her. "You don't have any friends, do you?"
What need did the mighty Dragon Clan have for friends? Zhu Qing scoffed inwardly, her face contorting with disdain. But then she suddenly noticed something in Yang Kai's expression — a trace of pity and sympathy. Fury immediately surged within her. A mere lowly human actually dared to look at her with that kind of expression! Her slender fingers twitched, and she suppressed the urge to gouge his eyes out.
She wasn't his match. Moving against him recklessly would only bring humiliation upon herself.
*Elder, the task you gave me really is difficult. Qing'er truly has no idea how to accomplish it. Perhaps this is the clan's test for me?*
"Why do you want to be friends with me?" Yang Kai asked with a frown.
*Of course it's because of the Elder's orders and the Ancestral Dragon's essence,* Zhu Qing thought silently, but aloud she replied, "Does there need to be a reason?"
"There doesn't?" Yang Kai was taken aback.
Zhu Qing's face grew impatient. Through gritted teeth she said, "Just tell me — do you agree or not?"