Growing Up with the Demon King Tyrant - Chapter 24

The adjutant stepped forward in a timely manner to greet them. “The Princess has rushed back tonight! The King thought you wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow…”

Himeng tossed her cloak to him, her eyes still fixed on Xue Yi.

Seeing this, the adjutant explained in a low voice, “Princess, this is the silver snow dragon that was stored for a long time before finally being born… The King mentioned this to you during your last transmission.”

However, two or three years had passed since that transmission… it was normal for Himeng not to remember.

As expected, Himeng frowned slightly, taking a moment to recall. “So it was kept,” she said, her right hand lifting slightly. The bronze sword stabbed into the ground began to hum and vibrate. “To think it has lived this long.”

A member of the Dragon Race being hatched and raised in the territory of the Abyss Demons usually had a low chance of survival; otherwise, they would be sent away as soon as possible. Himeng had never cared about the matter and had long forgotten the young dragon’s final destination.

The bronze sword made a loud noise. Xue Yi hurriedly hugged Xihuai tight, a trace of curiosity appearing in his wide golden eyes. He had heard Xihuai call her “Elder Sister,” so the owner of the bronze sword was Big Brother’s sister.

This connection made Xue Yi feel slightly more at ease, but he was still small and felt instinctive fear toward strange and dangerous things. If that sword had been just a bit further forward, it would have struck him and Big Brother!

And “lived this long”… what did that mean?

Sensing the summons, the bronze sword slowly rose from the ground and returned to Himeng’s hand. She sheathed the sword across her back and began to walk toward them.

Xihuai’s eyes were vigilant as he held Xue Yi closer. “Elder Sister, the young dragon is currently under my care.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t touch him,” Himeng said, looking Xihuai up and down with a cold, piercing gaze. “You…”

Xue Yi accidentally locked eyes with her and “whoosh”—he turned his head away, so nervous he almost transformed back into a little dragon.

“It’s been years,” Himeng said coldly, her voice carrying a chill. “How did you develop such a hobby… liking dragons?”

She had seen it just now; Xue Yi was carried off the carriage by Xihuai, and now he was being protected so closely. Their relationship was obvious. After eight years, Himeng hadn’t changed much from when she left, except that her skin was a bit more tanned and her short hair had grown long. She was still the person in Xihuai’s memory: decisive, powerful, and not at all indirect.

Xihuai ignored the word “hobby,” his dark eyes meeting hers. “I raised Xue Yi personally; he is different from other dragons.”

Himeng offered no reaction and didn’t spare Xue Yi another glance, turning to walk toward the palace. The adjutant followed immediately, while several subordinates remained by Xihuai’s side.

A subordinate whispered, “Third Prince, shall we return to your chambers first?”

Xue Yi lifted his head, watching Himeng’s retreating figure and the large, heavy bronze sword on her back. Xihuai followed his gaze and stroked his silver hair. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”

Xue Yi was still shaken, but he couldn’t help but peek. He nodded slowly.

For the remainder of the way, Xue Yi was carried inside. In the past, Xihuai was always the tallest among his peers; it was the same now, and carrying Xue Yi was effortless. Xue Yi leaned quietly against his shoulder, looking around curiously. He had a slight impression of this place, but only a fragment—not enough to form a complete memory.

That was until Xihuai brought him to his chambers and pushed open the door.

Seeing the layout inside—the hollowed-out central door and the pure white plush carpet—everything looked very familiar. “Have I been here before?” Xue Yi asked, his nose twitching as he sniffed the air.

Xihuai set him down. Xue Yi walked a few steps inside and saw the bedroom on the other side of the central door. The room was cleaned regularly and remained exactly as it was when they left.

Xue Yi circled the bedroom once and ran back to Xihuai excitedly, pulling on his sleeve. “I remember! This is where Big Brother and I lived!”

He ran to the bedside and opened a cabinet in the corner; inside were indeed several worn-out cloth balls. These were made by Xihuai in the past; when they broke, they weren’t thrown away but were tossed casually into the cabinet. Xue Yi touched the cloth balls, then found his old little nest on the balcony. He almost wanted to turn back into a dragon to lie in it, but he resisted and returned to Xihuai.

Xue Yi hugged Xihuai, looking up. “Big Brother, are we going to keep living here from now on?”

“Mm,” Xihuai grunted, kneeling down. “Let’s put your things away first.”

The wardrobe had been cleared, now containing clothes prepared for Xihuai. A side cabinet was used for Xue Yi’s clothes, his hats, and the little vests he wore as a dragon. However, they only brought the three vests Xue Yi liked best; the others were discarded.

Yesterday, Xihuai had given the adjutant Xue Yi’s height and weight, asking him to purchase some magic-imbued clothing. This way, when Xue Yi transformed, the clothes he was wearing would change with him.

There were Beastmen living in the capital, so this kind of fabric wasn’t hard to find; it just needed to be custom-made according to the measurements of both forms. But there wasn’t a second little dragon in the capital… the adjutant had a headache figuring out how to describe the form to the tailor, but he had accepted the task.

While Xihuai was organizing the wardrobe, Xue Yi slipped away to the balcony. He was carrying the box containing his gemstones. He originally wanted to hide it behind a potted plant, but the box was a bit large and couldn’t be concealed. So he went back to the bedroom and stuffed the box under the bed. Only after confirming it couldn’t be seen from the outside did he feel at ease.

Seeing Xihuai still busy, Xue Yi went to the windowsill and pulled back the curtains. It was almost dark now. Two wall lamps were lit inside, and the lamps in the corridor were also on.

Through the glass window, Xue Yi peeked out and saw two servants hurrying past the opposite corridor. Below the windowsill were several flower pots kept outside; he could see a few leaves and the stalk of a tall pink flower. The leaves and petals were still—there was no wind—yet a tree in the courtyard nearby suddenly shook violently.

A youth jumped from the roof onto the tree, then nimbly leaped down from the branch. Xue Yi’s eyes widened as he watched the youth vault over the corridor railing and approach the window in a few strides. The youth was about the same age as Xihuai, and his face looked slightly familiar.

Xinian leaned over, squinting his eyes to look at Xue Yi inside, and tapped on the glass. “Little dragon?”

Through the thick glass, his voice was muffled. Xue Yi didn’t immediately remember who he was. Coupled with the deep impression left by Himeng’s bronze sword, seeing an unfamiliar person made him run to find Xihuai.

“Big Brother!”

Xihuai had also heard the noise and came out of the bedroom. Xue Yi bumped into him, nervously clutching his sleeve. “There’s someone outside. It’s very strange.”

Xihuai looked up. Outside the window, Xinian waved at them.

Xue Yi continued, “He jumped down from the roof! He seemed to crash into the tree…”

In the blink of an eye, Xinian vanished from the window, and a moment later, there was a knock at the door. Xinian waited a while before the door opened. It was Xihuai who opened it. Seeing the space behind Xihuai was empty, Xinian peered inside. “Where’s the little dragon? That was the little dragon just now, right?”

Silver hair and golden eyes—there couldn’t be a second possibility. However, he had heard someone say once that dragons were ugly and coarse after transforming. Why didn’t it seem that way at all?

At this moment, hearing Xinian’s voice, Xue Yi poked half of his small face out from the central doorway. He gripped the edge of the door, peeking cautiously, very curious about Xinian. The scene of Xinian waving outside the window gave Xue Yi a vague memory of having seen it before. Furthermore, Xinian didn’t have a weapon like a bronze sword; he didn’t look like a dangerous person.

Xue Yi grew bolder and slowly walked to the door. He took Xihuai’s hand and whispered, “Big Brother, who is he?”

As soon as he finished, Xinian looked incredulous. “Big Brother? You called him ‘Big Brother’?” He looked at Xihuai and repeated, “You let him call you ‘Big Brother’?”

Needless to say, it must have been Xihuai who taught him; even if not, it was with his silent permission. Xinian’s feelings were complex; he wasn’t angry, but besides surprise, he felt a sense of the bizarre.

Xihuai’s face was expressionless. “What? Is there a problem?”

“No…” Xinian scratched his head. “I just thought the little dragon would call you ‘Master’ or something…”

Beside them, Xue Yi whispered, “Big Brother, what does ‘Master’ mean?”

Xihuai didn’t answer, casting a cold look at Xinian. “Watch your words.” Xue Yi was not his pet, let alone his servant; those two words were offensive.

Sensing Xihuai’s growing anger, alarm bells rang in Xinian’s head, and he hurriedly explained, “I was joking. ‘Big Brother’ is good, it’s very nice…”

Then, he pulled two packages of small biscuits from his coat. “My mother and I heard you were back and wanted to come see you,” Xinian said as he knelt down. “Mother is still behind; she should arrive soon.”

He looked at Xue Yi, trying to show a friendly smile, and held up the biscuits. “Little dragon, do you still remember me?”

The biscuits were from Queen Wei; Xue Yi had eaten them before, but he didn’t know if he remembered. Xue Yi looked at the biscuits and answered honestly, “I don’t remember.”

He still seemed a bit timid, his beautiful golden eyes watching Xinian. Xinian thought to himself that if it weren’t for the color of his eyes, it might be more accurate to say Xue Yi was of the Elf Race. He held out the biscuits coaxingly. “These are specifically for you. They’re very tasty.”

Xue Yi clearly wanted them, but he took half a step back, leaning close to Xihuai. Seeing this, Xinian’s expression turned awkward. “Am I really that scary?”

Back when Xue Yi was still a dragon cub, he had the same reaction when Xinian tried to feed him. Was he really that much of a “bad guy” to look at?

Xihuai also knelt down, pulling Xue Yi into his arms and introducing him: “His name is Xinian. He is another son of my father.”

Only half-understanding, Xue Yi nodded. “Xinian.”

Another son of my father? Xinian’s eye twitched, but he didn’t stop Xue Yi from calling him directly by his name. He saw Xihuai reach out and sensibly handed him the biscuits.

Xihuai fed a biscuit to Xue Yi. Xinian watched, saying, “Elder Sister is back too, you know? I wanted to see her, but she’s already resting…”

Himeng wouldn’t see anyone. No one was allowed to enter her chambers, including Himonya. Xihuai remained silent, unclear if he was listening.

If Xue Yi was to live in the palace long-term, meeting people was a necessity. Xihuai was patient and didn’t drive Xinian away. Xue Yi nibbled on the biscuit while peeking at Xinian again. He had also called her “Elder Sister” and was another son of Xihuai’s father, so that made him Xihuai’s… Xue Yi’s brain was a bit muddled; he couldn’t quite untangle the relationships in such a short time.

He finished the biscuit and heard footsteps approaching from the corridor. Xinian turned his head and immediately stood up. “Father.”

Beside Himonya was Queen Wei. Xinian called out again, “Mother.”

No wonder Queen Wei had been delayed on the way; she was waiting for Himonya to come with her. If only Queen Wei and Xinian had come, things could be more casual, but Himonya was different. He was followed by the adjutant, several servants, and two soldiers in silver armor.

Xihuai also stepped out from the doorway and bowed. “Father.”

After five years, there was no change in Himonya. His gaze swept over Xihuai before he finally spoke: “You’re back.”

It was growing dark, and the lighting in the courtyard was poor, while the bedchamber was inappropriate for a formal meeting. So, the adjutant followed Himonya’s lead and brought everyone to a nearby front hall.

Xue Yi was brought along. He held Xihuai’s hand tightly, standing with him in the center of the hall. Himonya was the only one sitting in a chair; he was holding several pages of paper—the results of Xihuai’s final term of assessments, which had arrived yesterday.

He looked through them, his tone much gentler. “Not bad.” In these five years, Xihuai had almost entirely self-studied, yet he managed to maintain a top-tier status.

Himonya set down the assessment table and asked, “What level is your offensive magic now?”

As an Abyss Demon, Xihuai could study any category of magic. Demon energy could catalyze all elements, virtually without limit.

Xihuai answered, “Level 4, I think.”

Himonya frowned. “Why only Level 4?” With Xihuai’s talent, Himonya expected at least Level 5. But since he was the one who decided to send Xihuai to the Star-Plucking Tower for five years, he was overall satisfied with Xihuai’s current state.

And from beginning to end, Himonya had not looked at Xue Yi once.

The room was full of people. Xinian was standing obediently now, looking down in silence. Xue Yi was nervous at first, but fortunately, Xihuai was holding his hand, and the constant warmth from his palm allowed Xue Yi to gradually relax.

After a while, Xue Yi couldn’t help but let out a large yawn, reaching out to rub his eyes. The front hall was quiet and no one was moving, making his yawn very conspicuous.

“I have already made arrangements for you,” Himonya was saying, his gaze sweeping over Xue Yi. “There are three head tutors at the academy for you to choose from.”

At this moment, Xue Yi seemed to sense something and turned to see Queen Wei nearby, lightly waving her hand to him. Queen Wei was smiling, wanting Xue Yi to come to her side. Xue Yi hesitated, slowly letting go of Xihuai’s hand. He remembered this young lady in the pretty green dress; he seemed to have eaten biscuits she fed him before.

Queen Wei waved again. Xue Yi didn’t hesitate further, stepping toward her. Xihuai turned his head, seemingly wanting to stop him. But he resisted, giving an “Mm” in response to Himonya.

Xihuai’s gaze returned from Xue Yi, his tone becoming somewhat dismissive. Himonya narrowed his eyes slightly, a look of displeasure on his face.

Xue Yi, completely oblivious, reached Queen Wei’s side. Queen Wei knelt down, lifting her skirt, and whispered to him, “Do you still remember me?” Her expression was pleasantly surprised as she reached out to stroke Xue Yi’s silver hair.

Xue Yi leaned closer, sniffing her scent, and nodded. “I remember.”

“You are…” He tried hard to recall. “You are…” What was she? Xihuai had said it before, but he couldn’t remember. Regardless, Queen Wei had a very nice scent of wood elements; he must have smelled it before.

Himonya tapped the armrest with his finger, the sound interrupting Xue Yi’s thoughts.

“Since the young dragon has been returned, he should be re-settled,” he said. “Why don’t we first hand him over to…”

Upon hearing this, Queen Wei had a look of expectation in her eyes, but Himonya’s gaze moved away from her without stopping. This meant he had no intention of giving Xue Yi to her.

“No need,” Xihuai spoke up in time to interrupt. “Xue Yi stays with me.”

Himonya clearly disagreed. “He has already transformed. How can he continue to live in your room?” He usually only cared about Xihuai’s studies and general performance, and didn’t know the details of how the two normally interacted.

“Why not? Xue Yi has always lived with me,” Xihuai answered calmly. “He can only fall asleep at night if I read to him.”