Chapter 157: Chapter 134: Astonishing Secret
Almost all the people who came to the Imperial Palace banquet had eaten before they arrived. After all, coming to such a place for a meal seemed quite beneath them. But good old Long Yi was straightforward enough to think that he was really there to eat, so he blatantly ignored the advice of Little Zi and Ai Lin, and didn’t even eat lunch. He was determined to heartily feast on the Emperor’s fare.
At this point, Long Yi was so hungry that he was seeing stars.
Thankfully, there was plenty of food, and no one appeared to be interested in it. He grabbed a pure silver plate with a golden edge and a jewel-studded fork, selected some food he had never seen before, found a corner, and while he munched away, he lost himself in people-watching.
"You cannot eat this fruit directly. You need to dip it into a strong spirit, otherwise, it will be bitter," a voice nearby said. Turning around, Long Yi saw it was Black Dragon Tyl. This old Black Dragon, quite like Long Yi, was holding an even bigger plate, piled high with food.
"Uncle, where did you find that plate?" Long Yi was more interested in the giant plate.
"Heh heh, inexperienced, aren’t you? I brought this one myself," Tyl laughed proudly.
"How did you... Oh, never mind, I got it." Long Yi was going to ask how he managed to bring such a big plate in, but then he realized – it’s a black dragon. An old one at that. If he really wanted to, he could probably bring in several horse carts full of plates.
"I know what you’re thinking, but my Dragon Rider is long gone and I can’t open my storage space anymore. I hid this one in my robe," the black dragon chuckled, pointing to his spacious robe, giving out a sort of irreverent vibe.
"You’re amazing!" Long Yi expressed his admiration candidly.
And so, the old and the young, a dragon, and a man, stood in a corner of the garden, fully engrossed in their food, placidly watching the world go by.
"You met Yamir?" At last, Black Dragon finished the food on his plate, and then asked.
Long Yi glanced at the remaining food on his own plate, marveling silently at the other’s speed. Then he responded, "Yeah, a big sister who seems a bit off."
"Big sister? A bit off?" Tyl couldn’t help laughing.
"Yeah, she went on and on about something mysterious and then disappeared," Long Yi said.
"If her mind was really off, I can assure you she wouldn’t remain the sovereign of the demon realm for long," Black Dragon sighed.
"Sovereign of the demon realm? Is she really powerful?" Long Yi queried. Of course, he knew that the woman called Yamir was powerful, but he still didn’t have an accurate grasp of how powerful she might be.
"Powerful? She’s far more strong than you or I can imagine. Seventeen thousand years ago, she and her sister led an army and conquered all the lords of the demon realm, establishing a unified dynasty. Till now, after seventeen thousand years, though there have been numerous rebellions, none could shake their rule. Powerful, don’t you think?" Tyl said.
"Her sister? You mean Yavenny, the mentor?" Long Yi immediately remembered that unforgettable night; blood rushed to his face. Desperate to distract himself, he took a bite of an unidentified fruit. Immediately, a bitter taste filled his mouth.
"Yes, that fake elf." Tyl said.
"So, they both are that old..." A look of realization spread across Long Yi’s face.
"That’s not the point!"
Thwap!
A delicate hand slapped Long Yi’s head. Suddenly his vision blurred, and Yavenny seemed to appear out of nowhere!
Still clad in the membrane-like garment, she displayed her voluptuous body. The demon’s horns were still there, so were the gigantic wings. This time, tiny flames flickered in her eyes.
"Mentor Yavenny?" Long Yi’s face suddenly felt hot and went scarlet.
"You’re revealing your true form here; aren’t you worried about the forces of the contract?" Black Dragon asked with a frown.
"He he, little brother Long Yi helped me recover some of my strength. Those guys can’t see me," Yavenny said smugly.
He helped? Long Yi thought carefully, he didn’t seem to have done anything... Oh, ’helped’? Did it have something to do with the rumors about the succubus? Could it be?
"I’ve been busy these days, but thanks to little brother Long Yi, my suppressed powers are surfacing more. So, I absolutely have to return to the demon realm soon," Yavenny said.
"Then shouldn’t you be searching for a secluded place rather than showing up here?" Tyl didn’t seem very fond of Yavenny.
"Oh, little Black Dragon, don’t be impatient. Is it because your drop of Dragon Essence didn’t come in handy, and you can’t get over it?" Yavenny hinted subtly.
Didn’t come in handy? Long Yi wondered. Indeed, while engaged in a fight with Yamir, the Dragon Essence didn’t really come to his aid. But thinking about Yavenny’s expression, it seemed she was hinting at something else.
Yavenny took a step forward, and in a very low voice, she said to Tyl, "Little Black Dragon, your Dragon rider is long dead, isn’t he? Without a Dragon Rider, your powers are severely limited, aren’t they?"
Although the voice was low, Long Yi heard it too. What did she mean? Could it be that Black Dragon Tyl want Long Yi to become his Dragon Rider? But that didn’t seem possible. A dragon as old as Tyl must have heard the call of Dragon Tomb by then, how could he still need a Dragon Rider? He didn’t need to fight anymore.
