STNS: Chapter 544 (Patreon)

“I’m pleased to see you are unharmed. Did that man touch you? Did he do anything?” asked Loong Mei. She looked more like a worried mother than the leader of the Flood Dragons. It was curious. Wu Jian didn’t think Loong Mei and Hou Jingshu had known each other very long--certainly not long enough for them to grow this close. Was it because Hou Jingshu carried the blood of Qinlong?

“I’m fine. Thank you for your concern.” Hou Jingshu smiled at the older woman’s worry, clearly touched. “He didn’t touch me. He couldn’t.”

“Right. The Oath Under Heaven,” Loong Mei murmured, taking several deep breaths to calm down. “I had nearly forgotten that you forced him into one.”

“Jingshu,” Wu Jian said.

Hou Jingshu turned to him and her eyes lit up. The way her lips curved into a smile set his heart ablaze. While it technically hadn’t been that long since they last saw each other, they hadn’t really managed to get a good look at the other when Wu Jian was confronting Xie Longshan. Now that they were no longer in danger, all the emotions that had been locked away were ready to spill to the forefront.

“JINGSHU!!”

Yet before Wu Jian could take the woman into his arms, Wu Meiying rushed past him and slammed into the other woman. The two almost went down in a tangle of limbs. Hou Jingshu was strong, however. She managed to keep herself from falling and even caught Wu Meiying, laughing as the other woman hugged her tight.

Wu Jian felt all the tension that had been building between him and Hou Jingshu evaporate.

He sighed. Then smiled.

“I’m so glad you’re safe,” Wu Meiying said.

Hou Jingshu’s features softened. “I am too. I’m glad you were able to heal Jian as well. It looks like things worked out for us, in the end.”

While Wu Meiying and Hou Jingshu were talking, Loong Mei came over to him. They stood side by side, watching the pair of young woman talk, not saying a word for a long time. Wu Jian was content to not say anything. However, Loong Mei eventually spoke.

“Never in a million years could I have foreseen something like this happening. Someone with the blood of Byakko fought and slayed the head of the Azure Dragon Clan all for the sake of someone with Qinlong’s blood. Nobody who hadn’t it happen would believe me even if I made an Oath Under Heaven swearing it's true.”

Wu Jian shrugged. “It doesn’t matter to me who believes you or not. All that matters is Hou Jingshu is back where she belongs.”

Loong Mei pursed her lips. Perhaps she was displeased that Wu Jian had dismissed her words, but he really didn’t care what other people thought. He didn’t care if they believed the events that transpired this day were real or fictional. Wu Jian had done what he did to save someone he loved. What other people thought about this day was none of his concern.

“And where does she belong?” asked Loong Mei.

“With me,” Wu Jian stated with certainty.

***

There was a lot that needed to be done. Just because Wu Jian had accomplished his goal didn’t mean his troubles ended there.

The Azure Dragon Clan had been destroyed; their leader was dead, their elders were gone, and the great force that they once represented was no more. A huge power vacuum had opened up. This wasn’t just something that would affect the other dragon clans either. The Azure Dragon Clan had been a predominant force on the Da Continent, and Wu Jian was willing to bet his cultivation that other clans from other magical beast races would be rushing to fill the void they left. A lot of fighting was about to break out.

Wu Jian would have liked to say none of that was his problem, but his conscience wouldn’t let him write off what happened as collateral damage and leave

Most of the Azure Dragon clansmen were innocent of wrongdoings. He couldn’t even accuse them of allowing a man like Xie Longshan to be their leader. It wasn’t like they had a choice in who led them.

Whether you were human or magical beast, the strong ruled over the weak. This instransmutable law had existed since the dawn of time. Those who lacked the power to defend themselves either fell under the umbrella of someone stronger than them, or they were eaten by someone stronger than them. Wu Jian didn’t mean that in the literal sense but the metaphorical one. Of course, some magical beasts might actually eat a creature weaker than themselves.

The first thing they needed to do was create temporary shelters for the displaced Azure Dragon clansmen. The first-aid station was not large enough to accommodate everyone, having only been set up to heal injuries. They also needed food and water. And, with Xie Longshan and their elders dead, someone needed to step up as the interim leader or the clan would face complete collapse.

Fortunately, there was someone who could take over.

Her name was Xie Leilong. She was one of Xie Longshan’s concubines. She had, at one point, been his wife, but he had relegated her to concubine after she said something that displeased him. From what Wu Jian understood, she had tried to convince Xie Longshan to be more reasonable and stop mistreating the other dragon clans. Not only had he lowered her position from wife to mere concubine, but he had locked her away in one of the palace’s towers and refused to visit her.

Xei Leilong was a lovely woman with hair that resembled lightning. It was jagged and spiked as though currents of electricity were running through it, yet it somehow retained its softness. Her features were sharp but beautiful. She was the kind of beauty who looked like she’d cut down anyone who dared displease her with words alone, which was ironic since the woman was quite soft spoken. Her gentle voice was soothing enough to cause even people lost in rage to listen.

With her at the helm, they managed to establish a temporary home outside of the ruined city. The plan was to have her begin directing the Azure Dragon clansmen to begin the process of rebuilding. It would not take that long since even the weakest member of the clan possessed the strength of a Human Limit Realm cultivator. Wu Jian thought it was really unfair that Magical Beasts were born powerful.

The other dragon clans also debated on what to do with the civilians who had been displaced. Many of them wanted to absorb the Azure Dragon Clan bloodline into their clans, since it was a common belief that the Azure Dragon Clan was the closest to Qinlong, their great deity. Loong Mei was the one who put a stop to that. She had argued that doing this would make them no better than Xie Longshan. In the end, and with the help of Xie Leilong, they had managed to prevent members of the Azure Dragon Clan from being forced to marry people from other clans.

***

 Wu Jian’s part in the events that had transpired was now over. He had fought and defeated Xie Longshan and saved Hou Jingshu in the process, which meant he no longer had much to do.

Of course, as the one who had defeated Xie Longshan, a person who many had long since thought was close to godhood, many people had come to fear him, and his words held a lot of weight. But he was not of the dragon clans. He was human. While he would be able to influence what happened to the Azure Dragon Clan as the one who destroyed their leader, he did not care to throw around his weight. He had accomplished his goal and that was all that mattered.

“Loong Mei and Xie Leilong managed to prevent the Azure Dragon Clan from being absorbed into the other clans, but they weren’t able to protect the clan’s various technique scrolls,” Hou Jingshu was saying. “They are being confiscated and divided among the other dragon clans.”

“That’s only natural,” Wu Jian said. “To the victor goes the spoils.” He paused. “I say that, but it’s not like the other clans did much.”

He and his group had done the lion’s share of work to make all this happen. Some of the dragon clans, like the Flood Dragons and Fire Dragons, had helped him cause chaos by spreading rumors and dissent toward the Azure Dragon Clan, and, more specifically, Xie Longshan himself. However, the vast majority of the dragon clans had done nothing.

“I don’t believe they deserve those scrolls at all,” Wu Meiying said with a huff. “We should be dividing those scrolls up ourselves. The scrolls might not be useful to you, Jian, but they are a treasure trove of knowledge for someone who cultivates a dragon cultivation method like Hou Jingshu.”

“We can talk to Loong Mei. I’m sure she’d be willing to part with some if we ask,” Wu Jian said after a pause.

“Let’s ask her if we can get first pick,” Wu Meiying said, determined.

They were sitting in one of the tents that had been set up at the temporary shelter. The floor was covered in a thick, quilted blanket that was soft to the touch. A table sat over it with a variety of fruits laid out on top. All three of them sat on one side with Wu Jian in the center. Both Wu Meiying and Hou Jingshu had placed their legs across his lap. The heat from their bodies made him feel warmer than usual. He felt the power in their calves as he absently ran his hands over their soft skin and thought about what Wu Meiying said. It would be a good idea to see if there were any techniques that Hou Jingshu could learn. She was going to need the power.

“Hey, Mei… I’m happy that you’re with us, but do you think Jian and I could have some privacy?” Hou Jingshu suddenly asked.

Wu Jian stopped running his hands over her legs and looked at the young woman, though she was staring at Wu Meiying instead of him. Her eyes were quite determined. The blush on her cheeks, however, betrayed her feelings.

Oh. I know that look.

Wu Jian felt a surge of hope and arousal rise within him. He hadn’t been able to have sex in… well, a while. He had come close to sleeping with Zhou Lihua, but Wu Meiying had put a stop to that before it could happen. There was a reason for it, and he understood that, but he wouldn’t lie. He wanted to have sex. He and Hou Jingshu had already done the deed, so there shouldn’t have been a problem.

Wu Meiying smiled. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Oh?” Hou Jingshu twitched slightly. “So, you want to watch us? I didn’t take you for the type of lewd woman who was into voyerism.”

“You misunderstand. I’m simply not going to let you two have sex,” Wu Meiying said.

“You have no right to stop us,” Hou Jingshu declared, attempting to stand up. Her feet were entangled with Wu Meiying’s, however, and she was unable to break free.

Wu Meiying’s eyes were slightly dark as she stared at Hou Jingshu. “What’s not right is that you slept with him before me. I am letting you be a part of our group, but make no mistake, Wu Jian belongs to me. The fact that you took his virginity from me is not something I am going to just let go with a smile.”

There was something… extremely dangerous about Wu Meiying’s expression. Both Wu Jian and Hou Jingshu felt a chill run up their spine.

This was not the first time Wu Meiying had revealed a darker side of herself. She had done so on occasion, but this was the first time she had directed that dark side toward one of her supposed sisters. It made Wu Jian realize that he still knew very little about Wu Meiying. He used to think he knew her inside and out, but ever since they had reunited, he had been seeing sides of her that he hadn’t known existed. Perhaps that was to be expected. They had been apart for a long time, and Wu Meiying had remembered her past lives. Having thousands of years worth of memories was bound to change people.

Wu Jian sighed and decided to step in. “I understand how you feel, Mei, but you accepted her as one of my wives. That means you also gave up control over whether or not we could be intimate.”

Wu Meiying flinched as though she’d been stung, and he felt a little bad, but he knew when to be firm and when to fold. Now was the time to be firm. Of course, compromise was the essence of diplomacy, and so he came up with a suitable idea.

“Why don’t you join us? I know you can’t have sex, but there are other things we can do together,” Wu Jian said.

He received two fists to the face for his suggestion.

Well, he had thought it was a good idea.