Growing Up with the Demon King Tyrant - Chapter 3

The next day, Xi Huai woke up a bit earlier than usual.

Before he even opened his eyes, he felt a small, huddled creature lying in his palm.

Due to a moment of hesitation the previous night, this little dragon had taken an inch and wanted a mile, leaning against him to sleep the whole night through.

The little dragon cub was currently dreaming with its head tucked in; its back legs kicked slightly while its front claws tightly hugged the wrist in its embrace.

Xi Huai looked down, then reached out with his other hand to pinch a tiny dragon horn.

It didn’t wake up.

If those dragons knew that a hatchling of their clan was stranded out here and being so intimate with a member of their rival race, they would surely go mad with rage.

Xi Huai closed his eyes again, waiting for the first rays of sunlight to illuminate the grassland.

The palm of his hand shifted. The little dragon cub yawned and stretched while stepping on Xi Huai’s sleeve.

Xue Yi rolled over and sat up, shook his horns, and licked his paws.

Xi Huai remained motionless with his eyes closed, appearing as though he hadn’t awakened yet.

The palm where the cub had lain all night was still warm. Xue Yi lowered his head to sniff it, then gently rested his front claws upon it.

Xi Huai’s hand was covered in his own scent and radiated heat just like his eggshell used to.

Waking up in a daze, Xue Yi opened his mouth, wanting to bite the fingertip—intending to nibble it just as he had eaten the eggshell.

The hand before him suddenly moved. Caught off guard, Xue Yi shrank his neck and retreated.

Xi Huai sat up, his face expressionless. “You want to eat me?”

The little dragon cub tilted its head and rubbed against his sleeve, his eyes full of innocence.

Xi Huai proactively extended a finger. “Go ahead, take a bite.”

He actually wanted to see if a hatchling this small could even hurt him.

Xue Yi looked at the finger in front of him, realized he had made a mistake, and gave it a small, placating lick.

Xi Huai’s breathing hitched slightly. He withdrew his hand and stood up from under the tree.

In the morning, Xi Huai remained restless.

He first went to the stream alone to wash up briefly, then began to wander around aimlessly.

The little dragon didn’t follow him; it probably saw him walking fast and knew he didn’t intend to take it along.

Seeing the sun rise overhead, Xi Huai turned back the way he came.

As usual, the little dragon cub was still on that patch of grass. Seeing him from afar, it ran over excitedly.

Xi Huai approached and found a warm patch of grass to sit in. The little dragon cub still followed close behind, its tail wagging incessantly.

He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but today, this little dragon seemed even more enthusiastic than usual.

Xi Huai was expressionless. After hugging his hand to sleep for a night, what did the cub take him for now? A dragon nest?

Xue Yi continued to watch over Xi Huai, his gaze filled with earnest longing.

Today… he didn’t bring back prey either?

Xi Huai seemed to never eat anything, nor had he ever brought back a single kill.

A few days ago, Xue Yi hadn’t cared, but now the eggshell was gone, and he had lost his only source of food.

The little dragon cub leaned in and sniffed, confirming that Xi Huai’s hands were empty.

Xue Yi felt a bit disappointed, but he still rubbed against Xi Huai’s sleeve and lay obediently in the grass.

Everything was quiet. Xi Huai squinted his eyes to bask in the sun and the breeze when he suddenly heard a “gulu” sound.

He turned his head to look at the little dragon cub beside him.

Xue Yi curled his claws embarrassedly, trying to cover his stomach.

So… it’s hungry?

Only now did Xi Huai realize belatedly that the eggshell had been finished.

But what did that have to do with him?

Xi Huai withdrew his gaze, unmoved.

He wasn’t the little dragon’s parent; he had just happened to enter the valley and encounter it. He had no obligation to take care of it.

The little dragon cub continued to lie there silently, its chin resting on a thick blade of grass while its claws unconsciously dug at the ground.

The fragrance of green grass swirled around its nose. Xue Yi felt an impulse; he pulled up a few weeds and put them in his mouth, only to spit them out immediately.

They didn’t taste good at all… Xue Yi looked around and fixed his eyes on a small wildflower not far away.

Xi Huai caught this scene, his gaze quietly following the little dragon cub.

The cub went under the tree, looked up to sniff the flower that was as tall as itself, and cautiously gave it a lick.

Immediately after, the little dragon cub wrinkled its nose, stuck out its tongue, and let out a small sneeze.

It looked quite pitiful.

Counting the days, there were still four full days until the half-month mark. Only after four days would the sealed valley gates open.

Xi Huai thought to himself: What if the little dragon actually starves to death?

Such a weak hatchling could only nibble on weeds, and food was hard to find in the valley.

If its corpse were discovered later and the timing was cross-referenced, people might even blame him for not discovering it sooner.

After all, it was a member of the Dragon Clan, not some ordinary spirit beast.

Xi Huai quickly finished his mental preparation and stood up. “Let’s go.”

Xue Yi looked up, his golden eyes filled with confusion, but he instinctively stepped forward to follow.

There were no animals in the valley. The most abundant food source was wild fruit. Xi Huai didn’t know if dragons ate fruit, so he planned to test it first.

Having already wasted the morning and noon, Xi Huai walked a bit faster. The little dragon cub behind him struggled to keep up.

After noticing the little dragon cub trip in the grass for the second time, Xi Huai reached his limit. He picked up the clumsy hatchling and stuffed it into his coat pocket.

The pocket was neither too big nor too small; it was a perfect fit for the little dragon cub.

The cub had never been to such a height. At first, it was a bit timid, but after a while, it poked half its head out from the edge of the pocket.

Xue Yi was full of curiosity, constantly scanning the surroundings and stretching out his claws to reach for passing branches.

Xi Huai gently pressed the little dragon cub’s head back down. “Don’t move around.”

Now that he didn’t have to worry about the cub keeping up, Xi Huai quickened his pace and found a large cluster of shrubs bearing yellow fruit.

He picked a fruit, peeled it, and ate it. Then he picked another and fed it to the little dragon cub in his pocket.

The little dragon cub took a lick of the fruit’s juice. The next second, it closed its eyes, let out two “pei pei” sounds, and shrank back into the pocket.

It’s just a bit sour… Xi Huai had no choice but to throw the fruit away and look elsewhere.

Throughout the afternoon, Xi Huai traversed the woods, trying to feed the little dragon cub various fruits.

The wild fruits were all non-toxic. Finally, he discovered that the little dragon refused to eat any sour or bitter fruit; it would reluctantly lick tasteless ones but loved sweet ones most of all.

However, sweet fruits were hard to find. After being busy all afternoon, it was nearly dark. Xi Huai simply prepared to spend the night near the fruit tree he had just found.

There was also a new stream nearby, so the water problem was solved.

Using Xi Huai’s hand as a guide, the little dragon cub drank the water from the leaf and looked around nervously.

This was an unfamiliar place. Xue Yi didn’t dare run around and followed Xi Huai’s every step. When the youth sat down to rest, the cub pressed itself against his palm with practiced ease.

Xi Huai closed his eyes and lay down. “Go to sleep.”

He was also a bit tired after the afternoon. Magic power was scarce within the valley, so physical exertion took a greater toll.

He hadn’t expected that finding food for a hatchling would be more taxing than doing his schoolwork.

The little dragon cub in his palm moved, adjusted its posture, and hugged the warm wrist tightly.

Xi Huai cast a downward glance. The tiny dragon cub’s breathing was steady, and its tail was draped over his hand.

When this dragon grows up, I wonder if it will still have memories of these days.

After the night passed, Xi Huai took the waking dragon cub to the stream to drink water.

Xue Yi mimicked his actions, using his wet front claws to pat his face, licking the water from the leaf, and then spitting it out.

Breakfast consisted of sweet wild fruits. Xue Yi ate two, while Xi Huai only ate one.

In the morning, Xi Huai went nowhere, sitting by the stream to bask in the sun.

Xue Yi lay on the bank, occasionally stretching out a claw to touch the flowing water.

Xi Huai kept a constant watch on the bank to prevent the little dragon cub from accidentally falling in.

His sharp eyes suddenly caught something moving under the water.

Xi Huai flipped over and sat up, brushing the little dragon cub aside to look closely.

In the clear stream water were two small shrimp eating algae by the bank.

Since people rarely came here, they sensed no danger at all as they swam with their translucent bodies.

Xi Huai narrowed his eyes. A burst of demonic energy surged into the water, tightly entwining the two live shrimp.

Splash—!

The water surface erupted, and the two shrimp landed accurately in Xi Huai’s hand. Immediately, they were separated into four parts.

Xi Huai’s movements were clean and efficient. By the time the shrimp heads hit the ground, the shrimp tails were still dripping water from his fingertips.

When he looked up again, the little dragon cub was staring blankly—first at him, then at the shrimp heads on the ground. It unconsciously backed up half a step, clearly showing some fear.

Xi Huai frowned and remained silent for a moment. “Do you want to eat?”

Although Xue Yi didn’t know what Xi Huai had caught and the fallen shrimp heads were a bit scary, the word “eat” caused his curiosity to prevail.

The little dragon cub slowly approached and squatted by Xi Huai’s hand. It cautiously sniffed the shrimp tail but showed no intention of eating it.

Doesn’t like it raw?

So, Xi Huai found a few dry branches and used demonic energy to spark a fire.

The two shrimp were very small and didn’t require much heat. Xi Huai gathered two clumps of demonic energy in his palms—one wrapped around the shrimp, the other controlling the flames on the branches.

The translucent shrimp were roasted until they turned red, and a fragrance gradually wafted out.

Xue Yi watched without blinking, his golden eyes wide and round. He couldn’t help but let out a sound: “Wu!”

The sound was crisp and bright, as if praising: “Wow—”

Xi Huai felt a strange, inexplicable sense of accomplishment, though he didn’t show it on his face.

The shrimp were soon cooked. He waited for the temperature to drop until they weren’t hot, then peeled off the shells and handed them to Xue Yi.

The little dragon cub had been looking forward to this. It ate both shrimp completely clean, then excitedly ran to the bank to see if there were any more.

Unfortunately, the environment in the valley was unusual; finding two shrimp was already a stroke of luck.

The little dragon cub stood guard for a long time before finally giving up and returning to rub against Xi Huai’s hand.

Xi Huai gave it a stroke and gently scratched the little dragon’s chin.

Three days later, the day for Xi Huai to leave the valley arrived.

Unsure of when the valley gate would open, he brought Xue Yi back to the grassland where he had first found him.

Xue Yi didn’t know he was leaving yet. Returning to a familiar place made him very happy, and he dug through the leaves to play.

Xi Huai went under the tree where the two dragon eggs were kept and took out the wild fruits from his pocket.

His face was expressionless, his emotions unreadable, as he piled the wild fruits together.

Even if the clansmen entering the valley didn’t find the spot immediately after he left, these hydrated fruits would be enough for Xue Yi to eat for three or four days.

Actually, Xi Huai could have just taken Xue Yi with him and handed him over to whoever came to pick him up.

But he didn’t want to do that. For reasons he couldn’t explain, he just felt a bit irritable.

The sun gradually climbed higher. Xi Huai sat under the tree, keenly catching an unusual sound from the sky.

The valley gate was open.

He patted the grass. “Come here.”

Hearing the sound, the little dragon cub ran over and squatted obediently.

“You stay here,” Xi Huai said in a low voice. “Don’t run around.”

The youth seemed to be in a bad mood. The little dragon cub stood with its chest out, motionless, showing it was being very good.

Xi Huai’s lips moved again, but in the end, he said nothing. He stood up and headed toward the valley gate.

He walked very fast. Xue Yi watched his back and let out a soft cry: “Wu…”

Whether Xi Huai heard it or not, he disappeared into the woods without looking back.

Outside the valley gate, the adjutant came to pick him up.

He waited patiently. Seeing the familiar figure emerge, he hurriedly stepped forward. “Your Highness.”

Xi Huai’s expression was poor. The adjutant wasn’t surprised and said in a low voice, “You have suffered these past few days.”

He also told Xi Huai that Hemonya had been very worried about him, but had been too busy lately to pick him up in person.

Xi Huai gave a perfunctory response. “By the way, I…”

The adjutant looked at him, waiting for the rest of his sentence.

By some strange twist of fate, Xi Huai stopped in his tracks. “I left some things inside.”

The adjutant was puzzled. “What is it?”

Xi Huai didn’t answer and turned to leave. “I’ll go find them; I’ll be back soon.”

He had entered empty-handed—his storage bracelets had been confiscated and he was wearing his clothes properly.

But the valley was also empty, containing nothing but trees and grass. Although the adjutant found it strange, he didn’t think too much of it.

Xi Huai walked a few steps, then turned back and tilted his chin. “Give me your coat. It’s a bit cold.”

To bandage the wound on his leg, the hem of his clothes had indeed been torn into rags.

The adjutant quickly took off his coat. Xi Huai snatched it and put it on as he walked.

The coat was a bit large for him, but it was just right.

He rushed back at top speed until he saw a silver-white figure under the tree.

The little dragon cub was still lying in its original spot. Hearing the noise, it snapped its head up.

Xi Huai stopped and knelt on one knee. “Come here.”

Before he finished speaking, the little dragon cub’s tail perked up. It ran forward excitedly and arrived in front of him.

Xi Huai reached out and touched the tip of the little dragon cub’s nose. “Come with me.”

Without hesitation, the little dragon cub climbed into the youth’s palm.

A moment later, Xi Huai reappeared near the valley gate.

He wrapped the oversized coat tightly around himself, keeping his head down so his expression couldn’t be seen. He approached. “Let’s go back.”

The adjutant wanted to ask if he had found his things, but after hesitating for a moment, he remained silent and nodded to lead the way.

Behind him, Xi Huai licked his dry lips, suppressing the excitement in his heart.

Inside the inner pocket of his coat, a little dragon cub was staying quiet.

With Xi Huai’s instructions, the cub made no sound at all, diligently stretching out its limbs to flatten itself so it wouldn’t be easily discovered.

While no one was paying attention, Xi Huai touched the pocket to reassure Xue Yi hiding inside.

He had thought it through: if he handed Xue Yi over to other clansmen, it might not be appropriate.

A dragon staying in the territory of the Heteromorphic Demon Race was unprecedented. There was no telling what might happen, and sending it back to the Dragon Race would be troublesome—it might even lead to conflict.

In short, Xi Huai thought of many various reasons and successfully convinced himself.

The most critical point: he might never see this little dragon again.

So he decided to secretly take Xue Yi back first and look after the cub himself.

As for the future—

He would worry about the future later.

Xi Huai had always acted on whim; thinking too much was simply not his style.

At worst, he would just say he found it and thought it was an ordinary spirit beast, so he kept it.