Three-Leaf Earth Dragon

"What a mess!" Ye Tian sighed, gently tapping his forehead.

A seemingly simple assassination attempt had somehow entangled both the Spirit Hall and the two great empires.

And the worst part? The whole affair stemmed from him.

This realization made Ye Tian laugh bitterly at himself—he really must be something to merit such attention.

He couldn't deny that the series of events over the past few months had been strangely coincidental.

If someone wasn't deliberately pulling the strings behind the scenes, Ye Tian wouldn't believe it.

His expression grew solemn as he thought about this.

"Clearing up the truth about my sister is imperative. It's the top priority," Ye Tian declared firmly, gazing at the green fields along the roadside.

The thought that his sister might be Bibi Dong was absurd, almost laughable.

Yet, recent occurrences were intricately tied to this outlandish idea.

If one were to interpret these incidents as evidence, however tenuous, his suspicions weren't baseless.

Once the seed of doubt is planted, it grows deep roots in the mind.

Unless he uncovered the truth, he feared he'd be consumed by uncertainty.

With this clarity, an idea for a test suddenly came to Ye Tian.

"What if I told my sister that Ning Fengzhi, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's leader, is coming to my wedding? How would she react?"

If she truly were his sister, she'd surely be thrilled about such a distinguished guest attending her brother's wedding.

But if she were actually Bibi Dong in disguise, she would find any excuse to avoid the encounter.

After all, Ning Fengzhi knew Bibi Dong personally.

As this thought crossed his mind, Ye Tian chuckled.

What kind of person is Bibi Dong? She surely wouldn't waste months lurking around him for entertainment, right?

He silently prayed that this was the case.

Carrying these thoughts, Ye Tian returned to the villa to bid farewell to Ning Fengzhi and others.

"Apologies, Sect Master Ning. I have some business matters to attend to and can't accompany you all today," Ye Tian said politely.

Ning Fengzhi waved dismissively. "No problem, go handle your work."

After saying his goodbyes, Ye Tian called for Fu Bo to bring him a horse.

With practiced ease, he mounted the horse and galloped toward the farm.

Arriving at the farm, Ye Tian immediately noticed festive decorations on the gate—bright red characters symbolizing joy.

The roads were lined with red lanterns, creating a celebratory atmosphere.

With five days remaining until his wedding, the farm was busier than ever.

As he walked along the farm's paths, Ye Tian ran into Chen Jian, who had just returned with his hunting team.

Seeing Ye Tian, Chen Jian smiled proudly and displayed their latest catch: a soul beast resembling a dragon with three sharp horns.

"Young Master, look! Even the imperial banquets of the Heaven Dou Empire wouldn't have such a delicacy!"

Chen Jian pointed to the dragon-like soul beast with pride.

Weighing nearly a thousand pounds and requiring eight carts to transport, the soul beast piqued Ye Tian's curiosity.

However, his knowledge of soul beasts was limited, so he couldn't identify it.

Noticing Ye Tian's confusion, Chen Jian explained with a grin:

"It's called a Three-Leaf Earth Dragon, a rare species even on the entire continent."

"We're fortunate to have caught one, thanks to your luck, Young Master."

"This magnificent creature will be the highlight of your wedding feast!" Chen Jian added, smacking his lips.

Historical records describe the Three-Leaf Earth Dragon as a top-tier delicacy reserved for royal nobles.

Due to excessive hunting by human soul masters, however, dragon-type soul beasts have nearly vanished.

In East Sea City, for example, no dragon-type soul beasts had been seen in over three centuries.

Chen Jian couldn't help but marvel at Ye Tian's fortune—capturing such a rarity just before his wedding.

The Three-Leaf Earth Dragon, seemingly understanding their conversation, turned its large eyes toward Ye Tian and let out a low, pleading whimper.

This amused Chen Jian, who stepped forward and explained:

"We spent a lot of effort capturing it, but it was worth it for such fresh, top-grade ingredients."

Hearing this, the Earth Dragon whimpered louder and struggled against its bindings. The iron chains restrained it, but its resistance caught Ye Tian's attention.

Though unfamiliar with the Three-Leaf Earth Dragon, Ye Tian's innate abilities allowed him to estimate its power.

The dragon's cultivation level barely exceeded a thousand years.

Considering that dragon-type soul beasts develop faster than others, Ye Tian guessed its actual age was around 200-300 years.

He dismounted and approached the dragon, gently stroking its forehead. "You want me to save you?"

The Earth Dragon nodded eagerly, letting out muffled cries.

This surprised Ye Tian—such intelligence in a 200-300-year-old soul beast was extraordinary.

Smiling, Ye Tian looked into the dragon's eyes and said, "But saving you comes with a price."

The Earth Dragon froze for a moment, then slumped its head onto the cart in despair.

This only heightened Ye Tian's interest.

Clapping his hands, he turned to Chen Jian. "This dragon is intriguing. Our farm's back mountain could use a guardian soul beast—I think it's perfect for the role."

Intelligent soul beasts like this were worth saving.

Hearing this, the Earth Dragon's eyes sparkled, and it thrashed against its chains with renewed vigor.

Chen Jian hesitated. "Young Master, if we release it, we'll lose a key dish for your wedding feast, which might diminish your status…"

"And soul beasts aren't trustworthy. If we leave it on the back mountain, it might escape by the next day."

The Earth Dragon whimpered louder, as if protesting its innocence.

"This guy has a strong will to survive!" Ye Tian chuckled, patting its head.

"Since when have I cared about appearances? Dragon-type soul beasts are rare enough—consider this an act of kindness," Ye Tian said, waving dismissively.

Left with no argument, Chen Jian bowed and said, "Understood, Young Master."

He turned and ordered his team, "Take this creature to the back mountain!"

The Earth Dragon, now free, roared joyfully in gratitude toward Ye Tian.

Ye Tian smiled and waved. "Train hard, and maybe you'll repay me in human form someday."

"Young Master, this is a male dragon," one team member clarified.

Ye Tian: "…"

"Forget I said that."

He mounted his horse again and rode toward the farm's courtyard.

In the courtyard's soft evening glow, Ye Tian noticed Hu Liena sitting at a stone table, sewing something.

The dim light made it hard to see what she was working on.

Before he could ask, Hu Liena's sharp senses detected his presence.

Excited, she quickly hid her needlework in her storage space, stood up, and greeted him with a bright smile as if nothing had happened.

(End of Chapter)

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