Chapter 122: Operation Infiltration of the Bronze City (8k)

“Oh~ You just want to reply to a message?”
Xia Mi smiled teasingly. Of course, she understood Chu Zihang’s thoughts better than anyone else—because she had admired this great young man for many years.

She had seen everything about Chu Zihang; she was the one who knew him best. If Xia Mi’s plan had gone as intended, she would have been killed by Chu Zihang, her consciousness returning to the cocoon on his body, resonating with the dragon bone power within him, becoming the strongest protection to safeguard him, even sharing the throne with him.

But along the way, Lu Mingfei suddenly appeared and caused Chu Zihang to absorb her dragon bone instead—and through the fusion of the evil eye and dragon bone, forming the Dragon Heart. Now, Xia Mi wasn’t even sure if her consciousness could still awaken within Chu Zihang after death.

Damn it, that wretched guy!

Moreover, Chu Zihang reached out to Xia Mi only because he wanted to reply to Lu Mingfei’s message, and there was even a “special attention” notification between them.

He didn’t even give me a “special attention” notification!

Xia Mi knew full well that Chu Zihang hadn’t added her as “special attention” not because he didn’t care, but because they were always together; they didn’t need a phone to chat, so there was no need to add the notification on the app.

But! Is that even a question of necessity? Lu Mingfei has it, but I don’t!

I came first.

So now Xia Mi was filled with resentment. Because of that, she took Chu Zihang’s phone away, knowing he rarely used it anyway, so he wouldn’t feel uncomfortable. Still, it annoyed her!

But as the queen of lust and desire, would Xia Mi openly express her feelings? Is there really no difference between being added to “special attention” because of a nudge and adding it on one’s own initiative? The meanings and feelings they gave were not the same at all.

“I just wanted to reply to a message.”

Chu Zihang avoided her gaze and instinctively tugged at the wrist Xia Mi held.

“I don’t believe you.”

The grip on his wrist tightened; Xia Mi didn’t want to hear that answer. Whether it was true or not, it wasn’t what she wanted to hear. Like a stubborn little girl, she held onto the big boy’s hand, staring at his face, waiting for the answer she wanted.

“...”

Chu Zihang was silent. His earlier action did seem to have ulterior motives, but he swore he only wanted to get the phone back to reply to a message.

He wanted to explain, but his intuition told him that doing so would only lead to a worse outcome. Even silence was better than explaining.

In the quiet, he glanced sideways at Xia Mi, who held his wrist, noticing a flicker in her eyes.

A flicker?

From Chu Zihang’s perspective, Xia Mi’s attitude had always been proud and teasing, like a cat playing with a mouse, toying with his emotions. But such a clear-headed Xia Mi—how could her eyes flicker? Was there something else hidden in her heart?

Realizing this, Chu Zihang began to look at Xia Mi seriously, his expression earnest like a grade schooler ready to join a party.

“Wh-why are you looking at me like that?”

Xia Mi’s gaze flickered but remained proud and stubborn as she looked at Chu Zihang, not loosening her grip on his wrist. She continued, “Even if you look at me like that, I won’t let go easily. This is my important leverage!”

“Oh.”

Chu Zihang responded softly. He felt Xia Mi was forcing herself; she seemed to have other worries, and those worries appeared connected to his reaching for the phone.

What could it be?

She had always been proud—even angry at herself for being the strongest second-generation but not the Dragon King. Such prideful Xia Mi flickering now might be because of his reaching for the phone earlier; she seemed to mind something he hadn’t noticed.

“Ding~”

As Xia Mi and Chu Zihang locked eyes, the phone rang with the special attention notification sound for the third time. In their silent atmosphere, the crisp and clear tone echoed in both their hearts.

Chu Zihang instinctively reached out again, but Xia Mi was quicker, shielding the phone tightly against her chest, slipping it into a cute, girlish inner pocket, keeping it close to her body and further preventing him from taking it.

“Hmph!”

Xia Mi smiled proudly and provocatively, as if saying: Come and get it if you can.

Her action indeed silenced Chu Zihang briefly. He wanted to see what message Lu Mingfei had sent, but Xia Mi guarded the phone firmly, giving him no chance. And she seemed a bit upset about him trying to snatch it—he couldn’t just take it by force.

Emotion, phone, Xia Mi.

After a moment’s thought, Chu Zihang suddenly understood something. Xia Mi’s displeased look appeared after he tried to take the phone, and every time the special attention notification rang, she grew angrier when he tried to get the phone.

So, Chu Zihang easily guessed that Xia Mi’s real grievance was that he valued the phone more than her.

Exactly! She must think that, in my eyes, the phone is more important than she is. That’s why she guarded it so fiercely, even placing it in such a spot, desperately asserting her presence—she was jealous of the phone!

He suddenly thought... Xia Mi seemed even cuter now?

With that realization, Chu Zihang’s lips curved slightly, and his gaze softened as he looked at Xia Mi. He reached out with his other hand again, but Xia Mi stubbornly guarded the phone even tighter.

The big boy’s hand didn’t reach for the phone this time; instead, it gently cupped her cheek.

“Eh?”

Xia Mi’s eyes instantly cleared. She looked at Chu Zihang in confusion; the warmth of his palm made her heart flutter. The helpless yet indulgent smile on his handsome face made her melt. At that moment, her grip on his wrist loosened.

If now, Chu Zihang could easily take the phone and free himself from her hold, but he didn’t. He only gently pulled Xia Mi into his arms and secretly took the phone out.

He held her while reading the message. Xia Mi, embraced in his arms, blushed and rested her head lightly against his chest. Her heart raced rapidly, and her spirit was deeply shaken.

How could he do this?

How dare he?

When did he learn this?

The warmth of the moment melted Xia Mi’s heart. She felt as if she were ascending to heaven; being held was such a blissful feeling.

But happiness didn’t last long.

Chu Zihang had a breakthrough—just one. He thought Xia Mi might feel she was less important than the phone, which made her unhappy earlier. So he believed that as long as he held her in his arms to affirm his love, he could then check the message.

“Xia Mi, give the phone back to my senior brother.”

Lu Mingfei’s voice came from the phone.

Xia Mi’s face instantly turned ashen from the lingering happiness. She struggled free from Chu Zihang’s embrace and coldly stared at him. “I didn’t expect you to be like this.”

“Uh?”

Chu Zihang looked at Xia Mi in confusion. He didn’t understand why she was angry again. Could she be jealous of Lu Mingfei? Impossible. Lu Mingfei was a man, and there was no competition between them. How could she be jealous of him?

If not that, then why was she angry?

Could it be...

She felt uncomfortable because he hugged her first and then secretly checked the phone? Maybe Xia Mi felt deceived—that he only held her to better read Lu Mingfei’s message?

“Hmph!”

Before Chu Zihang could think further, Xia Mi swiftly turned around, snatched the phone from his hand, glared at him fiercely, then continued to look at the message list.

Although she was in a bad mood, she could still sense the seriousness in Lu Mingfei’s tone. Perhaps something was truly happening. In that case, it was better to understand the situation before making decisions. She wasn’t the type to throw tantrums without reason.

This was the magnanimity of the queen of lust and desire!

“Sigh~”

Behind her, Chu Zihang sighed helplessly, resting his head on Xia Mi’s shoulder, quietly peeking at the messages. Now they were so close that they were almost pressed together.

Xia Mi just glanced at him and silently opened the messages to read, while her heartbeat quickened uncontrollably.

Then—

“Ah?”

Xia Mi’s expression became strange as she read Lu Mingfei’s message, muttering in disbelief, “This... isn’t right. Has Cassell Academy gone mad? They actually... actually accepted Norton!”

As a Dragon King who had delved deeply into human society, Xia Mi was relatively well-informed. It was precisely because of this understanding that she found it hard to imagine Cassell Academy’s people admitting Norton—a suspected Dragon King of Bronze and Fire—into the academy.

Wait, when you recruited me, didn’t you say the Dragon Clan was your mortal enemy? Shouldn’t you be preparing to battle Norton? Are you addicted to recruiting Dragon Kings?

Odin, Norton, me, Lu Mingfei...

Are you trying to recruit every existing Dragon King into Cassell Academy? Are you a Dragon King-exclusive academy or a dragon-slaying academy?

Though Xia Mi hadn’t officially joined Cassell Academy yet, she was a pre-college student of Cassell and Bei University, so joining Cassell was basically a done deal.

“And he’s in the Enforcement Division.”

Xia Mi bit her finger seriously. She felt she couldn’t understand the upper echelons of Cassell Academy anymore. She had thought they would immediately control Norton upon learning the news and kill him after confirming his identity.

Chu Zihang and she would then use the distraction to ambush the Three Gorges and seize Constantin’s dragon bone to gain his power.

But if things developed like this, Cassell’s attention wouldn’t focus solely on Norton but on her, Lu Mingfei, and Norton simultaneously. Chu Zihang and she might not find a chance to ambush the Three Gorges.

Unless they openly declare war and seize Constantin by force!

But if they did, with Cassell’s people plus Norton, it’d be extremely difficult to deal with. Odin might even stab them in the back—he had long resented her for rescuing Chu Zihang—so he could strike anytime.

“Brother.”

“Hm?”

“Will Norton joining Cassell Academy’s Enforcement Division affect our chances?” Chu Zihang switched topics swiftly. He found Xia Mi’s angry look adorable and wanted to poke her cheek.

But that seemed inappropriate.

Xia Mi didn’t notice his thoughts and casually replied, “It will have a big impact. We might have to abandon our previous plan.”

“Why?”

Chu Zihang asked directly.

“...”

Xia Mi didn’t answer. She couldn’t just say it was because her brother didn’t become cannon fodder, so the chance was lost. Although Chu Zihang no longer called Norton “brother” in front of her, he still believed himself to be the Bronze and Fire King—Constantin.

But Chu Zihang had silently given up on that notion already; he just hadn’t said it.

Xia Mi once told him that after the Dragon King devours his twin, he gains immense power, even undergoing transcendence.

She also revealed that Odin was actually the Sky and Wind King, the fiercest of the Four Lords, controlling wind and thunder powers, while the Dragon King wielded all-elemental abilities.

Chu Zihang guessed that his true identity wasn’t the Bronze and Fire King but Odin’s twin—the Sky and Wind King. That was why he attacked himself and his father on the Zero Overpass.

Because he was Odin’s twin, Chu Zihang could easily wield lightning elements, feeling far more comfortable with lightning than other elements—almost as if something inside him specialized in converting elemental power.

Perhaps that was his authority.

After long training, Chu Zihang’s elemental mastery ranked: Lightning > Strength > Fire > Others.

If he truly were the Bronze and Fire King, his fire control would not only be slightly better than other elements—that would be unreasonable. So he suspected Lu Mingfei had misjudged; he had only just awakened the Flame Lord, not the Bronze and Fire King.

Since Chu Zihang knew the “truth,” why didn’t he say it outright?

Because he enjoyed the feeling of Xia Mi’s sudden glare whenever he called Norton “brother.” It made him inexplicably happy, finding her adorable when she looked at him like that. He never said it aloud, only cherished it silently.

Maybe I’ve changed. Before awakening the Dragon King’s power, I wasn’t like this.

Chu Zihang recalled their first meeting. When he claimed to be the Bronze and Fire King, Xia Mi’s expression collapsed—it was more like she was laughing in anger. So that identity might have been fake from the start.

Why didn’t she refute me?

Perhaps because I then said she was my lover!

She might have once deeply loved me but felt distant from the old me because she knew we were not on the same level. So starting anew with a mistake wasn’t bad.

She liked it, I liked it, so the truth didn’t matter. Being together and sharing wonderful times was happiness enough.

If the truth would drive us apart, I’d rather forget it and walk forward with Xia Mi, without regrets.

I am Chu Zihang, the Sky and Wind King!

“Do you find the reason hard to say?”

Chu Zihang asked again.

Smart as he was, he roughly guessed what might happen now—Cassell Academy might attack Norton after discovering those chat records because they were, after all, a dragon-slaying academy.

Chu Zihang and Xia Mi could then seize the opportunity to raid the Ocean and Water King’s tomb and obtain its dragon bone power. But with Norton not under attack, no one would draw Cassell’s fire, and they wouldn’t have the chance to steal the Ocean and Water King’s dragon bone.

Too bad. If he hadn’t been so excited when he first got his power, or if he hadn’t been thinking only of taking Odin down with him, maybe he wouldn’t have exposed so many flaws now.

Because of those flaws, he and Xia Mi had to be cautious and aware of Cassell’s surveillance. It was all his fault; Xia Mi had silently borne it without a single unnecessary word.

She truly is a good person.

“Sigh~”

Xia Mi sighed and took off a special ring necklace from her neck. The pendant was a small box containing a dark purple gem—the evil eye created by Lu Mingfei.

She took out the evil eye and handed it to Chu Zihang with a helpless smile. “You go to the Three Gorges first. I have some things to do outside. Let’s meet again in three days, okay?”

“No.”

Chu Zihang refused firmly.

He was cold, not stupid, and could easily guess what Xia Mi was thinking. His gaze was steady, golden eyes burning like they could melt winter’s ice.

“I’ve already set up the cocoon. It’s okay. Even if something happens, I can revive through it.”

Xia Mi smiled and explained.

“Then why not me? I can learn to set up a cocoon and fight too.” Chu Zihang asked.

“Because you’re a king.”

“A king?”

“If you can’t protect the girl you love, what kind of king are you? Just a powerless coward.”

Chu Zihang looked at Xia Mi solemnly, gently caressing her cheek. “You know, your sacrifice would be glorious and heroic for you, but to me, it’s a terrifying scar—an unhealable wound. If I have to lose you to gain power, I’d rather not have it.”

“Dummy.”

Xia Mi lightly pounded his chest, a tear of emotion slipping from her eye. Chu Zihang was truly the boy she had chosen; he always made choices that reassured her at critical moments, proving she was not wrong.

Besides, she wasn’t joking—Xia Mi really planned to sacrifice herself to let Chu Zihang enter the Three Gorges to gain power. But her cocoon might not work perfectly; revival could be complicated.

More importantly...

If Chu Zihang truly let her sacrifice herself, Xia Mi would feel disappointed, and with that disappointment, death wouldn’t be unacceptable.

“You’re the dummy, the adorable dummy.”

Chu Zihang whispered softly.

Two lonely souls leaned on each other, nestled in the first light of dawn, feeling each other’s warmth and the beauty of the world.

At this moment, whether they could obtain the Ocean and Water King’s (Constantin’s) dragon bone no longer mattered, because they already had something far more important.

“That’s good too.”

Embedded deeply in a warm embrace, Xia Mi’s face gradually broke into a happy smile. She smiled and smiled before her smile vanished in an instant.

Oh no, this won’t do!

If Norton really met Chu Zihang, he would definitely blow up. Chu Zihang might foolishly say, “I’m your brother!” or something like that.

If Chu Zihang and Norton met like this, he would surely be in trouble!

We must find a way to get Constantin’s dragon bone!

“Woo~”

A faint low whimper sounded—it was “Lu Mingfei” just waking up.

The little puppy was raised by Chu Zihang. If both Chu Zihang and Xia Mi left, no one would take care of the puppy. Though they could hand it back to Lu Mingfei, Xia Mi insisted on bringing the puppy along as a fun companion.

“Lu Mingfei, bark twice.”

Xia Mi said casually.

“Woof woof.”

The just-awakened puppy was unhappy but obediently barked twice. That woman was too dangerous; better not to disobey her.

“Hehe, so cute.”

Xia Mi smiled, feeling much better. Her gaze at the puppy grew sharper, and an audacious idea formed in her mind—to have “Lu Mingfei” seize Constantin’s dragon bone power.

Under her long training, the puppy had child-level intelligence and could do many things ordinary dogs couldn’t. Plus, Xia Mi had slightly modified its body with dragon blood. Though still weak, it was no ordinary dog.

But that wasn’t enough—far from it!

The puppy’s power was still too weak. It couldn’t even enter the Bronze City’s gates, let alone seize Constantin’s dragon bone.

However...

If I hide the evil eye imbued with my will inside the puppy’s body, then remotely control it through the connection between me and the evil eye, and use the power stored in the evil eye to open Bronze City’s gates, could I remotely seize Constantin’s dragon bone power?

The evil eye is special—it can carry a will in the Dragon Clan world. Attaching a cocoon-like will to the evil eye might really achieve remote control?

Sounds worth trying!

“Hehe, my little cutie, come here. Mommy’s got a big treasure for you.” Xia Mi’s smile bloomed, dark and somewhat eerie.

“Woof.”

The puppy whimpered and shrank its neck, not wanting the big treasure. Every time Xia Mi said that, it faced a very difficult challenge, so it instinctively didn’t want to face it.

“Hm?”

Xia Mi’s gaze sharpened.

“Woof woof woof!”

The puppy immediately cowered, scampering onto the bed with a pitiful expression, looking at Chu Zihang as if begging for hope.

“Sigh~”

Chu Zihang sighed helplessly, gently stroking its head. “It’s okay. Xia Mi won’t hurt you. She’s a good person.”

“Woo... (Chu Zihang, you’ve changed.)”

The puppy whimpered in despair. Turning its head, it saw Xia Mi smiling devilishly, holding a purple gemstone—the evil eye.

“Hehe, Lu Mingfei, don’t be scared. This is a good thing. Once you accept it, you’ll gain incredible power. Let me make it your external magic organ!” Xia Mi said excitedly.

Chu Zihang slowly turned his head, unable to look directly.

“Woo~”

“Hahaha, very good, very good. Looks like you and the evil eye get along well. Our next plan is the Bronze City infiltration plan! Hahaha!” Xia Mi laughed excitedly.

“Senior brother, why aren’t you replying?”

Lu Mingfei stared at the chat screen with no response, sighing helplessly. He was one hundred percent sure that Xia Mi had taken senior brother’s phone. Senior brother would never read a message without replying—he wasn’t that kind of person.

Damn Xia Mi. It’s all her fault!

“It’s okay, don’t panic. We just have to send the message. After they know Norton joined Cassell Academy, they’ll definitely be more cautious.” Funingna comforted.

“Mm.”

Lu Mingfei nodded.

Whether they replied didn’t matter; as long as they knew, that was enough. Under Cassell’s surveillance, they shouldn’t cause any trouble. Now that Norton was an Enforcement Division officer, they’d be even more cautious.

It was hard to imagine how they could get Constantin’s dragon bone now.

“Things are getting complicated.”

Lu Mingfei sighed again, lying back down.

Thinking carefully, if Norton saw Chu Zihang, conflict was inevitable—because Chu Zihang really wasn’t Constantin. And if Chu Zihang seized Constantin’s dragon bone and claimed to be him, that would be explosive for Norton.

Who wouldn’t lose their mind in that situation?!

Of course, Xia Mi might want to try absorbing Constantin’s dragon bone with the evil eye, to see if it’s any different from absorbing it herself. If so, Norton might have to fight both Xia Mi and Chu Zihang together.

If nothing unexpected happens, Norton probably couldn’t match Chu Zihang and Xia Mi. Senior brother was already mastering Xia Mi’s dragon bone power, his true strength close to subadult Dragon King level. Newly awakened Norton would be hard-pressed.

But no matter the outcome, once they fought, their true identities would be revealed to Cassell Academy. As their friend, Lu Mingfei would likely be suspected too.

What should I do?

“By the way, Lu Mingfei, didn’t Lu Mingze say that the White King is in Japan now? Maybe you should take leave, say you’re traveling there, and avoid the disaster. If they really fight, you can hide in Japan—or even the sea.” Funingna suggested.

“Go to Japan?”

Lu Mingfei pondered briefly.

Hiding in Japan wasn’t impossible, but with Norton about to arrive, he’d have to deal with Norton first before running away. Running away prematurely could cause big trouble.

So he’d have to pray that Chu Zihang and Xia Mi stayed longer in the Three Gorges, giving him enough time to manage Norton—basically putting out the fire before it exploded.

As long as it didn’t blow up.

If senior brother came back quickly, Lu Mingfei’s chance to handle things would be small. If he came back slowly, he’d have more time and opportunity.

“So troublesome.”

Lu Mingfei muttered helplessly again.

After another sigh, he instinctively picked up his phone and checked the time. After a brief silence, he suddenly exclaimed, “Oh no, I’m going to be late for class! I have to hurry!”

Meanwhile, in the conference room—

“I heard Ronald Tang set several conditions when he proposed going on a mission to China? Maybe those conditions are clues to his identity as a Dragon King. Tell us what they are.” A board member said, folding his hands.

The vice principal’s expression was strange. He looked at the materials in his hand, opened his mouth, but couldn’t speak—the content was too outrageous.

“It’s okay, just say it.” Principal Anger signaled.

“Sigh~”

The vice principal sighed. “After receiving the mission to protect Lu Mingfei, Ronald Tang demanded no male playmates, refused to protect Lu Mingfei, and changed the protection target to Chen Motong.”

“...”

The atmosphere in the boardroom grew strange. They found it hard to imagine a Dragon King acting this way.

“Anything else?” someone asked.

“He also demanded Cassell Academy provide him with accommodation, emphasizing that the place must have charging ports and WiFi.”

“...”

The atmosphere became even stranger. The board members exchanged looks, doubting Ronald Tang was really Norton. That furious king wouldn’t ask for such beggar-like conditions.

“Right, he had one more condition.”

“What condition?”

“He said that even after arriving in China, he wouldn’t conform to local customs and absolutely refused to work overtime.” The vice principal grimaced.

“...”

The mood in the room was at its strangest.

“Ahem!”

Principal Anger coughed twice awkwardly, then changed the subject. “Let’s discuss the Flame Spear shards and Gungnir matters first.”

“Agreed.”

“Seconded.”

“Let’s do that.”

(End of chapter)