40 Bloodline of the Dragon (1/2)

It was a quiet dusk, the setting sun lulled the people to sleep.

At the Avalon Pier, a boat rested at the port, but rarely did passengers come down. At the front of this empty pier there was a monstrous and burly man. He sat on a bench, studiously reading a wrinkled pamphlet.

Bang!

A giant suitcase, almost half the size of him, fell in front of him. It landed with a heavy thud, causing dust to fly into the air. The newcomer, looking around curiously, did not match his giant suitcase at all.

The youth was clad in a pure white robe, but his skin was even paler. He was feminine, yet handsome and tender. His golden hair hung to his waist and was tied behind his back. The silver hair accessories, and his flowing golden locks shone under the sun, radiating beauty and grace. On his arm was a tattoo of sorts. The intertwined twin snakes were strange yet elegant.

”This old place is still the same.” This youthful-looking man sat down on his suitcase and poked the burly man with his cane. ”Hey, Setton. You’re so cold. Won’t you greet me?”

Setton raised his head and gazed coolly. After a long time, he finally forced out, ”Hey, why aren’t you dead yet?”

”Friend, you make me so sad,” the blonde shook his head, sighing. ”I even bought a collar for you so you can be more obedient. How can you treat me like this?”

Crack!

The bench groaned as Setton glared at the blond kid, his joints cracking and popping.

”Ah, never mind. You still get angry so easily. Let’s change the topic…” The youth sighed and then looked side to side impatiently. ”Where are my two cute new workers? Have they eaten well? Rested well? Became nice and plump? Come on, let me see the boy full of secrets, and the equally mysterious girl…” He opened his arms excitedly. ”I don’t care who goes, but someone go tell them! Tell them that their amazing, caring, kind, handsome, and beautiful boss, the respected Sir Hermes, has returned!”

--

They were finally done delivering goods at dusk.

Ye Qingxuan sat in a corner of the Fountain Square, sunbathing lazily. His cane was in Bai Xi’s curious hands. Under the waning sun, Ye Qingxuan took out the aether ball. Out of habit, he sang some notes, but there was no response as usual.

”You’re still trying?” Bai Xi understood after seeing the Aether ball in his hands. ”It’s impossible for you. The most common notes are all in the upper or lower range. Your range can’t reach those, and you can’t even sense the aether, right?” Bai Xi sighed, ”But you couldn’t get lucky even once during all those tries. How unlucky are you?”

”I can’t help it. Maybe I’m just unfortunate.” Ye Qingxuan shrugged, but his mind went back to the terrifying afternoon—the thousands of steel cranes shining in the sky and the immense power from Princess Yunlou’s small movement. ”Taiyi.” He suddenly remembered this word, and looked up at Bai Xi. ”You said ‘Taiyi’ at noon. What does it mean?”

”Huh?” Bai Xi’s face was full of confusion. ”What Taiyi?”

”I heard it.” Ye Qingxuan’s lip curled. ”Stop acting dumb. You said it when Princess Yunlou almost got assassinated. ‘Taiyi.’”

”Oh, that,” Bai Xi finally nodded after thinking for a long time. ”I meant to say ‘talent.’ Natural-born talent.”

”Talent is just a wide vocal range, or agile moves at most. If this is talent, then you’re saying the Princess was this powerful at birth?”

”That’s why it’s talent—true talent,” Bai Xi said. ”Talent isn’t a voice, looks, or a sixth finger on your right hand. It’s something predetermined. You get it when you’re in the womb, or even earlier. It’s already determined when your ancestors made the vow.”

”I don’t get it. Are you sure you’re saying something humans can understand?”

Bai Xi glanced at him helplessly and sighed, ”Are you sure you have Eastern lineage?”

Ye Qingxuan pointed at his hair. ”I thought this was obvious.”

”Let me just ask you one thing: did you know that in the East, many people have black hair?” Bai Xi prodded Ye Qingxuan.