After asking his question, Yang Kai suddenly recalled something. Back in the palace of the Human Emperor's city, Zhu Qing had once revealed her true form — a massive red dragon thirty zhang in length. The form Zhu Lie had displayed at Qingyang Divine Palace, on the other hand, had seemed noticeably smaller, only a little over twenty zhang long.
It was similar to his own situation: the purity of a Dragon Clan member's bloodline could be judged by the size of their true form.
Judging by this, Zhu Qing's bloodline really was a step above Zhu Lie's. His claim that she had reached the Ninth Rank had clearly not been idle boasting.
However, one thing puzzled Yang Kai: "Ninth Rank is Ninth Rank — that's a good thing, isn't it? Hasn't the Dragon Clan always pursued bloodline purity? Qing'er, why are you blushing?"
"Impossible, impossible — how can this be?" Zhu Lie muttered under his breath, his brows knotted together in a frown. He simply could not figure out how Zhu Qing had managed to advance to the Ninth Rank in such a short time. A surge of indignation welled up in his chest, and he felt that the Heavenly Dao was profoundly unfair — why hadn't such a stroke of fortune fallen on him instead?
He suddenly turned his head, his gaze icy as he stared at Yang Kai. "What did you just call her?"
In his shock over Zhu Qing's bloodline advancement, he hadn't paid much attention to the way Yang Kai addressed his sister. Now that he had recovered his wits, something felt off. How could such an intimate form of address come from the mouth of a human? It was nothing short of sacrilege against the Dragon Clan — an outright insult! And yet Zhu Qing had not objected.
A sudden realization struck him. His voice grew even colder, killing intent coiling around his words: "And what did you just call me?"
Yang Kai stepped forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with Zhu Qing. Then, under Zhu Lie's astonished gaze, he wrapped an arm around her slender shoulders and flashed a broad grin. "You're Qing'er's younger brother, so naturally I call you brother-in-law."
Zhu Qing shifted her body slightly, but could not escape Yang Kai's grip and simply let him be.
Zhu Lie's pupils contracted sharply. He was no fool — seeing Zhu Qing show no resistance to Yang Kai's intimate gesture, even appearing to play coy rather than push him away, combined with the forms of address Yang Kai had used for both him and his sister, a single unbelievable thought finally surfaced in his mind.
His face turned ashen in an instant, as if coated with a layer of frost.
Over on the sidelines, Li Jiao's jaw dropped wide enough to hold an egg. His heart pounded as he stared at Yang Kai, overcome with a sense of awe. Had this man truly ridden a dragon? Was he dreaming? If so, then wasn't Yang Kai — the Palace Master — the Dragon Island's own son-in-law? How was that even possible?
His admiration for Yang Kai soared to dizzying heights. Before, he had still harbored some small grievances, but now those complaints evaporated entirely. Compared to what Yang Kai had done — riding a dragon, an act of supreme audacity against Dragon Island itself — what in this world was there that the man wouldn't dare do?
"You're… not joking?" Zhu Lie's eyes burned like flame as he looked between Zhu Qing and Yang Kai, his voice heavy.
Yang Kai frowned, sensing the killing intent radiating from Zhu Lie. "Do I look like I'm joking with you?"
"I want to hear her answer!" Zhu Lie ignored him entirely, fixing his gaze on Zhu Qing.
"And just how do you think you're talking to your sister?" Yang Kai's face darkened, his expression fierce. "Don't think I won't lay into you just because you're my brother-in-law. Show some proper respect, or I'll beat you so badly even your own sister won't recognize you."
Zhu Lie's neck stiffened, killing intent erupting from him as he glared at Yang Kai and snarled low: "I'd love to see you try!"
"Oh, give you an inch and you'll take a mile, will you? Fine — today your brother-in-law is going to teach you how to behave!" Yang Kai rolled up his sleeves and moved to step forward, but Zhu Qing reached out and pulled him back.
"What are you pulling me for?" Yang Kai looked thoroughly displeased. "This brother of yours has gone completely lawless. He needs to be taught a proper lesson. Don't worry — I won't kill him. I'll just break a few of his bones to help him remember, so he knows how to speak to you."
Zhu Qing gently shook her head. She looked at Zhu Lie and said, "You've seen it all. You've heard it all. I have nothing more to say."
Zhu Lie's body trembled, and he staggered back several steps. Though Yang Kai's words and actions had all been telling, and he had long suspected as much, having Zhu Qing confirm the very thing he had dreaded was still difficult to accept.
The proud Dragon Clan — a Ninth Rank Red Dragon, supreme among all living beings — had surrendered herself to a human!
This was nothing short of a disgrace. A disgrace to Dragon Island. A disgrace to the entire Dragon Clan!
"Zhu Qing, you have truly disappointed me." Zhu Lie shook his head slowly, his disappointment plain on his face. "How could you be so foolish?"
Yang Kai let out a cold snort. "You make it sound like I'm some nobody. Zhu Lie, you're starting to really get on my nerves."
"Right back at you!" Zhu Lie shot Yang Kai an icy glare. Their eyes collided, sparks practically flying between them, looking as though they might come to blows at any moment.
But Zhu Qing smiled faintly and said, "I don't think I've been foolish at all. On the contrary — I believe this is the greatest happiness of my entire life."
The moment those words left her lips, every ounce of Yang Kai's irritation toward Zhu Lie vanished in a heartbeat. A feeling of indescribable satisfaction washed over his entire being, and he broke into a silly grin.
Zhu Lie's expression twisted with anguish. "Women — no matter how powerful they may be — are all fools in the end. You ought to know what consequences this will bring."
Zhu Qing's face paled ever so slightly. She pressed her red lips together, then nodded.
"Then why did you do it?!" Zhu Lie's voice cracked with desperation, his face twisted with the fury of someone watching iron fail to become steel.
Zhu Qing did not answer directly. She lowered her head and said quietly, "Even if I had another chance to choose… I would still choose the same."