Chapter 337: Chapter 11: A Dragon, the Symbol of an Emperor
SWOOSH!
Hearing this, Ji Hao couldn’t help but take out the magical projection of Zhong Ming and scrutinize it several times.
But no matter how he looked, he found Zhong Ming to be utterly unremarkable. (When Zhong Ming first arrived in Immortal Martial City, he had restrained his aura.) He was just an ordinary Cultivator with regular features. In terms of bearing and presence, he couldn’t even necessarily compare to Ji Hao’s own handsome, aristocratic self.
Thus, he couldn’t understand why Xiyue, the Ji Qingyue sisters, and even Master Luo Zhiwei, who had just summoned a Thunder Tribulation, would all fall for such an unremarkable man.
And for the first time, a trace of jealousy toward Zhong Ming rose within him.
Ji Hao had always been a pragmatic man, believing that strength and authority were the foundation of one’s standing. He considered physical appearance to be as ephemeral as a flower in a mirror or the moon in the water, something he never cared about.
But now, Zhong Ming had, merely by his face, caused several peerless women to fall for him. He had even used it to win over powerful allies like Xiyue and Luo Zhiwei. How could Ji Hao not be taken aback by this?
An utterly absurd thought surfaced uncontrollably in his mind: ’If I also let go of my pride and used my looks, could I also win over some allies? For example... capturing Shen Wanshang’s heart to broker a reconciliation between the Silver Moon and Celestial Sea Prince Mansions, getting both Princes to support me simultaneously...’
Ji Hao had been swayed by these outrageous rumors, well and truly bamboozled.
He would never know, however, that Zhong Ming had won Xiyue’s allegiance not just because of his looks, but because of his strength, potential, and his Roots as an Innate Spirit.
As for the sensational rumors circulating outside, they were the result of a subtle battle between the Ji Qingyue sisters and Xiyue.
The two sisters were no fools. The moment Xiyue proposed her solution, their quick minds understood her intentions. Besides solving Zhong Ming’s problem, Xiyue was doing this primarily to flatter him and use the rumor to forge a closer relationship. After all, how could the status of a Merfolk handmaiden compare to the legitimate, higher position of a concubine?
Furthermore, by claiming it was love at first sight and actively showing her affection, she could better satisfy a man’s pride.
Knowing this, Ji Qinglian didn’t stop it. Instead, she rode the wave and fanned the flames, spreading rumors that the two Commandery Princesses were fighting over Zhong Ming. This not only made the whole play more convincing but also further boosted Zhong Ming’s ego, giving him more face and deepening the relationship between them all.
Of course, this was Ji Qinglian’s inner thought. The official reason was to make the lie of ’Xiyue falling for Zhong Ming at first sight’ more plausible.
Seeing this, Xiyue was not to be outdone. With some clever words, she simply dragged Luo Zhiwei into the mix.
"Master Zhiwei, if you wish to pledge allegiance to His Highness Zhong Ming without arousing suspicion, you also need a good reason. Right now, ’falling in love with him at first sight’ is the best excuse. With me leading the way, no one will doubt it. In fact, they’ll be even more convinced of our previous claims."
The argument was irrefutable. Although Luo Zhiwei felt a sense of helplessness, she could only nod and agree.
As for Xiyue, making the lie plausible was only one of her reasons for doing this. More importantly, she was subtly currying favor with Zhong Ming.
As for why she, whose goal was to become a concubine, didn’t try to stop the others and instead actively recruited more women for Zhong Ming—it was because of the innately licentious nature of dragons. In this era, Dragon Monarchs and Dragon Kings, even mere Flood Dragons, had over a dozen concubines.
And as for True Dragons, their association with the ’Son of Heaven’ wasn’t just because dragons were a symbol of emperors.
Every True Dragon that reached maturity could, by relying on their bloodline’s suppressive power, rule over the myriad Water Races, occupy a body of water, and reign as an overlord. This was because a True Dragon’s attributes were all flawless. Combined with the home-field advantage of a watery domain and the allegiance of countless Water Race members, forget about a human of the same rank—even a Cultivator one realm higher might not be able to kill a True Dragon.
Furthermore, if a Flood Dragon was slain, the Dragon Palace wouldn’t say much. But to wantonly slaughter a True Dragon? That was a major incident.
With strength, influence, and powerful backing, every True Dragon had their own territory.
After acquiring a territory, every True Dragon would act like an emperor, building a Dragon Palace. The subsequent ’Three Palaces, Six Courtyards, and Seventy-Two Concubines’ were practically standard issue.
Of course, this behavior wasn’t just due to the dragons’ licentious nature; it was also for the sake of the Dragon Race’s propagation.
Or rather, the licentious nature of dragons was something forced upon them by their reproductive instincts.
—Producing a naturally born True Dragon heir was simply too difficult; an instance might not occur for hundreds or even thousands of years. Most descendants born to True Dragons were Flood Dragons or Dragon Beasts.
And whether they were Flood Dragons or Dragon Beasts, their attempt to cross the Dragon Sect and transform into a True Dragon could only be described as a near-death experience.
Without enough offspring to cast a wide net, the True Dragon Race would quickly die out. In many worlds, True Dragons are as rare as Immortals, or even extinct, precisely because those dragons weren’t licentious enough to produce many heirs.
But in this world, the ancient Dragon Ancestor had been very far-sighted. He first issued the Dragon Sect decree, allowing everyone a chance to become a dragon, and then made the ’Three Palaces and Six Courtyards’ a standard for True Dragons. Only because of this did the Dragon Race not fade from the stage of history, but instead continue to control the four seas.
Because of this history, Xiyue didn’t think Zhong Ming having too many concubines was a problem; she only wanted to form her own clique.
It was just that Xiyue and the Ji Qingyue sisters, in all their plotting, would never have expected to bamboozle the deeply calculating Ji Hao into having such a ridiculous thought.
But soon, Ji Hao hid his thoughts and let an anxious expression appear on his face. He had thought of something:
’This is bad. I don’t know the reason, but Zhong Ming’s ’Charm’ is truly immense, almost to a bewitching degree. And Yaoyao just became a little curious about him. If she really goes to see Zhong Ming...’
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